The Good Life

 

 

The Good Life

The New Normal

Earlier this week I watched an episode of a TV show called, “The New Normal”. In this particular episode a situation was posed that caused questions to begin reeling through my mind. While this program is what we'd term a situation comedy, I found not much to laugh about.

I'll presume that you aren't familiar with this show and give you a little background. A gay couple from LA, CA has hired a surogate mother from Cleveland, OH to carry their child. This surogate has a daughter and grandmother in tow as well. The grandmother has a mouth with absolutely no filter and she is bent far right politically speaking. This of course causes all sorts of opportunities to laugh at the situations that they find themselves in.

At any rate, a situation arose in this particular episode where the gay couple was faced with the prospect of spirituality for their unborn child. One of the partners is a Jewish doctor, the other a Catholic TV executive. Neither of them “practice” a faith of any sort as you would imagine. Where it becomes difficult is that the “Catholic” partner begins to seek God via the Catholic Church. He is met by what appears to be a very hip priest. In the end the priest invites him and his partner to attend mass.

This episode was a true departure from what is normally to be expected in viewing this show. I found myself silent after watching and contemplating this very serious issue. The question I asked myself, and later my wife is, “Now what?”.

In America we find ourselves in a very polarized existence. In the body of Christ we can scarcely find ourselves in church with people of different races, least of all sexual preferences (for lack of a better term). We have differences along denominational lines, practical lines, and troublingly, racial lines. Is the gay and lesbian line the final frontier or just another in a long line of “religious” battlefronts and strongholds that we need to overcome?

Here's the problem as I see it. As a Christ follower, I have been tasked to draw all men/women unto Him. I find this more difficult to do than to say in this case for several reasons. For one thing, Christians at large have drawn lines in the sand with respect to the gay and lesbian community and made it very plain, in my opinion that they are the enemy of everything holy. On the other hand, the gay and lesbian community has done the same thing. It appears to me that we are in a situation where these people will never feel welcome, nor comfortable enough in our “meetings” to begin to seek our God. This is a problem. Can you imagine a gay couple coming to YOUR church with their family and sitting next to you on the pew? How would you react? Would you move away? Would you give them the obligatory hand or hug of fellowship at the appropriate time? Think on that.

At the end of the day, we are all sinners. People who preside over church, people who are leaders in church, and people who attend church have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We were all, I presume, given an opportunity though to work out our salvation while not feeling alienated from those that lived a “better” moral life. How do we carry out the “great commission" with respect to the gay and lesbian community? That is the question. I have absolutely no answer. I do however believe that there needs to be a discussion about this and I also believe that some healing needs to take place in order for us to even have a launching point from which we can repair this breach.

Friends, if you've made it this far in reading this post, please leave a comment? I am serious in my inquiries and I truly wish to find answers to these most serious questions. I for one, do not want to stand before God with no answer for Him about why I didn't even try to reach the least of these.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts. Keep the faith and wear the crown. Holla!

Word With Friends webisode---> This Rock?

Scandal (Webisode part 2)

Scandal 2  (John 8.1-11)

Scandal (Webisode)

Scandal part one (John 8.1-11)

The 65%

Two days ago I heard on the radio that of 10,000 HS students in the Philadelphia, PA school district 6,500 of them have a sexually transmitted disease. WOW! 65% of a sample of students have an STD. My question is, why are 65% of our students engaging in sex acts? Where are their parents? Where are the responsible adults that were around and in my business when I was a teen? Where are the men and women of conscience that would not only say, "enough!", but would also create, facilitate, and see through a plan of action to prevent such horrific and alarming statistics? Is this even in the neighborhood of being the best that we can do? I suppose handing out condoms and educating on the dangers of sex has not worked. So, what now? I'll tell you what now. We the people get upset enough about the horror that is our youth (soon to be adult members of society, by the way),and DO something besides handing out condoms and having nice little chats where whatever they want to do is fine with us, as long as they are "safe". We the people need to get off of our lazy, apathetic, shoulder shrugging, self right behinds and DO something. We need to teach our future who they should be. Teach our future how they should behave. Teach our future that the path that they are walking leads to nowhere. Parents, this is for you. Empower your friends, neighbors, relatives, schools, communities of faith, and even your children's peers to get involved and say something when they see wrong going on. Christ followers, this is for you. BE a Christ follower! Get out of your isolationist mindset. Make some disciples. Stop waiting for permission to preach/live the Gospel of Christ. If your rap is, "I'm not called to that.", then you need to go back to where you first believed, because you clearly missed something. We are ALL called to reconcile the world to God through Christ. We are all called to action and to prayer and fasting for the healing of our land. "IF my people who are called by my Name will fast and pray and seek my face and turn from their wickedness, THEN I'll hear from heaven and forgive their sins and heal their land" If we were doing so without ceasing, I cannot believe I'd have need to be so outraged that I'd need to pen this entry. "Holy Rollers" (you know who you are), this is for you. You say that you want to see the power of God being displayed in the Earth today. Well so do I. So does the Earth and the people of the Earth. The Bible says that the Earth is groaning in expectation for the revealing of the son's of God. Be a son, oh adopted one! How about this? Make disciples! Being born again is the most miraculous, fantastic, and amazing thing that a person can experience. What could be more supernatural?1? "Fringe Christian", this is for you. Get off of the bench and start playing the game. We are all playing injured and bruised. There are no bench warmers in Christ. Again, He told us to GO! So GO already! Don't know how? Just take a chance and let God do what He does. Clearly, I am fed up with hearing about all of the absolute and utter foolishness that is wreaking havoc in our nation's schools. There is an answer to the problems. That answer begins with you. That answer is you. If not you, then who? DO SOMETHING. I love you with the love of the Lord. Keep the faith and wear the crown. Holla!

Something About Community

^{Isaiah 58.6-11
6} Is not this the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

⁷ Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?

⁸ Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thy healing shall spring forth speedily; and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of Jehovah shall by thy rearward.

⁹ Then shalt thou call, and Jehovah will answer; thou shalt cry, and he will say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking wickedly;

¹⁰ and if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul: then shall thy light rise in darkness, and thine obscurity be as the noonday;

¹¹ and Jehovah will guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in dry places, and make strong thy bones; and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

I read this scripture yesterday and found it completely fascinating that we hardly ever hear what Isaiah shares here from the Lord as remedy for what ails us. How often do you find yourself in "darkness" only to scamper about looking for light in places other than the Lord. Perhaps you even go to Jesus for the light, but you are completely fixed on asking Him to do for you.

In this text we are told plainly to look out for others and the result is that we will be satisfied by the Father in all of the ways we need to be. What I see here is that in looking out for others we are provided for beyond what we could even forsee. He's even got our back!

So here's the scenario, I'm in a dark place and I decide to not allow that to tell me to focus on me...I go and serve others. I meet the needs of those who are possibly even worse off than me...I show love and kindness in the midst of the world giving me the finger and I do as unto the Lord. The Bible says, that when I do that, then the light I need will, "break forth as the dawn". In other words, who can stop it!?...after that or even at the same time, my healing will manifest...I'm talking about a holistic health, body, mind, and spirit....as that is going on, righteousness is headed on before me...So I will have a more clear path ahead of me and even if trouble is ahead I'm assured the Lord has been there prior to me and has made a way for me...Not only that the King of kings Himself is my reward! He will lead me "continually"!...He'll satisfy me with water in the desert and the Spirit of God within me will fail not.

The coolest part about this scripture is that most all of the beneficial aspects occur before I've even prayed. Prayer is mentioned very late in the text. Long past me receiving the favor and grace of God in my life. I cannot tell you enough, GO. Do something. Your "religion" is of no use to anyone, including God. Do something with yourself and the manifold blessings that God has bestowed upon you...He's given you stuff to the ends that they'd be used for the ministry of reconciliation, which ministry belongs to you by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Next time you find yourself in a dark place, or needy...meet the need of another. Keep the faith and wear the crown. God bless and keep you in His care. Holla.

PJ