Integrity and Apologies...

Big news today. Tiger's apology. 

I am a huge Tiger fan. Gary very much appreciates the fact that I am because I will actually watch golf with him when Tiger's involved. When everything happened last November, I was pretty bummed. I really respected him for the incredible golfer he is, and the family man he seemed to be.

But his apology today was big. "It's now up to me to start living a life of integrity." Heartfelt, seemingly genuine, his 14+ minute apology was as stand up as he is on the course. I can't determine whether it was genuine. I can't say for sure it was his apology and not just great PR writing. But I can't say it wasn't, either.

I will say, though, that as far as celebrity apologies go, this one was impacting. I can't imagine how his wife has felt through all of this. And I can't make excuses for Tiger. But today definitely helped from where I'm standing.

Does he owe me anything? No. But I believe he owes the kids who look up to him something. And he owes his family something. 

He repeatedly admitted that it was all his fault, taking full responsibility. A far cry from Letterman's recent apology. He cleared his wife's name and stood up for her vehemently. He admitted he needs help and has a long way to go, though he has "taken the first steps" toward healing. "I am the one who needs to change." He then leaned into Buddhism, which he says "teaches me to stop following every impulse and to learn restraint." 

Celebrity apologies have made me think lately about my own need for repentance. They serve as a reminder to me how God's heart desires "mercy not sacrifice, and acknowledgement of God rather than burnt offerings." (Hos. 6.6) Repentance is always better than trying to make it up or cover it over.

I feel sorry for him. Not in a pity kind of way. He doesn't need my pity. But I feel sorry in a sincere, Im bummed for him kind of way. I feel worse for his wife. But whether he followed apology etiquette or not (seriously, apology etiquette? how about just truly repenting?), it was a good move for him. And I hope true and honest healing can come to him and his family.

Also, his golf skills really do astound me. And golf isn't playing in our house until he's back.

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Lesson for Today: Eldrick Tont... Who would've guessed that was the real name behind "Tiger"?

Noise vs. Sound...

Sitting in my office this morning, I am thinking about the world of noise in which we live. Noise is all around us - a fact that is most often, but not always, lost on us. I sat here doing work for a couple hours and then, in a moment of pause, I realized how much noise was happening. Constant, unchanging notes coming from the sanctuary as the piano tuner did his thing. Thumping coming from upstairs, staying with the beat of the music I could hear playing through the ceiling. The hum of the water fountain and the copier, rising and slowing. The occasional sound of feet walking around. Mighty to Save playing through my own speakers... All of it joining together to create noise.

But each sound has its own source, its own reason for "sounding." It just takes listening to filter through the "noise" to identify each unique "sound." I think of how hearing God is so much of the same. Noise is all around us. The noise of busy lives, distractions, and self get in the way of hearing that one unique sound we are all searching for - God's voice. 

The thing about us as humans is that we become desensitized pretty well, and pretty quickly. Noise surrounds us but, for the most part, we don't even realize it is happening. It is when we find one sound above the rest grabbing our attention that we finally realize. 

If we only took time each day to listen, really listen. If we only allowed our hearts to more readily be "grabbed" by that one sound we are desperate to hear. We then could separate that sound from the rest of the noise and live in a way that reflects his heart beat. All because we have heard his voice.

"...that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life..." Deuteronomy 30.20

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Lesson for Today: A "normal" day is one of those simple joys in life, I think.

This is the Church...

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about this one moment that has been ingrained in my mind. Im not sure why I keep coming back to it, other than God trying to tell me something. Im pretty certain that I've already blogged about it, but I cant find the post. So, at the risk of repeating myself, here is the moment told (again?):

I was in Mexico. We were attending church, worshipping with well known songs, singing in Spanish. During the worship time, there were easels on the sides of the stage with paint, pencils, markers, and other art supplies for people to go up and create if God put something on their heart. I watched as one guy headed up there and drew until worship was complete and the pastor was making his way up to the pulpit. I couldn't tell what it was because I was too far, but I found myself staring at it during the service, wanting to know what picture God had spoken.

After the service, I went up and saw the picture. I talked to the guy and his explanation was simply, "This is the Church." The picture was of a man sitting on the floor in a prison cell. Above his head were shackles that had been opened. A shaft of light was coming in from his window shining on him, his cell door open. But he was just laying there. And he even looked comfortable.

"This is the Church." Its a picture of the Church we don't often see, but a picture I will never forget. How often do we find ourselves still sitting in bondage, even though in Christ our shackles have been removed and our door open? Even though Christ has set us free, we have to get up and move out that door. It is our responsibility to put one foot in front of the other. Too often, we let the world defeat us even though we are on the winning side. Too often, we find it more comfortable to sit within our own failures and sin. Too often, we deny the power of Christ by occupying our cell when he has given us access to the free world. I know I am guilty of it.

May we grab hold of the freedom that Christ has given us through his death and resurrection. May we never find ourselves willfully sitting confined when God has called us to the mountaintops with him. May we never turn back. "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5.1.

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Lesson for Today: What is an "original copy"? We still can't figure it out.

The Unexpected Messiah...

I am struck today by the glory and majesty of Christ. I have recently been studying the beliefs of first century Jews. They had ideas about the Messiah that were so far from who Jesus was. Obviously, Jewish expectation of the Messiah varied largely from group to group. But none of them were expecting the Messiah to look and act like Jesus. Nor were they expecting the Kingdom of God to roll in the way that it did. As Christians, we know this. We know Jesus was different from what they thought, or they wouldn't have crucified him. But when you study the specifics of what they really thought it would all look like, you see how Jesus must have been such a disappointment to them.

And yet, Jesus was the Messiah, the Branch, the Son of Man. He was the Suffering Servant that no one expected would be the same man as the Messiah. How could the One who came to wipe Israel's enemies away, to redeem His chosen nation, to bring the Kingdom of God to earth be the same man that would be rejected and suffer for the sins of many? It was outside the realm of possibility for the average Jew. But here comes Jesus, Son of Man, Son of God, King of all. He comes and brings in a new Law, a new Covenant, and doesn't touch the hair on a single Roman soldier.

Looking back, it makes sense. We can see how Jesus brought in the Kingdom even if he didn't do it politically or socially. But for them, it was inconceivable. And it makes me wonder, what expectations do I have for Jesus that do not parallel the reality of who He is? Am I waiting on something that, when it does not happen, I will look upon the King of Kings with disappointment? God, may it never be. I pray that I have looked upon His face enough to have set all my expectations unconditionally on Him for who He is. But I fail too often. I look to what He does over who He is more than I'd like to admit. 

So today I am reminded that it is never about me, or my ideas of how things should go down. It is forever and always about the majesty of Christ, bringing glory to Him as He is lifted up for all nations to see and to worship. Even, or especially, when He goes outside my preconceived notions.

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Lesson for Today: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty.

Controversial Curiosity

Johnny has been recommending Tribes, by Seth Godin, for some time now. After reading it, I get why.

Here is one section of the book that caused a good bit of conversation between Gary and I. I may be controversial in what I think about this, but what do you think? Here is what Godin writes:

A fundamentalist is a person who considers whether a fact is acceptable to his religion before he explores it. As opposed to a curious person who explores first and then considers whether or not he wants to accept the ramifications. A curious person embraces the tension between his religion and something new, wrestles with it and through it, and then decides whether to embrace the new idea or reject it.

Once recognized, the quiet yet persistent voice of curiosity doesn't go away. Ever. And perhaps it's such curiosity that will lead us to distinguish our own greatness from the mediocrity that stares us in the face.

We might like to think that fundamentalism is the better way to live our Christian lives. You may not admit it right away because the word "fundamentalism" holds a strongly negative connotation in our world today. But when you think of fundamentalism in contrast with curiosity, most Christians today would say we should be rigidly firm in our beliefs, our doctrine, our theology.

But did Christ affirm the fundamentalists, or the curious? I submit he took more pleasure in his curious followers. Fundamentalists stood back and determined if Christ fit into their interpretation of the Law. We see time and again that He did not. But curious people ran after Him and listened to His words. Once they knew enough, they made a decision to either "accept the ramifications" and change their lives, or walk away. They checked it out before making a decision. And those who decided to follow Him did so, not because He fit into their worldview, but because they changed their worldview to revolve around the words and life of Christ.

There is an obvious caution line here when it comes to "checking things out." I am not saying we should be open to ideas that contradict the Bible or lead us down a slippery slope, all in the name of "seeking Christ." But what I am saying is that we too often say an interpretation of Scripture that is different from ours is wrong, end of story. Or we look at someone and say they aren't serving God because they serve in a different way than we do. Or we push against someone when they don't follow our own convictions we superimpose upon them.

But why are we so afraid to run after something that could be Christ, and instead denounce it as untrue? Are we so prideful that we think we know God that well? We think we can label someone after a only moment of listening, determining they speak no amount of truth? God is bigger than the boxes we put Him in. And I think His heart is more pleased with those who curiously seek Him than those who rigidly stick to their fundamentalist beliefs.

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Lesson for Today: The counter really changes things... I understand now.