the truth smirks

in a recent interview with Sojourner magazine Jon Stewart, the host of Comedy Central's The Daily Show spent some time speaking about their particular brand of satire. Interviewer Jim Wallis asked Stewart if he saw the show as a instigator of social change or activism, and Stewarts response got my wheels turning a little. Below is a brief piece of what he had to say, for the entire article click here.


Jon Stewart: It may be true that the Hebrew prophets used humor in that regard, to create social change, but it was also used by Borscht Belt social directors. We’ve got a lot more in common with them than the prophets. Everyone here has a lot of respect for activists and an appreciation for what it takes to be an activist. For most of us, writing jokes, playing a little Guitar Hero in the afternoon, and calling it a day seems to be the way to go. Because we’re in the public eye, maybe people project onto us their desires for that type of activism coming from us, but just knowing the process here as I do, our show is maybe the antithesis of activism, and that is a relatively selfish pursuit. The targets we choose, the way we go about it—it’s got more of a personal venting aspect than a socially conscious aspect.


so the thought process for me goes something like this: is that what i do when i complain about the current state of affairs, but do little more than complain? am i also motivated by "selfish pursuit?"

let me clarify here, i am not bashing Jon Stewart, in fact i think the Daily Show is pretty clever, and i find myself laughing at bits over and over again (who can forget the tatted out Cheney.... classic)

but i am a guy who spends most of his life telling and teaching other people how to live a life of faith, to be generous, to take an active role in pursuing justice, to be hospitable, and so on. and it makes me wonder, how much time to i spend practicing what i teach? is my casual respect of "activist" followers of Jesus good for anyone? do radical followers of Jesus want a fan club, or do they want people to join them in their efforts? there seems to be a pretty substantial difference.

it is hard to not end this post with a cliched statement about walking the talk or some other tired line, but that is exactly the point. so i will go in a different direction, one that no other blogger or author has ever done, ever (i hope you are feeling the sarcasm here) and close with some song lyrics, and like all good quote thieves i will take this chorus of a Toby Keith song way out of context:

A little less talk
If you please
A lot more loving
Is what I need
Lets get on down
To the main attraction
With a little less talk
And a lot more action

"man's chief end is..."

in the westminster confession there is this statement: "man's chief end is to glorify God, to enjoy him forever."

popular corporate worship seems to echo these sentiments ("you and i were made to worship", "here i am to worship" etc.), and most Christians would agree that the primary reason for our creation is to "glorify God." But here is where the disconnect occurs, we wrongly assume that to "glorify God" is limited or primarily contained in the context of corporate worship gatherings and with corporate singing. as a guy who makes his living leading corporate singing and worship services this is a reassuring thought, however it is my belief that to "glorify God" goes well beyond the corporate gatherings of Christians.

in the book "exiles" author michael frost offers the following idea of what the worship of God should look like, and i am inclined to agree with some of his ideas, they are summarized below:

first we need to understand the two-fold glory of God. God has both essential glory and declarative glory.

the essential glory of God is that glory that is part of the very being of God, the sun cannot exist without light, so God cannot exist without glory (several scriptures talk about this type of glory) it is impossible for God not to be glorious.

the declarative glory of God is that glory that is given to God by his creation, glory that is ascribed to him by another. this is wear worship comes in, since we cannot add to God's essential glory, we must focus on the declarative glory. this means adding value to the name of God, and elevating other's view of God.

the westminster catechism states that we glorify God in 4 ways; appreciation, adoration, affection, and subjection.

appreciation- admiration & respect
adoration- public worship
affection- to love or take delight in
subjection- to obey & serve

Frost further defines these areas thusly:

"APPRECIATION. this is to esteem God, to value God above all in our thoughts and admiration, to venerate God in our imagination, thinking, and belief. when we admire and respect God in this way, we glorify God.

ADORATION. this is to worship God in a formal liturgical sense in a public, corporate setting. the westminster catechism, based on the confession, makes copious references to the Old Testament injunctions to worship correctly in the temple and in the exact method prescribed by the Lord. the confession assumes that adoration must be done in a properly constituted worship service.

AFFECTION. this is to love God, to offer a love of delight, as we take our delight in a friend. this is to love God indeed, with out hearts set upon God. it is an exuberant love. it is superlative; we give glory to God when we offer the best of our love.

SUBJECTION. this is to dedicate ourselves to serve God through our actions. this can take various forms; bible study, prayer life, witness, compassionate living, generosity and hospitality offered in God's name. to obey the divine will through service brings glory to God."

the thrust of Frost's thoughts is simply this: attending worship services is one of many ways that we glorify God.

i would further assert, that if it is the only way that we are glorifying God, then we have lots of work to do. consider ways to employ the other methods of glorifying God into your life.

Some examples:

when you feed the hungry you are glorifying God.

when you take a prayer walk and thank God for all his blessings you glorify God.

when you visit an orphanage to spend time with unwanted children you glorify God.

when you study the bible you glorify God.

when you admire the beauty and truth in art and creation you glorify God.

when you share the good news of knowing Jesus with a friend you glorify God.


let's get off our "blessed assurance" and glorify God outside the walls, as well as inside, knowing that we can bring glory to God (our chief end) in a variety of ways.

to the ends of the earth

i am pretty excited about this weekend for a variety of reasons. my dear friends from atl will be in town, we are discussing the mission work in africa, and we will probably eat great seafood (for the second time this week.)

as i have been studying for this weekend's services at acc, a few things struck me that i thought would be appropriate to share. this weekend we will be talking about the work in kenya, and how acc can be involved. we will focus our attention in two primary areas, orphanages and widow's communities. both of these areas have huge needs in kenya, as HIV/AIDS has left millions of people in its wake. there are very few families in kenya that have not been effected by this pandemic, and when you add that to the other issues of the developing world (unclean water, unstable governments, lack of social programs, lousy economy, etc.) kenya needs lots of attention.

this weekend we are going to talk about why we should get involved in doing work in a place that is almost 8000 miles away. many will ask about the needs in our own backyard, and i want to assure you we are not going to work in kenya to the detriment of any of our outreach at home, but we do believe that we are called to the "ends of the earth" with the message of Jesus.

i read a quote on another blog today from richard stearn, he said "Our compassion for others seems to be directly correlated to whether people are close to us socially, emotionally, culturally, ethnically, economically, and geographically."

i hope that we don't adopt this method of showing compassion, and that those who are in need will receive our support, regardless of their proximity to us. i pray that you come this weekend and hear about the needs in kenya with fresh ears, and see the issues with fresh eyes. eyes of compassion, they way that Jesus looks at kenya.

this weekend isn't going to be your typical missionary visit to a church, this is going to be about getting in the game. i hope you come prepared to be challenged.

when God is silent

i have often had times where it seemed God was not involved in the goings on of my life. most frequently this was due to my lack of consulting him for input... but the really frustrating times come when God seems to be silent, in spite of my efforts to connect with him (fasting, praying, reading, writing, etc).

i spend the time i feel i should spend reading the bible, praying (both speaking and listening--more speaking than listening perhaps that is part of the issue) and even seeking the counsel of other followers of Jesus. the advice that i receive usually seems to muddy the water... that is, different inputs point in different directions, there is no consistency or common thread to latch on to, and all the while God's silence is deafening.

i am not good at waiting... and while i know God is there, that he is concerned with the affairs of my life, the well being of my family, and so on, i do wish sometimes he would work on my timeline.

there have been other times in my life when God spoke clearly, but didn't say what i wanted to hear, and so I reject what was said... this is not one of those times. it is a challenge to be faithful in the silence, but alas that is my station in these moments, and days and weeks.

i leave this post with the intention to keep listening, so that when God speaks i will hear... and God help me to have the courage to obey.

i rest my case

it strikes me as odd that we use turns of phrase like "i rest my case" and then continue to argue... those statements are supposed to be the end of an argument, not the continuation of that argument.

need i say more?

almost there

My wife introduced me to this awesome website where artists sell prints of their work (www.etsy.com) and I have been really impressed with the artwork that is there.

this print entitled "almost there" really struck a chord with me. i am not sure why it resonates so strongly, but i can't stop thinking about it. it seems to me that so many times i forget to enjoy the moment of life i am involved in because i am waiting for what's next, reasoning that when i arrive at that next place then i can slow down. i hate those cliches like "life is what happens when you are making other plans", but perhaps i don't like those phrases because they are occasionally accurate... and i don't like my circumstances to be summed up in a bumper-sticker slogan.

this picture also points to a common human struggle to find love, really take hold of it, experience it... how much energy do we spend in pursuit of being loved, that we sometimes forget to love, leaving us hanging on a branch, almost there

1956?! Really.

i have a friend who is deep in the throws of his PhD level work in the field of psychology, and i love the discussions that i have with him in regard to his studies, what he is learning and why it matters. i also love his command of the bible, he speaks of scripture as one who loves the words of God, it seems to still be very important to him, and it peppers every conversation i have ever had with him.

in a recent discussion about the fall of man, the main question in play had to do with the concept that God had certain intentions for us that we have missed, and every effort of humanity has been trying to return to the "way things are supposed to be." most of psychology attempts to find the answers to life's problems, or at least how to function with life's problems correctly. all of the various schools of thought, humanism, narcism, existentialism and so on all seek to find solace in their discoveries.

all of that to switch gears, a little:

my friend put a book in my hands that is part of his course work dealing with personality and i read an article by a psychologist named Erich Fromm written in 1956. the article was so pointed, so relevant, so correct that i would have assumed it was written this year. the main thrust of the article was about the isolation of man, about how it is possible to be surrounded by people and not be known by any of them, of how despair and loneliness are natural by products of how most people function. Fromm points to ways in which capitalist society re-enforces these outcomes (similar to Don Miller's treatment in a lecture called "Free Market Jesus") but the most profound thought in the article has to do with the connection that is lost between human beings.

below is an excerpt from wikipedia about Fromm's work on the subject:

"Because modern man is alienated from himself, from his fellow men, and from nature, we seek refuge from our aloneness in the concepts of love and marriage (pp. 79-81). However, psychologist and social philosopher, Erich Fromm (1900-1980), observes that real love "is not a sentiment which can be easily indulged in by anyone." It is only through developing one's total personality to the capacity of loving one's neighbor with "true humility, courage, faith and discipline" that one attains the capacity to experience real love. This should be considered a rare achievement (p. vii). The active character of true love, Fromm observes, involves the basic elements of care, responsibility, respect, and knowledge (p. 24).
Readers will be disappointed if they approach this book as a how-to book. Rather, Fromm's 1956 classic is more of an exploration into the theories of brotherly love, motherly love, erotic love, self-love, and the love of God (pp. 7-76), and an insightful examination into love's disintegration in contemporary Western culture (pp. 77-98). We are starved for love, yet all our attempts to attain love in Western society may seem bound to fail. However, like art, Fromm observes that real love is possible with discipline, concentration, patience, and a supreme concern for mastering love (pp. 99-123)"

i highly recommend the book available from Harper and Row, some of it is dry and clinical, but it is so helpful in understanding why loving one another is so difficult, this too i believe is fallout from out choice to abandon God's intentions for us as we repeat the saga of the garden of eden over and over again.