I met with a bunch of people this past week who talked about the future. We noted the speed things are changing and tried to anticipate what will happen in the church of the future.
The problem is that tomorrow is the future. We do not have to predict things that we won't see for twenty years. Each year new technology is created that surpasses anything we have seen before. It is not incremental like the technology changes of twenty years ago. Totally new technology is created which we might never have thought of before we saw it.
These changes create a different type of person. The person under twenty has been using computers most of his/her life. He has been playing video games that require several brain functions simultaneously. She has developed relationships online with people she has never personally met. Today's youth can text message with their two thumbs faster than most people can type. They think globally rather than locally or even regionally.
I, on the other hand, understand about a tenth of what they know. They have learned it like their native tongue. I must pull my hair out to stay at a tenth.
It isn't that I am such a technological idiot. I have built several computers from parts, hacked my TiVo, written a couple of programs and regularly fix other people's ipods. In addition to an ipod I have a Zune, Gigabeat, Slingbox, laptop and desktop computer. I use several operating systems on these computers from XP to Linux. That gets me to about ten percent of what the people under twenty already know and use.
I have choices. I can ignore all of this and keep my preaching and church the same as it always has been or seek to engage these young people on the terrain they love. At the same time I must also continue to communicate with those who know as little as I do about technology.
The big question is: Can I go fast enough to realistically speak to this young generation? Church has always been a one thing at a time project for me. I am talking about communicating on a several methods of engagement level with these young people.
The fact that I don't know how doesn't change what I need to do. How fast can I go? I guess I will soon find out. After all, I started blogging, right?
Friday, April 4, 2008
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Investigate Before You Forward!
I get a lot of crazy emails. Once a year I get one about a famous atheist doing away with all religious programming on tv. It has been forwarded by a gob-zillion people before I get it. They want me to sign a petition and send it to the FCC. The problem is that this famous atheist has been dead for over a decade. I really doubt she is opposing religious programming from beyond the grave!
I loved the one I got about the woman who was sitting in the car holding her head. She claimed someone had shot her in the back of the head and she was using both hands to hold her brains in. The story goes on to say that it was a hot day and she had just bought several cans of bisquits. One exploded and hit her in the back of the head. She reacted by grasping her head to feel the warm dough and thought it was her brains. If that story was true the woman would have been bragging. She didn't have that many brains!
There are emails that warn us of things that never happened. We have been warned of car jackings, kidney stealings and many other scams that never happened. Somebody, somewhere is getting a great laugh at our expense.
When I get an outrageous email which has been forwarded, I always check it out. I have found that www.snopes.com is a great resource. This website is not infallible but it does have some research attached to it.
The strange thing is that when I tell people that their stories are not true, instead of thanking me, they take me off their email list and continue to send bogus stories. I know this is true because one of their friends, whom they forwarded the bogus email to, forwards the email to me. After I warn that person, I drop off of another person's email list.
Maybe we just like the stories and don't care if they are true.
I loved the one I got about the woman who was sitting in the car holding her head. She claimed someone had shot her in the back of the head and she was using both hands to hold her brains in. The story goes on to say that it was a hot day and she had just bought several cans of bisquits. One exploded and hit her in the back of the head. She reacted by grasping her head to feel the warm dough and thought it was her brains. If that story was true the woman would have been bragging. She didn't have that many brains!
There are emails that warn us of things that never happened. We have been warned of car jackings, kidney stealings and many other scams that never happened. Somebody, somewhere is getting a great laugh at our expense.
When I get an outrageous email which has been forwarded, I always check it out. I have found that www.snopes.com is a great resource. This website is not infallible but it does have some research attached to it.
The strange thing is that when I tell people that their stories are not true, instead of thanking me, they take me off their email list and continue to send bogus stories. I know this is true because one of their friends, whom they forwarded the bogus email to, forwards the email to me. After I warn that person, I drop off of another person's email list.
Maybe we just like the stories and don't care if they are true.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
I Don't Watch "Lost" and I Don't Want To
Each time I have been tied up and placed in front of the tv because someone has made me watch "Lost", I have hated the program. Noone understands why I don't want to watch another minute of it. So, here is my answer:
Lost has no clear plot. It seems as if there are two guys locked in a room who have been promised they will be released if they can guess how to end the program. These guys just happen to be the writers. The struggle is always changing. The characters seem to have no purpose. At first, they wanted to be rescued. Now, it seems they want to stretch the program out so that it can go into syndication.
None of the characters on Lost or either good or bad. You can't trust any of them. A society depends upon trust. I would live as a hermit if I had to live with people I could never trust.
Character matters even in tv programs.
The characters seem to stress a lot of emotion which is so often a twist in what they really desire. Okay, once in a while I have seen people who stress emotion without any truth behind it but, come on, every one of them, nearly all the time? They are like an island inhabited by drama queens and kings. Who can really get concerned any more?
The story line is more crooked than that of a soap opera. Three years from now, one of them ,who is pregnant, will still not have delivered the baby. They fall in and out of love with each other like alley cats. They have so many flashbacks and flashforwards that the viewers will have to go through professional counseling. Some may have to be hospitalized.
I guess I am just too simple for Lost. I like a hero with character. He or she is loyal and looking out for the good of others. He or she tells the truth. He or she does not justify his or her flaws but asks for forgiveness. He or she attempts great things at personal risk for the good of others.
I know; I know. If I don't like the program I should just turn it off. Well, too many of my family love it. I won't turn it off . . . ,but I will walk out of the room.
Lost has no clear plot. It seems as if there are two guys locked in a room who have been promised they will be released if they can guess how to end the program. These guys just happen to be the writers. The struggle is always changing. The characters seem to have no purpose. At first, they wanted to be rescued. Now, it seems they want to stretch the program out so that it can go into syndication.
None of the characters on Lost or either good or bad. You can't trust any of them. A society depends upon trust. I would live as a hermit if I had to live with people I could never trust.
Character matters even in tv programs.
The characters seem to stress a lot of emotion which is so often a twist in what they really desire. Okay, once in a while I have seen people who stress emotion without any truth behind it but, come on, every one of them, nearly all the time? They are like an island inhabited by drama queens and kings. Who can really get concerned any more?
The story line is more crooked than that of a soap opera. Three years from now, one of them ,who is pregnant, will still not have delivered the baby. They fall in and out of love with each other like alley cats. They have so many flashbacks and flashforwards that the viewers will have to go through professional counseling. Some may have to be hospitalized.
I guess I am just too simple for Lost. I like a hero with character. He or she is loyal and looking out for the good of others. He or she tells the truth. He or she does not justify his or her flaws but asks for forgiveness. He or she attempts great things at personal risk for the good of others.
I know; I know. If I don't like the program I should just turn it off. Well, too many of my family love it. I won't turn it off . . . ,but I will walk out of the room.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
An Easy Answer from Another Religious Nut?
Another school shooting. Can you believe it? It seems that these are becoming commonplace. I don't even remember the name of this past shooter.
I guess my question is "Why are these shootings happening at all?" Did we send messages to people saying that they should kill others before they killed themselves? What went wrong?
There is no one thing that went wrong. I think things have been going wrong for a very long time and we are reaping the harvest of seeds sown without realizing what we have been doing.
I suppose the only reason someone would shoot others is because they are angry. It isn't that they are necessarily angry with the persons they kill but that the persons they kill represent those whom they are angry with. Obviously, a person who commits suicide can see no other means of solving their problems. These murder-suicides seem to be the solutions to minds which have no hope.
Why do they have no hope? They feel as if they are in a totally dark room looking for a door that isn't there. Eventually, they just give up.
What about their anger? Do they know what to do with anger? It builds to a point that all of this seems rational.
Don't they care about the lives of others? Or, do they think others have no right to have a life if they can't have one? If life always ends with death, this is only about length, not destination.
I believe that we are not communicating values that will help people cope with difficulties. People do not value life because we have made life something that can be terminated by others legally. Millions of the abortions performed in this country were simply to avoid an inconvenient pregnancy. These shooters are justified if convenience determines life's value.
We are able to clone life and that makes us a giver of life. That also gives us the impression that we have the right to end it. The scientist giveth and taketh away. Blessed be the name of the scientist.
We have lost hope. If we believe there is no purpose greater than our own; no Being whose plans are being carried out for our good, then our own purpose or lack thereof will die with us. There is an extreme emptiness when we see ourselves in such brevity that we will have had no reason for living. What difference does it make anyway if we do not exist beyond this life?
I believe much differently. I believe that there is a God who seeks my good. He works to bring goodness into my life. I see Him take those things that I have done wrong, those things that were done wrong to me and those things through circumstances which seemed so wrong and work them together for my good. Tomorrow may not be better than today but better than today is coming.
I believe that life is valuable and I must invest myself in others lives to help them have a better life. I believe they will last forever and that my investment in them will never go away.
I believe I need to forgive people who harm me. I know there are times I need forgiveness too. I have been forgiven. I know that. I must grant that to others. I do so for my own sake as much as I do it for them. I just can't walk around angry all the time. It takes too much energy.
I believe we wouldn't have school shootings or any other shootings if these potential shooters believed the same as I do.
Of course, this is just another easy answer from a religious nut. Right?
I guess my question is "Why are these shootings happening at all?" Did we send messages to people saying that they should kill others before they killed themselves? What went wrong?
There is no one thing that went wrong. I think things have been going wrong for a very long time and we are reaping the harvest of seeds sown without realizing what we have been doing.
I suppose the only reason someone would shoot others is because they are angry. It isn't that they are necessarily angry with the persons they kill but that the persons they kill represent those whom they are angry with. Obviously, a person who commits suicide can see no other means of solving their problems. These murder-suicides seem to be the solutions to minds which have no hope.
Why do they have no hope? They feel as if they are in a totally dark room looking for a door that isn't there. Eventually, they just give up.
What about their anger? Do they know what to do with anger? It builds to a point that all of this seems rational.
Don't they care about the lives of others? Or, do they think others have no right to have a life if they can't have one? If life always ends with death, this is only about length, not destination.
I believe that we are not communicating values that will help people cope with difficulties. People do not value life because we have made life something that can be terminated by others legally. Millions of the abortions performed in this country were simply to avoid an inconvenient pregnancy. These shooters are justified if convenience determines life's value.
We are able to clone life and that makes us a giver of life. That also gives us the impression that we have the right to end it. The scientist giveth and taketh away. Blessed be the name of the scientist.
We have lost hope. If we believe there is no purpose greater than our own; no Being whose plans are being carried out for our good, then our own purpose or lack thereof will die with us. There is an extreme emptiness when we see ourselves in such brevity that we will have had no reason for living. What difference does it make anyway if we do not exist beyond this life?
I believe much differently. I believe that there is a God who seeks my good. He works to bring goodness into my life. I see Him take those things that I have done wrong, those things that were done wrong to me and those things through circumstances which seemed so wrong and work them together for my good. Tomorrow may not be better than today but better than today is coming.
I believe that life is valuable and I must invest myself in others lives to help them have a better life. I believe they will last forever and that my investment in them will never go away.
I believe I need to forgive people who harm me. I know there are times I need forgiveness too. I have been forgiven. I know that. I must grant that to others. I do so for my own sake as much as I do it for them. I just can't walk around angry all the time. It takes too much energy.
I believe we wouldn't have school shootings or any other shootings if these potential shooters believed the same as I do.
Of course, this is just another easy answer from a religious nut. Right?
Friday, January 25, 2008
Sin or Mistake?
We carefully change many or our words to take the severity of what we have done. For example, I have heard people say they made mistakes rather than sinned. Is there a difference?
Absolutely! Sometimes I hear someone say, "He just made a mistake" when they are referring to a guy who robbed the bank. I want them to understand why that is not a mistake. It is a sin.
A mistake is an error when you are trying to do something right. I might make a mistake in my checkbook. I could make a mistake and take a wrong exit off the freeway. I make mistakes when my goal is to do something good and I accidently get it wrong.
Sin is when I know something is wrong and I choose to either ignore my conscience or I just do it anyway. We don't make mistakes if we steal from our employers, cheat on our spouses or knowingly hurt other people. We sin.
A mistake is something that comes from deviating from what we desire. We wanted to get to our destination quickly but our wrong turn kept us from doing so. We wanted to know exactly what we have in the bank but our error in math prevented this.
Sin is a violation of a law outside of ourselves. These universal rules are embedded in our sense of right and wrong. We receive this because we are made in the image of God. You can try to ignore this and say it isn't true but you can't escape the truth or even the feeling of guilt.
Since God is holy, sin distances us from God. It grieves the Holy Spirit. It makes a void in our life. That place created for God is left empty. When the excitement of the sin dissipates we are left feeling very lonely.
I don't say these words as one who points his finger as others and says, "Straighten up there. You are bad and I am not." No, I am one of these people who has sinned. I am one who has gone to God for forgiveness so many times that I really don't think He should forgive me one more time. But I know He will.
It is time for us to see the difference between mistakes and sin. Then, maybe we will realize why Jesus had to come die on a cross. Sin needs forgiveness. And by His blood we are all forgiven.
Absolutely! Sometimes I hear someone say, "He just made a mistake" when they are referring to a guy who robbed the bank. I want them to understand why that is not a mistake. It is a sin.
A mistake is an error when you are trying to do something right. I might make a mistake in my checkbook. I could make a mistake and take a wrong exit off the freeway. I make mistakes when my goal is to do something good and I accidently get it wrong.
Sin is when I know something is wrong and I choose to either ignore my conscience or I just do it anyway. We don't make mistakes if we steal from our employers, cheat on our spouses or knowingly hurt other people. We sin.
A mistake is something that comes from deviating from what we desire. We wanted to get to our destination quickly but our wrong turn kept us from doing so. We wanted to know exactly what we have in the bank but our error in math prevented this.
Sin is a violation of a law outside of ourselves. These universal rules are embedded in our sense of right and wrong. We receive this because we are made in the image of God. You can try to ignore this and say it isn't true but you can't escape the truth or even the feeling of guilt.
Since God is holy, sin distances us from God. It grieves the Holy Spirit. It makes a void in our life. That place created for God is left empty. When the excitement of the sin dissipates we are left feeling very lonely.
I don't say these words as one who points his finger as others and says, "Straighten up there. You are bad and I am not." No, I am one of these people who has sinned. I am one who has gone to God for forgiveness so many times that I really don't think He should forgive me one more time. But I know He will.
It is time for us to see the difference between mistakes and sin. Then, maybe we will realize why Jesus had to come die on a cross. Sin needs forgiveness. And by His blood we are all forgiven.
Friday, December 21, 2007
To Judge or Not to Judge
I heard the same news you probably heard. A young lady who was on a children's television program announced she was pregnant and sixteen. It's amazing how this has become the talk of the talk shows. Some defend her and some castigate her. I haven't heard anyone speak to the problem yet.
The problem is not that she is pregnant. Pregnancy is not a sin. There will most probably be the birth of a wonderful child in the next several months. Neither the pregnancy nor the birth is a sin. Pregnancy is not a sin but it may reveal sin. The problem was the sexual activity that was going on.
I know that there are many who claim that the church has such a "Victorian" concept about sex. They claim we are suppressing sexual urges. If we are, we aren't doing it very effectively! I see the magazine racks when I check out at the grocery store. They are replete with articles of sex. It's talked about through many educational tv shows. The movies and other media programs still see it as tantalizing enough for viewers to watch. It has been generally accepted by the media that it is normal and should be done by mature people.
It seems to me that no one is speaking about the elephant in the room. What has been the result of casual sex? Does anyone want to know?
I counsel people and I can tell you from being in the ministry for over twenty-five years my observances.
1. Casual sex steals the intimacy away from marriage. It is intended to be something that is so carefully kept that you only share it with one person.
2. It puts an emphasis on size, performance or anything else which can be used for comparison. It has brought more paranoia to the bedroom than anything else I can imagine. Neither person should be able to compare so that it is truly always "good" for the other.
3. It encourages suspicion in a committed relationship. Since sex doesn't require a commitment, why shouldn't it be done outside of the marriage relationship? Those who have had casual sex are often suspicious of their spouses after marriage. This is not good for the relationship.
4. It encourages cheating on the spouse. Again, it didn't take a commitment to have sex in the first place, so why not with this other person who seems willing?
5. It contributes to the decline of the family. Sex causes pregnancy. If there is no need for commitment of the first, why not the second? Why get married? Why stay together? Why not have serial marriages?
The media banters around whether this pregnant young lady should be a role model for the target audience of 7-11. I believe she could be. She could tell them that there are things you do that seem to be fun at the time but have serious consequences. She could share her heart in how she wished she had kept herself chaste.
I have no interest in beating her up, telling her what she did was wrong or extracting a pound of flesh from her. This is neither my place nor my desire. I would hope people would gather around her and give her their words of encouragement. However, I don't think they should praise her for what she did.
I have heard some comments that said, "Well, she could have gotten an abortion. See how good she is." That seems to absolve any bad she has done. Okay then, let's try this one:
Billy Bomb embezzles $100 million from his company. Suddenly, he is rich. It is not a sin to be rich. He sees his new wealth as a way to spred some good around the world. He gives half of his stolen money to the National Cancer Society. Should we say it was just peachy that he embezzled and his gift makes up for his sin? If we believe this, why did we prosecute the guys at Enron?
Finally, I have no judgement for this young lady. Judgement requires a sentence. I am neither qualified to do so nor do I want the job. I know that God loves her as much as He ever did. He wants to cover her with His love and walk with her through the time for her to give birth. If He would do so, so should we.
The problem is not that she is pregnant. Pregnancy is not a sin. There will most probably be the birth of a wonderful child in the next several months. Neither the pregnancy nor the birth is a sin. Pregnancy is not a sin but it may reveal sin. The problem was the sexual activity that was going on.
I know that there are many who claim that the church has such a "Victorian" concept about sex. They claim we are suppressing sexual urges. If we are, we aren't doing it very effectively! I see the magazine racks when I check out at the grocery store. They are replete with articles of sex. It's talked about through many educational tv shows. The movies and other media programs still see it as tantalizing enough for viewers to watch. It has been generally accepted by the media that it is normal and should be done by mature people.
It seems to me that no one is speaking about the elephant in the room. What has been the result of casual sex? Does anyone want to know?
I counsel people and I can tell you from being in the ministry for over twenty-five years my observances.
1. Casual sex steals the intimacy away from marriage. It is intended to be something that is so carefully kept that you only share it with one person.
2. It puts an emphasis on size, performance or anything else which can be used for comparison. It has brought more paranoia to the bedroom than anything else I can imagine. Neither person should be able to compare so that it is truly always "good" for the other.
3. It encourages suspicion in a committed relationship. Since sex doesn't require a commitment, why shouldn't it be done outside of the marriage relationship? Those who have had casual sex are often suspicious of their spouses after marriage. This is not good for the relationship.
4. It encourages cheating on the spouse. Again, it didn't take a commitment to have sex in the first place, so why not with this other person who seems willing?
5. It contributes to the decline of the family. Sex causes pregnancy. If there is no need for commitment of the first, why not the second? Why get married? Why stay together? Why not have serial marriages?
The media banters around whether this pregnant young lady should be a role model for the target audience of 7-11. I believe she could be. She could tell them that there are things you do that seem to be fun at the time but have serious consequences. She could share her heart in how she wished she had kept herself chaste.
I have no interest in beating her up, telling her what she did was wrong or extracting a pound of flesh from her. This is neither my place nor my desire. I would hope people would gather around her and give her their words of encouragement. However, I don't think they should praise her for what she did.
I have heard some comments that said, "Well, she could have gotten an abortion. See how good she is." That seems to absolve any bad she has done. Okay then, let's try this one:
Billy Bomb embezzles $100 million from his company. Suddenly, he is rich. It is not a sin to be rich. He sees his new wealth as a way to spred some good around the world. He gives half of his stolen money to the National Cancer Society. Should we say it was just peachy that he embezzled and his gift makes up for his sin? If we believe this, why did we prosecute the guys at Enron?
Finally, I have no judgement for this young lady. Judgement requires a sentence. I am neither qualified to do so nor do I want the job. I know that God loves her as much as He ever did. He wants to cover her with His love and walk with her through the time for her to give birth. If He would do so, so should we.
Friday, December 7, 2007
Would You Buy from a Crook?
Recently I went to one of the big box electronics stores to redeem an offer that apparently gave The offer said, "Save $5 Today" The condition was that I reserve a copy of a DVD that was coming out December 4 which would allow me to get an extra $5 taken from any other Disney DVD priced $14.99 or more. The offer expired December 18. When I picked up my movie I asked for my $5 discount. They informed me that the offer was only for the day that I reserved the movie. They pointed to the "Today" and said I had to get a movie on that day and it was no longer valid. Honestly, I got mad, told the manager what I thought of their business practices and vowed to myself that I can no longer shop in that store.
Do you think that is too rash? I mean, we are only talking about $5, right? Sometimes the very best deals you can get are found in that store. Am I cutting off my nose to spite my face?
I don't think so. These people were deceptive with their ad. I took the ad to several others without prompting and asked them what they thought the ad said. They all came to the same conclusion as I did without me telling them how to read the ad.
The store told me that no one else misunderstood the ad. This comes when people realize they have been taken and do not want to admit it. They feel foolish and do not want others to realize their embarrassment.
I will not buy from them again because they are crooks. If you knowingly do business with a crook you become partners with them in their crime. It keeps that crook in business. It encourages them to continue in their cons. Even if I see a product that they have that is much cheaper than I can get somewhere else, I cannot buy from them. It is now a matter of principle.
I am not on a crusade to destroy the store. I just can't buy from crooks.
Do you think that is too rash? I mean, we are only talking about $5, right? Sometimes the very best deals you can get are found in that store. Am I cutting off my nose to spite my face?
I don't think so. These people were deceptive with their ad. I took the ad to several others without prompting and asked them what they thought the ad said. They all came to the same conclusion as I did without me telling them how to read the ad.
The store told me that no one else misunderstood the ad. This comes when people realize they have been taken and do not want to admit it. They feel foolish and do not want others to realize their embarrassment.
I will not buy from them again because they are crooks. If you knowingly do business with a crook you become partners with them in their crime. It keeps that crook in business. It encourages them to continue in their cons. Even if I see a product that they have that is much cheaper than I can get somewhere else, I cannot buy from them. It is now a matter of principle.
I am not on a crusade to destroy the store. I just can't buy from crooks.
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