Tuesday Tome - Book Clubs Start Tonight

Two Valley Book Clubs begin tonight.  I'll be leading the Rise of Christianity book club discussions. My friend, Brad Dewing, will be leading the Becoming a True Spiritual Community book club discussions.

The Rise of Christianity
by Rodney Stark

Writing from the perspective of social science while drawing upon historical evidence and his insight into contemporary religion's appeal, Stark looks for possible explanations for how the marginal Jesus Movement of the first century became the dominant religious force in the western world within a few centuries.

"Rise of Christianity" Book Club Schedule:
    Session 1: April 30, 8:00pm -          
    Preface through Chapter 3 (p. 72)
 
    Session 2: May 14, 8:00pm - -    
    Chapters 4 through 6  (pp. 73-146)

    Session 3: May 28, 8:00pm -    
    Chapters 7 through 10 (pp. 147-216)

A limited number of copies of this book selection will be available at the church office and resource center for $11.00.  CLICK HERE to purchase at Amazon.

Becoming a True Spiritual Community
by Larry Crabb

In today's frenetic society, people spend their lives essentially disconnected from others, rushing through life content with brief visits and casual conversations. But what if one had a spiritual community of people who walked with and supported each other through life's journey? Larry Crabb explores how God can heal disconnected people and allow them to reconnect with each other and, ultimately, with Him.

"True Spiritual Community" Book Club Schedule:
    Session 1: April 30, 6:30pm -          
    Preface through Chapter 3 (p. 72)
 
    Session 2: May 14, 6:30pm - -    
    Chapters 4 through 6  (pp. 73-146)

    Session 3: May 28, 6:30pm -    
    Chapters 7 through 10 (pp. 147-216)

Monday Music - Blossoms in Madison, WI

My boys, The Cactus Blossoms, played live on WORT 89.9 Radio in Madison, Wisconsin on Wednesday of last week. They were guests on the Back to the Country program with Bill Malone.

CLICK HERE to give it a listen. Go to the 2:00:00 point and they're playing right at the top of the third hour. If that first link doesn't work for you, CLICK HERE to see the WORT archive page and look for the Back to the Country link for Wednesday, April 24.

Sunday Supplication - Everlasting Life

Almighty God, we give you thanks for the everlasting life we find in you.

Help us to recognize your son Jesus Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life. Make us able to follow his steps and to walk in his ways to the glory of your name.

Lead us away from temptation. Free us from selfishness and pride. Give us the honesty and humility to recognize our need for your grace and mercy. Forgive us our sins and make us ready to forgive others.

O God, you are faithful to your promises. Help us to remember your promises and cling to the hope we have in you. Surround us with Christian friends who can encourage us and push us toward righteousness. Help each of us to be a source of encouragement and prompting for one another.

Through Christ, we pray. Amen.

Saturday Smile - Glass Harp

Friday Family - Best Of Twin Cities 2013

The Cactus Blossoms were awarded Best Country Band in the City Pages "Best of the Twin Cities 2013" Awards. Congratulations to the whole band! And a special pat on the back for my sons, Jack and Page!

"Country" and "music" has become such an unsavory combination of late. On the other hand, the Cactus Blossoms are the result of myriad wise pairings. Start with the interweaving of brothers Page Burkum and Jack Torrey's voices, which are era-less, ageless, and fearless. Second, the Turf Club has such faith in teaming with the Cactus Blossoms that it has etched the whole band onto its outside wall as an elaborate mosaic and booked weekly meetings of a twangy broken-hearts club for more than a year now every Monday night. Finally, the Cactus Blossoms' delivery of standards and originals with a muscular backing band of fiddle player Mike "Razz" Russell, Liz Draper on upright bass, and pedal steel/dobro expert Randy Broughten paired with the authenticity-hungry Twin Cities is a relationship that can only, ahem, blossom.

Thursday Thinking - The Launching of New Creation

Here are some thoughts for this 5th week of Easter. N. T. Wright explains how the resurrection of Jesus is not simply a belief in an ancient miracle or belief in some distant possibility, but the launching of a new creation that has begun and is central to our Christian life today.

From N. T. Wright's book, Surprised by Hope:

The traditional picture of people going to either heaven or hell as a one-stage, postmortem journey represents a serious distortion and diminution of the Christian hope. Bodily resurrection is not just one odd bit of that hope. It is the element that gives shape and meaning to the rest of the story of God's ultimate purposes. If we squeeze it to the margins, as many have done by implication, or indeed, if we leave it out altogether, as some have done quite explicitly, we don't just lose an extra feature, like buying a car that happens not to have electrically operated mirrors. We lose the central engine, which drives it and gives every other component its reason for working.

When we talk with biblical precision about the resurrection, we discover an excellent foundation for lively and creative Christian work in the present world—not, as some suppose, for an escapist or quietist piety.

A longer excerpt from this book, "Heaven Is Not Our Home," appeared in the April 2008 issue of Christianity Today. CLICK HERE TO READ IT.

Wednesday Words - More than Ready

Today
By Billy Collins

If ever there were a spring day so perfect,
so uplifted by a warm intermittent breeze

that it made you want to throw
open all the windows in the house

and unlatch the door to the canary's cage,
indeed, rip the little door from its jamb,

a day when the cool brick paths
and the garden bursting with peonies

seemed so etched in sunlight
that you felt like taking

a hammer to the glass paperweight
on the living room end table,

releasing the inhabitants
from their snow-covered cottage

so they could walk out,
holding hands and squinting

into this larger dome of blue and white,
well, today is just that kind of day.

This poem originally appeared in the April 2000 issue of Poetry magazine.

Tuesday Tomes - What I'm Reading Now

Today, I give you three quotes from books I am currently reading. Two of the books, True Spiritual Community (Crabb) and The Rise of Christianity (Stark), are the selections for upcoming book clubs at Valley Christian Church. The third, The Myth of Certainty by Daniel Taylor, is likely to be a future book club selection.

From The Myth of Certainty by Daniel Taylor, p. 70-72

It is my experience that, for all its usefulness in many areas, the closer one gets to the nexus where the eternal and temporal intersect, the less reason operates effectively as the primary instrument of judgment. In fact, reason recedes in importance in most of the truly critical areas of the human experience, largely because there are forces at work with which reason is not adequate to deal.
- - -
It is not my intention, nor perhaps within my abilities, to delineate precisely when and how reason can and cannot be used. The view I am putting forth neither denies its importance nor advocates a floating detachment from all truth claims. On the contrary, it makes commitment possible where the false notion of reason might protest. Because I understand the inherent limitations of the reasoning process and allow it only its legitimate role in relation to faith, I can justify taking risks that carry me beyond the narrowness and illusory safety of mere reason.

From Becoming a True Spiritual Community by Larry Crabb (p. 56)

My burden is to see spiritual communities develop, where spiritual friends, and spiritual directors connect with people. I long to see communities where people feel safe enough to be broken. Where a vision of what the Spirit wants to do in people's lives sustains them, even when they are far from it. Where wisdom from God sees what the Spirit is right now doing and what is getting in His way. Where the literal life of Christ pours out of one to energize that life in another, offering His divine touch.

What I have in mind are connevcting relationships as a response to conflict, not congenial, cooperative, consoling, counseling, or conforming relationships. I've tasted this kind of community. The taste is sweet.

But we must heed Bonhoeffer's warning not to love the idea of community, but to love our brothers and sisters. And we will love each other well if we understand both our struggles, what Jesus Christ has done for us and in us, and wants yet to do on our behalf.

From The Rise of Christianity by Rodney Stark (p. 63)

These are the reasons that ought to have caused the first missionaries to concentrate on the Hellenized Jews. And virtually all New Testament historians agree that they did so, and were successful, but only in the beginning. These facts are agreed upon: (1) many of the converts mentioned in the New Testament can be identified as Hellenized Jews; (2) much of the New Testament asumes an audience familiar with the Septuagint (Frend 1984); (3) Christian missionaries frequently did their public teaching in the synagogues of the diaspora--and may have continued to do so far into the second century (Grant 1972); (4) archaeological evidence shows that the early Christian churches outside Palestine were concentrated in the Jewish sections of cities--as Eric Meyers put it, "on opposite sides of the street, so to speak" (1988:76; see also Pearson 1986; White 1985, 1986).

Monday Music - Opinion and Truth

Emily Dickenson came up in a conversation a couple days ago. It reminded me of this song I wrote sixteen years ago. I just can't believe it's been that long. If you're very familiar with Dickenson's poetry, you may recognize a number of quotations.


DEAR EMILY
Dear Emily,
I read your letter.
I was taken by your
Wit and sensibility.
Your curiosity
Stood tall in every honest word.
But Emily,
The world is different now.
Your words committed into hands
Of those who cannot see.
The light's been put away--
A neighbor holds the lamp
To witness your good-bye.

CHORUS
Opinion is a flitting thing,
But truth outlasts the Sun.
If then we cannot own them both,
Possess the oldest one.

Dear Emily,
I saw your wonder--
The childlike awe you held
For garden bees and butterflies.
You looked beyond the scars
To find the place where meanings are.
So Emily,
You then retreated
To a private world--
Tradition could not swallow you.
Hidden behind your door
You looked beyond the world
Believing there was more.

CHORUS
Opinion is a flitting thing,
But truth outlasts the Sun.
If then we cannot own them both,
Possess the oldest one.

© Words and Music by Dave Burkum.  The chorus lyric is a poem by Emily Dickenson.
Copyright 1997 by Dave Burkum (DBM&M, PO Box 18771, Mpls, MN 55418).

Sunday Supplication - Following the Shepherd

O God, we thank you for your Son Jesus, our good shepherd. Help us to hear his voice, and know him as he calls us by name, and to follow him wherever he leads.

Lead us away from temptation. Free us from selfishness and pride. Give us the honesty and humility to recognize our need for your grace and mercy. Forgive us our sins and make us ready to forgive others.

O God, help us to press on and to strain forward that we might know you more and more. Help us to take hold of the maturity and purpose you have in mind for us. Through Christ, we pray. Amen.

Saturday Smile - Sounds of Spring

Friday Family - My Three Sons

Thinking of my boys who are all performing tonight. Jack and Page are playing at the 2013 Brooklyn Folk Fest. Tyler will be playing with Leagues at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis.

I sure wish I could be two places at the same time!

BROOKLYN FOLK FEST 
LINE UP FOR FRIDAY APRIL 19
7:00pm - Jackson Lynch 
    Blues guitar, old time fiddle and banjo.
7:45pm - Joey Arbata
    Uilleann piper - Irish bagpipes.
8:30pm - Kristin Andreassen and Friends
    Old time and original songs.
9:15pm - Cherven Traktor
    Bulgarian stringband music. 
9:15pm - The Cactus Blossoms
    Old school original Country music, all the way from Minnesota! Not to be missed.

Thursday Thinking - About Resurrection

I hope you're enjoying the third week of Easter. I would enjoy it more if the snow would go away, the sun would come out and stay, and the temperatures would rise at least into the 50s. Not only would I feel better, it would take less effort to celebrate Resurrection. And boy, could I ever use some resurrection today!

As promised last week, I'm sharing thoughts about about resurrection every Thursday until Pentecost. So here's what I've got for you this week.

From Brennan Manning in Abba's Child: The Cry of the Heart for Intimate Belonging --

“For me the most radical demand of Christian faith lies in summoning the courage to say yes to the present risenness of Jesus Christ.”

From Richard Hays in First Corinthians, pp. 277-278

Paul saw that underneath all the dismaying problems of the Corinthians lay one massive theological fallacy: they denied the resurrection of the dead.  And by doing that, they denied the importance of the world that God created.  They denied—whether they meant to or not—that these flawed bodies of ours are loved by God and will be redeemed.  And therefore—whether they meant to or not—they denied that what we do with these bodies is of ultimate significance in God’s eyes.  So they lapsed into confusion, both moral and theological.

These are sobering observations for a Christian church that all too often denies the resurrection in one way or another. . .   [W]e find forms of otherworldly pietism that dream warmly of “going to heaven” but ignore the resurrection of the body—and thereby ignore the challenge of the gospel to the world we inhabit: such pietism falls unwittingly into the heresy that Justin Martyr decried as a “godless, impious” betrayal of the faith.  It would not be difficult to document the various moral failings that follow from each of these errors.

In such a situation, Paul’s treatment of the resurrection of the dead presents the church with a compelling word that needs to be heard again and again.  It is no accident that his teachings on the cross (1:18-2:16) and resurrection (15:1-58) stand like bookends—or sentinels—at beginning and end of the body of his letter to the Corinthians.  These are the fundamental themes of the gospel story.  All our theology and practice must find its place within the world framed by these truths.

From N. T. Wright -- The Difference Resurrection Makes

Wednesday Words - Under the Snowing

Under the Snowing

Under the snowing
the leaves lie still.
Brown animals sleep
through the storm, unknowing,
behind the bank
and the frozen hill.
And just as deep
in the coated stream
the slow fish grope
through their own dark,
stagnant dream.

Who on earth would hope
for a new beginning
when the crusted snow
and the ice start thinning?
Who would ever know
that the night could stir
with warmth and wakening
coming, creeping,
for sodden root and fin and fur
and other things lonely and
cold and sleeping?

“Under the Snowing” by Luci Shaw, 
from Horizons: Exploring Creation, Zondervan, © 1992.

Tuesday Tome - The Skeptical Believer

Scot McKnight posted about this book yesterday. It was already on my list of books to get and Scot's post was the final nudge I needed to get me to click the magic button that summons books to my door. Scot writes...

Doubt happens to faith and to believers, not so much to unbelievers. It’s struggling with faith and in the midst of faith, not denying faith. It’s seeking to make sense of faith. Taylor’s book is about “internal apologetics” (the battle within) more than “external apologetics” (the battle to convince others). Doubt is misgivings about truth claims, in this case about Christian truth claims.

From the publisher's description...

When it comes to God, there are believers and there are skeptics. But there are also Skeptical Believers, a particular kind of believer who lives with an Inner Atheist that is constantly raising objections. The Skeptical Believer is a book about making peace with your Inner Atheist, and about working out useful responses to questions that have no definitive answers. It steers a middle course between the modernist conviction that faith is agreement with a set of statements about God and the postmodernist assertion that religious faith is just one story among many, no more or less true than any other. The Skeptical Believer proposes that one can live a rich and meaningful life of faith without proof (and despite the weaknesses of the church) by seeing oneself as a character within an ancient story. As believers, skeptical or otherwise, always have.

The author, Daniel Taylor, lives in St. Paul, MN and taught at Bethel University for thirty three years.  He is married and is the father of four adult children.  Dr. Taylor is the author of ten books, including The Myth of Certainty, Letters to My Children, Tell Me A Story: The Life-Shaping Power of Our Stories, In Search of Sacred Places, and Creating a Spiritual Legacy. He is also co-founder of The Legacy Center, an organization helping people preserve the values and stories that have shaped their lives. He is also a contributing editor for Books and Culture magazine.

Monday Music - Leagues at the Cedar

Catch Nashville indie band Leagues on their first show at the Cedar Cultural Center, Friday, April 19, 8:00pm ($12) as they tour behind their debut album You Belong Here. This isn’t music played in a vacuum, solely for the benefit of the band and some obscure creative vision. Every moment, note and lyric is made to be enjoyed by each person who comes to the show.


Sense of Place Nashville - Leagues - Spotlight from WXPN FM on Vimeo.

Sunday Supplication - Faith to See

O God, open the eyes of our heart. Give us the faith to recognize you and to join you in your redeeming and healing work in our world.

O God, we humbly recognize our need for forgiveness and restoration. In our weakness and selfishness, we often fail each other, fail ourselves, and fail you.  Thank you for the hope and power we have through Christ.  Raise us and transform us by the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead.

Forgive us our sins, and make us ready and able and quick to forgive others, even as you forgive us.

O God, help us to delight in your will, and to walk in your ways, to the glory of your name. Open our eyes to your presence and work in our lives. Give us the faith to see the possibilities and purposes you have for us at our work, in our homes, with our families, and with our neighbors, and in our church.

Through Christ, we pray. Amen.

Saturday Smile - Genius Is

Ever wonder what it takes to be a genius?
Here's a nice little chart from the Pop Chart Lab Blog.

Friday Family - The Blossoms at the Cedar

The Cactus Blossoms will be performing at the Cedar Cultural Center on Sunday night, April 14, 7:30pm.  The boys will be opening for fiddler, singer, songwriter Carrie Rodriguez. Get all the info here.

Thursday Thinking - Reflecting on Resurrection

Easter is more than a Sunday, it's a season of seven Sundays! I've decided to celebrate the Easter Season by posting something thoughtful about resurrection every week until Pentecost Sunday.

Probably one of the most important books on Resurrection I know of, is N. T. Wright's The Resurrection of the Son of God. It's epic in size (740 pages) and is Volume 3 of his magnum opus, Christian Origins and the Question of God. I'll be sharing a lot from him in the weeks to come.

I believe that the resurrection of Jesus is much more than a metaphor. If I didn't believe Jesus had risen from the dead, I would certainly not be the Christian I am. Maybe I would be some sort of "cultural christian" who values my heritage, is interested in religious ideas, and is trying to figure out some way to salvage meaning from my faith and looking to Jesus as some sort of good teacher and example. Maybe, but probably not.

If Christ has not been raised from the dead, then I don't see the point of Christianity (1 Corinthians 15:14). If the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead does not have any power for my mortal body (Romans 8:11), then I don't see how I can ever hope to experience transformation or overcome the things that are killing me and my world. Jesus and Christianity might be interesting, but they wouldn't be a source of hope or life for me. How about you?

Let's get things started with a couple of short videos from N. T. Wright.

Wednesday Words - How Deep the Father's Love

On Easter Sunday, I finished the last sermon in my Never Forsaken teaching series at Valley Christian Church. One of the songs at our Good Friday service was "How Deep the Father's Love," by Stuart Townend.

Throughout my teaching series, I made a direct reference to Psalm 22. I believe Jesus quoted that Psalm as a statement of faith, and I reject the commonly held notion that he was forsaken by God on the cross. Quite the opposite! I believe he endured the cross by his unwavering faith in God's faithfulness and the strength of God's grace (Hebrews 12:1-3).

With Psalm 22 and the "Never Forsaken" theme in mind, I replaced one of the lines in Townend's first verse, and then wrote a few additional verses. The congregation sang this version as we participated in communion and nailed red ribbons to a large cross. The cross was then hoisted above the stage with a black cloth draped around the arms.

HOW DEEP THE FATHER'S LOVE
How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
    How great the pain of searing loss,
    The Father’s love in Christ displayed,
    As wounds which mar the chosen One,
    Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers
    It was my sin that held Him there
    Until it was accomplished
    His dying breath has brought me life
    I know that it is finished

Too often I’ve forsaken Him,
Too many times to measure,
But he has not forsaken me,
His love endures forever. 
    When I to him my sins confess, 
    My just and faithful Savior, 
    Will cleanse me from unrighteousness-- 
    Forgives my sin and failure.
 
My God, my God, I lift my voice,
Believing you will hear me.
Though I have sinned and turned away,
By grace, you still draw near me.
    No heights, no depths, no powers, no sword,
    Could ever separate me
    From love that is in Christ my Lord--
    Redeeming love that saves me.
 
And I will yet declare your praise,
Among the congregation,
Your Saving Grace will be the song
Of every generation--
    You bore the cross and scorned its shame, 
    You fought the fight and won it--
    The Crucified has conquered death,
    “Our faithful God has done it!”

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
    Why should I gain from His reward?
    I cannot give an answer
    But this I know with all my heart
    His wounds have paid my ransom.

    Coda:
    For those who are in Christ the Lord,
    There is no condemnation--
    Our God is faithful to his Word,
    We’ll never be forsaken.

    Our God is faithful to his Word,
    We’ll never be forsaken.

“How Deep the Father’s Love,” Words [Vv.1, 2, 6] and Music by Stuart Townend, © 1995 Kingsway's Thankyou Music. [Words for Alternate Line v. 1, vv. 3, 4, 5 and Coda by Dave Burkum, © Copyright 2013 by D. Burkum.]

Tuesday Tomes - The Book Clubs Are Coming

Two new book clubs are on the way at Valley Christian Church, one of them in our Christian History track and the other in our Christian Living track. Each book club will meet three times.

I'll be leading the Rise of Christianity book club discussions. My friend, Brad Dewing, will be leading the Becoming a True Spiritual Community book club discussions. The book clubs are back to back on the same evenings, so you can pick one of the books or be an over-achiever and participate in both. Book descriptions, dates, times, and reading schedules are posted below. Let me know if you plan to participate.

A limited number of copies of this book selection will be available at the church office and resource center for $11.00. CLICK HERE to purchase at Amazon.

The Rise of Christianity
by Rodney Stark

Writing from the perspective of social science while drawing upon historical evidence and his insight into contemporary religion's appeal, Stark looks for possible explanations for how the marginal Jesus Movement of the first century became the dominant religious force in the western world within a few centuries.

"Rise of Christianity" Book Club Schedule:
    Session 1: April 30, 8:00pm -          
    Preface through Chapter 3 (p. 72)
 
    Session 2: May 14, 8:00pm - -    
    Chapters 4 through 6  (pp. 73-146)

    Session 3: May 28, 8:00pm -    
    Chapters 7 through 10 (pp. 147-216)

A limited number of copies of this book selection will be available at the church office and resource center for $11.00.  CLICK HERE to purchase at Amazon.

Becoming a True Spiritual Community
by Larry Crabb

In today's frenetic society, people spend their lives essentially disconnected from others, rushing through life content with brief visits and casual conversations. But what if one had a spiritual community of people who walked with and supported each other through life's journey? Larry Crabb explores how God can heal disconnected people and allow them to reconnect with each other and, ultimately, with Him.

"True Spiritual Community" Book Club Schedule:
    Session 1: April 30, 6:30pm -          
    Preface through Chapter 3 (p. 72)
 
    Session 2: May 14, 6:30pm - -    
    Chapters 4 through 6  (pp. 73-146)

    Session 3: May 28, 6:30pm -    
    Chapters 7 through 10 (pp. 147-216)

Monday Music - LEAGUES @ SXSW

My son, Tyler, and nephew, Phil, play with the band, LEAGUES. Paste Magazine, in cooperation with HGTV, has posted a high-def video of LEAGUES performing at SXSW. Check it out.

Between winning new fans at every tour stop and their single “Spotlight” making our own list of the Best Songs of 2013 (So Far), it’s obvious that the band’s big splash at SXSW this year is only the beginning for this trio of musicians, despite each individual’s rich background in the industry

Watch Leagues perform the song “Haunted” at our day parties at Stage on Sixth during SXSW 2013.

LEAGUES will also be the featured guest artist today on World Cafe with David Dye. 

Sunday Supplication - Hope and Reconciliation

Almighty and everlasting God, we give you thanks for the hope and reconciliation you have given us through Christ. Help us to live in the resurrection power of your Spirit. Make our lives a witness to the faith we profess.

We confess our sins and weaknesses, Lord. We repent of the ways we have disobeyed and turned from you. Forgive us and help us to turn away from wrong.  Transform us and give us the faith to press toward life, healing, restoration, holiness, and good deeds.

You are so gracious to us, and we ask you to make us able and quick to be gracious toward others.

Thank you, O God, for sending your son into the world to save the nations. We worship Christ Jesus because he is worthy, for he has redeemed, by his blood, people from every tribe, tongue, kindred, and nation.

It’s in his saving name we pray. Amen

Saturday Smile - Buying Books

Friday Family - Gospel Songs

The Blood-Washed Band from House of Mercy, will be having a CD release concert tonight (April 5, 7:00pm, $10) at the Ritz Theatre in Northeast Minneapolis.

The Blood-Washed Band is led by the humble yet very capable Professor Page Burkum. His father, Pastor David Burkum, will, most regrettably, be unable to attend this blessed event due to previously scheduled ecclesiastical duties. But Pastor Burkum wholeheartedly implores you, dear friend, to do your heart good and avail yourself of this inspirational program. The Professor will lead the gathered in curative gospel sing-a-longs that will aid the doubtful liver, clarify the belligerent heart, and assuage the accusing tongue.

Gospel Songs for the Persistent Sinner Facebook Page

Thursday Thinking - Brooks on Same-Sex Marriage

Earlier this week, David Brooks, op-ed columnist for the New York Times posted a provocative piece on the topic of same-sex marriage. The title of the post was "Freedom Looses One," and it presents a perspective you may not have considered.

While many are framing the same-sex marriage debate as a civil freedom, Brooks suggests that it may be a positive move toward civil restraint.  Is the LGBT campaign for same-sex marriage a positive step toward personal responsibility and the limiting of freedoms? Read Brooks' column and see what you think. Here are a few paragraphs to pique your curiosity...

Recently, the balance between freedom and restraint has been thrown out of whack. People no longer even have a language to explain why freedom should sometimes be limited. The results are as predicted. A decaying social fabric, especially among the less fortunate. Decline in marriage. More children raised in unsteady homes. Higher debt levels as people spend to satisfy their cravings.

But last week saw a setback for the forces of maximum freedom. A representative of millions of gays and lesbians went to the Supreme Court and asked the court to help put limits on their own freedom of choice. They asked for marriage.

Marriage is one of those institutions — along with religion and military service — that restricts freedom. Marriage is about making a commitment that binds you for decades to come. It narrows your options on how you will spend your time, money and attention.

- - - 

The proponents of same-sex marriage used the language of equality and rights in promoting their cause, because that is the language we have floating around. But, if it wins, same-sex marriage will be a victory for the good life, which is about living in a society that induces you to narrow your choices and embrace your obligations. 

Read the Entire Column

Wednesday Words - Warmer Weather

To the Thawing Wind
Come with rain, O loud Southwester!
Bring the singer, bring the nester;
Give the buried flower a dream;
Make the settled snow-bank steam;
Find the brown beneath the white;
But whate'er you do to-night,
Bathe my window, make it flow,
Melt it as the ice will go;
Melt the glass and leave the sticks
Like a hermit's crucifix;
Burst into my narrow stall;
Swing the picture on the wall;
Run the rattling pages o'er;
Scatter poems on the floor;
Turn the poet out of door.

"To the Thawing Wind" by Robert Frost.
The Poetry of Robert Frost: The Collected Poems

Tuesday Tome - Justin Lee's New Book: Torn

Last week, I finished yet another book in my ongoing project to explore and evaluate Christian perspectives on same-sex attraction and practice.

In his new book, Torn: Rescuing the Gospel from the Gays vs. Christians Debate, Justin Lee tells his own story of happily growing up in a conservative Christian family and wholeheartedly embracing their religious beliefs and cultural perspectives. A few people even gave him the nickname, "God Boy." As he grew older he came to the difficult realization that he had absolutely no sexual curiosity or interest toward girls. Rather, to his dismay and surprise, he found himself dealing with unwanted same-sex attraction.

Justin is a good storyteller and does a masterful job of giving his readers a clear sense of his personal journey and the things he has worked through. He has come to the conclusion that it is possible to be gay and, at the same time, a committed Christian--one that has a respect for the authority and inspiration of the Bible. He is not timid about his views, but neither is he dismissive of those who disagree with him. Quite the opposite!

Justin's story is very much worth your time if you are willing give him an honest reading without being dismissive. Even readers with views that differ profoundly from those of the author will find themselves identifying with his struggles and viewing their disagreements with him in a personal and charitable light. Torn is not so much an attempt to convince or convert anyone, but is, rather, more of an effort to be understood and to generate healthy dialogue.  He writes...

Dialogue means we must set aside our own prejudices and language preferences for the sake of communication. It often requires finding ways to work within the other person's value system. If the thing you value the most is your commitment to the Bible, I'm not going to get very far if I ask you to throw that out in order to address my own concerns. In order to work within other people's value systems, though, you have to know what their values are, and that's why it's so important to seek to understand them first and foremost.

We must be willing, too, to seek common ground and shared interests. Perhaps you and the other person have very different views on some things but both share a concern for the emotional health of gay people who feel hurt by the church. If so, that's a starting point. You can find ways to build on that without having to compromise on your most deeply held values.

This kind of gracious dialogue is hard for a lot of people. It feels wishy-washy to them, as if it requires that they stop thinking the other side is wrong. [p. 251]

Gracious dialogue is hard work. It requires effort and patience, and it's tempting to put it off. All of us have busy lives and a lot of other issues to address.

But for anyone who cares about the future of the church, this can't be put off. The next generation is watching how we handle these questions, and they're using that to determine how they should treat people and whether this Christianity business is something they want to be involved in. [p. 252]

Justin Lee is the founder and executive director of The Gay Christian Network (GCN), a nonprofit, interdenominational organization working to increase dialogue between gays and Christians and support people on both sides wrestling with related issues.

A passionate Christian from a conservative evangelical background, Justin thought he knew everything there was to know about the Christian approach to homosexuality-until unexpected events turned his world upside down and forced him to reconsider everything he believed. Today, his organization works with individuals, families, and churches to stop the debate from tearing people apart.

Justin's work has garnered national attention and praise from gays and Christians from across the theological spectrum. He has been featured in numerous print, radio, and television venues including Dr. Phil, Anderson Cooper 360, the Associated Press, and a front page article in The New York Times. He is the director of the 2009 documentary Through My Eyes about the debate's impact on young Christians, and the co-host of popular long-running podcast GCN Radio. Justin lives in Raleigh, NC.

Monday Music - LEAGUES @ SXSW

Billy Reid featured the music of Leagues in a montage of the Billy Reid SXSW Shindig.

Be sure to check out their new album YOU BELONG HERE. And visit the Leagues website for a free download of their hit single, SPOTLIGHT.


SXSW Austin Shindig from Billy Reid on Vimeo.