I grew up loving Sesame Street.  Loved it.  It helped teach me how to count, how to identify colors, brush my teeth and most of all to appreciate the fact that not all monsters are nasty…some love cookies.

There is one Sesame Street song in particular that still floats around in my mind to this day, perhaps you know it.  It goes something like this, “Oh, who are the people in your neighborhood, in your neighborhood, in you neigh - bor -hood - oh!”

Not all that long ago, if one were to answer the question posed in that familiar song your list would include all the folks on your street, maybe a mailman, the trash guy, etc.  You know, the people whose business you know, whose lives you can observe and who - if you want - you can interact with, talk to, and serve.  Right?

I’ve blogged about this before, but in our digital, media saturated age the definition of neighbor is now widely expanded.  I can now observe the lives of, interact with, and be concerned about almost anyone at any time.  In other words, the whole world is now my neighbor.

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So this morning, some dude on FoxNews was crediting Oprah Winfrey with the success of Barack Obama in the recent Iowa caucuses.  Seriously.  Oprah.  The guy even went on to say that if Obama goes on to get the nomination he has no person to thank more than the talk show host, turned spritiual guru and humanitarian.

First, she gave us Dr. Phil.  And as if that wasn’t enough (I mean, where would we be without the dry and unfiltered wisdom of the good Dr?) Oprah is now driving American politics.  At  least, according to some.

Now, I’m not sure I agree.  I think Obama’s message, his youth, and frankly the overall contrast he offers in comparison to other candidates is what drew folks in Iowa to vote for the dude - and whether it will translate to further success is far from a sure deal.

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It may not be big news on this side of the pond, but last night former British Prime Minister Tony Blair officially converted to Catholicism; which - for our British cousins - is a relatively big deal.

We Americans like to think that we keep a good separation between things like faith and politics, but compared to the Brits our political leaders all look and sound like an illegitmate child of Pat Robertson and Ronald Reagan.  The truth is that faith, politics, and public life really go hand in hand in American culture.  We want our potential leaders to at least “pretend” to have some semblance of religiosity about them.

Europe however is a different story;where there is a seeming distrust of those who speak openly and fervently about their religious beliefs - which is what makes Tony’s announcement so interesting.

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My favorite movie of all time is “Back to the Future.”  I sincerely doubt that a better piece of cinema has ever been produced.  You think I’m joking.  I’m not.  For real.  For those of you who have not been so blessed as to enjoy this movie, let me give you the ultra-short synopsis:  a kid has to head back in time in order to save the future.  There it is.

Earlier today, I was flipping through a Best Buy ad and saw that the DVD boxed set was on sale for only $18 - which might be the greatest deal in the history of merchandising.  All three glorious films for under $20.  There is a God [pause] his name is Jesus.  I suggest you buy it.

Anyway, being the theological nerd that I am, I started to think of how the premise of this movie is actually a good metaphor for what Christmas is all about.  Just go with me on this one.

We all know that Christmas is about the baby Jesus.  Yet one of the things that often gets lost in our celebration of Christmas (even amongst your hardcore, Bible reading follower of Jesus) is the fact that Christmas is not just a celebration of what God did in the past, but of what God is going to do in the future.

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Martin Luther was the man.  For example, you had the Reformation - kind of a big deal.  Thank you, Martin.  Then you have all of his writings - again, thanks.  The guy even wrote a few of the best hymns in the history of the church.  Not too shabby.

But one of the things I love the best about Luther, and Reformation theology in as a whole, is how it translates into a Christian life of freedom; freedom to embrace, redeem, and find joy in all aspects of life on God’s earth.

A great example would be a few nights ago.  I had the rare opportunity to hang out with some great guys from the church.  We spent a few hours talking about life, watching Monday Night Football - all over a few drinks.  It was great fun.  Getting whooped like a back-talking toddler in a few rounds of Golden Tee however, was not. 

Now, believe it or not there are a lot of folks who flip out at the idea of a follower of Jesus (let alone a Rev) hanging out at a pub and enjoying a beer with friends.  There are those who act as if alchohol is the blood that runs through the veins of the devil himself and a Christian who enjoys alchohol - even in moderation - might as well be proudly wearing a t-shirt that says, “Please Lord Jesus, send me to Hell.”   [awkward pause]  Okay, so maybe that description was a tad extreme…but you get what I mean.

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Last week, former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor went public with the fact that her husband of more than 55 years is seeing another woman.  But that’s not all:  Sandra is OK with the relationship - even downright supportive of it.

Now, the truth is that John O’Connor - 77 - suffers from Alzheimer’s and his new relationship is one that he has struck with a fellow patient.  And while Mrs. O’Connor herself has been mum on the details, all indications are that this new relationship is more than just a simple friendship; all parties invovled view it as a loving, romantic connection.  And - wanting her husband to be happy (reports say that prior to this new romance, Mr. O’Connor was deeply depressed), Mrs. O’Connor has encouraged the budding bond.

My wife, Lisa - a social worker, specializing in geriatrics - tells me that this type of thing is actually quite common, noting that while memory function might fade, the need for companionship and intimacy remains.  Sandra Day herself has said that she chose to reveal her husband’s “infidelity” to raise awareness of this lesser-known side of the Alzheimer’s battle.

However, it does raise some interesting issues.

After all, in a strict sense this does classify as adultery, doesn’t it?  Regardless of Mr. O’Connor’s mental state, he is still married and therefore bound to his wife, legally, ethically, and spiritually.  Any action violating that connection and covenant would be a sin. Would it not?

One might argue that since Mr. O’Connor lacks knowledge of his previous relationship that he is incapable of willful adultery and therefore we’ve entered new territory with new rules.  Besides, shouldn’t compassion for the man’s condition win out?  Perhaps.

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For those of you out there who like to pray, send a few up for me this weekend.  I’ll be hanging out with several hundred of my closest friends at the Ohio District Youth Gathering, held in Columbus, Ohio.

I have the honor of serving as the keynote speaker all weekend long.  While exciting, this type of thing usually equals a ton of work and results in one happy, but exhausted pastor.  (That’d be me)

Please pray that God will allow me to be thoroughly prepared and that He would use my words to convey His Truth, to convict hearts, stir up faith, and excite students to hold on to Jesus.

The theme of the weekend is, “Why Fire?”  That is, why does God allow/use difficult times in the lives of those He loves?  I know, deep, difficult stuff.  I will keep it fun however.

The fact is, we simply aren’t allowed to know the “why” of things.  God’s people are called instead to focus on the “who” and the “what.”  Bad things will happen, what matters most is “who” I’m holding on to in the midst of it all (Jesus) and “what” God has in store for me on the side.

Say some prayers.

This is postmodern thinking at its finest - or its worst - depending on who you ask.  Yesterday in St. Louis two women were ordained as priests in the Catholic church.  Soon they’ll be celebrating mass, proclaiming the forgiveness of sin, and hosting bingo nights.  You know, everything that Catholic priests do.

Now, the truth is that the Roman Catholic church has not changed its stance on ordaining only celibate men for the office of priest.  But that has not stopped these gals.  No, believing that the role of priest should be open to all, these women (along with all those in their movement) decided that they needed neither the blessing of the church, nor any actual recognition by the church in order to achieve their dreams.

Instead, they held an ordination service (at a Jewish Synagogue) and will begin holding a weekly mass (at a Unitarian church) and insist all along that they are indeed a part of the Catholic Church.

Now, regardless of where you fall on the issue of women’s ordination or your feelings on Pope Benedict and friends - this whole deal should make you go, “Huh?”

Here’s why:  We continue to make a shift in our culture towards complete independence and autonomy of the individual.  That is, the individual with his/her individual thoughts, desires, passions, and beliefs - trumps everything and gets to define reality however he/she desires; and no one (particularly not a backwards, sexist, organization like the church) has any right to call it into question.  (This is, by the way, the heart of postmodern thinking.)

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So, when was the last time anyone called a press conference when you announced who you were going to vote for?  My guess is never - that is, of course, unless you’re Pat Robertson.  If you’ve ever had the traumatic experience of watching Christian television or if you were of voting age in the 1980’s then you know Pat.

He, along with the likes of the late Jerry Falwell, has been at the helm of the political arm of the Christian right - attempting to mobilize evangelical Christians behind certain leaders, issues.  The guy himself ran unsuccessfully for President in 1988.  For more than 20 years he has been the self-annointed (and widely followed) picture of where Christianity and politics intersect.

Personally, I think Roberston gets it all wrong.  He misunderstands and misrepresents the role of the church in government and vice versa - failing to understand that the government and the church are both institutions created by God for drastically different reasons, operating in drastically different ways.  For a correct understanding of such things you can check out THIS, THIS, THIS, or THESE.  Each does good job of explaining what’s often referred to as the doctrine of The Two Kingdoms.  But that is fodder for another post.

The big news here is that today the ultra-conservative, pro-life, anti-gay rights Robertson, announced that he is officially endorsing Rudy Guiliani as the Republican nominee for President.  This is big news and marks a massive turning point in right wing, Christian political activism.

Here’s why:  Rudy is pro-abortion.  Rudy is pro-gay rights.  Rudy is - save his stance on defense and spending - politically liberal.  And yet, Robertson has given him a great, big Jesus-loving thumbs up.  Now, it’s not as if Pat has changed his tune on these moral issues.  No, he simply stated in his news conference that he now believes “the defense of our nation” and the “reigning in of government spending” to be the most pressing issues facing our nation and so, Rudy is his man. 

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Admit it - you read “Pop-Tarts” and instantly thought “yummy toaster pastry.”  And while that is understandable, it would be wrong.

No, the pop-tart in question is Britney Spears.  You know, America’s one-time underage MTV darling turned “divorced mother of two, fighting with the courts for custody of her kids, and all-around celebrity train-wreck.”  Now please, let it be known that I am not writing to bash the girl, but instead to ask some questions about how we (that would be Jesus following Christians) should view such struggles.  So there.

In a culture obsessed with celebrities, America has taken on Britney’s obvious troubles as their own in a weird mix of voyeurism and concern; a lot like slowing down to see the carnage of a car accident while purposely muttering to those around you, “I hope every one is okay….”  For me, the national obsession hit an all-time low last night when the local news here in Houston, Texas featured the latest update in her custody battle as one of its “top stories.”  For real.

Gossip and slander are massive issues in 21st century American culture, fueled by entertainment shows that try to pass off someone’s personal junk as “news,” blogs (hey!) that allow people to anonymously blast one another without any sense of accountability, and a general ethic in the American psyche that says, “I have a right to any information I desire, as long as I don’t ‘judge’ anyone” - which is total bull because what do you think we’re all doing as we wag our heads in disgust watching Brad Pitt parade around with the chick from Tomb Raider? Continue reading »