guerrilla strategy

I guess I’m just not too bright anymore. Maybe I never was very bright. But this past Sunday I made the faux pas that I have made at every church I’ve pastored. There was a definite “turning of the tide” everywhere else I’ve done this and I suspect the same may very well happen here. However, who knows, maybe I’ll be the one surprised.

 I spoke last Sunday from Galatians 5: 1-14. As was of introduction, I simply explained the state of the church as of Paul’s writing of this letter. There were those among them (and likely in all the churches Paul had planted) those who are known now as Judaizers. I doubt they were known by such a label at the time, but it’s what we call them now. These guys, from a well-meaning, but ill-informed point of view, were insisting that new Christians (by this label I mean those who had come from a myriad of backgrounds to find salvation and a transformed life in Christ) must for some reason also meet Old Testament (or Levitical, if you prefer) rules/laws regarding circumcision, food, handling of dead things and the like. It was their contention that faith in Christ alone was not sufficient for a trip to the promised reunion of saints, loved ones, and of course, Jesus. Since Paul was teaching the church that salvation (and the promised reunion, thereby) was through faith in Christ Jesus alone, the Judaizers labelled him as a heretic, non-apostolic and whatever other unpleasant things they could think of. They probably even said that his breath smelled bad, and, come to think of it, it probably did. (Another day, another time, I’ll blog about some of the things Jesus may have implied in speaking of sweetness on the lips)

So, in Galatians 1, Paul points out that his salvation/deliverance/commission was from direct revelation of Jesus Christ, the only criteria for apostleship. Then as we join him in chapter 5, Paul is talking about the devaluation of Christ. Paul’s contention was that, in returning to the old laws (you may say Old Testament or Levitical), that the Judaizers and those who chose to follow their line of reasoning, were making Christ and his sacrifice of no value. The key thing that matters is faith expressed in love. In the 14th verse, Paul further states that the entire law is summed up in this: love your neighbor as yourself.

I started working on this message due to the “faith expressed in love” tag, but you know me (if you do know me), the “law summed up in love your neighbor as yourself” bit hit me in the wheelhouse. ( a little sports metaphor, allowing for the nearness of the opening of the World Series. We’ll have really missed out if we don’t get to see at least one game played in the snow.)

Anyway, the sermon ended up going 20 minutes long and me with more to say, though tired from standing so long with a crushed L4, and I talked about rules. We give our children rules for the purpose of directing them toward responsible maturity. Once they have reached that, it is unreasonable for us to expect them to continue the acceptance of such rules. If they are mature, they will have such behavior without the necessity of rules. Further, the very definition of the word “mature” requires that one is capable of making responsible, educated and meaningful decisions for oneself. Hence, the word.

I said (as I believe Paul was saying) that anyone (whether pastor, friend, family member, or highly respected religious author and television personality) who told you following rules was superior to the maturity of grace through faith in Christ Jesus was not your friend and, regardless of their protests to the contrary, did not love you or Christ. (check out verses 7 and 8) You know that I firmly believe that Jesus meant it when he said, “The greatest command is to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength And the second is like it, to love your neighbor as yourself. On these two, hang all the Law and the Prophets (with “the Law and the Prophets” understood to mean all of Holy Scripture as Jesus had at the time).”

This is what I believe, this is what I believe is the essence of the good news, and this is what I believe I have been called to proclaim. And so, I make a point of it everywhere I go. As you brave readers are aware, this hasn’t proven to be very popular anywhere I’ve gone, yet I persist. Please be in prayer that things will be different here (or at least that they folks will think I was influenced by Percocet and give me another chance. Which I will probably blow next week as I’m considering a followup this week.)

But, since I’m laid up, I’ve been re-watching some old West Wing episodes and I began to think what a shame it is that the presidency should cause you to miss out on a lot of the things that regular people take for granted. I’m thinking of family things and such as that. Then I thought further. Uh oh! Service to Christ does much the same thing. Due to my service to the church, I have been unable to be at my father’s side as he lay dying. Due to my service to the church, I have yet to see my grandson who is now nearly five months old. Due to my service, I have no retirement, I am in not inconsequential debt. Due to my service to the church, I have moved when I did not choose to, I have hurt my wife’s feelings, and I have been less than attentive to the needs of my children. And I wonder if it’s worth it. After going to college and graduating first in my class, after attending post graduate work and doing well, after doing those things guaranteed to attain for me the American dream; I find in its place some nightmarish existence.  And I wonder if it’s worth it.

But then I think of Jesus. And while I would have loved to have all those things: retirement, income, no debt, a place at my son’s side when his child was born and more, so much more; I would not trade Jesus for them. (I would like to have Jesus and all of them, but I do not serve the church alone. I serve Christ.) And yes, it is worth it.

Isuppose that we have seen the last of Studio 60. If so, I mourn its passing. But, if nothing else, last night’s episode was definitely a wrap-up of story lines.

I confess that at the midway commercial break, I was beginning to compose this blog — angry, disgusted and disappointed that the show I enjoyed so much; that I heralded as breaking new and exciting ground in the presentation of the gospel in commercial television; that I was willing to stand in opposition to the mainline Protestant press; that this show was going to kill off Jordan, make Danny lose custody of (at that time) Baby Girl McDeere, and have Tom’s brother failed again by his government; I was certain that this show was going to usurp my feelings for it and give in to the liberal media bias, all the while succumbing to the final proof needed by the conservative fundamentalists  that it was not a show that good Christian people should watch. I am so glad to be wrong.

Bush took a couple of hits, but that’s okay, he’s a big boy. But God won and the military won, and those two really could have gone either way. I realize that God doesn’t need me penning this little blog (readership: 4) or Aaron Sorkin writing tight little creative television shows, in order to accomplish his will. However, while I can’t speak for Sorkin, I can say for myself that God has called me to assist in his Kingdom expansion efforts and I will choose to applaud every venue that offers hope in that area. Studio 60 did that.

So, if I must bid farewell, I do so with a sense of completion. It’s been that kind of a day.

First off, the latest renditions of Studio 60 have left me wondering. I’m not really sure what I’m wondering about, but, there is certainly an edge to it all, isn’t there? Any way, I still love it, whether out of mindless devotion, or merely a desire to see where it’s all going to go, I’m not sure. But I still love it.

The blog was started as a social commentary; intended to speak to the rising and falling social concerns of the day and to offer Christian insight to all that is going on around us. For the time being, at least, that has changed. It has changed for only one reason that I can ascertain and that reason is legacy.

According to Dictionary.com, legacy has around 3 varied meanings, one of which has to do with the leaving of a bequest in a will. Anyone who knows me knows that is an unlikely definition for me to utilize. The remaining two definitions, however, are pertinent and apropos. Legacy means, “something handed down from a predecessor or ancestor, or from the past,” and, “circa 1375, a body of persons sent on a mission.” Well, as of 7:17 AM yesterday morning, I have a newfound respect for the word, “Legacy.”

7:16 AM, Friday, May 11, 2007 I have lived a good life. I have accomplished much of what I believe God created me to accomplish. I have married the woman of my dreams. I have raised two fine boys to be men of wisdom, character and faith. I have preached the gospel to the masses, have broken the body of Christ and poured the shed blood of the Savior, have seen a demon removed in Jesus’ name, and I have witnessed the salvation of men, women and children under my ministry.  Life looks different at 25 and 35 than it does when 45 is distant in the rear view mirror and 55 is just over the hood ornament. It is not necessary to write a great novel, to record a love song, or to farm the land. It is no longer important to be wealthy or to own a business or to make a name for myself. It is enough, indeed, more than enough to have loved Laura for over 30 years, to have raised John and Travis from acorns to mighty oaks. It is enough to have helped people, to have taught people, to have served people and to have loved people as an ambassador of Jesus. That is my legacy.

7:17 AM, May 11, 2007 The world not only just wobbled, it did a 360 degree, double-gainer from the high dive. I’ve just been told that Casey Austin Johnson has been born. Mother and baby are healthy and fine. As I stand outside examing God’s creation, it occurs to me that maybe my legacy needs a little tweaking. Not in the sense that all of what has happened in the past is of no value; far from it. Rather, I have a unique desire to add to that legacy. Perhaps it would be better said that I feel an urgency to expand the recipient list of my legacy. Mere moments ago, I could have died and felt complete. I didn’t desire to die, but if it had happened, I would not have believed that I had left much undone. However, now, there seems to be much to do. There are things that Casey must know. Things that only I can teach him. Things that only I, and I alone, can impart to my new young man. So, I must prepare to be available to him, to share the wonders of the world, the intricacies of the Scripture and the delicacies of a finely grilled steak. I’m sure that his dad and his uncle, his mother and his aunts would gladly share all the great truths of life with him, but they cannot be a grandfather to him. They cannot be “Poppy,”  no matter how they try.

I will tell him of the fair skies and blue grass of Lexington; of foals at play in the paddocks, of wildcats at play in the arenas of the south. I will share with him the love and grace of our Savior, Jesus. I will tell him of his great-grandfather, Pete, and how he would have loved him so much. Legacy is important. What we leave behind for those who follow us can be useless patter or it can be the stuff of legend. I choose to leave Casey a full life, to be his “Poppy” for many years, and measure success in terms of how my Casey lives his life. May each moment of his life reflect the grace of Christ and the love of his GrannyMamaw and me.

This past Monday, the world was split open with the news of another school shooting. 33 dead at Virginia Tech. Before offering any commentary, my prayers and my condolences go to all who have lost so much in a few hours of terrifying madness. It must be tremendously heartbreaking and I am physically unable to comprehend the pain that must accompany such misery.

Much of the world has begun its analysis of “just what all this means.” We have been exposed to the educated ramblings of many so-called experts as to why this young man, Seung-Hui Cho, killed his classmates and professors. I suppose we have actually been spared at least some of the crap that would usually accompany a media tragedy such as this by uproar over the appropriateness of airing the so-called “murderer’s manifesto.” Certainly it is devastating to watch the rantings of a lunatic under any circumstance, and most explicitly THIS particular lunatic. However, there is some delicious irony that exists when the news media gets a huge scoop and then is perplexed by the political correctness of airing said scoop. I mean, they have this magnificent plethora of information that they would be insensitive to air. Sensitivity not being the strongest suit of the media, it’s kinda fun to see them shoveling and backfilling every chance they get over what they thought would have been the end all of crazy Korean boy coverage.

 In the upcoming days, we will be pelted with opinions on why such a tragedy took place, strategies to prevent it from happening again, and copycats trying to gain some sort of shadowed fame through mimicking what has been done. Parents will be blamed, guns will be blamed, schools will be blamed, and social division will be blamed. Let us look upon these suggestions with a jaundiced eye and look for truth instead.

Sin is responsible for evil in our world. There is no question to the validity of this statement. However, we often want to examine every other possible scenario before we are willing to admit that we can’t create a new program, fund a new entitlement, or legislate a new law to conquer the global crisis of evil. We look at North Korea, Iran, Syria, Columbine, Virgina Tech and any other brush with evil and seek to find political, social, or economic solutions to the evil of our world. Sin is responsible and cannot be legislated, investigated or forum-ed away. Just over 2000 years ago, Jehovah God, the Creator of the Universe, instigated the only possible answer to sin. But it was a solution that could not be handled by just anybody. Billy Graham and Bill Hybels would not be enough. Gandhi and King would be insufficient. Don Miller and Don Ho wouldn’t be up to it. Even Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Noah, Elijah, Jonah and Hosea all rolled into one would not be sufficient to conquer sin in the world, to be an acceptable sacrifice for the blackness, ugliness, evil and sin that we see played out weekly (and it seems especially during tax week each April. Check it out) in our world. Only one sacrifice would meet all the necessary criteria and that was if God, Himself, would become incarnate; Incarnate Good defeating Incarnate Evil through unrelenting sacrifice and matchless grace. This is the answer.

Take heart, Jesus has already paid the price, now we, as his followers, only have to follow him and share his news of salvation. Friends, the world awaits.

Gotta tell you about last Sunday’s service. Well, you know about the previous Sunday what with Survivor and all. Well, it got me to thinking (God at work: that’s the only way my thinking ever amounts to anything): maybe there is something to this business of involving the congregation; painting pictures with words and actions, kinda parable like. Jesus did that first, so it seems like pretty good company. So, this idea came to mind, I thought and prayed about it, and decided to do it.

I estimated the number of children that I expected to be at church and I purchased an item for each of them. But before we get to that, I guess I’d better fill in the first part of the morning. Music is beginning to be better and better. As things progress, we are teaching the folks more and more contemporary Christian music. We’ve just taught them “Come, Now is the time to worship.” And they’re catching on to it. When we moved to the time set aside for the pastoral prayer, the lifting up of the needs of the people before their God by their “priest,” there were just an enormous number of prayer requests; more than ever before, more by a factor of many. It seemed that God intended something special; it seems that he often chooses the darkest depths in which to make an appearance. So–we just called everybody up front, some kneeling at the altar, others on the front pews. We suggested that everyone join hands; that there is something special that occurs as like believers press their flesh together forming one continuous circuit of supernatural and supranatural energy from the throne of God to the feet of men. And God allowed His Holy Spirit to flow among us that day.

When the time of the message came along, I asked the kids to sit in the seats at the ends of the pews next to the aisle. I gave each of them a water pistol. “It’s got water in it!” they noticed. The kids laughed, the elders scowled. So, of course, we continued. I was preaching on the story of Jesus and Peter walking on the water. I told the kids that they could shoot me with water every time that I said the words “water” and “faith.” Now for those of you who are savvy of the words of that story, you are aware that water and faith are likely to be said a lot during the telling of this story. They were, the kids went wild, and it was awesome! Children have never paid attention to an adult sermon with such vigor since Jesus really did walk on the water. The kids were watching and waiting, intent on never missing a single time I uttered those words. Their parents were watching and waiting, intent on making sure that their kids never missed a single time I uttered those words. The elders were watching everything. The kids shot me and laughed. And listened. The parents laughed. And listened. And, eventually, pretty soon, actually, the elders were watching and laughing and listening. It was really cool. God was praised and adored, the story of faith was told and the Master of faith was exalted. The stuff of God is real and it’s real fun, too.

This week, the Truth that Jesus is the Bread of Life meets Lambert’s Thrown Rolls. I can’t wait!

If it is true that life imitates art, and I suppose that there is some merit to that thought if for no other reason than that it is said so often, then we must prepare ourselves for the inevitable. Studio 60 took a dark plunge last night. I’m not sure that it’s time to “stick a pin in it,” as Matt so often commented last night. The wit and the acting is there, but the plot took a run toward the depths. It’s not that it wasn’t entertaining, it was. But it was also prepared and performed under a cloud of some sort. I’m not wise on these things, I’m not familiar with plot development and character development and the like, but unless there are truly great minds at work (and I’m not doubting that there are, certainly, Sorkin has shown his genius on numerous occassions), I fear for the direction of my favorite television.

I will gladly recognize the return of the Christian references: honey-coated nut jobs, vending machine of punch lines; Matt’s admission of his faux pas in first talking to Harry by commenting, “I couldn’t have offended her more if I had re-crucified her Savior.” It’s fun to see the clarification of the “values crowd,” even when trying to make fun of them.

But, perhaps, there is more beneath the current than I, in my lack of wisdom, can perceive. Perhaps, there is a revelation forthcoming. I think I saw the Matt/Tim alter egos as Matt heading toward disaster. But I also recognize that usually it is only when one plunges the deepest that resurrection occurs. Other times, we just drown.

Owing to my high esteem of the human condition, I expect to inhale liquid deeply very soon.

Last question, open to any in the class who are smarter than the professor, why the slip of “I’m glad Jane Fonda/Jane found you.”?

May the direction of Studio 60 be aided by the 10,000 times 10,000.

;Survivor, the television show, is due to start in three days.

I was searching my heart, my Bible and God’s will this past week preparing for Sunday. It’s an interesting proposition, this trying to discern God’s will for my folks, all the while trying to work a secular job in order to meet the income requirements of my current fiscal position. I try to pray throughout the week, seeking God’s direction. I also try to plan ahead. At the beginning of the new year, I decided (I think under God’s direction) to follow the life and ministry of Jesus as told through the Gospels from Christmas to Easter, then to follow the activity of the early church from Easter through Pentecost (and beyond). So I sat down and planned out what I would be preaching on the next 20 some Sunday AM, Sunday PM, & Wednesday PM. An “s” belongs in there somewhere, but I’m not sure where. Maybe my authorson could help that out. Anyway, I did this and came to this Sunday and just wasn’t getting the right feel as I prepared. So…

I investigated the next few things that would be coming up in Jesus’ life and I settled in on Matthew 10.  Click the link first then come back.

Did you notice it?  Jesus said (at least in Dr. Peterson’s way of looking at things): “Be a Survivor!!” Great advice from the Greatest Teacher, huh? So I took it. Well, I mean, I really took it. I did my best Jeff Probst impression (camo cargo pants & shirt with epaulets), bought $30 worth of bandanas (the closest I could get to “buffs” on short notice) and put it all together. What a fun day! As I introduced the message, I passed out the buffs, one for everybody and got started. Allow me to first comment that it was pretty cold here yesterday and the cold keeps most of the older folks in, but seemed to have brought out the younger ones. When they got the buffs, they knew what to do with them. I had people in an old, conservative Nazarene church, wearing bandanas on their heads, their legs, even over their eyes. (But, fortunately, not over their ears.) They all had a great time and actually listened to the message. It was cool. Just thought I’d share that.

Survivor comes back on Thursday, Lost is back on Wednesday, Studio 60 & Heroes are already back, and Amazing Race and Jericho will be starting back soon. TV is back and hopefully, this blog will resurrect as well.

The latest episode of Studio 60 has reached a new level. I am certain that it will be met with extreme consternation by many in my social and ecclesiastical circles. Nonetheless, I celebrate it because the crux of the episode reveals the Truth about Jesus Christ as I have never heard it expressed on a nationally broadcast, secular television show. Please allow for the following quotes from the show before my commentary:

The episode is entitled “Nevada Day Part 1,” and it aired on NBC on November 6, 2006. The premise is that Jesus has been made Vice-President of the network and He is in charge of broadcasting standards and practices. These are the individuals responsible for insuring that nothing that goes on air will be offensive supposedly to viewers, practically, to the Federal Communications Commission. The following quotes are from separate blocks in the show, but following the same premise:

Question: Jesus, does it bother you when your name is used in a frustrated exclamation? I mean, I know it’s a commandment, but I figured…

Jesus’ reply: Yeah, I had spikes driven through my hands and feet, rocks thrown at my head and my father orchestrated the whole thing, but what really gets to me is when somebody calls me names.

–AND–

Cast member #1: We called this meeting because a number of our writers are asking that from time to time they be allowed to take your name in vain in their scripts.

Cast member #2: As well as the name of your father.

#1: In their defense, it IS a part of the adult vernacular

#2: We were hoping you could speak to the writers and make it clear that it is absolutely forbidden.

Jesus: Yeah, no, I don’t care…

You don’t care?

Jesus: No, caring for the weakest among us, that’s my thing. Lend a hand, be a good neighbor, don’t cast the first stone. Do all those things and you can call me Betty for all I care.

Jesus, you don’t care about people taking your name in vain?

Jesus: They’re people, they get frustrated.

What about the Father?

Jesus: Get him.

What?

Jesus: Get him.

Get God?

Jesus: Yeah, get him. He sent me here to die a pretty gruesome death, He planned it, You wanna know what I call at Sunday dinner?

What?

Jesus: I call him Dad, but I’m forgiving. That why I need the rest of you to get him.

Now, while I don’t give blanket approval for taking the Lord’s name in vain (as if I was qualified so to do), I believe that the dialog that was written for this episode is as close to the reality of Jesus’ thought as any I have ever heard.

Jesus IS forgiving. He IS more concerned with caring for the weak, lending a hand, being a neighbor than he is with personal affronts. Certainly he deserves and expects respect, but I think if he had to make a choice, he would rather see us helping the poor, the widows and orphans, those less fortunate, the children accompanied by an occasional slip up in speech, than for us to be flawless in our recitation of the Ten Commandments and not caring one whit about others.

And wasn’t that the gospel I heard? Jesus was sent by the Father to die a gruesome death so that people would be able to get God. It may not be theologically sound but it is practically presented. I believe that in seven or eight seasons, I’ve only heard the plan of salvation clearly presented one time on Seventh Heaven, so I’m pretty jazzed that the idea has been presented on a show with excellent quality, top notch acting and superb writing. Besides that, evangelism in postmodernity looks and will look considerably different than it did during modernity. Just face it.

You may have noticed that this episode was “Part One.” It’ll be interesting to see what they do with it part two.

Peace.

I just finished watching NBC’s new show Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Actually, I watched the first episode twice and I just finished watching the second episode for the second time.

I wasn’t around (I was alive, I just hadn’t been enlightened) for the first episodes of Sports Night or West Wing, so I don’t know how well they were received in the genesis. (I have, of course, seen those episodes by now and they are magnificent.) But I must say that Studiorepresents the best of the new shows that I’ve had a chance to watch. (I’ve seen quite a few of them and without commercial interruption thanks to the marvelous technology of DVR.)

 But this blog is supposed to be social commentary, so I guess it would be a good idea to comment. Being a follower of Jesus Christ first and a pastor second, I suppose that I should express my opinion on the handling of all matters religious on the show. I am so impressed with how  the ticklish subject of Christianity in Hollywood has been handled. There has been no disrespect, no condescension and no heresy. (Attentive theologians should always be on the lookout for hidden heresy. As well as self-serving alliteration.) The character, Harriett, or, Harry, as she is called, is the resident Christian. She has been portrayed thus far as intelligent, kind, witty and savvy. The Pat Robertson reference worked. As did the “baptised at 11, so, unlike the liberals, gays and Jews, I’m on my way to heaven” bit. If we are to expect the world to take us seriously, we should probably take ourselves just a little less seriously. While it is true that we hold in our sweaty little palms the secret to eternal life and the answers to the mysteries of the world, we shouldn’t act like we were the ones who figured it all out. It would pay for us to be honest enough to admit that we were screwed up by sin at some point in our life and that we’re still screwed up now only now we’ve accepted the grace that was always there.

When the Apostle Paul wrote, “we are no longer Jew or Greek, male or female, slave or free,” I don’t think he was making a social analysis. I’m quite certain he was forming a theological foundation. That foundation says that the only thing that separates us from the world we disdain is our acceptance of Jesus. And many of us had to be coerced into that. So, let’s not stand in judgement of Studio 60 and its representation of Christianity. If we will recognize that much of the satire that they espouse about us is based in truth (at least in some circles), perhaps we can also join together to debunk the myths of Christianity. Truthfully, there are numerous times when I would rather be counted with Hollywood liberals than I would with Bible Belt Christians/conservatives. (I’m thinking of the good work they do, the causes they support, their love and compassion for children and the environment. I realize that they sometimes go overboard for their causes, but we do, too.)

So, suffice it to say, so far so good. I believe that Studio 60is a hit. I believe it goes beyond good to better than good. The writing seems willing to give Christianity an even break. If they only make fun of us as much as they do anything else, I’ll be more than satisfied. Outside of the Christian angle, I think the show is intelligent, stylish, sharp and fun! (And there’s damn little of that on television these days! — did you notice that this week “Harry” used damn and hell as pejoratives like the rest of the world does? Hmmm — she might just be my kind of Christian. But then, that’s just what I think.)