The Journey of Life

Consolidating under a new blog

2011-01-28T16:06:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the inconvenience, but this is the last post on this blog. All the posts have been imported to a new blog. I had to do this to consolidate all my google account into one google account. It was getting too confusing constantly signing into one account and out of another account. So, please forgive the redirect, but if you want to see any newer posts, go to:
http://pjatjol.blogspot.com/

LOVE — the mark of Christian community

2010-09-09T10:37:00.000-04:00

Jesus said that people will know we are disciples if we have love for one another. And that can be a problem. Because “love” is one messed up word, let me tell you!

Most often in our culture “love” means “like a great deal.” I love pizza. I love my car. I am in love with a girl. If you ponder this way of looking at “love” for a moment, you will see that it basically has to do with me. It means that something makes me feel good. Pizza. My car. The girl I’ve started dating. Why do I love them? Because they make me feel so good!

Imagine trying to build a community (or family, or marriage, for that matter) on everything making me feel good. It may sound attractive, but so does being able to fly through the air just by thinking hard enough… and both are equally as likely.

Lucky for us, our feelings are not what Jesus is talking about when he says “love for one another” will be an observable mark of his disciples.

Can you imagine a community where people are patient and kind? Where people aren’t envious, boastful, rude or arrogant? Where people don’t insist on their own way? Where nobody is irritable or resentful? Where people believe in you, don’t keep a record of wrongs, and bear with you? That would be an awesome place! I am smiling just thinking about it.

A place like that would be a place where people have decided to treat each other well, sometimes in direct opposition to how they are feeling. That would a place where love, as the Bible talks about it, is the driving force and have I got some good news for you! That is exactly the place God wants the church to be.

There are over 60 references in the New Testament to how Christians are to treat each other. The message series beginning September 12 at Journey of Life will be exploring how God says we are to treat one another. We will also have 5-week small groups to further explore and grow in how to treat each other well.

You can listen to or view the messages on Journey of Life's Blip.tv channel (http://journeyoflife.blip.tv/). The are usually posted by Wednesday morning, and are often posted on Sunday afternoon following the service. We're also going to take a crack at having a virtual small group, so if you are not in Orlando and want to participate, just let me know. (john@journeyoflife.org).

Love - The Mark of a Christian Community

2010-09-03T07:29:00.000-04:00

Jesus said that people will know we are disciples if we have love for one another. And that can be a problem. Because “love” is one messed up word, let me tell you!

Most often in our culture “love” means “like a great deal.” I love pizza. I love my car. I am in love with a girl. If you ponder this way of looking at “love” for a moment, you will see that it basically has to do with me. It means that something makes me feel good. Pizza. My car. The girl I’ve started dating. Why do I love them? Because they make me feel so good!

Imagine trying to build a community (or family, or marriage, for that matter) on everything making me feel good. It may sound attractive, but so does being able to fly through the air just by thinking hard enough… and both are equally as likely.

Lucky for us, our feelings are not what Jesus is talking about when he says “love for one another” will be an observable mark of his disciples.

Imagine a community where people are patient and kind? Where people aren’t envious, boastful, rude or arrogant? Where people don’t insist on their own way? Where nobody is irritable or resentful? Where people believe in you, don’t keep a record of wrongs, and bear with you? That would be an awesome place! I am smiling just thinking about it.

A place like that would be a place where people have decided to treat each other well, sometimes in direct opposition to how they are feeling. That would a place where love, as the Bible talks about it, is the driving force and have I got some good news for you! That is exactly the place God wants the church to be. God wants our church to be an awesome place to be!

Beginning September 12, 2010, we are going to take five Sundays to talk about the over 60 references in the New Testament to how we can treat each other well. We are also going to have 5-week small groups with materials that follow this series. These are going to excellent groups to be in and I strongly encourage you to commit now to be in one when we organize them. We are even going to take a crack at a virtual group because some people who want to be involved have a travel schedule that takes them out of town regularly right now.

When I look around Journey of Life, I already see this kind of love in practice. Journey of Life is an awesome place to be. I am excited to celebrate the love we share, study what the Bible teaches about how to treat each other well, and grow in being able to display the love that marks us as followers of Jesus Christ.

I got cussed at yesterday... very strange

2010-08-18T08:11:00.001-04:00

Here's what happened:

Yesterday, part of my day was spent putting out roadside signs for a Financial Peace University preview class our church is hosting this weekend. As I was walking away from putting a sign on the corner of an intersection, I heard someone yell, "Go f--- yourself!" I looked up. A young man was leaning out of the window of a large late model pickup truck that had turned right and was pulling away from the intersection. He yelled again while hanging out of the window looking in my direction, "Did you hear me? Go f--- yourself!"

He could have been yelling at someone else, but I didn't see anyone else around.

I have encountered some harshness toward my faith (though very little). But these signs don't even mention our church, except the web address, which also doesn't indicate it's a church (http://www.journeyoflife.org/). Several churches do put signs out like that in our area, so maybe he assumed it was for a church.

What I don't understand is what, in his mind, is the point? Does he think saying, "F---" to me is goint to hurt my tender ears? Offend me? I guess he is publicly expressing his opinion, which can be somewhat cathartic. Really, though, I just don't get it. Not only did it not bother me, I found it, for some strange reason, mildly entertaining.

Upon reflection, though, I am a little bothered by the incident. It occurs to me that he must not have been wearing a seatbelt and, while cussing out the window is just silly, not wearing a seatbelt is dangerous.

Postmodernism... Sort of

2006-08-05T11:59:00.000-04:00

I've been exploring worldviews, truth, etc. for a sermon series on "Reframing Your Worldview." I stumbled across a page that randomly generates short academic papers based on stock terms and phrases. It's quite fun. There is also an adolescent poetry generator linked from that page.

Check it out at:
http://www.elsewhere.org/pomo

Grace and Justice in Society

2006-07-27T22:51:00.000-04:00

I was at a friends how the other night playing poker (gasp!). One of the things I love about poker is that it is so interactive. If you are simply playing for chips, or even nickel and dime poker, you can have several hours of great fun getting to know people more deeply for less than the price of a movie with popcorn.

Regardless, this blog is not about the poker game but the conversation after the poker game. It was great. It was political. It was great because it was political. I think that the devil (forces of evil, etc.) have scored a great victory in defining polite conversation. What two topics are off limits in polite conversation: Religion and politics. These are are two of the most important subject a group of people could ever talk about. Our relationship with God and our societal relationships with each other. By moving religion and politics out-of-bounds, we have virtually ensured that we will continue to have greater conflict and deeper misunderstanding because we can't or won't discuss two of the things at the very roots of our lives.

So the game ended and the conversation turned to politics. The political leanings of the people around the table varied significantly. I will probably talk about my own political leanings at some point. Not tonight, however.

One person at the table said he was a Democrat because he believes that they are more grace-filled. Bear in mind that this is a table of Lutherans. We believe that the three cornerstones of our faith are grace alone, faith alone and scripture alone. So his following the party that seemed to offer more grace into people's lives makes sense.

Here is my struggle: is 'grace' the proper posture for a government? Will a grace-filled government lead to a more grace-filled society or to a more chaotic society? In the sphere of Christian faith, individuals are absolutely called to -- even obligated to -- be grace-giving toward others because of God's grace to us. Is this the sphere in which the government operates, however. This especially needs to be thought through in a country like the U.S. wherein the government is constitutionally prohibited from establishing a religion.

My current thinking is that grace is not the government's job. The government's job in the US is to protect us from external enemies and maintain justice within our country irrespective of a person's color, creed, social status, etc. I would call on people everywhere to be gracious, to feed the poor, etc. But to do it voluntarily. As soon as we, the citizens, recruit the government to do our charity (that is our loving of others), it ceases to be love because it is compelled. By using the government to feed the poor, we institute a system of compulsory charity (an oxymoron if I've ever heard one). It is possible that this compulsory charity actually makes our society meaner. Instead of people having to face the poor among us, we can be sure that there is a program somewhere to care for them and as long as we pay our taxes we are doing our part. Instead of having to think about others and make decisions about charity (about love), feeding the poor becomes one more deduction on the pay stub, not worthy of consideration because there is no choice in the matter any way.

Criminals are another matter for another time.

May you recognize God's blessings in your life.

BOOK: "Rumors of Another World" by Philip Yancy

2006-07-25T10:07:00.000-04:00

Just finished reading "Rumors of Another World: What On Earth Are We Missing?" I really enjoyed it. It's sort of a post-modern look at natural theology (natural theology is discerning the existence and character of God simply through our observance of thing in an around us and without primary reliance on any sacred scripture as authoritative).

Unfortunately or fortunately, I have a fairly skeptical nature. This often pokes at my faith. In "Rumors," Philip Yancy takes a look at what we see in the world to see if it matches what the Bible teaches. He also looks at several "natural" phenomena -- such as sex, guilt and altruism under horrific oppression -- and sees in them rumors of the spiritual world around us which is not available to direct observation.

One great point in "Rumors" is how to view the commandments of God. If we live a purely materialistic existence, many commands of God seem on the surface to be dictates of the cosmic killjoy. If we only look forward to our spiritual existence in heaven, then we are putting off today's pleasures for tomorrows joys. Yancy's assertion is that this is generally a false dichotomy. God's instructions come to us not only -- or even primarily -- as rules defining sin but more as instructions toward the best life. God made sex. God wants us to have the best sex possible. Sex is best experienced in marriage. Guilt (properly) is a sensitivity in our soul alerting us to areas of brokenness or weakness just as pain in our physical bodies is a gift from God that keeps us from damaging ourselves further. God's instructions bring the best life in every sense, not just in the 'spiritual' sense.

The end result of this book is Yancy's assertion that we need to see life with "stereoscopic vision." The question is not whether earthly live matters more or heavenly life matters more. They are both intricately intertwined. We can see this when we have eyes to see. Both worlds exist. Both worlds matter. We live in both worlds right now, even though we see one with our eyes and one with our spirits.

I highly recommend "Rumors of Another World" by Philip Yancy. If you are in the area, you may borrow my copy.

Cars (the movie), etc.

2006-06-13T11:41:00.000-04:00

It's been a long time since I blogged last. Haven't done much work on hell since I mentioned it last time. I did do some research on the historical reliability of "The Da Vinci Code" for a sermon I preached. That was very good for me. This week (and probably the next two or three) I'll be preaching about the Bible, who wrote it, how the various writings were compiled into one book, etc. I really enjoying the research for this sermon. Lots of stuff I haven't looked at since seminary.

Now, the movie.

I recommend the movie "Cars" for just about anyone. I took my two girls (4 & 7 yrs old) to see it. There is absolutely nothing offense about this movie. Not one off-color thing I wish my girls wouldn't have heard. Furthermore, it is a beautiful movie. The animation is eye-candy unbelievable. It is rich, vibrant and colorful. If you are thinking about this movie, you should know that my 4 yr old got a little bored. Even though the animation is stunning, it is a plot-driven movie and so my 4 yr old lost interest after a while. There's almost no slapstick in it (one exception my younger daughter liked was "tractor-tipping.") Anyone who likes nice movies with nice plots that come to full resolution will like this movie as long as they aren't the type that is simply turned off by animation.

From a Christian point of view, the movie has good moral points that are in line with Christian values. Although Christianity isn't first and foremost about values but about God's love that reached down to us in Jesus Christ. In that sense, the movie was neither pro-Christian nor anti-Christian. It's ust a beautiful movie with a nice story. I'll see it again. I might even buy it when it comes out on DVD (I love animation for some reason).

Hell

2006-04-23T17:04:00.000-04:00

I've lately been bothered by the idea of Hell quite a bit.

My generic view of Hell is this: a place/existence of separation from God, the source of all that is good, peaceful, joyful, etc. It is painful in the deep, soul-torment type of pain that is of an entirely different and worse order than physical pain, like when you wished your parents would spank you for your misbehavior but instead they just looked at you and you felt very distant from them.

The question, "How can a loving God send people to Hell?" does not seem unreasonable question. It is a question that bothers me. I do not like to think of people -- any people -- in eternal torment because they are separated from God forever.

In "The Great Divorce," C.S. Lewis concocted a story wherein people in Hell can get to heaven but, often as not, choose Hell. This is where the idea of Hell really begins to bother me.

I see two options:
1. Whether or not I go to Hell is completely up to God.
2. Whether or not I go to Hell is a result of my decisions.

I don't like either choice.

If I my eternal destiny is entirely in the hands of God then it is out of my control. I like to be in control of things. I like to steer the ship of my life. To think that the most serious event of my existence -- my eternal destination -- is completely out of my control is not a happy thought.

On the other hand, having my eternal destiny be up to my choice doesn't seem so great either. I make poor choices all the time. I just ate 1/2 box of Fudge Grahams even though I know they are bad for me. If the Bible's presupposition of Heaven is true (that we enter by grace as a free gift), that puts a stumbling block in my way. I must check my pride at the door. There's no room left for, "Isn't John great?!!" If I must drop my pride and humbly accept a gift I can never repay in order to enter heaven, I'm afraid that in some moments I would choose Hell and keep my pride.

To be continued...

Excited about reading a book I remember liking

2006-03-23T17:58:00.000-05:00

I am excited about reading a book I read before. It's entitled, "Blue Like Jazz." I don't recall the content but I remember liking the book a great deal. I just ran across it again. I opened it up and found this "Author's Note" just before the first chapter:

I never liked jazz music becaue it doesn't resolve. But I was outside the
Bagdad Theater in Portland one night when I saw a man playing the saxophone. I stood there for fifteen minutes, and he never opened his eyes.

After that I liked jazz music.

Sometimes you have to watch somebody love something before you can love it yourself. It is as if they are showing you the way.

I use to not like God because God didn't resolve. But that was way before this happened.

Oh, that resonates with my soul. I get weighed down when it seems that getting the rules right is what God is all about. I don't really like God when I feel like God is all about the rules.

But watching Jesus love God really hits me in my heart. And then watching other people love Jesus -- not the rules, not their resolved idea of Jesus -- in an ever growing and changing discovery of where Christ leads us and how wonderfully he leads us. Strange, new, beautiful sounds coming out of people's souls. Unexpected harmonies of humans lives where nobody thought they could exist.

Yeah, I'm looking forward to reading "Blue Like Jazz" again. I'll let you know how it goes.

Rewrite of letter from God

2006-03-07T21:24:00.000-05:00

I have seen the follwing "note from God" in several variations:

Good Morning, This Is God! : I will be Handling all Your Problems Today. I Will Not Need Your Help -- So Have a Good Day. I Love You!

It's a very comforting little piece, but I'm not sure it's very accurate. I have rewritten this "note from God" to reflect the reality of biblical revelation and life on this fallen planet. Although it's a little longer, I believe it more accurately reflects the truth. Here it is for your thought, reflection, reaction:

Good morning,

This is God. I will not be handling all your problems today. How would you ever grow strong if I did that? What kind of loving parent solves all problems for their children? If earthly parents know that their children need to grow through their problems, how much more do I know that handling your problems for you would keep you from the growth I desire for you?

No, your problems are your problems and you have to take responsibility for your decisions. However, you should also remember that I will never leave you or forsake you. I am with you always. Just because you do something stupid or wrong, that doesn’t mean I’m going to walk away from you and leave you on your own.

And though I generally won’t rescue you from the earthly consequences of your decisions (because I love you!), my son, Jesus Christ, has already taken the eternal consequences of your sin on his own shoulders. The train you are on leads straight to my door and I am thrilled! You will be with me forever where your brokenness – in fact, the brokenness of the whole world – will be undone. What you see as death is actually birth. You can’t understand it any more than a baby in the womb can understand the world of light and air. Trust me, it will be better than you can imagine.

But, for now, you are on the broken earth. You will reap what you sow. And, unfortunately, you may also reap consequences from other people’s poor or evil decisions. Here is what you need to know: You are my child because of what Jesus did. Now, even though I won’t solve your problems, I will redeem them. Your life, even your mistakes, even the times you choose evil, are part of a tapestry of history more complex than you can hold in your little brain (sorry about the “little brain” thing, but it’s true :-). My dear child, the very essence of your life is safe in my hands. Today I free you to love with wild abandon! Let it go! You’re not on earth all that long in the grand scheme. Don’t think your decisions don’t matter, they do. But don’t put too much weight on them, either. Seriously, my precious little one, do you think you can derail my plans? There’s more going on that you will ever know. Follow Jesus and you’ll do fine. I love you more than you can understand. I love you with all my heart.

Love, Dad (a.k.a. God, Maker of All, Lord of the Universe, etc.)

P.S. I snuck in while you were sleeping and watched you breathe for a while. You are so beautiful. You really are the apple of my eye.

Meditation on Ash Wednesday

2006-03-01T22:53:00.000-05:00

According to Jesus, Ash Wednesday must be the happiest day of the year.

Why? Because on Ash Wednesday we remember our own impending death, our mortality, our utter and final lack of power.

But how can this make us happy? Because the truth, as Jesus says, will set you free.

If death were the only truth of life, that would not be very freeing except, I supposed, to those who would like to live with abandon.

But Jesus says that recognizing our utter helplessness is the road to "Blessedness" -- peaceful, internal, contentedness and serenity unaffected by events around us or the circumstances of our lives.

Read Jesus' words in Matthew 5:
"...when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

The Greek word translated as "blessed" connotes a peaceful and contented state of being that is unaffected by surrounding circumstances. There is an island in the Mediterranean -- Cyprus, I think -- whose nickname is "The Blessed Isle." The reason is that the soil is so rich, the fruit so delicious, the produce so bountiful, that to those who live on this island do not need any outside thing for contentment. That is the "blessedness" that Jesus is talking about: not needing any outside thing for peace and contentment.

The other word that deserves mention is "poor." There are two Greek words for poor. One means poor as in a day laborer who earns enough to live that day. He isn't able to save anything. The other word for poor refers to a person who is crouched down and begging. In this poor, not only does a person not own anything, he lacks the ability to earn anything.

So, “Blessed are the poor in Spirit." If I may paraphrase: "Deeply contented are those who are beggars in spirit, who recognize not that they have work to do but that they can do no work."

In the original language, there is no verb in the first clause. When we say "Blessed are..." it sounds like a statement of fact. This phrase is actually an exclamation. Not simply “blessed are," but “Oh, how blessed!”

Oh, how deeply, internally, unshakably contented and peaceful are those who see their utter helplessness before God.

How do you get there? How do you get that peace?

An honest read through the Sermon on the Mount will put you on the right road.

Be warned: The road to blessedness is poverty of spirit and it is not necessarily pleasant. It is generally not fun. But it is the right road And at the end of the road is blessedness, joy and peace that cannot be taken away.

Let me give you a few excerpts from the Sermon on the Mount:

“Unless your righteousness exceeds the the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of God.”

“Whoever is angry with his brother without cause shall be in danger of judgment”

“Whoever says, “You fool!” will be in danger of hell fire.”

“Whoever looks at another lustfully has already committed adultery in his or her heart”

“Anyone who divorces except for causes of marital unfaithfulness commits adultery”

“Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who use you and persecute you. If you only love those who love you, what big deal is that. Everyone does that.”

“You will be judged with the same judgment you use on others.”

“Be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

How are you feeling now? If you took the scriptures I was reading seriously, my guess is that you are not feeling so great. Rather like your stuck. Like it's impossible. Like you can't live up to the expectations.

Brothers and sisters, welcome to 'poor in spirit.' Welcome to blessedness. You are at the door to the kingdom of God.

This place is not the kingdom of God by nature. The Bible says that Satan is the prince of this world. The wages of sin is death. We are by nature objects of wrath. Poverty of spirit without God is blind resignation to the forces of the universe.

But with God, things are different. Ash Wednesday is “poverty of spirit” day. Ash Wednesday is “beggar day." We put ashes on our foreheads to remind us of our poverty, to remind us that in the grand scheme we are crouching beggars every one of us. That person you dislike, those people on the other side of the fence from you, the one you despise whose presence you can barely stand -- every one a beggar and equal before God. You walk together as beggars in rags.
The people who should 'get it straight,' yhe ones above you, the ones below, the people far above you, the people far beneath you -- every one a beggar and equal before God. You walk together as beggars in rags.

Oh the blessedness when we recognize that we all walk together as beggars in rags. Because in the grand scheme in all of God's economy, in the deepest part of our spirits, beggars receive what workers cannot earn.

The ashes on our forehead remind us of our poverty. The shape of the cross on our forehead reminds us of God's gift. The Bible tells us that Jesus was God's Son and that he came to die. Jesus' death makes things right with God. He took the punishment for our sin upon himself. Our sins are no longer counted against us. We are adopted as sons and daughters into God's own family. This is the gift given to beggars but not available to workers because the price is too high.

What price for a life? What price would you name for the life of one of your loved ones? How could someone pay you for the life of a son or daughter, a father, a mother, a close friend? How many years of work? How much money? How much time?

The idea of putting a price on the life of a loved one is ridiculous.

I believe that God thinks that too.

When we refuse to be “poor in spirit," when we refuse to be “beggars," when we refuse to see that we are all beggars in rags, we are asking God what the price for the life of his son is. How much, God, until I am freed from my obligation? How much love until I don't have to love any more? How much forgiveness until I don't have to forgive any more?

These are not the words of a beggar receiving a gift. The words of a beggar are “thank you”

As we see the ashes, let us remember that we are beggars all -- to the left, to the right, across this country, around the world, we are beggars all. And in God's economy, beggars receive what workers cannot earn: Forgiveness from God. Adoption into God's family. Serenity. Peace. Joy in the midst of sorrow.

Oh, how blessed the poor in spirit, theirs is the kingdom of heaven!

Book Recommendation

2006-02-25T17:08:00.000-05:00

I am currently wounded so if there are typos I will beg your forgiveness. I cut my left index finger fairly deeply. I have it splinted to keep the skin from moving around so that the cut can heal quickly. Makes typing a little more challenging. But enough of that.

I want to bring to your attention one of the best books on public speaking that I have ever read: "Speak Like Churchill Stand Like Lincoln: 21 Powerful Secrets of History's Greatest Speakers." The author, James C. Humes, has written speaches for five different presidents. The book is filled with practical tips for becoming an engaging speaker and driving your message home. It is also very readable, littered with anecdotes from the lives of people like Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher, Napolean Bonaparte, Benjamine Franklin, FDR and Ronald Reagan.

I heartily recommend it for anyone who ever has to give a presentation of any kind. I would also ask that, if you are thinking of purchasing the book online, you consider buying it through the Amazon bookstore at http://www.journeyoflife.org (look at the nav bar on the left side of the screen). A portion of the proceeds will support the mission and ministry of Journey of Life Lutheran church, where I find -- somewhat to my own surprise -- that I am the pastor.

Holy Communion could (maybe) use some changes...

2006-02-03T19:17:00.001-05:00

WARNING - Funny or not, the following is intended to be humor. It's not even sarcasm with a point. I'm just being silly and hoping you laugh. But it's about a sacrament so you may not find it funny. Read on at your own risk.
------------------------------------

So, as a pastor of a church, I am thinking about how to make things more attractive to people. I think, perhaps, Holy Communion is a place where we could institute some creative changes.

Currently we use red wine. We also offer white grape juice (still "fruit of the vine") for people who can't or prefer not to take red wine. We use a sweet red, but I think that's probably a little narrow-minded for our easy-going, 21st century society. I think that beginning in February I will offer a wider choice of wines. Perhaps a Merlot or a Cabernet Savignon as an all-around red choice and a simple Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio for the white. In the long run, we will probably need to expand our selection. A Pinot Noir or Shiraz for a wine with a little more bite. A Reisling would catch a few stragglers. And I suppose we should offer White Zinfandel, though I think White Zin is for people who think they ought to drink wine but would rather drink punch. Adding a Chianti would round out our selection rather nicely (as long as the whites are chilled). To really reach all members of the community, we should allow people to bring their own favorite wine to be stored at church (for a small pouring donation).

Then there's the bread. As we move into the church of the future, little round unleavened wafers pressed with a cross won't do. They aren't very tasty anyway. We should look at offering a variety of artisan breads. Crusty French. Warm, soft Italian. Perhaps a braided loaf for that special Sunday. While we're at it, we should probably offer some spreads or dipping sauces. Butter (or Smart Balance). Two or three varieties of olive oil should suffice -- regular, garlic, and some flavor of the month.

Now the Lord's Supper is starting to sound appealing. We could even put this in the paper and a nice glossy brochure.

To really take this all the way, we may even want to consider melting cheese on the bread.

But we'd have to use a real oven. Microwave ovens aren't real heat. They're not natural. I'm not sure if it would be real communion if we melted the cheese in a microwave.

I have come to a conclusion: Marijuana should not be illegal

2006-01-19T11:42:00.000-05:00

First, let me be clear:

I am not advocating the use of marijuana.

Now that my position on marijuana use is clear (somewhat), let me tell you why I don't think marijuana should be illegal.

Marijuana does not induce violence like anoother legal intoxicant: alcohol. I grew up with an alcoholic parent who was generally a loving father and good provider. However, there was regular drinking, inconsistent behavior and occasional serious violence. Drunk people get violent all the time. Ask a cop. Does anyone ever smoke a joint then get rowdy and start a brawl? I don't have any first-hand knowledge of marijuana, but people who know tell me that it is simply not the nature of the weed.

So question number one must be: Why is alcohol legal and marijuana illegal? I have yet to hear a good answer to that question.

Oh, by the way, I am not advocating the use of marijuana.

We tried alcohol prohibition in the US. All it did was increase crime. Alcohol prohibition also increased the profitability of alcohol sales, which means that people who sold alcohol would recruit harder to get others to drink or sell their product and fight harder to protect their racket. I recently read that alcohol consumption actually decreased after prohibition was repealed. Makes sense to me. Legalizing alcohol a) significantly reduced the profit margin because there was significantly reduced risk involved in producing or distributing alcohol; b) removed the 'forbidden fruit' factor from alcoholic consumption; and c) let the market develop efficient means of production and distribution. Consumers ended up with a safer, less-expensive product and all the alcohol distribution schemes that relied on intimidation and violence were wiped out with the stroke of a pen. And remember, alcohol consumption went down after prohibition was repealed.

Legalizing marijuana would have the same effect as legalizing alcohol did. There would suddenly be little profit in this easily grown weed. The 'forbidden fruit' factor would be drastically reduced. And legal market forces would drive up the efficiency of production and distribution while driving down the price. As a bonus, if marijuana was legal, it could be taxed and the money used for public education against drug abuse. Marijuana use might even go down!

By the way, did I mention that I am not advocating the use of marijuana?

Some object by saying that marijuana is a gateway drug. I believe it is only a gateway drug because it is a high-profit drug spread through illegal trafficing. The gateway that marijuana use currently opens is not so much the gate to higher drug use but the gateway to illegal drug use. Make it legal and the gateway is gone. Legalizing marijuana would take it out of the illegal drug trade where there is a signficant profit incentive to recruit new users.

Did I mention that I am not advocating the use of marijuana?

It has taken me a while to get to this point. I understand people being afraid of what would happen if marijuana was legalized. However, I am convinced that the societal cost of keeping marijuana illegal (crime, violence, etc.) is much higher that the cost would be for legal marijuana use. There may be more lost work days... or not. People may drive while high (like they don't already!), but that should be handled like alcohol: we punish the criminal behavior rather than criminalizing the product.

It seems very clear to me that we waste untold millions of dollars and make the Unitest States a more violent place by keeping marijuana illegal.

However, please remember that I am not advocating the use of marijuana.

God, Hurricanes and Ray

2006-01-17T13:29:00.000-05:00

I am always wary of people calling God to their side in any conflict, from sports to war. Now Ray Nagin, mayor of New Orleans, has spoken as though he knows the mind of God. God is sending hurricanes because he's mad at America. (see http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/01/17/nagin.city/) As with most leaders who invoke God in this way, Mr. Nagin's opinions are the ones that God supports. So God is sending hurricanes and we'd better listen to Mr. Nagin.

First, God may be mad at the United States of America... or not.

Either way, Jesus made it perfectly clear that calamity is not a sign of God's particular disfavor on a particular group. In Jesus' day, a tower had collapsed and fallen on a small group of people. Jesus said, in regard to the incident, "Do you think that tower fell on those people because they were worse sinners? No."

New Orleans has a reputation (I haven't researched it, but it's apparently well-deserved) of being a city of corruption. Did God aim the hurricane at New Orleans because they are worse sinners? Jesus says, "No."

The True Meaning of Christmas

2005-12-25T14:34:00.000-05:00

Warning - this is a long post!

This Narration of the Christmas story and it’s meaning was delivered on December 24, 2005 with Christmas Carols sung at various points. If you’d like the entire manuscript, contact John Rallison (john@journeyoflife.org). Permission is granted to repring and store this for personal use. All other rights reserved. Contact the author for permission for any other use.

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Welcome to the Journey of Life Christmas Eve Service. Tonight we gather in celebration of the birth of a baby born over 2,000 years ago. A baby born to poor parents far from home in a city so crowded that this baby slept with the animals. This is what we gather to celebrate, but this is not where the story begins.

This story begins at the beginning. The Bible says, “In the beginning,” and there is no way to go further back. Scientist or poet, philosopher or simple laborer, every person comes to a point of faith. Strict evolutionist or young earth creationist, every person must still consider and come to a belief about how and why our universe exists in the first place. What meaning might or might not be found in this life that we live? Do we simply vanish when we die or do we go on to some other mode of existence? Through science we learn a great deal, but science does not address the metaphysical questions of life. And the metaphysical questions of life are what draw us to the story we celebrate this evening.

We begin at the beginning. God made everything. And he made it good. The scriptures tell us that there was no sin in the world, no missing the mark of our created purpose and meaning. Life was healthy, happy and whole. The Biblical story tells us that God put Adam and Eve in a beautiful garden with just one rule: Don’t eat of the tree of knowledge of Good and Evil.

Ah, a rule. Where there are no rules, rules cannot be broken. But now there was a rule that could be broken.

Adam and Eve were not the only intelligent beings the garden. Satan was there also. Formerly an archangel – his name was, “Lucifer,” which means “Light-bearer” – Satan had been cast out of heaven and sought to overthrow the good creation of God.

The rule was the perfect opportunity for Satan. He spun a web of half-truths and led Adam and Eve into eating the fruit that had been forbidden by God. The moment they disobeyed God they died spiritually. Their relationship with God was profoundly altered. Suddenly they knew they were naked. More tragically, they were, for the very first time, afraid of God. In their fear and desperation, they tried to hide from God when he came looking for them.

As a result of disobedience, life got harder. Death became part of life. Man’s ability to trust and love God was shattered. The word had been spoken that if man eats of the tree, he will surely die. A king, even the king of the universe, cannot arbitrarily change his mind and remain just. The word had been spoken and the consequences must come. Mankind’s peaceful relationship with God had been ruined and death was now upon them. Man’s life had been acutely changed.
But God’s love for mankind did not change. He set in motion a plan to not only undo what Satan had done, but to resurrect the trust and love between God and man in a new, more wonderful form. God would send a Savior. Rather than be separated from his beloved creation, God himself would bear the punishment mankind had earned.

Isaiah prophesied about the Messiah in these words:

Isaiah 53:1-6 (NKJV):

Who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,
And as a root out of dry ground.
He has no form or comeliness;
And when we see Him,
There is no beauty that we should desire Him.
He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

A baby would be born who, in some mysterious way would bear all our sins, restoring our relationship to God. That baby would literally be the incarnation – the enfleshment – of God himself. The prophet said it in this way:

Isaiah 9:6 (NKJV)

For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Emmanuel. God with us. That is the prophecy. That is our hope of redemption.
Isaiah was not the only prophet who spoke of Jesus hundreds of years before his birth. Micah foretold the city in which the Messiah would be born.

Micah 5:2 (NKJV)

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Though you are little among the thousands of Judah,
Yet out of you shall come forth to Me
The One to be Ruler in Israel,
From everlasting.”

The one to rule Israel will come from Bethlehem. And not just a ruler, but a ruler who is, “from everlasting.” A ruler who comes from before time.
The one through whom the universe was created, the ruler of all was coming into the world to bear the consequences of sin for those he loves. And mystery among mysteries, he will come as a baby.

The baby would come – did come – but not in the way a king would expect to come. God planned to turn this broken world on its head through the Messiah and he began at Jesus’ birth. The arrival of a new king, even an infant prince, is a time of great fanfare. The babe would be born into deep luxury. Scented rooms. Warm baths. Soft bedding. Servants at the ready for mother and child.

Not so with this king. As Jesus would later do on the cross, so he now turns the world’s value system upside down. He comes into this life through a woman unmarried at the time. He comes into this world while his parents are traveling rather than in their home. He comes into this world and rests in an animal’s feed trough.

And who is told about this coming king? One might expect that the local governor would be informed. Perhaps other town officials. The religious leaders. The world’s values would indicate that all the people of high importance in the community should be told so that they can properly welcome the newborn king.

And who is told? Shepherds. People right around the bottom of the social scale. Listen to the account of the angels appearing to the shepherds:

Luke 2:1-12 (NKJV)

And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. “And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

For a brief moment, things lit up. The sky filled with heavenly messengers proclaiming not just that the promised Messiah had been born but that, in this Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, we find peace from God. In and through this baby, we will have a guarantee of God’s goodwill toward all mankind. Hear the account of the angels and shepherds as it continues in the 2nd Chapter of Luke:

Luke 2:13-20 (NKJV)

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

Except for that brief moment in the fields, all was quiet that night. No trumpets. No fanfare. No town crier announcing the birth of the baby king. Just the peaceful stillness of a country town intermittently broken by the cry of a baby hungry for the nourishment and nurturing of his mother.

A silent night. Yet perhaps one of the most important nights in the history of our broken world. For on that night, our Savior was born.

Nobody needs convincing that this world is broken. We all have an innate sense that things could be, should be different. We just feel that we weren’t meant to live with the uncertainty, the pain, the brokenness of this life. Something inside our soul cries out, “It’s not supposed to be this way!”

And our spirits are correct. We weren’t created to live in fear, pain, disease and death. These are the result of our broken relationship with our creator. We are ultimately designed for fellowship with God, and without that fellowship everything else is colored gray or worse.

The scriptures say that we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God. In our heart of hearts, we know that’s true even though we console ourselves by thinking that we are not as bad as someone else. We know that if there is a God, we are not worthy to stand in his presence.
The scriptures say that we are born into this predicament, that death has an unbreakable grip on every life. Those of us who have experienced the death of a close loved one know that it feels like your insides have been ripped out. They have been ripped out. We were not intended to feel the sting of death.

This baby born in Bethlehem, this baby whose birth we celebrate tonight, came into the world because we need him. We break the grip of death on our life and we cannot overcome the brokenness and evil within ourselves. We need a Savior and tonight we celebrate that the Savior has come.

The baby in the manger will grow up and die on a cross, taking with him the penalty of our sin and going through death on our behalf. Jesus will turn death upside down. Because he died on this earth for us, we will live forever with him. Those who trust in Jesus are in this world but no longer of this world. We are free from the power of death because Jesus has changed it from a darkened door to the gateway to eternal life.

When we humbly accept his sacrifice on our behalf and turn control of our lives over to him, he gives us the peace that passes all understanding and the certain hope of everlasting life. This is the Good News of Christmas.

As we celebrate this Christmas, let’s not just think about what God has done for us. Let’s also take a moment to think about what God’s loving action for us means for our lives today.

Each of us needs a power to live on, people to live with, principles to live by, a profession to live out and a purpose to live for. God has provided each of these things through this baby whose birth we celebrate.

God gives us power to live on through the Holy Spirit who lives inside of all who trust in the Savior whose birth we celebrate. Power comes through the word of God’s promise that he is always with us.

We all need people to live with. No man is an island unto himself. God has provided authentic loving community for us in the church. Sure, it’s not perfect because it’s filled with people. But the core values of the church are what every person needs: love, acceptance, forgiveness, support, and encouragement. God brings these to us through new family that Jesus started: the Church.

There are principles that lead to the best life, and they are found in God’s Word. God does not leave us high and dry to figure out this mysterious thing called life all by ourselves. Oh, much of the mystery remains. But the creator has given us his principles to live by.

We all want to know the answer to the question, “What should I be doing?” God gives us that answer: what he created you to do! Look around the world and you can see that God loves variety. Far from seeking cookie cutter clones, God more than anyone else wants us to discover who he made us to be and to fully express that in our lives.

And purpose: What on earth are we here for? When you get that answer straight, you find a whole new sense of alignment in your life. You are here because God loves you! Why is a painting there? Because a painter wants to paint! You are God’s magnificent creation and your primary purpose is to be in a loving relationship with God. When you live that and share it, you have found your core purpose.

Power, people, profession, principles and purpose are available to everyone, simply by coming to God with the recognition that your life is out of whack without God at the center. God welcomes all who turn to him. Seek and you shall find.

The question for each of us is what to do with the Christmas story. Are we going to celebrate it once per year or live it every day? Does Jesus belong with Cupid and the Easter bunny? Or, in some mysterious but profoundly real way, did the creator of the universe care about us so much that, rather than leave us in darkness and death, he himself intervened on this little planet on an outer arm of the Milky Way? Your answer to that question will have a profound effect on your life either way. I urge you not to leave it unanswered.

God loves us so much that he sent his only Son that whoever believes in him would not perish but have everlasting life. God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. That is the true meaning of Christmas.

A Crazy Day

2005-12-18T19:09:00.000-05:00

Today was crazy but great. For some reason yet to be ascertained, the person who normally opens Hidden Oaks Elementary School for our Journey of Life w0rship services never showed up. What does one do for a scheduled worship service when one cannot unlock the building? Our solution was to hold our worship service in my house, which is less than 10 minutes from Hidden Oaks.

I could help but remember the early believers in Acts who met in the temple courts and in homes. I personally love in-home services. I find them warm and inviting. This service was no exception.

I am intrigued by the idea of Sunday morning in-home worship services. Why is it that groups of people can't simply make Sunday mornings their spiritual growth morning of the week and meet in groups of 15-30 in homes around Southeast Orlando? Hmmm. One obstacle that comes to mind immediately is how to feel like a body without regularly gathering as a body?

I'm going to think more on this.

First Blog

2005-12-17T20:38:00.000-05:00

To blog or not to blog, that is the question.
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
Simply commenting on other's comments on life
Or to blog authentically against the presuppositions of the world
And by opposing turn them.

I have decided to start blogging. Perhaps a little bit.
"But why?" you ask. Well, I will tell you.

I often have such interesting and challenging conversations with people, such thought-provoking discourse wrapped within the daily grind of life, that it seems good to me to share them with whatever portion of the world would take the time to receive my offerings.

"Pastor John: what, then, will be the theme of your blog?" you ask, somewhat exasperated at my typically long-winded answers.

The subject will undoubtedly include musings on the deeper issues of life and how they integrate with our daily existence, since my thoughts regularly turn to this area (and I occasionally lose sleep over such wonderings). I will also feel free to blog about whatever might be tangentially interesting.

For instance: Here is a link to Hamlet's soliloquy, in case you've never read the thing in its entirety. It's not long but it is deep. http://www.monologuearchive.com/s/Shakespeare_001.html
(You might note that, though there are over 50 Shakespearean monologues on this site, Hamlet's soliloquy is 001).

"Is this blog going to continue on, or will it just be a flash in the pan like so many other wannabloggers?" you ask, as you are about ready to google your own name for the 1021st time.

Who knows? I'm going to give it a try and see what happens. If I remember to blog and it seems to be of interest to others, then I'll keep at it. If not, it's just one more experiment to shut down.

May you recognize the blessings of God in your life today.
PJ