Pro-Life, Pro-Choice and A Way Forward

It's been a while since I've posted, mostly gearing up for a new ministry opportunity and a move. But I want to link to a post from pastor Scott Sauls on this potentially incendiary issue. I believe he handles it with compassion and sensitivity and with the right biblical spirit.

http://scottsauls.com/2015/07/14/on-planned-parenthood-mother-and-child-and-justice-for-all/

One sentiment that I'll call out, specifically, because I think it is crucially important:
"...is it enough for you to look at [a pregnant] ten-year old girl and her parents and say, “You shall not murder. Now that we have that settled, go in peace, be warmed and filled—Take care of yourselves while I head off to the next picket line or political rally”—without giving them any of the things that they need (James 2:16)?"

The way forward, then, that Sauls rightly calls out, is that the Church is called to care for all...the unborn, the distressed and poverty-stricken mothers, the disabled...even those on death row. All life matters to God, period. We can't be pro-life and then care little for the needs of young single mothers or stand in favor of capital punishment...at least, not without being morally inconsistent. Our ethic should not be political position, but love and compassion and care for all.

This ethic is not easy, nor comfortable. But "love one another" is messy. It means rolling up our sleeves and taking the difficult path. It's easy to posture politically, or theologically. It's much more difficult to love in deed and in action.

2015 NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Predictions, Finals

STANLEY CUP FINALS
Blackhawks (West 1) vs Lightning (East 1)
My prediction: Blackhawks in 7
RESULT: Blackhawks in 6
Post-Series Thoughts: This turned out to be a fantastic series. My guess is that Bishop was injured more significantly that we suspected (EDIT: confirmed, torn groin), but he still played absolutely incredible hockey. Game 6 was one of the best-played games I've seen by a losing team. Tampa played a great game. Great series overall, but especially game 7. The Hawks just had too much skill and Quenville's system is just too solid for Tampa's speed to overcome. Honestly I think Keith was the difference in this series. If not for him, the Bolts take this series. He's my call for MVP (EDIT: confirmed).
Congratulations to the 2015 Stanley Cup champions, the Chicago Blackhawks!
Pre-Series Thoughts: This is an extremely closely matched pair of teams. I expect a great series. The Bolts have played great hockey, and they closed it out against the Rangers. Bishop has been great (more so than the inexplicably inconsistent Crawford). But the Hawks have experience on their side, and a deeper roster. They've also started playing their best hockey when it matters most. Of course, the Bolts have a more explosive offense at times, but it can be inconsistent. Ultimately I believe this will come down to goaltending and special teams. Both teams have really high powered offense. The question is, who will be more inconsistent...Crawford, or the Bolts offense? I give a slight edge to the Hawks. I almost want to pick the Hawks in 6, but the Bolts are just playing high octane hockey. So Hawks in 7.

2015 NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Predictions, Conference Finals

EASTERN CONFERENCE
Rangers (1) vs. Lightning (2)
My prediction: Lightning in 7
RESULT: Lightning in 7
Post-Series Thoughts: This series did, indeed, go the distance. Hard fought on both sides, great goaltending on both sides, with a couple of stinkers thrown in for each team as well, but in the end, the Bolts' speed and offense won the series for them. Down goes Henrik in a game 7, too.
Pre-Series Thoughts: The Lightning are a quick team, and they hold the edge in the regular season series. While Bishop is a great goalie, and I think Lundqvist is overrated, I do think Henrik gets the edge in goal. I think the Rangers have the edge in goal and on defense, but Tampa has the edge in speed and in offense, and they generally play better as a team. Honestly I think this series could go either way but my guess is that it will go deep, and in the end I'm picking Tampa Bay in 7.

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Ducks (1) vs. Blackhawks (2)
My prediction: Ducks in 6
RESULT: Blackhawks in 7
Post-Series Thoughts: My gut was wrong. The Hawks again showed why they are elite team. They wore the Ducks down. In the end, their best players stepped up and their goaltending, while a bit uneven, got the job done. Well done Hawks.
Pre-Series Thoughts: I still think the Ducks are the strongest team in this year's playoffs, with the best coach in the NHL (apologies to Babcock, but Budreau has even better numbers over his career, often with less to work with). Chicago can't be counted out, as they have a bunch of really skilled guys that have been to the dance before, and have come away winners. Still, I have to go with my gut here and pick the Ducks in 6, though I could see it going to 7 games.

2015 Stanley Cup Playoff Predictions, Round 2

EASTERN CONFERENCE
Rangers (1) vs. Capitals (2)
My prediction: Rangers in 6
RESULT: Rangers in 7
Post-Series Thoughts: The Rangers had a bit more trouble with the Caps than I expected, almost entirely because of the phenomenal goaltending of Holtby. Even with Holtby turning in a fantastic showing, the Rangers just barely got the edge. In game. In overtime. Few series are closer than that.
Pre-Series Thoughts: The Capitals pushed through round 1, but the Rangers are a much stronger team with more depth. The only way the Capitals win this is if Ovechkin is unbelievable, and Holtby stands on his head. Rangers in 6.

Canadiens (1) vs. Lightning (2)
My prediction: Lightning in 6
RESULT: Lightning in 7
Post-Series Thoughts: The Habs put up a darn good fight and took the Lightning the distance. In the end the Bolts took them down, but give the Habs credit for showing up far more than I expected in this series.
Pre-Series Thoughts: The Lightning dominated the Habs in the regular season, and I don't see any reason that won't continue here. The post-season is a different story, but in this case I think the Lightning take out the Habs in 6.

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Ducks (1) vs. Flames (2)
My prediction: Ducks in 4
RESULT: Ducks in 5
Post-series Thoughts: The Flames actually played great in this series. I was surprised that they took a game, but even more surprised that they gave the Ducks some trouble in the series overall. But they still appeared to be overachieving and the Ducks were just too strong.
Pre-series Thoughts: I was shocked to see the Flames get out of round 1, but the Ducks just might be the strongest team in this year's playoffs (other than maybe the Rangers). I just can't see a way the Flames get through this series, and I'd be surprised if they take a game.

Blackhawks (1) vs. Wild (2)
My prediction: Wild in 7
RESULT: Blackhawks in 4
Post-Series Thoughts: Wow. Dubnyk disappeared and the Wild fell apart. They looked like a different team at times. That's not to take anything away from the Hawks, who played great hockey. But I expected this one to go longer for sure, whoever ended up winning.
Pre-Series Thoughts: The Wild have been one of the better teams the second half of the season (overcoming a terrible start), and stunned the Blues. Crawford has been shaky in net, and Dubnyk has been brilliant. He made me a believer in round 1, and I think goaltending makes the difference in this series. It won't be easy, and the Hawks may be a bit in the Wild's head after the last two years, but I think the Wild take it in 7.


Note: my picks above are based on who I think will win, not on who I want to win. In all series except CHI-MIN, my picks are the opposite of who I'm rooting for, based on draft pick implications for the Flyers. CHI-MIN has no impact on the Flyers pick(s).

2015 Stanley Cup Playoff Predictions, Round 1

EASTERN CONFERENCE
Rangers (1) vs. Penguins (4)
My prediction: Rangers in 6
RESULT: Rangers in 5
Post-Series Thoughts: Really no surprise here. Crysby was a no-show and the Rangers just took it to them in just about every aspect of the game.
Pre-Series Thoughts: The Rangers are a much stronger team than the Penguins, and they've been playing some great hockey lately. You can never count out Crysby, but given his playoffs track record, I think the most the Pens may be able to steal is 2 games. Rangers in 6.

Canadiens (1) vs. Senators (4)
My prediction: Canadiens in 5
RESULT: Canadiens in 6
Post-Series Thoughts: The Sens put up way more of a fight than I expected, and the Habs certainly didn't dominate. But in the end they sealed it up without too much trouble.
Pre-Series Thoughts: I think the Senators were the team that accidentally snuck in this year. I think the Habs dominate this series. Sens may steal 1, but this one will be all Habs.

Lightning (2) vs. Red Wings (3)
My prediction: Lightning in 7
RESULT: Lightning in 7
Post-Series Thoughts: Called this one almost exactly. Wings stepped up their game but the Lightning held them off.
Pre-Series Thoughts: I almost want to pick the Wings for this one. The Lightning have overachieved, I believe, and the Wings have underachieved. Also the Lightning seem to have trouble the last few years in closing out series, while the Wings are perennial playoff contenders. Still, I think the Lightning strike down the Wings in 7.

Capitals (2) vs. Islanders (3)
My prediction: Islanders in 6
RESULT: Capitals in 7
Post-Series Thoughts: Well my prediction here was a bust. Ovechkin was just OK, I thought...moments of brilliance and moments of nothing, and he ended up with a -4 for the series...but the Caps actually played well together and edged out the Isles. Let's see if they can make a long run or if they'll be out in two.
Pre-Series Thoughts: There is a part of me that wants to say that this is finally the year that Ovechkin gets the Caps into a deep playoff run. Certainly the team around him is more solid, with better coaching than they've had for a while. But the Islanders are playing great hockey, and I have to go with history here. I think Ovie will be great but overall the Isles play better as a team and will take it in 6.

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Ducks (1) vs. Jets (4)
My prediction: Ducks in 4
RESULT: Ducks in 4
Post-Series Thoughts: The Jets made this a much closer series than I expected in terms of individual games; the scores of most of the games was close. But in the end they couldn't hang in the series with the Ducks.
Pre-series Thoughts: I don't see any way the Jets can hang with the Ducks. The Jets are the weakest team in this year's playoffs, IMO, with the potential exception of the Senators (and I still think the Jets are worse). No way the Jets take this series, and I doubt they even get a game unless the Ducks completely fall apart.

Blues (1) vs. Wild (4)
My prediction: Blues in 5
RESULT: Wild in 6
Post-Series Thoughts: This was, indeed, the series that surprised me the most. Credit this one to Dubnyk; he stood on his head in this series. Also the Wild seemed to want it more. Blues at times seemed a bit ambivalent where the Wild pushed hard almost every shift. Nicely done, Wild.
Pre-Series Thoughts: The Wild have been one of the better teams the second half of the season (overcoming a terrible start), but I give the edge to the Blues because I believe they are a deeper team and have a better coach in Hitchcock. He understands strategy and gets his team to play better in the playoffs most years. Coming from the way they've been playing of late, I don't see the Wild doing much here. However, this one may be the series that surprises me the most.

Predators (2) vs. Blackhawks (3)
My prediction: Blackhawks in 6
RESULT: Blackhawks in 6
Post-Series Thoughts: The Predators played great hockey in this series. But they sorely missed Weber, and the Hawks are just a deeper team.
Pre-Series Thoughts: This is the best the Predators have been in years, and a Blackhawks team that has underachieved. But the Hawks are a deep team with lots of talent, and I just think they'll step it up in the playoffs.

Canucks (2) vs. Flames (3)
My prediction: Canucks in 7
RESULT: Flames in 6
Post-Series Thoughts: Well, this wasn't one of the closest series. Would Miller have made a difference? Possibly. But give the Flames credit. They played beyond their abilities, in my opinion. I don't mean that as a slight; I mean that they played really well as a team. Team play always trumps individual effort, and the Flames did just that in this series. Kudos to them.
Pre-Series Thoughts: This has the potential to be the closest series this playoffs. These teams split their season series at two games a piece, and seem pretty evenly matched. I think the Canucks are a slightly deeper team that is more well built for the playoffs. It could be that a missing Miller may be the difference, but I'm still giving them the benefit of the doubt.

The Church: The Broken, Dysfunctional Necessity

I talk to a lot of people that feel that the Church (both local and universal) is dysfunctional, hypocritical, and unnecessary to living a life of faithful discipleship ("I believe in Jesus, but I don't need the church," etc). And, by and large, on the first two counts, they are absolutely right. On the last count, however, they are dead wrong. Let me explain.

The church absolutely is dysfunctional. There isn't a single church anywhere in the world that is not dysfunctional in some way or another. The truth is, though, that there isn't a single organization...of any type...anywhere in the world that isn't dysfunctional. Every organization is made up of people. Every person is imperfect and dysfunctional in some way. So it follows that organizations, made up of people, are also imperfect and dysfunctional in some way.

The church is also absolutely hypocritical. Again, every person is hypocritical in some way. We all say some things and do the opposite. It's part of human nature. Churches, then, are the same...except on a magnified level, because the world is always watching and observing.

The last point, though, is flat out wrong. One cannot be a faithful disciple of Jesus and ignore God's church. So, the question becomes: why must I go to church in order to be a Christian? Well, this depends on how we define a "Christian". If it's simply someone who acknowledges Jesus as the Messiah, then church is unnecessary. But the Bible defines a Christian as someone who is in a  relationship with God; someone who gives themselves over to the lordship of Jesus in his/her life. And being in relationship with God means we trust and follow his Word (the Bible). And what does the Bible say about church? Hebrews 10:25: "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching." 

In fact, the Bible talks about gathering with other Christians a lot. It makes it clear that this is important. God's expectation that we live in community with one another even reflects his own triune nature: God himself exists in community.

So what do we do with the first two issues? If God expects us to be part of the church, then how do we deal with the fact that all churches are, in some way, dysfunctional, broken, and hypocritical? Well, again, all organizations are dysfunctional and hypocritical. The important thing is to be part of a church that is willing to admit and own its dysfunction and to adapt and address it.

Here's the reality: I've been in ministry for 15 years, having served as a denominational leader and a pastor, and even I get frustrated with the church. For the last few years I've been part of the healthiest church I've experienced, and even there, I've lately been frustrated by some of the dysfunctions I've run into. There is a major hang-up on image (and I've even heard it justified as "strategy" to reach certain people); there is an insider mentality among the leadership that is very cliquish and excludes people not based on abilities or competence, but on how well they fit with the clique; and (perhaps most frustratingly, for me), there is so much focus on drawing in new people (non-Christians) and growing the church that it happens at the expense of growing individuals into deeper relationship with Jesus, even to the extent that people are sometimes actively prevented from going as deep as they want to. There is a mentality that individual growth should be left up to the individual person to cultivate and pursue. That's great in theory; every person should own his/her own spiritual growth. But in reality, people just don't do it without direction and assistance. So we end up with a church that is big and dynamic but without a lot of depth. 

The only other thing that frustrates me as much is when church go to the opposite extreme (which is even more prevalent) and focus solely on growing more knowledgeable Christians, at the expense of reaching anyone that hasn't already been a Christian for 30 years.

Still, even in our moments of greatest frustration, we realize that the church, even with its dysfunctions and brokenness, is part of God's plan for us. Dysfunctional churches reflect the dysfunctional people that comprise it; and being in community and relationship with dysfunctional and broken people is good for us...because we, too, are dysfunctional and broken. The reason community matters...the reason the church matters...is because it teaches us how to be broken and dysfunctional together, and how only our perfect God is the answer to our brokenness. The church trains us how to love the unlovely, how to love those that are broken and dysfunctional...just as God loves us, with all of our brokenness and dysfunction. And that's good news!