Statue of Liberty

Statue of Liberty's crown will reopen July 4

I last visited NYC in 2003 after the 9/11 attacks. My whole focus during that visit was the World Trace Center site. But, before that, my favorite landmark in NYC was the Stautue of Liberty. I remember years ago climbing to the crown with my father, uncle and cousins. What a thrill!

Well, the Statue of Liberty’s crown was closed after the 9/11 attacks, and now, on July 4th of this eyar, it will be open to the public again. This decision reversed the policy of the Bush administration.

Under President George W. Bush, the Interior Department, which includes the National Park Service, had insisted that visitors could not be permitted because the crown, reachable only by a very narrow, 12-story spiral staircase with a low guardrail, which did not meet modern fire, building and safety codes (seemed OK to me).

So, if you have never had a chance to go and you have a chance, go, go , go...and enjoy one of our best landmarks.

an exodus

I was recently talking to a pastor friend of mine who is leaving pastoral ministry. He is not the first friend or colleague to do...and this got me thinking. Why? Why does this happen so often?

Last year, I read an article that said 1500 pastors leave the church each month. Some do so because of failure (moral, ethical, spiritual) but the vast majority do so because of stress. The article said that the main cause of stress by a two to one margin was the pressure for church growth.

Some pastors feel pressured to adopt a different model that might facililtate growth, even if it does not fit thier personality, capabilites, or values. This leads to depression or burn out. See, pastors feel guilty if thier churches are not showing numerical growth, and most feel they cannot talk to denomination al leaders about thier issues or exhausted spirits. And, most also feel that they cannot talk to other pastors in their denomination.

As I think about this, my desire is to try to discover ways to offer support. How about you? Who can you offer support to?

Chicken a la Carte - A short film about the hunger and poverty brought about by Globalization

Awesome introduction to Jesus

Local news

The New York Times reports:
Robert Redford, the actor and environmental superhero, is a vocal supporter of renewable power and sustainable growth — but it seems that doesn’t include a proposal for an ecofriendly housing development in his corner of the Napa Valley.

Books

I just picked up a book I am looking forward to starting soon. It's called Indelible Ink. This book was put together by someone who sat down with 22 prominent Christian leaders and asked them which books, other than the Bible, most shaped thier faith.

Some of the leaders in this book include: Joni Aereckson Tada, Charles Colson, Calvin Miller, Michael Card, Dallas Willard, J.I. Packer, Liz Curtis Higgs, John Stott, Josh McDowell, and Larry Crabb. It should be interesting to discover the different avenues God has used to grow these men. My guess is that I will see God in a new way by exploring their experiences with God.

Pluralism

I was watching a talk show on MSNBC. The topic was religion in a religiously diverse America. Around the table was a group of "religious leaders": A Christian pastor, a Hindu, a Muslim, a Buddhist, and a young man who practiced witchcraft and represented Wicca. And, it struck me...we live in a "Christian" nation? A nation so "Christian" that a Christian pastor can sit beside a witch and both to be considered representatives of a viable religious alternative.

Things have changed. The text that comes to mind is Acts 17:22, "Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said, 'Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious'."

That culture was so diverse, so pluralistic, that there was no one true God, but many gods to choose from. Looks to me like we are in the same place today.

Any thoughts?

'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus

There is a hymn that has these lyrics:

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust him
How I've proved him o'er and o'er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus
O for grace to trust him more...

The writer of this hymn(Louisa Stead) seems to find herself in the place that I believe many of us are in, a place of brokenness. She confesses that she needs to trust in Jesus and that only by grace is such reckless trust possible.

We've been told to trust in Jesus,to confess our sins, receive forgiveness, and become redeemed children of God. And yet, we worry about tomorrow... You are not alone, it is tough to trust, especially when you consider the world we live in(terrorism, the plummeting economies,crime, and all other distractions). Trusting in Jesus is probably the most difficult calling of a Christ-follower. And yet, we're given very little room in God's word to not trust in Jesus.

So, that's what I am going to pray for today... "Lord, increase my faith. Give me the grace to trust you more."

Ed Young on the Colbert Report

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One of French artist Gustave Doré (1832-1883) paintings...

Did you know...

...that the unchurched population in the United States is so extensive that, if it were a nation, it would be the fifth most populated nation on the planet after China, the former Soviet Union, India, and Brazil.

So much for a Christian nation.

For me, it puts Matthew 9:37, 38, into a different perspective, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

Are we crazy?

A man lives in a society that is cave bound, where everyone inside believes that the cave is the only reality and is content with that. When the man finally steps out of the cave and sees the sun, the seasons, and the wonder of the world outside the cave, he returns and tries to explain it to the people inside. But they call him crazy and refuse to listen.

How de we communicate to others what we have experienced, but seems out of this world? It’s not a surprise, that to many, it makes us seem crazy.

I find this A. W. Tozer quote interesting, "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us."

In 1st Corinthians 9:20, 22, Paul says, “To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like on under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law…To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.”

What do you think this means for us today? What does it mean to "become all things to all men so that by all possible means we might save some?" Some today might say “…it sounds like Paul stood for nothing.” I often hear that when I do things differently than we traditionally do. as a church.

Arguments against Christianity

Here are some of the most common arguments non-believers use against Christianity.
One: Christianity is filled with man-made rules based on opinion, tradition, and politics.
Two: Christians are judgmental, critical, and close minded...
Three: Christians are very shallow thinkers, who not only don't understand how other people think, but can't even defend what they say they believe.
Four: Christians are arrogant. They love to point out how they are right and others are wrong.

Someone once said the best way to build a bridge toward those who do not believe is to not expect nonbelievers to act, think, or feel like believers UNTIL they are. Hmmm