To Whom Do We Listen?

In Acts 4, Peter and John are arrested by the rulers of the Jews, arrested on account of their preaching about Jesus and the resurrection. The leaders soon find themselves in a quandary. Peter has just healed a 40-something man who was born lame (3:7, 4:22). The rulers cannot deny this miracle, which is widely known. But they cannot abide with Peter and John preaching the resurrection, which the rulers do not believe in. Unable to refute the apostles, the rulers simply “charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.” (4:18)

Peter and John’s response was one for the ages: “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” (4:19-20). The rulers responded only with further threats.

Peter and John, along with the rest of the early church, were convinced that it was more important to obey God, to listen to his commands and do them, to hear his voice and both believe and proclaim it, than to listen to humans in authority. Not merely more important, but necessary.

On a whole host of issues, we as Christians find ourselves in a place where we must consider whether we will listen to God, as he has revealed himself in the Bible, or to the culture around us. If we listen to the culture, we will be accepted, perhaps even lauded by society. If we listen instead to God, we will be condemned, called bigots, told we are on “the wrong side of history.”

To whom will we listen? To whom will you listen?

If you decide that you will listen to God, then let me urge you to earnestly and regularly seek to learn what he has said. Read the Bible. Be willing to be corrected by God’s Word. 

A letter to my church during this election

As your pastor, my authority is found in and founded upon the Bible. The Bible is God’s word written down by the hands of inspired men and is without error. When I speak from the Bible, I may preach and teach with authority. However, the Bible does not address every issue, nor answer every question we would like to ask of it. Should Christians place their children in public schools or homeschool them? Should parents allow sleepovers? How many songs should we sing together on Sunday morning? How much should we western Christians give to church and other charities, given our remarkable wealth compared to the vast majority of Christians through all time? The Bible doesn’t speak directly to them. As your pastor, I can apply wisdom and the fruit of studying the Bible and prayer in seeking to answer these (and so many more) questions, but I dare not claim undue authority.

As your pastor, I cannot tell you whom you should vote for in this election. The Bible does not mention Trump nor Clinton, not even in the footnotes. Furthermore, there are legal limitations on political speech by religious organizations, of which First Baptist Church is one. However, the Bible does speak clearly about many topics and issues that are highly relevant in this election cycle. Therefore, while I will not tell you for whom you should vote, I want to issue strong concerns about both major candidates. I will speak to my own position, not seek to mandate yours.

Should I vote for Secretary Clinton?

For many evangelicals, opposition to Secretary Hillary Clinton is almost visceral, a reflex that has been trained over the course of decades. While she claims Christian belief and identifies as a Methodist, her fervent advocacy for abortion and for gay rights have placed her beyond the pale for many evangelicals. Her denigrating of numerous women who claimed sexual abuse by her husband reveals a person for whom power triumphs over principle. Moreover, she has gone to tremendous lengths to oppose transparency and is a well-documented liar. I tremble to think what she would do in office. I cannot in good conscience vote for her.

Should I vote for Trump?

While opposition to Clinton or alignment with (aspects of) the Republican party is second-nature to many evangelicals, I must register strong opposition to the standard bearer of that party this election, Donald J. Trump.

There are many reasons for my opposition to Trump: his racist and race-baiting statements; his brief record of being pro-life, during which he also shows a lack of understanding of the position; his exploitation of the poor and vulnerable through his casinos; his ownership of a strip club; his serial infidelity; his boast of never having repented; his questionable, even nonsensical claim to being a Christian (see previous); his apparent lack of any plan for anything (simply repeating ad nauseam that he will make something great is no more a plan that simply repeating ‘yes we can’); his track record of cheating his contractors;…

However, I neither have time to write about these, nor do you have time to read about all of them. Instead, I would like argue only that he is a sexual predator. Trump is a man who has not only committed adultery repeatedly, he has also bragged about it. He has been sexually aggressive toward many women over the course of many years, using his money and his power to exploit and even assault women. This is not news. While the most recent revelation is abhorrent and vile, it is entirely in keeping with the character of Trump, which we have already seen over this last year (and before).

If I were to vote for Trump, I would be saying that character doesn’t matter, that power is more important than principle. Even if I thought that Trump could be trusted to govern as a pro-life president (which I don’t); even if I believed that Trump would appoint good Supreme Court justices (which I doubt, and there is every reason to doubt his promises); even if I believed that Trump were competent to keep the country safe and deal with the complexities of the global world (which I don’t); even if I believed that he could strengthen the economy (I have my doubts); even if I thought that his racist speech didn’t reflect how he truly believes (and I don’t know what reason I would have to think that); even if all those things were true, I would not be able to vote for Trump on account of his character, especially in his treatment of women.

Like I said, I cannot tell you for whom to vote. But I would urge you to consider carefully before voting.

A letter to my church during this election

As your pastor, my authority is found in and founded upon the Bible. The Bible is God’s word written down by the hands of inspired men and is without error. When I speak from the Bible, I may preach and teach with authority. However, the Bible does not address every issue, nor answer every question we would like to ask of it. Should Christians place their children in public schools or homeschool them? Should parents allow sleepovers? How many songs should we sing together on Sunday morning? How much should we western Christians give to church and other charities, given our remarkable wealth compared to the vast majority of Christians through all time? The Bible doesn’t speak directly to them. As your pastor, I can apply wisdom and the fruit of studying the Bible and prayer in seeking to answer these (and so many more) questions, but I dare not claim undue authority.

As your pastor, I cannot tell you whom you should vote for in this election. The Bible does not mention Trump nor Clinton, not even in the footnotes. Furthermore, there are legal limitations on political speech by religious organizations, of which First Baptist Church is one. However, the Bible does speak clearly about many topics and issues that are highly relevant in this election cycle. Therefore, while I will not tell you for whom you should vote, I want to issue strong concerns about both major candidates. I will speak to my own position, not seek to mandate yours.

Should I vote for Secretary Clinton?

For many evangelicals, opposition to Secretary Hillary Clinton is almost visceral, a reflex that has been trained over the course of decades. While she claims Christian belief and identifies as a Methodist, her fervent advocacy for abortion and for gay rights have placed her beyond the pale for many evangelicals. Her denigrating of numerous women who claimed sexual abuse by her husband reveals a person for whom power triumphs over principle. Moreover, she has gone to tremendous lengths to oppose transparency and is a well-documented liar. I tremble to think what she would do in office. I cannot in good conscience vote for her.

Should I vote for Trump?

While opposition to Clinton or alignment with (aspects of) the Republican party is second-nature to many evangelicals, I must register strong opposition to the standard bearer of that party this election, Donald J. Trump.

There are many reasons for my opposition to Trump: his racist and race-baiting statements; his brief record of being pro-life, during which he also shows a lack of understanding of the position; his exploitation of the poor and vulnerable through his casinos; his ownership of a strip club; his serial infidelity; his boast of never having repented; his questionable, even nonsensical claim to being a Christian (see previous); his apparent lack of any plan for anything (simply repeating ad nauseam that he will make something great is no more a plan that simply repeating ‘yes we can’); his track record of cheating his contractors;…

However, I neither have time to write about these, nor do you have time to read about all of them. Instead, I would like argue only that he is a sexual predator. Trump is a man who has not only committed adultery repeatedly, he has also bragged about it. He has been sexually aggressive toward many women over the course of many years, using his money and his power to exploit and even assault women. This is not news. While the most recent revelation is abhorrent and vile, it is entirely in keeping with the character of Trump, which we have already seen over this last year (and before).

If I were to vote for Trump, I would be saying that character doesn’t matter, that power is more important than principle. Even if I thought that Trump could be trusted to govern as a pro-life president (which I don’t); even if I believed that Trump would appoint good Supreme Court justices (which I doubt, and there is every reason to doubt his promises); even if I believed that Trump were competent to keep the country safe and deal with the complexities of the global world (which I don’t); even if I believed that he could strengthen the economy (I have my doubts); even if I thought that his racist speech didn’t reflect how he truly believes (and I don’t know what reason I would have to think that); even if all those things were true, I would not be able to vote for Trump on account of his character, especially in his treatment of women.

Like I said, I cannot tell you for whom to vote. But I would urge you to consider carefully before voting.

St. Patrick's Lorica (Breastplate)

The following prayer is known as St. Patrick's Lorica, or Breastplate. Its origins are uncertain. It may indeed not have come from St. Patrick himself. However, it does reflect the milieu of Patrick’s Celtic Christianity. I offer it today, St. Patrick’s Day.

I rise today:

     in power’s strength, invoking the Trinity,

     believing in threeness,

     confessing the oneness,

     of Creation’s Creator.

I rise today:

     in the power of Christ’s birth and baptism,

     in the power of his crucifixion and burial,

     in the power of his rising and ascending,

     in the power of his descending and judging.

I rise today:

     in the power of the love of Cherubim

     in the obedience of angel,

     and service of archangels,

     in hope of rising to receive the reward,

     in the prayers of Patriarchs,

     in the predictions of prophets,

     in the preachings of Apostles,

     in the faith of confessors,

     in the innocence of holy virgins,

     in the deeds of the righteous.

I rise today:

     in Heaven’s might,

     in Sun’s brightness,

     in Moon’s radiance,

     in Fire’s glory,

     in Lightning’s quickness,

     in Wind’s swiftness,

     in Sea’s depth,

     in Earth’s stability,

     in Rock’s fixity.

I rise today:

     with the power of God to pilot me,

     God’s strength to sustain me,

     God’s wisdom to guide me,

     God’s eye to look ahead for me,

     God’s ear to hear me,

     God’s word to speak for me,

     God’s hand to protect me,

     God’s way before me,

     God’s shield to defend me,

     God’s host to deliver me:

            from snares of devils,

            from evil temptations,

            from nature’s failings,

            from all who wish to harm me,

            far or near,

            alone and in a crowd.

Around me I gather today all these powers:

     against every cruel and merciless force

     to attack my body and sould,

     against the charms of false prophets,

     the black laws of paganism,

     the false laws of heretics,

     the deceptions of idolatry,

     against spells cast by women, smiths, and druids,

     and all unlawful knowledge

     that harms the body and soul.

May Christ protect me today:

     against poison and burning,

     against drowning and wounding,

     so that I may have abundant reward;

     Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me;

     Christ within me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me;

     Christ to right of me, Christ to left of me;

     Christ in my lying, Christ in my sitting, Christ in my rising;

     Christ in the heart of all who think of me,

     Christ on the tongue of all who speak to me,

     Christ in the eye of all who see me,

     Christ in ear of all who hear me.

I rise today:

     in power’s strength, invoking the Trinity,

     believing in threeness,

     confessing the oneness,

     of Creation’s Creator.

For to the Lord belongs salvation,

and to the Lord belongs salvation,

and to Christ belongs salvation.

May your salvation, Lord, be with us always.

-          From Celtic Spirituality, translated by Oliver Davies, pp 118-120

How Do We Respond When Two Toddlers Die in a Fire?

Grieving. What else can I do? Two young children, ages 2 and 1, siblings, died in a house fire. A two year old boy and his 18 month old sister, who will never learn to read, never ride a bike, never play a musical instrument, never go fishing, never play hockey. These two children, through no fault of their own, died in a fire. Two more victims claimed by death, in a world in which death reigns because of human sin and rebellion.

But there is far more to this story than just the death of two young innocents. Since the fire, complaints and allegations have been flung in many directions. Blame is laid at the feet of the fire chief, the band leaders, the government, etc. From what I have observed, it appears that blame rightly does fall in various places. And so to my mind, what is striking about the blaming that I have noticed, is that each person seemingly seeks to absolve themself entirely while shifting the burden wholly onto someone else.

All too quickly in such a situation, people latch onto the particular elements of the story that fit their own preferred narrative. Then they run with this idea and promote it. So, instead of focusing on the devastated family that has lost two young children, we hear that the town failed to help, probably due to racism; that the reserve mishandled money and failed to pay their bills; that the government needs to provide more money for fire protection; that the government has provided sufficient money, so it must be a case of misappropriation; that the lack of building codes and the shoddy construction work on reserves are the culprits here; etc., etc.

As you read that list of accusations, did you nod your head at some? Did you scoff at others? We must take great care not to allow our preconceptions and preferences skew our understanding of the situation. And far more important, we must not let our desires, whether to find facts or to assign blame, outweigh or supplant our care and concern for those grieving, for those shattered by this tragedy.

As Christians, let us show our love and our concern. My wife is organizing a care package for the family. Contact her or me if you are interested in helping. 

UPDATE: My wife created a Facebook page to support the Cheenanow family. It can be found at https://www.facebook.com/groups/655063211272221/.

UPDATE: If you want more information/background, news stories about this can be found at:
Global News
CBC

"I'll pray for you" part 2

“I’ll pray for you.”

Yesterday, I considered the statement “I’ll pray for you.” We say it. Yet too frequently we don’t follow through. I suggested that we make and then break this commitment for a variety of reasons: perhaps the words were never truly meant; perhaps it was merely the platitude we felt we should say; perhaps it was well intentioned but quickly forgotten by the press of other things; perhaps we simply never have put a plan in effect to pray for these things.

Today, I would like to offer a few suggestions for how you might (for how I might) get better at this, so that my ‘yes’ will be ‘yes’ when I say, “I’ll pray for you.”

Pray in the moment. When someone comes to you with a prayer request, or when someone is relating their circumstances and you feel that this is something that should be prayed for, pray. Just pray. Rather than offering a commitment to prayer in the future, pray at that very time. In most (all?) circumstances where you would feel it appropriate to say, “I’ll pray for you,” it would also be appropriate to pray immediately. If the person sharing the prayer concern is unable to pray at the time, or uncomfortable with it, then pray immediately after the conversation. So, instead of “I’ll pray for you,” try out the phrase, “Let’s pray about this right now.”

Commit to praying for a specific time. When you tell someone “I’ll pray for you,” this is often an open-ended statement. When will you pray? How much will you pray? How often will you pray? How many times will you pray? None of these are specified or in any way clear. Wouldn’t it be better to commit to praying for a specific period of time? “I’ll pray for you this week.” “I’ll pray for you these next few days.” Even if you don’t divulge the specifics to the individual, but keep the time limit to yourself, by the very act of setting a specific time on it you are more likely to do it.

Commit to praying at a specific time. This works best if the prayer request is time specific or if you have a regularly scheduled prayer time, whether alone or with others. When the request is time specific (e.g. a surgery on Thursday), then you can commit to praying on that Thursday. Once again, the more specific you are in your commitment, the more likely you are to follow through. Or, also, if you have a time regularly set aside for prayer, then you can commit “I’ll pray for that at the prayer meeting on Wednesday.”

Use technology to your advantage. If you use a digital calendar, or a task management software, you can set up reminders for yourself. I’m new at this, and trying to figure out what the best way will be for me, but I know that these tools can be used for good. If you have advice, let me know.

Encourage people when you pray. Instead of offering the encouragement that you will pray, especially if your follow through is limited like most of us, encourage people when you pray for them. If someone has come to you with a request on a Sunday, and you pray about it on Wednesday, consider sending them a text message, or a Facebook message, or something else. Don’t feel the need to do this with everyone, or every time you pray, but on occasion simply tell people “I prayed for you today.” The specificity of the comment adds weight and encouragement.

What other ways can we get better at following through on our prayer commitments? Do you have any suggestions or strategies?

"I'll pray for you"

“I’ll pray for you.”

How often have we uttered those words? How frequently do we assure someone of our prayers, encourage them with a commitment to present this request to God? How commonly—dare I ask this?—do we fail to follow through on this simple, four word statement?

At our staff meeting yesterday, Shane gave a devotional on Matt 5:33-37, focusing on the last verse. NIV: “Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. Shane stressed the importance of truthful speech, and emphasized that following through with our commitments is one crucial aspect of this. He related how, in the course of building his house, some contractors would commit to doing something by a deadline, but would then prefer to do bigger money projects first, pushing Shane back. Thinking about this, I noted that one of the ways that we frequently fail to keep our word is by stating we will pray, and then not doing so. I’d like to reflect today on why we do this, and then tomorrow suggest how we might do better.

Why do we do this?

I think we can safely assume that we’re not offering to pray and then failing to follow through out of an evil intention. We’re not deliberately misleading people. We’re not trying to be deceptive. So why do we do this? Why do we make the commitment? Why do we break our commitment?

Why do we make the commitment? I believe we often make the commitment with good intentions. We honestly recognize that the given situation should be prayed for, and we want to do that. We acknowledge that we have a Christian duty to pray, and we want to fulfill it. We have also heard enough other Christians say it that we know we should say it. And there are times when someone asks us to pray for them, and so we say we will.

Why do we break the commitment? Can I suggest that one reason is that we never really intended to keep it in the first place? That we said it because we’re supposed to say it, but we never had any plan to follow through? Is that too painful, too direct, to admit?

Assuming better intentions, what reasons might there be for breaking our commitment? I think most of us don’t have any system of keeping track of prayer requests or prayer commitments. We say “I’ll pray for you,” and then go back to watching the news, cooking dinner, talking with whoever may be next, reading an article, etc. In a few minutes, we’ve forgotten our commitment. Perhaps in a couple of days, we’ll remember, feel a twinge of guilt for not praying, offer up a 30 second prayer, and assuage our guilty conscience. We don’t purposefully and deliberately plan to pray, and the result is that we don’t pray. Come back tomorrow and I’ll offer some suggestions to improve this.

What do you think? Is this something you struggle with? Is this a common problem? Why do we do this?