Prayers for my friend Mari

Sometimes we run up against life...and frankly it sucks! My young friend Mari Day, who is the daughter of one of my dearest friends, Dave and Rhi Day, is going to have to endure another round of chemo after months of hoping they had gotten it all the first time around.
I can't help but feel so sad to think of this beautiful young woman fighting off an enemy within her own body...but that is what she will need to do, once more.
If anyone can do it, Mari can. She's a fighter...tenacious and lovely.
All I'm asking is that any of you who read this remember to pray for Mari Day... let's pray that the cancer disappear quickly, that the treatment not debilitate, that the medicine do it's job once and for all, and for God to be glorified in Mari's body!
Amen.

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The Presence of the Kingdom

The Christian lives in the strange place of neither/nor. There is a positive to state, so don't take the neither/nor as the ultimate reality; but for a Christian to truly live in the Kingdom of God, there is of necessity, a recognition that the world that surrounds -- wherever that world might be -- is material, and always ruled by that which is destructive. The world is filled with a self-destructive bent and no matter the political, national, or ideological championing the world is not evolving into something better.
There is neither a better world ahead -- regardless of the voices that champion their goals -- nor is there a reason for the Christian to escape. We live in the strange place of this neither/nor. The Christian lives in the presence of the Kingdom. The Kingdom of God brings life in the place of death; light in the place of darkness, salt in the place of staleness and spoiling, prayer in the midst of despair, life in the place of death. We don't love the world, we live in it as agents of the King.

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No more Facebook, only the blog!

I came to a decision to eliminate my Facebook acct. It wasn't a difficult one to make since I rarely use it anyway. I've struggled with the desire to stay linked to people, but one of the chief concerns I've had is the propietary nature of what goes onto my facebook page. I don't like the fact that so many of the photos and personal information -- while share with only those I say yes to -- is still property of facebook. I work in a sensitive area of life and can't take the risk that someone might use it improperly. So, it's no more Facebook...you can read this blog if you want to find out what's happening in my world.

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The Demise of Religion in America?

Just in the last few weeks a couple of news outlets have published material on the demise of Religious Christianity in America. One was Michael Spencer’s “The coming evangelical collapse” published in the Christian Science Monitor, and the second was Jon Meacham’s “The End of Christian America” published in Newsweek. Meacham discusses the decline of Christianity in America in general while Spencer discusses what he believes is the soon and inevitable demise of Evangelicalism in particular.

I think it important to make some distinctions in what each are saying, and to perhaps even "feel good" about the conclusions they are making. What each is saying is that American faith life-styles is going through serious revisions from the past. In the past, a vast majority of Americans identified as being "Christian" -- but we know from some fairly strong research/data that many people in our country identified with Christianity only from a cultural position; in other words, they didn't necessarily hold on to Christianity as a faith that directed their lives on a daily basis. The eventual result is that the children of a cultural faith distanced themselves from cultural norms that were inconsistently shown by the generation before them...translated, they didn't see "going to church" as an essential part of their lives if it wasn't really representing a change. An example of that is in a statistic like this: the number of younger adults that identify with the Southern Baptist Church has declined from 100,000 to 35,000 in the last decade.

There are many "causes" for this shift occurring, and yet I think it's mostly the inevitability of a "cultural" identification with the Christian faith disintegrating because what has been lost in the church is the "Kingdom" identification with faith that Jesus came to proclaim.

I don't think this is necessarily bad news. If you get the chance, head over to Greg Boyd's web site and blog at http://www.gregboyd.org/blog/ and read a longer article on this. Greg has been speaking out for over a decade on the need for the church to align itself with the Kingdom of God over against an American cultural form...And, I have been in hearty agreement with him. I first began to see the affects of cultural Christianity in 1979 when the national election between Jimmy Carter (Democrat) and Ronald Reagan (Republican) became a battle around "moral conservatism" wrapped up in Christianeze that dismissed Jimmy Carter's faith as irrelevant. I thought this was a dangerous co-opting of Kingdom principles back then and yet saw this continue through the 80's, 90's and into this decade until one can see the decline of influence in the last few years. The danger for me was biblically based -- the church is not called to make a society conform to the Kingdom of God, but rather to live out Christ in such a way that people choose to enter into the Kingdom as a choice of faith.
In politics, we have "fallen" people making political decisions based on their own self-idealized positions...which may or may not reflect principles of the Kingdom. The Kingdom of God stands as a contrast to all political systems of government -- whether we agree with their politics or not. I consider myself fairly conservative on lots of political decisions, but I would not want to equate conservative politics with biblical revelation! As a church historian there is two millennium of bad lessons to learn from this.

In the end, what I propose is that we in the church return to a pre-Constantinian place and seriously dialog about being "Kingdom citizens". We may find that some of the religious baggage of the American church is well worth jettisoning.

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Some things to Read

The time between Easter and Pentecost is from Spring to Summer here in Wisconsin. For me, it's a time for golf, yard work, and reading!

The golf game is a life-long work in progress. Yesterday I watched The Masters with Linda and got caught up in the drama that was Phil and Tiger, as well as the three way playoff that Angel Cabrera won. I felt really bad for Kenny Perry who is one of the few pros who has come to Milwaukee to the Bank Championship. All that being said, it is the game of golf that I love. I haven't made my first round of the year, but Friday this week looks good!

Yard work is also a life-long work in process...but I do enjoy the outside work. My job has too much desk time attached to it, so the chance to get outside and do the work of making the yard, garden, etc...look decent is a great diversion.

With lots of outdoor times, the indoor times are less and less; but at least when I do, reading is a better time spent than t.v. I've got several books on my reading list. One is a current read - a novel by Andy Andrews entitled "The Lost Choice". I read a previous book of his - "The Traveler's Gift", which I highly recommend. I've also ordered and will be reading Greg Boyd's new book: "The Myth of a Christian Religion" which I am very much looking forward to. I enjoy Greg Boyd as a writer, speaker, thinking, theologian. I find that much of Christian writers, as well as speakers, lack real theological content. Greg is a theologian...which is a compliment because it means he first is concerned with the dimension of God's character, heart, and revelation before His own. Lastly, I'm ordering - even before it's published - Dallas Willard's newest book, "Knowing Christ Today". Dallas Willard is also one of the sharpest thinkers of Christianity today. Both Dallas Willard and Greg Boyd direct me back to The Kingdom of God and help me think about the Kingdom in relation to the world I live in. I recommend both...read good books by good theologians...it really makes a difference.

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Easter For Those Along the Way

Easter is a Joy-filled and mysterious event. The picture comes from Rembrandt's collections. He captures really well (even if Renaissance people play the parts) of the scene that first morning. And it was morning that it all began. Just imagine the women's and men's surprise that Sunday morning when the grave was empty and the angel of the Lord delivered the news to them that day. And, it was to women that they first appeared. It's amazing...God chose to use those who weren't even credible in a court of law... amazing - and like most Kingdom things - upside down!

But, it is evening as I write this and I am thinking of the journey of Jesus to Emmaus that first day and the companion's along the way that he reveals himself to. Here's a story written on that journey.

A Companion Along the Way: Easter Sunday on the Emmaus Road
by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson

The gleaming cloud tops and fragrant spring air would have
invigorated most travelers leaving Jerusalem that Sunday
afternoon. But these two began their trek to Emmaus staring grimly
at the trail, forcing leaden feet up the steep path to the ridge,
where they would follow the road down the Judean slopes.

Cleopas and his friend were going over and over the events of the
weekend that had climaxed with their Leader hanging limp, pale,
lifeless on a stained wooden cross. Then a hurried burial -- and
despair.

Hearing the crunch of footsteps behind them, Cleopas glanced back.
A traveler was rapidly climbing the grade, as if to join them. But
he had caught only fragments of their conversation. "What are you
talking about?" he asked, as he caught up to them.

Cleopas stopped. "Where have you been?" he asked. "Everybody in
Jerusalem has been talking about Jesus of Nazareth." He told of
their excitement. Of the arrest and crucifixion. Of the women's
tale of a stolen body and of angels. "We had hoped that he was the
Messiah," Cleopas said, "but now...." His words drifted off in
sadness as he resumed the journey.

They were at the summit, and as the road began its downward
incline, the traveler shot a strange challenge: "Don't you know
what the Scriptures say?" Cleopas just shrugged and gestured with
his hands as if to say, "We don't know."

So for the next several miles, the traveler began to talk,
patiently explaining each of the Scripture passages that spoke
about how the Christ, the Messiah, would have to suffer. Then he
explained about Messiah's glory to come.

Cleopas and his friend walked with amazement. It was as if
Scriptures that they had heard, but never understood before, began
to click into place. Their steps quickened. Their hearts were
pounding, but they didn't notice.

The miles seemed to melt away. Then suddenly, just around the bend
was their village, Emmaus. They were home. The traveler thanked
them for their company and turned again to the path, but they
didn't want to let him go. Not someone who could bring them such
hope, such understanding from the Scriptures.

"Won't you stay overnight?" Cleopas called. "It'll be dark soon.
You must! Please!"

He did stay. As they reclined around the table, Cleopas handed a
fresh round loaf to the traveler. "Would you honor us by offering
the blessing tonight?"

The traveler lifted up the bread and repeated the familiar the
Jewish blessing:

"Blessed are you, O God, King of the Universe,
Who brings forth bread from the earth."

And then he began break it, handing a piece to each of them in
turn. Cleopas caught his breath. His eyes met the man's. Suddenly,
in that moment, he knew! Who knows how? -- but he knew. It was the
Lord! He saw the faintest glimmer of a smile on his face, and then
Jesus simply vanished.

All they could do was stare at each other for a moment in stunned
amazement.

Then Cleopas jumped up. "It's true! The women were right. Jesus
is alive! He has risen!"

Their food and drink lay untouched on the table, but both men were
bounding out the door and away, running. "No wonder our hearts
burned within us while he was talking to us on the road," his
companion said later, as they paused briefly. They ended up
running, then walking, then running again nearly the whole way
back to the city.

Cleopas pounded on the upper room door. "We have seen him! We have
seen Jesus!" Peter opened the door a crack, but Cleopas couldn't
contain himself and pushed his way in. Then their story tumbled
out. "He's alive!" Cleopas concluded. "The moment he broke bread
with us, all of a sudden, we knew him."

Like these two men on their way to Emmaus, many have come to the
same startling conclusion. Unrecognized, Jesus begins to walk the
road with us, to talk to us. And if we think to, if we care enough
to ask Him in, we come to realize who He really is -- the Christ,
the Son of God, the Risen One.

This story has been adapted from Luke 24:13-35.

A Joy-filled Easter to you my companion on the way!

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Holy Saturday - The Day In Between

The Scripture Readings for today are: Psalms 95, 88, 27; Job 19:21-27; Heb 4:1-16 &
Rom 8:1-11

Read the passages today, they are full of hope. I love Job 19...
25 I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.
26 And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God;
27 I myself will see him with my own eyes--I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! [Job 19:25-27 (NIV)]

Today is called "Holy Saturday" (in Latin, Sabbatum Sanctum ), the 'day of the entombed Christ,' is a day of rest, for on that day Christ's body lay in His tomb.
It is the Apostle's Creed which says "He descended unto the dead." It is a day of suspense between two worlds, that of darkness, sin and death, and that of the Resurrection and the restoration of the Light of the World. This day between Good Friday and Easter is the end of one world and time between the complete newness of covenant inaugurated by the Resurrection of Christ.
In that sense, this whole era is "Holy Saturday"... we wait in eager expectation for the redemption that is in Christ.

A Prayer:

"Father, because you sent your son into the world, we have hope. Jesus, your death is complete, and your resurrection life ensures our life after death also. To you is all glory, honor, and praise. Help us to truly "rest" in your completed work as we await our own redemption. Amen."

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