kc bob

9 Unbiblical Statements Christians Believe

The Christian Post shares the nine statements here. I list them, with my take on them, below:

God helps those who help themselves.
We are all spiritually helpless and unable to help ourselves.
God wants me to be happy.
Happy is a pretty superficial word. Even so I want to be happy.
We're all God's children.
To be his child requires a spiritual birth.
Cleanliness is next to Godliness.
Gotta work on my fingernails.
God won't give you more than you can handle.
Define more. Define handle.
We all worship the same God.
I worship God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Bad things happen to good people.
Bad things happen to everyone.
When you die, God gains another angel.
Probably not. But I suspect we may be more angel-like than we think.
We're all going to the same place when we die.
Big assumption. Why do folks think that everyone is immortal?

Read more at The Christian Post. They really have better responses than mine. ツ

Please let me know what you think about these nine religious statements.

Fallen World not Fallen God

The subject of pain and the sovereignty of God (i.e. why God allows it) has perplexed man for ages. I think that one's view of God's sovereignty is often an issue when the topic of pain and suffering comes up. An image of a fallen God is often painted by some who say that God controls, causes or allows suffering. On the flip-side some understand that God created everything and called it good but humans sinned and we now consequentially live in a fallen world. The contrast focuses on the source of pain.

Here is part of what I recently wrote to a hurting friend after telling them about my struggles with my wife’s disability and my own battle with a blood disease that has caused me arthritic pain and bone spurs in my ankles and wrists ...

These past years have been difficult ones for both Ann and I. Yet in this season I have begun to realize that, for me anyways, God has not been involved to the degree that I once thought that he was. In a sense I have taken a different view of God and don’t see him directly involved in my pain. Even so, I still pray and still seek his will for me in this season. And I still seek to walk out what I read in the gospels every day.

I guess what this new thinking has allowed me to do, in part anyway, is to embrace God’s love differently. I have found a way to separate the cause of my pain from God but not in a schizophrenic way. I guess I see his sovereignty more in a macro (whole world) sense than a micro (narcissistic me) sense. I hate what has happened to Ann and me but see it more as the result of a fallen world than a fallen God.

When I think about the word sovereignty I see a pyramid where God has delegated sovereignty to nations, to communities, to families and finally to the individual. Both groups of peoples and people themselves exercise an incredible amount of sovereignty in the world. Small wonder, with this amount of sovereignty (even at a micro level) that the world is not worse than it is. Perhaps that speaks to the overarching (macro) level of sovereignty that God exerts as He brings beauty from ashes and works all things together for our good?

...originally posted October 21, 2012

The Crazy Bacon Vote

My wife Ann can attest to my love for these strips of joy and love. So I was so excited when I came across a webpage that lists the 10 Craziest Products Inspired by Bacon. Here is a list of the products:

Bacon Bandages ($3.50) Heal your wounds with bacon!
Bacon Watch ($24.99) Proudly display your love of bacon.
Bacon Wallet ($8.22) For the man who "brings home the bacon.
Bacon-flavored Dental Floss ($1.95) motivation to improve your hygiene.
Bacon-flavored Mints ($0.95) a match made in... well, China.
Bacon-flavored Toothpicks ($2.99) for bits of bacon stuck between your teeth
Bacon Gumballs ($3.49) to help spread the bacon gospel.
Bacon Jelly Beans ($1.99) Not as tasty but better for your arteries.
Bacon Air Freshener ($2.74) the perfect way to brighten any carnivore’s day
Mr. Bacon Action Figures ($11.81) fights for everything salty, greasy and meaty.

I have displayed my favorite product ... one that I actually could see myself buying. How about you? Interested in any of these. Please vote for your favorite one in the comments.

...originally posted July 16, 2009

The Opposite of Faith

Saw this on Facebook today and it got me to thinking. In the past I have heard it said that fear was the opposite of faith. I somewhat resonate with that idea. Yet I resonate more with the idea that control is the antithesis of faith.

It reminds me of the old religious saying "Let go and let God". Hard words for a control freak like me. In reality ceding control has been a lifelong struggle. Fear causes the best of us to struggle trying to control uncontrollable things.

This is where many of us struggle to live a life filled with faith. To "let go" often means to confront the fear of things spinning out of control. It causes us to try to control our kids, our spouses, our future and things too big to control.

As we age, we come to understand how little we truly control. In response our prayers become less about control and more about trusting God when prayers are unanswered. Perhaps it is simply releasing control to God?

What is a Patriot?

I think that this quote from President Kennedy symbolizes what it means (to me) to be a patriot. Here is a comment that I recently left on the topic.

Patriotism is largely defined by sacrifice. Taxes in part can be a way that patriots sacrifice to help fellow citizens. Donating to charity can be another way.

Here are a few quotes about patriots and patriotism with my commentary.

There is much more to being a patriot and a citizen than reciting the pledge
or raising a flag. -Jesse Ventura

I am so tired of folks calling others patriots because of what they think rather than how they have served and sacrificed for our country.

A real patriot is the fellow who gets a parking ticket and rejoices that the system works. -Bill Vaughan

This is funny but somewhat embraces the idea that we are accountable to each other.

The patriot's blood is the seed of Freedom's tree. -Thomas Campbell

The voluntary sacrificial service of non-career soldiers epitomizes the concept of patriotism.

These are just a few thoughts to get a dialog started. How do you define patriot?

Celebrating My Valentine

Today I am remembering how God brought Ann into my life. We celebrated our first Valentines Day 21 years ago today. It was the day that I asked her to be my wife and we became engaged to be married. In many ways Ann was nothing like what I expected in a woman but in every way she was exactly the woman of my dreams. Our courtship was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I experienced levels of joy that had escaped me for so long. Ann made me feel so young and alive. I had such little understanding of how much of a blessing she would be. Over the years I have seen her exhibit amazing perseverance. It is humbling to witness how she deals with disability.

You know it was funny how Ann and I met all over again. We had been acquainted for almost 20 years but had not seen each other for about five years. One day we, by chance, ran into each other in front of The Dime Store in Kansas City where she was shopping and I was just happening by. I wrote this poem at the onset of our courtship.

Love at Second Sight

What drew me to her I do not know.
Spirit? Soul? Flesh? A mystery to me still.
On that day I saw her again ... for the very first time.
Could this be love ... at second sight?

That day was bright ... my heart was dark.
Her skin was fair ... my soul was heavy.
A spark ignited and my spirit soared.
Could this be love ... at second sight?

The summer passed and fall had come.
My mind wandered still to that that day in June,
When my heart was touched by her lovely smile.
Could this be love ... at second sight?

As grief passed and courage grew,
I saw her again and then I knew ...
That my heart longed to know her heart.
Could this be love ... at second sight?

Mourning exchanged for joy.
Loneliness turned into happiness.
Feelings I can neither explain nor express.
Could this be love ... at second sight?

Time goes on and passion grows.
Where we'll go ... who really knows.
My heart and my mind yet question still ...
Could this be love ... at second sight?
I echo the words of that poem today. Ann brings me such joy! God has blessed me with a wife that is a servant in the best sense of serving. A woman who's inner beauty and integrity are matchless. A woman who loves God.

Just call me blessed!

Am I a Blue Dog?

I first posted this question on January 29, 2010. Six years later I still resonate with much of what I wrote then.
Consider what I recently posted in a comment.

I am no socialist but I am grateful for our democratic socialist programs that care for the poor and the elderly. I told a friend last week that I wish programs like Medicare and Social Security were/are not needed. I wish more charitable people and decent insurance companies existed. In the end it is not an either/or proposition for me. I would love to see the private sector step forward and reduce the need for big govt programs. I am not sure what is preventing people from doing so.

In our town we help a clinic that cares for the poor, a Christian homeless shelter, a group that provides bus passes to people needing to go on job interviews as well as other more traditional ministries. The opportunities are out there if we simply look for them.

So I think that the Blue Dog moniker is still somewhat descriptive of my views. What about you?

Ever heard the term "Blue Dog Democrat" and wonder where the term came from? According to the wiki:

Former Texas Democrat Rep. Pete Geren is credited for coining the term, explaining that the members had been "choked blue" by "extreme" Democrats from the left.

The wiki also describes them like this:

The Blue Dog Coalition describes itself as a group of moderate-to-conservative Democrats committed to financial and national security, favoring compromise and bipartisanship over ideology and party discipline.

I like that description and wonder if I am a Blue Dog. I am in favor of those aspects.. I am a huge believer in financial security if it means balancing the budget and paying down the national debt. I think that we should be have a strong national security policy. I think that compromise is not a bad word. I think that ideology and party discipline are not bad but I think the lack of bipartisan governance has created a cynicism in our nation.

So maybe I am a Blue Dog. Albeit a Blue Dog Independent. I do feel that the extremes have choked me blue. :)

What do you think? Are extremes in politics, religion and life choking you blue?

Is Healthcare a Moral Issue?

Responding to the recent court events in Florida that declared federal healthcare legislation unconstitutional, Joe Scarborough, conservative host of Morning Joe on MSNBC, said this:

"Anybody that goes to an emergency room at 11 o'clock at night and sees the people who have to use that as their primary care providers, it shows two things: the inefficiency and the immorality of the system... There are two Americas when it comes to healthcare -- and it is immoral."

It got me to thinking and wondering if healthcare should be classified as a moral issue? Also caused me to ponder that old overused phrase "you cannot legislate morality". Of course we in America absolutely do legislate morality. The issue is what ideological morality are we legislating. So I think that the answer to the question will be different depending on what ideology you might embrace.

Many years ago congress passed Social Security legislation and years later Medicare was passed. The morality of these seemed to embrace the idea that people in their senior years should be cared for by our country. Later on people with disabilities were added to the roles of those covered by these two programs.

So, when I think about the 11pm emergency room scenario that Joe speaks of, I wonder if there is a moral reason to add other folks to the ranks of Medicare. Remember that legislation both reflects and defines America's morality. And it seems to me that our laws should reflect a consistent morality. Possibly the poorest amongst us should be covered by Medicare for the same reasons that seniors are covered.

Do you think healthcare is a moral issue? Please let me know why you think that it is or isn't.

... originally posted February 2, 2011

Groundhog Day Q&A

To celebrate the day try answering these:

1) How many times have you seen it?
2) How many stars (out of 10) would you give it?
3) What is your favorite part of the movie?

My answers are in the comments.

... originally posted in 2010

Listening to People in Pain

Today I recommend you to a post by Presbyterian minister Adam S. McHugh. Here are a few excerpted highlights.

Few things shut down a person in pain faster than quoting the
Bible at them. ... I don’t like saying this, but it has been my experience that Christians are often worse at dealing with people in pain than others with different beliefs. ... Dietrich Bonhoeffer lamented the same thing: “Many people are looking for an ear that will listen. They do not find it among Christians, because these Christians are talking when they should be listening.”
...
A hurting person is in a storm. They are cold, wet, shivering, and scared. Preaching, platitudes, and advice will not get them out of the storm. Don’t tell someone in a storm that it’s a sunny day. There will likely come a day when the clouds part, but it is not today. It’s not your job to pull them out of the storm. It’s your job to get wet with them.
...
There is no getting around the fact that a Christian community is one that suffers. The pioneer of our faith suffered, the main symbol of our tradition is one of agony and death, and there is no use trying to remove the cruciform marks from the hands and feet of the church. The mark of the gospel is not health and wealth, but nails and blood. The good news is that a Christian community is one that suffers together.
...
Listening to people in pain is about giving them room to grieve and weep and rage and doubt. We’re not there to spiritualize their pain or theologize their experience. ... We are on the wrong track when we diminish the emotions that people are feeling. ... The reason why we have a hard time hearing the doubts and faith questions of others is because it provokes our own unacknowledged doubts.

I found the post from this hospice chaplain to be one of the best on the topic. Read it in full here.

Bingeworthy TV

I once considered the idea of binging was something to be avoided. Then came old unwatched TV shows on Netflix. ツ

Here is my list of ones that I have found to be bingable followed by my ratings.

Person of Interest - for those who enjoy intrigue with a bit of conspiracy theory. (Netflix PG-13)
House of Cards - seasons one and two were pretty good but three kind of bombed. (Netflix R)
Daredevil - if you like the super hero genre this one is pretty good (Netflix PG-13)
The Americans - kgb spies in 1980s America posing as travel agents with kids. (Prime R)
Breaking Bad - probably the most addictive tv show about addiction and personality change out there. (Netflix R)
Battlestar Gallactica (2004-9) - a brilliant re-imagining of the 1970s series for sci-fi geeks like me. (Netflix PG-13)
The Killing - intense crime drama set in Seattle over three seasons (Netflix R)
Continuum - great series for anyone who like time travel plots. (Netflix PG-13)

Afre you a binger? Anything you might add to the list?

Through a purging flame of doubt ...

Ellen

"It is not as a child that I believe in Christ and profess his teaching;
my hosanna has burst through a purging flame of doubt." -Dostoevsky

I resonate with this quote. Sometimes our life experiences make it hard to believe. I was 26 when Christ came into my heart and began a process of transformation. I struggled for months before that. For years I had watched my wife Ellen suffer the blindness associated with diabetic retinopathy. By virtue of divine intervention she could now see in one eye. Yet the years had taken a toll on me. I was bitter towards the suffering. It was hard to embrace an entity that had allowed Ellen (and me) to experience such pain. For years all I had was bourbon and beer to comfort me.

Flames of doubt surrounded me as I tried to come to grips with the new life that Ellen was experiencing. In a sense her experiences were too good to be true. Yet it was impossible to doubt that something had happened to her. I could no more doubt the existence of gravity than to discount the amazing life changes that she was showing me. Her life was burning like a torch and confronting the darkness of my doubts. Then I prayed. My first real prayer in many years. A presence came upon me. I could no longer doubt. My hosanna was bursting through the flames.

The Prophet

My daughter gave me this wonderful picture a few years ago for Father's
Day. In it Doctor King is standing overlooking the crowds on the Mall in Washington DC and the words of his speech are printed at the bottom. The picture hangs in my hallway. I have long considered Doctor King an inspirational man to be admired by all who seek peace.

I have asked many people if they that believed Doctor King was a prophet and have gotten a wide variety of responses. I believe that he was a prophet to our nation ... it is sad that much of our nation and the church is confused about this. I wonder if he was speaking prophetically when he said:

"A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death."

Today I honor him, his legacy to our nation and his contributions to the kingdom of God by sharing these things that he said ... see if you can identify the theme.

At the center of non-violence stands the principle of love.

He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.

There can be no deep disappointment where there is not deep love.

I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.

Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.

I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality ... I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.

... originally posted in January 2009

Encouragement for a Wounded Soul

Kelli Standish

Come out from the shadows, wounded soul
Come out and let your wounds be seen
Let the light touch you, embrace you
As you are.

You do not need to wrap yourself in rags
of rage, and fear, and darkness
I see you, I see right through
And I love you.

Come out from the storm, wounded heart
Come out and let your storm subside
There is peace waiting, stillness
For all your fury.

You have not been condemned from birth
But loved, chosen, destined, seen
Your pain is not invisible
Your pain is not incurable.

Come out from the darkness, wounded one
Come out and let your purpose grow
Let hope breathe on your dying dreams
And wake them.

Look up from the swamplands, wounded child
Look up and find joy striding,
Armed for battle, through the mire
Coming now to free you.

... poem authored by Kelli Standish, the most inspirational person I know.

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