The Kingdom of God: Are We Following Christ? Or Christianity?

... Can we hear it?

Martin Bashir, in a recent interview with Mars Hill Church's "superpastor," Rob Bell, helped to ignite a seemingly literal firestorm within the Christian community. In his new book, Love Wins, Bell attempts to shed some light on the concepts of Heaven and Hell. Naturally, this is a very sensitive topic, and one that, even though most Christians will call me a heretic for saying it, is rather unknowable by us who still reside among the living. What of those who never hear the Gospel? Or those who are abused by the Church? Who are we to claim we know their fates?

It's sad, is it not? Christ's followers now seem to believe theology is of utmost importance. For many adherents, doctrinal creeds are never to be erred from. The words of pastors become the very words of God for many, and the Bible is largely underrepresented by the contextualizations presented by these pastors.

I see no place in the Bible where we Christians are called to have correct theology. I see no command from God to develop a 100% correct doctrine. What I do see, however, are directives on how to be God's hands and feet to the masses. We are called to love God, and we are called to love other people. We are called to trust in Christ's sacrifice as the end-all to our sinful nature. By embracing the forgiveness of Christ, we are given new hearts where the Spirit dwells. These new hearts, new selves, even, allow for the love of Christ to be manifest in our daily walk. To show the love of Christ, the ultimate letting-go of the selfish habits that so taint our relationships and our thought processes, is what Jesus begs from His people in the Gospels. Jesus tells of a new kingdom, one that contradicts the popular concept of "Empire"," a "Kingdom of God," that has come upon this planet. And we, His self-proclaimed people, have become as the Pharisees, safe and comfortable within our own theologies.

After His "Parable of the Father with Two Sons," Jesus rebukes the chief priests and the "holy elite," saying to them "Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. (Matt. 21:31b)" He says the "sinners" are getting it. They are doing as God told them to, just as the first son did as his father asked of him. The second son is, as ashamed as I am to admit it, me. It is me, many of my friends, most of my acquaintances, and an astounding representation of the Church. The second son says he will go, but does not... Just as we claim to "believe the right beliefs" but we never practice what Jesus actually said to do!


I have to ask the question of all of you today: If there were no Heaven or Hell (there are, hypothetical question), would you still choose to follow Christ? Is the life that He calls us to worth it? Or has "Your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven" become a stale repetition that we "believe" yet do nothing about?


Jesus once said that He had "Not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. (Matt. 5:17)" In Galatians, Paul claims "the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself. (Galatians 5:14)” Why don't we do our best to, instead of unabashedly decrying others as heretics, instead enter in to thoughtful debate? Instead of killing, ridiculing, and ostracizing others in the name of "Correct Doctrine," why don't we instead love others COMPLETELY and UNCONDITIONALLY, just as Christ did for us... Folks... Bring the Kingdom... If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ... "Do not judge, that ye be not judged. (Matt. 5:1 KJV)"


Desperate,
Troy

Saying, Doing, Caring (or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Everyone)

"Women!?! In the clergy!?! HA!!"
Shock and awe in rural Wyoming

Many social justice topics are taboo in rural Wyoming. Nearly every person is conservative to the point of hilarious stereotype. This seems to create an atmosphere of purely political rhetoric, and most areas of social justice don't happen to fit into these favored political institutions. If one happens to reside in Wyoming, one might hear these three talking points quite regularly...

1. Kill the wolves.

2. The "Obama-care" bill does nothing but pillage our women and rape our churches.

3. Kill the Democrats (Notice the similarities between items #1 and #3).

I am a Christ-follower (if the reader does not know this, please consider actually READING my posts and putting less concentration into viewing the pictures of rainbow unicorns, anthropomorphic organs, and hellish canines). Not only that, but I am a Christ-follower in a heavily Protestant ranching community. And after 18 years of that, voila! I'm a... radical, socially liberal, antiracist, Christ-loving, LGBTQ supportive neo-hippie (Yeah, I know what you're thinking. "Huh?"). Somehow, when one leaves the oppressive conservatism of rural Wyoming, one actually learns about the world he/she is a part of.

Sadly, it is easier to speak than to do. Look back up to the aforementioned list of beliefs in the prior paragraph... How many of those do you think I actually act on nearly as often as I should? My own courage fails me quite often because my sense of being "aware" of an issue often satisfies my ego, and therefore I think I am doing my part to better humankind.

It is one thing to complain and be aware of these issues. But I envy those who possess the courage to act according to their beliefs. In the New Testament, the epistle of James tells us that "faith without action is dead. (James 2:26b)" If I claim to adhere to a standard such as that, consider me a lying deadbeat and a hypocrite of the highest caliber.

Those who act, however, should not be considered influential just because they act. It is those that have been endowed with humble and beautiful souls that move via genuine care and empathy that we should venture to echo. 1 Corinthians 13 tells us that "If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. (1 Cor. 13:3)" Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. did more than act. He acted on behalf of others beyond himself, even to the very point of death. Mohandas Gandhi gave his life so that others could be free from oppression and Empire. And, most importantly, Jesus Christ suffered the most intense torture ever known to show all of humanity how to live a most fulfilling life by loving God and in caring for others above one's self.

One's possession of insight or wit are not the qualifiers as to what we should strive to emulate. It is their actions, their love, their willingness to serve that speaks of a higher character. Live beyond the example that I set, and do everything for others. Follow Christ's example, and, as Paul says, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but, in humility, consider others better than yourselves. (Phil. 2:3)"

You don't have to be conservative, and you don't have to be liberal. You don't have to "have it all figured out" and you don't have to live in an impoverished nation. You don't have to be Catholic, Protestant, Jehovah's Witness, a Latter-Day Saint, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, or of any other faith. I urge each of you to stop talking and start doing. And don't just do for the sake of doing, but develop a heart for others. It is when we lose this sense of selfish importance that we truly live lives of meaning.

Still saying... Otherwise you wouldn't be reading,

Troy

Euclid's on the block

New Olympic Sport:
Synchronized Running

(This post has nothing to do with Euclid (YU-KLID), minus the fact that he is Greek. I just miss good 80s music.)

I had an exam today in one of my Greek philosophy courses. All procrastination and laughably small amounts of sleep aside, I felt pretty good about it. After being reacquainted to how a pencil actually functions, I wrote my thoughts on the old Thucydical ideal of eikos.

Eikos, loosely translated from Greek, is basically how many of the antiquity-era Greeks wrote. To use eikos was to write as it probably happened. The "probably" serves as more of a noun than anything else. It is how people function according to the "human condition."

I think the Greek philosophers were very familiar with the... well, the familiar. If one can predict how a human might react in any given situation, then it can be assumed that that person understands the human condition very well. You understand selfish tendencies. You understand the "dog-eat-dog" mentality of civilization.

I hate eikos. Some people can thrive in an atmosphere of sameness. But not me. I don't want to be definable by an eikos. Oh sure, there are some norms that must be fulfilled throughout life in order to be able to belong to a society. But I think the human condition sucks. It is broken, and there seems like no easy fix in sight. Why should we live in the predictable?

Surprise people! Don't let what others think of you define you. You define you. When you are Christ-like, you break the mold. By being a good listener, taking friends out, loving others, refusing to pass judgment on others, or even read a Bible in public, you shed the eikos that controls the lives of so many others. Do not be afraid of what others think of you. Know that you are unique. Know that you are loved. And finally, be mindful that so many others are living in this state of eikos. Show them that it is who they are, and not the labels that society heaps on them, that really matters.

It's all Greek to me... Well, it was Greek to the translator at least.
Troy

Finding God everywhere: "Praise Habit: Finding God in Sunsets and Sushi" by David Crowder

Nothing screams "Praise
God!" like raw fish

God is everywhere. He is in the mountains. He is in the trees. He is in your most trusted friends and most venomous of enemies. He is even in those little pre-wrapped sausages that you find at Wal-Mart. But how often do we actually see God in life?

Oh sure! He is apparent in the miracles. He is apparent in death. He is apparent in close calls. And sometimes even, He is apparent in church. Yeah, we like to find God in church. I liken it to charging your cell phone once a week... You can make it, but it's pretty dang difficult.

David Crowder is one of the foremost artists in the Christian music industry. His iconic hairstyle, reedy tenor, and melodically addicting tunes set him apart from most within any music industry, Christian or not. But what most people don't know is that he is also a writer. A really talented one, actually.

In his book Praise Habit: Finding God in Sunsets and Sushi, Crowder attempts to teach even the most raw and unpracticed of Christian hearts how to find God in everything. According to Crowder, people have lost the inherent ability to praise. As children, praise comes naturally. From acquiring new toys to seeing their daddy throw the perfect spiral, children just know that they are witnesses to the greatest thing on Earth. And they're thankful for it!

As we age we seem to lose this ability. Our care shifts not towards how awesome other people can be, but instead upon our own self-images, comfortable lifestyles, and personal pleasures. We become "I." With this change comes an inability to see beyond one's self. And Crowder hates that! He instead encourages each of us to find things to be thankful for. Once we run out of ideas to be thankful for, we continue to praise God just for life! It is in this constant joy and searching for God that we rediscover our own inherent "praise habit."

I encourage each of you to take this message to heart. Find God in everything. Find him in snow, or tea, or books, or video games, or stilt-walking, or music, or the habitual kindness of others. Learn to praise, and learn to be thankful in all things. There is more to praise than the rockin' worship tunes you sing on any given Sunday. Praise so much that it becomes habit. And then you will recognize God's voice in your life as the ultimate source of joy. "Praise is something we are, not something we do."

Sharing the reason we were created,
Troy

Kicking it off: Music discovery days!

They love love love love
poppin' a wheelie!

Reading the blogs of other people, both friends and famous, is one of my favorite pastimes on the internet. Stimulating the mind is an important exercise, and sometimes it is important for us to look at the views/opinions of others so that we might form our own beliefs. So today, I'm going to kick off a new feature to the site!

Donald Miller is one of my favorite modern authors. Yes, I know many people like him, so I'm sorry to disappoint all of those hipsters out there informing me that I am much too mainstream (I still wear plaid from time to time... We can still be friends, right?). Every Sunday, Miller features music on his blog. His "Sunday Morning Music" vignettes support local musicians, famous musicians, and even a classical tubist! I think I'd kind of like to imitate Mr. Miller, and start sharing music with you on Sundays.

To celebrate the release of their new album Hi-Five Soup, today I would like to laud one of my favorite bands from my youth, The Aquabats! Originally a third-wave ska band in the 90s, the Bats! have changed their sound to incorporate ska guitar, Devo-esque synth work, and the catchiest melody lines on the planet. So today, I leave you with a taste of the MC Bat Commander and his band, The Aquabats!

A myth regarding creativity

Sure, it looks nice. But so
did the Sirens in the Odyssey.

Excuses exist for every feasible reason on this planet. There is just something woven into the proverbial quilt of the human psyche that prevents us from failing without a second thought about it. We cannot be wrong. If we are wrong, we justify it in some way... Even when that justification is an enormous load of bovine excrement.

Some people have been asking me why I have not posted anything on the blog for nearly two weeks. I didn't even let creativity play in to my answer. I threw 'em the old standby of "writer's block." And that seemed to satisfy. Even I believed that my creativity was beyond some invisible barrier that I had yet to unlock in the past few weeks. For a time, I believed myself to be a struggling artist that molded his creative palette slowly, waiting for the right moment to spring some literary masterpiece (Yes, blogs can be regarded as masterpieces. If Victor Hugo had had a blog, he would have been big.) upon the world! If I knew very many angst-laden poets that still lived with their parents, I'm sure they would all be proud of me.

There is no such thing as writer's block. Trade secret I suppose. Two components make up the ridiculous false concept that is "writer's block." The first of these is the writer. Having a subject is rather important when trying to ascribe the "block." Otherwise, it would just be "block." The second component is laziness. Pure, unadulterated laziness.

Had I sat down, turned off my phone, and shut down Facebook for any decent amount of time over the last several weeks, I'm sure I would have written something. But alas, I am lazy! I did not ponder anything deep, nor did I attempt to grow in my relationships with the people who play roles in my life. Every thought and/or action in the life of Troy for the past two weeks can be tied back to these three statements:

1. Troy is comfortable.
2. Troy is easily distracted.
3. Troy is lazier than Billy Liar on any given Summer day.

The all-consuming behemoth of laziness is indeed a savage beast. It can creep up on us at any given time when we are not already preoccupied with any task that requires more than 2% of our brains. And nothing, I repeat, NOTHING else will steal your soul from doing the things that truly matter in this life as laziness will. Being constantly comfortable drags us right back into an apathetic lifestyle that drains us of meaning and instead fills us with "OKness" (totally trademarking that word).

To my few consistent readers out there, I apologize for the laziness. I promise that it will not happen again. Watch out for laziness in your own lives as well. While I believe myself to be King of the Lazies, I also know many others who struggle with the same issue. Go outside right now. Get coffee with someone you haven't seen for awhile. And for Pete's sake, do your homework!

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...
Troy

Rob Bell ruined my life!

I still don't understand this
cover, and I've read the
book 6 times!!!

My family and I first attended church when I was in the 2nd grade. It was the huge baptist church that had (and may still have) one of the largest influences in my quaint hometown of 6,000. Seriously, 600 people is a pretty large majority in a ranching town (For the record, average attendance was between 300-400, but holidays brought in up to 600). The funny thing is... I loved church! I could partake in mischief with friends, color tiny paper cutouts of famous Jewish heroes, craft little treasures that I still cannot find to this day, eat gratuitous amounts of candy, and school my "less educated" contemporaries in Bible trivia (I was a very arrogant child. I'm still pretty arrogant today, actually. Some things never change). The church became my home away from home, and I loved going! And when youth group came around? Ha! I was a man, by golly! A man who could go to concerts on his parents' money! How could it get any better!?! This was my equivalent to a church life for many years. The theology? Irrelevant to someone my age. The Bible? Easy-train to looking smarter than everybody else! So the church was the go-to place for fun and finding my own selfish worth. In all of my years there, Christ probably did in fact speak to me. I'm sure he did. But when you're eating snacks and going to amusement parks, who cares what Christ has to say?

Nothing lasts forever (scratch that, Twinkies last forever).  I was a freshman in high school during "the split." The church suffered a schism... Not over an extra-marital affair. Not over a crime. Not even over disagreement with a church doctrine. My church split over a call to reach out to the community. And, even more ridiculously, a single book wrecked what was left after that call... Something so trivial as a book destroyed the decades-long relationships within my church. That book was Velvet Elvis, by Rob Bell. So let the record show: Rob Bell ruined my easy-going, comfortable life!

This book is a difficult read for one reason: Bell dares his readers to ask questions. His theology is ambiguous and is not really given clarity at most points. The writing is very simple, which isn't really a bad thing I suppose. Just too seemingly simple for a difficult topic, the claim that he is trying to "repaint the Christian faith." And the organization is pretty scattered. I do not claim to agree with much of what Rob Bell says, whether in this book or others, but I do like his tendency to make a person ask questions.

Questions are how we grow. So often, unfortunately, we are taught to not question within the church. The view of pastors as having perfect knowledge of the Bible is far too prevalent within the faith. Trust me, I know! I grew up in that! But there comes a time when one must read for oneself. There comes a time when one must ask questions of oneself. And finally, there comes a point when one must choose what they believe and know why they believe it!

I guess this post is just a ridiculously roundabout way of conveying this: question things! We grow in questioning. It is in the process of searching for answers that we become the humans that we are meant to be. Don't believe the myth that somebody on this Earth has all of the answers for you. Nobody does. Trust, pray, and ask questions instead. Our God is a big god... He can handle your inquiries. Also, read Velvet Elvis sometime. While I may not agree 100% with what Bell has to say, he has a heart for people. How can I frown upon that?

Maybe Troy, maybe not... Nope, still just

Troy