Godless

I read an article, Why I Raise My Children Without God, when I got home from work today.

The author/mother gave seven reasons why she keeps God out of her parenting techniques. She says, 1) God is bad parent and role model 2) God is not logical 3) God is not fair 4) God does not protect the innocent 5) God is not present 6) God does not teach children to be good 7) God teaches narcissism.

She explains herself in the article and even concludes by saying how she does not want to eradicate religion, only keep it in the private spheres of society.

I am not angry by this mother's beliefs about parenting and faith. Yes, her arguments stand in stark contrast to the Christian faith. Yes, her arguments are hostile toward God. Yes, her statements of what she believes to be facts are untrue. But my anger will not help this situation at all.

Instead, I am sad. I am sad for this mother. I am sad for her children.

More and more parents are following in this mother's footsteps. They are raising their children apart from any and all religious influences. They want to raise "objective" children, and think removing faith is the best way to do so. They fear what happens when individuals are raised in the world of faith.

This makes me sad for our culture.

This makes genuine evangelism all the more pressing. Our culture needs to know that God is our great Father. He is logical and fair. His defense of the innocent is ingrained in His character. He not only teaches us to be good, but makes us holy. His plans are for His glory, which means our good.

We need to be heartbroken over our culture. And this heartbreak should motivate us to share the truth of exactly who God is and what He has done, most notably through Jesus Christ.

rotten bones

I've been listening to the Bible on my phone the past few weeks as a result of a minor head injury I suffered over Christmas. Listening puts far less strain on my recovering head.

It is also a different media, which allows another sense to pick up on things my eyes miss. Tonight it was Proverbs 14:30,

A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot.

Rarely will I ever identify myself as tranquil (and not simply because that word is outside of my vocabulary). I wish I could, because throughout the course of any given day my flesh needs life.

I will admit I suffer from rotting bones. Sadly, I could create a very long list of things I envy. If given a time limit, I could still come up with a handful. Some of them are petty, while others are less so.

Envy comes easy to me. I can convince myself that there are important things I lack, and then stress how crucial it is that I somehow attain them. And as Proverbs 14:30 says, I grow rotten.

My rottenness displays itself in a variety of ways. I have noticed how it can make me physically tired even if I have done nothing physical. I have witnessed how it draws me away from people and into isolation. I have found how it can move its way into my head and make things up there just as rotten. And it can do much more. It really is a disease.

And just like most diseases, it can go unnoticed for far too long. I can downplay my envy or pass it off as wishful thinking. I fail to fight against it, until it has created havoc and chaos.

At this weekend's youth retreat, we spent the first two nights on Ephesians 1-2. Those passages are very familiar to me, but they always find a way to amaze me every time I read them. What stood out this time was how death was the state we were all in before God saved us through Christ, and how death is what we naturally fall back to.

Envy is drifting toward death. Rotten bones are usually associated with death and disease.

I need life. I need tranquility. I need trust both in the life my Savior has gifted me as well as the good things which are presently mine through Him.

declining an invite

I am set to embark upon a weekend retreat with a group of middle school students. Unfortunately snow will be replaced with spring-like conditions. I still expect a good weekend and anticipate seeing how God's Spirit moves in the lives of the people in attendance.

I wanted to write note about yesterday's news involving Louie Giglio turning down an invitation to pray at President Obama's inauguration breakfast. Yesterday quickly got busy and the time never came about. Thankfully plenty of well-respected folks have written some thoughts worth sharing.

Here's what Al Mohler had to say (feel free to read the whole thing)

The gauntlet was thrown down yesterday, and the axe fell today. Wayne Besen, founder of the activist group Truth Wins Out, told The New York Times yesterday: “It is imperative that Giglio clarify his remarks and explain whether he has evolved on gay rights, like so many other faith and political leaders. It would be a shame to select a preacher with backward views on LBGT people at a moment when the nation is rapidly moving forward on our issues.”

And there you have it — anyone who has ever believed that homosexuality is morally problematic in any way must now offer public repentance and evidence of having “evolved” on the question. This is the language that President Obama used of his own “evolving” position on same-sex marriage. This is what is now openly demanded of Christians today. If you want to avoid being thrown off the program, you had better learn to evolve fast, and repent in public.

This is precisely what biblical Christians cannot do. While seeking to be gentle in spirit and ruthlessly Gospel-centered in speaking of any sin, we cannot cease to speak of sin as sin. To do so is not only to deny the authority of Scripture, not only to reject the moral consensus of the saints, but it undermines the Gospel itself. The Gospel makes no sense, and is robbed of its saving power, if sin is denied as sin.

An imbroglio is a painful and embarrassing conflict. The imbroglio surrounding Louie Giglio is not only painful, it is revealing. We now see the new Moral McCarthyism in its undisguised and unvarnished reality. If you are a Christian, get ready for the question you will now undoubtedly face: “Do you now or have you ever believed that homosexuality is a sin?” There is nowhere to hide.

Maybe now (in case we aren't already) is a good time to start praying in earnest for the Church to continue faithfully speaking the truth with much love and grace to those around her.

a dirty mess

I saw Les Miserables last night. As for a review, I will offer two points.

First, if you do not like singing then avoid this movie. I did not actually count, but I am fairly confident that 95% of the movie is singing.

Second, go see the movie. The music is excellent. The acting/singing is impressive. The ending is beautifully powerful.

Heading into the film I was not overly familiar with the story. I probably "read" it in high school, which means I never actually opened the book. After last night, I wish I had.

Aside from the ending, there was one scene in particular which made me pause. It was when Jean Valjean carried Marius through the Paris sewer system in order to save him.

Marius is unconscious due to his injuries and Jean is trudging his way through human waste. At certain points the two men are up to their chins with Jean desperately trying to keep the two from drowning. It is a rather grotesque scene.

And yet the scene is a beautiful picture of what Christ did for us. 

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved. ~Ephesians 2:4-5

Christ did far more than reach down and pull our dead bodies from the rotten and filthy pit we willingly called home. He jumped into the pit. He covered himself in our mess. He became gross and disgusting by taking on our sin.

And by doing so, Christ saved us. He brought us to life when we were dead. 

The scene is also a great picture for how we are called to minister to one another. We should follow His example and willingly jump into the mess of others and carry them out.

draw me nearer

When the sin within entices...

When the pride of my heart swells...

When the comforts of this life fail...

When the temptations feel too great...

When I am driven to despair...

When the evil one condemns me...

When I am too weak to stand...

When I have failed once again...

When my faith falters...

When joy abounds...

When I doubt your grace and mercy...

When I am running away...

When I cannot sense your presence...

When the grief in my heart overwhelms me...

When your discipline seems heavy...

When I taste your goodness...

When darkness surrounds me...

When I am alone...

When I stand in your presence...

When the battle rages...

For your nearness Lord I hunger

For your nearness Lord I wait

Hold me ever closer Father

Such a love I can’t escape

For your nearness I am hoping

For your nearness Lord I long

Have no need of any other

I have found where I belong

Yes, I have found where I belong

So draw me nearer Lord

Never let me go

Closer to your heart

Draw me nearer Lord

Draw me nearer Lord

In your nearness there is healing

What was broken now made whole

Restoration in its fullness

Lasting hope for all who come

In your nearness I take shelter

Where you are is where I’m home

I have need of only one thing

To be here before your throne

To be here before you throne

And keep me here, keep me here

There’s nowhere else I rather be

So keep me here, keep me here

There’s nowhere else I rather be

There’s nowhere else I rather be

Merry Christmas

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. Galatians 4:4-5

Merry Christmas!

Gollum

I just returned home from viewing The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (hence writing at 2:30 AM). I am not providing a review, but I will say I enjoyed the film while remaining cautious about the two films still to come.

But one scene in particular caught my attention. It was during Bilbo's escape from Gollum's cave. While wearing the ring (aka Gollum's "precious") Bilbo wrestles over whether or not to end the life of the pitiful creature. It would have been easy and altogether warranted consider the debased nature of Gollum. On at least two occasions, Bilbo draws his sword to deliver the final blow. And yet, each time he holds back.

After the last attempt, the camera follows a single tear running down the cheek of Gollum. That tear is, to borrow Gandalf's words, "what stayed Bilbo's hand." It made him pity Gollum.

Gollum is an ironic character. He weeps upon losing the very thing which destroyed him. The ring led him to murder his friend. The ring drove him away from people and into the heart of the mountain. The ring corrupted his mind and heart. The ring drove him mad. If anything he should have been rejoicing because the ring could no longer control him.

Instead, Gollum wept demonstrating just how pitiful a creature he had become.

And it was here where I caught a glimpse of myself.

Like Gollum, I am a pitiful creature. I hold a death grip upon the very thing which seeks to destroy me: sin. Sin turns me away from my Father. Sin grieves the Holy Spirit. Sin mocks the work of my Savior. Sin destroys relationships. Sin isolates me from others. Sin corrupts my heart and mind. I should rejoice because Christ has canceled the power of sin over me.

Instead, I weep. I fail to see how I might gain from losing. I would rather hold onto to what will destroy me.

It reminds me of Jesus' words in John 3:19 which also speak to the reality of Christmas,

And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.

That's my struggle each and every day. As a man naturally inclined to love the darkness, I desperately want to love the light which has come.

As the Light of light descendeth
From the realms of endless day,
That the powers of hell may vanish
As the darkness clears away.