Philoxenia

One of the reasons I love my wife (as if there were not enough) is for her hospitality. This summer she's "adopted" a Vietnamese boy into the family to help him learn English for school this fall. I love it that our kids see her sacrifice her summer to help someone else.

Biblical hospitality has nothing to do with inviting people you like to your house for dinner--not that there's anything wrong with that. Paul's injunctions to practice hospitality are firmly rooted in the context of the Old Testament command to love the alien and foreigner. The Greek word which is translated "hospitality" even has this sense embedded in it: philoxenia--a combination of two Greek roots, "love" and "foreigner."

Philoxenia

One of the reasons I love my wife (as if there were not enough) is for her hospitality. This summer she's "adopted" a Vietnamese boy into the family to help him learn English for school this fall. I love it that our kids see her sacrifice her summer to help someone else.

Biblical hospitality has nothing to do with inviting people you like to your house for dinner--not that there's anything wrong with that. Paul's injunctions to practice hospitality are firmly rooted in the context of the Old Testament command to love the alien and foreigner. The Greek word which is translated "hospitality" even has this sense embedded in it: philoxenia--a combination of two Greek roots, "love" and "foreigner."

13 Years of Macs

Here's my MacLife:

- Performa 750 - '95
- Mac Classic II - '97
- Power Mac 6500 - '98
- PowerBook 165c - '98
- Powerbook Wall Street - '00
- Powerbook Pismo - '02
miserable hiatus in PC world
- MacBook Pro - '07
- MacBook - '08

The MacBook is my favorite so far, for its combination of power, size and overall aesthetics--neck-and-neck with the Mac Classic II. While there's no comparison in the power and speed department (the MacBook is a 2.4 GHz dual core processor with 4 GB RAM and a 250-GB hard drive, and the Mac Classic II was 16 Mhz with 4 MB of RAM, a 20MB hard drive and a monochrome 8-inch screen), but the Classic II was functional, portable and a great conversation piece. Isn't that why we buy Macs to begin with?

13 Years of Macs

Here's my MacLife:

- Performa 750 - '95
- Mac Classic II - '97
- Power Mac 6500 - '98
- PowerBook 165c - '98
- Powerbook Wall Street - '00
- Powerbook Pismo - '02
miserable hiatus in PC world
- MacBook Pro - '07
- MacBook - '08

The MacBook is my favorite so far, for its combination of power, size and overall aesthetics--neck-and-neck with the Mac Classic II. While there's no comparison in the power and speed department (the MacBook is a 2.4 GHz dual core processor with 4 GB RAM and a 250-GB hard drive, and the Mac Classic II was 16 Mhz with 4 MB of RAM, a 20MB hard drive and a monochrome 8-inch screen), but the Classic II was functional, portable and a great conversation piece. Isn't that why we buy Macs to begin with?

Andrew Widman (1978-2008)

For three years he was my next-door neighbor while we both endured the trials and enjoyed the camaraderie of seminary. We critiqued each other's research papers. We played Axis & Allies (the board game) 'til 3 a.m., then spent two hours arguing whether it was possible for Japan to successfully invade the U.S. We went to the midnight showing of The Two Towers and laughed at the guy dressed up like Gandalf. We drank Lapsang Souchong tea and then had to open the windows to air out the apartment. We discussed Karl Barth and Simon Chan, Buddhism and Eastern Orthodoxy. I used to tell Andy he had a mind like a steel trap in his ability to absorb vast quantities of information, synthesize it and then communicate it in an understandable fashion. He and his wife shared countless meals with us, treated our kids as if they were their own, and visited us when they moved to Florida. (The photo is me trying--unsuccessfully--to carry him.)

We were planning on spending this past weekend with the Widmans, when I received a call from Susanna Friday morning telling me that Andy, a Fort Myers police officer, had been killed in the line of duty 2 o'clock that morning.

Trying to understand why a sovereign God allowed this to happen is impossible. Whether or not a sovereign God ordained this to happen is even more difficult--and the type of question Andy and I would often ask each other. He was a man who never shied away from exploring these tough questions, and I am richer for having him as a friend. Now, all I can think about and pray for is his wife and precious children who are facing a future without him in their lives. This is a burden that only God's grace can help them bear.

Andrew Widman (1978-2008)

For three years he was my next-door neighbor while we both endured the trials and enjoyed the camaraderie of seminary. We critiqued each other's research papers. We played Axis & Allies (the board game) 'til 3 a.m., then spent two hours arguing whether it was possible for Japan to successfully invade the U.S. We went to the midnight showing of The Two Towers and laughed at the guy dressed up like Gandalf. We drank Lapsang Souchong tea and then had to open the windows to air out the apartment. We discussed Karl Barth and Simon Chan, Buddhism and Eastern Orthodoxy. I used to tell Andy he had a mind like a steel trap in his ability to absorb vast quantities of information, synthesize it and then communicate it in an understandable fashion. He and his wife shared countless meals with us, treated our kids as if they were their own, and visited us when they moved to Florida. (The photo is me trying--unsuccessfully--to carry him.)

We were planning on spending this past weekend with the Widmans, when I received a call from Susanna Friday morning telling me that Andy, a Fort Myers police officer, had been killed in the line of duty 2 o'clock that morning.

Trying to understand why a sovereign God allowed this to happen is impossible. Whether or not a sovereign God ordained this to happen is even more difficult--and the type of question Andy and I would often ask each other. He was a man who never shied away from exploring these tough questions, and I am richer for having him as a friend. Now, all I can think about and pray for is his wife and precious children who are facing a future without him in their lives. This is a burden that only God's grace can help them bear.

Apostolic Alignment?

I watched a video of the "apostolic aligning" of Lakeland revivalist Todd Bentley last month by Peter Wagner, Che Ahn, John Arnott, Rick Joyner, Bill Johnson and several other leaders--most of whom I have met and/or interviewed at some point in the last five years. While I have respect for their ministries and acknowledge that their giftings and emphases may be different from mine, it was difficult to connect the on-stage pomp and circumstance of this ceremony with my understanding of New Testament apostolic advancement of the church. The "alignment" was conducted, in part, to counteract the controversy surrounding Bentley's ministry brought on by the bizarre emphases and practices that seem to have no precedent in scripture.

This disconnect became more vivid in my mind yesterday when I had the privilege of conducting a video interview with a Korean-American couple who even the most stodgy evangelical would identify as modern-day apostles. It was not that their ministry was accompanied with dramatic signs and wonders (although there were some clear instances of deliverance and healing) or that they were able to fill a 10,000-seat auditorium. Instead, their church-planting ministry in Central Asia bears such a close resemblance to accounts in the Book of Acts that an apostolic aligning ceremony would seem laughably redundant. Why have such a ceremony for a family who moved to a Muslim country, baptized and discipled converts, planted a congregation, encouraged their flock through persecution, raised up national leaders and were eventually arrested and deported for preaching the gospel? The church there remains and is thriving under indigenous leadership.

That is apostolic ministry.

Apostolic Alignment?

I watched a video of the "apostolic aligning" of Lakeland revivalist Todd Bentley last month by Peter Wagner, Che Ahn, John Arnott, Rick Joyner, Bill Johnson and several other leaders--most of whom I have met and/or interviewed at some point in the last five years. While I have respect for their ministries and acknowledge that their giftings and emphases may be different from mine, it was difficult to connect the on-stage pomp and circumstance of this ceremony with my understanding of New Testament apostolic advancement of the church. The "alignment" was conducted, in part, to counteract the controversy surrounding Bentley's ministry brought on by the bizarre emphases and practices that seem to have no precedent in scripture.

This disconnect became more vivid in my mind yesterday when I had the privilege of conducting a video interview with a Korean-American couple who even the most stodgy evangelical would identify as modern-day apostles. It was not that their ministry was accompanied with dramatic signs and wonders (although there were some clear instances of deliverance and healing) or that they were able to fill a 10,000-seat auditorium. Instead, their church-planting ministry in Central Asia bears such a close resemblance to accounts in the Book of Acts that an apostolic aligning ceremony would seem laughably redundant. Why have such a ceremony for a family who moved to a Muslim country, baptized and discipled converts, planted a congregation, encouraged their flock through persecution, raised up national leaders and were eventually arrested and deported for preaching the gospel? The church there remains and is thriving under indigenous leadership.

That is apostolic ministry.

War of the Word Redux

I'm still holding to my guns regarding the selective hermeneutics of the Religious Right, but a deeper examination of Barack Obama's statements on his personal faith should stimulate evangelicals to critical thought on the lowest common denominators of biblical faith. Please note that, by scrutinizing Obama's statements of faith, I am not suggesting that McCain's, Bush's or any other political figure's faith is authentic--or that biblical orthodoxy is a prerequisite for political office.

Authentic Christianity ultimately comes down to a debate about who Jesus is. Additional layers would include a basic understanding of sin, salvation, etc. After reading a 2004 interview with Obama, it is clear that, while he grasps many of the social implications of the Christian faith, he is apparently unaware of the basic biblical antecedents of that faith. After reading a few of his quotes below, the question I'm asking is not "Is Barack Obama a Christian?" but "What is a Christian?" The problem is not that the statements below are entirely false, but that they are incomplete--and miss key points of who Jesus is, what sin is and how salvation works.

“Jesus is an historical figure for me, and he’s also a bridge between God and man, in the Christian faith, and one that I think is powerful precisely because he serves as that means of us reaching something higher. And he’s also a wonderful teacher.”

"I find it hard to believe that my God would consign four-fifths of the world to hell. I can’t imagine that my God would allow some little Hindu kid in India who never interacts with the Christian faith to somehow burn for all eternity. That’s just not part of my religious makeup.”

“What I believe in is that if I live my life as well as I can, that I will be rewarded. I don’t presume to have knowledge of what happens after I die. But I feel very strongly that whether the reward is in the here and now or in the hereafter, the aligning myself to my faith and my values is a good thing.”

Sin: “Being out of alignment with my values.”

The beliefs above are probably not far from those of other political candidates with religious leanings--both conservatives and liberals. But it certainly reinforces the thought that biblical orthodoxy should probably not be a litmus test for getting my vote.

War of the Word Redux

I'm still holding to my guns regarding the selective hermeneutics of the Religious Right, but a deeper examination of Barack Obama's statements on his personal faith should stimulate evangelicals to critical thought on the lowest common denominators of biblical faith. Please note that, by scrutinizing Obama's statements of faith, I am not suggesting that McCain's, Bush's or any other political figure's faith is authentic--or that biblical orthodoxy is a prerequisite for political office.

Authentic Christianity ultimately comes down to a debate about who Jesus is. Additional layers would include a basic understanding of sin, salvation, etc. After reading a 2004 interview with Obama, it is clear that, while he grasps many of the social implications of the Christian faith, he is apparently unaware of the basic biblical antecedents of that faith. After reading a few of his quotes below, the question I'm asking is not "Is Barack Obama a Christian?" but "What is a Christian?" The problem is not that the statements below are entirely false, but that they are incomplete--and miss key points of who Jesus is, what sin is and how salvation works.

“Jesus is an historical figure for me, and he’s also a bridge between God and man, in the Christian faith, and one that I think is powerful precisely because he serves as that means of us reaching something higher. And he’s also a wonderful teacher.”

"I find it hard to believe that my God would consign four-fifths of the world to hell. I can’t imagine that my God would allow some little Hindu kid in India who never interacts with the Christian faith to somehow burn for all eternity. That’s just not part of my religious makeup.”

“What I believe in is that if I live my life as well as I can, that I will be rewarded. I don’t presume to have knowledge of what happens after I die. But I feel very strongly that whether the reward is in the here and now or in the hereafter, the aligning myself to my faith and my values is a good thing.”

Sin: “Being out of alignment with my values.”

The beliefs above are probably not far from those of other political candidates with religious leanings--both conservatives and liberals. But it certainly reinforces the thought that biblical orthodoxy should probably not be a litmus test for getting my vote.

It's Just Wrong ...

An abominable combination of video and music:

It's Just Wrong ...

An abominable combination of video and music:

What's an Evangelical?

"Most Americans agree with the statement that many religions--not just their own--can lead to eternal life."

This is the unsurprising assessment of a recent Pew Forum study. What's surprising, however, is that 57 percent of evangelicals agree with this statement. It would seem that universalism is the most widely tolerated heresy in the evangelical world.

If a Christian with a public platform were to suggest that only people who refrained from smoking and dancing would make it to heaven, that person would be mocked as a legalistic charlatan, and the authenticity of his or her faith would be called into question.

"You can't get to heaven by good works," a well-pedigreed evangelical would respond (rightfully).

However, if a Christian leader suggests that we shouldn't judge the eternal destination of a person who loves Buddha, gives food to the homeless and tries to reduce his carbon footprint, that leader is considered a thoughtful innovator who understands the nuances of emerging global realities and the inclusivity of the biblical narrative.

What's an Evangelical?

"Most Americans agree with the statement that many religions--not just their own--can lead to eternal life."

This is the unsurprising assessment of a recent Pew Forum study. What's surprising, however, is that 57 percent of evangelicals agree with this statement. It would seem that universalism is the most widely tolerated heresy in the evangelical world.

If a Christian with a public platform were to suggest that only people who refrained from smoking and dancing would make it to heaven, that person would be mocked as a legalistic charlatan, and the authenticity of his or her faith would be called into question.

"You can't get to heaven by good works," a well-pedigreed evangelical would respond (rightfully).

However, if a Christian leader suggests that we shouldn't judge the eternal destination of a person who loves Buddha, gives food to the homeless and tries to reduce his carbon footprint, that leader is considered a thoughtful innovator who understands the nuances of emerging global realities and the inclusivity of the biblical narrative.