Viral Faith

  There are six things that the LORD hates,  seven things detestable to him:  snobbish eyes,  a lying tongue,  hands that spill innocent blood,  a heart set on wicked plans,  feet that run quickly to evil,  a false witness who breathes lies,  and one who causes conflicts  among relatives. (Proverbs 6:16-19 CEB) Culture has become the buzzword in leadership circles for the past 30 years. Leadership Guru Peter Drucker is quoted as saying, "Culture eats strategy for breakfast." What he meant was that an organization's culture (the assumed, spoken, and unspoken roles, responsibilities, and relationships within an organization) is a better indicator of its success than a particular strategy or methodology.   Culture, according to Mosaics Church Pastor Harry Li is the assumed understanding of "how things get done".  The culture of an organization or a society is shaped by what is celebrated and prioritized.  For instance, a...

  "Democracy is not only a form of governance.  It is a promise: a promise that we can live with one another in dignity, equality, solidarity, security, justice, and hope. Practicing democracy can enable us to grow, to learn, to care, and to act. Democracy promises life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, but realizing this promise requires that society commit to governance based on the equal value of each of our voices, discernment of our common interests through association, deliberation, and learning; and respect for the exercise of individual and collective agency." --Marshall Ganz in People, Power, Change Don’t excuse yourself by saying, “Look, we didn’t know.” For God understands all hearts, and he sees you. He who guards your soul knows you knew. He will repay all people as their actions deserve. (Proverbs 24:12 CEB) Throughout history, democracy has remained a fragile experiment.  The idea that government is "of the people" and "for the people"...

  Picture of Immigrating people sent from Texas and left on the streets of Chicago  I will show how holy my great name is—the name on which you brought shame among the nations. And when I reveal my holiness through you before their very eyes, says the Sovereign LORD, then the nations will know that I am the LORD (Ezekiel 36:23 NLT) "The truth of the gospel is turned into a lie when it ceases to look like Christ himself.  The true image of the Son is that of a person who gave up his own life out of love for the weak and hopeless."--Nijay K. Gupta and Scot McKnight in Galatians For those who are followers of Jesus, we are members of a universal family called the Church (notice the capitalization).  Local communities of Christians are referred to as churches (lowercase c), which collectively make up the Church (capitalized). Followers of Jesus are invited into the Church upon placing their trust in Jesus.  Local churches typically have a process of becoming a memb...

  "Ignorant desire isn't good; rushing feet make mistakes" (Proverbs 19:2 CEB) Yesterday, the candidate for Secretary of Defense, Peter Hegseth had a congressional interview for the position.  It was clear that he is clearly unqualified for the position.  Mr. Hegseth has a history of poor leadership in businesses, disturbing ethics, and, most importantly, ignorance regarding the complexity of the Department of Defense, its mission, and the high level of skill required for international strategy, negotiations, and oversight of the massive defense complex.  Mr Hegseth has experience in the National Guard, which was activated to active duty during his tenure. However, that is a far cry from understanding the complexity of the US military. This would be like asking an autoworker who worked for Ford for 3 years on an assembly line to be the CEO of Ford.  Additionally, He has not been recommended by our current military leadership. During the hearing, he was questione...

  And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’ “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life. ”  Mt 25:45–46 NLT In controversial topics, we are taught that in order to be civil in the communities in which we participate, that it is polite and respectful to "agree to disagree".  This is often used to de-escalate a disagreement that has emotion attached.  Devoted Coca-Cola drinkers will rarely agree that Pepsi products have more flavor, and so thanksgiving gatherings will often agree to disagree when a guest breaches generations of etiquette by bringing a two-liter bottle of Pepsi to a Coke family gathering. The point is that when the topic is trivial and no one has the potential of being harmed, it is appropriate to go the "lets agree to disagree" route. However, what if someone at the same thanksgiving meal made a statement...

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. (Rom 15:13 NLT) "In our questions about politics and the gospel, we must be willing to ask how evangelical politics might change if we replace fear with hope, the pursuit of power with the cultivation of humility, and nostalgia with history."--Mae Elise Canon in Beyond Hashtag Activism I am writing this on November 6th, the day after election day in 2024.  I have been preparing for this day by spending more time in prayer and meditation, anticipating that regardless of the winner of the presidential election, that many leaders and members of the churches that I have the privilege of serving, will experience significant discouragement, disappointment, and disillusionment.  A number of friends have contacted me, checking in and sharing concerns about my welfare and the welfare of many of my fr...