The Battersea Blog

I won’t be signing the Manhattan Declaration. Here’s why…

2009-11-24T10:08:00.000-05:00

Four days ago a group of respected religious leaders released a document called the Manhattan Declaration. As of this morning, over 70,000 people have signed the document, including some of the most respected Christian scholars in the country. I won’t be one of those signers. I expect this decision is going to cause some consternation even in my own family since we are not all in agreement on this issue.

In trying to decide whether I would sign I asked myself a question. Would associating myself with this effort help me in advancing the work I think God is calling me to do? Would signing the Declaration help me love Washington, D.C. in a more Christ like way? Would signing this Declaration help me encourage Christians to live radical lives of sacrifice? Would signing this Declaration help me to tell my friends and neighbors – who are suspicious and distrustful of Christians – how Jesus came into this world to redeem them and have a relationship with them?

In each case the answer was an emphatic “no.”

That is not to say I disagree with the document, but doesn’t come close to addressing the biggest challenges facing the American church today. If anything it distracts the church from addressing its biggest failings and advancing the Kingdom of Christ against our sworn adversary. In doing so this Declaration gives aid and comfort to the enemy.

In a word, the Declaration is an indulgent exercise taken at a time when the Church cannot afford such efforts.

Over the next few days I will lay out some specific objections to the Document. Take some time to read it if you haven’t done so. http://www.manhattandeclaration.org/ Decide for yourself. But ask yourself, is this helping?

All I Ever Needed to Know About Politics I Learned From Berlin

2009-11-09T20:43:00.001-05:00

Like a lot of high-minded, but mathematically challenged, young people I spent a lot of my time in college in political science classes. These classes were great experiences especially in the 1980’s when what was taught in the classroom was so often thoroughly discredited in the American street. Unfortunately, the “streets” don’t get to give grades so my steadfast adherence to reality usually earned me a begrudging “B.”

Nevertheless, the classes were great fun. In 1985 I took a comparative course on communism and capitalism. After looking over the syllabus, I protested to the professor that there wasn’t one pro-capitalist book on it. (I was that kind of guy back then.) I challenged him to include something, anything, by Milton Friedman. He finally agreed, but I was marked from then on – and of course my classmates appreciated the extra reading!

At the end of the semester the whole class took a trip to Berlin together. I played it cool but it was my first flight out of the country, or anywhere for that matter. Berlin at Christmas is wonderful. They love their fireworks there and our first night no one slept until after four. On the second night I crossed the wall for the first time with two friends – illegally. We had stepped onto the wrong train at the U-Bahn station. It seemed weird to us to see no man’s land passing under the train. No one remembered that from our earlier trip.

When we pulled into a grey, dark station across from a train headed to Warsaw we knew we were in trouble. An operator came hustling by and ordered us in broken English to “not move.” Then the guards armed with dogs and AK-47’s started heading our direction. Should we duck down or just sit there and let them see us?

We decided to sit there and act like we meant to be there. A couple guards looked in but they never questioned us. That taught me my first great lesson of politics:

No matter what, no matter how crazy things get, act like you’re in control and you planned this.

Ten minutes later the train started moving. Thankfully it moved WEST!

I never forgot that week in Berlin. It was so strange to see the Communist Bloc when it was still a “bloc.” Imagine walking Unter din Linden Street when there were no cars anywhere; visiting beautiful, but empty, museums in East Berlin; shopping in empty department stores. It was surreal – especially juxtaposed against the holiday decorations which festooned the Ku'damm; and the bounty of KaDeWe.

On a day trip to Dresden, I learned my second important political lesson. After spending the day learning about the fire bombing and marveling at how such a beautiful city could exist in such perpetual disrepair, our tour bus pulled up beside a darkened mansion on a darkened street. Was this where we were heading for dinner?

I joined twenty weary college students as we trudged to what was surely another bleary communist meal. But as we opened the door we were greeted by bright lights and a huge German eagle on the floor. We hustled into a back room where we enjoyed a live orchestra, dancing (except for us good Baptists) and the best German meal I ever had.

This was old Germany. This was pre-war Germany. This was the Germany that only people with dollars got to live in. As we drove back up the highway toward the “safety of the West” I thought about this political lesson:

No society can survive when its elites enjoy a life most members can never hope to experience.

My final lesson from Berlin took four more years to learn. In December of 1988, as I was finishing my degree at UNC, I took one final international relations class. On the last class day of my undergrad life – after we finished an exam review – our professor asked if anyone had final questions.

I don’t know what came over me. Maybe I wanted to prove they hadn’t convinced me of anything. Maybe I wanted to just aggravate one more professor. Maybe I wanted to impress some cute conservative co-ed. I raised my hand and asked. “What do you think the post Soviet world is going to look like?” I’m sure my exasperated professor gave me a “B” then and there. But he did patiently answer me.

The Soviet Union and its system of government was in no danger of collapse. If anything the West would see gradual Soviet expansion in Africa and South America. Less than one year later – twenty years ago this very day – I watched with all the rest of the world as East Germans charged through check points and over bridges and finally directly over the wall in complete joy.

I was beside myself for three reasons. First, no American can help but feel exultation when they see another person gain their freedom. Second, I was vindicated, but my entire collegiate education had just been invalidated. And third was the final great political rule I learned from Berlin.

The experts only know what has happened. They can’t tell you what will happen unless you let them. Fight for what’s right. Be an idealist. Never give up hope.

Thank you, Berliners for so many lessons and congratulations on the last twenty years of peace and freedom.

Seeing God in the Upper Deck

2009-09-17T20:33:00.002-04:00

Today I’ve been thinking a lot about that Phillies fan who gave the foul ball to his daughter only to see her throw it back on the field. If you haven’t seen the video you should watch it here. http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/32891414/ns/today-today_people/

The father, who was attending the Phillies game with his three-year-old daughter, had never caught a foul ball even though he had been attending games since he was three as well. But on this night he caught his first foul ball. As he joyously fist bumped with his fellow fans, he handed the prized ball to his daughter. Who promptly threw the ball away!

What has touched the heart of everyone who saw this video is the beautiful way the father responded to the daughter. Never losing his smile he instantly took her into his arms and told her everything was just fine. What a perfect picture of a father who never, for even an instant, loses sight of what is most important – that his child knows how pleasing and loved they really are.

What I keep thinking of how is that father is like our heavenly Father and how rarely I see God as this kind of father. There is no question that this father did the right thing. Every one of us feels it instantly in our gut as we watch what happens. And we all rejoice when we see the little girl toddle into his arms. We know without explanation that this is what a father should do.

So if it is so elementally right, then it must be a shadow of how our Father acts in right relationship with the Spirit and the Son and any adopted child who enters into that relationship. Could it be that this is how God reacts to me as I stumble through my days here on earth? Is it possible that as I struggle to do the right thing - and cluelessly fail over and over again - the Father is smiling at me and waiting to take me into His arms?

In one way I am just like that three year old. Every day the Father gives me blessings and experiences and I blithely throw them away not knowing what they cost or even what they mean. But if what the Bible says is true then nothing ever can separate me from the love of Christ.

In another way I am totally different from her. As soon as things got confusing she went straight into her father’s arms. She didn’t even know what she had done. She didn’t try to fix it. She didn’t promise to do better, read a book, join a group, or make a new chart. I am prone to do all those things. But maybe my Father wants me to run to Him first and dwell in his love instead of trying to fix what I don’t even understand and can never fix.

Ask yourself how you feel about God. When you blow it do you see a God utterly pleased with you who deeply loves you and wants you in His arms immediately? Or does your image of God involve a stern father who cares more about your behavior than your little heart?

Do any of us have any idea how thrilled with us the God of the Bible really is? I really hope we learn soon.

Christians and the Climate Debate – Is this a fight we want to have?

2009-07-09T19:35:00.017-04:00

I read today in the Wall Street Journal (see article here) that the American Values Network was running an ad in eight states supporting climate change legislation. In the ad, a prominent pastor encourages Christians to support a climate bill that "creates jobs, reduces our dependence on foreign oil, and especially protects vulnerable families and communities at home and abroad who are most hurt by climate change." The ad ends with the familiar ask, “ Please join the chorus of the faithful by calling 877-88-CLIMATE to learn more and be connected to your Member of Congress.”

Evidently the traditional Christian right is very concerned about this new campaign. Groups like Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council are working with the Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation to combat the ads by organizing pastors to carry the message that climate control legislation could cripple the country.

Last year this time left wing Evangelicals were proclaiming that they were a fresh expression of modern evangelical beliefs, now it seems they are just another group pushing the Democratic legislative agenda. Of course my friends on the right aren’t doing any better. Focus and FRC have waded right into the mud with the left and both sides are enlisting pastors to spread the word about their position on the bill.

Can we get one thing straight? The pulpit is a sacred place. The man standing in that spot had better be seeking God’s will in the message he is proclaiming to his congregation – not reading the talking points from political handlers. Sometimes it seems we have forgotten WHO we are dealing with.

I have no doubt God has a message for America . He wants to heal His church. He seeks to reconcile His church – not see it divided by momentary political initiatives. He wants to break the enslaving chains of wealth and indulgence and comfort that make this Church so weak.

He wants to draw all people to HIMSELF. He wants to ignite a passion for knowing HIM in every one of us. He wants us to be compelled into actions of sacrifice for the weak and the poor because of His extravagant love for us. He wants a Church that seeks justice in every corner of society because He is just.

Any sermon or message that seeks any goal other than HIS GOALS is life threatening to the Church and the organizations involved.

If a pastor feels led by God to preach about global warming - pro or con - then fine, but the solution has to be deeper than “now call your Congressman.”

Jesus died to reconcile the world to Himself. The primary purpose of the Church should be reconciliation in itself and with God. If we find ourselves squaring off with each other over political issues maybe those issues aren't central to God's plan on earth.

Here's a company I can get behind.

2009-07-08T17:33:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I talked about the fact that I didn't think I could biblically justify a business that is only focused on making a profit. To succeed in God's eyes we have to be focused on expanding His kingdom. As I was visiting Northland Church's website today I ran across this video of one company that gets it. I hope you enjoy.

Storyville and IJM from Northland Media Design on Vimeo.

What's great is this isn't as rare as you think. God is raising up a generation of young business leaders devoted to expanding His kingdom on earth. It's exciting stuff and I'm going to get some Storyville Coffee for sure. You can order the coffee at this website: http://www.storyville.com/

The Pope, the Supply Chain and Christmas Boxers

2009-07-07T21:24:00.007-04:00

For most of my political life I’ve been around people who claim to be socially moderate but fiscally conservative. Or socially conservative but fiscally moderate. I’ve always found these sorts of labels amusing. They don’t really describe anything concrete, they just mean what the person or politician or professor wants them to mean. These labels are designed to put you at ease about the politics of that individual.

This week we get a chance to see one public figure take an unabashed stance. Pope Benedict sweeps away all our comfortable Americanisms in his new encyclical, Caritas in veritate (Charity in Truth), in which he makes it clear that we cannot separate our social political stances from our fiscal political stances.

Consider this paragraph:

"Charity demands justice: recognition and respect for the legitimate rights of individuals and peoples," he says. "Justice must be applied to every phase of economic activity, because this is always concerned with man and his needs," he writes. "Locating resources, financing, production, consumption and all the other phases in the economic cycle inevitably have moral implications. Thus every economic decision has a moral consequence." [my emphasis]

In America we have gotten very comfortable with the idea that the market decides value, whether it be the value of a shirt or the value of a meal or the value of a man’s labor. We have lengthened the supply chains to the point where the harsh realities at the far edges cannot possibly have anything to do with us.

None of this is to denigrate the idea of profit. Nothing is more dignifying to the human creative spirit than the pursuit of and gain or profit. But as Benedict says, "Profit is useful if it serves as a means towards an end . . . once profit becomes the exclusive goal, if it is produced by improper means and without the common good as its ultimate end, it risks destroying wealth and creating poverty."

Today there is vast, intransigent poverty gripping over half the planet. This poverty is certainly caused by the corruption, abuse and sin that people poor out on each other and themselves around the globe. But if anyone has the power to change this fact it would be the rich – us. Only we can choose to use less. Shine a light on corrupt practices and stand up to tyrants. Or refuse to deal with those who press labor from the poor for a substandard wage.

The other day I heard the story of a guy named Kelsey Timmerman who decided to go to Bangladesh to meet the people who made his fancy Christmas boxer shorts. When he went home with them he was stunned to see how they lived. He said he always figured they would make less than Americans but would make a fair wage for their country. In fact these people barely made enough to stay alive and crawl back to work the next day.

I’m scared to death that I might find myself standing before the Lord of Heaven and Earth one day explaining how Adam Smith’s invisible hand and the market means it really wasn’t my fault that I lived off of the abuse of so many for so long.

I wonder if Americans would have any interest in a party that:

-Believes in hard work for just rewards,

-Seeks to foster environments where economies can flourish, but

-Also is conscious of the need to protect the weak and create just economic results around the world and here in America .

No I don’t . . . I just don’t know of a party willing to take that stance.

The quotes of Benedict’s work were taken from the Washington Post article where you can learn more about Charity in Truth. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/07/AR2009070700656.html

You can learn more about Kelsey Timmerman’s work and writings at: http://whereamiwearing.com/

A good first step to learning more about how people live at the other end of the supply chain

would be to listen to the World Vision Report at this website: http://www.worldvisionreport.org/

They're not laughing with us.

2009-06-30T20:31:00.007-04:00

Every now and then I hear a so called secular song that so clearly and definitively speaks to human needs or theological realities that I just have to promote it. This week I heard a new song that really touched me because I think it represents a great example of how people who don't follow Jesus perceive us.

The song is called “Laughing With” by Regina Spektor. I don’t know much about this artist but she sounds like a cross between Michelle Branch and Jewell to me. But take a look at these lyrics:

No one laughs at God in a hospital

No one laughs at God in a war

No one’s laughing at God

When they’re starving or freezing or so very poor

No one laughs at God

When the doctor calls after some routine tests

No one’s laughing at God

When it’s gotten real late

And their kid’s not back from the party yet

No one laughs at God

When their airplane start to uncontrollably shake

No one’s laughing at God

When they see the one they love, hand in hand with someone else

And they hope that they’re mistaken

No one laughs at God

When the cops knock on their door

And they say we got some bad news, sir

No one’s laughing at God

When there’s a famine or fire or flood

*Chorus*

But God can be funny

At a cocktail party when listening to a good God-themed joke, or

Or when the crazies say He hates us

And they get so red in the head you think they’re ‘bout to choke

God can be funny,

When told he’ll give you money if you just pray the right way

And when presented like a genie who does magic like Houdini

Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus

God can be so hilarious

Ha ha

It’s a pretty interesting point. No one laughs at God when they face life’s most awful moments. But when things are fine He’s just a joke. This artist is saying that those of us who claim to know God the best are the one’s who make Him seem so funny to people who haven't decided to follow Jesus yet.

I see this song as the lyrical confirmation of the basic point in David Kinnamen and Gabe Lyons' book called “unchristian.” The research in that book basically makes the point that the reputation of the Church has sunk to new lows precisely because we have made Christianity about things that really don’t have anything to do with God’s story of redemption at all. It’s a great read and I’d encourage everyone to give it a look.

Here’s the thing, in spite of all our faults we do have a story to tell about Jesus’ ongoing work on this earth. When Jesus decided it was time to reach out to a town in Samaria He didn’t just go to that town, identify the strategic leaders and give them the good news. Instead, He waited outside the city for a woman who was too ashamed to come to the well when everyone else was there. She got to hear first and then she delivered the message to the town.

He’s doing that with us now, all over the world.

When the people around you are dealing with life’s worst days will the God they see in you tell them how He loves them? Will they know that God is closest in these terrifying moments? Or will they first think they need to change their party affiliation, their taste in clothes, their language or their friends before they can talk to our God?

It actually is funny how God works in this world. He uses imperfect us . . . somehow.

You can learn more about unchristian here: http://www.unchristian.com/default.asp

If you'd like to watch the video of this song it is available on YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rov3pV9PsRI

A Christian’s Response to Death

2009-06-26T19:44:00.002-04:00

It’s interesting to see how we all feel the need to respond to death, especially deaths of public characters. What’s even more interesting is how shaky our theology gets as we try to find something to say.

Responding to Farrah’s death yesterday, one person said, “There’s another Angel in heaven today.” Hmmm, got a verse for that one? Of course this time she really was an angel, Charlie’s version. But generally that statement doesn’t make sense.

It seems like the more public the death the more critical the American Christian response is. When a family friend dies no one says, “Well now they know wealth and fame mean nothing.” But if it’s a celebrity the gloves come off.

For some reason, anytime a celebrity dies Christians seem to think we should point out that the celebrity died in spite of their fame, power, or wealth. It’s like we think any time someone important dies they died because God’s making a point for us – proving us right. But any time a culturally acceptable person dies it’s another story. No one said Ruth Bell Graham’s death proved that her popularity meant nothing when she died.

We’ve all sat in church and heard the sermon that lists the famous deaths, right? Marilyn Monroe, Jimmy Hendrix, Curt Cobain, John Belushi, and lately we’ve added Heath Ledger, Anna Nicole Smith and maybe even Michael Jackson. It’s no surprise that Christians nudge each other smugly when someone the world regards as important dies. We learned it in church.

But people don’t die to prove us right about anything. Death is the enemy. Jesus came to conquer death. Every time someone dies – every single time – the universe is ripped. Not one of us was created to die. Those people in that list above were unique iterations of God’s creative nature. They were meant to live forever but sin intervened as it will for all of us.

We Christians, of all people, should never be so comfortable with our enemy (Death) as to claim he is doing God’s work. We should never try to explain or minimize the horror of any death. Instead, we should offer the love of the God of Life who has made a way to escape death’s eternal grip.

If the Church wants to impact my city or yours we need to stop lecturing those who grieve and start serving them. What would it look like if Christians were at Jackson ’s home in Gary , Ind. , or on the Walk of Fame in L.A. , or anywhere the grief-stricken have gathered? How different would it be if we were listening to their words, affirming their sadness and offering comfort?

I think it would look like Jesus . . . and it would turn the world upside down . . .

I Wrote A Blog I Couldn’t Post

2009-06-24T22:29:00.011-04:00

And it was a really good one too. It was all about the Learning Channel’s Gosselins and Duggars and how similar all of us are to those two families. But for some reason I couldn’t pull the trigger. I showed it to some trusted friends and talked it over with Linda. She encouraged me to hold off.

The problem was we all live in the press cycle now. As the days went by my thoughts became less and less relevant. It was really frustrating.

But this morning it all became clear as I listened to Erwin McManus talk about the story of the blind man in John 9. You know - the one that Jesus put his spit/mud cure all on. As Jesus and the disciples were walking along the disciples asked Jesus why this man was born blind. Was it his sin or the sin of his parents?

Right there I saw it – because Erwin made the point. That’s what was wrong with my blog. The disciples saw the blind man and thought, “Here’s a great opportunity for an abstract spiritual conversation.” Actually they didn’t see this blind man at all. They didn’t know who he was. They didn’t care about him. He was Blind Man, Example #1.

As good as my ideas might have been, I was seeing the Gosselins and Duggars as “Christian Families, Examples #1 and #2.” But I don’t want to reduce people to that. People aren’t just examples to discuss. Like the blind man, each of us illustrate God’s amazing nature and work in our lives - even when we suffer and fail.

We’ve become a world full of analysts, a chattering church clucking along about this issue and that. We talk about people like they are just spiritual illustrations. It’s like we think they exist just to make our points. We come across suffering, point out that this is evidence of worldly sin or churchly failings, and then totter off to make the next point.

That kind of Church won’t change Washington , D.C. or any other city. The world knows what its like to be reduced to a label and they are not surprised when we treat them exactly the way they treat each other. It confirms what they suspect - that we aren’t that different.

But what would it look like if the Church – and I – were more interested in bringing healing to hurting people instead of just making my point?

P.S. If you want to check out Erwin, the sermon I’m referencing was June 21, 2009, titled “Unexplainable: The Seven Wonders of Jesus, Jesus’ Power Over Suffering” at Mosaic in L.A. You can check it out http://mosaic.org/podcast/ or on iTunes. I’m an enthusiastic fan.

Megachurches, part of the problem???

2009-06-10T20:22:00.003-04:00

Today I read in the Raleigh News and Observer that there’s a new study on the types of people who attend megachurches in the U.S. It’s an interesting article but, as usual, I think they are casting the findings in the worst possible light. I think there is some very good news in this study and some room to grow as well. If you want to read the article click here - http://www.newsobserver.com/105/story/1562002.html.

“Conducted by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research at Hartford Seminary and Leadership Network, the survey of nearly 25,000 people who attend 12 U.S. megachurches was conducted from January through August 2008. It is billed as the largest representative national study of that religious demographic to date.”

The study found that 5 million a week attend one of 1300 megachurches. (Churches with over 2000 attenders.) They tend to be younger, wealthier and better educated than the numbers you see across the board for Protestants in America. Also, more of them are single. Almost a 1/3 are single as compared to 10% in the average congregation.

The bad news is they also tend to give less and volunteer less than people in smaller congregations. Now that’s going to spark some comments I’m sure. All my life smaller church advocates have told me that those people at those big churches are just there for the show and are not committed to building the church.

I always find that unusual since I’ve never been in a small church that didn’t have to beg for volunteers. Instead of suggesting that megachurch attendees aren’t engaged could it be that megachurch attendees are just a different demographic of people.

Almost a 1/3 are single. Now who is single in America today? Young people and single parents, that’s who, exactly the kind of people who don’t have lots of money and may be short on time as well.

The study also pointed out that nearly a ¼ were new to or returning to the church after a long time. Also many other said they were attending more than one church. These are not people who give and volunteer as they change churches or just try to learn what church is all about.

If you really want to gauge the health of a megachurch go and observe their programming. Are they adequately staffed? Are they working in inventive ways to reach stated ministry goals? Are those who are volunteering growing in the Lord?

What’s better, 80 beleaguered volunteers struggling to keep open the doors of a church that is no longer reaching the community? Or 1000 volunteers who are so slammed with new Christians and families in need that they can’t get a breath? I’m guessing the second one will look and feel more like they are serving a living, active God who is on the move in this Earth today.

A few months ago I tried to tell a friend about a great new church in her community. She stopped me and said they are going to go to Grandma’s church until she died; then her daughter piped in “and after that we aren’t going anywhere!” That was the end of that conversation. Obviously this small church was not making its point very well. I wonder if that pastor gets mad when people head to the new megachurch instead of staying at the burial grounds?

I’m going to adopt different viewpoint. Several Sundays back Perry Noble told his congregation at NewSpring Church in Anderson, SC he hated it when people called NewSpring a megachurch. (NewSpring is one of the fastest growing churches in the state.) He said there are 2 million people in upstate South Carolina who need to hear the gospel. As far as he was concerned their church was a microchurch!

He’s got the right idea. Jesus is creating one megachurch here on earth and instead of measuring the haystacks we need to start measuring the fields.

Memories of Jack Kemp

2009-05-03T10:35:00.001-04:00

We lost Jack Kemp today. I’m sure many who knew him longer and far better will have a lot to say about this great leader but I wanted to add my thoughts because, for me, Jack Kemp was exactly the kind of Republican and American I’d like to be.

Since college I had been a Jack Kemp supporter. He always intrigued me with the way he spoke about American cities. For the last 40 years Republican leaders rarely even mention our cities, and when they do they mention them it only to denigrate them. But Jack understood that a nation’s cities were the foundation of a nation’s culture. When the cities are sick the whole country is sick. So he focused like a laser on helping the cities with little regard to whether it helped him or his party succeed.

Today, for the first time in a long time, young evangelical church planters and organizers are moving their families into the roughest neighborhoods in America’s cities. Going to where Jesus would go, they say. But in a very real way they are following a path beaten out by Jack Kemp who was 50 years ahead of his party on this issue.

I got a chance to meet Jack Kemp in recent years as he became one of the chief advocates for the D.C. Voting Rights Act. My boss, Tom Davis, crafted this legislation to give the people of D.C. a voting member of the House of Representatives. And from day one, Jack Kemp was an enthusiastic supporter.

I saw Kemp argue and threaten and exhort the leaders of my party to support this worthy legislation. And I saw him win, again and again and again. By and large most thoughtful leaders in the GOP privately agreed with Tom Davis and Jack Kemp. But they wouldn’t dare say so publically. I can tell you from personal knowledge that this bill had quiet supporters from the Eisenhower Building to the Capitol to the White House – who were afraid to stand up to the lowest common denominator in the GOP. (Mike Steele being a notable exception.)

But Secretary Kemp wasn’t afraid, he ran to battles like that. He reveled in his wins and shrugged off his losses. I remember seeing Kemp on the floor the day we passed the DCVRA out of the House. In spite of furious opposition, 21 courageous Republicans stood with Tom Davis and Kemp was there to shepherd them in. He was always willing to answer any questions and honest arguments. Every member was a target for him - that was his optimism coming through - he knew he could convince them all.

My favorite memory of Kemp was a few moments I shared alone with him one day where he laughed about how two right wing Christians were right in the middle of the nation’s last major voting rights fight. He encouraged me that it was ok to split from 90% of my party on this important justice issue because this is what Jesus would do.

So now Jack Kemp is gone when we needed him the most. Right when the GOP is struggling to figure out how to redefine itself once again so we can win a few elections. I think we need to take a few notes from Kemp’s life.
We need to quit worrying about outcomes and focus on being right. We need to care about people who may never vote for us and try to make their lives better. We need to affirm that cities and urban communities are vital to the health and future of this nation. We need to remember that leaders lead, they don’t poll their way to the top.

As Christians who work in the public sphere (since that is the primary focus of this blog) we need to remember that the best days are ahead of us, as Jack Kemp is surely confirming right now. So let’s adopt our brother’s optimism. Let’s take up his love for the poor. Let’s learn to love this place to which we’re called and fight for it with force and courage and enthusiasm.

It’s silly to say “rest in peace” in regards to a man like Jack Kemp since that is out of the question so instead I’ll just say enjoy your just rewards brother. You served America well, left a proud legacy for your family and will never be forgotten.

How not to be a political whacko . . .

2009-04-22T21:58:00.002-04:00

Since the beginning of the Obama administration my email inbox has filled daily with alarms about outrage and betrayal. It seems that every day our nation is on the verge of total dissolution.

“There are no check and balances. There is no Constitution. The enemy is everywhere, controlling everyone and if you don’t forward this email to your local list of like minded voters you might as well join the blue helmeted Belgians that could come marching down the street at any moment!”

These emails don’t just come from the disaffected and marginalized fringe. I get the same emails from most local politicians in my party of choice. (That’s what I’m calling the GOP these days.) The only difference is they want my time and money as well as my email list.

In our defense, mainstream Democrats weren’t much different in the last eight years. In one sense, they are reaping what they sowed. “Those who demonize and criminalize shall be demonized and criminalized.” It’s the first rule of politics.

So just in case you care about current events but don’t want stain your reputation or ruin perfectly good friendships in the process, I’m offering a short list of truths that I’ve found helpful over the last twenty years. If you apply these truths you’ll be effective in the arena of ideas, avoid saying the most ridiculous things and possibly actually make a difference in the world.

JIM'S 10 MAXIMS TO HELP YOU NOT BECOME
A RIGHT WING (OR LEFT WING) NUT

1. Things are always way more complicated than they sound.
2. American voters are not by and large "idiots" – for that matter neither are foreign voters.
3. No more than 3 people can collaborate together without someone else knowing about it.
4. You are not the only person who has heard about this.
5. If no one else seems upset about something there's probably a good reason for that.
6. If your point of view was really the majority opinion the laws would be different.
7. People who don't agree with you love this country just as much as you do.
8. All media is biased; even the media you trust . . . and that's ok.
9. Almost all research is agenda driven, even the research you like.
10. The real reason nothing changes is because things are basically the way people want them to be.

These are the maxims that I follow to stay in the game, stay relevant and not look like a raving lunatic. Maybe they’ll be helpful to you as well.

Look, as Christians who are called to work in government, we have to keep things in perspective. Our job is to promote justice, encourage mercy and forgiveness and walk humbly before God.

This is the God whose inexorable plan has come to pass and will ultimately continue to unfold. Yes, my side might not win today but that doesn’t mean that God lost. In fact, this is as good a time as any to square my side more fully with the three goals I mentioned above.

Anybody up for that?

Movies I Like: The Day the Earth Stood Still

2009-04-20T19:40:00.002-04:00

Over the weekend I got to see “The Day the Earth Stood Still.” The movie is a loose remake of the 1951 classic movie and I’d give it a 4 out of 5 stars. The story is interesting because it flips the script on human beings by treating them as helpless before the alien invaders. This is exactly the kind of movie I would have never seen as a kid. No movies with aliens, monsters or dinosaurs allowed. It’s too bad because this movie is a great study on the person and nature of Jesus Christ.

I have to say one reason the comparisons stood out so clearly to me was because I had just finished listening to Francis Chan’s Easter sermon on podcast earlier that day. If you hang around me very long you’re bound to hear about Chan, the Pastor at Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley. Chan has a raw, honest way of calling people to follow hard after Christ.

On Easter Sunday, Chan went chapter by chapter through the gospel of John demonstrating how Jesus was a radical leader bent toward challenging the prevailing culture. Chan made it clear the Jesus we know - the one sitting on a rock and petting sheep - was nothing like the real man who came to earth with a plan to invade and crush Satan’s kingdom.

In the movie, the aliens send one of their own, Keanu, played by Klaatu Reeves - wait reverse that – to carry out the alien’s verdict to kill all humans and wipe evidence of our presence from the planet in order to save it. It seems we have made such a hash of things that the alien observers have decided we need to go. These aliens are not all powerful but compared to us they might as well be. The humans never have a chance.

And that’s where the interesting emotional twist set in for me. For some reason, I rarely feel utterly powerless. Maybe it’s because I’m a rich American. Maybe it’s because I’m inexperienced. Maybe it’s just bad theology that taught me that I get to make a choice as to whether I want to be saved or not. Even in the areas where I have faced almost constant failure I still feel like if I just try harder I could succeed.

When Jesus came He confronted a world packed with agendas. But they meant nothing to him. The Romans weren’t even relevant to his plans. The religious, church-going crowds were so confused most of them didn’t even see who he was. He blew right by them. The outcast, unloved and screwed up knew they could do nothing to make Him care about them. Those were the ones who mattered to Him.

But He came to say what he said. He taught anyone who would follow Him. Then He gave up His life. No one took it from Him. They didn’t affect his plan in the least bit. He was like Klaatu.

This is why all art is so useful to us humans. You could teach me that Jesus came to judge and redeem the world but a story lets me enter into the experience in a whole new way. I know people who are trying to follow the Lord Creator by removing things from their lives. I think that’s a dangerous path to follow. Yes, we need discernment but we need to recognize that all creative expression can tell us something of the story of God and our place in it. I don’t want to miss that experience.

I'm an extremist? I wish!

2009-04-18T21:29:00.005-04:00

No doubt you’ve heard about the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) assessment that became public in the last week. The “assessment” dated April 7, 2009, was issued by the Office of Intelligence and Analysis at the DHS and titled “Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment.”

The document alerts law enforcement officials that “rightwing extremists” may exploit Americans who have strongly held beliefs on issues like Christianity, U.S. sovereignty, the loss of American jobs and the 2nd Amendment. In a town where people are willing to get upset about anything, except what really matters, this is has been treated as a national crisis.

I'm not too upset about this report. For one thing, I went to UNC, and, as Tom Tancredo found out this week, where conservatives have long been violently blamed for everything wrong with the world for decades now.

Secondly, they are partially right. Of course everything they said about Christian conservatives could also be said about left wing radicals, and has been many times - by many of my fellow Christian conservatives!

In a country the size of the United States, there are a certain number of unstable people. In my experience, they fall across all political and religious perspectives. If you doubt this, pick your favorite public figure, someone famous, now search them on You Tube and see how many whackjobs out there are criticizing them. There are radicals all over the place.

The problem with the U.S. isn't that there are radicals. It's that we've lost the ability to recognize any validity in other perspectives. We're all saying, "How dare anyone call ME a radical! But look at that teenager over there in a headscarf . . . I hope someone's watching her, tapping her phone, and reading her email.”

Why shouldn't a poorly educated liberal American analyst with no conservative friends be afraid of people like me and you? Right wingers have killed in America in my lifetime and if our ignorant DHS analyst wants to paint with a broad brush, how is he different from the conservative right winger who doesn't think liberals can be Christians?

Here's the thing, I WANT to be a radical. I want to live just like a radical. I want to follow in the footsteps of a radical who hung on a cross because the religious leaders thought he was a traitor and a heretic.

I grew up in a country where everyone called themselves Christians but they hated people who didn't look like them and chose to kill unborn babies for convenience. My people spend a few millions to help the less fortunate (when they aren't lecturing them on responsibility) but spend trillions to make themselves more comfortable. My country has 6% of the world’s population but 25% of the world's prisoners. Why would anybody want to claim to be in the majority in THAT country?

The problem with America isn't that some idiot thinks right wingers are dangerous, it's that nobody thinks Christians are dangerous. But as I look around I am seeing just a glimmer that the next generation is ready to stand up and live full out for Christ, while the critics complain about their tattoos. God bless them, maybe one day Christians will again be as feared as the one they claim to follow.

I'm fighting for Christmas this year

2008-12-23T20:47:00.003-05:00

I don't know why it's been so hard to find the mood of the season for me. Maybe it's the stress of a new job. Maybe it just the stress of living this Northern VA life. Maybe it's the economy. Whatever it is it has been hard to feel like Christmas is coming.

Usually that is very easy for me. We come home from Thanksgiving and it gets cold and all of a sudden I'm just thrilled with the thought of the coming advent season. I love the dark afternoons and cold nights. I enjoy the crowded stores and lights in the streets. Mostly I enjoy taking the emotional journey of hoping, then believing then waiting for that blessed night when I can regard all the wonder of what God did for us. What he did for me.

But this year was just off. So now it's Christmas Eve eve. We are packing like crazy for the long drive south and I know by the time I can take a breath it will all be over.

What stinks is I really need Christmas this year. I need the sense that all is well. I need to feel that there is good news of great joy.

There's so much stress and pain in this world. Cholera in Zimbabwe, riots in Greece, slavery and oppression everywhere. And in my life I'm losing more battles than I'm winning.

I guess I need a Christmas miracle. We'll see what happens. I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection as I share in His sufferings. My sufferings are so mundane.

We need a little Christmas, right this very minute...

So where are all these awful churches everyone keeps preaching about?

2008-09-24T13:04:00.002-04:00

We, the undersigned organizations, as advocates for open and transparent government, strongly oppose section 2(b)(2) and secti

You know the ones. They are creating these huge mega churches but they don’t preach orthodox Christianity. My pastor keeps telling me about them so they must be out there. I just can’t find them.

What about all the churches who have sold out to the culture and are more focused on smoke machines and lasers than preaching the entire gospel of Christ? Everyone says these churches are leading to the demise of American Christianity. But why is it that when I visit these churches or podcast their sermons I hear the “good news” that Jesus loves me and has died for my sins and the “bad news” that a life of following Christ will be full of troubles.

Then there are all the topical preachers out there who don’t preach God’s word but instead just focus on helping me solve the everyday problems of my life. I really want to get worked up about the lack of expository teaching; except I’m finding that God uses both types of preaching and teaching in my life.

When did we decide that it is ok to take potshots at other churches on issues that don’t matter? Why do our pastors feel so secure in feeding our innate desires to believe we’re better than everyone else instead of teaching us the discipline of love in the unity of the Body of Christ?

For instance, I don’t agree with everything Rob Bell teaches but, after listening to several dozen sermons, I’m convinced he’s essentially orthodox. More importantly I see and hear stories of changed lives and people following hard after Christ.

Mark Driscoll has, at times, been crasser than I would have preferred. And I’m not sure his masculine Christ really honors the whole nature of God. But people are getting saved in Seattle! People are coming close to the Lord and surrendering their lives to Him.

Erwin McManus uses pretty unorthodox language but when Hollywood types are entering into real conversations about faith and coming to see that the historic Jesus Christ died as their substitute how can I complain. It’s not like my church is reaching them!

In I Corinthians 12, there’s an interesting coupling of verses that we rarely talk about together. Verse 3 makes the point that no one who is speaking in the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed." Paul then goes on to give us one of the best description of the unity and diversity of the Body of Christ. He makes the point that we are part of one body under one Spirit.

So my question is when you curse Christ’s Body do you not also curse Christ? Are you so sure in your methods, theology and preaching style that you are willing to stand before the Lord and explain that you were right to attack His Body from your place of calling?

Sabbath Blessed Sabbath

2008-04-27T07:19:00.002-04:00

Its early on Sunday morning. The day is starting out gray and cool. Through the open windows I can hear birds shuffling around. I think they're trying to get a few extra minutes of sleep too. The cool air feels like it has extra oxygen in it. Fresh coffee and good music are ready.

This is sabbath.

This is rest. Soon we'll head off to church to meet with the brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ in Northern Virginia. Some say the church is too big but I take comfort in the fact that I'm am part of something very, very big. I love the cars lined up. I love the voices raised. I love the visitors getting greeted and directions. All of it says, "you are not alone." He has brought a community around us and now we can meet to worship Him.

That is Sabbath in America. It is the Sabbath I know. It is the Sabbath my culture has given me. I know Sabbath has been celebrated in many ways over the last 15 or so hours as the sun has circled the globe and I am glad to add my voice to the worldwide chorus.

To participate in the worship of the King of the Universe is so much more than I deserve. Thank you Lord for this grace and mercy of a Sabbath.

Lessons from 395

2008-04-26T00:00:00.005-04:00

Like almost every other federal worker in D.C. a great deal of my life is spent commuting. Normally I don't mind it. The 2+ hours a day I spend in the car are literally my only time to think on most days. Most of my co-workers would attest to that statement.

Usually I podcast and I love it. The iPod has freed me from the drudgery of live radio. Today news from Africa, a few songs then a sermon from Erwin or Mark. Tomorrow a thought from Rob or Francis then NPR stories and NASCAR news. Finally, something I can control!

This morning, as I was cresting the hill on 395 above the Pentagon, I was enjoying selected readings from John Eldredge's Walking with God. I haven't purchased the book yet but I loved his stories detailing his own life walking with God. I have to say that this book departs from my understanding of God's will for our life (that there is no perfect single will) but it resonates with my understanding that God wishes to communicate with me all the time every day through prayer and reflection grounded in the Bible.

Anyway, in this morning John was talking about an experience hiking up a Colorado river to find a new creek he hoped to fly fish. Although I've never done it, fly fishing is a goal of mine some day. But this Friday morning as I'm stuck sitting still on a six lane highway on the east coast fly fishing is about as close to my experience as sitting on the moon.

So as my imagination drifts over to those placid western streams I notice a G5 private jet taking off from National Airport. And instantly I'm jerked into another fantasy. I love those jets! I love the freedom and luxury of commanding a pilot to fly me wherever. I'm attracted to the glamor and sophistication of private flight.

So there I am stuck on 395 at 8:55AM between two equally attractive fantasies. One of simple natural pleasures and the other of wealth and luxury. I'm everywhere and anywhere but where I actually am!

Finally, I notice Washington laid out below me. I love this city. I love my work here and I love the people who live and work here. But while God has me exactly where he wants me right now - and I'm challenged by the life I get to lead - I still am distracted into dreams about things I don't need.

I want my life to be my fantasy life. But I don't know how to do that. How do you get to a place where you really see the life God is giving you? I don't know but maybe I'll figure that out on tomorrow's commute.

Learning From Rwanda

2008-04-19T11:02:00.002-04:00

Last night I got to see a new documentary called As We Forgive. The one hour film tells the story of Rwandans struggling to find ways to live together in the wake of the genocide that happened there in 1994. In 100 days - in a country the size of Maryland - more than one million Rwandans were slaughtered in ethnic fighting. Years later, facing a backlogged court system that would never provide justice, President Kigame began releasing those who confessed their crimes to their communities. Local tribal courts began dispensing justice. But in most cases these punishments allowed the murderers to remain in their home communities . . . often living very close to the remaining family members of their victims.

What would it be like to live side by side with the murderers of your parents, your spouse or your children? In Rwanda many people have no choice since poverty prevents the luxury of mobility. The Rwandan Government and Rwandan churches are encouraging victims to reconcile with each other. So far its a dicey proposition. But the movie tells the story of three people who have entered into that process as well as two self-confessed murderers who seek forgiveness. I won't spoil the story for you but let's just say it isn't a smooth journey.

What sticks out to me are the pronounced differences in both the victims and the criminals as compared to what I've seen in America. The murderers are completely honest about their actions. They neither excuse or blame. Several times they admit that death isn't punishment enough for their crimes. Meanwhile, the victims don't minimize the pain they experience. Their lives are wrecked and will never be the same. They continue to suffer from the lasting impact of violence. When they consider forgiveness it isn't just a blithe agreement to hide their true feelings in order to be socially acceptable. It's real, heart freeing, forgiveness.

What I'm wondering today is whether our American society has created a barrier to that kind of real reconciliation. Rwandan's sit under trees and face each other. In America, the families of our victims stand in courtrooms and scream epithets at the accused usually ending with the fervent hope that they burn in Hell forever. When we hear of a prisoner being killed in jail we laugh. We Americans have made prison rape a joke.

Let's be clear, crime deserves real punishment. Those victims are right to feel the way they feel. But does anyone ever heal? Does anyone ever get over the past? I don't really have the answers, but I know a little more about what heaven looks like after watching this documentary.

Please find a way to see this movie. Also consider supporting the groups working to lead people towards reconciliation. They are woefully underfunded. Besides supporting the film, you can learn more by visiting Prison Fellowship International's Umuvumu Tree Project.

These issues aren't easy to discuss or even think about. But somehow I think our quest for justice has given us neither justice or reconciliation . . . we're poorer for that.

What Are We Doing Here

2007-12-05T16:39:00.001-05:00

We're seeing huge changes in the American evangelical church. Some say these changes represent a return to classical evangelicalism. Others say this represents a return to something much older.

Either way the journey is going to change the way the Church looks and acts. And, if we're lucky, the Church will once again change America. I believe America has been uniquely blessed in the world. In this place and at this time, God has gathered the outcast and unwanted from every corner of the globe to create a place of unprecedented opportunity. These opportunities naturally put us in a position to lead. But not just lead the way the world leads.

If America's Christians really want to lead in the best way possible, we need to lead like Jesus led. Jesus taught us to lead as servants. My prayer is that the Church in America can become a fellowship of servant leaders who leverage their wealth, education, and passions in service to the rest of the Body of Christ. And above that, I am praying that God will lead me into the path of servanthood and in that process I could be changed to become more like Him.