In the Midst of the Super Bowl Hype

For the past couple of weeks we have been inundated with information about the Super Bowl here in Arlington – the parties, the celebrities, the advertisements – all of the hype that surrounds this epic event. Sadly, in the midst of of all the talk that surrounds this sporting event is another issue that will go relatively unrecognized, human trafficking – young boys and girls who are manipulated or forced into prostitution. It is estimated that somewhere between 10,000-20,000 young people will be or have already been trafficked into the DFW Metroplex for the Super Bowl only to be exploited for profit. It breaks my heart, not only that this goes on, but it is deemed as acceptable behavior. Please explore the Human Traffick 911 website, sign the petition to stop human trafficking, and if you have time listen to this incredible Think podcast. I hope these resources will open your eyes to a growing problem in our community and in our world and I ask that in the midst of all the Super Bowl hype that you will keep all those who are being exploited in your prayers.

What happens after we die?

It is a question that crosses our minds at various points throughout our lives. As a pastor, I probably wrestle with the question more than most. There are various scriptures we use in memorial services that talk about death and life after death (selected scriptures from 1 Corinthians 15, selected scriptures from Romans 8, Revelation 21:1-7, 2 Corinthians 4:5-8, Ephesians 1:15-23, Ephesians 2:1-10, 1 Peter 1:3-25, Revelation 7:2-17, etc.). Most of these offer assurance and comfort of a here-after but do not describe it in great detail. The reality is that I don’t think any of us can or should be able to describe the afterlife in great detail, it should remain a mystery in some degree, but just because we cannot describe it or understand it does not mean that we should fear it. Still, if life is all that we have experienced – if we rather arrogantly presume we understand what life is – the unknown of death has an element of fear. Perhaps that is why it is so difficult to say goodbye to loved ones, why we grieve for such long periods of time. In our rational minds we suspect/know that there is something after this, we’ve been assured of it in scripture, but there is an element of doubt and of course the pain of loss.
As Christians we have a strange relationship with death. We find hope in death. At a funeral we come together not only to celebrate the life of a person we have lost, to remember the impact that they had in our own lives, and to acknowledge the new life they have begun. But also in some way a funeral service should renew our own hope and faith in the world that is to come as well as stress the importance of living our lives well. We come together to be reminded of the promise of Christ, the promise that not even death can keep us from the love of God.
It also reminds us that we should not simply shrug off the finality of death. In thinking about death it only stresses the immediacy and importance of what we do with the short life God has given us – a life that we should not squander. One day, a community of faith will gather at our own funeral service to remember us and celebrate our lives. Hopefully, they will remember us well, but more importantly, hopefully they will remember the moments that they encountered Christ through us.

This weeks sermon 1-23-11

I am fascinated by signs. I think that it is amazing how much information we can communicate with just a picture or a word. We use signs to communicate important information quickly, but because only a small amount of information can be presented certain nuances are inherently lost. For instance, a caution sign tells you to be careful, but it doesn’t tell you what to watch out for necessarily. In the same way, the church, in it’s attempt to share the Gospel to as many people as possible, often processes deep theological ideas and doctrines into manageable and memorable sound-bytes. In doing so, a lot of the rich detail is lost. For the past two weeks we have been exploring some of the messages the church sends out to the world. The first week we explored what it means to be open. The second week we explored the concept of repentance (U Turn). This week as part of our “Signs” series we’re going to explore what I feel to be one of the most difficult and often harmful mixed-message that comes out of the church, the paradoxical belief that we are created in the image of God and yet are a broken and sinful people who are in need of God’s forgiveness. This belief, by itself is not harmful, in fact it is probably one of the most beautiful concepts in the Christian faith; but in its sound-byte version it is often condensed down to “you are a sinful and broken people” and the divine spark that dwells within us all is left unmentioned. Where are we to  find hope if all we hear is that we are broken? It is similar to constantly criticizing a child – how are they to overcome adversity if they do not believe they have any value or redeeming worth? The truth is they can’t and neither can we.

Which brings me around to my discussion question for the week – what other mixed messages does the Church/Christians send out to the world?

Reviving the blog

After having coffee with a friend and colleague who has masterfully integrated his blog with the worship service he leads weekly, I have vowed to do the same. I will be the first to admit that my track record for maintaining a blog is abysmal at best (see previous entry date). I let this blog lay more dormant than those desert frogs that only emerge for a few short weeks during the rainy season and then crawl back into the ever-hardening earth for the rest of the year. I have done so because I found my unquenchable thirst to write quenched by my duties at work and at school, and to be honest I no longer had a lot to say. But my friend and colleague has shown me the error of my ways. He has shown me how a blog can be effectively used to pass on all of that wonderful information that is gathered while preparing a sermon or a devotional but does not make it to the final copy because of time or space issues (and there is often lots of this information). And so that, combined with an ever-present invitation for discussion and dialogue, will be at the heart of the blog. As always, I asks for your contributions, thoughts, ideas and of course prayers.