“Waiting for the Other Shoe” — The Supreme Court Rules on Same-Sex Marriage
The Christian church does not ask the U. S. Supreme Court, or any other human court, what marriage is. Marriage is a pre-political institution defined by our Creator — for His glory and for human flourishing. Today’s decisions will create serious religious liberty challenges for all churches, Christian institutions, and Christian citizens in this nation. But the greatest impact of these decisions is the further marginalization and subversion of marriage. The destruction of marriage did not start recently, and it did not start with same-sex marriage, but its effects will be devastating.
Why Gay Marriage is Good (and Bad) for the Church
The evangelical witness may be leaner in numbers in coming years, but the upside is that the witness may be even more potent. The gospel of God’s love in Christ is no less powerful in 21st century America than in 1st century Rome.
Why Marriage Is (And Isn’t) The Point
The Bible teaches that marriage is good, but only one of many relational goods and not of the highest order. We are made to love and be loved, we are made for intimacy, we are made for relationship. Family matters, extended family matters, friendship matters, the worshiping community matters, the universal church matters. All of these relationships are made better by observing the sexual and relational boundaries described by Scripture.
Ever since the 1960’s we’ve been involved in a radical revision of what it means to be human and to be relationally fulfilled. A new understanding of the role of sexuality in human fulfillment has become our guiding light. Yet despite our present optimism, it is a light that is rapidly growing dim and is in danger of being extinguished.
Christians Are Not Called to Have Amazing Sex
Sexual incompatibility, therefore, is a cross that some couples bear, and Christian communities could lighten this burden if we made an effort to put sex in its rightful place. If sex were viewed as a gift that, like everything else in this world, is marred by sin, it may be easier for couples to accept that bad sex is neither a reason for divorce nor an excuse to stop investing in a marriage. As with other trials, bad sex is an opportunity to rejoice in suffering (1 Peter 4:13) and to be further conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29).
As I’ve spoken to different churches recently about what it means to be completely committed to Jesus, I have found that one of the chief problems is not lack of desire, but lack of alignment. There are many Christians, myself included, who want to totally commit to Jesus. The problem is that our lives are aligned around something or someone else. The best word for that is idolatry; we’re replacing God, even while we’re “totally” committing to discipleship. The challenge to follow Jesus is the challenge to find our identity in Christ. Idolatry sabotages that by replacing him with something or someone else.
In graduate school and as I entered the ministry, I found that I and many of my friends became afflicted with expertitis either while listening to a sermon or immediately following one. Symptoms of this sickness include grimaces, sidelong glances, snide whispers, and pedantic monologues in the car ride home or over lunch. Or, sometimes the only symptom exhibited is mentally checking-out—disconnecting from the sermon, the preacher, the Word.
Dairy Queen installs treadmills for employees
Dairy Queen, best known for candy-infused ice cream Blizzards, has installed a bank of treadmill workstations at its Edina, Minn., corporate headquarters as part of a wellness program aimed to combat “sitting disease,” the not-so-technical term for ailments associated with sitting at a computer all day.
Minor League Team to ‘Celebrate Life’ by Offering Fans Free Funeral in Ballpark Giveaway
The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are taking the ballpark giveaway game to another level. The Phillies Triple-A affiliate is offering up a free funeral this summer to one “lucky” fan who submits an essay about what their “dream funeral” would include. The fan who wins is promised a free funeral or memorial service by Reichel Funeral Home, which is the business behind the “Celebration of Life” night at Coca-Cola Park.