(6951,82,'2012-06-09 17:43:44','2012-06-10 00:43:44','Those in America, like myself, live in a nation where there is a separation of church and state, however, as Christians – we don’t live in a Church where there is a separation of the Church and Christians.\r\n\r\nWell, at least you could have fooled me that this is the case.\r\n\r\nThe truth is, in our Christian culture today, we do in fact live in a Church with such a separation lately – and it’s worsening with the heightened political fervor in this election year. This isn’t how God intended the Church – the Body of Christ – to operate. For in division, He can do nothing.\r\n\r\nGod’s focus with the Church was to prompt a unifying focus to congregate under so we, as Christians, all have the mind of Christ dwelling within us, guiding us all to spread <em>His</em> love and compassion; not our humanly versions of it.\r\n\r\nThe very thing that is bringing to light this division lately is the extremely hot topic in our nation right now revolving around homosexuality; and I live directly in the midst of this controversial topic because I live in Charlotte, NC. So not only is the Democratic National Convention coming to Charlotte this summer, the vote on May 8th to amend North Carolina’s Constitution solidifying an already established law that marriage is only seen as between one man and one woman put this area on the map in a very controversial way - especially within the Church walls.\r\n\r\nSince May 8th, this topic has been bringing out of people [even in the Church] passions unlike I’ve ever seen. Many on the extreme left, as well as the extreme right, of the fence are engaged in judgmental behaviors, and it’s breaking my heart.\r\n\r\nNow, see, this is where I believe the Buddhists caught wind of God’s truth and adopted it into their philosophy and put their own slight spin on it.\r\n\r\nThe middle path.\r\n\r\nBuddhists are extremely ardent about living a balanced life. This balance is lived out in the Buddhist life by expressing love, compassion and a lack of judgment upon anyone or anything in this world.\r\n\r\nThis truth is seen in scripture where Jesus reveals to us that the way to living life isn’t to an extreme left or an extreme right – it’s through the narrow gate. (re: <a href=\"http://bible.us/matt7.13.esv\" target=\"_blank\">Matthew 7:13</a>)\r\n\r\nI’m not about to get all preachy on you all, slamming a bunch of scripture down your throats; however, this scripture alone reveals so much concerning the political season our nation is in right now. It reveals that the life we all seek to live isn’t found on either side of the fence, it’s found in a place we can [even as Christians] all so easily can overlook when the world screams at us to look elsewhere:\r\n\r\n<em>Jesus.</em>\r\n\r\nHe is the narrow gate.\r\n\r\nHe is the middle path.\r\n\r\nHe is the one who has all of this in the palms of His hands because He is the one who already overcame this world and won it for all of our sakes.\r\n\r\nNow you may be at a point as you read this, thinking, <em>“Okay, Marni. Enough averting the point. Just where do you stand on this issue of homosexuality? Just how did you vote on May 8th?”</em>\r\n\r\nAnd see, this is exactly the point I’m seeking to make. While the question runs through your minds as to where I stand versus where you stand, you are missing the point. Seeking out where I stand on a political issue, seeks out a means to either unite or divide – and either way, it’s encouraging judgmental thinking and behavior that God doesn’t encourage us to live out.\r\n\r\nNow on a more “American” note, our  Pledge of Allegiance states , <em>“One nation, under God, indivisible…”</em>  These words alone give us all a freedom that many nations don’t have, and that freedom comes in unity – not division.\r\n\r\nIt’s no different in the Church.\r\n\r\nThe proclamation isn’t that we are indivisible…<em>as long as we <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">all</span> agree on political issues</em>. It simply states, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><em>we are indivisible</em></span>. Period.\r\n\r\nPolitically speaking, does God have anything to do with a nation? Should His name even be put into a pledge that unifies all the people within it – even from different religions, races and creeds? Honestly, this is a discussion for another time. For now though, we are on the topic of divisiveness in the Church. All I was seeking to bring to light is that even in our pledge, a truth of how God designed for His children to operate in this life (and especially in the Church) is within the Pledge itself.\r\n\r\nSo...\r\n\r\n...why the division? Why the eyes being taken off of Him, and being placed on political, worldly agendas that only seek to divide within so as to break up His ultimate commission of which all Christians have been appointed to? Why let politics divide up what He so beautifully designed as a means to bring us all closer to Him, in turn helping others come to know Him as well – no matter the sins committed by anyone of us?\r\n\r\nIt’s simply how the world operates, and how it’s ruler enjoy playing the game. However, we as Christians, aren’t to be <em>of</em> this world though we <em>live</em> in it. We are to keep our focus on Christ, letting Him lead the way…in politics, and especially in the Church.\r\n\r\nSo, friends, no I won’t state for the record how I voted on May 8th here in North Carolina. You are more than free to guess to the hills and back how I voted, and you may very well be correct in your assumptions. Let\'s not be distracted by our personal points of view; for the point I’m seeking to make here isn’t about how I voted on May 8th, or even how you feel about homosexuality, it’s simply to help encourage my brethren\'s eyes and hearts to re-focus on Christ at all times – especially in this heated political season. My heart seeks to be unified with all my brethren in Christ, not divided. Therefore, beyond politics is where I stand above all.\r\n\r\nI stand with Christ.\r\n\r\nI stand with the God-man who redeemed my soul so I can live with Him eternally, in this world and beyond. He is my focus, for He not only redeemed me…He has redeemed so many others. He also abounds in grace beyond comprehension for the sins we all commit in this life.\r\n\r\nI am no greater or lesser than another, nor are any of you.\r\n\r\nMy sins are no greater or lesser than anyone else’s, nor are any of yours.\r\n\r\nNo matter where we stand on issues in this world, my brethren…my brothers and sisters in Christ…our political viewpoints concerning this nation should never come between us as a Church. God has given us insight it will happen, but this is not how He designed the Church to function. Simply study (don’t just read) the book of Acts to discover this.\r\n\r\nChrist doesn’t teach division within the Church (the Body of Christ). True, His example set Him apart from this world, but He is the glue in our Church. He unites His children (us), in the Church, to further the commission He set out for us to do: to spread the gospel unto all nations.\r\n\r\nWe cannot fulfill this commission while divided amongst ourselves.\r\n\r\nWe will, in the Church, have differing viewpoints – yes. We are all different creations in Christ, made in God’s image. However, we have one unifying aspect in our lives that we needn\'t let escape our views when it comes to our differences…\r\n\r\nJesus.\r\n\r\nChurch, let us not forget this.','Separation of Church and Christians','','inherit','open','open','','6933-revision-4','','','2012-06-09 17:43:44','2012-06-10 00:43:44','',6933,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/09/6933-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(6952,179,'2012-06-11 08:37:43','2012-06-11 15:37:43','','faithreligious','','inherit','open','open','','faithreligious','','','2012-06-11 08:37:43','2012-06-11 15:37:43','',6937,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/faithreligious.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(6953,179,'2012-06-08 05:51:05','2012-06-08 12:51:05','As much as these concepts seem similar, being <a title=\"Faith\" href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faith\" target=\"_blank\">faithful</a> and <a title=\"Religion\" href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion\" target=\"_blank\">religious</a> being aren\'t quite the same. To practice a religion, one must first have faith.\r\n\r\nBut being faithful means that one follows religion with all its idiosyncrasies, practices, rites and such. In the case of a Christian, this means to follow the Christ (the anointed), accept Jesus as the Christ and messiah. Following entitles doing as the Christ instructed as the proper way to respect and worship God while maintaining faith in God and surrendering to Him.\r\n\r\nBut being religious means going to church (social interaction to hear the Word and a good sermon), following the Sacraments (rites to label ourselves Christian) and Law of God (base for most legal systems worldwide), but as a mere <strong>tradition/obligation</strong> (appearance) and not as an act of complete <strong>surrender/worship</strong> (real trust). It\'s a half-way <strong>imitation of faith</strong>. Most of us (especially myself) fall in this trap and struggle to get out of it.\r\n\r\nAre you merely faithful or religious? Do you want to be faithful or remain religious?','Faithful vs. Religious','','inherit','open','open','','6937-revision-5','','','2012-06-08 05:51:05','2012-06-08 12:51:05','',6937,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/08/6937-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(6955,179,'2012-06-11 09:28:50','2012-06-11 16:28:50','','churchandfaith','','inherit','open','open','','churchandfaith','','','2012-06-11 09:28:50','2012-06-11 16:28:50','',6933,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/churchandfaith.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(6956,179,'2012-06-11 04:55:07','2012-06-11 11:55:07','<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/photo-1.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft  wp-image-6950\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/photo-1-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Indivisable by Marni Arnold\" width=\"240\" height=\"240\" /></a>Those in America, like myself, live in a nation where there is a separation of church and state, however, as Christians – we don’t live in a Church where there is a separation of the Church and Christians.\r\n\r\nWell, at least you could have fooled me that this is the case.\r\n\r\nThe truth is, in our Christian culture today, we do in fact live in a Church with such a separation lately – and it’s worsening with the heightened political fervor in this election year. This isn’t how God intended the Church – the Body of Christ – to operate. For in division, He can do nothing.\r\n\r\nGod’s focus with the Church was to prompt a unifying focus to congregate under so we, as Christians, all have the mind of Christ dwelling within us, guiding us all to spread <em>His</em> love and compassion; not our humanly versions of it.\r\n\r\nThe very thing that is bringing to light this division lately is the extremely hot topic in our nation right now revolving around homosexuality; and I live directly in the midst of this controversial topic because I live in Charlotte, NC. So not only is the Democratic National Convention coming to Charlotte this summer, the vote on May 8th to amend North Carolina’s Constitution solidifying an already established law that marriage is only seen as between one man and one woman put this area on the map in a very controversial way - especially within the Church walls.\r\n\r\nSince May 8th, this topic has been bringing out of people [even in the Church] passions unlike I’ve ever seen. Many on the extreme left, as well as the extreme right, of the fence are engaged in judgmental behaviors, and it’s breaking my heart.\r\n\r\nNow, see, this is where I believe the Buddhists caught wind of God’s truth and adopted it into their philosophy and put their own slight spin on it.\r\n\r\nThe middle path.\r\n\r\nBuddhists are extremely ardent about living a balanced life. This balance is lived out in the Buddhist life by expressing love, compassion and a lack of judgment upon anyone or anything in this world.\r\n\r\nThis truth is seen in scripture where Jesus reveals to us that the way to living life isn’t to an extreme left or an extreme right – it’s through the narrow gate. (re: <a href=\"http://bible.us/matt7.13.esv\" target=\"_blank\">Matthew 7:13</a>)\r\n\r\nI’m not about to get all preachy on you all, slamming a bunch of scripture down your throats; however, this scripture alone reveals so much concerning the political season our nation is in right now. It reveals that the life we all seek to live isn’t found on either side of the fence, it’s found in a place we can [even as Christians] all so easily can overlook when the world screams at us to look elsewhere:\r\n\r\n<em>Jesus.</em>\r\n\r\nHe is the narrow gate.\r\n\r\nHe is the middle path.\r\n\r\nHe is the one who has all of this in the palms of His hands because He is the one who already overcame this world and won it for all of our sakes.\r\n\r\nNow you may be at a point as you read this, thinking, <em>“Okay, Marni. Enough averting the point. Just where do you stand on this issue of homosexuality? Just how did you vote on May 8th?”</em>\r\n\r\nAnd see, this is exactly the point I’m seeking to make. While the question runs through your minds as to where I stand versus where you stand, you are missing the point. Seeking out where I stand on a political issue, seeks out a means to either unite or divide – and either way, it’s encouraging judgmental thinking and behavior that God doesn’t encourage us to live out.\r\n\r\nNow on a more “American” note, our  Pledge of Allegiance states , <em>“One nation, under God, indivisible…”</em>  These words alone give us all a freedom that many nations don’t have, and that freedom comes in unity – not division.\r\n\r\nIt’s no different in the Church.\r\n\r\nThe proclamation isn’t that we are indivisible…<em>as long as we <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">all</span> agree on political issues</em>. It simply states, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><em>we are indivisible</em></span>. Period.\r\n\r\nPolitically speaking, does God have anything to do with a nation? Should His name even be put into a pledge that unifies all the people within it – even from different religions, races and creeds? Honestly, this is a discussion for another time. For now though, we are on the topic of divisiveness in the Church. All I was seeking to bring to light is that even in our pledge, a truth of how God designed for His children to operate in this life (and especially in the Church) is within the Pledge itself.\r\n\r\nSo...\r\n\r\n...why the division? Why the eyes being taken off of Him, and being placed on political, worldly agendas that only seek to divide within so as to break up His ultimate commission of which all Christians have been appointed to? Why let politics divide up what He so beautifully designed as a means to bring us all closer to Him, in turn helping others come to know Him as well – no matter the sins committed by anyone of us?\r\n\r\nIt’s simply how the world operates, and how it’s ruler enjoy playing the game. However, we as Christians, aren’t to be <em>of</em> this world though we <em>live</em> in it. We are to keep our focus on Christ, letting Him lead the way…in politics, and especially in the Church.\r\n\r\nSo, friends, no I won’t state for the record how I voted on May 8th here in North Carolina. You are more than free to guess to the hills and back how I voted, and you may very well be correct in your assumptions. Let\'s not be distracted by our personal points of view; for the point I’m seeking to make here isn’t about how I voted on May 8th, or even how you feel about homosexuality, it’s simply to help encourage my brethren\'s eyes and hearts to re-focus on Christ at all times – especially in this heated political season. My heart seeks to be unified with all my brethren in Christ, not divided. Therefore, beyond politics is where I stand above all.\r\n\r\nI stand with Christ.\r\n\r\nI stand with the God-man who redeemed my soul so I can live with Him eternally, in this world and beyond. He is my focus, for He not only redeemed me…He has redeemed so many others. He also abounds in grace beyond comprehension for the sins we all commit in this life.\r\n\r\nI am no greater or lesser than another, nor are any of you.\r\n\r\nMy sins are no greater or lesser than anyone else’s, nor are any of yours.\r\n\r\nNo matter where we stand on issues in this world, my brethren…my brothers and sisters in Christ…our political viewpoints concerning this nation should never come between us as a Church. God has given us insight it will happen, but this is not how He designed the Church to function. Simply study (don’t just read) the book of Acts to discover this.\r\n\r\nChrist doesn’t teach division within the Church (the Body of Christ). True, His example set Him apart from this world, but He is the glue in our Church. He unites His children (us), in the Church, to further the commission He set out for us to do: to spread the gospel unto all nations.\r\n\r\nWe cannot fulfill this commission while divided amongst ourselves.\r\n\r\nWe will, in the Church, have differing viewpoints – yes. We are all different creations in Christ, made in God’s image. However, we have one unifying aspect in our lives that we needn\'t let escape our views when it comes to our differences…\r\n\r\nJesus.\r\n\r\nChurch, let us not forget this.','Separation of Church and Christians','','inherit','open','open','','6933-revision-5','','','2012-06-11 04:55:07','2012-06-11 11:55:07','',6933,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/11/6933-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(6959,41,'2012-06-13 07:57:03','2012-06-13 14:57:03','','Rubens_-_Adam_et_Eve','','inherit','open','open','','rubens_-_adam_et_eve','','','2012-06-13 07:57:03','2012-06-13 14:57:03','',6958,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Rubens_-_Adam_et_Eve.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(6960,41,'2012-06-13 07:54:46','2012-06-13 14:54:46','It\'s a valid question that says a lot about who we think God is. What does it mean about God that people are created in the divine image? Does God have a corporeal (physical) body ore is God only some form of spirit. When God walked in the garden, did he (as God is portrayed in that scene) take real steps or is the text meant to be taken figuratively?\n\nIf God does have a body, is it a body like ours? Does God have a belly button, or is that a scar of humanity? Does God have reproductive organs? If so, which ones? A penis? A vagina? Both? Neither?\n\nWestern Christians often talk about God as a sex-less, genderless spirit being. We claim the male references to God in the Bible are figurative anthropomorphism and ignore the female references. We neuter God and take away her body. It is the easiest solution, but not holistic. Scripture, tradition, reason, and psychology all point to a God outside the typical western (lack of) imagination.\n\nOver time, we will look into each of these arguments and work together to develop a whole picture of God. But first, we should think about why this is important.\n\nOur world - and our church - is currently fighting over issues of gender, gender-roles, and sexuality. The old \"one-man-one-woman, man rules over the woman\" paradigm is finished in our world. We fight (with both words and stones) in the city streets, but the writing is on the wall. The world has shifted. Sexuality outside of male/female monogamy is accepted by western society. Children born other than \"boy\" or \"girl\" are left alone not just to choose one gender or the other, but to accept the alternative gender of their birth. Male and female has become a spectrum instead of a polarity.\n\nOur understanding of God will affect our understanding of and posture toward these cultural shifts. It will help us understand why we agree with some changes and stand against others and will give us the tools needed to effectively communicate our positions with others. This is the difference between chucking a rock at the nearest target and skillfully standing against injustice.\n\nI am not an expert in this field. I am a learner. As a learner, I am asking questions and trying ideas on. As we work through these questions, do not be surprised if I change my mind or heart through the process. Please ask tough questions and respectfully engage with the material. Welcome to my journey.','Does God have a penis?','','inherit','open','open','','6958-revision','','','2012-06-13 07:54:46','2012-06-13 14:54:46','',6958,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/13/6958-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(6962,179,'2012-06-13 12:01:33','2012-06-13 19:01:33','','adamandeve','','inherit','open','open','','adamandeve','','','2012-06-13 12:01:33','2012-06-13 19:01:33','',6958,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/adamandeve.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(6961,41,'2012-06-13 07:57:37','2012-06-13 14:57:37','It\'s a valid question that says a lot about who we think God is. What does it mean about God that people are created in the divine image? Does God have a corporeal (physical) body ore is God only some form of spirit. When God walked in the garden, did he (as God is portrayed in that scene) take real steps or is the text meant to be taken figuratively?\r\n\r\nIf God does have a body, is it a body like ours? Does God have a belly button, or is that a scar of humanity? Does God have reproductive organs? If so, which ones? A penis? A vagina? Both? Neither?\r\n\r\nWestern Christians often talk about God as a sex-less, genderless spirit being. We claim the male references to God in the Bible are figurative anthropomorphism and ignore the female references. We neuter God and take away her body. It is the easiest solution, but not holistic. Scripture, tradition, reason, and psychology all point to a God outside the typical western (lack of) imagination.\r\n\r\nOver time, we will look into each of these arguments and work together to develop a whole picture of God. But first, we should think about why this is important.\r\n\r\nOur world - and our church - is currently fighting over issues of gender, gender-roles, and sexuality. The old \"one-man-one-woman, man rules over the woman\" paradigm is finished in our world. We fight (with both words and stones) in the city streets, but the writing is on the wall. The world has shifted. Sexuality outside of male/female monogamy is accepted by western society. Children born other than \"boy\" or \"girl\" are left alone not just to choose one gender or the other, but to accept the alternative gender of their birth. Male and female has become a spectrum instead of a polarity.\r\n\r\nOur understanding of God will affect our understanding of and posture toward these cultural shifts. It will help us understand why we agree with some changes and stand against others and will give us the tools needed to effectively communicate our positions with others. This is the difference between chucking a rock at the nearest target and skillfully standing against injustice.\r\n\r\nI am not an expert in this field. I am a learner. As a learner, I am asking questions and trying ideas on. As we work through these questions, do not be surprised if I change my mind or heart through the process. Please ask tough questions and respectfully engage with the material. Welcome to my journey.','Does God have a penis?','','inherit','open','open','','6958-revision-2','','','2012-06-13 07:57:37','2012-06-13 14:57:37','',6958,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/13/6958-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(6963,179,'2012-07-19 08:56:33','2012-07-19 15:56:33','It\'s a valid question that says a lot about who we think God is. What does it mean about God that people are created in the divine image? Does God have a corporeal (physical) body or is God only some form of spirit. When God walked in the garden, did he (as that scene portrays God) take real steps or is the text metaphor?\n\nIf God does have a body, is it a body like ours? Does God have a belly button, or is that a scar of humanity? Does God have reproductive organs? If so, which ones? A penis? A vagina? Both? Neither?\n\nWestern Christians often talk about God as a sex-less, genderless spirit being. We claim the male references to God in the Bible are figurative anthropomorphism and ignore the female references. We neuter God and take away her body. It is the easiest solution, but not holistic. Scripture, tradition, reason, and psychology all point to a God outside the typical western (lack of) imagination.\n\nOver time, we will look into each of these arguments and work together to develop a whole picture of God. But first, we should think about why this is important.\n\nOur world - and our church - is currently fighting over issues of gender, gender-roles, and sexuality. The old \"one-man-one-woman, man rules over the woman\" paradigm is finished in our world. We fight (with both words and stones) in the city streets, but the writing is on the wall. The world has shifted. Sexuality outside of male/female monogamy is accepted by western society. Children born other than \"boy\" or \"girl\" are left alone not just to choose one gender or the other, but to accept the alternative gender of their birth. Male and female has become a spectrum instead of a polarity.\n\nOur understanding of God will affect our understanding of and posture toward these cultural shifts. It will help us understand why we agree with some changes and stand against others and will give us the tools needed to effectively communicate our positions with others. This is the difference between chucking a rock at the nearest target and skillfully standing against injustice.\n\nI am not an expert in this field. I am a learner. As a learner, I am asking questions and trying ideas on. As we work through these questions, do not be surprised if I change my mind or heart through the process. Please ask tough questions and respectfully engage with the material. Welcome to my journey.','Does God Have a Penis?','','inherit','open','open','','6958-autosave','','','2012-07-19 08:56:33','2012-07-19 15:56:33','',6958,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/13/6958-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(6964,179,'2012-06-13 07:59:13','2012-06-13 14:59:13','It\'s a valid question that says a lot about who we think God is. What does it mean about God that people are created in the divine image? Does God have a corporeal (physical) body or is God only some form of spirit. When God walked in the garden, did he (as that scene portrays God) take real steps or is the text metaphor?\r\n\r\nIf God does have a body, is it a body like ours? Does God have a belly button, or is that a scar of humanity? Does God have reproductive organs? If so, which ones? A penis? A vagina? Both? Neither?\r\n\r\nWestern Christians often talk about God as a sex-less, genderless spirit being. We claim the male references to God in the Bible are figurative anthropomorphism and ignore the female references. We neuter God and take away her body. It is the easiest solution, but not holistic. Scripture, tradition, reason, and psychology all point to a God outside the typical western (lack of) imagination.\r\n\r\nOver time, we will look into each of these arguments and work together to develop a whole picture of God. But first, we should think about why this is important.\r\n\r\nOur world - and our church - is currently fighting over issues of gender, gender-roles, and sexuality. The old \"one-man-one-woman, man rules over the woman\" paradigm is finished in our world. We fight (with both words and stones) in the city streets, but the writing is on the wall. The world has shifted. Sexuality outside of male/female monogamy is accepted by western society. Children born other than \"boy\" or \"girl\" are left alone not just to choose one gender or the other, but to accept the alternative gender of their birth. Male and female has become a spectrum instead of a polarity.\r\n\r\nOur understanding of God will affect our understanding of and posture toward these cultural shifts. It will help us understand why we agree with some changes and stand against others and will give us the tools needed to effectively communicate our positions with others. This is the difference between chucking a rock at the nearest target and skillfully standing against injustice.\r\n\r\nI am not an expert in this field. I am a learner. As a learner, I am asking questions and trying ideas on. As we work through these questions, do not be surprised if I change my mind or heart through the process. Please ask tough questions and respectfully engage with the material. Welcome to my journey.','Does God have a penis?','','inherit','open','open','','6958-revision-3','','','2012-06-13 07:59:13','2012-06-13 14:59:13','',6958,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/13/6958-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(6965,179,'2012-06-13 12:07:27','2012-06-13 19:07:27','It\'s a valid question that says a lot about who we think God is. What does it mean about God that people are created in the divine image? Does God have a corporeal (physical) body or is God only some form of spirit. When God walked in the garden, did he (as that scene portrays God) take real steps or is the text metaphor?\r\n\r\nIf God does have a body, is it a body like ours? Does God have a belly button, or is that a scar of humanity? Does God have reproductive organs? If so, which ones? A penis? A vagina? Both? Neither?\r\n\r\nWestern Christians often talk about God as a sex-less, genderless spirit being. We claim the male references to God in the Bible are figurative anthropomorphism and ignore the female references. We neuter God and take away her body. It is the easiest solution, but not holistic. Scripture, tradition, reason, and psychology all point to a God outside the typical western (lack of) imagination.\r\n\r\nOver time, we will look into each of these arguments and work together to develop a whole picture of God. But first, we should think about why this is important.\r\n\r\nOur world - and our church - is currently fighting over issues of gender, gender-roles, and sexuality. The old \"one-man-one-woman, man rules over the woman\" paradigm is finished in our world. We fight (with both words and stones) in the city streets, but the writing is on the wall. The world has shifted. Sexuality outside of male/female monogamy is accepted by western society. Children born other than \"boy\" or \"girl\" are left alone not just to choose one gender or the other, but to accept the alternative gender of their birth. Male and female has become a spectrum instead of a polarity.\r\n\r\nOur understanding of God will affect our understanding of and posture toward these cultural shifts. It will help us understand why we agree with some changes and stand against others and will give us the tools needed to effectively communicate our positions with others. This is the difference between chucking a rock at the nearest target and skillfully standing against injustice.\r\n\r\nI am not an expert in this field. I am a learner. As a learner, I am asking questions and trying ideas on. As we work through these questions, do not be surprised if I change my mind or heart through the process. Please ask tough questions and respectfully engage with the material. Welcome to my journey.','Does God have a Penis?','','inherit','open','open','','6958-revision-4','','','2012-06-13 12:07:27','2012-06-13 19:07:27','',6958,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/13/6958-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(6967,43,'2012-06-16 08:00:28','2012-06-16 15:00:28','It\'s been a rough few weeks for public Christianity.  Too many videos have surfaced showing pastors and other people of faith spewing their hateful words.  It saddens me that there are many churches that believe essentially the same things, but think that they are better because they say it more gently.  Even more disturbing is that this is frequently a platform for an equally faulty position: being a friend with an agenda.\r\n\r\nI made the mistake recently of asking, \"Why aren\'t we more proactive about offering the Gospel message?\"  I was told that one needs to \"earn\" the right to share Jesus with people.  I found that statement confusing.  If Jesus is such an important part of my life, and if we\'re supposed to \"make disciples of all nations,\" then why must I wait for the right moment to clue someone in about my faith?  I also felt an underlying discomfort that I couldn\'t name or describe.  I shrugged it off, figuring I was just feeling defensive in the moment.\r\n\r\nAfter some thought, though, I began to understand what made me feel awkward.  There were two things, both of which are based on the concept of \"friendship with an agenda.\"\r\n\r\nFirst, why can pastors shout hateful or untrue things about LGBT people from the pulpit, but I have to \"earn\" the right to share Jesus with people?  I would think that \"Jesus loves you\" would go over somewhat easier than \"You\'re going to hell because you\'re gay\"!  I get tired of people thinking that the problem with church is that we don\'t have the right programming or the right kind of building or the right music.  I am weary of the idea that we need to couch the Gospel in \"appealing\" terms so that people will want to hear it.  That mentality ignores what\'s really going on.  No one wants to hear about God\'s love while simultaneously <em>not being shown love.</em>  This is love with an agenda—come on in, so I can \"earn\" the right to share the Gospel with you by pointing out all the ways in which you are sinful.<em>\r\n</em>\r\n\r\nSecond, I don\'t care for the concept of friends with ulterior motives.  I don\'t have gay friends and Jewish friends and atheist friends for the purpose of telling them about Jesus.  I\'m certainly not tight-lipped about my faith.  But I don\'t have ulterior motives.  I\'m not sticking with my friends on the off chance that they might change their minds and want me to tell them how to be saved.  I have no expectations in that way.  Here\'s my message to my non-Christian friends:\r\n<blockquote>I chose you because I like you.  We have things in common, we have kids the same age, I find you interesting and fun, and I like being with you.  This is the same way I pick all my friends, regardless of religion.  I didn\'t choose you because I\'m using you as my personal mission field.  Should you have an interest in talking about spiritual things, I\'m here.  But I enjoy your company and I\'m glad to hang with you no matter what we talk about.</blockquote>\r\nBack in high school, we were warned away from \"missionary dating\"—going out with someone in order to bring them to faith in Jesus.  In the same way, I recall one of my youth leaders telling me that I shouldn\'t base my non-dating relationships on whether or not I could convince my friends to come to church.  Those were wise words, and I\'ve tried to live by them.  Loving others should never have a hidden purpose.  I\'m not suggesting that we shouldn\'t share our faith with those who are not Christians.  But we should never base friendship on the idea that we have a personal mission to make sure they don\'t end up in Hell.','Friends with Agendas','','publish','open','open','','friends-with-agendas','','','2012-06-14 10:10:34','2012-06-14 17:10:34','',0,'http://provoketive.com/?p=6967',0,'post','',1),(6968,43,'2012-06-14 07:13:03','2012-06-14 14:13:03','','Theater Masks','','inherit','open','open','','theater-masks','','','2012-06-14 07:13:03','2012-06-14 14:13:03','',6967,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Theater-Masks.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(6969,43,'2012-06-14 07:07:43','2012-06-14 14:07:43','','Friends with Consequences','','inherit','open','open','','6967-revision','','','2012-06-14 07:07:43','2012-06-14 14:07:43','',6967,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/14/6967-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(6970,43,'2012-06-14 07:13:27','2012-06-14 14:13:27','','Friends with Consequences','','inherit','open','open','','6967-revision-2','','','2012-06-14 07:13:27','2012-06-14 14:13:27','',6967,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/14/6967-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(6971,43,'2012-06-14 07:41:01','2012-06-14 14:41:01','It\'s been a rough few weeks for public Christianity.  Too many videos have surfaced showing pastors and other people of faith spewing their hateful words.  What saddens me is that there are many churches that believe essentially the same things, but think that they are better because they say it more gently.  Even that, though, doesn\'t disturb me nearly as much as what often goes along with it: being a friend with an agenda.\r\n\r\nI made the mistake recently of asking, \"Why aren\'t we more proactive about offering the Gospel message?\"  I was told that one needs to \"earn\" the right to share Jesus with people.  I found that statement confusing.  If Jesus is such an important part of my life, and if we\'re supposed to \"make disciples of all nations,\" then why must I wait for the right moment to clue someone in about my faith?  I also felt an underlying discomfort that I couldn\'t name or describe.  I shrugged it off, figuring I was just feeling defensive in the moment.\r\n\r\nAfter some thought, though, I began to understand what made me feel awkward.  There were two things, both of which are based on the concept of \"friendship with an agenda.\"\r\n\r\nFirst, why can pastors shout hateful or untrue things about LGBT people from the pulpit, but I have to \"earn\" the right to share Jesus with people?  I would think that \"Jesus loves you\" would go over somewhat easier than \"You\'re going to hell because you\'re gay\"!  I get tired of people thinking that the problem with church is that we don\'t have the right programming or the right kind of building or the right music.  I am weary of the idea that we need to couch the Gospel in \"appealing\" terms so that people will want to hear it.  That mentality ignores what\'s really going on.  No one wants to hear about God\'s love while simultaneously <em>not being shown love.</em>  This is love with an agenda—come on in, so I can \"earn\" the right to share the Gospel with you by pointing out all the ways in which you are sinful.<em>\r\n</em>\r\n\r\nSecond, I don\'t care for  the concept of friends with ulterior motives.  I don\'t have gay friends and Jewish friends and atheist friends for the purpose of telling them about Jesus.  I\'m certainly not tight-lipped about my faith.  But I don\'t have ulterior motives.  I\'m not sticking with my friends on the off chance that they might change their minds and want me to tell them how to be saved.  I have no expectations in that way.  Here\'s my message to my non-Christian friends:\r\n<blockquote>I chose you because I like you.  We have things in common, we have kids the same age, I find you interesting and fun, and I like being with you.  This is the same way I pick all my friends, regardless of religion.  I didn\'t choose you because I\'m using you as my personal mission field.  Should you have an interest in talking about spiritual things, I\'m here.  But I enjoy your company and I\'m glad to hang with you no matter what we talk about.</blockquote>\r\nBack in high school, we were warned away from \"missionary dating\"—going out with someone in order to bring them to faith in Jesus.  In the same way, I recall one of my youth leaders telling me that I shouldn\'t base my non-dating relationships on whether or not I could convince my friends to come to church.  Those were wise words, and I\'ve tried to live by them.  Loving others should never have a hidden purpose.  I\'m not suggesting that we shouldn\'t share our faith with those who are not Christians.  But we should never base friendship on the idea that we have a personal mission to make sure they don\'t end up in Hell.','Friends with Agendas','','inherit','open','open','','6967-revision-3','','','2012-06-14 07:41:01','2012-06-14 14:41:01','',6967,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/14/6967-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(6972,43,'2012-06-14 07:41:11','2012-06-14 14:41:11','It\'s been a rough few weeks for public Christianity.  Too many videos have surfaced showing pastors and other people of faith spewing their hateful words.  What saddens me is that there are many churches that believe essentially the same things, but think that they are better because they say it more gently.  Even that, though, doesn\'t disturb me nearly as much as what often goes along with it: being a friend with an agenda.\r\n\r\nI made the mistake recently of asking, \"Why aren\'t we more proactive about offering the Gospel message?\"  I was told that one needs to \"earn\" the right to share Jesus with people.  I found that statement confusing.  If Jesus is such an important part of my life, and if we\'re supposed to \"make disciples of all nations,\" then why must I wait for the right moment to clue someone in about my faith?  I also felt an underlying discomfort that I couldn\'t name or describe.  I shrugged it off, figuring I was just feeling defensive in the moment.\r\n\r\nAfter some thought, though, I began to understand what made me feel awkward.  There were two things, both of which are based on the concept of \"friendship with an agenda.\"\r\n\r\nFirst, why can pastors shout hateful or untrue things about LGBT people from the pulpit, but I have to \"earn\" the right to share Jesus with people?  I would think that \"Jesus loves you\" would go over somewhat easier than \"You\'re going to hell because you\'re gay\"!  I get tired of people thinking that the problem with church is that we don\'t have the right programming or the right kind of building or the right music.  I am weary of the idea that we need to couch the Gospel in \"appealing\" terms so that people will want to hear it.  That mentality ignores what\'s really going on.  No one wants to hear about God\'s love while simultaneously <em>not being shown love.</em>  This is love with an agenda—come on in, so I can \"earn\" the right to share the Gospel with you by pointing out all the ways in which you are sinful.<em>\r\n</em>\r\n\r\nSecond, I don\'t care for  the concept of friends with ulterior motives.  I don\'t have gay friends and Jewish friends and atheist friends for the purpose of telling them about Jesus.  I\'m certainly not tight-lipped about my faith.  But I don\'t have ulterior motives.  I\'m not sticking with my friends on the off chance that they might change their minds and want me to tell them how to be saved.  I have no expectations in that way.  Here\'s my message to my non-Christian friends:\r\n<blockquote>I chose you because I like you.  We have things in common, we have kids the same age, I find you interesting and fun, and I like being with you.  This is the same way I pick all my friends, regardless of religion.  I didn\'t choose you because I\'m using you as my personal mission field.  Should you have an interest in talking about spiritual things, I\'m here.  But I enjoy your company and I\'m glad to hang with you no matter what we talk about.</blockquote>\r\nBack in high school, we were warned away from \"missionary dating\"—going out with someone in order to bring them to faith in Jesus.  In the same way, I recall one of my youth leaders telling me that I shouldn\'t base my non-dating relationships on whether or not I could convince my friends to come to church.  Those were wise words, and I\'ve tried to live by them.  Loving others should never have a hidden purpose.  I\'m not suggesting that we shouldn\'t share our faith with those who are not Christians.  But we should never base friendship on the idea that we have a personal mission to make sure they don\'t end up in Hell.','Friends with Agendas','','inherit','open','open','','6967-revision-4','','','2012-06-14 07:41:11','2012-06-14 14:41:11','',6967,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/14/6967-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(6973,43,'2012-06-14 07:43:31','2012-06-14 14:43:31','It\'s been a rough few weeks for public Christianity.  Too many videos have surfaced showing pastors and other people of faith spewing their hateful words.  It saddens me that there are many churches that believe essentially the same things, but think that they are better because they say it more gently.  Even more disturbing is that this is frequently a platform for an equally faulty position: being a friend with an agenda.\r\n\r\nI made the mistake recently of asking, \"Why aren\'t we more proactive about offering the Gospel message?\"  I was told that one needs to \"earn\" the right to share Jesus with people.  I found that statement confusing.  If Jesus is such an important part of my life, and if we\'re supposed to \"make disciples of all nations,\" then why must I wait for the right moment to clue someone in about my faith?  I also felt an underlying discomfort that I couldn\'t name or describe.  I shrugged it off, figuring I was just feeling defensive in the moment.\r\n\r\nAfter some thought, though, I began to understand what made me feel awkward.  There were two things, both of which are based on the concept of \"friendship with an agenda.\"\r\n\r\nFirst, why can pastors shout hateful or untrue things about LGBT people from the pulpit, but I have to \"earn\" the right to share Jesus with people?  I would think that \"Jesus loves you\" would go over somewhat easier than \"You\'re going to hell because you\'re gay\"!  I get tired of people thinking that the problem with church is that we don\'t have the right programming or the right kind of building or the right music.  I am weary of the idea that we need to couch the Gospel in \"appealing\" terms so that people will want to hear it.  That mentality ignores what\'s really going on.  No one wants to hear about God\'s love while simultaneously <em>not being shown love.</em>  This is love with an agenda—come on in, so I can \"earn\" the right to share the Gospel with you by pointing out all the ways in which you are sinful.<em>\r\n</em>\r\n\r\nSecond, I don\'t care for  the concept of friends with ulterior motives.  I don\'t have gay friends and Jewish friends and atheist friends for the purpose of telling them about Jesus.  I\'m certainly not tight-lipped about my faith.  But I don\'t have ulterior motives.  I\'m not sticking with my friends on the off chance that they might change their minds and want me to tell them how to be saved.  I have no expectations in that way.  Here\'s my message to my non-Christian friends:\r\n<blockquote>I chose you because I like you.  We have things in common, we have kids the same age, I find you interesting and fun, and I like being with you.  This is the same way I pick all my friends, regardless of religion.  I didn\'t choose you because I\'m using you as my personal mission field.  Should you have an interest in talking about spiritual things, I\'m here.  But I enjoy your company and I\'m glad to hang with you no matter what we talk about.</blockquote>\r\nBack in high school, we were warned away from \"missionary dating\"—going out with someone in order to bring them to faith in Jesus.  In the same way, I recall one of my youth leaders telling me that I shouldn\'t base my non-dating relationships on whether or not I could convince my friends to come to church.  Those were wise words, and I\'ve tried to live by them.  Loving others should never have a hidden purpose.  I\'m not suggesting that we shouldn\'t share our faith with those who are not Christians.  But we should never base friendship on the idea that we have a personal mission to make sure they don\'t end up in Hell.','Friends with Agendas','','inherit','open','open','','6967-revision-5','','','2012-06-14 07:43:31','2012-06-14 14:43:31','',6967,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/14/6967-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(6974,43,'2012-06-14 07:43:37','2012-06-14 14:43:37','It\'s been a rough few weeks for public Christianity.  Too many videos have surfaced showing pastors and other people of faith spewing their hateful words.  It saddens me that there are many churches that believe essentially the same things, but think that they are better because they say it more gently.  Even more disturbing is that this is frequently a platform for an equally faulty position: being a friend with an agenda.\r\n\r\nI made the mistake recently of asking, \"Why aren\'t we more proactive about offering the Gospel message?\"  I was told that one needs to \"earn\" the right to share Jesus with people.  I found that statement confusing.  If Jesus is such an important part of my life, and if we\'re supposed to \"make disciples of all nations,\" then why must I wait for the right moment to clue someone in about my faith?  I also felt an underlying discomfort that I couldn\'t name or describe.  I shrugged it off, figuring I was just feeling defensive in the moment.\r\n\r\nAfter some thought, though, I began to understand what made me feel awkward.  There were two things, both of which are based on the concept of \"friendship with an agenda.\"\r\n\r\nFirst, why can pastors shout hateful or untrue things about LGBT people from the pulpit, but I have to \"earn\" the right to share Jesus with people?  I would think that \"Jesus loves you\" would go over somewhat easier than \"You\'re going to hell because you\'re gay\"!  I get tired of people thinking that the problem with church is that we don\'t have the right programming or the right kind of building or the right music.  I am weary of the idea that we need to couch the Gospel in \"appealing\" terms so that people will want to hear it.  That mentality ignores what\'s really going on.  No one wants to hear about God\'s love while simultaneously <em>not being shown love.</em>  This is love with an agenda—come on in, so I can \"earn\" the right to share the Gospel with you by pointing out all the ways in which you are sinful.<em>\r\n</em>\r\n\r\nSecond, I don\'t care for  the concept of friends with ulterior motives.  I don\'t have gay friends and Jewish friends and atheist friends for the purpose of telling them about Jesus.  I\'m certainly not tight-lipped about my faith.  But I don\'t have ulterior motives.  I\'m not sticking with my friends on the off chance that they might change their minds and want me to tell them how to be saved.  I have no expectations in that way.  Here\'s my message to my non-Christian friends:\r\n<blockquote>I chose you because I like you.  We have things in common, we have kids the same age, I find you interesting and fun, and I like being with you.  This is the same way I pick all my friends, regardless of religion.  I didn\'t choose you because I\'m using you as my personal mission field.  Should you have an interest in talking about spiritual things, I\'m here.  But I enjoy your company and I\'m glad to hang with you no matter what we talk about.</blockquote>\r\nBack in high school, we were warned away from \"missionary dating\"—going out with someone in order to bring them to faith in Jesus.  In the same way, I recall one of my youth leaders telling me that I shouldn\'t base my non-dating relationships on whether or not I could convince my friends to come to church.  Those were wise words, and I\'ve tried to live by them.  Loving others should never have a hidden purpose.  I\'m not suggesting that we shouldn\'t share our faith with those who are not Christians.  But we should never base friendship on the idea that we have a personal mission to make sure they don\'t end up in Hell.','Friends with Agendas','','inherit','open','open','','6967-revision-6','','','2012-06-14 07:43:37','2012-06-14 14:43:37','',6967,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/14/6967-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(6976,46,'2012-06-19 08:00:14','2012-06-19 15:00:14','Dear American Church, Hi, how are you? It\'s been a while since we last talked. How\'s Vacation Bible School coming along? This will be my first year volunteering, so I\'m excited! Listen, uh, I hate to be a Debbie Downer, but we need to talk. It\'s no secret that you\'re not doing so well these days. It seems like everyday I read a new story about how more and more young people are leaving you. In fact, if I can be frank, I\'ve come pretty close to doing the same. I feel like you just can\'t keep up, and you don\'t know what to do with yourself. That\'s why I\'m writing you this letter. I think you can do better. You just need some help figuring out how. Now this is just one person\'s opinion, so don\'t take my word as gospel (forgive the pun). But I figure since I am technically a part of you, my opinion\'s just as valid as the next person\'s. First, let me tell you what I don\'t need from you: 1. I don\'t need any more fancy-schmancy-mega-church-big-stage-full-scale-production worship services. I know you thought they made you look hip and cool for the young people, but honestly they make you look stupid. If I wanted to see a big production, I would go see a movie. 2. I don\'t need any more rigid doctrine. Don\'t get me wrong, I\'m not anti-doctrine or anything like that. But too much doctrine takes all the mystery and discovery out of the Gospel. That stuff might work for the Calvinists, but to me it\'s just putting God in a tiny box. Now here\'s what I do need: <strong>God\'s love</strong>. That\'s the whole reason why I haven\'t left you. I\'ve seen God\'s love shine in you and through you many times, so I know that you have the ability to show God\'s love to the world. You just have trouble expressing that love. And unfortunately I can\'t give you a list of things to do in order to let God\'s love shine through you. To be honest, I\'m still trying to figure out how to let God\'s love shine through me! So maybe we can work on it together. What do you say? Your friend, Travis','Dear American Church: We Need To Talk!','','publish','open','open','','dear-american-church-we-need-to-talk','','','2012-06-20 06:46:24','2012-06-20 13:46:24','',0,'http://provoketive.com/?p=6976',0,'post','',3),(6977,46,'2012-06-14 09:01:03','2012-06-14 16:01:03','Dear American Church,\n\nHi, how are you? It\'s been a while since we last talked. How\'s Vacation Bible School coming along? This will be my first year volunteering, so I\'m excited!\n\nListen, uh, I hate to be a Debbie Downer, but we need to talk.\n\nIt\'s no secret that you\'re not doing so well these days.','Dear American Church: We Need To Talk!','','inherit','open','open','','6976-revision','','','2012-06-14 09:01:03','2012-06-14 16:01:03','',6976,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/14/6976-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(6979,161,'2012-06-14 09:43:03','2012-06-14 16:43:03','<blockquote><em>Conservative: holding to traditional attitudes and values and cautious about change or innovation, typically in relation to politics</em></blockquote>\nAs the Church of England continues its journey to oblivion as a result of its war on itself over marriage I find myself asking a question: where have all the conservatives gone? Let me explain by taking a step back in time.\n\nIt is the thirteenth century and England had just emerged from the six year strike by England\'s priests. Jack, a peasant farmer, wishes to marry Florence a young girl from the neigbourhood. Jack asks his Parish Priest what he must do to be wed. The priest explains to Jack that the Westminster church council at the turn of the century did set out some preferences such as marrying in church and the Bann being issued but that this was not necessary for a marriage to be recognised in canon law.\n\nFor a marriage to be valid in church law, the priest explained, Jack must exchange marriage vows with Florence and not been \'within the prohibited degrees\' (e.g., closely related). And that was it! And so the canon law remained the law of England right up until 1753 and the passing of the Marriage Act (it continued thereafter across the border in Gretna Green).\n\nIn other words, for centuries the English church was satisfied that valid marriages could be contracted without recourse to the State. How sad that the Church in the thirteenth century (at a time, remember, when slavery, trial by ordeal and capital punishment were seen has unremarkable the English church was still more progressive on marriage than it is today.\n\nCertainly the church was not blessing same sex marriages but neither was it coercing all persons everywhere to bow to its will. God that we would have some conservatives rise up in the CofE prepared to defend tradition! If the Church of England determines that a marriage is not valid according to its law then fine (well, not fine but legitimate) but the overwhelming majority of the UK disagree.\n\nIt is time for the troublemakers who are trying to bully the English people to return to their parishes and, whilst their parishioners can stomach their irreligion, care for those same souls. As for the rest of us, thank you for your interest but we don\'t want you.','Where have all the Conservatives gone in the Church of England?','','inherit','open','open','','6978-revision','','','2012-06-14 09:43:03','2012-06-14 16:43:03','',6978,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/14/6978-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(6980,161,'2012-06-14 09:43:45','2012-06-14 16:43:45','<blockquote><em>Conservative: holding to traditional attitudes and values and cautious about change or innovation, typically in relation to politics</em></blockquote>\r\nAs the Church of England continues its journey to oblivion as a result of its war on itself over marriage I find myself asking a question: where have all the conservatives gone? Let me explain by taking a step back in time.\r\n\r\nIt is the thirteenth century and England had just emerged from the six year strike by England\'s priests. Jack, a peasant farmer, wishes to marry Florence a young girl from the neigbourhood. Jack asks his Parish Priest what he must do to be wed. The priest explains to Jack that the Westminster church council at the turn of the century did set out some preferences such as marrying in church and the Bann being issued but that this was not necessary for a marriage to be recognised in canon law.\r\n\r\nFor a marriage to be valid in church law, the priest explained, Jack must exchange marriage vows with Florence and not been \'within the prohibited degrees\' (e.g., closely related). And that was it! And so the canon law remained the law of England right up until 1753 and the passing of the Marriage Act (it continued thereafter across the border in Gretna Green).\r\n\r\nIn other words, for centuries the English church was satisfied that valid marriages could be contracted without recourse to the State. How sad that the Church in the thirteenth century (at a time, remember, when slavery, trial by ordeal and capital punishment were seen has unremarkable the English church was still more progressive on marriage than it is today.\r\n\r\nCertainly the church was not blessing same sex marriages but neither was it coercing all persons everywhere to bow to its will. God that we would have some conservatives rise up in the CofE prepared to defend tradition! If the Church of England determines that a marriage is not valid according to its law then fine (well, not fine but legitimate) but the overwhelming majority of the UK disagree.\r\n\r\nIt is time for the troublemakers who are trying to bully the English people to return to their parishes and, whilst their parishioners can stomach their irreligion, care for those same souls. As for the rest of us, thank you for your interest but we don\'t want you.','Where have all the Conservatives gone in the Church of England?','','inherit','open','open','','6978-revision-2','','','2012-06-14 09:43:45','2012-06-14 16:43:45','',6978,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/14/6978-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(6981,161,'2012-06-14 09:45:45','2012-06-14 16:45:45','<blockquote><em>Conservative: holding to traditional attitudes and values and cautious about change or innovation, typically in relation to politics</em></blockquote>\r\nAs the Church of England <a href=\"http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/jun/12/gay-marriage-anglican-church-editorial?INTCMP=SRCH\">continues its journey</a> to oblivion as a result of its war over marriage I find myself asking a question: where have all the conservatives gone? Let me explain by taking a step back in time.\r\n\r\nIt is the thirteenth century and England had just emerged from the six year strike by England\'s priests. Jack, a peasant farmer, wishes to marry Florence a young girl from the neigbourhood. Jack asks his Parish Priest what he must do to be wed. The priest explains to Jack that the Westminster church council at the turn of the century did set out some preferences such as marrying in church and the Bann being issued but that this was not necessary for a marriage to be recognised in canon law.\r\n\r\nFor a marriage to be valid in church law, the priest explained, Jack must exchange marriage vows with Florence and not been \'within the prohibited degrees\' (e.g., closely related). And that was it! And so the canon law remained the law of England right up until 1753 and the passing of the Marriage Act (it continued thereafter across the border in Gretna Green).\r\n\r\nIn other words, for centuries the English church was satisfied that valid marriages could be contracted without recourse to the State. How sad that the Church in the thirteenth century (at a time, remember, when slavery, trial by ordeal and capital punishment were seen has unremarkable the English church was still more progressive on marriage than it is today.\r\n\r\nCertainly the church was not blessing same sex marriages but neither was it coercing all persons everywhere to bow to its will. God that we would have some conservatives rise up in the CofE prepared to defend tradition! If the Church of England determines that a marriage is not valid according to its law then fine (well, not fine but legitimate) but the overwhelming majority of the UK disagree.\r\n\r\nIt is time for the troublemakers who are trying to bully the English people to return to their parishes and, whilst their parishioners can stomach their irreligion, care for those same souls. As for the rest of us, thank you for your interest but we don\'t want you.','Where have all the Conservatives gone in the Church of England?','','inherit','open','open','','6978-revision-3','','','2012-06-14 09:45:45','2012-06-14 16:45:45','',6978,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/14/6978-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(6983,161,'2012-06-14 16:35:03','2012-06-14 23:35:03','<blockquote><em>Conservative: holding to traditional attitudes and values and cautious about change or innovation, typically in relation to politics</em></blockquote>\r\nAs the Church of England <a href=\"http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/jun/12/gay-marriage-anglican-church-editorial?INTCMP=SRCH\">continues its journey</a> to oblivion as a result of its war over marriage, I find myself asking a question: where have all the conservatives gone? Let me explain by taking a step back in time.\r\n\r\nIt is the thirteenth century and England had just emerged from the six year strike by England\'s priests. Jack, a peasant farmer, wishes to marry Florence a young girl from the neighborhood. Jack asks his Parish Priest what he must do to be wed. The priest explains to Jack that the Westminster church council at the turn of the century did set out some preferences such as marrying in church and the ban being issued, but that this was not necessary for a marriage to be recognized in canon law.\r\n\r\nFor a marriage to be valid in church law, the priest explained, Jack must exchange marriage vows with Florence and not be \'within the prohibited degrees\' (e.g., closely related). And that was it! And so the canon law remained the law of England right up until 1753 and the passing of the Marriage Act (it continued thereafter across the border in Gretna Green).\r\n\r\nIn other words, for centuries, the English church was satisfied that valid marriages could be contracted without recourse to the State. How sad that the Church in the thirteenth century (at a time, remember, when slavery, trial by ordeal, and capital punishment were seen as unremarkable, the English church was still more progressive on marriage than it is today.)\r\n\r\nCertainly the church was not blessing same sex marriages, but neither was it coercing all persons everywhere to bow to its will. God, that we would have some conservatives rise up in the CofE prepared to defend tradition! If the Church of England determines that a marriage is not valid according to its law then fine (well, not fine but legitimate) but the overwhelming majority of the UK disagree.\r\n\r\nIt is time for the troublemakers who are trying to bully the English people to return to their parishes and, whilst their parishioners can stomach their irreligion, care for those same souls. As for the rest of us, thank you for your interest but we don\'t want you.','Where have all the Conservatives gone in the Church of England?','','inherit','open','open','','6978-autosave','','','2012-06-14 16:35:03','2012-06-14 23:35:03','',6978,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/14/6978-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(6984,179,'2012-06-14 10:06:19','2012-06-14 17:06:19','','churchofengland','','inherit','open','open','','churchofengland','','','2012-06-14 10:06:19','2012-06-14 17:06:19','',6978,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/churchofengland.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(6985,179,'2012-06-14 09:46:32','2012-06-14 16:46:32','<blockquote><em>Conservative: holding to traditional attitudes and values and cautious about change or innovation, typically in relation to politics</em></blockquote>\r\nAs the Church of England <a href=\"http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/jun/12/gay-marriage-anglican-church-editorial?INTCMP=SRCH\">continues its journey</a> to oblivion as a result of its war over marriage I find myself asking a question: where have all the conservatives gone? Let me explain by taking a step back in time.\r\n\r\nIt is the thirteenth century and England had just emerged from the six year strike by England\'s priests. Jack, a peasant farmer, wishes to marry Florence a young girl from the neigbourhood. Jack asks his Parish Priest what he must do to be wed. The priest explains to Jack that the Westminster church council at the turn of the century did set out some preferences such as marrying in church and the Bann being issued but that this was not necessary for a marriage to be recognised in canon law.\r\n\r\nFor a marriage to be valid in church law, the priest explained, Jack must exchange marriage vows with Florence and not been \'within the prohibited degrees\' (e.g., closely related). And that was it! And so the canon law remained the law of England right up until 1753 and the passing of the Marriage Act (it continued thereafter across the border in Gretna Green).\r\n\r\nIn other words, for centuries the English church was satisfied that valid marriages could be contracted without recourse to the State. How sad that the Church in the thirteenth century (at a time, remember, when slavery, trial by ordeal and capital punishment were seen has unremarkable the English church was still more progressive on marriage than it is today.\r\n\r\nCertainly the church was not blessing same sex marriages but neither was it coercing all persons everywhere to bow to its will. God that we would have some conservatives rise up in the CofE prepared to defend tradition! If the Church of England determines that a marriage is not valid according to its law then fine (well, not fine but legitimate) but the overwhelming majority of the UK disagree.\r\n\r\nIt is time for the troublemakers who are trying to bully the English people to return to their parishes and, whilst their parishioners can stomach their irreligion, care for those same souls. As for the rest of us, thank you for your interest but we don\'t want you.','Where have all the Conservatives gone in the Church of England?','','inherit','open','open','','6978-revision-4','','','2012-06-14 09:46:32','2012-06-14 16:46:32','',6978,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/14/6978-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(6987,179,'2012-06-14 10:09:31','2012-06-14 17:09:31','It\'s been a rough few weeks for public Christianity.  Too many videos have surfaced showing pastors and other people of faith spewing their hateful words.  It saddens me that there are many churches that believe essentially the same things, but think that they are better because they say it more gently.  Even more disturbing is that this is frequently a platform for an equally faulty position: being a friend with an agenda.\n\nI made the mistake recently of asking, \"Why aren\'t we more proactive about offering the Gospel message?\"  I was told that one needs to \"earn\" the right to share Jesus with people.  I found that statement confusing.  If Jesus is such an important part of my life, and if we\'re supposed to \"make disciples of all nations,\" then why must I wait for the right moment to clue someone in about my faith?  I also felt an underlying discomfort that I couldn\'t name or describe.  I shrugged it off, figuring I was just feeling defensive in the moment.\n\nAfter some thought, though, I began to understand what made me feel awkward.  There were two things, both of which are based on the concept of \"friendship with an agenda.\"\n\nFirst, why can pastors shout hateful or untrue things about LGBT people from the pulpit, but I have to \"earn\" the right to share Jesus with people?  I would think that \"Jesus loves you\" would go over somewhat easier than \"You\'re going to hell because you\'re gay\"!  I get tired of people thinking that the problem with church is that we don\'t have the right programming or the right kind of building or the right music.  I am weary of the idea that we need to couch the Gospel in \"appealing\" terms so that people will want to hear it.  That mentality ignores what\'s really going on.  No one wants to hear about God\'s love while simultaneously <em>not being shown love.</em>  This is love with an agenda—come on in, so I can \"earn\" the right to share the Gospel with you by pointing out all the ways in which you are sinful.<em>\n</em>\n\nSecond, I don\'t care for the concept of friends with ulterior motives.  I don\'t have gay friends and Jewish friends and atheist friends for the purpose of telling them about Jesus.  I\'m certainly not tight-lipped about my faith.  But I don\'t have ulterior motives.  I\'m not sticking with my friends on the off chance that they might change their minds and want me to tell them how to be saved.  I have no expectations in that way.  Here\'s my message to my non-Christian friends:\n<blockquote>I chose you because I like you.  We have things in common, we have kids the same age, I find you interesting and fun, and I like being with you.  This is the same way I pick all my friends, regardless of religion.  I didn\'t choose you because I\'m using you as my personal mission field.  Should you have an interest in talking about spiritual things, I\'m here.  But I enjoy your company and I\'m glad to hang with you no matter what we talk about.</blockquote>\nBack in high school, we were warned away from \"missionary dating\"—going out with someone in order to bring them to faith in Jesus.  In the same way, I recall one of my youth leaders telling me that I shouldn\'t base my non-dating relationships on whether or not I could convince my friends to come to church.  Those were wise words, and I\'ve tried to live by them.  Loving others should never have a hidden purpose.  I\'m not suggesting that we shouldn\'t share our faith with those who are not Christians.  But we should never base friendship on the idea that we have a personal mission to make sure they don\'t end up in Hell.','Friends with Agendas','','inherit','open','open','','6967-autosave','','','2012-06-14 10:09:31','2012-06-14 17:09:31','',6967,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/14/6967-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(6988,179,'2012-06-14 10:10:15','2012-06-14 17:10:15','','masks','','inherit','open','open','','masks','','','2012-06-14 10:10:15','2012-06-14 17:10:15','',6967,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/masks.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(6989,179,'2012-06-14 07:47:13','2012-06-14 14:47:13','It\'s been a rough few weeks for public Christianity.  Too many videos have surfaced showing pastors and other people of faith spewing their hateful words.  It saddens me that there are many churches that believe essentially the same things, but think that they are better because they say it more gently.  Even more disturbing is that this is frequently a platform for an equally faulty position: being a friend with an agenda.\r\n\r\nI made the mistake recently of asking, \"Why aren\'t we more proactive about offering the Gospel message?\"  I was told that one needs to \"earn\" the right to share Jesus with people.  I found that statement confusing.  If Jesus is such an important part of my life, and if we\'re supposed to \"make disciples of all nations,\" then why must I wait for the right moment to clue someone in about my faith?  I also felt an underlying discomfort that I couldn\'t name or describe.  I shrugged it off, figuring I was just feeling defensive in the moment.\r\n\r\nAfter some thought, though, I began to understand what made me feel awkward.  There were two things, both of which are based on the concept of \"friendship with an agenda.\"\r\n\r\nFirst, why can pastors shout hateful or untrue things about LGBT people from the pulpit, but I have to \"earn\" the right to share Jesus with people?  I would think that \"Jesus loves you\" would go over somewhat easier than \"You\'re going to hell because you\'re gay\"!  I get tired of people thinking that the problem with church is that we don\'t have the right programming or the right kind of building or the right music.  I am weary of the idea that we need to couch the Gospel in \"appealing\" terms so that people will want to hear it.  That mentality ignores what\'s really going on.  No one wants to hear about God\'s love while simultaneously <em>not being shown love.</em>  This is love with an agenda—come on in, so I can \"earn\" the right to share the Gospel with you by pointing out all the ways in which you are sinful.<em>\r\n</em>\r\n\r\nSecond, I don\'t care for  the concept of friends with ulterior motives.  I don\'t have gay friends and Jewish friends and atheist friends for the purpose of telling them about Jesus.  I\'m certainly not tight-lipped about my faith.  But I don\'t have ulterior motives.  I\'m not sticking with my friends on the off chance that they might change their minds and want me to tell them how to be saved.  I have no expectations in that way.  Here\'s my message to my non-Christian friends:\r\n<blockquote>I chose you because I like you.  We have things in common, we have kids the same age, I find you interesting and fun, and I like being with you.  This is the same way I pick all my friends, regardless of religion.  I didn\'t choose you because I\'m using you as my personal mission field.  Should you have an interest in talking about spiritual things, I\'m here.  But I enjoy your company and I\'m glad to hang with you no matter what we talk about.</blockquote>\r\nBack in high school, we were warned away from \"missionary dating\"—going out with someone in order to bring them to faith in Jesus.  In the same way, I recall one of my youth leaders telling me that I shouldn\'t base my non-dating relationships on whether or not I could convince my friends to come to church.  Those were wise words, and I\'ve tried to live by them.  Loving others should never have a hidden purpose.  I\'m not suggesting that we shouldn\'t share our faith with those who are not Christians.  But we should never base friendship on the idea that we have a personal mission to make sure they don\'t end up in Hell.','Friends with Agendas','','inherit','open','open','','6967-revision-7','','','2012-06-14 07:47:13','2012-06-14 14:47:13','',6967,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/14/6967-revision-7/',0,'revision','',0),(7272,12,'2012-07-24 11:46:24','2012-07-24 18:46:24','I love writing on Provoketive. I\'m pretty conservative. And there are people who write on here who are less conservative than me. Good for them. They have a voice. I\'m about to write something that may not be very popular. And I\'m glad I have a place to write it.\n\nToday, several things happened in reaction to the <a href=\"http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/22/us/penn-state-paterno-statue/index.html\">Freeh Report</a> in regards to lack of institutional control at Penn State. Specifically, head coach Joe Paterno\'s role in lack of reporting the child molestation that had been occurring for more than a decade there while coach Jerry Sandusky was having his way with underage kids.\n\nLet me say this - that is disgusting. There is no way I tolerate that. I have seen it happen first hand in my life and I wanted justice right away.\n\n<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/paterno2.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-7269\" style=\"margin-left: 6px;margin-right: 6px\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/paterno2-300x202.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"202\" /></a>I don\'t know what to think about Joe Paterno. He\'s gone. Shortly after he resigned, he died. All his life all he knew was football and caring for football players. What I do know is this - we are most often remembered for what we do at the end of our lives than what we do for the bulk of our lives.\n\nLet me say this as well. I am an Arkansas Razorback fan. I have no axe to grind either way. Arkansas has had its own <a href=\"http://fallenpastor.wordpress.com/2012/04/12/the-sins-of-bobby-petrino/\">problems with Bobby Petrino</a> this off-season, that\'s for sure.\n\nThe now famous \"<a href=\"http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/22/us/penn-state-paterno-statue/index.html\">Freeh Report</a>\" documents that Paterno held back information that could have stopped child abuse. We all know that it looks like there was institutional freaking problems in reporting these things. Absolutely. It makes me sick. We all have the same questions - \"Why wouldn\'t you have said something?\" \"What was your deal?\" \"Doesn\'t your silence make you the same as the perpetrator?\"\n\nSlow your roll for a second.\n\nI know it\'s hard. It\'s hard for me. These men got their day in court. Nothing can erase what happened to them. Sandusky got his trial and will be off to hard time. Justice is served. Yet, the NCAA stepped in. What was their ruling? $30 million for however long. Fine. But the NCAA has never stepped in for a criminal ruling. What else? Scholarship reductions in the future.\n\nLast of all, let\'s take down the statue of Joe Paterno. I don\'t know how I feel about that one. I really don\'t.\n\nLet me explain that. Seriously. As a sports fan. What if that happened at my campus?\n\nTen years ago, Beaver Stadium, held over 100,000 fans. They weren\'t screaming and cheering for a man who was concealing pederasty. For a second, let\'s take Joe Paterno out of the question. Most fans don\'t even show up to cheer for the coach. They show up to cheer on the athletes. They were there to cheer on the athletes who showed up in August when no one was around, who put up with two-a-days, vomited, worked hard, and ran their guts out trying to beat their rivals.\n\nFans show up to cheer a team. You want to take down Joe Paterno\'s statue? Fine. But don\'t hamstring the athletes who are there now who didn\'t rape kids in the shower. Don\'t stain the education and pride those kids feel because they still want to be part of Penn State. Penn State is bigger than Joe Paterno. It\'s bigger than Sandusky. All the NCAA did today was say that Penn State is equal to those two.\n\nDon\'t hurt those kids for the next four years by taking away their bowl games and money. Let those kids play. They have <a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/pennstate.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-7270\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/pennstate-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>heart and drive. Let the legal system take care of the people who are really guilty of the crimes involved. Take care of the administrative figures who turned a blind eye to what was going on.\n\nBut  don\'t hurt a bunch of 18-21 year olds who had no idea what was going on behind their backs while a bunch of evil adults were making decisions. The NCAA should be ashamed. Let Penn State live. Let them rise out of this like a Phoenix. Let the new coach and players make their mark on society. Let them say that this is a temporary setback that they had nothing to do with.\n\nTear down the statue if you have to. But this is a new day for Penn State. Let the new players make that statement. Don\'t let it be a death knell for a bunch of kids who had nothing to do with it.','Joe Paterno And Villification','','inherit','open','open','','7267-autosave','','','2012-07-24 11:46:24','2012-07-24 18:46:24','',7267,'http://provoketive.com/2012/07/23/7267-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(6994,46,'2012-06-15 16:05:22','2012-06-15 23:05:22','Dear American Church,\n\nHi, how are you? It\'s been a while since we last talked. How\'s Vacation Bible School coming along? This will be my first year volunteering, so I\'m excited!\n\nListen, uh, I hate to be a Debbie Downer, but we need to talk.\n\nIt\'s no secret that you\'re not doing so well these days. It seems like everyday I read a new story about how more and more young people are leaving you. In fact, if I can be frank, I\'ve come pretty close to doing the same. I feel like you just can\'t keep up, and you don\'t know what to do with yourself.\n\nThat\'s why I\'m writing you this letter. I think you can do better. You just need some help figuring out how.\n\nNow this is just one person\'s opinion, so don\'t take my word as gospel (forgive the pun). But I figure since I am technically a part of you, my opinion\'s just as valid as the next person\'s.\n\nFirst, let me tell you what I don\'t need from you:\n\n1. I don\'t need any more fancy-schmancy-mega-church-big-stage-full-scale-production worship services. I know you thought they made you look hip and cool for the young people, but honestly they make you look stupid. If I wanted to see a big production, I would go see a movie.\n\n2. I don\'t need any more rigid doctrine. Don\'t get me wrong, I\'m not anti-doctrine or anything like that. But too much doctrine takes all the mystery and discovery out of the Gospel. That stuff might work for the Calvinists, but to me it\'s just putting God in a tiny box.\n\nNow here\'s what I do need: <strong>God\'s love</strong>.\n\nThat\'s the whole reason why I haven\'t left you. I\'ve seen God\'s love shine in you and through you many times, so I know that you have the ability to show God\'s love to the world. You just have trouble expressing that love.\n\nAnd unfortunately I can\'t give you a list of things to do in order to let God\'s love shine through you. To be honest, I\'m still trying to figure out how to let God\'s love shine through me! So maybe we can work on it together. What do you say','Dear American Church: We Need To Talk!','','inherit','open','open','','6976-revision-2','','','2012-06-15 16:05:22','2012-06-15 23:05:22','',6976,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/15/6976-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(7021,1,'2012-06-19 08:36:19','2012-06-19 15:36:19','Dear American Church,\r\n\r\nHi, how are you? It\'s been a while since we last talked. How\'s Vacation Bible School coming along? This will be my first year volunteering, so I\'m excited!\r\n\r\nListen, uh, I hate to be a Debbie Downer, but we need to talk.\r\n\r\nIt\'s no secret that you\'re not doing so well these days. It seems like everyday I read a new story about how more and more young people are leaving you. In fact, if I can be frank, I\'ve come pretty close to doing the same. I feel like you just can\'t keep up, and you don\'t know what to do with yourself.\r\n\r\nThat\'s why I\'m writing you this letter. I think you can do better. You just need some help figuring out how.\r\n\r\nNow this is just one person\'s opinion, so don\'t take my word as gospel (forgive the pun). But I figure since I am technically a part of you, my opinion\'s just as valid as the next person\'s.\r\n\r\nFirst, let me tell you what I don\'t need from you:\r\n\r\n1. I don\'t need any more fancy-schmancy-mega-church-big-stage-full-scale-production worship services. I know you thought they made you look hip and cool for the young people, but honestly they make you look stupid. If I wanted to see a big production, I would go see a movie.\r\n\r\n2. I don\'t need any more rigid doctrine. Don\'t get me wrong, I\'m not anti-doctrine or anything like that. But too much doctrine takes all the mystery and discovery out of the Gospel. That stuff might work for the Calvinists, but to me it\'s just putting God in a tiny box.\r\n\r\nNow here\'s what I do need: <strong>God\'s love</strong>.\r\n\r\nThat\'s the whole reason why I haven\'t left you. I\'ve seen God\'s love shine in you and through you many times, so I know that you have the ability to show God\'s love to the world. You just have trouble expressing that love.\r\n\r\nAnd unfortunately I can\'t give you a list of things to do in order to let God\'s love shine through you. To be honest, I\'m still trying to figure out how to let God\'s love shine through me! So maybe we can work on it together. What do you say?\r\n\r\nYour friend,\r\n\r\nTravis','Dear American Church: We Need To Talk!','','inherit','open','open','','6976-revision-4','','','2012-06-19 08:36:19','2012-06-19 15:36:19','',6976,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/19/6976-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(7255,0,'2012-07-20 19:42:37','2012-07-21 02:42:37','Christianity\r\nChrist\r\nReligion\r\nGod\r\nFaith\r\nChurch\n<!--more-->\nAUTHOR: Peter\nAUTHOR EMAIL: notwithoutgod@gmail.com\nAUTHOR URL: http://thekingspresence.wordpress.com/\nSUBJECT: Provoketive Magazine Writing For Provoketive\nIP: 98.194.105.141\nArray\n(\n    [Name] =&gt; Peter\n    [Email] =&gt; notwithoutgod@gmail.com\n    [Existing Blog or Website] =&gt; http://thekingspresence.wordpress.com/\n    [List the topic you are interested writing about] =&gt; Christianity\r\nChrist\r\nReligion\r\nGod\r\nFaith\r\nChurch\n    [Current or New WordPress Login Name (We\'ll send you a password.)] =&gt; notwithoutgod\n)\n','Peter - 2012-07-20 19:42:37','','publish','open','open','','974c0d8318dbc3c17b8128b4fe03f82d','','','2012-07-20 19:42:37','2012-07-21 02:42:37','',358,'http://provoketive.com/?post_type=feedback&p=7255',0,'feedback','',0),(7257,12,'2012-08-02 08:00:40','2012-08-02 15:00:40','Everyone knows the story of Judas. He was the great betrayer of Christ. For silver, for mere money, he betrayed the Savior. For him, there was no Disney ending. There was suicide. There was no chance to redeem himself.\r\n\r\nEven at one point, he realized his error. In Matthew 27, it says: <em>\"Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, <strong>he changed his mind</strong> and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, <strong>\'I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.\'</strong> They said, \'What is that to us? See to it yourself.\' And <strong>throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself.</strong>\"</em> (ESV)\r\n\r\nThere was not a happy ending for Judas. A man who had walked with Jesus for years and yet let deceit enter his heart.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/peterdenies.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-7259\" style=\"margin-left: 6px; margin-right: 6px;\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/peterdenies-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>There\'s another betrayal of sorts mentioned of a disciple before Jesus dies. It is of one of the three disciples who are closest to Jesus. It is, of course, Peter, who denied Christ three times: <em>“\'Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.\'” Peter said to him, \'Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.\' Jesus said, \'<strong>I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.</strong>\'\"</em> (Luke 22:31-34 ESV)\r\n\r\nPeter\'s denial wasn\'t as strong as Judas\' betrayal. But at that moment, it must have felt like it. Think about it for a moment. Peter had heard all of the teachings of Christ. Even this one: <em>\"So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.\" </em>(Matthew 10:32-33 ESV)\r\n\r\nAfter the death of Christ, Peter must have felt the lowest of low. We know that he did. In John 21, we find the disciples out fishing. Peter must have still felt the sting of his betrayal and denial. The disciples went out to fish. They were returning to their pre-Jesus careers.\r\n\r\nSuddenly, on the shore, appeared Jesus. He said, \"Not catching anything? Try the other side of the boat.\" They didn\'t recognize him. Surely they were thinking, \"What do you think? That we\'ve been casting on one side of the boat?\" When they did, they caught so many fish they couldn\'t hold them.\r\n\r\nSuddenly, Peter realized it was Jesus. It was a moment only Scripture could capture. Hold that thought.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Fallen-Pastor-Finding-Restoration-Broken/dp/0615567096/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1342915058&amp;sr=8-2\">I was in a position almost three years ago when I fell from ministry.</a> I had committed adultery while pastoring a church. A lot of people told me I didn\'t deserve the love of God ever again. That God could never use me again. I believed them. There I sat, in a proverbial boat, like Peter. I wondered where God was. Surely He was out there. Surely the Savior who had called me had not given up on me.\r\n\r\nI was the one who had denied Him. I was the one who had walked away from Him and His calling. I was the one who had fallen. Had He seen it coming? He had seen Peter\'s fall. But what was the purpose? It was still my fault.\r\n\r\nWhen I was called to ministry, the passage that God had laid on my heart was from John 21. Maybe again I would find solace from it. And I did.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/dives.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-7260\" style=\"margin-left: 6px; margin-right: 6px;\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/dives-300x180.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"180\" /></a>In John 21, when Peter realized it was Jesus standing on the shore, he learned to follow again. He didn\'t wait for the boat to get to shore.\r\n\r\nHe jumped it the water and swam. Peter was like that. Impetuous. Guns blazing. He wanted to be where Christ was. He knew he had messed up, but he knew even more that he wanted to be where His Savior and friend was. So he jumped out of the boat and swam to Him.\r\n\r\nThen came the famous restoration of Peter. I won\'t go over it again for you here. But when Peter followed boldly by jumping out of the boat, after his miserable failure of denying Christ, Jesus restored Him.\r\n\r\nSimilarly, when we fail Christ, He\'s waiting on us. To swim to Him. To get out of the boat of our regular routine and follow Him anew. That\'s where I found Him after I fell. I had to have courage to seek Him out. When I did, He restored me. Fully, completely. He forgave me. What else did I expect from the merciful Christ?\r\n\r\n___________________\r\n\r\nRay Carroll is author of <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Fallen-Pastor-Finding-Restoration-Broken/dp/0615567096/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1342915058&amp;sr=8-2\">\"Fallen Pastor: Finding Restoration in a Broken World.\"</a> He blogs at <a href=\"http://www.fallenpastor.com\">www.fallenpastor.com</a>.','Following Christ After Extreme Failure','','publish','open','open','','following-christ-after-extreme-failure','','','2012-08-01 16:59:59','2012-08-01 23:59:59','',0,'http://provoketive.com/?p=7257',0,'post','',8),(7023,179,'2012-06-20 11:25:43','2012-06-20 18:25:43','','thevan','','inherit','open','open','','thevan','','','2012-06-20 11:25:43','2012-06-20 18:25:43','',7010,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/thevan.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(7245,1,'2012-07-19 13:15:34','2012-07-19 20:15:34','In August Provoketive will be partnering with Synchroblog<strong>. </strong> We will be hosting the Synchroblog for the month of August as we consider the concept of Following Jesus.\n\nIn order to for an article to be considered for this endeavor the author should sign up to be a writer for Provoketive first.  <em>If have already done this, you do not need to repeat the process.</em>  It is very easy, and all of the instructions are below.\n\nThe topic:  <strong>Follow.</strong>  In August we are going to consider the idea of following.  Jesus said, “Take up your cross and follow me,” and that has powerful implications in the way we live.  How does that affect you?   We believe the power of voice has tremendous capacity to inspire and encourage people. Provoketive is a space to explore our humanity, who we follow, and who is following us.\n\nHere are the instructions for August only:\n\n1. Sign up to be a writer on Provoketive.  Click here &lt;<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http://provoketive.com/writing-for-provoketive/\">http://provoketive.com/writing-for-provoketive/</a></span></span>&gt;  and fill out the form.  We’ll send you all the instructions to add your post. This step is unnecessary if you have already registered.\n\n2. Write and submit a 500-1,000 word post on the subject of following.  Some things to consider writing about include: what are the rules for following Jesus?  Are we going somewhere when we follow Jesus? Has your journey changed over time? Is there more than one way to follow Jesus?  What are the markers of a person following Jesus?\n\nYou may post the article on your own blog if you wish, but wait for the schedule to be posted after August 1st.\n\n3. All posts must be submitted to Provoketive by <strong>August 1.\n</strong>\n4.<strong> </strong>The articles will be posted on Provoketive each day throughout the month of August.\n\n5.  A schedule will be provided in early August so that authors know when they will be featured on Provoketive\'s website.','New Synchroblog Coming - Follow','','inherit','open','open','','7239-autosave','','','2012-07-19 13:15:34','2012-07-19 20:15:34','',7239,'http://provoketive.com/2012/07/19/7239-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(7244,1,'2012-07-19 13:13:58','2012-07-19 20:13:58','In August Provoketive will be partnering with Synchroblog<strong>. </strong> We will be hosting the Synchroblog for the month of August as we consider the concept of Following Jesus.\r\n\r\nIn order to for an article to be considered for this endeavor the author should sign up to be a writer for Provoketive first.  <em>If have already done this, you do not need to repeat the process.</em>  It is very easy, and all of the instructions are below.\r\n\r\nThe topic:  <strong>Follow.</strong>  In August we are going to consider the idea of following.  Jesus said, “Take up your cross and follow me,” and that has powerful implications in the way we live.  How does that effect you?   We believe the power of voice has tremendous capacity to inspire and encourage people. Provoketive is a space to explore our humanity, who we follow, and who is following us.\r\n\r\nHere are the instructions for August only:\r\n\r\n1. Sign up to be a writer on Provoketive.  Click here &lt;<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http://provoketive.com/writing-for-provoketive/\">http://provoketive.com/writing-for-provoketive/</a></span></span>&gt;  and fill out the form.  We’ll send you all the instructions to add your post. This step is unnecessary if you have already registered.\r\n\r\n2. Write and submit a 500-1,000 word post on the subject of following.  Some things to consider writing about include: what are the rules for following Jesus?  Are we going somewhere when we follow Jesus? Has your journey changed over time? Is there more than one way to follow Jesus?  What are the markers of a person following Jesus?\r\n\r\nYou may post the article on your own blog if you wish, but wait for the schedule to be posted after August 1st.\r\n\r\n3. All posts must be submitted to Provoketive by <strong>August 1.\r\n</strong>\r\n4.<strong> </strong>The articles will be posted on Provoketive each day throughout the month of August.\r\n\r\n5.  A schedule will be provided in early August so that authors know when they will be featured on Provoketive\'s website.','New Synchroblog Coming - Follow','','inherit','open','open','','7239-revision-4','','','2012-07-19 13:13:58','2012-07-19 20:13:58','',7239,'http://provoketive.com/2012/07/19/7239-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(7054,179,'2012-06-25 12:31:35','2012-06-25 19:31:35','<span style=\"font-family: Calibri;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong>Uncensored Prayer: The Spiritual Practice of Wrestling With God Workshop</strong> will be offered online July 23 – August 24, 2012.  This course is about the spiritual practice of discussing everything with God, risking honesty to gain intimacy through loving, trusting conversations.  It’s wrestling through anger, faith, pain, hope about every aspect of our lives.  No topic, language, or feeling is unholy.  It will cover </span></span>how to know you’re hearing from God and explores a variety of ways to pray. This course is an opportunity to discover for yourself the redemptive freedom that comes from being totally honest with yourself and the One who loves you best.  As you practice stepping out of your comfort zone, you will begin to experience confidence in speaking freely with God in ways that are uniquely yours.\r\n\r\nThe instructor, Joy Wilson, is the author of Uncensored Prayer: The Spiritual Practice of Wrestling With God (Civitas Press, 2011).  Prior to starting the workshop, participants need to order the book from Amazon.com.  The five-week online class is self-paced so you can participate at any time during the week.  It includes readings in the textbook, prayer practice exercises, and online interactions with other students.\r\n\r\nThe cost of the course is $69.  For additional information, go to the following link:  <a href=\"http://beadisciple.com/workshops.html#UncensoredPrayer\">http://beadisciple.com/workshops.html#UncensoredPrayer</a> .  Class size is limited, so register early<span style=\"font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;\">.</span>','Uncensored Prayer: The Spiritual Practice of Wrestling With God Workshop','','inherit','open','open','','7035-revision-4','','','2012-06-25 12:31:35','2012-06-25 19:31:35','',7035,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/25/7035-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(7035,35,'2012-06-27 08:00:44','2012-06-27 15:00:44','<span style=\"font-family: Calibri;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong>Uncensored Prayer: The Spiritual Practice of Wrestling With God Workshop</strong> will be offered online July 23 – August 24, 2012.  This course is about the spiritual practice of discussing everything with God, risking honesty to gain intimacy through loving, trusting conversations.  It’s wrestling through anger, faith, pain, hope about every aspect of our lives.  No topic, language, or feeling is unholy.  It will cover </span></span>how to know you’re hearing from God and explores a variety of ways to pray. This course is an opportunity to discover for yourself the redemptive freedom that comes from being totally honest with yourself and the One who loves you best.  As you practice stepping out of your comfort zone, you will begin to experience confidence in speaking freely with God in ways that are uniquely yours.\r\n\r\nThe instructor, Joy Wilson, is the author of Uncensored Prayer: The Spiritual Practice of Wrestling With God (Civitas Press, 2011).  Prior to starting the workshop, participants need to order the book from Amazon.com.  The five-week online class is self-paced so you can participate at any time during the week.  It includes readings in the textbook, prayer practice exercises, and online interactions with other students.\r\n\r\nThe cost of the course is $69.  For additional information, go to the following link:  <a href=\"http://beadisciple.com/workshops.html#UncensoredPrayer\">http://beadisciple.com/workshops.html#UncensoredPrayer</a> .  Class size is limited, so register early<span style=\"font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;\">.</span>','Uncensored Prayer: The Spiritual Practice of Wrestling With God Workshop','','publish','open','open','','uncensored-prayer-the-spiritual-practice-of-wrestling-with-god-workshop','','','2012-06-25 12:39:58','2012-06-25 19:39:58','',0,'http://provoketive.com/?p=7035',0,'post','',0),(7242,1,'2012-07-19 13:13:11','2012-07-19 20:13:11','In August Provoketive will be partnering with Synchroblog<strong>. </strong> We will be hosting the Synchroblog for the month of August as we consider the concept of Following Jesus.\r\n\r\nIn order to for an article to be considered for this endeavor the author should sign up to be a writer for Provoketive first.  <em>If have already done this, you do not need to repeat the process.</em>  It is very easy, and all of the instructions are below.\r\n\r\nThe topic:  <strong>Follow.</strong>  In August we are going to consider the idea of following.  Jesus said, “Take up your cross and follow me,” and that has powerful implications in the way we live.  How does that effect you?   We believe the power of voice has tremendous capacity to inspire and encourage people. Provoketive is a space to explore our humanity, who we follow, and who is following us.\r\n\r\nHere are the instructions for August only:\r\n\r\n1. Sign up to be a writer on Provoketive.  Click here &lt;<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http://provoketive.com/writing-for-provoketive/\">http://provoketive.com/writing-for-provoketive/</a></span></span>&gt;  and fill out the form.  We’ll send you all the instructions to add your post. This step is unnecessary if you have already registered.\r\n\r\n2. Write and submit a 500-1,000 word post on the subject of following.  Some things to consider writing about include: what are the rules for following Jesus?  Are we going somewhere when we follow Jesus? Has your journey changed over time? Is there more than one way to follow Jesus?  What are the markers of a person following Jesus?\r\n\r\nYou may post the article on your own blog if you wish, but wait for the schedule to be posted after August 1st.\r\n\r\n3. All posts must be submitted to Provoketive by <strong>August 1.\r\n</strong>\r\n4.<strong> </strong>The articles will be posted on Provoketive each day throughout the month of August.\r\n\r\n5.  A schedule will be provided in early August so that authors know when they will be featured on Provoketive\'s website.','New Synchroblog Coming - Follow','','inherit','open','open','','7239-revision-2','','','2012-07-19 13:13:11','2012-07-19 20:13:11','',7239,'http://provoketive.com/2012/07/19/7239-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(7243,1,'2012-07-19 13:13:58','2012-07-19 20:13:58','In August Provoketive will be partnering with Synchroblog<strong>. </strong> We will be hosting the Synchroblog for the month of August as we consider the concept of Following Jesus.\r\n\r\nIn order to for an article to be considered for this endeavor the author should sign up to be a writer for Provoketive first.  <em>If have already done this, you do not need to repeat the process.</em>  It is very easy, and all of the instructions are below.\r\n\r\nThe topic:  <strong>Follow.</strong>  In August we are going to consider the idea of following.  Jesus said, “Take up your cross and follow me,” and that has powerful implications in the way we live.  How does that effect you?   We believe the power of voice has tremendous capacity to inspire and encourage people. Provoketive is a space to explore our humanity, who we follow, and who is following us.\r\n\r\nHere are the instructions for August only:\r\n\r\n1. Sign up to be a writer on Provoketive.  Click here &lt;<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http://provoketive.com/writing-for-provoketive/\">http://provoketive.com/writing-for-provoketive/</a></span></span>&gt;  and fill out the form.  We’ll send you all the instructions to add your post. This step is unnecessary if you have already registered.\r\n\r\n2. Write and submit a 500-1,000 word post on the subject of following.  Some things to consider writing about include: what are the rules for following Jesus?  Are we going somewhere when we follow Jesus? Has your journey changed over time? Is there more than one way to follow Jesus?  What are the markers of a person following Jesus?\r\n\r\nYou may post the article on your own blog if you wish, but wait for the schedule to be posted after August 1st.\r\n\r\n3. All posts must be submitted to Provoketive by <strong>August 1.\r\n</strong>\r\n4.<strong> </strong>The articles will be posted on Provoketive each day throughout the month of August.\r\n\r\n5.  A schedule will be provided in early August so that authors know when they will be featured on Provoketive\'s website.','New Synchroblog Coming - Follow','','inherit','open','open','','7239-revision-3','','','2012-07-19 13:13:58','2012-07-19 20:13:58','',7239,'http://provoketive.com/2012/07/19/7239-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(7037,35,'2012-06-25 09:53:46','2012-06-25 16:53:46','<span style=\"font-family: Calibri\"><span style=\"font-size: small\"><strong>Uncensored Prayer: The Spiritual Practice of Wrestling With God Workshop</strong> will be offered online July 23 – August 24, 2012.  This course is about the spiritual practice of discussing everything with God, risking honesty to gain intimacy through loving, trusting conversations.  It’s wrestling through anger, faith, pain, hope about every aspect of our lives.  No topic, language, or feeling is unholy.  It will cover </span></span>how to know you’re hearing from God and explores a variety of ways to pray. This course is an opportunity to discover for yourself the redemptive freedom that comes from being totally honest with yourself and the One who loves you best.  As you practice stepping out of your comfort zone, you will begin to experience confidence in speaking freely with God in ways that are uniquely yours.\n\nThe instructor, Joy Wilson, is the author of Uncensored Prayer: The Spiritual Practice of Wrestling With God (Civitas Press, 2011).  Prior to starting the workshop, participants need to order the book from Amazon.com.  The five-week online class is self-paced so you can participate at any time during the week.  It includes readings in the textbook, prayer practice exercises, and online interactions with other students.\n\nThe cost of the course is $69.  For additional information, go to the following link:  <a href=\"http://beadisciple.com/workshops.html#UncensoredPrayer\">http://beadisciple.com/workshops.html#UncensoredPrayer</a> .  Class size is limited, so register early<span style=\"font-family: Calibri;font-size: small\">.</span>','Uncensored Prayer: The Spiritual Practice of Wrestling With God Workshop','','inherit','open','open','','7035-revision','','','2012-06-25 09:53:46','2012-06-25 16:53:46','',7035,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/25/7035-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(7332,43,'2012-07-30 19:29:52','2012-07-31 02:29:52','When most people think of \"child evangelism,\" what comes to mind is something along the lines of <em><a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_Camp\">Jesus Camp</a></em>.  It recalls a very specific image of adults pounding the Gospel into children, who in turn take the message out on the streets and hand out tracts.  We are, naturally, uncomfortable with the idea that children would be manipulated, frightened, or shamed into belief.  I think perhaps I understand where it comes from. Many people have been deeply hurt by the church. As a result, they are on a mission to stop anyone else from being hurt by the church.\r\n\r\nWhatever the reason, a current trend is to demand that parents stop \"evangelizing\" their children.  <a href=\"http://signon.org/sign/freedom-from-religious?source=s.tw&amp;r_by=5228485\">This petition</a>, for example, found on SignOn.org, is a call for cessation of evangelism under the guise of aid.  <a href=\"http://theoatmeal.com/comics/religion\">This post on The Oatmeal</a> likens religious indoctrination within the family to controlling a child\'s color preference.  Pressure from outside the church raises two important questions.\r\n\r\nFirst, is it bad for parents to raise their children in the church?  I don\'t believe it is, for several reasons:\r\n<ol>\r\n	<li>This anti-evangelism campaign is nearly always directed at the Abrahamic faiths (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam).  I\'m the last person you will ever hear crying \"Persecution!\"  But even I recognize that this is out of proportion.  Should we tell the non-religious to stop telling their children there is no God, just in case their children want to believe in one?  I doubt that\'s what anyone has in mind.</li>\r\n	<li>I believe that all parents have the right to communicate their religious beliefs with their children.  We don\'t need to pretend we don\'t have a set of religious beliefs and traditions.  Provided we are taking care not to shame or scare our children into belief, I see nothing wrong will making it explicit that this is what we believe to be true. I think we can teach them about our religious convictions while simultaneously reassuring them that we will love them whether they agree or not. We don\'t need to say non-committal things to them like, \"Some people believe in God. Some people don\'t. What do you think?\" (Part of the problem with that is that it avoids the question. Young children ask questions about God and faith because they want to know what their parents believe. Using the phrase \"some people\" avoids taking responsibility for our own beliefs.)</li>\r\n	<li>There is a difference between raising children among people with shared religious beliefs and forcing those same children to believe.  I am actually in favor of keeping spiritual dialogue open in the home. Parents should, as their children grow, talk to them about the ways that other people believe—without making statements about the eternal fate of specific people. I personally am not going to flip if my children grow up and decide they don\'t believe in Jesus, or in God at all. I\'m not going to live in fear for their immortal souls or kick them out or make demands on them that they raise their children in the church. I\'m not going to someday insist on bringing my grandchildren to church or religious activities, certainly not against the wishes of their parents.</li>\r\n</ol>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe second important question is whether it\'s wrong to evangelize children who are not our own.\r\n\r\nI agree that this can be done in a scary, inappropriate way. I\'ve seen it happen. Many years ago, when I was working as a camp counselor, we would deliver a message of God\'s love, grace, and forgiveness to the campers. We would use a skit to illustrate what we were trying to communicate. I remember telling the other counselors that I refused to participate in the skit that explicitly stated that if our friends went to hell, it would be our fault for not telling them about Jesus. That particular skit had left more than one child in tears in the past, and I wanted no part of it.\r\n\r\nPresenting a message to children about salvation can also take a disturbing turn when we use manipulation and fear tactics.  Anyone who has ever <a href=\"http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0301235/\">seen the documentary <em>Hell House</em></a> (or been to an actual Hell House—yes, they still exist) can attest to that.  Within some churches, there is extraordinary pressure for children to make a \"faith commitment\" at a very young age, including among those five and under.  And mission work, particularly certain types of relief aid, can take the form of forced evangelism.\r\n\r\nSo, yes. I get it. Teaching kids about religious beliefs can be done in a  pretty frightening manner.  I think about how I would feel if anyone thought they had the right to take my children to a religious institution that wasn\'t Christian and terrify or shame them into belief.  But it doesn\'t have to be that way.  Not all evangelistic endeavors leave children feeling that they need to conform in order to be accepted or loved.\r\n\r\nIn order to avoid the typical pitfalls, we as adults need to be aware of several things.\r\n\r\nFirst, we must be careful not to attach our love for our kids to their faith.  If we put pressure on our children to make early decisions about their beliefs, we risk having children who think we will only love or be proud of them if they agree with us.\r\n\r\nSecond, we must deliver the message in love, without the fear.  Even if we as adults (and not even all adults agree on this) believe that faith in Jesus is necessary for entrance into Heaven, we should be cautious about how we share that information.  The truth is, we cannot know the eternal fate of anyone else.  Teaching children that they deserve Hell for their sins does more harm than good.\r\n\r\nThird, related to the second, is that the message should be developmentally appropriate.  One of the reasons it can be damaging for children to hear that they need to be saved from Hell is that it is confusing for young ones.  Better that the kids begin with a solid foundation of love.  There is no reason to go in-depth on the matter with a six-year-old.\r\n\r\nFinally, parents need to be aware that their children may not find their childhood religion meaningful when they reach adulthood.  We need to be prepared that not every child raised in church or who attended vacation Bible school every summer will end up being a Christian.  We must be ready to give them the space they need to uncover their own spirituality.\r\n\r\nMy children attend church. We read the Bible with them every night. We pray before meals and we pray for people in need. They go to Sunday school, they go to a Christian camp, they attend the children\'s ministry at our mid-week service. Do we hope they will grow into faithful adult Christians? Absolutely. Will we love them any less if they choose something different? Most emphatically, no.\r\n\r\nWhat do you think? Should we avoid religious instruction and evangelism for children?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Faith Like a Child','','inherit','open','open','','7325-revision-5','','','2012-07-30 19:29:52','2012-07-31 02:29:52','',7325,'http://provoketive.com/2012/07/30/7325-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(7315,144,'2012-07-30 10:43:41','2012-07-30 17:43:41','&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/unexpected1.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-7311\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/unexpected1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"276\" /></a>\r\n\r\n“Follower of Jesus” is the new cooler way to say “Christian”, a word loaded with centuries of baggage that no longer seems very Christian. Yet, “follower of Jesus” sounds a little smug to me. It reminds of those church-goers in ancient Corinth who weren’t in the camp of Paul or Apollos; they followed Jesus. Smug.\r\n\r\nHowever, trying to figure out just what it really means to follow Jesus is something that merits careful consideration, especially, because it so misunderstood.\r\n\r\nFollowing Jesus in his day meant just that. That’s how the cream of the crop, the young people with the most potential were educated. They followed their Rabbi for years. They lived and traveled together. The kids who were not the best and brightest, learned a trade.\r\n\r\nThere are no rules for following Jesus, you just stay with him, watch him; see what he does, how he responds; watch what he does when he is stressed.\r\n\r\nHe took his followers to the darnest places. Think about where they wound up as they followed Jesus. You might find yourself in some of the same places. You might wind up…\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>At parties with the most notorious people in town</li>\r\n	<li>At the graveside of a dear friend</li>\r\n	<li>At the public forum butting heads with powerful people (repeatedly) who can put a contract on your life if they disagree with you</li>\r\n	<li>Playing with children when you wanted to be all serious</li>\r\n	<li>Listening to what he says as people are preparing to stone a woman to death who was caught in the act of adultery</li>\r\n	<li>Trying to explain to a powerful religious man how God wants to restore his relationship with humankind</li>\r\n	<li>Hanging out with whores who are attracted to him</li>\r\n	<li>Chatting with corrupt government officials and corporate fat cats</li>\r\n	<li>Panicking in the middle of nowhere with thousands of admirers, but no food</li>\r\n	<li>Listening to great stories</li>\r\n	<li>Watching the crowds thin and some of them turn against him</li>\r\n	<li>Breaking lots of stupid rules that misrepresent God and hurt people</li>\r\n	<li>Seeing amazing things that remind you you’re walking with God</li>\r\n	<li>Talking with all kinds of people from all walks of life about this very topic, “What does it mean to follow?”</li>\r\n	<li>Running for your life as your leader is betrayed and tortured to death</li>\r\n	<li>Running to a cemetery checking out an unbelievable rumor</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nThat’s where we go when we walk with Jesus. We will be a thorn in the side of some powerful people, a friend to some powerless people, someone who is fully alive in the moment that sees God everywhere, a lover of all kinds of people, who finds himself in all types of weird, new situations.\r\n\r\nJesus likes to put his followers in new, challenging situations and then, afterwards, discuss what they learned.\r\n\r\nOh, I forgot to mention that to be a good follower of Jesus you need to read your Bible more, pray more, stop looking at porn, never argue with your wife, have beautiful, completely compliant children, never miss Sunday services, tithe, take classes on how to be a better Christian, keep a beautiful lawn and home, and spend all of your free time in church activities. (Or maybe I didn’t forget to mention it.)\r\n\r\nI used to care more about that kind of religious stuff than simply following Jesus, but that stuff always seemed separate from regular life. So, now I am trying to jettison religion and merge faith and life together to live a more integrated, true, whole life.\r\n\r\nPeople have all different ways of following Jesus, but a lot of us are trying to find a stripped down, raw and real approach that makes sense.\r\n\r\nFollowing Jesus means doing the kinds of stuff he did, turning love into action.\r\n\r\nReminder to self: Watch, learn, reflect, mimic. Never let him out of my sight.','Strange Place','','inherit','open','open','','7305-revision-8','','','2012-07-30 10:43:41','2012-07-30 17:43:41','',7305,'http://provoketive.com/2012/07/30/7305-revision-8/',0,'revision','',0),(7316,182,'2012-07-31 13:17:41','2012-07-31 20:17:41','&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI am a spiritual director. People share their stories with me, and I listen.\r\n\r\nPeople tell me things like, \"You are the only person who ever listens to me,\" and \"I do not talk to anyone else about this stuff.\" We hunger to know our truest selves and thirst for someone we can trust who will pay attention to us. I listen, looking for the mileposts that open the way to unexplored pathways. I try to ask insightful questions that open doors they have kept tightly closed, or did not even know were there.\r\n\r\nI was not always a good listener. I was raised to find and share the right answers, which is more about talking than listening. I thought that listening was taking a breath, thinking about what I would say next, or asking questions to get someone to say what I wanted them to say.\r\n\r\nI did not listen to myself very well, either.\r\n\r\nI related to God the same ways I related to other people and to myself. I looked for the right answers and did all the talking. If only I could persuade God to do what I wanted, to help me, to love me, I would be happy. If only I could get God to say what I wanted God to say.\r\n\r\nSlowly, but surely, I began to change. I began to wake up to myself, and began to relate to other people and to God in new ways. I began learning how to listen.\r\n\r\nSilence taught me about listening. Silence drew me in and reassured me, gave me the opportunity to release my fears. The more time I practiced listening to silence, the more deeply I could listen.\r\n\r\nSilence is more and more difficult for us to find, because we do not know where to seek it. In a city filled with traffic, sirens, music, laughter, conversations, and other people, my silence needs to come from within myself.\r\n\r\nEven when we try to seek silence, our own brains try to draw out attention to all of the things we could be doing instead. Our brains are very good at generating ways to solve problems. Our sense of our own value is so invested in solving problems that we often perceive not having anything to figure out as a problem that needs to be solved.\r\n\r\nIt is becoming more and more difficult to find anyone who appreciates the real power of listening. Our lives are filled with distractions that make listening a challenge. We have so many tasks to do, so many thoughts and ideas, so many responsibilities and so many things demanding our attention. We have forgotten what it is like to listen to someone, and forgotten what it is like to have someone listen to us.\r\n\r\nListening is not about evaluating or analyzing. Listening is not about measuring or assessing. Listening is about giving someone the time and space to describe, to reflect, to work through things with which they have struggled for as long as they can remember. Listening is about being open and paying attention without taking sides. Listening is hearing what someone is afraid to say as clearly as what they are willing to say. Listening is giving someone an opportunity to go deeper.\r\n\r\nListening is the foundation of community. Listening is essential to showing that you respect someone, and to earning their respect. Listening is a key element of trust.\r\n\r\nThe first word in the Prologue of of Benedict\'s Rule, which has nurtured and governed so much of monastic life for 1,500 years, is Listen.\r\n\r\nMost of us relate to God the same way we relate to everyone else. We do not have time or energy to listen, and assume that God feels the same way. We forget that God is always with us, always loves us, is always willing to listen. God is always more ready to listen to us than we are to God.\r\n\r\n[Image by <strong><a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/joehoughton/\" target=\"_blank\">Joe Houghton</a></strong>]','The Power of Listening','','publish','open','open','','the-power-of-listening','','','2012-07-31 13:17:41','2012-07-31 20:17:41','',0,'http://provoketive.com/?p=7316',0,'post','',10),(7317,182,'2012-07-30 17:18:51','2012-07-31 00:18:51','','Counselling and Support','','inherit','open','open','','counselling-and-support-2','','','2012-07-30 17:18:51','2012-07-31 00:18:51','',7316,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/4517635821_4807194b76-1.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(7318,182,'2012-07-30 17:19:34','2012-07-31 00:19:34','','Counselling and Support','','inherit','open','open','','counselling-and-support-3','','','2012-07-30 17:19:34','2012-07-31 00:19:34','',7316,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/4517635821_4807194b76-11.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(7319,182,'2012-07-30 17:17:46','2012-07-31 00:17:46','&nbsp;\n\nI am a spiritual director. People share their stories with me, and I listen.\n\nPeople tell me things like, \"You are the only person who ever listens to me,\" and \"I do not talk to anyone else about this stuff.\" We hunger to know our truest selves and thirst for someone we can trust who will pay attention to us. I listen, looking for the mileposts that open the way to unexplored pathways. I try to ask insightful questions that open doors they have kept tightly closed, or did not even know were there.\n\nI was not always a good listener. I was raised to find and share the right answers, which is more about talking than listening. I thought that listening was taking a breath, thinking about what I would say next, or asking questions to get someone to say what I wanted them to say.\n\nI did not listen to myself very well, either.\n\nI related to God the same ways I related to other people and to myself. I looked for the right answers and did all the talking. If only I could persuade God to do what I wanted, to help me, to love me, I would be happy. If only I could get God to say what I wanted God to say.\n\nSlowly, but surely, I began to change. I began to wake up to myself, and began to relate to other people and to God in new ways. I began learning how to listen.\n\nSilence taught me about listening. Silence drew me in and reassured me, gave me the opportunity to release my fears. The more time I practiced listening to silence, the more deeply I could listen.\n\nSilence is more and more difficult for us to find, because we do not know where to seek it. In a city filled with traffic, sirens, music, laughter, conversations, and other people, my silence needs to come from within myself.\n\nEven when we try to seek silence, our own brains try to draw out attention to all of the things we could be doing instead. Our brains are very good at generating ways to solve problems. Our sense of our own value is so invested in solving problems that we often perceive not having anything to figure out as a problem that needs to be solved.\n\nIt is becoming more and more difficult to find anyone who appreciates the real power of listening. Our lives are filled with distractions that make listening a challenge. We have so many tasks to do, so many thoughts and ideas, so many responsibilities and so many things demanding our attention. We have forgotten what it is like to listen to someone, and forgotten what it is like to have someone listen to us.\n\nListening is not about evaluating or analyzing. Listening is not about measuring or assessing. Listening is about giving someone the time and space to describe, to reflect, to work through things with which they have struggled for as long as they can remember. Listening is about being open and paying attention without taking sides. Listening is hearing what someone is afraid to say as clearly as what they are willing to say. Listening is giving someone an opportunity to go deeper.\n\nListening is the foundation of community. Listening is essential to showing that you respect someone, and to earning their respect. Listening is a key element of trust.\n\nThe first word in the Prologue of of Benedict\'s Rule, which has nurtured and governed so much of monastic life for 1,500 years, is Listen.\n\nMost of us relate to God the same way we relate to everyone else. We do not have time or energy to listen, and assume that God feels the same way. We forget that God is always with us, always loves us, is always willing to listen. God is always more ready to listen to us than we are to God.\n\n[Image by <strong><a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/joehoughton/\">Joe Houghton</a></strong>]','The Power of Listening','','inherit','open','open','','7316-revision','','','2012-07-30 17:17:46','2012-07-31 00:17:46','',7316,'http://provoketive.com/2012/07/30/7316-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(7320,182,'2012-07-30 17:20:17','2012-07-31 00:20:17','<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/joehoughton/4517635821/\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-7318\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/4517635821_4807194b76-11-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" /></a>\r\n\r\nI am a spiritual director. People share their stories with me, and I listen.\r\n\r\nPeople tell me things like, \"You are the only person who ever listens to me,\" and \"I do not talk to anyone else about this stuff.\" We hunger to know our truest selves and thirst for someone we can trust who will pay attention to us. I listen, looking for the mileposts that open the way to unexplored pathways. I try to ask insightful questions that open doors they have kept tightly closed, or did not even know were there.\r\n\r\nI was not always a good listener. I was raised to find and share the right answers, which is more about talking than listening. I thought that listening was taking a breath, thinking about what I would say next, or asking questions to get someone to say what I wanted them to say.\r\n\r\nI did not listen to myself very well, either.\r\n\r\nI related to God the same ways I related to other people and to myself. I looked for the right answers and did all the talking. If only I could persuade God to do what I wanted, to help me, to love me, I would be happy. If only I could get God to say what I wanted God to say.\r\n\r\nSlowly, but surely, I began to change. I began to wake up to myself, and began to relate to other people and to God in new ways. I began learning how to listen.\r\n\r\nSilence taught me about listening. Silence drew me in and reassured me, gave me the opportunity to release my fears. The more time I practiced listening to silence, the more deeply I could listen.\r\n\r\nSilence is more and more difficult for us to find, because we do not know where to seek it. In a city filled with traffic, sirens, music, laughter, conversations, and other people, my silence needs to come from within myself.\r\n\r\nEven when we try to seek silence, our own brains try to draw out attention to all of the things we could be doing instead. Our brains are very good at generating ways to solve problems. Our sense of our own value is so invested in solving problems that we often perceive not having anything to figure out as a problem that needs to be solved.\r\n\r\nIt is becoming more and more difficult to find anyone who appreciates the real power of listening. Our lives are filled with distractions that make listening a challenge. We have so many tasks to do, so many thoughts and ideas, so many responsibilities and so many things demanding our attention. We have forgotten what it is like to listen to someone, and forgotten what it is like to have someone listen to us.\r\n\r\nListening is not about evaluating or analyzing. Listening is not about measuring or assessing. Listening is about giving someone the time and space to describe, to reflect, to work through things with which they have struggled for as long as they can remember. Listening is about being open and paying attention without taking sides. Listening is hearing what someone is afraid to say as clearly as what they are willing to say. Listening is giving someone an opportunity to go deeper.\r\n\r\nListening is the foundation of community. Listening is essential to showing that you respect someone, and to earning their respect. Listening is a key element of trust.\r\n\r\nThe first word in the Prologue of of Benedict\'s Rule, which has nurtured and governed so much of monastic life for 1,500 years, is Listen.\r\n\r\nMost of us relate to God the same way we relate to everyone else. We do not have time or energy to listen, and assume that God feels the same way. We forget that God is always with us, always loves us, is always willing to listen. God is always more ready to listen to us than we are to God.\r\n\r\n[Image by <strong><a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/joehoughton/\" target=\"_blank\">Joe Houghton</a></strong>]','The Power of Listening','','inherit','open','open','','7316-revision-2','','','2012-07-30 17:20:17','2012-07-31 00:20:17','',7316,'http://provoketive.com/2012/07/30/7316-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(7321,182,'2012-07-30 17:20:43','2012-07-31 00:20:43','<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/joehoughton/4517635821/\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-7318\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/4517635821_4807194b76-11-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" /></a>\r\n\r\nI am a spiritual director. People share their stories with me, and I listen.\r\n\r\nPeople tell me things like, \"You are the only person who ever listens to me,\" and \"I do not talk to anyone else about this stuff.\" We hunger to know our truest selves and thirst for someone we can trust who will pay attention to us. I listen, looking for the mileposts that open the way to unexplored pathways. I try to ask insightful questions that open doors they have kept tightly closed, or did not even know were there.\r\n\r\nI was not always a good listener. I was raised to find and share the right answers, which is more about talking than listening. I thought that listening was taking a breath, thinking about what I would say next, or asking questions to get someone to say what I wanted them to say.\r\n\r\nI did not listen to myself very well, either.\r\n\r\nI related to God the same ways I related to other people and to myself. I looked for the right answers and did all the talking. If only I could persuade God to do what I wanted, to help me, to love me, I would be happy. If only I could get God to say what I wanted God to say.\r\n\r\nSlowly, but surely, I began to change. I began to wake up to myself, and began to relate to other people and to God in new ways. I began learning how to listen.\r\n\r\nSilence taught me about listening. Silence drew me in and reassured me, gave me the opportunity to release my fears. The more time I practiced listening to silence, the more deeply I could listen.\r\n\r\nSilence is more and more difficult for us to find, because we do not know where to seek it. In a city filled with traffic, sirens, music, laughter, conversations, and other people, my silence needs to come from within myself.\r\n\r\nEven when we try to seek silence, our own brains try to draw out attention to all of the things we could be doing instead. Our brains are very good at generating ways to solve problems. Our sense of our own value is so invested in solving problems that we often perceive not having anything to figure out as a problem that needs to be solved.\r\n\r\nIt is becoming more and more difficult to find anyone who appreciates the real power of listening. Our lives are filled with distractions that make listening a challenge. We have so many tasks to do, so many thoughts and ideas, so many responsibilities and so many things demanding our attention. We have forgotten what it is like to listen to someone, and forgotten what it is like to have someone listen to us.\r\n\r\nListening is not about evaluating or analyzing. Listening is not about measuring or assessing. Listening is about giving someone the time and space to describe, to reflect, to work through things with which they have struggled for as long as they can remember. Listening is about being open and paying attention without taking sides. Listening is hearing what someone is afraid to say as clearly as what they are willing to say. Listening is giving someone an opportunity to go deeper.\r\n\r\nListening is the foundation of community. Listening is essential to showing that you respect someone, and to earning their respect. Listening is a key element of trust.\r\n\r\nThe first word in the Prologue of of Benedict\'s Rule, which has nurtured and governed so much of monastic life for 1,500 years, is Listen.\r\n\r\nMost of us relate to God the same way we relate to everyone else. We do not have time or energy to listen, and assume that God feels the same way. We forget that God is always with us, always loves us, is always willing to listen. God is always more ready to listen to us than we are to God.\r\n\r\n[Image by <strong><a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/joehoughton/\" target=\"_blank\">Joe Houghton</a></strong>]','The Power of Listening','','inherit','open','open','','7316-revision-3','','','2012-07-30 17:20:43','2012-07-31 00:20:43','',7316,'http://provoketive.com/2012/07/30/7316-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(7322,182,'2012-07-30 17:20:47','2012-07-31 00:20:47','<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/joehoughton/4517635821/\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-7318\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/4517635821_4807194b76-11-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" /></a>\r\n\r\nI am a spiritual director. People share their stories with me, and I listen.\r\n\r\nPeople tell me things like, \"You are the only person who ever listens to me,\" and \"I do not talk to anyone else about this stuff.\" We hunger to know our truest selves and thirst for someone we can trust who will pay attention to us. I listen, looking for the mileposts that open the way to unexplored pathways. I try to ask insightful questions that open doors they have kept tightly closed, or did not even know were there.\r\n\r\nI was not always a good listener. I was raised to find and share the right answers, which is more about talking than listening. I thought that listening was taking a breath, thinking about what I would say next, or asking questions to get someone to say what I wanted them to say.\r\n\r\nI did not listen to myself very well, either.\r\n\r\nI related to God the same ways I related to other people and to myself. I looked for the right answers and did all the talking. If only I could persuade God to do what I wanted, to help me, to love me, I would be happy. If only I could get God to say what I wanted God to say.\r\n\r\nSlowly, but surely, I began to change. I began to wake up to myself, and began to relate to other people and to God in new ways. I began learning how to listen.\r\n\r\nSilence taught me about listening. Silence drew me in and reassured me, gave me the opportunity to release my fears. The more time I practiced listening to silence, the more deeply I could listen.\r\n\r\nSilence is more and more difficult for us to find, because we do not know where to seek it. In a city filled with traffic, sirens, music, laughter, conversations, and other people, my silence needs to come from within myself.\r\n\r\nEven when we try to seek silence, our own brains try to draw out attention to all of the things we could be doing instead. Our brains are very good at generating ways to solve problems. Our sense of our own value is so invested in solving problems that we often perceive not having anything to figure out as a problem that needs to be solved.\r\n\r\nIt is becoming more and more difficult to find anyone who appreciates the real power of listening. Our lives are filled with distractions that make listening a challenge. We have so many tasks to do, so many thoughts and ideas, so many responsibilities and so many things demanding our attention. We have forgotten what it is like to listen to someone, and forgotten what it is like to have someone listen to us.\r\n\r\nListening is not about evaluating or analyzing. Listening is not about measuring or assessing. Listening is about giving someone the time and space to describe, to reflect, to work through things with which they have struggled for as long as they can remember. Listening is about being open and paying attention without taking sides. Listening is hearing what someone is afraid to say as clearly as what they are willing to say. Listening is giving someone an opportunity to go deeper.\r\n\r\nListening is the foundation of community. Listening is essential to showing that you respect someone, and to earning their respect. Listening is a key element of trust.\r\n\r\nThe first word in the Prologue of of Benedict\'s Rule, which has nurtured and governed so much of monastic life for 1,500 years, is Listen.\r\n\r\nMost of us relate to God the same way we relate to everyone else. We do not have time or energy to listen, and assume that God feels the same way. We forget that God is always with us, always loves us, is always willing to listen. God is always more ready to listen to us than we are to God.\r\n\r\n[Image by <strong><a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/joehoughton/\" target=\"_blank\">Joe Houghton</a></strong>]','The Power of Listening','','inherit','open','open','','7316-revision-4','','','2012-07-30 17:20:47','2012-07-31 00:20:47','',7316,'http://provoketive.com/2012/07/30/7316-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(7041,35,'2012-06-25 09:54:03','2012-06-25 16:54:03','<span style=\"font-family: Calibri\"><span style=\"font-size: small\"><strong>Uncensored Prayer: The Spiritual Practice of Wrestling With God Workshop</strong> will be offered online July 23 – August 24, 2012.  This course is about the spiritual practice of discussing everything with God, risking honesty to gain intimacy through loving, trusting conversations.  It’s wrestling through anger, faith, pain, hope about every aspect of our lives.  No topic, language, or feeling is unholy.  It will cover </span></span>how to know you’re hearing from God and explores a variety of ways to pray. This course is an opportunity to discover for yourself the redemptive freedom that comes from being totally honest with yourself and the One who loves you best.  As you practice stepping out of your comfort zone, you will begin to experience confidence in speaking freely with God in ways that are uniquely yours.\r\n\r\nThe instructor, Joy Wilson, is the author of Uncensored Prayer: The Spiritual Practice of Wrestling With God (Civitas Press, 2011).  Prior to starting the workshop, participants need to order the book from Amazon.com.  The five-week online class is self-paced so you can participate at any time during the week.  It includes readings in the textbook, prayer practice exercises, and online interactions with other students.\r\n\r\nThe cost of the course is $69.  For additional information, go to the following link:  <a href=\"http://beadisciple.com/workshops.html#UncensoredPrayer\">http://beadisciple.com/workshops.html#UncensoredPrayer</a> .  Class size is limited, so register early<span style=\"font-family: Calibri;font-size: small\">.</span>','Uncensored Prayer: The Spiritual Practice of Wrestling With God Workshop','','inherit','open','open','','7035-revision-2','','','2012-06-25 09:54:03','2012-06-25 16:54:03','',7035,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/25/7035-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(7043,183,'2012-06-25 10:02:25','2012-06-25 17:02:25','','The Collection','','inherit','open','open','','the-collection','','','2012-06-25 10:02:25','2012-06-25 17:02:25','',7030,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/The-Collection.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(7044,183,'2012-06-25 10:03:29','2012-06-25 17:03:29','<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/The-Collection.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-7043\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/The-Collection-300x168.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"580\" height=\"216\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI am just returning from a weekend with a wonderful eclectic group of folks.  You may call us Wild Geese, Goslings, Progressives, Liberals, forward-thinkers, heretics, saints, sinners or a myriad of other descriptors.  And, not one of those descriptors would be more true or less true.\n\nLet me tell you a secret.\n\nA Creator created YOU.\n\nAnd when that Creator created you (with all your failures, fears and passions), this Creator was not thinking, \"I\'m creating the next MLK Jr., Brian McLaren or John Lennon.  I believe a Creator spent time on you.  Adding a dash of this and a dash of that to make you just the awesome person you are.\n\nAnd I say this, because this Creator created you to play an instrument.  This Creator created you to participate in life with others.  This Creator gave you gifts like Charm, talent and charisma.\n\nThere\'s a shift coming.  This Creator is calling us to be ready to take part.  The Creator has gifted you with a particular place to stand and a particular role to play.\n\nAs I mentioned earlier, I have just returned from a week with the Wild Geese of Shakori Hills, North Carolina.  We got bit by bugs.  Some of us got burned by the sun.  We all heard some amazing speakers.  We all heard some amazing musicians.  We were challenged to justice and we were challenged to help create safer space for all of our brothers and sisters.\n\nThere were some of us  that were luckier than others this weekend. I, for instance, did not suffer a sunburn.  However, I didn\'t encounter quite a few bugs.  Then, some of us were lucky enough to catch a band by the name <a href=\"http://thecollectionfamilyband.com\">The Collection.</a>  The Collection Family Band is a group of 14 musicians.  Each of these musicians play at least 1 instrument.  And they make beautiful music. They are an inspiration to me.\n\nSome of these musicians are quite loud and at the fore-front of the band.  Some of them are a little quieter and play beautiful accompaniment.  Some of them are singers.  One of them is a dancing bassist.  Another is a jubilant ringer of bells.  Then, we have more reserved keyboardists.\n\nOur Creator is calling us to create beautiful music. The Creator is calling us to an instrument of sorts.  This does not mean we all have leading roles.  Some of us are called to play the accompaniment.\n\nI have hope for Ememergence again.  This past weekend was beautiful.  We all played into our strengths.  We didn\'t try to play someone else\'s instrument.  We didn\'t try to take others\' glory.\n\nWe all could learn a thing or two from the band The Collection that played Saturday afternoon.\n\nWe, as the Emerging Church, are a Collection of sorts ourselves.  We are an eclectic group of folks who have different skill sets and different paths to expressing our Creator-given blessings.  But we still need to learn to play beautiful music together.  We need to learn to play a music that a young generation might want to dance to.  And we play that music that a younger generation might want to dance to when we leave our ego at home.  We play that music that others want to dance to when we practice our craft.  We play that music when we stop being critical of our neighbors.\n\nOur Creator has created you to tell a story.  Tell that story with all you have.  But don\'t critiscize someone else for telling a different one.  Life would be very boring if we were all playing the same instrument.  Some of us play the instrument and sing the song of racial equality.  Some of us, the song of gender equality.  Some of us the song of social justice for the poor and homeless.  Others sing the song of lgbtq equality.  Well, I\'m here to tell you folks, when we alll come together singing our individual songs, the melody is beautiful.  And we are truly singing the new song in new tongues.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd I think that might be music that a new generation of emerging church planters and theologians and pickers and grinners might want to dance to.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nMay the Grace and Peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you from now and unto the end of the Age.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd may our Wild Geese keep flying.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAmen.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       ,','The Collection','','inherit','open','open','','7030-revision','','','2012-06-25 10:03:29','2012-06-25 17:03:29','',7030,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/25/7030-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(7053,179,'2012-06-25 12:39:15','2012-06-25 19:39:15','<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/The-Collection.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-7043\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/The-Collection-300x168.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"580\" height=\"216\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI am just returning from a weekend with a wonderful eclectic group of folks.  You may call us Wild Geese, Goslings, Progressives, Liberals, forward-thinkers, heretics, saints, sinners or a myriad of other descriptors.  And, not one of those descriptors would be more true or less true.\r\n\r\nLet me tell you a secret.\r\n\r\nA Creator created YOU.\r\n\r\nAnd when that Creator created you (with all your failures, fears and passions), this Creator was not thinking, \"I\'m creating the next MLK Jr., Brian McLaren or John Lennon\".  I believe a Creator spent time on you.  Adding a dash of this and a dash of that to make you just the awesome person you are.\r\n\r\nAnd I say this, because this Creator created you to play an instrument.  This Creator created you to participate in life with others.  This Creator gave you gifts like charm, talent and charisma.\r\n\r\nThere\'s a shift coming.  This Creator is calling us to be ready to take part.  The Creator has gifted you with a particular place to stand and a particular role to play.\r\n\r\nAs I mentioned earlier, I have just returned from a week with the Wild Geese of Shakori Hills, North Carolina.  We got bit by bugs.  Some of us got burned by the sun.  We all heard some amazing speakers.  We all heard some amazing musicians.  We were challenged to justice and we were challenged to help create safer space for all of our brothers and sisters.\r\n\r\nThere were some of us  that were luckier than others this weekend. I, for instance, did not suffer a sunburn.  However, I did encounter quite a few bugs.  Then, some of us were lucky enough to catch a band by the name <a href=\"http://thecollectionfamilyband.com\">The Collection.</a>  The Collection Family Band is a group of 14 musicians.  Each of these musicians play at least 1 instrument.  And they make beautiful music. They are an inspiration to me.\r\n\r\nSome of these musicians are quite loud and at the fore-front of the band.  Some of them are a little quieter and play beautiful accompaniment.  Some of them are singers.  One of them is a dancing bassist.  Another is a jubilant ringer of bells.  Then, there is the more reserved keyboardists.\r\n\r\nOur Creator is calling us to create beautiful music. The Creator is calling us to an instrument of sorts.  This does not mean we all have leading roles.  Some of us are called to play the accompaniment.\r\n\r\nI have hope for Emergence again.  This past weekend was beautiful.  We all played into our strengths.  We didn\'t try to play someone else\'s instrument.  We didn\'t try to take others\' glory.\r\n\r\nWe all could learn a thing or two from the band The Collection that played Saturday afternoon.\r\n\r\nWe, as the Emerging Church, are a Collection of sorts ourselves.  We are an eclectic group of folks who have different skill sets and different paths to expressing our Creator-given blessings.  But we still need to learn to play beautiful music together.  We need to learn to play music that a young generation might want to dance to.  And we play that music that a younger generation might want to dance to when we leave our ego at home.  We play that music that others want to dance to when we practice our craft.  We play that music when we stop being critical of our neighbors.\r\n\r\nOur Creator has created you to tell a story.  Tell that story with all you have.  But don\'t criticize someone else for telling a different one.  Life would be very boring if we were all playing the same instrument.  Some of us play the instrument and sing the song of racial equality.  Some of us, the song of gender equality.  Some of us the song of social justice for the poor and homeless.  Others sing the song of LGBTQ equality.  Well, I\'m here to tell you folks, when we all come together singing our individual songs, the melody is beautiful.  And we are truly singing the new song in new tongues.\r\n\r\nAnd I think that might be music that a new generation of emerging church planters and theologians and pickers and grinners might want to dance to.\r\n\r\nMay the Grace and Peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you from now and unto the end of the Age.\r\n\r\nAnd may our Wild Geese keep flying.\r\n\r\nAmen.','The Collection','','inherit','open','open','','7030-revision-3','','','2012-06-25 12:39:15','2012-06-25 19:39:15','',7030,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/25/7030-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(7238,160,'2012-07-18 08:49:49','2012-07-18 15:49:49','<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/charlton_heston_plays_moses1.jpeg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-7237\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/charlton_heston_plays_moses1-150x150.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>\n\nAs fires roared through Colorado a couple of weeks ago, Pat Robertson and the other self-appointed interpreters of God’s Divine Will were strangely quiet.  They are often quick to point the finger of judgment at places that they feel have been deserving of a good smiting; far-away places like Thailand, Haiti, or even New Orleans.  Colorado, on the other hand, was a little too close for comfort.   With organizations such as Focus on the Family headquartered in Colorado Springs, it has been called the Evangelical Vatican.   So, was some sort of miscalculation made in the heavenly realm?\n\nIt’s hard to fathom God sending cataclysms to punish people who don’t have much more in common other than an area code.   But, perhaps, there is a more obvious message to be gleaned from these increasingly frequent natural disasters.  God allows me to suffer the consequences for poor decisions I’ve made in my own life, so why wouldn’t He let the human race reap what we’ve collectively sown?   This would include actions such as clear cutting whole forests, stripping mining and mountain top removal, fracturing through shale, and pumping pollutants into the water and air.\n\nHuman beings require the earth’s resources for food, shelter, and a whole bunch of other, less necessary stuff.   For the most part, corporations have established themselves as the middlemen between the planet and the consumer.   While they make our lives infinitely easier, corporations are not in the business of conservation.   With seven billion customers and counting, we are stressing the limits of the earth’s capacity.   In Brian McLaren’s book, <em>Everything Must Change</em>, he compares this unsustainable relationship with our ecosystem to a ‘suicide machine.’\n\n<em>“The earth dries up and withers, the world languishes and withers, the exalted of the earth languish.   The earth is defiled by its people; they have disobeyed the laws, violated the statutes and broken the everlasting covenant.  Therefore a curse consumes the earth; its people must bear their guilt.  Therefore earth’s inhabitants are burned up, and very few are left.”  </em> Isaiah 24: 4-6\n\nWhile this passage in Isaiah sounds like it could be our future, it’s dangerous to apply Old Testament prophecies to our modern day world.   What is even more dangerous is to ignore real warning signs that our world is sending to us.  Despite the disagreement in public opinion, the scientific community has been agreed on global warming for some time.   The fact is there has been a steady upward trend in global temperatures over the last three decades with 2000 to 2009 being the hottest since they started measuring temperatures in 1895.   2012 is already the hottest half-year on record.\n\nCarbon dioxide (CO2) is a heat trapping (or greenhouse) gas, so it’s not too surprising that as more manmade CO2 has been released into the atmosphere, global temperatures have risen.  While some CO2 emissions occur in nature, humans and corporations are adding to the overall effect by burning fossil fuels and cutting down trees at an alarming rate.  There is evidence that naturally occurring CO2 helped to end the last ice age.   Since we’re not in an ice age, the question is where will the temperatures go from here?   The answer is - no one knows where any of this is going…\n\nIncreasing CO2 levels will probably mean hotter climates, which will lead to more droughts and famines.  The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently reported that the ice caps are melting faster than previously thought.  Since ice caps reflect heat, their disappearance will only exacerbate global warming.   And, of course, melting ice caps will cause water level to rise.  Combined with oceanic warming trends, this creates conditions for even wilder weather.  It’s also well documented that warmer water is also more acidic and destructive to marine life.\n\n<em>“The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great – and for destroying those who destroy the earth.”</em>  Revelation 11: 15\n\nThat should serve as a warning to those who destroy the earth, including those who consciously confuse the issues for their own political and financial gains.  Of course, everyone shares responsibility.   We have to de-politicize the debate and demand a more constructive forum.   We have to better understand the problems we face and implement real changes to public policy.   The environment is an issue both religion and science should be able to get behind.   If God is sending a message, maybe we should answer the call.  In the end, no one wants to prove the prophets of doom right.\n\nJeff Fulmer lives in Nashville Tennessee and is the author of the book <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Hometown-Prophet-Jeff-Fulmer/dp/1463632312/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1312940193&amp;sr=8-1\">Hometown Prophet</a>.  <em> If God spoke through a prophet today, would we really want to hear what he has to say?</em>','Are Natural Disasters a Sign from God? ','','inherit','open','open','','7235-revision','','','2012-07-18 08:49:49','2012-07-18 15:49:49','',7235,'http://provoketive.com/2012/07/18/7235-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(7106,179,'2012-07-02 20:33:32','2012-07-03 03:33:32','As I now understand it, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that the God of Israel was faithful to the promises that were made to Abraham. As the story of Israel unfolded, additional promises were made to David and to the people of Israel through the prophets. Hopes began to formulate and swirl around how all these promises would come to pass. Various Jewish sects arose with different understandings of how these promises would come and who they would come to.\r\n\r\nThese promises and hopes were fulfilled in the person, work and way of Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah of Israel. These promises continue to be fulfilled, and their tangible benefits and blessings continue to be enjoyed, when and where the people of God remain faithful to the person, work and way of Jesus Christ. As the Messiah, Jesus ended the hostility between Israel and its Gentile neighbors and provided a way for all to join Israel in peace.  All people became able to worship the one true God and participate in and enjoy the unfolding of the promises made to Israel as one diverse people.  Israel now awaits the second coming of Jesus Christ, the final consummation of all things, and the bodily resurrection and judgment of all people.\r\n\r\nIn regards to non-violence, a number of the promises made to, and hopes of, Israel are especially important. From the beginning of God’s promises to Abraham, it is clear that Israel was always to be a blessing to all nations. Additionally, a variety of passages reveal that it was expected that all nations would come and worship the God of Israel, and that Israel would be returned to the land where it would enjoy peace and safety with its Gentile neighbors.\r\n\r\nBut how were these specific promises to come about? Far from being a blessing to its Gentile neighbors, Israel had a long history of violent and turbulent relationships with them. Israelite military victories had only provided temporary peace at the cost of breeding further animosity with the Gentiles nations. Israel had also been taken out of the land and scattered multiple times, and Rome was only the most recent Gentile power that had taken ownership of the land promised to the beleaguered people.\r\n\r\nIt is my belief that all of the promises to and hopes of Israel, including the ones that relate to non-violence, were fulfilled in the person, work and way of Jesus Christ and they continue to be fulfilled and enjoyed by the people of God who remain faithful to the person, work and way of Jesus Christ. But if this is the case, how did Jesus fulfill these hopes and how are they fulfilled and enjoyed now?\r\n\r\nJesus brought about these promises and blessings in part by living and teaching a way of life, the Way of Jesus. The Way of Jesus is a way of long-suffering justice, of costly mercy, of self-denying love, of sacrifice, of grace, of lavish sharing, of forgiveness with no limit, of embracing “The Other,” of humility, of solidarity with the poor and oppressed. It is a way that trusts God for one’s daily bread instead of hoarding out of the fear of future scarcity. It is a way of very tangible love and grace towards one’s enemies even to the point of forgiving them as they kill you. It is the way of non-violent active resistance, a way that does not stoop to the level of the oppressor in its indefatigable pursuit to free the oppressed.\r\n\r\nSo how did this Way bring about the promises made to Abraham? This Way eradicates the fears at the root of Israel’s lack of peace and need for war.\r\n\r\nFor some time, Israel had been stuck in a fearful and vengeful cycle of violence with its Gentile neighbors. While there had been times of peace, this fear was understandable. Uncircumcised Gentiles were currently exploiting Israel and had in the past attempted to completely stamp out Israel as a people permanently. In reaction to this, many in Israel were feverishly defending the borders of their community through violence. Others became focused on man-made laws that acted as boundary markers that determined who was “in” and who was not. These reactions only deepened the cycle as it encouraged ignorance, fear, and hatred of those that were on the wrong side of the boundary markers, even as it gave outsiders reason to hate and fear Israel.\r\n\r\nPracticing the Way of Jesus set Israel free from the fears of death and scarcity. In a community of gratuitous sharing that takes care of the poor and marginalized, who fears never having enough? In a community of people who practice love for their enemies, who fears violent reprisals? Freed from these fears, they were also freed from the injustice, the idolatry and the wars these fears inevitably led to. This freedom from fear enabled Israel to take the dramatic step of welcoming those who had once been bitter enemies into the people of God as brothers and sisters without requiring them first to adopt the traditional marks of the people of Israel, most importantly circumcision.\r\n\r\nThe key to Israel’s lasting peace, the way Israel saw these promises and hopes fulfilled, was by following the Way of Jesus, embracing “The Other,” choosing the costly ways of peace, and ultimately following God into a new understanding of Israel. The new re-gathered Israel became one that allowed for rich diversity even as it patiently demanded change as is taught new comers who the God of Israel was, how to worship that God, and what that God expected of them.\r\n\r\nAdditionally, practicing the Way of Jesus is part of how Israel was and is a blessing to all nations. Where the people of God treat people as Jesus treated them and live as Jesus did, this produces tangible benefits for the community itself and everyone around it. What person would not be blessed by having even a small community that truly practiced the Way of Jesus nearby? Such a compelling and powerful community draws many into the story of God, to Messiah Jesus, and ultimately into the people of God. This in turn allowed Israel to see the beginning of the fulfillment of the promise that all nations would come to worship the God of Israel, a promise that continues to unfold.\r\n\r\nIn this Gospel, non-violence is not an optional or debatable matter for those who follow Jesus Christ for three basic reasons.\r\n\r\nFirst, the Way of Jesus, what Jesus modeled and what Jesus taught, is fundamentally a way of sacrifice that gives up one’s life for the sake of others, including and especially one’s enemies. It is not a way of violence that takes the lives of others for the sake of security, personal or corporate profit, xenophobia, revenge, nationalism or any sort of ideology or idolatry. To abandon this Way is to directly disobey Jesus\' teachings and example.\r\n\r\nSecond, the Way of Jesus was part of the way that Jesus, as the Messiah of Israel, fulfilled the promises made to Israel.  If followers of Jesus abandon this Way, they reject Jesus as the Messiah, they stop enjoying the blessings the Way of Jesus brings and they cease being a blessing to others as they should. In other words, they stop being the community that should perpetually fulfill the unique hopes and promises fundamental to Israel.\r\n\r\nThird, the two fundamental reasons wars are fought are the fear of scarcity and the fear of death. Followers of Jesus are free from these fears, so what cause do they have to participate in wars? If they abandon the Way of Jesus and participate in wars, they return to the cycle of violence Israel escaped from. They voluntarily enslave themselves all over again to fears they have been and should be free from, costing them and everyone around them dearly in the process.\r\n\r\nBecause non-violence is then inherently part of the way one follows Jesus and part of the way the promises to Israel have been and continue to be fulfilled, following Jesus and serving in the military are simply incompatible. Military service involves participating in a larger system of violence that is sustained by a culture of violence. One simply cannot pursue one without compromising the other. Followers of Jesus must choose which they will serve and which has their ultimate loyalty. It is either the Messiah, or the military. On this issue I have become convinced there is no middle path.','Messiah Jesus or the Military (Part 2)','','inherit','open','open','','7095-revision-4','','','2012-07-02 20:33:32','2012-07-03 03:33:32','',7095,'http://provoketive.com/2012/07/02/7095-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(7047,179,'2012-06-25 12:28:52','2012-06-25 19:28:52','<span style=\"font-family: Calibri;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong>Uncensored Prayer: The Spiritual Practice of Wrestling With God Workshop</strong> will be offered online July 23 – August 24, 2012.  This course is about the spiritual practice of discussing everything with God, risking honesty to gain intimacy through loving, trusting conversations.  It’s wrestling through anger, faith, pain, hope about every aspect of our lives.  No topic, language, or feeling is unholy.  It will cover </span></span>how to know you’re hearing from God and explores a variety of ways to pray. This course is an opportunity to discover for yourself the redemptive freedom that comes from being totally honest with yourself and the One who loves you best.  As you practice stepping out of your comfort zone, you will begin to experience confidence in speaking freely with God in ways that are uniquely yours.\n\nThe instructor, Joy Wilson, is the author of Uncensored Prayer: The Spiritual Practice of Wrestling With God (Civitas Press, 2011).  Prior to starting the workshop, participants need to order the book from Amazon.com.  The five-week online class is self-paced so you can participate at any time during the week.  It includes readings in the textbook, prayer practice exercises, and online interactions with other students.\n\nThe cost of the course is $69.  For additional information, go to the following link:  <a href=\"http://beadisciple.com/workshops.html#UncensoredPrayer\">http://beadisciple.com/workshops.html#UncensoredPrayer</a> .  Class size is limited, so register early<span style=\"font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;\">.</span>','Uncensored Prayer: The Spiritual Practice of Wrestling With God Workshop','','inherit','open','open','','7035-autosave','','','2012-06-25 12:28:52','2012-06-25 19:28:52','',7035,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/25/7035-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(7048,179,'2012-06-25 12:31:07','2012-06-25 19:31:07','','uncensoredprayer','','inherit','open','open','','uncensoredprayer','','','2012-06-25 12:31:07','2012-06-25 19:31:07','',7035,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/uncensoredprayer.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(7049,179,'2012-06-25 09:56:11','2012-06-25 16:56:11','<span style=\"font-family: Calibri\"><span style=\"font-size: small\"><strong>Uncensored Prayer: The Spiritual Practice of Wrestling With God Workshop</strong> will be offered online July 23 – August 24, 2012.  This course is about the spiritual practice of discussing everything with God, risking honesty to gain intimacy through loving, trusting conversations.  It’s wrestling through anger, faith, pain, hope about every aspect of our lives.  No topic, language, or feeling is unholy.  It will cover </span></span>how to know you’re hearing from God and explores a variety of ways to pray. This course is an opportunity to discover for yourself the redemptive freedom that comes from being totally honest with yourself and the One who loves you best.  As you practice stepping out of your comfort zone, you will begin to experience confidence in speaking freely with God in ways that are uniquely yours.\r\n\r\nThe instructor, Joy Wilson, is the author of Uncensored Prayer: The Spiritual Practice of Wrestling With God (Civitas Press, 2011).  Prior to starting the workshop, participants need to order the book from Amazon.com.  The five-week online class is self-paced so you can participate at any time during the week.  It includes readings in the textbook, prayer practice exercises, and online interactions with other students.\r\n\r\nThe cost of the course is $69.  For additional information, go to the following link:  <a href=\"http://beadisciple.com/workshops.html#UncensoredPrayer\">http://beadisciple.com/workshops.html#UncensoredPrayer</a> .  Class size is limited, so register early<span style=\"font-family: Calibri;font-size: small\">.</span>','Uncensored Prayer: The Spiritual Practice of Wrestling With God Workshop','','inherit','open','open','','7035-revision-3','','','2012-06-25 09:56:11','2012-06-25 16:56:11','',7035,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/25/7035-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(7050,179,'2012-06-25 12:37:10','2012-06-25 19:37:10','<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/The-Collection.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-7043\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/The-Collection-300x168.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"580\" height=\"216\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI am just returning from a weekend with a wonderful eclectic group of folks.  You may call us Wild Geese, Goslings, Progressives, Liberals, forward-thinkers, heretics, saints, sinners or a myriad of other descriptors.  And, not one of those descriptors would be more true or less true.\n\nLet me tell you a secret.\n\nA Creator created YOU.\n\nAnd when that Creator created you (with all your failures, fears and passions), this Creator was not thinking, \"I\'m creating the next MLK Jr., Brian McLaren or John Lennon\".  I believe a Creator spent time on you.  Adding a dash of this and a dash of that to make you just the awesome person you are.\n\nAnd I say this, because this Creator created you to play an instrument.  This Creator created you to participate in life with others.  This Creator gave you gifts like charm, talent and charisma.\n\nThere\'s a shift coming.  This Creator is calling us to be ready to take part.  The Creator has gifted you with a particular place to stand and a particular role to play.\n\nAs I mentioned earlier, I have just returned from a week with the Wild Geese of Shakori Hills, North Carolina.  We got bit by bugs.  Some of us got burned by the sun.  We all heard some amazing speakers.  We all heard some amazing musicians.  We were challenged to justice and we were challenged to help create safer space for all of our brothers and sisters.\n\nThere were some of us  that were luckier than others this weekend. I, for instance, did not suffer a sunburn.  However, I did encounter quite a few bugs.  Then, some of us were lucky enough to catch a band by the name <a href=\"http://thecollectionfamilyband.com\">The Collection.</a>  The Collection Family Band is a group of 14 musicians.  Each of these musicians play at least 1 instrument.  And they make beautiful music. They are an inspiration to me.\n\nSome of these musicians are quite loud and at the fore-front of the band.  Some of them are a little quieter and play beautiful accompaniment.  Some of them are singers.  One of them is a dancing bassist.  Another is a jubilant ringer of bells.  Then, there is the more reserved keyboardists.\n\nOur Creator is calling us to create beautiful music. The Creator is calling us to an instrument of sorts.  This does not mean we all have leading roles.  Some of us are called to play the accompaniment.\n\nI have hope for Emergence again.  This past weekend was beautiful.  We all played into our strengths.  We didn\'t try to play someone else\'s instrument.  We didn\'t try to take others\' glory.\n\nWe all could learn a thing or two from the band The Collection that played Saturday afternoon.\n\nWe, as the Emerging Church, are a Collection of sorts ourselves.  We are an eclectic group of folks who have different skill sets and different paths to expressing our Creator-given blessings.  But we still need to learn to play beautiful music together.  We need to learn to play music that a young generation might want to dance to.  And we play that music that a younger generation might want to dance to when we leave our ego at home.  We play that music that others want to dance to when we practice our craft.  We play that music when we stop being critical of our neighbors.\n\nOur Creator has created you to tell a story.  Tell that story with all you have.  But don\'t criticize someone else for telling a different one.  Life would be very boring if we were all playing the same instrument.  Some of us play the instrument and sing the song of racial equality.  Some of us, the song of gender equality.  Some of us the song of social justice for the poor and homeless.  Others sing the song of LGBTQ equality.  Well, I\'m here to tell you folks, when we all come together singing our individual songs, the melody is beautiful.  And we are truly singing the new song in new tongues.\n\nAnd I think that might be music that a new generation of emerging church planters and theologians and pickers and grinners might want to dance to.\n\nMay the Grace and Peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you from now and unto the end of the Age.\n\nAnd may our Wild Geese keep flying.\n\nAmen.','The Collection','','inherit','open','open','','7030-autosave','','','2012-06-25 12:37:10','2012-06-25 19:37:10','',7030,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/25/7030-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(7051,179,'2012-06-25 12:38:40','2012-06-25 19:38:40','','collection','','inherit','open','open','','collection','','','2012-06-25 12:38:40','2012-06-25 19:38:40','',7030,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/collection.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(7052,179,'2012-06-25 10:04:41','2012-06-25 17:04:41','<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/The-Collection.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-7043\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/The-Collection-300x168.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"580\" height=\"216\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI am just returning from a weekend with a wonderful eclectic group of folks.  You may call us Wild Geese, Goslings, Progressives, Liberals, forward-thinkers, heretics, saints, sinners or a myriad of other descriptors.  And, not one of those descriptors would be more true or less true.\r\n\r\nLet me tell you a secret.\r\n\r\nA Creator created YOU.\r\n\r\nAnd when that Creator created you (with all your failures, fears and passions), this Creator was not thinking, \"I\'m creating the next MLK Jr., Brian McLaren or John Lennon.  I believe a Creator spent time on you.  Adding a dash of this and a dash of that to make you just the awesome person you are.\r\n\r\nAnd I say this, because this Creator created you to play an instrument.  This Creator created you to participate in life with others.  This Creator gave you gifts like Charm, talent and charisma.\r\n\r\nThere\'s a shift coming.  This Creator is calling us to be ready to take part.  The Creator has gifted you with a particular place to stand and a particular role to play.\r\n\r\nAs I mentioned earlier, I have just returned from a week with the Wild Geese of Shakori Hills, North Carolina.  We got bit by bugs.  Some of us got burned by the sun.  We all heard some amazing speakers.  We all heard some amazing musicians.  We were challenged to justice and we were challenged to help create safer space for all of our brothers and sisters.\r\n\r\nThere were some of us  that were luckier than others this weekend. I, for instance, did not suffer a sunburn.  However, I didn\'t encounter quite a few bugs.  Then, some of us were lucky enough to catch a band by the name <a href=\"http://thecollectionfamilyband.com\">The Collection.</a>  The Collection Family Band is a group of 14 musicians.  Each of these musicians play at least 1 instrument.  And they make beautiful music. They are an inspiration to me.\r\n\r\nSome of these musicians are quite loud and at the fore-front of the band.  Some of them are a little quieter and play beautiful accompaniment.  Some of them are singers.  One of them is a dancing bassist.  Another is a jubilant ringer of bells.  Then, we have more reserved keyboardists.\r\n\r\nOur Creator is calling us to create beautiful music. The Creator is calling us to an instrument of sorts.  This does not mean we all have leading roles.  Some of us are called to play the accompaniment.\r\n\r\nI have hope for Ememergence again.  This past weekend was beautiful.  We all played into our strengths.  We didn\'t try to play someone else\'s instrument.  We didn\'t try to take others\' glory.\r\n\r\nWe all could learn a thing or two from the band The Collection that played Saturday afternoon.\r\n\r\nWe, as the Emerging Church, are a Collection of sorts ourselves.  We are an eclectic group of folks who have different skill sets and different paths to expressing our Creator-given blessings.  But we still need to learn to play beautiful music together.  We need to learn to play a music that a young generation might want to dance to.  And we play that music that a younger generation might want to dance to when we leave our ego at home.  We play that music that others want to dance to when we practice our craft.  We play that music when we stop being critical of our neighbors.\r\n\r\nOur Creator has created you to tell a story.  Tell that story with all you have.  But don\'t critiscize someone else for telling a different one.  Life would be very boring if we were all playing the same instrument.  Some of us play the instrument and sing the song of racial equality.  Some of us, the song of gender equality.  Some of us the song of social justice for the poor and homeless.  Others sing the song of lgbtq equality.  Well, I\'m here to tell you folks, when we alll come together singing our individual songs, the melody is beautiful.  And we are truly singing the new song in new tongues.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd I think that might be music that a new generation of emerging church planters and theologians and pickers and grinners might want to dance to.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMay the Grace and Peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you from now and unto the end of the Age.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd may our Wild Geese keep flying.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAmen.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       ,','The Collection','','inherit','open','open','','7030-revision-2','','','2012-06-25 10:04:41','2012-06-25 17:04:41','',7030,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/25/7030-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(7055,124,'2012-06-28 08:00:34','2012-06-28 15:00:34','After many years of personally wrestling with questions swirling around violence, war and faith, I have come to believe that following Jesus Christ and serving in the military in any capacity represent categorically incompatible endeavors. All who follow Jesus should leave the military or refuse to enlist, they should cease espousing war as a noble and honorable venture, and they should actively work towards peace and justice by practicing the ways of non-violent active resistance.\r\n\r\nNormally I would avoid such black and white statements for a variety of reasons but I have become thoroughly convinced of these beliefs for two main reasons.  First, deeply considering the tensions between serving in the military and serving Jesus have been part of my personal journey of faith.  Second, I hold to an understanding of the Gospel that sees non-violence as deeply intertwined with Jesus\' role as the Messiah and therefore deeply intertwined with following that Messiah. I would like to share both.\r\n\r\nAs for my own journey…\r\n\r\nGrowing up I had always thought about joining the military and after the summer of my freshman year in high school my goal in life was set: I wanted to become a Navy S.E.A.L. sniper. This became an all-consuming goal that I dedicated myself to completely.  I joined a Jr. Navy Program and spent a number of weeks each summer training at military bases. (One of these is where the picture attached to this post comes from.) My academics, extra-curricular activities and sports all became directed at attaining this vision for my life.\r\n\r\nI was also a Christian. I failed to see any incompatibility between my goals and my faith.  I believed there was a God, that God created humanity in His image, that humanity fell into sin, that Jesus Christ was the Son of God who died for our sins, and that we are saved from Hell and destined for Heaven if we accept Jesus Christ as our savior.  I saw no disconnect between this faith and my desire to turn the heads of people created in the image of that God into pink mist at long ranges with a Barrett M82A1 .50 caliber anti-material rifle. I actually thought it would be cool.\r\n\r\nIn many ways I was a product of my environment. My family, my faith community and the surrounding cultured, all shared narratives and stories that depicted war and military service as honorable, noble and courageous pursuits that did not conflict with the Christian faith. It is no surprise that my views began to change when my environment did.\r\n\r\nWhile I smirk at the thought of encouraging stereotypes, this journey towards peace started in Canada. While 9/11 happened my senior year of high school and I was sorely tempted to enlist, I felt God calling me to something else and instead went to a private Christian school in British Columbia. While I was in Canada, the U.S. invaded Iraq, a decision which was criticized by many Canadians as was my belief that Christians could and should serve in the military. My knee-jerk reaction was to defend my beliefs against these “liberal” Christians.  I used Old Testament passages that celebrated killing and violence, clearly showed that God commanded wars and the passage in Ecclesiastes that stated, \"there is a time for war.\"\r\n\r\nHowever, the problem was that I was really reading my Bible for the first time, and not just listening to and using little verse-bites and proof texts that had saturated the Christian culture around me. Because of this I became increasingly aware that much of what I thought was supported in the Bible actually was not.  In fact, many of the practices I had been defending were actually antithetical to what the Bible actually taught. I was also becoming increasingly aware of the messy history of U.S. foreign policy. The U.S. government has a habit of destroying the enemies of today in ways that very predictably and understandably create the enemies of tomorrow.\r\n\r\nMy journey continued when I returned home after college and watched the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq drag on. Because of my time in the Jr. Navy program I have many friends who entered the military. Thankfully none of them have been killed but a number have returned with severe problems. Anyone who has had a family member or friend who struggles with PTSD, TBI or addiction knows what I am talking about.  I saw suicide rates for those in the military, even those who have not been deployed, steadily increase. Due to advent of the internet and social media, I saw humanity’s inhumanity and the horrors of war become increasingly, and at times instantaneously, available for all to see.\r\n\r\nDuring this time I was working with higher-risk youth from poor neighborhoods with a Christian organization.  Encouraging our youth to join the military was seen as a practical, if not ideal, solution to many of their problems. It provided a job, a sense of purpose, it got them out of their home and neighborhood environments, and it promised future education. However, I began to question if it was really worth it. Sending our most vulnerable youth to be further traumatized in war, only to return (if at all) to those same environments, continued to make less sense to me.\r\n\r\nAround this time I watched the documentary <em>The Fog of War,</em><em> </em>and Robert McNamara’s words, “We need to think a lot more about killing,” really struck me. The more I thought about killing, violence and war the more war looked less like an appealing video-game, or a way out of poverty, or a noble venture and much more like an incredibly brutal and dehumanizing endeavor that appears to do basic violence to those who participate in it or even prepare for it. While war and violence might appear to “solve” a problem today, they always tend to leave wounds and animosity that fester and seed the next problem down the road. And clearly the wars of the U.S.A are not directed at the command of God but out of our national interests, as determined by U.S. politicians, who are essentially owned by large businesses. Ultimately though, all wars appear to stem out of the fear of scarcity and the fear of death. We fear if we do not fight, we will not have enough of the earth’s rapidly dwindling resources. We fear if we do not kill our enemies, they will kill us first or we will invite more aggression against us by looking weak.\r\n\r\nOver the years I have increasingly shifted towards a position of non-violent active resistance but I have remained silent. This was and is an unpopular position in my hometown where nationalism and Christianity blend so thoroughly. However, in the last year, as my understanding of the Gospel has changed, I have become able to articulate why this position is deeply rooted the Gospel of Jesus Christ and inherent to following Jesus as opposed to an optional or debatable matter.\r\n\r\nI will present this understanding as best I can in the next post.','Messiah Jesus or the Military (Part 1)','','publish','open','open','','messiah-jesus-or-the-military','','','2012-07-02 20:34:51','2012-07-03 03:34:51','',0,'http://provoketive.com/?p=7055',0,'post','',5),(7063,124,'2012-06-25 16:30:15','2012-06-25 23:30:15','Following Jesus Christ and serving in the military in any capacity represent categorically incompatible loyalties and endeavors. Any Christian who puts on a military uniform exposes that they are to an extent ignorant of (or deny) the character of the God of Israel and the person, work and way of Jesus Christ. All who follow Jesus should leave the military, cease espousing military service as a noble venture, practice the ways of non-violent active resistance and actively work towards peace with all people at all levels.\n\nNormally I would avoid such black and white statements for a variety of reasons but I have become thoroughly convinced of this belief for two main reasons.  First, deeply considering the tensions between serving in the military and serving Jesus have been part of my personal journey of faith and this position is where I have arrived after many years and much thought.  Second, I have come to a new understanding of the Gospel, an understanding that sees non-violence as deeply intertwined with Jesus\' role as the Messiah and therefore deeply intertwined with following Jesus. I would like to share both.\n\nAs for my own journey…\n\nGrowing up I had always thought about joining the military and these thoughts became a lot more concrete when I entered high school. After the summer of my freshman year my goal in life was set: I wanted to become a Navy S.E.A.L. sniper. This became an all-consuming goal that I dedicated myself to completely.  I quickly joined a Jr. Navy Program and I spent a number of weeks each summer training at military bases. (One of these is where the picture attached to this post comes from.) All of my academics, extra-curricular activities and sports became directed at attaining this vision for my life.\n\nI was also a Christian. I failed to see any incompatibility between my goals and my faith.  I believed there was a God, that God created man in His image, that Jesus Christ was the Son of God and that we are saved from Hell and destined for Heaven if we accept Jesus Christ as our savior.  I saw no disconnect between this faith and my desire to turn the heads of people created in the image of that God into pink mist at long ranges with a Baretta M82A1 .50 caliber anti-material rifle. I thought it would be cool.\n\nIn many ways I was a product of my environment. Everyone around me, my family, my faith community and the surrounding cultured, venerated military service as an honorable and noble endeavor that did not conflict with the Christian faith. It is no surprise that my views began to change when my environment did.\n\nWhile I smirk at the thought of encouraging stereotypes, this journey towards peace started in Canada. While 9/11 happened my senior year of high school and I was sorely tempted to enlist, I felt God calling me to something else and instead went to a private Christian school in Canada. While I was in Canada, the U.S. invaded Iraq, a decision which was criticized by many Canadians as was my belief that Christians could and should serve in the military. My knee-jerk reaction was to defend my beliefs against these “liberal” Christians.  I used Old Testament passages that celebrated killing and violence, presented it as commanded by God and the passage in Ecclesiastes that stated \"there is a time for war.\" However, the problem was that I was really reading my Bible for the first time, and not just listening to and using little verse-bites and proof texts that had saturated the Christian culture around me.\n\nI became increasingly aware that much of what I thought was supported in the Bible actually was not.  In fact, many of the practices I had been defending were actually antithetical to what the Bible actually taught. I was also more aware of the messy history of U.S. foreign policy. The U.S. government has a habit of destroying the enemies of today in ways that very predictably and understandably create the enemies of tomorrow.\n\nMy journey continued when I returned home after college and watched the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq drag on. Because of my time in the Jr. Navy program I have many friends who entered the military. Thankfully none of them have been killed but a number have returned with severe problems. Anyone who has had a family member or friend who struggles with PTSD, TBI or addiction knows what I am talking about.  I saw suicide rates for those in the military, even those who have not been deployed, steadily increase. Due to the internet, I saw humanity’s  inhumanity and the horrors of war become increasingly, and at times instantaneously, available for all to see.\n\nDuring this time I was working with higher-risk youth from poor neighborhoods with a Christian organization.  Encouraging our youth to join the military was seen as a practical, if not ideal, solution to many of their problems. It provided a job, a sense of purpose, it got them out of their home and neighborhood environments, and it promised future education. However, I began to question if it was really worth it. Sending our most vulnerable youth to be further traumatized in war, only to return (if at all) to those same environments, continued to make less sense to me.\n\nAround this time I watched the documentary <em>The Fog of War, </em>and Robert McNamara’s words, “We need to think a lot more about killing,” really struck me. The more I thought about killing, violence and war the more war looked less like an appealing video-game, or a way out of poverty, or a noble venture and much more like an incredibly brutal and dehumanizing endeavor that predictably and understandably breeds animosity among people groups and nations, often leading to future wars. War appears to do a basic violence to those who participate in it or even prepare for it. Wars today are not directed at the command of God but out of national interests, as determined by U.S. politicians, who are essentially owned by large businesses. Ultimately though, all wars appear to stem out of the fear of scarcity and the fear of death. We fear if we do not fight, we will night have enough of the earth’s rapidly dwindling resources. We fear if we do not kill our enemies they will kill use first.\n\nOver the years I increasingly shifted towards a position of non-violent active resistance but I remained silent. This was and is an unpopular position in my hometown where nationalism and Christianity blend so thoroughly. However, in the last year, as my understanding of the Gospel has changed, I have become able to articulate why this position is deeply rooted the Gospel of Jesus Christ and inherent to following Jesus.\n\nI will present this understanding as best I can on the next page.\n\n<!--nextpage-->\n\nAs I now understand it, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Good News, is that the God of Israel was faithful to the promises that were made to Abraham. As the story of Israel unfolded additional promises were made to David and to the people of Israel through the prophets. Hopes began to formulate and swirl around how all these promises would come to pass, and many Jewish sects were essentially divided according to how they envisioned these promises being fulfilled. These promises and hopes were fulfilled in the person, work and way of Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah of Israel. These promises continue to be fulfilled, and their tangible benefits and blessings continue to be enjoyed, when and where the people of God remain faithful to the person, work and way of Jesus Christ. Christ ended the hostility between Israel and its Gentile neighbors and provided a way for to join Israel in peace, to be one diverse people, to worship the one true God and participate in and enjoy the unfolding of these promised blessing.  Israel now awaits the second coming of Jesus Christ, the final consummation of all things, and the bodily resurrection and judgment of all people.\n\nIn regards to non-violence, a number of the promises made to and hopes of Israel are especially important. From the beginning of God’s promises to Abraham, it is clear that Israel was always to be a blessing to all nations. Additionally, a variety of passages reveal that it was expected that all nations would come and worship the God of Israel and that Israel would be returned to the land where it would enjoy peace and safety with its Gentile neighbors.\n\nBut how were these specific promises to come about? Far from being a blessing to its Gentile neighbors Israel had a long history of violent and turbulent relationships with them. Military conquests had only provided temporary peace at the cost of breeding further animosity with the Gentiles nations. Israel had also been taken out of the land and scattered multiple times and Rome was only the most recent Gentile power that had taken ownership of the land promised to the beleaguered people.\n\nIt is my belief that all of the promises to and hopes of Israel, including the ones that relate to non-violence, were fulfilled in the person, work and way of Jesus Christ and they continue to be fulfilled and enjoyed by the people of God who remain faithful to the person, work and way of Jesus Christ. But if this is the case, how did Jesus fulfill these hopes and how are they fulfilled and enjoyed now?\n\nJesus brought about these promises and blessings in part by living and teaching a way of life, the Way of Jesus. The Way of Jesus is a way of long-suffering justice, of costly mercy, of self-denying love, of sacrifice, of grace, of lavish sharing, of forgiveness with no limit, of embracing “The Other,” of humility, of solidarity with the poor and oppressed. It is a way that trusts God for one’s daily bread instead of hoarding out of the fear of future scarcity. It is a way of very tangible love and grace towards one’s enemies even to the point of forgiving them as they kill you. It is way the way of non-violent active resistance, a way that does not stoop to the level of the oppressor in its indefatigable pursuit to free the oppressed.\n\nPracticing this way set Israel free from the fears of death and scarcity. In a community of gratuitous sharing that takes care of the poor and marginalized, who fears never having enough? In a community of people who practice love for their enemies, who fears violent reprisals? As if this were not enough, followers of Jesus also had and have the hope of a future resurrection to an eternal life. Not only are these two fears burdensome in and of themselves, and part of the blessing of the Way of Jesus is being freed from them, but they were at the root of much of the injustice and idolatry Israel was guilty of as well as the wars Israel had waged in the past.\n\nFor some time, Israel had been stuck in a fearful and vengeful cycle of violence with its Gentile neighbors. While there had been times of peace with its Gentile neighbors this fear was understandable. Uncircumcised Gentiles were currently exploiting Israel and had in the past attempted to completely stamp out Israel as a people permanently. In reaction to this, many in Israel were feverishly defending the borders of their community through violence or a focus on man-made laws that acted as boundary markers that determined who was “Israel” and who was not. These reactions only deepened the cycle as it encouraged ignorance, fear, and hatred of those that were on the wrong side of the boundary markers, even as it gave outsiders reason to hate and fear Israel.\n\nHowever, by practicing the Way of Jesus, Israel was freed from these fears. Unafraid of death or scarcity, Israel was enabled to take the dramatic step of welcoming those who had once been bitter enemies into the people of God as brothers and sisters without requiring them first to adopt the traditional marks of the people of Israel, most importantly circumcision. This was the key to Israel’s lasting peace.  It was not some final military victory or ensuring everyone around them essentially converted to Judaism by going through the right religious rituals, but escaping the cycle of endless violence by following the Way of Jesus, embracing “The Other,” and adopting the costly ways of peace as they followed their God into a new understanding of Israel. The re-gathered Israel was one that allowed for rich diversity even as it patiently demanded change as is taught new comers who the God of Israel was, how to worship that God, and what that God expected of them.\n\nPracticing the Way of Jesus is part of how Israel was and is a blessing to all nations. Where the people of God treat people as Jesus treated them and live as Jesus did, this produces tangible benefits for the community itself and everyone around it. Such a compelling and powerful community draws many into the story of God, to Messiah Jesus, and ultimately into the people of God. This in turn allowed Israel to see the beginning of the fulfillment of the promise that all nations would come to worship the God of Israel, a promise that continues to unfold.\n\nFrom all of this I would suggest non-violence is not an optional or debatable matter for those who follow Jesus Christ for three basic reasons.\n\nFirst, the Way of Jesus, what Jesus modeled and what Jesus taught, is fundamentally a way of sacrifice that gives up one’s life for the sake of others, including and especially one’s enemies. This Way is not an ideal that floats above in the Heavens somewhere, but is something that should pervade our politics, our relationships, our economics, our environmental practices, our buying and selling of goods, and obviously how we resolve conflicts with one another. It is not a way of violence that takes the lives of others for the sake of security, personal or corporate profit, xenophobia, revenge, nationalism or any sort of ideology or idolatry.\n\nSecond, the Way of Jesus was part of the way that Jesus, as the Messiah of Israel, fulfilled the promises made to Israel.  If followers of Jesus abandon this Way, they reject Jesus as the Messiah, they stop enjoying the blessings the Way of Jesus brings and they cease being a blessing to others as they should. In other words, they stop being the community that should perpetually fulfill the unique hopes and promises fundamental to their faith.\n\nThird, the two fundamental reasons wars are fought are the fear of scarcity and the fear of death. Followers of Jesus are free from these fears, so what cause do they have to participate in wars? If they abandon the Way of Jesus and participate in wars, they return to the cycle of xenophobic violence Israel escaped from. They voluntarily enslave themselves all over again to fears they have been and should be free from, costing them and everyone around them dearly in the process.\n\nMilitary service involves participating in a system of violence.  I say this for two reasons.  First, there is the obvious issue that the military is perpetually preparing for waging war. Second, in support of this aim the military accepts and encourages a level of acceptable violence and aggression.  Evidence of this can be seen in how abuse is intentionally and explicitly used in training to prepare people for the horrors of war and Therefore it represents participating in something that is categorically incompatible with following Jesus.  People must choose which they will serve.  The Messiah, or the military. On this issue there is no middle path.','Messiah Jesus or the Military','','inherit','open','open','','7055-revision-5','','','2012-06-25 16:30:15','2012-06-25 23:30:15','',7055,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/25/7055-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(7056,124,'2012-06-25 15:31:47','2012-06-25 22:31:47','','rapelling','','inherit','open','open','','rapelling','','','2012-06-25 15:31:47','2012-06-25 22:31:47','',7055,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/rapelling.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(7057,124,'2012-06-25 15:32:25','2012-06-25 22:32:25','','rapelling','The author rappelling down a tower during a training exercise at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado.','inherit','open','open','','rapelling-2','','','2012-06-25 15:32:25','2012-06-25 22:32:25','',7055,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/rapelling1.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(7058,124,'2012-06-25 15:28:57','2012-06-25 22:28:57','[Insert image of me climbing down a rappelling tower.] <em>The author rappelling down a tower during a training exercise at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado.</em>\n\nFollowing Jesus Christ and serving in the military in any capacity are categorically incompatible realities. They represent conflicting loyalties, conflicting understandings of humanity, and conflicting understandings of God. Any Christian who puts on a military uniform exposes a fundamental ignorance or denial of the character of the God of Israel and the person, work and way of Jesus Christ. All followers of Jesus should leave the military, cease espousing military service as a noble venture, and actively work towards peace with all people at all levels.\n\nNormally I would avoid such black and white statements for a variety of reasons but I have become thoroughly convinced of this belief for two main reasons.  First, deeply considering the tensions between serving in the military and serving Jesus have been part of my personal journey of faith and this position is where I have arrived after many years and much thought.  Second, I have come to a new understanding of the Gospel, an understanding that sees non-violence as deeply intertwined Jesus role as the Messiah and deeply intertwined with following Jesus and taking His Lordship seriously. I would like to share both.\n\nAs for my own journey…\n\nGrowing up I had always thought about joining the military and these thoughts became a lot more concrete when I entered high school. After the summer of my freshman year my goal in life was set: I wanted to become a Navy S.E.A.L. sniper. This was not some brash statement made by a youth but an all-consuming goal that I dedicated myself to completely.  I quickly joined a Jr. Navy Program, Sea Cadets, and all of my academics and sports became directed at attaining this vision for my life.\n\nI was also a Christian. I failed to see any incompatibility between my goals and my faith.  I believed there was a God, that God created man in His image, that Jesus Christ was the Son of God and that we are saved from Hell and destined for Heaven if we accept Jesus Christ as our savior.  I saw no disconnect between this faith and my desire to turn the heads of people created in the image of that God into pink mist at long ranges with a Baretta M82A1 .50 caliber anti-material rifle. I thought it would be cool.\n\nI was aware that some Christians thought military service was not compatible with the Christian faith and that wars were generally speaking bad.  I defended my position rigorously, citing a variety of verses in the Old Testament that depicted military conquest and killing as a courageous act, sometimes commanded by God, and the passage in Ecclesiastes that said there “was a time for war.”\n\nIn many ways I was a product of my environment. As an impressionable male youth the narratives and images in U.S. culture that venerated violence, revenge and military service deeply impacted me. My family also told stories that enshrined our family members who had served in the military. At the same time I grew up in a religious environment where churches had framed pictures of all the church members who were in the military in the foyer. This display we called the “Hall of Heroes.” In explaining the commandment “Thou shalt not kill,” pastors in my area have explicitly defended the right of the U.S. government to kill people in war and in cases of capital punishment, but suggest abortion and euthanasia are unequivocally murder. Everyone around me depicted military service as an honorable and noble endeavor that did not conflict with our faith.\n\nMy views began to change when my environment did, and while I smirk at the thought of encouraging stereotypes, this journey towards peace started in Canada. 9/11 happened my senior year of high school and I was sorely tempted to enlist.  However, after having a powerful spiritual experience I felt God calling me to something else and instead went to a private Christian school in Canada.\n\nWhile I was in Canada, the U.S. invaded Iraq, a decision which was criticized by many Canadians as was my belief that Christians could and should serve in the military. My knee-jerk reaction was to defend my beliefs against these “liberal” Christians.  However, the problem was that I was really reading my Bible for the first time, and not just listening to little verse-bites and proof texts used by the Christians around me.\n\nI became increasingly aware that much of what I thought was supported in the Bible actually was not.  In fact, many of the practices I had been defending were actually antithetical to what the Bible actually taught. I was also more aware of the messy history of U.S. foreign policy. The U.S. government has a habit of destroying the enemies of today in ways that very predictably and understandably create the enemies of tomorrow.\n\nThis journey continued when I returned home after college and watched the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq drag on. Because of my time in the Jr. Navy program I have many friends who entered the military. Thankfully none of them have been killed but a number have returned with severe problems. Anyone who has had a family member or friend who struggles with PTSD, TBI or addiction knows what I am talking about.  I saw suicide rates for those in the military, even those who have not been deployed, steadily increased. Due to the internet, I saw how humanity’s  inhumanity and the horrors of war were increasingly, and at times instantaneously, available for all to see.\n\nDuring this time I was working with higher-risk youth from poor neighborhoods with a Christian organization.  Encouraging our youth to join the military was seen as a practical, if not ideal, solution to many of their problems. It provided a job, a sense of purpose, it got them out of their home and neighborhood environments, and it promised future education. However, I began to question if it was really worth it. Sending our most vulnerable youth to be further traumatized in war, only to return (if at all) to those same environments, continued to make less sense to me.\n\nAround this time I watched the documentary <em>The Fog of War, </em>and Robert McNamara’s words, “We need to think a lot more about killing,” really struck me. The more I thought about killing, violence and war the more war looked less like an appealing video-game, or a way out of poverty, or a noble venture and much more like an incredibly brutal and dehumanizing endeavor that predictably and understandably breeds animosity among people groups and nations, often leading to future wars. War appears to do a basic violence to those who participate in it or even prepare for it. Wars today are not directed at the command of God but out of national interests, as determined by U.S. politicians, who are essentially owned by large businesses. Ultimately though, all wars appear to stem out of the fear of scarcity and the fear of death. We fear if we do not fight, we will night have enough of the earth’s rapidly dwindling resources. We fear if we do not kill our enemies they will kill use first.\n\nOver the years I increasingly shifted towards a position of non-violent active resistance but I remained silent. This was and is an unpopular position in my hometown where nationalism and Christianity blend so thoroughly. However, in the last year, as my understanding of the Gospel has changed, I have become able to articulate why this position is deeply rooted the Gospel of Jesus Christ and inherent to following Jesus.\n\nI will present this understanding as best I can on the next page.\n\n<!--nextpage-->\n\nAs I now understand it, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Good News, is that the God of Israel was faithful to the promises that were made to Abraham. As the story of Israel unfolded additional promises were made to David and more were to the people of Israel through the prophets. These promises were fulfilled in the person, work and way of Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah of Israel. These promises continue to be fulfilled, and their tangible benefits and blessings continue to be enjoyed, when and where the people of God remain faithful to the person, work and way of Jesus Christ. Christ ended the hostility between Israel and its Gentile neighbors and now all are welcome to join Israel in peace, to be one diverse people, to worship the one true God and participate in and enjoy the unfolding of these promises and hopes as Israel awaits the second coming of Jesus Christ, the final consummation of all things, and the bodily resurrection and judgment of all people.\n\nIn regards to non-violence, a number of the promises made to and hopes of Israel are especially important. From the beginning of God’s promises to Abraham, it is clear that Israel was always to be a blessing to all nations. Additionally, a variety of passages reveal that it was expected that all nations would come and worship the God of Israel and that Israel would be returned to the land where it would enjoy peace and safety in with its Gentile neighbors.\n\nBut how were these specific promises to come about? Far from being a blessing to its Gentile neighbors Israel had a long history of violent and turbulent relationships with them. Military conquests had only provided temporary peace at the cost of breeding further animosity with the Gentiles nations. Israel had also been taken out of the land and scattered multiple times and Rome was only the most recent Gentile power that that had taken ownership of the land promised to the beleaguered people.\n\nIt is my belief that all of the promises to and hopes of Israel, including the ones that relate to non-violence, were fulfilled in the person, work and way of Jesus Christ and they continue to be fulfilled and enjoyed by the people of God who remain faithful to the person, work and way of Jesus Christ. But if this is the case, how did Jesus fulfill these hopes and how are they fulfilled and enjoyed now?\n\nJesus brought about these promises and blessings in part by living and teaching a way of life, the Way of Jesus. The Way of Jesus is a way of long-suffering justice, of costly mercy, of self-denying love, of sacrifice, of grace, of lavish sharing, of forgiveness with no limit, of embracing “The Other,” of humility, of solidarity with the poor and oppressed. It is a way that trusts God for one’s daily bread instead of hoarding out of the fear of future scarcity. It is a way of very tangible love and grace towards one’s enemies even to the point of forgiving them as they kill you. It is way the way of non-violent active resistance, a way that does not stoop to the level of the oppressor in its indefatigable pursuit to free the oppressed.\n\nPracticing this way set Israel free from the fears of death and scarcity. In a community of gratuitous sharing that takes care of the poor and marginalized, who fears never having enough? In a community of people that practices love for their enemies, who fears violent reprisals? As if this were not enough, followers of Jesus also had and have the hope of a future resurrection to an eternal life. Not only are these two fears burdensome in and of themselves, and part of the blessing of the Way of Jesus is being freed from them, but they were at the root of much of the injustice and idolatry Israel was guilty of as well as the wars Israel had waged in the past.\n\nFor some time, Israel had been stuck in a fearful and vengeful cycle of violence with its Gentile neighbors. While there had been times of peace with its Gentile neighbors this fear was understandable. Uncircumcised Gentiles were currently exploiting Israel and had in the past attempted to completely stamp out Israel as a people permanently. In reaction to this, many in Israel were feverishly defending the socio-religious borders of their community through violence or a focus on man-made laws that acted as socio-ethnic boundary markers of who was “Israel” and who was not. These reactions only deepened the cycle as it encouraged ignorance, fear, and hatred of those that were on the wrong side of the boundary markers even as it gave outsiders reason to hate and fear Israel.\n\nHowever, by practicing the Way of Jesus, Israel was freed from these fears. Unafraid of death or scarcity, Israel was enabled to take the dramatic step of welcoming those who had once been bitter enemies into the people of God as brothers and sisters without requiring them first to adopt the traditional marks of the people of Israel, most importantly circumcision. This was the key to Israel’s lasting peace.  It was not some final military victory or ensuring everyone around them essentially converted to Judaism by going through the right religious rituals, but escaping the cycle of endless violence by following the Way of Jesus, embracing “The Other,” and adopting the costly ways of peace as they followed their God into a new understanding of Israel. This was an Israel that allowed for God ordained diversity even as it patiently demanded change as is taught new comers who the God of Israel was, how to worship that God, and what that God expects of Israel.\n\nPracticing the Way of Jesus is part of how Israel was and is a blessing to all nations. Where the people of God treat people as Jesus treated them and live as Jesus did, this produces tangible benefits for the community itself and everyone around it. Such a compelling and powerful community draws many into the story of God, to Messiah Jesus, and ultimately into the people of God. This in turn allowed Israel to see the beginning of the fulfillment of the promise that all nations would come to worship the God of Israel, a promise that continues to unfold.\n\nFrom all of this I would suggest that non-violence is deeply rooted in the Gospel and is not an optional or debatable matter for those who follow Jesus Christ for three basic reasons.\n\nFirst, the Way of Jesus, what Jesus modeled and what Jesus taught, is fundamentally a way of sacrifice that gives up one’s life for the sake of others, including and especially one’s enemies. This Ways is not an ideal that floats above us in the Heavens somewhere, but something that should pervade our politics, our relationships, our economics, our environmental practices, our buying and selling of goods, and obviously how we resolve conflicts with one another. It is not a way of violence that takes the lives of others for the sake of security, personal or corporate profit, xenophobia, revenge, nationalism or any sort of ideology or idolatry.\n\nSecond, the Way of Jesus was part of the way that Jesus, as the Messiah of Israel, fulfilled the promises made to Israel.  If we abandon this Way, we reject Jesus as the Messiah and we stop enjoying the blessings the Way of Jesus brings and we cease being a blessing to others as we should. In other words we stop being the community that should perpetually fulfillment of these promises,\n\nThird, the two fundamental reasons wars are fought are the fear of scarcity and the fear of death. We are afraid if we do not kill certain people we will not have enough of the earth’s resources or they will kill us. Followers of Jesus are free from these fears, so what cause do we have to participate in wars ourselves? If we abandon the Way of Jesus and participate in wars, we return to the cycle of xenophobic violence Israel escaped from. We voluntarily enslave ourselves all over again to fears we have been and should be free from, costing us and everyone around us dearly in the process.','','','inherit','open','open','','7055-revision','','','2012-06-25 15:28:57','2012-06-25 22:28:57','',7055,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/25/7055-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(7061,124,'2012-06-25 15:36:21','2012-06-25 22:36:21','&nbsp;\r\n\r\nFollowing Jesus Christ and serving in the military in any capacity are categorically incompatible realities. They represent conflicting loyalties, conflicting understandings of humanity, and conflicting understandings of God. Any Christian who puts on a military uniform exposes a fundamental ignorance or denial of the character of the God of Israel and the person, work and way of Jesus Christ. All followers of Jesus should leave the military, cease espousing military service as a noble venture, and actively work towards peace with all people at all levels.\r\n\r\nNormally I would avoid such black and white statements for a variety of reasons but I have become thoroughly convinced of this belief for two main reasons.  First, deeply considering the tensions between serving in the military and serving Jesus have been part of my personal journey of faith and this position is where I have arrived after many years and much thought.  Second, I have come to a new understanding of the Gospel, an understanding that sees non-violence as deeply intertwined Jesus role as the Messiah and deeply intertwined with following Jesus and taking His Lordship seriously. I would like to share both.\r\n\r\nAs for my own journey…\r\n\r\nGrowing up I had always thought about joining the military and these thoughts became a lot more concrete when I entered high school. After the summer of my freshman year my goal in life was set: I wanted to become a Navy S.E.A.L. sniper. This was not some brash statement made by a youth but an all-consuming goal that I dedicated myself to completely.  I quickly joined a Jr. Navy Program, Sea Cadets, and all of my academics and sports became directed at attaining this vision for my life.\r\n\r\nI was also a Christian. I failed to see any incompatibility between my goals and my faith.  I believed there was a God, that God created man in His image, that Jesus Christ was the Son of God and that we are saved from Hell and destined for Heaven if we accept Jesus Christ as our savior.  I saw no disconnect between this faith and my desire to turn the heads of people created in the image of that God into pink mist at long ranges with a Baretta M82A1 .50 caliber anti-material rifle. I thought it would be cool.\r\n\r\nI was aware that some Christians thought military service was not compatible with the Christian faith and that wars were generally speaking bad.  I defended my position rigorously, citing a variety of verses in the Old Testament that depicted military conquest and killing as a courageous act, sometimes commanded by God, and the passage in Ecclesiastes that said there “was a time for war.”\r\n\r\nIn many ways I was a product of my environment. As an impressionable male youth the narratives and images in U.S. culture that venerated violence, revenge and military service deeply impacted me. My family also told stories that enshrined our family members who had served in the military. At the same time I grew up in a religious environment where churches had framed pictures of all the church members who were in the military in the foyer. This display we called the “Hall of Heroes.” In explaining the commandment “Thou shalt not kill,” pastors in my area have explicitly defended the right of the U.S. government to kill people in war and in cases of capital punishment, but suggest abortion and euthanasia are unequivocally murder. Everyone around me depicted military service as an honorable and noble endeavor that did not conflict with our faith.\r\n\r\nMy views began to change when my environment did, and while I smirk at the thought of encouraging stereotypes, this journey towards peace started in Canada. 9/11 happened my senior year of high school and I was sorely tempted to enlist.  However, after having a powerful spiritual experience I felt God calling me to something else and instead went to a private Christian school in Canada.\r\n\r\nWhile I was in Canada, the U.S. invaded Iraq, a decision which was criticized by many Canadians as was my belief that Christians could and should serve in the military. My knee-jerk reaction was to defend my beliefs against these “liberal” Christians.  However, the problem was that I was really reading my Bible for the first time, and not just listening to little verse-bites and proof texts used by the Christians around me.\r\n\r\nI became increasingly aware that much of what I thought was supported in the Bible actually was not.  In fact, many of the practices I had been defending were actually antithetical to what the Bible actually taught. I was also more aware of the messy history of U.S. foreign policy. The U.S. government has a habit of destroying the enemies of today in ways that very predictably and understandably create the enemies of tomorrow.\r\n\r\nThis journey continued when I returned home after college and watched the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq drag on. Because of my time in the Jr. Navy program I have many friends who entered the military. Thankfully none of them have been killed but a number have returned with severe problems. Anyone who has had a family member or friend who struggles with PTSD, TBI or addiction knows what I am talking about.  I saw suicide rates for those in the military, even those who have not been deployed, steadily increased. Due to the internet, I saw how humanity’s  inhumanity and the horrors of war were increasingly, and at times instantaneously, available for all to see.\r\n\r\nDuring this time I was working with higher-risk youth from poor neighborhoods with a Christian organization.  Encouraging our youth to join the military was seen as a practical, if not ideal, solution to many of their problems. It provided a job, a sense of purpose, it got them out of their home and neighborhood environments, and it promised future education. However, I began to question if it was really worth it. Sending our most vulnerable youth to be further traumatized in war, only to return (if at all) to those same environments, continued to make less sense to me.\r\n\r\nAround this time I watched the documentary <em>The Fog of War, </em>and Robert McNamara’s words, “We need to think a lot more about killing,” really struck me. The more I thought about killing, violence and war the more war looked less like an appealing video-game, or a way out of poverty, or a noble venture and much more like an incredibly brutal and dehumanizing endeavor that predictably and understandably breeds animosity among people groups and nations, often leading to future wars. War appears to do a basic violence to those who participate in it or even prepare for it. Wars today are not directed at the command of God but out of national interests, as determined by U.S. politicians, who are essentially owned by large businesses. Ultimately though, all wars appear to stem out of the fear of scarcity and the fear of death. We fear if we do not fight, we will night have enough of the earth’s rapidly dwindling resources. We fear if we do not kill our enemies they will kill use first.\r\n\r\nOver the years I increasingly shifted towards a position of non-violent active resistance but I remained silent. This was and is an unpopular position in my hometown where nationalism and Christianity blend so thoroughly. However, in the last year, as my understanding of the Gospel has changed, I have become able to articulate why this position is deeply rooted the Gospel of Jesus Christ and inherent to following Jesus.\r\n\r\nI will present this understanding as best I can on the next page.\r\n\r\n<!--nextpage-->\r\n\r\nAs I now understand it, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Good News, is that the God of Israel was faithful to the promises that were made to Abraham. As the story of Israel unfolded additional promises were made to David and more were to the people of Israel through the prophets. These promises were fulfilled in the person, work and way of Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah of Israel. These promises continue to be fulfilled, and their tangible benefits and blessings continue to be enjoyed, when and where the people of God remain faithful to the person, work and way of Jesus Christ. Christ ended the hostility between Israel and its Gentile neighbors and now all are welcome to join Israel in peace, to be one diverse people, to worship the one true God and participate in and enjoy the unfolding of these promises and hopes as Israel awaits the second coming of Jesus Christ, the final consummation of all things, and the bodily resurrection and judgment of all people.\r\n\r\nIn regards to non-violence, a number of the promises made to and hopes of Israel are especially important. From the beginning of God’s promises to Abraham, it is clear that Israel was always to be a blessing to all nations. Additionally, a variety of passages reveal that it was expected that all nations would come and worship the God of Israel and that Israel would be returned to the land where it would enjoy peace and safety in with its Gentile neighbors.\r\n\r\nBut how were these specific promises to come about? Far from being a blessing to its Gentile neighbors Israel had a long history of violent and turbulent relationships with them. Military conquests had only provided temporary peace at the cost of breeding further animosity with the Gentiles nations. Israel had also been taken out of the land and scattered multiple times and Rome was only the most recent Gentile power that that had taken ownership of the land promised to the beleaguered people.\r\n\r\nIt is my belief that all of the promises to and hopes of Israel, including the ones that relate to non-violence, were fulfilled in the person, work and way of Jesus Christ and they continue to be fulfilled and enjoyed by the people of God who remain faithful to the person, work and way of Jesus Christ. But if this is the case, how did Jesus fulfill these hopes and how are they fulfilled and enjoyed now?\r\n\r\nJesus brought about these promises and blessings in part by living and teaching a way of life, the Way of Jesus. The Way of Jesus is a way of long-suffering justice, of costly mercy, of self-denying love, of sacrifice, of grace, of lavish sharing, of forgiveness with no limit, of embracing “The Other,” of humility, of solidarity with the poor and oppressed. It is a way that trusts God for one’s daily bread instead of hoarding out of the fear of future scarcity. It is a way of very tangible love and grace towards one’s enemies even to the point of forgiving them as they kill you. It is way the way of non-violent active resistance, a way that does not stoop to the level of the oppressor in its indefatigable pursuit to free the oppressed.\r\n\r\nPracticing this way set Israel free from the fears of death and scarcity. In a community of gratuitous sharing that takes care of the poor and marginalized, who fears never having enough? In a community of people that practices love for their enemies, who fears violent reprisals? As if this were not enough, followers of Jesus also had and have the hope of a future resurrection to an eternal life. Not only are these two fears burdensome in and of themselves, and part of the blessing of the Way of Jesus is being freed from them, but they were at the root of much of the injustice and idolatry Israel was guilty of as well as the wars Israel had waged in the past.\r\n\r\nFor some time, Israel had been stuck in a fearful and vengeful cycle of violence with its Gentile neighbors. While there had been times of peace with its Gentile neighbors this fear was understandable. Uncircumcised Gentiles were currently exploiting Israel and had in the past attempted to completely stamp out Israel as a people permanently. In reaction to this, many in Israel were feverishly defending the socio-religious borders of their community through violence or a focus on man-made laws that acted as socio-ethnic boundary markers of who was “Israel” and who was not. These reactions only deepened the cycle as it encouraged ignorance, fear, and hatred of those that were on the wrong side of the boundary markers even as it gave outsiders reason to hate and fear Israel.\r\n\r\nHowever, by practicing the Way of Jesus, Israel was freed from these fears. Unafraid of death or scarcity, Israel was enabled to take the dramatic step of welcoming those who had once been bitter enemies into the people of God as brothers and sisters without requiring them first to adopt the traditional marks of the people of Israel, most importantly circumcision. This was the key to Israel’s lasting peace.  It was not some final military victory or ensuring everyone around them essentially converted to Judaism by going through the right religious rituals, but escaping the cycle of endless violence by following the Way of Jesus, embracing “The Other,” and adopting the costly ways of peace as they followed their God into a new understanding of Israel. This was an Israel that allowed for God ordained diversity even as it patiently demanded change as is taught new comers who the God of Israel was, how to worship that God, and what that God expects of Israel.\r\n\r\nPracticing the Way of Jesus is part of how Israel was and is a blessing to all nations. Where the people of God treat people as Jesus treated them and live as Jesus did, this produces tangible benefits for the community itself and everyone around it. Such a compelling and powerful community draws many into the story of God, to Messiah Jesus, and ultimately into the people of God. This in turn allowed Israel to see the beginning of the fulfillment of the promise that all nations would come to worship the God of Israel, a promise that continues to unfold.\r\n\r\nFrom all of this I would suggest that non-violence is deeply rooted in the Gospel and is not an optional or debatable matter for those who follow Jesus Christ for three basic reasons.\r\n\r\nFirst, the Way of Jesus, what Jesus modeled and what Jesus taught, is fundamentally a way of sacrifice that gives up one’s life for the sake of others, including and especially one’s enemies. This Ways is not an ideal that floats above us in the Heavens somewhere, but something that should pervade our politics, our relationships, our economics, our environmental practices, our buying and selling of goods, and obviously how we resolve conflicts with one another. It is not a way of violence that takes the lives of others for the sake of security, personal or corporate profit, xenophobia, revenge, nationalism or any sort of ideology or idolatry.\r\n\r\nSecond, the Way of Jesus was part of the way that Jesus, as the Messiah of Israel, fulfilled the promises made to Israel.  If we abandon this Way, we reject Jesus as the Messiah and we stop enjoying the blessings the Way of Jesus brings and we cease being a blessing to others as we should. In other words we stop being the community that should perpetually fulfillment of these promises,\r\n\r\nThird, the two fundamental reasons wars are fought are the fear of scarcity and the fear of death. We are afraid if we do not kill certain people we will not have enough of the earth’s resources or they will kill us. Followers of Jesus are free from these fears, so what cause do we have to participate in wars ourselves? If we abandon the Way of Jesus and participate in wars, we return to the cycle of xenophobic violence Israel escaped from. We voluntarily enslave ourselves all over again to fears we have been and should be free from, costing us and everyone around us dearly in the process.','','','inherit','open','open','','7055-revision-3','','','2012-06-25 15:36:21','2012-06-25 22:36:21','',7055,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/25/7055-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(7059,124,'2012-06-25 15:36:01','2012-06-25 22:36:01','','The author rappelling down a tower during a training exercise at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado.','','inherit','open','open','','rapelling-3','','','2012-06-25 15:36:01','2012-06-25 22:36:01','',7055,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/rapelling2.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(7060,124,'2012-06-25 15:32:56','2012-06-25 22:32:56','[Insert image of me climbing down a rappelling tower.] <em>The author rappelling down a tower during a training exercise at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado.</em>\r\n\r\nFollowing Jesus Christ and serving in the military in any capacity are categorically incompatible realities. They represent conflicting loyalties, conflicting understandings of humanity, and conflicting understandings of God. Any Christian who puts on a military uniform exposes a fundamental ignorance or denial of the character of the God of Israel and the person, work and way of Jesus Christ. All followers of Jesus should leave the military, cease espousing military service as a noble venture, and actively work towards peace with all people at all levels.\r\n\r\nNormally I would avoid such black and white statements for a variety of reasons but I have become thoroughly convinced of this belief for two main reasons.  First, deeply considering the tensions between serving in the military and serving Jesus have been part of my personal journey of faith and this position is where I have arrived after many years and much thought.  Second, I have come to a new understanding of the Gospel, an understanding that sees non-violence as deeply intertwined Jesus role as the Messiah and deeply intertwined with following Jesus and taking His Lordship seriously. I would like to share both.\r\n\r\nAs for my own journey…\r\n\r\nGrowing up I had always thought about joining the military and these thoughts became a lot more concrete when I entered high school. After the summer of my freshman year my goal in life was set: I wanted to become a Navy S.E.A.L. sniper. This was not some brash statement made by a youth but an all-consuming goal that I dedicated myself to completely.  I quickly joined a Jr. Navy Program, Sea Cadets, and all of my academics and sports became directed at attaining this vision for my life.\r\n\r\nI was also a Christian. I failed to see any incompatibility between my goals and my faith.  I believed there was a God, that God created man in His image, that Jesus Christ was the Son of God and that we are saved from Hell and destined for Heaven if we accept Jesus Christ as our savior.  I saw no disconnect between this faith and my desire to turn the heads of people created in the image of that God into pink mist at long ranges with a Baretta M82A1 .50 caliber anti-material rifle. I thought it would be cool.\r\n\r\nI was aware that some Christians thought military service was not compatible with the Christian faith and that wars were generally speaking bad.  I defended my position rigorously, citing a variety of verses in the Old Testament that depicted military conquest and killing as a courageous act, sometimes commanded by God, and the passage in Ecclesiastes that said there “was a time for war.”\r\n\r\nIn many ways I was a product of my environment. As an impressionable male youth the narratives and images in U.S. culture that venerated violence, revenge and military service deeply impacted me. My family also told stories that enshrined our family members who had served in the military. At the same time I grew up in a religious environment where churches had framed pictures of all the church members who were in the military in the foyer. This display we called the “Hall of Heroes.” In explaining the commandment “Thou shalt not kill,” pastors in my area have explicitly defended the right of the U.S. government to kill people in war and in cases of capital punishment, but suggest abortion and euthanasia are unequivocally murder. Everyone around me depicted military service as an honorable and noble endeavor that did not conflict with our faith.\r\n\r\nMy views began to change when my environment did, and while I smirk at the thought of encouraging stereotypes, this journey towards peace started in Canada. 9/11 happened my senior year of high school and I was sorely tempted to enlist.  However, after having a powerful spiritual experience I felt God calling me to something else and instead went to a private Christian school in Canada.\r\n\r\nWhile I was in Canada, the U.S. invaded Iraq, a decision which was criticized by many Canadians as was my belief that Christians could and should serve in the military. My knee-jerk reaction was to defend my beliefs against these “liberal” Christians.  However, the problem was that I was really reading my Bible for the first time, and not just listening to little verse-bites and proof texts used by the Christians around me.\r\n\r\nI became increasingly aware that much of what I thought was supported in the Bible actually was not.  In fact, many of the practices I had been defending were actually antithetical to what the Bible actually taught. I was also more aware of the messy history of U.S. foreign policy. The U.S. government has a habit of destroying the enemies of today in ways that very predictably and understandably create the enemies of tomorrow.\r\n\r\nThis journey continued when I returned home after college and watched the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq drag on. Because of my time in the Jr. Navy program I have many friends who entered the military. Thankfully none of them have been killed but a number have returned with severe problems. Anyone who has had a family member or friend who struggles with PTSD, TBI or addiction knows what I am talking about.  I saw suicide rates for those in the military, even those who have not been deployed, steadily increased. Due to the internet, I saw how humanity’s  inhumanity and the horrors of war were increasingly, and at times instantaneously, available for all to see.\r\n\r\nDuring this time I was working with higher-risk youth from poor neighborhoods with a Christian organization.  Encouraging our youth to join the military was seen as a practical, if not ideal, solution to many of their problems. It provided a job, a sense of purpose, it got them out of their home and neighborhood environments, and it promised future education. However, I began to question if it was really worth it. Sending our most vulnerable youth to be further traumatized in war, only to return (if at all) to those same environments, continued to make less sense to me.\r\n\r\nAround this time I watched the documentary <em>The Fog of War, </em>and Robert McNamara’s words, “We need to think a lot more about killing,” really struck me. The more I thought about killing, violence and war the more war looked less like an appealing video-game, or a way out of poverty, or a noble venture and much more like an incredibly brutal and dehumanizing endeavor that predictably and understandably breeds animosity among people groups and nations, often leading to future wars. War appears to do a basic violence to those who participate in it or even prepare for it. Wars today are not directed at the command of God but out of national interests, as determined by U.S. politicians, who are essentially owned by large businesses. Ultimately though, all wars appear to stem out of the fear of scarcity and the fear of death. We fear if we do not fight, we will night have enough of the earth’s rapidly dwindling resources. We fear if we do not kill our enemies they will kill use first.\r\n\r\nOver the years I increasingly shifted towards a position of non-violent active resistance but I remained silent. This was and is an unpopular position in my hometown where nationalism and Christianity blend so thoroughly. However, in the last year, as my understanding of the Gospel has changed, I have become able to articulate why this position is deeply rooted the Gospel of Jesus Christ and inherent to following Jesus.\r\n\r\nI will present this understanding as best I can on the next page.\r\n\r\n<!--nextpage-->\r\n\r\nAs I now understand it, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Good News, is that the God of Israel was faithful to the promises that were made to Abraham. As the story of Israel unfolded additional promises were made to David and more were to the people of Israel through the prophets. These promises were fulfilled in the person, work and way of Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah of Israel. These promises continue to be fulfilled, and their tangible benefits and blessings continue to be enjoyed, when and where the people of God remain faithful to the person, work and way of Jesus Christ. Christ ended the hostility between Israel and its Gentile neighbors and now all are welcome to join Israel in peace, to be one diverse people, to worship the one true God and participate in and enjoy the unfolding of these promises and hopes as Israel awaits the second coming of Jesus Christ, the final consummation of all things, and the bodily resurrection and judgment of all people.\r\n\r\nIn regards to non-violence, a number of the promises made to and hopes of Israel are especially important. From the beginning of God’s promises to Abraham, it is clear that Israel was always to be a blessing to all nations. Additionally, a variety of passages reveal that it was expected that all nations would come and worship the God of Israel and that Israel would be returned to the land where it would enjoy peace and safety in with its Gentile neighbors.\r\n\r\nBut how were these specific promises to come about? Far from being a blessing to its Gentile neighbors Israel had a long history of violent and turbulent relationships with them. Military conquests had only provided temporary peace at the cost of breeding further animosity with the Gentiles nations. Israel had also been taken out of the land and scattered multiple times and Rome was only the most recent Gentile power that that had taken ownership of the land promised to the beleaguered people.\r\n\r\nIt is my belief that all of the promises to and hopes of Israel, including the ones that relate to non-violence, were fulfilled in the person, work and way of Jesus Christ and they continue to be fulfilled and enjoyed by the people of God who remain faithful to the person, work and way of Jesus Christ. But if this is the case, how did Jesus fulfill these hopes and how are they fulfilled and enjoyed now?\r\n\r\nJesus brought about these promises and blessings in part by living and teaching a way of life, the Way of Jesus. The Way of Jesus is a way of long-suffering justice, of costly mercy, of self-denying love, of sacrifice, of grace, of lavish sharing, of forgiveness with no limit, of embracing “The Other,” of humility, of solidarity with the poor and oppressed. It is a way that trusts God for one’s daily bread instead of hoarding out of the fear of future scarcity. It is a way of very tangible love and grace towards one’s enemies even to the point of forgiving them as they kill you. It is way the way of non-violent active resistance, a way that does not stoop to the level of the oppressor in its indefatigable pursuit to free the oppressed.\r\n\r\nPracticing this way set Israel free from the fears of death and scarcity. In a community of gratuitous sharing that takes care of the poor and marginalized, who fears never having enough? In a community of people that practices love for their enemies, who fears violent reprisals? As if this were not enough, followers of Jesus also had and have the hope of a future resurrection to an eternal life. Not only are these two fears burdensome in and of themselves, and part of the blessing of the Way of Jesus is being freed from them, but they were at the root of much of the injustice and idolatry Israel was guilty of as well as the wars Israel had waged in the past.\r\n\r\nFor some time, Israel had been stuck in a fearful and vengeful cycle of violence with its Gentile neighbors. While there had been times of peace with its Gentile neighbors this fear was understandable. Uncircumcised Gentiles were currently exploiting Israel and had in the past attempted to completely stamp out Israel as a people permanently. In reaction to this, many in Israel were feverishly defending the socio-religious borders of their community through violence or a focus on man-made laws that acted as socio-ethnic boundary markers of who was “Israel” and who was not. These reactions only deepened the cycle as it encouraged ignorance, fear, and hatred of those that were on the wrong side of the boundary markers even as it gave outsiders reason to hate and fear Israel.\r\n\r\nHowever, by practicing the Way of Jesus, Israel was freed from these fears. Unafraid of death or scarcity, Israel was enabled to take the dramatic step of welcoming those who had once been bitter enemies into the people of God as brothers and sisters without requiring them first to adopt the traditional marks of the people of Israel, most importantly circumcision. This was the key to Israel’s lasting peace.  It was not some final military victory or ensuring everyone around them essentially converted to Judaism by going through the right religious rituals, but escaping the cycle of endless violence by following the Way of Jesus, embracing “The Other,” and adopting the costly ways of peace as they followed their God into a new understanding of Israel. This was an Israel that allowed for God ordained diversity even as it patiently demanded change as is taught new comers who the God of Israel was, how to worship that God, and what that God expects of Israel.\r\n\r\nPracticing the Way of Jesus is part of how Israel was and is a blessing to all nations. Where the people of God treat people as Jesus treated them and live as Jesus did, this produces tangible benefits for the community itself and everyone around it. Such a compelling and powerful community draws many into the story of God, to Messiah Jesus, and ultimately into the people of God. This in turn allowed Israel to see the beginning of the fulfillment of the promise that all nations would come to worship the God of Israel, a promise that continues to unfold.\r\n\r\nFrom all of this I would suggest that non-violence is deeply rooted in the Gospel and is not an optional or debatable matter for those who follow Jesus Christ for three basic reasons.\r\n\r\nFirst, the Way of Jesus, what Jesus modeled and what Jesus taught, is fundamentally a way of sacrifice that gives up one’s life for the sake of others, including and especially one’s enemies. This Ways is not an ideal that floats above us in the Heavens somewhere, but something that should pervade our politics, our relationships, our economics, our environmental practices, our buying and selling of goods, and obviously how we resolve conflicts with one another. It is not a way of violence that takes the lives of others for the sake of security, personal or corporate profit, xenophobia, revenge, nationalism or any sort of ideology or idolatry.\r\n\r\nSecond, the Way of Jesus was part of the way that Jesus, as the Messiah of Israel, fulfilled the promises made to Israel.  If we abandon this Way, we reject Jesus as the Messiah and we stop enjoying the blessings the Way of Jesus brings and we cease being a blessing to others as we should. In other words we stop being the community that should perpetually fulfillment of these promises,\r\n\r\nThird, the two fundamental reasons wars are fought are the fear of scarcity and the fear of death. We are afraid if we do not kill certain people we will not have enough of the earth’s resources or they will kill us. Followers of Jesus are free from these fears, so what cause do we have to participate in wars ourselves? If we abandon the Way of Jesus and participate in wars, we return to the cycle of xenophobic violence Israel escaped from. We voluntarily enslave ourselves all over again to fears we have been and should be free from, costing us and everyone around us dearly in the process.','','','inherit','open','open','','7055-revision-2','','','2012-06-25 15:32:56','2012-06-25 22:32:56','',7055,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/25/7055-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(7062,124,'2012-06-25 15:39:01','2012-06-25 22:39:01','Following Jesus Christ and serving in the military in any capacity are categorically incompatible realities. They represent conflicting loyalties, conflicting understandings of humanity, and conflicting understandings of God. Any Christian who puts on a military uniform exposes a fundamental ignorance or denial of the character of the God of Israel and the person, work and way of Jesus Christ. All followers of Jesus should leave the military, cease espousing military service as a noble venture, and actively work towards peace with all people at all levels.\r\n\r\nNormally I would avoid such black and white statements for a variety of reasons but I have become thoroughly convinced of this belief for two main reasons.  First, deeply considering the tensions between serving in the military and serving Jesus have been part of my personal journey of faith and this position is where I have arrived after many years and much thought.  Second, I have come to a new understanding of the Gospel, an understanding that sees non-violence as deeply intertwined Jesus role as the Messiah and deeply intertwined with following Jesus and taking His Lordship seriously. I would like to share both.\r\n\r\nAs for my own journey…\r\n\r\nGrowing up I had always thought about joining the military and these thoughts became a lot more concrete when I entered high school. After the summer of my freshman year my goal in life was set: I wanted to become a Navy S.E.A.L. sniper. This was not some brash statement made by a youth but an all-consuming goal that I dedicated myself to completely.  I quickly joined a Jr. Navy Program, Sea Cadets, and I spent a number of weeks in the summer on trainings, one of which is where the picture attached to this post comes from. All of my academics, extra-curricular activities and sports became directed at attaining this vision for my life.\r\n\r\nI was also a Christian. I failed to see any incompatibility between my goals and my faith.  I believed there was a God, that God created man in His image, that Jesus Christ was the Son of God and that we are saved from Hell and destined for Heaven if we accept Jesus Christ as our savior.  I saw no disconnect between this faith and my desire to turn the heads of people created in the image of that God into pink mist at long ranges with a Baretta M82A1 .50 caliber anti-material rifle. I thought it would be cool.\r\n\r\nI was aware that some Christians thought military service was not compatible with the Christian faith and that wars were generally speaking bad.  I defended my position rigorously, citing a variety of verses in the Old Testament that depicted military conquest and killing as a courageous act, sometimes commanded by God, and the passage in Ecclesiastes that said there “was a time for war.”\r\n\r\nIn many ways I was a product of my environment. As an impressionable male youth the narratives and images in U.S. culture that venerated violence, revenge and military service deeply impacted me. My family also told stories that enshrined our family members who had served in the military. At the same time I grew up in a religious environment where churches had framed pictures of all the church members who were in the military in the foyer. This display we called the “Hall of Heroes.” In explaining the commandment “Thou shalt not kill,” pastors in my area have explicitly defended the right of the U.S. government to kill people in war and in cases of capital punishment, but suggest abortion and euthanasia are unequivocally murder. Everyone around me depicted military service as an honorable and noble endeavor that did not conflict with our faith.\r\n\r\nMy views began to change when my environment did, and while I smirk at the thought of encouraging stereotypes, this journey towards peace started in Canada. 9/11 happened my senior year of high school and I was sorely tempted to enlist.  However, after having a powerful spiritual experience I felt God calling me to something else and instead went to a private Christian school in Canada.\r\n\r\nWhile I was in Canada, the U.S. invaded Iraq, a decision which was criticized by many Canadians as was my belief that Christians could and should serve in the military. My knee-jerk reaction was to defend my beliefs against these “liberal” Christians.  However, the problem was that I was really reading my Bible for the first time, and not just listening to little verse-bites and proof texts used by the Christians around me.\r\n\r\nI became increasingly aware that much of what I thought was supported in the Bible actually was not.  In fact, many of the practices I had been defending were actually antithetical to what the Bible actually taught. I was also more aware of the messy history of U.S. foreign policy. The U.S. government has a habit of destroying the enemies of today in ways that very predictably and understandably create the enemies of tomorrow.\r\n\r\nThis journey continued when I returned home after college and watched the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq drag on. Because of my time in the Jr. Navy program I have many friends who entered the military. Thankfully none of them have been killed but a number have returned with severe problems. Anyone who has had a family member or friend who struggles with PTSD, TBI or addiction knows what I am talking about.  I saw suicide rates for those in the military, even those who have not been deployed, steadily increased. Due to the internet, I saw how humanity’s  inhumanity and the horrors of war were increasingly, and at times instantaneously, available for all to see.\r\n\r\nDuring this time I was working with higher-risk youth from poor neighborhoods with a Christian organization.  Encouraging our youth to join the military was seen as a practical, if not ideal, solution to many of their problems. It provided a job, a sense of purpose, it got them out of their home and neighborhood environments, and it promised future education. However, I began to question if it was really worth it. Sending our most vulnerable youth to be further traumatized in war, only to return (if at all) to those same environments, continued to make less sense to me.\r\n\r\nAround this time I watched the documentary <em>The Fog of War, </em>and Robert McNamara’s words, “We need to think a lot more about killing,” really struck me. The more I thought about killing, violence and war the more war looked less like an appealing video-game, or a way out of poverty, or a noble venture and much more like an incredibly brutal and dehumanizing endeavor that predictably and understandably breeds animosity among people groups and nations, often leading to future wars. War appears to do a basic violence to those who participate in it or even prepare for it. Wars today are not directed at the command of God but out of national interests, as determined by U.S. politicians, who are essentially owned by large businesses. Ultimately though, all wars appear to stem out of the fear of scarcity and the fear of death. We fear if we do not fight, we will night have enough of the earth’s rapidly dwindling resources. We fear if we do not kill our enemies they will kill use first.\r\n\r\nOver the years I increasingly shifted towards a position of non-violent active resistance but I remained silent. This was and is an unpopular position in my hometown where nationalism and Christianity blend so thoroughly. However, in the last year, as my understanding of the Gospel has changed, I have become able to articulate why this position is deeply rooted the Gospel of Jesus Christ and inherent to following Jesus.\r\n\r\nI will present this understanding as best I can on the next page.\r\n\r\n<!--nextpage-->\r\n\r\nAs I now understand it, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Good News, is that the God of Israel was faithful to the promises that were made to Abraham. As the story of Israel unfolded additional promises were made to David and more were to the people of Israel through the prophets. These promises were fulfilled in the person, work and way of Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah of Israel. These promises continue to be fulfilled, and their tangible benefits and blessings continue to be enjoyed, when and where the people of God remain faithful to the person, work and way of Jesus Christ. Christ ended the hostility between Israel and its Gentile neighbors and now all are welcome to join Israel in peace, to be one diverse people, to worship the one true God and participate in and enjoy the unfolding of these promises and hopes as Israel awaits the second coming of Jesus Christ, the final consummation of all things, and the bodily resurrection and judgment of all people.\r\n\r\nIn regards to non-violence, a number of the promises made to and hopes of Israel are especially important. From the beginning of God’s promises to Abraham, it is clear that Israel was always to be a blessing to all nations. Additionally, a variety of passages reveal that it was expected that all nations would come and worship the God of Israel and that Israel would be returned to the land where it would enjoy peace and safety in with its Gentile neighbors.\r\n\r\nBut how were these specific promises to come about? Far from being a blessing to its Gentile neighbors Israel had a long history of violent and turbulent relationships with them. Military conquests had only provided temporary peace at the cost of breeding further animosity with the Gentiles nations. Israel had also been taken out of the land and scattered multiple times and Rome was only the most recent Gentile power that had taken ownership of the land promised to the beleaguered people.\r\n\r\nIt is my belief that all of the promises to and hopes of Israel, including the ones that relate to non-violence, were fulfilled in the person, work and way of Jesus Christ and they continue to be fulfilled and enjoyed by the people of God who remain faithful to the person, work and way of Jesus Christ. But if this is the case, how did Jesus fulfill these hopes and how are they fulfilled and enjoyed now?\r\n\r\nJesus brought about these promises and blessings in part by living and teaching a way of life, the Way of Jesus. The Way of Jesus is a way of long-suffering justice, of costly mercy, of self-denying love, of sacrifice, of grace, of lavish sharing, of forgiveness with no limit, of embracing “The Other,” of humility, of solidarity with the poor and oppressed. It is a way that trusts God for one’s daily bread instead of hoarding out of the fear of future scarcity. It is a way of very tangible love and grace towards one’s enemies even to the point of forgiving them as they kill you. It is way the way of non-violent active resistance, a way that does not stoop to the level of the oppressor in its indefatigable pursuit to free the oppressed.\r\n\r\nPracticing this way set Israel free from the fears of death and scarcity. In a community of gratuitous sharing that takes care of the poor and marginalized, who fears never having enough? In a community of people who practice love for their enemies, who fears violent reprisals? As if this were not enough, followers of Jesus also had and have the hope of a future resurrection to an eternal life. Not only are these two fears burdensome in and of themselves, and part of the blessing of the Way of Jesus is being freed from them, but they were at the root of much of the injustice and idolatry Israel was guilty of as well as the wars Israel had waged in the past.\r\n\r\nFor some time, Israel had been stuck in a fearful and vengeful cycle of violence with its Gentile neighbors. While there had been times of peace with its Gentile neighbors this fear was understandable. Uncircumcised Gentiles were currently exploiting Israel and had in the past attempted to completely stamp out Israel as a people permanently. In reaction to this, many in Israel were feverishly defending the borders of their community through violence or a focus on man-made laws that acted as boundary markers that determined who was “Israel” and who was not. These reactions only deepened the cycle as it encouraged ignorance, fear, and hatred of those that were on the wrong side of the boundary markers even as it gave outsiders reason to hate and fear Israel.\r\n\r\nHowever, by practicing the Way of Jesus, Israel was freed from these fears. Unafraid of death or scarcity, Israel was enabled to take the dramatic step of welcoming those who had once been bitter enemies into the people of God as brothers and sisters without requiring them first to adopt the traditional marks of the people of Israel, most importantly circumcision. This was the key to Israel’s lasting peace.  It was not some final military victory or ensuring everyone around them essentially converted to Judaism by going through the right religious rituals, but escaping the cycle of endless violence by following the Way of Jesus, embracing “The Other,” and adopting the costly ways of peace as they followed their God into a new understanding of Israel. This was an Israel that allowed for God ordained diversity even as it patiently demanded change as is taught new comers who the God of Israel was, how to worship that God, and what that God expects of Israel.\r\n\r\nPracticing the Way of Jesus is part of how Israel was and is a blessing to all nations. Where the people of God treat people as Jesus treated them and live as Jesus did, this produces tangible benefits for the community itself and everyone around it. Such a compelling and powerful community draws many into the story of God, to Messiah Jesus, and ultimately into the people of God. This in turn allowed Israel to see the beginning of the fulfillment of the promise that all nations would come to worship the God of Israel, a promise that continues to unfold.\r\n\r\nFrom all of this I would suggest that non-violence is deeply rooted in the Gospel and is not an optional or debatable matter for those who follow Jesus Christ for three basic reasons.\r\n\r\nFirst, the Way of Jesus, what Jesus modeled and what Jesus taught, is fundamentally a way of sacrifice that gives up one’s life for the sake of others, including and especially one’s enemies. This Ways is not an ideal that floats above us in the Heavens somewhere, but something that should pervade our politics, our relationships, our economics, our environmental practices, our buying and selling of goods, and obviously how we resolve conflicts with one another. It is not a way of violence that takes the lives of others for the sake of security, personal or corporate profit, xenophobia, revenge, nationalism or any sort of ideology or idolatry.\r\n\r\nSecond, the Way of Jesus was part of the way that Jesus, as the Messiah of Israel, fulfilled the promises made to Israel.  If we abandon this Way, we reject Jesus as the Messiah and we stop enjoying the blessings the Way of Jesus brings and we cease being a blessing to others as we should. In other words we stop being the community that should perpetually fulfillment of these promises,\r\n\r\nThird, the two fundamental reasons wars are fought are the fear of scarcity and the fear of death. We are afraid if we do not kill certain people we will not have enough of the earth’s resources or they will kill us. Followers of Jesus are free from these fears, so what cause do we have to participate in wars ourselves? If we abandon the Way of Jesus and participate in wars, we return to the cycle of xenophobic violence Israel escaped from. We voluntarily enslave ourselves all over again to fears we have been and should be free from, costing us and everyone around us dearly in the process.','','','inherit','open','open','','7055-revision-4','','','2012-06-25 15:39:01','2012-06-25 22:39:01','',7055,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/25/7055-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(7067,124,'2012-06-26 17:00:55','2012-06-27 00:00:55','After many years of personally wrestling with questions swirling around violence, war and faith I have come to believe that following Jesus Christ and serving in the military in any capacity represent categorically incompatible endeavors. All who follow Jesus should leave the military or refuse to enlist, they should cease espousing war as a noble and honorable venture, and they should actively work towards peace and justice by practicing the ways of non-violent active resistance.\n\nNormally I would avoid such black and white statements for a variety of reasons but I have become thoroughly convinced of these beliefs for two main reasons.  First, deeply considering the tensions between serving in the military and serving Jesus have been part of my personal journey of faith.  Second, I hold to an understanding of the Gospel that sees non-violence as deeply intertwined with Jesus\' role as the Messiah and therefore deeply intertwined with following that Messiah. I would like to share both.\n\nAs for my own journey…\n\nGrowing up I had always thought about joining the military and after the summer of my freshman year in high school my goal in life was set: I wanted to become a Navy S.E.A.L. sniper. This became an all-consuming goal that I dedicated myself to completely.  I joined a Jr. Navy Program and spent a number of weeks each summer training at military bases. (One of these is where the picture attached to this post comes from.) My academics, extra-curricular activities and sports all became directed at attaining this vision for my life.\n\nI was also a Christian. I failed to see any incompatibility between my goals and my faith.  I believed there was a God, that God created humanity in His image, that humanity fell into sin, that Jesus Christ was the Son of God who died for our sins, and that we are saved from Hell and destined for Heaven if we accept Jesus Christ as our savior.  I saw no disconnect between this faith and my desire to turn the heads of people created in the image of that God into pink mist at long ranges with a Barrett M82A1 .50 caliber anti-material rifle. I actually thought it would be cool.\n\nIn many ways I was a product of my environment. My family, my faith community and the surrounding cultured, all shared narratives and stories that depicted war and military service as honorable, noble and courageous pursuits that did not conflict with the Christian faith. It is no surprise that my views began to change when my environment did.\n\nWhile I smirk at the thought of encouraging stereotypes, this journey towards peace started in Canada. While 9/11 happened my senior year of high school and I was sorely tempted to enlist, I felt God calling me to something else and instead went to a private Christian school in British Columbia. While I was in Canada, the U.S. invaded Iraq, a decision which was criticized by many Canadians as was my belief that Christians could and should serve in the military. My knee-jerk reaction was to defend my beliefs against these “liberal” Christians.  I used Old Testament passages that celebrated killing and violence, clearly showed that God commanded wars and the passage in Ecclesiastes that stated, \"there is a time for war.\"\n\nHowever, the problem was that I was really reading my Bible for the first time, and not just listening to and using little verse-bites and proof texts that had saturated the Christian culture around me. Because of this I became increasingly aware that much of what I thought was supported in the Bible actually was not.  In fact, many of the practices I had been defending were actually antithetical to what the Bible actually taught. I was also becoming increasingly aware of the messy history of U.S. foreign policy. The U.S. government has a habit of destroying the enemies of today in ways that very predictably and understandably create the enemies of tomorrow.\n\nMy journey continued when I returned home after college and watched the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq drag on. Because of my time in the Jr. Navy program I have many friends who entered the military. Thankfully none of them have been killed but a number have returned with severe problems. Anyone who has had a family member or friend who struggles with PTSD, TBI or addiction knows what I am talking about.  I saw suicide rates for those in the military, even those who have not been deployed, steadily increase. Due to advent of the internet and social media, I saw humanity’s inhumanity and the horrors of war become increasingly, and at times instantaneously, available for all to see.\n\nDuring this time I was working with higher-risk youth from poor neighborhoods with a Christian organization.  Encouraging our youth to join the military was seen as a practical, if not ideal, solution to many of their problems. It provided a job, a sense of purpose, it got them out of their home and neighborhood environments, and it promised future education. However, I began to question if it was really worth it. Sending our most vulnerable youth to be further traumatized in war, only to return (if at all) to those same environments, continued to make less sense to me.\n\nAround this time I watched the documentary <em>The Fog of War,</em><em> </em>and Robert McNamara’s words, “We need to think a lot more about killing,” really struck me. The more I thought about killing, violence and war the more war looked less like an appealing video-game, or a way out of poverty, or a noble venture and much more like an incredibly brutal and dehumanizing endeavor that appears to do basic violence to those who participate in it or even prepare for it. While war and violence might appear to “solve” a problem today, they always tend to leave wounds and animosity that fester and seed the next problem down the road. And clearly the wars of the U.S.A are not directed at the command of God but out of our national interests, as determined by U.S. politicians, who are essentially owned by large businesses. Ultimately though, all wars appear to stem out of the fear of scarcity and the fear of death. We fear if we do not fight, we will night have enough of the earth’s rapidly dwindling resources. We fear if we do not kill our enemies they will kill us first or we will invite more aggression against us by looking weak.\n\nOver the years I have increasingly shifted towards a position of non-violent active resistance but I have remained silent. This was and is an unpopular position in my hometown where nationalism and Christianity blend so thoroughly. However, in the last year, as my understanding of the Gospel has changed, I have become able to articulate why this position is deeply rooted the Gospel of Jesus Christ and inherent to following Jesus as opposed to an optional or debatable matter.\n\nI will present this understanding as best I can on the next page.\n\nAs I now understand it, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Good News, is that the God of Israel was faithful to the promises that were made to Abraham. As the story of Israel unfolded, additional promises were made to David and to the people of Israel through the prophets. Hopes began to formulate and swirl around how all these promises would come to pass, and many of the Jewish sects present in the New Testament were essentially divided according to how they envisioned these promises being fulfilled. These promises and hopes were fulfilled in the person, work and way of Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah of Israel. These promises continue to be fulfilled, and their tangible benefits and blessings continue to be enjoyed, when and where the people of God remain faithful to the person, work and way of Jesus Christ. As the Messiah, Jesus ended the hostility between Israel and its Gentile neighbors and provided a way for to join Israel in peace, so all could worship the one true God and participate in and enjoy the unfolding of these promised blessing as one diverse people.  Israel now awaits the second coming of Jesus Christ, the final consummation of all things, and the bodily resurrection and judgment of all people.\n\nIn regards to non-violence, a number of the promises made to and hopes of Israel are especially important. From the beginning of God’s promises to Abraham, it is clear that Israel was always to be a blessing to all nations. Additionally, a variety of passages reveal that it was expected that all nations would come and worship the God of Israel and that Israel would be returned to the land where it would enjoy peace and safety with its Gentile neighbors.\n\nBut how were these specific promises to come about? Far from being a blessing to its Gentile neighbors Israel had a long history of violent and turbulent relationships with them. Israelite military victories had only provided temporary peace at the cost of breeding further animosity with the Gentiles nations. Israel had also been taken out of the land and scattered multiple times and Rome was only the most recent Gentile power that had taken ownership of the land promised to the beleaguered people.\n\nIt is my belief that all of the promises to and hopes of Israel, including the ones that relate to non-violence, were fulfilled in the person, work and way of Jesus Christ and they continue to be fulfilled and enjoyed by the people of God who remain faithful to the person, work and way of Jesus Christ. But if this is the case, how did Jesus fulfill these hopes and how are they fulfilled and enjoyed now?\n\nJesus brought about these promises and blessings in part by living and teaching a way of life, the Way of Jesus. The Way of Jesus is a way of long-suffering justice, of costly mercy, of self-denying love, of sacrifice, of grace, of lavish sharing, of forgiveness with no limit, of embracing “The Other,” of humility, of solidarity with the poor and oppressed. It is a way that trusts God for one’s daily bread instead of hoarding out of the fear of future scarcity. It is a way of very tangible love and grace towards one’s enemies even to the point of forgiving them as they kill you. It is way the way of non-violent active resistance, a way that does not stoop to the level of the oppressor in its indefatigable pursuit to free the oppressed.\n\nSo how did this Way bring about the promises made to Abraham? The simple answer is that this Way eradicates the fears at the root of Israel’s lack of peace and need for war.\n\nFor some time, Israel had been stuck in a fearful and vengeful cycle of violence with its Gentile neighbors. While there had been times of peace, this fear was understandable. Uncircumcised Gentiles were currently exploiting Israel and had in the past attempted to completely stamp out Israel as a people permanently. In reaction to this, many in Israel were feverishly defending the borders of their community through violence or a focus on man-made laws that acted as boundary markers that determined who was “in” and who was not. These reactions only deepened the cycle as it encouraged ignorance, fear, and hatred of those that were on the wrong side of the boundary markers, even as it gave outsiders reason to hate and fear Israel.\n\nPracticing the Way of Jesus set Israel free from the fears of death and scarcity. In a community of gratuitous sharing that takes care of the poor and marginalized, who fears never having enough? In a community of people that practices love for their enemies, who fears violent reprisals? However, by practicing the Way of Jesus, Israel was freed from these fears and the injustice, idolatry and wars they inevitably led to. This freedom from fear enabled Israel to take the dramatic step of welcoming those who had once been bitter enemies into the people of God as brothers and sisters without requiring them first to adopt the traditional marks of the people of Israel, most importantly circumcision. The key to Israel’s lasting peace, the way Israel saw these promises and hopes fulfilled, was by following the Way of Jesus, embracing “The Other,” choosing the costly ways of peace, and ultimately following God into a new understanding of Israel. The new re-gathered Israel became one that allowed for rich diversity even as it patiently demanded change as is taught new comers who the God of Israel was, how to worship that God, and what that God expected of them.\n\nAdditionally, practicing the Way of Jesus is part of how Israel was and is a blessing to all nations. Where the people of God treat people as Jesus treated them and live as Jesus did, this produces tangible benefits for the community itself and everyone around it. What person would not be blessed by having even a small community that truly practiced the Way of Jesus nearby? Such a compelling and powerful community draws many into the story of God, to Messiah Jesus, and ultimately into the people of God. This in turn allowed Israel to see the beginning of the fulfillment of the promise that all nations would come to worship the God of Israel, a promise that continues to unfold.\n\nIn this Gospel, non-violence is not an optional or debatable matter for those who follow Jesus Christ for three basic reasons.\n\nFirst, the Way of Jesus, what Jesus modeled and what Jesus taught, is fundamentally a way of sacrifice that gives up one’s life for the sake of others, including and especially one’s enemies. It is not a way of violence that takes the lives of others for the sake of security, personal or corporate profit, xenophobia, revenge, nationalism or any sort of ideology or idolatry.\n\nSecond, the Way of Jesus was part of the way that Jesus, as the Messiah of Israel, fulfilled the promises made to Israel.  If followers of Jesus abandon this Way, they reject Jesus as the Messiah, they stop enjoying the blessings the Way of Jesus brings and they cease being a blessing to others as they should. In other words, they stop being the community that should perpetually fulfill the unique hopes and promises fundamental to their faith.\n\nThird, the two fundamental reasons wars are fought are the fear of scarcity and the fear of death. Followers of Jesus are free from these fears, so what cause do they have to participate in wars? If they abandon the Way of Jesus and participate in wars, they return to the cycle of violence Israel escaped from. They voluntarily enslave themselves all over again to fears they have been and should be free from, costing them and everyone around them dearly in the process.\n\nBecause non-violence is then inherently part of the way one follows Jesus and part of the way the promises to Israel have been and continue to be fulfilled, following Jesus and serving in the military are simply incompatible. Military service involves participating in a larger system of violence that is sustained by a culture of violence. One simply cannot pursue one without compromising the other. Followers of Jesus must choose which they will serve and which has their ultimate loyalty. It is either the Messiah, or the military. On this issue there is no middle path.','Messiah Jesus or the Military','','inherit','open','open','','7055-revision-6','','','2012-06-26 17:00:55','2012-06-27 00:00:55','',7055,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/26/7055-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(7064,0,'2012-06-25 16:59:22','2012-06-25 23:59:22','I still have faith in the idea of Notre Dame, the idea of the United States of America, and the idea that mankind is calbape of goodness in a fashion that liberal philosophy, with its emphasis on government solutions that necessarily conflict with the ideals of freedom, is incalbape of understanding.Witness is, after all, a matter of freely made choices, is it not?  Every time that government impinges on freedom, it impinges on something deeply fundamental about the way that God has arrayed the world, does it not?  If government forces me through taxes to pay for a universal health care solution that assaults the rights of the unborn (in other words, if it confiscates my personal property to fulfill its own desires) then it is acting against the natural order established by God, is it not?  What about my freedom to witness as I see fit?  What about my freedom to witness by using my resources to support the health of the unborn, if I so choose?I don’t believe Fr. Jenkins, or Barack Obama, or whoever it is that might be the current leader of the American right, are leading us toward the very best that Notre Dame, America, or mankind in general have to offer.  The component that is missing for my faith to be actualized is thoughtful leadership committed to the the Truth.  What does the position of Barack Obama vis-e0-vis the unborn citizens of the world say about his personal witness?  Will you question his witness as directly as you have questioned mine? I have chosen not to participate in the picktory process this year because if I took the same tact as everyone else and chose instead to return to business as usual where ND is concerned, then who is left to voice the position of those who cannot speak for themselves?Is that decision also not a viable way for me to witness, to express my faith in God?Just because I don’t submit a score for a football game once a week, however, does not mean that I have abandoned the spirit of picktory.  It has always been my intent to still make my contribution to the winners charity when the season has ended, just as I always have, assuming that it is not a donation made directly to ND.  If it is such, then I will make a similar donation in another direction.\n<!--more-->\nAUTHOR: Ashish\nAUTHOR EMAIL: drlung@pacbell.net\nAUTHOR URL: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003406180993\nSUBJECT: [Provoketive Magazine] Stories That Matter \nIP: 83.110.233.86\nArray\n(\n    [Name] =&gt; Ashish\n    [Email] =&gt; drlung@pacbell.net\n    [Website] =&gt; http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003406180993\n    [Message] =&gt; I still have faith in the idea of Notre Dame, the idea of the United States of America, and the idea that mankind is calbape of goodness in a fashion that liberal philosophy, with its emphasis on government solutions that necessarily conflict with the ideals of freedom, is incalbape of understanding.Witness is, after all, a matter of freely made choices, is it not?  Every time that government impinges on freedom, it impinges on something deeply fundamental about the way that God has arrayed the world, does it not?  If government forces me through taxes to pay for a universal health care solution that assaults the rights of the unborn (in other words, if it confiscates my personal property to fulfill its own desires) then it is acting against the natural order established by God, is it not?  What about my freedom to witness as I see fit?  What about my freedom to witness by using my resources to support the health of the unborn, if I so choose?I don’t believe Fr. Jenkins, or Barack Obama, or whoever it is that might be the current leader of the American right, are leading us toward the very best that Notre Dame, America, or mankind in general have to offer.  The component that is missing for my faith to be actualized is thoughtful leadership committed to the the Truth.  What does the position of Barack Obama vis-e0-vis the unborn citizens of the world say about his personal witness?  Will you question his witness as directly as you have questioned mine? I have chosen not to participate in the picktory process this year because if I took the same tact as everyone else and chose instead to return to business as usual where ND is concerned, then who is left to voice the position of those who cannot speak for themselves?Is that decision also not a viable way for me to witness, to express my faith in God?Just because I don’t submit a score for a football game once a week, however, does not mean that I have abandoned the spirit of picktory.  It has always been my intent to still make my contribution to the winners charity when the season has ended, just as I always have, assuming that it is not a donation made directly to ND.  If it is such, then I will make a similar donation in another direction.\n)\n','Ashish - 2012-06-25 16:59:22','','publish','open','open','','047826c2367eedcd32902b42e91263d9','','','2012-06-25 16:59:22','2012-06-25 23:59:22','',3993,'http://provoketive.com/?post_type=feedback&p=7064',0,'feedback','',0),(7065,0,'2012-06-25 23:50:13','2012-06-26 06:50:13','If you\'re a new investor, you sohuld not go into penny stocks at all. It has very little liquidity meaning that you need an actual buyer if you want to sell your stock. If there is no buyer, you can\'t sell it and it could go to $ 0 and you lose it all. There are many scammers and manipulators in this unregulated market. Most penny stocks end up at $ 0 and vanish.\n<!--more-->\nAUTHOR: Mafe\nAUTHOR EMAIL: aon.912547666@aon.at\nAUTHOR URL: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003406176277\nSUBJECT: [Provoketive Magazine] What Should The Church Be Doing?\nIP: 2.51.247.152\nArray\n(\n    [Name] =&gt; Mafe\n    [Email] =&gt; aon.912547666@aon.at\n    [Website] =&gt; http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003406176277\n    [Message] =&gt; If you\'re a new investor, you sohuld not go into penny stocks at all. It has very little liquidity meaning that you need an actual buyer if you want to sell your stock. If there is no buyer, you can\'t sell it and it could go to $ 0 and you lose it all. There are many scammers and manipulators in this unregulated market. Most penny stocks end up at $ 0 and vanish.\n)\n','Mafe - 2012-06-25 23:50:13','','publish','open','open','','60e9825dd14527273c85b1353f43f1ef','','','2012-06-25 23:50:13','2012-06-26 06:50:13','',6745,'http://provoketive.com/?post_type=feedback&p=7065',0,'feedback','',0),(7068,124,'2012-06-26 17:01:26','2012-06-27 00:01:26','After many years of personally wrestling with questions swirling around violence, war and faith I have come to believe that following Jesus Christ and serving in the military in any capacity represent categorically incompatible endeavors. All who follow Jesus should leave the military or refuse to enlist, they should cease espousing war as a noble and honorable venture, and they should actively work towards peace and justice by practicing the ways of non-violent active resistance.\r\n\r\nNormally I would avoid such black and white statements for a variety of reasons but I have become thoroughly convinced of these beliefs for two main reasons.  First, deeply considering the tensions between serving in the military and serving Jesus have been part of my personal journey of faith.  Second, I hold to an understanding of the Gospel that sees non-violence as deeply intertwined with Jesus\' role as the Messiah and therefore deeply intertwined with following that Messiah. I would like to share both.\r\n\r\nAs for my own journey…\r\n\r\nGrowing up I had always thought about joining the military and after the summer of my freshman year in high school my goal in life was set: I wanted to become a Navy S.E.A.L. sniper. This became an all-consuming goal that I dedicated myself to completely.  I joined a Jr. Navy Program and spent a number of weeks each summer training at military bases. (One of these is where the picture attached to this post comes from.) My academics, extra-curricular activities and sports all became directed at attaining this vision for my life.\r\n\r\nI was also a Christian. I failed to see any incompatibility between my goals and my faith.  I believed there was a God, that God created humanity in His image, that humanity fell into sin, that Jesus Christ was the Son of God who died for our sins, and that we are saved from Hell and destined for Heaven if we accept Jesus Christ as our savior.  I saw no disconnect between this faith and my desire to turn the heads of people created in the image of that God into pink mist at long ranges with a Barrett M82A1 .50 caliber anti-material rifle. I actually thought it would be cool.\r\n\r\nIn many ways I was a product of my environment. My family, my faith community and the surrounding cultured, all shared narratives and stories that depicted war and military service as honorable, noble and courageous pursuits that did not conflict with the Christian faith. It is no surprise that my views began to change when my environment did.\r\n\r\nWhile I smirk at the thought of encouraging stereotypes, this journey towards peace started in Canada. While 9/11 happened my senior year of high school and I was sorely tempted to enlist, I felt God calling me to something else and instead went to a private Christian school in British Columbia. While I was in Canada, the U.S. invaded Iraq, a decision which was criticized by many Canadians as was my belief that Christians could and should serve in the military. My knee-jerk reaction was to defend my beliefs against these “liberal” Christians.  I used Old Testament passages that celebrated killing and violence, clearly showed that God commanded wars and the passage in Ecclesiastes that stated, \"there is a time for war.\"\r\n\r\nHowever, the problem was that I was really reading my Bible for the first time, and not just listening to and using little verse-bites and proof texts that had saturated the Christian culture around me. Because of this I became increasingly aware that much of what I thought was supported in the Bible actually was not.  In fact, many of the practices I had been defending were actually antithetical to what the Bible actually taught. I was also becoming increasingly aware of the messy history of U.S. foreign policy. The U.S. government has a habit of destroying the enemies of today in ways that very predictably and understandably create the enemies of tomorrow.\r\n\r\nMy journey continued when I returned home after college and watched the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq drag on. Because of my time in the Jr. Navy program I have many friends who entered the military. Thankfully none of them have been killed but a number have returned with severe problems. Anyone who has had a family member or friend who struggles with PTSD, TBI or addiction knows what I am talking about.  I saw suicide rates for those in the military, even those who have not been deployed, steadily increase. Due to advent of the internet and social media, I saw humanity’s inhumanity and the horrors of war become increasingly, and at times instantaneously, available for all to see.\r\n\r\nDuring this time I was working with higher-risk youth from poor neighborhoods with a Christian organization.  Encouraging our youth to join the military was seen as a practical, if not ideal, solution to many of their problems. It provided a job, a sense of purpose, it got them out of their home and neighborhood environments, and it promised future education. However, I began to question if it was really worth it. Sending our most vulnerable youth to be further traumatized in war, only to return (if at all) to those same environments, continued to make less sense to me.\r\n\r\nAround this time I watched the documentary <em>The Fog of War,</em><em> </em>and Robert McNamara’s words, “We need to think a lot more about killing,” really struck me. The more I thought about killing, violence and war the more war looked less like an appealing video-game, or a way out of poverty, or a noble venture and much more like an incredibly brutal and dehumanizing endeavor that appears to do basic violence to those who participate in it or even prepare for it. While war and violence might appear to “solve” a problem today, they always tend to leave wounds and animosity that fester and seed the next problem down the road. And clearly the wars of the U.S.A are not directed at the command of God but out of our national interests, as determined by U.S. politicians, who are essentially owned by large businesses. Ultimately though, all wars appear to stem out of the fear of scarcity and the fear of death. We fear if we do not fight, we will night have enough of the earth’s rapidly dwindling resources. We fear if we do not kill our enemies they will kill us first or we will invite more aggression against us by looking weak.\r\n\r\nOver the years I have increasingly shifted towards a position of non-violent active resistance but I have remained silent. This was and is an unpopular position in my hometown where nationalism and Christianity blend so thoroughly. However, in the last year, as my understanding of the Gospel has changed, I have become able to articulate why this position is deeply rooted the Gospel of Jesus Christ and inherent to following Jesus as opposed to an optional or debatable matter.\r\n\r\nI will present this understanding as best I can on the next page.\r\n\r\n<!--nextpage-->\r\n\r\nAs I now understand it, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Good News, is that the God of Israel was faithful to the promises that were made to Abraham. As the story of Israel unfolded, additional promises were made to David and to the people of Israel through the prophets. Hopes began to formulate and swirl around how all these promises would come to pass, and many of the Jewish sects present in the New Testament were essentially divided according to how they envisioned these promises being fulfilled. These promises and hopes were fulfilled in the person, work and way of Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah of Israel. These promises continue to be fulfilled, and their tangible benefits and blessings continue to be enjoyed, when and where the people of God remain faithful to the person, work and way of Jesus Christ. As the Messiah, Jesus ended the hostility between Israel and its Gentile neighbors and provided a way for to join Israel in peace, so all could worship the one true God and participate in and enjoy the unfolding of these promised blessing as one diverse people.  Israel now awaits the second coming of Jesus Christ, the final consummation of all things, and the bodily resurrection and judgment of all people.\r\n\r\nIn regards to non-violence, a number of the promises made to and hopes of Israel are especially important. From the beginning of God’s promises to Abraham, it is clear that Israel was always to be a blessing to all nations. Additionally, a variety of passages reveal that it was expected that all nations would come and worship the God of Israel and that Israel would be returned to the land where it would enjoy peace and safety with its Gentile neighbors.\r\n\r\nBut how were these specific promises to come about? Far from being a blessing to its Gentile neighbors Israel had a long history of violent and turbulent relationships with them. Israelite military victories had only provided temporary peace at the cost of breeding further animosity with the Gentiles nations. Israel had also been taken out of the land and scattered multiple times and Rome was only the most recent Gentile power that had taken ownership of the land promised to the beleaguered people.\r\n\r\nIt is my belief that all of the promises to and hopes of Israel, including the ones that relate to non-violence, were fulfilled in the person, work and way of Jesus Christ and they continue to be fulfilled and enjoyed by the people of God who remain faithful to the person, work and way of Jesus Christ. But if this is the case, how did Jesus fulfill these hopes and how are they fulfilled and enjoyed now?\r\n\r\nJesus brought about these promises and blessings in part by living and teaching a way of life, the Way of Jesus. The Way of Jesus is a way of long-suffering justice, of costly mercy, of self-denying love, of sacrifice, of grace, of lavish sharing, of forgiveness with no limit, of embracing “The Other,” of humility, of solidarity with the poor and oppressed. It is a way that trusts God for one’s daily bread instead of hoarding out of the fear of future scarcity. It is a way of very tangible love and grace towards one’s enemies even to the point of forgiving them as they kill you. It is way the way of non-violent active resistance, a way that does not stoop to the level of the oppressor in its indefatigable pursuit to free the oppressed.\r\n\r\nSo how did this Way bring about the promises made to Abraham? The simple answer is that this Way eradicates the fears at the root of Israel’s lack of peace and need for war.\r\n\r\nFor some time, Israel had been stuck in a fearful and vengeful cycle of violence with its Gentile neighbors. While there had been times of peace, this fear was understandable. Uncircumcised Gentiles were currently exploiting Israel and had in the past attempted to completely stamp out Israel as a people permanently. In reaction to this, many in Israel were feverishly defending the borders of their community through violence or a focus on man-made laws that acted as boundary markers that determined who was “in” and who was not. These reactions only deepened the cycle as it encouraged ignorance, fear, and hatred of those that were on the wrong side of the boundary markers, even as it gave outsiders reason to hate and fear Israel.\r\n\r\nPracticing the Way of Jesus set Israel free from the fears of death and scarcity. In a community of gratuitous sharing that takes care of the poor and marginalized, who fears never having enough? In a community of people that practices love for their enemies, who fears violent reprisals? However, by practicing the Way of Jesus, Israel was freed from these fears and the injustice, idolatry and wars they inevitably led to. This freedom from fear enabled Israel to take the dramatic step of welcoming those who had once been bitter enemies into the people of God as brothers and sisters without requiring them first to adopt the traditional marks of the people of Israel, most importantly circumcision. The key to Israel’s lasting peace, the way Israel saw these promises and hopes fulfilled, was by following the Way of Jesus, embracing “The Other,” choosing the costly ways of peace, and ultimately following God into a new understanding of Israel. The new re-gathered Israel became one that allowed for rich diversity even as it patiently demanded change as is taught new comers who the God of Israel was, how to worship that God, and what that God expected of them.\r\n\r\nAdditionally, practicing the Way of Jesus is part of how Israel was and is a blessing to all nations. Where the people of God treat people as Jesus treated them and live as Jesus did, this produces tangible benefits for the community itself and everyone around it. What person would not be blessed by having even a small community that truly practiced the Way of Jesus nearby? Such a compelling and powerful community draws many into the story of God, to Messiah Jesus, and ultimately into the people of God. This in turn allowed Israel to see the beginning of the fulfillment of the promise that all nations would come to worship the God of Israel, a promise that continues to unfold.\r\n\r\nIn this Gospel, non-violence is not an optional or debatable matter for those who follow Jesus Christ for three basic reasons.\r\n\r\nFirst, the Way of Jesus, what Jesus modeled and what Jesus taught, is fundamentally a way of sacrifice that gives up one’s life for the sake of others, including and especially one’s enemies. It is not a way of violence that takes the lives of others for the sake of security, personal or corporate profit, xenophobia, revenge, nationalism or any sort of ideology or idolatry.\r\n\r\nSecond, the Way of Jesus was part of the way that Jesus, as the Messiah of Israel, fulfilled the promises made to Israel.  If followers of Jesus abandon this Way, they reject Jesus as the Messiah, they stop enjoying the blessings the Way of Jesus brings and they cease being a blessing to others as they should. In other words, they stop being the community that should perpetually fulfill the unique hopes and promises fundamental to their faith.\r\n\r\nThird, the two fundamental reasons wars are fought are the fear of scarcity and the fear of death. Followers of Jesus are free from these fears, so what cause do they have to participate in wars? If they abandon the Way of Jesus and participate in wars, they return to the cycle of violence Israel escaped from. They voluntarily enslave themselves all over again to fears they have been and should be free from, costing them and everyone around them dearly in the process.\r\n\r\nBecause non-violence is then inherently part of the way one follows Jesus and part of the way the promises to Israel have been and continue to be fulfilled, following Jesus and serving in the military are simply incompatible. Military service involves participating in a larger system of violence that is sustained by a culture of violence. One simply cannot pursue one without compromising the other. Followers of Jesus must choose which they will serve and which has their ultimate loyalty. It is either the Messiah, or the military. On this issue there is no middle path.','Messiah Jesus or the Military','','inherit','open','open','','7055-revision-7','','','2012-06-26 17:01:26','2012-06-27 00:01:26','',7055,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/26/7055-revision-7/',0,'revision','',0),(7069,124,'2012-06-26 17:01:31','2012-06-27 00:01:31','After many years of personally wrestling with questions swirling around violence, war and faith I have come to believe that following Jesus Christ and serving in the military in any capacity represent categorically incompatible endeavors. All who follow Jesus should leave the military or refuse to enlist, they should cease espousing war as a noble and honorable venture, and they should actively work towards peace and justice by practicing the ways of non-violent active resistance.\r\n\r\nNormally I would avoid such black and white statements for a variety of reasons but I have become thoroughly convinced of these beliefs for two main reasons.  First, deeply considering the tensions between serving in the military and serving Jesus have been part of my personal journey of faith.  Second, I hold to an understanding of the Gospel that sees non-violence as deeply intertwined with Jesus\' role as the Messiah and therefore deeply intertwined with following that Messiah. I would like to share both.\r\n\r\nAs for my own journey…\r\n\r\nGrowing up I had always thought about joining the military and after the summer of my freshman year in high school my goal in life was set: I wanted to become a Navy S.E.A.L. sniper. This became an all-consuming goal that I dedicated myself to completely.  I joined a Jr. Navy Program and spent a number of weeks each summer training at military bases. (One of these is where the picture attached to this post comes from.) My academics, extra-curricular activities and sports all became directed at attaining this vision for my life.\r\n\r\nI was also a Christian. I failed to see any incompatibility between my goals and my faith.  I believed there was a God, that God created humanity in His image, that humanity fell into sin, that Jesus Christ was the Son of God who died for our sins, and that we are saved from Hell and destined for Heaven if we accept Jesus Christ as our savior.  I saw no disconnect between this faith and my desire to turn the heads of people created in the image of that God into pink mist at long ranges with a Barrett M82A1 .50 caliber anti-material rifle. I actually thought it would be cool.\r\n\r\nIn many ways I was a product of my environment. My family, my faith community and the surrounding cultured, all shared narratives and stories that depicted war and military service as honorable, noble and courageous pursuits that did not conflict with the Christian faith. It is no surprise that my views began to change when my environment did.\r\n\r\nWhile I smirk at the thought of encouraging stereotypes, this journey towards peace started in Canada. While 9/11 happened my senior year of high school and I was sorely tempted to enlist, I felt God calling me to something else and instead went to a private Christian school in British Columbia. While I was in Canada, the U.S. invaded Iraq, a decision which was criticized by many Canadians as was my belief that Christians could and should serve in the military. My knee-jerk reaction was to defend my beliefs against these “liberal” Christians.  I used Old Testament passages that celebrated killing and violence, clearly showed that God commanded wars and the passage in Ecclesiastes that stated, \"there is a time for war.\"\r\n\r\nHowever, the problem was that I was really reading my Bible for the first time, and not just listening to and using little verse-bites and proof texts that had saturated the Christian culture around me. Because of this I became increasingly aware that much of what I thought was supported in the Bible actually was not.  In fact, many of the practices I had been defending were actually antithetical to what the Bible actually taught. I was also becoming increasingly aware of the messy history of U.S. foreign policy. The U.S. government has a habit of destroying the enemies of today in ways that very predictably and understandably create the enemies of tomorrow.\r\n\r\nMy journey continued when I returned home after college and watched the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq drag on. Because of my time in the Jr. Navy program I have many friends who entered the military. Thankfully none of them have been killed but a number have returned with severe problems. Anyone who has had a family member or friend who struggles with PTSD, TBI or addiction knows what I am talking about.  I saw suicide rates for those in the military, even those who have not been deployed, steadily increase. Due to advent of the internet and social media, I saw humanity’s inhumanity and the horrors of war become increasingly, and at times instantaneously, available for all to see.\r\n\r\nDuring this time I was working with higher-risk youth from poor neighborhoods with a Christian organization.  Encouraging our youth to join the military was seen as a practical, if not ideal, solution to many of their problems. It provided a job, a sense of purpose, it got them out of their home and neighborhood environments, and it promised future education. However, I began to question if it was really worth it. Sending our most vulnerable youth to be further traumatized in war, only to return (if at all) to those same environments, continued to make less sense to me.\r\n\r\nAround this time I watched the documentary <em>The Fog of War,</em><em> </em>and Robert McNamara’s words, “We need to think a lot more about killing,” really struck me. The more I thought about killing, violence and war the more war looked less like an appealing video-game, or a way out of poverty, or a noble venture and much more like an incredibly brutal and dehumanizing endeavor that appears to do basic violence to those who participate in it or even prepare for it. While war and violence might appear to “solve” a problem today, they always tend to leave wounds and animosity that fester and seed the next problem down the road. And clearly the wars of the U.S.A are not directed at the command of God but out of our national interests, as determined by U.S. politicians, who are essentially owned by large businesses. Ultimately though, all wars appear to stem out of the fear of scarcity and the fear of death. We fear if we do not fight, we will night have enough of the earth’s rapidly dwindling resources. We fear if we do not kill our enemies they will kill us first or we will invite more aggression against us by looking weak.\r\n\r\nOver the years I have increasingly shifted towards a position of non-violent active resistance but I have remained silent. This was and is an unpopular position in my hometown where nationalism and Christianity blend so thoroughly. However, in the last year, as my understanding of the Gospel has changed, I have become able to articulate why this position is deeply rooted the Gospel of Jesus Christ and inherent to following Jesus as opposed to an optional or debatable matter.\r\n\r\nI will present this understanding as best I can on the next page.\r\n\r\n<!--nextpage-->\r\n\r\nAs I now understand it, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Good News, is that the God of Israel was faithful to the promises that were made to Abraham. As the story of Israel unfolded, additional promises were made to David and to the people of Israel through the prophets. Hopes began to formulate and swirl around how all these promises would come to pass, and many of the Jewish sects present in the New Testament were essentially divided according to how they envisioned these promises being fulfilled. These promises and hopes were fulfilled in the person, work and way of Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah of Israel. These promises continue to be fulfilled, and their tangible benefits and blessings continue to be enjoyed, when and where the people of God remain faithful to the person, work and way of Jesus Christ. As the Messiah, Jesus ended the hostility between Israel and its Gentile neighbors and provided a way for to join Israel in peace, so all could worship the one true God and participate in and enjoy the unfolding of these promised blessing as one diverse people.  Israel now awaits the second coming of Jesus Christ, the final consummation of all things, and the bodily resurrection and judgment of all people.\r\n\r\nIn regards to non-violence, a number of the promises made to and hopes of Israel are especially important. From the beginning of God’s promises to Abraham, it is clear that Israel was always to be a blessing to all nations. Additionally, a variety of passages reveal that it was expected that all nations would come and worship the God of Israel and that Israel would be returned to the land where it would enjoy peace and safety with its Gentile neighbors.\r\n\r\nBut how were these specific promises to come about? Far from being a blessing to its Gentile neighbors Israel had a long history of violent and turbulent relationships with them. Israelite military victories had only provided temporary peace at the cost of breeding further animosity with the Gentiles nations. Israel had also been taken out of the land and scattered multiple times and Rome was only the most recent Gentile power that had taken ownership of the land promised to the beleaguered people.\r\n\r\nIt is my belief that all of the promises to and hopes of Israel, including the ones that relate to non-violence, were fulfilled in the person, work and way of Jesus Christ and they continue to be fulfilled and enjoyed by the people of God who remain faithful to the person, work and way of Jesus Christ. But if this is the case, how did Jesus fulfill these hopes and how are they fulfilled and enjoyed now?\r\n\r\nJesus brought about these promises and blessings in part by living and teaching a way of life, the Way of Jesus. The Way of Jesus is a way of long-suffering justice, of costly mercy, of self-denying love, of sacrifice, of grace, of lavish sharing, of forgiveness with no limit, of embracing “The Other,” of humility, of solidarity with the poor and oppressed. It is a way that trusts God for one’s daily bread instead of hoarding out of the fear of future scarcity. It is a way of very tangible love and grace towards one’s enemies even to the point of forgiving them as they kill you. It is way the way of non-violent active resistance, a way that does not stoop to the level of the oppressor in its indefatigable pursuit to free the oppressed.\r\n\r\nSo how did this Way bring about the promises made to Abraham? The simple answer is that this Way eradicates the fears at the root of Israel’s lack of peace and need for war.\r\n\r\nFor some time, Israel had been stuck in a fearful and vengeful cycle of violence with its Gentile neighbors. While there had been times of peace, this fear was understandable. Uncircumcised Gentiles were currently exploiting Israel and had in the past attempted to completely stamp out Israel as a people permanently. In reaction to this, many in Israel were feverishly defending the borders of their community through violence or a focus on man-made laws that acted as boundary markers that determined who was “in” and who was not. These reactions only deepened the cycle as it encouraged ignorance, fear, and hatred of those that were on the wrong side of the boundary markers, even as it gave outsiders reason to hate and fear Israel.\r\n\r\nPracticing the Way of Jesus set Israel free from the fears of death and scarcity. In a community of gratuitous sharing that takes care of the poor and marginalized, who fears never having enough? In a community of people that practices love for their enemies, who fears violent reprisals? However, by practicing the Way of Jesus, Israel was freed from these fears and the injustice, idolatry and wars they inevitably led to. This freedom from fear enabled Israel to take the dramatic step of welcoming those who had once been bitter enemies into the people of God as brothers and sisters without requiring them first to adopt the traditional marks of the people of Israel, most importantly circumcision. The key to Israel’s lasting peace, the way Israel saw these promises and hopes fulfilled, was by following the Way of Jesus, embracing “The Other,” choosing the costly ways of peace, and ultimately following God into a new understanding of Israel. The new re-gathered Israel became one that allowed for rich diversity even as it patiently demanded change as is taught new comers who the God of Israel was, how to worship that God, and what that God expected of them.\r\n\r\nAdditionally, practicing the Way of Jesus is part of how Israel was and is a blessing to all nations. Where the people of God treat people as Jesus treated them and live as Jesus did, this produces tangible benefits for the community itself and everyone around it. What person would not be blessed by having even a small community that truly practiced the Way of Jesus nearby? Such a compelling and powerful community draws many into the story of God, to Messiah Jesus, and ultimately into the people of God. This in turn allowed Israel to see the beginning of the fulfillment of the promise that all nations would come to worship the God of Israel, a promise that continues to unfold.\r\n\r\nIn this Gospel, non-violence is not an optional or debatable matter for those who follow Jesus Christ for three basic reasons.\r\n\r\nFirst, the Way of Jesus, what Jesus modeled and what Jesus taught, is fundamentally a way of sacrifice that gives up one’s life for the sake of others, including and especially one’s enemies. It is not a way of violence that takes the lives of others for the sake of security, personal or corporate profit, xenophobia, revenge, nationalism or any sort of ideology or idolatry.\r\n\r\nSecond, the Way of Jesus was part of the way that Jesus, as the Messiah of Israel, fulfilled the promises made to Israel.  If followers of Jesus abandon this Way, they reject Jesus as the Messiah, they stop enjoying the blessings the Way of Jesus brings and they cease being a blessing to others as they should. In other words, they stop being the community that should perpetually fulfill the unique hopes and promises fundamental to their faith.\r\n\r\nThird, the two fundamental reasons wars are fought are the fear of scarcity and the fear of death. Followers of Jesus are free from these fears, so what cause do they have to participate in wars? If they abandon the Way of Jesus and participate in wars, they return to the cycle of violence Israel escaped from. They voluntarily enslave themselves all over again to fears they have been and should be free from, costing them and everyone around them dearly in the process.\r\n\r\nBecause non-violence is then inherently part of the way one follows Jesus and part of the way the promises to Israel have been and continue to be fulfilled, following Jesus and serving in the military are simply incompatible. Military service involves participating in a larger system of violence that is sustained by a culture of violence. One simply cannot pursue one without compromising the other. Followers of Jesus must choose which they will serve and which has their ultimate loyalty. It is either the Messiah, or the military. On this issue there is no middle path.','Messiah Jesus or the Military','','inherit','open','open','','7055-revision-8','','','2012-06-26 17:01:31','2012-06-27 00:01:31','',7055,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/26/7055-revision-8/',0,'revision','',0),(7070,124,'2012-07-02 20:36:06','2012-07-03 03:36:06','After many years of personally wrestling with questions swirling around violence, war and faith, I have come to believe that following Jesus Christ and serving in the military in any capacity represent categorically incompatible endeavors. All who follow Jesus should leave the military or refuse to enlist, they should cease espousing war as a noble and honorable venture, and they should actively work towards peace and justice by practicing the ways of non-violent active resistance.\n\nNormally I would avoid such black and white statements for a variety of reasons but I have become thoroughly convinced of these beliefs for two main reasons.  First, deeply considering the tensions between serving in the military and serving Jesus have been part of my personal journey of faith.  Second, I hold to an understanding of the Gospel that sees non-violence as deeply intertwined with Jesus\' role as the Messiah and therefore deeply intertwined with following that Messiah. I would like to share both.\n\nAs for my own journey…\n\nGrowing up I had always thought about joining the military and after the summer of my freshman year in high school my goal in life was set: I wanted to become a Navy S.E.A.L. sniper. This became an all-consuming goal that I dedicated myself to completely.  I joined a Jr. Navy Program and spent a number of weeks each summer training at military bases. (One of these is where the picture attached to this post comes from.) My academics, extra-curricular activities and sports all became directed at attaining this vision for my life.\n\nI was also a Christian. I failed to see any incompatibility between my goals and my faith.  I believed there was a God, that God created humanity in His image, that humanity fell into sin, that Jesus Christ was the Son of God who died for our sins, and that we are saved from Hell and destined for Heaven if we accept Jesus Christ as our savior.  I saw no disconnect between this faith and my desire to turn the heads of people created in the image of that God into pink mist at long ranges with a Barrett M82A1 .50 caliber anti-material rifle. I actually thought it would be cool.\n\nIn many ways I was a product of my environment. My family, my faith community and the surrounding cultured, all shared narratives and stories that depicted war and military service as honorable, noble and courageous pursuits that did not conflict with the Christian faith. It is no surprise that my views began to change when my environment did.\n\nWhile I smirk at the thought of encouraging stereotypes, this journey towards peace started in Canada. While 9/11 happened my senior year of high school and I was sorely tempted to enlist, I felt God calling me to something else and instead went to a private Christian school in British Columbia. While I was in Canada, the U.S. invaded Iraq, a decision which was criticized by many Canadians as was my belief that Christians could and should serve in the military. My knee-jerk reaction was to defend my beliefs against these “liberal” Christians.  I used Old Testament passages that celebrated killing and violence, clearly showed that God commanded wars and the passage in Ecclesiastes that stated, \"there is a time for war.\"\n\nHowever, the problem was that I was really reading my Bible for the first time, and not just listening to and using little verse-bites and proof texts that had saturated the Christian culture around me. Because of this I became increasingly aware that much of what I thought was supported in the Bible actually was not.  In fact, many of the practices I had been defending were actually antithetical to what the Bible actually taught. I was also becoming increasingly aware of the messy history of U.S. foreign policy. The U.S. government has a habit of destroying the enemies of today in ways that very predictably and understandably create the enemies of tomorrow.\n\nMy journey continued when I returned home after college and watched the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq drag on. Because of my time in the Jr. Navy program I have many friends who entered the military. Thankfully none of them have been killed but a number have returned with severe problems. Anyone who has had a family member or friend who struggles with PTSD, TBI or addiction knows what I am talking about.  I saw suicide rates for those in the military, even those who have not been deployed, steadily increase. Due to advent of the internet and social media, I saw humanity’s inhumanity and the horrors of war become increasingly, and at times instantaneously, available for all to see.\n\nDuring this time I was working with higher-risk youth from poor neighborhoods with a Christian organization.  Encouraging our youth to join the military was seen as a practical, if not ideal, solution to many of their problems. It provided a job, a sense of purpose, it got them out of their home and neighborhood environments, and it promised future education. However, I began to question if it was really worth it. Sending our most vulnerable youth to be further traumatized in war, only to return (if at all) to those same environments, continued to make less sense to me.\n\nAround this time I watched the documentary <em>The Fog of War,</em><em> </em>and Robert McNamara’s words, “We need to think a lot more about killing,” really struck me. The more I thought about killing, violence and war the more war looked less like an appealing video-game, or a way out of poverty, or a noble venture and much more like an incredibly brutal and dehumanizing endeavor that appears to do basic violence to those who participate in it or even prepare for it. While war and violence might appear to “solve” a problem today, they always tend to leave wounds and animosity that fester and seed the next problem down the road. And clearly the wars of the U.S.A are not directed at the command of God but out of our national interests, as determined by U.S. politicians, who are essentially owned by large businesses. Ultimately though, all wars appear to stem out of the fear of scarcity and the fear of death. We fear if we do not fight, we will not have enough of the earth’s rapidly dwindling resources. We fear if we do not kill our enemies, they will kill us first or we will invite more aggression against us by looking weak.\n\nOver the years I have increasingly shifted towards a position of non-violent active resistance but I have remained silent. This was and is an unpopular position in my hometown where nationalism and Christianity blend so thoroughly. However, in the last year, as my understanding of the Gospel has changed, I have become able to articulate why this position is deeply rooted the Gospel of Jesus Christ and inherent to following Jesus as opposed to an optional or debatable matter.\n\nI will present this understanding as best I can in the next post.','Messiah Jesus or the Military (Part 1)','','inherit','open','open','','7055-autosave','','','2012-07-02 20:36:06','2012-07-03 03:36:06','',7055,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/27/7055-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(7241,1,'2012-07-19 13:12:50','2012-07-19 20:12:50','In August Provoketive will be partnering with Synchroblog<strong>. </strong> We will be hosting the Synchroblog for the month of August as we consider the concept of Following Jesus.\n\nIn order to for an article to be considered for this endeavor the author should sign up to be a writer for Provoketive first.  <em>If have already done this, you do not need to repeat the process.</em>  It is very easy, and all of the instructions are below.\n\nThe topic:  <strong>Follow.</strong>  In August we are going to consider the idea of following.  Jesus said, “Take up your cross and follow me,” and that has powerful implications in the way we live.  How does that effect you?   We believe the power of voice has tremendous capacity to inspire and encourage people. Provoketive is a space to explore our humanity, who we follow, and who is following us.\n\nHere are the instructions for August only:\n\n1. Sign up to be a writer on Provoketive.  Click here &lt;<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http://provoketive.com/writing-for-provoketive/\">http://provoketive.com/writing-for-provoketive/</a></span></span>&gt;  and fill out the form.  We’ll send you all the instructions to add your post. This step is unnecessary if you have already registered.\n\n2. Write and submit a 500-1,000 word post on the subject of following.  Some things to consider writing about include: what are the rules for following Jesus?  Are we going somewhere when we follow Jesus? Has your journey changed over time? Is there more than one way to follow Jesus?  What are the markers of a person following Jesus?\n\nYou may post the article on your own blog if you wish, but wait for the schedule to be posted after August 1st.\n\n3. All posts must be submitted to Provoketive by <strong>August 1.\n</strong>\n4.<strong> </strong>The articles will be posted on Provoketive each day throughout the month of August.\n\n5.  A schedule will be provided in early August so that authors know when they will be featured on Provoketive\'s website.','New Synchroblog Coming - Follow','','inherit','open','open','','7239-revision','','','2012-07-19 13:12:50','2012-07-19 20:12:50','',7239,'http://provoketive.com/2012/07/19/7239-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(7240,1,'2012-07-19 13:11:50','2012-07-19 20:11:50','','follow_synchroblog','','inherit','open','open','','follow_synchroblog','','','2012-07-19 13:11:50','2012-07-19 20:11:50','',7239,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/follow_synchroblog.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(7104,179,'2012-07-03 08:25:25','2012-07-03 15:25:25','','messiah2','','inherit','open','open','','messiah2','','','2012-07-03 08:25:25','2012-07-03 15:25:25','',7095,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/messiah2.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(7105,179,'2012-07-03 08:31:26','2012-07-03 15:31:26','As I now understand it, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that the God of Israel was faithful to the promises that were made to Abraham. As the story of Israel unfolded, additional promises were made to David and to the people of Israel through the prophets. Hopes began to formulate and swirl around how all these promises would come to pass. Various Jewish sects arose with different understandings of how these promises would come and who they would come to.\n\nThese promises and hopes were fulfilled in the person, work and way of Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah of Israel. These promises continue to be fulfilled, and their tangible benefits and blessings continue to be enjoyed, when and where the people of God remain faithful to the person, work and way of Jesus Christ. As the Messiah, Jesus ended the hostility between Israel and its Gentile neighbors and provided a way for all to join Israel in peace.  All people became able to worship the one true God and participate in and enjoy the unfolding of the promises made to Israel as one diverse people.  Israel now awaits the second coming of Jesus Christ, the final consummation of all things, and the bodily resurrection and judgment of all people.\n\nIn regards to non-violence, a number of the promises made to, and hopes of, Israel are especially important. From the beginning of God’s promises to Abraham, it is clear that Israel was always to be a blessing to all nations. Additionally, a variety of passages reveal that it was expected that all nations would come and worship the God of Israel, and that Israel would be returned to the land where it would enjoy peace and safety with its Gentile neighbors.\n\nBut how were these specific promises to come about? Far from being a blessing to its Gentile neighbors, Israel had a long history of violent and turbulent relationships with them. Israelite military victories had only provided temporary peace at the cost of breeding further animosity with the Gentiles nations. Israel had also been taken out of the land and scattered multiple times, and Rome was only the most recent Gentile power that had taken ownership of the land promised to the beleaguered people.\n\nIt is my belief that all of the promises to and hopes of Israel, including the ones that relate to non-violence, were fulfilled in the person, work and way of Jesus Christ and they continue to be fulfilled and enjoyed by the people of God who remain faithful to the person, work and way of Jesus Christ. But if this is the case, how did Jesus fulfill these hopes and how are they fulfilled and enjoyed now?\n\nJesus brought about these promises and blessings in part by living and teaching a way of life, the Way of Jesus. The Way of Jesus is a way of long-suffering justice, of costly mercy, of self-denying love, of sacrifice, of grace, of lavish sharing, of forgiveness with no limit, of embracing “The Other,” of humility, of solidarity with the poor and oppressed. It is a way that trusts God for one’s daily bread instead of hoarding out of the fear of future scarcity. It is a way of very tangible love and grace towards one’s enemies even to the point of forgiving them as they kill you. It is the way of non-violent active resistance, a way that does not stoop to the level of the oppressor in its indefatigable pursuit to free the oppressed.\n\nSo how did this Way bring about the promises made to Abraham? This Way eradicates the fears at the root of Israel’s lack of peace and need for war.\n\nFor some time, Israel had been stuck in a fearful and vengeful cycle of violence with its Gentile neighbors. While there had been times of peace, this fear was understandable. Uncircumcised Gentiles were currently exploiting Israel and had in the past attempted to completely stamp out Israel as a people permanently. In reaction to this, many in Israel were feverishly defending the borders of their community through violence. Others became focused on man-made laws that acted as boundary markers that determined who was “in” and who was not. These reactions only deepened the cycle as it encouraged ignorance, fear, and hatred of those that were on the wrong side of the boundary markers, even as it gave outsiders reason to hate and fear Israel.\n\nPracticing the Way of Jesus set Israel free from the fears of death and scarcity. In a community of gratuitous sharing that takes care of the poor and marginalized, who fears never having enough? In a community of people who practice love for their enemies, who fears violent reprisals? Freed from these fears, they were also freed from the injustice, the idolatry and the wars these fears inevitably led to. This freedom from fear enabled Israel to take the dramatic step of welcoming those who had once been bitter enemies into the people of God as brothers and sisters without requiring them first to adopt the traditional marks of the people of Israel, most importantly circumcision.\n\nThe key to Israel’s lasting peace, the way Israel saw these promises and hopes fulfilled, was by following the Way of Jesus, embracing “The Other,” choosing the costly ways of peace, and ultimately following God into a new understanding of Israel. The new re-gathered Israel became one that allowed for rich diversity even as it patiently demanded change as is taught new comers who the God of Israel was, how to worship that God, and what that God expected of them.\n\nAdditionally, practicing the Way of Jesus is part of how Israel was and is a blessing to all nations. Where the people of God treat people as Jesus treated them and live as Jesus did, this produces tangible benefits for the community itself and everyone around it. What person would not be blessed by having even a small community that truly practiced the Way of Jesus nearby? Such a compelling and powerful community draws many into the story of God, to Messiah Jesus, and ultimately into the people of God. This in turn allowed Israel to see the beginning of the fulfillment of the promise that all nations would come to worship the God of Israel, a promise that continues to unfold.\n\nIn this Gospel, non-violence is not an optional or debatable matter for those who follow Jesus Christ for three basic reasons.\n\nFirst, the Way of Jesus, what Jesus modeled and what Jesus taught, is fundamentally a way of sacrifice that gives up one’s life for the sake of others, including and especially one’s enemies. It is not a way of violence that takes the lives of others for the sake of security, personal or corporate profit, xenophobia, revenge, nationalism or any sort of ideology or idolatry. To abandon this Way is to directly disobey Jesus\' teachings and example.\n\nSecond, the Way of Jesus was part of the way that Jesus, as the Messiah of Israel, fulfilled the promises made to Israel.  If followers of Jesus abandon this Way, they reject Jesus as the Messiah, they stop enjoying the blessings the Way of Jesus brings and they cease being a blessing to others as they should. In other words, they stop being the community that should perpetually fulfill the unique hopes and promises fundamental to Israel.\n\nThird, the two fundamental reasons wars are fought are the fear of scarcity and the fear of death. Followers of Jesus are free from these fears, so what cause do they have to participate in wars? If they abandon the Way of Jesus and participate in wars, they return to the cycle of violence Israel escaped from. They voluntarily enslave themselves all over again to fears they have been and should be free from, costing them and everyone around them dearly in the process.\n\nBecause non-violence is then inherently part of the way one follows Jesus and part of the way the promises to Israel have been and continue to be fulfilled, following Jesus and serving in the military are simply incompatible. Military service involves participating in a larger system of violence that is sustained by a culture of violence. One simply cannot pursue one without compromising the other. Followers of Jesus must choose which they will serve and which has their ultimate loyalty. It is either the Messiah, or the military. On this issue I have become convinced there is no middle path.','Messiah Jesus or the Military (Part 2)','','inherit','open','open','','7095-autosave','','','2012-07-03 08:31:26','2012-07-03 15:31:26','',7095,'http://provoketive.com/2012/07/03/7095-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(7074,179,'2012-06-28 09:10:01','2012-06-28 16:10:01','','rapelling','','inherit','open','open','','rapelling-4','','','2012-06-28 09:10:01','2012-06-28 16:10:01','',7055,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/rapelling3.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(7075,179,'2012-06-26 17:06:19','2012-06-27 00:06:19','After many years of personally wrestling with questions swirling around violence, war and faith I have come to believe that following Jesus Christ and serving in the military in any capacity represent categorically incompatible endeavors. All who follow Jesus should leave the military or refuse to enlist, they should cease espousing war as a noble and honorable venture, and they should actively work towards peace and justice by practicing the ways of non-violent active resistance.\r\n\r\nNormally I would avoid such black and white statements for a variety of reasons but I have become thoroughly convinced of these beliefs for two main reasons.  First, deeply considering the tensions between serving in the military and serving Jesus have been part of my personal journey of faith.  Second, I hold to an understanding of the Gospel that sees non-violence as deeply intertwined with Jesus\' role as the Messiah and therefore deeply intertwined with following that Messiah. I would like to share both.\r\n\r\nAs for my own journey…\r\n\r\nGrowing up I had always thought about joining the military and after the summer of my freshman year in high school my goal in life was set: I wanted to become a Navy S.E.A.L. sniper. This became an all-consuming goal that I dedicated myself to completely.  I joined a Jr. Navy Program and spent a number of weeks each summer training at military bases. (One of these is where the picture attached to this post comes from.) My academics, extra-curricular activities and sports all became directed at attaining this vision for my life.\r\n\r\nI was also a Christian. I failed to see any incompatibility between my goals and my faith.  I believed there was a God, that God created humanity in His image, that humanity fell into sin, that Jesus Christ was the Son of God who died for our sins, and that we are saved from Hell and destined for Heaven if we accept Jesus Christ as our savior.  I saw no disconnect between this faith and my desire to turn the heads of people created in the image of that God into pink mist at long ranges with a Barrett M82A1 .50 caliber anti-material rifle. I actually thought it would be cool.\r\n\r\nIn many ways I was a product of my environment. My family, my faith community and the surrounding cultured, all shared narratives and stories that depicted war and military service as honorable, noble and courageous pursuits that did not conflict with the Christian faith. It is no surprise that my views began to change when my environment did.\r\n\r\nWhile I smirk at the thought of encouraging stereotypes, this journey towards peace started in Canada. While 9/11 happened my senior year of high school and I was sorely tempted to enlist, I felt God calling me to something else and instead went to a private Christian school in British Columbia. While I was in Canada, the U.S. invaded Iraq, a decision which was criticized by many Canadians as was my belief that Christians could and should serve in the military. My knee-jerk reaction was to defend my beliefs against these “liberal” Christians.  I used Old Testament passages that celebrated killing and violence, clearly showed that God commanded wars and the passage in Ecclesiastes that stated, \"there is a time for war.\"\r\n\r\nHowever, the problem was that I was really reading my Bible for the first time, and not just listening to and using little verse-bites and proof texts that had saturated the Christian culture around me. Because of this I became increasingly aware that much of what I thought was supported in the Bible actually was not.  In fact, many of the practices I had been defending were actually antithetical to what the Bible actually taught. I was also becoming increasingly aware of the messy history of U.S. foreign policy. The U.S. government has a habit of destroying the enemies of today in ways that very predictably and understandably create the enemies of tomorrow.\r\n\r\nMy journey continued when I returned home after college and watched the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq drag on. Because of my time in the Jr. Navy program I have many friends who entered the military. Thankfully none of them have been killed but a number have returned with severe problems. Anyone who has had a family member or friend who struggles with PTSD, TBI or addiction knows what I am talking about.  I saw suicide rates for those in the military, even those who have not been deployed, steadily increase. Due to advent of the internet and social media, I saw humanity’s inhumanity and the horrors of war become increasingly, and at times instantaneously, available for all to see.\r\n\r\nDuring this time I was working with higher-risk youth from poor neighborhoods with a Christian organization.  Encouraging our youth to join the military was seen as a practical, if not ideal, solution to many of their problems. It provided a job, a sense of purpose, it got them out of their home and neighborhood environments, and it promised future education. However, I began to question if it was really worth it. Sending our most vulnerable youth to be further traumatized in war, only to return (if at all) to those same environments, continued to make less sense to me.\r\n\r\nAround this time I watched the documentary <em>The Fog of War,</em><em> </em>and Robert McNamara’s words, “We need to think a lot more about killing,” really struck me. The more I thought about killing, violence and war the more war looked less like an appealing video-game, or a way out of poverty, or a noble venture and much more like an incredibly brutal and dehumanizing endeavor that appears to do basic violence to those who participate in it or even prepare for it. While war and violence might appear to “solve” a problem today, they always tend to leave wounds and animosity that fester and seed the next problem down the road. And clearly the wars of the U.S.A are not directed at the command of God but out of our national interests, as determined by U.S. politicians, who are essentially owned by large businesses. Ultimately though, all wars appear to stem out of the fear of scarcity and the fear of death. We fear if we do not fight, we will night have enough of the earth’s rapidly dwindling resources. We fear if we do not kill our enemies they will kill us first or we will invite more aggression against us by looking weak.\r\n\r\nOver the years I have increasingly shifted towards a position of non-violent active resistance but I have remained silent. This was and is an unpopular position in my hometown where nationalism and Christianity blend so thoroughly. However, in the last year, as my understanding of the Gospel has changed, I have become able to articulate why this position is deeply rooted the Gospel of Jesus Christ and inherent to following Jesus as opposed to an optional or debatable matter.\r\n\r\nI will present this understanding as best I can on the next page.\r\n\r\n<!--nextpage-->\r\n\r\nAs I now understand it, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Good News, is that the God of Israel was faithful to the promises that were made to Abraham. As the story of Israel unfolded, additional promises were made to David and to the people of Israel through the prophets. Hopes began to formulate and swirl around how all these promises would come to pass, and many of the Jewish sects present in the New Testament were essentially divided according to how they envisioned these promises being fulfilled. These promises and hopes were fulfilled in the person, work and way of Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah of Israel. These promises continue to be fulfilled, and their tangible benefits and blessings continue to be enjoyed, when and where the people of God remain faithful to the person, work and way of Jesus Christ. As the Messiah, Jesus ended the hostility between Israel and its Gentile neighbors and provided a way for to join Israel in peace, so all could worship the one true God and participate in and enjoy the unfolding of these promised blessing as one diverse people.  Israel now awaits the second coming of Jesus Christ, the final consummation of all things, and the bodily resurrection and judgment of all people.\r\n\r\nIn regards to non-violence, a number of the promises made to and hopes of Israel are especially important. From the beginning of God’s promises to Abraham, it is clear that Israel was always to be a blessing to all nations. Additionally, a variety of passages reveal that it was expected that all nations would come and worship the God of Israel and that Israel would be returned to the land where it would enjoy peace and safety with its Gentile neighbors.\r\n\r\nBut how were these specific promises to come about? Far from being a blessing to its Gentile neighbors Israel had a long history of violent and turbulent relationships with them. Israelite military victories had only provided temporary peace at the cost of breeding further animosity with the Gentiles nations. Israel had also been taken out of the land and scattered multiple times and Rome was only the most recent Gentile power that had taken ownership of the land promised to the beleaguered people.\r\n\r\nIt is my belief that all of the promises to and hopes of Israel, including the ones that relate to non-violence, were fulfilled in the person, work and way of Jesus Christ and they continue to be fulfilled and enjoyed by the people of God who remain faithful to the person, work and way of Jesus Christ. But if this is the case, how did Jesus fulfill these hopes and how are they fulfilled and enjoyed now?\r\n\r\nJesus brought about these promises and blessings in part by living and teaching a way of life, the Way of Jesus. The Way of Jesus is a way of long-suffering justice, of costly mercy, of self-denying love, of sacrifice, of grace, of lavish sharing, of forgiveness with no limit, of embracing “The Other,” of humility, of solidarity with the poor and oppressed. It is a way that trusts God for one’s daily bread instead of hoarding out of the fear of future scarcity. It is a way of very tangible love and grace towards one’s enemies even to the point of forgiving them as they kill you. It is way the way of non-violent active resistance, a way that does not stoop to the level of the oppressor in its indefatigable pursuit to free the oppressed.\r\n\r\nSo how did this Way bring about the promises made to Abraham? The simple answer is that this Way eradicates the fears at the root of Israel’s lack of peace and need for war.\r\n\r\nFor some time, Israel had been stuck in a fearful and vengeful cycle of violence with its Gentile neighbors. While there had been times of peace, this fear was understandable. Uncircumcised Gentiles were currently exploiting Israel and had in the past attempted to completely stamp out Israel as a people permanently. In reaction to this, many in Israel were feverishly defending the borders of their community through violence or a focus on man-made laws that acted as boundary markers that determined who was “in” and who was not. These reactions only deepened the cycle as it encouraged ignorance, fear, and hatred of those that were on the wrong side of the boundary markers, even as it gave outsiders reason to hate and fear Israel.\r\n\r\nPracticing the Way of Jesus set Israel free from the fears of death and scarcity. In a community of gratuitous sharing that takes care of the poor and marginalized, who fears never having enough? In a community of people who practice love for their enemies, who fears violent reprisals? Freed from these fears, they were also freed from the injustice, the idolatry and the wars the fears inevitably led to. This freedom from fear enabled Israel to take the dramatic step of welcoming those who had once been bitter enemies into the people of God as brothers and sisters without requiring them first to adopt the traditional marks of the people of Israel, most importantly circumcision. The key to Israel’s lasting peace, the way Israel saw these promises and hopes fulfilled, was by following the Way of Jesus, embracing “The Other,” choosing the costly ways of peace, and ultimately following God into a new understanding of Israel. The new re-gathered Israel became one that allowed for rich diversity even as it patiently demanded change as is taught new comers who the God of Israel was, how to worship that God, and what that God expected of them.\r\n\r\nAdditionally, practicing the Way of Jesus is part of how Israel was and is a blessing to all nations. Where the people of God treat people as Jesus treated them and live as Jesus did, this produces tangible benefits for the community itself and everyone around it. What person would not be blessed by having even a small community that truly practiced the Way of Jesus nearby? Such a compelling and powerful community draws many into the story of God, to Messiah Jesus, and ultimately into the people of God. This in turn allowed Israel to see the beginning of the fulfillment of the promise that all nations would come to worship the God of Israel, a promise that continues to unfold.\r\n\r\nIn this Gospel, non-violence is not an optional or debatable matter for those who follow Jesus Christ for three basic reasons.\r\n\r\nFirst, the Way of Jesus, what Jesus modeled and what Jesus taught, is fundamentally a way of sacrifice that gives up one’s life for the sake of others, including and especially one’s enemies. It is not a way of violence that takes the lives of others for the sake of security, personal or corporate profit, xenophobia, revenge, nationalism or any sort of ideology or idolatry.\r\n\r\nSecond, the Way of Jesus was part of the way that Jesus, as the Messiah of Israel, fulfilled the promises made to Israel.  If followers of Jesus abandon this Way, they reject Jesus as the Messiah, they stop enjoying the blessings the Way of Jesus brings and they cease being a blessing to others as they should. In other words, they stop being the community that should perpetually fulfill the unique hopes and promises fundamental to their faith.\r\n\r\nThird, the two fundamental reasons wars are fought are the fear of scarcity and the fear of death. Followers of Jesus are free from these fears, so what cause do they have to participate in wars? If they abandon the Way of Jesus and participate in wars, they return to the cycle of violence Israel escaped from. They voluntarily enslave themselves all over again to fears they have been and should be free from, costing them and everyone around them dearly in the process.\r\n\r\nBecause non-violence is then inherently part of the way one follows Jesus and part of the way the promises to Israel have been and continue to be fulfilled, following Jesus and serving in the military are simply incompatible. Military service involves participating in a larger system of violence that is sustained by a culture of violence. One simply cannot pursue one without compromising the other. Followers of Jesus must choose which they will serve and which has their ultimate loyalty. It is either the Messiah, or the military. On this issue there is no middle path.','Messiah Jesus or the Military','','inherit','open','open','','7055-revision-9','','','2012-06-26 17:06:19','2012-06-27 00:06:19','',7055,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/26/7055-revision-9/',0,'revision','',0),(7077,160,'2012-06-30 08:00:27','2012-06-30 15:00:27','When the Affordable Healthcare Act was upheld by Chief Justice Roberts and the Supreme Court, it seemed nothing short of miraculous.   As expected, the Republicans immediately began their full-throated outrage of “Obamacare,” promising to repeal it every chance they got.   Fundamentally, this law is about insuring the uninsurable by creating bigger pools of patients and providing lower cost alternatives.   Despite all the rhetoric and hyperbole, the fact is, this law will help a lot of people.  That fact alone makes this a moral issue that every Christian should care about.\r\n\r\nIn Jesus\' day, if you had an ailment, there was a belief that you had somehow brought it on yourself.   When asked why a man was blind, Jesus had to explain, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned.”  (John 9:3)  In our ‘modern’ society, most of us don’t subscribe to the notion that victims of cancer or Alzheimer’s somehow had it coming.   However, there is a thought that if you’re poor and/or uninsured, you don’t want to work for your bread or your blood work.   While that describes a popular belief in our nation, it is not based on anything resembling “Christianity.”\r\n\r\nJesus did not turn anyone away, in spite of the fact that many of those he healed were ungrateful. Never-the-less, he was drawn to the most desperate cases: the lepers, the blind beggars, the cripples.  These were the people who didn’t have many options when it came to healthcare.   We’re told that the infirmed would go to the pools of Bethesda where the first one to get in after the water was “stirred” (supposedly by an angel) would be healed.   A crippled man explained that since he didn’t have anyone to help him, he could never get in first.  (John 5:7)  Even this method was rigged against the sickest in their society.\r\n\r\nWe have come a long way in medical treatment from the pools of Bethesda, at least for those who have insurance.  However, many Americans are deemed too sick for the health industry.  Of course, in a cruel twist, these are the very people that need insurance the most.   And so, the uninsurable are reduced to wading into emergency rooms and free clinics as if they were the Pools of Bethesda.   “The current situation is not sustainable,” said Dr. Thomas Smith, who helped establish a free clinic that visits rural parts of Tennessee. The system is clearly broken, leaving millions to eek out help wherever they can find it.\r\n\r\nPerhaps it’s worth stepping back to consider why Jesus chose to heal people in the first place?  Sure, it was a good attention getter, but he could have demonstrated his divinity in any number of ways.   He could have summoned lightening to smite his enemies or hovered in mid-air over the crowd while he spoke.   Yes, he walked on water and cursed a fig tree but, for the most part, he was a teacher and a healer.   Why?   Well, he seemed to have a great big heart for people who had been condemned to a life of pain and misery, people for whom relief was out of reach.\r\n\r\nAfter Jesus healed the crippled man at Bethesda, the Pharisees were outraged when they learned that he had been healed on the Sabbath.   While they were obviously threatened by someone usurping their authority, it’s also apparent they did not have a lot of compassion for the sick.  They wanted to squabble about the correct time and place to heal someone rather than simply help them.   In a not too dissimilar way, this country has debated healthcare for sixty years without any significant movement until President Obama stepped up and, at great political risk, led the effort.\r\n\r\nIn the 9th Chapter of John, Jesus heals a blind man by placing mud on his eyes.  After the Pharisees criticized this healed man and threw him out of the synagogue, Jesus sought the man out to heal his spiritual sight as well.   “I have come into the world so the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”  (39)  Jesus wanted the blind man to recognize the man before him as the Son of Man and the light of the world.  This spiritual awareness is the beginning of every Christian’s journey.\r\n\r\nAs we progress as Christians, we should begin to see the world through the eyes of Jesus, and having compassion for the sick is a basic character trait of Christ.  While we can’t put mud on a blind person’s eyes and expect them to see, we do have other ways to heal a multitude of crippling diseases.   To do so may require sacrifice and re-prioritizing our goals.  There will always be people who had rather argue about when and where to help than to actually do something about it.   However, when we turn a blind eye to the needs around us, we are exposing our own spiritual blindness.\r\n\r\nJeff Fulmer lives in Nashville Tennessee and is the author of the blog and the book <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Hometown-Prophet-Jeff-Fulmer/dp/1463632312/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1312940193&amp;sr=8-1\">Hometown Prophet</a>. <em> If God spoke through a prophet today, would we really want to hear what he has to say?</em>   For more information, visit the <a href=\"http://www.hometownprophetbook.com/\">Hometown Prophet website</a>.','Turning a Blind Eye to Healthcare','','publish','open','open','','turning-a-blind-eye-to-healthcare','','','2012-06-30 09:00:11','2012-06-30 16:00:11','',0,'http://provoketive.com/?p=7077',0,'post','',4),(7079,160,'2012-06-30 08:35:36','2012-06-30 15:35:36','&nbsp;\n\nWhen the Affordable Healthcare Act was upheld by Chief Justice Roberts and the Supreme Court, it seemed nothing short of miraculous.   As expected, the Republicans immediately began their full-throated outrage of “Obamacare,” promising to repeal it every chance they got.   Fundamentally, this law is about insuring the uninsurable by creating bigger pools of patients and providing lower cost alternatives.   Despite all the rhetoric and hyperbole, the fact is, this law will help a lot of people.  That fact alone makes this a moral issue that every Christian should care about.\n\nIn Jesus day, if you had an ailment, there was a belief that you had somehow brought it on yourself.   When asked why a man was blind, Jesus had to explain, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned.”  (John 9:3)  In our ‘modern’ society, most of us don’t subscribe to the notion that victims of cancer or Alzheimer’s somehow had it coming.   However, there is a thought that if you’re poor and/or uninsured, you don’t want to work for your bread or your blood work.   While that describes a popular belief in our nation, it is not based on anything resembling “Christianity.”\n\nJesus did not turn anyone away, in spite of the fact that many of those he healed were ungrateful. Never-the-less, he was drawn to the most desperate cases: the lepers, the blind beggars, the cripples.  These were the people who didn’t have many options when it came to healthcare.   We’re told that the infirmed would go to the pools of Bethesda where the first one to get in after the water was “stirred” (supposedly by an angel) would be healed.   A crippled man explained that since he didn’t have anyone to help him, he could never get in first.  (John 5:7)  Even this method was rigged against the sickest in their society.\n\nWe have come a long way in medical treatment from the pools of Bethesda, at least for those who have insurance.  However, many Americans are deemed too sick for the health industry.  Of course, in a cruel twist, these are the very people that need insurance the most.   And so, the uninsurable are reduced to wading into emergency rooms and free clinics as if they were the Pools of Bethesda.   “The current situation is not sustainable,” said Dr. Thomas Smith, who helped establish a free clinic that visits rural parts of Tennessee. The system is clearly broken, leaving millions to eek out help wherever they can find it.\n\nPerhaps it’s worth stepping back to consider why Jesus chose to heal people in the first place?  Sure, it was a good attention getter, but he could have demonstrated his divinity in any number of ways.   He could have summoned lightening to smite his enemies or hovered in mid-air over the crowd while he spoke.   Yes, he walked on water and cursed a fig tree but, for the most part, he was a teacher and a healer.   Why?   Well, he seemed to have a great big heart for people who had been condemned to a life of pain and misery, people for whom relief was out of reach.\n\nAfter Jesus healed the crippled man at Bethesda, the Pharisees were outraged when they learned that he had been healed on the Sabbath.   While they were obviously threatened by someone usurping their authority, it’s also apparent they did not have a lot of compassion for the sick.  They wanted to squabble about the correct time and place to heal someone rather than simply help them.   In a not too dissimilar way, this country has debated healthcare for sixty years without any significant movement until President Obama stepped up and, at great political risk, led the effort.\n\nIn the 9th Chapter of John, Jesus heals a blind man by placing mud on his eyes.  After the Pharisees criticized this healed man and threw him out of the synagogue, Jesus sought the man out to heal his spiritual sight as well.   “I have come into the world so the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”  (39)  Jesus wanted the blind man to recognize the man before him as the Son of Man and the light of the world.  This spiritual awareness is the beginning of every Christian’s journey.\n\nAs we progress as Christians, we should begin to see the world through the eyes of Jesus, and having compassion for the sick is a basic character trait of Christ.  While we can’t put mud on a blind person’s eyes and expect them to see, we do have other ways to heal a multitude of crippling diseases.   To do so may require sacrifice and re-prioritizing our goals.  There will always be people who had rather argue about when and where to help than to actually do something about it.   However, when we turn a blind eye to the needs around us, we are exposing our own spiritual blindness.\n\nJeff Fulmer lives in Nashville Tennessee and is the author of the blog and the book <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Hometown-Prophet-Jeff-Fulmer/dp/1463632312/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1312940193&amp;sr=8-1\">Hometown Prophet</a>. <em> If God spoke through a prophet today, would we really want to hear what he has to say?</em>   For more information, visit the <a href=\"http://www.hometownprophetbook.com/\">Hometown Prophet website</a>.','Turning a Blind Eye to Healthcare','','inherit','open','open','','7077-revision','','','2012-06-30 08:35:36','2012-06-30 15:35:36','',7077,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/30/7077-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(7080,160,'2012-06-30 08:39:31','2012-06-30 15:39:31','<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/healingblindman.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-7078\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/healingblindman-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>\n\nWhen the Affordable Healthcare Act was upheld by Chief Justice Roberts and the Supreme Court, it seemed nothing short of miraculous.   As expected, the Republicans immediately began their full-throated outrage of “Obamacare,” promising to repeal it every chance they got.   Fundamentally, this law is about insuring the uninsurable by creating bigger pools of patients and providing lower cost alternatives.   Despite all the rhetoric and hyperbole, the fact is, this law will help a lot of people.  That fact alone makes this a moral issue that every Christian should care about.\n\nIn Jesus day, if you had an ailment, there was a belief that you had somehow brought it on yourself.   When asked why a man was blind, Jesus had to explain, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned.”  (John 9:3)  In our ‘modern’ society, most of us don’t subscribe to the notion that victims of cancer or Alzheimer’s somehow had it coming.   However, there is a thought that if you’re poor and/or uninsured, you don’t want to work for your bread or your blood work.   While that describes a popular belief in our nation, it is not based on anything resembling “Christianity.”\n\nJesus did not turn anyone away, in spite of the fact that many of those he healed were ungrateful. Never-the-less, he was drawn to the most desperate cases: the lepers, the blind beggars, the cripples.  These were the people who didn’t have many options when it came to healthcare.   We’re told that the infirmed would go to the pools of Bethesda where the first one to get in after the water was “stirred” (supposedly by an angel) would be healed.   A crippled man explained that since he didn’t have anyone to help him, he could never get in first.  (John 5:7)  Even this method was rigged against the sickest in their society.\n\nWe have come a long way in medical treatment from the pools of Bethesda, at least for those who have insurance.  However, many Americans are deemed too sick for the health industry.  Of course, in a cruel twist, these are the very people that need insurance the most.   And so, the uninsurable are reduced to wading into emergency rooms and free clinics as if they were the Pools of Bethesda.   “The current situation is not sustainable,” said Dr. Thomas Smith, who helped establish a free clinic that visits rural parts of Tennessee. The system is clearly broken, leaving millions to eek out help wherever they can find it.\n\nPerhaps it’s worth stepping back to consider why Jesus chose to heal people in the first place?  Sure, it was a good attention getter, but he could have demonstrated his divinity in any number of ways.   He could have summoned lightening to smite his enemies or hovered in mid-air over the crowd while he spoke.   Yes, he walked on water and cursed a fig tree but, for the most part, he was a teacher and a healer.   Why?   Well, he seemed to have a great big heart for people who had been condemned to a life of pain and misery, people for whom relief was out of reach.\n\nAfter Jesus healed the crippled man at Bethesda, the Pharisees were outraged when they learned that he had been healed on the Sabbath.   While they were obviously threatened by someone usurping their authority, it’s also apparent they did not have a lot of compassion for the sick.  They wanted to squabble about the correct time and place to heal someone rather than simply help them.   In a not too dissimilar way, this country has debated healthcare for sixty years without any significant movement until President Obama stepped up and, at great political risk, led the effort.\n\nIn the 9th Chapter of John, Jesus heals a blind man by placing mud on his eyes.  After the Pharisees criticized this healed man and threw him out of the synagogue, Jesus sought the man out to heal his spiritual sight as well.   “I have come into the world so the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”  (39)  Jesus wanted the blind man to recognize the man before him as the Son of Man and the light of the world.  This spiritual awareness is the beginning of every Christian’s journey.\n\nAs we progress as Christians, we should begin to see the world through the eyes of Jesus, and having compassion for the sick is a basic character trait of Christ.  While we can’t put mud on a blind person’s eyes and expect them to see, we do have other ways to heal a multitude of crippling diseases.   To do so may require sacrifice and re-prioritizing our goals.  There will always be people who had rather argue about when and where to help than to actually do something about it.   However, when we turn a blind eye to the needs around us, we are exposing our own spiritual blindness.\n\nJeff Fulmer lives in Nashville Tennessee and is the author of the blog and the book <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Hometown-Prophet-Jeff-Fulmer/dp/1463632312/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1312940193&amp;sr=8-1\">Hometown Prophet</a>. <em> If God spoke through a prophet today, would we really want to hear what he has to say?</em>   For more information, visit the <a href=\"http://www.hometownprophetbook.com/\">Hometown Prophet website</a>.','Turning a Blind Eye to Healthcare','','inherit','open','open','','7077-revision-2','','','2012-06-30 08:39:31','2012-06-30 15:39:31','',7077,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/30/7077-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(7081,179,'2012-06-30 09:01:29','2012-06-30 16:01:29','When the Affordable Healthcare Act was upheld by Chief Justice Roberts and the Supreme Court, it seemed nothing short of miraculous.   As expected, the Republicans immediately began their full-throated outrage of “Obamacare,” promising to repeal it every chance they got.   Fundamentally, this law is about insuring the uninsurable by creating bigger pools of patients and providing lower cost alternatives.   Despite all the rhetoric and hyperbole, the fact is, this law will help a lot of people.  That fact alone makes this a moral issue that every Christian should care about.\n\nIn Jesus\' day, if you had an ailment, there was a belief that you had somehow brought it on yourself.   When asked why a man was blind, Jesus had to explain, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned.”  (John 9:3)  In our ‘modern’ society, most of us don’t subscribe to the notion that victims of cancer or Alzheimer’s somehow had it coming.   However, there is a thought that if you’re poor and/or uninsured, you don’t want to work for your bread or your blood work.   While that describes a popular belief in our nation, it is not based on anything resembling “Christianity.”\n\nJesus did not turn anyone away, in spite of the fact that many of those he healed were ungrateful. Never-the-less, he was drawn to the most desperate cases: the lepers, the blind beggars, the cripples.  These were the people who didn’t have many options when it came to healthcare.   We’re told that the infirmed would go to the pools of Bethesda where the first one to get in after the water was “stirred” (supposedly by an angel) would be healed.   A crippled man explained that since he didn’t have anyone to help him, he could never get in first.  (John 5:7)  Even this method was rigged against the sickest in their society.\n\nWe have come a long way in medical treatment from the pools of Bethesda, at least for those who have insurance.  However, many Americans are deemed too sick for the health industry.  Of course, in a cruel twist, these are the very people that need insurance the most.   And so, the uninsurable are reduced to wading into emergency rooms and free clinics as if they were the Pools of Bethesda.   “The current situation is not sustainable,” said Dr. Thomas Smith, who helped establish a free clinic that visits rural parts of Tennessee. The system is clearly broken, leaving millions to eek out help wherever they can find it.\n\nPerhaps it’s worth stepping back to consider why Jesus chose to heal people in the first place?  Sure, it was a good attention getter, but he could have demonstrated his divinity in any number of ways.   He could have summoned lightening to smite his enemies or hovered in mid-air over the crowd while he spoke.   Yes, he walked on water and cursed a fig tree but, for the most part, he was a teacher and a healer.   Why?   Well, he seemed to have a great big heart for people who had been condemned to a life of pain and misery, people for whom relief was out of reach.\n\nAfter Jesus healed the crippled man at Bethesda, the Pharisees were outraged when they learned that he had been healed on the Sabbath.   While they were obviously threatened by someone usurping their authority, it’s also apparent they did not have a lot of compassion for the sick.  They wanted to squabble about the correct time and place to heal someone rather than simply help them.   In a not too dissimilar way, this country has debated healthcare for sixty years without any significant movement until President Obama stepped up and, at great political risk, led the effort.\n\nIn the 9th Chapter of John, Jesus heals a blind man by placing mud on his eyes.  After the Pharisees criticized this healed man and threw him out of the synagogue, Jesus sought the man out to heal his spiritual sight as well.   “I have come into the world so the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”  (39)  Jesus wanted the blind man to recognize the man before him as the Son of Man and the light of the world.  This spiritual awareness is the beginning of every Christian’s journey.\n\nAs we progress as Christians, we should begin to see the world through the eyes of Jesus, and having compassion for the sick is a basic character trait of Christ.  While we can’t put mud on a blind person’s eyes and expect them to see, we do have other ways to heal a multitude of crippling diseases.   To do so may require sacrifice and re-prioritizing our goals.  There will always be people who had rather argue about when and where to help than to actually do something about it.   However, when we turn a blind eye to the needs around us, we are exposing our own spiritual blindness.\n\nJeff Fulmer lives in Nashville Tennessee and is the author of the blog and the book <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Hometown-Prophet-Jeff-Fulmer/dp/1463632312/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1312940193&amp;sr=8-1\">Hometown Prophet</a>. <em> If God spoke through a prophet today, would we really want to hear what he has to say?</em>   For more information, visit the <a href=\"http://www.hometownprophetbook.com/\">Hometown Prophet website</a>.','Turning a Blind Eye to Healthcare','','inherit','open','open','','7077-autosave','','','2012-06-30 09:01:29','2012-06-30 16:01:29','',7077,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/30/7077-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(7085,12,'2012-07-05 08:00:39','2012-07-05 15:00:39','It\'s really hard for me to believe how wrong everyone else is. What a more pleasant world it would be if everyone just agreed with me, drove the way I wanted them to, fell in line with my set of beliefs. How pleasant that world would be.\r\n\r\nI am, of course, being facetious. I think. The title of this article is tongue in cheek, I think. And I write it knowing that I\'m wrong. About a lot of stuff. I think.\r\n\r\nStatistics show that most people rarely ever change their minds about a specific issue or firmly held belief. If I remember correctly, in one of the psychology books I read for class at some level of education said that only 5% of people ever change their beliefs. When we reflect on that, our first thought is typically, <em>\"Wow. Most people are really, really stubborn. I\'m so glad I\'m enlightened.\"</em> But we\'re not. Guess who part of that 5% statistic is? Me.\r\n\r\nWhy is it so hard to change beliefs? I think we\'ve all been there. I would guess most adults have changed their beliefs about something. Why is it so difficult?\r\n\r\n<strong><em><a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/nochange.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-7087\" style=\"margin-left: 6px; margin-right: 6px;\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/nochange-300x196.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"196\" /></a>First, there\'s a huge thing called our emotions.</em></strong> When our beliefs are challenged those beliefs are often attached to our emotions. We may not mean to take someone challenging our beliefs personally, but it often turns out that way. I was watching the show <a href=\"http://www.history.com/shows/american-pickers\"><em>American Pickers</em></a> the other day. It\'s a show where antique fanatics go visit people\'s antique collections and make them offers on what they have. What they have discovered is people won\'t separate from things they are emotionally connected to.\r\n\r\nWe do the same with our beliefs. If it\'s something we\'ve held onto for a long time, facts be darned, we will hold on to that belief for a long time. Emotional barriers will often keep us locked into a belief system whether we will willingly admit it or not.\r\n\r\n<strong><em>Secondly, <a href=\"http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2010/07/11/how_facts_backfire/\">one study shows</a> that most of us don\'t use facts the right way.</em></strong> Facts, whether they strengthen our belief or go against it, are used as a subjective weapon to transfix our own opinion. In other words, we readily accept facts that reinforce our beliefs. That\'s no problem. But if we are approached with facts that hurt our belief system, we attack the study, the scientists, the people who published the facts or cry, \"bias!\" We are passionate about being right and about fiercely defending our deeply entrenched belief system.\r\n\r\n<em><strong>Thirdly, there\'s a little thing called pride.</strong></em> What if we\'ve been wrong all this time? No one likes losing an argument, much less finding out something they\'ve believed for a long time is incorrect. Listen, I don\'t like getting home with the wrong kind of toothpaste from the store, much less having someone suggest that I\'ve been wrong in my belief system for the past thirty-something years.\r\n\r\nI\'ve had the chance to speak to people about eschatology in decent sized groups. I have a view that is not the most common view held in most churches today. It\'s a very orthodox view and has been around much longer than the modern view. But when I talk about it to people who believe differently, and when I watch their faces contort, you\'d have thought I slapped their grandmothers. I can identify with this because I used to believe like them. Sociologically, I now believe <em>I</em> am right. But any time my views are challenged, I\'m pretty sure I have the same look on my face. We don\'t like challenges like that.\r\n\r\nSo how can we make people see how right we are? No, wait.\r\n\r\nWhat I mean is, \"<em>How can we get better at this? How can we open our minds without losing the truth? Can we? Is it even possible?</em>\"\r\n\r\nI\'m sure on some level it is. There\'s a <a href=\"http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/happiness-in-world/201003/getting-people-change-their-minds\">great article I found at Psychology Today</a> that deals with this topic that helped me understand it better. I strongly commend it to you because it deals with changing other\'s minds as well as our own.\r\n\r\nWhat I\'m really concerned with is this - how do we all get along? How do we co-exist with those of other beliefs, even when the things we disagree on are of major importance? I\'m not sure I have the ultimate answer, but I\'ve learned a little. I think we can disagree, point out places where we disagree and be respectful about it. During that time, we all need to respect the journey the other person has been on, listening to them and giving them a chance to speak. Each time we engage in a conversation, we don\'t always have to have the aim to change their mind. We may just learn by listening.\r\n\r\nOf course, then again, I could be wrong.','Changing The Mind: Helping Others See How Wrong They Are','','publish','open','open','','changing-the-mind-helping-others-see-how-wrong-they-are','','','2012-07-03 08:48:13','2012-07-03 15:48:13','',0,'http://provoketive.com/?p=7085',0,'post','',9),(7082,179,'2012-06-30 08:59:12','2012-06-30 15:59:12','','jesusheals','','inherit','open','open','','jesusheals','','','2012-06-30 08:59:12','2012-06-30 15:59:12','',7077,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/jesusheals.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(7083,179,'2012-06-30 08:41:28','2012-06-30 15:41:28','<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/healingblindman.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-7078\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/healingblindman-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>\r\n\r\nWhen the Affordable Healthcare Act was upheld by Chief Justice Roberts and the Supreme Court, it seemed nothing short of miraculous.   As expected, the Republicans immediately began their full-throated outrage of “Obamacare,” promising to repeal it every chance they got.   Fundamentally, this law is about insuring the uninsurable by creating bigger pools of patients and providing lower cost alternatives.   Despite all the rhetoric and hyperbole, the fact is, this law will help a lot of people.  That fact alone makes this a moral issue that every Christian should care about.\r\n\r\nIn Jesus day, if you had an ailment, there was a belief that you had somehow brought it on yourself.   When asked why a man was blind, Jesus had to explain, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned.”  (John 9:3)  In our ‘modern’ society, most of us don’t subscribe to the notion that victims of cancer or Alzheimer’s somehow had it coming.   However, there is a thought that if you’re poor and/or uninsured, you don’t want to work for your bread or your blood work.   While that describes a popular belief in our nation, it is not based on anything resembling “Christianity.”\r\n\r\nJesus did not turn anyone away, in spite of the fact that many of those he healed were ungrateful. Never-the-less, he was drawn to the most desperate cases: the lepers, the blind beggars, the cripples.  These were the people who didn’t have many options when it came to healthcare.   We’re told that the infirmed would go to the pools of Bethesda where the first one to get in after the water was “stirred” (supposedly by an angel) would be healed.   A crippled man explained that since he didn’t have anyone to help him, he could never get in first.  (John 5:7)  Even this method was rigged against the sickest in their society.\r\n\r\nWe have come a long way in medical treatment from the pools of Bethesda, at least for those who have insurance.  However, many Americans are deemed too sick for the health industry.  Of course, in a cruel twist, these are the very people that need insurance the most.   And so, the uninsurable are reduced to wading into emergency rooms and free clinics as if they were the Pools of Bethesda.   “The current situation is not sustainable,” said Dr. Thomas Smith, who helped establish a free clinic that visits rural parts of Tennessee. The system is clearly broken, leaving millions to eek out help wherever they can find it.\r\n\r\nPerhaps it’s worth stepping back to consider why Jesus chose to heal people in the first place?  Sure, it was a good attention getter, but he could have demonstrated his divinity in any number of ways.   He could have summoned lightening to smite his enemies or hovered in mid-air over the crowd while he spoke.   Yes, he walked on water and cursed a fig tree but, for the most part, he was a teacher and a healer.   Why?   Well, he seemed to have a great big heart for people who had been condemned to a life of pain and misery, people for whom relief was out of reach.\r\n\r\nAfter Jesus healed the crippled man at Bethesda, the Pharisees were outraged when they learned that he had been healed on the Sabbath.   While they were obviously threatened by someone usurping their authority, it’s also apparent they did not have a lot of compassion for the sick.  They wanted to squabble about the correct time and place to heal someone rather than simply help them.   In a not too dissimilar way, this country has debated healthcare for sixty years without any significant movement until President Obama stepped up and, at great political risk, led the effort.\r\n\r\nIn the 9th Chapter of John, Jesus heals a blind man by placing mud on his eyes.  After the Pharisees criticized this healed man and threw him out of the synagogue, Jesus sought the man out to heal his spiritual sight as well.   “I have come into the world so the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”  (39)  Jesus wanted the blind man to recognize the man before him as the Son of Man and the light of the world.  This spiritual awareness is the beginning of every Christian’s journey.\r\n\r\nAs we progress as Christians, we should begin to see the world through the eyes of Jesus, and having compassion for the sick is a basic character trait of Christ.  While we can’t put mud on a blind person’s eyes and expect them to see, we do have other ways to heal a multitude of crippling diseases.   To do so may require sacrifice and re-prioritizing our goals.  There will always be people who had rather argue about when and where to help than to actually do something about it.   However, when we turn a blind eye to the needs around us, we are exposing our own spiritual blindness.\r\n\r\nJeff Fulmer lives in Nashville Tennessee and is the author of the blog and the book <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Hometown-Prophet-Jeff-Fulmer/dp/1463632312/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1312940193&amp;sr=8-1\">Hometown Prophet</a>. <em> If God spoke through a prophet today, would we really want to hear what he has to say?</em>   For more information, visit the <a href=\"http://www.hometownprophetbook.com/\">Hometown Prophet website</a>.','Turning a Blind Eye to Healthcare','','inherit','open','open','','7077-revision-3','','','2012-06-30 08:41:28','2012-06-30 15:41:28','',7077,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/30/7077-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(7086,12,'2012-07-01 17:37:27','2012-07-02 00:37:27','','rabout','','inherit','open','open','','rabout','','','2012-07-01 17:37:27','2012-07-02 00:37:27','',7085,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/rabout.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(7087,12,'2012-07-01 17:41:53','2012-07-02 00:41:53','','nochange','','inherit','open','open','','nochange','','','2012-07-01 17:41:53','2012-07-02 00:41:53','',7085,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/nochange.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(7088,12,'2012-07-01 17:43:09','2012-07-02 00:43:09','It\'s really hard for me to believe how wrong everyone else is. What a more pleasant world it would be if everyone just agreed with me, drove the way I wanted them to, fell in line with my set of beliefs. How pleasant that world would be.\n\nI am, of course, being facetious. I think. The title of this article is tongue in cheek, I think. And I write it knowing that I\'m wrong. About a lot of stuff. I think.\n\nStatistics show that most people rarely ever change their minds about a specific issue or firmly held belief. If I remember correctly, in one of the psychology books I read for class at some level of education said that only 5% of people ever change their beliefs. When we reflect on that, our first thought is typically, <em>\"Wow. Most people are really, really stubborn. I\'m so glad I\'m enlightened.\"</em> But we\'re not. Guess who part of that 5% statistic is? Me.\n\nWhy is it so hard to change beliefs? I think we\'ve all been there. I would guess most adults have changed their beliefs about something. Why is it so difficult?\n\n<strong><em><a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/nochange.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-7087\" style=\"margin-left: 6px;margin-right: 6px\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/nochange-300x196.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"196\" /></a>First, there\'s a huge thing called our emotions.</em></strong> When our beliefs are challenged those beliefs are often attached to our emotions. We may not mean to take someone challenging our beliefs personally, but it often turns out that way. I was watching the show <a href=\"http://www.history.com/shows/american-pickers\"><em>American Pickers</em></a> the other day. It\'s a show where antique fanatics go visit people\'s antique collections and make them offers on what they have. What they have discovered is people won\'t separate from things they are emotionally connected to.\n\nWe do the same with our beliefs. If it\'s something we\'ve held onto for a long time, facts be darned, we will hold on to that belief for a long time. Emotional barriers will often keep us locked into a belief system whether we will willingly admit it or not.\n\n<strong><em>Secondly, <a href=\"http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2010/07/11/how_facts_backfire/\">one study shows</a> that most of us don\'t use facts the right way.</em></strong> Facts, whether they strengthen our belief or go against it, are used as a subjective weapon to transfix our own opinion. In other words, we readily accept facts that reinforce our beliefs. That\'s no problem. But if we are approached with facts that hurt our belief system, we attack the study, the scientists, the people who published the facts or cry, \"bias!\" We are passionate about being right and about fiercely defending our deeply entrenched belief system.\n\n<em><strong>Thirdly, there\'s a little thing called pride.</strong></em> What if we\'ve been wrong all this time? No one likes losing an argument, much less finding out something they\'ve believed for a long time is incorrect. Listen, I don\'t like getting home with the wrong kind of toothpaste from the store, much less having someone suggest that I\'ve been wrong in my belief system for the past thirty-something years.\n\nI\'ve had the chance to speak to people about eschatology in decent sized groups. I have a view that is not the most common view held in most churches today. It\'s a very orthodox view and has been around much longer than the modern view. But when I talk about it to people who believe differently, and when I watch their faces contort, you\'d have thought I slapped their grandmothers. I can identify with this because I used to believe like them. Sociologically, I now believe <em>I</em> am right. But any time my views are challenged, I\'m pretty sure I have the same look on my face. We don\'t like challenges like that.\n\nSo how can we make people see how right we are? No, wait.\n\nWhat I mean is, \"<em>How can we get better at this? How can we open our minds without losing the truth? Can we? Is it even possible?</em>\"\n\nI\'m sure on some level it is. There\'s a <a href=\"http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/happiness-in-world/201003/getting-people-change-their-minds\">great article I found at Psychology Today</a> that deals with this topic that helped me understand it better. I strongly commend it to you because it deals with changing other\'s minds as well as our own.\n\nWhat I\'m really concerned with is this - how do we all get along? How do we co-exist with those of other beliefs, even when the things we disagree on are of major importance? I\'m not sure I have the ultimate answer, but I\'ve learned a little. I think we can disagree, point out places where we disagree and be respectful about it. During that time, we all need to respect the journey the other person has been on, listening to them and giving them a chance to speak. Each time we engage in a conversation, we don\'t always have to have the aim to change their mind. We may just learn by listening.\n\nOf course, then again, I could be wrong.','Changing The Mind: Helping Others See How Wrong They Are','','inherit','open','open','','7085-revision','','','2012-07-01 17:43:09','2012-07-02 00:43:09','',7085,'http://provoketive.com/2012/07/01/7085-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(7089,12,'2012-07-01 17:43:13','2012-07-02 00:43:13','It\'s really hard for me to believe how wrong everyone else is. What a more pleasant world it would be if everyone just agreed with me, drove the way I wanted them to, fell in line with my set of beliefs. How pleasant that world would be.\r\n\r\nI am, of course, being facetious. I think. The title of this article is tongue in cheek, I think. And I write it knowing that I\'m wrong. About a lot of stuff. I think.\r\n\r\nStatistics show that most people rarely ever change their minds about a specific issue or firmly held belief. If I remember correctly, in one of the psychology books I read for class at some level of education said that only 5% of people ever change their beliefs. When we reflect on that, our first thought is typically, <em>\"Wow. Most people are really, really stubborn. I\'m so glad I\'m enlightened.\"</em> But we\'re not. Guess who part of that 5% statistic is? Me.\r\n\r\nWhy is it so hard to change beliefs? I think we\'ve all been there. I would guess most adults have changed their beliefs about something. Why is it so difficult?\r\n\r\n<strong><em><a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/nochange.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-7087\" style=\"margin-left: 6px;margin-right: 6px\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/nochange-300x196.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"196\" /></a>First, there\'s a huge thing called our emotions.</em></strong> When our beliefs are challenged those beliefs are often attached to our emotions. We may not mean to take someone challenging our beliefs personally, but it often turns out that way. I was watching the show <a href=\"http://www.history.com/shows/american-pickers\"><em>American Pickers</em></a> the other day. It\'s a show where antique fanatics go visit people\'s antique collections and make them offers on what they have. What they have discovered is people won\'t separate from things they are emotionally connected to.\r\n\r\nWe do the same with our beliefs. If it\'s something we\'ve held onto for a long time, facts be darned, we will hold on to that belief for a long time. Emotional barriers will often keep us locked into a belief system whether we will willingly admit it or not.\r\n\r\n<strong><em>Secondly, <a href=\"http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2010/07/11/how_facts_backfire/\">one study shows</a> that most of us don\'t use facts the right way.</em></strong> Facts, whether they strengthen our belief or go against it, are used as a subjective weapon to transfix our own opinion. In other words, we readily accept facts that reinforce our beliefs. That\'s no problem. But if we are approached with facts that hurt our belief system, we attack the study, the scientists, the people who published the facts or cry, \"bias!\" We are passionate about being right and about fiercely defending our deeply entrenched belief system.\r\n\r\n<em><strong>Thirdly, there\'s a little thing called pride.</strong></em> What if we\'ve been wrong all this time? No one likes losing an argument, much less finding out something they\'ve believed for a long time is incorrect. Listen, I don\'t like getting home with the wrong kind of toothpaste from the store, much less having someone suggest that I\'ve been wrong in my belief system for the past thirty-something years.\r\n\r\nI\'ve had the chance to speak to people about eschatology in decent sized groups. I have a view that is not the most common view held in most churches today. It\'s a very orthodox view and has been around much longer than the modern view. But when I talk about it to people who believe differently, and when I watch their faces contort, you\'d have thought I slapped their grandmothers. I can identify with this because I used to believe like them. Sociologically, I now believe <em>I</em> am right. But any time my views are challenged, I\'m pretty sure I have the same look on my face. We don\'t like challenges like that.\r\n\r\nSo how can we make people see how right we are? No, wait.\r\n\r\nWhat I mean is, \"<em>How can we get better at this? How can we open our minds without losing the truth? Can we? Is it even possible?</em>\"\r\n\r\nI\'m sure on some level it is. There\'s a <a href=\"http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/happiness-in-world/201003/getting-people-change-their-minds\">great article I found at Psychology Today</a> that deals with this topic that helped me understand it better. I strongly commend it to you because it deals with changing other\'s minds as well as our own.\r\n\r\nWhat I\'m really concerned with is this - how do we all get along? How do we co-exist with those of other beliefs, even when the things we disagree on are of major importance? I\'m not sure I have the ultimate answer, but I\'ve learned a little. I think we can disagree, point out places where we disagree and be respectful about it. During that time, we all need to respect the journey the other person has been on, listening to them and giving them a chance to speak. Each time we engage in a conversation, we don\'t always have to have the aim to change their mind. We may just learn by listening.\r\n\r\nOf course, then again, I could be wrong.','Changing The Mind: Helping Others See How Wrong They Are','','inherit','open','open','','7085-revision-2','','','2012-07-01 17:43:13','2012-07-02 00:43:13','',7085,'http://provoketive.com/2012/07/01/7085-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(7090,179,'2012-07-03 08:44:42','2012-07-03 15:44:42','It\'s really hard for me to believe how wrong everyone else is. What a more pleasant world it would be if everyone just agreed with me, drove the way I wanted them to, fell in line with my set of beliefs. How pleasant that world would be.\n\nI am, of course, being facetious. I think. The title of this article is tongue in cheek, I think. And I write it knowing that I\'m wrong. About a lot of stuff. I think.\n\nStatistics show that most people rarely ever change their minds about a specific issue or firmly held belief. If I remember correctly, in one of the psychology books I read for class at some level of education said that only 5% of people ever change their beliefs. When we reflect on that, our first thought is typically, <em>\"Wow. Most people are really, really stubborn. I\'m so glad I\'m enlightened.\"</em> But we\'re not. Guess who part of that 5% statistic is? Me.\n\nWhy is it so hard to change beliefs? I think we\'ve all been there. I would guess most adults have changed their beliefs about something. Why is it so difficult?\n\n<strong><em><a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/nochange.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-7087\" style=\"margin-left: 6px; margin-right: 6px;\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/nochange-300x196.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"196\" /></a>First, there\'s a huge thing called our emotions.</em></strong> When our beliefs are challenged those beliefs are often attached to our emotions. We may not mean to take someone challenging our beliefs personally, but it often turns out that way. I was watching the show <a href=\"http://www.history.com/shows/american-pickers\"><em>American Pickers</em></a> the other day. It\'s a show where antique fanatics go visit people\'s antique collections and make them offers on what they have. What they have discovered is people won\'t separate from things they are emotionally connected to.\n\nWe do the same with our beliefs. If it\'s something we\'ve held onto for a long time, facts be darned, we will hold on to that belief for a long time. Emotional barriers will often keep us locked into a belief system whether we will willingly admit it or not.\n\n<strong><em>Secondly, <a href=\"http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2010/07/11/how_facts_backfire/\">one study shows</a> that most of us don\'t use facts the right way.</em></strong> Facts, whether they strengthen our belief or go against it, are used as a subjective weapon to transfix our own opinion. In other words, we readily accept facts that reinforce our beliefs. That\'s no problem. But if we are approached with facts that hurt our belief system, we attack the study, the scientists, the people who published the facts or cry, \"bias!\" We are passionate about being right and about fiercely defending our deeply entrenched belief system.\n\n<em><strong>Thirdly, there\'s a little thing called pride.</strong></em> What if we\'ve been wrong all this time? No one likes losing an argument, much less finding out something they\'ve believed for a long time is incorrect. Listen, I don\'t like getting home with the wrong kind of toothpaste from the store, much less having someone suggest that I\'ve been wrong in my belief system for the past thirty-something years.\n\nI\'ve had the chance to speak to people about eschatology in decent sized groups. I have a view that is not the most common view held in most churches today. It\'s a very orthodox view and has been around much longer than the modern view. But when I talk about it to people who believe differently, and when I watch their faces contort, you\'d have thought I slapped their grandmothers. I can identify with this because I used to believe like them. Sociologically, I now believe <em>I</em> am right. But any time my views are challenged, I\'m pretty sure I have the same look on my face. We don\'t like challenges like that.\n\nSo how can we make people see how right we are? No, wait.\n\nWhat I mean is, \"<em>How can we get better at this? How can we open our minds without losing the truth? Can we? Is it even possible?</em>\"\n\nI\'m sure on some level it is. There\'s a <a href=\"http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/happiness-in-world/201003/getting-people-change-their-minds\">great article I found at Psychology Today</a> that deals with this topic that helped me understand it better. I strongly commend it to you because it deals with changing other\'s minds as well as our own.\n\nWhat I\'m really concerned with is this - how do we all get along? How do we co-exist with those of other beliefs, even when the things we disagree on are of major importance? I\'m not sure I have the ultimate answer, but I\'ve learned a little. I think we can disagree, point out places where we disagree and be respectful about it. During that time, we all need to respect the journey the other person has been on, listening to them and giving them a chance to speak. Each time we engage in a conversation, we don\'t always have to have the aim to change their mind. We may just learn by listening.\n\nOf course, then again, I could be wrong.','Changing The Mind: Helping Others See How Wrong They Are','','inherit','open','open','','7085-autosave','','','2012-07-03 08:44:42','2012-07-03 15:44:42','',7085,'http://provoketive.com/2012/07/01/7085-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(7091,125,'2012-07-04 08:00:33','2012-07-04 15:00:33','The Beatles once told us that “all you need is love.” And, for many Christians that have experienced the more dogmatic and often-hypocritical parts of the history of the church during the past twenty years, a return to that simple truth is a breath of fresh air.\r\n\r\nDidn’t Jesus tell us that His most important new command was to “Love one another” (John 13:34)? Don’t all the rules, traditions, form, and structure of the traditional church just get in the way of that?\r\n\r\nWell, sort of.\r\n\r\nWhen those traditions replace Scripture, when those rules supersede our mission, when the form and structure of church are so rigid that we craft a steel-girded box to try and cram God into…then, yes.\r\n\r\nBut the framework of religion doesn’t always get in the way.\r\n\r\nIn fact, looking to the life of Jesus, we can see that He actually cherished His religion. As a rabbi, He memorized the Old Testament. He went to synagogue, celebrated the Jewish holy days. He founded the Church, created church discipline, and told His followers to baptize and teach (Matthew 16:18 and Matthew 18:15-20, respectively).\r\n\r\nHe loved His religion enough to seek out what was wrong with it and specifically reserve His harshest language for its leaders, the Pharisees.\r\n\r\nSo often Christians have been so jaded by a rule-centric church (and understandably so…more on that in a moment) that our response is to throw the baby out with the bathwater and disregard rules altogether in exchange for what they feel is a more pure, love-centered Christianity.\r\n\r\nAnd from a more general perspective, I can see that love is all you need. But what does it look like…specifically? Why, if rules muddy our message, did Jesus tell us that if we love Him, we will follow His rules? (John 14:15,21,23-24)\r\n\r\nChristianity should not be all about rules. It should be all about love…but when we love, when we pour out the love God has poured into us, it should translate into something. We should structure our lives around the truths we have been given.\r\n\r\nI see many Christians today as accurately seeing the need to distance themselves from some of the things the church has erred in. There are definite areas which should be pruned, should be burned as straw, within our movement. And if what we see defining “religion” is the hypocritical, moral elitism that fuels much of the Western world’s stereotype of the church, then I believe religion is hurtful to what our lives should actually be.\r\n\r\nBut if what we see as defining “religion” is a movement of God through His people, put in action by such things as caring for widows and orphans, and seeking to live pure lives (James 1:27), then religion is what it looks like when believers come together to seek to live out the mission Jesus left with us when He ascended and the Holy Spirit filled His people.\r\n\r\nThe most important thing for us to remember is to stay humble. Some of the people that profess to be the biggest advocates for a life of just loving like Jesus did are also the quickest to judge people trying to do the exact same thing by upholding the framework of the church. On the other side, some of the people striving to most completely abide by the church’s beliefs are the last to love as Jesus told us to. But if we approach this issue, from either side, with humility and a willingness to learn, then we can come together and grow as the people of God.\r\n\r\nI am the first to admit that the things talked about here should be approached humbly and carefully. I suppose, as an author, that I fall into the category of teacher. This message of humility rings even more true for me, if I am to believe the words spoken in James 3:1 (“Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. “). Therefore let it be fully known, here and now, that I do not in any way claim my view to be the perfect one.\r\n\r\nI do, however, offer this viewpoint as an alternative to what seems to be a well-intentioned “return” of sorts to a simpler Jesus, a Jesus that simply loves. And while good on the surface, with much room for the importance of grace and a passionate appeal for believers to live out their love, I feel it falls short. If we hope to fully represent that Jesus, to act out the love of God we feel should so passionately pour through our lives, then we are doing our God a disservice if we fail to serve and worship Him (through our experience), to know and believe Him (through our theology), and to obey and pursue Him (through our mission).\r\n\r\nWe are broken, we are failures, we are doomed without God. But we shouldn’t be content to rest in that place, content that God will cover the rest or content to rejoice that our sins are covered. We should seek to live lives as forgiven and changed creatures, always bettering ourselves, always enhancing our knowledge of God, always willing to learn from the people He has put in our lives and the church He has so lovingly cared for throughout the centuries.\r\n\r\nWe need to remember how much Jesus loves His Church, loves our church, and love ourselves as part of it.','Love Is All You Need','','publish','open','open','','love-is-all-you-need','','','2012-07-03 08:43:19','2012-07-03 15:43:19','',0,'http://provoketive.com/?p=7091',0,'post','',0),(7092,125,'2012-07-02 12:50:10','2012-07-02 19:50:10','','Auto Draft','','inherit','open','open','','7091-revision','','','2012-07-02 12:50:10','2012-07-02 19:50:10','',7091,'http://provoketive.com/2012/07/02/7091-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(7160,179,'2012-07-10 08:28:29','2012-07-10 15:28:29','','50shades','','inherit','open','open','','50shades','','','2012-07-10 08:28:29','2012-07-10 15:28:29','',7147,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/50shades.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(7237,160,'2012-07-18 08:48:48','2012-07-18 15:48:48','','charlton_heston_plays_moses','','inherit','open','open','','charlton_heston_plays_moses-2','','','2012-07-18 08:48:48','2012-07-18 15:48:48','',7235,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/charlton_heston_plays_moses1.jpeg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(7095,124,'2012-07-03 08:00:56','2012-07-03 15:00:56','As I now understand it, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that the God of Israel was faithful to the promises that were made to Abraham. As the story of Israel unfolded, additional promises were made to David and to the people of Israel through the prophets. Hopes began to formulate and swirl around how all these promises would come to pass. Various Jewish sects arose with different understandings of how these promises would come and who they would come to.\r\n\r\nThese promises and hopes were fulfilled in the person, work and way of Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah of Israel. These promises continue to be fulfilled, and their tangible benefits and blessings continue to be enjoyed, when and where the people of God remain faithful to the person, work and way of Jesus Christ. As the Messiah, Jesus ended the hostility between Israel and its Gentile neighbors and provided a way for all to join Israel in peace.  All people became able to worship the one true God and participate in and enjoy the unfolding of the promises made to Israel as one diverse people.  Israel now awaits the second coming of Jesus Christ, the final consummation of all things, and the bodily resurrection and judgment of all people.\r\n\r\nIn regards to non-violence, a number of the promises made to, and hopes of, Israel are especially important. From the beginning of God’s promises to Abraham, it is clear that Israel was always to be a blessing to all nations. Additionally, a variety of passages reveal that it was expected that all nations would come and worship the God of Israel, and that Israel would be returned to the land where it would enjoy peace and safety with its Gentile neighbors.\r\n\r\nBut how were these specific promises to come about? Far from being a blessing to its Gentile neighbors, Israel had a long history of violent and turbulent relationships with them. Israelite military victories had only provided temporary peace at the cost of breeding further animosity with the Gentiles nations. Israel had also been taken out of the land and scattered multiple times, and Rome was only the most recent Gentile power that had taken ownership of the land promised to the beleaguered people.\r\n\r\nIt is my belief that all of the promises to and hopes of Israel, including the ones that relate to non-violence, were fulfilled in the person, work and way of Jesus Christ and they continue to be fulfilled and enjoyed by the people of God who remain faithful to the person, work and way of Jesus Christ. But if this is the case, how did Jesus fulfill these hopes and how are they fulfilled and enjoyed now?\r\n\r\nJesus brought about these promises and blessings in part by living and teaching a way of life, the Way of Jesus. The Way of Jesus is a way of long-suffering justice, of costly mercy, of self-denying love, of sacrifice, of grace, of lavish sharing, of forgiveness with no limit, of embracing “The Other,” of humility, of solidarity with the poor and oppressed. It is a way that trusts God for one’s daily bread instead of hoarding out of the fear of future scarcity. It is a way of very tangible love and grace towards one’s enemies even to the point of forgiving them as they kill you. It is the way of non-violent active resistance, a way that does not stoop to the level of the oppressor in its indefatigable pursuit to free the oppressed.\r\n\r\nSo how did this Way bring about the promises made to Abraham? This Way eradicates the fears at the root of Israel’s lack of peace and need for war.\r\n\r\nFor some time, Israel had been stuck in a fearful and vengeful cycle of violence with its Gentile neighbors. While there had been times of peace, this fear was understandable. Uncircumcised Gentiles were currently exploiting Israel and had in the past attempted to completely stamp out Israel as a people permanently. In reaction to this, many in Israel were feverishly defending the borders of their community through violence. Others became focused on man-made laws that acted as boundary markers that determined who was “in” and who was not. These reactions only deepened the cycle as it encouraged ignorance, fear, and hatred of those that were on the wrong side of the boundary markers, even as it gave outsiders reason to hate and fear Israel.\r\n\r\nPracticing the Way of Jesus set Israel free from the fears of death and scarcity. In a community of gratuitous sharing that takes care of the poor and marginalized, who fears never having enough? In a community of people who practice love for their enemies, who fears violent reprisals? Freed from these fears, they were also freed from the injustice, the idolatry and the wars these fears inevitably led to. This freedom from fear enabled Israel to take the dramatic step of welcoming those who had once been bitter enemies into the people of God as brothers and sisters without requiring them first to adopt the traditional marks of the people of Israel, most importantly circumcision.\r\n\r\nThe key to Israel’s lasting peace, the way Israel saw these promises and hopes fulfilled, was by following the Way of Jesus, embracing “The Other,” choosing the costly ways of peace, and ultimately following God into a new understanding of Israel. The new re-gathered Israel became one that allowed for rich diversity even as it patiently demanded change as is taught new comers who the God of Israel was, how to worship that God, and what that God expected of them.\r\n\r\nAdditionally, practicing the Way of Jesus is part of how Israel was and is a blessing to all nations. Where the people of God treat people as Jesus treated them and live as Jesus did, this produces tangible benefits for the community itself and everyone around it. What person would not be blessed by having even a small community that truly practiced the Way of Jesus nearby? Such a compelling and powerful community draws many into the story of God, to Messiah Jesus, and ultimately into the people of God. This in turn allowed Israel to see the beginning of the fulfillment of the promise that all nations would come to worship the God of Israel, a promise that continues to unfold.\r\n\r\nIn this Gospel, non-violence is not an optional or debatable matter for those who follow Jesus Christ for three basic reasons.\r\n\r\nFirst, the Way of Jesus, what Jesus modeled and what Jesus taught, is fundamentally a way of sacrifice that gives up one’s life for the sake of others, including and especially one’s enemies. It is not a way of violence that takes the lives of others for the sake of security, personal or corporate profit, xenophobia, revenge, nationalism or any sort of ideology or idolatry. To abandon this Way is to directly disobey Jesus\' teachings and example.\r\n\r\nSecond, the Way of Jesus was part of the way that Jesus, as the Messiah of Israel, fulfilled the promises made to Israel.  If followers of Jesus abandon this Way, they reject Jesus as the Messiah, they stop enjoying the blessings the Way of Jesus brings and they cease being a blessing to others as they should. In other words, they stop being the community that should perpetually fulfill the unique hopes and promises fundamental to Israel.\r\n\r\nThird, the two fundamental reasons wars are fought are the fear of scarcity and the fear of death. Followers of Jesus are free from these fears, so what cause do they have to participate in wars? If they abandon the Way of Jesus and participate in wars, they return to the cycle of violence Israel escaped from. They voluntarily enslave themselves all over again to fears they have been and should be free from, costing them and everyone around them dearly in the process.\r\n\r\nBecause non-violence is then inherently part of the way one follows Jesus and part of the way the promises to Israel have been and continue to be fulfilled, following Jesus and serving in the military are simply incompatible. Military service involves participating in a larger system of violence that is sustained by a culture of violence. One simply cannot pursue one without compromising the other. Followers of Jesus must choose which they will serve and which has their ultimate loyalty. It is either the Messiah, or the military. On this issue I have become convinced there is no middle path.','Messiah Jesus or the Military (Part 2)','','publish','open','open','','messiah-jesus-or-the-military-part-2','','','2012-07-03 08:34:54','2012-07-03 15:34:54','',0,'http://provoketive.com/?p=7095',0,'post','',2),(7096,124,'2012-07-02 20:17:02','2012-07-03 03:17:02','','Auto Draft','','inherit','open','open','','7095-revision','','','2012-07-02 20:17:02','2012-07-03 03:17:02','',7095,'http://provoketive.com/2012/07/02/7095-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(7097,124,'2012-07-02 20:24:35','2012-07-03 03:24:35','','Prince of Peace','','inherit','open','open','','prince-of-peace','','','2012-07-02 20:24:35','2012-07-03 03:24:35','',7095,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Prince-of-Peace.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(7098,124,'2012-07-02 20:18:33','2012-07-03 03:18:33','As I now understand it, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Good News, is that the God of Israel was faithful to the promises that were made to Abraham. As the story of Israel unfolded, additional promises were made to David and to the people of Israel through the prophets. Hopes began to formulate and swirl around how all these promises would come to pass, and many of the Jewish sects present in the New Testament were essentially divided according to how they envisioned these promises being fulfilled. These promises and hopes were fulfilled in the person, work and way of Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah of Israel. These promises continue to be fulfilled, and their tangible benefits and blessings continue to be enjoyed, when and where the people of God remain faithful to the person, work and way of Jesus Christ. As the Messiah, Jesus ended the hostility between Israel and its Gentile neighbors and provided a way to join Israel in peace, so all could worship the one true God and participate in and enjoy the unfolding of these promised blessings as one diverse people.  Israel now awaits the second coming of Jesus Christ, the final consummation of all things, and the bodily resurrection and judgment of all people.\n\nIn regards to non-violence, a number of the promises made to, and hopes of, Israel are especially important. From the beginning of God’s promises to Abraham, it is clear that Israel was always to be a blessing to all nations. Additionally, a variety of passages reveal that it was expected that all nations would come and worship the God of Israel, and that Israel would be returned to the land where it would enjoy peace and safety with its Gentile neighbors.\n\nBut how were these specific promises to come about? Far from being a blessing to its Gentile neighbors, Israel had a long history of violent and turbulent relationships with them. Israelite military victories had only provided temporary peace at the cost of breeding further animosity with the Gentiles nations. Israel had also been taken out of the land and scattered multiple times, and Rome was only the most recent Gentile power that had taken ownership of the land promised to the beleaguered people.\n\nIt is my belief that all of the promises to and hopes of Israel, including the ones that relate to non-violence, were fulfilled in the person, work and way of Jesus Christ and they continue to be fulfilled and enjoyed by the people of God who remain faithful to the person, work and way of Jesus Christ. But if this is the case, how did Jesus fulfill these hopes and how are they fulfilled and enjoyed now?\n\nJesus brought about these promises and blessings in part by living and teaching a way of life, the Way of Jesus. The Way of Jesus is a way of long-suffering justice, of costly mercy, of self-denying love, of sacrifice, of grace, of lavish sharing, of forgiveness with no limit, of embracing “The Other,” of humility, of solidarity with the poor and oppressed. It is a way that trusts God for one’s daily bread instead of hoarding out of the fear of future scarcity. It is a way of very tangible love and grace towards one’s enemies even to the point of forgiving them as they kill you. It is the way of non-violent active resistance, a way that does not stoop to the level of the oppressor in its indefatigable pursuit to free the oppressed.\n\nSo how did this Way bring about the promises made to Abraham? The simple answer is that this Way eradicates the fears at the root of Israel’s lack of peace and need for war.\n\nFor some time, Israel had been stuck in a fearful and vengeful cycle of violence with its Gentile neighbors. While there had been times of peace, this fear was understandable. Uncircumcised Gentiles were currently exploiting Israel and had in the past attempted to completely stamp out Israel as a people permanently. In reaction to this, many in Israel were feverishly defending the borders of their community through violence, or a focus on man-made laws that acted as boundary markers that determined who was “in” and who was not. These reactions only deepened the cycle as it encouraged ignorance, fear, and hatred of those that were on the wrong side of the boundary markers, even as it gave outsiders reason to hate and fear Israel.\n\nPracticing the Way of Jesus set Israel free from the fears of death and scarcity. In a community of gratuitous sharing that takes care of the poor and marginalized, who fears never having enough? In a community of people who practice love for their enemies, who fears violent reprisals? Freed from these fears, they were also freed from the injustice, the idolatry and the wars the fears inevitably led to. This freedom from fear enabled Israel to take the dramatic step of welcoming those who had once been bitter enemies into the people of God as brothers and sisters without requiring them first to adopt the traditional marks of the people of Israel, most importantly circumcision. The key to Israel’s lasting peace, the way Israel saw these promises and hopes fulfilled, was by following the Way of Jesus, embracing “The Other,” choosing the costly ways of peace, and ultimately following God into a new understanding of Israel. The new re-gathered Israel became one that allowed for rich diversity even as it patiently demanded change as is taught new comers who the God of Israel was, how to worship that God, and what that God expected of them.\n\nAdditionally, practicing the Way of Jesus is part of how Israel was and is a blessing to all nations. Where the people of God treat people as Jesus treated them and live as Jesus did, this produces tangible benefits for the community itself and everyone around it. What person would not be blessed by having even a small community that truly practiced the Way of Jesus nearby? Such a compelling and powerful community draws many into the story of God, to Messiah Jesus, and ultimately into the people of God. This in turn allowed Israel to see the beginning of the fulfillment of the promise that all nations would come to worship the God of Israel, a promise that continues to unfold.\n\nIn this Gospel, non-violence is not an optional or debatable matter for those who follow Jesus Christ for three basic reasons.\n\nFirst, the Way of Jesus, what Jesus modeled and what Jesus taught, is fundamentally a way of sacrifice that gives up one’s life for the sake of others, including and especially one’s enemies. It is not a way of violence that takes the lives of others for the sake of security, personal or corporate profit, xenophobia, revenge, nationalism or any sort of ideology or idolatry.\n\nSecond, the Way of Jesus was part of the way that Jesus, as the Messiah of Israel, fulfilled the promises made to Israel.  If followers of Jesus abandon this Way, they reject Jesus as the Messiah, they stop enjoying the blessings the Way of Jesus brings and they cease being a blessing to others as they should. In other words, they stop being the community that should perpetually fulfill the unique hopes and promises fundamental to their faith.\n\nThird, the two fundamental reasons wars are fought are the fear of scarcity and the fear of death. Followers of Jesus are free from these fears, so what cause do they have to participate in wars? If they abandon the Way of Jesus and participate in wars, they return to the cycle of violence Israel escaped from. They voluntarily enslave themselves all over again to fears they have been and should be free from, costing them and everyone around them dearly in the process.\n\nBecause non-violence is then inherently part of the way one follows Jesus and part of the way the promises to Israel have been and continue to be fulfilled, following Jesus and serving in the military are simply incompatible. Military service involves participating in a larger system of violence that is sustained by a culture of violence. One simply cannot pursue one without compromising the other. Followers of Jesus must choose which they will serve and which has their ultimate loyalty. It is either the Messiah, or the military. On this issue there is no middle path.','Messiah Jesus or the Military (Part 2)','','inherit','open','open','','7095-revision-2','','','2012-07-02 20:18:33','2012-07-03 03:18:33','',7095,'http://provoketive.com/2012/07/02/7095-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(7099,124,'2012-07-02 20:25:32','2012-07-03 03:25:32','As I now understand it, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that the God of Israel was faithful to the promises that were made to Abraham. This is good news for us and good news fo rhtAs the story of Israel unfolded, additional promises were made to David and to the people of Israel through the prophets. Hopes began to formulate and swirl around how all these promises would come to pass, and many of the Jewish sects present in the New Testament were essentially divided according to how they envisioned these promises being fulfilled. These promises and hopes were fulfilled in the person, work and way of Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah of Israel. These promises continue to be fulfilled, and their tangible benefits and blessings continue to be enjoyed, when and where the people of God remain faithful to the person, work and way of Jesus Christ. As the Messiah, Jesus ended the hostility between Israel and its Gentile neighbors and provided a way to join Israel in peace, so all could worship the one true God and participate in and enjoy the unfolding of these promised blessings as one diverse people.  Israel now awaits the second coming of Jesus Christ, the final consummation of all things, and the bodily resurrection and judgment of all people.\n\nIn regards to non-violence, a number of the promises made to, and hopes of, Israel are especially important. From the beginning of God’s promises to Abraham, it is clear that Israel was always to be a blessing to all nations. Additionally, a variety of passages reveal that it was expected that all nations would come and worship the God of Israel, and that Israel would be returned to the land where it would enjoy peace and safety with its Gentile neighbors.\n\nBut how were these specific promises to come about? Far from being a blessing to its Gentile neighbors, Israel had a long history of violent and turbulent relationships with them. Israelite military victories had only provided temporary peace at the cost of breeding further animosity with the Gentiles nations. Israel had also been taken out of the land and scattered multiple times, and Rome was only the most recent Gentile power that had taken ownership of the land promised to the beleaguered people.\n\nIt is my belief that all of the promises to and hopes of Israel, including the ones that relate to non-violence, were fulfilled in the person, work and way of Jesus Christ and they continue to be fulfilled and enjoyed by the people of God who remain faithful to the person, work and way of Jesus Christ. But if this is the case, how did Jesus fulfill these hopes and how are they fulfilled and enjoyed now?\n\nJesus brought about these promises and blessings in part by living and teaching a way of life, the Way of Jesus. The Way of Jesus is a way of long-suffering justice, of costly mercy, of self-denying love, of sacrifice, of grace, of lavish sharing, of forgiveness with no limit, of embracing “The Other,” of humility, of solidarity with the poor and oppressed. It is a way that trusts God for one’s daily bread instead of hoarding out of the fear of future scarcity. It is a way of very tangible love and grace towards one’s enemies even to the point of forgiving them as they kill you. It is the way of non-violent active resistance, a way that does not stoop to the level of the oppressor in its indefatigable pursuit to free the oppressed.\n\nSo how did this Way bring about the promises made to Abraham? The simple answer is that this Way eradicates the fears at the root of Israel’s lack of peace and need for war.\n\nFor some time, Israel had been stuck in a fearful and vengeful cycle of violence with its Gentile neighbors. While there had been times of peace, this fear was understandable. Uncircumcised Gentiles were currently exploiting Israel and had in the past attempted to completely stamp out Israel as a people permanently. In reaction to this, many in Israel were feverishly defending the borders of their community through violence, or a focus on man-made laws that acted as boundary markers that determined who was “in” and who was not. These reactions only deepened the cycle as it encouraged ignorance, fear, and hatred of those that were on the wrong side of the boundary markers, even as it gave outsiders reason to hate and fear Israel.\n\nPracticing the Way of Jesus set Israel free from the fears of death and scarcity. In a community of gratuitous sharing that takes care of the poor and marginalized, who fears never having enough? In a community of people who practice love for their enemies, who fears violent reprisals? Freed from these fears, they were also freed from the injustice, the idolatry and the wars the fears inevitably led to. This freedom from fear enabled Israel to take the dramatic step of welcoming those who had once been bitter enemies into the people of God as brothers and sisters without requiring them first to adopt the traditional marks of the people of Israel, most importantly circumcision. The key to Israel’s lasting peace, the way Israel saw these promises and hopes fulfilled, was by following the Way of Jesus, embracing “The Other,” choosing the costly ways of peace, and ultimately following God into a new understanding of Israel. The new re-gathered Israel became one that allowed for rich diversity even as it patiently demanded change as is taught new comers who the God of Israel was, how to worship that God, and what that God expected of them.\n\nAdditionally, practicing the Way of Jesus is part of how Israel was and is a blessing to all nations. Where the people of God treat people as Jesus treated them and live as Jesus did, this produces tangible benefits for the community itself and everyone around it. What person would not be blessed by having even a small community that truly practiced the Way of Jesus nearby? Such a compelling and powerful community draws many into the story of God, to Messiah Jesus, and ultimately into the people of God. This in turn allowed Israel to see the beginning of the fulfillment of the promise that all nations would come to worship the God of Israel, a promise that continues to unfold.\n\nIn this Gospel, non-violence is not an optional or debatable matter for those who follow Jesus Christ for three basic reasons.\n\nFirst, the Way of Jesus, what Jesus modeled and what Jesus taught, is fundamentally a way of sacrifice that gives up one’s life for the sake of others, including and especially one’s enemies. It is not a way of violence that takes the lives of others for the sake of security, personal or corporate profit, xenophobia, revenge, nationalism or any sort of ideology or idolatry.\n\nSecond, the Way of Jesus was part of the way that Jesus, as the Messiah of Israel, fulfilled the promises made to Israel.  If followers of Jesus abandon this Way, they reject Jesus as the Messiah, they stop enjoying the blessings the Way of Jesus brings and they cease being a blessing to others as they should. In other words, they stop being the community that should perpetually fulfill the unique hopes and promises fundamental to their faith.\n\nThird, the two fundamental reasons wars are fought are the fear of scarcity and the fear of death. Followers of Jesus are free from these fears, so what cause do they have to participate in wars? If they abandon the Way of Jesus and participate in wars, they return to the cycle of violence Israel escaped from. They voluntarily enslave themselves all over again to fears they have been and should be free from, costing them and everyone around them dearly in the process.\n\nBecause non-violence is then inherently part of the way one follows Jesus and part of the way the promises to Israel have been and continue to be fulfilled, following Jesus and serving in the military are simply incompatible. Military service involves participating in a larger system of violence that is sustained by a culture of violence. One simply cannot pursue one without compromising the other. Followers of Jesus must choose which they will serve and which has their ultimate loyalty. It is either the Messiah, or the military. On this issue there is no middle path.','Messiah Jesus or the Military (Part 2)','','inherit','open','open','','7095-revision-3','','','2012-07-02 20:25:32','2012-07-03 03:25:32','',7095,'http://provoketive.com/2012/07/02/7095-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(7100,124,'2012-06-28 09:10:25','2012-06-28 16:10:25','After many years of personally wrestling with questions swirling around violence, war and faith, I have come to believe that following Jesus Christ and serving in the military in any capacity represent categorically incompatible endeavors. All who follow Jesus should leave the military or refuse to enlist, they should cease espousing war as a noble and honorable venture, and they should actively work towards peace and justice by practicing the ways of non-violent active resistance.\r\n\r\nNormally I would avoid such black and white statements for a variety of reasons but I have become thoroughly convinced of these beliefs for two main reasons.  First, deeply considering the tensions between serving in the military and serving Jesus have been part of my personal journey of faith.  Second, I hold to an understanding of the Gospel that sees non-violence as deeply intertwined with Jesus\' role as the Messiah and therefore deeply intertwined with following that Messiah. I would like to share both.\r\n\r\nAs for my own journey…\r\n\r\nGrowing up I had always thought about joining the military and after the summer of my freshman year in high school my goal in life was set: I wanted to become a Navy S.E.A.L. sniper. This became an all-consuming goal that I dedicated myself to completely.  I joined a Jr. Navy Program and spent a number of weeks each summer training at military bases. (One of these is where the picture attached to this post comes from.) My academics, extra-curricular activities and sports all became directed at attaining this vision for my life.\r\n\r\nI was also a Christian. I failed to see any incompatibility between my goals and my faith.  I believed there was a God, that God created humanity in His image, that humanity fell into sin, that Jesus Christ was the Son of God who died for our sins, and that we are saved from Hell and destined for Heaven if we accept Jesus Christ as our savior.  I saw no disconnect between this faith and my desire to turn the heads of people created in the image of that God into pink mist at long ranges with a Barrett M82A1 .50 caliber anti-material rifle. I actually thought it would be cool.\r\n\r\nIn many ways I was a product of my environment. My family, my faith community and the surrounding cultured, all shared narratives and stories that depicted war and military service as honorable, noble and courageous pursuits that did not conflict with the Christian faith. It is no surprise that my views began to change when my environment did.\r\n\r\nWhile I smirk at the thought of encouraging stereotypes, this journey towards peace started in Canada. While 9/11 happened my senior year of high school and I was sorely tempted to enlist, I felt God calling me to something else and instead went to a private Christian school in British Columbia. While I was in Canada, the U.S. invaded Iraq, a decision which was criticized by many Canadians as was my belief that Christians could and should serve in the military. My knee-jerk reaction was to defend my beliefs against these “liberal” Christians.  I used Old Testament passages that celebrated killing and violence, clearly showed that God commanded wars and the passage in Ecclesiastes that stated, \"there is a time for war.\"\r\n\r\nHowever, the problem was that I was really reading my Bible for the first time, and not just listening to and using little verse-bites and proof texts that had saturated the Christian culture around me. Because of this I became increasingly aware that much of what I thought was supported in the Bible actually was not.  In fact, many of the practices I had been defending were actually antithetical to what the Bible actually taught. I was also becoming increasingly aware of the messy history of U.S. foreign policy. The U.S. government has a habit of destroying the enemies of today in ways that very predictably and understandably create the enemies of tomorrow.\r\n\r\nMy journey continued when I returned home after college and watched the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq drag on. Because of my time in the Jr. Navy program I have many friends who entered the military. Thankfully none of them have been killed but a number have returned with severe problems. Anyone who has had a family member or friend who struggles with PTSD, TBI or addiction knows what I am talking about.  I saw suicide rates for those in the military, even those who have not been deployed, steadily increase. Due to advent of the internet and social media, I saw humanity’s inhumanity and the horrors of war become increasingly, and at times instantaneously, available for all to see.\r\n\r\nDuring this time I was working with higher-risk youth from poor neighborhoods with a Christian organization.  Encouraging our youth to join the military was seen as a practical, if not ideal, solution to many of their problems. It provided a job, a sense of purpose, it got them out of their home and neighborhood environments, and it promised future education. However, I began to question if it was really worth it. Sending our most vulnerable youth to be further traumatized in war, only to return (if at all) to those same environments, continued to make less sense to me.\r\n\r\nAround this time I watched the documentary <em>The Fog of War,</em><em> </em>and Robert McNamara’s words, “We need to think a lot more about killing,” really struck me. The more I thought about killing, violence and war the more war looked less like an appealing video-game, or a way out of poverty, or a noble venture and much more like an incredibly brutal and dehumanizing endeavor that appears to do basic violence to those who participate in it or even prepare for it. While war and violence might appear to “solve” a problem today, they always tend to leave wounds and animosity that fester and seed the next problem down the road. And clearly the wars of the U.S.A are not directed at the command of God but out of our national interests, as determined by U.S. politicians, who are essentially owned by large businesses. Ultimately though, all wars appear to stem out of the fear of scarcity and the fear of death. We fear if we do not fight, we will not have enough of the earth’s rapidly dwindling resources. We fear if we do not kill our enemies, they will kill us first or we will invite more aggression against us by looking weak.\r\n\r\nOver the years I have increasingly shifted towards a position of non-violent active resistance but I have remained silent. This was and is an unpopular position in my hometown where nationalism and Christianity blend so thoroughly. However, in the last year, as my understanding of the Gospel has changed, I have become able to articulate why this position is deeply rooted the Gospel of Jesus Christ and inherent to following Jesus as opposed to an optional or debatable matter.\r\n\r\nI will present this understanding as best I can on the next page.\r\n\r\n<!--nextpage-->\r\n\r\nAs I now understand it, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Good News, is that the God of Israel was faithful to the promises that were made to Abraham. As the story of Israel unfolded, additional promises were made to David and to the people of Israel through the prophets. Hopes began to formulate and swirl around how all these promises would come to pass, and many of the Jewish sects present in the New Testament were essentially divided according to how they envisioned these promises being fulfilled. These promises and hopes were fulfilled in the person, work and way of Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah of Israel. These promises continue to be fulfilled, and their tangible benefits and blessings continue to be enjoyed, when and where the people of God remain faithful to the person, work and way of Jesus Christ. As the Messiah, Jesus ended the hostility between Israel and its Gentile neighbors and provided a way to join Israel in peace, so all could worship the one true God and participate in and enjoy the unfolding of these promised blessings as one diverse people.  Israel now awaits the second coming of Jesus Christ, the final consummation of all things, and the bodily resurrection and judgment of all people.\r\n\r\nIn regards to non-violence, a number of the promises made to, and hopes of, Israel are especially important. From the beginning of God’s promises to Abraham, it is clear that Israel was always to be a blessing to all nations. Additionally, a variety of passages reveal that it was expected that all nations would come and worship the God of Israel, and that Israel would be returned to the land where it would enjoy peace and safety with its Gentile neighbors.\r\n\r\nBut how were these specific promises to come about? Far from being a blessing to its Gentile neighbors, Israel had a long history of violent and turbulent relationships with them. Israelite military victories had only provided temporary peace at the cost of breeding further animosity with the Gentiles nations. Israel had also been taken out of the land and scattered multiple times, and Rome was only the most recent Gentile power that had taken ownership of the land promised to the beleaguered people.\r\n\r\nIt is my belief that all of the promises to and hopes of Israel, including the ones that relate to non-violence, were fulfilled in the person, work and way of Jesus Christ and they continue to be fulfilled and enjoyed by the people of God who remain faithful to the person, work and way of Jesus Christ. But if this is the case, how did Jesus fulfill these hopes and how are they fulfilled and enjoyed now?\r\n\r\nJesus brought about these promises and blessings in part by living and teaching a way of life, the Way of Jesus. The Way of Jesus is a way of long-suffering justice, of costly mercy, of self-denying love, of sacrifice, of grace, of lavish sharing, of forgiveness with no limit, of embracing “The Other,” of humility, of solidarity with the poor and oppressed. It is a way that trusts God for one’s daily bread instead of hoarding out of the fear of future scarcity. It is a way of very tangible love and grace towards one’s enemies even to the point of forgiving them as they kill you. It is the way of non-violent active resistance, a way that does not stoop to the level of the oppressor in its indefatigable pursuit to free the oppressed.\r\n\r\nSo how did this Way bring about the promises made to Abraham? The simple answer is that this Way eradicates the fears at the root of Israel’s lack of peace and need for war.\r\n\r\nFor some time, Israel had been stuck in a fearful and vengeful cycle of violence with its Gentile neighbors. While there had been times of peace, this fear was understandable. Uncircumcised Gentiles were currently exploiting Israel and had in the past attempted to completely stamp out Israel as a people permanently. In reaction to this, many in Israel were feverishly defending the borders of their community through violence, or a focus on man-made laws that acted as boundary markers that determined who was “in” and who was not. These reactions only deepened the cycle as it encouraged ignorance, fear, and hatred of those that were on the wrong side of the boundary markers, even as it gave outsiders reason to hate and fear Israel.\r\n\r\nPracticing the Way of Jesus set Israel free from the fears of death and scarcity. In a community of gratuitous sharing that takes care of the poor and marginalized, who fears never having enough? In a community of people who practice love for their enemies, who fears violent reprisals? Freed from these fears, they were also freed from the injustice, the idolatry and the wars the fears inevitably led to. This freedom from fear enabled Israel to take the dramatic step of welcoming those who had once been bitter enemies into the people of God as brothers and sisters without requiring them first to adopt the traditional marks of the people of Israel, most importantly circumcision. The key to Israel’s lasting peace, the way Israel saw these promises and hopes fulfilled, was by following the Way of Jesus, embracing “The Other,” choosing the costly ways of peace, and ultimately following God into a new understanding of Israel. The new re-gathered Israel became one that allowed for rich diversity even as it patiently demanded change as is taught new comers who the God of Israel was, how to worship that God, and what that God expected of them.\r\n\r\nAdditionally, practicing the Way of Jesus is part of how Israel was and is a blessing to all nations. Where the people of God treat people as Jesus treated them and live as Jesus did, this produces tangible benefits for the community itself and everyone around it. What person would not be blessed by having even a small community that truly practiced the Way of Jesus nearby? Such a compelling and powerful community draws many into the story of God, to Messiah Jesus, and ultimately into the people of God. This in turn allowed Israel to see the beginning of the fulfillment of the promise that all nations would come to worship the God of Israel, a promise that continues to unfold.\r\n\r\nIn this Gospel, non-violence is not an optional or debatable matter for those who follow Jesus Christ for three basic reasons.\r\n\r\nFirst, the Way of Jesus, what Jesus modeled and what Jesus taught, is fundamentally a way of sacrifice that gives up one’s life for the sake of others, including and especially one’s enemies. It is not a way of violence that takes the lives of others for the sake of security, personal or corporate profit, xenophobia, revenge, nationalism or any sort of ideology or idolatry.\r\n\r\nSecond, the Way of Jesus was part of the way that Jesus, as the Messiah of Israel, fulfilled the promises made to Israel.  If followers of Jesus abandon this Way, they reject Jesus as the Messiah, they stop enjoying the blessings the Way of Jesus brings and they cease being a blessing to others as they should. In other words, they stop being the community that should perpetually fulfill the unique hopes and promises fundamental to their faith.\r\n\r\nThird, the two fundamental reasons wars are fought are the fear of scarcity and the fear of death. Followers of Jesus are free from these fears, so what cause do they have to participate in wars? If they abandon the Way of Jesus and participate in wars, they return to the cycle of violence Israel escaped from. They voluntarily enslave themselves all over again to fears they have been and should be free from, costing them and everyone around them dearly in the process.\r\n\r\nBecause non-violence is then inherently part of the way one follows Jesus and part of the way the promises to Israel have been and continue to be fulfilled, following Jesus and serving in the military are simply incompatible. Military service involves participating in a larger system of violence that is sustained by a culture of violence. One simply cannot pursue one without compromising the other. Followers of Jesus must choose which they will serve and which has their ultimate loyalty. It is either the Messiah, or the military. On this issue there is no middle path.','Messiah Jesus or the Military','','inherit','open','open','','7055-revision-10','','','2012-06-28 09:10:25','2012-06-28 16:10:25','',7055,'http://provoketive.com/2012/06/28/7055-revision-10/',0,'revision','',0),(7101,124,'2012-07-02 20:34:11','2012-07-03 03:34:11','After many years of personally wrestling with questions swirling around violence, war and faith, I have come to believe that following Jesus Christ and serving in the military in any capacity represent categorically incompatible endeavors. All who follow Jesus should leave the military or refuse to enlist, they should cease espousing war as a noble and honorable venture, and they should actively work towards peace and justice by practicing the ways of non-violent active resistance.\r\n\r\nNormally I would avoid such black and white statements for a variety of reasons but I have become thoroughly convinced of these beliefs for two main reasons.  First, deeply considering the tensions between serving in the military and serving Jesus have been part of my personal journey of faith.  Second, I hold to an understanding of the Gospel that sees non-violence as deeply intertwined with Jesus\' role as the Messiah and therefore deeply intertwined with following that Messiah. I would like to share both.\r\n\r\nAs for my own journey…\r\n\r\nGrowing up I had always thought about joining the military and after the summer of my freshman year in high school my goal in life was set: I wanted to become a Navy S.E.A.L. sniper. This became an all-consuming goal that I dedicated myself to completely.  I joined a Jr. Navy Program and spent a number of weeks each summer training at military bases. (One of these is where the picture attached to this post comes from.) My academics, extra-curricular activities and sports all became directed at attaining this vision for my life.\r\n\r\nI was also a Christian. I failed to see any incompatibility between my goals and my faith.  I believed there was a God, that God created humanity in His image, that humanity fell into sin, that Jesus Christ was the Son of God who died for our sins, and that we are saved from Hell and destined for Heaven if we accept Jesus Christ as our savior.  I saw no disconnect between this faith and my desire to turn the heads of people created in the image of that God into pink mist at long ranges with a Barrett M82A1 .50 caliber anti-material rifle. I actually thought it would be cool.\r\n\r\nIn many ways I was a product of my environment. My family, my faith community and the surrounding cultured, all shared narratives and stories that depicted war and military service as honorable, noble and courageous pursuits that did not conflict with the Christian faith. It is no surprise that my views began to change when my environment did.\r\n\r\nWhile I smirk at the thought of encouraging stereotypes, this journey towards peace started in Canada. While 9/11 happened my senior year of high school and I was sorely tempted to enlist, I felt God calling me to something else and instead went to a private Christian school in British Columbia. While I was in Canada, the U.S. invaded Iraq, a decision which was criticized by many Canadians as was my belief that Christians could and should serve in the military. My knee-jerk reaction was to defend my beliefs against these “liberal” Christians.  I used Old Testament passages that celebrated killing and violence, clearly showed that God commanded wars and the passage in Ecclesiastes that stated, \"there is a time for war.\"\r\n\r\nHowever, the problem was that I was really reading my Bible for the first time, and not just listening to and using little verse-bites and proof texts that had saturated the Christian culture around me. Because of this I became increasingly aware that much of what I thought was supported in the Bible actually was not.  In fact, many of the practices I had been defending were actually antithetical to what the Bible actually taught. I was also becoming increasingly aware of the messy history of U.S. foreign policy. The U.S. government has a habit of destroying the enemies of today in ways that very predictably and understandably create the enemies of tomorrow.\r\n\r\nMy journey continued when I returned home after college and watched the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq drag on. Because of my time in the Jr. Navy program I have many friends who entered the military. Thankfully none of them have been killed but a number have returned with severe problems. Anyone who has had a family member or friend who struggles with PTSD, TBI or addiction knows what I am talking about.  I saw suicide rates for those in the military, even those who have not been deployed, steadily increase. Due to advent of the internet and social media, I saw humanity’s inhumanity and the horrors of war become increasingly, and at times instantaneously, available for all to see.\r\n\r\nDuring this time I was working with higher-risk youth from poor neighborhoods with a Christian organization.  Encouraging our youth to join the military was seen as a practical, if not ideal, solution to many of their problems. It provided a job, a sense of purpose, it got them out of their home and neighborhood environments, and it promised future education. However, I began to question if it was really worth it. Sending our most vulnerable youth to be further traumatized in war, only to return (if at all) to those same environments, continued to make less sense to me.\r\n\r\nAround this time I watched the documentary <em>The Fog of War,</em><em> </em>and Robert McNamara’s words, “We need to think a lot more about killing,” really struck me. The more I thought about killing, violence and war the more war looked less like an appealing video-game, or a way out of poverty, or a noble venture and much more like an incredibly brutal and dehumanizing endeavor that appears to do basic violence to those who participate in it or even prepare for it. While war and violence might appear to “solve” a problem today, they always tend to leave wounds and animosity that fester and seed the next problem down the road. And clearly the wars of the U.S.A are not directed at the command of God but out of our national interests, as determined by U.S. politicians, who are essentially owned by large businesses. Ultimately though, all wars appear to stem out of the fear of scarcity and the fear of death. We fear if we do not fight, we will not have enough of the earth’s rapidly dwindling resources. We fear if we do not kill our enemies, they will kill us first or we will invite more aggression against us by looking weak.\r\n\r\nOver the years I have increasingly shifted towards a position of non-violent active resistance but I have remained silent. This was and is an unpopular position in my hometown where nationalism and Christianity blend so thoroughly. However, in the last year, as my understanding of the Gospel has changed, I have become able to articulate why this position is deeply rooted the Gospel of Jesus Christ and inherent to following Jesus as opposed to an optional or debatable matter.\r\n\r\nI will present this understanding as best I can on the next page.\r\n\r\n<!--nextpage-->\r\n\r\nAs I now understand it, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Good News, is that the God of Israel was faithful to the promises that were made to Abraham. As the story of Israel unfolded, additional promises were made to David and to the people of Israel through the prophets. Hopes began to formulate and swirl around how all these promises would come to pass, and many of the Jewish sects present in the New Testament were essentially divided according to how they envisioned these promises being fulfilled. These promises and hopes were fulfilled in the person, work and way of Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah of Israel. These promises continue to be fulfilled, and their tangible benefits and blessings continue to be enjoyed, when and where the people of God remain faithful to the person, work and way of Jesus Christ. As the Messiah, Jesus ended the hostility between Israel and its Gentile neighbors and provided a way to join Israel in peace, so all could worship the one true God and participate in and enjoy the unfolding of these promised blessings as one diverse people.  Israel now awaits the second coming of Jesus Christ, the final consummation of all things, and the bodily resurrection and judgment of all people.\r\n\r\nIn regards to non-violence, a number of the promises made to, and hopes of, Israel are especially important. From the beginning of God’s promises to Abraham, it is clear that Israel was always to be a blessing to all nations. Additionally, a variety of passages reveal that it was expected that all nations would come and worship the God of Israel, and that Israel would be returned to the land where it would enjoy peace and safety with its Gentile neighbors.\r\n\r\nBut how were these specific promises to come about? Far from being a blessing to its Gentile neighbors, Israel had a long history of violent and turbulent relationships with them. Israelite military victories had only provided temporary peace at the cost of breeding further animosity with the Gentiles nations. Israel had also been taken out of the land and scattered multiple times, and Rome was only the most recent Gentile power that had taken ownership of the land promised to the beleaguered people.\r\n\r\nIt is my belief that all of the promises to and hopes of Israel, including the ones that relate to non-violence, were fulfilled in the person, work and way of Jesus Christ and they continue to be fulfilled and enjoyed by the people of God who remain faithful to the person, work and way of Jesus Christ. But if this is the case, how did Jesus fulfill these hopes and how are they fulfilled and enjoyed now?\r\n\r\nJesus brought about these promises and blessings in part by living and teaching a way of life, the Way of Jesus. The Way of Jesus is a way of long-suffering justice, of costly mercy, of self-denying love, of sacrifice, of grace, of lavish sharing, of forgiveness with no limit, of embracing “The Other,” of humility, of solidarity with the poor and oppressed. It is a way that trusts God for one’s daily bread instead of hoarding out of the fear of future scarcity. It is a way of very tangible love and grace towards one’s enemies even to the point of forgiving them as they kill you. It is the way of non-violent active resistance, a way that does not stoop to the level of the oppressor in its indefatigable pursuit to free the oppressed.\r\n\r\nSo how did this Way bring about the promises made to Abraham? The simple answer is that this Way eradicates the fears at the root of Israel’s lack of peace and need for war.\r\n\r\nFor some time, Israel had been stuck in a fearful and vengeful cycle of violence with its Gentile neighbors. While there had been times of peace, this fear was understandable. Uncircumcised Gentiles were currently exploiting Israel and had in the past attempted to completely stamp out Israel as a people permanently. In reaction to this, many in Israel were feverishly defending the borders of their community through violence, or a focus on man-made laws that acted as boundary markers that determined who was “in” and who was not. These reactions only deepened the cycle as it encouraged ignorance, fear, and hatred of those that were on the wrong side of the boundary markers, even as it gave outsiders reason to hate and fear Israel.\r\n\r\nPracticing the Way of Jesus set Israel free from the fears of death and scarcity. In a community of gratuitous sharing that takes care of the poor and marginalized, who fears never having enough? In a community of people who practice love for their enemies, who fears violent reprisals? Freed from these fears, they were also freed from the injustice, the idolatry and the wars the fears inevitably led to. This freedom from fear enabled Israel to take the dramatic step of welcoming those who had once been bitter enemies into the people of God as brothers and sisters without requiring them first to adopt the traditional marks of the people of Israel, most importantly circumcision. The key to Israel’s lasting peace, the way Israel saw these promises and hopes fulfilled, was by following the Way of Jesus, embracing “The Other,” choosing the costly ways of peace, and ultimately following God into a new understanding of Israel. The new re-gathered Israel became one that allowed for rich diversity even as it patiently demanded change as is taught new comers who the God of Israel was, how to worship that God, and what that God expected of them.\r\n\r\nAdditionally, practicing the Way of Jesus is part of how Israel was and is a blessing to all nations. Where the people of God treat people as Jesus treated them and live as Jesus did, this produces tangible benefits for the community itself and everyone around it. What person would not be blessed by having even a small community that truly practiced the Way of Jesus nearby? Such a compelling and powerful community draws many into the story of God, to Messiah Jesus, and ultimately into the people of God. This in turn allowed Israel to see the beginning of the fulfillment of the promise that all nations would come to worship the God of Israel, a promise that continues to unfold.\r\n\r\nIn this Gospel, non-violence is not an optional or debatable matter for those who follow Jesus Christ for three basic reasons.\r\n\r\nFirst, the Way of Jesus, what Jesus modeled and what Jesus taught, is fundamentally a way of sacrifice that gives up one’s life for the sake of others, including and especially one’s enemies. It is not a way of violence that takes the lives of others for the sake of security, personal or corporate profit, xenophobia, revenge, nationalism or any sort of ideology or idolatry.\r\n\r\nSecond, the Way of Jesus was part of the way that Jesus, as the Messiah of Israel, fulfilled the promises made to Israel.  If followers of Jesus abandon this Way, they reject Jesus as the Messiah, they stop enjoying the blessings the Way of Jesus brings and they cease being a blessing to others as they should. In other words, they stop being the community that should perpetually fulfill the unique hopes and promises fundamental to their faith.\r\n\r\nThird, the two fundamental reasons wars are fought are the fear of scarcity and the fear of death. Followers of Jesus are free from these fears, so what cause do they have to participate in wars? If they abandon the Way of Jesus and participate in wars, they return to the cycle of violence Israel escaped from. They voluntarily enslave themselves all over again to fears they have been and should be free from, costing them and everyone around them dearly in the process.\r\n\r\nBecause non-violence is then inherently part of the way one follows Jesus and part of the way the promises to Israel have been and continue to be fulfilled, following Jesus and serving in the military are simply incompatible. Military service involves participating in a larger system of violence that is sustained by a culture of violence. One simply cannot pursue one without compromising the other. Followers of Jesus must choose which they will serve and which has their ultimate loyalty. It is either the Messiah, or the military. On this issue there is no middle path.','Messiah Jesus or the Military (Part 1)','','inherit','open','open','','7055-revision-11','','','2012-07-02 20:34:11','2012-07-03 03:34:11','',7055,'http://provoketive.com/2012/07/02/7055-revision-11/',0,'revision','',0),(7107,179,'2012-07-03 08:36:37','2012-07-03 15:36:37','The Beatles once told us that “all you need is love.” And, for many Christians that have experienced the more dogmatic and often-hypocritical parts of the history of the church during the past twenty years, a return to that simple truth is a breath of fresh air.\n\nDidn’t Jesus tell us that His most important new command was to “Love one another” (John 13:34)? Don’t all the rules, traditions, form, and structure of the traditional church just get in the way of that?\n\nWell, sort of.\n\nWhen those traditions replace Scripture, when those rules supersede our mission, when the form and structure of church are so rigid that we craft a steel-girded box to try and cram God into…then, yes.\n\nBut the framework of religion doesn’t always get in the way.\n\nIn fact, looking to the life of Jesus, we can see that He actually cherished His religion. As a rabbi, He memorized the Old Testament. He went to synagogue, celebrated the Jewish holy days. He founded the Church, created church discipline, and told His followers to baptize and teach (Matthew 16:18 and Matthew 18:15-20, respectively).\n\nHe loved His religion enough to seek out what was wrong with it and specifically reserve His harshest language for its leaders, the Pharisees.\n\nSo often Christians have been so jaded by a rule-centric church (and understandably so…more on that in a moment) that our response is to throw the baby out with the bathwater and disregard rules altogether in exchange for what they feel is a more pure, love-centered Christianity.\n\nAnd from a more general perspective, I can see that love is all you need. But what does it look like…specifically? Why, if rules muddy our message, did Jesus tell us that if we love Him, we will follow His rules? (John 14:15,21,23-24)\n\nChristianity should not be all about rules. It should be all about love…but when we love, when we pour out the love God has poured into us, it should translate into something. We should structure our lives around the truths we have been given.\n\nI see many Christians today as accurately seeing the need to distance themselves from some of the things the church has erred in. There are definite areas which should be pruned, should be burned as straw, within our movement. And if what we see defining “religion” is the hypocritical, moral elitism that fuels much of the Western world’s stereotype of the church, then I believe religion is hurtful to what our lives should actually be.\n\nBut if what we see as defining “religion” is a movement of God through His people, put in action by such things as caring for widows and orphans, and seeking to live pure lives (James 1:27), then religion is what it looks like when believers come together to seek to live out the mission Jesus left with us when He ascended and the Holy Spirit filled His people.\n\nThe most important thing for us to remember is to stay humble. Some of the people that profess to be the biggest advocates for a life of just loving like Jesus did are also the quickest to judge people trying to do the exact same thing by upholding the framework of the church. On the other side, some of the people striving to most completely abide by the church’s beliefs are the last to love as Jesus told us to. But if we approach this issue, from either side, with humility and a willingness to learn, then we can come together and grow as the people of God.\n\nI am the first to admit that the things talked about here should be approached humbly and carefully. I suppose, as an author, that I fall into the category of teacher. This message of humility rings even more true for me, if I am to believe the words spoken in James 3:1 (“Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. “). Therefore let it be fully known, here and now, that I do not in any way claim my view to be the perfect one.\n\nI do, however, offer this viewpoint as an alternative to what seems to be a well-intentioned “return” of sorts to a simpler Jesus, a Jesus that simply loves. And while good on the surface, with much room for the importance of grace and a passionate appeal for believers to live out their love, I feel it falls short. If we hope to fully represent that Jesus, to act out the love of God we feel should so passionately pour through our lives, then we are doing our God a disservice if we fail to serve and worship Him (through our experience), to know and believe Him (through our theology), and to obey and pursue Him (through our mission).\n\nWe are broken, we are failures, we are doomed without God. But we shouldn’t be content to rest in that place, content that God will cover the rest or content to rejoice that our sins are covered. We should seek to live lives as forgiven and changed creatures, always bettering ourselves, always enhancing our knowledge of God, always willing to learn from the people He has put in our lives and the church He has so lovingly cared for throughout the centuries.\n\nWe need to remember how much Jesus loves His Church, loves our church, and love ourselves as part of it.','Love Is All You Need','','inherit','open','open','','7091-autosave','','','2012-07-03 08:36:37','2012-07-03 15:36:37','',7091,'http://provoketive.com/2012/07/03/7091-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(7108,179,'2012-07-03 08:42:48','2012-07-03 15:42:48','','allyouneedislove','','inherit','open','open','','allyouneedislove','','','2012-07-03 08:42:48','2012-07-03 15:42:48','',7091,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/allyouneedislove.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(7109,179,'2012-07-02 12:50:30','2012-07-02 19:50:30','The Beatles once told us that “all you need is love.” And, for many Christians that have experienced the more dogmatic and often-hypocritical parts of the history of the church during the past twenty years, a return to that simple truth is a breath of fresh air.\r\n\r\nDidn’t Jesus tell us that His most important new command was to “Love one another” (John 13:34)? Don’t all the rules, traditions, form, and structure of the traditional church just get in the way of that?\r\n\r\nWell, sort of.\r\n\r\nWhen those traditions replace Scripture, when those rules supersede our mission, when the form and structure of church are so rigid that we craft a steel-girded box to try and cram God into…then, yes.\r\n\r\nBut the framework of religion doesn’t always get in the way.\r\n\r\nIn fact, looking to the life of Jesus, we can see that He actually cherished His religion. As a rabbi, He memorized the Old Testament. He went to synagogue, celebrated the Jewish holy days. He founded the Church, created church discipline, and told His followers to baptize and teach (Matthew 16:18 and Matthew 18:15-20, respectively).\r\n\r\nHe loved His religion enough to seek out what was wrong with it and specifically reserve His harshest language for its leaders, the Pharisees.\r\n\r\nSo often Christians have been so jaded by a rule-centric church (and understandably so…more on that in a moment) that our response is to throw the baby out with the bathwater and disregard rules altogether in exchange for what they feel is a more pure, love-centered Christianity.\r\n\r\nAnd from a more general perspective, I can see that love is all you need. But what does it look like…specifically? Why, if rules muddy our message, did Jesus tell us that if we love Him, we will follow His rules? (John 14:15,21,23-24)\r\n\r\nChristianity should not be all about rules. It should be all about love…but when we love, when we pour out the love God has poured into us, it should translate into something. We should structure our lives around the truths we have been given.\r\n\r\nI see many Christians today as accurately seeing the need to distance themselves from some of the things the church has erred in. There are definite areas which should be pruned, should be burned as straw, within our movement. And if what we see defining “religion” is the hypocritical, moral elitism that fuels much of the Western world’s stereotype of the church, then I believe religion is hurtful to what our lives should actually be.\r\n\r\nBut if what we see as defining “religion” is a movement of God through His people, put in action by such things as caring for widows and orphans, and seeking to live pure lives (James 1:27), then religion is what it looks like when believers come together to seek to live out the mission Jesus left with us when He ascended and the Holy Spirit filled His people.\r\n\r\nThe most important thing for us to remember is to stay humble. Some of the people that profess to be the biggest advocates for a life of just loving like Jesus did are also the quickest to judge people trying to do the exact same thing by upholding the framework of the church. On the other side, some of the people striving to most completely abide by the church’s beliefs are the last to love as Jesus told us to. But if we approach this issue, from either side, with humility and a willingness to learn, then we can come together and grow as the people of God.\r\n\r\nI am the first to admit that the things talked about here should be approached humbly and carefully. I suppose, as an author, that I fall into the category of teacher. This message of humility rings even more true for me, if I am to believe the words spoken in James 3:1 (“Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. “). Therefore let it be fully known, here and now, that I do not in any way claim my view to be the perfect one.\r\n\r\nI do, however, offer this viewpoint as an alternative to what seems to be a well-intentioned “return” of sorts to a simpler Jesus, a Jesus that simply loves. And while good on the surface, with much room for the importance of grace and a passionate appeal for believers to live out their love, I feel it falls short. If we hope to fully represent that Jesus, to act out the love of God we feel should so passionately pour through our lives, then we are doing our God a disservice if we fail to serve and worship Him (through our experience), to know and believe Him (through our theology), and to obey and pursue Him (through our mission).\r\n\r\nWe are broken, we are failures, we are doomed without God. But we shouldn’t be content to rest in that place, content that God will cover the rest or content to rejoice that our sins are covered. We should seek to live lives as forgiven and changed creatures, always bettering ourselves, always enhancing our knowledge of God, always willing to learn from the people He has put in our lives and the church He has so lovingly cared for throughout the centuries.\r\n\r\nWe need to remember how much Jesus loves His Church, loves our church, and love ourselves as part of it.','Love Is All You Need','','inherit','open','open','','7091-revision-2','','','2012-07-02 12:50:30','2012-07-02 19:50:30','',7091,'http://provoketive.com/2012/07/02/7091-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(7110,179,'2012-07-03 08:47:57','2012-07-03 15:47:57','','rabout','','inherit','open','open','','rabout-2','','','2012-07-03 08:47:57','2012-07-03 15:47:57','',7085,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/rabout1.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(7111,179,'2012-07-01 17:44:16','2012-07-02 00:44:16','It\'s really hard for me to believe how wrong everyone else is. What a more pleasant world it would be if everyone just agreed with me, drove the way I wanted them to, fell in line with my set of beliefs. How pleasant that world would be.\r\n\r\nI am, of course, being facetious. I think. The title of this article is tongue in cheek, I think. And I write it knowing that I\'m wrong. About a lot of stuff. I think.\r\n\r\nStatistics show that most people rarely ever change their minds about a specific issue or firmly held belief. If I remember correctly, in one of the psychology books I read for class at some level of education said that only 5% of people ever change their beliefs. When we reflect on that, our first thought is typically, <em>\"Wow. Most people are really, really stubborn. I\'m so glad I\'m enlightened.\"</em> But we\'re not. Guess who part of that 5% statistic is? Me.\r\n\r\nWhy is it so hard to change beliefs? I think we\'ve all been there. I would guess most adults have changed their beliefs about something. Why is it so difficult?\r\n\r\n<strong><em><a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/nochange.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-7087\" style=\"margin-left: 6px;margin-right: 6px\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/nochange-300x196.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"196\" /></a>First, there\'s a huge thing called our emotions.</em></strong> When our beliefs are challenged those beliefs are often attached to our emotions. We may not mean to take someone challenging our beliefs personally, but it often turns out that way. I was watching the show <a href=\"http://www.history.com/shows/american-pickers\"><em>American Pickers</em></a> the other day. It\'s a show where antique fanatics go visit people\'s antique collections and make them offers on what they have. What they have discovered is people won\'t separate from things they are emotionally connected to.\r\n\r\nWe do the same with our beliefs. If it\'s something we\'ve held onto for a long time, facts be darned, we will hold on to that belief for a long time. Emotional barriers will often keep us locked into a belief system whether we will willingly admit it or not.\r\n\r\n<strong><em>Secondly, <a href=\"http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2010/07/11/how_facts_backfire/\">one study shows</a> that most of us don\'t use facts the right way.</em></strong> Facts, whether they strengthen our belief or go against it, are used as a subjective weapon to transfix our own opinion. In other words, we readily accept facts that reinforce our beliefs. That\'s no problem. But if we are approached with facts that hurt our belief system, we attack the study, the scientists, the people who published the facts or cry, \"bias!\" We are passionate about being right and about fiercely defending our deeply entrenched belief system.\r\n\r\n<em><strong>Thirdly, there\'s a little thing called pride.</strong></em> What if we\'ve been wrong all this time? No one likes losing an argument, much less finding out something they\'ve believed for a long time is incorrect. Listen, I don\'t like getting home with the wrong kind of toothpaste from the store, much less having someone suggest that I\'ve been wrong in my belief system for the past thirty-something years.\r\n\r\nI\'ve had the chance to speak to people about eschatology in decent sized groups. I have a view that is not the most common view held in most churches today. It\'s a very orthodox view and has been around much longer than the modern view. But when I talk about it to people who believe differently, and when I watch their faces contort, you\'d have thought I slapped their grandmothers. I can identify with this because I used to believe like them. Sociologically, I now believe <em>I</em> am right. But any time my views are challenged, I\'m pretty sure I have the same look on my face. We don\'t like challenges like that.\r\n\r\nSo how can we make people see how right we are? No, wait.\r\n\r\nWhat I mean is, \"<em>How can we get better at this? How can we open our minds without losing the truth? Can we? Is it even possible?</em>\"\r\n\r\nI\'m sure on some level it is. There\'s a <a href=\"http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/happiness-in-world/201003/getting-people-change-their-minds\">great article I found at Psychology Today</a> that deals with this topic that helped me understand it better. I strongly commend it to you because it deals with changing other\'s minds as well as our own.\r\n\r\nWhat I\'m really concerned with is this - how do we all get along? How do we co-exist with those of other beliefs, even when the things we disagree on are of major importance? I\'m not sure I have the ultimate answer, but I\'ve learned a little. I think we can disagree, point out places where we disagree and be respectful about it. During that time, we all need to respect the journey the other person has been on, listening to them and giving them a chance to speak. Each time we engage in a conversation, we don\'t always have to have the aim to change their mind. We may just learn by listening.\r\n\r\nOf course, then again, I could be wrong.','Changing The Mind: Helping Others See How Wrong They Are','','inherit','open','open','','7085-revision-3','','','2012-07-01 17:44:16','2012-07-02 00:44:16','',7085,'http://provoketive.com/2012/07/01/7085-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(7178,179,'2012-07-11 09:43:34','2012-07-11 16:43:34','There is a problem in our society that is overwhelming, devastating and heartbreaking to say the least. It is so easy to turn our heads and pretend it isn’t happening. However, most everyone has seen the devastating effects that drug use has had on not only the user but their friends and families. I have witnessed too many times the struggles that families face trying to get their loved ones some help. Often the user will do whatever it takes to get the fix they need and refuses to be rehabilitated.\n\nAddictions come in many forms whether it’s gambling, tobacco, sex, drugs, as well as food. However, I would like to focus on crystal meth and meth labs used to make it.\n\nI saw in the Newsleader last week that there were four different arrests for drugs and that every one of them involved a “white powdery substance” referred to as “meth”. Normally, I would quickly turn my sights to another article where someone received an award or maybe a donation was made to a charity. It’s so easy to look the other way. But, there’s a little girl I know that I can’t seem to get out of my mind who has been deeply effected by drugs and I’m doing this article for her and the many other people’s lives who have been effected.\n\nThe first step in conquering a problem is getting educated. I didn’t know a lot about crystal meth or meth labs except what people told me over the years so I did a little research.\n\nA meth lab is a clandestine drug lab that is a collection of materials and ingredients used to make crystal meth and is made mostly from common household ingredients. These ingredients are mixed and cooked together to make meth and the harmful chemical mixtures can remain on household surfaces for months or years later. There may be health effects in people exposed to chemicals to make meth before, during and after the process. Therefore, each lab is a potential hazardous waste site, requiring evaluation, and possibly cleanup, by hazardous waste professionals.\n\nMeth labs have been discovered in hotel and motel rooms, restaurants, barns, private homes and apartments, storage facilities, fields, vacant buildings and (moving or stationary) vehicles. A minimum of 5 to 7 pounds of chemical waste are produced for each pound manufactured.\n\nHealth effects caused by exposure to meth lab chemicals depend on the lab process and chemicals used, the amount of chemical and length of exposure and the age and health of the person exposed. Chemicals may enter the body by being breathed, eaten, or absorbed through the skin. An acute exposure is one that occurs over a relatively short period of time.\nAcute exposure to meth lab chemicals can cause shortness of breath, cough, chest pain, dizziness, lack of coordination, chemical irritation, burns to skin, eyes, nose and mouth. Death could result when exposure is to a particularly toxic chemical or the person exposed is particularly vulnerable. Acute exposures can occur in non-drug users during or immediately after making meth.\n\nThe warning signs of a meth lab are: strong odor of solvents, residences with windows blacked out, iodine or chemically stained bathroom or kitchen fixtures, travel trailer or RV parked on the property, increased activity, especially at night, excessive trash.\n\nWe all wish the problem would go away but there are actually some pro-activists who are working hard at making a difference.\n\nI attended a weekly meeting of “Narcotics Anonymous” at the First United Methodist Church in my home town, which is a twelve step program modeled after Alcoholics Anonymous describing itself as a \"fellowship or society of men and women for whom drugs had become a major problem. Membership in Narcotics Anonymous is voluntary; no attendance records are kept”.\n\nI stayed a bit after the meeting was over and talked to two of the men whom I will call “Bill” and “Joe”. “Joe” drives all the way from Memphis, which is an hour and a half away. He said that he was addicted to alcohol more than drugs. He remembers doing crystal meth at the age of 16 but was not addicted to it. When I asked what got him to start drugs at all he said “curiosity and peer pressure”. I asked “Did your mother (father not at home) not know?” Joe replied “I believe she did but turned her head the other way. She was the one that gave me money whenever I needed it.” However he said his real addiction came from alcohol when he joined a fraternity in college and the drinking began.\n\n“Bill” said that he had been addicted to crystal meth and has been clean for more than a year after a relapse. When I asked what made him relapse, he replied “I quit coming to these meetings. You can’t do that. You gotta keep on coming.” I asked them both what was the effect of crystal meth? “Bill” replied that “You have overwhelming confidence”. However, “Joe” said he started hallucinating and thought he was going to die. \"You’re high for about a day and half, but it takes three days for your body to shut down. After that all you want to do is sleep.” he said.\n\nI asked what the negative consequences were and “Bill” told me that your body ages 10 times, your teeth fall out, your heart starts to give out as well as the devastating effect it has on your job, family and finances. You are also depressed for about a year because your brain has to learn to reproduce dopamine.\n\nThe group also pointed out that all types of people were addicts: rich or poor, homeless to professional. You may know an addict personally and not know it because, “Addicts are great con artists.” They often know how to hide what they are doing.\n\nWhen asked what was the best way for people to stay clean, they recited several quotes: “Change your people, places, and things”, “Surround yourself with sober people”, “One day at a time.”\n\nThey said there is always help if you seek it. There are places all over the world. You just have to want to get help. They both agreed that complete abstinence was the only way to go.\n\nOn leaving the meeting, they gave me a sincere hug and I was pleased that I had come. They were very sincere in their desire to help others and hoped that I would get the word out about their meetings so they could in turn help others. As one of them said, “Seeing what others go through helps me to keep the path that I’m on.” They were truly inspirational and I hope that their meetings will inspire others to come and get the help they need.\n\nI was telling my good friend and co-worker Doris Scott about this article I was doing. She mentioned Rev. Julius Hill as someone that I might talk to so I called him up. He was more than happy to come by and talk to me.\n\nOne good thing about doing articles is getting to know new people and learning about their lives. I knew I liked Rev. Hill right away. He came with a sincere positive attitude which is something I admire. I asked him to tell me more about himself and what he had done to help with the drug epidemic.\n\nRev. Hill is a retired 22 year detective from Philadelphia, Penn. His wife is from Osceola, Arkansas, and wanted to come back to Arkansas. He wanted to become a minister. They decided to move to Wynne, Arkansas, when an opening became available at the First Baptist Church.\n\nHe told me with a smile what a beautiful town that he had. “The crime is nothing like we had in Pennsylvania or anywhere I’ve lived.” He also became the Wynne Police Chaplain and has a badge for it. Sometimes he talks to inmates when requested and other times he gives counseling to those who come to him. He also helps to coordinate the inmates to work off their fines by doing jobs for the city.\n\nRev. Hill also helped to jump start the neighborhood watch program. This is a group of people that care about their community and are taking offensive steps to combat crime. It consists of block captains who are strategically placed at bus stops, parks, etc. to ensure the safety of their neighborhood.\n\nI could tell that Rev. Hill was sincere in his efforts and not boastful at all. He said that back in Philadelphia he always tried to rehabilitate those if thought there was hope. When his retired friends found out that he was a minister they weren’t surprised.\n\nHowever, don’t let the humble exterior fool you. He can get tough when need be. He told me when he got angry enough seeing a group of guys doing their drugs to take the drugs and smash them with his foot on the ground. He immediately let them know that this was not acceptable. Sometimes that’s the only language people understand.\n\nHe had nothing but good to say about our local police department. “They are always there at our neighborhood meetings as well as city officials.” He said they have an anonymous crime reporting system where people can report crimes without being worried about retaliation. He said that he wished we could pay our good officers more where they wouldn’t leave.\nHe said the two worst drugs to worry about were crystal meth and crack cocaine. The pushers are making so much money that it’s become a “way of life”. It is important that we give our kids other things in which to get involved. He had nothing but praise for the Boys and Girls program, saying. “Wynne is a blessed place.”\nAfter these interviews, I felt that I had learned a lot about the drug epidemic in Wynne. However there is still more to learn. I will continue with research with my next story. \"Proactive and Making a Difference – Tackling Drug Addiction in Cross County Part 2\".','Men on a Mission – Tackling Drug Addiction in Cross County','','inherit','open','open','','7164-revision-3','','','2012-07-11 09:43:34','2012-07-11 16:43:34','',7164,'http://provoketive.com/2012/07/11/7164-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(7606,1,'2012-08-20 08:17:42','2012-08-20 15:17:42','Being single is not alone.\r\n\r\nWhether by choice, or force,\r\n\r\nor no other option,\r\n\r\ntimes of solitude aren’t isolated.\r\n\r\nWe all have – in fact, need –\r\n\r\ntimes in our lives\r\n\r\nwhere solo is “what is” –\r\n\r\nchances to reinvent,\r\n\r\nor reverse what’s wrong,\r\n\r\nre-fill our “giving well”.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut restoration never happens\r\n\r\nwhen we buy the lie of isolation:\r\n\r\nno one else is there.\r\n\r\nNot only is God ever with us,\r\n\r\nbut other hearts are eternally intertwined\r\n\r\nwith ours, with laces of love,\r\n\r\nor horror, or sweetness\r\n\r\nor penetrating pain\r\n\r\nthat never goes away.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWe were created connected\r\n\r\nwith the right to choose\r\n\r\nwho we let in our sanctuary,\r\n\r\nand sometimes it seems only loneliness\r\n\r\nwill be our soul-mate for life.\r\n\r\nAnd yet lonely isn’t alone.\r\n\r\nGod said, “I will never leave you”\r\n\r\nand always partners us with people\r\n\r\nwho understand that separation\r\n\r\ncan be a place of healing or hell.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWe are the only ones who decide\r\n\r\nwhere we visit, hide, or abide.\r\n\r\nGod, help us reach out of our pain,\r\n\r\nor at least stand in the open door.','For Every Single One of Us','','inherit','open','open','','7549-revision-4','','','2012-08-20 08:17:42','2012-08-20 15:17:42','',7549,'http://provoketive.com/2012/08/20/7549-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(7114,12,'2012-07-07 08:00:33','2012-07-07 15:00:33','A week ago, there was a man sitting in the Nashville International Airport reading Joy Wilson\'s book, \"<a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Uncensored-Prayer-Spiritual-Practice-Wrestling/dp/0615480810/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1341466171&amp;sr=1-1\"><em>Uncensored Prayer</em></a>.\" He had tears running down his face and was trying to conceal them from the people passing by. Why was he crying?\r\n\r\nThis man had a seminary degree and thought he understood the God of Scripture. A God who had revealed Himself through the prophets in a structured manner. But while reading <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Uncensored-Prayer-Spiritual-Practice-Wrestling/dp/0615480810/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1341466171&amp;sr=1-1\">Wilson\'s book</a>, he understood that God is a passionate God who desires to engage with His children, lavish his love upon them, and hold no good thing back from them. In essence, the rote prayers this man had been saying and his understanding of God had been shaken by Wilson\'s words. He had known it even before he had cracked her book open, but he was glad to have had it confirmed by her life experience.\r\n\r\nYou probably figured it out, but that man was me. <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Uncensored-Prayer-Spiritual-Practice-Wrestling/dp/0615480810/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1341466171&amp;sr=1-1\">Joy Wilson\'s book</a>, if you allow it to be, is life transforming. It will change the way you encounter and talk to God and it will reroute your thinking about Him as well.\r\n\r\nTo be honest, I knew a long time ago that you could talk to God in an uncensored way. Apologies to Joy, but when I was seven, I sneaked a peek at my mom\'s prayer journal. She was an author and she recorded many of her conversations with God. When I read them, she wrote messages from God that began with, \"<em>My dearest child . . .</em>\" For years, I thought about that. Could God really speak to us like that?\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/jwilson.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-7118\" style=\"margin-left: 6px; margin-right: 6px;\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/jwilson-199x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"199\" height=\"300\" /></a>Joy Wilson believes God wants to. But we have to be willing to approach God in an honest way, bearing our hearts and souls to Him and laying it all on the line. She bases much of her book on Jacob\'s experience with the angel in Genesis (also referred to in U2\'s <a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6nzA5gtBUY\"><strong>Bullet the Blue Sky</strong></a> <em>\"Jacob wrestled the angel and the angel was overcome\"</em>). We can and will discover more about ourselves and God when we engage and wrestle with Him in prayer. She\'s right.\r\n\r\nLet me say this - I wasn\'t sure what to expect theologically. I love theology. Not because I am a fan of arguing aspects of theology, but because I love God. Joy\'s book resounds with sound, biblical theology. I was so proud of her. She comes from a solid church upbringing and has matured into a place that is suited for her now. Let me quote a few lines that really impressed the theologian in me:\r\n\r\n\"<em>God can talk to us through anything: a movie, song, book, or the microwave if He wants to. But I promise you that God will make sure we know it\'s from Him. He isn\'t going to let us think we\'re crazy</em>.\"\r\n\r\nI love it. In this book, Joy says that God says \"<em>crap</em>\" to her. He uses 21st century language to her. He is crass at times. He is crude. I know that without a doubt, she has spoken to the God of Scripture. Yes, the God of Scripture has said, \"<em>crap</em>.\"\r\n\r\nIt\'s important for me to address this. Know why? Because before my fall from ministry, I would have had a very serious problem with this. In her book, though, Joy lets us know that God responds to her in the same way she speaks to Him.  I think that\'s awesome. But I can even do one better than that.\r\n\r\nWhen I was in seminary, my Hebrew professor went on and on about how the Hebrew language was the crude \"<em>language of Canaan</em>.\" Hebrew is a very earthy language. And God used it. Boy did he ever. I suppose God could have used some kind of eloquent language to express Himself to the Jewish people. But He didn\'t. He was down to earth with them. Don\'t believe me? Go read Ezekiel 23. Enough said.\r\n\r\nGod reveals Himself to His people to let them know that He loves them as they are. And that is beauty. He did that with my mother when he said to her in her prayer journal, \"My beautiful child . . .\" and he does it in Joy\'s book when he says in her song, \"<em>You Are I AM</em>,\" (more to come about that later): \'<em>You can\'t offend me with the truth, or drive me away</em>.\" That is the God I see in Scripture. That is the God I want to follow. That is the God I met after my fall and the God who has held me and loved me unconditionally ever since.\r\n\r\nI have no doubt that Joy is speaking to the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob. And in that passage I just quoted, she speaks volumes about the character of God. She speaks about His revelatory nature. She speaks about His truthfulness. About the interaction between Him and His creatures. In a few sentences, she says more about God than I\'ve read about guys today on their high and lofty blogs.\r\n\r\nWhen you read Joy\'s book, it\'s like you\'re sitting in her living room with her, sharing her deepest feelings with her and hearing her darkest secrets. She\'s been in some bad places and she is honest with you. That\'s why you know she has communed with God. That\'s why you know you can commune with God like she has.\r\n\r\nI think the overwhelming theme that kept slapping me in the face was that God loved me for who I am. I\'ve struggled in the past few years with <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Fallen-Pastor-Finding-Restoration-Broken/dp/0615567096/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1341466123&amp;sr=8-1\">my own identity</a> after <a href=\"http://fallenpastor.wordpress.com/\">I fell from the ministry</a>. Joy does an amazing job of proving from Scripture and her own life that God loves us for who we are, over and over, regardless of what we do. His love is boundless, amazing and full of grace. For that reason alone, this book is worth purchasing and sharing. We can never fully understand or appreciate the grace of God in any capacity.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/cross8.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-7123\" style=\"margin-left: 6px; margin-right: 6px;\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/cross8-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" /></a>During my seminary studies, I must have read dozens of treatises on God\'s grace. None of them touched my heart like the poetry of Joy Wilson. I cried numerous times when reading her work. She helped me understand the true nature of God and His grace like I had never understood it before.\r\n\r\nThis book is worth buying for several reasons: At least three of Joy\'s poems, if not more. Joy wrote a song for her children in the absence of her husband. It is called, \"<em>You are I AM</em>.\" It is one of the most touching songs I have ever read. In it, she describes how God is all we need. Another one is called \"<em>Stark Dark</em>.\" When I read it, it was something I wanted to share with God when I was in my deepest depression. Finally, an interaction Joy had with God called \"<em>Pilgrim\'s Progress</em>.\" It touched my heart, especially as she and God talked about how to help other people who were struggling.\r\n\r\nFriends, this is an earthy, lovely, and passionate work from a woman who has dealt with a lot of issues in her life and experienced God on her own. As a former pastor, I\'ve read a lot of books on prayer and encountering God. This book is the indie Experiencing God of our time. <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Uncensored-Prayer-Spiritual-Practice-Wrestling/dp/0615480810/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1341466171&amp;sr=1-1\">Don\'t hesitate to buy it</a> and learn to love and experience God like you never have before.\r\n\r\nThank you, Joy, for sharing this with us. Thank you for bringing back to me the memories of my mother who had uncensored prayer in her life. Thank you for showing us the way to a God who loves us for who we are.\r\n\r\n_______________\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Uncensored-Prayer-Spiritual-Practice-Wrestling/dp/0615480810/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1341596413&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=Uncensored+prayer\">\"Uncensored Prayer\" is available at Amazon.com</a> in paperback and Kindle formats and online through other retailers.\r\n\r\nYou can also follow her on her blog: <a href=\"http://joyleewilson.org\">joyleewilson.org</a>','Book Review: Uncensored Prayer by Joy Wilson','','publish','open','open','','book-review-uncensored-prayer-by-joy-wilson-2','','','2012-07-06 22:53:44','2012-07-07 05:53:44','',0,'http://provoketive.com/?p=7114',0,'post','',3);
