Several months ago, I had the honor and privilege of sitting down with Tuskeegee Airman LTC Alexander Jefferson. This man experienced countless instances of personal, structural, and institutional racism. After listening to his stories of courage and endurance, as well as his accounts of racism, one of my fellow service members asked if he though America was still racist. He said, “of course America’s a racist country! But, it’s the best damn country on the face of the earth!”

I’ve been thinking about that ever since.

Even though it’s supposed to be my thing, I still find I have blind spots.  One of them was Beth Moore.

I was introduced to Beth Moore while serving in an SBC church between 2005 and 2009.  Her studies were a regular part of the women’s ministry offerings, and I flipped through a couple while helping with the discipleship program.  They were clearly woman-oriented, using language and emotive emphases that didn’t really appeal to me.  But, they seemed to be pretty solid. 

What you think the Bible says…probably isn’t what it says.

In understanding what we believe and why we believe it, we have to take a hard look at how we interpret the Bible.  Most of us use the “What Strikes Me” (WSM)* model of Bible reading, understanding, interpreting, and application.  We read a passage, and whatever it makes us think, that’s what we believe it is supposed to mean. 

Judas, Responsibility, and the Sovereignty of God

A friend asked me recently, “Was Judas a bad guy and true betrayer for betraying Jesus, or was he really the one who allowed his name to be cursed in order to be the instrument in something that God needed to have done? The Bible pretty much admits that this needed to happen for God to allow Jesus to die for our sins, but seems also to condemn the person who made it happen. Were he and Pontius Pilate just pawns in God’s plan and not actually the villains history makes them out to be? Perhaps Judas had even been asked by God, and that was not made part of the Bible because none of the others were aware?”

When I was in Afghanistan with the Infantry, men sang.  The most popular song was, of course, Lady Gaga’s “Telephone”, because a video of scantily clad women in prison, involving Beyonce, is an automatic win for US infantrymen.  Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” was popular, in no small part because a group of operators made a hilarious parody video of the Miami Dolphins’ Cheerleaders video of the same song.  When riding into a suspected battle, Disturbed’ s “Indestructible” led the way.  These manly men sang.

Why are there so many strains of *Christianity?  Consider the list of the larger **Christian groups represented in the United States - there are 22 denominations with membership of over 100,000 (when you list independent Baptist and non-denominational as denominations) considered Protestant, The Roman Catholic church and its splinter groups, the Eastern Orthodox Church and its splinter groups, the Mormons and their splinters, the Jehovah's Witnesses, the Quakers...it's mind boggling.

Of course, many people are a part of their respective faith group because that is all they have ever known.  They were either born into it, or they were converted into it from a non-religious background.  They have never given much thought to considering anything else.

However, for the many others (including myself) who have changed their Christian affiliation, why do they change?

A Roman Catholic friend asked me recently, “What do Anglicans believe about Salvation and the Sacraments”?  So, here’s a brief explanation.

Back in the early 2000’s, one of my best friend’s sister-in-law rejected the Christianity of her youth publicly on the internet.  Her sister, my friend’s wife, told her in response, “That’s very brave.  I wish more people had your courage.” 

I was shocked. 

One of the benefits of biography is that it takes us out of ourselves and motivates us to greater faith and works as we are inspired by the life of the person we are reading about.  Enjoy and be encouraged by the account of George…

You were built to overcome fear.

A few days ago, I jumped out of a high performance aircraft for the first time in almost five years.  The "Basic Airborne Refresher" was a Godsend.  While I miserably failed the virtual jump (hey, the VR goggles kept slipping down my face), I needed the reminders of when to pull the Canopy Release Assembly and the proper placement of the Main Lift Web Tick Tab Assembly for a guy my size.  My practice landings were poor the first day, and good enough the morning of the jump.  It was going to happen.