Column for syndication -- Independence Day Weekend

Don't Let Your Rights Eclipse the Good News

 

I've written this column for twenty years, so writer's block can be a problem, especially around the holidays. Fortunately, it's rarely my problem on Independence Day.

 

That's because this weekend suggests scores of viewpoints. This is the time we applaud our rights and, man oh man, we've got a ton of rights.

 

We celebrate our right to privacy, free speech, assembly – and my favorite, a right to practice one's religion – and more. New rights seem to be proclaimed at an increasing pace.

 

The problem is we don't always agree on what those rights mean.

 

For instance, some may applaud the right to bear arms, but others feel threatened by those who openly carry their firearm.

 

Some virulently declare their right to refuse an injection into their body but protest the right of another to control their pregnancy. 

 

Some may defend a high school coach who appropriates his gridiron for public prayer, while that same group may refuse Wiccans the right to assemble on school grounds.

 

While many enjoy their right to vote, other groups feel oppressed by laws that complicate and even impair their voting rights.

 

(Warning: Don't take this column to your holiday barbecue lest it prematurely ignite the fireworks.)

 

Hey, I'm not trying to spoil the party, but I am asking, "Has your faith community become so preoccupied securing our rights that we are ignoring the spiritual mandate to serve the needs of others?" 

 

For instance, when I look at both Hebrew and Christian scriptures, I find the emphasis is never on what anyone – the government or whomever – owes me, but rather, my ministry toward those in need.

 

And if that observation holds up, then perhaps there are some significant adjustments to make. In the great "Love Chapter" of 1 Corinthians 13, Paul said the following in verse 5: Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking…" (Amplified).

 

Whether Christian or not, most spiritual walks guide us to treat each other as we would want to be treated, regarding the rights of others over our own rights.

 

Hey, I'm not saying you should just turn the other cheek while someone stomps on your rights, but I am saying your attention might need to be refocused.

 

For instance, instead of screaming about your right to own a gun, consider helping those who are victims of gun violence.

 

Instead of raising your voice over the rights of the mother or the rights of the unborn, turn your ministry toward those who have no choices.

 

Instead of defending the right to pray in public, exercise your responsibility to pray for our leaders. (1 Tim. 2:1-2)

 

The great Apostle Paul relinquished many of his rights as he describes them in 1 Corinthians 9.

 

As an itinerate preacher of the new religion, he had the right to impose his needs on the burgeoning Christian community. In this passage he recites a list of his rights. He tells the people he has a right to live in their homes and eat their food. He has the right to their financial support. His approach is brutal. Basically, he's saying, "You owe me!" 

 

"BUT," he says, "we would rather put up with anything than be an obstacle to the Good News about Christ" (vs 12 NLT).

 

Those last words give me pause. The implication here is that if you are insisting on your rights, you aren't an instrument of God. Instead, you've likely become an "obstacle to the Good News."

 

Finally, while this columnist has enjoyed his right of a free press for twenty years, a few of you occasionally exercise your free speech and tell me to shut the "H-E-double-toothpicks" up.

 

And, as I have told a few of my critics, "If you'll honor my freedom to write, celebrate your freedom not to read."

 

But I do hope most of you continue to read, lest my editors exercise their right not to publish.

 

Send comments to comment@thechaplain.net or 10556 Combie Rd. Suite 6643 Auburn, CA 95602 or via voicemail (843) 608-9715. Read past columns at www.thechaplain.net

 

 

Column for syndication -- June 24-26



Trolling for Souls

I think it was Jesus who encouraged his followers to become "fishers of men." And honestly, that task seems much easier than the literal job of fishing for fish.

Fishing requires a level of patience I don't have. You'd know this about me if you've ever watched me pace the stage during one of my talks.

I was reminded again this past week of my distaste for fishing when I took my grandsons and their parents on a fishing boat in Seward, Alaska. We were fishing for the big halibut we'd seen people bring home the day before, 90-pound prehistoric monsters.  

To begin the journey, I slapped an anti-motion sickness patch on my arm and plunked down my Visa to charter a boat from Alaskan Summertime Charters. Jon Tippit is the captain of AK Summertime. I trust Jon because he has mentored my son, Michael, in his dream of being a captain. He's also my California neighbor during the winter months.

Including Jon, the little boat carried eight souls: my wife, Becky, our son, Michael, our daughter Brittney, and her husband and two sons.

During our one-hour cruise toward the fishing grounds, Jon played the guide, pointing out the dolphins, whales, puffins and WW2 gun emplacements. 

When we arrived, he dropped anchor about 100 feet from a rock formation where we began fishing in earnest. On my first cast, I brought up one rockfish. 

A few minutes later, that little catch took his revenge when my body began screaming to bring up my breakfast.

My teenage grandsons joined me along the side, followed by their dad.

Besides the two professional fishermen on board, the only other folks standing their ground were the fisherwomen.

The whole experience had me wondering how Jesus was so successful recruiting fishermen to be his first disciples.

The story is told in Mark 1:16-18.

"One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, "Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!" And they left their nets at once and followed him" 

That passage has always bothered me because I come from a tradition that preaches how we Christians should always be out trolling for souls. I was taught that we must first hook the unsuspecting sinner and convince him that he is doomed. Get him to the church altar and help him toward the truth. This was the only way to save the poor fish – er, man.

But over the years, my chaplain work has taught me to see a different angle than the angler view.  

Not all of us are fishermen. So, it seems  more likely that Jesus employed the fishing metaphor to personalize his message to Simon and Andrew.

While these anglers easily understood the fish talk, you and I respond better to metaphors we know. For example, the teacher may hear Jesus say, "Follow me and teach my people."  

The musician hears him say, "Follow me and sing the joys of the kingdom." The engineer may hear, "Follow me and help folks solve their most complex issues." All of us may hear different words that reflect our calling. "Follow me and I will make you (fill in the blank)."

To me, in my line of work, it means helping people where they are, rendering the aid that is needed. I'm not to try and change them into something they aren't. In the end, I need to let Jesus do that.

Finally, I know the question you're all dying to ask this fisherman poser — Did you catch anything? We missed the elusive halibut, but Brittney caught six rockfish to my one. 

Yup. I'm definitely not a fisherman. 

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Send comments to comment@thechaplain.net or 10556 Combie Rd. Suite 6643 Auburn, CA 95602 or via voicemail (843) 608-9715.

Column for syndication -- Father's Day weekend column

Happy Father's Day to My Foster Dad

 

"I love you, man" was an expression popularized in a 2009 movie of the same name. But for me, the phrase rings most truly when I think of my father-in-law, Wilbur.

 

Over the past 42 years, he's remained both my mentor and my foster father. So if you'll forgive this short indulgence on the weekend we honor fathers, I want you to know the man I call "Wil."

 

On that day 45 years ago when Becky, my then-girlfriend, took me home to meet her parents, Wil extended his hand and his heart.

 

"Any friend of my daughter's is a friend of mine," he said without guile.

 

He's never wavered in his promise.

 

At 89, Wil walks with a slump in his 5-foot-10 frame but he remains a handsome man. He carries a full head of hair that prematurely grayed over his near sixty years of pastoring.

 

During his career, he often walked to church. It was on those walks that his neighbors first witnessed not just his physical fitness, but his spiritual fitness.

 

He's remained in the same home for 60 years and he considers his neighbors among his flock. He's officiated their weddings, (201 to be exact) their funerals and visited their loved ones in the hospital. He's not asked for anything in return like donations or church attendance, just friendship.

 

Nowhere do I hear his spirituality more deeply than during mealtime prayers. Avoiding clichés that express thanks for weather, beans and biscuits, he prays with holy poetry that is an extension of his daylong conversation with his creator.

 

He studies his Bible for hours each week, not in a pious way that seeks to justify his actions, but in a way that seeks a genuine relationship with God.

 

He's a Fundamental Southern Baptist pastor and wears the term "Fundamentalist" not politically, but theologically as it relates to seven core fundamental beliefs about Christ.

 

Still, he can be a stubborn man at times. He votes straight Republican and doesn't mind telling you of his grave disappointment with the present administration. He favors traditional marriage and is fond of proclaiming Christianity as "the only reasonable hope of salvation."

 

But beyond his fundamentalism, Wil's short on the negative aspects of the label. He's a man who loves people more than he loves a fight. And believe it or not, he edits many of these columns.

 

Wil keeps his word in an intentional way. He makes his appointments months in advance, keeping even the most trivial ones with the diligence of a banker.

 

For 49 years, he kept his word to the people of Fairvale Baptist Church, Fair Oaks, Calif., to be their pastor and spiritual leader.

 

He retired ten years ago, but not before his faithful leadership produced missionaries, pastors, chaplains, marriage counselors, musicians and last, but not least, his daughter Becky, now my wife.

 

In 1992, when I was only 32, I lost my dad. He was 65. After the funeral, Wil sent me a sympathy letter that I still have. He followed it up with a phone call.

 

"I want you to know that I could never replace your dad," he said with a wavering voice, "but I'm here to stand in his place whenever you'll allow."

 

A few days later, after collecting myself, I called him and accepted his offer to become my "earthly foster father." It's a decision I've never regretted.

 

So Wil, I'd like to tell you that the single day we call "Father's Day" isn't enough to celebrate you. You deserve an entire month.

 

I love you, man!

 

PS. When I sought Wil's input on this column, he added this last word: "I refuse to believe I'm stubborn. Please consult the fifth commandment."

 

 

 

Send comments to comment@thechaplain.net or 10556 Combie Rd. Suite 6643 Auburn, CA 95602 or via voicemail (843) 608-9715. Read past columns or purchase his books at thechaplain.net

 

 

 

 

Column for syndication -- June 10-12

The Violence of Silence

 

There's a lot of blame being passed around this month over the Uvalde, Texas shooting.

 

Some people accuse the Oasis Outback, the store where the shooter legally bought two semiautomatic rifles and more than 1,600 bullets. (No age requirement for the latter, just sobriety.)

 

Lawsuits are being initiated against the gun manufacturer, Daniel Defense, following the template of the Sandy Hook case that bankrupted Remington.

 

Many are asking why the critical outside door was unlocked.

 

But much of the blame is focused on the incident commander for delaying entry to the classrooms.

 

Gratefully, none of the attention is being directed toward you and me. That's because we had nothing to do with it, right? We are among the innocent.

 

Or are we?

 

"What are you saying, Chaplain? I was nowhere in the vicinity."

 

I'm asking you to consider the prayer of the Psalmist who said,

 

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting (Ps.139:23-24 New International Version).

 

With that teaching in mind, I have to ask myself some heart questions.

 

When I purchase a movie ticket for a violent blockbuster, do I affirm the use of guns for conflict resolution?

 

Are we feeding a thirst for violence with our obsession for true-crime shows, violent books and music? Do I own t-shirts or car stickers glorifying guns?

 

Am I part of the problem if I vote for the candidate who's posing with her guns? 

 

Has our loud insistence of personal rights become a denouncement of life?

 

And perhaps even the most responsible gun owners must ask eventually themselves, "Have I helped to create an arms race in personal protection that has encouraged the gun violence in this country?"

 

Hey, I'm not pointing fingers. I'm just asking big boy questions -- spiritual questions.

 

Each of us has to examine our own hearts. Or as AA says, "We are there to sweep off our side of the street, realizing that nothing worthwhile can be accomplished until we do so" (Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 77-78).

 

But the worst of my sins may be the violence contained in my silence.

 

The violence of silence is referenced in James 2:16. "If one of you says to them, 'Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?" (New International Version).

 

In today's terms, this is the person who sends only their thoughts and prayers and remains silent to injustice.

 

So this week, I confessed my sin of being silent to violence, and I wrote my congressman calling for his attention to three things.

 

1. Outlaw the assault style of guns used in most of these shootings. Use a government buyback program to recover guns already purchased.

 

2. Raise the age limit required for the purchase all guns to 21.

 

3. Implement Red Flag laws to allow police or family members to petition a state court to order the temporary removal of firearms from a person who shows a danger to others or themselves.

 

I know many of you have better ideas than mine, so don't waste your time criticizing me.

 

Use your time writing your lawmaker with workable suggestions to end this. Use your voice. Refuse to be part of the violence of silence.

 

 

 

Not sure of your congressional district or who your member is? This website will assist you by matching your ZIP code to your congressional district. https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

 

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Send comments to comment@thechaplain.net or 10556 Combie Rd. Suite 6643 Auburn, CA 95602 or via voicemail (843) 608-9715.