One of my very favorite classes in seminary looked at the relationship between science and the church. We learned how the relationship had not always been as strained as it is these days; we learned that in the past science and the church were used to inform and advise each other to gain a greater understanding of the universe. Unfortunately, those days are long gone, and in the eyes of most observers science and the church seem to be at an impasse.
In his book The Selfless Gene: Living with God and Darwin, Charles Foster examines the relationship between Neo-Darwinists and New Earth Christians. Foster argues that while both of these groups stand on opposite sides of the spectrum, they agree on one major point: if the Neo-Darwinist view natural selection is true, then it excludes the existence of God. Foster highlights the trouble in holding onto either of these extreme views, that it doesn’t leave a lot of wiggle room for any new thoughts or new ideas. The book is a discussion of how to hold science and faith in both hands and live in the middle. He challenges the reader to examine some of their preconceived ideas and step beyond those to see how science or faith could expand their understanding.
While I enjoyed this book tremendously, it is not for everyone; it is written very much like a text book and contains some challenging ideas about the creation of the universe and evolution and how they relate to the biblical narrative. In the end, I think this book might be more challenging than edifying for some, which is I why I can’t really recommend it. If you are a Christian, though, and would like to read it, I suggest doing so in community; the book may be challenging but the discussion that comes from it could be tremendously edifying.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Theology Thursday 18 - God's Repuation > Mine
I am very concerned with my reputation. I want people to like me. I want people to think I’m funny. I want people to listen to what I say. I want people to think I’m good at my job. Basically, even though I graduated from high school over ten years ago, I still want to hang out in the cool area of the quad and I want everyone to know my name. I’ve come to realize, though, that God isn’t nearly as concerned about my reputation as he is his.
God cares more about his reputation than he does mine.
I am reading through Hosea and the first thing that God tells Hosea to do is marry a prostitute, Gomer. I imagine the stigma of marrying a prostitute in ancient Israel would be very similar to today’s stigma. No one I know wants to marry a prostitute; who would want to marry someone who practices unfaithfulness for a living? In spite of that, though, and the damage it would do to Hosea’s reputation, God tells Hosea to marry a prostitute.
Didn’t God know what marrying a prostitute would do to Hosea’s reputation?
Didn’t God know what marrying a prostitute would do to Hosea’s standing in the community?
Didn’t God know what marrying a prostitute would do to Hosea’s chances of eating lunch with the cool kids?
Yes. God understood all of these things but his reputation and his name and his glory were far more important than Hosea’s. God knew that Hosea’s marriage to a prostitute provided a living metaphor for what God’s people had done and through that metaphor God would ultimately be glorified, his name would be made greater. In the end, God cares more about his name being glorified than our own and so should we.
If given the opportunity to glorify ourselves or God, we should always choose God. He is the only one worthy of praise and his is the most glorious name. If God gives us the opportunity to grow his reputation at the expense of our own, we should take that opportunity every time; not because we shouldn’t necessarily care what others think about us, but because we should care what others think about our God more.
So any time we have the chance to give up our seat at the cool table to God, we should happily do it; he belongs there more than we do anyway.
God cares more about his reputation than he does mine.
I am reading through Hosea and the first thing that God tells Hosea to do is marry a prostitute, Gomer. I imagine the stigma of marrying a prostitute in ancient Israel would be very similar to today’s stigma. No one I know wants to marry a prostitute; who would want to marry someone who practices unfaithfulness for a living? In spite of that, though, and the damage it would do to Hosea’s reputation, God tells Hosea to marry a prostitute.
Didn’t God know what marrying a prostitute would do to Hosea’s reputation?
Didn’t God know what marrying a prostitute would do to Hosea’s standing in the community?
Didn’t God know what marrying a prostitute would do to Hosea’s chances of eating lunch with the cool kids?
Yes. God understood all of these things but his reputation and his name and his glory were far more important than Hosea’s. God knew that Hosea’s marriage to a prostitute provided a living metaphor for what God’s people had done and through that metaphor God would ultimately be glorified, his name would be made greater. In the end, God cares more about his name being glorified than our own and so should we.
If given the opportunity to glorify ourselves or God, we should always choose God. He is the only one worthy of praise and his is the most glorious name. If God gives us the opportunity to grow his reputation at the expense of our own, we should take that opportunity every time; not because we shouldn’t necessarily care what others think about us, but because we should care what others think about our God more.
So any time we have the chance to give up our seat at the cool table to God, we should happily do it; he belongs there more than we do anyway.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Leadership Wednesday 19 - Dancing Pastors
“Do as I say, not as I do.”
The hypocrisy inherent in this statement is fairly obvious. Sometimes children accuse their parents of exemplifying this type of attitude. Parents tell their children not to do certain activities and then turn around and participate in those very same activities. The same hypocrisy can very often be seen in leaders. Thankfully, my senior pastor, Rob Acker, is not that type of leader.
When we returned from our honeymoon Alycia and I were very interested to hear what people thought about our wedding. We enjoyed our wedding but didn’t know if any of our guests had enjoyed themselves. As we spoke with some of our guests, everyone kept telling us about Pastor Rob and his moves on the dance floor; apparently he was getting down. Alycia nor I saw Rob’s dancing, but it made quite the impact on a number of people.
I like that Rob was so freely dancing at our wedding because it set an example of celebration and taking joy in life. The weekend after our wedding Rob gave a sermon on what it means to celebrate and revel in the goodness and love of God. I’m sure it would have been a fine sermon on its own, but it had a much greater impact because Rob was so readily living it out.
Leaders need to set the example, regardless of the example being set. As leaders we often think of our responsibility to set the example in solemn and serious matters; it’s important to set the example in actions like forgiveness and attitudes like humility. But it’s equally important to set the example in how we celebrate and acknowledge God’s goodness on a daily basis.
The hypocrisy inherent in this statement is fairly obvious. Sometimes children accuse their parents of exemplifying this type of attitude. Parents tell their children not to do certain activities and then turn around and participate in those very same activities. The same hypocrisy can very often be seen in leaders. Thankfully, my senior pastor, Rob Acker, is not that type of leader.
When we returned from our honeymoon Alycia and I were very interested to hear what people thought about our wedding. We enjoyed our wedding but didn’t know if any of our guests had enjoyed themselves. As we spoke with some of our guests, everyone kept telling us about Pastor Rob and his moves on the dance floor; apparently he was getting down. Alycia nor I saw Rob’s dancing, but it made quite the impact on a number of people.
I like that Rob was so freely dancing at our wedding because it set an example of celebration and taking joy in life. The weekend after our wedding Rob gave a sermon on what it means to celebrate and revel in the goodness and love of God. I’m sure it would have been a fine sermon on its own, but it had a much greater impact because Rob was so readily living it out.
Leaders need to set the example, regardless of the example being set. As leaders we often think of our responsibility to set the example in solemn and serious matters; it’s important to set the example in actions like forgiveness and attitudes like humility. But it’s equally important to set the example in how we celebrate and acknowledge God’s goodness on a daily basis.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Topical Tuesday 22 - Honeymoon Checklist
Alycia and I were in Puerto Vallarta in Mexico for our honeymoon last week. Unbeknownst to us, Mexicana Airlines was facing complications from a bankruptcy and buyout, complications that eventually forced them to suspend all air travel. Fortunately for us, we flew on Alaska Airlines and wouldn’t have been trapped in Puerto Vallarta for an extended honeymoon. The situation did start me thinking about what we would have needed had our honeymoon been forcibly extended. So here is a completely PG list of what we would have needed on a longer honeymoon.
Books
Alycia and I have already turned into an old married couple and spent a lot of our honeymoon reading books. After all the busyness and insanity leading up to the wedding, both of us were more than content to sit and relax by reading. I brought four books with me to Puerto Vallarta and finished all four over the course of the week. Granted, three of them were Narnia books, but I still made it through them rather quickly. Without another book or two to read, Alycia and I would have had a lot of awkward moments of sitting and staring at each other.
Underwear
It is really humid in Puerto Vallarta, like really humid. Even in our room everything was always just a little damp, nothing was ever completely dry. So when we were outside in the heat and humidity I was sweating through my underwear and undershirts, not feeling so fresh and so clean (so fresh and so clean, clean). To make matters worse I also spent some time on the treadmill every day; after getting off the treadmill I looked like I had been competing in a wet t-shirt contest.
Pepto Bismal
The food at the resort was good, so good that I probably ate way more of it than I should have. After five days of eating large meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner, my stomach started to reject me. It’s as if he said to me, “You’ve been shoving too much greasy, fatty food into me for five straight days, and that doesn’t even include all the Pedro’s Tacos from the weekend. Now, because of that, I’m exacting my revenge. Enjoy the cramps and time spent in the bathroom.” My stomach was mean and spiteful but, in his defense, my diet had consisted of beans, tortillas, cheese, meat and meat wrapped in meat.
Movies
Being the old married couple that we are, Alycia and I also spent a lot of time watching movies in our room. We watched Coraline, The Hurt Locker and Saving Private Ryan. The resort had movies to check out but most of them were more along the lines of Sex and the City than The Hurt Locker. Had we known that we were going to be watching movies, we could have packed some of our own. We could have brought great movies that Alycia hasn’t seen, like The Usual Suspects, or movies that are always good for a watch, like A Knight’s Tale.
Let’s be honest, I’m just upset that I didn’t bring Can’t Hardly Wait.
Sunglasses
I own like four pairs of sunglasses (down from the eight I used to own), but somehow I managed to not bring a single pair. Let’s think about this, I didn’t bring a pair of sunglasses to the beach. That’s like not bringing a bride to a wedding, not just like it but almost. So I was without sunglasses at our beach resort with the sun shining down upon white sand. The worst part about not having sunglasses wasn’t the bright sunlight, but the inability to inconspicuously stare at Europeans and wonder why on earth they would wear Capri pants.
Books
Alycia and I have already turned into an old married couple and spent a lot of our honeymoon reading books. After all the busyness and insanity leading up to the wedding, both of us were more than content to sit and relax by reading. I brought four books with me to Puerto Vallarta and finished all four over the course of the week. Granted, three of them were Narnia books, but I still made it through them rather quickly. Without another book or two to read, Alycia and I would have had a lot of awkward moments of sitting and staring at each other.
Underwear
It is really humid in Puerto Vallarta, like really humid. Even in our room everything was always just a little damp, nothing was ever completely dry. So when we were outside in the heat and humidity I was sweating through my underwear and undershirts, not feeling so fresh and so clean (so fresh and so clean, clean). To make matters worse I also spent some time on the treadmill every day; after getting off the treadmill I looked like I had been competing in a wet t-shirt contest.
Pepto Bismal
The food at the resort was good, so good that I probably ate way more of it than I should have. After five days of eating large meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner, my stomach started to reject me. It’s as if he said to me, “You’ve been shoving too much greasy, fatty food into me for five straight days, and that doesn’t even include all the Pedro’s Tacos from the weekend. Now, because of that, I’m exacting my revenge. Enjoy the cramps and time spent in the bathroom.” My stomach was mean and spiteful but, in his defense, my diet had consisted of beans, tortillas, cheese, meat and meat wrapped in meat.
Movies
Being the old married couple that we are, Alycia and I also spent a lot of time watching movies in our room. We watched Coraline, The Hurt Locker and Saving Private Ryan. The resort had movies to check out but most of them were more along the lines of Sex and the City than The Hurt Locker. Had we known that we were going to be watching movies, we could have packed some of our own. We could have brought great movies that Alycia hasn’t seen, like The Usual Suspects, or movies that are always good for a watch, like A Knight’s Tale.
Let’s be honest, I’m just upset that I didn’t bring Can’t Hardly Wait.
Sunglasses
I own like four pairs of sunglasses (down from the eight I used to own), but somehow I managed to not bring a single pair. Let’s think about this, I didn’t bring a pair of sunglasses to the beach. That’s like not bringing a bride to a wedding, not just like it but almost. So I was without sunglasses at our beach resort with the sun shining down upon white sand. The worst part about not having sunglasses wasn’t the bright sunlight, but the inability to inconspicuously stare at Europeans and wonder why on earth they would wear Capri pants.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Music Monday 26 - Our Wedding Music
I haven’t posted a new blog since May 17. In the months leading up to our wedding, I was losing brain function at an alarming rate; unfortunately, what brain power I had left, needed to be reserved for things like my job and planning a wedding. Now that I’m happily married, though, I feel my brain coming back to me. So, in the words of Eminem, guess who’s back?
I did get married recently and I certainly don’t plan on every subsequent post to be about either our wedding or marriage. But since I’ve already discussed wedding songs, I thought I might spend some time reflecting on our wedding music and why we chose certain songs.
Procession of the Bride
Alycia and I had a difficult time selecting the song to which she would walk down the aisle. Neither of us wanted something traditional like the wedding march or “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring”. I thought that Billy Idol’s “White Wedding” would be a good selection but Alycia disagreed; I think it was a sign, though, that we should have chose that song when we saw The Wedding Singer on our honeymoon. We eventually decided upon Norah Jones’ “Come Away With Me”. Alycia and I both like jazz and I had always felt that “Come Away With Me” was one of the most romantic songs ever. Sure, it doesn’t have the blatant romance of “My Heart Will Go On” or “Teenage Dream”, but I’ll always think about my bride walking down the aisle when I hear “Come Away With Me”, and that’s all right with me.
Recessional
If our decision for the procession was difficult, our decision for the recessional was contentious. Before we even began dating, I told Alycia that I wanted the throne room song from the end of Star Wars played as my wife and I walked back down the aisle. In my mind I couldn’t understand why Alycia wouldn’t want that song, especially when I wanted it so badly and she didn’t really care. While it was a contentious and difficult decision, it provided a great illustration for a sermon and we eventually decided together upon “Where the Streets Have No Name”. U2 is my favorite band and “Where the Streets Have No Name” is my favorite song ever, so my musical inclinations were still satisfied. It was great to hold my wife’s hand for the first time and walk back down the aisle as the intro built; it truly was a celebratory moment.
First Dance
In our minds we both had images of a well choreographed first dance. With that in mind, we selected “The Best is Yet to Come” by Michael Bublé. We thought it would be a good song to dance to and wow all of our guests with our dancing prowess. Unfortunately, even though we had some choreographed steps, we lacked the time necessary to practice. So our beautifully planned dance dissolved into something akin to Kate Gosselin’s appearance on Dancing with the Stars; unlike her, though, we’re still not crazy. So instead of a tightly choreographed dance, we had a stumbling, bumbling shuffle across the dance floor, full of laughs and smiles, mercifully cut short by the DJ.
If you're married, what songs did you select for your wedding? If you're not married, what songs would you like played at your wedding?
I did get married recently and I certainly don’t plan on every subsequent post to be about either our wedding or marriage. But since I’ve already discussed wedding songs, I thought I might spend some time reflecting on our wedding music and why we chose certain songs.
Procession of the Bride
Alycia and I had a difficult time selecting the song to which she would walk down the aisle. Neither of us wanted something traditional like the wedding march or “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring”. I thought that Billy Idol’s “White Wedding” would be a good selection but Alycia disagreed; I think it was a sign, though, that we should have chose that song when we saw The Wedding Singer on our honeymoon. We eventually decided upon Norah Jones’ “Come Away With Me”. Alycia and I both like jazz and I had always felt that “Come Away With Me” was one of the most romantic songs ever. Sure, it doesn’t have the blatant romance of “My Heart Will Go On” or “Teenage Dream”, but I’ll always think about my bride walking down the aisle when I hear “Come Away With Me”, and that’s all right with me.
Recessional
If our decision for the procession was difficult, our decision for the recessional was contentious. Before we even began dating, I told Alycia that I wanted the throne room song from the end of Star Wars played as my wife and I walked back down the aisle. In my mind I couldn’t understand why Alycia wouldn’t want that song, especially when I wanted it so badly and she didn’t really care. While it was a contentious and difficult decision, it provided a great illustration for a sermon and we eventually decided together upon “Where the Streets Have No Name”. U2 is my favorite band and “Where the Streets Have No Name” is my favorite song ever, so my musical inclinations were still satisfied. It was great to hold my wife’s hand for the first time and walk back down the aisle as the intro built; it truly was a celebratory moment.
First Dance
In our minds we both had images of a well choreographed first dance. With that in mind, we selected “The Best is Yet to Come” by Michael Bublé. We thought it would be a good song to dance to and wow all of our guests with our dancing prowess. Unfortunately, even though we had some choreographed steps, we lacked the time necessary to practice. So our beautifully planned dance dissolved into something akin to Kate Gosselin’s appearance on Dancing with the Stars; unlike her, though, we’re still not crazy. So instead of a tightly choreographed dance, we had a stumbling, bumbling shuffle across the dance floor, full of laughs and smiles, mercifully cut short by the DJ.
If you're married, what songs did you select for your wedding? If you're not married, what songs would you like played at your wedding?
Monday, May 17, 2010
Music Monday 25 - In the Club
Lady GaGa. Kylie Minogue. Jamiroquai. Cascada. Tiesto. ABBA. I really like all these groups and artists because I really like dance music. I like the beat, the electronic production and the general upbeat attitude. However, as much as I like dance music, I really can’t stand the club scene, like at all.
I just got back from Las Vegas, which has shed the family friendly persona it created in the 90s and embraced its hedonistic, sex-driven persona. This current persona has been partially built on the burgeoning club scene. Clubs like Pure, LAX, Tryst and Jet have become the places to be in Vegas. And while I love Vegas as much as anyone I know, I can’t understand the fascination with the club scene and culture; it has never appealed to me.
In spite of this complete lack of a desire to go to a club, I have a strong desire to listen to music played inside of clubs. There’s nothing better than cruising around town on a summer day, windows down, loudly playing something with a good beat. Dance music is intended to be played in a club, while people dance or wait to enter the club. Like an animal that thrives outside of its natural environment, though, dance music has found a home on my iPod and in my truck. I can’t explain it. I just know that Lady GaGa while I’m driving makes me happy. The thought of Lady GaGa in a club makes me sick to my stomach.
How do you feel about dance music outside of a club?
I just got back from Las Vegas, which has shed the family friendly persona it created in the 90s and embraced its hedonistic, sex-driven persona. This current persona has been partially built on the burgeoning club scene. Clubs like Pure, LAX, Tryst and Jet have become the places to be in Vegas. And while I love Vegas as much as anyone I know, I can’t understand the fascination with the club scene and culture; it has never appealed to me.
In spite of this complete lack of a desire to go to a club, I have a strong desire to listen to music played inside of clubs. There’s nothing better than cruising around town on a summer day, windows down, loudly playing something with a good beat. Dance music is intended to be played in a club, while people dance or wait to enter the club. Like an animal that thrives outside of its natural environment, though, dance music has found a home on my iPod and in my truck. I can’t explain it. I just know that Lady GaGa while I’m driving makes me happy. The thought of Lady GaGa in a club makes me sick to my stomach.
How do you feel about dance music outside of a club?
Monday, May 3, 2010
Music Monday 24 - Created to Create
One of my very good friends, Luke, just released an EP last week. As I listened to the EP I was blown away by the music he had written, performed and recorded. The EP is his creation, from beginning to end. Obviously Luke had help and people who participated in the project, but he created it.
I’m not very musically inclined. I have no idea how to create anything musical. I wouldn’t even know where to begin with writing a song or creating a piece of music. My musical inability isn’t a new reality, it is just brought into starker contrast as I listen to something created by a friend I’ve known since high school.
Humans have been created in the image of God and God is a creator. It only makes sense that we should create; music is a great expression of that creativity. I envy those who can create music; I wish I could create something as powerful and beautiful as music. However, even if we’re not musically inclined, we have still been created to create, whether that’s with words, images, thoughts or ideas.
Download Luke’s EP here.
I’m not very musically inclined. I have no idea how to create anything musical. I wouldn’t even know where to begin with writing a song or creating a piece of music. My musical inability isn’t a new reality, it is just brought into starker contrast as I listen to something created by a friend I’ve known since high school.
Humans have been created in the image of God and God is a creator. It only makes sense that we should create; music is a great expression of that creativity. I envy those who can create music; I wish I could create something as powerful and beautiful as music. However, even if we’re not musically inclined, we have still been created to create, whether that’s with words, images, thoughts or ideas.
Download Luke’s EP here.
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