Being Good without God

Is it even possible.  This guy think so.  http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2011-07-31-atheism-morality-evolution-religion_n.htm. 


Here is my thoughts on this article.  

I read this article on the USAToday website and found it quite interesting.  A few weeks ago there was a article about billboards atheists had been putting up with the saying “I can be good without God.”  I was curious as to what that meant, so I am glad that Coyne (the author of the article) took time to explain it to us.  However, I have some serious concerns with his arguments.  I hope to be able to address most everything in a thorough manner, however, I am not a skilled writer by trade and so I may leave out some arguments, but I hope not.

My first issue is that Coyne, seems to jump to the conclusion that because he is capable of doing a good action that it makes him a ‘good’ person.  Never mind the fact that the terms ‘good’ and ‘moral’ were never defined, there is another serious issue with this conclusion.  It assumes that actions make a person good.  A clock telling me the right time doesn’t make it a good clock, after all, what if it was a broken clock (it’s still right twice a day).

My main concern in this article is the portrayal of being a moral person as an end (goal in life).  This seems to me to be his reasoning as to why people are religious, is so they can live a moral life (“why it[morality] couldn’t be God”).   He fails like so many people to see that Christianity isn’t about producing ‘good’ moral people.  That is an effect that Christianity has, but it is not the end.  The Christian walk is about being transformed into the person God intended us to be (that we have rejected through ‘the fall’).  Coyne seems to be content to be a ‘good’ fallen human (how good can that be?).  God calls us to be Sons and Daughters of God Himself.  We are to become a new creation.

I’ve made this argument before and will continue to.  An apple seed makes a crummy apple tree if it continues to be a seed.  It is only when it is transformed into something new entirely can it be a good apple tree.  We haven’t been called to be good humans we have been called to be holy (perfect and blameless) and it is only through being transformed by God’s love can that be possible.   We are called to produce fruit (Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness and Self-Control), in accordance with our new standing as a Son or Daughter of God.

Another issue I have is that the author makes the case that morality comes from outside God and we all have it built into us from evolution and secular reasoning.  However, his argument falls apart with morality through evolution.  Because you can’t always punish people for doing wrong, sometimes they get away with it.  Evolution is about survival of the fittest.  There may have been some very moral (working together, punishing evil and producing good) English towns along the coast, of England in the middle ages, but they weren’t somehow less moral than the attacking Vikings (morally bad thieves) that “stole and plundered” because the English were killed and the Vikings survived.

The next issue is that the author never really explains what secular reasoning is, other than it helps us be nice to others outside our social group.  Finally he says that secular morality is changing and helps us to deal with new challenges that arise.  So he is arguing that social morality is a ‘better morality’ because it can change?  How is that better and how is that morality?  Morality can only be important if it is laid on from outside of humans.  If fallen humans create a ‘social morality’ it can only be a fallen morality, we are not capable of producing perfection as we are not perfect.

Lastly he says that “And really, isn't it better to be moral because you've worked out for yourself — in conjunction with your group — the right thing to do, rather than because you want to propitiate a god or avoid punishment in the hereafter?”  As we just discussed this can’t be a perfect morality because it is made by humans.  And using this argument we can easily say that the Vikings were good moral people acting with all the morals that they as a group decided was the right things to do.  Or that the crusades were all good and moral because the group decided that it was a good thing to do.  Or gang violence is good, because that is the way they have chosen to live.  This is also the sentence that led me to my transformation.  He states that Christians are trying to be good to propitiate a god or avoid punishment.  But that is not it at all, we do good because we have been transformed.  We love because we have been loved first (Romans?), not to please, but as an outpouring of the love poured on us.  We do good because we have had good done to us (not to please) as an outpouring on the goodness given to us.



Minor issues:

Another issue that jumps out to me is that I was not aware that evolution has become a fact.  I was under the impression it was a theory with some proof, but a real scientist is always questioning and trying to prove (or disprove).  This was just a minor issue, but one that bugs me, because lots of schools teach it as if it were fact, even though we can’t prove it.  But we are side tracked.

Plato’s question has a flaw, it is like saying do we love because we are dictated to by God or are we dictated to love because of love.  But God is love, and good.  He is the definition, he isn’t dictating, he is love and he is good.  We don’t do good because we are dictated to by God or we are not told to do good because it is good, we do good because God Is Good.

Bible Verses:

Slavery – The bible is quite clear if you have slaves you are to treat the very well.  Just as God your father is your master in Heaven.  You are to treat them just as you would want to be treated.  Which in my opinion would include paying them and treating them as well as possible. It’s very similar to having employees now (although its not at will employment for sure).

Genocide – This one is a little more difficult, but not too much, God is perfect and can not be around imperfection, the people in the land had been given plenty of warnings and they still did not repent.  The same argument could be made of the flood, how could God do that?  He knew that the people in the land would lead his people astray (as they did) and he wanted them routed.  We see this as genocide but it could just be justice.  When Osama Bin Laden was killed people celebrated, was his death moral?  (that’s for a different article) I’m just trying to say that sometimes justice looks immoral to those on the outside.

Sexual Sins-  What did they use for birth control back then?  Oh, yeah, they didn’t.  Could you imagine how STD’s could have just wiped them out? It really could have been a matter of life and death, not just for those involved, but for the entire population (see modern day Africa where AIDs has wiped out generations).   Imagine being able to stop the AIDS pandemic in Africa by killing just a few people when it first started.  That would be quite possibly moral (and if you are a utilitarian it would be the good action).  I don't see the difference between this possibility and the stoning for sexual sins.

Matthew 19:24 Jesus never bars the rich from heaven, he says it is quite impossible, but with God all things are possible. The rich have a struggle all their own, and in this case the rich man was unwilling to give up his possessions for God’s Kingdom, he was unwilling to be transformed.

Luke 12: 47, 48 This verse talks about being punished for not doing something that you know needs to be done, or doing something you know shouldn’t be done.  It does talk about beatings, but it is the punishment for the crime of knowing the masters will and not doing it.  It is more bearable to be ignorant and go against the masters will than to know the masters will and not do it.  It basically says you wouldn’t punish your kid as severely for doing something they didn’t know was wrong as you would if they did wrong willfully.



Good is the enemy of greatness.  – heard this quote somewhere, not sure who to give credit to.

In summary, I don’t want to be good, I want to be transformed by God’s love.  

Beautiful Things

Discovered this song a few weeks ago, I really like it.  However, I discovered that it doesn't have lyrics I thought it did. I thought there was some point in the song that said, "You make beautiful things, what does that make me?" Implying that if God only makes beautiful things I must be beautiful too. However, those lyrics don't actually appear in the song.  It says "You make beautiful things out of the dust, you make beautiful things out of us."  Which is quite similar, but I like my words better.

Is Christianity a crutch?

It seems like every time there is news about religion someone in the comments section talks about how religion is a crutch for people that don't know better.  However, having been on crutches for a while (when I broke my leg) I can tell you that they are useful in healing my leg.  It would not have gotten better if I kept trying to walk on it with out crutches.  However, like anything they can be abused and if I stay on them too long my leg will get weak again.  And no doubt has religion (Christianity included) been used as a crutch, just like anything it can be exploited.  But at its core, I don't think it can be a crutch. 

I am a really good person.  If being a good person was enough, I wouldn't need Christ.  However, I find that frequently being good, isn't enough.  I know that I am not perfect, I get reminded of that every time I drive my car and get cut off, that I am not 'good enough' to not get mad at this person that I don't even know.  I am reminded of that when I get frustrated with my wife for something little and I don't have enough grace to forgive her.  It is by God's grace and Love that I am able to love and forgive her.  If Christ hadn't loved me, I don't think I would have the quality of relationships I have now.  I am not capable of loving perfectly.  It is by God's love that I am able to love, for with out it, we wouldn't know what love is. It is like C.S. Lewis said, "I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else."  Not only that, but I let my friends down, my wife down, and I need them to be able to forgive me, to love me, if someone quit on me every time I let them down, I wouldn't have anyone to talk to. It is by grace that they still talk to me, still care for me in ways I don't deserve.  I need them to support me often (being relational creatures and all), and if there wasn't grace or forgiveness, being a relational creature in this world would suck. 

If I live in darkness, I can't not see anything.  No amount of opening my eyes will be able to make me see.  But when there is light, suddenly I can see.  Is light a crutch for the eye? No, its how it was designed to work.  Is gas a crutch for the car? No, it was designed to run on Gas.  Is Christ a crutch for those who follow him? No He is what we were designed to run on.  

Mother Teresa didn't need Christ to be her crutch.  Many people can give to the poor, can help the poor out, but she was able to do it on a completely different level.  She didn't just serve the poor because it was her job, she served to the fullest of her capacity because she was in love with Christ.  "There is always the danger that we may just do the work for the sake of the work. This is where the respect and the love and the devotion come in - that we do it to God, to Christ, and that's why we try to do it as beautifully as possible. " Mother Teresa.  She didn't just limp along on crutches she was able to fly.  

Isaiah 40:29-31:
²⁹ He gives strength to the weary
   and increases the power of the weak.
³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,
   and young men stumble and fall;
³¹ but those who hope in the LORD
   will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
   they will run and not grow weary,
   they will walk and not be faint.

Here we see that Christ is not a crutch, that God promised not only to get us back to a good condition, but he promises to take us further, he promises to give us wings to fly like an Eagle.  That is something I want.  Maybe the problem people have is that they want people to only use religion as a crutch, and not to go soaring.  After all, it gets kind of dangerous when one starts living a life like Christ (they killed Him).  But even death could not keep him down, he was raised up.  That is the hope we have.  And the hope that we want everyone to have.  That Death is not the end.  Suffering is not the end.  We want to live life to the fullest and that is only possible with Christ's help.  I can't fly on my own and crutches aren't going to help me fly either.

I refuse

Heard this song on the radio the other day, loved the lyrics. It's by Josh Wilson



I Refuse

Sometimes I, I just want to close my eyes
And act like everyone's alright
When I know they're not
This world needs God, but it's easier to stand and watch
I could pray a prayer and just move on
Like nothing's wrong

But I Refuse

I don't want to live like I don't care
I don't want to say another empty prayer
Oh, I refuse to sit around and wait for someone else
To do what God has called me to do myself
I could choose not to move
But I refuse

I can hear the least of these, crying out so desperately
And I know we are the hands and feet of You, oh God
So if You say move, it's time for me to follow through
And do what I was made to do
And show them who You are

I don't want to live like I don't care
I don't want to say another empty prayer
Oh, I refuse to sit around and wait for someone else
To do what God has called me to do myself
I could choose not to move
But I refuse

I refuse to stand and watch the weary and lost cry out for help
I refuse to turn my back and try and act like all is well
I refuse to stay unchanged, to wait another day to die to myself
I refuse to make one more excuse

I don't want to live like I don't care
I don't want to say another empty prayer
Oh, I refuse to sit around and wait for someone else
To do what God has called me to do myself
I could choose not to move
But I refuse

Time to reverse the Great Reversal

The great reversal is a term coined by Timothy L. Smith.  In early American history the church was very active in setting up hospitals, ministries and organizations to help those in need.  However, around the turn of the (1900) century the church withdrew from these organizations (there were multiple reasons, I've heard, and not one specific instance).  This left a hole in our society that the government has been trying to fill for the better part of the century, with social security, medicare, food stamps, etc.  While it has been a valiant attempt, I think, it is time for the Church to stand up and do something (after all, Jesus told the rich man to go, sell all your possessions and give to the poor, not to Caesar).  As governments (both state and federal) are forced to cut back on services, we the Church, have an opportunity to reverse the great reversal.  This is a opportunity that we can't let pass.  The needs are great, the workers are few, but if we are to show the world the light has come (Jesus at Christmas), we must get to work.  The door is open (governments are cutting back on social services), we just need to roll up our sleeves and get to work.  Over the next few weeks I will be working on a tab for the blog that has ways of getting involved, different ideas, different organizations.  It won't be complete, but hopefully it will spur people on to make a difference in their community, a difference that will change lives.
Let us reverse the great reversal.

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter-- when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?" Isaiah 58:6-7


Sources:
http://www.directionjournal.org/article/?114

Testimony

Today at our church we had four different people share their testimony's and it was a great time of sharing and listening to a glimpse of what other people are going through.
The thing that really stuck with me though was how life is about the journey and not about the destination.  I don't think I will ever look back and say to myself, "boy, Nathan, you really should have spent more time at work, or on yourself."  Hopefully I won't have to say to my self, "I wish I would've spent more time with my family, friends, on things that matter."  Hopefully, I will be able to stay focused on living my life in a way that pleases God.   I often get caught up in doing 'things', working, going from one thing to another that I forget to just enjoy the life that is going on around me.  As a new year gets ready to begin, I think its a good time to evaluate my priorities, and make sure that they line up with what God wants from me.  Help me to remember to enjoy every day.  That I may be a joyful person that spreads the Good news wherever I go.

Romans 15:13
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

We are reminded this Christmas that we still hope on a star, on a baby born in Bethlehem.   And that hope should change the way we live.

Advent - A time of waiting

Recently I read this article on when its okay to sing Christmas Carols. 

Growing up in a non-liturgical church, we always sang Christmas Carols during advent.  I've always thought that Advent was a time to prepare for Christmas.  However, according to this, and it seems to make sense, advent is more about an intense longing for the Savior to come.  As a child, I'm sure that waiting for Christmas was filled with longing.  But it's been a long time since I have felt that way.  I have mostly felt that it always sneaks up on me much too quickly. 
This time of Advent is to remind us of the longing of the people of Israel for a savior.  It is a time of waiting to prepare us for Christ's arrival. 
That got me thinking, how often do I long for something, how often do I wait for something.  I don't.  Our culture is not a culture that supports waiting and patience.  My only examples are my longing for a good camera, which I got this past summer.  And my longing to go back to Maui.  I loved every minute of my time in Maui in 2009, and can't wait to go back, but I have to.  Both of these examples seem quite superficial to me. 
Do I truly long to see God's Kingdom on Earth as it is in Heaven?  Or are those just words that I pray.  Do I long to see Christ's return, or do I hope that he will wait a while, because life is pretty good right now?  How would my life be different if I was focused on Christ's coming. 

C.S. Lewis once said, Aim for Heaven and you get earth thrown in, Aim for Earth and you get Neither. 

People who live longing to see heaven are the very ones that have the most impact on earth. 
Just a new way (for me at least) to look at this season. 

Injustice

Guinea ethnic conflict

Came across the above link yesterday while avoiding homework.   Now it seems to me from reading that the one group was mad about the election results and did a little bit of damage to the other group, who retaliated by murdering some of the first group.  I have a hard time understanding what I can do to stop this kind of injustice in the world.  Giving to http://www.ijm.org/ is a start, but that doesn't feel to personal, and I don't know if it needs to be personal, and I don't fully comprehend the situation, and probably can't.  Sometimes I feel so helpless in this world to make real change.


Isaiah 58: (NIV from Biblegateway.com)
 ⁶ “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
   and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
   and break every yoke?
⁷ Is it not to share your food with the hungry
   and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
   and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
⁸ Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
   and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
   and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
⁹ Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
   you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

Contentment and Joy

The fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self control.  -Gal 5:22

So I have been spending some time thinking about being content, and the whole happiness thing. 
I am going to define that happiness is temporary, it is a feeling that comes and goes like any others (just like sad, and angry).  Joy is something altogether different, it is something that is a way of living.  I haven't quite figured out how to define it exactly yet.  Joy is more than happiness, one can be a joyful person, but feel sad (kind of an odd concept huh?).  Paul even goes as far to say that Joy is a fruit of the spirit, it is something that we should all (as Christians should produce).  To produce fruit it has to come from within.  Nothing from the outside can make us a joyful person.  Just like something outside the apple tree can not make an apple, it must come from the tree. 

I do know however, that it is almost impossible to be a joyful person without being content (I'd say that it is a requirement of being joyful).  Talking with my wife about it, she was curious if that meant not wanting anything else.  And I don't think that is the case, I can be content and still have goals in my life. I want to be a joyful person, but I feel like joyful people are so hard to find.  I'm kind of curious, but how many people do you know that you would qualify as a truly joyful person, a contagiously joyful person.  I'm not talking about a fake happy person, its easy to see through those people.  There are a lot of people that I can see joy in, but not to the extent that I feel like I should.  I feel like so often people are trying to get joy by things.  When you notice that it is easy to see why no one is happy, let alone joyful.

Joy also needs love through relationships.  Love is such a funny word I think, I mean, who decided to use the same word for my feelings of ice cream as for my wife?  I think that love is a so many things that it is almost necessary to qualify what you mean each time you say it.  I love (like to eat) Ice cream. I love (feeling and/or a way of life) my wife. Anyway, I think you get it.  I recently read that people view of marriage is becoming obsolete. However, I think it is more because people don't understand the fullness of love.  Love has come to mean a feeling. It is about how I feel.  I am 'in love' (in the post modern sense)  And as soon as I don't get what I want or I don't feel like it anymore I can move on.  If that is being in love, of course that is going to go out.  It is only in building a long term lasting relationship that one can experience the fullness of love.  Love (in out post modern world) has become about me, love was never meant to be about me, it was and is supposed to make me think outside of me.  Love is an action, a lifestyle, a fruit that I produce (thus it has to come from with in me and can't be something I look for and find).  It is supposed to push me to think more of others.  If one is going to look for 'love' (Post modern love) everyone is going to be disappointed (the other person is human and will let you down) and of course marriage will become obsolete.  That isn't what marriage should be based on or about.  It's hard to be joyful if you are looking for love (and not producing love).   
Anyway, I think that is enough rambling for now.  Today I am thankful for the promise of life everlasting.  That can and should change the way that I live my life. I am no longer bound by the rules of this world, Christ has redeemed me.  Now its my turn to go and produce fruit. 

(btw - I turned on Anonymous comments, so anyone can add comments to the blog)

Everything is amazing and Nobodys Happy

We start today off with a hilarious video about how amazing our world is and how people just complain about it. Caution: one swear word and its beeped out, otherwise its a clean video.  One of my good friends shared this with me.



It's far too funny, I think, because it's true.  When was the last time I got upset on my way home because traffic was bad (lets see, friday).  I was still going 30+MPH.  A whole lot faster than if I was walking, plus I had a roof over my head and a heater so I wasn't even cold.  It's humbling to me to see video of people around the world appear to have a genuine joy for life and contentment, and here I am struggling, ungratefully for every last thing I want.  I really do believe that joy (the spiritual fruit) comes from being thankful, being content.  It is impossible in my mind to be a truly joyful person without being a thankful person.  May I learn to contentment.
Today I am thankful for my family and friends who have helped shape me into the person God wants me to be. Also I am thankful for technological advances that make my life easier.

 Two bible verses to end today with. 

Philippians 4:12 (New International Version)

¹² I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

1 Timothy 6:6-9 (New International Version)

 ⁶ But godliness with contentment is great gain. ⁷ For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. ⁸ But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. ⁹ Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.

Thanksgiving

Psalm 136:1
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever.

Today I am thankful for the love and support of my wife.  She is so good to me.  

Thanksgiving may be in a couple weeks, but leading up til than I will be posting what I am thankful for, hopefully it will give you a moment to pause and be thankful for something in your life. 

Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough.
-- Oprah Winfrey

Not quite sure what I think of the Oprah quote, I've been working with a kid at work who has had a hard time being thankful for what he has been given, he always wants something else and lets it keep him down.  If he would just enjoy the things he has he might be happy.

Starting Now

 Song of the day for today is  City on Our Knees - Toby Mac.  It is a great song about starting to live how God wants us to live.

In my small group we have been reading and discussing C.S. Lewis, and this week we talked about our view of Heaven has been distorted.  It is hard for me to wrap my mind around heaven and all the good that will be there.  Often I feel like my life is good here, why would I want to give it up.  C.S. Lewis mentions that people often think of heaven as some fantasy land, and people that spend time thinking a lot about it get a bad rap, as people that are escaping this world.  But when we look back at history he argues, we see that people who are most concerned with Heaven are the very ones making the most impact on Earth.  We get this dilemma,  "aim for heaven and you get earth thrown in, aim for earth and you get nothing" (C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity).  The song talks about why not now?  what excuses am I making that keep me from living life to the fullest?

Luke Chapter 9:
 ⁵⁷As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go."
 ⁵⁸Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."
 ⁵⁹He said to another man, "Follow me."
      But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."
 ⁶⁰Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."
 ⁶¹ Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family."
 ⁶²Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."

 It's good to take time and evaluate where my real priorities are.  Am I fit for service in God Kingdom?

In Christ Alone - On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand

Heard this song on Pandora the other day.  I loved it, and found it on YouTube.


I really enjoy it when someone takes a hymn and puts some contemporary lyrics in with it.  I find it to be very powerful.

Take me in

We used to sing this song at my church, and I really liked it.  I looked everywhere to buy it and I couldn't find it.  Take a listen it rocks. 



It talks about being taken into the holy of holies, which was the most sacred part of the Jewish Temple, the priest was only allowed in there once a year I think.  It was where they kept the Arc of the Covenant.  It also asks God to touch my lips with Coal a reference to Isaiah 6:6
 ⁶ Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. ⁷ With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."

Pretty awesome lyrics, pretty sweet song I think.  

Compounding Impact

^{John 15 
16}You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. ¹⁷This is my command: Love each other.

I feel like a lot of people in my life have been talking about making an impact in those around you.  I heard a sermon (you can watch it at the bottom of this post if you want.  The beginning is really good, toward the end he talks about how the congregation can help at their local church, but really I think it could have been how can you let God use you in all the situations you are in) the other week on  how what we do compounds over the years.  How saving that one life, loving that one person compounds and over time becomes a really big deal.  My professor was talking about having an impact in our world. So I mean that I feel like God is pushing this on me, how am I making an impact? What does that look like as I get ready to graduate college in 6 months?  What does that look like in my marriage?  What does that mean for my career?

I don't know if this story is true or not, but I heard it several years ago from my dad.  There was a traveling preacher back a few decades that went from town to town.  He stopped in this one town and preached and only one boy came up to be saved.  This preacher was disappointed, in this whole town he had only reached one boy (who happened to be named Billy Graham).  This young boy that was the only one reached became one of the most widely known and influential Christians of his generation. It's easy for me I think to get caught up in the numbers, but its not really about me.  In fact, if I try to do it alone, I am sure to be a failure.  It is only if I remain part of the vine will I be able to find success.   I may only be called to plant seeds, or water the seeds, or I may be called to do it all in someones life. I am willing to do whatever is asked of me to make "God's Kingdom come, on earth as it is in Heaven" a reality?
I think it is important to us as Christian's to stop and evaluate ourselves.  To step back from the routine and see, "am I trying to be fruitful, or am I so caught up in my everyday tasks that I miss opportunities to share of God's great love?"  So go and be fruitful this week.




Doing Good For Dummies: Write Your Name In The Book! from Lake Samm on Vimeo.

Good Vs. Evil

We have been reading C.S. Lewis' classic book "Mere Christianity" in our Monday night small group.  We just started and are only a few chapters in, but Lewis has some great quotes that I wanted to share with you.

Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having.

When we were discussing this quote, someone asked why God would give us free will, is it worth it.  I think the simplest answer is to ask a husband or wife if it is worth loving the spouse through all the tough times. Or to ask a parent is your child really worth all the pain and stress they bring to your life?
I think to of something I just read about stocks (One up on Wall Street by Peter Lynch), that you can only lose so much of your investment.  If I invest $1000, I can only lose a $1000, but I can gain untold riches right?  It could double in value, triple, 10 fold, whatever, the sky is the limit.  Ok so maybe that isn't quite the same thing, but you can get the idea, you can only lose so much but the amount that you can gain is off the charts. 

Often times when when talking about God with people they may make some argument about if there really was a god he wouldn't let all these bad things happen.  On a more personal note, it is easy for me to look at the news stories of the day and get frustrated at how evil human's can be and wonder why it can be.  Not to worry though, Lewis will save the day for us with this great quote.


The better stuff a creature is made of-the cleverer and stronger and freer it is-then the better it will be if it goes right, but also the worse it will be if it goes wrong.

Kind of amazing to think of huh?  We are only capable of such awful things because we are made of such great material.   We have so much potential to be good. 

This last quote I think is one of Lewis' all time best.  I think it is something that all Christian's should know about.  It is the perfect response to those that say Jesus was just a great teacher...

Jesus cannot be just a moral teacher. "He would either be a lunatic - on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg,- or else he would be the Devil of Hell.  You must make your choice.  Either this man was, and is the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse.

I think the next time someone tells me that Jesus was just a great teacher, I will have to ask them if they have read anything about him or what he said.  Looking at Scripture there is no way he could be just a teacher.  He turned away the rich man not because he wasn't "good" for society, but because he couldn't part with his money.  It came between him and God.  He picked the losers, he picked the very people that society thought were useless and he revealed himself to them.  He was a radical preacher that wasn't liked by the establishment (remember, they did kill him for what he said and claimed to be).  If he was a good little preacher, I doubt he would have been killed for it.

Imitation of Christ

We have been using this as our benediction at the end of our church services.  I really like it, and thought I'd share it.  

"Lord may it be that you will help us have steadfast hearts that will not be dragged down by false loves; courageous hearts that will not be worn down by trouble; strong hearts that will not be sidetracked by unholy or unworthy goals.  Lord help us to have the longing to know you, the diligence to look for you, the wisdom to recognize you, the faithfulness that will finally see you face to face.  Through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen."

Adapted from Of the Imitation of Christ, Thomas a Kempis

Talents...How do I use them?

I heard this parable mentioned this weekend. Thought I'd share a few thoughts... 

Matthew 25:14-30 (New International Version)  From Bible Gateway

The Parable of the Talents

 ¹⁴"Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. ¹⁵To one he gave five talents^[a] of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. ¹⁶The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. ¹⁷So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. ¹⁸But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.  ¹⁹"After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. ²⁰The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'
 ²¹"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
 ²²"The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'
 ²³"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
 ²⁴"Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. ²⁵So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'
 ²⁶"His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? ²⁷Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
 ²⁸" 'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. ²⁹For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. ³⁰And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

1. Matthew 25:15 A talent was worth more than a thousand dollars.

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Poverty in America

I came across this story on the website for my local new station.

Cliff notes version:
There is a roaming population of homeless that call themselves Tent City3.  It is made up of about 100 men and women with out children. They go from site to site every 90 days (by law, I think).  Mostly they stay at churches.  Frequently they are invited back to sites where they have been before.  To be in Tent City 3 (TC3) you have to operate by their code of conduct. The residents of TC3 rotate duties (such as security and cleaning).  You can read more about them Here.  So this group has been invited to stay at a Church in a neighborhood in northern Seattle.  Many of the neighbors there don't appreciate that the church is inviting them (at least it seems like many, according to news reports).  They say that the neighborhood can't support having homeless, in the area, even though the church has and continues to off shelter to some 20 homeless most every night.  It amazes when I hear people say that the church is irrelevant these days, yet when the church tries to do what Christ has called it to do, people don't like it. 

Recently our church put on two BBQ's for TC3.  One at the site they are at now, and one at our church. I was only able to attend the one at our church.  However, it was a very good experience.  I got to hear some of their stories, and share a meal with them.  I also was able to talk with the people that BBQ'd at TC3 and many of them came back to our BBQ, because they knew that what they were doing was worth it.  They had been at their current location for 2 months when we talked to them, and there had been only 1 police call, and the police were called because someone saw a homeless person (didn't know that was a crime). 

TC3 I think could be an effective way of helping to alleviate poverty.  The people that choose to stay there, have to live with in rules and want to get out of their current situation. It is not something that just anyone can walk in and be a part of, thus it weeds out most of those that are just looking for free hand outs.  They become a self governing group that has rules to follow.  Arguably most importantly, it becomes family and community. In my time working with homeless, the thing that keeps them down the most is they have no one to be accountable to and no one to share experiences with.  It becomes a steady place (where they can shower) from which they can leave their stuff and go to a job.  Not too many homeless have that opportunity. I think we should continue to give them the opportunity and applaud this church for giving them this opportunity.

In the future I would like to see people come along side the church and use the practices of When Helping Hurts (see link of book).  This would include building relationships with the residents so that they can get more training (to secure better jobs), skills for managing money, building relationships, being a good employee, etc.  A wholistic approach, so that they are offered more than just shelter, they are offered a chance to live life how Christ wants them to live life.

Here is one person's take on TC.

Sleepless in Shoreline

So, My wife is participating in this event with a bunch of women from our church. Check it out here.  They are trying to raise $4,000 to help build a women and children transitional housing complex.  It is pretty sweet. I also heard that they have 2 people that have said they will match that 4k.  That would be a grand total of 12k.  Pretty sweet deal.  Check it out and if you want to donate click here. It is a wonderful organization and they are doing great work to help those in need in our region.

James 1:27 (New International Version)

²⁷Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.