The New Adventures of an Old Preacher

In a teaching context to the law-focused Romans on the divine perspective of faith justification using Abraham to illustrate, Paul has this to say about the great Patriarch:

Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. (Romans 4:20-21)

Really?

Sorry, but the following does not sound like “not waver” or “being fully persuaded” to me:

• His plot with Sara to lie and pass her off as his sister to the Pharaoh while in Egypt in an attempt to save his skin. (Genesis 12:10-20)
• The plan concocted with Sara’s help to use their maidservant Hagar to conceive a child with Abraham as if God needed their help to work out his will. (Genesis 16)
• A second lie in passing off Sara to Abimelech as his sister. (Genesis 20- Sara must have been some kind of ninety-year old looker!)

None of this sounds to me like Abraham was fully convinced that God had the power to deliver on his promise of a son. It appears to me that there were times when Abraham was fearful and doubting.

But he never quit. He never stopped going in God’s direction- even after his blunders. He was with God to the very end. This is why Paul could say of Abraham’s faith that “it was credited to him as righteousness” and how he could use him as a faith example for the ages.

As for those specific references about not wavering and being fully persuaded?

Well, this is the main point of this post.

It is called grace.

Through God’s grace-filled recollection of Abraham’s faith journey, those things vanish from the story. Grace accounted for them and removed them from the record.

I don’t know about you, but I am going to need the same type of grace-reckoning.

All prasies to the God of Abraham- and the God of grace!

Do you believe in prophets? I am not talking about the Old Testament kind. I am not talking about Nostradamus either. Do you believe that God still communicates to his people today through modern prophecy? This is the question I have been asked to consider on this post.

Traditionally those of us in Churches of Christ have taught that the need for prophecy is over. Our proof text is found in 1st Corinthians 13:8-12. Our understanding of this text focuses on defining what is the “perfection” that is to come as stated in verse 10. For here, Paul clearly states  “when perfection comes” and “imperfection disappears” that prophecies (among other supernatural gifts of God’s Spirit) will “cease”. Paul further indicates in verses eleven and twelve that this “perfection” would also help us mature and see much more “fully” the ways of God.

Some have identified “perfection” as love itself or as Christ himself- these definitions seem inadequate for love was already attainable and Christ had already come. Others have identified “perfection” as the coming millennium where Christ will reign and all will be peacefully perfect- this attempt at defining “perfection” is at least more consistent since this has not (or will ever?) occur and would allow for the continuation of the supernatural spiritual gifts.

Our (the Churches of Christ) definition of “perfection” identifies it as the written word of God or God’s complete and “once delivered” message to man recorded in written form. In other words, our Bibles. This idea flows from the fact that in the early Christian community all revelation began as verbal communication- Peter preached; Paul taught- and shared God’s inspired message orally. The first churches had no written New Covenant truth and therefore needed the presence of the Spirit’s supernatural gifts to verify their authenticity as a true people of God. As the oral word of God was recorded and as apostles like Paul wrote inspired letters to churches and as these were collected and used throughout all Christian churches- the need for the gifts like prophecy eventually subsided. Christians began to learn about God’s will more fully through the written revelation than they could through the reflected truth revealed in the gifts.

But how does this explanation still hold up?- that is the question.

If it does not and gifts such as prophecy still exist today, then that would open up a major can of theological worms-  Who are the prophets? What is their message? How can we trust it? Why haven’t I or someone at my church been given this gift?- are just a few questions that come to my mind.

One thing is for sure- God can speak to us any way he chooses, but here is the deal- for me anyway- if God does still communicate in prophecy I could not see him revealing something new or different or withholding it from a portion of his people. And if that is true then what place and purpose would prophecy hold?

“But where there are prophecies…”- there will be questions!

During my recent trip to visit my mom I decided to listen exclusively to country music on the radio. I have always been a fan of this music genre- especially the older stuff- but had not listened to it very much recently. I must say that I was impressed at the core values that most of the songs I heard expressed. As I took in these proclamations of faith and family- I must admit- the cynic in me was saying that it was all just a Nashville ploy to get folks like me to buy the CDs. But that cynicism gave way and I soon found myself getting lost in the touching lyrics and the sweet sounds of the steel guitar.

A good number of the songs focused on family and seemed to target the dad/daughter relationship. The current king of country music, George Strait, has a wonderful song out entitled I Saw God Today which celebrates the birth of a baby girl. Rodney Atkins in Come On In Boy sings about cleaning his gun as he talks to his daughter’s date. Ole Achy Breaky Billy Ray Cyrus and his mega-teen-star daughter, Miley, sing a very tender duet entitled Ready, Set, Don’t Go about the bittersweet leaving-the-nest period.  And Chuck Wicks song, Stealing Cinderella, made me go all mushy as I heard it for the first time. I could not help but think about my two precious little girls- Taylor and Jordan.

In that same vein, Trace Adkins sings about how You’re Gonna Miss This when special moments with family- even the challenging ones- are a part of your past and not your present. Like Charlene Darling, that one made me cry too.

I particularly enjoyed Alan Jackson’s latest- Small Town Southern Man.  Being a small-town southern man it connected. I have known and respected quite a few men who “bowed their head to Jesus and stood for Uncle Sam.”

Two songs in particular are still lingering in certain parts of my heart. 

Brooks and Dunn’s haunting God Must Be Busy visits the often problematic question of God’s presence in an destructive, violent world. It is definitely worth a listen.

And then there is the amazing vocal sound of Jennifer Nettles in Sugarland’s Stay. You can literally feel the pain and the empowerment of the woman on the wrong end of a love-affair with a married man as she comes to realize the hopelessness of her adulterous situation.

I did hear a few oldies and a couple of newer songs with the more traditional drinking, loving and leaving themes of country music but they were in the minority.

On this trip I discovered the theology of country music- and it was pretty solid.

I know it is a little early but I leave today to go visit my mom in Greenville, MS- and will be out-of-blog touch for a while. So it is my prayer for you that God will richly bless you on Resurrection Sunday!

I am looking forward to seeing my mom and at least two of my sisters and my cousins. I have not seen them since Thanksgiving. In addition I am also looking forward to fishing with my brother-in-law. Can’t wait to wet a hook in that good ole Delta water!

I also hope to meet the new preacher for the South Main Church of Christ- Danny Holman. From their church bulletin I see many good things happening.

God willing I will return to Pensacola on Saturday. Please pray for my travel and pray for my girls who are not making the trip with me.

The Mississippi Delta will always be home. It is just impossible to shake all that gumbo soil off your boots!

Proms are still a couple of months away, but I have been asked by a friend to explore this topic now- so as always I am soliciting your wisdom in this discussion.

Did you know that Proms are big business? Literally- millions are spent each year on dresses, flowers, tux rental, limousine service, decorations, photo fees, etc.  Thousands of folk earn thousands of dollars every year during prom season.

Did you know that Proms are now basically a rite-of-passage for millions of American teens? It is now such a big-deal event that some even hire prom advisers and prom counselors to ensure the very best prom experience possible.

It is just simply not your grandparents dance anymore.

And in this all-consuming prom climate any voice that calls this tradition into question may get lost in all the noise.

But I am such a voice.

Now before I continue I will admit that I have no clue what may go on at your specific prom. It may be the most well-chaperoned “Let it to Beaver” type dance on the planet. You may just go there to hang-out, get your picture taken, drink punch and leave early. I am not discounting the innocent fun that proms can provide, the thrill they give young people who participate by getting all glamorous for one night, nor am I attempting to indict everyone who attends a prom.

My concerns have to do soley with my own personal experience in the dark ages of long-ago. Then I just followed my crowd to the dance. Now as an old Christian dad I would not want my daughters to go to a prom like I had. Here are my three main reasons:

• The atmosphere- let’s just say that most dances do not provide an atmosphere in which spiritual health is encouraged. Do I need to elaborate?
• The music- even in my day the music we listened to was very suggestive. Lyrics hinted of drug use and sexual experimentation. Now the lyrics have gone from suggestive to plain-talk to expletive. I know we can turn this type of music off, but not when we dance. Gotta have music to dance, you know.
• The moves- many dance moves today are very sexually suggestive- even imitating sex acts. No way participating in these type of dances can please God.

All type of dancing is not sinful. Some dances are recorded in Scripture as done to the glory of God. (Psalm 149:3; 150:4) There are all kinds of dance disciplines today which are every bit an athletic endeavor as any other sport and are a beauty to behold.

And I am sure that not all Proms are cut from the same cloth.

But before you decide to prom or not to prom, I hope you will honestly consider how participating may affect your Christian witness or how in participating you can be a Christian witness.