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Warning: This blog contains no obscenity. There are no references to sex or violence. No ethnic groups will be demeaned. However, according to a recent decision by the Motion Picture Association of America I feel I must post this warning. Parental Guidance suggested. Some material may not be suited for children. Why do I feel compelled to warn you? This article may mention…(cue dramatic music)…Jesus. 

 

I have done a couple of recent articles in my “Grumpy Old Man” series. I wrote about civility being on life support in two recent blogs. I have written about how lawsuits have caused product manufacturers to desperately try to protect us from ourselves. For example…a real warning label that said…

Warning: Do not use lawnmower to trim shrubbery

Now I read that the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) is slapping a PG rating on a movie because it “it heavily laden with messages from one religion and this might offend people from other religions.” Sounds like a job for Grumpy Old Man! But before I began my rant I decided to get the rest of the story.

Terry Mattingly  is one of America’s best journalists on religious issues in our society. Mattingly does an excellent job of backgrounding the story with this report he filed with the Scripps Howard News Service.

The Motion Picture Association of America is crystal clear when it describes why its “PG” rating exists –  it’s a warning flag.

“The theme of a PG-rated film may itself call for parental guidance,” states the online explanation of the rating system. “There may be some profanity in these films. There may be some violence or brief nudity. … The PG rating, suggesting parental guidance, is thus an alert for examination of a film by parents before deciding on its viewing by their children. Obviously such a line is difficult to draw.”

Disagreements are a given. The Christian moviemakers behind a low-budget film called “Facing the Giants” were stunned when the MPAA pinned a PG rating on their gentle movie about a burned-out, depressed football coach whose life, on and off the field, takes a miraculous turn for the better.

“What the MPAA said is that the movie contained strong ‘thematic elements’ that might disturb some parents,” said Kris Fuhr, vice president for marketing at Provident Films, which is owned by Sony Pictures. Provident plans to open the film next fall in 380 theaters nationwide with the help of Samuel Goldwyn Films.

Which “thematic elements” earned this squeaky-clean movie its PG?

“Facing the Giants” is too evangelistic. The MPAA, noted Fuhr, tends to offer cryptic explanations for its ratings. In this case, she was  told that it “decided that the movie was heavily laden with messages from one religion and that this might offend people from other religions. It’s important that they used the word ‘proselytizing’ when they talked about giving this movie a PG. …

“It is kind of interesting that faith has joined that list of deadly sins that the MPAA board wants to warn parents to worry about.”

Overt Christian messages are woven throughout “Facing the Giants,” which isn’t surprising since the film was co-written and co-produced by brothers Alex and Stephen Kendrick, who are the “associate pastors of media” at Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Ga. In addition to working with the megachurch’s cable-television channel, they created its Sherwood Pictures ministry, collecting private donations to fund a $25,000 movie called “Flywheel,” about a wayward Christian used-car salesman.

“Facing the Giants” cost $100,000 and resembles a fusion of the Book of Job and a homemade “Hoosiers,” or perhaps a small- school “Friday Night Lights” blended with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association movies that used to appear in some mainstream theaters. Sherwood Pictures used local volunteers as actors and extras, backed by a small crew of tech professionals.

The movie includes waves of answered prayers, a medical miracle, a mysterious silver-haired mystic who delivers a message from God and a bench-warmer who kicks a 51-yard field goal to win the big game when his handicapped father pulls himself out of a wheelchair and stands under the goal post to inspire his son’s faith. There’s a prayer-driven gust of wind in there, too.

When contacted by ABC News the the MPAA said the uproar was simply a matter of miscommunication on both sides. Its spokesman doesn’t deny that the world “proselytization” may have come up in the conversation between the filmmakers and the ratings board. “It may well have come up, but it wasn’t the reason they got that rating,” said John Feehery, executive vice president of the MPAA. “The reason they got the rating was because of some of the more mature themes that were in that movie.”

I took a detour to get the definition of the PG warning directly from the website of the MPAA. Here it is…in their words.

This is a film which clearly needs to be examined by parents before they let their children attend. The label PG plainly states parents may consider some material unsuitable for their children, but leaves the parent to make the decision. Parents are warned against sending their children, unseen and without inquiry, to PG-rated movies. The theme of a PG-rated film may itself call for parental guidance. There may be some profanity in these films. There may be some violence or brief nudity. However, these elements are not considered so intense as to require that parents be strongly cautioned beyond the suggestion of parental guidance. There is no drug use content in a PG-rated film. The PG rating, suggesting parental guidance, is thus an alert for examination of a film by parents before deciding on its viewing by their children. Obviously such a line is difficult to draw. In our pluralistic society it is not easy to make judgments without incurring some disagreement. As long as parents know they must exercise parental responsibility, the rating serves as a meaningful guide and as a warning. 

I love the line “in our pluralistic society it is not easy to make judgments without incurring some disagreement”. In my circles that would be called “covering your backside”. So what is my take on this mild controversy?

• I suspect this is just an example of knee jerk PC over-reaction on the part of the film board but I understand their desire to CTB (cover their backside) in the current cultural climate. I happen to believe that all films need to be examined by parents before they let their children attend. There would will be some who will be offended by the message of the gospel of Jesus portrayed in this movie. I am often offended by the message of movies. I chose whether my kids could go to certain movies or not. That is called parenting. If no parenting is available there are worse things the kiddos could see than a story of faith and overcoming adversity.
  
• I attended several movies like this growing up. Billy Graham films used to release movies that played in mainstream theaters and even offered a call for action to accept the Christian faith. To be honest, I was not persuaded by the movies. I was persuaded to examine the claims of Christ when I encountered a few people who were actually living a changed life. They told me it was because of Jesus. That is what sparked my interest.
  
• I don’t think this is a battle worth getting exorcized over. I went back and checked some other religious themed movies. Chariots of Fire received a PG rating. For the life of me I cannot remember what was in that movie that I needed to be concerned about with my kids. Fiddler on the Roof got a G rating. That movie had pretty strong religious content, scary ghosts in the dream sequence, and some really bad dancing by Tevye. But I don’t remember being threatened to abandon my Protestant faith. On the other hand, I don’t remember not being threatened. On the other hand…
  
• If you decide to voice a concern to the MPAA or other organization please be intelligent and grace filled in your comments. Suggesting their eternal destination with directions is not a good way to win hearts. See my recent post on how to win friends and influence people.
  
• Every movie has a message. That is the point of telling a story in a visual format. Without a message or story you have, well, the movie Gigli.
  
• Go to the movie. Christians need to support efforts like this. Start taking ownership of what you can control. If you are not a movie goer buy some tickets and give them away. We need to support efforts like this with our prayer support and especially with our wallets. It does not matter if the rating is G or PG. You can take your kids or send your kids. Maybe they will think it is cooler to go to a PG movie anyway. And it does not matter if it is not an award winning production. Financial success of projects like this will lead to others with bigger budgets and greater impact in the marketplace. That is how it works. While you are at it why not go to your local video or bookstore and buy Michael W Smith’s movie The Second Chance and Every Tribe Entertainment’s End of the Spear. Those efforts deserve a little financial love as well. Or you can click on the movie links and order online.

For me this ratings “controversy” is a non-starter. On my Grumpy Old Man Meter this registers only a One …for mild political correctness over-reaction.

Terry Mattingly noted that the scene that caught the MPAA’s attention may have been the chat between football coach Grant Taylor, played by Alex Kendrick, and a rich brat named Matt Prader. The coach says that he needs to stop bad-mouthing his bossy father and get right with God.

The boy replies: “You really believe in all that honoring God and following Jesus stuff? … Well, I ain’t trying to be disrespectful, but not everybody believes in that.”

The coach replies: “Matt, nobody’s forcing anything on you. Following Jesus Christ is the decision that you’re going to have to make for yourself. You may not want to accept it, because it’ll change your life. You’ll never be the same.”

That is the bottom line. Nobody is forcing anything on anybody. My agenda is just to tell others what God has done in my life. Following Jesus has changed my life. I am not the same. That is a decision you have to make for yourself about who Jesus is and what that means to you. Some are offended by that message. That is cool. It is no surprise to Christians that some are offended. Jesus said in Matthew told His disciples to go and tell John the Baptist what they had seen and heard. He told them to tell John…

And tell him: `God blesses those who are not offended by me’.

May God bless you in your journey.

 

 

This week I confessed my depression over the decline of civility in our culture. I had just posted that grumpy old man rant and hopped in the car to run some errands. The radio tuner was on the Mavericks radio station (ESPN 103.3 FM) because I had listened to game 6 on my home the previous evening. I started to change the channel but I realized that they were discussing the Mark Cuban blog controversy. I decided to see if they agreed with me that Cuban’s blog comments were over the top given that it is linked from the Mav’s site. Co-host Steve Dennis seemed to feel that Cuban’s language and demeanor were a bit of an embarrassment. Co-host Jennifer Floyd Engel plunged me back into depression. I will paraphrase her comments. She informed Dennis (and me by agreement with him) that such sensitivity was a “generational” thing. A caller noted that the “f-bomb” was merely a synonym for love making. He did a lengthy bit that concluded with the comment if you don’t like it…”love-make you”. Engel enthusiastically supported this “clever” dialogue and made it very clear that only my uptight generation had a problem with such language. (I never dreamed that a child of the Woodstock era would be called uptight)

One caller complained that his child could go to Cuban’s blog and read “f-bombs” and other language. I don’t know if Engel is a parent or not  but her answer stunned me. “Everybody knows that parents need to supervise when their kids are on the internet. Anyone who has watched Primetime stories about the danger of the internet should know that.”

I completely disagree with Engel’s assessment. Most parents try to monitor internet usage. Here is what I did as a father of three sons.

1) I installed a filter. This prevented easy access to sites I did not want them visiting.
2) I checked the browser history daily to see where they had been.
3) I searched the hard disk for video/image downloads to make sure they were not viewing inappropriate things through other sources like email, etc.
4) Now I would monitor sites like myspace.com and others like that. That was not an issue when my guys were surfing under my roof.

Here is my point. None of my precautions would have worked in keeping my kids from reading the crude comments that Cuban wrote to sportswriters. Why should I have to “monitor” my sons visiting the Dallas Mavericks site? Shouldn’t that be a safe place for youngsters to visit? It is ridiculous for me to have to stand over my child as they visit an NBA website. You can easily link to the blog right from the Mav’s home page. In his latest blog Mr.Cuban says he has been called more names in the last week than even he thought possible. And that makes my point about the lack of civility in the public forum. I don’t dislike Mark Cuban because he uses what I consider vulgar language in his very public and accessible blog. I have not called him any names. I simply disagree with him. I wish he would reconsider and realize the broad reach he has.  That is it.

I don’t consider myself to be a “generational” prude. I am just asking for civility in the public arena. As for me, what is happening in the culture does not change my responsibility. As a follower of Jesus I have pretty clear marching orders. Jesus was addressing the “religious” guys when he said this.

“If you grow a healthy tree, you’ll pick healthy fruit. If you grow a diseased tree, you’ll pick worm-eaten fruit. The fruit tells you about the tree. You have minds like a snake pit! How do you suppose what you say is worth anything when you are so foul-minded? It’s your heart, not the dictionary, that gives meaning to your words. A good person produces good deeds and words season after season. An evil person is a blight on the orchard. Let me tell you something: Every one of these careless words is going to come back to haunt you. There will be a time of Reckoning. Words are powerful; take them seriously. Words can be your salvation. Words can also be your damnation.”

I cannot influence Mark Cuban to change his language. I can control where I spend my time and treasure and what I listen to and view. The question of civility in language is an individual question. Mark Cuban just happens to be a flashpoint for you and me to consider our roles in this debate. The bottom line is that I can only be responsible for me. I want to produce good words and deeds. Part of that is being graceful in communication. Even if it sometimes feels like a losing battle.

Yesterday was a culturally depressing day for me. I was listening to the Michael Medved Show on my way to the real job. His guest was the controversial author Ann Coulter. Medved was trying to solicit conversation on the questions that Coulter raises in the book, Godless: The Church of Liberalism. Then I got depressed. A caller began his “discussion” with this little jewel.  “Hey Michael, why are you lowering yourself by having this Elsa Erich on your show?” Elsa Erich was a brutal, sadistic matron of a Nazi death camp who was guilty of horrifying cruelty to Jews. That caller could have been Gandhi, Einstein, Jefferson, and Lincoln rolled into one and I wouldn’t have listened to another word he said. This was a random but sadly typical example of the lack of civility that has become far too commonplace in our culture. I guess he thought he was funny or clever. To compare a controversial author to a woman who oversaw the brutal and horrible deaths of thousands of women and children in Nazi concentration camps is irresponsible and ridiculous. How can you begin a conversation with a comparison like that? Medved asked the caller how interviewing the author of the top selling book in American (at that point) could be considered “lowering” himself. He also rebuked the caller for his comparison. But I was done. Why should I waste my time on a “discussion” with that tone?

This inflammatory rhetoric has debate in America on life support. I wish I could be more optimistic about its recovery. Hopefully the majority of the readers of these humble ramblings can actually define civility. But just in case, here is the definition of civility listed at dictionary.com.

   1. Courteous behavior; politeness.
   2. A courteous act or utterance.

Such a simple concept. Just common sense. Yet it seems like we are tilting at windmills and warbling the “Impossible Dream” when you hope that two people on opposite ends of an argument can have an intelligent and civil debate. Guests on talk shows yell over one another. Hosts interrupt. Debaters mug with condescending smirks in the other TV box while a guest makes his or her case. I suspect the problem is that these shows tend to attract the 5 to 10 per cent on the extreme end of each position. Ratings show (apparently) that such “debate” makes for better television or radio. Heaven forbid that we be attracted to those might gracefully disagree and make an actual point. Tragically, this ugly level of discourse has made its way into the debate within the body of Christ. Go back and check some of the comments directed toward Every Tribe Entertainment during the discussion over casting Chad Allen in the lead role of End of the Spear. Not always civil. Or very helpful. Certainly not graceful. Paul wrote this to the church at Colosse.

Use your heads as you live and work among outsiders. Don’t miss a trick. Make the most of every opportunity. Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out.   Colossians 4  The Message

In Ephesian we find this exhortation.

Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.  Eph 4  NIV

How often do we hear someone defending their ungracious attitude with the disclaimer that they were just proclaiming the truth. We have a higher standard as followers of Christ. We are called to proclaim truth. We are not called to proclaim “selected’ parts of truth. We are not called to water down the truth. But we are also not called to be like Terry Tate, the infamous office linebacker, who leveled anyone who stepped out of line.

                                                       

It is easy to blindside an unsuspecting target. I have been guilty. But I am determined to find a blend of grace and truth in my communication. That should keep me busy for a couple of decades.

Part two of my mildly depressing day was stumbling on the blog written by Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. Cuban has gained a lot of capital with Dallas fans (and with me) after the spectacular success he has overseen with the NBA team. But he spent a lot of that capital with his behavior in the recent days surrounding the NBA Championship. But his far less than gracious responses to the media and others was not the only source of my dismay.  Here are some other comments that bothered me. The topic was obscenity.

I cant think of anything funnier than a 3 year old cursing.  I mean come on, does it really matter if we say Poo Poo or s*%^ ?  Of course not. Unless of course your married and your wife tells you it matters. She doesnt want to be the one who gets phone calls from teachers and other parents getting blamed for all the 3 year olds in the little gym class screaming “Kiss My A&% you Mo Fo”… Me, i couldnt think of anything i would rather see and hear. but thats me.

Yeah. That is you, Mr.Cuban. But because of your enormous influence it is more than just you. Because you are rich, powerful, famous, and a rebel you have the respect of a lot of people and a lot of young men in particular. Yes, like it or not, you are a role model. And that is why I think that comments like that are depressing. I don’t have a big issue with cursing. I am around it all the time in my job in television. I have chosen not to use that language. Regular use of profanity makes you look, in my opinion, less intelligent. I dislike second hand vulgarity as much as second hand smoke. I hate being in public and having to listen to a string of invectives invading my space from a cell phone rant or a loud discussion. At that point it is not just you being you. It is you being rude. I guess this is just part of my inexorable march to grumpy old man. It does matter which words we say. Sometimes it is helpful to be an adult. Words do matter. Examples do matter. Even though I am not rich nor famous nor powerful I am still an example to others. I take it seriously. But thats me.

 

WASHINGTON – Gritty rats and mice living in sewers and farms seem to have healthier immune systems than their squeaky clean cousins that frolic in cushy antiseptic labs, two studies indicate. The lesson for humans: Clean living may make us sick. That was the AP story that caught my attention yesterday. And I pondered the odd theory that these disgusting rodents may offer a clue to ineffectual Christian living as well. Let us explore.

Associated Press Science writer Seth Borenstein writes about the recent research.

The studies give more weight to a 17-year-old theory that the sanitized Western world may be partly to blame for soaring rates of human allergy and asthma cases and some autoimmune diseases, such as Type I diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis. The theory, called the hygiene hypothesis, figures that people’s immune systems aren’t being challenged by disease and dirt early in life, so the body’s natural defenses overreact to small irritants such as pollen.

The new studies, one of which was published Friday in the peer reviewed Scandinavian Journal of Immunology, found significant differences in the immune systems between euthanized wild and lab rodents.

When the immune cells in the wild rats are stimulated by researchers, “they just don’t do anything they sit there; if you give them same stimulus to the lab rats, they go crazy,” said study co-author Dr. William Parker, a Duke University professor of experimental surgery. He compared lab rodents to more than 50 wild rats and mice captured and killed in cities and farms.

A rat at a Brooklyn subway stop – AP Photo

Also, the wild mice and rats had as much as four times higher levels of immunoglobulins, yet weren’t sick, showing an immune system tuned to fight crucial germs, but not minor irritants, Parker said. He said what happened in the lab rats is what likely occurs in humans: their immune systems have got it so cushy they overreact to smallest of problems.

Challenged immune systems — such as kids who grow up with two or more pets — don’t tend to develop as many allergies, said Dr. Stanley Goldstein, director of Allergy & Asthma Care of Long Island.

Human epidemiological studies have long given credence to the hygiene theory, showing that allergy and asthma rates were higher in the cleaner industrialized areas than in places such as Africa. Parker’s studies, looking at animal differences, may eventually help scientists find when, where and how environmental exposure help protect against future allergies and immune disorders, said Goldstein, and Dr. Jeffrey Platt of the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota., both of whom were not part of Parker’s studies.

Parker said he hopes to build a 50-foot artificial sewer for his next step, so that he could introduce the clean lab rats to an artificial dirty environment and see how and when the immunity was activated.

That may be the biggest thing to come out of the wild and lab rodent studies, Platt said: “Then all of a sudden it becomes possible to expose people to the few things (that exercise the immune system) and gives them the benefit of the dirty environment without having to expose them to the dirt.”

A couple of thoughts immediately come to mind. First, how do you sell your boss on building a 50 foot artificial sewer? Second, I remembered the house that eldest and second sons lived in during their college years. Squeamish parents would stop at a gas station to use the bathroom before visiting the guys. We wondered why they were not sick all of the time. Now I realize that they were probably healthier than I ever could have hoped. These men utilized the brilliant strategy of creating an artificially dirty environment to stimulate a healthy immune system. It is always great when science validates slothfulness. And it is even greater when you can figure out a way to incorporate slothfulness into a sentence.

But how does this relate to an ineffectual Christian life? I think that the average Christian in America has also compromised our spiritual immune system by choosing a cushy and safe Christian experience. We have tuned our immune system not to fight crucial sin in our lives, but minor irritants. When you talk to fellow Christians are you passionately concerned about communicating the gospel to the world or about some minor irritant (person or program) at your church? Do we agonize over injustice in the world or petty injustice in our lives? Have we programmed our spiritual immune systems to battle pride and selfishness? Not likely. And by the way…I did not fare well in the pop quiz posed in this paragraph.

And the rats may hold another clue. I recently read a quote from an excellent book called Organic Church. The author noted that to reach the world for Christ we have to be willing to sit in the smoking section. I don’t mean to imply that all smokers are not Christian. The point is we have to be willing to get out of our “comfort bunkers”. 

Paul wrote this to the Roman church.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Paul is not saying that we are to avoid being conformed to the world by isolation from it. We are instead to be transformed by the Holy Spirit renewing our mind. Isolation does not transform us at all. If anything, isolation makes us lukewarm. Because we can’t have a robust spiritual immune system if we live in a sterile sanctuary environment only. And that may be where the rats can teach us the biggest lesson. Our tendency is to stay in the sterile lab (church) and never venture into the sewer (lives of hurting people). We have too often chosen the safe route of turning on the light and praying those in need will come to the light. Some will. But most will not. Instead we are called to take the light to those in need. Jesus noted that in the Sermon on the Mount.

 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. 

When Jesus says to let your light shine before men I think He was talking about Monday through Saturday as well as Sunday. I am sick of Sunday Christians. I have spent too many years putting my light under a bowl. I have too often chosen the safe and antiseptic sanctuary over the authentic and often dirty sewer of people in need. I want my spiritual immune system to attack real threats and not minor irritants.

That scares me. But not as much as not pursuing that scares me.

 

 

This a transcript of the words I spoke at my father’s memorial service. This will be my third Father’s Day since he went to be with his Heavenly Father. My Dad made a difference in my life. You will make a difference in the lives of your children. They listen only sometimes. But they are always watching. My Dad probably never realized how closely I was watching. I can only pray that my Son’s will feel as blessed to call me Dad as I was to address my own father.

 

My Dad was a good man. Not a perfect man. Kindness was his calling card to everyone around him. The last time I saw my father he left me with a memory that will stay with me till I join him in eternity.

My last visit with Dad was a roller-coaster of emotions. He had made a remarkable and inspiring comeback from his devastating brain injury. I had talked to him on the phone! It was a moment so special that I will always be grateful to God for a chance to hear my Dad’s voice one more time. But by the time I got back to his bedside about 10 days ago something had begun to go terribly wrong. He was less responsive. The words came sparingly and with difficulty.

Nonetheless, when I walked into the room Dad’s eyes came alive and he grabbed my hand with an intensity that clearly communicated that he knew me. He stared at me and would often flash that special smile. But his words were few…mainly simple responses to my questions.

Our family had encountered one difficult employee at University Hospital (in Columbus, Ohio) and unfortunately, she was responsible for placing Dad into what we hoped would be successful rehab. But she had done nothing helpful and she had done nothing with a bad attitude. I will confess my frustration. I looked at (my Sister) Sherry as I held my Father’s hand and said, “We don’t have to take that crap!” To my surprise out of that shell that was my Dad came a very clear and loud response…”I taught you that!”

Yeah…you did teach me that Dad. And you taught me a whole lot more. You taught me that all of God’s children are to be valued. That everyone is important and deserves to be treated with dignity. I remember you coming home from work and going to a place much like this funeral chapel to pay respects to the family of one of your employees. I didn’t get that. I was selfish and wanted your time. I get it now.

You taught me the concept of grace. When I was in junior high I somehow manage to establish “credit” at a hobby store. I ran up a debt that was monumental in those days. When you found out I was terrified…but you taught me that grace means unmerited forgiveness for obvious guilt. You taught me there is a difference between mistakes of ignorance and willful wrongdoing. You taught me what forgiveness looks like….and what it means for someone to pay for your mistakes when it is undeserved. I got a little foretaste of how Jesus would pay a debt for me that I could not pay later on in my life.

You taught me that humor is a gift from God. That laughing at life and especially at your self makes it a whole lot easier to deal with daily frustrations. You taught me that you are about as happy as you make up your mind to be.

You weren’t perfect. You worried a little too much. But as I often told you, you freed me of that burden because I always knew you had the worry part covered. We had some issues to work out. But we did…because I loved you and I knew you loved me.

You taught me a lot Dad. And I will be forever grateful. Perhaps most importantly, you taught me what it looks like to be ready to die. You taught me how to put your family at ease by clearly and consistently letting us know that you were ready to meet Jesus. You taught me what an incredible difference that knowledge makes to those who love you at moments like this.

God’s Word consistently paints an image of God as our Father. Many people struggle with that picture because they can only relate to an angry, dominating or selfish father. I thank God that I was blessed with a father who gave me a clear image of how I can relate to God as my Heavenly Father.

There are two ways you can honor my Dad. First, take care of your eternal destiny today and share that news with those who love you. And make peace with anyone and everyone that you hold bitterness and anger toward. I would encourage you to leave this place and deal with those issues today. You do not know if you have a day, a week or a year, I never dreamed that my phone conversation on December 19th (2003) would be my last real time to talk to my Dad. But when I got the call about his changed condition I felt peace in my heart. I knew my Dad was sure about how I felt about him and I knew how he felt about me. I stand here today with no regrets. Everything that I needed to say to my Dad had been said. And I knew that he was ready to meet Jesus. Nothing would make my Dad happier than you following his example and make those same commitments today.

I love the Muppets. I must have watched the Muppet Movie over a hundred times with first born and second born sons. One of my favorite characters is Gonzo the Great. No one is quiet sure what Gonzo is. In The Great Muppet Caper Fozzie Bear, Kermit, and Gonzo are newspaper reporters who are sent, via air cargo, to London to investigate a jewel heist. But the mystery of Gonzo remains. The crates for Fozzie and Kermit are labeled “Bear” and “Frog”. On Gonzo’s crate is the stenciling “Whatever”. Maybe that is why I love this character so much. A sensitive and kind of weird “whatever” in search of himself. I can relate to that.

 

One of my all time favorite Muppet moments happens in the Great Muppet Caper. Kermit and Gonzo cannot manage to hail a taxi. So Gonzo suddenly leaps into the middle of the street, a taxi slams on the brakes and they have a ride. Kermit looks at him in amazement and says “That’s very..effective.” Gonzo replies, “yeah, it’s GREAT when it works!!” And that is how I view this blog experience and some of the interesting sidebars it creates. And yes, this is all leading somewhere.

I had written a blog about the mild controversy that the Million Dollar Bills had generated for the Great News Network when the Secret Service confiscated them. A few readers took exceptional offense to my thoughts. But one who did not take exceptional offense was the subject of the blog, Darel Rundus. He contacted me and we agreed to have lunch. I knew right away that we would get along. His email to me told me how to recognize him. “I will be the one passing out million dollar bills”. I told him I would be the one wearing an earpiece and a wire. When Darel thought that was funny I knew we would be fine.

Darel is an engaging and warm man. We had a great time of fellowship. And we had a good discussion about the controversy and how we represent Christ. I was able to assure him that I never questioned him or his heart for ministry. And he graciously accepted that. This was a laboratory about how we should communicate in the body of Christ. I feel like I had some legitimate questions. But I will confess that I made one major mistake. I should have contacted Darel first to get his side. For that I asked his forgiveness and I ask yours. I will also confess that numerous bad experiences with other organizations had left me cynical. That is wrong. Darel was able to give me a perspective that would have been helpful in my initial article. I think they have a reasonable concern with the method of the bill confiscation. And I believe their question about the proliferation of similar bills is fair.

A couple of my points would have remained the same. I did feel the comments toward the Secret Service could have been more graceful. He agreed and he wished he had softened that a bit. I was concerned about the implication that the ministry would keep distributing the bills no matter what. Darel assured me that if the judge ruled them illegal they would promptly stop the distribution. That had not been clear in the earlier reports. So he understood my heart and I understood his. Both of us are trying to serve the Lord Jesus with fear and trembling. It was a great time. And it happened because Darel Rundus decided to fellowship with an “evil” blogger and not “flame” him. I have a new friend in the body of Christ. As a blogger you often throw yourself into the cyber traffic. I try to encourage thought and debate.  Darel Rundus decided to stop and discuss. With civility. That is how it should work. And it is GREAT when it works.

By the way, I gave my books to Darel. He did insist on giving me a token of appreciation. A million bucks for a couple of books is really very generous!

It has been a while since I dusted off the wildly popular feature “Ask a Bad Christian”. Today’s questions revolve around one theme and have come from several people.

Why do you call your blog “Confessions of a Bad Christian”? Do you really think you are a bad Christian?

Yeah.  Sometimes I am. Sometimes “badder” than on other days.

The blog heading of “Confessions of a Bad Christian” started out as a bit of a joke. It was based on the title of my first book, When Bad Christians Happen to Good People. But I will tell you that I have grown attached to the title of this blog. I have come to grips with the truth that I can, in fact, be a bad Christian. And that is the point of the title. It is a daily reminder to me that I am capable of thoughts and actions that do not reflect Jesus. I did think that making this question a sermon topic was a bit over the top. I know there a few readers of this blog that would love to have heard this sermon and maybe even testified.

(Note to the humor challenged. This sign is a joke. You can make your own church signs at this website. Enjoy.)

I have found that the realization that I can be a bad Christian at any given moment has been the beginning of real growth for me.

It breaks my heart to think that my actions would cause anyone to think that Christianity is false. The sad reality is that I encounter Christians all the time that do damage to the cause of Christ. I often tell people that my prayer is that they will not reject Christ because of Christians. I beg them to consider the person of Jesus. The question that each of us must answer is who is Jesus? Is He who He claimed? But too often those I encounter cannot get past the actions of a person who does not represent Jesus well. I do not want any part of a legacy like that.  So I challenge myself and other Christians to be real. Acknowledge that we are fallible. Seek to repair damage. Ask forgiveness. Drop the legalism.  I suppose that a big part of who I am is growing up in a church that would not have recognized grace if it bit them on their self-righteous posteriors. I know firsthand the damage that legalism can do in the life of person trying to follow Christ. I receive hundreds of emails from people wounded by others in the church.

I came across the sermon delivered on the passage about the vine and the branches. The thoughts centered on John 15:5 where Jesus said, “apart from me you can do nothing”. Here are a couple of excerpts on how to avoid being a bad Christian. It is simply realizing where your dependence starts…and ends.

Now when Christ says, “Without me you can do nothing;” he doubtless means to affirm that without divine light shining upon the pages of inspiration and upon the works of God–without the illumination of the Holy Spirit, holiness is impossible to us. The assertion of the text therefore implies that divine light is proffered to us, and that this light is given by Christ.

It is therefore of great importance with respect to the doctrine of our dependence upon Christ that we should understand the fact as a fact. Whether or not we are able to understand the philosophy of this dependence is of no consequence. It is enough for us to understand that such is the fact, that without Christ we can do nothing.

To understand this doctrine is more than to admit it. I may admit a thing in theory which after all I don’t understand. I may admit multitudes of truths, yea any and all the truths of the gospel without really understanding one of them. The truth of our dependence upon Christ is generally admitted, but not so generally is it rationally understood.

Properly to understand it is to realize it–to perceive it’s truth; and have in the mind a felt realization of it’s truth.

To believe this truth is more than to hold it in theory. A man may hold in theory the whole Confession of Faith, he may defend it, may argue in favor of it, and suppose himself to believe it, while in fact in the gospel sense he does not believe a word of it. Many who professed faith in the doctrine of the Second Advent of Christ, have held it and defended it as a theory, but manifestly have not believed it. Faith is the yielding up of the mind to be influenced by truth apprehended by the intellect. It is the mind’s confiding, trusting, receiving a truth. Now nothing is more common than for persons to hold and defend a truth in theory which they do not really believe. To believe the doctrine of our dependence upon Christ is to commit or surrender the mind up to the influence of this truth–to repose on Christ–to confide the soul really to his keeping.

To believe this truth implies the continual remembrance of it. It implies that we hold the mind in the attitude of dependence and trust. Suppose I am leading a little child by the hand, I give him my finger and lead him along upon the brink of a frightful precipice. I tell him, Without me you will fall. Now if he believes this, he will hold fast to my hand. His mind will be in a constant attitude of depending, trusting, holding on to me. Now this illustrates what I mean by believing in our dependence upon Christ. The mind that believes in this will not attempt to do any thing without Christ.

This was from a sermon delivered by Charles G. Finney in 1845.

                                                                                   

                                                                              (Courtesy of picturehistory.com)

We are still wrestling with the implications of this amazing text 161 years later. That is why I call these humble ramblings “Confessions of a Bad Christian”. I want that daily reminder of my potential for sin. I want that daily jolt of realization (after my coffee) that my dependence must be on Christ if I am to have any real impact for God. Finney continued with the central importance of this doctrine..I have condensed his words. The full text is available by clicking here.

• Again, not to understand and believe this is real infidelity in respects to Christ. It is a real rejection of the gospel of Christ and of Christ himself. 
  
• The rejection of this doctrine renders the soul proud and presumptuous. 
  
• To reject this doctrine is to dishonor Christ greatly, and as I have said, to discard his gospel entirely.
  
• The rejection of this doctrine fosters self-righteousness. If a man gets the idea that without the divine support and enlightenment, he performs acts that are acceptable to God, this is one of the worst forms of self-righteousness.
  
• The rejection of this doctrine makes us the sport of temptation. A man is certain to be overcome if he attempts to resist temptation in his own strength, just as certain as a man of one leg would be to fall if he should attempt to run without his crutch.
  
• The rejection of this doctrine leads to ultimate discouragement. When persons make attempts to stand in their own strength and find themselves continually overcome, they are soon led to doubt seriously whether there is any such thing as standing before the power of temptation

So am I a bad Christian? Not on the days that my dependence is on Jesus. My goal is to make those days happen more frequently with each passing year.