Books on Death

Since my Mom died, the subject of death interests me in more than an academic fashion. I have pulled out some books on death, grief and the afterlife that I plan to read or skim in order to solidify in my mind what is going on. One thing that is key to remember in this situation is that my Mom is now experiencing life after death but that it isn’t the goal or the end of the story. The final act is what N.T. Wright calls life after life after death – the resurrection of the dead. That can get lost in all our talk about heaven. Our future isn’t a disembodied state in the clouds. It’s in our body, perfected and raised, in a new heavens and new earth. Mom was buried (as I believe all bodies still are) with her feet facing east. Why? Because Jesus comes from the east and when we are raised, the presumption is that we will face his glorious appearance.

So, the books I am looking at so far are:

1. C.S. Lewis, A Grief Observed

2. N.T. Wright, The Resurrection of the Son of God

3. Philippe Aries, The Hour of Our Death

If I can, I’ll share some things I find interesting out of reading these texts. Hopefully they will help me deal with my Mom’s death. As great as the Christian hope is during the death of a loved one, the inability to communicate with that person over the gulf of death is (I think) one of the cruelest parts about death. I am thankful for the example of Jesus, who wept at the death of Lazarus, and for the fact that the Bible calls death an enemy, although a defeated one. We don’t have to be pie in the sky, happy at the time of death. I’m not in favor of trying to “celebrate” at death. I want a grim funeral with the 1928 Book of Common Prayer liturgy when I die. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Yes, we have hope. Yes, the future will be glorious. But yes, the pain is real and the loneliness in the midst of a world that keeps turning and doesn’t care that you are here today and gone tomorrow is real. It all has to be worked through somehow.

“I want a real chaplain who believes in a real God and a real hell!”

“I want a real chaplain who believes in a real God and a real hell…your uncertainty is making things worse…I need someone who will look me in the eye and tell me how to find forgiveness because I am running out of time!!!”

My story -

When I visited my dying grandpa, I was in the role of a chaplain of sorts. It was incredibly awkward…this is the grandpa who modeled for me stability, love, and strength. I admired the man more than any other. He was full of humility and would speak ill of no one. I cry now thinking about him. I loved him. Anyhow, he wasn’t a church goer and believed that all “good” people essentially would end up in heaven. He also said that he has always sought to live his life according to the 10 Commandments. While a teen, I would simply nod– who was I too challenge my grandpa?

Well, as my grandpa was ill and not knowing if this would be the last time I would ever see him alive, I felt a “burning in my bones” that couldn’t be constrained. I could not watch him die while simply nodding my head in affirmation to his thoughts of being good and going to heaven. I looked him in his eyes and suggested that He ought to love the lawgiver more than the law. I told him about Jesus. His eyes watered. He was the most decent man I had ever known and who was I to convince him that he was a depraved sinner in risk of hell fire? I had to, for the sake of his soul, I had to…I wanted to. His watery eyes then looked hopeful as I pleaded with him to believe upon the work of Jesus for his salvation. I held his hand and prayed with him.

My grandpa Norman Hogaboam ended up returning home. I visited him and he asked me to do his funeral when he passed on. I looked down and agreed to do it, holding back tears. He was at peace with death. He died shortly after. I did his funeral, crying the whole time, and was able to share the hope I had spoken to him about and his acceptance of the lawgiver. My tears would have otherwise been full of guilt and remorse, even to this day. I can’t help but think that some other chaplain would have simply nodded in affirmation and patted him on the back for a life well lived…comforting him into hell.

I look forward to seeing my grandpa again and am grateful that God granted me the strength and boldness to share the Gospel with him.

An Insight from Jean Vanier

A while back I listened to an episode of Krista Tippett’s Speaking of Faith program that had a profound statement by Jean Vanier.  Vanier founded a community in France called L’Arche that has volunteers live with people with disabilities (called the “core members” of the community).  Many similar communities have been founded globally.  As a Dominican monk, Vanier founded L’Arche on a broadly Christian foundation, but “at the same time L’Arche itself has become more ecumenical, and in some places—I know the communities in India are interfaith. That you have Muslim and Hindu and Christian residents and assistants,” according to Tippett.

That said, I thought that one of the quotes that Tippett played from Vanier was striking:

I remember when a man who had gone through a very deep experience in one of our homes had been kept awake all night by one of the people who had screamed all night. He came to see me the next morning and he said, ‘You know, I wept all morning. I was in the chapel. I thought I could have killed him.’ And we talked about it, and I said to him, ‘You know, I think this is probably one of the most important days of your life. You came to L’Arche thinking you could do good to the poor, and you have. You’ve done a lot of good. But today you are discovering that you are poor.’ We all need help, and it’s only as we discover that ‘I have a handicap,’ that ‘I am broken,’ that ‘we’re all broken,’ and then we can begin to work at it.

So service can lead to greater dependence on God and His grace when we realize that we aren’t able to serve as we ought to.

@least 30 Things that you can do while in a recliner chair, recovering from surgery…

Since my surgery, not being able to lay down flat on my back or side, I found myself  living out of one of our recliner chairs in the living room corner for the last of almost 4 weeks.  It hasn’t been too bad actually.  I’ve got pillows stuffed all around me, my feet up, a little table next to me with the bare essentials: a water bottle, pain meds, chapstick, vicks rub, tissue, and handy laptop.  My pace has been really slow, and recovery, well, slow.  But I’m thankful for my family’s support and many helpful ways they have made this time a blessing.

So, without further adieu, on to the list (in no particular order)…

1. pray
2. sleep
3. read, read, read
4. eat/ have snack (kind of nice to be served, but for a wife and mom who’s not used to it, uncomfortable)
5. give lots of hugs
6. give kisses
7. leg lifts
8. arm raises
9. sing
10. blog
11. facebook
12. catch up on emails
13. make those phone calls you’ve been procrastinating and catch up with some ol’ friends
14. make a list of what you need to do when you’re better
15. delegate chores, nicely
16. daydream
17. appreciate the help and love you’re getting
18. count your blessings
19. write a letter
20. write out thank you cards (or ecards even)
21. take a nap (does that count as sleep?)
22. order take out (but not too much) 
23. text
24. knitt
25. crochet
26. play games online (not condoning gambling though)
27. expand your vocabulary and explore dictionary.com
28. watch tv (i didn’t do much of this b/c it gave me a headache after a little while but still an option)
29. listen to radio, news
30. renew your mind
31. homeschool (it’s possible! you likely won’t get everything done, but still could get some. This, I did do.)
32. play cards with someone (in my case, war w/my 5 yr. old. one of her new fav card games)
33. shake someone’s hand
34. chat w/someone
35. have a heart to heart

I also want to add, these are things to be thankful that you can still do, even though you may feel like a bum and useless during a time or healing.  because after being in a sense, crippled for so long, one may get the feeling of forgetting what it was like to be “normal” again, whatever that may be for each person.  I’m pretty sure there’s more one can do in a recliner chair but these were the spontaneous ones off the top of my head.

I may add to this again, one day.  Stay tuned…

thanks for reading.  =)

The Peculiar Faith of Stephen Colbert

In a rare Colbert interview with Rolling Stone, he shared a bit on his Catholic faith:

Does faith still play a big part in your life?
Very much. I am highly variable in my devotion. From a doctrinal point of view or a dogmatic point of view or a strictly Catholic adherent point of view, I’m first to say that I talk a good game, but I don’t know how good I am about it in practice. I saw how my mother’s faith was very valuable to her and valuable to my brothers and sisters, and I’m moved by the words of Christ, and I’ll leave it at that.

But you do teach Sunday school?
I teach the seven year olds. I’m the catechist for their first communion.

Colbert also shared about how he left his faith while in college only to return to it after a Gideon gave him a New Testament, where Colbert subsequently opened it up to Matthew 5 and had an epiphany of sorts.

Colbert mentioned the presence of suffering in his life as the primary cause for his struggles in faith . Stephen lost his father and 2 brothers to an air crash when he was only 10 years old. Stephen opened up about suffering and was anything but the funny guy he is on late night Comedy Central…this is what he said:

“Not to get too deep here, but the most valuable thing I can think of is to be grateful for suffering. That is a sublime feeling, and completely inexplicable and illogical, but no one doesn’t suffer. So the degree to which you can be aware of your own humanity is the degree to which you can accept, with open eyes, your suffering. To be grateful for your suffering is to be grateful for your humanity, because what else are you going to do – say, “No Thanks”? It’s there. “Smile and accept”, said Mother Teresa. And she was talking to people who had it rough.”

I’m not about to defend Colbert as the bastion of orthodoxy and affirm everything about him, but I did think his thoughts on suffering were far more mature and edifying that what is preached from most American Evangelical pulpits.  I also appreciate his strong questioning of Elaine Pagels, Richard Dawkins, and other guests who question God’s existence, the reliability of the Bible, etc. I still crack up when he said that the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup proves the existence of God when interviewing God-hating atheist Richard Dawkins. It was funny, but Colbert was also serious…which is what I love about this guy.

Ministering to Returning Soldiers

Yesterday I listened to a podcast of a great episode of Speaking of Faith, originally from 2006.  Krista Tippett interviewed Chaplain Major John Morris about his role in ministering to soldiers during and after war (listen to the program or read the transcript here).  He started out with a very evocative description of Easter 2004 in Fallujah:

Maj. Morris: I was at a camp with the Marines, the 1st Marine Division. I was supporting Army special operations soldiers, psychological operations soldiers, who were supporting the 1st Marine Division as they began to lay siege to and take down that city. At Camp Blue Diamond, it’s the headquarters of the 1st Marine Division, and we had an early sunrise service, which actually was dangerous because the camp was being mortared occasionally. But, nonetheless, the Marines showed up in great strength, with a few Army personnel there.

And I celebrated with Father Devine, the 1st Marine Division Roman Catholic priest. And it was particularly memorable because, you know, it was the only service I’ve ever conducted where we were — we all knew that, by the end of the day, people who were worshipping in that service would no longer be on this planet. And so we talked about the hope of the Resurrection with a sense of fervency and urgency that I had never experienced before.

The walls of the chapel were adorned with posters with the name of every Marine that had been wounded in the Anbar province, and every Marine that had been killed. And I couldn’t help but think of that verse in Hebrew[s], as it talked about being surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. You know, we were, and we knew that very quickly many of us could be on that wall.

So there was a sense of joy, and expectancy, and dread all meld [sic] together. All the Marines had their weapons. They were ready to go out on their mission. The place was packed. It was loud, as Marines can be. It was a participatory service. It was a beautiful, sacred privilege. And the service ended. And I went on my way to do my rounds of conducting Easter services for Marines and Army personnel all over that area. So it was an amazing time. A lot of Marines were killed, a lot of Army soldiers killed.

Morris gave a perspective on soldiers’ lives from a close perspective, which is welcome amid the rampant politicization of our wars by politicians and political media.  To me, it’s become clear that our political discourse has very little space for soldiers’ actual experiences.  The soldiers must be righteous executors of a righteous foreign policy (for supporters of the wars), victims (for mainstream opponents of the wars), or criminals (for far left opponents of the wars).  It’s sad that very few seem to be really interested in understanding what soldiers go through, but instead seem more interested in using the soldiers as political props.  There doesn’t seem to be a lot of room in any of those characterizations for a real human experience in war.

To lay my cards on the table, I believed that the Afghan war was justified in 2001, although I don’t know what to think now.  I opposed the Iraq war in 2003.  Although there have certainly been egregious actions committed by the soldiers from time to time, I have to say that I very much admire the military men and women’s patriotism and commitment to fighting as humanely and justly as possible in two awful, nasty, largely unconventional wars.  By and large, it seems to me that our military strives to fight the wars justly even if I’m not convinced that the wars themselves are just (which, in a civilian-controlled military, isn’t in the soldiers’ power to decide).

Morris is a United Methodist minister and now runs a program in Minnesota to help National Guardsmen, who have served and sacrificed much in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, to reintegrate into society.  He said that the active duty soldiers have an intentional reintegration program, whereas soldiers in the National Guard don’t have any such program.  He argues because war is inherently terrible, it doesn’t do the soldiers any good to ignore the fact that they are asked to kill, which is spiritually damaging.  He wants churches to step up and minister to returning soldiers.

For churches tempted to sidestep this reality of war, he and Krista talked about the importance of recognizing it:

Ms. Tippett: It seems to me that in congregations, where the choice is to support the war and to welcome our military personnel back as heroes, even there that healing might not take place because there might not be that nuanced acknowledgment still of what a difficult and damaging experience that is, even if it is deemed to be morally right.

Maj. Morris: Yes, you’re right. And we don’t have a lot of rituals, and we need one for this….

In Medieval days, in some parts of Europe, the priest would go with the soldiers, raised from the villages to go fight, and you know, hear their confession prior to going to battle, give them last rites, and send them to war. So that’s a very stark psychology. ‘Hey, you may die, so we need to make things right with God.’ Then when they came home, they were stopped before they entered the village. The village went out to meet them. They were not allowed in the village. Stripped off their clothes that they had fought in, bathed, heard confession again, celebrated the Eucharist, and then allowed back in the village. Now, what were they saying there? ‘You know, there needs to be some business done with God and with the community prior to allowing you to rejoin us. We need to leave the old out here.’

Pray for Persecution???

Here is an excerpt from John Piper’s book, “Finally Alive” -

What Will It Take Today?

What will it take so that thousands of Christians in our churches become passionate about telling the gospel to unbelievers? One of the reasons we don’t do it as much as we should is that life in America is so entertaining that thoughts about desperate, eternal, spiritual need are hard for us to feel, let alone talk about. The world is just too interesting and entertaining. It feels awkward to make ourselves or others uncomfortable with thoughts about perishing people. It’s heavy. But life in America is light.

So perhaps what God will choose to do is what he did for the church in Jerusalem. They were not moving out from Jerusalem to Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the world in evangelism the way Jesus told them to in Acts 1:8. So Stephen was raised up to bear such irresistible testimony (Acts 6:10) that the only way his adversaries could handle him was to kill him (Acts 7:60).

And when they did, the persecution spilled over onto all the Christians in Jerusalem. “And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles” (Acts 8:1). And what was the result? Acts 8:4: “Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word” (Acts 8:4). Literally: “Those who were scattered went about gospelling the word (euangelizomenoi ton logon, Acts 8:4–5). They weren’t preachers. They were just ordinary folks, thousands of them (Acts 2:41). After they were driven out of their homes, they went everywhere telling the good news.^[1]

God will bring persecution to awaken his children from their slumber if that’s what’s needed. While we shouldn’t pray for persecution per se, we should pray for another Great Awakening to sweep over Christ’s Church across. If God brings persecution upon the Church, then we should see it as a gracious providence intended for the salvation of many and therefore rejoice in it. Are you willing to suffer?

---

^[1] Piper, J. (2009). Finally Alive: What Happens When We Are Born Again (171–172). Fearn, Ross-shire, Scotland: Christian Focus Publications Ltd.

Home Group Sheet for Matthew 5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted”

I know this is a bit choppy, but I made it for my personal use and it might not be reader-friendly. This is a condensed commentary on Matthew 5:4 for the homegroup I am leading right now. We are going through the Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted”

-          This beatitude connects to the previous one in that “being poor in spirit” acknowledges one’s poverty and need for help. Important to note that the Sermon on the Mount doesn’t advocate “works righteousness”, nor is “law” for Jews only. It begins with our poverty and need of grace.

-          Being “poor in spirit” will manifest itself in mourning.

• Our faith is a “crying one”:
  • “We need, then, to observe that the Christian life, according to Jesus, is not all joy and laughter. Some Christians seem to imagine that, especially if they are filled with the Spirit, they must wear a perpetual grin on their face and be continuously boisterous and bubbly. How unbiblical can one become? No. In Luke’s version of the Sermon Jesus added to this beatitude a solemn woe: ‘Woe to you that laugh now.’¹ The truth is that there are such things as Christian tears, and too few of us ever weep them.”^[1]

-          “I fear that we evangelical Christians, by making much of grace, sometimes thereby make light of sin. There is not enough sorrow for sin among us. We should experience more ‘godly grief’ of Christian penitence, like that sensitive and Christ-like eighteenth-century missionary to the American Indians David Brainerd, who wrote in his journal on 18 October 1740: ‘In my morning devotions my soul was exceedingly melted, and bitterly mourned over my exceeding sinfulness and vileness.’ Tears like this are the holy water which God is said to store in his bottle. Such mourners, who bewail their own sinfulness, will be comforted by the only comfort which can relieve their distress, namely the free forgiveness of God” (Stott, John).

What is Godly grief?

A Christian’s life…

…is not guaranteed protection from hardships, trials, & pains in this life.  In fact, we are warned about it, that it WILL come, and when it does, to ENDURE.   1Pe 1:6  In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,
1Pe 1:7  so that the tested genuineness of your faith–more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire–may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

As my husband reminded me in his sermon this morning, if Jesus was not spared from trials yet persecuted even, then why should we be surprised that we should encounter sufferings?  If the apostles & those of faith of old were not spared suffering, then why should we expect differently?  Who are we?  If we are God’s chosen, we should embrace whatever trials may come our way, especially those choices in which we have chosen poorly or outright wrongly.

Jas 1:2  Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
Jas 1:3  for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
Jas 1:4  And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Even in this command, there’s a difficult struggle.  But, endure.  Seek Him.  Lean on His understanding, His strength, His joy, His power.

As human nature, a mortal sinful state, and as followers of Christ, of Whom the darkness is contentious & at enmity towards, we WILL be persecuted, ridiculed, criticized, scrutinized.  So do we cowar and remain quiet?  May it never be!   (Romans 1:16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes,)

1Pe 1:6  In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,
1Pe 1:7  so that the tested genuineness of your faith–more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire–may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

I dare say that all have encountered trials in many ways than one, believer and non alike.   But to those who believe, oh the blessed assurance!   This life is tainted.  Seek God in it.  Deal with it.  and praise Him still!   This time is passing.  A new day is coming… HALLELUJAH!

Missionaries, their courageous faith & devotion to the great commission

We recently had the priviledge to attend a dedication of a new plane that MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship) http://www.maf.org/, a local training hub for missionaries old, new & to be.  They train families in vast & various ways for their venture into areas of the country they will soon discover is alien to them.  There are have been many heroic & sacrificial missionaries in the past who have loved & shared the gospel in ways I cannot fathom.

Here is a picture in front of what was left of a plane that one such missionary, appropriately named Nate Saint, used in his travels to far remote parts of the world to reach the unreachable.   Nate Saint ultimately sacrificed his life for God in sharing the gospel, having lost his mortal life but gaining an ever more glorious life eternally with our LORD.  Praise God for that promise given to those who loves & trusts in Him.

Our church supports a couple missionaries at this time & we so appreciate them for their devotion to their calling.  How often do we Christians in America step out of our comfort zone and risk ridicule, anxiety, embarrassment (according to worldly standards anyway), discomfort to share to WORD that will save the lost?  I often challenge myself to this question.  Have you shared the joy that is within you, today?

Glory be to God, in the Highest!

My Condolscences to Angels & Adenhart Family…Relevance of Easter

I am a huge Angels fan, just ask anyone that knows me. I am a former season ticket holder and once covered the Angels as a primary blogger for the Most Valuable Network (link). This entry isn’t about me, but gives you some background into my interest into the sport of baseball and the Angels in particular. I was meeting with a friend for lunch today when he pulled out a card with Nick Adenhart’s name on it and told me that he was killed in a car accident. I was frozen…he just pitched last night, he is only 22, he is a huge part of the Angels future. Then I wondered if he was drunk or something, not that it would have minimized the tragedy, but there is always a fear that an athlete acted inappropriately. ESPN was on at the lunch joint I was at and it stated that it was a hit and run accident where the other party ran a red light and broadsided the vehicle carrying Adenhart. 2 others died along with Adenhart. The driver of the van apparently tried to flee the site on foot. Having heard this news, I was then full of some anger. Someone bolting through a red light kills 3 people. I hope this driver doesn’t have a spouse and kids because he/she is now going to jail for a long time and must live with the regret of this action. I pray that they would repent, but it isn’t in my jurisdiction to forgive him/her…only the Adenhart family can do that. Here is an article with some more info (MLB Release).

I am now sitting down and about to prepare a message for our Church’s Good Friday service tommorrow night and then prepare the Easter message for Sunday. The unfortunate event of Adenhart’s death reminds me that death is real…that Jesus’ death was real. Jesus’ death was both tragic and glorious. It is a stumbling block for many that a tragic death is the God-appointed means for our salvation. The story doesn’t end with his death…He arose. Easter is the hope of the ressurrection, that Jesus is the firstfruits and we ourselves will be ressurrected to God’s glory. Death is NOT the final say. 

While Newsweek is declaring that we are now a “post-Christian” nation (http://www.newsweek.com/id/192583), and recent polling is showing that a growing majority of Americans are declaring religion irrelevant, the death of Adenhart shouts loud and clear to everyone that death is real and coming. There is one who conquered the grave for us. That is very relevant. I lament that many so-called pastors are standing before their thousands and turning the Gospel into a message of self-help. Their message to Nick Adenhart is to live in God’s blessing…to enjoy his wealth…to fulfill his destiny…to be all that he can be. This event reminds us that God speaks to more than our earthly success, but rather to our suffering, our death, and the glorious hope of the resurrection. If Christ isn’t risen, then we are to be pitied….the Gospel isn’t about just this earthly life, it is about the grave and resurrection…It isn’t merely about eating, drinking, and being merry…it is about so much more!!!

Anyhow, I don’t know what Adenhart believed or hoped in, but it is my prayer that his death would awaken our souls to consider the meaning of life beyond such tragedy and suffering. Adenhart pitched 6 scoreless innings last night, but it really doesn’t matter, does it? Many follow sports as an escape from life, its tragedy, its pain…we cheer, we jeer…we shout with joy, we mourn a loss…and then death shows its ugly face and crashes the party. The good news is that Jesus will conquer death and usher in a more glorious party. Death, as an enemy, will ultimately be destroyed. That is what Good Friday and Easter are about. I am not ashamed of the Gospel, it is the power of God for our salvation.

Book Review of Max Lucado’s “For These Tough Times”

I have never read a Max Lucado book before and must admit that I thought it would be a waste of time. I was pleasantly surprised  by most of what Lucado had to say.

For one, Lucado adresses the issue of tragedy and pain by beginning with God. He doesn’t even emphasize God’s imminence,nearness, or the incarnation, but rather God’s transcendence. When one is tempted to question whether God is really in control, Lucado resoundingly urges the reader to trust in God’s control, “It is important to recognize that God dwells in a different realm. He occupies another dimension” (p.1).

Lucado laters states, “Though we may not be able to see his purpose or plan, the Lord of heaven is on his throne and in firm control of the universe and our lives” (p.6). I was pleased that Lucado upheld God’s soveriegn character in the midst of our trials and tragedy. Many theologians are now abandoning the sweet doctrine of providence because they reason that a good and powerful God certainly wouldn’t allow suffereing in our lives. Lucado doesn’t fall prey to such dangerous reasoning.

Lucado later summons a precious truth from God’s word, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”. While Lucado doesn’t emphasis that God being for us is rooted in His divine elective pruposes, he does however grasp the assurance afforded believers from this truth that God is for His own. He later goes on to cite Rom. 8:32 and encourages believers to fully trust in God’s loving disposition towards those for who Christ has been given, “Would he be nailed to the cross for your sins and tehn disregard your prayers?” (p.16).

I think Lucado goes to far in stating about God, “He placed his hand on the shoulder of humanity and said, ‘You’re something special’” (p.18). While the sentiments are nice, the truth is that we aren’t special. I would contend that what makes God’s love truly amazing is that He loved us while we were yet sinners…that He loved us when we were enemies with Him…not because we were special.

One other brief comment from Lucado troubled me a bit. When speaking of Lucifer’s fall, he says, “The angels, like humans, were made to serve and worship God. The angels, like humans, were given free will. Otherwise how could they worship?” (p.33). The undergirding presupposition is that we can’t genuinely worship God apart from free will and the potential to disobey. To such reasoning I ask, “Is it possible that the other angels have fallen as well? Is it possible that they can fall in the future? If true worship requires free will, then will our eternal worship require the possibility of refusing to worship and sin? If their isn’t the potential to sin in our glorified state, then is such worship ‘true’?”.

The rest of the book leans heavily on God’s sovereignty, so much so that I doubt Lucado is asserting what I am presuming he is asserting in the “free will” statement. Lucado positively quotes Erwin Lutzer as follows, “The devil is just as much God’s servant in his rebellion as he was in the days of his sweet obedience…The devil is God’s devil…he must do the bidding of the Almighty. We must bear in mind that he does have frightful powers, but knowing that those can only be exercised under God’s direction and pleasure gives us hope. Satan is simply NOT FREE to wreak havoc on people at will” (p.35, emphasis mine).

Husband loses children, wife, and mother to F-18…doesn’t Curse God

      

A F-18 jet crashed into a home, killing 2 very young children, their mother, and grandmother. The 37 year old husband, a Korean immigrant, who was away came home to the destruction. His response was not to curse God, but to instead pray for the pilot that he might not endure guilt over what took place. What is this widow’s consolation? He firmly believes that his children, wife, and mother are all with the Lord. He need not despair. You can read the full story here.

I pray that my faith will be as strong to endure such tragedy. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away…blessed is His name!!!

“Cancer’s Unexpected Blessings” by Tony Snow

I know this is dated a bit but I wanted to post it anyways. This testimony was shared at the request of Christianity Today and can be found here. His wise words inspire us all to life life on the precipice of eternity. He also teaches us not to lament our suffering, but to embrace it.

‘Blessings arrive in unexpected packages, - in my case, cancer. Those of us with potentially fatal diseases- and there are millions in America today – find ourselves in the odd position of coping with our mortality while trying to fathom God’s will. Although it would be the height of presumption to declare with confidence ‘What It All Means,’ Scripture provides powerful hints and consolations.

The first is that we shouldn’t spend too much time trying to answer the ‘why’ questions: Why me? Why must people suffer? Why can’t someone else get sick? We can’t answer such things, and the questions themselves often are designed more to express our anguish than to solicit an answer.

I don’t know why I have cancer, and I don’t much care. It is what it is, a plain and indisputable fate. Yet even while staring into a mirror darkly, great and stunning truths began to take shape. Our maladies define a central feature of our existence: We are fallen. We are imperfect. Our bodies give out. But, despite this,  or because of it, God offers the possibility of salvation and grace. We don’t know how the narrative of our lives will end, but we get to choose how to use the interval between now and the moment we meet our Creator face-to-face.

Apologies to the Obama’s “potential” grandchildren

Dear Mr. & Mrs. Obama,

I want to express to you that my child is NOT a “punishment” to me.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNzmly28Bmg

Let me give you a little background, if I may.  In my junior year in high school, I made a mistake.  The mistake was having premarital sex.  Well, as a result (or consequence of doing something I shouldn’t have been doing), I got pregnant.  But as a 16 yr old (non-christian at the time), abortion was NOT an option.  I fit the mold of most stats that say I would end up where I was, a non-married pregnant high school teen that was likely the result of my childhood voids-2 parents household, absent father, negligent mother, lived in the big city, growing up without a family role model.  But I would not say the baby that I then carried in my belly was a “punishment”.  The baby that was conceived had no say, no choice and according to your political stance, still has no value unless the women (in this case, me at the time) deems it worthy to live.  Though my action was irresponsible and immature at the time, pregnancy was a risk of my decision, like many risks we take in life.    The results of the many choices (some good, some bad) have an after effect (sometimes good, sometimes bad).  Each decision, usually causes a stream of after effects, situation that we face with then having to face another decision and yet anther decision, and on the circle goes.  Sometimes there are right decisions, sometimes there are wrong decisions, sometimes the decision is truly in the hand of the beholder (like whether I should buy fat free milk or whole).  In the case of abortion, there is no gray area.  The thing in the womb is still a life- a human, a baby, no matter what “scientists or doctors or professionals want to label it (ie. fetus, blob…)  When you look at the result of the procedure, how can you deny that life was taken away and justify it taking place in our society?  The day my family found out i was pregnant, they cried “abortion!”.  They said “it” would ruin my life.  They said I won’t be able to finish school…  I won’t be able to go to college.  I won’t be able to do this…do that…  The father of the baby and I initially decided to give the baby up for adoption but when labor day came, my mother’s love and instincts couldn’t let him go.  I eventually gave birth to a down syndrome baby boy in the beginning of my senior year and thankful for him.  I’m also a minority which also fits into the stats.  Well, I graduated high school early that year and worked for a few months at McD’s until my graduation ceremony.  Then I went off to college and continued through 4 yrs of college.   Although it was going to be a tough road ahead, it was just a matter of making the right choice of giving birth to the baby and doing what needed to be done.  I couldn’t even fathom murdering my baby b/c society says it’s ok if you’re not ready or that you can’t be responisble enough to take care of someone else.  Now, as an adult and a Christian, I truly understand the value of life, where and when it begins and ends.

I don’t claim to have done it all on my own.  It was a collective effort of friends, family (the same ones that wanted me to abort, but eventually became supportive after I deemed the child worthy of birth), the government and ultimately God.  Help is out there!  I’m sure both political parties have some claims in the governmental help I received and I can only express gratitude for it.  I think the government is plenty generous as it is.  As grateful as I am, I think there needs to boundaries and limit to how much help the government should extend as too much can only lead to complacency (a feeling of quiet pleasure or security, often while unaware of some potential danger, defect, or the like; self-satisfaction or smug satisfaction with an existing situation, condition, etc.-www.Dictionary.com), laziness & an entitlement attitude.  I did not feel ‘entitled’ but so grateful that the help was there but also I also felt that it was only a temporary season until after college when I can begin a career and be self sufficient from government assistance.  In no way was it a permanent way of life for me, which unfortunately for some, it is.  It’s different if one is in need for physical or extremely mental incapabilities but not for those who just feed off govt. assistance b/c of laziness or deceitfulness.  For some the help is necessary, for too many, the help is taken advantage of and that’s the crime.  The RIGHT TO LIFE is really valuing the people you claim to value, because at the core of this issue is valuing the life of people at their earliest stages…in the womb!!  So what I hear you and the like minded, is that someone doesn’t have any inherent value, unless the women (who inevitably is already a mother whether her baby has been born or not) decides whether that life has value??  How does that make sense?  Either life is valuable, or it isn’t.  It’s not only valuable if someone else deems it valuable based on X, Y, Z…otherwise slavery should still be ok, which I believe it is not.

I believe in the many rights to choose…among these are the “RIGHT to LIFE, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness…”  Does the baby’s right not count?  Apparently to many, it doesn’t.

So I pray, that when that day comes, when your daughters, of whom I you treasure dearly, make choices that could possibly affect their “reproduction”, whether in marriage or not, that you wouldn’t be deprived of the right, privilege and joy to meet your future unborn grandchildren because your girls had the right to choose whether a baby, possibly your future grand baby, has any value that is worthy of birth and whom, we hope someday, could then grow up and contribute to our country, and make the world a better place for all, including the “least among us”.

from a sincerely disheartened voice for the HOPE of future unborn generations and CHANGE that will change the way we value human life,

Mimi, proud mom of 3 and hoping, Idaho

I'm so glad I wasn't "punished" with children, but "gifted" and blessed with the joy of my 3 precious babies! Are they beautiful or what??!!

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0308/Stop_these_abortions_.html