Not All Like That....

I came upon the N.A.L.T website today, via Facebook. N.A.L.T is the acronym for Not All Like That. It is a joint venture of Truth Wins Out  and John Shore, progressive author/blogger. It is inspired by the  It Gets Better Project.  In videos, gay affirming Christians tell why they believe the way they do. They don't want to be lumped in with the loud evangelical voices going on and on about the erosion of the family, the gay agenda, and the slippery slope that will lead to laws ensuring all kinds of perversions, including the right to marry your dog if you have a mind to. 

There are too many Christians who feel it is their right...even their duty...to defend themselves against what they perceive as Christian persecution. The gay marriage issue is one of the venues this view is heard loud and clear. The annual war against Christmas is another great example. Every year countless Christians get all worked up about trees and parades and greetings that don't specifically use the word C.H.R.I.S.T.M.A.S.

 As if Christmas was a Christian holiday to begin with...! I've written about the Christmas wars here on this blog several times.

 I commend the  folks (54 or so and counting) who've put their beliefs out there for the world to see. I communicate best in written form. I trip over my own tongue when I try to talk..out loud..about sensitive issues. I haven't been shy about proclaiming  I've got a problem with street preachers who show up at pride events to shout about hell fire and damnation or those who espouse the dog-eared cliche "love the sinner, hate the sin." I've got a problem with the "put Christ back in Christmas warriors" and with every Christian who thinks it is their right to force their beliefs and interpretation of scripture on others. I've seen it said on Facebook (so I know it has to be true) "Disagreeing with your beliefs is not persecution." 

And to those who have been hurt or bullied by mean-spirited, self righteous Christians, I can only affirm that we are "not all like that."

Like an onion…

I recently began a new Bible reading plan that I found on a website called Ransom Fellowship. (I found it via my new favorite "research" tool…Pinterest)

According to the article, the plan goes back to the time of the Puritans but it was repackaged by Margie Haack as the 

Bible Reading Program for Slackers and Shirkers

(A similar plan can be found HERE)

Basically…the plan assigns a reading from a different part of the Bible each day of the week.

Sunday - Poetry
Monday - The Pentateuch
Tuesday and Wednesday - Old Testament History
Thursday - Old Testament Prophets
Friday - New Testament History
Saturday - New Testament Epistles

There are two key benefits to this plan. You can see the interconnectedness of scripture. And since there are no specific dates assigned to the readings, there is not as much pressure....or guilt.....when life gets in the way and you miss a few days of reading. Missed this Monday's reading? Tomorrow is a new day....so simply move on to Tuesday's reading and pick up next Monday where you left off.

I also found a very simple bible study method (again thanks Pinterest) called the SOAP METHOD.

SCRIPTURE
OBSERVATION
APPLICATION
PRAYER

I know there are many ways to study the bible. In fact, while researching for this article (No not Pinterest this time…google) I came upon a website that talks about some of the methods with links to "worksheets" for each of the different types of study.

The Bible Study Methods
Method One – The Devotional Method
Method Two – The Chapter Summary Method
Method Three – The Character Quality Method
Method Four – The Thematic Method
Method Five – The Biographical Method
Method Six – The Topical Method
Method Seven – The Word Study Method
Method Eight – The Book Background Method
Method Nine – The Book Survey Method
Method Ten – The Chapter Analysis Method
Method Eleven – The Book Synthesis Method
Method Twelve – The Verse by Verse Method

The word study method piques my interest because I have found that, oftentimes,the English word does not really do justice to the meaning of the word in the original language. But even though the detailed worksheets appeal to the OCD aspects of my personality, for now I'm going to KISS and use the SOAP method.

So anyway...the inspiration for this entire post was a quote by Emmet Kelly that I happened upon this morning. I love the diamond mining analogy he uses. I've heard scripture compared to an onion....layer upon layer upon layer of meaning. When you "dig" a little deeper, things are not always what they appear on the surface.

The study of the Bible is not unlike the search for diamonds in South Africa. At first people found a few diamonds in the yellow clay, and they were delighted with their good fortune, even while they supposed that this was to be the full extent of their find.

 Then, upon digging deeper, they came upon the blue clay, and, to their amazement, they then found as many precious stones in a day as they had previously found in a year, and what had formerly seemed like wealth faded into insignificance beside the new riches.

In your exploration of Bible Truth, see to it that you do not rest satisfied in the yellow clay of a few spiritual discoveries, but press on to the rich blue clay underneath.

 The Bible, however, differs from the diamond field in the sublime fact that beneath the blue clay there are more and still more and richer strata, awaiting the touch of spiritual perception—on and on to Infinity. Emmet Fox

Jesus Wept….

And one of the things I read recently  that “fills me with words” is Mike Huckabee's Twitter comment on the gay marriage rulings. The Internet is abuzz about it. Google it and you will come up with pages and pages of results. Some in support.  Some that thoughtfully disagree.  Some that poke fun.  I am no doubt one of the last bloggers to post about it..but post, I must, because it is just so....annoying.  Huckabee said:

Gov. Mike Huckabee ✔ @GovMikeHuckabee

My thoughts on the SCOTUS ruling that determined that same sex marriage is okay: "Jesus wept."

Really? You really think that?

I'm more inclined to believe that Jesus weeps over things like the torture and murder of Matthew Shepard. Or Mark Carson, the man who was shot point blank in the face in Greenwich Village this May; harassed and killed by a  stranger because he was gay. Or what about the countless lives that are wasted through suicide or years of reparative therapy....

Jesus wept about the SCOTUS ruling? Nuh-uh.

Next post….more about Jesus wept. 

Full of…..words…

It's been a while. A long while. I'm not sure what happened, exactly, but I just stopped writing here on this blog. I didn't run out of ideas....but I seemed to run out of time.

I started a new position at work about a year ago that required a bunch of overtime. The "hum drum ho hum" day to day issues of life kept me busy, distracted.  My brain is tired after sitting in front of a computer all day...thinking.  And even though I have the best of intentions on the weekends....somehow, when Sunday night arrives, the bathrooms are clean and the carpets are vacuumed...but nothing is written.

A while ago, I came across a verse in Job that stuck with me.  Elihu has had it with Job and his miserable comforters. Being the youngest, he waited and listened to the others, no doubt biting his tongue bloody. Finally, exasperated, he declares.....

I, too will answer, yes, I will tell what I know.  For I am full of words and my spirit compels me to speak.

Sometimes, the things I read on the internet...especially Facebook ... have me biting my tongue. But Facebook is intimidating and feels a little too much like oral communication class in high school. It is so....public. Like getting up in front of a bunch of people and spouting off. But like Elihu, I have stuff to say....and my spirit compels me to speak....so I'm going to try to spout off on a more regular basis here on this blog. 

The Blessing of Growth

I happened upon an article this morning on Huffington Post…written by Shane L. Windmeyer, the founder and executive director of Campus Pride. His organization advanced the national campaign against Chick-fil-A.  The article is entitled Dan and Me: My Coming Out as a Friend of Dan Cathy and Chick-fil-A

I haven’t cared much for Dan Cathy since the firestorm a few months ago…..when Chick-fil-A became the unwitting symbol for the fight to save traditional marriage….I mean the right of free speech.  Uh-huh…... 

I was more than a bit put off by all the Christians, who stood in line for hours, called to action by Sean Hannity, to demonstrate their support for free speech by buying a Chick-Fil-A sandwich. Let’s just say, I strongly suspect that the motive of most of the people who stood in those long lines was to make an anti gay rights statement. I don’t think it was about free speech.  

So I didn’t care much for him….or his views….or his values….or his monetary contributions to what some would consider hate groups. 

So I was surprised….convicted….and then encouraged by the article this morning on Huffington Post.  It’s an example of how folks who hold almost polar opposite world views can sit down and have a civil conversation, showing each other mutual respect.  And in doing so they can actually find common ground and opportunities to grow and make the world a better place. 

Dan Cathy called it the “blessing of growth.”

There were numerous cynical, sarcastic comments in response to the article, coming from both sides of the gay rights divide. There was still mud slinging and hate; the “gay guys” didn’t want to give an inch to the “religious bigots” and visa versa.  There were charges of selling out, settling, hypocrisy. From both sides.   

Some people only want to hang on to their world view and beliefs….demonizing the other guy. As long as we are demonizing the other guy, real change and the blessing of growth is very elusive. 

I have to point out that this type of conversation only seems to work when both sides want it to work.  If the agenda is to BE understood rather than to UNDERSTAND….if the agenda is to convince, talk over, debate…..this type of conversation cannot accomplish much.

Some people do not want to understand or extend a hand in friendship. Some people simply want to be right. 

Evangelical Christians are multi dimensional creatures…..and like gay people cannot be defined through an isolated lens.

The world does not need more enemies….it needs more unlikely friendships like these two guys, more open dialogue, more understanding, less hate and intolerance.

I am reminded of the quote by Abraham Lincoln

The best way to destroy an enemy is to make him a friend.

And a bonus quote from Martin Luther King

Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.