New Conference Letter

A new letter from the Kansas-Oklahoma Conference. Maybe things can get turned around.

Dear Colleagues,

Can you come up with a helpful metaphor for what a healthy conference would look like? Would it be more like a network? a web? a “family”? an organization? What do you want from your connection with the conference? Can you name specific needs your church has that the conference might meet?

Our K-O conference is undergoing stress related to governance and personnel, how we make decisions, and how decisions are communicated. There are some serious conflicts that need to be addressed. It is possible to let reason, patience, compassion, and wisdom prevail even through this process of conflict and tension. This can be a time of reflection and learning for each one of us. Rather than escalate the drama through unhealthy actions, let’s strive to be our best selves now more than ever.

Our conference leaders have been in conversation with our General Minister and President, Rev. John Thomas, throughout this confused and confusing time. He has been extremely helpful to all of us. Rev. Jane Heckels, who serves as his assistant, will meet with our conference council on Friday, June 13th from 10:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m. at the parish house behind the conference office. John Thomas recommended Jane because of her expertise in the area of conference relations. Rev. Heckles will work with our council with the goal of developing better strategies for communication and healing. We have a full agenda planned for that meeting, and we will resist the temptation to force any hasty decisions. This will be an open meeting. After consulting with various individuals, Jane Heckles will assist us in mapping out a detailed plan for working through the questions we face.

The next meeting of the conference council is set for Tuesday, June 24th at the Club House Inn & Suites. We need to go ahead and keep the plans for that meeting as well. We hope to review and approve the plan recommended by Jane Heckles then, and accomplish some initial steps of that plan.

Now is the time to come together as people of faith. Our council, committees, and ministries need willing workers to volunteer and strengthen our conference. Please prayerfully consider your own willingness to serve and encourage potential, new leaders to get involved. Don’t hesitate to contact me, our nominating committee, or others on the council to discuss ways you can help. Now is a good time to discern the best models and strategies for our conference. Your input is needed.

Sincerely,
Kathy McCallie
Conference Council President

That Hurts My Feelings

The other day I was spraying weed killer on my mostly weed lawn when my wife and kids returned home from shopping.

My five year old son came running toward me in his bare feet and asked, "What are you doing dad?" I replied, "Don't step on the grass. I'm spraying poison to kill the weeds." A few moments later, my son was ignoring my command and walking on a section of grass I had just sprayed. So, I yelled at him and told him, "Get out of the grass, right now!" Then he started crying and wailed, "You're hurting my feelings!"

Isn't that our complaint to God when it comes to His commands? They hurt our feelings?

The Lord gives us His commands, but we don't listen to them because we want what we want because that makes us feel good and besides, we know what we're doing.

O that we would learn that God's commands are given for our protection and provision. His commands are life to us.

"I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free." --Psalm 119:32

Marriage Erosion in California

Erosion in California is not just along its coastal line. Now that the California Supreme Court has declared a legal constitutional right for same gender marriage, and refused to stay its ruling, marriage in California is also eroding.

I realize that to oppose same sex marriage is to look like you're narrow minded or intolerant. At least grant that I have 6,000 years of human history on my side. Some things should never change. The definition of marriage is one of them. Why? Because as Maggie Gallagher writes, "Ideas have consequences."

To my knowledge, there are six borders that define marriage:

• You cannot be currently married. That is, a person already married cannot create another marriage (bigamy).
• You cannot marry a near relative.
• You cannot marry someone against your will.
• You cannot marry a minor.
• You cannot marry more than one person. In other words, you cannot bring a third party into a marriage (polygamy).
• And, you cannot marry someone of the same gender.
  

Now that the California Supreme Court has decided that same sex marriage is permissible, what is the compelling argument to not remove the other restrictions? If, as Anna Quindlen of Newsweek argues, it's all about love, why not remove all the boundaries? Are people guilty of two-ophobia for thinking marriage should consist of only of two people?

My point is this: where you set the boundary markers matter. It matters to God who established the marriage boundaries in His Word and it matters for the organizing of family and society.

In the end, what J.I. Packer writes in his small booklet, "Freedom and Authority" is spot on:

We cannot have the freedom we want until we receive it on God's terms, that is, by giving up our rebellious independence and letting God be God to us. Real freedom is only ever found under authority-- God's authority in Christ, authority which reaches us via God's written Word.

More News from K-O Conference

Another e-mail letter today from the Kansas-Oklahoma Conference. It's a dramatic change of direction from an earlier announcement:

May 28, 2008

Dear Colleagues,

You read an article in the last issue of the K-O Focus announcing the retirement of our Conference Minister, the Reverend Dr. David Hansen. I am writing to you today to let you know that announcement was an error. The Conference Council regrets the confusion and concern this announcement has caused in our conference. Reverend Hansen is our Conference Minister. He has not retired.

Some other transitions occurred at our Council meeting held on May 27, 2008. The Reverend Dr. R. Michael Lake resigned as Council President. The Reverend Michael Poage also resigned from the Conference Council. We thank them for their service and leadership and wish them and the congregations they serve God’s blessings. They remain in our prayers as we are in theirs.

The Council affirmed the faithful work of our Conference staff, Ms. Judy Vincent, Financial Associate, and Mr. Jim Ahrens, Administrative Associate. The long hours and care they have given in these positions has been essential to our conference ministry.

The Council has been helped greatly by the Reverend John Thomas, our General Minister and President, during this time of confusion. The Council has requested assistance from his office as we address administrative and governance concerns. We are grateful for his pastoral care for our conference and for his ongoing support and assistance.

Serving as Conference Council President is a new experience for me. I assure you that members of the Council and I will work closely with Reverend Hansen and the conference staff to respond to your questions and concerns as best as we are able. Our conference can move toward a stronger future as we patiently, faithfully learn to accept God’s guidance through this time of discernment. Your own wisdom and service is needed now more than ever to build up our ministry as a conference.

Grace and Peace,

Rev. Dr. Kathy McCallie
Conference Council President

I don't know what's been going on--I'm an outsider when it comes to the inner workings of Conference life--but it's obviously a chaotic and sad situation.

SonWorld Adventure Park VBS Rally Program

School is out and summer is here and that means it’s time for Vacation Bible School!

Here's a simple VBS Closing Rally Program script for Gospel Light's SonWorld Adventure Park.

Living in small town rural America, our Congregational Church joined with our neighbors at the United Methodist Church. Our closing rally took place on Sunday morning. The program summarized our week's activity and featured all the songs learned during the week.

The track numbers listed are those on the reproducible, performance split-track CD.


Good morning! Welcome to (name of your church). You know, summer is a time for special activities like swimming and vacations. But also in the summer, you often hear kids says this…

(2 students walk slowly down middle aisle—heads down, looking discouraged)

I’m bored

Me too.

We’re been out of school for only 2 days…

And we’re bored already.

Let’s turn on the radio (pretend to turn on radio)

TRACK # 27—Promotional Radio Spot (60 seconds)

Hey, that sounds like fun.

Yeah, let’s go and tell all our friends.

(2 students run out)

TRACK # 1—SonWorld Adventure Park Theme (Instrumental)

(all students march in)

TRACK # 2—Choose Jesus

Welcome everybody to SonWorld Adventure Park VBS—a place to learn about Jesus. All this week, our kids have been discovering how great it is to choose Jesus and follow Him. When you choose Jesus as your Savior and guide for life, he takes you on an amazing adventure—a thrilling ride—just like a rollercoaster. Riding with Jesus is the ride of your life.

TRACK # 3—The Ride of Your Life

ALL STUDENTS SIT DOWN

In a world that’s full of options, students at SonWorld Adventure Park VBS have been encouraged to make five good choices that honor God and make life a great adventure and full of purpose. Right now, let’s review those five choices.

Number 1. Choose to believe (student holds up ticket poster). A blind man was given sight by Jesus. Afterwards, the man went and told people that Jesus is God’s promised Savior. Will you choose to believe?

Number 2. Choose to act (student holds up ticket poster). Ten men with the disease of leprosy were healed by Jesus. Many people around us need God’s love. Will you choose to act?

Number 3. Choose to forgive (student holds up ticket poster). When a paralyzed man was first forgiven of his sins and then healed by Jesus, people saw that Jesus has the power to forgive sin. Will you choose to forgive?

Number 4. Choose to obey (student holds up ticket poster). A rich young ruler met Jesus, seeking eternal life. When he learned what he needed to give up in order to follow Jesus, he walked away sadly. Will you choose to obey?

Number 5. Choose to believe (student holds up ticket poster). The disciple Thomas doubted that Jesus had actually risen from the dead. But when Thomas saw Jesus alive with his very own eyes, he believed. Will you choose Jesus?

Now, come and join us. Let’s go to SonWorld Adventure Park VBS and see all the fun we had this week.

On day #1, our students enjoyed a funny story from the Bible in John chapter 9. Here, Jesus meets a man who had been blind all his life. To heal the man, Jesus spit on the ground, made a mud paste, put it on the man’s eyes, and then told him to wash off the mud. When the man did, his eyes were opened. He could see! Jesus healed him! In a similar way, Jesus takes those who are spiritually blind—who cannot see God—and Jesus gives them the ability to see God. Will you choose to believe? When you see Jesus, you see God. And when you see God, and other people see that, well, that will get a lot of people talking.

TRACK # 6—Talk, Talk

On day # 2, our students walked with Jesus in Luke 17, where Jesus heard the cries of ten men who had a terrible skin disease called leprosy. When the men called out for help, Jesus healed them all. In a similar way, Jesus takes the spiritually sick and makes them whole. Will you choose to act? When you do, people are changed.

TRACK # 5—Ten Men

On day # 3, our students sat in a crowded room in Mark 2, listening to Jesus talk. All of the sudden, some people dug a hole in the roof above our heads. A paralyzed man was lowered down on a mat by his friends—right in front of Jesus. Jesus told the lame man, “Your sins are forgiven” and then he told the man, “Rise up, take up your mat, and walk.” And immediately, the lame man was healed. He stood up and walked! In a similar way, Jesus takes the spiritually lame and paralyzed—whose efforts cannot earn God’s favor—and Jesus gives them the ability to walk with God. Jesus forgives your sins. Will you choose to forgive? That lame man sure had some good friends. They didn’t let a big crowd keep stop them from getting their lame friend to Jesus. They just decided to tear the roof off.

TRACK # 7—Tear the Roof Off

On day # 4, our students were witnesses to a discussion in Luke 18 between Jesus and a rich young ruler. The ruler asked Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said, “What must you do? What you must do is keep all the commandments.” The ruler said, “Jesus, I’ve kept them all.” Then Jesus said, “Oh, there’s one more.” Sell all your possessions, give them to the poor, and then come and follow me.” When the rich young ruler heard that, he turned and walked away. Jesus wants us to obey Him in all our choices, not just when it’s easy. Will you choose to obey?

TRACK # 9—The Captain’s Song

TRACK # 8—I Will Hasten

TRACK # 11—Choosing Song

TRACK # 12—Jesus Loves You and Me

On day #5, we also heard the Bible’s most thrilling story. But it starts off sad. Jesus was arrested by enemies and killed on a cross. He was buried in a cave. And he laid there for three days. But on the third day, Jesus rose from the dead. He defeated sin and death. He truly can forgive sins and grant eternal life to all who believe. Mary and the disciples saw the risen Lord with their very own eyes. But Thomas did not. He said, “Unless I see Jesus for myself, I will not believe.” A whole week went by. And then, Jesus came and appeared to his disciples. This time, Thomas was there. Jesus said to Thomas, “Stop doubting and believe.” And Thomas replied, “My Lord and my God!” Will you choose Jesus? Will you choose to believe in Him? If you will, you can be sure of this—Jesus will lead you all the way.

TRACK # 10—All The Way

Now we’d like to introduce our team leaders, who will then introduce our participants in SonWorld Adventure Park VBS.

(Each class is introduced)


TRACK # 4—I Believe in Ever After (This is a good offering song)

Announcements (if any)

Thank you everyone for coming to SonWorld Adventure Park VBS and coming to our Sunday Rally today. The Good News of the Bible is that Jesus chose us. We hope you leave here today choosing Jesus.

TRACK # 2—Choose Jesus

TRACK # 1—Choose Jesus (instrumental)

Students depart

SonWorld Adventure Park VBS Day 5 Teaching Tips

School is out and summer is here and that means it’s time for Vacation Bible School!

Here are some great lesson tips to super charge your Gospel Light SonWorld Adventure Park VBS! These ideas are for middler and preteen students and are intended to supplement the lesson plans in the Gospel Light Bible Story Center Guides.

Living in small town rural America, our Congregational Church joined with our neighbors at the United Methodist Church. We had 60 kids evenly divided into three groups—Pre-K to K, 1-3rd grade, and 4-6th grade—and shuffled them between 7 stations.

Day 5 Lesson
The Disciple

Day 5 Scripture
John 20:1-31

Day 5 Teaching Tip
Since our 5 day VBS was only 4 days, Tuesday-Friday, we had two lessons on Friday. We decided to do the last lesson with all the kids together during the closing assembly.

How do you effectively teach a room full of kids of all ages? Reader’s Theatre, with a twist!

Here’s the twist.

Preparation
Glue regular sized paper onto cardboard, making five “cards.” One each card, use a thick magic marker to draw one of the following faces:

• Happy face
  
• Relaxing face
• Angry face
• Crying face
• Surprised face

Copy John 20 onto your word processor. Read through the story and mark the emotional points of the story, using one of the faces. The SonWorld lesson begins at 20:19, I suggest you start at verse 1 to set the stage for Thomas’ story. When you reach key emotional points in the story, hold up one of the faces and have the kids express that emotion.

Recruit someone who will hold up the faces at the appropriate time and someone to read the story.

Lesson Time
Right as you're about to teach the Bible lesson, hold up each card before the kids and have them sound off that card’s emotion. By practice, the kids will associate a sound with a card's face.

• Happy face = "Yeah!" (Use this when Jesus is seen alive)
  
• Relaxing face = "Aaaahhh!" (Use this when Jesus tells his disciples, "Peace be with you.")
• Angry face = "Urrrgghhh!" (Use this when Thomas says he won't believe until he sees for himself the risen Lord)
• Crying Face = "Booo Hoooo!" (Use this when Mary is sad)
  
• Surprise Face = "Oooohhhh!" (Use this when the tomb is found empty, when Jesus appears)
  

Now read the story of John 20.

With Readers Theatre, the students experience firsthand the emotions of the characters who encountered the risen Lord.

This teaching technique is lots of fun and works great with a group.

SonWorld Adventure Park VBS Day 4 Teaching Tips

School is out and summer is here and that means it’s time for Vacation Bible School!

Here are some great lesson tips to super charge your Gospel Light SonWorld Adventure Park VBS! These ideas are for middler and preteen students and are intended to supplement the lesson plans in the Gospel Light Bible Story Center Guides.

Living in small town rural America, our Congregational Church joined with our neighbors at the United Methodist Church. We had 60 kids evenly divided into three groups—Pre-K to K, 1-3rd grade, and 4-6th grade—and shuffled them between 7 stations.

Day 4 Lesson
The Rich Young Ruler

Day 4 Scripture
Luke 18:18-27

Day 4 Teaching Tips
Lesson
Pass out Monopoly money as students walk into the room. Ask the introductory question, “If you could go to the store and pick out anything you wanted, what would you choose?” “If you were rich and had lots of money, what kinds of things would you do with it?”

Since the rich man asked what he had to DO to inherit eternal—in other words, to earn eternal life—Jesus recited the Old Testament commandments. When the rich man claimed he kept all those, Jesus took dead aim to expose the man’s heart. Jesus tells the man to sell all his possessions, give them to the poor, and follow him. When the rich man walks away sad, Jesus exposes the man’s idolatry and covetousness—in other words, the man’s failure to keep the commandments. The incident illustrates that none are righteous. Everyone falls short. Salvation is not by works, but by grace. When Peter asks whether his sacrificial efforts will be rewarded, Jesus assures him that God rewards those who follow on Him. Salvation by grace welcomes effort, but opposes earning.

At the lesson’s conclusion, put an offering plate in the center of the room and invite students to trust Jesus as their Savior. If they're already a believer, challenge them to put Jesus first in their life.

In our class experience, as soon as the teacher put out the offering plate, the students immediately put their money in the plate.

SonWorld Adventure Park VBS Day 3 Teaching Tips

School is out and summer is here and that means it’s time for Vacation Bible School!

Here are some great lesson tips to super charge your Gospel Light SonWorld Adventure Park VBS! These ideas are for middler and preteen students and are intended to supplement the lesson plans in the Gospel Light Bible Story Center Guides.

Living in small town rural America, our Congregational Church joined with our neighbors at the United Methodist Church. We had 60 kids evenly divided into three groups—Pre-K to K, 1-3rd grade, and 4-6th grade—and shuffled them between 7 stations.

Day 3 Lesson
The Paralyzed Man

Day 3 Scripture
Mark 2:1-12

Day 3 Teaching Tips
Warm Up Activity
Get old bed blankets and pillows. Divide students into teams. With one student in the blanket and four students holding the corners, conduct a blanket race—with teams racing across the room to get pieces of the memory verse puzzle.

Lesson
Give the Teachers of the Law some credit. After they heard Jesus say to the lame man, “Your sins are forgiven,” they were right to think, “Who can forgive sins, but God alone?” Indeed, only God can forgive sin, but what these teachers don’t realize is that Jesus is God. As the Son of Man, he indeed has authority to forgive sin.

Play up the trap that Jesus willingly set for himself. It’s easy to say, “Your sins are forgiven.” Have the students repeat the phrase. Anyone can say that, but how does anyone know it’s true? Like air, God’s forgiveness is an invisible reality. Also, anyone can say, “Take your mat and walk.” Have students repeat that phrase. Anyone can say that, but making those words raise up a lame man, now that’s a whole different story! Jesus links his ability to forgive sin to his ability to heal the lame man. If he can’t heal the lame man, he can’t forgive sin. But if he can heal the lame man, he can forgive sin. When the lame man rises, everyone knows the unique authority Jesus has.

SonWorld Adventure Park VBS Day 2 Teaching Tips

School is out and summer is here and that means it’s time for Vacation Bible School!

Here are some great lesson tips to super charge your Gospel Light SonWorld Adventure Park VBS! These ideas are for middler and preteen students and are intended to supplement the lesson plans in the Gospel Light Bible Story Center Guides. Living in small town rural America, our Congregational Church joined with our neighbors at the United Methodist Church. We had 60 kids evenly divided into three groups—Pre-K to K, 1-3rd grade, and 4-6th grade—and shuffled them between 7 stations.

Day 2 Lesson
The Ten Sick Men

Day 2 Scripture
Luke 17:11-19

Day 2 Teaching Tips
Lesson
Get a package of small circle shaped stickers of various colors, available at any office supply store. As students enter the room, pick 10 or a number of them to get stickers put on their arms and faces.

Instead of just talking to students about leprosy, show them what leprosy looks like. Download pictures of leprosy off the Internet and give a short PowerPoint presentation with a laptop computer. Seeing the severity of the disease makes an impact. Students understand more why lepers were separated from society in Biblical days, they appreciate more fully Jesus’ healing miracle, and they.

Talk to the students with the stickers and ask how they feel having leprosy, being separated from their families, and their reaction after Jesus heals them.

SonWorld Adventure Park VBS Day 1 Teaching Tips

School is out and summer is here and that means it’s time for Vacation Bible School!

Here are some great lesson tips to super charge your Gospel Light SonWorld Adventure Park VBS! These ideas are for middler and preteen students and are intended to supplement the lesson plans in the Gospel Light Bible Story Center Guides.

Living in small town rural America, our Congregational Church joined with our neighbors at the United Methodist Church. We had 60 kids evenly divided into three groups—Pre-K to K, 1-3rd grade, and 4-6th grade—and shuffled them between 7 stations.


Day 1 Lesson
The Blind Man

Day 1 Scripture
John 9

Day 1 Teaching Tips
Warm up activity
Divide students into pairs and have each one take a turn walking around blindfolded. Ask, “Imagine that you’ve been blind since your birth. What do you think your life would be like?” “What’s the hardest thing about being blind? What would you miss seeing the most?”

Lesson
Prepare a bowl of mud, a bowl of water, and a towel! Use it in one of the following way: Do a skit with the blind man giving a testimony of how Jesus spit on the ground, made a mud paste, told him to wash, and got healed miraculously. During the skit, invite a student to come forward and play the part of Jesus, putting the mud on the blind man’s face. Or, invite willing students to come forward and have mud applied to their face by other students. Be sure to show off the mud to the students before it’s applied. That’s what Jesus put on the blind man’s eyes!

Kansas Tornado

While Kansas is known to have its share of tornadoes, I've never seen one with my own eyes in my 12 years here.

But videos like the one above make me glad I haven't. Severe weather photographer Douglas Kiesling talks with NBC's Amy Robach about capturing a mile-wide Kansas tornado on tape that roared through the state last night.

Hungry

Monday as I was sitting in the church study, I got the munchies.

"Wonder if there's anything in the church refrigerator?"

So I went downstairs to the kitchen, open the refrigerator door and... bingo! Inside was a carton of juice. And on the counter was some yummy breakfast biscuits topped with brown sugar.

They were goodies leftover from the graduation breakfast the previous day.

Yep, being a small church pastor does have its privileges!

Graduation

Graduation: a time when your schooling ends and your education begins.

The Little River community is celebrating its graduating students. This Tuesday is the 8th grade recognition ceremony. Yesterday was high school commencement. 30 students graduated, which was a big number for this small Kansas town. And this past Wednesday was the community's Baccalaureate service, with Father Tom Leland as the speaker.

Father Leland and I were good friends during the time he was priest at Little River's Holy Trinity Catholic Church from 2000-2003. He left to join the Army and served as a Chaplain. He talked about experiences as a military chaplain and the message was incredible.

One story he told went something like this:

One day I was walking down a sidewalk at Ft. Benning when I came upon a soldier who was on the ground, hands and knees, next to an oak tree, picking up acorns off the sidewalk, one at a time, and putting them into a bucket. I knew this soldier as brilliant computer technician. Picking up acorns was obviously a task far below his abilities-- a waste of time. When I came upon the soldier, he asked me, "Father, why am I doing this?" Beyond the fact the task assigned by his commanding officer, I didn't have a good answer.

Later, I was transfered to the Middle East. There, a military lawyer told me he was going to prosecute a combat soldier for stealing a lighter. It was a petty crime, but he did it in a combat zone, and for that reason, the accused soldier would end up spending a couple of years in military prison.

It seems harsh, but on the combat field, trust and unity of the unit is everything. One of the objectives of basic training is to root out the "me first" attitude. In the military, your life is totally dependent on your fellow soldier. And their life is totally dependent on you. One wrong move, one selfish move-- like stealing from your fellow soldier-- and the trust of the whole unit weakens and the life of every soldier falls into danger. For this reason, the military seeks to create what Jesus prayed to the Father for his disciples in John 17:22, "that they may be one as we are one."

I never saw again that soldier who was wondering why he was picking up acorns. But if I did, I would tell him, "You're doing it for the privilege of being a part of something bigger and doing something great."

The Fascinating Story of P52

How did this 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" tiny papyrus fragment shock the world of biblical scholarship?

Dr. Dan Wallace, writing at Parchment and Pen, tells the fascinating story of how this small, ancient piece of paper known as P52-- found in a trash heap in Egypt and stored unnoticed for years at the John Rylands Library in England-- has changed our understanding about the Gospel of John.

In the mid 19th century, the influential scholar F.C. Baur proposed that the Gospel of John was written late in the 2nd century. This theory gained considerable influence and consequently the historical reliability of this Gospel fell into serious doubt. But then, in 1934, Wallace writes:

... a young doctoral student studying at Manchester University came across a scrap of papyrus in the John Rylands Library. Colin H. Roberts was intrigued by the papyrus fragment, which had been excavated decades earlier from rubbish heaps in Egypt. It was only 2 & ½ inches by 3 & ½ inches, but its importance far outweighed its size. Roberts immediately recognized it as a fragment of John’s Gospel—chapter 18, verses 31 to 33 on one side, and chapter 18, verses 37 and 38 on the other, to be exact. He sent the photographs of the fragment to three of the leading papyrologists in Europe. Each one reported independently that this fragment should be dated, on paleographical grounds, between AD 100 and AD 150. A fourth scholar disagreed, arguing that the fragment should be dated in the 90s of the first century!

This tiny fragment of John’s Gospel rocked the scholarly near-consensus on the date of John, for it is impossible for a copy to be written before the original text is produced. It effectively sent two tons of German scholarship to the flames. As one wag put it, "This manuscript must have been written when the ink on the original text was barely dry."

The discovery and publication of P52, the papyrus discovered by Roberts, conjure up aphoristic ditties that are almost proverbial in their staying power and application—such as, "An ounce of evidence is worth a pound of presumption."

While Baur's late dating of John remains influential, biblical scholars like Richard Bauckman-- and his books, "Jesus and the Eyewitnesses," and "The Testimony of the Beloved Disciple" are demonstrating that John is a historically faithful witness of Jesus.

Mother's Day

Many preachers would tell you that Mother's Day is always a challenging sermon. While the Hallmark cards are emotional and sappy, the Bible paints motherhood as it really is--hard work and full of frailities, with Proverbs 31:10-31 expressing its crowning appreciation for all that mother's do.

So after you preach Proverbs 31, where else do you turn?

Yesterday I chose a text that speaks exclusively of the Messiah-- Isaiah 11:1-9.

There, Isaiah sees a vision of Jesus ruling in his soon to be future kingdom. In verses 1-5, Jesus rules with wisdom and righteousness. In verses 6-9, we see his kingdom is characterized by harmony, as illustrated by the wolf the lamb living peaceably together.

When we imitate our Savior and practice the wisdom of righteousness, we bear witness in the here and now to what God will establish in His future kingdom. For mothers then, the application was this: godly mothers who practice godly wisdom make their home a little heaven on earth.

To illustrate the point, I used Edward Hick's painting, "Peaceable Kingdom." In the foreground of the painting is God's future kingdom. The predator and prey live together. Across the ravine of time, in the background, is William Penn making peace with the Indians. The lesson of the painting: make peace today because God will make peace in the future. Be an example today of what God will establish tomorrow.

My Mom likes art. She gave me the inspiration to use Hick's painting. Thanks Mom.

Conference Minister of Kansas-Oklahoma Takes Early Retirement

This letter came in an email today from the President of the Kansas-Oklahoma Conference:

At our Conference Council meeting, on May 7th, the Rev. David Hansen, requested the Conference Council grant his request for early retirement, and the Council has done so.A committee has been appointed to work with David in this transition. Rev. Hansen will be completing several engagements prior to his leaving. The Rev. Michael Poage, pastor of Fairmount United Church of Christ, Wichita, KS, has been designated as the Acting Conference Minister. We have begun the work needed to find an Interim Conference Minister for the Kansas-Oklahoma Conference as expeditiously as possible. Judy Vincent and Jim Ahrens will be helping to direct all communications with the Conference Office to the correct people.

The Rev. Ira Williams, the Director of Camp White, resigned effective May 5th. We are also beginning the process of evaluating the camp situation and will be in communication with the conference. This has resulted in the cancellation of the Camping Program for this year. We apologize to all of those who have worked so hard at preparing for this summer’s program and those of you who were looking forward to participating.

Please keep the Conference Council, our staff, and the Rev. Mike Poage in your prayers as we work hard to make this transition go as smoothly and constructively as possible.

Dr. R. Michael Lake
K-O Conference President

I don't know what events led up to this, but I'm very disappointed to hear the camping season is canceled.

Rev. Wright's Wrong Theology

When Rev. Jeremiah Wright spoke at the National Press Club, a lot of attention was given to his remarks that pertained to his famous parishioner, Presidential candidate Barack Obama. However, Wright said some other things that were newsworthy also.

During the Q & A, Wright was asked this question:

Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the father but through me." Do you believe this? And do you think Islam is a way to salvation?

Wright replied this way:

Jesus also said, "Other sheep have I who are not of this fold."

Denny Burk, in an article entitled, "Jeremiah Wright's Most Dangerous Remark," offers this response that I wholly endorse:

Wright’s response clearly implies that Muslims are among the “other sheep” to which Jesus refers in John 10:16. Thus Wright affirms that people who do not have conscious faith in Christ can nevertheless have the hope of salvation — an inclusivist position that argues there are many paths to God...

When Jesus says that he has “other sheep who are not of this fold,” it’s likely that he is referring to Gentiles who would later come to faith in Christ. The sheep that are following Him at that point in the narrative are Jews, but Jesus aims to have followers from among the Gentiles as well. Whoever the “other sheep” are understood to be, they nevertheless have the characteristics of “sheep.” They listen to and follow Christ, and they are saved only by Him.

To say that “other sheep” refers to unbelievers (or followers of Islam in Reverend Wright’s case) simply runs roughshod over the plain meaning of the passage...

Here’s the real import of what Wright said. Many people who hear Jeremiah Wright are likely to get the impression that Jesus is one of many paths that people might take to get to God. Jesus never taught any such thing. In fact, he always challenged His hearers with a stark choice. “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other” (Matthew 6:24). Jesus would brook no rivals, and He only made salvation available to those who would “honor the son” (John 5:23).

The Jeremiah Wrights of the world mislead people into thinking that Jesus Christ is one path among many that people might take to get to God. Jesus taught just the opposite. There is only one path that leads people to salvation, and it’s Jesus. “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me” (John 14:6). To miss that path means forfeiting eternal life. The stakes couldn’t get any higher than that.

Greensburg, KS: One Year Later

Today is our church's 54th annual auction, filled with lots of good buys, great food, and fun rides for the kids. Last year at this time, everyone was discussing the tornado that ripped through Greensburg, KS the night before--basically wiping the town off the map.

But the city is rebuilding and President Bush is coming to give the high school commencement address.

While Greensburg is 2 1/2 hours south of Little River, our town does have a few ties to the area. In particular, there's a Meade County family that wrote a book for kids, entitled, "Where Is God in the Storm?" KWCH-12 out of Wichita has a nice feature on the book. The book was written by Shandi Lang and illustrated by her young daughter, Grace.

Gerson: A Jesus for All People

On the subject of race relations and in light of the the Rev. Jeremiah Wright-Barack Obama feud, I like what Washington Post columnist Michael Gerson writes:

It is a tribute to the power of the Christian message that there is such a thing as African American Christian theology at all. Christianity was the religion held by slave masters -- often distorted into an ideology of oppression. But African Americans found a model of liberation in the Exodus. They discovered that Jesus more closely resembled the beaten and lynched slave than their pious oppressors. And African Americans -- by their courageous assertion of God's universal love and man's universal dignity -- redeemed a nation they had entered in chains.

But black liberation theology takes this argument a large step further -- or perhaps backward. The Rev. Wright's intellectual mentor, professor James Cone of Union Theological Seminary, retreats from the universality of Christianity. "Black theology," says Cone, "refuses to accept a God who is not identified totally with the goals of the black community. If God is not for us and against white people, then he is a murderer, and we had better kill him." And again: "Black theology will accept only the love of God which participates in the destruction of the white enemy." And again: "In the New Testament, Jesus is not for all, but for the oppressed, the poor and unwanted of society, and against oppressors."

This emphasis on the structural evil of white America has natural political consequences -- encouraging a belief that American politics is defined by its crimes, a tendency to accept anti-government conspiracy theories about AIDS and drugs, a disturbing openness to anti-American dictators such as Castro and Gaddafi. It explains Wright's description of the Sept. 11 attacks as a "wake-up call" to "white America."

But the deepest flaws in black liberation theology are theological, not political. Jesus did advocate a special concern for the rights and welfare of the poor and helpless. But he specifically rejected a faith defined by social and political struggle, much to the disappointment of his more zealous followers. The early church, in its wrenching decision to include gentiles as equals, explicitly rejected a community defined by ethnicity. No Christian theology that asserts "Jesus is not for all" can be biblical.

Report: Wright Feels Betrayed

After the controversial remarks made by Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Jr. during the Q & A at Monday's National Press Club meeting, many pundits think Wright is intentionally seeking to bring down Barack Obama's presidential hopes.

Why?

An unnamed source tells the New York Post:

"After 20 years of loving Barack like he was a member of his own family, for Jeremiah to see Barack saying over and over that he didn't know about Jeremiah's views during those years, that he wasn't familiar with what Jeremiah had said, that he may have missed church on this day or that and didn't hear what Jeremiah said, this is seen by Jeremiah as nonsense and betrayal," said the source, who has deep roots in Wright's Chicago community and is familiar with his thinking on the matter. "Jeremiah is trying to defend his congregation and the work of his ministry by saying what he is saying now," the source added. "Jeremiah doesn't care if he derails Obama's candidacy or not... He knows what he's doing. Obviously, he's not a dumb man. He knows he's not helping."

Ironically, in Wright's address before the National Press Club-- that is, his speech before the Q & A time, remarks that didn't make the sound clip bites-- Wright spoke eloquently about race and black church history, suggesting:

Maybe this dialogue on race, an honest dialogue that does not engage in denial or superficial platitudes, maybe this dialogue on race can move the people of faith in this country from various stages of alienation and marginalization to the exciting possibility of reconciliation.

I know a good place to start.

Obama Finally Condemns Rev. Wright

Injuring. Sad. Angry. Disrespect. Shocked. Not grounded in truth. Insult. Contradiction. Objectionable. Inexcusable. Betrayed. He didn't show much concern for me. Offensive. That's enough. Great damage. Won't be the same anymore.

At a press conference this afternoon (transcript here), Presidential democratic candidate Barack Obama used all the above words to condemn and disassociate himself from his former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Jr.

"He made a caricature out of himself," Obama said to summarize Rev. Wright's "performance" over the weekend and on Monday at the National Press Club (transcript here).

Obama was somber throughout and was clearly heart broken about his 20 year relationship with Wright publicly going up in flames, and maybe his campaign too.

"It's a fiasco," said Michael A. Genovese, chairman of the Institute for Leadership Studies at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. "With friends like these, who needs enemies?"

In parting ways with Wright, Obama's relationship to Chicago Trinity UCC is now strained and his rapport with the United Church of Christ suffers a severe blow, especially since the national office has nary said one critical word of Wright.

What's especially ridiculous about this whole controversy-- as it relates to the United Church of Christ-- is this has little to do with theology and everything to do with left-wing kook politics.

As pundits ask whether Wright deliberately sabotaged Obama's campaign, what will the national office say now? That'll be an interesting press release. "All this underscores the need for a sacred conversation?" "Sometimes we disagree among ourselves in the UCC?"

Wright isn't someone to disagree over. His arrogance and politics need to be firmly rebuked.

Obama finally gets it. Will Cleveland?

How to Warm a Cold Sanctuary

It was a tad chilly in our sanctuary during worship yesterday morning. When I came in early, I found the thermostat set at 70, but the temperature at 60. No one could figure out the problem, so we endured the cold.

But before the service started, someone told me, "Pastor, I know how you can warm up the sanctuary."

I was all ears, so I said, "how?"

He replied, "Just preach some hell, fire, and brimstone!"

Thomas Hears Pope's Rebuke

UCC President Rev. John Thomas and Ecumenical Officer Lydia Veliko were among an ecumenical contingency of 200 Christian leaders who gathered in New York City to hear Pope Benedict XVI at an evening ecumenical prayer service on April 18.

In a press release leading up to the meeting, Thomas expressed optimism about what the Pope might say:

"As participants in many rounds of theological dialogue between Reformed Christians and Roman Catholics in the United States, we are committed to a vision of unity that can overcome the many differences that still inhibit a fully shared participation in God's mission here and throughout the world. I look forward to hearing a word of ecumenical hope from Pope Benedict that can be lived out between UCC churches and Catholic parishes around the country."

While it's nice that Rev. Thomas offered polite words about going to hear to the Pope, Thomas is no fan of Benedict XVI, an opinion he made quite clear in 2005:

"Today as the conclave announces its decision, the offering of prayers for this new pontificate is the most appropriate response from other Christian leaders," the Rev. John H. Thomas, UCC general minister and president, said in a written statement to United Church News. "Nevertheless, I acknowledge that I personally greet Cardinal Ratzinger's selection with profound disappointment. Cardinal Ratzinger's long tenure in the Vatican has been marked by a theological tone that is rigid, conservative and confrontational."

With this in mind, I'm sure that Rev. Thomas didn't enjoy hearing this veiled, but clear rebuke:

"Too often those who are not Christians, as they observe the splintering of Christian communities, are understandably confused about the Gospel message itself. Fundamental Christian beliefs and practices are sometimes changed within communities by so-called "prophetic actions" that are based on a hermeneutic not always consonant with the datum of Scripture and Tradition. Communities consequently give up the attempt to act as a unified body, choosing instead to function according to the idea of "local options". Somewhere in this process the need for diachronic koinonia – communion with the Church in every age – is lost, just at the time when the world is losing its bearings and needs a persuasive common witness to the saving power of the Gospel (cf. Rom 1:18-23)."

Translation: That's not an endorsement of the "God Is Still Speaking" campaign.

At least Rev. Thomas went to hear someone he doesn't agree with.

But if he didn't go, what would that have said?

I'll bet the conversation over hors d’oeuvres with colleagues afterwards was interesting.

Obama Worships at UCC Church

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Sunday worshiped at a church that's part of his denomination, St. Mark's UCC in Lebanon, Pennsylvania:

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama paid a surprise visit to Lebanon County when he attended Sunday morning's worship service at St. Mark's United Church of Christ.

About 200 people gathered in the 426 N. Eighth St. church's sanctuary afterward to catch a glimpse of the Democratic presidential hopeful... For almost an hour, Obama shook hands, posed for pictures and signed autographs at the front of the sanctuary for everyone who patiently waited to greet him.

Since everything a politician does is carefully scripted, we'll do our part here as media hacks to over analyze Obama's steps.

A member of the Penn Central conference, St. Mark's is one of six UCC churches in Lebanon. Two UCC churches in Lebanon were "Five for Five" churches in 2006, but St. Mark's wasn't one of them. "Five for Five" churches are those who give to all of the UCC's one time yearly offerings. While the UCC Coalition doesn't list them, UCC.org's "Find a Church" reports that St. Mark's is an ONA church, or open and affirming, meaning that the church welcomes into their full life and ministry persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities. As we reported earlier, Pennsylvania is thick with UCC churches, so Obama inevitably had to pass over several possibilities. St. Mark's doesn't have a website, so here's guessing that Obama's campaign sought the advice of Penn Central Conference Minister, Rev. Dr. Marja Coons-Torn.

In all likelihood, Obama's appearance was designed to garner some "Obama At Church" photos and headlines to hopefully take the sting out of his "bitter" comment, when he privately told a San Francisco fund raiser audience that rural people cling to guns and religion. Lebanon County has one third class city and is 54% farm land, so Obama decided to go into the bitter heartland.

Pennsylvania's primary vote is Tuesday. Obama and Hillary Clinton are neck and neck in the polls.

Was this the first time that Obama stepped foot inside any church or a UCC church since the Jeremiah Wright controversy broke out?

Obama Keeps Backing Away from Wright

Speaking to Jewish community leaders yesterday at Congregation Rodeph Shalom in Philadelphia, Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama continues to back away from the rhetoric of his pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Jr.:

The Illinois senator has been working to reassure Jewish voters nervous about his candidacy after publicity about anti-Israel sentiments expressed by his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, and criticism from Hillary Rodham Clinton during a February debate that he hadn't immediately rejected an endorsement from black Muslim leader Louis Farrakhan. Obama responded that he already denounced Farrakhan, but would reject his support as well.

Obama told the group he had not been aware of Wright's more incendiary speeches before launching his presidential campaign last year, even though he had been a member of Wright's congregation for nearly 20 years. Obama said he had spoken to Wright and privately conveyed his concerns about some of the sermons once he learned of their content. But he acknowledged that he had declined to be more public in his criticism until recently, since Wright was preparing to retire from ministry at Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ.

"You make a decision about how are you going to handle it," Obama said. "Do you publicly denounce his comments? Do you privately express concern but recognize you are still part of a broader church community that is going to be transitioning? I chose the latter."

But do Obama's remarks contradict what he said earlier in his well-known race speech on March 18?

I have already condemned, in unequivocal terms, the statements of Reverend Wright that have caused such controversy and in some cases pain For some, nagging questions remain. Did I know him to be an occasionally fierce critic of American domestic and foreign policy? Of course. Did I ever hear him make remarks that could be considered controversial while I sat in the church? Yes. Did I strongly disagree with many of his political views? Absolutely – just as I’m sure many of you have heard remarks from your pastors, priests, or rabbis with which you strongly disagreed.

You decide.

Obama Insults His Own

You know that Presidential candidate Barack Obama is under heavy criticism after uttering the following put down about rural Pennsylvanians:

"You go into some of these small towns in Pennsylvania, and like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them... And they fell through the Clinton Administration, and the Bush Administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not. And it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."

You know too that Obama is a member of the United Church of Christ. But do you know, and ironically, does Obama realize how many of these rural and religious Pennsylvanians he insulted are members of his own denomination?

According to the Center for Rural Pennsylvania and their report, "Religious Establishments in Rural Pennsylvania":

The religious establishments with the most congregations in Pennsylvania’s rural counties were: the United Methodist Church, the Catholic Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A., and the United Church of Christ. These same congregations were also the top five congregations in urban counties.

Looking at the delegate distribution from the 26th General Synod, nearly 15% of the United Church of Christ's 1.2 million members reside in Pennsylvania. That's 182,779 people. In fact, the UCC is so big in Pennsylvania it has not two, four Conferences in the state-- Penn Central, Pennsylvania Northeast, Pennsylvania Southeast, and Pennsylvania West. With the exception of Penn West, each of these conferences are among the top 10 in delegate ranks at Synod.

Obama's unguarded words, spoken at a closed fund raiser in San Francisco on April 6, likely hit the intended target of dipping into the pockets of some rich elitist Democrats. But the spray of the buckshot has at least one Pennsylvania UCC member fretting.

The UCC Pennsylvanians who are fans of the "God Is Still Speaking" commercials likely won't take offense. They understand Obama is talking about those other churches-- the ones with bouncers and ejector seats. However, it was the UCC that once had on its rolls a historic church in rural Kansas called Beecher Rifle & Bible Church.

Obama knows his words have hurt him politically-- he's still spinning what he meant to say.

He's certainly learned one thing:

The tongue is like a rifle-- you can always reload, but once you pull the trigger, you can never put that shot back into the barrel.

A Lesson for the Media

Here's a lesson, given by Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Jr. and the UCC national office, that the media will understand:

March 21 and 23:
Writing for the The New Yorker magazine, reporter Kelefa Sanneh visits Trinity United Church of Christ for Good Friday and Easter services.

April 3:
Trinity United Church of Christ tells the media "no more" at the "Sacred Conversations" press conference and establishes rules for any reporters inside the sanctuary.

April 7:
Time stamp for Sanneh's The New Yorker story, "Project Trinity: The Perilous Mission of Obama's Church."

April 12:
UCC.org has a link to The New Yorker article prominently featured on its home page.

April 12:
Rev. Jeremiah Wright, in his first public sermon since the firestorm over his remarks began, fiercely criticized the media in a funeral message:

Reflecting on the late [appellate judge R. Eugene] Pincham, Wright said his faith “was not the jingoistic, chauvinistic ‘you’re either with us or against us’ demonizing kind of faith.” Wright said Pincham was friends with “Jews, Muslims, rabbis, imams, fathers in the Catholic church and [Louis] Farrakhan in the Islamic faith.”

Escalating into full-preaching mode, Wright thundered, “Fox News can’t understand that. [Bill] O’Reilly will never get that. Sean Hannity’s stupid fantasy will keep him forever stuck on stupid when it comes to comprehending how you can love a brother who does not believe what you believe. [Pincham’s] faith was a faith in a God who loved the whole world not just one country or one creed.”

At that point, congregants nearly drowned Wright out with a booming standing ovation.

Wright also referred to Fox News as “Fix News.”

So much for encouraging the media to take its spotlight somewhere else.

"Let's Talk About Race" Ad

Coming in the Friday, April 11 edition of USA Today is another full page ad from the United Church of Christ.

In an advance mass e-mail, UCC President John Thomas writes:

Our ad invites the nation to enter a sacred conversation on race and asks other communities of faith to join our preach-in scheduled for Trinity Sunday, May 18.

Together, as we ready ourselves for this important preaching opportunity and the intentional dialogues that must follow in the months to come, this ad clearly puts the UCC on public record as a church willing to grapple forthrightly with difficult issues. Ours is a risk-taking church.

This newest one, which comes on the heels of last week's New York Times ad, is entitled, "Let's Talk About Race."

OK. I accept.

Let's talk about how this ad frames the question and sets the agenda.

First, notice how this ad doesn't mention the Barack Obama-Jeremiah Wright flap and more importantly, the UCC's relationship to it. Why is boldness suddenly shy? It's like the parent talking to their child about the birds and the bees, but too embarrassed to admit the part they played in bringing little johnny into the world.

If Obama and Wright were members of another denomination, there's no way the UCC jumps into the fray and places this ad.

So really. Why are we calling for a dialogue on race? And doing so now?

The ad's lack of full disclosure is telling. It suggests that one motive for keeping silent is denominational self-preservation.

Try saying with a straight face that you're Jeremiah Wright's denomination, you won't scold his outrageous statements, nor condemn his award to Louis Farrakhan, all the while insisting on the need to discuss race.

Difficult, huh? The general public won't buy it and I think our leaders realize this. Better then to avoid the connection and instead say this:

Sacred conversations are never easy, especially when honest talk confronts our nation's painful past and speaks directly to the injustices of the present day. Yet sacred conversations can, and often do, honor the value of diverse life experiences, requiring an openness to hear each others' viewpoints.

Instead of acting like the Old Testament prophets-- who told it like it was and willingly took the hit to their reputation-- the ad takes the soft sell route.

Never mind that we're the religious body that's home to this race controversy. Ignore the fact that none of our national leaders have the courage of Obama, who said in his race speech that Wright remarks were distorted and divisive. Forget that.

Instead, simply present yourself as the denomination that calls for a sacred conversation about race. That strategy raises the odds of the denomination looking much better in the public eye. We look spiritual, reasonable, and hip all at the same time.

If the average irreligious USA Today reader doesn't recognize the UCC connection to the Obama-Wright controversy, the strategy of the ad just might work to enhance our reputation.

Image is certainly on the mind of our President:

No single newspaper ad will ever fully capture our denomination's diverse story or our justice legacy, but as the media spotlight continues to focus on the UCC like never before, it is imperative that we be proactive in sharing who we are and what we're about, lest others continue to define us in narrow and distorted ways.

But for those in the general public who do know the UCC connection, who've read or seen Rev. Thomas' defense of Wright, and don't approve of Wright's remarks, the ad won't work.

The effect will come off like this: "A UCC pastor makes outrageous claims about race and then the UCC tells me that I'm the one who needs to have a dialogue about race? I'm the one who needs to be lectured? It's like being the innocent bystander who sees a fight on the school playground, but instead of the bully going to the Principal's office, I get sent."

Despite the flaws and motives of this ad, the truth remains that, "we have an opportunity to make America a better nation." Sometimes, when the family of an alcoholic is asked to sit down for treatment, they protest saying, "But I'm not the one who needs therapy!" And yet, if they choose to sit down and talk, they too can learn something valuable.

The American public may not feel like they have to sit down and talk about race. But if they do, I'm sure they'd learn something good.

Meanwhile, Rev. Thomas should be proactive in taking this risk-- the Friday before Trinity Sunday, May 18, go and talk about race on the O'Reilly Factor or Hannity & Colmes, and state clearly that Wright was wrong.

Words for True Love Waits

The following are words I shared at Wednesday's True Love Waits ceremony. 10 students made first time commitments and 12 students renewed their commitments. The True Love Waits program is one the ecumenical activities of Little River's Congregational, Catholic, and United Methodist churches. Thanks to Holy Trinity Catholic Church for your leadership!

"Dirty," "used," "regretful," "empty," "disgusted," "ashamed," "duped" and "abused."

What do all these words have in common? These are the responses given by college students who reported what it was like to have a one-night stand “hook-up.”

In an article that appeared just this week on the Wall Street Journal online, Donna Freitas conducted a national college study with over 2,500 students about their attitudes and actions about sex.

When it comes to attitudes, 45% of students at Catholic schools and 36% of students at nonreligious private and public schools say that their peers are too casual about sex. Not a single person at these schools said that their peers valued saving sex for marriage.

When it comes to sex, the world says loud and clear, “If it feels right, do it.” But after they do it, 41% of college students reported that are profoundly upset with their hook up behavior. Profoundly upset.

Dear friends, the decisions you make about your body have a profound impact on your heart and mind. It’s for this reason, the Apostle Paul teaches us in 1 Thessalonians 4:

3 It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; 6 and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. 7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8 Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.

Now those are strong words. But they are words of life. To you who are recommitting yourselves tonight, here’s what you’re saying, “Lord, I again declare that I trust in you and I will follow you—for you are a God who protects and provides.”

In a world does not view sex as holy and sacred, you need to remind yourself of God’s truth over and over and over.

And when you complete practicing true love waits, when you get married, these are the words you will use:

"Wow." "Wonderful." "Right." "No guilt." "No regrets."

Pope Decries Divorce, Abortion

Over the weekend, the influential Drudge Report carried a link to this syndicated AFP news story:

Divorce and abortion are offences in the sight of God, Pope Benedict XVI charged Saturday, while calling on the Catholic Church to be merciful to those who had experienced such events.

"The ethical judgment of the Church on divorce and abortion is clear and well-known," he told participants in a Catholic congress on marriage and the family.

"They are serious offenses... which violate human dignity, inflict deep injustice on human and social relations and offend God himself, guarantor of conjugal peace and origin of life," he said.

However he added that there were people who had committed such "errors" but "suffered from wounds to the soul" and "sought peace."

This is standard, orthodox Christian ethics. Has been for hundreds of years. Jesus and Paul both called for no divorce. Psalm 139 affirms the dignity of unborn human beings.

So why is this non-story a story?

Is it because whenever the Pope speaks, a story needs to be filed?

Is this Drudge's way of promoting morals, through a third party?

Is it because our culture's moral compass is so skewed that the Pope's claims are looked upon as radical?

I'm grateful for the Pope's clarity.

Tale of Two Salesmen

Recent events in my life have me thinking of this story.

Two salesmen were getting off the plane after landing in Africa.

The first one looked out and said, "Oh no, nobody here wears shoes!"

But second one said, "Wow! Nobody wears shoes. What an opportunity!"

What's your response to the challenges you face?

The Baseball Card Photographer

A new season of baseball has started. I'm not exactly sure why, but I'm excited about it. Maybe it's because my favorite team, the Cincinnati Reds, may finally have a winning record. Or maybe its because our local high school, Little River, has just started its baseball program. And yes, I have to mention this: the high school played the community in a scrimmage game. I walked, stole a base, and scored a run. Sore the next day? Yep, but I proved to myself I can still play.

I don't know about you, but when I was a kid, collecting baseball cards was one of my favorite childhood hobbies.

Whenever I could scrape up a quarter-- either by begging my parents, or find enough empty glass bottles to redeem-- I'd immediately go around the block to the little Mom and Pop grocery store to get a pack of baseball cards.

The cards were always kept on the left side of the check out counter. My strategy to get the best cards was to go to the far right side of the card box and dig down for the last pack of cards at the bottom of that row. That always seemed to yield the most coveted cards-- anyone from the Cincinnati Reds.

One day I implemented my strategy and opened the pack in front of the lady at the check out counter who was always amused by my ritual. I complained, "Golly, all these cards are bad! The bottom right pack is always the best." The lady replied, "Oh, I'm sorry. Since you always have to work so hard to get to the bottom, I dumped all the cards out of the box and put the bottom cards on the top, so you wouldn't have to dig so hard."

Wish she told me that before I bought that bad pack!

I spent hours with those cards. The pictures on the front. The information on the back. I still have a big box of cards safely stashed away from those years in the 70's.

What got me thinking of all this is ESPN has a great piece on the guy who takes those baseball card photographs.

A couple years ago I saw the man who was my childhood pastor at the Lutheran Church, which was not far from that grocery store. I hadn't seen him in years. He said, "Ted, I remember how in Confirmation Class you had trouble memorizing Luther's small catechism, but you had no problem rattling off to me all the statistics from your baseball cards."

The Lighter Side of ETS

Over the weekend I attended the Midwest meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society in Chicago at Moody Bible College. The society, for those who affirm biblical inerrancy and the Trinity, offers the opportunity to get together and discuss the latest theological ideas and trends in the evangelical world.

I presented a paper that was well received: "The Rhetorical Use of Isaiah 7:14 in Matthew 1:18-25." I also enjoy meeting several new friends.

This year's theme was, "The Church Convergent, Divergent, and Emergent: 21st Century Ecclesiology." Living out in rural America, the emergent church movement hasn't made its way out here, but it was interesting to learn about some of the issues surrounding the movement.

Some of the discussion was a wee bit too philosophical for me and went over my head. So when a few lower shelf comments got made, I took note. Here's a sampling of some things I heard over the weekend:

After lunch, the Bible students said to one another, "Let's make like a Baptist church and split."

"If you find the perfect church, don't join it. You'll ruin it."

Responding to a student's paper, the professor said, "This is both good and original. However, what is good isn't original and what is original isn't good."

"I believe in a theology of loose ends." --John Franke, Biblical Seminary

"Defining the Emergent church is like trying to nail jello to the wall."

"Justice is easier to fight for than to define." --Ron Sider

But the funniest moment I thought was during the award ceremony for the student paper competition. Each year the society awards books to every participant and then gives an extra stack of books to the winning papers. Derek Hostetter of Cedarville College wrote the winning undergraduate paper, entitled, "Essentials of the Emerging Conversation: Understanding the Movement Rather Than the Controversy."

Among the winning stack of books he received?

Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck's, "Why We're Not Emergent (By Two Guys Who Should Be)."

Mr. Peanut Butter

The following story is about one of my good friends from around here. He's pictured to the left of me, taken when we served together at a camp for those with developmental disabilities. Thanks to the Little River Monitor Journal and Denice Dater for this article. All of it is true!

Warren Rostine of Windom, sometimes known as Mr. Peanut Butter, has reached a milestone in his peanut butter consumption. According to records that he keeps, on December 5, 2007, he had eaten 2,500 pounds of peanut butter.

According to Rostine he began eating peanut butter in the 1970’s and has been keeping an ongoing record of his consumption for many years. He earned the title of Mr. Peanut Butter in January 1981. At that time he had eaten 671 pounds of peanut butter. His favorite brands are Skippy and ShurFine and his favorite way to eat peanut butter is all by itself.

"I eat peanut butter everyday," said Rostine. "It gives me enough energy to ride my bicycle, and I usually ride between 70 and 80 miles a week. Besides just plain peanut butter, I most often eat it in a sandwich, as a cake, pie, on celery and carrots, and sometimes on ice cream. I also like Reeces Peanut Butter Cups."

Warren said that he usually makes his own cakes and pies and sometimes eats his favorite flavor at a restaurant. "One day I bought a book called the Peanut Butter Diet just for fun, but it hasn’t changed my way of eating," commented Rostine.

Congratulations on your achievement Warren, happy eating to you.

Lost Tomb of Jesus Revisited

Last year about this time, a big brouhaha was created when the Discovery Channel aired a special called, "The Lost Tomb of Jesus," claiming the place of Jesus' burial had been uncovered.

The "facts" of the special were pretty outrageous then and remain so now.

What's happened since then is the subject of an article by Thomas Madden, called, "Not Dead Yet." It's an easy to read summary about the disputed Jerusalem tomb and a report of a January, 2008 Princeton Seminary symposium where scholars gathered to discuss the evidence.

Madden's piece includes a link to this fascinating article by Jodi Magness, where she discusses Jewish burial customs in 1st century Jerusalem and then slams the door shut on Lost Tomb theory.

Bottom line? The tomb of Jesus is still empty!

Easter

I need Easter. I was reminded of that again this year.

I woke up plenty early to get ready for the 7:00am community sunrise service at Windom. The night before, I put everything I needed in the dining room-- my computer, computer speakers, guitar, guitar stand, guitar strap, sheet music, and Bible. I was playing some media clips off my computer and leading worship with my guitar. Everything was in place, so I didn't have to panic early in the morning getting ready. And I arrived at the church at 6:20am. Again, in plenty of time to casually set up the computer and guitar.

And then I realized that I left home without the computer speakers.

With 20 minutes left before service time, I saw my family van go faster than it ever did. On the way, I was steaming mad. How could I be so stupid leaving those speakers behind? They were sitting with all the other stuff I grabbed.

I made it back with 2 minutes until service time. I got everything set up and led the first song on my guitar. On the outside, I'm smiling and leading "He's Lives." But inside, I was burning mad, furious at myself. The last thing I wanted to do was lead worship.

It was a simple mistake. You forgot something. Big deal. But I was enraged.

We kept singing. "Up from the grave He arose..." And somewhere in the music, I remembered the purpose of Easter. It's about a Savior who died for sinners-- angry control-freak sinners like me. He suffered, died, and rose again to save me and make me into something new.

Saved I am. But the transformation is taking time.