NeilCraigan.Com

Just a thought on our thinking

"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things." Phil. 4:8

Sarah Palin writes notes on her hand... Who cares, it doesn't matter.

Lindsey Vonn appears in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition... Who cares

Angelina Jolie heads to Haiti... Big deal... there are thousands of aid workers there already.

As our news reporting has become ever increasingly consumer driven have we lost our ability to discern what is really important? I fear so, I fear we are being entertained into complacency with just enough real life distraction so we can truly buy the lie and not engage the world as we should.

Is Peyton Manning a Poor Sport?

So Peyton Manning marched off the field after losing the Super Bowl without taking time to congratulate Drew Brees, does that make him a bad sport? That's the question that's still being asked almost 48 hours after the game.

I've read that Manning called Brees later that evening to congratulate him and that Brees is OK with that. But does that speak to Manning's character or to Brees? I think that says more about Drew Brees than it does Peyton Manning. What Manning needs to do is release a statement acknowledging that in the heat of the moment and disappointment of defeat he did the wrong thing in walking off the field, that would show everyone that he still has great integrity.

Was he a poor sport? On this occasion, yes, absolutely no question about it. I was raised playing sports, rugby, soccer (football), and golf. From the beginning it was instilled in me that in sports as in life we should be gracious in victory and magnanimous in defeat. On Sunday Manning failed to pass this test.

After every football game in the NFL the players from opposing teams take time to greet and congratulate one another, the Super Bowl should not be the exception, every game counts. Can you imagine the outcry in golf is someone refused to shake the hand of a competitor at the end of a match? They'd probably be fined, why, because good sportsmanship is so much a part of the game.  

Sport reflects life. A little civility and humility will go a long way. What does it say to our children when someone walk off the field in a huff after losing? In life you play hard and do your best we shouldn't resent it when others do well or better than us as long as we've worked hard. 

We could use a little more civility in the church. I heard recently of the sad story of a fellow pastor who refused to eat with a colleague because they disagreed over an issue. Four of them met for lunch and one refused to have anything to eat because the person picking up the tab held the opposing view. Crazy. 

I don't why I felt I wanted to write about this but I just had to. Perhaps its the way I was raised, play hard, play fair and always be a good sport.

A thought from Brian McLaren on Denominations

In this short video Brian McLaren states clearly the challenge denominations face.

Are we focused on the product or on the business of being on mission in the world of TODAY? You can read more of Brian's thoughts here.

Sally Jenkins, Tim Tebow and tolerance

Every once in a while you find someone who can honestly disagree with someone's position on an issue but truly defend their right to be heard, even at the expense of groups that would share their position. Sally Jenkins is one such person who in today's Washington Post is able to address the pro-life ad starring Tim Tebow and while disagreeing with Tebow's position is thoroughly complimentary of Tebow as a person and the kind of guy our society should be delighted to have.

Tebow's Super Bowl ad isn't intolerant; its critics are

I'll spit this out quick, before the armies of feminism try to gag me and strap electrodes to my forehead: Tim Tebow is one of the better things to happen to young women in some time. I realize this stance won't endear me to the "Dwindling Organizations of Ladies in Lockstep," otherwise known as DOLL, but I'll try to pick up the shards of my shattered feminist credentials and go on. (read more)

A Thought From Albert Einstein

I have this quote posted in my office as a reminder of how important it is to dream, to imagine, to envision the world as God would have it and then to work to find ways to share that dream and make it part of a new reality.

"Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand."
- Albert Einstein

Marcus Borg: 'The Heart of Christianity' some thoughts

A couple of months ago I was asked if I had read any of Marcus Borg's books. I had read "The Meaning of Jesus" which is a back and forth between NT Wright and Borg but had never read any of Borg's 'solo' works. So when a friend and colleague put a copy of "The Heart of Christianity" in my hand I was delighted to read it. Now I've been asked to write about what I thought of it. Let me be clear, there is no way I can fully engage all of Borg's thoughts here, it would take a book to respond but I do want to focus on a couple of things he says that I believe are of critical importance for the church.

First of all I want to be clear that I hear in Borg a deep concern for the future of Christianity and it is out of this concern that he writes. As Borg states, the classical theological historical, "image of Jesus no longer works for millions of people, both within and outside the church. For these millions, its literalism and exclusivity are not only unpersuasive, but a barrier to being a Christian. 
There are, of course, also millions of Christians who still see Jesus this way. But for people who can't accept the older image, the historical-metaphorical approach to Jesus and Christian origins provides a way to take Jesus seriously."

This presents the question as to whether Borg, in his attempt to remove barriers, has in fact removed some of the central elements of what it means to be Christian. Has Borg become a heretic?

Relief Agencies Need Cash Not Goods

When a disaster like the earthquake in Haiti is brought to our attention we often think, "Oh wow, I have to do something." But let's make sure the something we do is the right thing.

Cash is best donation after disaster, aid groups say
Earthquake-devastated Haitians need donations of cash -- not clothes, food, medicine, or other relief supplies, as well intended as they might be, aid groups said Thursday.

Such "in-kind" donations can at best take up valuable space in cargo shipments and waste aid workers' time in sorting through the items, charities said. At worst, the food or medicine could be unusable or even dangerous.

"Sending donated goods oversees is an appealing idea because it makes you feel like you're really helping while at the same time recycling things that are no longer of any use to you," writes former aid worker Saundra Schimmelpfennig in her blog about the impact of aid. "Unfortunately inappropriate donations can do more harm than good and it often costs more to ship used goods than to buy new goods locally." read more

Yes we might like the idea of providing hands on opportunities to make a difference but let's make sure we are getting as much bang for our buck as we can and that we're not making life more difficult for the aid agencies. Right now World Vision can multiply a gift for Haiti Relief and Long Term Support by three, the same is true for several of their other giving options for Haiti and other projects.

There are organizations like Church World Services who encourage you to make care kits to their specifications and they will get them to the people who need them. If you feel this is what you need to do then go for it, it really does make a difference and for some people the value of hands on work is what they need. (Personally I'd rather send my money knowing that an organization can get far more for the same amount I spend on the care kit supplies but I don't say that to put down the work of CWS).

If you haven't responded to this great need in our world today, please do.

"Kill Thy Enemy" - Gunsights made to "biblical standards!"

Every once in a while a news story comes along that just leaves me shaking my head, this is one of them. A top gunsight manufacturer, Trijico, is inscribing its sights with raised biblical references.

As the BBC report states, "The markings include "2COR4:6" and "JN8:12", relating to verses in the books of II Corinthians and John. Trijicon, the US-based manufacturer, was founded by a devout Christian, and says it runs to "Biblical standards"."

As the company states on its website, "We believe that America is great when its people are good. This goodness has been based on biblical standards throughout our history and we will strive to follow those morals."Someone needs to give these folks a brief theology lesson beginning with, "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" and that no one is good except God. America could be great if its people were good but its people are not good, we, like all people, are sinners standing in the need of grace.

So what are the inscriptions? The BBC reports...

The inscriptions are subtle and appear in raised lettering at the end of the stock number.

John 8:12 reads: "When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

The nod to part of the second letter of Paul to the Corinthians, found on the company's Reflex sight, references the text: "For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ."

I don't know about you but I don't think this was what Jesus and Paul had in mind for their words. Perhaps we could suggest some other texts for them, "love your enemy, pray for those who persecute you." "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty give him something to drink."

There is nothing more frightening to me than nationalism tied up with religion. I should know, I grew up in Northern Ireland.

Image from Boing Boing
 

Church, Cruising and Royal Caribbean

So Royal Caribbean has taking some some hits for allowing its cruise ships to continue to dock in Haiti after the earthquake has claimed so many lives. I even read that one passenger was sickened by the ship stopping there because, "tens of thousands of dead people are being piled up on the streets, with the survivors stunned and looking for food and water."

I found this an interesting comment because so many of the people of Haiti were looking for food and water before the earthquake. Indeed many of the islands that these cruise ships stop at suffer from a great deal of poverty, perhaps none greater than Haiti. If your cruise ship stops in Jamaica at Ocho Rios, try going a few blocks inland from the resort and you'll also have your illusion shattered.

If your idyllic cruise is ruined because the illusion that everything is OK with this world is stripped away and the reality of suffering people in this world is made known to you then I say that's a good thing and before you drop several thousand on your next cruise perhaps you should take a closer look at your charitable giving. (Way too long a sentence!) If you want to go on a cruise go, but don't close your eyes to the world or live in a fantasy land while you are there, be aware of the issues in every port you stop.

Now that I've started I might as well keep going...

One of our local Christian radio stations is sponsoring a cruise. You can find a link to it right underneath the link to help the people of Haiti!Perhaps its just me but I don't see how the church of Jesus Christ can justify going on cruises together where, as the brochure says you will, "enjoy your well-appointed
stateroom, the elegant restaurants, swim in the two pools, and of course be pampered in the spa
and salon. There’s even a complete fitness center to stay in shape after all the fabulous food we’ll
encounter." Sounds like several of the seven deadly sins are being justified here.

Of course they add "I think you’ll agree with us that the best part will be the opportunities throughout the cruise for praise and worship with (Don Moen, Robin Mark, and Lenny LeBlanc!)." But Micah says we are to, "act justly and to love mercy and walk humbly with your God."  Or as Isaiah reminds us, "Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for a man to humble himself? Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed and for lying on sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD? "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?"

Let me be clear, I'm not a killjoy and I don't think every vacation is bad. Indeed I thoroughly enjoy vacations. I think it is wonderful when Christians with additional resources left after contributing faithfully to their local church can afford to go on educational trips to Israel or follow Paul's journey. I think its wonderful when we can go on short term mission trips to see and gain an appreciation of poverty firsthand. But let me be clear, giving to the local church must come first for the follower of Jesus.

I do question a Christian radio station that decides to host a luxury cruise.

Led Zeppelin and Queen go to the Minnesota Orchestra

Question: What do you get when you cross Led Zeppelin, Queen and the Minnesota Orchestra?
Answer: An amazing musical experience coming to the Target Center on February 4th.

I'm probably not going to go to this show but I love the idea of a full orchestra taking on the classic rock anthems of these two seminal bands.

I wonder if the primary audience will be those who love Zeppelin and Queen or those who love orchestral music? Not that you can't love both. Indeed many people do enjoy both types of music. I am glad that they have chosen a stadium rather than Orchestra Hall for the show, I don't think these rock giants should be played there.

I have to say that I think this will be one phenomenal show as musical styles are melded and blended, scores are adapted to fit the range of a full orchestra and the amazing talent of song writers and musicians can be appreciated by many. I only wish we could pull off this sort of melding in the church, perhaps then we would be able to create some truly wonderful intergenerational services.

You see I love the church of Jesus Christ, but I fear for her. I fear that too many members of the body want to keep things the way they have always been and then she will end up irrelevant in the world. I fear that too many want everything to be new but thereby cut-off the rich history and tradition of worship and worse yet neglect the needs of an entire generation that seeks to faithfully worship Jesus.

May we find creative ways to be body of Christ, from birth to death, in the world today.