"They never stop to ask if they should do something"

Those are the words of Michael Crichton expressed through the character of Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park.  Malcolm is explaining his objection to the creation of dinosaurs by Hammond's scientists by insisting that the only type of questions science can answer are whether or not something is possible; never whether or not something is right.  One of the themes throughout Michael Crichton's writings is that science is a tool like any other.  When put in the hands of people with evil intention, it can cause grave consequences.  In this he is most correct.  The same could be said of politics, economics, psychology, and a host of other disciplines.  The thing that sets science apart is that in the modern world it can clearly lead humanity down paths that endanger us all without 99% of the world even knowing it.  Our latent fear of science, as evidenced in countless science fiction novels, comics, and movies comes to life more and more as new breakthroughs are announced on a regular basis.
I wrote recently that we need both faith and science.  The complete lack of morality within the scientific process is another reason why.  The Christian needs to utilize both science and faith, and the scientist certainly needs to let faith enlighten his/her decisions as well.  Faith certainly can enlighten science on issues related to the sanctity of life; not only life between conception and birth, but also quality of life issues and end of life issues.  There have been recent articles explaining that a "reliable" test to determine if a child will likely have Down Syndrome is now available.  Can science really be expected to see the value in the life of that child and not simply encourage frightened parents to abort? 
Added to the mix of moral ambiguity surrounding science is the pressure that many researchers are under to make their efforts pay off financially.  Science cannot possibly make moral choices when dollar signs are the determining factor.  It may seem naive to try to contain the influence of money in the realm of scientific research, especially when other less scrupulous countries would do research that scientists of conscience balk at, but if we give up and don't even try to instill a Christian morality in the research lab and medical facility, what will prevent us from walking down the paths that the late Michael Crichton's fiction spoke of?

The shocking story of Christmas

Do you sometimes wish that you could re-read your favorite book, or watch your favorite movie, over again for the first time?  After a while, even with our favorites, we tend to lose the sense of suspense and wonder.  After all, we know how the story ends.  Christmas can be the same way for Christians.  We've heard the story since we were children, most of use could recreate the Gospel accounts from memory (if not word for word, at least in substance).  This is a story that we know.
And yet, wouldn't it be helpful to look at the Gospel account through the eyes of the first century readers who are hearing the account of Jesus' birth for the first time?  How would their reaction to the events surrounding his birth differ from our own?  One way which we can be relatively certain that our reactions would differ is in the area of how shocking the story would have seemed then, versus how tame it seems now.
We aren't surprised at all that angels spoke to Mary and Joseph (although I bet Mary and Joseph were surprised!), that our Lord was born in a manger, and that his first visitors were lowly shepherds.  We've grown accustomed to the story of a humble king born in this way because we're familiar with the servant attitude that Jesus champions.  In contrast to our comfortable feeling, the Gospel accounts are actually full of surprising twists and turns (not just in the birth narrative) that would have been far more stunning to those who were hearing them for the first time than they are for us today.
We have the benefit, and it certainly is one, of two thousand years of Christian culture and history to draw help frame our experiences and deepen our understanding of God's Word.  And yet, that same background can insulate us from seeing and feeling the Gospel from a fresh perspective.
This Christmas, when you're hearing about the old familiar story of the birth of Jesus, take a moment to look for the scandal and try to see the sudden twists and turns.  Ask God to give you a fresh understanding of his Word so that you too can read about the birth of Christ for the first time.

Sermon Video "O Come, O Come Immanuel!" - Isaiah 7:14, 9:2,6-8

How long would you wait for something you wanted? The prophet Isaiah tells the people of Israel, God's covenant people, that the promises to Abraham and David will be fulfilled. Little did they know that they would have to wait 700 years for the virgin Isaiah spoke of, Mary, to hear from the angel announcing the coming of the Messiah. In addition, Isaiah tells us that the one to come will be a light in our darkness, will institute a government of justice and righteousness, will establish the throne of David, and will save all of us from our sins.


To watch the video, click on the link below:
Sermon Video

Prostitutes are people too

What are weird title for a post; the thought occurred to me because I was reading a novel where a spoiled rich youth in Victorian England had learned to his own discomfort that the prostitutes he frequented were women making desperate choices (in order to have food to eat, a place to live), whereas he had spent his whole life not having to worry about anything.  His private frivolity was their very public humiliation, and when he realized the truth of the matter his eyes were opened up to all new observations about poverty and crime.  It reminds me also of  story I read in the paper recently that chills the heart about the child sex slave trade in South East Asia.  These children, likewise, have not chosen to live such a life, they literally have no choice...In the end, such things should remind us that our own default judgemental superiority for those less fortunate is a very dangerous thing.  It allows us to separate the world into categories of "us" and "them" that are in direct conflict with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  It was no accident that Jesus spent much of his time ministering to and witnessing to prostitutes and tax collectors.  He was mocked and criticized (Mt. 11:19) by the "righteous" people of his day who felt no such need to try to save the sort of people to whom Jesus' message of God's love and forgiveness appealed. 
Which group are we in?  The one that Jesus belongs to which considers all men, women, and children to be God's own, that puts compassion before judgmentalism and holds out a hand in hope; or, are we members of the group the Pharisees belonged to that is content to work with our kind of people and forget that there is a dark side to this world that we live in where people make choices far less free than our own?
What were Jesus' words to the woman caught in adultery when the Pharisees brought her hoping for a stoning?  "Go now and leave your life of sin." (John 8:11)  When confronted with the wickedness of the rich, Jesus reacted with anger, when confronted with the wickedness of the poor and wretched, Jesus reacted with compassion.  There's a lesson to be learned there.

Sermon Video: "Devote yourselves to prayer" Colossians 4:2-4

What things are you devoted to in life?  What are your priorities and passions?  Paul explains that the Christian should always answer prayer as one of his/her answers to those questions.  Not only is prayer important for the individual, it is also a key element of community worship and helps build bonds between believers in Jesus.  Finally, Paul stresses the need for prayer in the spread of the Gospel message where doors need to be opened to give grace a chance.

To watch the video, click on the link below:
Sermon Video

Some hurts can't be healed

"The realm of Sauron is ended!"  said Gandalf, "The Ring-bearer has fulfilled his Quest."  I just reread that portion of Tolkien's The Return of the King (For the 15th time?  Maybe, I know I've read the series at least that many times; it is, afterall, my favorite.) today.  In the book, a great evil is removed from the world with Frodo's victory over Sauron.  Sauron hopes to enslave the world in his lust for power but is done in by a humble hobbit who has no desire to lord anything over anybody.  That moral lesson is itself a profound one for Tolkien, but another emerges as you read the last few chapters of the book.  Over time, it becomes clear that all of the hurts caused by Sauron, and others, cannot be healed.  Some of the wounds are too deep, some must be lived with even when evil has been defeated.  Tolkien's brilliant novels are a work of homage to those who risk everything in service to a greater good and whose sacrifices he witnessed first-hand in life on the Western Front in WWI.  His service in war taught Tolkien that evil cannot be wholly removed from our world.  The "war to end all wars" only put a stop to war long enough for a new generation to grow in its shadow and start a new bloodier war.  For many veterans, Tolkien's words hit especially close to home.  They may have returned "whole", or nearly so, from war, but a part of them has been forever left behind with the brothers in arms they lost and the horrors they witnessed.
In the end, Tolkien's hero Frodo, and his trusty servant Sam are permitted to sail over the sea to the Undying Lands where they can find rest and peace at last.  In our world, we can offer comfort to those who mourn, honor to those who have sacrificed, and gratitude to those who have served, but we cannot heal all wounds.  It is beyond our power to do so. 
Is there hope, for healing in the end?  How can troubled souls find peace?
"Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them.  They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.  He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."  - Revelation 21:3-4
There is hope, there will be peace, and sorrow will be turned to joy when one day we all stand in the presence of our savior and feel the warmth of the embrace of God's own Son.

Sermon Video: "I am the way and the truth and the life" John 14:6

"How do I get to heaven?"  What is the answer to that question?  Is it a place, a thing, or an idea?  Jesus tells his disciples that the answer to that question is a person.  Jesus himself is the way to heaven, he is the truth that we long for, and he is the life that our hope is in beyond the grave.  Are there any other options?  No, as Jesus makes clear, nobody is getting to the Father except through him.

To watch the video, click on the link below:
Sermon Video

You have to do more.

The philosopher Edmund Burke wrote, "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing".  It seems that in all of the explosion of coverage about Penn State this sentiment hits the nail right on the head.  Evil doesn't take vacations, evil doesn't call in sick, evil doesn't turn a blind eye when good is at work.  We live in a world where the lines of obligation have been blurred, where strangers can walk by a child dying in the streets and do nothing (as happened recently in China).  You may think that this is a testament to the downfall of modern man, but remind yourself that Jesus spoke the parable of the Good Samaritan with this same theme in mind.  In the parable (Luke 10:25-37), Jesus warns against those who feel that only a select part of humanity is their neighbor.  He reminds us that we all are created in the image of our Father, and therefore it doesn't matter who is in need or in trouble, our obligation remains the same.  We must act.  We must do whatever we can to safeguard the weak, to protect the innocent, and yes, to save children from those who would prey on them.
It isn't a choice we have, it is a moral obligation.  One of the students protesting the decision to fire Paterno mentioned that she was aware that he had violated "morality or whatever", but she didn't see what the big deal about that was.  Why let something as uminportant as morality get in the way of football.  There is money to be made, fans to satisfy, and entertainment to be produced.  Why would anyone object on moral grounds?  Sad, but true, and very un-Biblical.  The reason we have a faith that can save us from our sins is because Jesus considered us all worth saving.  We hadn't done anything to warrant God's love, in fact we were in rebellion against him, but Jesus came just the same.
In the end, you have to do more.  I don't care about the legal obligations, they always fall short of our duty to others.  I do care very much about our moral obligations.  Everyone is your neighbor.  Any child in danger is your business.  You have to do more.

Sermon Video: "the word of Christ" Colossians 3:16-17

As Christians, we're supposed to "let the word of Christ dwell" in us "richly".  What does this mean.  Paul explains that in order to mature and grow in our faith we must be willing to teach each other and learn as well.  In addition, we must embrace worship of God as a way of expressing our gratitude to God and ensuring that whatever we do will be done in the name of Jesus.

To watch the video, click on the link below:
Sermon Video

A new ministry, a new beginning

On December 4th of this year, Nicole and I will be in Franlin PA where I will be preaching at the First Baptist Church of Franklin.  After the service the members of the church will be voting on whether or not to call me as their next pastor.  As many of you know, Nicole and I have been looking for a full-time ministry position for several years.  I love my church at Palo, and have had a wonderful ministry experience there, but in the end, I need to be a full-time minister.  For the past nine years I've been teaching alternative education in Porltand, but it is time to move on.  Earlier this year it was hoped that I could become a reserve chaplain in the U.S. Army and stay with my current ministry.  When that fell through, another path was needed.  We've had several churches that I've talked to that seemed to be the proper fit, only to have them choose someone else.  Finally, after speaking with members of the search committee in Franklin, and going down there to preach at a nearby church last weekend, it appears that our prayers (and those of many others to whom I owe a debt of gratitude) have been answered.
It is not a move without its challenges.  It will pain us to leave the family and friends that we've found at First Baptist of Palo, the Cathedral of St. Andrew, and here in Saranac as well.  It will be difficult to be a sizeable distance away from our families, and I will certainly miss the weekly basketball game that has been a part of my life for the past twenty years (that leaves you, Russ, as the only one of us left from those youthful days).  I will be accepting a major responsibility and a significant task in the ministry in Franklin, but for the first time in my life, I will be able to concentrate all of my working time and effort in one place.  For that reason, and many others as well, it is time for me to move on to a new challenge in my calling as a minister of the Word of God.
This blog will continue, as will Nicole's, and we'll continue to return to Michigan on a regular basis for holidays and vacations.  Our hearts will remain here, at least in part.
God bless you all for your support, it has meant so much to me when disappointments have wrecked so many of the plans I had hoped to lay out.  In the end, God is good, he had a plan for us, and we will continue to serve him who saved us from darkness and brought us into his wonderful light.