Wrestling with "The Law"

This coming Sunday is Week 3 of the Isaac-Ishmael class. The first two weeks have provided the foundation for talking about how Judaism and Islam converge and diverge from Christianity.
     On Sunday we will discuss LAW, specifically how we understand the purpose and function of the Old Testament Law, then what Jesus had to say about it (Matthew 5) and finally how the Apostle Paul saw it (see Romans 2, Galatians 2).
     I have been wrestling with all of this the past week, in large part because Judaism and Islam have both expanded, diluted, and changed their understanding of Law. In both traditions there are laws (plural), written commentary on law, and oral tradition around Law.
     Lest I be pointing fingers at only two of the three Monotheistic traditions, we who are Christians have strong tendencies to "live under the Law" as well. We add to it and define and describe ourselves by what we will NOT do. Sometimes I wish that Jesus had just said he came to ENFORCE the Law of the Old Testament. But he said he came to "fulfill it," and somehow he did not come as a Cosmic Cop but rather as Lion and Lamb.
     Still wrestling...

Maturity is ... Maximizing Diversity

Human beings have a dramatic tendency to live in "homogenous units." That is, we seek out other people with our same skin color, language, religious views, political preferences, socio-economic status, etc. etc.
       We do this unconsciously, it's like breathing.
       But that's not what God envisions for His Kingdom people. On the contrary, it seems that God is all about maximizing diversity. Why would Jesus do this? Is he crazy? Perhaps it is because we learn to love best when we would otherwise disagree most.
       I think this means that Republicans and Democrats are to respectfully disagree politically and cultivate relationship;
       I think this means that wealthier people and the economically poor are to rub shoulders and "do life" together;
       I think it means that multi-ethnic communities offer a great opportunity to humble ourselves to listen to others and learn from their worldviews.
I think this is the picture that Jesus paints of the Kingdom of God. I so desire to live with this kind of diversity.

Join a Revolution ... a Serving Revolution

Next Sunday (Feb. 27th): Info meeting for Serve the City project in Amsterdam, June 1-8. Meeting will be at Lookout Mountain Church in Golden, 12:00 to 1:00pm. Join a serving revolution.

The Crescent Project

Recently I have started to get to know a great outfit called the Crescent Project, based in Indianapolis. Fouad Masri is their founder and director.

       I have found their video summaries under the Resource section very helpful. In 2-3 minutes the videos answer many of the most common questions about interacting with people from Islamic backgrounds.

       Check out their website HERE.

Mideast Meltdown

The world is witnessing one of the greatest upheavals in the Mideast since the creation of Israel in 1948. So many of us are thoroughly confused by what is happening.
       Is it a good thing that long-standing dictators are being challenged and overthrown?
       Who will fill the power vacuum in these countries?
       What impact will there be in Europe as people from north Africa flee to France, Italy, and other European nations?
       As volatile as the conflicts in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya have been, I am deeply concerned about when and if protests spread in Yemen, Syria, Iran, and even in Saudi Arabia. When that happens it will make the Egypt uprising look like a minor spat.

The Top 10 Genocides of Last Century

This is a very depressing subject, but an important one. Sometimes when we think of genocide we go right to "the Holocaust" in Europe from 1933-1945.
       Here is the top 10 genocides of the 20th century:

1. China, under Mao Ze-Dong, 1949-50 and 1966-69: 50 million to 78 million people
2. Soviet Union, under Jozef Stalin, 1932-39: 23 million
3. Europe, under Adolph Hitler, 1933-1945: 12 million
4. Congo, under Leopold II of Belgium, 1886-1908: 8 million
5. Japan, under Hideki Tojo, 1941-1944: 5 million
6. Armenia, under Turkish rule, 1915: 1.8 million (Armenians, Assyrians, Greeks)
7. Cambodia, under Pol Pot, 1975-79: 1.7 million
8. North Korea, under Kim II June, 1948-1994: 1.6 million
9. Ethiopia, under Menghistu, 1975-78: 1.5 million
10. Biafra, under Yakubu Gowon, 1967-1970: 1 million

California Pizza Kitchen TODAY

To Our Friends in Denver, print the flyer below and go to California Pizza Kitchen today (Feb. 20th) or next Sunday (Feb. 27th) to support a good cause.

Deuteronomy 29:29

God, our God, will take care of the hidden things but the revealed things are our business. It's up to us and our children to attend to all the terms in this Revelation."

~ Deuteronomy 29:29 (The Message)

The Film "Juno"

I really like the film "Juno." I feel a bit awkward saying that, almost embarassed. Some will think I am "off my rocker," that I am "one apple short of a bushel," that the lift is "stuck between floors." You get the idea.
       I am not advocating teen pregnancy, nor am I advocating the lifestyles of the characters. But there are some brilliant and insightful themes in this film and these have captured my heart:

• Bleeker's commitment to Juno. The fact that he is such a nerd makes it all the more special. And ya just gotta love the guy's running outfit!
• Juno's grief at the end of the film over giving her baby away, all the while it being bittersweet because the baby has a loving adoptive mother;
• Juno's father and step-mother are just classic characters. I love how the dad relates to Juno - raw, real, hopeful, realistic, broken and healing.

Such is my sacrilege for today!

Stanley Hauerwas introduces "Hannah's Child"

Mental Illness Talk by Stanley Hauerwas

Stanley Hauerwas' first talk as part of Fuller Seminary's Integration Symposium was quite overwhelmingly emotional. He gave highlights from his memoir about being married to someone with bipolar disorder.
       It was raw...real...unedited...heart-wrenching... confusing...even funny at points.
Two quotes stick with me:
"The DSM-4 is a legitimating document which helps the therapist do his work when he does not know what the hell he is talking about."
His final statement of the hour-long question and answer time was:
"What I have learned is that all that matters is: 'Jesus is Lord.' Everything else is bullshit."

God and Mental Illness

I just happen to be at Fuller Seminary on the week that they do their annual Psychology Integration Symposium. This year's speaker is Stanley Hauerwas. Click HERE to read more about the symposium and Professor Hauerwas.
       Dr. Hauerwas' first talk is: Mental Illness: My Story "will tell the story of Dr. Hauerwas' marriage to someone suffering from bi-polar illness.  In particular, he will focus on the suffering and pain the illness entails for the one so affected."
      All that is missing here is Susy, who would appreciate this discussion more than me.

Finishing the Quote in Isaiah 63

One of the speakers at the conference The Holocaust and the Bible quoted Isaiah 63 at the end of his talk, as an encouragement about the destiny of the Jews. The quote is from Isaiah 63:7-9:
I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the LORD 
And the praises of the LORD, 
According to all that the LORD has bestowed on us,
And the great goodness toward the house of Israel, 
Which He has bestowed on them according to His mercies,
According to the multitude of His lovingkindnesses.
For He said, “Surely they are My people,
Children who will not lie.”
So He became their Savior.
In all their affliction He was afflicted,
And the Angel of His Presence saved them;
In His love and in His pity He redeemed them;
And He bore them and carried them
All the days of old. 
I love that passage ... but of course verse 10 follows verse 9:
But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit;
So He turned Himself against them as an enemy,
And He fought against them.
Hmmmm... it's a bit more complex and intricate in regards to the Jewish people than we would care to admit. I am not saying this is the ultimate state of we Jews. All I am saying is that it is more fair to Scripture to read the "good news" and the "bad news" as a unit.

My Brother's Forthcoming Book

My brother Randy is coming out with a new book in a couple of months. It's called, "Bringing the Gospel Home" (published by Crossway Books).

       An excerpt from the book was published in Campus Crusade's magazine Worldwide Challenge a couple of month ago. It's about my mom finding faith - a really inspiring God-sized story. You can read it here: Bringing the Gospel Home | Worldwide Challenge 

        If you read to the very end of the article you will see that I get an "honorable mention" as the drunken younger brother! Yee-Ha! So glad that God does not give up on us!

       Well I cant wait to get a copy of the book and read about our family. Should be great. I'll be sure to get extra copies for people who are interested in sharing your faith with family members.

A Week of Immersion

I am at Fuller Seminary in California this week to sit in on a class entitled, "Witness in Muslim Contexts." Three hours every afternoon, 20 students (mostly about half my age!), the professor is a long-time staff member of Frontiers. An incredible guy.
       This class is electric, especially since it is beginning three days after the Egyptian government fell and today a million people were protesting in Iran. Incredible times.