One of the things that happens every spring is Opening Day, as a friend says, "Baseball is inevitable."Spring Training camps have broken. Teams are heading to their final destination for Opening Day.The home team, in my case, The Detroit Tigers, will send out their ace to the mound. He stands on the mound as a lone sentinel facing the opponent with nothing but a ball and glove. 60 feet 6 inches his...
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Thursday, March 27, 2014
The Problem With Grace
"You know what your problem is..."This is apparently something that I have often said. Although most people can't tell me when I have uttered such a phrase, it must come out in my tone or body language. I know that it runs through my head. For some reason I see problems and like telling people what their problem is. It has to be the "older brother" in me. I suppose it's just one of those things...
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
So Do I Just Not Speak?
In a previous post I wrote about the false sense of persecution that many Christians seem to have. I received a nice little nudge for clarity from a friend of mine over on Google+, check out our conversation:I really appreciate Jeremy's question. As I mentioned to him, I don't want to be throwing any babies out with the bathwater. So how do we as Christians respond to things that we disagree with...
Monday, March 24, 2014
Persecution! Really!?
Everyday I open my social media news feeds and it seems that there is a new perceived persecution of Christians in America. The American Christian is apparently under heavy attack, our very way of life is being threatened on all fronts.Except where it really matters.Just about everyday I open my Bible in public to read and study. Every week we gather openly in my home for worship and community. We...
Sunday, March 23, 2014
The Beauty of the Skies
I arose this morning to see the sun in the sky lighting the world with fresh beauty. Immediately my heart was filled with hope, joy, and awe. These words were exploding in my mind,The heavens declare the glory of God,and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.Day to day pours out speech,and night to night reveals knowledge.There is no speech, nor are there words,whose voice is not heard.Their...
Friday, March 21, 2014
The Power of the Person of Peace
When I was a missionary with Cru, we were trying to launch movements everywhere. I had a really bad attitude about it. I was very comfortable as a missionary to Illinois State University. Then our leadership mandated a scope change to all of Central Illinois.I wasn't buying it.I didn't buy that there was any way that we could be effective as campus missionaries running all over the state of Illinois...
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Father UP!
Last week's Parenthood was filled with amazing stuff to think about. On the one hand there were religious issues that were fascinating and on the other we saw something we rarely see in pop culture, a father grabbing his role with authority.Zeek Braverman is a man's man. He is a Viet Nam Vet, works on cars, gets his hands dirty, and loves sports. He's rough around the edges and a bit cranky. He is...
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Get That Baby Saved
Thursday night's in the Rose household are for Parenthood. There are few shows on TV where there are consequences to actions. There are fewer still that balance humor and drama in such an effective way. Even fewer still are the programs where there are strong men who love well.This past week there was controversy surrounding the newest Braverman baby getting baptized. Crosby's mother-in-law was demanding...
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
The Christian Conundrum
One of my favorite television shows is The Big Bang Theory. I find it to be hilarious. The show is well written and as a result makes very interesting cultural critiques through the use of humor.This past week's episode includes a story about Sheldon seeing his mother having sex. Sheldon's mother is single and a devout, fundamentalist Christian. She is of course a stereotype. Sheldon cannot get over...
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Why You Are Here
Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage."Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public...
Saturday, March 15, 2014
The Hall of Fame
Failure.Failure.Success.Failure.Failure.Success.Failure.Failure.Success.Failure.Failure.Success.Hall of Fame.Baseba...
Friday, March 14, 2014
Beautiful, Beautiful Grace
On Tuesdays I get together with a group of guys to talk about theology. Yes, we're theology nerds. No, not all of us have beards, although maybe we should. The last couple of weeks we have ventured into some of the finer points of the theological category known as "soteriology". Soteriology is the study of (ology) salvation (soter).After talking about some of these beautiful doctrines of grace I leave...
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Who's On First?
"When were you saved?""I'm not yet.""You're not a Christian?""Of course I am! I follow Jesus, he's my Lord.""But you said you're not saved. I'm confused...""Well, OK, I'm saved already but not yet.""What the...now I'm really confused, first you're not saved, now you are, but you're not even though you say Jesus is your Lord?""Exactly!"----Are you confused yet? I think that's the kind of conversation...
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Who Is It All About?
Over the last few weeks I have had a growing sense of the shallowness of the evangelical sub-culture within Christianity. There is report after report of pastors who are plagiarizing, buying their way onto bestseller lists, spending exhorbitant amounts of money to build mansions, and even the manipulation of baptisms. It's vapid.I keep asking the Lord, "Why?" Why are these things happening?...
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Open Minded?
I see many people who demand open-mindedness. It is an interesting idea, open-mindedness. I find it is similar to the concept of "bi-partisanship" in politics. Every politician is for bi-partisanship until the other party won't do what they want them to.Today I saw a few people post a meme where some...
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Know Christ!
There is something beautiful about the installation of a pastor to a congregation. It feels much like a wedding ceremony. The pastor takes vows and so does the congregation. There is a charge and prayers and a message.It's beautiful.Then Monday comes.The pastor is now the servant of the flock and the expectations are high. Everyone is an expert on how to lead churches. External gifts, strengths, and...
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Tram and Sweet Lou
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0H0-M0aES5EThis season the Tigers double play combo will feature Jose Iglesias and Ian Kinsler. They will be wearing the numbers 1 and 3, respectively. For someone like me, this means that images of Tram and Sweet Lou flood my mind. As a kid, there was nothing more beautiful than seeing Tram and Sweet Lou turn the double play. My grandparents took my brother and...
Friday, March 7, 2014
We Are Family
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMVe_HcyP9YOver the last year or so I have been a part of launching the Antioch Movement, a church planting movement in Ypsilanti, MI. It has been an amazing experience. One that I can't really put into words. It's been full of joy, pain, excitement, and anguish. I keep learning everyday about the depth of my own sin and the boundlessness of God's overwhelming grace.There...
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Relationships Kept
Relationships are funny things. They come and they go. They are filled with joy and pain. Relationships can be acquaintances, friends, or lovers. We have family that we would rather not talk about and we have friends we wish were family.When someone becomes a follower of Jesus they become part of a family. In a previous post we explored the importance of covenant theology in our emerging generations....
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Values - Multiplication
When I was a kid my dad liked to teach me lessons about business. One of those lessons was about multiplication. He asked me one day, "Would you rather have $2,000 per day or would you rather be paid $.01 and the amount doubles everyday?" Being an impetuous young man I of course stated immediately that...
Monday, March 3, 2014
Love Your Enemies
On Sunday nights our community is working its way through the Gospel of Luke. The last few weeks we have been wrestling with Luke 6, the second half of the chapter, the red letter part. It contains the beatitudes and woes. It also contains this,But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is...
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Redemption from Exile
There is beauty in broken things that are redeemed. They are transformed and renewed into something beautiful. I love seeing how people take things like old forgotten fields and transform them into life giving gardens. In Isaiah 59 we see how God redeems an exiled people by his own power and his own hand through a beautiful poem.Take Moment...Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it...
Saturday, March 1, 2014
The Voice of the Turtle
This week Spring Training began. In Detroit there is only one way by which we celebrate this moment. Ernie Harwell, arguably the greatest baseball announcer in history (Jack Buck and Vin Scully are the other two) would begin every Spring Training with this poem. Its simple beauty points to the simple beauty of the game itself. Enjoy the voice of spring, the very voice of baseball itself.http://yo...