Video: Highland Park liberals pray for more taxpayer dollars

¹⁴ if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. -2 Chronicles 7

Unfortunately for the liberals that infest the political ruling class in Highland Park, they did not humble themselves nor did they turn from their wicked ways, but instead prayed to a golden calf for more taxpayer money and took pot shots at Gov Snyder for trying to right the ship. The video report:

Exit question: how many of these community organizer types secretly prayed to Obama as their god? From a prior post: Video: Community organizers PRAY to Obama (no joke!)

False gods deliver no one.

Predictable: The "View" Ladies Trash The Bible, Cheer Homosexuality & Marijuana-Induced Promiscuity

Well this was sadly predictable:

Not enough liberal venom for you? Then go over for some Jew hating over at Story Balloon: Larry David’s Jew/Palestinian Hate-Sex Moment From ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’. This is progress?

Predictable: Obama Still Banning Prayers

Recent news: Poll: More Than 9 in 10 Americans Believe in God

The real shame is that if these people truly believed in God, they would vote that way, and there would only be 1 Democrat for every 9 Republicans. So a good chunk of these people have crafted themselves a golden calf instead. And that golden calf is trying to shade the true light of the world. Via memeorandum: Congressman: Obama Admin Still Banning Prayers

A Texas lawmaker is calling for a Congressional investigation of the Houston National Cemetery after he went undercover and determined that cemetery officials are still preventing Christian prayers at the funerals of military veterans.

If you want more background, I wrote a post on this very topic: Persecution: VA Bans Mention of 'God,' 'Jesus Christ' at Funerals for Vets

“The Obama administration continues to try to prevent the word ‘God’ from being used at the funerals of our heroes,” said. Rep. John Culberson (R-TX). “It’s unacceptable and I’m going to put a stop to it as fast as humanly possible.”

Culberson told Fox News Radio he attended a burial service at the cemetery under cover on July 8 where he said volunteer members of the honor guard from the Veterans of Foreign Wars were prohibited from using any references to God.

“The Obama administration had told the nation and me they were not interfering with the prayer said over the graves of veterans,” he said. “And I went undercover to personally verify that claim.”

...The cemetery is already the focus of a lawsuit filed on behalf of the VFW, an American Legion post and Houston’s National Memorial Ladies. They claim the V.A. banned members of the organizations from using the words “God” or “Jesus” at burial services. They also allege they were banned from reciting prayers or using religious language during services unless families approved the text in advance.

...“It makes my skin crawl that liberals are attempting to drive prayer out of a funeral ceremony for our heroes,” Culberson said. “We’re going to fix this so that no Obama liberal bureaucrat will interfere with the funeral of a hero.”

By his actions, Obama is a false prophet:

¹⁵"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. ¹⁶By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. ¹⁹Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. - Matthew 7 (NIV)

The same guy that is purging God from America 'by design', leaves "By their Creator" Out of the Declaration of Independence, that Snubs ‘In God We Trust’ as the US Motto, that made sure to thank other people in his Thanksgiving proclamation in 2009, but not Almighty God, and dropped "Year of Our Lord" from another proclamation, the same one that by executive order disallowed faith-based organizations to conduct worship services while providing social programs funded with federal money, and the same guy that defended infanticide (not abortion but the murder of crying born babies left to die in soiled linen closets) as an Illinois Senator not once but 4 times claims once again to commune with God: Obama: ‘I Do A Lot Of Praying’

And he recently invoked the Bible to push for amnesty for illegal aliens:

"Immigration reform is a moral imperative, and so it's worth seeking greater understanding from our faith. As it is written in the Book of Deuteronomy [10:19], 'Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.' To me, that verse is a call to show empathy to our brothers and our sisters; to try and recognize ourselves in one another."And that has what to do with rewarding those that broke our laws? Since he mentioned empathy, he seems to have less than zero for unborn children, or even those that were born and left to die alone in soiled linen closets in Chicago. Since Obama used the Bible to push his radical agenda, let's not forget this: Flashback Video: Obama mocks the Bible in 2006

Related posts on Obama and his (lack of) Christian faith:
Irony: Pro-Infanticide Obama Invokes Bible to Push Immigration Policy
Flashback Video: Obama mocks the Bible in 2006
Irony: Pro-Infanticide Obama Says ‘I Do A Lot Of Praying
Obama purging God from America 'by design'
Video: Obama Snubs ‘In God We Trust’ as US Motto
Typical: Obama Leaves "By their Creator" Out of Declaration of Independence at Hispanic Caucus Speech
Irony: Pro-Infanticide Obama Going Public With His Faith
Awww: Pro-infanticide Obama says "I pray every night, read the Bible"
MSNBC 'Journalist': "I KNOW" Pro-Infanticide Obama Looks at Taxes as Moral Issue
Irony: Pro-abort, pro 'separation of church and state' Democrats pray on steps of Capitol
Irony: Pro-infanticide Obama calls his Christian faith a ‘sustaining force’
Video: Obama’s Spiritual Advisor Jim Wallis Trashes the US in the UK
Obama is no Christian: By executive order, faith-based organizations may no longer conduct worship services while providing social programs funded with federal money
White House: Pro-abort, pro-infanticide Obama is Christian
Video of Rev. Franklin Graham: President Obama was "Born a Muslim"
Video: Pro-Abort Obama cites Bible scripture for Pro-Abort Robert Byrd: "making life better here was his only agenda." 50 million dead babies beg to differ
Obama spiritual adviser Jim Wallis' wheel is spinning, but the hamster's dead...
Obama drops "Year of Our Lord" from proclamation
Video of Obama Spiritual Advisor Jim Wallis: Social Justice, Economic Justice and ObamaCare "Are At The Heart Of The Gospel"
Video Of Obama Spiritual Advisor: Redistribution of wealth is in the Bible, the DNC platform, and Obama's budget
Obama Celebrates Halloween After Snubbing National Day Of Prayer
Obama: Gays At Easter YES! National Day Of Prayer NO!
Obama to rabbis: “We are God’s partners in matters of life and death.” Unborn not impressed.
Obama To Snub National Day Of Prayer!
Evangelical on Obama’s faith council: It’s as if he’s paying lip service to the unborn
Obama Picks Winners/Losers: Gays - Yes! Jesus - No! Part 2
Obama Picks Winners/Losers: Gays - Yes! Jesus - No!

Video: Bill O'Reilly Shreds Media for Calling Norway Terrorist ‘Christian’

And the same media the downplayed the Fort Hood shooter's Muslim roots deserve to get shredded for linking the Norway shooting with Christianity - a religion where "though shall not murder" is one of the 10 commandments. Just a quick recap, Nidal Hassan, who yelled Allah Akbar as he murdered 13 servicemen at Fort Hood - ironically in a no gun zone - was taped murdering 13 people, plus a 14th victim - an unborn child. Flashback Video: Obama Warns Against ‘Jumping to Conclusions’ One Day After Ft. Hood Shootings

Fast forward to just a few days ago and the media has "Christian" and "conservative" all over the place in any story regarding the Norway shooter. Via memeorandum: O'Reilly Shreds Media for Calling Norway Terrorist ‘Christian’

Transcript:

"Impact" segment tonight: mass murder in Norway. A vicious killer, Anders Breivik, has murdered at least 76 people in the Scandinavian nation of Norway. Breivik is a brutal fanatic who apparently objects to the presence of Muslims in Europe.

Last Friday he bombed buildings in Oslo and then took an automatic weapon to an island a few miles away gunning down 68 people. Norwegian authorities couldn't get to the island because they didn't have a helicopter, if you can believe it.

Now, on Sunday, the "New York Times" headlined "As Horrors Emerged, Norway Charges Christian extremist". A number of other news organizations like the "LA Times" and Reuters also played up the Christian angle. But Breivik is not a Christian. That's impossible. No one believing in Jesus commits mass murder. The man might have called himself a Christian on the net, but he is certainly not of that faith.

Also Breivik is not attached to any church, and in fact has criticized the Protestant belief system in general. The Christian angle came from a Norwegian policeman not from any fact finding. Once again, we can find no evidence, none, that this killer practiced Christianity in any way.

So why is the angle being played up? Two reasons: First, the liberal media wants to make an equivalency between the actions of Breivik and the Oklahoma City bomber Tim McVeigh and al Qaeda. The left wants you to believe that fundamentalists Christians are a threat just like crazy jihadists are.

In fact, in the "New York Times" today an analysis piece says that some believe we have overreacted to the Muslim threat in the world. Of course, that's absurd. Jihadists have killed tens of thousands of people all over the world. The Taliban, Iran and elements in Pakistan use governmental power to support terrorism by Muslims. But the left-wing press wants to compare nuts like Breivik and McVeigh to state-sponsored terrorism and worldwide jihad.

Again, dishonest and insane.

The second reason the liberal media is pushing the Christian angle is they don't like Christians very much because we are too judgmental. Many Christians oppose abortion. Gay marriage and legalized narcotics, secular left causes. The media understands the opposition is often based on religion. So they want to diminish Christianity and highlighting so-called Christian-based terror is a way to do that.

Darned right! And well said. I don't agree with O'Reilly on most topics, but he's spot on on this one.

Video of Fox News Anchor: Mitt Romney "Obviously Not A Christian"

I'll save for now a fact that will tick off my Mormon readers and friends - Mormonism is not just some Christian denomination but is rather a non-Christian cult (sorry friends and readers! But it's true) That being said, this doesn't belong in a news story at all:

I'm more concerned about Romney being a global warming hoax kool-aid drinker than him being a Mormon.

Charles Rangel: What would Jesus do on the debt talks? God: Owe no one anything (Romans 13:8)

Interesting how pro-abort Democrats are so quick to invoke God when they're in a pinch. From CNN, after racking up an absurd $14.5 trillion in debt, Rangel comes out with this: Rangel: What would Jesus do on the debt talks?

Veteran Democratic Rep. Charlie Rangel made an impassioned plea to religious leaders Friday, calling on them to lobby members of Congress and the Obama administration to remember the "lesser of my brothers and sisters" during this weekend's debt negotiations.

Interesting how pro-separation of church and state Democrats are so quick to go to religious leaders when they're in a pinch.

"What would Jesus do this weekend? Or Moses. Or Allah. Or anyone else," the New York congressman said at a press conference on Capitol Hill. "I don't want this book (debt negotiations) closed without the clergy having an opportunity to forcefully express themselves as well as I know they can do."

Well, if they were genuine clergy rather than leftists posing as religious leaders, they would invoke common-sense scriptures that are clearly anti-debt, like these:

8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other... - Romans 13:8

21 The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives; 

In addition, it is clear in the Bible that when you owe someone, you are considered a slave to the debt owner. In that regard, going into debt is warned against. But let's get back to Rangel who may want to read one of the commands from Jesus Himself: "give to Caesar what is Caesar's, give to God what is God's." You see, Charles Rangel is a bona fide tax cheat and believes God wants him in office still: Corruptocrat Charles Rangel (D-NY): GOD told me not to retire. Once again, here's to you Mr. tax-cheating lying sac of crap Harlem Congressman:

Is al Reuters still claiming that Rangel is a Republican

UPDATE: Via Hot Air: Charlie Rangel on debt: What would Jesus do? Huckabee to Rangel: Well, for starters, he’d pay his taxes

Previously:
Typical: Charlie Rangel gets standing ovation from Democrats as he's censured for being a crook
Corruptocrat Charles Rangel (D-NY): GOD told me not to retire
Video: Rush Limbaugh responds to Charlie Rangel's ethics charges
Video: Taxes are for the little people. Megyn Kelly on John Kerry, Charles Rangel
US Rep Charles Rangel (D): resigning my seat because of my corruption would be UNAMERICAN!!
Breaking: Charles Rangel charged with ethics violations
Pic of the day: Reuters lists corruptocrat Charles Rangel as a Republican
Video: MSNBC's David Shuster Accuses GOP of Racism for Calling Harlem Democrat Charlie Rangel 'Harlem Democrat' Charlie Rangel
Video: Real Member of Congress
Charles Rangle: "Mind Your God****** Business"

Video: We Need God in America Again

Darned right:

Persecution: VA Bans Mention of 'God,' 'Jesus Christ' at Funerals for Vets

I guess it's pointless to point out that the Declaration of Independence is based on unalienable rights given us by The Creator, that the US Constitution was sign in "the Year of Our Lord," that the very Founding Fathers that wrote the 1st amendment used federal money to build churches and print Bibles for public schools (I dare say they knew better what they meant than liberals do today), that church services were held in all federal building on Sundays, etc. These atheists are God-hating wackos and this kind of moonbatery goes directly against the founding of this country. As it is: Poll: More Than 9 in 10 Americans Believe in God. But don't tell that to the minority liberal ruling class that wants to ban God. Speaking of: Veterans Affairs Bans Mention of God at Funerals for Vets

The VFW District 4, American Legion Post 586, National Memorial Ladies Join Lawsuit Against VA and Director of Houston National Cemetery for Religious Hostility

HOUSTON, June 28, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, Liberty Institute, on behalf of the Veterans of Foreign Wars District 4, The American Legion Post 586, and the National Memorial Ladies, returned to federal court with new allegations of religious hostility and unlawful censorship by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and its director of the Houston National Cemetery. Last month, Liberty Institute successfully represented Houston pastor Scott Rainey in the same federal court after Houston VA officials tried to prevent him from praying in Jesus' name at a Memorial Day ceremony.

"The hostile and discriminatory actions by the Veterans Affairs officials in Houston are outrageous, unconstitutional and must stop," said Jeff Mateer, Esq., general counsel of Liberty Institute. "Government officials who engage in religious discrimination against citizens are breaking the law. Sadly, this seems to be a pattern of behavior at the Houston VA National Cemetery."

Amongst the complaints are these:

• VA Forbids Mention of God at Funerals for Veterans and Requires Families to Submit Prayer for Approval to the Government
• Government officials told burial teams that prayer and religious speech could no longer be included in the burial ritual unless the family submits a specific prayer or message in writing to Director Ocasio for her approval.
• VA instructs the VFW and a Private Funeral Home that they may not present the option of prayer to families.
• VA Tells Volunteers to Remove "God Bless" from Condolence Cards to Grieving Families.
• VA Closes Cemetery Chapel; Uses it for Storage: The chapel where families used to gather, pray and reflect has been closed and is now called a "meeting facility" and used for storage. The chapel cross and Bible have been removed and the bells that once used to chime are no longer used.

Your taxpayer dollars, hard at work sticking a finger in The Creator's eye. The real shame is that if the general population truly believed in God as per the above poll that I mentioned, they would vote that way, and there would only be 1 Democrat for every 9conservatives. So a good chunk of these people have crafted themselves a golden calf instead, and we are reaping the bad seeds sown in places like public ed. A history lesson is needed here:

Missouri conservative Rep. Todd Akin is absolutely correct and needs not apologize for speaking the truth on this matter: MO Conservative Todd Akin Refuses to Apologize For Saying, ‘At the Heart of Liberalism…Is a Hatred For God’ 

Well, I think NBC has a long record of being very liberal and at the heart of liberalism really is a hatred for God and a belief that government should replace God.

Darned right!

UPDATE:

Dad

As we approach another Father's Day, I find myself missing me dad more than usual.  So in honor of my dad, Bill Kampe, I'm re-posting this blog that I wrote last year.  Happy Father's Day, Dad.  I can't wait to see you again someday.  I'll bet the fishing is great!  You'll have to show me all the good spots when I get there!


For me, one of the most comforting aspects of the Christian faith is that God is our “Father”. (Psalms 68:5) My dad died a little over four years ago. That’s something that I never thought I would have to say, let alone write in a blog. “My dad died.” You always look at your parents as being somewhat immortal, especially dads. But they die, and I guess a little part of us was created to expect it. It's natural to lose your parents one day, but it doesn’t make it any easier.

Each time I talk about my dad, and get to the point of talking about this death, I feel my eyes watering up and my voice crack a little. It’s funny, but I miss him more and more as the years go by. Something will pop into my head, some thought that I want to share with him, or something will happen where I could really use his advice. It’s funny, but sometimes I have to remind myself that he’s not there.

A few months ago, my 7 year old son was experimenting with his electronic set and asking questions that were a little out of my field of knowledge. My dad was an electrical engineer and I began to tell him about how this is the kind of stuff Paw Paw did for a living. He would have loved teaching him how it all worked and the fact that his grandson was showing some aptitude in this area would have given him such a thrill.

It’s funny, but I can still hear my Dad’s voice, as if I had just talked with him a few days ago. When I’m away from my wife and boys, I sometimes forget their voices, but I remember my dad’s voice. I remember the deep tone it had and the calm and methodical way he spoke. When he was excited or passionate about something, he would get more animated and stutter a little. That’s how you could tell that he was really interested in the conversation.

I remember my dad coming home from work late in the day. He would open the door quickly and come through with a big stride. He always had the paper in his hand and would lightly hit me with it. “Hey, guy!”, he would say with a big smile, and would go in the kitchen to say hi to Mom. That “dad smell” would waft passed me as he went by, and I felt comfortable. I felt safe. Dad was home.

I’ve learned that being a dad is a lot harder than being a son. My dad told me one time that I would never feel the same security that I did when I was a boy living at home, once I had my own family. And he was right, to an extent. I’m the one that carries the burdens and fights the monsters under the bed. I’m the one that is responsible for creating the safe structure of home and peace that my boys rest in.

But like I said, my dad was only right to an extent. See I believe that even though I have the enormous responsibility of being a father, the burden is not 100% on my shoulders. We are stewards of these amazing gifts that God has given us. God still calls the plays; we just carry the ball. And I do feel some shades of the security that I once felt as a child from time to time. When I feel close to God and His presence is evident, flowing around me, I feel safe. When I come to Him as a little child, and rest in His arms, I feel peace. And as I comfort my boys and do my best to create the peaceful structure that they deserve, I feel God doing the same for me. He’s my Father. He’s Dad. (John 20:17)

My dad believed in God, but I don’t know if He felt the same security on which I’ve learned to depend. I think that he carried a lot of burdens that he didn’t realize weren't his to carry. See, my grandfather died when my Dad was only 9 years old, so he had to learn how to be a dad with only a small point of reference. He had to learn to depend on himself for much of his life and that made him a little harder. He grew up without a father and I wonder how much different his life would have been had his dad lived a longer life. And for that matter, what would my life be like today?

Either way, dad did his very best at raising two boys. I told him that a few years before he died, and he said that that was one of those things you wait your entire parenting life to hear. I hope to hear it someday, and I hope that my boys will grow up feeling just a little more security than I did. Not security from me, but from their heavenly Father who wants them to have a peace that transcends all of their understanding. (Philippians 4:7) I want them to feel that security of knowing that everything is OK. It’s taken care of. Dad’s home.

Here

In Eugene Peterson's The Message, he paraphrases Ecclesiastes 3:13 like this:
'There's an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth: A right time for birth and another for death, A right time to plant and another to reap, A right time to kill and another to heal, A right time to destroy and another to construct, A right time to cry and another to laugh, A right time to lament and another to cheer, A right time to make love and another to abstain, A right time to embrace and another to part, A right time to search and another to count your losses, A right time to hold on and another to let go, A right time to rip out and another to mend, A right time to shut up and another to speak up, A right time to love and another to hate, A right time to wage war and another to make peace. But in the end, does it really make a difference what anyone does? I've had a good look at what God has given us to do—busywork, mostly. True, God made everything beautiful in itself and in its time—but he's left us in the dark, so we can never know what God is up to, whether he's coming or going. I've decided that there's nothing better to do than go ahead and have a good time and get the most we can out of life. That's it—eat, drink, and make the most of your job. It's God's gift."

I read these words in a new way this morning. I've been sitting in the library, trying to continue writing my book, which I began this Summer. It's not as easy as I thought it was going to be. At times, it can be isolating. Sometimes it's difficult to focus. Sometimes I feel compelled to delete every file that I've collected so far and start over. Sometimes, I wonder why I'm doing this at all. I wonder if I'll ever finish. I wonder if this is wasted time. I wonder if anyone will read it. But the words in this passage of scripture spoke to me this morning and gave me the comfort and perspective that I needed. I have no idea who's reading this, and those of you that are, I know nothing about your journey in life, and the specific paths you've taken. But you're human, and chances are, you've struggled with the same thoughts that overwhelm me this morning. I pray that it opens a door of hope with you as well.

Basically, my thoughts are pretty simple. I don't have a deep theological dissertation or a new idea of what God is trying to communicate. What rang true with me in these words is that God knows exactly what He's doing, each and every second of our lives. Regardless of the paths we decide to take in life, each one is the path that is ordained for us to walk down. Culture might classify your choices as "right" or "wrong", but what does that really mean when we are in perfect union with God? I firmly believe that if we remain connected to God in prayer and meditation, each and every life choice that we make is guided by Him through His Spirit and therefore cannot be narrowed down to a category of "right" or "wrong". My Dad often said that if we remain responsible in our decisions and pray about each choice, there are no "bad" choices. A specific decision may not be exactly what God had intended, but he still uses that choice for good and to advance His Kingdom.

Many of you know that I had a bad experience with the last church staff on which I served. I spent most of the Summer being angry with those that hurt me, and with God as well. I demanded God provide a reason for what happened, and begged Him for me to be vindicated. I questioned my decision to join this church, and questioned if God had even called me there in the first place. But just as I reached the pinnacle of confusion and frustration, God revealed to me that everything happened exactly as He had intended it. There was a "reason" for what happened, and I didn't need to know what it was. And I have found a peace with this realization.

So I sit here, in a dark corner of the library, banging on my laptop and knowing that there is a time to write and a time to serve on a church staff. There is a time to feel lonely, isolated and there is a time to enjoy company. There is a time for confusion and a time for clarity. There is a time for the wilderness and a time for shelter. There is a time for depression and a time for peace. A time for anger and a time for joy. There is a time to fall and a time to get up, but also a time to just lie there for a while. There is a time for each event in our lives that God sets into motion. And just like the seasons throughout a year, they often seem to be in complete conflict with each other. But they all work together in complete unity and reveal to us a simple truth: There is a time to trust God, and a time to....well...I guess that's it.

Asking Questions

Lately, I've been getting into some discussions regarding questions about the Christian faith. What I've seen is that a large number of these questions stem from one thing: doubts or a lack of faith. I'll admit, my first reaction to some of these conversations has been frustration, but after meditating on some of the underlying motives, my heart began to soften a little. I began to see that maybe my frustrations were only a natural defense mechanism for my own questions of faith. I know what your thinking, and before you make a decision about my underlying motives for this blog, please indulge me for a cyberspace minute or two. I think you'll see where I'm going with this and maybe even come along for the ride. If not, no worries because I'm paying for the gas, and it's my vehicle.

From time to time, we all have questions about our faith. As we stumble and bump around this life, like a clumsy toddler learning to use his legs, we inevitably bump into things that just don't make sense. We wonder. We question. We wrestle with our thoughts. We get frustrated and many times, we give up. There is so much about God that falls into the unknown, so how can anyone with all honesty say that they have it all figured out? If they do, they either suffer from a slightly swollen ego, or they've been conditioned to believe that questioning God is just a step away from being a heretic. Our Church culture has built a structure that discourages questioning and subtly belittles those who do. And doubts or even unbelief? Forget it! Full out rejection!

But is it OK to question our faith? Is it a natural part of our spiritual walk? Are doubts and fears about our faith acceptable, or are they manifestations of unbelief. Is it possible to believe, but still struggle with unbelief? St. Augustine revealed the nature of questioning faith in Confessions. For him, the mere act of questioning was actually a portal into a deeper faith and a closer relationship with God. In his experience, he saw questioning as an energy that moved him toward God. Learning to ask questions, and how to ask questions is reflected in much of his work. But one thing remains clear, Augustine saw questioning of God and faith in general, as a natural and healthy form of spiritual discipline.

In Mark 9:13-30, Jesus heals a boy that is possessed by a demon. When his father asks Jesus to help them he says, "But if you can, take pity on us and help us." Jesus responds, "If you can? Everything is possible for him who believes." The boy's father responds, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" Jesus then cast the demon out of the boy. There were no preconditions on the man's faith, and there was no chastisement for his lack of belief. The man proclaims that he understands some of what's going on with Jesus, but some of it is also difficult. Perhaps this man had seen and heard of the miracles Jesus had preformed. Maybe he had heard murmurings that Jesus was the long awaited Messiah, but His rejection by the religious leaders caused him to doubt these claims. Maybe he was afraid. Afraid of letting go of tradition and what he had been taught his entire life.

For me, questioning is liberating. It is a doorway that reveals to me that I serve a God that is big enough to handle the tough questions that I have about Him. But the interesting thing about questioning, is that it actually moves me toward a deeper faith and knowledge that I lacked to begin with. I think that if we remain in unbelief and stubbornly ignore our doubts, we end up with a shallow faith that is actually more dangerous than questioning.

Don't get me wrong. I do believe, I just need help with my unbelief.

Avatar and Worship

Yesterday afternoon, my oldest son and I ventured out for some "guy time" and saw Avatar. If you haven't seen the movie yet, let me just say that if you saw the 1990 epic, Dances with Wolves, you already know the basic story line. In fact, one could easily say that it's just a futuristic rip-off in CGI form. Don't get me wrong, Avatar is an amazing and beautiful journey into pure fantasy and was worth the money. It's an escape, which is what most of us need these days. But is there much more to it?

Despite the usual political rhetoric regarding "evil" humans, and how we are too stupid and greedy to avoid destroying ourselves, and eventually other planets, the movie is very enjoyable. But I'll warn you... you may walk out of the movie carrying a burden of humanistic guilt the size of a Mountain Banshee! There's also the whole "Colonists suck, Indians rock" theme going! Avatar also smacks of universalist theology, pantheism and goddess worship, but what can you expect from Hollywood, and the man who arrogantly prides himself on miraculously discovering Jesus' tomb? The plot is very predictable and leaves you with the underlying theme that it is uncool to be Human.

Believe it or not, it is not my intention to slam Avatar. Like I said, I liked the movie and was very entertained, and I usually try and keep political agendas out of the picture. I'm not a film critic, but as with any movie I see, I always try and dissect the underlying theological significance and how it applies to today's culture. After watching Avatar, this wasn't difficult to do. One aspect resonated with me more clearly than any other movie in many years. It's subtle, but definitely there, and is also one of the main objections I had to the movie: the faith and worship of the alien civilization around which the movie revolves.

The Na'vi are a primitive race of aliens that inhabit the planet Pandora. As the movie progresses, you begin to see the lifeblood of this culture, which is its faith in their deity, Eywa. The center of worship is The Tree of Souls, which seems to be the point of spiritual contact with Eywa and the civilization's ancestors. The energy that emanates from this tree, and Eywa, is a living network that carries through all of nature, living creatures and the Na'vi themselves. It's the center of life on Pandora.

The point is, the Na'vi saw their deity and it's power as the center of their lives. Nothing existed independently from their god. To this culture, there was no distinction between faith and life. All aspects of life were united and flowing together, with their god at the center. It was a holistic picture of faith and one of the more beautiful images in Avatar. No, it was not Christian worship and I acknowledge that this movie paints a picture of a false god, and a fantasy god at that. But what I am focusing on, is the simple act of worship within this culture and what I think we can learn from it as believers in Christ.

As I've said before, we live in a very compartmentalized culture with very pluralistic belief systems. One compartment holds our faith. One compartment holds our family. One compartment holds our work, hobbies, friends, etc. Very rarely do we encourage, or even want the elements of our faith intertwining with other compartments of our life. But what would it look like if we did? What would it look like in our churches, if all elements of our lives revolved around our faith communities and the worship of Jesus Christ? What would it be like to see the power of the living God transcending every compartment, until we were left with a holistic picture of life, with God at the center? Everything moved within and intertwined until there was no distinction. No conflicts. No barriers. Just faith in a God that lives within us as Scripture says.

The ancient Hebrews knew this well, and it makes me wonder where we've lost hold of this essential key of worship. In Deuteronomy 6:4-9, God encourages His people in saying "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates."

In John 15, Jesus reinforced this essential holistic relationship with God when He said, "I am the vine; you are the branches." Just before this in John 14, He says, "Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me;" Do you see this holistic picture that God has been painting since He first spoke to the people of Israel? God is the essence of all that has life. He lives in us and through us, and gives life to all that is around us. Why should we not then attribute all the aspects of our individual lives to God, and see that He is the object of our worship, not what He has created, but Him who is the creator? Worship as a lifestyle? Not just a Sunday morning ritual? Now that's an alien concept!

Balloons

Life is filled with various types of moments, isn't it? We face pivotal moments when our lives are drastically changed forever, and we face moments that pass without a second thought into history. We face moments of joy, hope, regret, shock, peace, fear, etc. But sometimes we face moments that just make us stop and think. These are simple, uneventful moments that derail the progress of a typical day, cause us to hit the pause button, stop whatever it is we are doing, and just kind of zone out. Nothing major. Just a subtle blip on the screen of life. Well, I had one of those moments today. And I was blowing up balloons.

Midway through my day, I found myself sitting in a hot closet of my church where we store a helium tank. I was blowing up balloons for our Wednesday night kids bible club. No big deal, right? Just blowing up balloons. Red. Blue. Pink. Yellow. Green. I blew them up, tied the ends into a knot and tied a colorful ribbon to the end. I planned on blowing up about 20 balloons, but around number 18, it hit me. I've just spent 30 minutes of my day making balloons. From the time it took me to gather my supplies, walk over to the storage room and make 18 balloons, 30 minuets have vanished. And they were spent making balloons! What could that possibly have to do with God, ministry or anything else for that matter. Balloons!

My mind began to wander. I began to feel that sinking feeling, and I'll admit, I started to get a little depressed. Is this what I expected I would be doing as I worked my way through seminary? Is this what I thought being called into ministry would entail? Is this activity that has taken so much of my time, helping to build God's Kingdom? Did I make too many red ones?

OK, is this all about balloons? No. Is this about effect time management? Maybe a little. I did just buy a nice new day planner. With a calculator! But I think this moment of pause in my day was for a reason bigger than helium and ribbon. I think this was a subtle way of God communicating a much deeper issue. This was just the bump in the road that snapped me out of highway hypnosis.

Scripture is full of verses on serving God. Paul says in his letter to the Colossian Church, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men...It is the Lord Christ you are serving." What Paul is saying here is that it's not so much the action, but the motives behind the action. Are we serving God with the very essence of our souls, or are we just going through the motions. It's not about blowing up balloons. It's not about teaching a Sunday School class, preaching a sermon, cleaning toilets or writing blogs. It's about our hearts and who we are serving. Our service to God should not primarily come through and abundance of energy, time or strength, but from the overwhelming conviction that we are serving the God of creation! Sometimes, we are just blowing up balloons, and that's OK! Maybe it's in these simple moments that He teaches more about serving with Him, rather than just doing stuff for Him.

The Answer, My friend, is Blowin' in the Wind.....or after?

I live on the west side of Galveston Bay. Over the last couple of weeks, I haven't been able to write anything because of the lack of power in this area. When the lights finally came on, I was faced with the inevitable question, "Do I need to write a blog about Hurricane Ike?" My answer? I guess I don't have any choice. But what to write? How does this storm, that effected my area so drastically, fit into the realm of theology? How does not having power for a week inspire me to write something worthy of adding to my blog? What kind of deep philosophical perspective can I put on the natural phenomenon of hurricanes and how they tie into life, faith and spirituality? Well, I'm still thinking.

But, as with all storms, the wind stopped. The waters receded. And the power remained off. So as I sat in the calm quiet of darkness, the one thing that became very clear to me is this: God is very powerful. Too simplistic? Maybe. Too obvious? Maybe not. You see, I think that in our high-tech and complex world, we sometimes forget this very simple fact. God is very powerful. And as I pondered over this, I thought of the story of Jesus calming the storm in Matthew 8. Most of us have read, or heard, this story many times, and our first inclination is to interpret this passage as a comforting illustration that Christ "calms" the "storms" of life. But is this really what God is trying to say to us? Don't get me wrong, Jesus does calm the storms of our lives and this is a perfectly good passage of scripture to use in getting this point across. But is this what Matthew was really intending as he wrote these words? I don't think so.

Look at it from this perspective. What is the disciple's first reaction to Jesus calming the storm? They were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?" Think about it. They didn't cheer in excitement that the storm had stopped. They didn't release a concerted sigh of relief, realizing that their lives were sparred. They didn't fall to the floor of the boat, praising God that they would live another day. They were no longer focused on themselves and the storm. They were focused on Christ.

You see, the disciples attention turned from the power of the storm to the power of this man that just told the wind and waves to shut up! Their attention was diverted and that is what I think God is trying to get across to us in this story. Sure, God calms the storms of our lives, but more importantly, He is more powerful than the storms we face. He is above and beyond any storm we find ourselves in; figurative or literal. As Jesus spent more time with these twelve men, He revealed more about who He was. As He chopped away at their preconceptions, he opened their eyes to reality in it's fullest. God is very powerful. Sometimes it takes a storm for us to realize this. And sometimes it takes the calm.