Moral tools

I got a link today for a talk on an interesting subject. It was so interesting, that I first want to give you the web address, and then attach my observations that I wrote back to the one who sent the link. I hope you find it as interesting as I did. The address is:

http://www.ted.com/talks/jonathan_haidt_on_the_moral_mind.html

My comments were as follows. I would love to hear yours.

Fascinating. I think, however, that he starts to late in the process and then comes back only at the end, and without direction or even foundation. I maintain that the starting place has to be truth. The five axes are certainly valid, but they are, to my mind, tools. I think that he is actually saying this to some extent. But unless the tools have good information to work with, they will not lead to correct conclusions. BTW, I think he betrays himself at the end by only noting Eastern religions, which I find morally ambiguous. I understand that the axes seem to be foundational, but are not. For example, what constitutes real harm must be informed by the real nature of the universe and life. Christianity posits that there is more to life than what appears to us - that our life in this universe is less than a preface to the real story. As such, real harm is measured in terms of how it affects that eternal part of our existence which lies primarily outside of this universe. Eastern religions, on the other hand, teach that we continually reenter this universe, and that this is the bane of our existence, and that, indeed, existence itself is the problem. Therefore our goal is to cease to exist. Which is true, or if another is, will determine what we do with these tools. I really enjoyed the talk, and I do believe that the questions which both lead to and arise out of these kinds of things are the most important things we will think about and act on in this life. I might add that, if this pitifully short existence is all there is, most of what he is talking about is of limited, and ultimately of no, real value.

Milestone?

So I just noticed that yesterday was my 100 post on this blog. I know that after 100 episodes, a TV series is likely to go into syndication - and that is where the real money is. So I wonder. . . . Nah! Instead, let me be as generic as possible and just wish everyone a happy new year!

Pastor Ken

Good editorial

While reading my LA Times this morning I came across this editorial. It was so good I thought I would post the link. Let me know what you think.

Pastor Ken

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-goldberg29-2009dec29,0,4550777.column

Three Quarters of a Century

Today is my mother-in-law's 75 birthday. In May my father turned 75 and earlier this month my mother did the same. Next month my father-in-law will also turn 75. Of course, being in my mid fifties, my perspective on reaching three quarters of a century has dramatically changed. I now realize how quickly it comes - something I never would have believed even 20 years ago. And it reminds me once again of how short and how long life is. Short - well, that is obvious. As we age we find ourselves saying the same thing everyone else did who was "old" when we were young - "It sure goes by quickly." And, as I have said before, if this is all there is to life, then it is not only short, it is also pointless. If there were no God, then length wouldn't matter, as there would be no purpose to life anyway. But, of course, there is a God - a God who sent His Son to show us the way to eternal life. And that means that the shortness of this life is but an illusion. It is an important illusion, because it is the decisions we make in this earthly portion of our existence that determines the locale of the rest of our lives. Since the trajectory of our lives does not change after a certain point, it is good that the time spent making the decisions that determine that trajectory is relatively short before we pass off of this scene and leave it to others who are still making that decision. But the truth is that life is not short - only this portion of it is. And I, for one, want to make sure that this short portion of my life eternal with my Father is one that not only makes sure that I will spend the rest with Him, but that I do all I can to help as many others as possible to do the same. That starts with my family and continues in ever widening circles to all that I come into contact with. And that, ultimately, is what gives my life meaning.

Pastor Ken

Christmas and Family

It is a tradition in the West to associate Christmas with family. For those of us who sense that most of society has forgotten that Christmas is all about Christ, we sometimes neglect to mention family, or much of anything else because we want to stress the importance of Christ. But, as I sit at my sisters house in Oceanside, having celebrated Christmas with our children and grandson, and then gone to Lake Arrowhead to celebrate Christmas with my wife's side of the family and now look forward to my side here in Oceanside, I must confess that the time spent with my family is the best. For many, this is the only time all year that I will see them. For others, it will be a great dynamic as we all get together. For example, both sides of our family are very political, and political discussions are always the order of the day. With my wife's side of our family, I am the liberal. With my side I am the conservative. And the discussions are always lively. But they are fun! As is the eating, talking, and everything else. So, yes, Christmas is all about Christ. But, since the family was God's idea, it is appropriate that it also be about family. After all, family is the second greatest gift God has given us after His Son. So enjoy Christmas - and family!

Pastor Ken

Merry Christmas!

There really isn't anything new to say about Christmas. But I do like something my wife put on the refrigerator. It simply says: "Jesus is the reason for the . . . well, for everything!" As CS Lewis remarked, even when you don't understand something completely, when it makes everything else make more sense, you know it is true. So thank you, God, for making sense of the world by sending your Son. And Merry Christmas, everyone!

Pastor Ken

Making a Difference

Yesterday was the funeral for Oral Roberts. Having graduated from Oral Roberts University in 1976 (yes, I know how old that makes me!), I had an opportunity to see him from a much closer perspective than most. So I appreciated the honesty of his children as they shared that he wasn't perfect and wasn't always there for them. They talked about how driven he was. There is no doubt that Oral was not perfect. He may have pushed too much in some of his projects. But he tried to obey God whenever he felt God was telling him to do something. And the results were stupendous, and will probably only be appreciated by future historians. He founded the first Pentecostal University. He was instrumental in founding the Full Gospel Businessmen. He preached to hundreds of millions around the world. He had the top rated religious program in the country. He was not afraid to preach Christ wherever he went. So often we find that being close to those we have admired from afar leads to a lessened respect for them. The opposite was true of Oral. The more I saw of him, the more I respected him. Just one story from my time at the University: One night at work, I and several of the other waiters at the restaurant who were ORU students were concerned because one of the busboys who was from ORU, and who was always on time, was not there. It was about a half hour after he was supposed to get there. When he did arrive, he told us that he had been running on the indoor track about two hours earlier when he tripped and fell and broke his ankle so bad that the bones were actually puncturing the skin. Oral happened to be running at the same time, and he came over and laid hands on our friend. He had gone to the school nurse to have it looked at, but he knew that immediately he had been healed. After all, he could no longer see the broken bones and he could once again walk. He was late because the nurse had to verify. But he had been healed right there! I don't know if I was more amazed that Oral had prayed for him and he had been healed, or that Oral was on the track running and took the time to check out what had happened. God truly worked through Oral. May I obey God's voice as completely as Oral did!

Pastor Ken

Pagan Symbols

Every year at Christmas a slew of articles and sermons come out on why we Christians should eschew Christmas trees and even the date of Christmas itself. We are told that the date of Christmas probably has nothing to do with the birth of Jesus, but rather was selected to coincide with the "Saturnalia," a pagan holiday of gift giving in honor of the Roman god, Saturn. And, that is true. Jesus was probably born in the Spring, not the dead of winter. We are also told that Christmas trees are derived from pagan worship in ancient Germany. Again, probably true. And yet I will celebrate Christmas on December 25 and have had my Christmas tree up in my house for weeks now. Why? Because while it may be true that the origins of the date for Christmas and the practice of erecting a tree may be in pagan celebrations, they don't mean that to me and never have. Nor have they ever carried that meaning for anyone that I have ever known, or anyone they have ever known. For centuries the date of Christmas has been associated with the birth of Christ. And for more than a century the Christmas tree has only been associated with Christmas and the birth of Christ. As one pastor I once worked with said, "God honors what we honor." And I honor Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world on December 25 (among other days) and erect my Christmas tree as a part of that celebration. And God receives it as such. To be honest, I don't care if there are others who do not think that I am honoring God by celebrating Christmas. God knows that I am. And I do it for Him and for my family, not for others. "And that's the way it is!"

Pastor Ken

Real Christmas

Today the Tinseltoons, a group of Dickensian Carolers from our church sang at the annual "visit from Santa" and toy giveaway held by the Devonshire Station of the LAPD at their new youth center in Northridge. Also there was one of our sister churches, Hope Church of Northridge. Along with a lot of other volunteers, we gave away and made Christmas fun for hundreds of children who might not otherwise have gotten anything for Christmas. And that is appropriate for a time of year that is important only because of the gift of love given by God on that first Christmas. If you haven't found a place to volunteer to help others this Christmas, there is still time. Find a place and just do it. If you're too busy - do it anyway. You might find a new holiday tradition to take the place of others you wish you could give up anyway! Merry Christmas!

Pastor Ken

A Good Funeral?

I just got in from a funeral at the Faithful Central Bible Church in Inglewood for a sister of a congregation member. And it was a good funeral. I know that to a naturalist that can sound like a contradiction in terms. How can the death of someone - what a naturalist would have to consider a complete cessation of existence - be good? Now, I know that not every naturalist considers death a bad thing, but, frankly, it is only young naturalists for the most part that I have found who feel that way. Something in us not only wants to live forever, but senses the injustice of sentience without eternal life. But of course, that is why a Christian funeral can be a good thing. We know that the God who created all that there is has not only promised us eternal life, but made good on that promise by sending His own Son to guarantee it. "To as many as received him (the Son), He gave the authority to become the children of God." Notice that we are not all children of God. By birth we are creatures of God, but we only become children by being adopted into God's family - a decision we make when we receive Christ. Audrey had done just that. And she had lived as a part of God's family faithfully for decades. So, in the midst of the pain of separation, there was joy in her "homegoing." Because, as we have all been reminded time and again, home is where our family is. Audrey is with her Father and the rest of her family at home. The rest of us who want to go there too are still on our way. It was a good funeral!

Pastor Ken

Angels, Shepherds and Wise Men, pt. 4

So, since I have talked about Angels, Shepherds and Wise Men already, how can there be a part 4? Well. it is just that I was thinking that there was someone else who knew what was going on - Herod. But Herod was someone who did not care who was behind this new child - God or whoever. He only saw a threat. And that is indeed how some of us act and think. And, rightly so. The coming of God's Son means that we are without excuse. God has shown us that we are responsible for our own actions and that the only way out of eternal separation from Him is by putting our trust in Christ and obeying Him. Herod knew that his position was threatened by this new child. So is ours. But in the end, CS Lewis is right: there are only two kinds of people in the world. There are those who say to God, "not my will, but thine be done," and those to whom God will say, "not my will, but thine be done." We can choose the way of Herod and insist on our own will if we so desire. "But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!"

Pastor Ken

Angels, Shepherds and Wise Men, pt. 3

Another group who were invited to the incarnation of the Son of God were the Magi - traditionally referred to as "Wise men." What is most interesting about this group is that they were, quite simply, astrologers. Now we all know that there is no truth to Astrology. The Stars and Planets have no control over the direction of our lives by their place in the sky. And yet, God used the "false knowledge" of these astrologers to let them know that the King of the Jews had been born. How could God do that? Doesn't He care about truth? Of course, the answer is yes, He does care about truth. But He also knows everything about us, and I suspect that if He had to wait until we got it all right, He would never be able to communicate with us. So, with the Magi, as with us, He spoke to them in terms they would understand - and He did communicate truth to them through this false methodology - the King of the Jews was born! And notice their reaction. Being wealthy, they brought expensive gifts. That is appropriate. I would note, by the way, that almost every American is wealthy by historical standards. Their gifts speak much more loudly to what we ought to do. And then, they did something that the other two groups did - they bore witness of what God had done. Perhaps their example is the most instructive of all for us today. Gifts to God and a witness to others. Not a bad plan for Christmas.

Pastor Ken

Angels, Shepherds and Wise Men, pt. 2

The Shepherds represent another kind of person invited to be a part of that first Christmas. They were the lowest of the low in that society. Shepherding was "non-skilled" labor. It required little intelligence or education. It was usually reserved for the youngest member of the family. And yet, this is one of only two groups to whom God chose to reveal what was happening that night. And the key word is: reveal. You see, we humans can no nothing objective about God except what He chooses to reveal to us. Just look at all the religions in the world. They are in contradiction to each other because, while we know there is a God, we do not know enough about God to say anything with certainty about Him. That is why He had to reveal Himself to us. That evening He used angels to reveal the start of the more complete revelation that would be given in Jesus Christ. And the shepherds reacted as we all must. First, they praised God, even though they didn't understand all of the implications of what was happening, and what they thought they did understand was wrong. After all, they were looking for an earthly king and Jesus was nothing of the sort. But they praised God, as should we, even, and especially, when we don't understand. Then, they went to learn more about what God was doing. And lastly, they went and told others. Praise, learning and witness - three pretty good reactions at Christmas, don't you think?

Pastor Ken

Angels, Shepherds and Wise Men, pt. 1

So I was thinking about three or four responses to the coming of God's Son. The first was by the Angels. On the one hand, Jesus' coming did not directly affect them - Jesus came to save humanity. On the other hand, they knew what was happening. They knew just who Jesus was and just what was about to happen. Their reaction? To praise God and to tell someone who did not know what was going on. Now that is not a bad model for us. After all, we now know what was going on that first Christmas day. God was sending His Son into the world so that the world, through Him, might be saved. That is glorious news! So, in the midst of a busy Christmas season, let's not forget to praise God for what He has done. And then, there are many who still do not know what it was all about. Around us are those who think it is all about Santa and gifts and family. None of those is bad, but they are not enough. So let's look for opportunities to tell those who do not know in a way that isn't designed to offend (if offense is going to be taken, I want it to be offense at the gospel and not at the way the gospel was presented or by whom). There is one difference between me and the angels. They were objective bystanders - Jesus coming was not designed to save them. But I am not. I am one of those who needed salvation, and who received it. Glory to God in the Highest! And on earth, peace to those on whom His favor rests!

Pastor Ken

Forgiveness

One of the hardest, yet important things that Jesus tells us to do is to forgive others. I was reminded again yesterday of just how hard that can be when my wife and I went to see the new movie, "Invictus." At one point Mandela tells one of the other characters that, in order for the country to survive, they must learn to forgive. Later on, one of the characters asks himself, having visited Robin Island, how someone forgives those who have imprisoned him for 27 years, as Mandela did his captors. It is impossible to overestimate the value of forgiveness. And this is primarily because not forgiving seldom hurts the one we will not forgive, but always enslaves those of us who won't forgive. Perhaps that is why Jesus places such emphasis on it. We all know that Jesus told us that God will not forgive those who will not forgive others. Could it be that the reason He will not do it is because we would not accept it? Have we made ourselves the kind of people for whom forgiveness is unworkable when we refuse to forgive others? I know it can be hard to forgive others. But what Jesus says is that it is even harder when we don't.

Pastor Ken

Addictions, Pt. 2

Yesterday I talked about original sin and how the Tiger Woods tragedy illustrates this for us all. I was talking to a woman who attends an S-Anon meeting at our church and she said that, given her husband's problems with sexual addiction, she understood a little better how Tiger could do what he seems to have done. That got me thinking about an article I read in "First Things" last month. It talks about gambling addiction, and it is well worth your time. It can be found at: http://www.firstthings.com/article/2009/10/gambling-with-lives All of this reminds me of a notepad that my wife has on our refrigerator. It says: "Jesus is the reason for - - - well, everything!" A good word for this day and this season. God bless you!

Pastor Ken

On Infidelity

We are currently in the midst of watching the meltdown of a marriage. I am speaking, of course, of Tiger Woods and his wife Elin. To say that we are watching a tragedy unfold is a vast understatement. I am not interested on commenting on his "transgressions" in particular, but rather to observe that he is but the latest example of a problem that we all face. It is not popular in our modern American society to talk about original sin. We would all like to think that there is something inherently wrong in: a) Tiger's upbringing, b) Tiger's celebrity status, c) Some unknown aspect of his relationship to Elin, or d) all of the above. Now, I am not privy to the details of any of the above. But it seems to me that underlying all of it is the simple fact that we humans have an inborn sin nature - a natural tendency to do things that we know are wrong before we do them, yet we do them anyway. It is a tendency observed at the earliest of ages, and one that does not go away by itself. How mean is it, then, that God holds us responsible for the things we do wrong when it is born into all of us. But of course, that misses the entire point of Christmas. Of course God knows we have this tendency, this irresistible tendency to do things we know are wrong. But that is why He sent Jesus in the first place. Jesus shows us that it is possible for a human to live without sin, but that it can only be true of someone who is actually God's child. So, the Bible tells us that God offers to adopt us into His family by causing us to be "born again" by the power of His Holy Spirit. The bottom line is this: without the power of God in our lives, we are all doomed to live a life of slavery to some aspect of our sin nature. But God can, and will, overcome that in our lives if we will let Him. How's that for a Christmas gift?

Pastor Ken

Healthcare and Abortion

I usually shy away from political commentary on this blog. I have had suggestions to start another with that kind of thing. And I do not want to suggest that there is a "Christian" stand on the overall healthcare debate. I can see both sides of the debate and find myself able to persuasively on both sides. But that assumes that I do not address one subject - abortion. The other day one lawmaker compared the Republicans who oppose federal healthcare to those who opposed overturning slavery before the Civil War. Now, leaving aside the fact that it was the Democrats who opposed overturning slavery at that time, the comparison is specious. Healthcare is not about defining who is and who is not a human being. But abortion is! Those who support abortion on demand have defined "fetuses" as less than human, just like the southerners had defined African Americans as less than human. So for me, the real comparison to slavery is for those who support abortion on demand. And because I support the right of all innocent human life, I can not support any healthcare bill that allows for abortions to be paid for with federal money in any form, even if supposedly it is the "non-federal" dollars that are paying for it. The simple fact is that if a person was not able to afford healthcare without federal dollars, then if the policy they have covers abortion services on demand, then federal dollars are paying for the murder of an innocent human life. Unless and until the Senate includes the amendment the house has adopted that forbids any policy using federal dollars from paying for an elective abortion at all, then I must respectfully, but firmly, oppose that healthcare package. And, since no one in congress cares what I think, I am praying for the National Council of Catholic Bishops to be successful in pushing this. Political? I don't think so. This is moral! This is about Human rights.

Pastor Ken

A Good Movie

Just a few days ago Cheri and I went to see the new movie, "The Blind Side." Now, I am not a movie critic. As one person was heard to say, "I only know what I like." And I like "The Blind Side." It is based on a true story. In fact, the producer and writer worked closely with all the principals. It is well acted, especially by Sandra Bullock, but also the part of the smaller "brother," who steals almost every scene he is in. And the subject itself is one that we all need to be reminded of. I will not give away any details of the plot, but it is a great mix of heartwarming truth and good football. Something for everyone. If you only see one movie this holiday season, this is it! And no, I was not paid to say any of this!

Pastor Ken

Keep it to yourself!

It seems that our society increasingly gives lip service to conscience and religion. On the one hand, we are encouraged to have a conscience or to practice our religion while on the other we are told that we may not let those things intrude on our behavior. An article in the most recent issue of First Things, a journal of Evangelicals and Catholics Together, says it well: http://www.firstthings.com/article/2009/11/pulling-the-plug-on-the-conscience-clause

Pastor Ken

'Tis the Season

The Christmas season has arrived full force, and with it all the decorating and shopping. I do love it all, especially the great decorating my wife does around the house. It is so impressive that once someone who bought our house accused her of going overboard to sell it! But an even more important part will be the continuing ministry to the homeless this afternoon. When you look at the Bible, you find that the thing which is mentioned the most is our care for the poor. I know that many think that, in our country and time, most of the poor are that way because of bad decisions. And that may be. But I am not so sure that it hasn't always been that way. And, what that doesn't take into account is what brought them to that point. In the new movie, The Blind Side, there is a great scene where the "mom" meets Michael's real mom and gets just a little insight into what her life had been like. Bottom line - we are called to minister to the poor. There are no passes because we disagree with their life choices. And every once in a while we get to see some fruit, like the other night where one of our members who attends on Saturdays decided to check himself into Teen Challenge to get clean. In the meantime, "'tis the season!"

Pastor Ken

An End or a Beginning?

It is just after noon as I sit and write this blog. And, as I sit here, my completed Dissertation for my Ph.D. in Church History is printing out. As the old commercial said, "Oh, what a relief it is!" But when anything takes a long as this has, it is also a little disconcerting - what will I do with my days off now? And where will all of this lead? As for the days off, I owe my wife a lot of my time. She has supported me during the whole multi-year process of doing this Ph.D. and she deserves a larger share of my time. Where will it lead? I really have no idea. We felt led of God to do this, so it only makes sense that He has a purpose in all of it. But just what that purpose is, I really have no idea right now. It is enough that it is done. And, whatever God has planned, I am sure it will look different from what I can imagine. And that is as it should be.

Pastor Ken

A Long Time Coming

I never dreamed when I last posted that it would be a week before I got back to this. I am sure no one is terribly interested in the whys - we all get busy. But in the midst of this very busy time, I spent over a day at the bedside of a congregation member facing open heart surgery, and then with his wife while we waited for news on how the surgery went. First - it went well, and he is expected to make a full recovery. But it reminded all of us there again of the mortality we all share, and just how short our time on this earth is. How thankful I am for the assurance that my life - and yours too - is actually significant. This universe is not an accident or a random thing, but was created by a loving God who gives us all significance by taking seriously our decisions and offering us an eternal life of meaning. The last thing Adrian said to me as they were taking him out for final prep for his surgery was, "Either way, Pastor, I win. Praise the Lord!" Praise the Lord, indeed!

Pastor Ken

A Long Time