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I love to collect the stories of people who do stupid things. I am reluctant to call them stupid people because I am very likely to join their ranks at any given moment.

Parker T. Hall Houghtaling was struck in the head by a New York subway train three years ago as he leaned out to see if the train was approaching.  Amazingly, he suffered only bruises, cuts, and a shoulder injury.

On Friday, November 22nd Houghtaling was waiting on the platform of the Poughkeepsie train station when he stuck his head out and, you guessed it, he was hit by the 6:26 p.m. commuter train. The Poughkeepsie Journal reached Houghtaling by phone and he  confirmed the 2002 incident. He said he didn’t remember much of what had happened in his latest brush with the New York subway. You could say he is developing quite a “track” record.

It is so easy to shake your head and wonder how in the world this guy could do this once, let alone two times. I would hope that getting bopped by a subway train would teach me a lesson. I would hope that I would be grateful to have escaped serious consequences and I would stay far, far away from oncoming trains.

But I suspect that Mr. Houghtaling could be an amusing metaphor for how I live my Christian life. I make a mistake (that is politically correct for sin) and I am convinced I will never do that again. I am grateful that the consequences were not worse. I am determined to stay far, far away from that sin. And then before I know it I forget the lesson and get clobbered by the same sin express in the disgustingly near future. The Apostle Paul wrote about this very thing in his letter to the Romans.

I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.    Roman Chapter 7 The Message

Wow…can I relate to that. A bit later Paul writes…I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question?

That is the real question. And there is a real answer offered by Paul.

The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.

To avoid sticking our thick craniums in dangerous places requires a moment by moment submission to the spirit of God. And if you are anything like me perhaps you have noticed that such submission is not a natural response. Further advice from Paul follows in Chapter 8 of his amazing letter to the Romans.

But if God himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of him.

Ouch…I feel a little like Mr.Houghtaling after the truth of that verse hit me. I am learning daily to recognize that the Spirit of God has taken up residence in my life. I am learning that I am the one who limits His power by restricting access and control to my thoughts and actions. I am learning that I don’t need to get clobbered again by the same old train but I likely will do just that. And when I do I will pick myself up and thank God for His amazing grace.

 

 

 

I am considering a number of ideas for a third book. When I go to the Christian bookstores I see hundreds of books…most of them by Max Lucado.

 

I am praying that God will give me something to write about that will meet a need. I am no longer interested in killing trees for my own ego even if it is not a lot of trees. With my book sales I am killing shrubbery but you get the point.

 

Here is my request. If there is a topic that you do not feel has been addressed or that you think I could address would you let me know? Send me your ideas by posting at the blog or via my email if you wish it to be less public.

I will be back to the regular blog routine on Monday. Thanks for your help!

We used to sing a stupid little song in Sunday School. The song went like this…

 

Count your blessings,

Count them one by one.

Count your many blessings,

See what God has done.

 

There is actually a lot of wisdom in that stupid little song. We keep far better score of our problems than our blessings. Today I am counting my blessings with thanksgiving.

 

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4 NIV

I pray you will have a blessed Thanksgiving.

I am taking a break from the daily blog until after Thanksgiving. But come back daily for an excerpt from my book “Bring’em Back Alive”. This section is from a chapter called Feud for Thought.

 

In December 1979, a tragedy occurred in my home state of Ohio. The Who rock group came to Cincinnati to perform at Riverfront Coliseum. The tickets were sold in a then-popular format called festival seating.

 

Ticket prices were fixed, and the best seats went to the concertgoers who could get inside most quickly. Needless to say, festival seating caused some chaos in the best of circumstances. But in Cincinnati that night, the self-centered desires for good seats led to

disaster. When the doors finally opened, the impatient crowd surged forward, resulting in a crush of humanity. Eleven people were killed that night and scores injured.

 

I would venture that not a single person went to Riverfront Coliseum that night with idea of hurting (and especially killing) another person. But hundreds of people were primarily concerned with their own interests: getting through the door first and getting a seat close to the stage. That seemingly harmless desire met with tragic results.

 

The same thing can easily happen in the body of Christ. We can get so focused on an agenda or goal that we don’t realize we are spiritually wounding other sheep in the process. I would suggest that more often than not no one starts out with any intention of hurting another lamb. But while we are rounding up support to remove the pastor…some lambs are trampled and maybe even spiritually killed. They won’t be back. When we divide the church over an issue that is eternally inconsequential some sheep will get crushed in the process. Such injuries are often faith-threatening.

 

As followers of Jesus, we have to understand that actions have consequences throughout the body of Christ and throughout eternity. For the sake of the entire flock, can we commit to pray before we speak, seek counsel before we act, and even allow situations other than “our will” to be done?

In His final hours, our Lord prayed primarily for our unity. I know that if someone I dearly loved made a dying request of me I would do everything in my power to make that desire happen. The Jesus who loved me enough to suffer the cross made a dying request that I (and the rest of us in the church) demonstrate unity “to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” It certainly seems like the least we can do in gratitude for the unmerited gift of grace and salvation He has given to us. Let’s make a commitment to fulfill His prayer and wish for us, because unity can make a difference in our quest to restore at least some of our wounded lambs. That would be an excellent start.

I am taking a break from the daily blog until after Thanksgiving. But come back daily for an excerpt from my book “Bring’em Back Alive”. This section is from a chapter called Feud for Thought. We covered numbers 3 & 4 yesterday.

5. Don’t leave your sense of humor at the altar.

 

One of the reviews of Bad Christians described me as “flippant.” To be honest I would have preferred “witty” or “erudite.” Flippant! But the fact is that I believe a sense of humor is one of God’s gifts to help get us to the finish line of life. “Humor is a rubber sword,” observed Mary Hirsch. “It allows you to make a point without drawing blood.”

 

An examination of the life of Jesus would indicate that He possessed a sense of humor. God’s writers did not set out to author a joke book, so you won’t find the phrase “a Sadducee, a Pharisee and a Roman walk into a bar” anywhere in the Bible. Still, you find glimpses of humor in the words of Jesus. For example, consider this exchange when the disciples came running up and asked Jesus the following question.

 

“Did you know how upset the Pharisees were when they heard what you said?” Matthew (15:12)

 

I can see them looking at Jesus and waiting to hear Him say something like, “Really? I had better go get that straightened out. Those Pharisees are some important guys.” I expect the Lord’s answer first stunned and then amused them.

 

“Forget them. They are blind men leading blind men. When a blind man leads a blind man, they both end up in the ditch.” (Matthew 15:14)

 

You will also note that Jesus was an oft-invited guest at weddings and banquets. His appearances, in fact, drew the ire of the Pharisees. Think about it. If Jesus was a holier-than-thou, uptight, religious, suck-the-air-out-of-the-room sourpuss, would you want Him at your wedding party? Jesus must have been able to laugh and enjoy the common fellowship of others, and he was obviously welcome and desired at the festivities. Let’s join Jesus at Levi’s dinner party, which included some unsavory people, and see what happened:

 

Levi gave a large dinner at his home for Jesus. Everybody was there, tax men and other disreputable characters as guests at the dinner. The Pharisees and their religion scholars came to his disciples greatly offended. “What is he doing eating and drinking with crooks and ‘sinners’?” Jesus heard about it and spoke up, “Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? I’m here inviting outsiders, not insiders—an invitation to a changed life, changed inside and out.” They asked him, “John’s disciples are well-known for keeping fasts and saying prayers. Also the Pharisees. But you seem to spend most of your time at parties. Why?” Jesus said, “When you’re celebrating a wedding, you don’t skimp on the cake and wine. You feast. Later you may need to pull in your belt, but this isn’t the time. As long as the bride and groom are with you, you have a good time. (Luke 5:29-34)

 

At the risk of being flippant again, clearly Jesus knew how to party (in the good sense of the word). He knew how to interact warmly with others and connect with those around Him, no matter how unlike Him they might be.

 

The disciples that Jesus assembled were a fascinating blend of common laborers and professional types. Imagine today if Christ went to the local pier to recruit some fishermen, dropped by the IRS to pick up a follower, then went over to the medical clinic, and so on. I would imagine this would be (at least initially) a fairly coarse group. I don’t suspect that the men dropped the earthy sense of humor they likely possessed when they dropped their nets to follow Jesus. Part of any healthy and dynamic group relationship is having fun together. I believe that there were times when Jesus and the twelve told jokes and fish stories.

 

A lack of humor in the church apparently this has been a problem for a while now. Teresa of Avila prayed this simple prayer in 1582, “From somber, serious, sullen saints, save us, O Lord.” Amen, and amen.

There you have my little battle plan for unity: Remember that Christ died for everyone and not just your little Holy Huddle. If it is not heresy it may not matter much. Use your mouth for blessing. Love your neighbor as yourself, and have a sense of humor.

I am taking a break from the daily blog until after Thanksgiving. But come back daily for an excerpt from my book “Bring’em Back Alive”. This section is from a chapter called Feud for Thought. We covered numbers 1 & 2 yesterday.

 

3. Use your mouth for blessing.

 

There is a book that details a multitude of uses for duct tape. I might suggest one more: If you have a critical spirit, tape your mouth shut. (I confess, that would reduce a fair amount of my own communication.) A bit of more scriptural but less colorful advice is contained in the book of James.

It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell. (James 3:6)

James doesn’t pull any punches, does he? One good way to cling to unity is by not believing the gossip that is spread about our fellow Christians. And we certainly shouldn’t spread it any further. Gossip is a parasite that requires a host organism to survive; don’t give gossip a place to live. Think of how many times you have believed something to be true only to find out the information was mostly or even totally wrong. The threat of a libel or slander lawsuit causes some us to be cautious in our written remarks about others. But we’re not so careful about our discussing our brothers and sisters in Christ. Are we really more concerned about the People’s Court than the Kingdom’s Court?

God is serious about how we communicate about others in the flock. Peter writes:

Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless—that’s your job, to bless. You’ll be a blessing and also get a blessing. (1 Peter 3:8-9)

So there is an added bonus for your godly communication: a blessing at no extra charge.

On a personal note, thanks to all of you who have prayed for me concerning my sharp-tongued sarcasm. I certainly need the prayer and you probably need the practice!

4. Remember the greatest commandment.

 

Love your neighbor as yourself. There are some tough to love people out there, aren’t there? I think God knew how difficult the task would be when He made that commandment a benchmark of walking with Him. Nothing I have encountered that is truly worthwhile is easy.

Marriage? Not easy but definitely worth it. Parenting? Not easy but certainly rewarding. Being a great athlete or student or musician? Not easy but immensely satisfying. Why do we hope that the most incredible journey of our lives should be easy? Loving our neighbors across the board is humanly impossible; only by the grace of God and the daily intervention of the Holy Spirit do we even muster a chance. The difficulties of loving the unlovable, forgiving their offenses, and embracing our responsibilities to them as followers of Christ will be discussed in detail in Chapter 10.

 

To be continued…

I am taking a break from the daily blog until after Thanksgiving. But come back daily for an excerpt from my book “Bring’em Back Alive”. This section is from a chapter called Feud for Thought.

 

I am not naive enough to think that we can solve everything with a New Year’s resolution. We are flawed and we are sinners, and we bring to the party everything that implies. But I do believe in the power of the Holy Spirit and the always-present possibility of revival in the body of Christ. So I will remain a prayerful optimist until the Lord takes me home.

Here is my modest step-by-step plan to begin to shift the momentum in the battle for unity.

1. Remember that Christ died for everyone.

The reality of that truth can make a person uncomfortable. That guy who hits his wife: Christ died for him. The homeless guy in the refrigerator box under the bridge, the rebellious kid with the pierced nose and eyebrow: He died for them. The obnoxious boss and the gossiping co-worker: Yep, Jesus died for them. The killer and the rapist and the drug-dealer: He died for them. It upsets our spiritual applecart to think about unlovable others in that context. But I can find no spiritual loopholes that exclude certain people from His magnificent act of grace.

The apostle Paul explained the supernatural magnitude of God’s actions on our behalf:

We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him. (Romans 5:7-8)

Jesus granting of salvation to the thief on the cross (Luke 23:40-43) bothers most of us. We desire justice—most of the time. When we are desperate for grace because we are facing justice, however, we might have a change in attitude.

God promises that justice is certain. God promises that. Not congress or the local city council. God promises. My problem is that His time frame and mine tend to vary dramatically. I want justice now, but He metes out judgment when the time is right.

God isn’t late with his promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn’t want anyone lost. He’s giving everyone space and time to change. (2 Peter 3:9)

I must learn to accept that God may grant room for repentance to those whom I wish would receive immediate judgment instead. And why not? He did exactly the same thing for me.

 

2. Make sure it matters.

 

Churches have split over the most stupid things imaginable. Stupid is a harsh and ugly word. But it fits. I would suggest that unless you are dividing over the core doctrinal truths of Christianity, then you are dividing in sin. To paraphrase comedian Jeff Foxwothy, if it ain’t heresy you just might be a Pharisee.

A recent case might give a concrete example of something worth fighting over. At considerable risk of offending some, I would suggest that the Episcopal Church’s dispute over the ordination of V. Gene Robinson was a conflict of doctrinal integrity. Frankly, the intensity of the debate surprised me. Forgive me for being blunt, but Robinson did not meet the biblical mandate spelled out in 1 Timothy 3 to qualify for the position of elder, let alone bishop. We must defend the core doctrinal tenets or the church will be tossed on every cultural wave that comes along. Robinson made a very troubling statement: “Just to say that it goes against tradition and the teaching of the church and Scripture does not necessarily make it wrong.” Oh really? If the teaching of Scripture is irrelevant, then what is to be our basis for distinguishing between right and wrong? What a dangerous argument to accept into the church.

Even if I were to concede to Robinson’s argument, I would have to say his actions did not demonstrate the sacrificial example of Jesus. Robinson chose to sow division to advance his own personal agenda. That sounds harsh, but it underscores a key issue in how the unchurched view us. If this relationship we claim to have with Jesus cannot generate peace inside the church, then what hope does it hold for those observing from afar? And what is our answer? I am a little tired of trotting out the lame bromide, “I’m not perfect, I’m just forgiven.” As I have said many times, we have a responsibility to represent Christ, not self, when we take the title of Christian.

 

To be continued…