Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen

Friday, January 23, 2009

How Barack Obama Will Make Christ a Minister of Condemnation

Here is an interesting viewpoint by Rev. John Piper on the issue of President Obama, homosexuality and the church:

At Barack Obama’s request, tomorrow in the Lincoln Memorial, Gene Robinson, the first openly non-celibate homosexual bishop in the Episcopal Church, will deliver the invocation for the inauguration kick-off.

This is tragic not mainly because Obama is willing to hold up the legitimacy of homosexual intercourse, but because he is willing to get behind the church endorsement of sexual intercourse between men.

It is one thing to say: Two men may legally have sex. It is another to say: The Christian church acted acceptably in blessing Robinson’s sex with men.

The implications of this are serious.

It means that Barack Obama is willing, not just to tolerate, but to feature a person and a viewpoint that makes the church a minister of damnation. Again, the tragedy here is not that many people in public life hold views (like atheism) that lead to damnation, but that Obama is making the church the minister of damnation.

The apostle Paul says,

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves , nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

What is Paul saying about things like adultery, greed, stealing, and homosexual practice? As J. I. Packer puts it, “They are ways of sin that, if not repented of and forsaken, will keep people out of God’s kingdom of salvation.” (Christianity Today, January 2003, p. 48).

In other words, to bless people in these sins, instead of offering them forgiveness and deliverance from them, is to minister damnation to them, not salvation.

The gospel, with its forgiveness and deliverance from homosexual practice, offers salvation. Gene Robinson, with his blessing and approval of homosexual practice, offers damnation. And he does it in the name of Christ.

It is as though Obama sought out a church which blessed stealing and adultery, and then chose its most well-known thief and adulterer, and asked him to pray.

One more time: The issue here is not that presidents may need to tolerate things they don’t approve of. The issue is this: In linking the Christian ministry to the approval of homosexual activity, Christ is made a minister of condemnation.

Here is a link to Bishop Robinson's opening inaugural prayer.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Rev. Lowery's inauguration benediction

God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, thou, who has brought us thus far along the way, thou, who has by thy might led us into the light, keep us forever in the path we pray, lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met thee, lest our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget thee. Shadowed beneath thy hand, may we forever stand true to thee, oh God, and true to our native land. We truly give thanks for the glorious experience we've shared this day.

We pray now, oh Lord, for your blessing upon thy servant Barack Obama, the 44th president of these United States, his family and his administration. He has come to this high office at a low moment in the national, and indeed the global, fiscal climate. But because we know you got the whole world in your hands, we pray for not only our nation, but for the community of nations.

Our faith does not shrink though pressed by the flood of mortal ills. For we know that, Lord, you are able and you're willing to work through faithful leadership to restore stability, mend our brokenness, heal our wounds, and deliver us from the exploitation of the poor, of the least of these, and from favoritism toward the rich, the elite of these.

We thank you for the empowering of thy servant, our 44th president, to inspire our nation to believe that yes we can work together to achieve a more perfect union. And while we have sown the seeds of greed — the wind of greed and corruption, and even as we reap the whirlwind of social and economic disruption, we seek forgiveness and we come in a spirit of unity and solidarity to commit our support to our president by our willingness to make sacrifices, to respect your creation, to turn to each other and not on each other.

And now, Lord, in the complex arena of human relations, help us to make choices on the side of love, not hate; on the side of inclusion, not exclusion; tolerance, not intolerance. And as we leave this mountain top, help us to hold on to the spirit of fellowship and the oneness of our family. Let us take that power back to our homes, our workplaces, our churches, our temples, our mosques, or wherever we seek your will.

Bless President Barack, First Lady Michelle. Look over our little angelic Sasha and Malia.

We go now to walk together as children, pledging that we won't get weary in the difficult days ahead. We know you will not leave us alone. With your hands of power and your heart of love, help us then, now, Lord, to work for that day when nations shall not lift up sword against nation, when tanks will be beaten into tractors, when every man and every woman shall sit under his or her own vine and fig tree and none shall be afraid, when justice will roll down like waters and righteousness as a mighty stream.

Lord, in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get in back, when brown can stick around ... when yellow will be mellow ... when the red man can get ahead, man; and when white will embrace what is right. That all those who do justice and love mercy say "Amen!"

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Rev. Rick Warren's Inaugural Prayer

Almighty God, our Father, everything we see and everything we can’t see exists because of you alone. It all comes from you, it all belongs to you. It all exists for your glory. History is your story. The Scripture tells us “Hear, oh Israel, the Lord is our god; the Lord is one.” And you are the compassionate and merciful one. And you are loving to everyone you have made.

Now today, we rejoice not only in America’s peaceful transfer of power for the 44th time. We celebrate a hinge-point of history with the inauguration of our first African-American president of the United States.We are so grateful to live in this land, a land of unequaled possibility, where the son of an African immigrant can rise to the highest level of our leadership. And we know today that Dr. King and a great cloud of witnesses are shouting in Heaven.

Give to our new president Barack Obama the wisdom to lead us with humility, the courage to lead us with integrity, the compassion to lead us with generosity. Bless and protect him, his family, Vice President Biden, the Cabinet, and every one of our freely elected leaders.

Help us, oh God, to remember that we are Americans, united not by race or religion or blood, but to our commitment to freedom and justice for all.When we focus on ourselves, when we fight each other, when we forget you, forgive us. When we presume that our greatness and our prosperity is ours alone, forgive us. When we fail to treat our fellow human beings and all the Earth with the respect that they deserve, forgive us.

And as we face these difficult days ahead, may we have a new birth of clarity in our aims, responsibility in our actions, humility in our approaches, and civility in our attitudes, even when we differ. Help us to share, to serve and to seek the common good of all. May all people of good will today join together to work for a more just, a more healthy and a more prosperous nation and a peaceful planet. And may we never forget that one day all nations and all people will stand accountable before you.

We now commit our new president and his wife, Michelle and his daughters, Malia and Sasha, into your loving care.

I humbly ask this in the name of the one who changed my life: Yeshua, Essa (ph), Jesus, Jesus, who taught us to pray, “Our Father who art in Heaven hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.”

Amen.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Where do we go from here?



On this day dedicated to celebrate the birthday of Rev. Martin Luther King, and on the eve of the inauguration of the first African-American President, Barack Obama, I would like to share this speech by Rev. King entitled: "Where do we go from here?" It was given on the 16th of August 1967 and it is as relevant today as it was then. It's a fairly long speech but it is worth the time to read all of it. Here is an excerpt:

"Now, in order to answer the question, "Where do we go from here?" which is our theme, we must first honestly recognize where we are now. When the Constitution was written, a strange formula to determine taxes and representation declared that the Negro was sixty percent of a person. Today another curious formula seems to declare he is fifty percent of a person. Of the good things in life, the Negro has approximately one half those of whites. Of the bad things of life, he has twice those of whites. Thus, half of all Negroes live in substandard housing. And Negroes have half the income of whites. When we turn to the negative experiences of life, the Negro has a double share: There are twice as many unemployed; the rate of infant mortality among Negroes is double that of whites; and there are twice as many Negroes dying in Vietnam as whites in proportion to their size in the population. In other spheres, the figures are equally alarming. In elementary schools, Negroes lag one to three years behind whites, and their segregated schools receive substantially less money per student than the white schools. One-twentieth as many Negroes as whites attend college. Of employed Negroes, seventy-five percent hold menial jobs. This is where we are."

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Eastwood does the right thing in "Gran Torino"



I went to see the new Clint Eastwood film "Gran Torino" and it was fantastic. At the end, as I sat there and watched the credits roll, I wondered if this was Clint's response to Spike Lee and the controversy last year over the lack of African-American characters in his last two films on WWII: “Flags of Our Fathers” and “Letters From Iwo Jima”. Was this Eastwood's version of "Do the Right Thing"!?

Eastwood plays a hard-nosed, grumpy, disgruntled, bigot who has disdain for everyone and a edgy indifference to everything... except the growing multi-cultural society that is surrounding him. He hates it. He sees the world around him changing and to his regret and alarm, the changes have invaded his doorstep in the form of immigrant neighbours from Laos. Eastwood's character, Walt Kowalksi, is a volatile racist. His racism has been conceived and nurtured by American society, both past and present. His racism has been nourished by war, both past and present. His racism is national and international in it's scope. It is personal and impersonal in its reach.

Blended with his racist impulses are two other pillars of American society: violence and materialism. This blend is seen in the accepted use of violence to protect one's property against "those others". This blend is seen in the expected use of violence in the international arena to protect American self-interests against "those others"... even if it's in their own countries. "Those others" don't look, speak, dress, eat the same foods or even smell like those of the dominant culture in American and by extension, European and Israeli society. Therefore they are considered to be less than human, if not openly... certainly on a subconscious level. Hence the invasion of Iraq. Hence the slaughter in Gaza. Hence Guantanamo. Hence Abu Graib. Hence the murder of another "Oscar Grant"... and another "Adolph Grimes"... and the shooting of another "Robbie Tolan" to start the new year.

Walt Kowalski embodies all of these traits. They guide all his actions, reactions and impulses. He says things that make you cringe and shake your head... however here is the scary part... it also makes you laugh. He comes off as a "gruff" Archie Bunker type. I have met people like him. The type of guy you are told not to take what he says personally, because he doesn't hate you specifically. "Oh Walt, don't mind him, he hates everyone!" The type of guy who you are told really"likes" you because his racist taunts and jokes are openly directed at... and therefore "shared"... with you. However, and this is where Eastwood takes his character, it all comes at a price. The hate, violence and worship of material things, exacts a terrible price. It's not just a physical cost. It exacts a terrible cost on one's psyche... on one's soul. It pollutes you... and all that you come in contact with. This is seen in the life of Kowalski and within American society in general... as seen through the lives of the other characters, both local and immigrant.

Violence has been an underlying theme in most of Eastwood's films. In his "spaghetti westerns" and "Dirty Harry" eras, it was primarily about vengeance... cleansing society of the despicable and undesirables. "Unforgiven" was an interesting look at the costs of using violence to exact revenge and cleanse a violent society. "Flag of Our Fathers" and "Letters from Iwo Jima" looked at the personal cost of violence... and the glorification of violence in the national interests... on the individual's psyche and soul. In "Gran Torino", Eastwood now moves violence from a vehicle of revenge to a means of redemption... as a way to cleanse the soul. As Walt Kowalski lays in a Christ-like pose at the end of the film, I am reminded of Martin Luther King and Gandhi. The ultimate sacrifice for the greater good. The ultimate sacrifice to point to a better way.

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13

Monday, January 12, 2009

Psalm 51

A prayer to God for forgiveness

Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.

Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.

Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict
and justified when you judge.

Surely I was sinful at birth,

sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.

Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will turn back to you.

Deliver me from bloodguilt, O God,
you who are God my Savior,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.

Open my lips, Lord,
and my mouth will declare your praise.

You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart
you, God, will not despise.

May it please you to prosper Zion,
to build up the walls of Jerusalem.

Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,
in burnt offerings offered whole;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Homosexuality is a Sin

This is the proverbial "white elephant in the room" which I have noticed that most people, whether Christians or not, make a conscious and deliberate decision to ignore in their debates regarding Rev. Rick Warren, California's "Proposition 8", gay marriage... or the wider issue of Christianity and gay rights. The fact is that whether or not you believe in the christian concept of God and/or that the Bible is His word, it clearly states, in both the Old and New Testament that homosexuality is a sin. It is not important to this post to list any or all the verses that supports this position, for this is not about the condemnation of homosexuals. It is however important to point out that although God hates sin... all sin... he loves sinners... all sinners.

We... the followers of Christ... therefore need to be very careful and mindful in how we relate to "sinners". First we need to remember as Paul wrote in Romans 3:22-24: "For there is no difference, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." Paul also reminds us in Romans 5:20: "God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant." Jesus showed us in John 8, an example of this grace and mercy that is a life lesson for us today:

Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto him, "Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?" This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, "Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?" She said, "No man, Lord." And Jesus said unto her, "Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more."

It is important to notice that although Christ did not condemn her, he also did not condone her behaviour. He admonished her at the end to "go, and sin no more". The pastor at the church I attend has stated on a number of occasions that homosexuals should feel welcome and comfortable enough to attend our church, because we are not here to condemn them, although we don't condone their life choice (of-course, which leads to the debate of whether it is a "choice" or not). Regardless, the point is that we need to be "Christ-like" in our relationships with each other.

This is why I have some issue with Rev. Warren's position on homosexuality and gay marriage, although I do agree that marriage is defined as a union between "a man and a woman". Although Rev. Warren stated that he regretted comparing homosexuality to pedophilia and incest in his video message to his congregation regarding Proposition 8, he did some irrefutable and irreparable damage to both the christian and gay community by making that comparison. But more troubling is the accusation made in this article by AMERICAblog News, that on a Saddleback Church website, it states that unrepentant homosexuals would not be accepted as a members of the church. I did do a search of the website myself but could not find the page with that statement, although it does appear that the link to the it was removed for public viewing. If this is Rev. Warren's current position and the policy of his church, it is certainly does not follow the teachings or example of Christ. Throughout the Gospels it is recorded where Jesus always welcomed and never turned away those who came to fellowship with him and hear his teachings, while he severely criticized the religious establishment for their lack of compassion, judgemental attitude and exclusionary practices, which they based on their erroneous interpretation of the word of God.

And it came to pass as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto His disciples, "Why eateth your master with publicans and sinners?" But when Jesus heard that, He said unto them, "They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what this meaneth: I will have mercy and not sacrifice. For I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Matthew 9:10-13.

Blessings!

Sunday, January 4, 2009

The Image of the Christ

I always wondered what Jesus would look like. It's not a vital nor visual issue for me in my worship and relationship with Him, but was He more like the attractive, fair-skinned white man with long flowing hair and light eyes... as portrayed in eurocentric paintings, statues, photos and films throughout the ages, like this one:



or was He rugged and swarthy looking with dark-skin, dark eyes, curly hair and a broad nose like this depiction which forensic anthropologists re-created... as what a Jewish adult male living in Jesus's time would most likely look like:

read original article here

or should it really matter?

If I am completely honest, when I close my eyes and think of Jesus, the first image most readily comes to my mind than the second. However, in Isaiah 53:2 it states: "There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him."

On the question(s) of does it or should it really matter Jesus looked like? Isn't His message the important thing? Whenever I get asked these questions... I pose these questions for my response: Does the truth really matter? AND if the truth does matter and the first image is a lie, then what purpose does it serve and who benefits from this lie?

God said this of Lucifer in Ezekiel 28:12: "You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and exquisite in beauty."

Jesus said: "But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." John 4:23-24

Blessings!

Friday, January 2, 2009

An Autobiography In Five Short Chapters, by Portia Nelson.

Chapter 1
I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in.
I am lost... I am hopeless.
It isn't my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.

Chapter II
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don't see it.
I fall in again.
I can't believe I am in this same place.
But it isn't my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.

Chapter III
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it there.
I still fall in... it's a habit...
but,my eyes are open.
I know where I am.
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.

Chapter IV
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the street.
I walk around it.

Chapter V
I walk down another street

Thursday, January 1, 2009

A voice in the wilderness... I think not

When I started my blogging experience in March 2005, I had no real objective or plan other than to have a space to air my views... more for my own benefit. Just being able to organize my thoughts and see what I claim to believe in print, in a way bringing them to life... and having the ability to meditate on those beliefs and views became the primary goal. I never imagined that I would be conversing, exchanging ideas and and having constructive debates with others from around the world.

The primary area of interest of my blogging was socio-political from an afrocentric cultural perspective. I had my own blog page: "The Second Book of Asabagna" and was also a part of a collective: "AfroSpear: A Think Tank for People of African Descent" where I wrote articles and engaged in discussions with others. The overall experience so far has been positive and life-changing. I learned alot about myself and others. I met some sincere, intelligent and dedicated people. I learned a lot from them and they made me a better person. I also met some "haters"... those who worked to undermine our vision and best intentions... and sow dissention. I learned alot from them also and they also made me a better person. I learned that for some it is easier to stereotype, demonize and polarize... in this way they become the center of attention... but most of the people that I engaged with were sincere seekers of knowledge, who wanted to be a positive influence, who sought to break down the walls that kept us apart, who wanted to work together to find solutions and strategies to overcome the grinds of this life. With all that being said, the most important benefit I received from my blogging experience is that I made a few good friends. People I have never met face to face, probably never will, but we are close nonetheless.

I now want to embark on a new blogging experience. "New" in the sense that I want to write primarily from a spiritual/religious perspective. I want to move from a afrocentric socio-political focus to a christian socio-religious focus. I am not sure where this journey will lead... what it will entail. I only know that I want to explore and better understand my faith and beliefs... to develop and clarify my views of the world from this perspective. This is not a journey or exercise that I hope to take alone. I will take it with God and more importantly, I hope to take it also with you. This blog is one forum in which I can engage with others. I don't claim to have all the answers... or any answers for that matter. I believe that one way that God talks to us is through others... so I am sincerely open to discussions and constructive debates. We may not always agree, but I do promise to actively and humbly listen, respectfully agree or disagree and never engage (nor allow others to engage on this blog) in personal attacks or demonize someone because of their beliefs or views.

I start 2009 excited and confident that I am again embarking on a life-changing, soul changing and spirit led experience. I want to thank you all in advance for the time you take to walk with me, to guide me, to keep me on track, to point out any potholes... as I travel on this journey.

God bless!