Posts Tagged: "Violence"

2020 when doves cry post copy

When Doves Cry, A Remix

- - Life With God, Uncategorized

In early July, 2016, I preached a sermon at NWLife called “When Doves Cry.” This is a portion of that sermon, slightly remixed…

There was something about Prince’s song “When Doves Cry” that resonated with me as a young man. I wasn’t even sure what it all meant, but it seemed to speak of the pain experienced in relationships, of break-up, of tears….

“How can you just leave me standing?

Alone in a world that’s so cold?

Maybe I’m just too demanding

Maybe I’m just like my father, too bold

Maybe you’re just like my mother

She’s never satisfied

Why do we scream at each other

This is what it sounds like

When doves cry”

It’s so visceral, relatable, universal.

We have felt this. Lived it.

But do doves cry?

Or pigeons for that matter?

I read an article that claimed Prince was… Read More

lover's quarrel

God’s Lover’s Quarrel With The World

- - Life With God, Uncategorized

*picture above: “Lover’s Quarrel with the World no. 3″ by Sarah Michelle

On Sunday I spoke from Genesis – the story of Jacob and Esau. The point of the message was how Jacob had spent much of his life on the run—avoiding the uncomfortable and difficult in favor running to a new place… until that one fateful night. Even as he was attempting to return home, he had a back-up plan to run. But the evening before his journey home, a Stranger came out of the dark and started to wrestle him.

They wrestled back and forth throughout the night. There were opportunities for Jacob to flee—to go on the run (again)—but for some reason he refused. He wrestled and wrestled and held on for dear life. He wrestled until there was breakthrough. He wrestled until the blessing came.

This point—wrestling and continuing to wrestle until there is breakthrough—is not a sign of something unhealthy or wrong, but rather a sign that you are… Read More

i have killed a man post

Maybe We Are “Knowing” The Wrong Thing

- - Life With God, Uncategorized

The movie Beasts of No Nation is one of those gut-wrenching, heartbreaking, and yet very necessary stories… it’s a film that is difficult to watch, but it is one that we should watch.

It depicts the story of Agu – a young orphan boy who has lost his family and is taken in by a commander of guerrilla soldiers.

When I saw the movie, I was haunted by this one line—spoken by Agu shortly after he had killed someone.

“God… I have… Read More

exposed brick post

Stammering Awkwardly and Boldly on Race and Violence (Holy Spirit, Help!)

- - Life With God, Uncategorized

The following are my notes from Sunday’s message – which included receiving communion together (with instructions to sit, holding the bread and cup, quiet and still before God—bringing our anger, hurt, sorrow, and fear into God’s presence, asking God to soften our hearts).

*     *     *

At the heart of the gospel is a table where men and women, young and old, rich and poor, native and foreigner, black and white… share a meal together.

Together as equals… sons and daughters of the King. Family. Kin.

In all our beautiful diversity. Every nation, tongue, tribe. Celebrating together. Sharing and laughing and crying together.

This is what Jesus did and what Jesus is still doing today: bringing people together.

This is a better and more beautiful way—the way of our Savior.

Last Sunday, in my message “When Doves Cry,” I said:

“All that trends toward death and destruction grieves the Holy Spirit.”

And, “All that leans toward life, all that contributes to the flourishing of life, all that brings and blesses life… the Spirit sings over this.”

I had a repeated line in the sermon… ” And God cried.”

I went through a brief history of events in our world that brought death and destruction, giving a date and brief statement of the violent, tragic event—each time ending with the statement, “And God cried.”

This week I needed to add a few more… Read More

invested in fear post

Invested In Fear by Jason Wiedel

- - Guest Posts, Life With God, Uncategorized

from Jason Wiedel’s blog

I have noticed that there is always something for Christians to fear.

At least that is what they tell us. When I was a kid it was Satanism, Dungeons & Dragons, heavy metal music and anything with a whiff of the occult. The teenagers of the 80′s who ignored the warnings eventually got jobs, had families, and (for the most part) became contributors to society. They didn’t become devil worshipers or serial killers.

The kids who watched Fern Gully and Captain Planet in the 90′s didn’t become hippies and pagans. The kids who read Harry Potter didn’t take up witchcraft. The teens who went to see the Twilight movies did not take up drinking blood.

The bar code did not become the mark of the beast.

The Soviet Union never started World War III. Bill Clinton never tried to make Christianity illegal. And the United Nations has never attempted to reduce the surplus population.

Feminism has not led to the extinction of men. Belief in evolution has not led to a second holocaust. Gay marriage has not destroyed the sanctity of heterosexual marriage.

Yes, there were Christians who were promoting every single one of those fears, and even though none of the things we have been told to fear have… Read More

malchus

Why Did Jesus Tell Them To Buy Swords?

- - Life With God, Uncategorized

A friend recently asked me the following question:

My reading this morning is in the latter chapters of Luke. The Last Supper is finished, they’re heading for the garden and what Jesus knows is His arrest and murder. He tells the disciples to bring swords. They say they have two, and He says “It’ll do.” Off they go.

Yet, in John, when stuff starts to go down and Peter actually uses one of those swords, Jesus tells him to put it away, because answering violence with violence is not the answer. Then He fixes the damage that Peter did.

So here’s the conundrum:

Why did Jesus tell them to bring swords in the first place?

If He didn’t want anybody using them, why did He… Read More