Know It All
I had a friend who questioned his Christian workplace’s views of a particular disputable theological matter. Not long after voicing his concerns, he was labeled by co-workers as being theologically suspect. He no longer works for that ministry. But he recently found out that his accusers and the denomination with which the workplace was affiliated ended up agreeing with his stance. Unfortunately, he never received an apology from the group.
Birth Religion
It’s popular today to dismiss all religions as merely an accident of birth. If a person is born in Pakistan, the odds are that she will be a Muslim. India produces Hindus, Thailand makes Buddhists, Brazilians tend to be Catholics, and so on. Have you wondered if the only reason you believe in Jesus is due to the influence of your parents or others? Is becoming a believer simply about being born in the right family?
love, life, and religion
In the book Bono: A Self-Portrait in Conversation, the legendary U2 vocalist shared these thoughts on God’s love with author Michka Assayas. “My understanding of the Scriptures,” Bono says, “has been made simple by the person of Christ. Christ teaches that God is love. What does that mean? What it means for me: a study of the life of Christ. Love here describes itself as a child born in straw poverty, the most vulnerable situation of all, without honor. I don’t let my religious world get too complicated. . . . God is love, and as much as I respond in allowing myself to be transformed by that love and acting in that love, that’s my religion.”
bad religion
In his landmark books Soul Searching and Souls in Transition, sociologist Christian Smith surveyed American young adults and found that most held to what he called “Therapeutic Moralistic Deism.” They’re deists because they believe God doesn’t interfere in our lives unless we need His help to solve a problem. They’re moralistic because they believe God wants us to be good and kind to each other. And their view is therapeutic because it makes them feel good about themselves.
God of the living
The Sadducees were more interested in politics than religion—accepting only the Pentateuch (the five books of Moses) as their Scripture. Being materialists in their thinking, they didn’t believe in angels, nor in the resurrection (Luke 20:27; Acts 23:8).
starting with prayer
On November 23, 1835, George Müller wrote, “Today I have had it very much impressed on my heart, no longer merely to think about the establishment of an orphan house, but actually to set about it, and I have been very much in prayer respecting it, in order to ascertain the Lord’s mind.”
how we know
My sons are picking up on the way TV advertisers play games with viewers, twisting statistics and making outrageous claims. I fear it won’t be long before my boys become jaded and are slow to trust. Many of us struggle with this in our faith: How can I believe anything at all? How can I trust what God says?
imagine
In 1971, John Lennon wrote a song about heaven and hell. The British public voted ”Imagine” their nation’s favorite song in 1999, and it earned Lennon a Grammy Hall of Fame Award that same year. The song also ranked number 3 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time (2004). Lennon wrote: “Imagine there’s no heaven. It’s easy if you try. No hell below us. Above us only sky. Imagine all the people. Living for today . . .”
unpopular
Chick-fil-A is a popular American fast food chain whose president, Dan Cathy, also happens to be a Christian. Biblical values permeate its 1,600+ restaurants which are always closed on Sunday. Chick-fil-A also started the WinShape Foundation, which provides college scholarships, foster care programs, and marriage enrichment ministries.
good religion
As a pastor, I get interesting responses from people when they discover my vocation. Some will immediately apologize for the language they’ve used. Some offer a forced smile and then come up with an excuse to change the subject. One line I hear often is: “Well, I like Jesus, but I don’t like religion.”
no longer acting
A gifted local actor was asked to play the part of Scrooge in an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol for my friend’s church. The revised story included a scene where his crusty character broke down, confessed his sin, and received Jesus as his Savior. Each play practice, the actor struggled with the scene—for he was not a believer in Christ. On opening night, however, as he was spoke the scripted words of repentance and acceptance of God’s gift of salvation, the Holy Spirit moved in his heart and he gave his life to Jesus!
modern priests
"I’m very clear about what my role and purpose is,” Oprah Winfrey once told an interviewer. “I am the messenger to deliver the message of redemption, of hope, of forgiveness, of gratitude, of evolving people to the best of themselves.” Often described as the high priestess of religion-less spirituality, Oprah could resemble a preacher on her TV show. To many…
living without religion
An advertisement recently went up near my hometown that read: “You don’t need God to hope, to care, to love, to live.” The advertisement was part of a national advertising campaign by a group that calls itself Living Without Religion. While I don’t support the group’s specific agenda, I’m all for living with less religion.
At its core, Christianity is…
