Election Reflection after 3 1/2 hours of voting

This is the first time in my ministry career that a church I serve has been a polling place for a Presidential election.  Here are some of my initial observations:

1. WOW - I estimate over 200 people in the initial line at 6:00 AM.
2. Wow - 4:30 am is early to be here to open up the church building.
3. Can I say it again? Wow - folks are very nice to one another in the voting lines.
4. The election officials are really nice too.
5. I was very pleased with most of the campaigns getting signs in the correct places.  One campaign that starts with an "R" did not follow directions.
6. It is taking about 12 minutes from the door of the fellowship hall to get totally done voting.
7. If the line goes down the main hall, wraps around the commons area, past the sanctuary entrance and halfway back up the hall, it takes about an hour to get done voting.
8. People like coffee in the voting line.  I went through 7 pots by 9:00 AM.
9. Our parking lot is almost not big enough for this crowd.  Amazing.
10. It feels good to be an American right now. Too bad the political process is not always this congenial.

God be with you in the Journey!
Kevin
 

We stand for...

My name is Kevin Ritter, I am not running for office, and I approve this message.

When politicians first started putting their voice on adds and saying they were approving a television or radio ad, I thought it might make them a little more careful about what they allowed to go on in their name and with their approval.  I thought that maybe we would get more adds about what the candidates were for and not about how their opponents were wrong or bad or some other negative statement.  Isn’t that why we dislike election times so much?  All of the negativity.

That is also why many people dislike church and Christianity.  Many pastors spend most of their time explaining what “good Christians” should be against.  As most of you know, I am not like most pastors.  I am not mad at liberals, conservatives, Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Atheists, Gays, Lesbians, straight people, unmarried people, married people, workaholics, unemployed, civilians, military, sinners, saints, or any group of people that I can think of.  I will admit that I do try to stay clear of religiously self-righteous people because I do not want to get angry, but they even got under Jesus’ skin too. (That always helps me rationalize it)

So, what should we be for?  What and who should we stand up for?  In Jesus’ first sermon in Luke 4, he quotes Isaiah 61 when he says:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
    and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

This says a great deal about what and who Jesus is for, but it does not say who or what he is against.  Jesus is for God (the Lord) and accepts the power God has placed upon him and that drives him to proclaim good and wonderful things to those in need and that are hurting.   Jesus went on to give his life for everyone on Earth.  When we are not focusing on those around us that are in need, when they are not who we are for, we are not standing for God.  This causes us to focus on our own situations (both good and bad) too much.  When we are serving others and proclaiming the good news with our whole life, and sometimes using words, then we stand for God and our own issues and worries do not seem so big. 

Therefore, I stand for serving those in need and people that are hurting in many ways, no matter what group they are part of.  Why, because Jesus loves me and I do not deserve it and if I claim to follow him, I am challenged to love and serve like him.  I am giving my life and the resources of this church for those that need to see and experience the good news.  I am sure that means we need to help and love one another inside the church too, but if that is all we do, we miss the point.  Who will you serve today?  Who will stand up for today?

God be with you in the Journey,

Kevin

"Biblical" Womanhood and More

Here is a video from a female blogger that should cause you to really think.  Think about how we use the word "biblical" and how we understand many things that we usually just take for granted.  I advise that you stay with the video until you hear her story about watching a video of an Afghan woman being killed.  You can hear more from Rachel Held Evans at: http://rachelheldevans.com.

I have been researching many different opinions about Jesus' Second Coming and though I had heard of Rachel's books, I had not read her blog.  I came across her stuff because she stood up to the big time pastor Mark Driscoll and called him a bully because he just throws around his words on facebook and other public venues without counting the cost of who may get hurt, especially women and gay people.  He too often forgets how Jesus approaches those that are different from him.  Rachel has helped me by putting my frustrations in much nicer and more Godly words and actions. I hope you
God be with you in the Journey!
Kevin

Beautiful Things

I love this time of year.  I blog more because I get pushed more by events and situations in my life.  It is a time of transition as the kids are home everyday that they are not staying with friends at the Outerbanks or something like that.  The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Assembly always helps me see things new and hopeful.  Even though I did not attend this year in Fort Worth, I still was able to experience Daniel Vestal's final sermon online.  Last year I went to the first ever Wildgoose Festival at Shakori Hills, NC.  It was amazing.  This year I was only able to go to Sunday's concerts.  I went to see David Crowder, but I was really blown away by Gungor.  Lynnette found a video last night that uses Gungor's Beautiful Things song.  Take a look.  Maybe you could purchase it and use it in your church, home, work, school, etc.
Thank God that I do not have to live with the image I have of myself as the final word on who I am.  God's grace and love is truly amazing.
God be with you in the Journey!
Kevin

Click here to see video

Glory of God quote

Once you taste

the glory of God,

everything else

is plastic.

Daniel Vestal,

Final Sermon to CBF

General Assembly                     

 6/22/2012 in Ft. Worth, TX

        

NCAA Bracket

I do not usually spend time on my blog talking about sports, but the Final Four, March Madness, etc. is one of my favorite times of the year.  Of course, football season is the ultimate best, but March Madness is great.  So many memories.  NC State's Jim Valvano running onto the court after beating Houston in 1983 is a classic that really brought me fully into the sport.  I had always enjoyed watching Norm Stewart's Mizzou teams win with Jon Sunvold and Steve Stipanovich.  But watching Clyde the Glide get beat by the original Cinderella Team really caught the excitement of the tournament for me.  Then so many great moments, the best of which was trying to lead a youth event in a basement in Taylorsville, KY, in 1992 while Kentucky was playing the favorite Duke in what many call the best game ever.  We gave up the youth plan and watched the game.
   Now, I am having a great problem:  Kentucky is my second favorite team (behind Mizzou, but I cannot yet talk about Mizzou's performance in the tournament this year) and Kansas is my most disliked team.  If Kentucky wins, I lose my office bracket game.  If Kansas wins, and Kentucky loses, I win the bracket game.  So, how can a good Missouri boy every cheer for KU?  I know Jesus tells us to love our enemies, but I guess I will just sacrifice the bracket game.
  I know this is not too spiritual, but I have to admit, it is on my mind.  I hope anyone that actually reads this far will realize it does not even really matter.  I just enjoy the game most of all.  Shoot, I may even get my nephew a Norfolk State T-shirt since he is a KU fan.

Have fun in whatever lifts your spirit today!

God be with you in the Journey!
Kevin

Good article

I have just read a good article written by the wonderful historian, Dr. Bill Leonard.  He was the first church history professor I had at Southern Seminary in Louisville, KY.  He ignited a love for history in me.  In the article, he uses a historical look to see how we have "used" the scripture over the years.  It can be very difficult to read this kind of article and think, "Have I done that?"  Check it out:

                Opinion: The Bible Tells Me. So?
                  by Bill Leonard, Thursday, March 15, 2012
 I have had a number of questions recently about the bible, especially the Old Testament and how we can understand some of the things that do not seem to add up to God being like Jesus.  God seems so violent, Jesus brings peace.  God seems so distant, Jesus walks and talks with us (in the garden of course).  God seems to play favorites, Jesus invites anyone and everyone to come follow him. 

I have heard of two instances just this week where people feel that reading their bible has actually shaken their faith in God.  I would say that it is not God or the Bible that is ultimately shaking our faith, but how people have historically applied God's word in such abusive ways.  Then, even if we do not think we are doing it, we read the scripture through that understanding or that lens and it is very hard to actually see God being that way.  Especially if we see Jesus as the ultimate revelation of God.  Can you see Jesus ordering his disciples to kill every man, woman, child, and animal in a city just because they were not the chosen ones?  No!  When the disciples James and John wanted to rain down judgement on a Samaritan town just for not showing hospitality, Jesus rebuked them.

I have recently been reading Cecil Sherman's autobiography, By My Own Reckoning.  In it, he tells his life story, which is very linked to the fundamentalist takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention.  The fundamentalists said they were defending the inerrancy of the bible.  The SBC formed a peace committee and put Cecil on it with fundamentalists like Adrian Rogers.  Here is a quote from page 189 of the book:

    Once when discussing the Bible in a morning session (of the Peace Committee), Adrian Rogers said, "I take the Bible literally.  I know there are places in the Bible that use figurative language such as 'the land flowed with milk and hone', but I always try to take the Bible literally."  That afternoon I was in the company of Adrian Rogers and Jerry Vines.  I referenced Adrian's statement about taking the Bible literally, and asked, "What do you do with those places in the New Testament that affirm slavery, like 1 Peter, Ephesians, and Colossians?"  He hesitated a moment then said, "Well, I believe slavery is a much maligned institution; if we had slavery today, we would not have this welfare mess."  I had never heard anyone speak a good word for slavery; I went upstairs and wrote it down.  Rogers was saying he believed slaves should be obedient to their masters just as he believed wives should be obedient to their husbands.  Such was the biblical literalism of the people who controlled the Peace Committee.  No other issue was half as important as the inerrancy of the Bible. (italics added)

 It hurts me a great deal to realize that so many people over the course of history have tried to defend the faith and the Bible, but have caused so much pain and hurt in the name of a God that calls us all to him for true salvation, in this life and beyond.  It must be a grave sin to build such stumbling blocks.  It makes me shiver with the thought that I might be doing that at times too.

God be with you in the Journey!
Kevin

Shadow Self

Richard Rohr said in the devotion today:

The shadow self is not of itself evil; it just allows you to do evil without recognizing it as evil! That is why Jesus criticizes hypocrisy more than anything else. He does not hate sinners at all, but only people who pretend they are not sinners!

Jesus’ phrase for the denied shadow is “the plank in your own eye,” which you invariably see as the “splinter in your brother’s eye.” Jesus’ advice is absolutely perfect. “Take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly enough to take the splinter out of your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:4-5). 

 In some of his books, Rohr encourages us to not be afraid of our "shadow self", but make sure we bring it into the light, so that part of us is not in control.  It can be a bit frightening, but also an act of freedom.

God be with you in the Journey!

Kevin

Ash Wednesday

Led an Ash Wednesday service for the first time today.  It was a bit odd for some of us baptists, but after you got past all the unfamiliarity, it was a good time.  Unfortunately, there has been a lot of stuff reminding me of my "dark side" today.  All the things that need to grow and change in and around me.  This service was a great reminder that:
Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return,
but the steadfast love of the Lord endures forever.

I am just dust, but He loves this dust - AMEN!  And that gives me hope amidst all my stupid stuff today.

Check out Donald Millers blog today.  He has a guest writer talking about falling.  It is good.   McLaren has a bunch of stuff added on his blog today and he is coming to Norfolk next week!

God be with you in the Journey!
Kevin