Reframing remembrance: a thought on September 11

Saw this posted by some of the families who lost loved ones on September 11 and couldn't agree more wholeheartedly.


­­“The members of September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows are grateful for the expressions of remembrance and concern being offered on the 10th anniversary of the events which took the lives of our loved ones. On this day we ask those who feel compassion for our loss to expand their compassion to include others who continue to experience loss ten years later: innocent families in Afghanistan and Iraq experiencing the loss of their loved ones and displacement from their communities as the result of war and political strife; Muslim-Americans subjected to bias and violence at home; those denied the protections of our Constitution and law, whether in Guantanamo or in our own country; those suffering from job loss and economic dislocation related to the cost of war and rising military budgets; and those who have seen their civil iberties and freedoms exchanged for the false promise of security.

The lesson of 9/11 is that we live in a connected world. We rise or fall together. As Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” On this 10th anniversary, let us honor those we lost by recognizing our kinship with people all over the world, and affirming the values and principles that will guarantee peaceful tomorrows for everyone."

Couple Thoughts

Osama bin Laden has apparently been shot in killed in Afghanistan.

I hopped on ESPN and this was the headline news story.

Pictures of the Phillies game where the death was announced, tell of throngs of people celebrating the news.

This is troubling to me. First, as a Christian, such a reaction like this is unacceptable. We just had Confirmation Sunday in our church and the message was Crazy Love...love that Jesus instructs is for not merely friends, but for enemies too. To see this ethic not only defied, but also celebrated is alarming.

Second, from a political standpoint, my hunch is this is not as significant a victory. The two men largely associated with leading the terror regime, Hussein in Iraq and bin Laden in Afghanistan are now dead and I guarantee that this does nothing to deter others from stepping into leadership. There are deeper issues in the relational strife between the U.S. and many Muslim countries. And, until we stop claiming that they are merely 'extremists', 'terrorists', or 'anti-democratic', we probably won't get very far in resolving this...which means more terror regimes, more fervent in their resolve will like be on the horizon.

Just some Monday morning thoughts. Can a Christian rejoice in the killing of anyone, evil or good?

My Fellow Americans...

Here is how this political season and most others like it goes...

*I tell you that I am for jobs and for less taxes. I show you the guy I'm running against is the spawn of Satan and that when he says he is for jobs and less taxes, he is a liar. Then I tell you some fabricated half truth...or quarter truth...to demonstrate why this other person is the Spawn of Satan and then I tell you I approve of the message.

*If I am running for a seat in the house or the senate, the costs I will incrue are well over $675,000 for the house and $3,765,000 for the senate. And then when you elect me, I realize that its not as cut and dry as I'd anticipated and coming in to create jobs and cut taxes isn't as easy as we'd thought. So instead of creating jobs we create taxes and instead of cutting taxes we cut jobs and then I tell you in 4 years that my opponent is the brother or sister of that spawn of Satan I beat 4 years ago.

HERE'S AN IDEA...IF YOU'RE CLAIMING TO BE FOR JOBS...TAKE THE 3.75 MILLION DOLLARS YOU WANT TO SPEND TO TELL US ABOUT SATAN'S OFFSPRING, AND USE IT TO PROVE YOU REALLY ARE FOR JOBS!! START A BUSINESS OR A MOVEMENT THAT PROVIDES JOB OPPORTUNITIES OR KEEP A LARGE FACTORY UP AND RUNNING TO KEEP PEOPLE EMPLOYED. SHOW ME YOU ACTUALLY DISLIKE UNEMPLOYMENT!

Praise God we are to the last day of this politicking mumbo jumbo. The whole political process needs to be rethought.

My name is Ben Thompson and I approve of this message.

hmm.

"of every dollar sent to the U.S. government, 41 cents goes to the armament of the military. Less than 1 cent goes to humanitarian relief around the world." (Adam Hamilton, Methodist Minister at Church of the Resurrection)


"Some trust in chariots...but we trust in the name of the Lord our God." (Psalm 20:7)

Is this true of God's church in the place that spends more money annually on chariots than the next 15 countries on the list

combined?

For those wrestling and asking...

This is an interview about a book titled "The Myth of a Christian Nation." I have not yet read it, but watched it this morning and found it helpful in the discussion. Its about 22 minutes (in 3 sections).








Keep the conversation going.

Preachin' It

Preaching this Sunday on Church as the Holy Nation.

Never had such a wide range of emotions entering a Sunday where I'm bringing the message.

On one hand, God is stirring passion and excitement that is becoming like fire in my bones. I have to preach this message. I absolutely cannot avoid it.

And yet I am burdened with the reality that this message may fall on deaf ears, or that opposition to the message will be fierce.

Pray for me this week. That I have a prophetic anointing and that those who have ears would hear.

"Some trust in chariots, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God" (Psalm 20:7)...What do we do as Christians when we live in a country who unashamedly, unabashedly trusts in their chariots? (We spend more money annually for our military than the next 15 countries combined.)

Ahh, the Golden Calf

We had Boy Scout Sunday yesterday at our church. Can I just say that I have some mixed feelings about this?

The service began the way it typically does, then after singing a song or two, the boy scouts procession took place. The scouts and scout masters and (den mothers?...I don't know the lingo) entered following the leader who carried the U.S. flag.

That bothered me...but probably not many others.

Then they led us in the Pledge of Allegiance...and that did more than bother me. I am not anti-boyscout...many of the teachings that they instill are about virtue, character, other-centeredness and I affirm these things. But worship has one aim and that is to pledge allegiance to the MOST HIGH AND SOVEREIGN GOD.

I've gone here with posts before...that there is something in me that is extremely uneasy about having the flag anywhere near the cross, unless we're crucifying it to follow Christ.

I don't pledge allegiance. I don't sing the star spangled banner. And if I had more courage than cowardice I would not stand or remove my cap for these things either.

There is only one who is deserving of my reverence, my standing in honor of, my singing to exalt, my freedom to thank for and that is Christ. God forgive me that I am not yet bold enough to decrease myself that you might increase.

And I know that some would say I'm anti-Boyscout (which I already defended...though it is a para-military organization that lends itself to future soldiers...)and others will say I am ungrateful to live in this country...which is not true at all. But just because I am fortunate to live in a land of opportunity doesn't mean I have to worship that land or forsake the world who needs blessing paid forward to them.

On the plus side, Pastor Jim brought it yesterday. Stop the theatrics...This isn't a show merely to perform outwardly for others...This is about our hearts being transformed from the inside out.

So...convince me I'm wrong...Did we try to cram the worship of more than one god into our Sunday yesterday?

Weighing in on Tim Tebow and the SuperBowl Ad.

I've had some friends and church folks weighing in on the importance of advocating for CBS to air the Tim Tebow prolife ad during the Super Bowl. From what I understand, Tim Tebow's mother was advised to have an abortion, which would've left the world without one of the most well known, well liked college football players is NCAA history.

I wonder if this is worth it.

I get that the message is a vitally important one. I get that having it aired with such a captive audience who is guaranteed to stay tuned for the commercials is a great chance to make a statement.

I am a big fan of Tim Tebow the man (not really the football player). He is a man who has integrity, faith in Christ and his actions align with his message, which is refreshing in an era when so many talk the talk and avoid the walk.

But here's where I am struggling and I hope Christ-followers can think on this as well: We can't legislate Christianity. Moreover...we shouldn't want to legislate Christianity. It takes us to a dangerous places that isn't what Jesus had in mind when he spoke of Kingdom. I'm not downplaying the injustice of killing unborn children, but I think the best way to move away from that in culture is to bring the message of redemption and hope to the culture.

Jesus said, "Make a tree good and its fruit will be good or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad for a tree is recognized by its fruit." What the Church has done has pointed at a bad tree and said, "stop bearing bad fruit". This does not work. It hasn't worked for the decades that abortion has permeated culture. It hasn't worked throughout history in any number of ways. The only way to see good fruit is to have the tree be good.

In Hebrew, there is a word called barah. It is used in Genesis 1:1 to say "In the beginning God barah-ed the heavens and the earth. All throughout the Hebrew Scriptures the word is used and it is only used with God as the barah-er. In Psalm 51, David's prayer "Create in me a new heart O God" uses barah.

So if you want someone's heart made new...if you want their tree to be good, it's God who must do the barah-ing, so we simply need to be attentive to where God is at work making good trees and join him in the process.

Love to hear your feedback on this. I know some of you are Catholics who are passionate about this issue, so keep the dialogue going.

hmm

had this thought today while driving.

The time has come where we must stop trying to legislate Christianity and begin to demonstrate Christianity.

Buy or Sell this as true?

Gifting vs. Grasping

I am still reading through 1 and 2 Samuel for my own devotional time and I am starting to pick up on a theme. God's kingdom and God's plan cannot be grasped at or achieved by us on our own initiative. It is gifted to us by God in God's timing.

David is promised to be the new king after Saul loses favor with God...but notice David's resolve. Two times in 1 Samuel 24-26 he has the opportunity to kill Saul and speed up the process. And it seems reasonable that he has a right to do this because Saul has tried to kill him numerous times...but David stands down...resists the grasp and waits for the gift.

Then when Saul dies, an Amalekite brings David news of this, thinking there would be great rejoicing at the news...Instead, David has the Amalekite killed and then grieves passionately at the loss of Israel's king.

With Saul out of the picture, David is still not the next in succession. Saul has a son remaining, Ish-Bosheth (also known as Ish-Baal). Ish's general, Abner defects to David's side, but is killed by David's general, Joab. Abner had quite a following and his death both benefited and hindered David's likelihood of succession to the throne. David, showing that he was not about to take the throne by his own conniving, manipulation, coersion, cursed Joab and his own military at Abner's death.

Then Ish-Bosheth, weakened and fearful after Abner's departure is killed during a nap by two of his own military leaders. The leaders bring his head to David seeking approval, but David has the men killed for their bloodguilt.

Integrity and obedience are the keys to the Kingdom. David waited for the gift to be given, rather than to go apprehend the gift. There will come a time where David will try to seize what he wants (Bathsheba) and there will be terrible consequences for this...but the first few chapters of 2 Samuel suggest that David was innocent of all the political games and treachery that often come with leading a kingdom.

As we participate in the Kingdom of God being established in the world, we must remember that it is not taken by force or might. But it is a gift that we receive as the people of God through our witness to the King and our obedience and allegiance to Him.

Politics of Jesus

No one can serve two masters.

Jesus was talking about money vs. God, but the principle is a universal principle.

So, do you ever get antsy when your church has both a 'Christian' Flag and a U.S. flag?

Do you ever get nervous when you see a bumper sticker that says God bless America, with a big ol' flag in the background?

I wonder what your church service looked like this past weekend. Were there more flags than crosses? More songs to the country than to the Lord? Was there more talk and prayer about the freedom we have because of our troops than freedom we have because of Christ?

Now I know what some of you are thinking..."If you don't like this country, then get the ____ out!" This is not me bashing the U.S. It's me bashing the Church (though I love the Church!)

The marriage between the Church and the Nation has polluted and diluted the Church. We were supposed to be YHWH's bride, but we've chosen whoredom over faithfulness.

So I wonder, do you buy what I'm selling? Is patriotism an idol? A betraying smack of God's face? Is the Church more concerned with the politics of elephants and donkeys than it is with the politics of the Lamb?

Inauguration Day

This is truly a neat week in our nation's history. The timing of inauguration is especially meaningful this week as it happens the day after celebrating MLK Day. What king fought for (nonviolently mind you) is now being realized to some extent today in the initiation of the first African-American President this country has seen. In the words of the profound wordsmith Jay-Z "(Rosa)Parks sat so King could walk so Obama could run." It is a movement in the right direction, but I am leery.

In some areas of this country race still matters. I have heard utterances that black people only voted for Obama because he is black (utterances of white people). I wonder if we are as far as we think. Nonetheless, today is monumental in history.

So, what one issue, global, national or otherwise would you appeal to Obama to most wholeheartedly address?
The two wars?
Immigration?
Global Warming?
Economy?
Others?

Excellent Sermon

Andy Stanly brings a great message on perspective when it comes to politics. It's worth the 30 minutes...Great biblical teaching in a well framed historical setting with a relevant application.

http://www.northpointministries.org/player/player.jsp?occurrenceID=3057

Dear Mrs. Pro Life Ballot Lady

Dear Pro Lifer,
I have noticed recently that the word Evangelical no longer has much to do with the Gospel of Jesus Christ but instead has a lot to do with a social/political agenda. I don't blame you for this, but I do blame you when one issue, namely abortion causes you to check all Republican boxes on your ballot. It seems like being pro life for the unborn child yet pro capital punishment makes you a little hypocritical doesn't it? It seems like praying outside abortion clinics and then praying for God to bless our troops in the war in Iraq and Afghanistan... (rather than blessing the troops of the enemy...didn't some dude say we should be praying for our enemies?)...it seems that doesn't line up. It seems like when you vote a republican ticket that is allegedly 'pro-life', shouldn't it have more of a anti-poverty stance?

After all, you are advocating life right? Don't the electric chair, the AK-47 and the unjust distribution of wealth and taxation all lead to a cessation of life? Yet you are so passionate, with your 'abortion kills' tee shirts, your creative signs, disturbing images and million man marches (which all, by the way...don't offer much grace or healing to those struggling through the aftermath of a decision to end the life of their unborn child). I admire your passion and I believe the cause is an important one, but maybe you should be called something else...Pro-baby birth? Anti-infanticide? I'm sure you could come up with something more pithy. Just wanted to say 'hey'.

Your pro-life, non-partisan, largely apolitical, friend,

Ben

p.s. I don't sound very apolitical do I? haha.

Ok, sound off...you hate me yet? Want me dead? That's not a very pro-life attitude! haha. What do you think?

Jesus For President

A few months ago I read portions of a book called "Jesus For President" by Shane Claiborne. I found myself agreeing with many of his statements. People in our country are so concerned with politics. Obviously now, Obama and McCain have taken center stage, and apparently we hope that the right candidate wins so that change can fix the messed up system we are in.

This political agenda is found in many Americans, including many who call Jesus their Lord. Shouldn't this raise red flags? (not with white stripes and stars). Any novice who reads the scriptures sees that things generally went downhill and God became increasingly distant after they booted Him from the Theocratic head of state for Israel and replaced him with a king (Saul).

Fast forward and what is Jesus most concerned about? His Kingdom! Jesus seems to be ushering in a new movement that reseats God where only God should rightfully be...on the throne.

Yet 250 years after Jesus, Constantine comes on the scene, forces Christianity and the government to be bedfellows and whammo, ever since, we have placed way too high of significance on who the political leader is.

The government will not solve poverty. They've failed since democracy began. The government will not solve pro-life vs. pro-choice debates. Our government will not provide adequate, affordable healthcare for all citizens. Our government will certainly not bring peace.

Why you ask? Because God is seeking for his bride to solve these issues. The more the Church engages in the mustard revolution, the more God's kingdom is cemented into our world.

Neither McCain or Obama can bring the change they promise or you hope for.

"Enough with the Elephants and Donkeys...Long Live the Lamb" Shane Claiborne

--I know there are those who disagree...Engage me on this. Why should I vote? Why should I care about politics?

War and Peace

As Christians we are supposed to love our neighbors...Yes that's right Jesus wasn't joking. So how does neighbor love take place in the context of war? Is it possible? It's funny to me that people throughout history have attempted to determine what is ethical, honorable, or acceptable in the context of war. This suggests that there is a proper and appropriate way to kill. Does this make any sense? Is there a humane way and and inhumane way of killing?

Don't hear me totally wrong. The courage that is often displayed in times of war by soldiers is to be honored. That someone would give their lives for something they believe in is a message that we as the church could learn alot from. Yet I look at the aftermath of war and cringe. Soldiers forever scarred with post traumatic stress. Nations devastated and oppressed with sanctions.

So my question is what is the role of the Christ follower in the context of war?

I haven't actually brought up the current war in Iraq, but I will say that some of the actions of the United States are completely and totally unjust. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-8PlJVhogs

What do mustard revolutionaries make of statements like "Those who live by the sword will die by the sword" and "Blessed are the peacemakers." etc.?