Archive for July, 2012

What social media and alcohol have in common

Posted: July 26, 2012 in bible, culture, faith, spirituality
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Alcoholic beverages have been around for thousands of years and they are a part of our history as humans. Social media has been around for several years and it’s popularity is steadily growing. Although one is an ancient drink and the other a modern day technological invention they both share a few things in common:

Both fall into the category of gray areas:

Alcohol is fermented grains. It does not have a heart or soul and therefore it is morally neutral. Drinking alcohol would fall into what many call a “gray area”. The same could be said of Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or whatever social media you are into. Morally neutral.

Both can be a means to interact with others.

Social drinking is what we do on special occasions and when we go out with friends. It helps us relax and talking about how good the Guiness or Pinot noir aids in small talk.

The same can be said of social media. It also helps us connect with folks who are far away from us and it relaxes us to see some of the humorous and sometimes insightful videos, statuses, tweets and comments

Both can be abused. The Bible has considerable warnings against abusing alcohol and liquor. This is because too much of it can overwhelm our senses and sense of judgment. Too much of a good thing is not a good thing.

The same can be said for social media. While it cannot overpower us like alcohol it can lead us to disconnect from the real world and avoid living life. We can also steal time from our work as we are on someone else’s clock.

Both can be used for good. At the same time alcohol can be used for good. That’s why Jesus turned water into wine at a wedding (John 2:1-11) The writer of Ecclesiastes encourages us to enjoy wine (Ecclesiastes 9:7) and Paul tells his young protege Timothy to take a little wine for his stomach (1 Timothy 5:23)

In the same way, social media can be used for good like a viral YouTube video that rallies thousands to a cause or a blog post that enlightens or mind on a subject or a tweet that directs us to a special bargain.

So alcohol and social media have a lot in common. They both are gray areas. They both help us interact with others. They both can be abused. They both can be used for good. They both need to be consumed in moderation

Are you burned out or tired???

Posted: July 24, 2012 in faith, Ministry, spirituality
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One of the tensions that come up when the subject of burnout is addressed is the difference between being tired and being burned out. What constitutes an unhealthy feeling of overextending ourselves vs. the usual weariness that comes from doing hard work? They both sound the same but at the same time they are very nuanced states. In order to get a clearer picture on the subject I examined the life of Jesus and I saw a man who definitely got tired but never once did he get burned out.

And he had to pass through Samaria. So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour. (John 4:4-6 ESV)

From the portrait of Jesus that we see in the gospels and my own experience with burnout (in myself and others) I can think of a few major differences between being tired and being burned out:

1. Tiredness is characterized by an increase in faith

Burnout is characterized by a decrease in faith

2. Tiredness means you can see the reason why you are investing your time, money, and energy

Burnout means you can’t see the reason why you are investing your time, money, and energy

3. Tiredness can be a result of doing God’s will

Burnout is a result of presumption

4. Tiredness is a result of over exerting ourselves

Burnout is the result of continuous state of over exerting ourselves

5. Tiredness is human

Burnout is a consequence of trying to be superhuman

Can you think of any other differences?

Have you ever struggled to recognize whether you were experiencing burnout or the tiredness that comes from honest hard work?

WHY I’M STILL FOLLOWING JESUS

Posted: July 17, 2012 in faith, overcoming obstacles, personal, spirituality
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Over the years I have faced many down times and rough patches concerning my faith. No time has been as rough as the last few years. Closing a church to move across country away from family and friends and taking a job where I make less than half of my previous salary has not been easy. Then there are existential questions that linger regarding the future and whether I made the right choice as far as ministry. Why I am I here? Does what I am doing really matter? What’s the point of it all?On top of all that the numbing fatigue of working in ministry for eight years plus going to seminary at the same time wears your mind down enough to start asking questions and doubting your faith. In the last few months I have wrestled with these questions and come out on the other side with a very slimmed down understanding of following Jesus and the reasons why I personally will continue to follow him through whatever difficulty or hardship that comes my way. It can be summed up in the definition of what following Jesus is and isn’t. Ready? Here we go…..

Following him does not mean that I have to vote republican. It doesn’t mean that I hate gay people. It also doesn’t mean that I put my brain on the shelf and avoid reason. Following Jesus does not mean that I ignore scientific evidence or picket abortion clinics. Expectations of health, wealth, and prosperity have nothing to do with me following Jesus. It doesn’t mean that I will be safe or comfortable or that I will finally have all the answers. Following Jesus is not a ritual reserved for one day while the rest of my life goes unaffected. Following Jesus is not a bumper sticker or an obnoxious Facebook post.

Following Jesus is a life that I have chosen that surpasses all other lives in its humility, love, and service to the poor. It is a journey filled with mystery. Following Jesus is using my brain and everything else God gave me to make wise decisions and engage science, art, and culture. It is sitting at a table with friends feasting or solitude at a retreat fasting. Following Jesus means that many people will hate me and others will love me as the brother and son they never had. It means that I don’t jump through hoops to earn favors from God or the world’s Scooby snacks of power, money, and sex. It means that I can give my life to him even when I don’t get everything I want because he died and rose again to give me everything I will ever need. Following Jesus is tapping into the greatest power in the universe because I am connected to the greatest person in the universe: Jesus Christ

Why do you choose follow or not follow Jesus?

What is your understanding of following Jesus?

Grace and peace,

3 reasons why a good argument won’t solve a religious debate

Posted: July 12, 2012 in culture, faith, spirituality, Uncategorized
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No argument can make a person believe anything. Yes I know Christians are supposed to “give every man an answer for the hope that lies within (1 Peter 3:15) You know…apologetics. Sometimes I want to apologize for my attempts at apologetics. And not because I was not flawless in my communication of the hard core truths of the faith. I could set up a polemic that could get Bertrand Russell’s headspinning. That’s a little exaggerated but you get the point. And yes I’ve read all the books. Evidence that demands a verdict (submission). The Case for Christ (or how I can really show my non Christian friends I’m not a dummy). I can say that I have even gotten into some good thick meaty conversations that sent myself and the person who opposed me into some good healthy soul searching. That being said I think it’s safe to say that a good argument alone won’t get people to believe like you. Here are three reasons why I say so:

People are not just minds

When we try to win people to our way of thinking through only arguments it is reducing our humanity to be solely intellectual. It is basically assuming that we make all of our decisions based on sound information. This is just not the case. Ask the dude who loads up on fries and adds bacon and cheese to his three patty burger and then orders a super size diet coke like that’s going to change things. Clearly illogical. We are more than just cognitive creatures. We have emotions. We have experiences. We have memories. This all plays a part in what we believe.


People are proud (including myself)

Have you ever truly wanted to give in when you argued? Me neither. We all want to have the last word. And the minute we get into a situation where we are confronted for our beliefs we dig in our heels and decide not to budge. To argue makes us firmer in our beliefs not more flexible. Now listening on the other hand works the opposite way.

People are made to believe.

What I usually see is both sides presenting evidence that counters the other sides beliefs. You bring up the problem of evil. I bring up the problem of good. You bring up the invisibility of God. I bring up the uniqueness of creation. You bring up the Dead Sea Scrolls. I bring up the Gnostic gospels. On and on and on. The catch is that no matter what evidence you bring people must decide to believe in the evidence because something like God cannot be proven in a laboratory. There is no empirical data. It’s not about our logical calculations because either side can be presented in a logical way. It’s more about our human capacity to go a step further than the limits of evidence and choosing to believe in spite of the fact that we do not know.

In the end it’s about our choice to believe or not believe

Is it ok for Christians to cuss? Pt 3

Posted: July 6, 2012 in bible, culture, faith, spirituality
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So I am going to wrap this series up with three reasons this conversation matters:

1. The Word. This conversation is important if you are a follower of Christ. The incarnate Word. Since we follow the one who is the Word made flesh we also need to take heed to our words and be discerning about language in general.

2. Our calling. So much of who we are as followers of Christ has to do with words. Now some may push back and say its not about words-even hypocrites have words-it’s about action. Well I would push back and say I cannot properly interpret your actions without words and vice versa. Beyond actions words express our motives, emotions, and purpose. Think about it: Without words Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection would have no meaning for us

3. Cultural shibboleths. As a follower of Christ who places a high priority on words I have come to see cussing or using certain four letter words as a cultural “shibboleth”. A shibbo-what???
In Judges chapter 12 there is an interesting story and language plays a huge role in it. There was some in fighting among the Israelite tribes. Some Ephraimites became stuck in another territory and the Gileadites played border patrol. If they suspected the person was from Ephraim they asked him to say “shibboleth.” If they were from Ephraim they would say “sibboleth” and after being found out would be killed.

The word acted as a boundary marker between who was in and who was out; who deserved life and who deserved death. Fast forward to the 21st century. Sometimes we use man made words. Small petty words as boundary markers between who deserves life and who deserves death, who is a Christian and who is not. Although I don’t endorse cussing as we know it I bring it up because words are important. Life and death important (Proverbs 18:21) So important and powerful that they can be used to mark who is part of the “in” group and who is not.

How to talk about religion and politics without being a jerk

Posted: July 4, 2012 in culture, faith, life hack
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Religion and politics. Two topics that get people fiery and out of control. Two topics that have separated friends and caused countless bloodshed. Two topics that people avoid in order to not offend. I say that’s baloney! The reason why religion and politics are so volatile is because they are so vital. They shape our lives in a major way so it stands to reason that we need to learn how to have healthy conversations in these areas. So here are a few pointers on how to talk about politics and/or religion without being a jerk:

Ask questions. One of the biggest ways to enter into a more productive and engaging conversation is to ask questions. There are so many things that need clarifying. We live in the age of the sound bite and the commercial. The information that we encounter concerning our opponents opinion is scanty and oftentimes sensational. Asking questions helps clear the fog so we can see where people are truly coming from.

Assume the best. One added effect of getting our news and information in sensationalized bite size pieces is that it creates a caricature of those who disagree with us. Sometimes instead of talking to someone who is a democrat we see a “liberal left wing nut job” or instead of talking to a Christian we see a “conservative republican moron”. We reduce people into stereotypes and assume the worst. Instead let’s assume the best of people and recognize that they are not evil and may have good reason for taking the stance they take on issues.

Argue respectfully. No put downs. No insults. No straw men arguments. Think about it: None of these tactics are going to help sway their opinion. They are only useless medication for your insecure ego.

Agree to Disagree. At some point you will have to agree to disagree. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Don’t try to force your opinion on someone else. Imagine a world where everyone thought the same as you. Boring.

Aim for common ground. You may disagree but most of the time your goals are the same as the next person’s. After all, how many people are really out for the country to “go down the toilet” or for people to be “deceived by religion”. We all want the same things we just disagree on how to get there. When you find a point of the other person’s that you agree with. Affirm that. It goes a long way.

So that’s how you talk about religion and politics without being a jerk. Any other pointers you would like to add?