I am a product of a Christian school education. We started every day by first saying the Pledge to the American flag and then the Pledge to the Cristian flag. Of course we would have a time for prayer request and then we would pray. What a wonderful environment to be formed in. My last two years of school were spent in the public school system. Talk about culture shock...Wow! I've since become an adult (my wife may disagree) and in retrospect have looked back on those early years of my life and wondered about the forming that took place.
I attended a program that my daughter was in today and the day started much the same as it did back in the day. The only real difference was the Pledge to the Bible (we never did that), but a thought that I've had before returned to me. Why, in a Christian school, do we pledge allegiance to the American flag, a representation of man's kingdom, before we pledge allegiance to the Christian flag, a representation of God's Kingdom?! Every Memorial Day I've had the same experience in church. I've asked others this question before and the common answer is that this country affords us the freedom to worship the one true God. But does not a nation receive it's authority from God? Is it not God who has blessed this country in the first place? Maybe I'm grasping at straws here, but it seems to me that, on at least a subconscious level, we're programming priorities into our children. Country and then God. Just seems backwards to me! I love this country and think we have the best system in the world today (it has it's flaws, but is the best at this time), but I love my God much more! I pledge allegiance to God, family, and then country, in that order and plan on teaching my children the same.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Pimping God?
Roland Martin was the guest host on Larry King Live over the Easter holiday, and he interviewed Paula White, Jerry Falwell, T.D.Jakes, and Rick Warren about what would Jesus really do if he was walking the earth today. I found a transcript of that show on crosswalk.com. It is a long article that I would recommend you read in it's entirety, but I just gotta share Martins closing statement.
He said: "Folks, I don't have a time to mince words. In 2007, enough with the people who pimp God. That's right. I said it, pimp God. Instead of focusing on the totality of Jesus, we have Christians who want to make the faith all about abortion and homosexuality. And then we have others who seek God as nothing but a spiritual slot machine. They say a prayer and down from Heaven comes a big house or a new car.
"Faith should be used to break down racial and economic barriers, not solidify them. Don't tell me Jesus would have embraced the sinners and you bar them from the church door. How can people say they love Jesus, but are afraid to speak to their neighbor, eat with a co-worker have their children play with peers across town?
"As we heard tonight, the Christian agenda should be broader than two issues. Let's stop with the nonsense that one political party has a hold on Jesus. We are called to speak truth to power no matter who sits in the White House. Christians, let's stop wondering what Jesus would do to make this world better. The question you need to answer is what am I prepared to do? "
He said: "Folks, I don't have a time to mince words. In 2007, enough with the people who pimp God. That's right. I said it, pimp God. Instead of focusing on the totality of Jesus, we have Christians who want to make the faith all about abortion and homosexuality. And then we have others who seek God as nothing but a spiritual slot machine. They say a prayer and down from Heaven comes a big house or a new car.
"Faith should be used to break down racial and economic barriers, not solidify them. Don't tell me Jesus would have embraced the sinners and you bar them from the church door. How can people say they love Jesus, but are afraid to speak to their neighbor, eat with a co-worker have their children play with peers across town?
"As we heard tonight, the Christian agenda should be broader than two issues. Let's stop with the nonsense that one political party has a hold on Jesus. We are called to speak truth to power no matter who sits in the White House. Christians, let's stop wondering what Jesus would do to make this world better. The question you need to answer is what am I prepared to do? "
Friday, April 20, 2007
I see you...
On a previous post I mentioned how satisfying it is to escape yourself and find that the circumstances that you find yourself in are not always just about you. How when we remove our own expectations of what will make us happy and choose to recognize God at work, that is when we will experience true joy. Well, I'm still in the same where that provoked the original post, but it sure isn't feeling much like the adventure that it was just 6 months ago! For one thing, after that great conversation, there really has not been much more talk about all that stuff. There's been talk, but mostly the same conversation over and over again. No real progress. At least not that I can see.
Now 6 months later and the place feels like a prison. There's tension in the air. The more information I get, which is very sporadic and often hidden in other conversations, the more it becomes evident to me that there are issues here that I inherited. Lucky me. A dysfunctional family so to speak. I've been left to wonder why must grown men act so much like children. It is absolutely ridiculous. I'm being forced to be the guy I don't like to be (the hard- ass supervisor)! The worst part about this whole situation is that I'm being played as a fool by individuals that are supposed to be friends. I have been attacked. I hope no one out there ever has the privilege of supervising people that not to long ago were your peers. I can't believe they treat me the same way I treated my supervisors. The nerve of these guys!(Note sarcasm).
Of course I have spent many hours wondering why they act like this. Now once again slowly but surely I'm realizing that this is bigger than them and me. They're just being people. We all have our moments. Their actions are not excusable, but definitely forgivable. Especially considering the fact that if they are not in the dark, they are spiritually immature. Not that I'm mature, just a little farther down the road. I see this for what it is now. It definitely is an attack.
Just not from whom I thought was attacking. I was in a place of joy. I felt almost at one with my Lord. the relationship was moving forward. Then you, the enemy, stepped in to stir things up. The stategy worked for a while, but I'm on to it now. How do I keep forgetting that the other side will settle for misery if they can't have you completely. Well, I SEE YOU... and the LORD has my back! Game on!
Now 6 months later and the place feels like a prison. There's tension in the air. The more information I get, which is very sporadic and often hidden in other conversations, the more it becomes evident to me that there are issues here that I inherited. Lucky me. A dysfunctional family so to speak. I've been left to wonder why must grown men act so much like children. It is absolutely ridiculous. I'm being forced to be the guy I don't like to be (the hard- ass supervisor)! The worst part about this whole situation is that I'm being played as a fool by individuals that are supposed to be friends. I have been attacked. I hope no one out there ever has the privilege of supervising people that not to long ago were your peers. I can't believe they treat me the same way I treated my supervisors. The nerve of these guys!(Note sarcasm).
Of course I have spent many hours wondering why they act like this. Now once again slowly but surely I'm realizing that this is bigger than them and me. They're just being people. We all have our moments. Their actions are not excusable, but definitely forgivable. Especially considering the fact that if they are not in the dark, they are spiritually immature. Not that I'm mature, just a little farther down the road. I see this for what it is now. It definitely is an attack.
Just not from whom I thought was attacking. I was in a place of joy. I felt almost at one with my Lord. the relationship was moving forward. Then you, the enemy, stepped in to stir things up. The stategy worked for a while, but I'm on to it now. How do I keep forgetting that the other side will settle for misery if they can't have you completely. Well, I SEE YOU... and the LORD has my back! Game on!
Friday, April 06, 2007
Did you see that?
Am I just fooling myself? Am I one of the blind leading the blind? Or, maybe I'm blind being lead by some one with cruel intentions. Perhaps I can see, but have been around the blind so long I'm becoming convinced that I too am blind. If any of the previous is true, then why can I so vividly see what it's supposed to be and where it has gone wrong? Of course seeing it all so clearly doesn't make it any easier. Quite the opposite is true! When you have this new found freedom a whole new level of self discipline is required. That has never been one of my strengths... I can be rather lazy. There was a group of guys once who also struggled with understanding it all, and who could also be a little lazy at times. Does that make me one of them? They usually turned to their leader for guidance. Maybe I should too! You know, sometimes us disciples struggle a little. Sometimes out of ignorance, sometimes out of laziness, and sometimes it just isn't His time. Lord could you help me to understand it all, and give me the faith to accept it when I can't. I want with all my heart to serve You daily, hourly, ever minute...now! Even though I can't have it all.
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