Sweet's "The Purple Church"

I looked back in my files today and discovered Leonard Sweet's sermon "The Purple Church." So I should really give him credit for this concept of purple being the color of faith. You can find his sermon on preachingplus.com. It's a great piece.

Grace and peace, Buzz

Purple is color of faith in politics

"If you're going to call people sinners, you better be perfect."

That's what self-professed culture warrior Bill O'Reilly told NBC's Matt Lauer earlier this week concerning the Rev. Ted Haggard.

Haggard, who was founder of the megachurch New Life Church and president of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), had confessed to unspecified "sexual immorality," accepted responsibility for his actions and asked forgiveness. He resigned from the NAE and was subsequently fired by the church he founded.

On the day before voters went to the polls, Lauer questioned whether the revelation about Haggard's indiscretion would have an effect on "evangelicals" turning out at the polls, giving Democrats an advantage -- the premise being that evangelicals always vote Republican.

That's a pretty narrow view; however, having been in the media for 26 years -- 21 of those as a Christian -- encountering narrow-minded journalists when it comes to matters of faith is nothing new to me.

Lauer claimed to have read O'Reilly's "Culture Warrior" from "cover to cover." I doubt it will ever grace my bookshelves, which are lined with everything from various Bible translations, to works of Henri Nouwen, to Brian McLaren's "A Generous Orthodoxy: Why I Am a Missional, Evangelical, Post/Protestant, Liberal/Conservative, Mystic/Poetic, Biblical, Charismatic/Contemplative, Fundamentalist/Calvinist, Anabaptist/Anglican, Methodist, Catholic, Green, Incarnational, Depressed-yet-Hopeful, Emergent, Unfinished CHRISTIAN."

McLaren's verbose title challenged me as much as G.K. Chesterton's "Orthodoxy." Chesterton led me to do mental gymnastics, but McLaren forced me to reconsider preconceived notions.

Lest anyone think I'm unsympathetic to the so-called culture war, and culture warriors, think again: I am empathetic, and for good reason.

Francis A. Schaeffer's "A Christian Manifesto" (1981, Crossways Books) can be found on one of my many bookshelves, while "Turning Point: A Christian Worldview Declaration," by Herbert Schlossberg and Marvin Olasky (1987, Crossways Books) has somehow disappeared. Both of those books influenced a great many culture warriors, including this one.

As a Christian who was young in the faith during those years, Schaeffer and Olasky's words literally jumped off of the page and into my mind and heart, and occasionally into newsprint via columns. Those words and thoughts remain a part of my journey, but only a part.

Prior to converting to Christianity in 1985, my reading included such works as James S. Kunen's "The Straweberry Statement: Notes of a College Revolutionary," Jack Kerouac's "On the Road," Abbie Hoffman's "Revolution for the Hell of It," and Tom Wolfe's "Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test." You could say that I journeyed from an anti-Christian ghetto to the Christian ghetto of culture warriors. While residing in either subculture, rarely did I journey into the other neighborhood — except to argue. To do otherwise would be tantamount to treason.

Sometime after 2:30 a.m. Wednesday, when it became clear that the congressional sea was experiencing a tidal change from Red to Blue, I left The Daily Times newsroom and headed home. As I drove along the Pellissippi Parkway, my thoughts turned to pondering whether those on either side of the culture war -- many of whom are part of the Body of Christ -- would ever make peace.

I was reminded of a close friend who died some years ago. His name was John Hanna, and we were once culture warriors together.

John was head of the Christian Media Center in Knoxville and one-time president of the Tennessee Christian Coalition. We would gather for lunch and talk about faith, and eventually talk about politics. I remember one particular lunch when John and I were in deep discussion.

"John, you and I both know that salvation isn't found in Washington."

It was pretty much a rhetorical statement, because John most certainly knew it then, and it's something he knows with even greater certainty today. But in the 1980s and early '90s, the prevailing thought among culture warriors was, "If we could only get the right people on the Supreme Court, in the White House, in Congress. ..."

Of course, the "right people" were Christians who thought the same way we did.

It's the same mindset today, but it's not restricted to evangelical culture warriors; it crosses political and religious boundaries. The deep Red and the deep Blue are part of the same culture: It is the culture of, "We're right, and everyone else is wrong."

Jesus is not Red -- except for the blood he shed.

Jesus is not Blue -- even though he did ride a donkey into Jerusalem.

Given that his body is spread throughout all political parties, Jesus is something of a mottled purple.

Someone once said it's time for a Purple Revolution.

Color me purple.

Grace and peace ...

Does Monopoly Man live inside of you?

If there was ever a game that served to instill the concepts of capitalism into young minds, it’s Parker Brothers’ “Monopoly.”

With “Monopoly,” anyone can be a slumlord, maintaining houses for the impoverished along Mediterranean and Baltic Avenues, extending the low-income neighborhood to Oriental, Vermont and Connecticutt Avenues.

With “Monopoly,” a 10-year-old can relive the glory days of robber barons by buying up the Reading, Pennsylvania, B&O and Short Line railroads.
And adults who fancy themselves as Donald Trump can erect hotels all along the backstretch from Pacific Avenue to Boardwalk, laying in wait for the unsuspecting who happen to land on their empire.

As a youngster, I loved to play “Monopoly.” I especially liked it when I was rolling in the dough and had vast stretches of houses and hotels. When my opponents would land on them and be nearly bankrupt, ready to throw in the towel, I would talk them into hocking their property, loaning them the money with hopes of keeping the game going.

As an adult, no one in my family will play with me — despite the fact that we have two boards in the house. It’s been years since we’ve played, quite possibly because we have no time at all for such games. But then again, it’s probably a good thing.

Because somewhere deep inside of me lives “Monopoly Man.” Somewhere inside my psyche lives the spirit of the “Rich Young Man” whom Jesus confronted.
Jesus was walking down the street when the man came running up to him, asking, “Good Teacher, what must I do to get eternal life?”

Jesus told him what he already knew: Don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t lie, don’t cheat, honor your father and mother.

The rich young man said, “Teacher, I have — from my youth — kept them all!”
Jesus surely knew that was going to be the young man’s answer. This was a matter of the law, and the young man believed he had conquered the law.
“Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”

Jesus looked at him and loved him, and took him to the place of the heart. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

Those are words Monpoly Man just can't handle. Look through Community Chest and Chance and all you will find is Monopoly Man being given money, earning money, or having it taken away from him. Never do you see him give money away out of pure altruism.

In “Monopoly,” you can lose everything you have with the roll of the dice. It’s sort of like Las Vegas, when you think of it.

But you don’t have to travel that far to experience the same thing. Any one of us can be evicted from our lives of relative comfort with a mere turn of events.

Life is like that.

At that point, in the game of life, where do you turn? To whom can you turn but to God?

If you are a believer, and you live day to day outside of the Kingdom of Comfort that many of us know so well, you have no one to turn to but God … and you rely solely on His providential care.

If you are “Monopoly Man,” if you are the rich young man whom Jesus confronted, you likely see no need for God in your life … nor have you ever seen the need … and there is very little in the form of sacred history in your life.

Jesus knew that as long as the rich young man could rely on His possessions he would never see the Kingdom of God at work in his life … and so, he challenged him.

Sometimes I am certain “Monopoly Man” has built a hotel inside of me.

Sometimes I am like the rich young man, relying on my stuff ... my job ... my 401(k) … my whits … to get me through life in the here and the now.

Jesus calls you and me to chuck all of that and follow him.

We need to arrest “Monopoly Man” and tear up those "Get out of jail free" cards.

Grace and peace ...

Under the gun ...

It's been a pressure-packed two weeks, and I can't wait for this week to be over.

What's been happening?

• We're in the middle of launching a new Web site at The Daily Times, and I'm the point person. I've been putting in about 55-60 hours a week the past two weeks.
• I have a pre-class paper due -- postmarked today, Friday.
• Not to mention I haven't struck a lick on Charge Conference documents.

Thanks be to God I'm healthy ...

One man's dirt is another man's miracle ...

I had a bit of a medical scare last Friday that brought visions of more Interferon. However, God was gracious and there was nothing to it.

I'll share more later. Suffice it to say that one man's dirt is another man's miracle.

Grace and peace ...

Journey back to health: Week 33

In-credible!

I just now counted what week it ws on my Journey Back to Health: I'm in Week 33, and this morning I received results from my latest viral load. I remain in the category of "undetectable." Dr. Scott said: See you in six months.

Earlier, as I ironed some shirts, I was listening to Peter Scazzero, a guest speak at Mars Hill Bible Church near Grand Rapids, Mich. He was teaching on "Daily Offices," which is discipline you can use to be in the presence of Jesus throughout the day. The Scripture he used in presenting the method to a Sunday night group was Colossians 2:6-7, which reads:

"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness."

Today, I am indeed overflowing with thankfulness ... and I pray that you, too, remain in Christ Jesus with an attitude of thanksgiving.

Grace and peace ...

Ron Metcalfe's been taking a break ... and so have I

I was playing around, googling my name, and came across an old post from my British friend Ron Metcalfe.

Ron started the Hepatitis C forum that was a great source of comfort and information during the days when I was undergoing treatment -- and I will be forever thankful for his companionship on the journey. So, I headed over to his Web site and saw his post Taking a Break. I read it, and again I don't feel so all alone.

Ron's been taking a break from posting about his Hep C journey; I knew I had, and figured I was all alone in not knowing what else to say. It again was a comfort to know I was not alone in this part of the experience.

As I shared with Ron, I had a viral load done last week and am waiting on the results — actually, not really “waiting” in the same manner as I did so many times before. I have tested negative at least twice now. (It's great not to remember how many times!)

Like Ron said, Hep C rarely crosses my mind; however, I occasionally have a strange experience. It's an experience where my immediate thoughts are elsewhere, but my senses quickly respond.

For instance, there are some eyeglass wipes that I use every once in a while to clean my glasses. This past weekend, I tore open a pack, pulled out the wipe and it registered a familiar smell: the alcohol swabs I used to prep my injection area before a shot of Neupogen or PEG-Intron.

Every once in a while this summer, while wearing shorts, I'll absent-mindedly rub the areas I used as injection sites on my thighs. During treatment, they were even more bald than my head; now, they have hair. Still, lest I forget, there is the scar near the inside of my right knee where the largest of the knots (the previously unknown side-effect known as Erythema Nodosum) was biopsied.

I have felt guilty at times for not being part of the Hepatitis C Forum. Like posting on this blog, as well as The Pastor's Buzz, it's partly a lack of time. I must confess, with the Hep C Forum, it's also something of what Ron noted: I'm taking a well-deserved break from Hep C.

Even when you test negative, you are well aware that there is no known cure. In the back of your mind, you know it can surface with the next test. Who can take for granted testing negative for something that only a year ago consumed my life?

So, for now, I will enjoy the "undetectable" status, and every once in a while check in on my friend Ron .. and Paul ... and Martin ... and the many others with whom I have journeyed ... and still journey with, even from afar.

In the meantime, I am hard at work at the newspaper, as well as the church, and am enjoying life with my family.

Thanks be to God!

Grace and peace ...