The Journey

Mr. President...Today We Pray For You

Mr. President, today we pray to the God of the Universe, the One who created all Things, and in Whom all things hold together.  We pray to Him who gave us life, and who is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end.  We pray to Him who loves the world so much, He gave His only Son to die on a lonely cross, that we might have life apart from sin.  Today, we pray for you.

We pray for wisdom to shroud you in all circumstances.
We pray for compassion to be about you.
We pray for strength to accompany you along the way. 
We pray for your transition to the White House, and your family.
We Lift up your first days in office. 

We pray that the God of heaven show you the priorities of the nation, and of the world.
We pray that you be the beacon of hope you spoke of in the months preceding.
We pray for a perception of those who have no voice.  We pray you would hear theirs.
We pray for your economic advisers in a tumultuous business environment.
We pray for your decisions that effect the protection of the innocent.

To Him who is Above all

In Jesus Name.

Amen.

Mr. President.  Today, I will fast for you and lift your name up. 

And for those of you who are interested in changing America, I found a few people who have already decided to commit to the president.  Some commitments are small, and might seem a little silly; but if we're going to become a nation fueled by the togetherness of it's people, well, you decide...

MySpace Celebrity and Katalyst present The Presidential Pledge

"Don't be Surprised, the World Hated Me First..." -Jesus-

Talk about a firestorm!! President Elect Obama asks Rick Warren to say a prayer at the upcoming inauguration, and He gets absolutely obliterated in the Media.  Obama gets ugly articles.  Warren gets ugly articles. 

It's just down right UGLY!

And how unfortunate. 

To you Conservatives:  Here we sit on the verge of something absolutely profound, and you've drawn your bows and swords at a man (Warren) who actually can help bring sense to some of the issues you want Obama to focus on.  No matter what you think, Warren will have Obama's ear on these delicate policies.  I believe we all want people in the oval office that can stand up for the rights of the unborn, and be defenders of marriage.

To you who are called Liberals, here you sit on the verge of a President interested in including more than opinion at the table.  Have you forgotten the last 8 years of isolation?  Do you remember the words you used to use like "uni-lateral."  Here is a President that is trying to change that.

When will be a people that can get over our presuppositions and get down to business?  When are we going to let what we know about Pastor Warren play out.  He's not bending his ideals on abortion or Gay Marriage. 
He's been invited to pray. 

Pray for our leader. 
Pray for our nation. 
Pray for an administration that has some different social agendas that many are opposed to. 

In fact, he tried to clear the air.  How many of you have seen this?

I know what it's like to be in the middle of the firestorm. 
I know what it feels like when the very people you try to help come and slice their pound of flesh off your ministry. 
I know what it's like to be mis-understood.
I know what its like to be guilty by association.  But Hey... I guess we're in Good company.

Jesus said, "If the World Hates You, Remember, It hated me first." (John 15:18) So when the heat gets hotter, it must mean we're getting closer to the heart of God. 

The Pharisees also called Jesus a "man who is gluttonous, a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and sinners."  (Luke 7:34) I wonder what that made God feel like?  Here he sent His only Son to save the world, and the leaders of the faith tried to assassinate His character. 

It's no fun to be in the middle of a firestorm. 
It's not at all God's intent. 
In fact, the verse right before that commanded believers "This is my command, that you love one another."  (v.17)

Pastor Rick, I pray for you today. 
I'm hopeful that your influence on the political world will continue to show God's reconciled plan for humanity.  My prayer is that the world might see the Love of the gospel played out in your actions, in your life, and in your prayer on Jan. 20th. 

I have made a commitment to keep this blog clean and clear of slander.  I will not be part of a place that belittles others; no matter who they are.  Rather; in the form and fashion of Jesus, no matter what; I want to be a co-laborer of the gospel.  A place where people can come to Love God, "With all their heart, with all their soul, and with all their mind; This is the First and Greatest Commandment. AND the second is like it, That we Love our neighbor as ourselves."

May we be a people who continue to dwell in the presence of God and not allow the rumors and gossip of others drive our lives. 
May we hide His word in our hearts, that we might live a life worthy of the gospel.
May we pray for those in leadership and authority over us, that they may have the wisdom only God can give. 
And...
May we keep our eyes and ears open on this long journey called life, as God reveals Himself to us in new ways each day.

Hollywood Makes Their Play

A friend sent this to me...Be advised...the Borat Character is a bit crude, but the message is interesting.  It's a new Steven Spielberg idea.

Ummm...heck yea...

Don't let them tell you what to think....

This thing is getting ugly and out of control. 

I've been reading blogs of Pastor's voting for Obama, Moms voting for McCain, Dads who are goo goo over Palin, and a small component of constituents who love Biden.  I've seen the enormous amount of blogosphere traffic this weekend filled with ideas about the current political sphere, and I just want to remind everybody, no matter who wins, we all live under the sovereignty of a God who proclaims, "greater is He that is in you than He that is in the world." 

That being understood...I'm disturbed at the nature of this race as the discourse has digressed to an unbelievable mean spirit over the last few days.  Everytime I read another blog calling for Christians to get out and vote, or the world is gonna end, I just think, "How in the world do we get here?" 

Is Obama really a Muslim?
Will McCain really make it through the first term alive?
Does the governor of Alaska really not have the leadership skills to lead?
Is Biden the prophet of catastrophic future events?

Why are we doing this? 

I've seen polls getting tighter and closing, and others that say the polls are running away, but the alarming part of all this is the fact that ugly name calling and dishonoring comments are on the rise.  Ladies and Gentlemen, this is not our kingdom.  This is not how we live together under the banner of a God who has the whole universe in His hand. 

Where is decency? 
Where is the integrity of the people we are electing to the highest office in the land?
Where is the hope in this race?

Why can't we see the issues, and then make educated decisions to vote and respect others as they make theirs?

It's almost as if we have to demonize each other to justify our choice for a man or woman to lead our country.  We call each other names.  We try to pressure our friends in thinking that they just "don't know the real story" of one person or the other.  The media tries to make stories out of nothing.  Just think about all the dishonoring things being said that don't have anything do to with how someone might lead. 

How many houses the McCain's have?
Who did Obama eat dinner with 10 years ago?
How far is Alaska from Russia? 

I wonder how much those media directors at CNN and FOX NEWS are smiling as they take every cent of advertising dollars right to the bank, as we swallow their stories up hook line and sinker.  Come on. 

I'm definitely not advocating we hide our heads in the sand and become illiterate to the issues, but let's stay on the issues. 

Life is an uncompromising issue.  Who is going to best protect life from the cradle to the grave, comprehensively?

Freedom is an uncompromising issue.  Who is going to protect the freedoms our forefathers so diligently gave their lives for?

I think the worst part about this election is people who are trying to make this race about religion and tear apart two men that both profess a foundational belief in Jesus the Son of God, the forgiver of their sins. 

Don't be mistaken, this race is not about religion.  It's not about who loves Jesus more.  Jesus wouldn't vote for McCain or Obama.  Jesus said, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and give to God what is God's."  (in other words, pay your taxes)  We just happen to live in a country where we have the honored opportunity to elect the Caesar that rules our nation. 

In any event, November 5th, you'll be able to look in the eyes of either candidate and say, "You would not have any power if my Father had not given it to you first."   

The central message of God's Redeeming story is that of Love and redemption.  There's no way around that fact.  So, let's be people who can differentiate politics and our faith.  Don't give into politics if it compromises the foundation your values are built on, mainly mean spirited attacks that degrade the character of people, rather than standing up for the issues we need to vehemently oppose.  Remember...this is not our kingdom.  This is not our system.  We can transcend the ugliness, and focus on the most important issues of man while we're here on earth,  the redemption of our relationship to God and each other. 

May we be reckless in our stance on issues that matter to God.
May we not give power to those that compromise His character.
May we be wise as serpents and gentle as doves, as we tackle those issues that are components of the moral fiber of mankind.

Overall...Don't let the media drag you into an Us vs. Them narrative when it comes to politics.  Division is Satan's greatest tool to distance God's greatest resource, His people. 

Now...GO VOTE!!

Lots of Spin...Lots of Laughs...This is FUNNY!

Anybody Tired of all the Election Coverage Yet?

It's official...this thing has been going on for 19 months, and last night I decided...I'm out!

I'm turning the channel whenever this stuff comes on.
I'm not watching any more debates.
I'm not watching any more commercials.
I'm Finished.

If I hear "Joe the plumber" one more time today, I'm going to pull my hair out.

We've been watching this thing go down for almost 2 years, and it's time for it to be over! 

I saw a poll on FoxNews.com today and it said there are still between 8-10% of undecided voters.  Ok, I'm really not this scenical, but 8-10% is the equivalent of almost 30 million Americans.  Are you telling me, that 30 million Americans still don't know who they're going to vote for after 2 years of this campaign stuff?  COME ON!  Maybe if you can't make a decision after 2 years, we ought to just hold some kind of emergency remedial voter education class.  THEY'RE SAYING THE SAME STUFF!! 

I watched all three debates, and they say the same talking points.

Did You know...there are countries that limit the amount of time you can campaign?  Maybe we should do something like that, give them 6 months and call it finished. 

Because look....

Obama has spent untold millions of dollars on campaign ads. 
McCain is traveling around in private jets and decked out buses.
They both have staffs that would overshadow most small businesses.
All the while....

The World's financial markets are crumbling.
The Poorest of the poor are going hungrier with the global cost of food on the rise.
Murder hasn't stopped in Americas major cities.
Drug and Alcohol abuse are still claiming the lives of thousands.
Genocide didn't take a time out in the Sudan.
There are still hundreds of millions of kids who are living without a mom or a dad becuase of circumstances out of their control.
Abortions are still happening.
ALL TO SAY...THE WORLD DIDN'T STOP SPINNING BECAUSE THERE WAS A DEBATE TWO NIGHTS AGO.

We've got some serious work to do, and it seems like every news channel I turn to, I have to listen to which candidate picked his nose in a more Republican or Democratic way.  Come on.  Let's do this thing, and get on with the real lives of real people who need real help.

What if we took the sum $$'s spent on this campaign and just devoted it to 1 of the programs either candidate is trying to promote?  I think we could get a lot done! 

What if we took all the T.V. time these guys are sucking out of the airwaves, and used it to help promote charity work around the world?

Or...What if there was a way we could use the time and energy spent to continue training teenagers to think out of the box when it comes to the core values of their lives.

Things like honesty, compassion, and caring for the needs of other people in your community. 
We could figure out how to highlight people who are hard workers, successfull businessmen, or religious scholars.
What if, instead of pointing fingers down party lines, we decided to band together and really try to encourage our teenagers to take math and science serious, so we could do something astronomical as a nation like generations before us did? 

I know it's a necessary evil. 
I know it's a process we must go through as a democratic nation.

But I'm tired of listening.  I'm ready to get on with this election, and start focusing on other issues here at home and around the world. 

A good friend of mine once said, "Between what's said and done, there's a whole lot more said than done."  Let's stop talking, get on it, and DO SOMETHING!

(Sorry for the pessimism today.  I must have woken up on the wrong side of the bed or something.  Or, maybe it was the fact the tv was on all night, and I subliminally kept hearing Joe the plumber, Joe the plumber, Joe the.. Joe...)

Finally...Politics with Class

I don't know if you saw it yesterday, but John McCain was in a town hall meeting where there were several angry supporters were shouting in fear for the idea that Senator Obama might be pulling away with the presidency.  They were calling for more of a fight from the Republican nominee, and tempers were on the rise.  It was really uncomfortable to watch.

I saw one woman, face to face, with Senator McCain and she said Obama scares her to death... because Obama is an Arab. 

Who in the world would has the gumption to begin throwing the race card in this hotly contested debate?  I couldn't believe this was the statement a normal American voter would whisper to the Senator with her one chance to ask a question.  But wait...there's more...

She went on to say she believed Obama to be a terrorist.

A TERRORIST?  By definition a terrorist is someone who will use terror and violence to inflict harm on others in order to disturb and instill fear in it's victims as they seek to perpetuate an agenda. 

She was declaring a treasonous label on one of the two guys we are going to vote to be the leader of our country for the next four years.  WOW!!  That was a doosy. 

But, then something really special happened. 

Senator John McCain looked straight in her eyes and started standing up for Obama. He used the moment to calm the angry crowd and pull them back into class and decency.   

It was HUGE!

Then this morning I saw where Obama actually thanked McCain for standing up for him. 

It was the first time in the contest we saw two men agree on the character of the other.  It's more important to keep the game civil, than it is to trash the other man's character with rumors and traditional "mudslinging." 

It's been quite a while I've seen the political process climb up from  the muck and the myre of campaigning.  And, to be honest, they both went back to slamming the other on issues, but for one small moment, we saw the character of these two men shine through in a resounding way.

Thank you Mr. McCain and Mr. Obama.  My hope is, after this is all over America can heal from the  harsh tone we've heard over the last 18 months.

My prayer is that we all can return to being Americans and solve some of the hardest issues facing this country since its inception.

My hope is that maybe we can return to the days shortly after 9/11, where even the most outspoken people in our nation, New Yorkers, could lend a helping hand to the people around them. 

What might it be like if American could lead the world with the ideology we were founded on, mainly the certain inalienable rights given to all men by a Creator.  Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of happiness, at its core, the values of this United States of America.

Today, I'm proud to be an American, where I know there are two men vying for the highest office in the land showed us all, even in our disagreements, we can stand up for the character of another. 

I'm not much of a politician, and certainly don't think it's my job to be involved in this race other than one more American walking inside this global story....together.

May we learn this most important lesson from a place traditionally reserved for hot disagreement. 

Did you watch it?

Did you watch it?  What did you think?

Come on Ya'll It's Time To VOTE!!

It's time to end the madness.
It's been over 2 years in the making.
And now...we've got a chance to make history.
If you're undecided after two years...well, I don't know what rock you hide under, but that's beside the point.

GO REGISTER TO VOTE, and LET'S DO THIS THANG!!

Did you see this...HILLARIOUS

A Comment from a Valued Reader

I so desire to facilitate a place here online where we can have honest discussion.  I don't want to be a place where people can fight.  But I do know there is only one truth (John 14:6), but if we are big enough to discuss the depth of spiritual development, we ought to be big enough to look at issues going on around us, and think through them.  I know politics isn't the greatest place to do that, but we are in one of the most heated political races in a long time. 

Sometimes I wonder if any readers go back and look at the comments of some of the posts.  I'll tell you, they are SOOOOO rewarding.  I love hearing different opinions.  I love hearing other points of view on current issues.  So, in an effort to bring the comments to the front page....One of our valued readers posted a comment to the Question, "Where should a Christian position themselves in the current political climate?" 

Phil answered...
One thing is clear in my mind. Christians need to start taking a stand for Truth.

If a political candidate is building his campaign on lies and deception, there is no way for a voter to understand the candidate's true position on any matter. The whole premise of democracy goes out the window.

It follows the old Biblical premise, by the fruit you shall know the tree. If a candidate is running on a platform of change and reform, but has a track record of playing insider politics and taking vast sums of money from the taxpayers, then Christians should be out front demanding the truth.

Thanks Phil.  I really appreciate the time you took to line this out. 

So...what do the rest of you guys think?  How does Phil's comment help us come to a better understanding of our role?

I'll try and filter through comments, and post the one's that are truly thoughtful.  I want to be sure we are a people who can think beyond the media sound bytes we hear on either side of the aisle.  So, go ahead....leave me some comments on Phil's quote, and let's talk (like adults.)

May we be a people interested in a good healthy debate.
May we be careful to allow our politics to center around Jesus First.
May we help the next generation think about the roles in society.
May we not fall into the camp that generates hate, but rather; can be filled with God's love.

After all...He created the Universe.
He puts authority in power.
He's going to ultimately judge all things.
He is My King.

Where should a Christian Position themselves in the Current Political Climate?

Here's one from a dear friend...

Thats such a hard question because it totally depends on the christian that you are. So many christians are against abortion and so many are for it. Same with homosexuality, evolution, cloning, sex before marriage, the list could go on forever. Its so hard to straiten out your religious beliefs alongside your position in politics. Lets say you were totally against abortion but for gay marriage. And the democrat that was left was for abortion and gay marriage, and the republican one was against abortion and against gay marriage. Who would you vote for?
Or, with health care. Like, I might be going further than needed in this conversation, but, what about health care. Doesn't the lord tell us to put others before us and "take from the rich and give to the poor?" So, shouldn't we have universal health care to help the poor rather than keep it how it is and let the middle and upper classes be greedy? It does say like everywhere to put others before yourself. So many people don't see what they have, when across the world or even in their own neighborhood there are people who have nothing at all. Not even God. So when I turn 18 and I can vote, I'm gonna vote for the candidate that wants to help and change this world the most. Because this world is not how God wanted it to be.

Fair and Balanced

I asked my facebook friends to contribute a few comments about the upcoming election.  I've gotten several ideas back from high school students, college students, and old friends.  I would love this to be a place to discuss current issues, so from time to time, I'll go ahead and post the responses.  I hope you guys have a wonderful day...until next time...here is one of my staff girls en fuego for the GOP.

Hey Andy!
I saw your post about the election and I thought that I would toss in my 2 cents.
I am totally into this election and politics in general. I just got back home from the RNC and the VP choice was like a surge of electricity throughout the convention.
The level of excitement about the election on my campus (Missouri State) really surprised me. Most shockingly is the amount of energy and involvement for the GOP on a liberal campus. The discussions between students that I have overheard and participated in are usually pretty substantive and well informed regardless of the candidate being supported. I am also seeing A LOT of students on both sides of the isle who are actively involved in political campaigns on the local and national level.

Interesting....??

He's been a sage, driving Christianity into a new conversation, not seen since the protestant reformation back in the 1500's.  He's challenged me in my faith, given me surprising new insights to Jesus' mission, and caused me to drill deep into the wellspring of my own soul in search for truth. 

Donald Miller is a gifted writer.  He knows how to pen the most thought provoking issues of Christendom, while trying to be as real as he can be.  He's faced intense opposition, garnered wonderful rave reviews, and even come down to Branson for a little retreat with the Kanakuk Crew. 

His book Blue Like Jazz, was destined for the trash bin.  And after being on the market for more than a year, his publishers and agents started just giving it away.  As people began to find out about Donald and his mission, his tune struck a chord in the hearts of people looking for Jesus.

And it wasn't until the release of his second book, "Searching for God Knows What"  that I really started looking into this man named Miller.  He has an eye for reality.  He has the courage for the truth.  He has the humility to ask forgiveness from a world with serious issues against the atrocities committed in the name of God. 

But most of all, he's helped me re-imagine. 

He's given me hope for the future of our faith.  As the numbers of people sitting in the pews continues to decline, and the teens I'm working with are tired of the Old Time religious status quo; Mr Miller has invited them to experience God in a refreshing new way.  The way He was intended to be known from the beginning, "For your mercies are new and fresh each morning."

And yesterday...a good friend sent me this.  Watch it, and let me know what you think.

I'm Trying to Hold Off

I'm trying to hold off, but I'm getting so many questions about this election deal; especially in lieu of the Democratic convention being held in Denver, and the Republican convention coming up here on Monday of next week.  There is so much buzz in and out of the Christian world about politics, and I feel like we all need to take a deep breath, and re-evaluate our positions. 

I was in a large meeting of believers in Canada, and sat with Josh McDowell for lunch.  I asked him if I should engage in politics, and he counseled me to stear clear.  He was concerned that a conversation about politics only provides fertile ground to fight, and we should seek common ground.  Then he whispered, "but I love a good debate..."

I know the risk of talking about politics and religion, but I think we're big enough to evaluate the positions and talk through them with civility...right??? (Don't let me down now...)

First, let's remember, this government is one that man asked for.  In the Old Testament, the Israelites got fed up following God's lead, and they wanted a man to run the nation.  So God set up kingships after much warning about man ruling man.  He allowed for a prophet to choose the king, and it was only the democracies of the Greeks and Romans that give us a model for where we live today in America.  This system is the only one we have, and since the days of the Old Kings of Saul, David, and Solomon; this is what we get to deal with.  It's not perfect by any means.  But...it is a system that allows for us to be as involved as we want to be.   

Secondly, let's be careful lining up with one "party" over another.  There is no "Christian" party.  The people that run for office have core beliefs about how to govern this country.  And...this country affords the right to believe however and whatever you want.  That's the beauty of living in a country that gives people the freedom to go to church, or not.  It's the beauty of the American system that gives you the right to go out and do whatever it is you want to do to make a living.  It's a wonderful system.  It's a great historical experiment.  But it is what it is.  And when we try to convolute the system and force it in a mold; we forget the kingdom wince we serve.  (see my posts on the Kingdom of Heaven.)

All that being said...

I think we have a wonderful opportunity to be involved in a government if we choose.  We have the right to go and vote for people that will represent a value system we each person believes in.  And so the greater questions may not be whether a person believes like you, but rather; will the person you select to be the leader of the free world be able to make the changes in the system where we live, the way you see fit. 

Both men running have expressed a solid core belief in Jesus. 
Both men seem to want the best for America. 
Both men are committed to the cause of freedom around the world.
Both men are not content with the state of the Union as it is. 

So which one will it be?

I recently saw a civil forum at Rick Warren's church out at Saddleback in California.  What a description.  If you're looking for some inside scoop on what these two men believe, I think Pastor Rick asked some important questions, and got some provocative answers. I'll post them below. 

But remember....

Our kingship is not of this world. 
We serve a king more mighty than John McCain, or Barack Obama. 
Our methods are to care for people, and to worship the God who threw the planets in the sky, and blew the stars in the Universe out of the palm of his hand. 

So be careful....

Don't get caught in the dogma that says either one of these men are going to be the savior.  We already have one of those.  We're just looking for a man to lead this system we have, to a better place for the next four years....So...Who will it be?  I guess we'll know in the next 90 days....

Will it Be Obama?.

Or John McCain...

Or should we just remember that God is our King, and Jesus is our example for how to live in this world.  Whether we vote one way or the other, our responsibility to the causes in this world do not change.  We are obligated to Love God with all we are, and Love our Neighbor as ourselves. 

May we be a people who can see beyond the titillation of politics
May we live righteously, love justice, and pray for those around us. 
May we be a part of the Kingdom of Heaven that often flies in the face of the world. 

Have you seen this?

Have you seen this yet?  What do you think?

Do you think Jesus is praying for rain?

Out of the Loop But not Without a Skeptical Eye

Did you see this?

Two people that seemed as though they hated one another only a few short weeks ago, now on the same team?  Hmmm interesting.

Being out here at Kamp sometimes blinds me from the current state of politics, but I'm sure to get back in the game after summer is over.  I just couldn't pass this one up.  What is going on here?

I also read the blog Wrecked for the Ordinary, where Jim Dobson is coming out quite strongly against the Obama camp for their take on abortion.  In fact, if I read the article right, Dobson is ready to spar with Obama, and he's got issues with John McCain.  Fox News reported that Dobson is still unsure whether or not he'll even vote for either one of these guys as this point. 

Whew...what an interesting week I've missed in politics! 

So I guess without knowing what exactly is going on, I feel a little in the dark.  What's going on?  Are conservatives lining up behind McCain?  What are the big issues?

I'd love to hear what you think? 

I thought it very strange to see these two unlikely bedfellows speaking together yesterday. 

So, What say you?

Mr. Braner Goes to London

You're never going to believe this. 

In fact, I'm pinching myself right now. 

I'm here in London, and I just got out of a closed debate in the house of Lords. 

That's right...the infamous House of Lords.

Actually, I was invited to a discussion hosted by Lord Alton to identify and debate the newest British initiative to legalize human/animal hybrid cloning.  I know it sounds a bit Brave New Worldish, but it's going on.

So, to add to this tremendous trip, I joined a well respected Medical Dr., and a genius Non Biologist in their discussion on Human Life and the implication such legislation might lead the UK into the future.

I still can't believe I just walked out of the House of Lords with an escort...

More to come...

Heaven has Secure Borders?

OK...so I'm not one to shy away from a little controversy, and today can be no different.

I was sitting in an airplane on the way to Chicago today, reading the latest World Magazine, and saw a quote that jumped off the page. I'm not exactly sure what it was intending to convey, but a major leader in Indiana religious circles said, "Heaven has secure borders" in the context of our current illegal immigration political debate.

Now let's be clear. Jesus says, "I am the way the Truth and the Life. No man comes to the Father but through me." (John 14:6)

So on the one hand, this man was speaking truth. Heaven surely has a secure border for those who enter and those who don't. But how can the correlate heaven and the Mexicans crossing the borders to the U.S.

Is God concerned with nationality? Job security? Homeland security for heaven? It just seems like the comparison was a little bit of a stretch.

Once again, preying on the fear and concern of Right Wing America, this idea that we would be more heavenly if we tightened up the borders and allowed poverty and starvation to continue to plague third world nations, is just absurd.

And, before you get off on me being a liberal or conservative, just take Jesus' words and wrestle them through our current conflict.

"All ye who are weary and heavy labored, come to me and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)

So, at the same time Jesus says there are borders to the entryways to God, He opens it up to anyone who chooses to come. It's just a terrible way to conjur up support for a political agenda to compare the United States to heaven.

I don't know...

Maybe I'm off a bit here....

What do you think?

What Now?

Well, after six weeks of waiting patiently to see who John McCain is going to have to face off in the general Election, Hillary Clinton wins Pennsylvania.  So What now?

I don't know about you, but my eyes and ears are getting tired of this hamster wheel.  It seems like as soon as we get a picture of how this race is going to wind up something crazy  like this takes place, and we're back to square 1. 

Yesterday Obama had the ticket.  Every news anchor was calling Hillary's race a dead duck, and as I  was watching all the speeches tonight I started wondering if the news media has a play here.  I wonder if they need this crazy race going so they can sell ad time or something.  I'm not a conspiracy kind of guy, but this is getting a little out of hand.  What is the deal?

Why can't the democratic party get their act together and give the country a clear view of who they want?  It seems like the republicans have their candidate, and now the country is focused on this nutty democratic deal.

I don't know what to make of politics.  What do you think?

What's it gonna Take?

I've watched the debates, followed the political pundits, and heard even good hearted red blooded Americans talk about the immigration issue in the U.S. 

Tonight I was watching a pretty prominent news report talking about the role of the catholic church in welcoming immigrants to the U.S.

Surprisingly, one side of the conversation took the moral argument.  It is our social responsibility to take care of the poor and needy.  While the other side was adamant that the church should reach out and give the charity, but stop handicapping the normal American with the responsibility to take care of the immigrants when they come to the U.S.  In other words, it's OK if the church wants to reach out, but don't make us do it. 

I'm not sure the intricacies of this issue, but every news story out there has a take on the answers to illegal immigration. 

I found this on YouTube.  Pretty funny.

What do you think?

Ok, here I go again...

I was recently at a large gathering of Christian youth workers, and we were milling about with the presenters.  There were several large named folks sitting around the table, and I leaned over to one guy and told him about my last attempt to write politically here on this website. 

His eyes got as big as saucers as he explained, "That's the biggest mistake you can make.  If you write political articles, the faith based people will hang you on a proverbial cross and murder you.  Andy, you just can't make everyone happy, and politics is a time bomb." 

I got frustrated and tried to prove my point, but was overshadowed by a long line of Christians nodding their heads in agreement.

Andy my heart got sad. 

When did Christians loose the ability to have a rational discussion about the topics of politics? 

I find myself in kind of a catch 22 situation.  If we can't talk about politics because it offends people, then how in the world are we going to be able to solve the major problems of our country. 

We can sit back and stir up the fear of our congregations, but as soon as we start talking about 'party' lines, it's like you enter a whole new ball game which will for sure alienate at least 50% of the audience.

Well, I don't want to live in a world where we can't talk about the issues of the day.  So at risk of disenfranchising 50% of you, I want to engage.   I want to see how Christians effect elections.  I want to know what the most important issues are to people sitting in churches.  I'm interested in feeling out political candidates and they're messages to see if they line up with the principles I believe in as a believer in Jesus and an American. 

I was fiddling around on youtube yesterday morning, and I found this interview.  And to help kick off a conversation with you, I thought I'd post it and see what you think. 

(And...PLEASE feel free to engage.  The more comments left here, the more we can talk about the issues at hand.  If you don't leave comments, I'll just move on to the next topic.  Let's keep a thread of discussion alive.  I love hearing from you, and I promise I won't hold anything you say against you.)

I knew I'd start taking Heat...but it's worth it

I knew I'd start taking heat from my conservative friends the moment I posted a video of a Democratic candidate.  My left wing friends praised my boldness (Which by the way, wasn't in any way boldness to support their cause).  I even stopped, when I was about to post it, prayed, and asked God if I should just erase the whole blog.  I didn't get any voice from the sky, in fact it was clear I felt like the message overshadowed the Democrat/Republican issues, but once again I was wrong. 

Oh, how I thought we were so much further along than where we are.

It's amazing!  It's breathtaking to see the amount of e-mail and comments from my friends on the right.  I've been overwhelming these last couple of days with calls, e-mails, and text messages from people who are seriously calling my faith into question. I'm serious, some even calling me a heretic because I posted a 'baby killer's' message on my blog.  "How can you be a Christian and even begin to endorse a man like Barak Obama?"  They ask.

Well, it takes a careful reader, strike that, it's almost in BOLD PRINT.... Go back and read the blog again and see I stated clearly, I won't use this platform to support any candidate.  I'm not out campaigning so we rally around MY political view.  I merely posted the speech because I thought it was high time we start seeing leaders who are more interested in the hope of a nation, rather than bickering about who can bring about the most change (which I find quite alarming that most of my right wing friends are putting their eggs in a scary religious basket.)

My mom was right.  Talk about politics, and those little hairs on the back of everyone's neck start standing up.  When are we going to get over it and start being adults who can address hard issues without always reverting back to the same old playbook of fear? 

It's quite a cognitive disaster to say you want to stand up for abortion because God fights for the rights of the unborn, and turn the other cheek to the man who is a MORMON!  Come on!  Are we serious?  Is the conservative right willing to look the other way on a religion with a history of racism, sexism, and secretive ceremony just to claim his stance on ABORTION???? Have you read Joseph Smith?  Did you go to the cult classes in Sunday School?  Or were you too busy carrying the signs with dismembered babies to focus on the dangerous religions creeping in all around? (I apologize to all my Mormon friends.  This is a short blog, and I'd love to do a series on Mormonism, but notice quickly...I'm venting.)

Newsflash....the reason I wrote the article on Nov. 22 about changing the arena for conservative issues, is because for eight years we've had the Dream Team in Washington, and NOTHING has been done about abortion.

Let's look at a little report card of the past 8 years....
A Republican White House, traditionally a party  who  claims to stand up for Abortion, DID NOTHING! 
A Republican Senate, again interested in the rights of the unborn, DID NOTHING! (only 6 yrs.)
A Republican House, fight for babies, DID NOTHING! 

Come on folks.  You've been snowed! The Parties are using you to polarize the country around the abortion issue, and we're just buying into it hook line and sinker. Some say it's all about the judges a president has the ability to pick to sit on the Supreme Court to legislate morality. Are we really willing to stake the entirety of a country's legislation on the hopes (proven unrealized at this point) that some judge somewhere is going to have the courage to overturn Roe V. Wade?

Of course abortion is a tragic moral flaw in the fabric of our laws, but all the men who promised to stand up for the unborn for the last eight years...DIDN'T!  As dangerously tragic as abortion is to our nation, it's clear that politicians aren't going to do anything about it.  They've tapped your fear button so you'll vote for them, and then when elected, they quickly forget to forge ahead and make policy to stop it.  All the while having to do the business of running a country with thousands of other issues.  Do they care about the genocide in Sudan?  Do they care about welfare reform?  Do they care about Health Care, Immigration, Roads, Foreign Relations, Economic Standings, Job Markets Etc. Etc. Etc.

Abortion will not be won in the halls of congress by some slick politician.  It can only be won when the hearts of the people of this country realize what is happening, and change.  Abortion can only be stopped when the majority of the people of America take a stand and address the moral problems proceeding abortion.  Teenage pregnancy, Human Sexuality, and Options after mistakes are made; these are the ways we address the issue. That's the country we live in.  It's a 'majority of the people' deal! And the majority will have to decide, or else that lying politician won't get elected next time around.

It's clear, in this democracy, you can't legislate the hearts and minds of people.  My goodness, we have a death penalty and people keep on killing!

So where do we find answers to these hard issues of government's role in dealing with morality?

I guess we could do what Huckabee suggests and match the constitution up with the Bible...but wait...then we'd be a theocracy, right?  Isn't that what we fight for around the world.  Freedom for people to choose how to live their lives apart from their religious code? I run in circles that scoff at Muslim countries for trying to develop a system of laws centered around what they believe, and in the same breath want to make sure we force people in America to abide by Judeo Christian values.  Have we forgotten how to reason in this country?

We could do what Republicans have done traditionally, keep promising to change with no results? And then we get people in the White House with strange economic policies, failed energy policies, and disastrous international relationships with countries who would love to know the freedoms Americans have.  "But...they said they'd do something about abortion!" say those who vote.

We could follow the Democrats, and just let it be a free for all permitting abortion freedom as a government statute.  This too seems wildly inconsistent with specific values that party places on the poor and their rights as humans in the struggle for the American dream. It doesn't make sense to provide programs for the orphans, the minority groups, even the sick and dying, and then be quick to turn around and kill and unborn human.

So what do we do?

How can we address hard line fundamental issues, so we can realize change, rather than create another debate platform to fight over? We MUST FIGHT IN A DIFFERENT ARENA, for the hearts and minds of moral fiber.  Maybe that's why Jesus said, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and give to God what is Gods." 

Maybe this is why God saw it dangerous to have a man leading a nation.  He knew corruption, pride, and thirst for power would filter down into the veins of a man.  He knew people, when left alone to journey into their own moral degradation, would turn the tide of a country into a lawless place.   Maybe that's why he had the prophets pick the kings?   

Well, that's not the way it goes down today.  Prophets don't pick kings, we do.  So, I'd love to hear your thoughts.  God knows I've heard them over the last post.  But seriously, Keep em coming! It's worth it.  We may finally get somewhere when people are unbridled from the fear of heresy, and begin talking about hard issues dealing with government and it's role in religious circles.   

Momma always said don't talk about religion or politics

Well it's true.  My mother always said, the quickest way to start a fight is to talk about religion or politics.  And since I talk about religion all the time, I thought it high time to talk politics too.  So today, I'm inching out on a limb to expose my yearning to know the truth about the upcoming candidates positioning to become the new leaders of the free world. 

It's no secret this election cycle is centered around the mantra of change.  Everybody wants to change.  Change from the old to the new.  Change from what they see as either a failed foreign policy, a shaky economic plan, or a quivering environmental statute.  Whatever the reason, whether Republican or Democrat, all the candidates are talking change. 

Romney talks about Washington being broke.  Huckabee wants to fix the constitution to mirror God's laws.  McCain is interested in using all those years of politics to effect meaningful change.

Hillary is poised to change the 200 plus years of gender in the White House, while Edwards wants to change the special interest groups. 

But one candidate stuck out yesterday. 

It was MLK day, and I wanted to see what Barak Obama would say as he preached from King's Old Church down there in Atlanta, and I wasn't disappointed. 

Obama is also positioned for a big change in America, but his change had little to do with race yesterday.  He gave a speech that was inspirational.  He transcended the run a muck politics, with a message of hope.  And being a religious guy, my life is all about focusing in on people's pain and sharing a bit of hope. 

I'm not advocating or endorsing any political candidate.  Just bend your ear to one of the many candidates who, at least to this young American, is looking for a little leadership to change too.

I need a dose of hope for America.  I identify with change, and what an exciting time to watch as those who will be our future leaders help serve up a platter full. If you have a second...watch this, and tell me what you think.  Not about Barak Obama as a candidate, because I believe in God's sovereignty over these issues.  But what do you hear in the message this young would be president gives to the world?