But, would we have stopped to save David?

The car was stopped in the middle of the highway and cars were skidding and swerving to avoid rear-ending the maroon Ford Taurus.

"What in the world is going on?" I asked out loud (even though I was driving home from work . . . all by myself!) as I quickly maneuvered to avoid ruining two cars and a relaxing drive home.

What would make a man stop his car in the middle of rush-hour traffic and get out?

Was it an accident? An injured person in the road? An old lady trying to cross the street?

Why would a sane adult stop his car in the middle of a highway if not for an accident, a hurt person, or old lady in need of assistance? No. This guy wasn't stopped to help a person. I almost rear-ended the car of a man who had stopped to move a turtle out of the road.

Now, I like turtles and don't condone running over a turtle with your car (unless it is carrying a cat across the road on its back), but I also don't condone risking the lives of innocent people by deserting your car in the middle of a busy road.

But, it seems to happen a lot. People stopping their cars to rescue turtles from roads that is.

It's a nice thing to do. Rescue turtles from the road that is.

People are generally nice. That's why the following headline caught my attention: "Left to die on Mount Everest."

An article in last Thursday's edition of the Buffalo News (http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20060525/1043217.asp) detailed how dozens of climbers left a British mountaineer to die during their own attempts to climb Mt. Everest. The AP writer, Steve McMorran explained that David Sharp, 34, died while descending from the summit of Mt. Everest. More than 40 climbers are thought to have seen him as he lay dying, and almost all continued without offering assistance.

Mark Ingles, the first double amputee to reach Everest's summit on prosthetic legs, stopped as soon as he saw David. He and his party gave David oxygen, and radioed for help, but it was too late.

David's official cause of death was low-oxygen, but the real cause of David Sharp's death was apathy.

Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to reach Everest's summit, was disgusted by this event.

"There have been a number of occasions when people have been neglected and left to die, and I don't regard this as a correct philosophy," Hillary told the Otago Daily Times. The whole attitude toward climbing Mount Everest has become rather horrifying. The people just want to get to the top," he told the newspaper. Hillary told New Zealand Press Association he would have abandoned his own pioneering climb to save another's life. He said that his expedition, "would never for a moment have left one of the members or a group of members just lie there and die while they plugged on towards the summit."

Hillary's closing thoughts are profoundly true, "Human life is far more important than just getting to the top of a mountain."

Like Sir Edmund Hillary, I'm also disgusted by David Sharp's death, but I'm also convicted by David Sharp's death.

I never want to be like one of those climbers who chose the summit over the life of a dying man.

This world is full of people who are spiritually dying. They are all around us. I will pass by thousands of them as I drive home tonight.

If given the chance to share life with one of them, would I stop, or would I choose dinner over the opportunity to share life with a dying soul? I'd hope that I'd stop, but you never know.

What about you?

What about us?

I know many people who would stop to save a turtle, but would we have stopped to save David?

24, Drama, and Closure--Spoiler Alert!

I love the Fox TV show, 24.

Because of Tivo, my wife and I didn't have to miss a single hour of the most exciting day--and show (my opinion)--on TV.

Last night was the 2-hour season finale, so my wife, my brother, my sister-in-law and I cleared our schedules, sequestered the children upstairs, put the dog in the garage, and secured pop-corn, Doritoes, and plenty of soda ("pop" for you Northerners) in anticipation of closure.

We would find out if Bierko and the terrorists on the sub (with the 14 missiles pointed at various targets in California) could be stopped.

They were.

We would find out if Aaron Pierce could get off of the Presidential compound without being killed.

He could.

We would find out if the President's wife could convice Mike Novik that her husband was the one who orchestrated the death of David Palmer.

She did.

We would find out if Jack Bauer could really trust Chris Henderson, or not.

He couldn't.

We would find out if CTU could get evidence--hard evidence--that the President was a part of the plot to kill David Palmer, so that they could arrest him.

They could and they did.

We would find out if Audrey and Jack would get back together again.

They did--for about 23 seconds.

We would find out if Kim and Jack's relationship could be restored, or would she still be a self-centered, spoiled kid, who makes stupid choices that require her dad--and other CTU agents--to risk their lives to save her only to have her make more stupid choices!

No way.

And, we would find out if Jack could finally do what he's never been able to do on any episode of 24: eat something, shave, take a shower, brush his teeth, go to the bathroom, and retire in San Bernadino.

Not a chance.

Jack was kidnapped by the Chinese and is now on a ship headed for China and we have to wait until January 2007 to find out what happens next, so--for the 14 million fans who watched 24 this season each week--no closure.

And, although I really wanted more closure last night, I'm going to have to stay tuned to find out if Jack can escape.

I will and he will (he just signed a 3-year contract).

No closure makes for good TV, but bad life.

I'm eternally grateful that Jesus gave us closure and didn't ask his disciples to stay tuned to find out if everything will get resolved. Instead, at the conclusion of his ministry, when the 12 disciples--and the rest of us--really needed to know that everything was going to be o.k., Jesus said,

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going."

(John 14:1-4)

Closure.

They were wondering if they can really trust him.

They can.

They were wondering if Jesus is really going to prepare a place for them.

He is.

They were wondering if the mansion in that place will have enough space for all of Christ's followers.

It will.

They were wondering if--after he leaves--he is really going to come back to get them, so that they can go to that place to be with him forever.

He is, he will, and we all will.

And, since Jesus has given me such clear and undeniable closure, I am definitely going to stay tuned.

How to increase giving to your church by 37%

Gas prices are killing my personal budget, so the following article caught my eye: http://www.edmunds.com

We Test the TipsWhat Really Saves Gas? And How Much?

By Philip Reed and Mike Hudson

With gas prices so high, the media is awash with lists of gas-saving tips. Well how's this for a tip? If you listen to us, you can see hybrid-type savings without having to buy a new car.By changing your driving habits you can improve fuel economy up to 37 percent right away (depending on how you drive). Combine several tips and perform routine maintenance and you will save real dollars, not just pennies. A miracle? All we did was take several of the most common tips out there and put them to the test over a remote 55-mile route in the high desert of California. Some of them worked like a charm. Some of them didn't work at all. We'll give you the breakdown. These tests were done under real-world conditions — not in a government lab somewhere. Our results can be matched by anyone — even you. The wonderful part about what we found is that improving your car's mileage is just a matter of changing your habits. Stack a few of these winners together and we'll bet that you'll see a substantial savings at the pump — without the need for a new car.

Here are the results:

Test #1 Aggressive Driving vs. Moderate Driving

Result: Major savings potential

The Cold Hard Facts: Up to 37 percent savings, average savings of 31 percent

Recommendation: Stop driving like a maniac.

---

Test #2 Lower Speeds Saves Gas

Result: Substantial savings on a long trip

Cold Hard Facts: Up to 14 percent savings, average savings of 12 percent

Recommendation: Drive the speed limit.

---

Test #3 Use Cruise Control

Result: Surprisingly effective way to save gas

Cold Hard Facts: Up to 14-percent savings, average savings of 7 percent

Recommendation: If you've got it, use it.

---

Test #4 A/C On, Windows Up vs. A/C Off, Windows Down

Result: Nice in theory; not true in practice

Cold Hard Facts: No measurable difference (unless you open the sunroof, too!)

Recommendation: Please, make yourself comfortable.

---

Test #5 Check Your Tire Pressure

Result: Important for safety and to reduce tire wear

Cold Hard Facts: No measurable effect on the vehicles we tested

Recommendation: Check your tire pressure often but don't expect a big savings.

---

Test #6 Avoid Excessive Idling

Result: More important than we assumed

Cold Hard Facts: Avoiding excessive idling can save up to 19 percent

Recommendation: Stopping longer than a minute? Shut 'er down.

So . . . It looks like if we'll calm down, slow down, set the cruise, cool off, check the tires, and idle less, we'll all be able to give 37% more to God instead of Exxon.

Name Withheld

We've all heard racists say, "Some of my best friends are black", so I'll understand if you are skeptical when I say, "Some of my best friends are homosexual" . . . but it's the truth.

I paid my way through college and graduate school by working as a server in restaurants. These jobs allowed me to make good--and quick--money, but they also gave me the opportunity to make friends with men and women who struggled with--or indulged in--homosexuality. It was a transformational experience.

Homosexuality was no longer an abstract issue, but a real person who laughed, cried, struggled, worked, cared, wondered about the future, loved his friends, covered my last table so I could go home and study, and wanted his parents' acceptance.

My heart softened and opened as I began to understand the sin and the "sinner".

I have a burden for people who are struggling with the sin of homosexuality and I have a burden that the Church share that burden, too, so I read this week's issue of the Christian Standard with great interest because it deals with homosexuality (http://www.christianstandard.com/).

The articles are great and I encourage you to read them carefully. I found the entire issue to be insightful, but I was struck by the fact that two of the articles were anonymous.

"Name Withheld."

If you read the articles you'll understand why it was prudent for the authors to protect their identities, the identity of those whom they mention who are struggling with homosexuality, and the congregations involved by maintaining anonymity.

People talk.

Sinful people gossip about other sinful people and life gets complicated.

It's not fair, but we Christians seem to do what God does not: categorize sin.

We read Romans 1:26-27 and see that God views homosexuality as "shameful", "unnatural", "indecent", and "perversion", so we pronounce the wrath of God upon those struggling with the sin of homosexuality allowing them to be the punch-line of jokes and the poster children for sin, but we wink at the rest of the sins Paul lists in 1:28-32 (envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, gossip, slander, God-hating, insolence, arrogance, boasting, and disobedience to parents) embracing and excusing those who struggle with these sins, even though Paul reminds us that all of those who do such things "deserve death" (Romans 1:32).

All sin is wrong, and all who sin will die without Christ, and Christ died so that all sinners could be redeemed, so all Churches need to be communities where all sinners can be redeemed.

The Church should be a place where alcoholics and drug addicts can be redeemed.
The Church should be a place where adulterers can be redeemed.
The Church should be a place where those addicted to internet pornography can be redeemed.
The Church should be a place where murderers can be redeemed.
The Church should be a place where liars, thieves, and those who disobey their parents can be redeemed.
The Church should be a place where homosexuals can be redeemed, so the Church should be a place where sin can be addressed, confessed, discussed, and healed openly.
And, the Church should be a place where articles can be written about important issues without names having to be withheld.

A few words about short films

Last month, since I was going to be out of state, Eli (worship minister) and I planned a sermon short film on prayer--"Discovering Prayer".

We talked about it for a couple of months, prepared the message, set up the shoot, shot the video, and edited the dvd.

It was a ton of work, but well worth it. Eli and I were overwhelmed by the congregation's response. Here's a sample of what we heard:

You were missed "in person" today, but what a wonderful message on prayer! The whole presentation was professionally done. Great job!!!

I wanted to let you both know that the video today was excellent! Very well done . . . it was well thought out, interesting, unique, and much more than just a “talking head” that many of these videos tend to be.

Comments in our small-group this afternoon were also all in agreement… if we can’t have Arron in person, this is a great alternative! High-Five to you both! (and to anyone else that was involved)

What a surprise when you were on screen today. It was very effective and wonderful to watch. I would like to have a copy of the dvd if possible. I heard nothing but kudos about it. It was funny because everyone clapped when Levi rode his bike. They laughed in all the right places and just enjoyed it.

We were excited to share this with the congregation, but--honestly--we have been surprised by the overwhelmingly positive response this message received.

We've had more requests for this sermon, than for any sermon I've ever done.I think we're going to do this again. :) In fact, we are planning a series of short films for an upcoming sermon series.

The use of video to share the Gospel is a very powerful tool. Dave Ferguson and his team at Community Christian Church are using this tool--and using it well. http://www.communitychristian.org/play/play.html

I recently read an article by Michael Duduit in Preaching Magazine (May-June 2005) in which he wrote:

Although preaching has always been an inherently verbal medium, one of the major trends of 21st century preaching is a new emphasis on the visual. As churches seek to communicate with new generations that are increasingly visually-oriented (and less and less literary), many have discovered the power of a visual image in communicating divine truth. That’s one reason why the most consistent trend of contemporary church architecture is the presence of projection screens — we may or may not include a pulpit in a new church, but almost every new worship center has one or more (usually more) screens for use in projecting visual images. http://www.preaching.com/preaching/pastissues/videoresources.htm

Here are some of my random thoughts on the possible benefits of sermon short films:

• Allows for a church to start services on other sites without the logistical pressure of the preacher having to be in two (or more) places at the same time. (This is one of the ways Community Christian Church is using short films.)
• Might be a more-appealling download on church website
• This method requires the help of a team of people, so more people are involved in ministry
• Can be used as lesson, or a discussion starter, for small groups
• Enhances ministry to shut-ins by offering them a higher quality version of the sermon
• Format of message may be more appealling to seekers
• Creates a resource that can be used, or adapted, for a variety of purposes, including a web-based ministry.

Can you think of any other benefits? Downsides? I'll post some of your comments.

There's at least one downside that I can see right now. After offering his praise for the sermon short film, one of my Elders suggested that--since I'm now delivering my sermons on dvd--my paychecks could be delivered to me on dvd, too. :)

Evidence of the Problem

O.K.

I have a really weird sense of humor, so I may be the only person who thinks this is funny, but I was looking at the cover of the latest issue of the Christian Standard and I saw something that made me laugh.

Here it is: http://www.christianstandard.com/


Did you notice what I noticed?

This issue of the Christian Standard covers tithing, capital campaigns, and other important issues associated with giving, so the smaller picture on the cover caught my attention.

At first glance you may see a generic picture of a man giving his offering, but here's what I saw . . .

• You can tell that he's wearing a sport coat. He may be wearing an entire suit, but we can't tell, so I'll just focus on the facts. Let's assume that he's a middle-class man who prefers to buy his nice clothes at J.C. Penney. That means that he probably paid about $79.99 for that coat.
• He's wearing a nice gold ring on the third finger of his left hand. It's a nice ring--probably too nice for a 20-year-old midwestern middle-class girl to purchase--so it's probably not his original wedding ring, but a replacement purchased at a later date, but we don't know that, so we'll again try to focus on the facts. Assuming that it is his original wedding ring and that the ring is probably 14 K gold and that his fiance (now wife) also purchased that ring at J.C. Penney it is probably worth about $377.06.
• It's probably safe to assume that this man lives in North America and most likely in the United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau the median income for non-Hispanic white households in the United States last year was $48,977.
• A weekly tithe on this amount would be $94.18.
• So . . . why is this man only putting a $5 bill into the offering plate?!?!

Isn't that the problem . . . and the reason that everyone should read this week's issue of the Standard?

Worship as Listening, Not Singing

Did you read Jack Reese's article is last week's issue of the Christian Standard, "Coming Back to the Heart of Worship"? Here's a link if you didn't: http://www.christianstandard.com/articledisplay.asp?id=304

I was blessed to be around Jack at Abilene Christian University. I never studied under him, but I knew him and respected--and still respect--him highly. He is renowned for both his keen intellect and for his ability to communicate complicated truths, clearly. Knowing this, and that ACU is affiliated with the Churches of Christ, I read Jack's article on worship with interest.

In my opinion, Jack's article contains one of the best--and most concise--descriptions of an early worship service that I've ever read. His article also presents an interesting opinion. Jack argues that worship follows revival and not vice versa.

Here's an excerpt:
If we are to experience a renewal of worship in our churches, it will begin not by singing to each other about how excited we are to be together, or even by telling God how great he is, but first by shutting up long enough that we might listen to him. If revival comes among us, it will grow first out of our surrender so that thanksgiving has its cause in the mighty work of God . . . We may very well be experiencing in our churches the fruit of a great revival. I pray so. I hope it bursts forth in the greatest hymns that the church has known. But if it does, it will be because God’s people have first learned how to be silent before him, how to listen, how to confess, how to surrender.

I love to worship.
I love to sing my worship.
I know that God wants us to worship, but I also know that God wants to speak to us.
In fact, God wants to communicate with us so much that he speaks to us through his Word and through the Word.

Are we singing too much and listening too little? I wonder.

Maybe it's time for me to shut-up.