My life verse

"Commit your way unto the Lord; trust in him and he will do this" -Psalm 37:5 NIV

Friday, May 22, 2009

A Sad Commentary About Evangelicals

A Pew survey reported at CNN.com found that evangelical protestants were the religious group most likely to say that torture of suspected terrorists is "often" or "sometimes" justified (54 percent) and the group least likely (one in eight of them) to say that torture is "never" justified.

So-called unaffiliated respondents (people who seldom or never attend church services) were less likely to say that torture is sometimes warranted (42%) and more likely (one in four) to say that it is never justified.

An unnamed atheists comments, “Interesting but I must say, not surprising. The blend of right wing politics (hawkish foreign policy, judgmental and intolerant social policy, and a screw the poor economic policy) and "Christianity" that finds expression in the American evangelical movement has always contained enough hypocrisy to gag a horse. Still, when you see data like these, you still get left shaking your head. And to think, we atheists are supposed to be the ones lacking a moral compass.”

Too often we evangelicals so align ourselves with the political right that we do not see the plank in our own eyes. Matthew 7:3 says, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye an pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?”

I remember my boyhood years of the 1950-60’s hearing evangelicals rant against civil rights legislation. As a pastor I have witnessed evangelicals showing racial prejudice against those of different color and race.

There are some questions in my mind for evangelicals?
1. Where do these views of inhumane treatment, social injustice, and racial prejudice come from?
2. Are we so afraid of any political view that is not politically aligned to the right that we accept any and every thing the political right does?
3. Don’t we need to think for ourselves and ask the question, “What would Jesus do”?
4. Do we need to pray and ask forgiveness from God for holding and expressing views that clearly are unscriptural?

What do you think? Leave a comment.

Friday, May 8, 2009

Busy, Too Busy......................

Lately I have been so busy I have felt like I do not have time to catch my breath. Have you ever been so far behind that you felt like you were a lap ahead? Well that has been my feeling lately. Busy, too busy.............I am wired so that I enjoy having a full plate of things to do.......but sometimes my plate is not only full but running over.

It seems spring time has brought with it a lot of things to do. We are rasing a grandson, Derek, who is 10 years of age now. Derek's spring baseball practice has been in full swing. With the coming of spring I love gardening. I have been working up the ground, planting seed and plants and caring for them. We have 1.2 acres of yard work and grass to mow, not a hugh amount but it takes time.

This past winter I became interested in a couple recreational pursuits that I have not tried before. One is learning to trout fish with a fly rod. To get to the nearest mountain stream is an hour and a half drive there and another hour and a half back. The second recreational pursuit (I will talk about it in another post) I took training for all of last weekend.

In addition I am trying to finish up my certification for Intentional Interim Ministry. In so doing I am working with a local church helping them renew their mission focus.

My full-time job as district office administrator with the NC East District Wesleyan Church starts getting real busy this time of the year. I have been knee deep in getting out reports and report instructions to over 200 ministers and 75 churches. To top it off the denomination has launched a new online statistical site that I have had to spend some time learning and getting all our ministers logged onto.

Many of my wife's family is coming from Florida, Indiana and Asheboro, North Carolina, to spend the Memorial Day weekend with us. So you know the drill, the house and yard must look super good.

I also am volunteer pastor of Spiritual Formation at Kernersville Wesleyan Church and have been teaching a 7 week membership class this spring along with leading a small group.

To say the least I have been busy, too busy.

I always want to remind myself of what Jesus said to Mary and Martha. You remember Martha was the worried housekepper. In Luke 10:38-42 Jesus comes to visit. Mary sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. Martha came complaining to Jesus that Mary had left to her all the work. Jesus said to Martha, " Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken from her." Wow! I want to listen to what Jesus is saying. Yes, I have a lot on my plate but may I always take care of the one thing that is needed.