God! Politics! Christians! Money!

OK, here's the deal. The longest thread on my blog runs to a total of nine comments, and I think two of them were mine. That's just unacceptable. However, I've noticed that when Greg Kendall-Ball and Mike Cope post anything about God and politics or about Christians and wealth, the resulting threads run to 100+ comments. Although reading those long threads wears me out--and honestly if the original thoughts contained therein were converted to hair, you couldn't make a wig for a grape--the point here is about amassing sheer numbers of comments to my blog. So, please reread the headline of this post, and let's get ready to rumble!

A slightly more serious afterthought: could it be that these topics generate so much heated discussion because they are sore points about which we feel threatened by the radical claims of the gospel? Just asking.

Farewell KB.net

Greg Kendall-Ball, caretaker of kendallball.net has decided to hang up his spurs and exit the blogosphere. His blog was one of the most widely visited sites among members of the churches of Christ (second only to Mike Cope's blog according to my own unscientific survey). Greg attracted a posse of Gen-X hot-shots, many of them grad students in theology, some of them heretics. Greg is a staunch pacifist in the heart of the reddest of all Red States. He was never afraid to stir the pot or to address issues that no one else wanted to touch. What was refreshing about KB.net was that it was a place where everything was open to question. Sacred cows were gored regularly and with glee. I found much to disagree with, but also found a lot that challenged the ruts in which my thinking had become mired. I came to appreciate the regular posters there as a group who were passionate about being authentic in their faith. Although Greg is quite serious about his faith and his politics, he never took himself too seriously. KB.net was always a fun place to hang out. His unique forum will be missed.

On Loving Enemies

There was an op-ed piece in today's USA Today entitled "A Christian vew of war," written by Oliver "Buzz" Thomas. An excerpt:

In ancient times, particular gods were associated with particular nations. "Tribal deities," we call them. Today we know better. God is not the mascot of Republicans, Democrats, or for that matter, Americans. God transcends all national and political affiliations. His precinct is the universe.

Thomas begins the piece by referring to the "Pray for our troops" bumper stickers. I understand the sentiment behind that sticker, and it's cousin, "We support our troops." It dates back to the time of the Vietnam conflict, when those who opposed the war were hostile and often abusive toward those who served in the military. Today's anti-war activists have generally been very careful to state that they support our troops, even while they disagree with the decisions that sent them into harm's way. It may be a difficult distinction, but it's one I'm glad they are making.

I've certainly seen and heard of less charitable stickers. A contributor to Mike Cope's blog reported seeing a bumper sticker on a car that read, "Osama: God may forgive you. We will not," next to a "Jesus lives" sticker. I mentioned these in my sermon yesterday and afterward, a lady told me of a t-shirt she had seen: "Osama: it's up to God to forgive you. Our job is to arrange the meeting." Next to those, I certainly appreciate the much more gracious tone of "we support our troops" and "pray for our troops."

However, Buzz Thomas says Jesus would have gone farther: "If he had money for a car and didn't give it all away to the hookers and the homeless before he got to the used-car lot, I'm pretty sure that his bumper sticker would say 'pray for our enemies.'" Sobering thought. Even as we oppose evil in whatever ways we feel we must, Jesus reminds us to temper our fear and hostility by remembering to lift our enemies up in prayer, to love them as completely as our heavenly Father does. God has a stake in curbing the violence of evil people; but God's heart is filled with love--often, wounded love--for even the most wayward of his children. God, give me the heart to love my enemies as You do.

Flying on 9/11

I have successfully resisted the urge to join every other blogger on the planet and talk about where I was and what I was doing on 9/11/01. Let me talk instead about what happened to me on 9/11/06.

I was due in Ashland, Ohio, at 10 a.m. for a Pastors of Excellence retreat. The night before, I checked the weather, and it looked like I would not be able to fly myself there (I am not instrument rated, and the forecast was for low ceilings and visibility). I was bummed, because it's a three-hour car trip, but only 45 minutes across Lake Erie in the plane. However, when the alarm went off at 5:30, I rechecked the weather and discovered that conditions were much better than forecast. So, after going back to bed for an hour, I flew.

Everything was fine until I was about halfway across the lake. I noticed that the oil pressure was well below the normal operating range; in fact, it was just above the red line. I landed at Sandusky, Ohio, the first airport on the far side of the lake. My stomach was tied in knots. The only two possibilities I could think of were "bad oil pump" and "catastrophic engine damage." One is expensive; the other is disastrous. After three tense hours with a mechanic named Mark, the problem was diagnosed as "bad oil pressure gauge." Whew!

I took off from Sandusky around 12:30 for the 20-minute flight down to Ashland. Nearing my destination, I announced my intentions on the advisory frequency (Ashland does not have a control tower). Immediately, a voice crackled in my headset: "Aircraft calling Ashland, be advised the Ashland airport is closed until further notice." Before long, I was over the airport and was able to see why. There was a disabled aircraft blocking their only runway. I had to land at Mansfield and call for a ride from there back to Ashland.

I'm not superstitious at all, but I think that's the last time I fly on 9/11.

Spiritual Reinforcements Needed

If you have the time, please read this post in its entirety and join me in prayer for a friend and brother, Marc Neal. I am a participant in Pastors of Excellence, a wonderful ministry put on by Ashland Theological Seminary. Eighty of us come together for six three-day retreats over the course of two years for spiritual renewal and personal growth. Marc is the mentor for the group of six ministers of which I am a part. He is pastor of the Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church in Akron, OH.

Marc didn't make it to our most recent retreat, Monday through Wednesday of this week. Last Friday, a 33-year-old member of his church collapsed at the dinner table and died. He had no previous medical history and no history of drug or alcohol abuse. The funeral was Monday, and you can imagine how difficult it must have been for Marc to bring comfort to the family.

The Saturday before the funeral, Marc got a call from Kelvin, a 30-year-old member of his church. Kelvin is an employee at Marc's church--he handles the web site and other technical matters--but Marc counts him a close friend and confidant. Kelvin told Marc that he had tripped while carrying his month-old daughter and fallen on her, injuring her badly enough that she had to be hospitalized.

As Marc was driving to the cemetary after the funeral on Monday, Kelvin called him on his cell phone, distraught. Kelvin confessed that he had not fallen on his daughter; he had lost his temper with her and had thrown her, not once but twice. Kelvin was covered with guilt and remorse and told Marc that he was going to go away for a while. He called several of his relatives and told him the same thing. Marc left the cemetary and went in search of Kelvin. Before he found him, Kelvin took his life by jumping off a bridge. Marc was given the task of informing the family. In the aftermath, protective services is threatening to take the baby from its mother, a woman who is reeling from the news that her baby was abused and her husband his killed himself.

If you've stayed with me this far, I'm asking you to join with me in praying for Marc, these two families, and the Jerusalem Baptist church. If ever there was a time to call in all available spiritual reinforcements, this is it!

Minor E-noyances

1. Sweet, sappy, way-too-long, meant-to-be-inspirational forwarded emails that end with "if you don't forward this to 20 people, including the one who sent it to you, that proves you don't care."


2. Calling a company, getting their automated phone system, which asks you to enter your sixteen digit account number followed by the pound sign, then your five-digit zip code, then the last four digits of your Social Security number, then when a human gets on the line, having him or her ask for all the same information.


3. Automated phone systems that try too hard to sound human, especially ones that say, "You may say your response at any time; I don't mind being interrupted." It's a machine, for pity's sake! I prefer machines to sound like machines--monotone and metallic.


4. People who forward jokes to me on email (most of which I've heard before and many of which I don't take time to read), then ask me three weeks later, "did you get that email I sent you?"


5. When someone sends me a serious email, and I decide to wait to respond until I can collect my thoughts, then I forget all about it until the person asks, "did you get that email I sent you?" How embarrassing!