Mixed Message

My local newspaper (The Skagit Valley Herald of Mount Vernon, Washington) gives big play in its Religion section today to an AP article about Atlanta DJ Corey "CoCo Brother" Condrey who uses well-known rappers to give "gospel" testimony to their fans. His radio program has featured celebrities from the Hip-Hop world such as Ludacris, 50 Cent, Kanye West, Bone Crusher and others.

Before going any further, let me disclose the fact that this almost 55 year-old white guy is not, has never been, and never will be a fan of Hip Hop or Rap music. In fact, it's a stretch for me to use the word "music" in connection with this stuff. However, I understand that not everyone has that insight. Hard as it is for me to imagine, there are plenty of people who actually like this particular kind of vocal pollution. So I get the idea -- Mr. Condrey is trying to attract his young, hip audience to his understanding of "gospel truth" by the use of celebrity spokesmen. There is nothing new about that approach.

What's different is the apparent hypocrisy of people who make their living by "singing" such violent and filthy lyrics suddenly beginning to talk about Christ and loving one another. The article cites a minister named Orlando Bethel who says "youth shouldn't be taught about God by rappers such as [Yung] Joc who is currently facing a felony charge of carrying a concealed weapon. . . ." It seems that Mr. Bethel has the audacity to think that people ought to practice what they preach.

Not everyone agrees. Black Entertainment Television personality Dr. Bobby Jones responds, "I think it's very narrow-minded for someone to categorize another one's relationship with their spirituality. . . . Who are we to say what's right or wrong about what somebody develops? It doesn't matter if five minutes ago someone sang about the love of their life in a very intimate position, then the next five their [sic] talking about their love of Jesus Christ." Apparently this gentleman sees a total moral disconnect between how a person acts one minute and how he acts the next minute.

For a number of years, people have disputed that the lordship of Christ has anything at all to do with salvation. Get saved, then continue to act any old way you want! Apparently, Jones fits right in with that way of thinking.

However, the Bible does not take that position. There is a passage in the book of James which seems particularly appropriate to the idea of foul-mouthed rappers telling people to let God into their lives -"But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water?" [James 3:8-11]

Understand, of course, that I have no objection to people telling others the truth of the Bible. In order to have credibility, though, it is necessary to get one's own house in order first. As Jesus said in Matthew 7:5, "first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye."

Lessons from the Comics Page

I always try to look at the Comics page in each morning's newspaper. More often than not, the jokes in comic strips are groaners. The soap opera strips don't interest me much so I just pass them over without reading them. Every once in a while, though, a comic has either a gag that makes me laugh out loud or one of those startlingly clear moments when I think, "How true that is!"

The long-running Family Circus often teaches some gentle but important lessons in its little circle on the page. Take the April 24 version, for instance. Dolly and one of her brothers are sitting at a table with coloring books open before them. Grandma is holding a box of crayons as she says, "Crayons can teach us a good lesson . . . they're different colors, have strange names, but all learn to live together in the same box." That doesn't need much commentary since it's point is obvious and needed because we humans have a long way to go before we learn that lesson.

On the same Comics page yesterday, I burst out laughing when I read Non Sequitur. This is a new strip to me since I moved to the Northwest. As far as I can tell it doesn't have any regular characters, but just offers a one-shot gag each day.

Yesterday's strip showed a street corner scene in front of the Metropolis Cafe. A policeman is writing a ticket to give to Superman. A nearby sign declares: "WARNING: LAWS OF PHYSICS STRICTLY ENFORCED." Who does Superman think he is anyway flying faster than a speeding bullet? Doesn't he know that is a violation of the laws of physics? Maybe you need a weird sense of humor (which I have) to enjoy that, but I thought it was hilarious.

It also teaches us an important spiritual lesson if we draw the application. The world is filled with people who, spiritually speaking, think they are Superman. That is, they don't seem to understand that God's laws apply to them. And God's laws will also be strictly enforced on Judgment Day. We will all give account of ourselves to God (Romans 14:12). We will all appear before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10). People who deny that inevitable spiritual reality will find that on that Day their "super powers" have abandoned them. When it is too late, every knee will bow at the name of Jesus and every tongue will confess that He is Lord (Philippians 2:10-11).

The notion of Superman being ticketed for breaking the laws of physics might be funny, but meeting the Lord in judgment will be no laughing matter for those who have gone through life thinking that God's rules don't apply to them.

Miley Cyrus, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama

What do the world's most popular fifteen year old and the two Democratic presidential candidates have in common?

At least three things:

(1) You can't turn on television without seeing their faces. The never-ending Democratic primary season is almost certain now to continue on until June or later after Mrs. Clinton's Pennsylvania victory this week. Miley Cyrus is HANNAH MONTANA -- what more need I say, especially if you happen to be anywhere near a pre-teen girl.

(2) All of them are taking in a lot of money. Obama has been setting all kinds of political fundraising records. Mrs. Clinton's campaign claims to have taken in ten million dollars in new contributions in the 24 hours following her Keystone State triumph. Young Ms. Cyrus signed a lucrative book deal to write her life story. That presumes of course that a fifteen year old has lived enough life to have something to write about.

(3) All of them have some "image problems" which ought to concern them.
Obama's association with controversial Chicago preacher Jeremiah Wright coupled with his secretly-recorded San Francisco comments about bitter lower-income voters clinging to religion, guns, and biases against people different from them have given ample opportunity for his political opponents to cast him as an out-of-touch elitist. Then he went bowling and racked up -- what was it, 37? -- that didn't help his image as a "man of the people." Most of the experts seem to think he has his party nomination sewed up, but these hits to his image may come back to haunt him in the general election this fall.

Hillary Clinton has her own issues with the electorate. I doubt I'm the only voter who wasn't very impressed with her "good ole boy" stunt of drinking beer and whisky in an Indiana bar. The ability to hold her likker isn't high on my list of priorities for qualities I look for in a President. This isn't her only problem. Polls show that a majority of voters think she is untruthful and untrustworthy. Her "sniper fire in Bosnia" story didn't help her image in that department. Wouldn't it be nice to have another George Washington in the Presidency -- you know, the type of person who "never told a lie." Apparently, Hillary won't fill that bill.

Young Ms. Cyrus has another kind of image problem. It seems that several risque pictures of her in various states of immodesty have been posted to the Internet. No, I'm not going to provide you with links to them; you'll have to search them out for yourself if you want to see them. The pictures aren't pornographic. They don't involve nudity. They are, however, something different from the wholesome image Miley, her parents, and the Disney Company have been trying to project of her. Ms. Cyrus and her managers need to take into account the fact that a significant portion of her fan base are young people whose tastes in music and television can be controlled by concerned parents. If parents don't see Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana as a suitable role model for their daughters, they can "just say no" and her popularity will take quite a dive.

We aren't going to have perfect presidential candidates and we aren't going to have perfect fifteen-year-old superstars. They are all human and they will all make mistakes. It isn't too much, though, to hope for people in the limelight who care about doing right and who genuinely want to present a positive image to the American public.

Too many times in recent years, we've been let down by those who raised our hopes and expectations that they would be different and somehow better than the ordinary.

Back on the Keyboard Again

After over a year's lapse, I'm undertaking to get started again in the blogging world. I know I've tried this before . . . more than once . . . but so many other people are disciplining themselves to do this faithfully, so why can't I? Of course, I'm not alone in my previous status as a lapsed blogger. I read somewhere that there are many millions of abandoned blogs on servers around the world. Like a dieter who repeatedly falls off the low-cal wagon and gets up and climbs on again, I'm going to keep trying and just maybe this time I'll succeed. Encourage me with your comments!

Sitting in the Pews

Sunday was a bittersweet experience for me. I've been the minister for Leonard Street Church of Christ in Pensacola, Florida since September, 1991. So much has changed since then. George Bush the First was President. Jared, my soon-to-be-high-school-graduate, was a twenty-two month old toddler. My older son, Daniel (who will celebrate his 9th wedding anniversary in a month) was an 8th grader. Oh, yes, a lot has happened in the last almost 16 years. The one constant was that I was the Leonard Street preacher. Of course, we had guest preachers from time to time, but I always felt a sense of ownership . . . that was my pulpit and I'd be back up there in my rightful place next week.

However, I announced my upcoming resignation several months ago and now the time is getting close. If we adhere to the present schedule, I'll have six more Sundays in the pulpit here. Last Sunday was the first time we had a "candidate" trying out for the minister's position. I sat and listened as Barry O'dell preached two good sermons. Honestly, I wasn't jealous at all. I hope it works out for him to come here; if it does, I think he would be a good fit for the folks here. If that does not come to pass, I am confident that a good man will be found to come and carry on the work I've been going for a decade and a half.

I am deeply excited about moving and beginning a new work in the Pacific Northwest. I've been having a good bit of e-mail and phone contact with different members of the Skagit Valley church and I am truly eager to get there and get going with the work I'm going to be doing there. But the bittersweet emotions come when I realize that I won't be able to experience much longer the things I've taken for granted for so long. No more "fishing" for a peppermint candy in Dale McCaleb's pocket. No more stopping by to chat with Margie in the library before every service. No more conversations with our nonagenarians . . . "Miz Nellie" and "Aunt Katie" who are present every Sunday. I could go on and on . . . after this many years, a preacher gets to know the members pretty well and I have more good memories than I could ever list here. As May 27 (our last Sunday here) gets closer, my thoughts will be dwelling on those memories more and more.

Life will go on. The church here will prosper and, I pray, Trish and I will be happy and fruitful in our work in Washington. I believe we will all be able to look back on the last fifteen years and be grateful for a lot of good things which happened while we lived in Pensacola.

Burlington, Here We Come!

I have accepted the invitation of the Skagit Valley Church of Christ in Burlington, WA to become their new preacher, starting about June 1st of this year. I'll have more to say about this new work as the time grows closer.

On the Move

I announced to the Leonard Street congregation Sunday, January 7th that my family would be moving from Pensacola this summer. This was a dramatic step, although it was one that had been in the works for a long time. By the time we move this summer, we will have lived in Pensacola for almost 16 years . . . all of that time I've been the preacher for the Leonard Street Church of Christ. In this blog entry, I'll try to answer some of the obvious questions:

1. Why are you leaving? First, it is altogether my initiative. I have discussed with the elders several times over the years my desire to stay the right length of time in this work . . . neither to leave too soon nor to stay too long. Last year, we renewed that conversation and I decided that summer 2007 (just after Jared graduates from high school) would be the best time to make that transition. I know the elders here respect my decision and probably agree with me that a change may be in the best interest of both my family and the church. Moving gives me the natural renewal that comes with new people, a new place, and new challenges and responsibilities. A change gives the church the opportunity to find a new preacher. Perhaps I'll address in a future article some of the qualities I think the church needs in a preacher, but I also recognize that it is not up to me to make the choice about Leonard Street's new minister. I do have a high level of confidence in the elders and deacons here to provide good leadership during this selection process. Notices have been posted on various web sites (see this one at Brown Trail School of Preaching and this one at Freed-Hardeman University.) When the church here at Leonard Street finds a new man, he will be coming into an environment with a great deal of potential. He can bring a new sense of excitement and a fresh perspective which may propel the church into a rich period of growth and development.

2. How Do You Feel About Leaving? To be honest, the last few days I have felt very sad about the thought of moving away from Leonard Street and Pensacola. I've spent almost a third of my life here. The Leonard Street church has been so good to me and my family over those years. We feel we have very close friendships with many people here . . . friendships we expect to last for the rest of our lives. Moving away from all that leaves a feeling of tremendous sadness. At the same time, there is excitement that a new chapter is opening. I believe an opportunity is at hand which will offer us the possibility of making a significant difference in the course of a congregation's history. It might sound trite, but it actually is very important for me to be able to say that I think the Lord will be pleased with the work I'm hoping to do. Using whatever talents I have in the best possible way in the Lord's service is the top priority at this stage of my life.

3. Where are you moving? Since November, I have been talking with a congregation in the Northwestern United States . . . an area much closer to Trish's children and grandchildren and a situation where I believe I can have a considerable impact for good. All the arrangements have not been completed and I do not want to "count my chickens" too soon. I hope to be able to announce definite plans in the near future.

4. When will you leave Leonard Street? It will not be before Jared's high school graduation which will take place May 24. If all arrangements fall into place as expected, we will be leaving about June 1 or shortly thereafter. If for some reason we do not have a place to go by that time, the elders have indicated their willingness for us to remain in the work here throughout the summer if necessary.

5. How will Leonard Street's new preacher be chosen? I need to leave the details of that process up to the elders. I am available to assist in any way I am needed, but the elders and deacons will be undertaking a thorough search for the best available man to fill the pulpit here. I know that notices have been posted at various brotherhood web sites. Several resumes have already been received and many more are expected over the next two months. I am confident our leaders here will do a good job evaluating candidates and bringing the best men here for further consideration. Give them your prayers and support.