Friday, September 26, 2008
Another "You have got to be kidding me"
Officially, PETA has lost their minds. PETA has issued a statement saying that Ben and Jerry's ice cream should be made using human breast milk instead of cow milk, because milking cows is cruel and subjects them to undue pain and suffering. Here's the article. I understand stopping animal cruelty and abuse, but I really think whoever makes these decisions at PETA has been smoking something and is under some serious delusions. This has to be the ultimate sign of their insanity, and if milking cows is cruel, then why would we subject women to it? It makes no sense that a group can support something like that, but what can you expect from such a weird culture?
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Sunday Night Hymn Recap
So here I am sitting at San Francisco Bread Co. eating my "lunch" and it's 9 AM. The joys of working at Starbucks, I want a real meal while people are just getting to work, haha. Highly reccomend it though, good food at a good price.
This past Sunday I suggested a hymn that no one seemed to know. The title of it is "How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds," and it was written by John Newtwon (might remember him for another one he did). It made me sad because it's a great one with wonderful content that we sang from time to time during our college/young adult worship services at my home church. I have included the words, let me know what you think. Pray it encourages you to call the name of Jesus during your day.
This past Sunday I suggested a hymn that no one seemed to know. The title of it is "How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds," and it was written by John Newtwon (might remember him for another one he did). It made me sad because it's a great one with wonderful content that we sang from time to time during our college/young adult worship services at my home church. I have included the words, let me know what you think. Pray it encourages you to call the name of Jesus during your day.
How sweet the Name of Jesus sounds
In a believer’s ear!
It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds,
And drives away his fear.
It makes the wounded spirit whole,
And calms the troubled breast;
’Tis manna to the hungry soul,
And to the weary, rest.
Dear Name, the Rock on which I build,
My Shield and Hiding Place,
My never failing treasury, filled
With boundless stores of grace!
By Thee my prayers acceptance gain,
Although with sin defiled;
Satan accuses me in vain,
And I am owned a child.
Jesus! my Shepherd, Husband, Friend,
O Prophet, Priest and King,
My Lord, my Life, my Way, my End,
Accept the praise I bring.
Weak is the effort of my heart,
And cold my warmest thought;
But when I see Thee as Thou art,
I’ll praise Thee as I ought.
Till then I would Thy love proclaim
With every fleeting breath,
And may the music of Thy Name
Refresh my soul in death!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
The I of Worship Music
One thing I have noticed, and I think it goes along with the common mantra of our culture being self-focused and self-referential, is the emphasis in many worship songs on the first person. So many times we sing about what Jesus did for me, personalizing the impact of the events of Calvary and the glorious salvation that results from that. And it is awesome that Christ did all those things for me, that because of the person and work of Christ I personally have hope that surpasses all understanding, brings me to my knees, and draws me closer to the Lord through this humbling circumstance.
I think our day promotes the self as the center of attention and focus. This is best reflected by TIME magazine saying "YOU" are the person of the year, with Apple coming out with the i-Line (iPod, iPhone, iMac, etc.) saying that "I" am the one who is most important and who determines what is best. Is there anything wrong with having any of these things? No, I do not believe so. I have an iPod, and I am a Mac convert, and one of the selling points for me was that I could choose what came on the computer. The problem I had with my previous machine was that it came full of stuff I didn't want or need and I spent a day deleting it all. Personal convenience is one of the best parts of living in 2008, I can go to the restaurant and order food as I would like it as opposed to a cookie-cutter menu. I work at Starbucks, and there personal choice rules the day (just ask the people who get a half-caf triple grande 2 pump vanilla soy no foam extra hot light whip latte).
So how does this apply to us in worship? Simply put, I think our worship in a lot circumstances is very selfish. Our focus is so much on "me" and "I" and "my Lord" and less and less on our corporate identity as the people of God. The subject of many of our songs is the first person singular singing towards God, and the first person singular reception from God. Before I continue, is there anything wrong with this? Certainly not, because the work of Christ personally applies to me and you and every individual believer on a very personal and deep level. I love to sing of what my Savior did for me, and how my words are inadequate to respond to Him.
Maybe I'm just blowing air, but I do wonder what it means for Christians to focus so much on the personal relationship with Christ and distance themselves from the corporate relationship we have with other believers in Christ. By isolating worship solely to the individual and God, I fear we lose some of the identity we have as a Church praising the Lord in one voice. Also, sometimes I think worship songs talk too much about "me" and not enough about God. Worship is ascribing worth to God, and we sing about Him, we sing to Him, we sing because of Him. Anyway, just tossing some thoughts out there.
SDG
I think our day promotes the self as the center of attention and focus. This is best reflected by TIME magazine saying "YOU" are the person of the year, with Apple coming out with the i-Line (iPod, iPhone, iMac, etc.) saying that "I" am the one who is most important and who determines what is best. Is there anything wrong with having any of these things? No, I do not believe so. I have an iPod, and I am a Mac convert, and one of the selling points for me was that I could choose what came on the computer. The problem I had with my previous machine was that it came full of stuff I didn't want or need and I spent a day deleting it all. Personal convenience is one of the best parts of living in 2008, I can go to the restaurant and order food as I would like it as opposed to a cookie-cutter menu. I work at Starbucks, and there personal choice rules the day (just ask the people who get a half-caf triple grande 2 pump vanilla soy no foam extra hot light whip latte).
So how does this apply to us in worship? Simply put, I think our worship in a lot circumstances is very selfish. Our focus is so much on "me" and "I" and "my Lord" and less and less on our corporate identity as the people of God. The subject of many of our songs is the first person singular singing towards God, and the first person singular reception from God. Before I continue, is there anything wrong with this? Certainly not, because the work of Christ personally applies to me and you and every individual believer on a very personal and deep level. I love to sing of what my Savior did for me, and how my words are inadequate to respond to Him.
Maybe I'm just blowing air, but I do wonder what it means for Christians to focus so much on the personal relationship with Christ and distance themselves from the corporate relationship we have with other believers in Christ. By isolating worship solely to the individual and God, I fear we lose some of the identity we have as a Church praising the Lord in one voice. Also, sometimes I think worship songs talk too much about "me" and not enough about God. Worship is ascribing worth to God, and we sing about Him, we sing to Him, we sing because of Him. Anyway, just tossing some thoughts out there.
SDG
Weekend in Louisville
This past weekend we got to go back to Louisville for a wedding shower hosted by my aunt's for Carrie. It was great to get to go back home, if nothing else because I miss being able to see UofL banners and billboards (by the way, preseason top 5 for basketball), and dear family and friends.
We got to spend some considerable time with my mentor and dear friend, Scott Davis, who recently was called to serve full time at my home church. It was a sweet time of fellowship and discussion and encouragement. His thinking, preaching, writing, and influence I find often in my own ministry. I owe a dear amount of my personal growth to him and his mentoring during college and Seminary, even if his favorite team is nothing but felons and thugs :)
It was also fun to spend time with my sisters and the new additions to their house, Olivia and Norman, two cats with very different personalities.
There was the "aww" moment with the pics! Great trip home, keep praying for the city as they recover from the storms resulting from Hurricane Ike!
We got to spend some considerable time with my mentor and dear friend, Scott Davis, who recently was called to serve full time at my home church. It was a sweet time of fellowship and discussion and encouragement. His thinking, preaching, writing, and influence I find often in my own ministry. I owe a dear amount of my personal growth to him and his mentoring during college and Seminary, even if his favorite team is nothing but felons and thugs :)
It was also fun to spend time with my sisters and the new additions to their house, Olivia and Norman, two cats with very different personalities.
There was the "aww" moment with the pics! Great trip home, keep praying for the city as they recover from the storms resulting from Hurricane Ike!The Simplicity of the Gospel
So many times when we get to talking about the Gospel we come up with a long detailed account that either fits on the fingers of your hand or fulfills an acrostic that makes for a great banner, sermon outline, or catchy slogan. The Gospel, this "Good News," that we as Christians are called to preach to the nations is a message that is timeless, cross-cultural, unbiased towards age, descent, background, etc. It is the only message that applies to all peoples at all times in all places in all circumstances through all worldviews and in spite of all the efforts of men.
So what is this message, that is called a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles; that will cause a division between father and son and brother and sister; that has the power to free the captives and institute the eschaton of Christ's Kingdom that is defined not by Law or ethnicity but by a commonly held faith that identifies us with other believers and as Christ's chosen people?
In 1 Corinthians 15, we see a short statement from Paul about the Gospel. The chapter talks about the bodily resurrection of believers and likens that to the bodily resurrection of Christ which serves as a foretaste of what ours will be like. The historicity of the Resurrection is incredibly important because without that we have no hope as believers (v. 17), because our hope is found in the bodily resurrection and the reality that it really did happen. Paul's words as found in the Scripture are:
So much is said that this happened "in accordance with the Scriptures," which refers to the many OT prophecies regarding the person of the Messiah who would come as the Suffering Servant (cf. Isaiah 53, etc.) and would be the propitiation for sin (1 John 2:2). Our hope in the Gospel is found in the fact that it was prophesied about long before the actual event and that it was done as the Scripture said. Our hope in the Gospel is rooted in the truth of Scripture and in it's reliability.
Christ died for our sins - There was a purpose for the death of Christ, He did not get the short straw or a raw deal (Week 1 Chargers vs. Broncos) that led to His innocent death on the cross. No, we see from this that the Savior died for a reason, our sins. On the cross He bore our sins in His body and bore the wrath of God against the thing He hates. The image of sin (man) became the image of the liberation (The God-Man), and in Him our sins can be atoned for because He is the perfect sacrificial Lamb, the sacrifice made once for all.
That He was buried - Jesus' death was really real, contrary to many skeptics who would say that He passed out and woke up and that is why He "resurrected." The description of the Passion, supplemented by our understanding of Roman punishment, and the fact that in His body He took the full wrath of God towards sin (which if you have heard me preach about this I have said that I think Mel Gibson took it easy on Him in the Passion movie). This is the stumbling block to Jews, that the Messiah would die (as a humiliated criminal no less).
That He rose again on the third day - This is the part that we struggle with, that a dead person could come back from the grave. This is the foolishness to the Gentiles, and it is foolishness to many who are in our day. But to us who believe, it is the power of the Hope of the Gospel. It is through this Resurrection that death has been conquered, sin no longer has power. The action taken in the Resurrection was the destruction of the Curse found in Genesis 3. Not only are we forgiven and have God as Father (which is where we stop so often), the Curse that afflicted the whole Creation has been lifted! By conquering death Jesus does what only He could as the Second Adam, to inaugurate a whole new people who are free from this.
It is such a simple message, but it causes people to make several assumptions that because of Sin we are not comfortable making. 1) We do not have the power to fix the problem, 2) We have a problem to start with, 3) There is payment for the problem of sin, 4) Someone else took our punishment, 5) The hope of the universe is found in Christ alone, 6) By aligning with Christ it may cause alienation from others, 7) The key to attaining this is not found in ritual but confession and repentance.
The reason why churches have struggled is that we have gotten away from the simple message of the Gospel and have chosen to dress it up or cater it to the culture instead of preachers standing as prophets in the valley calling for people to repent and draw near to Christ. The mission of the Church is the proclamation of this Gospel message, as preachers we must be faithful to the Word and leave the results up to God. This is a list of affirmations that were put out by a group called "Together for the Gospel" which seeks to reclaim the Gospel in churches and the sufficiency of the Word for the conversion of sinners to repentance and faith in Christ.
So what is this message, that is called a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles; that will cause a division between father and son and brother and sister; that has the power to free the captives and institute the eschaton of Christ's Kingdom that is defined not by Law or ethnicity but by a commonly held faith that identifies us with other believers and as Christ's chosen people?
In 1 Corinthians 15, we see a short statement from Paul about the Gospel. The chapter talks about the bodily resurrection of believers and likens that to the bodily resurrection of Christ which serves as a foretaste of what ours will be like. The historicity of the Resurrection is incredibly important because without that we have no hope as believers (v. 17), because our hope is found in the bodily resurrection and the reality that it really did happen. Paul's words as found in the Scripture are:
that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures
So much is said that this happened "in accordance with the Scriptures," which refers to the many OT prophecies regarding the person of the Messiah who would come as the Suffering Servant (cf. Isaiah 53, etc.) and would be the propitiation for sin (1 John 2:2). Our hope in the Gospel is found in the fact that it was prophesied about long before the actual event and that it was done as the Scripture said. Our hope in the Gospel is rooted in the truth of Scripture and in it's reliability.
Christ died for our sins - There was a purpose for the death of Christ, He did not get the short straw or a raw deal (Week 1 Chargers vs. Broncos) that led to His innocent death on the cross. No, we see from this that the Savior died for a reason, our sins. On the cross He bore our sins in His body and bore the wrath of God against the thing He hates. The image of sin (man) became the image of the liberation (The God-Man), and in Him our sins can be atoned for because He is the perfect sacrificial Lamb, the sacrifice made once for all.
That He was buried - Jesus' death was really real, contrary to many skeptics who would say that He passed out and woke up and that is why He "resurrected." The description of the Passion, supplemented by our understanding of Roman punishment, and the fact that in His body He took the full wrath of God towards sin (which if you have heard me preach about this I have said that I think Mel Gibson took it easy on Him in the Passion movie). This is the stumbling block to Jews, that the Messiah would die (as a humiliated criminal no less).
That He rose again on the third day - This is the part that we struggle with, that a dead person could come back from the grave. This is the foolishness to the Gentiles, and it is foolishness to many who are in our day. But to us who believe, it is the power of the Hope of the Gospel. It is through this Resurrection that death has been conquered, sin no longer has power. The action taken in the Resurrection was the destruction of the Curse found in Genesis 3. Not only are we forgiven and have God as Father (which is where we stop so often), the Curse that afflicted the whole Creation has been lifted! By conquering death Jesus does what only He could as the Second Adam, to inaugurate a whole new people who are free from this.
It is such a simple message, but it causes people to make several assumptions that because of Sin we are not comfortable making. 1) We do not have the power to fix the problem, 2) We have a problem to start with, 3) There is payment for the problem of sin, 4) Someone else took our punishment, 5) The hope of the universe is found in Christ alone, 6) By aligning with Christ it may cause alienation from others, 7) The key to attaining this is not found in ritual but confession and repentance.
The reason why churches have struggled is that we have gotten away from the simple message of the Gospel and have chosen to dress it up or cater it to the culture instead of preachers standing as prophets in the valley calling for people to repent and draw near to Christ. The mission of the Church is the proclamation of this Gospel message, as preachers we must be faithful to the Word and leave the results up to God. This is a list of affirmations that were put out by a group called "Together for the Gospel" which seeks to reclaim the Gospel in churches and the sufficiency of the Word for the conversion of sinners to repentance and faith in Christ.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Some Starbucks Thoughts
I had meant to write this for several days, but recently I celebrated my 6 year anniversary of being with Starbucks (I know, it's a long time). I have seen pretty much everything, from people stealing tips to several cars in a row offering to pay for the drink behind them (in a Pay It Forward kind of way). As such, I thought I would write down some insights I have gleaned from being there so long. Some are positive, some are negative, some are funny, some are pathetic. Hope you enjoy!
1) Everyone has a story. There is no way to be around people without finding out something about them. Each person has had unique experiences and life events that have shaped them into who they are today. Maybe they were in a war, traveled the world, survived a disease, etc. All people, regardless of background and behavior, have something to say.
2) I don't think I can ever get used to being at work at 5:00 in the morning. I know some people can, but it's just not for me. However, it is pretty awesome to be half asleep and at work and not really know where I am until about 9 or 10.
3) There is a real difference in Starbucks coffee and the stuff they sell for a couple bucks per bucket at the grocery store. Call me a coffee snob, I don't care. I have gotten used to what fresh beans taste like, and I don't think I will ever pre-grind my coffee again. The few extra bucks per bag is well worth not having that nasty aftertaste in my mouth.
4) Rude knows no color, economic status, race, gender, etc. It's not just obviously rich people who can be nasty and mean. I've come to grips with the fact most people just don't know or care how hard the people work. People will get mad and upset over so many things, and I've gotten to where it just doesn't surprise me anymore. Next time you go to Starbucks, make sure you're nice to them, they work awful hard for fairly low wages and are under constant stress.
5) My favorite customers are the ones who come in because they enjoy it, appreciate a good product, and who are interested in trying new things. Typically, they are the easiest to please, in the best moods, and the most understanding when things go wrong. Thank you.
6) People who are on their cell phones have no clue how obnoxious they are and how much we as employees hate that. The only person important enough to be on their phone 24/7 is the President, get over yourself, your brunch appointment can wait 5 minutes while you place your order. That's why I make extra noise working the bar when someone comes in on their phone, stop it, we hate it.
7) Instead of getting mad at people who are easily angered by everything at Starbucks, I have developed a new sense of pity for them. With all the things that could go on in someone's life to cause them grief and stress, blowing up over your latte is quite childish and petty. I understand you pay a lot for it, and sadly mistakes do happen. It's no excuse to be a jerk, speak politely, and I won't blog about you later. :-)
8) Benefits outweigh job enjoyment. The situation we are in as a nation with health care being so outrageous causes many people to make sacrifices of sanity and satisfaction to be able to take care of their family with good medical insurance.
9) Some of the people I've worked with have been very unique and been able to offer great insight and wisdom during some weird and rocky times in my life. One advantage to working so early or so late is low customer traffic during those times, and it affords a great opportunity to talk about more than coffee tastings, promo numbers, and all the other stuff that goes into the job.
10) While I think it is a great company to work for, I think that profitability and falling sales have prompted the company to make some wacky decisions lately. There was a push to "get back to the coffee" which was quickly followed up by several non-coffee drinks and a new breakfast line. I guess the almighty dollar outweighs corporate image and standards.
11) I can say a lot of quasi-Italian words and phrases, and it always works pretty cool to impress people to be able to speak Starbuckseanese.
12) I've learned that white and black polo shirts will never go out of style and can always be gotten cheaply during school uniform season.
13) Comfortable shoes are very important to doing a job well. If you're on your feet for 8+ hours a day, you learn to find good shoes that give both comfort and support (highly recommend slip resistant shoes too).
14) 30% discounts on top of 10% extra during Christmas means automatic gift ideas for everybody I know.
15) Old, returned, or chipped coffee cups given to me by my old boss are some of the best cups I've ever used. And for travel mugs, I've learned a metal thermal cup will keep coffee hot for almost 10 hours!
16) People automatically like you more when you give them a pound of beans or offer to pick something up for them.
17) Sometimes hiring practices confuse me, especially when it comes to supervisors and managers. It should go to the best candidate, not the biggest kiss-up or because they're "available."
18) I think I will always hear the coffee timer beeping for the rest of my life, every hour... er... 30 minutes now.
19) People will overpay any amount to get some cheap piece of crap as long as it says "Starbucks" on it, especially during Christmas. The same coffee maker at Wal-Mart for 1/2 the price, go figure...
20) The company went from being a unique commodity to becoming the McDonalds-Abercrombie of coffee, and sadly it is taking store closings to get back to being something less ubiquitous.
21) Store performance is top down, without good management and direction, no amount of suggestive selling or lame gimmicks will help people do their job better.
22) People don't know how little we make, and therefore do not tip. I know it doesn't look like we work hard, but it's nonstop for hours. It is quite exhausting to work a full 8 hour shift. Leave some change in the jar, for most of us those tips are our gas money.
23) 99% of the customers don't care about growing regions, taste profiles, pastry pairings, etc. They just want something good, delivered to them in a timely fashion from a smiling partner.
24) People who call in 30 drink orders have no idea how much we dislike them. Keep in mind before faxing it in that most of them will get cold by the time they get back to the office or the whipped cream will melt.
25) It still ranks as one of the better jobs I have worked, for any number of reasons.
1) Everyone has a story. There is no way to be around people without finding out something about them. Each person has had unique experiences and life events that have shaped them into who they are today. Maybe they were in a war, traveled the world, survived a disease, etc. All people, regardless of background and behavior, have something to say.
2) I don't think I can ever get used to being at work at 5:00 in the morning. I know some people can, but it's just not for me. However, it is pretty awesome to be half asleep and at work and not really know where I am until about 9 or 10.
3) There is a real difference in Starbucks coffee and the stuff they sell for a couple bucks per bucket at the grocery store. Call me a coffee snob, I don't care. I have gotten used to what fresh beans taste like, and I don't think I will ever pre-grind my coffee again. The few extra bucks per bag is well worth not having that nasty aftertaste in my mouth.
4) Rude knows no color, economic status, race, gender, etc. It's not just obviously rich people who can be nasty and mean. I've come to grips with the fact most people just don't know or care how hard the people work. People will get mad and upset over so many things, and I've gotten to where it just doesn't surprise me anymore. Next time you go to Starbucks, make sure you're nice to them, they work awful hard for fairly low wages and are under constant stress.
5) My favorite customers are the ones who come in because they enjoy it, appreciate a good product, and who are interested in trying new things. Typically, they are the easiest to please, in the best moods, and the most understanding when things go wrong. Thank you.
6) People who are on their cell phones have no clue how obnoxious they are and how much we as employees hate that. The only person important enough to be on their phone 24/7 is the President, get over yourself, your brunch appointment can wait 5 minutes while you place your order. That's why I make extra noise working the bar when someone comes in on their phone, stop it, we hate it.
7) Instead of getting mad at people who are easily angered by everything at Starbucks, I have developed a new sense of pity for them. With all the things that could go on in someone's life to cause them grief and stress, blowing up over your latte is quite childish and petty. I understand you pay a lot for it, and sadly mistakes do happen. It's no excuse to be a jerk, speak politely, and I won't blog about you later. :-)
8) Benefits outweigh job enjoyment. The situation we are in as a nation with health care being so outrageous causes many people to make sacrifices of sanity and satisfaction to be able to take care of their family with good medical insurance.
9) Some of the people I've worked with have been very unique and been able to offer great insight and wisdom during some weird and rocky times in my life. One advantage to working so early or so late is low customer traffic during those times, and it affords a great opportunity to talk about more than coffee tastings, promo numbers, and all the other stuff that goes into the job.
10) While I think it is a great company to work for, I think that profitability and falling sales have prompted the company to make some wacky decisions lately. There was a push to "get back to the coffee" which was quickly followed up by several non-coffee drinks and a new breakfast line. I guess the almighty dollar outweighs corporate image and standards.
11) I can say a lot of quasi-Italian words and phrases, and it always works pretty cool to impress people to be able to speak Starbuckseanese.
12) I've learned that white and black polo shirts will never go out of style and can always be gotten cheaply during school uniform season.
13) Comfortable shoes are very important to doing a job well. If you're on your feet for 8+ hours a day, you learn to find good shoes that give both comfort and support (highly recommend slip resistant shoes too).
14) 30% discounts on top of 10% extra during Christmas means automatic gift ideas for everybody I know.
15) Old, returned, or chipped coffee cups given to me by my old boss are some of the best cups I've ever used. And for travel mugs, I've learned a metal thermal cup will keep coffee hot for almost 10 hours!
16) People automatically like you more when you give them a pound of beans or offer to pick something up for them.
17) Sometimes hiring practices confuse me, especially when it comes to supervisors and managers. It should go to the best candidate, not the biggest kiss-up or because they're "available."
18) I think I will always hear the coffee timer beeping for the rest of my life, every hour... er... 30 minutes now.
19) People will overpay any amount to get some cheap piece of crap as long as it says "Starbucks" on it, especially during Christmas. The same coffee maker at Wal-Mart for 1/2 the price, go figure...
20) The company went from being a unique commodity to becoming the McDonalds-Abercrombie of coffee, and sadly it is taking store closings to get back to being something less ubiquitous.
21) Store performance is top down, without good management and direction, no amount of suggestive selling or lame gimmicks will help people do their job better.
22) People don't know how little we make, and therefore do not tip. I know it doesn't look like we work hard, but it's nonstop for hours. It is quite exhausting to work a full 8 hour shift. Leave some change in the jar, for most of us those tips are our gas money.
23) 99% of the customers don't care about growing regions, taste profiles, pastry pairings, etc. They just want something good, delivered to them in a timely fashion from a smiling partner.
24) People who call in 30 drink orders have no idea how much we dislike them. Keep in mind before faxing it in that most of them will get cold by the time they get back to the office or the whipped cream will melt.
25) It still ranks as one of the better jobs I have worked, for any number of reasons.
Seeing Jesus for who He Is
I came across the quote by Mark Driscoll and had to share it. Mark, founding pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, is one of the leading voices of a resurgence of orthodoxy in faith and practice. This quote is about the person of Christ and how many in liberal traditions seek to minimize the biblical presentation of Christ.
So often in our day we try to make Jesus into something that He is not, whether it be this loving do-good guy or as a weakling who could not stick up for Himself and that's why He got nailed to the cross. I'm really glad Scripture paints Jesus as King. Even in His earthly life, He was a carpenter, someone who did manual labor. Jesus was strong, able to go days without food or rest, and on Good Friday He was able to endure great suffering and flogging and still was able to carry His cross for a good part of the way.
Just some thoughts for today as we celebrate the Lord's Day. Who are you worshiping, the Hippie or the King?
There is a strong drift toward the hard theological left. Some emergent types [want] to recast Jesus as a limp-wrist hippie in a dress with a lot of product in His hair, who drank decaf and made pithy Zen statements about life while shopping for the perfect pair of shoes. In Revelation, Jesus is a prize fighter with a tattoo down His leg, a sword in His hand and the commitment to make someone bleed. That is a guy I can worship. I cannot worship the hippie, diaper, halo Christ because I cannot worship a guy I can beat up. I fear some are becoming more cultural than Christian, and without a big Jesus who has authority and hates sin as revealed in the Bible, we will have less and less Christians, and more and more confused, spiritually self-righteous blogger critics of Christianity.
So often in our day we try to make Jesus into something that He is not, whether it be this loving do-good guy or as a weakling who could not stick up for Himself and that's why He got nailed to the cross. I'm really glad Scripture paints Jesus as King. Even in His earthly life, He was a carpenter, someone who did manual labor. Jesus was strong, able to go days without food or rest, and on Good Friday He was able to endure great suffering and flogging and still was able to carry His cross for a good part of the way.
Just some thoughts for today as we celebrate the Lord's Day. Who are you worshiping, the Hippie or the King?
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