Notes From Jon

[PLEASE NOTE FIRST:  While the following is not graphic, it shares my experience of researching the Jonestown Massacre.  It is disturbing at times, and rightfully so.  Be forewarned!]

Yesterday afternoon I had a very disturbing experience.  I was checking up on the news on cnn.com, when I saw that Soledad O’Brien was doing an extended piece on the Jonestown Massacre in 1978.  Next week will be the 30^th anniversary of that tragedy, and I realized that while I had heard a lot about Jonestown, I had never really found out much about what happened there.  In today’s information age, this kind of stuff is easy to find, so I decided to do a little research.

Now I wish I hadn’t.  But in a way, I’m glad I did.  The story might be familiar to many of you – but it wasn’t to me.

First, I saw some videos of Jim Jones, and he sounded just like a normal preacher – he had a powerful voice, a strong delivery, and a familiarity with the bible that showed in the little “scripture snippets” he wove into his narrative.  I didn’t agree with all of what he said, particularly his interpretation of some passages, but he seemed solid in his understanding.  But I did agree with his assertion that Christians should be involved in repairing a broken society.  In fact, if I didn’t know the rest of the story, I probably would have thought he was just another preacher like myself… just a bit more conservative.

Jones’ popularity and wide audience in his early ministry, along with his strong convictions for racial equality, made him a natural choice as director of the Human Rights Commission in Indianapolis.  His speeches about the treatments of blacks were impassioned and persuasive.  African-Americans were drawn to his cause and to his “church.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Trinity Sunday is a little-known celebration in many non-liturgical churches.  As the church year spans the scope of Christian history, Trinity Sunday comes directly after Pentecost, and celebrates the fact that all three persons of the Trinity had finally been revealed.

Trinity Sunday also offers us the chance to be confused anew by one of Christianty’s hardest doctrines.

The following is a Sunday School lesson I offered on Trinity Sunday this year (May 18) that helps explain – but not make sense of – the doctrine of the Holy Trinity.  It’s mostly in lecture-note format, and not everything is cited properly.  But I’d love to hear what you think! Read the rest of this entry »

Tucked away in a remote folder on my desktop today, I found a couple of files I’d forgotten about.  Back on Pentecost Sunday, I did a joint Sunday School lesson on the Trinity, and preached a sermon on the Signs of Pentecost.  Here’s the sermon – a bit late, and more in note form than in prose.  But hopefully it might still be of some help!

What was Pentecost?  You’ll get a different answer for nearly every person you ask.  But to me, it seems that Pentecost is one of the most underrated celebrations for Protestants – especially for Baptists.  Maybe we’re afraid we’ll become “charismatic” or Pentecostal if we look too closely at Pentecost?

No matter what your understanding of what happened that day, you can’t deny that it was something special.  God was doing a mighty work – a work on par with many of his other activities in the Bible, the culmination and re-launch of Jesus’ ministry on earth. Read the rest of this entry »

On October 26, I interrupted my series on Romans to speak about the difficult financial times we face.  Emotions are high, and anxiety is at a peak as we watch to see what the Dow is going to do today.

How can a Christian respond faithfully in times like this?  The answer might surprise you!

Desperate Times and Desperate Measures
A Christian’s Response to Economic Uncertainty

1 Kings 17:1-16, Mark 12:41-44
(also Matthew 6:19-34)

Intro: Letting Go

I had chances growing up to see all kinds of things.  We went on vacations once a year to places as far north as DC, and as far west as the Grand Canyon.  Strangely, though, I have only vague memories of some of these places.  I remember, for instance, the powerful feeling I had standing at the edge of the South Rim, but I don’t really remember any specific vistas, nor do I remember much of the long trip out west.

Strangely enough, one clear memory I have of growing up is going to the circus.  I remember cotton candy, silly toys that cost a lot and broke before I got home.  I remember animals and clowns – I even remember where we sat one time we went.

And one of my favorite things to watch was the trapeze artists.  What amazing skill they had, to fly through the air from bar to bar, flipping and twirling and ending up in just the right place at the right time.  I wasn’t the most adventurous child, but I could sure dream.  And I often imagined myself as a trapeze artist, flying gracefully through the air to the cheers of thousands.

That dream was shattered sometime in my teenage years, when I visited a particular ropes course on a youth trip.  Read the rest of this entry »

Romans Chapter 7
“The Battle”

Introduction

First off, two disclaimers:

• This chapter is controversial in Christian scholarship, for reasons we’ll see. I realize you aren’t aware of all the problems with the chapter – but I’ll try to help you as I go along. And if you decide you disagree with my conclusion, that’s OK. I’d love to talk with you about it. But know that my sermon today will be based on my understanding of the passage – and it’s the “minority opinion.”
• This chapter, controversial as it is, really has to be taken as a whole to be understood. And it REALLY has to be taken with chapter 8 as well. But we don’t have time for all that this morning, so I’ll try to tie things together and we’ll have to wait for another week.

Previously (ch. 6) Paul has asserted that we are now free to choose whom we will serve – sin or God.  But that doesn’t end the story, unfortunately.  It’s not that one master has been destroyed and there is no longer a choice as to whom we serve.  Just because we are no longer enslaved to sin doesn’t mean that we are unable to sin.  It simply means that we have the choice now.

Old Law vs. “New way of the Spirit”

An Illustration From Marriage

(1) Do you not know, brothers-for I am speaking to men who know the law-that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives? (2) For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. (3) So then, if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress, even though she marries another man.

Paul now gives another example to illustrate his point.  He’s not giving any kind of teaching about marriage… in fact, this passage really has nothing to do with marriage.  He’s simply referring to Jewish law to make a point.  And his point is this: death brings about a change in the circumstances of the law. Under Jewish law, if a woman is with another man while her husband is still alive, she is committing adultery.  While her husband is alive, she is bound to that contract and “law,” and the consequences for breaking it were severe. Read the rest of this entry »

Even though I’ve had to take a couple of breaks from the series on Romans, it’s still going – and going strong, it seems.  Our church folks are saying they have consistently enjoyed these sermons more than others I have done.

So this post continues into Romans chapter 6.  As some of the prior entries in this series, this post is more “commentary” than sermon – these were the notes I took in preparation for the actual sermon.

Intro: “Easier to Ask Forgiveness…”

(1) What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?  (2)  By no means!

Paul is picking up where he left off before – “where sin increased, grace increased all the more” (5:20).  Using a typical rhetorical device, Paul anticipates the questions and objections of his hearers/readers.  “So if grace is ALWAYS going to be greater than sin, then we can keep on sinning, right?  It will always be forgiven later, after all!”

Before we write this off as something we would never do, think about it.  Have you ever thought like this before?  I have.

And it’s not uncommon for us, as human beings, to think like this.  While we are here on this side of heaven, our nature will always be to work contrary to God.  And sinful ways are tempting – that’s why we want to go back to them.  It’s fun!  That’s just the way we are!

Paul’s answer, of course, is a resounding NO.  In fact, in Greek this phrase, me genoito, is something like “God forbid!” or “heck no!” Read the rest of this entry »

Well, I’ve been working hard to keep my political preferences hidden in most of my public life (except maybe on Facebook, and even then I didn’t go all out or anything).  Honestly, I’ve come to view elections a lot like I view football – I have that nervous, queasy feeling in my stomach today, waiting to see who will “win.”  I’ll be watching this evening to see the results.  And like most of you, I’ll be VERY GLAD when it’s all over.

For reasons I’ve previously mentioned, I’ve been careful not to be open in declaring my position about this election, even though I’ve got pretty strong feelings about it.  I made a contribution, however small, to the campaign of my choice because I believed in it – and still do.  But no one knew about that donation except me and my Visa card.  I didn’t put up yard signs, didn’t make phone calls.  I recognize the power I have as a spiritual leader, and I know that by advocating a particular candidate, I might have undue sway on someone in the community (either for OR against, depending on how they feel about me!).  I’d rather use that influence for things that will make a difference.

And no matter who wins, I will support them in whatever ways I can.  I don’t subscribe to the whole, “don’t blame me, I didn’t vote for him” mentality.  It’s a cop-out.  It’s as if we could say, “Since I didn’t vote for whoever is in government, I don’t have to abide by the rules of law, and I have no responsibility for what our nation does.”  If you didn’t vote for Bush, and if you blamed him for the current economic crisis, does that mean your retirement account is immune from the stock market fallout?  Of course not.  We’re all in this together, no matter who we voted for.

Now I’ve cast my vote, and so have most of you.  So at last, I feel like I can “vent.”

I voted for Obama, and I’m going to tell you some of the reasons why.  I am NOT going to slam John McCain – in fact, I have a lot of respect for him.  He has an amazing story as a soldier and as a US Senator…

[Edit: I've decided not to post my reasons here.  If you really want to know, email me and I'll share them.  But I think the above says enough.  This blog is primarily an outlet for my writings and musings about faith.  And while I viewed this election very much as a matter of faith, I also see that it was polarizing for people of faith.  I don't want this to be a place for that.]

I wish I’d had my camera.  And even if I had, it was pouring down rain, so it wouldn’t have been a good picture anyway.  But I had two urges as I drove up and saw our polling place in Kenbridge this morning

First, I felt pride.  As I drove up, I saw a line of at least 20 people outside the Kenbridge Emergency Squad, waiting their turn to vote.  It’s the most people I’ve ever seen at the polling place here, and I’m proud because so many people obviously care enough about his election that they are willing to stand out in the rain in order to vote.

Second, I had to laugh.  Most of your polling places probably looked similar to ours on the outside.  The ground looked normal enough, close to the doors where people waited to enter the building.  But about 40 feet out, you could almost see a defiined perimeter – an army of red and blue campaign signs, laying seige on the polls.  By state law, you can’t even wear a t-shirt, hat, or sticker for the candidate of your choice within 40 feet of the building entrance.  So of course, at 41 feet there are tents with people waving signs, handing out literature, and “encouraging” you to vote for their candidate.

I laughed because today, in the age of information, what use are campaign signs?  They seem like a waste of money.  They say nothing about the candidate – unless you count some of those signs attacking the opponent, which actually says more about the person attacking than the one being attacked.

I suppose, however, that undecided voters might just pull up to the polling site and begin counting the signs.  Whoever has more signs up here obviously deserves to be president.  Or if you’re undecided and you’re a gambler, maybe the “eeny-meeny-miney-moe” technique would work for you.

What do you think?  Is there a place for yard signs in future elections?