Self Awareness and Presumption

I barely know myself; why is it that I presume that I can know so much about my neighbor?

What Rap and Hip-Hop Could Be

Let's take a break from theology for a minute to talk about the poverty of modern culture. There are two aspects of this. The first is the selfishness that is pervasive and the attitude that says: "I'm doing this because I can... and I can do anything!" The second is the massive loss of true art in modern culture. Everything is so dumbed down, sanitized, and simplistic.

Check out this odd song. Both of my observations converge here. Not only are the ideas expressed in it way outside of normal popular music... this group actually uses old poetry principles like enjambment, unequal repetition, and onomatopoeia in the lyrics of their songs. Now if only they could get past the profanity in other songs we'd be set. Watch the subtle the transition of thought is as it slips from pride to narcissism... and from narcissism to arrogance... and then to tyranny!

I'll be happy to comment on my opinion of the views expressed by the author of "Handlebars", but for now I leave it to you, the reader, to analyze without further comment:


"Handlebars"
By The Flobots

I can ride my bike with no handlebars... No handlebars, no handlebars
I can ride my bike with no handlebars... No handlebars, no handlebars

Look at me! Look at me!
Hands in the air like it's good to be
Alive, and I'm a famous rapper
Even when the paths're all crookedy.
I can show you how to do-si-do.
I can show you how to scratch a record.
I can take apart the remote control,
And I can almost put it back together.

I can tie a knot in a cherry stem.
I can tell you about Leif Ericson.
I know all the words to "De Colores",
And "I'm Proud to be an American"
Me and my friend saw a platypus.
Me and my friend made a comic book;
And guess how long it took.
I can do anything that I want cuz, look:

I can keep rhythm with no metronome... No metronome, no metronome
And I can see your face on the telephone... On the telephone, on the telephone

Look at me! Look at me!
Just called to say that it's good to be
Alive in such a small world
I'm all curled up with a book to read.
I can make money open up a thrift store.
I can make a living off a magazine.
I can design an engine sixty-four
Miles to a gallon of gasoline.
I can make new antibiotics.
I can make computers survive aquatic
Conditions. I know how to run a business,
And I can make you wanna buy a product.
Movers shakers and producers;
Me and my friends understand the future.
I see the strings that control the system.
I can do anything with no resistance.

'Cause I can lead a nation with a microphone... With a microphone, with a microphone
And I can split the atoms of a molecule... Of a molecule, of a molecule

Look at me! Look at me!
Driving and I won't stop!
And it feels so good to be
Alive and on top!
My reach is global.
My tower secure.
My cause is noble.
My power is pure.
I can hand out a million vaccinations
Or let'em all die from exasperation.
Have'em all healed of their lacerations
Or have'em all killed by assassination!
I can make anybody go to prison
Just because I don't like'em, and
I can do anything with no permission;
I have it all under my command.

Because I can guide a missile by satellite... By satellite! By satellite!
And I can hit a target through a telescope... Through a telescope! Through a telescope!

And I can end the planet in a holocaust! In a holocaust! In a holocaust!
In a holocaust!
In a holocaust!
In a holocaust!

I can ride my bike with no handlebars... No handlebars, no handlebars
I can ride my bike with no handlebars... No handlebars, no handlebars

My Observation on the Economic Crisis

Here in Iraq you get to meet a lot of people from all over the world. In addition to our local Iraqi partners, you have people from various places that have come here to serve or to work. You get to talk to individuals from the Mediterranean, the Far East, Europe, northwestern Asia, and even southern parts of Africa. Some are here on behalf of their governments, but most of them are here to work. They are here because Iraq, as damaged as westerners incorrectly think it is, seems to hold more opportunity for them than their homelands.

So it isn’t just horrible that we don’t do more to help the real poor. It isn’t just horrible that we put them out of our mind and rarely ever think of the plight of the rest of humanity.

It’s that we, in fat and secure America of all places, would dare to complain about our own financial situation as if any of us in suburbia are becoming truly poor as the rest of the world knows poor.

It is the height of narcissistic selfishness to consider yourself poor simply because you have less than your neighbor who happens to be even more filthy rich than you are. We have become so spoiled by our prosperity that we have set a standard of poverty and security that includes comforts that are inaccessible to most people who live on this planet.

If we look closely and critically at ourselves, we can see that our anxiety is not that we are failing to meet our basic needs. It is that we can no longer afford the treasures and wants that we should be entitled to.

…and isn’t that the very foundation of envy and greed?

Moth, Rust, and Theives

Matthew 6:19-26 (English Standard Version)

Lay Up Treasures in Heaven

19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22 "The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

24 "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

Do Not Be Anxious

25 "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

Hey Look! The Emperor has no clothes!

Todd Wilken hits it out of the park with this paper.

HT: Steadfast Lutherans

Happy Holidays

Get ready... I'm about to make some people irritated. It is time for everyone to take a moment to read my content warning. If your ego is a delicate lily, you might want to skip this one.

I prefer to say, "Happy Holidays" throughout December. I say "Merry Christmas" on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I guess that makes me a horrible Christian.

Before irate readers Google my home address to come drag me out for a public flogging, let me explain:

The word "Holiday" comes from the Middle English word holidai. It means "Holy Day". When you say "Happy Holidays" you are saying "Happy Holy Days". I refuse to surrender this pious greeting to a bunch of atheists and pagans just so that they can have free ammunition to further subvert Christ and His church. There are many Christian "Holy Days" through December and January ...like today: The Second Sunday in Advent. Are they not worth fighting for? For most Christians, they are not even worth learning about. We don't celebrate. We don't fast. We don't attend church services. What do we do? We shop and visit relatives.

The entire season of Advent is one of holy preparation, but who cares about that? The argument should not be over the syntax of a particular greeting, but what constitutes a "holy day". So when I say "Happy Holidays" you assume that I am talking about Kwanza and the like? That just proves my point. "Holy Day" no longer means a thing to anyone. I am talking about the feast and fast days of Advent. We are the ones being secular.

Now there are Christians today who hate the phrase "Happy Holidays" because it is being perverted by the spirit of antichrist to take away Christmas. I think that we have played right into the trap. We don't defend the meaning of the word "holiday". We just abandon it and retreat. Instead of preserving Christmas as the DAY of Christ's birth, we diluted the entire season by focusing an entire month on only one aspect of the season: the actual nativity. Saying "Merry Christmas" on December 1st makes about as much sense as saying "Happy Easter" on March 4th. Part of the impact of Easter is the Lent that precedes it. Part of the impact of Christmas is the Advent that precedes it. Apparently, we are just going to give that up to preserve the "important" days. It is obvious to me that Christianity is in full surrender mode.

To be honest, this blame game of silly word play is becoming quite tiresome. American Protestants created this problem when they threw out the church year and made the public Christian life about two days [Christmas & Easter] instead of a cycle of 365 days of Christianity. If we had preserved the feasts and festivals of Advent properly, we might still have "Happy Holidays" and the atheists would have to contest against a solid month filled with many Christian festivals and observances. We handed victory over to the atheists and the pagans when we decided that the Christmas season was only about the historic birth of Jesus. We gave them Santa Claus when we stopped preserving the true Feast of St Nicholas. We gave them the word "Holidays" when we stopped informing people that the word is a religious term. We gave them a foothold to celebrate other festivals when we surrendered all of our feasts in favor of only one: Christmas Day. Then we took that day and cheapened it with all of the secular behavior and traditions that we participate in.

This isn't about the secular trend of the holiday season. This is about the secular trend of Christians. As the church becomes more and more like the world, the world will find it easier and easier to marginalize the impact of the church. The fall of Christmas is not a problem of the weakening culture but a symptom of the disease of secularism in the church. Every year I hear people desperately calling out that we need to put the Christ back in Christmas. How about also putting the mass back in Christmas?

"Christmas" is also a Middle English word: Christemasse. It is a contraction of the phrase "Christ's Mass" or "The Mass of Christ". How many churches today actually celebrate mass on Christmas Day? Ask around: How many churches in your town will have services on the 25th of December? Most Christians do not go to church on Christ's Mass Day... because the day that they spend a whole month defending with shrill voices and patronizing arrogance is not really about Jesus to them. It is about spending time with food, family, friends, and gifts. Now who is being secular?!?

For all of their barking and whimpering about people not knowing "the reason for the season", most Christians today have no clue that "Christ's Mass Day" is not just a family day. It is a celebration of the church. Where and how you spend the 25th is a hint at what you really think the day is about. If you are one of the ones who makes it a point to publically state how much you hate how secular Christmas has become, you should take your own advice and celebrate it as a Christian should. If you do not even care enough to celebrate Christ's Mass with His church, then you are part of the problem.

It almost seems like Christians these days just want to shout and blame instead of think and work. We need to change that. So when someone wishes you "Happy Holidays", might I suggest a different approach? Instead of angrily pointing a judgemental finger and shouting "It's MERRY CHRISTMAS!", try bringing up what the word "Holiday" really means. Why not teach them about Advent, Christmas, and the future coming of Christ? It is a teaching moment, not a fighting moment. Too often, we fight when we should love and preach the Gospel.

Happy holidais and have a merry Christemasse!

Pastor Claus...

...okay ...Bishop Claus would be more accurate and descriptive. If you have not learned about the real St. Nicholas, Pastor Weedon has a wonderful post about him. It is located here.

Every Christmas season, starting on his feast day (December 6th), Lutherans begin to talk about the real Santa Claus. Even churches who didn't give a moment's thought about saints or church fathers during the previous 11 months start talking about the mythology that surrounds this relatively obscure Myrian bishop.

Typically, you never hear a thing about theological titans like Augustine, Irenaeus, Clement, Polycarp, Athanasius, John Chrysostom, Ambrose, Tertullian, Jerome, Thomas Aquinas, or Cyprian... but they were not graced with the marketing boon of becoming the icon of a holiday season that tempts us with sloth, greed and gluttony. Stores like Hallmark make loads of money each year selling sets of figurines of Santa Claus as he appears in the native garb of the various countries who venerate him. He is obviously an important political football all across the cultural community. December is his 15 minutes of fame and we fight over him with a bold zeal for history that is almost unmatched in the areas of perceptiveness and dedication. (For example: I remember the deafening silence on the part of most Christians who barely noticed this horrible rewrite of the Pelagian heresy.)

I guess that it must be all a part of that yearly battle to preserve Christmas from secular commercialism. You cannot open a Christian magazine or hang around after church without hearing about the truth of St. Nicholas, the truth of Christmas in general, and the importance of giving our kids the proper perspective. It is all one ideological package and Santa is usually the linchpin of the discussion. I wish that the modern church cared about presenting the rest of her rich history as much as she does about defending Bishop Claus.

So, I'm not going to talk about him here. People have presented much better posts about St. Nicholas than I ever could. Before you get engrossed in the story of a man that we unfortunately know very little about, might I suggest that you consider my alternative point:

Bishop Claus is not the only pastor who bears gifts this season. As he does every month in the year by virtue of his divine call, your own pastor offers the two greatest gifts that you can ever receive: God's Holy Word rightly preached and the Holy Sacraments properly administered. While you are out amassing and hoarding earthly treasures, do not forget the priceless gifts from heaven that are freely offered to you in the Divine Service. Do not be so busy that you neglect church this advent.

Do not cheat your soul in favor of something as worthless and ephemeral as shopping or a social function. Every year we must turn down social engagements when they conflict with the schedule of our church. Lest one assume that I am suggesting something that I do not do myself; I will tell you all that, this year, I declined my invitation to see the Secretary of the Army in favor of a Wednesday night advent service. I say that not to get credit for my feeble dedication, but as evidence to support my effort to turn the tide of absolute apathy regarding what the priority of a Christian should be.

A dedicated Christian loves and cherishes the church and seeks her out at every available opportunity. A dedicated Christian will pay any price and travel any distance to hear the Word of God every single time that it is preached. This is not to merit favor from God by your attendence, but to protect you from the filthy desires of your sinful flesh and the deadly lies of the devil.

Listen to beloved Pastor Luther:

"Likewise those fastidious spirits are to be reproved who, when they have heard a sermon or two, find it tedious and dull, thinking that they know all that well enough, and need no more instruction. For just that is the sin which has been hitherto reckoned among mortal sins, and is called ajkhdia, i.e., torpor or satiety, a malignant, dangerous plague with which the devil bewitches and deceives the hearts of many, that he may surprise us and secretly withdraw God’s Word from us.

For let me tell you this, even though you know it perfectly and be already master in all things, still you are daily in the dominion of the devil, who ceases neither day nor night to steal unawares upon you, to kindle in your heart unbelief and wicked thoughts against the foregoing and all the commandments. Therefore you must always have God’s Word in your heart, upon your lips, and in your ears. But where the heart is idle, and the Word does not sound, he breaks in and has done the damage before we are aware." [Large Catechism 1:99-100]

Saying that you are a dedicated Christian and being a dedicated Christian are two different things. Your faith is not another errand that is added to your "To Do" list and prioritized. Your entire life is to be one of repentance and slavery to Almighty God. The treasure that you eagerly seek is Christ and His eternal gifts which are freely given to you without price or merit. Everything else is done in view of that fact.

That is just my opinion as a simple layman, but I'll bet you a candy cane that Bishop Claus would agree with me.

How to Say Thank You

People often thank me for my military service. It is always nice to hear and I appreciate it. Here in Texas, this kind of thing happens all of the time. I almost never encounter people who are cynical or hateful while I am in uniform. As the situation in the Global War On Terrorism improves (just like I always said that it would), people who have been silent about their patriotism for the last couple years have started to thank me in public again. Just last month, I had a wonderful patriot offer to pick up the ticket for my wedding anniversary dinner. Yup, this part of the country makes a Soldier feel welcome.

As a matter of fact, I think that I can only recall one time that someone called me a murderer. He did not have the courage to say it to my face of course... he said it behind my back to my wife.

There are several different kinds of thank yous. They all come from different motives and perspectives. It doesn't take a genius to read between the lines regarding what the thank you really means. Once you've heard enough of them, you get really good at picking out differences. Obviously the one I appreciate the most is the one that comes from combat veterans. It is a great honor to have a hero tell you that you are doing a good job. I once had a WWII vet tell the Wounded Warriors that I was escorting that they were the real heroes. He said that the kamikazes in the Pacific were nothing compared to IEDs and child suicide bombers. This Iwo Jima vet told us that his courage looked pretty easy compared to what wars have become. He brought me to tears.

I also love to hear the thank you from members of military families or real patriots. You can tell by talking to these folk that they understand why my vocation is necessary. They may not have a full grip on what being a Soldier is like, but they know why they exist and what they are here to do. They understand that a Soldier's primary job is to efficiently kill the enemy and break his stuff; to cleanly end the fight for the sake of justice and peace. These people get it.

Then there are the thank yous that I could do without. First among these is the half-hearted guilt thank you. This happens when a real thank you is delivered and the person who is not really grateful does not want to be seen as unpatriotic. This is the guy in the grocery line who shakes your hand because he is not going to be the only one who didn't. This is the public official who supports the troops for the same reason that he has town hall meetings and goes to church: to get/stay elected.

Second is the very popular pity thank you. This happens when a person feels sorry for Soldiers and thinks that they are victims of the vast political machine that does not care about them. Frankly, this person insults my intelligence and ignores the fact that I volunteered. If all you have is pity for me, please just keep your thoughts to yourself. This person only sees me as little more than a pawn that is moved around the world to help rich people get what they want.

Third is the selfish thank you. This is the close cousin to the pity thank you and it comes from people who are just glad that you are going off to die instead of them. They say "thank you", but you hear "better you than me, bub." These guys are glad that you volunteered because that means that they probably won't be drafted anytime soon.

Finally, you have the fear thank you. This is the one that starts out feeling like a real thank you, but it reveals itself to be little more than worry about your personal safety. It usually comes out as, "You aren't going to have to go over there are you?" or "Gosh, I hope you aren't one of the ones getting deployed." These people mean well, but they don't understand the nature of a Soldier. It is my job to fight. It is my vocation to be ready to deploy into risky situations. If you are proud that I am a Soldier, please don't tell me that you hope that I will never do the work of a Soldier. We all want to avoid danger, but sometimes danger must be faced. If I am the man that this great country sends to go do that work, then so be it.

The best thank you is the one that takes sacrifice. Actions always speak louder than words. You can thank me if you want, but here is what I'd rather you do to show your gratitude:

1. Go visit a wounded Soldier and help their families visit them.
2. If you have a family member in the military, volunteer for the Family Readiness Group.
3. If you know someone who has just come back from combat, educate yourself about the symptoms of PTSD/MTBI and be ready to help us detect it.
4. Go find a family who has people who are deployed and help them with whatever they need.
5. Find the parents of a Soldier and congratulate them on a job well done. Give them the credit that they deserve.
6. Volunteer, donate, and become involved in the USO.
7. Get involved with the Wounded Warrior Project! These severally wounded veterans deserve your personal thanks alot more than I do.

In my book, until you have looked a severely wounded 18 year old kid in the face and told him (or her) "thank you" in person, you don't know the meaning of the words.

Sunt facta verbis difficiliora. It is one thing to say that you are a grateful patriot. Being a grateful patriot is another matter.

Not a Compliment

It occurred to me that people steal words and twist them. Bad people who have been identified with negative terms always try to turn that term into a positive. As an example, it used to be bad to be labeled "a thug" or "a gangster". It used to be insulting to be called "sexy" or "wild". The easiest way to stop feeling guilty for falling into a class of people is to render powerless the derisive terms that surround that bad behavior that made you feel guilty in the first place.

The term "Bible Thumper" is not a compliment. It was never meant to be a good thing. The two lesser-known brothers of this term are "Bible Basher" and "Bible Beater". All three of these are terms that suggest a violent zeal that is not meant to heal or correct. It is important that they remain negative terms because they define a very dangerous, unchristian behavior: any fanatical, patronizing, and hypocritical zeal that is all about defeating the intended victim for his own good.

Bible thumpers are Christian thugs who demonstrate that they know nothing of love, peace, patience, gentleness, or self control. They really do exist in large numbers and they are a legitimate reason that nonchristians often site for why they despise the church. Bible thumpers always want to defend themselves by saying the term is unjustified, but the behavior of Bible Thumping is counter productive and sinful. It damages the credibility of all Christians and pushes people away from Christ. It can never be justified.

I would know: I used to be a Bible Thumper.

Don't Break Eggs at Thanksgiving

I learned a lesson this year at Thanksgiving about proper table etiquette:

If you want to enjoy the entire meal in peace; and

If the topic of religion comes up (and with me it always does); and

If one of your visiting family members asks you, "Have you ever heard of Pastor John Hagee?";

DO NOT blurt out the first response that pops into your head:

"John Hagee is a heretic. He contradicts Holy Scripture by denying that Jesus is the Messiah and preaches that Israel has hope for salvation apart from Christ. Claiming to be a Christian doesn't mean that your opinions are always right."

Apparently, words like "apostasy", "heresy", and "blasphemy" do not make for polite dinner conversation among a mixed company of Protestants these days... although I was told privately by one guest after dinner that my candor was appreciated.

(Terms such as "questionable", "extreme", and "nonstandard" are the preferred descriptions for false doctrine at the dinner table.)

Osteen's Message for Adam

Channeling my best Joel Osteen impression, I applied his homiletics style and positive message to help Adam Roe realize that he needed to help the Nebraska Cornhuskers learn how to Develop Their Best Team Now.

My thanks to brother Adam over at The Wittenburg Catholic for being such a good sport.

Christianity 451

While I am still in this fit of borrowing dystopian science fiction to illustrate my theological arguments, please allow me to talk about one of the most salient commentaries on American Culture.

I am talking about Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451. If you have not read it, I would venture to guess that you are part of the problem that is outlined in the book. The creepiest part of this fiction is that it was first published in 1953... and has managed to remain relevant as a social commentary for the next 60 years. Bradbury saw then the place where we are at now. This book is still ahead of the curve.

Most people assume the book is about censorship, totalitarianism and book burning. To a certain extent, they are right. But...... they miss Bradbury's main point: that Fahrenheit 451 is actually a story about how television destroys interest in reading literature. It is about how fluff and "factoids" smother out knowledge, wisdom, and real truth. Fluff almost never does this killing intentionally, but there is no middle ground between truth and half-truth. Ideas can either be shallow or deep. There is no in between.

I first read this book in middle school. I have read it several times since then. Each time, it gives me a greater vision of the cultural reality behind all of our whitewash and spin. Last night, I watched the 1966 film adaptation with Oskar Werner and Julie Christi. My eyes have been opened yet again.

The cultural holocaust of shallow, inoffensive fluff reaches into Christ's church. Read this book (or watch the movie if you are lazy) as a Christian. Ask yourself, "What is Ray Bradbury saying about church growth and the theology of glory?"

Fahrenheit 451 is not about book burning. It is about those who would sell their souls for entertainment and comfort. It is about what people will sacrifice to feel at ease and empowered. It is about what happens when people are so impressed with pleasantries that they will sacrifice the brutal truth of reality and buy total garbage to preserve an absolute fantasy that protects their sensibilities. It is about the crime of self-delusion.

If you read some of the arguments put forth by the firemen in the book, they echo some of the public statements of Rick Warren, Bill Hybels, and Joel Osteen almost word for word. Firemen are the caretakers of our society. They protect us from unpleasant things so that we can look at the good; the inoffensive. The book paints a clear picture about what happens when you embrace multimedia presentations, empty music, shallow teaching, nonsequitur reasoning, and the careful censorship of all substantive sources.

You can almost smell the kerosene. It is really terrible.

If we do not preserve the truth, what value and purpose can our life really have? Stop looking for what you get out of everything. It is better to ask yourself, "What am I unwittingly about to throw away?"

Book burning and censorship is always purpose driven.

Woohoo! A new Latin phrase!

Homo incurvatus in se

I apologize for not knowing this earlier. I stumbled upon this phrase in discussion and study about the blind narcissism that seems to strike good Christians down and cause them to behave and think... foolishly. At the source of most well-intentioned bad doctrine and behavioral misjudgements, you will find the ancient mythology of human reason (and works) as it attempts to blind a person to objective reality and Scriptural revelation. At the heart is the need to please ourselves. We all fall for it over and over again. Fancy Lutherans call this temptation "the love of the self", "me worship", or "idolatry".

Here is another good example of wheel reinvention. Please suffer patiently through my theological learning curve. I had no idea that when St. Augustine and our beloved Dr. Luther had covered this ground before we were given a neat Latin phrase for the single men to use to impress the ladies in Bible class:

"Homo incurvatus in se" meaning "humanity curves [or turns] in on itself"

Luther said, "Our nature, by the corruption of the first sin, [being] so deeply curved in on itself [incurvatus in se] that it not only bends the best gifts of God towards itself and enjoys them (as is plain in the works-righteous and hypocrites), or rather even uses God himself in order to attain these gifts, but it also fails to realize that it so wickedly, curvedly, and viciously seeks all things, even God, for its own sake."

That is good stuff. Of course my wonderful pastor words the description of this obsession with personal perspective and consumption differently: "Our sinful flesh always thinks with our belly. It's all about us."