I’M BACK. . .

For those of you who know me, and for the benefit of those who don't but who would occasionally tune in from time to time, I have struggled mightily with this blog.

I have been torn between what I would like it to be, and what I think God would have it be. Often the two would clash, and rather than do either a disservice, I decided to shut it down.

I am not, by trait, one of those people who comments on how wonderful the day is, or how deep and blue the sky looks, and how wonderful life must be now that we’re all in the Kingdom. I’m not knocking such individuals, God knows when I need a pick me up, I can always count on either calling one of you, or just reading one of your blogs. Like OJ in the morning, it just gets me off to a good start.

But, for me - yes it is all about me isn’t it – I felt and still feel that my biggest contributions lie in calling out the hypocrisy that exists not so much within the world, but within the Kingdom itself. I have never been able to shake this feeling, and believe strongly that it is from God.

But how to proceed? That is the question that plagued me. Clearly some things need to be said, and still do, that are likely to cause waves and ruffle feathers. How does one “call out” such things in a Godly way? How do you cure the disease without killing the patient?

One of the things I have always admired most about Paul was how he was always able to cut right to the chase. If he saw something that needed rebuking he would come right out and say it, regardless of how it might be received. In 2 Corinthians 7:8-13, Paul writes, “Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it, I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while, yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this Godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. So even though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did the wrong or of the injured party, but rather that before God you could see for yourselves how devoted to us you are. By all this we are encouraged.”

Now before you all start blogging in, let me just head you off at the pass and come right out and say it, I am certainly no Paul! The last I checked I was not chained to a dungeon wall, did not have death threats against my life, nor even had anywhere near the obstacles with which he had to overcome. Though, the way my career is going, one could say if I don’t get it together soon, well let’s just say I will have a lot of time on my hands to blog!

But, though I am no Paul, I do have several things in common with him. I know what it is like to persecute people I don’t even know, to prejudge them, to sin against them. Like Paul and, in deed, so many of the main characters in the Bible, I am a chip off the old block. I find it strangely encouraging that God seems to seek out such scoundrels as me to do His bidding. With the exception of Jesus, there isn’t anybody in the whole Bible who was righteous enough to get into heaven; and even Jesus needed to draw on His Heavenly Father for strength.

So with that in mind, now what? What do I do about this blog and how do I proceed?

The topics are easy and, sadly, plentiful. But the real trick will be how to expose the truth in a way that as I mentioned earlier cures the disease without killing the patient. I will have to rely on God to show me the way.

Over the next few weeks some of the topics I will tackle will be as follows:

Dividing and Conquering: How the Conservative Right Squashes Real Debate Within the Evangelical Community, Thus Preventing The True Works Of Jesus To Flourish.

How Green Was My Valley, How Big Is My Church: Christianity As Big Business. This one is going to hit close to home.

All In The Godly Family: The Pluralistic Argument That Won’t Go Away.

Monkey See Monkey Do: What The Unchurched See Going On Within Our Ranks, and Why It Matters.

Genesis and Revelation: The Two Books That Never Seem To Go Away, and Why Certain Pastors Can’t Resist Quoting From Them.

Science and Religion – Oil and Vinegar or Hand and Glove?

The Way We Never Were: How and Why The Right Insists On Rewriting The Past.

One Nation Under God: State-Sponsored Religion and What The Founding Fathers Really Had To Say About It.

Of course I’m sure I’ll come up with other topics in due time. In the meantime, I would appreciate all the prayer any of you might be willing to throw my way. God knows I’ll need it.

Until next time…