If the church fits, wear it

-I want to visit a church in my neighborhood tomorrow; I'm wondering whether I have the right clothes to wear to "fit in." So I'll probably stay home and watch the Olympics instead.


Peter tried to incorporate Jewish customs and traditions into his faith because he wanted to "fit in"; Paul's letters contain frequent admonitions to believers who ignored their freedom in Christ and chose to honor man-made rules and traditions instead.

How much has changed in 2000 years ... except for our reasons for creating a church that makes us feel important and wise?

Why do we try to force-fit church to conform to our Comfort Factor? Why do we argue that Holiness must mean the very things that make us feel good and important about ourselves?

Does church exist for us, or are we living for Christ?

I don't wanna

Hey, I think your AMAZING NEW BIG IDEA sounds sketchy. It scares us and frankly, we've never seen you do anything like that before.

Know what else? On a more personal level, I don't wanna. So why should we?


Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world's light. It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light."
- John 11:9-10

When rejection hurts ... a lot

It must've ... no, I can't begin to imagine.

When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. "Where have you laid him?" he asked.

"Come and see, Lord," they replied.

Jesus wept.

Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!"

But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?"

- John 11:32-37

Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"
- John 11:40

But but but

Sometimes I wonder what we, as believers, believe ... and where we're willing to fudge.

Whether for convenience, whether to "get along," or whether we're willing to embrace whatever seems necessary to keep peace with the world ... is there a familiar point when our faith feels like an obstacle, a hurdle to get past ... a quiet issue that's "personal and private" ... and Compromise or Indifference becomes our witness, instead of Christ?

Be honest.

Do we really believe Christ never sinned- not one single time? Do we really believe the Son of God came to earth and loved us so much that he was willing to take our place on the cross? And that Christ really/actually/literally/no kidding rose from the dead not only to save us, but to live within those who believe?

But but but ... well sure, yeah ... but but but.

But but but ... who are we kidding?


-- -- --

I wonder how many of us, when our private plans and agendas ... the pieces and ornaments of our lives ... don't fall perfectly into place according to our schedule, would confess to having doubts about how much they believe the gospel- or would admit to just getting by from day to day- uncertain whether Christ is really relevant in the 21st century- and live according to a I-Guess-Christ-Is-Real, I'll-Play-It-Safe-Just-In-Case faith ... and then get mad at God or give up when their prayers seem to go unanswered, and merely exist day to day with fear, frustration, anger, jealousy, envy and uncertainty controlling, dominating and containing their hearts?

And then wonder why God feels so absent from their lives.


"The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.
- 1 John 2:4-6


Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.
- 1 John 2:15-17

Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.
- John 14:21

your father's weather forecast is not local

Living on a boat makes THE WEATHER more real than 3D.

No matter what you've got planned for the next big holiday weekend, the sky (and everything that can come screaming and crashing down out of it) is infinitely bigger- and more permanent in its consequences- than the gas-burning fiberglass shell you call home.



'Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.

- Matthew 16:3

Utter Frustration

What's the most frustrating thing on your life?

Dating? Paying bills? Waiting in line at the grocery store or trying to renew a license at the DMV? Working with your current boss and co-workers, and trying to make at least one of them see your point of view?

Or is the most frustrating thing trying to explain Why YOUR FEELINGS Matter to your significant other?

But then, what if you'd been one of the 11 disciples who saw Christ raised from the dead ... and tried to explain and convince others of what you had seen?




That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.
1 John 1:1

We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.
- 2 Peter 2:16-18

I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.
- John 3:11

When more than words are required

Earlier this year I went to court with a friend who was facing criminal charges pointing to three years in prison. Neither one of us knew what the judge would decide or what the outcome might be. Except the possibility that he might be led directly from the courtroom and disappear into prison for three years was gut-wrenchingly real and immediate.

Was it scary? I was there as a friend, as a spectator, and Yes it was scary.

And I simultaneously realized I didn't know how to be supportive and reassuring, or even comforting, without offering false hope or optimism. Tired cliches like "Keep a stiff upper lip," or "Prison's not so bad," or "You can do three years standing on your head" would only prove two things: first, that in crisis you can always depend on me to bottom-out with a cliche; and second, that no matter how much you're in pain, I'm never at a shortage for free advice, especially when I have absolutely no idea or experience with what I'm talking about.

This verse came to mind ... instead of any cheap advice or wisdom I could muster.


Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.
- Mark 12:30

I know a Christian when I (don't) see one

I found a friend willing to let me use this laptop while mine's awaiting a critical component transplant. In the meantime, thanks to my friend Fran for filling in; I hope to be back soon.

Also thanks to Brent Sears, recently returned from Malaysia, for his prayers, for his friendship, and for reminding me ...


Too often "Christians" try to define themselves and identify their faith by what they don't do.

"Christians don't drink, don't dance, don't listen to rock music, don't go to movies on Sundays, don't wear jeans to church, don't associate with sinners and don't smoke" (unless they're deacons).

Don't don't don't don't almost becomes a source of pride and a way of proving an "Us versus Them" superiority.

But what did Christ command that we do?


A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
- John 13:34

BlogosaurusREX!

Let's begin with a list.

1. Today is Friday! Yay! It has been a long week (and an even longer summer).

2. I'm hungry. For something sweet. Trip to the local bakery, anyone?





3. Blogging for Papa Ridgeback is the least I can do considering I used to come over to his beautiful Victorian home on McDuffie street, stroll into his kitchen, and help myself to his bagels and Diet Coke.

4. Let me add that my friend and I would also use the blender in his kitchen and not clean up after ourselves. I'd like to think I have grown up some since then. I guess you could say I was naive in one or two areas (anyone that knows me is reading this statement and going "Could be! Could be!")



Later Gaters



Summertime Playlist
Learning to Fly - Tom Petty
Won't Back Down - Tom Petty

Around the Horn

This is a special guest post by FF. Papa is out of internet access but he is alive and well. I have spoken to him on the phone, so no worries. I was thankful to learn that although he has no internet access he does still have cable.

I'm really excited to be the author of this post since I quit blogging.

I'm a burnette again! I look fat in this picture, but it's just the shirt, I promise.

So, readers of Papa's blog, try to stay cool for the rest of the summer. I recommend turning your air down low, getting under a blanket, eating an ice cream sandwich, and watching reruns of "Bewitched" back to back for several hours. It's too hot to do much else, really.

On The Playlist

Paper Planes - MIA

Preaching Hell-fire and Fear

I believe hell is a real place.

I believe hell is real because scripture describes hell as a place of eternal torment, and scripture doesn't contradict itself and neither does scripture lie.

Nor does scripture try to scare us into salvation, because God never said he means to scare or worry us into loving him.

-- --- ---

If you died tonight, do you know where you're going? Guarantee your eternal security right now with perpetual fire insurance: Brother, why not play it safe and make a decision to secure your future forever?

Is our self-interest and eternal comfort really what Christ's death and resurrection was all about?

-- -- --

"Making a decision" to play it safe out of fear of being charred into a sin cinder completely ignores Christ's absolute, perfect love.

According to church tradition, 10 of the 12 disciples (excepting Judas and John) died as martyrs rather than renounce the resurrected Christ.

Pain avoidance wasn't the discples' Job One. "Playing it Safe" wasn't even a consideration ... because they realized beyond any doubt Christ was real ... and through their faith, he revealed himself in their lives and in their works.

Ignoring Christ and "walking down the aisle" just in case hell is real is nothing more than focusing on self-interest and pain avoidance.

-- -- --

Does preaching hellfire and brimstone reveal Christ's love, or simply scare people into "playing it safe"? A faith based on fear and "following the rules" is shallow and self-centered, not Christ-centered.

Which could be why so many churches become arrogant and judgmental, locking their doors to keep their traditions and doctrines safe, even arguing among themselves, quarreling that church must be exactly what they say church ought to be.

Because they have no idea what Christ said church means.

-- -- --

Hope based on "playing it safe just in case" is not hope based on Christ; it's doubt based on fear and self-preservation ... instead of hope based upon surrendering unconditionally to Christ, and living and loving one another as he intended.

Love without qualification

Sometimes well-intentioned church-going folks act like they've forgotten Christ didn't die on the cross to save the holy and the righteous, but to save sinners ... and that they were born into sin just like everyone (except Christ) else.

Some of us might like to argue otherwise, but none of us were born saved, none of us were saved by our smarts or by our righteousness, none of us inherited our salvation because we came from strict God-fearing homes, none of us negotiated a plan or worked out a deal with God or did anything else on our own to earn God's favor and skip past falling short.

And gasp ... none of us were saved by singing hymns, by wearing a suit to church or by memorizing Bible verses or by bragging about how much we tithe. Just like none of us were saved by not dancing, by condemning alcohol, or by refusing to shop or go to movies on Sundays.

Nobody earned salvation by ridiculing and pointing fingers at sinners, either.

Grace is God's perfect gift ... so why do so many believers act as though it's their birthright to distort Christ's love into their own doctrine of finger-pointing, suspicion and uncertainty?

-- -- --

Self-righteousness, pride and arrogance cause us to lose focus on becoming more Christ-like toward others and to act, in our words and our deeds, like we deserved our salvation because of our own righteousness. Which is the same thing as professing we don't know Christ because we never needed him to begin with.

Treating unsaved people ... the folks we should be focused upon witnessing to ... with hostility or arrogance amounts to a faith that's indifferent to God's grace and Christ's sacrifice.

And indifference ... treating others as though You sinners can go to hell for all I care ... belongs beside hate as the opposites of Love.




On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick."
-Matthew 9:12

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
- Romans 5:8

And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.
- 1 John 3:23