Why Jesus? (Blog Challenge #2)

This week's post in the month long blog challenge is supposed to answer the following question- Why Jesus?  How did I come to be a Christ-follower when there are so many option to choose from in this world?  My initial thought was to go all theological on you, but then I remembered how much I hate theological arguments and how seldom they convince anyone of anything.  So instead, let's look at these three things that have impacted my faith in Jesus.


The first factor is history.  Because his life was recorded in so many different places in so much detail by so many different witnesses, even the staunchest of atheists cannot argue that Jesus never existed and taught.  His death by crucifixion is a historical fact, which proves his teaching had aggravated the leaders of the day, be they Roman or Jewish.  And there were hundreds of people in Jerusalem who claimed to have seen him AFTER he was supposed to be dead, and who witnessed the ascension.  We know that he was here.  The question then becomes whether or not we believe he was the Son of God.  I grew up in a church in which many people believed that Jesus was an awesome teacher, a great man- but not necessarily the Messiah.  I know now that that those beliefs cannot be accurate.  Jesus was either who he said he was- the Son of God - or he was one of the great liars in all of history. And I believe history itself shows him to be the Holy Lamb of God, sent to save me from my sins.


Secondly, Jesus is the fulfillment of the promise that God would never stop loving his people.  The entire narrative of scripture, from the Garden of Eden in Genesis to the New Jerusalem in the Revelation of John, is about God's search to connect with his creation.  In every other religion, the story is about man's search to find a god.  It's about trying to be good enough to deserve a god.  You can earn your way to god.  Jesus came because humanity had proven over and over again that we were no good on our own; we needed a savior.  Yaweh came looking for us.  Other religions ask, "what have you done for me lately?"  In Christianity, Jesus announces from the cross that "it is finished"  It's done.  I took care of it for you.  God has found YOU.  Awesome.


Finally- and most importantly- I choose Jesus because I KNOW him to be real.  He's not just a character from an old book, he (in the form of the Holy Spirit) walks with me every day.  I speak with him often.  And he talks back.  Not in a booming voice or through burning bushes, but through the silence and the people in my life.   He saved my life through his redemptive love and amazing grace.  To quote the band Newsboys, "that's why Jesus is the final answer to who I want my God to be."  So why Jesus?  Because- that's why!  Blessings to you all!


Because of Jesus,

"C'mon Man- Just Shut Up!" (Bonus Post)

WARNING!  The following post contains political opinion.  Just remember if it makes you angry, Jesus says you still have to love me anyway!  :)


When I first started watching Mike & Mike In the Morning on ESPN2, they presented something every Tuesday called The Just Shut Up Award.  The idea was to present this fictional trophy to the person in sports who had said the most ridiculous thing over the previous week.  I loved the idea so much that I gave out a similar award on my youth group website for a few years.  Sometimes people just say dumb things.

Currently, ESPN has a NFL analyst named Chris Carter.  CC was a great player in his day, and has very interesting insights into the current state of the league and its players. He can be heard in several different places on the ESPN family of networks giving out his very special award.  It's called "C'mon, Man!"  He picks out a player or two who did something ridiculous and basically says to them, "Are you serious?  C'mon, man!"  Sometimes people just do dumb things.

I try not to be political on this blog, but every now and then things must be said.  Over the past 9 months I have watched and listened to the Chief Executive of the great state of Florida.  He has consistently and without fail done and said ridiculous things on a weekly basis.  The things he is doing to teachers in particular and education in general in this state should be considered criminal.  So without further adieu, I would like to present my first ever C'mon Man- Just Shut Up! award to The Governor Who Shall Not Be Named. He's pictured below with his identical twin.  I am certain he will be honored by this award...

Which one's Rick?  

What Do I Expect?

Tomorrow (October 12) is my day to once again serve as a prayer partner for Ashley Goad Broadhurst as she serves God by bringing clean water to the people of Haiti.  I hope you will join in me in praying for her.

I should preface this post by reminding you all once again how blessed I am to attend a great church led by a Pastor who "gets it."  He preaches each week with passion.  His teaching is scriptural and full of grace.  People flock in to hear him.  He is a leader in the Jesus Revolution.  So why, given all of that, do I have days like this past Sunday when I struggle to listen- when I become almost cynical?  Let me explain.


I spent nearly 30 years working in churches, and in that time I both listened to and preached more than my share of sermons.  It is natural that I listen with a bit more of a critical ear than the average church-goer.  And some weeks- like this past Sunday- I fall into a dangerous trap. I focus more on how I would have made the sermon better, instead of on what Jesus has to say to my soul.  Our pastor (like many others) loves to advertise advance sermons with a bit of hubris and hyperbole.  Every series will be the best one yet.  Every sermon will give you new insights into the Word of God.  That's just how preachers talk.  This Sunday we were going to get the answer to the question, "How do I know God's will for my life?"  I was anxious to hear the answer to one of Christianity's most asked queries.  


As the message began, my mind went to a bad place almost immediately.   As the pastor introduced the first scripture he indicated that God had already told us what was required of us.  I made a quick million dollar bet with myself that Micah 6:8 was coming.  I won.  He then indicated Jesus also told us what we were to be doing, and I doubled my money by guessing Matthew 25 before he ever read a word.  How predicable, I thought.  He then went on to say that there are some specific things we can do to learn God's will.  We can accept Jesus as our savior.  We can study scripture more.  We can pray more. We can hang out with Godly people.   And as he preached these truths that so many needed to hear, all I could think was, "DUH!"  That's your big life-changing insight?  Really?  Know Jesus, read the bible, pray and hang out with a better class of friends?  By the time he entered the commitment portion of the service (in which he pretty much always says the exact same thing- because it's what needs to be said!) I had tuned him out completely.  My mind was racing.  Where was the creativity?  I know the gospel never changes, but must we always deliver the message in the same old way?  My background in youth ministry taught me that "tameness, sameness and lameness" often keep people from actually hearing the message.  This sermon felt totally lame to me.  What was wrong with him?


The answer, of course, was nothing.  There was something wrong with me.  I like to say it's all about Jesus, but the fact is on this Sunday morning I made it all about myself.  It was a message tailored for those who are struggling in their faith, seeking God's will - and I got upset because I already knew about it.  That's nuts.  What do I expect from my church?  I expect them to preach grace and God's love, to reach out to the lost and hurting and to help us all find Jesus.  It's not about entertaining me, or finding a new way to tell me what I already know.  Here's the bottom line, and a key point to remember if we want to be a part of a Jesus Revolution- worship is not about what you get out of it, it's about what you put into it.  I forgot that this week and made it all about me- and as a result, I was miserable.  What do I expect from me?  To do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8).  Now where did I hear that before?  


Because of Jesus,

Blessed Are The Merciful

There has been a lot of buzz and controversy lately about the place of the church when it comes to showing mercy to hurt and oppressed people of our world.  Today I invite you to open your heart and your spirit to these words of encouragement and inspiration from some very wise men (such as Saint Francis, pictured).  Live your life mercy-filled.


You're blessed when you care. At the moment of being 'care-full,' you find yourselves cared for.

Matthew 5:7 (The Message)

And what does the LORD require of you?  That you do justice; love mercy; and walk humbly with your GOD.
                           -Micah 6:8


You should not let a single person in the world, whatever sin that person may have committed, come before your eyes and depart without having found mercy with you.  And should that person not ask for mercy from you, then you must ask it of him.  And were that person to come to you a thousand times, continue to love them so as to lead them back to the right path.  Always have compassion, for all of us have sinned.
                                                               -Saint Francis of Assisi


The litmus test of our love for God is our love of neighbor.  

-Brennan Manning

I will be my brother's keeper, not the one who judges him
I won't despise him for his weakness, I won't regard him for his strength
I won't take away his freedom, I will learn to help him stand
And I will, I will be my brother's keeper
                                                               -Rich Mullins/Beaker


Do not waste time bothering whether you "love" your neighbor; act as if you did.  As soon as we do this we find one of the great secrets.  When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him.
                                                               -C.S. Lewis


The bread that you store up belongs to the hungry; the coat that lies in your chest belongs to the naked; the gold that you have hidden in the ground belongs to the poor.
                                                               -Saint Basil


And finally, think about this quote from entertainer Stephen Colbert, who is boldly saying what many in the church will not...

Because of Jesus,

Top 10 Baseball Movies

Bull Durham- the meeting on the mound.

Baseball is loaded with drama and great stories, and for many years Hollywood has been aware of this. There have been many good (and plenty of terrible!) baseball movies, and today I give you my Top 10- well actually 11.  Not included is The Naked Gun, because it is not really a baseball movie, but which features a hilarious baseball scene including the brilliant Leslie Nielsen as an umpire.  Anyway, here we go:


10)  Rookie of the Year (1993) - The guy who would go on to be Tara Reid's boyfriend in American Pie pitches the Cubs (how's that for fantasy!) to a World Series as a 12 year old.  Gary Busey plays a role model.  And yet somehow it works!
10)  The Bad News Bears (1976) - The original is a classic.  Tatum O'Neal had a mean curve, and Walter Matthau was my kind of manager.
  9)  The Rookie (2002) - A movie which proves that anyone could pitch for the Devil Rays in 2002.
  8)  Major League (1989) - The climatic scene when Ricky Vaughn (Charlie Sheen) comes out of bullpen and they play Wild Thing always give me chills.  "Give him the heater, Ricky..."
  7)  Eight Men Out (1988) - The story of the 1919 "Black Sox" scandal.  A great cast and a brilliant telling of a great story.  Every movie is better when John Cusack is in it.
  6)  Pride of the Yankees (1942) - The Lou Gehrig story.  And no, Jason Huffman- I didn't see it in theaters on opening night.
  5)  A League of Their Own (1992) - "There's no crying in baseball!"
  4)  The Natural (1984) - Robert Redford and his homemade bat "Wonder Boy" give us an insight into the the supernatural side of baseball.  One of my favorite movie scores as well.
  3)  Bang the Drum Slowly (1973) - One of Robert DeNiro's early films about a catcher with a terminal illness.  I actually saw this for the first time in a theology class.  This movie also taught me the card game TEGWAR (The Everlasting Game Without Any Rules), which later Alan Brown and I turned into the classic Triple JimBob.  :)
  2)  Bull Durham (1988) - Crash Davis, Nuke LaLoosh, Annie Savoy and the gang. Funny, moving, touching and inspiring, with lots of great baseball, including this inspired meeting on the mound:  "Okay, well, uh... candlesticks always make a nice gift, and uh, maybe you could find out where she's registered and maybe a place-setting or maybe a silverware pattern. Okay, let's get two!  Go get 'em."
  1)   Field of Dreams (1989) - "If you build it, they will come..."  Not only my favorite baseball  movie, but one of 5 favorite movies ever.  Period.  I still miss having a catch with my Dad...


I hope you enjoyed my baseball weekend- I did!  My dear friend Ashley Goad Broadhurst left her own Top 10 baseball movies list in a comment on yesterday's post.  Feel free to leave yours today.  I'll get back to my regularly scheduled programming tomorrow.  Blessings!

The Wonders of Baseball

"The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball.  America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers.  It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time.  This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray.  It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again."  - Terrance Mann (James Earl Jones) in Field of Dreams

Fenway Park, Boston

I love baseball.  I realize this puts me in the minority among USAmericans, who (as George Carlin would say) prefer the violence and land acquisition of football to a sport where the ultimate goal is to "run home."  But I do love baseball.  I love how green the fields are, and the amazing textures of the infields and the outfields.  I love the crack of the bat and sound of the ball hitting a leather glove.  I love the strategies and the cerebral nature of the game, yet I also love the silly rituals and ridiculous superstitions.  I still wouldn't step on a baseline when crossing from the field to the dugout.  I love that there in no clock- you simply play until the game is over.  It is a beautiful game.

I love the history of the game, and my history with it.  I was at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in 1973 the night Hank Aaron hit his 700th home run.  I saw Reggie Jackson hit a home run off Tom Seaver at Fenway in 1986.  I have a Cal Ripen, Jr. autographed baseball from after The Streak.   I get jazzed knowing that no hitter has won the Triple Crown since Yaz (I wore #8 in Little League because Carl Yastrzemski was my favorite player) did it in '67, and wondering if this might be the year (and Matt Kemp got very close!).  I once saw Dale Murphy slam a pinch hit home run off Doc Gooden to win a game- with a broken bone in his hand!  Legendary!  I love the details, like knowing that when I was 13 I hit a home run with a Ralph Garr model bat I got at a Braves game on Bat Night.  And it saddens me that most of you don't know who Ralph (the Roadrunner) Garr is...  Because the game never changes- 9 innings, 3 strikes, 3 outs, 90 feet between bases, 60 feet, 6 inches from pitcher's mound to home plate- it is the one sport where you can legitimately argue about who was better, Honus Wagner or Derek Jeter (it's Wagner, by the way) because the era doesn't matter.  I love that baseball is still better on radio than it is on TV.  I love that I can still look at a box score (if I can find one anymore) and tell you all about a game I did not see.  I love this game, and I treasure this time of the year- the playoffs and the World Series.  It's Francisco Cabrera/Sid Bream time (or the Tiger's Don Kelly on Thursday night, or the Brewer's Nyjer Morgan last night), when role players become heroes never to be forgotten.  It just makes me smile.

In many parts of my life I am a progressive, someone who enjoys and embraces change.  When it comes to baseball, I am a purist.  I have never liked the DH.  No baseball team (including my beloved Rays) should play in a dome unless it has a retractable roof.  It is criminal- CRIMINAL! - that there were two playoff games in Tampa this past week with the temperature at 80 degrees and not a cloud in the sky, and they were playing baseball indoors.  I believe that anyone who suggests tearing down Wrigley Field or Fenway Park is guilty of treason.  Those are the 2 "sanctuaries" of baseball.  I have attended several games at both, and they were among the most special days of my life.  I believe that middle schools/junior high schools should teach students the mathematical equations for ERA (earned run average) and batting average as part of the curriculum.  And I believe that hitting a baseball in the single most difficult task in all of sports.  The very best fail to get a hit 2 out of 3 tries.  I love this game.

Ralph Garr, 1973

I know that many of you will say that you find baseball to be boring.  I read a statement recently from a baseball writer who said he never argued with people who thought that way, because baseball is boring to the casual fan.  Until it is not.  No other sport (with the occasional exceptions of college basketball and playoff sudden-death ice hockey) provides the kind of dramatic, climactic moments that baseball does. Only in baseball- after 130 years or so of professional games- does something happen almost every night that has never happened before.  Only in baseball does a team get the chance to complete a magnificent comeback (like being down 7-0 to the Yankees in a must win game) every night, because the clock cannot expire.  You play until the 9 innings are over- and then you play again tomorrow.  Only in baseball can you say at the beginning of September "there are no playoff races left" only to have the last day of the regular season be one of the most spectacular, meaningful days in baseball history.  Baseball may be slow.  It may seem to lack action on occasion, because the intricacies of the game are lost on so many these days.  It may even be boring.  Until it is not.  And then it is simply magnificent!


Have I convinced you yet?  :)  I am not alone in my feeling that baseball makes for amazing theater.  Hollywood agrees with me.  Tomorrow I'll share with you my 10 favorite baseball movies.  Get ready, 'cause I'm bringing the CHEESE!  Batter up!

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

In a post this past Wednesday I shared the story of my faith journey.  In it I indicated that my quest to know Jesus has been a life-long adventure, and that I by no means consider myself as having "arrived," even at my "advanced age."  There is so much more I want to know, so much more I need to discover.  But at least one person who read my story had great difficulty with me saying those things.  They sent me a message saying that once you find Christ, your search should be over.  Once you understand that Jesus is the answer, how can you still have questions?  I would like to respond to those thoughts today.


In the third chapter of Philippians the Apostle Paul writes his famous words about "pressing on towards the goal."  Just prior to those words, in verses 10-13, he writes the following:  "I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,  and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.  Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.   Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.  Let's take a look at who it was that was stating that he had "not yet taken hold of it."  Paul had been handpicked by God to take the gospel to the Gentiles.  He had been rejected, beaten, shipwrecked, imprisoned and spat upon by those who sought to discredit the story of Jesus.  He had taken the message of Christ to the known corners of the world, and along with Peter and other disciples had turned the world upside down for Jesus.  Paul walked as close to the will of God as any human being ever has.  And yet, he spoke those words- "not that I have already attained all that."  Paul wrote those words while sitting in a prison cell, arrested for preaching the gospel.  And yet he knew that there was still more to learn. He knew he had not yet arrived.


When the great band U2 released their amazing album The Joshua Tree in 1987, it was considered to be an album that reflected the Christian faith of several of the bands members, including lead singer Bono.  Yet one of their most deeply spiritual songs, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, created a great controversy at the time.  How could they claim to be Christ-followers and yet still be searching?  I remember preaching a sermon on the subject at the time and pointing out these lyrics from the song:

You broke the bonds and loosed the chains

You carried the cross of my shame

Of my shame

You know I believe it

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

U2 was professing their faith in the Christ who died for us all and confessing their belief in him.  Paul was still searching for more even though he may have been the most committed Christian who ever lived.  People hear me say that I am still searching and jump to the conclusion that I am saying that Jesus isn't enough.  They could not be more wrong.  What I am saying - what Paul and Bono were saying- is that no matter where we are in our faith journey, one question is always valid-  You mean there's more?  And the answer is Yes!  Always!!!  The love, the grace and the wisdom of Jesus surpass human understanding.  Their depth is bottomless.  There is always more for us to learn and comprehend.  I cannot judge you if you think you have already arrived as a Christ-follower.  I just know that I've got to keep pressing on, because I want to be like Jesus- and I'm not nearly there yet.  Have a blessed weekend, my friends!

Because of Jesus,