Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Relevant Podcast
If any of you know me I am an avid reader of Relevant Magazine, as well as a dedicated listener to their podcast. How fascinating? Every week on the podcast they have a segment called Editorial question of the week. On the May 23rd episode they asked for people to write in about past movies that would be great to have another sequel for, so I wrote in and if you want to hear what I emailed in listen to the May 30th Podcast at about 49:40 into the podcast, or 7:12 left in the podcast. Enjoy. If you don't have iTunes you could listen at Relevant's website.
Monday, June 02, 2008
Peace by way of war...
We had a great Memorial Day weekend. We were able to head up to Holland, MI and spend some time with family, relax, Steph shopped of course, and we also went to a wedding of a good friend. While we were there we of course went to church and of course this is exactly what this post is about...would you expect anything else from me?
First off before I say anything else let me say this. I am in full support of our troops even though I don't completely agree with what is going on overseas. Nonetheless I support them, I have many friends in the service, a best friend from high school, a cousin, and my father was in the Navy. I have no problem with caring for, supporting through prayer and helping our troops in any way that I could. Some people might mark me as a pacifist wimp, and a few years ago I would have told them to come and say it to my face, but things have changed inside of me. Although I still have a fighting streak in me.
...Back to church.
Whenever we are up there we attend my wife's former home church, Central Wesleyan. I almost always enjoy this churches services it is a great time for me to relax go to church and actually worship without having to work. Well this time it was even harder than usual for me to sit through service. It of course was Memorial day weekend and as with 99% of churches in America they honored the veterans and prayed for the deceased soldiers of past and present wars. I really like that, especially being that both of my grandfathers were in WWII, and my father and uncles in Vietnam.
What I don't like is what happened next. After honoring the soldiers and veterans the service moved right in to Praise and Worship. The very first song that we sang was about God's Love and Mercy for us and the world. Next was a song that I don't remember the name, but the song was about God's strength and how He is coming with a Sword and shield with Judgment. Now I realize that God ordained wars in this world during the time of Moses, Joshua, David and many other leaders of Israel. I have a problem with us singing songs like this especially on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, this has the problem of conjuring up the ideas that the Wesleyan Church supports war and destruction, when in reality and historically we were peaceful and passive. If we weren't then likely there would have been a lot of killing during the years when we fought against slavery and then even more during the prohibition.
I really struggle with our Christianity especially when it comes down to God, love and war. How much of a misunderstand of Christ's mission is this. We are to be a community of believers dedicated to love. Biblically the word Christ used in John 15:10 while speaking about love was the word Agape, many other times Christ uses the word Agapao when speaking to the disciples about love of each other. More importantly is the meaning of Agape, it is not only love, but one of sacrifice, not only out of charity; while agapao is a deeper and more radical love. SO...what are we supposed to do about this, we come to church and pray and support our troops which is all great and lovely (something of which I wonder how became a tradition?!), but when we walk our Christian lives with two faces, speaking of love and charity of mankind willing to give everything we have because we love to help people but then, we feel it necessary to go and blow someones head off. Out of Love? Derek Webb has a song on his Mockingbird Album, My Enemies are men Like me. There is a great couple of lines in this song, words that really should make you think.
First off before I say anything else let me say this. I am in full support of our troops even though I don't completely agree with what is going on overseas. Nonetheless I support them, I have many friends in the service, a best friend from high school, a cousin, and my father was in the Navy. I have no problem with caring for, supporting through prayer and helping our troops in any way that I could. Some people might mark me as a pacifist wimp, and a few years ago I would have told them to come and say it to my face, but things have changed inside of me. Although I still have a fighting streak in me.
...Back to church.
Whenever we are up there we attend my wife's former home church, Central Wesleyan. I almost always enjoy this churches services it is a great time for me to relax go to church and actually worship without having to work. Well this time it was even harder than usual for me to sit through service. It of course was Memorial day weekend and as with 99% of churches in America they honored the veterans and prayed for the deceased soldiers of past and present wars. I really like that, especially being that both of my grandfathers were in WWII, and my father and uncles in Vietnam.
What I don't like is what happened next. After honoring the soldiers and veterans the service moved right in to Praise and Worship. The very first song that we sang was about God's Love and Mercy for us and the world. Next was a song that I don't remember the name, but the song was about God's strength and how He is coming with a Sword and shield with Judgment. Now I realize that God ordained wars in this world during the time of Moses, Joshua, David and many other leaders of Israel. I have a problem with us singing songs like this especially on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, this has the problem of conjuring up the ideas that the Wesleyan Church supports war and destruction, when in reality and historically we were peaceful and passive. If we weren't then likely there would have been a lot of killing during the years when we fought against slavery and then even more during the prohibition.
I really struggle with our Christianity especially when it comes down to God, love and war. How much of a misunderstand of Christ's mission is this. We are to be a community of believers dedicated to love. Biblically the word Christ used in John 15:10 while speaking about love was the word Agape, many other times Christ uses the word Agapao when speaking to the disciples about love of each other. More importantly is the meaning of Agape, it is not only love, but one of sacrifice, not only out of charity; while agapao is a deeper and more radical love. SO...what are we supposed to do about this, we come to church and pray and support our troops which is all great and lovely (something of which I wonder how became a tradition?!), but when we walk our Christian lives with two faces, speaking of love and charity of mankind willing to give everything we have because we love to help people but then, we feel it necessary to go and blow someones head off. Out of Love? Derek Webb has a song on his Mockingbird Album, My Enemies are men Like me. There is a great couple of lines in this song, words that really should make you think.
Peace by way of war
Is like purity by way of fornication
It’s like telling someone murder is wrong
And then showing them by way of execution
So as I see it, as a body of Christian believers we have a big question to answer here, while we recognize that God did ordain wars 3,000 years ago, he did it out of love and a desire for mankind to know Him. We cannot ignore Jesus' words in the New Testament, and his desire to draw all people's unto Him.Is like purity by way of fornication
It’s like telling someone murder is wrong
And then showing them by way of execution
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