Politics

Just a disclaimer right off the bat: this post is not intended to reflect my own political perspective. I believe that each Christian needs to determine how they should vote, and where they should stand politically, based on their values, their faith, and the leading of the Holy Spirit. My intent here is not to make a statement reflecting any particular platform or political ideology. Rather, my point is to share some reflection based on my observations as this year's presidential election draws near. *End disclaimer.*

Those who know me know that I'm not a big fan of politics. I think most politicians are at best panderers who cater to those that can serve their own ends, and at worst completely corrupt sleazeballs who are entirely out of touch with reality and with the people they are supposed to serve. But what particularly bothers me is when people confuse politics and religion...or, worse, use religion to justify or promote particular political agendas. So I try to generally avoid politics altogether. Yet with the 2012 presidential election drawing near, politics are everywhere - it's a little hard to avoid.

There's one thing, in particular, that strikes me about this year's election hullabaloo. I get that many Christians vote Republican because they believe that doing so affirms their biblical values. That's fine. But I have great concerns about Mitt Romney in the upcoming election, particularly because, not only is he not a Christian, he is a Mormon...the member of what is, by most historical definitions, a cult. The fact that he is a Mormon is fine - this country was founded on religious freedom. What concerns me is that many Christians don't seem to have any hesitation about supporting Romney, promoting him as if he is the "Christian" choice simply because he is Republican.

A vote for Romney means electing a Mormon to the highest office in our land. That means that we will have someone leading our country who has very different beliefs than Christians. Furthermore, there is the (secondary but also significant) reality that electing him would, in many ways, "legitimize" Mormonism in mainstream America (more so than it already is).

And, regardless of  whether we believe that Obama's policies reflect Christian values, he is a professing Christian (also regardless of whether we believe he actually IS a Christian, he does profess such). So I suspect that for many people it will boil down to "the lesser of two evils" (which is an awful way to vote anyway). Thus it boils down to this: is it worse (understanding that what is "better" or "worse" can be profoundly personal and subjective) to elect someone who shares our faith but may not seem to reflect all of our faith's values politically; or to elect someone who seems to share our faith's values politically, but does not share our faith itself - and not only does not share our faith, but actually affirms their membership in a cult and their faith in what is tantamount to a false god? For me, while I'm not keen on either candidate (or platform, for that matter), and I'm not sure I have an answer to the above question, the latter seems far more troubling than the former. What concerns me greatly is the breadth and depth of things that Christians seem willing to compromise in order to "fit" a political agenda.

I'm not pretending this issue is easy...nor is this a reflection on how I plan to vote, or on my own political beliefs (I suspect this post will appear to indicate a political leaning on my part that is not actually accurate). I also realize that there are Christians who support Romney, and that's fine. My intent is not to offend those folks. It's simply to share an observation that many Christians seem to be blindly pursuing a party candidate, often under the guise of Christian values, without considering the actual religious implications of such. And I find that very troubling indeed.

Top 15 Favorite Albums

OK, so I've been thinking about this a bit, and I think this is my list of top 15 favorite albums of all time. Not "best", necessarily (though that may not be too different), but my favorites. I didn't exclude compilations, as I prefer some of them to the original albums. Here it is:

1. Dream Theater, Images & Words - No single album has influenced, inspired, and challenged me as much as this one. Absolutely incredible stuff.
2. David Crowder, Illuminate - For me, there is pre-Illuminate and post-Illuminate. This was the first time I realized that Christian/worship music could actually be creative, well-written, and incredible. Profound, excellent stuff.
3. Pink Floyd, Pulse - This is a compilation, of sorts, but every single song is quality, and performed flawlessly. Some of the best audio quality of any album, ever (studio or live), and some of the best songs to boot.
4. SRV, Live at the Mann Music Center - Stevie's best playing, and some of the best guitar ever played. Mary Had A Little Lamb, in particular, is amazing. For his studio albums, FYI, I prefer In Step.
5. Phil Keaggy, Beyond Nature - By far the best acoustic guitar album ever created. Not because it's technically amazing (there is a lot of that too), but because it is some of the most poetic, lyrical, and profound music ever created on the guitar.
6. U2, Joshua Tree - Not much needs to be said about this iconic album. Where the Streets Have No Name, Still Haven't Found, and With or Without You form one of the best openings to any album ever.
7. PFR, Goldie’s Last Day - I kind of surprised myself that this one is so high. But the reality is that this is the best album from one of my favorite bands ever. I love every track on here. Infinitely sing-able, often profound, and some tracks are just fun (like the title track). But all are excellent. That Kind of Love and Wait for the Sun are two of my all-time favorite songs.
8. Rich Mullins, Songs - So. many. great. songs. Yes, there are a couple of cheesy ones. But this album also contains some of the most poetic, profound and challenging (and often haunting, and soul-stirring) lyrics ever written, and the music itself is beautiful too.
9. Dire Straits, Sultans of Swing: The Very Best of Dire Straits - Another one that needs little comment. So many great songs here from a legendary (yet somehow still underrated) band. This compilation truly does have their "very best" (unlike so many "best of" albums).
10. Allman Brothers, Peakin at the Beacon - Again, so many great songs by another underrated band. Some incredible songs here, performed amazingly. Maybe not their best album (Fillmore East and Eat a Peach are probably tied with this for my favorite), but this one is a lot of fun.
11. Bob Dylan, Blonde on Blonde - I contend this is Dylan's best album, out of SO MANY great ones. My other favorite is Infidels, one of his least loved and least appreciated albums. But Blonde gets the nod for me.
12. Goldfinger, Goldfinger - This album is true punk (before they turned into a ska band...ugh). It is laden with profanity, but some of the most well-crafted, melodic songs ever written. Infinitely singable, fun, and hooky.
13. Simon & Garfunkel, Sound of Silence - Most people wouldn't peg this as S&G's best album, but for me it always will be. I love every track on it. 
14. Smashing Pumpkins, Mellon Collie - Many folks will also argue for other Pumpkins albums over this one, but this is my favorite (Siamese is a very close 2nd), for both the depth and breadth of music it contains.
15. Bon Jovi, Slippery When Wet - This is back when Bon Jovi was good. He had a few other albums around this time period that were good, too, but this is one of the best pure rock albums ever.

Special mention for guitar: Jeff Beck, Blow by Blow/Wired (like them both equally) - The two most influential guitar albums of all-time (as voted on by professional guitar players worldwide...literally). No lyrics, just incredible guitar.

And I have to give two honorable mentions. First to Caedmon's Call, In the Company of Angels. The first two tracks are probably my favorite worship songs of all time. The entire album is good, just not quite up to the same standard as the first two tracks consistently throughout. The second goes to Steve Taylor's Squint. This guy was a largely unknown and underrated musician, but his music was super influential in many circles and this album shows why. Fantastic stuff throughout.

2012 Stanley Cup Finals Predictions

Kings vs. Devils
Kings in 5
RESULT: KINGS IN 6

Transparency

I've been working on a lesson for our small group this week, dealing with the topic of transparency. My goal is partially to define what is really meant by transparency, and then to talk about why this is important for us as people in relationship with God and with one another. So, here are some thoughts:

In a nutshell, being transparent means being real. It means being authentic; not putting on airs or presenting a version of ourselves that is unrealistic or false. It means being honest and open about who we are and about our struggles. This does not mean airing all of our dirty laundry all the time. It is not sharing every detail about what's happening in our lives. But it is about being real.

This is true in our relationship with God; since God knows our hearts anyway, it is futile to try to deceive God about who we are. Often we do this without realizing it. But God knows who we really are. There's not much point in trying to fool Him.

This is also true in our relationships with one another. First, with other Christians: one of the purposes of the church is to encourage and admonish one another...to help each other grow in faith, in knowledge, and in love for God and others. But it's much harder to grow in faith when we aren't real about who we are. Second, with non-Christians. The effectiveness of our witness is directly related to how transparent we are. If we pretend to be perfect (or, pretend that Christianity is some "magic cure" for all of life's challenges), we are being disingenuous and people see through such phony-ness pretty quickly. Not only that, but when we mis-represent ourselves and/or Christianity, we end up being manipulative..."selling" something that people come to find out is not what we made it seem. People are attracted to transparency. They gravitate toward it. Perhaps this has much to do with the world we live in, where superficialities are far more prevalent than authenticity.

Being real is a crucial part of maturity...in faith and in life.

One final note, perhaps a bit random, but a thought that has convicted me personally this week: A truly honest person is motivated by love, not by an obsession with conveying accurate information. I know at times I've prided myself on being an honest, "frank" kind of person...but often that has, indeed, been motived by a desire to be accurate, rather than by a desire to love those around me. It's been a challenging thought for me.

2012 Stanley Cup Playoff Predictions - Conference Finals

EASTERN CONFERENCE
Rangers (1) vs. Devils (6)
Rangers in 6
RESULT: DEVILS IN 6

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Coyotes (3) vs. Kings (8)
Kings in 5
RESULT: KINGS IN 5

Hard Work > More Skill

So, the Philadelphia Flyers' season ended tonight with a loss to the New Jersey Devils. This series is living proof that hard work overcomes superior skill. The Flyers’ bread and butter has always been outworking the other team. In this series, even though the Flyers have more skilled forwards, d-men, goalie, and coach, the Devils outworked them…and won the series as a result. They turned the tables on the Flyers’ M.O., and it paid off. On paper, the Flyers should have won this series. But the Devils just worked harder...and won because of it.

As I thought about this, I got thinking about how we live out our faith, and how we "do" ministry. Often we think our lack of skill excuses us from ministering to others. We leave it to those with more training, more experience, more knowledge. Yet the truth unveiled by this Flyers-Devils series is a universal one: hard work often trumps superior skill or knowledge. Sometimes it just requires rolling up our sleeves and doing it.

I run into people who say that they don't share their faith with others because they aren't sure what to say, or how to respond if people ask questions. Yet often this is more of an excuse than a legitimate reason. Sometimes we just have to do it. Talk about our faith in Jesus. Don't be pushy or obnoxious, but do share what God has done/is doing in your life. Do help those in need. Do go serve in some ministry or another. We can't accomplish anything by sitting on the sidelines.

In hockey, battles are won against the boards...whoever works harder at controlling the puck, planting themselves in front of the net, and pushing the other team off their stride, are usually the winners. If they aren't willing to put in the work, they get nowhere. It's a good lesson to learn, and one I need to take to heart myself.

God Is Still God

Those who know me, know this about me: I HATE when the Flyers lose. I hate it. There are few things in this world that get me more upset. It ruins my day (sometimes more than that!), puts me in a horrible mood, and really causes me to become a bitter, angry person for a time.

Seriously...I don't know if I can convey strongly enough just how much I hate it when the Flyers lose.

Part of my problem is the fact that the Flyers get a raw deal. This is not me just being a fan and thinking the world is out to get my team; players that have come from outside of Philly have been traded to the Flyers while feeling that the Flyers were just always complaining any time they were penalized or lost games. But shortly thereafter those same players have said that they came to realize that the Flyers really do get a raw deal. There is a vendetta against the Flyers by the officials dating way back to the 70s and 80s with the "Broad Street Bullies" - an era of time when the Flyers were known for their rough and tumble play, where they would beat other teams by knocking their heads off. After all, you can't win a hockey game if you're lying bloody and toothless on the ice. That style of play has been long gone from the Flyers, yet that reputation has followed them for decades...and they are frequently penalized not for their actual actions on the ice, but for this outdated reputation.

This irks me, because it's not fair. They should win (or lose) games based on their skills and how well they play (or not), not based on the officials giving the other team unfair advantages. There is an injustice in this that reflects the injustice in the world.

So, I hate it when the Flyers lose. Really. Today, when the Flyers were losing, someone posted something to their Facebook page, irate over something that had happened to them at a restaurant. As soon as I read it, I thought to myself, "Really? You're getting that upset over something so minor and silly?!?"

You might expect that I realized that someone else might look at someone's team losing and say that's minor or silly...but I disagree, and that is not the point I'm trying to make. =) What I am trying to say, though, is this: whether it's a hockey team losing or something that happened at a restaurant, or something truly major and awful, God is still God. The injustices in the world will be handled by God. The awful situations we face are far less awful when we realize that the God of the universe is in control, and He holds the universe in the palm of His hand.

I got to see 39 people baptized tonight. 39 people that made a public profession of the way Jesus has changed their lives. That kind of thing is a great reminder that, in the midst of whatever life brings, God is still God. It's a good lesson to learn.

I'm still going to pray for some justice in this world, though, with the Flyers.  =)

2012 Stanley Cup Playoff Predictions Round 2

EASTERN CONFERENCE
Flyers (5) vs. Devils (6)
Flyers in 5
RESULT: DEVILS IN 5

Rangers (1) vs. Capitals (8)
Rangers in 6
RESULT: RANGERS IN 7

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Blues (2) vs. Kings (8)
Kings in 6
RESULT: KINGS IN 4

Coyotes (3) vs. Predators (4)
Coyotes in 6 
RESULT: COYOTES IN 5

Faith in the Storm

As a follow-up to my last post, "Comeback Kids", I figured I'd share here some of what I shared at a recent men's retreat. Through the storms of life that our family has faced recently, God has taught me some pretty profound lessons. Here are some of them. This post will be fairly long, but if I had to cite the most significant lessons learned, they would be the last four (#s 17-20). Otherwise they aren't in any particular order, and any emphases in Scripture are mine:

1. People are capable of unspeakable sin. They can, and will, do things beyond our imagining. Ecc. 8:14, “There is a vanity that takes place on earth, that there are righteous people who are treated according to the conduct of the wicked, and there are wicked people who are treated according to the conduct of the righteous.”
2. Scripture never promises to protect us from suffering. In fact, it promises the opposite: we will suffer. It encourages perseverance. 2 Tim. 3:12-15, “Indeed, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. But wicked people and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ.”
3. God allows human motives/sin to interfere with His will. He leaves us to our own devices.
4. You can’t control what others do, or what happens to you; you can only control what you do and how you respond. People won’t always remember the details of your situation; but they will remember how you handled yourself.
5. Suffering is relative. No matter what you face, there are others whose situation is worse.
6. Suffering is necessary to be like Jesus. 1 Peter 4:12-13, 19, “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.”
7. We may feel completely alone or as if every other person has deserted us. But God never leaves us. No matter what we face, God faces it with us. We need to lean into Him completely. 2 Tim. 4:16-18, “At my first defense no one came to my support, but all deserted me. May it not be counted against them! But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion's mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and save me for his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever.”
8. Realize that we are not alone. Even when we feel isolated, there are godly people around us who we can lean on for support/encouragement. Hebrews 12:1, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”
9. We answer to God. He is the ultimate judge. Ultimately, it doesn't matter what other people think. It matters what God knows. Jas 4:12, “There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy.
10. There is no power that is mightier than God. Mt. 10:28-31, “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows."
11. God is big enough for our anger, doubt, and frustration.
12. God is more than enough for us. We shouldn’t turn to other things to sustain us.
13. We must focus on the things of God, not on earthly things. Mt. 16:23, “But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things." Psalm 43, “Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell. Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”
14. Facing challenges is no excuse for sin. In fact, the opposite is true. Mt. 18:18, “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Psalm 4:4, “In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent.” Psalm 5:8, “Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies-- make straight your way before me.” 1 Peter 4:19, “Therefore, let those suffering in accordance with God's will entrust themselves to a faithful Creator, while continuing to do good.”
15. Forgiveness negates anger. It’s hard to hold on to anger when you have truly forgiven others.
16. Sometimes we must be willing to accept injustice for the sake of the gospel. Paul said that he would rather be wrongfully imprisoned than to stand in the way of someone coming to Jesus.
17. God is the only one who knows the end of the story. At times all we can do is wait and trust. Prov. 19:21, “Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.” Jer. 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” We tend to focus on other words in this verse, but I read it with emphasis on the word I. God knows His plans for us, even when we don’t. And we don’t need to know them; we need to trust Him for the end of our story.
18. Complete faith and trust requires complete submission to the lordship of Christ. Jesus being our “Lord and Savior” are very different things. Knowing Jesus as Savior means we acknowledge that He is the Son of God, the Messiah. That’s simple belief. But truly making Jesus the Lord of our lives is a different thing entirely. It requires absolute submission to God’s authority and direction in our lives. Hebrews 12:9, “Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!” James 4:7, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
19. Learn the lessons God has for you to learn through the challenges you face. While God doesn’t cause trials to come about just to teach us a lesson, He will use any trials we experience to stretch and grow us in our faith and in our relationship with Him. Be open to those lessons, even seek them out. Be willing to share those lessons with others. View your situation as an opportunity to minister to others.
20. Keep your eyes on Jesus. In Matthew 14, Jesus calls Peter to walk on the water. Yet when Peter saw the wind and (presumably) the waves, he started to fall in. When we allow our focus to be taken off Jesus, we fall. We need to keep our focus on Him, always. Hebrews 12:2-3, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

Comeback Kids

Anyone that knows me knows that I'm a huge Philadelphia Flyers fan. I've watched every single game since 1995. Seriously. Sometimes DVR'd or slightly after the fact, but I've seen them all. I'm loving this season especially, because the Flyers have been dubbed the "Comeback Kids". Of their last 57 games, they've taken the lead in the first 10 minutes only four times. Four. They've gone down by 2 goals or more in 20-something of those games. Yet they won most of them.

In game 1 of their current playoff series against the Pittsburgh Penguins, they went down 0-3 before coming back to win 4-3 in overtime. In game 2, they went down 0-2, then 1-3, then 3-4, then 4-5, then went on to win the game 8-5. In today's game 3, they went down 0-1 before going on to win 8-4.

This is the same team (with many of the same players) that was down to the Boston Bruins by 3 games to none in the 2010 playoffs, but came back to win the series after also being down 3-0 in game 7...one of only four teams, in all professional sports, to ever have come back from being down 3 games to none and win a series.

Here's my point: there is no quit in these guys. It doesn't matter how early they go down, or by how many points; they never quit. Never.

I started thinking about how this relates to our faith. I got to spend some time talking with some awesome guys at a men's retreat this weekend, and had a chance to share with them about some pretty awful challenges our family has faced over the last couple of years. Yet no matter what life throws at us, God is good, and faithful. He is the only one who knows the end of the story (each of our stories).

The Bible never promises that being a Christian means we won't face challenges or trials in life. On the contrary, it promises that, as Christians, we are more likely to experience various storms in life. What it does tell us is that we are to persevere through those challenges...that God can work through them to refine us and grow us in faith.

So as I watch this Flyers team, I find a lot to be inspired about. Like the Flyers, no matter what knocks us down we need to get back up. No matter what we face, we can never quit. Instead of lamenting our circumstances or challenges, we should instead see them as an opportunity to be stretched and grown in our faith and our relationship with God, our Creator. We need to be the faith version of the Comeback Kids.

2012 Stanley Cup Playoff Predictions Round 1

EASTERN CONFERENCE
Flyers (5) vs. Penguins (4)
Flyers in 6
RESULT: FLYERS IN 6

Rangers (1) vs. Senators (8)
Rangers in 5
RESULT: RANGERS IN 7

Bruins (2) vs. Capitals (7)
Bruins in 6
RESULT: CAPITALS IN 7

Panthers (2) vs. Devils (6)
Devils in 5
RESULT: DEVILS IN 7

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Canucks (1) vs. Kings (8)
Canucks in 4
RESULT: KINGS IN 5

Blues (2) vs. Sharks (7)
Blues in 7
RESULT: BLUES IN 5

Coyotes (3) vs. Blackhawks (6)
Coyotes in 6
RESULT: COYOTES IN 6

Predators (4) vs. Red Winds (5)
Red Wings in 7
RESULT: PREDATORS IN 5