Viral Faith

" God's gifts aim to make us into generous givers, not just fortunate receivers" Miroslav Volf in Free of Charge Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.  Matthew 10:8 Today, I read an article about a pastor who left the following message for his or her waiter: This pastor refused the 18% gratuity that was added to his or her large party and instead left 10% (assuming it was cash as there is no tip on the receipt) based upon the pastor's concept that to give more would be to give more to the waiter than to God. This is a great example of terrible theology, and even more incredulous, a terrible, terrible witness to character of Jesus and his people.   Throughout scripture, God is described as a generous God.  He instructs his people to be "open handed" (Dt 15:8) and to be generous to others as we have been blessed, not because of our worthiness, but because o...

"I refuse to believe the "isness" of humanity can not reach up to the "oughtness" that forever confronts him" Martin Luther King, Jr, 1964 in his Nobel Prize reception  He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new! Revelations 21:5 Today, the United States celebrates the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  There are so many things that could be said about him, that a blog entry can not even begin to skim the surface in describing his impact.  So, I want to share five ways that his life, his legacy, and his death have impacted me: 1. King demonstrated that faith was at the core of changing a society.  Rev. King never backed away from the moral outrage prompted by his faith while advocating for changes in a secular society.  In his writings from "A time for Freedom" in 1961, he quotes an elderly woman who walked several hours to work in sweltering heat instead of taking the bus durin...

"You don't get to a place where you're never going to be tempted again." Alan Chambers, president of Exodus International “God created sexuality.  People create sexual identity” Dr. Jenel Williams Paris in The End Of Sexual Identity "Whatever you marginalize, you radicalize" Rick Warren (@RickWarren 1/15/13) So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.  (Colossians 2:10 NLT) Two things happened yesterday that colluded to produce this blog entry.  First, I participate in a wonderful email discussion with pastors and leaders that covers a variety of topics regarding life and faith.  Over the past several days, there has been significant discussion on the church's treatment of homosexuality in light of Pastor Lou Gigglio's removal from praying during the presidential inauguration due perceived anti-gay comments.  Secondly, a church member scheduled a meeting with me ...