Looking Beyond the Gay Marriage Issue

By now you are aware of our president coming out in favor of gay marriage. It certainly has sparked a landslide of reaction and sometimes heated rhetoric along the expected political divide. Christians, of course, are caught up in the conversation. For many Christians the acceptance of gay marriage is another alarming sign of the cultural shift that is pushing America away from the Christian values of its founding roots.

The latter is the focus of this post- not the gay marriage issue per se.

Whether or not America was ever a truly “Christian nation” remains up for debate. But an objective view of our history does reveal that at periods in our past (perhaps most of the periods in our past) traditional Christian values were respected and integrated into the fiber of our collective identity as a country. As a result Christians have historically enjoyed a seat at the tables of power. Our voice has been an influential one.  But now that is changing.

The gay marriage debate illustrates this (along with a long list of other moral and social issues in which Christians find themselves at odds with contemporary culture).  As the gay agenda gains acceptance it does so as the as the political agenda many Christians pursue is falling out of favor.  The seat Christians enjoyed at the table of power is now being offered to other groups.  In the overall cultural conversation, the Christian message is being systematically legislated out of the public arena.  Slowly but surely Christians are now the ones being marginalized.

It isn’t happening without a fight. We call this the “culture wars.” But try as we might, it seems that the traditional Christian perspective is losing ground. Welcome to the strange (to some) new world of “post- Christian America.”

My question is- what do we do now? Now that we are no longer politically correct; now that we can no longer depend upon the political or judicial systems to back up our agendas? Now that we no longer have that seat at the table of power?

Well, I am not convinced that having that seat was such a blessing in the first place. Somehow there is something disconnecting and inconsistent about a kingdom that is “not of this world”  which is to operate from a position of the cross partnering up with a kingdom of the world that operates from a position of empire (Don’t misunderstand me. I love my country. But it was never supposed to be the kingdom of God. It is a nation and does what nations do– typically guided by political self-interests, not God.)  And look at what that partnership has produced. Most Christians are now stereotyped as right-wing fanatics who are angry and hateful people. Sure, there are many factors (a great many unfair and prejudicial) that have produced this image, but let’s be honest- our forays into power politics have not helped.

So back to my question. What do we do now as a marginalized group of people no longer in the mainstream of cultural thought?

Here is one idea. Instead of “coercion through legislation” let’s try “persuasion through incarnation.”  This idea and quote is not original with me. It has all to do with simply faithfully living out the presence of God in our life and community- regardless of what kind of community that is.  It is not a new idea. Just journey back to the first century– to what is recorded in the book of Acts.

Here was this little fledgling group- not very well liked by the political players of the day. They were completely powerless, the definition of marginalized, and without major resources. They were far removed from the tables of power. Yet, they prevailed. Their faithfulness in God’s kingdom saw them endure persecution, overcome prejudice, stereotyping, and humiliation to take Jesus triumphantly to their world. They lived “quiet” lives- not of silent desperation but of faithful commitment and celebration. The “shalom of God” reigned in them. Through it all the unstoppable power of God was released within them and literally turned the world upside down- all without help from any political action committee and without any established cultural currency at all.

(Interestingly, when they did get this type of power- after Constantine- it got ugly. Eventually the church became the oppressor forcing people to do its bidding. We now refer to that era as the Dark Ages. This still serves as a vivid reminder of how Christianity can be corrupted by political power.)

So, maybe it is God’s will that his people operate outside of the margins.  Maybe we can better represent his values while not sitting at the table of power. Maybe we have lost something in our desire for this seat.

It is also revealing that Jesus– who not only could have claimed any power he wanted, but also had the right to do so– chose not to operate this way. His ministry was totally outside the margins. Recall what he told his disciples who were definitely thinking in terms of rule and power:

You’ve observed how godless rulers throw their weight around, how quickly a little power goes to their heads. It’s not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you  must be your slave.  (Matthew 20: 25-26 MSG)

We are facing a new reality in America as Christians. Yes, it can be alarming. But it also can be amazing. God is going to continue to reign. Opportunities to share the kingdom message of hope, joy, love, mercy, grace, truth and yes, obedience will abound. God’s Word spoken absent malice, but in love and compassion remains powerful and compelling.

Here is what we must remember: It is not our government’s job to spread this message. It is ours.

I Sat Down (and other news)

For almost a year I sat down. I stopped exercising and followed a horrible diet of junk and fatty food. I found ways to justify it- the move and new job; having surgery; the desk-time demands of my master’s program. The consequences have been predictable: some weight gain, huffing and puffing going up the stairs; and a general feeling of sluggishness. Yep, I sat down and it was tough getting back up. But I have. Already I feel better. So don’t neglect exercise. I knew better. I was the exercise guy.

The Baltic Family Camp set for July 30-August 5 in Lithuania is shaping up, praise be to God. Our theme is “We Are One.” It will have a wonderful international flavor with Christians from Estoinia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, and the U.S. coming together at Camp Ruta. We have our schedule set including class topics and daily activities. Excitement is building. All four Dodds are scheduled to be there, God willing. Keep this effort in your prayers.

Well, after all these years I finally earned my master’s degree. In was in ministry through Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas. I would recommend the MMIN program for anyone interested in expanding their educational and ministry experience. It is a wonderfully challenging and practical online program.

It is the political season. If you are like me you continue to ask which is the best way for a Christian to engage politics. There are many different viewpoints concerning this. Here is an interesting one.

I continue to appreciate the Levy church. I am enjoying my ministry here. Levy is truly an “organic” church where ministry grows from the grass roots. We recently hosted a Community Day in which nearly 500 guests enjoyed all kinds of activities. It was a blessing for all involved.

And finally, it is no secret that I am a big fan of The Andy Griffith Show. My ten year-old daughter, Taylor, is following in my footsteps and enjoys watching our DVD episodes. In a conversation with her the other day she replied to something I said with, “Well, you  know what Barney would say.” I was so proud!

To Change the World

It is election time! Everything now seems to be so over-politicized. How should we as Christians respond? James Hunter has written a challenging, refreshing, and thoroughly researched book entitled, To Change the World: The Irony, Tragedy, & Possibility of Christianity in the Late Modern World, addressing these questions.

He examines how Christians in the twenty-first century commonly engage politics- from the right, from the left, and from an approach of  radical withdrawal (that he labels as “neo-Anabaptist”) and concludes that while each approach has its merits (as well as problems) none really fully embrace the most powerful biblical way of “faithful presence” (using Jeremiah 29:4-7 as his foundational text).

It is through “faithful presence” Hunter argues- not by becoming entangled in partisan power politics that Christians can best impact the world. It is not by grasping for power that Christians will influence culture, but rather by a quiet yet steadfastly faithful living out of God’s presence in community through every aspect of our lives, our businesses, and our relationships.

Here is just one excerpt that represents his challenging ideas: ”To be sure, Christianity is not, first and foremost, about establishing righteousness or creating good values or securing justice or making peace in the world. … But for Christians, these are all secondary to the primary good of God himself and the primary task of worshipping him and honoring him in all they do” (pp.285-286).

I recommend this book to you- especially now that it is election season. Just know, it is not the easiest of reads and you will not always agree with Hunter’s conclusions, but it will likely challenge you to examine your motives and involvement concerning all things political.

Leadership Training for Christ

It was my privilege to accompany a group from the Levy church to Dallas over Easter weekend to participate in the wonderful Leadership Training for Christ (LTC) annual conference. LTC is all about helping kids discover and use their gifts of ministry.

Kids from third grade through high school participate in chorus, puppets, drama, arts, speeches, Bible quiz, and more at the conference.  The real work, however, is put in long before arrival at the conference. I witnessed first-hand the preparation with the Levy group with my daughter, Taylor.

The atmosphere at the conference is amazing with hundreds of people from the southwest region converging all at once. It was a blessing to be involved and I am thankful for Levy’s commitment to LTC  and look forward to, God willing, spending many more weekends this way.  Here are some pics:

At the Levy tables- getting ready

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chorus practice

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Puppets!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am thankful for everyone at Levy who worked hard for LTC 2012!

Baltic Family Camp

God willing, on July 30-August 5 Christians from the countries of Lithuania, Poland, Latvia, Estonia, Germany, and the United States will converge on Camp Ruta in Moletai, Lithuania for the first Baltic Family Camp (BFC).  This ministry has long been a dream of many and thanks to God along with the missional focus of the Levy Church of Christ, the dream is about to be realized.

Recently I had he privilege of traveling in the Baltic region. I was warmly welcomed by Christians in Vilnius, Lithuania; Warsaw, Poland; Riga, Latvia; Tartu and Tallinn, Estonia.  Without fail they expressed joy, excitement, and anticipation about the camp. Our goal is to make BFC an annual gathering for Christians in this region.

The Baltic area churches of Christ- while strong and vibrant in most places- remain small, scattered, and isolated. Their hunger for extended fellowship is evident.  BFC– which is scheduled after the youth camp ministry is completed in each country– will hopefully facilitate deeper fellowship and church strengthening. We envision it as a time of refreshing, rest, and renewal.

We have a tremendous team from the U.S. and Europe who plan to facilitate growth discussions for missionaries, men, women, couples, and singles. Planned is also a separate day camp for the children who accompany their parents.

We solicit your prayers for this effort. We still have much to do in order to be fully prepared. Our appropriate theme is “We Are One.”  If you would like to know more about Churches of Christ in the Baltic region here are some links with information about the congregations and the people in them:

• Vilnius Church of Christ
• Warsaw Church of Christ
• Tallinn and Tartu Churches of Christ
• Riga Center Church of Christ
• For more information about Camp Ruta click here.

Looks for more news about BFC here in the future.