Homosexuality in the church

An eye-opening letter, used with permission, to a fellow pastor who is fortunate enough to share the Message of Jesus with all types of people.



Scot,

Thank you for your latest series. It's spawned a lot of meaningful, transformative conversations and has a pleasure to follow. A few older men have shared their stories, which has been encouraging. I hadn't planned on writing but feel compelled to share my story as well. It might be helpful for others in my position or for those wishing to understand it better.

Above all else, I am a committed Christian gripped by the good news of a God who has entered into his creation to put an end to sin and brokenness by his body broken and blood poured out until he returns in glory to restore all things. I could not shake this conviction if I tried. I'm heavily involved in my church and in my community, and I thank God that I can serve with such great people.

The problem is that I am also a man in his 20s who has struggled with homosexuality since middle school. There is nothing about my appearance or personality that suggests this. By and large, I experience very little attraction to women but an inversely powerful attraction to men. Nonetheless, I recognize that we're called to keep our desires in check and endeavor to do so.

In my experience, there is a critical lack of church members and leaders to whom a man or woman in this position could approach without fear of being vilified. The leader of my last small group once said, "This is a safe space for you to talk about anything - whether it's doubt, or lust, or if you like boys or animals...," conflating homosexuality and bestiality as a joke. Needless to say, I didn't share much after that.

What I'd like more than anything is the support of friends willing to come alongside me on this journey with love, understanding, and no coercive agendas. People who can say, "I love you and just want to walk with you through this, however it might turn out. I want you to know that I care."

It can be a profoundly isolating experience. More than once, I've found myself on the floor crying out to God and asking, pleading, in tears "God, did you make me wrong? Why am I like this?" I've prayed for the last decade, "God, please change me." I've read all the books and done all the word studies. But not much has changed.

The opportunities the church presents to someone in my position range from bad to worse. If I speak about it, I risk the public spectacle of "church discipline" via the dreaded BCC: e-mail to the entire community. I could attempt to repress my sexuality and embark upon a lonely life of self-denial and self-loathing - which I'm sure is as appealing as it sounds. I could also force myself into a relationship with a woman, get married, have kids, and pray that a world of hurt not fall upon our home as a result of such deceit.

Or, I can recognize that as creature who is loved by God, I'm called to live my life in his service and find salvation "with fear and trembling," attempting to live faithfully whatever might come my way - a man or a woman, companionship or celibacy, blessing or hardship, and so on.

I'm certainly not closed to change - in fact, I'd welcome it. But time is teaching me not to wait up. I don't want a "gay-friendly" church flying a rainbow flag above the altar. I long to be a part of a normal, progressive community of Christ-followers who pursue Biblical lives of justice and righteousness together and love people for who God created them to be. I'm not sure what I believe about "the Bible and homosexuality" yet, and thus I don't know how my life will turn out. But I know that I too was created in the image of God, and that in all things God works for the good of those who love him. I pray that this might ring true for all of us.

Thank you.

Right between the eyes

I realized how bad it was when my Blackberry kept buzzing during a game of catch with Parker yesterday.

And I checked it every time.

Strange refill

Last Friday, I went to In-N-Out for lunch. It's something I do once a month religiously. I truly believe that God created In-N-Out so that people across the fruited plain could experience happiness and joy served up on a red tray. The company prides itself on excellent customer service and high-quality food.

But that day, the world stopped spinning at the corner of Mooney and Walnut.

Two men were sitting in the booth next to mine. It looked like they were wrapping up their fast food experience when one of them stood up with his empty french fry holder in hand and made his way to the counter. A dedicated employee with a beaming smile greeted the customer and asked how she could help. He then handed her the empty fry box and asked for a refill.

A refill.

Without skipping a beat, she turned on her heels, retrieved a new box with piping hot fries, and handed it over. He thanked her, turned around, walked out, got in his car, and drove away.

No money was ever exchanged. He was given a free refill. Free. He didn't hand her a half-empty box of fries and complain about the quality. He didn't ask to speak with a manager. He just asked for a refill.

Is this some sort of unspoken policy known only to members of a secret In-N-Out society? Is there some sort of "sign" between customer and employee. A wink? A secret word? Is this a sign of Armageddon? Is Jesus teasing us with a preview of what Heaven will be like?

I'm going to In-N-Out today.

Guest blog

Okay, I confess, I am a Facebook junkie. No, really. I love it! In fact, if you are reading this in my Facebook notes (as compared to my blog at www.stonewallwesleyan.com – shameless plug), that means you are one of my Facebook friends. And if you are one of my Facebook friends, you know it is true. I am a Facebook junkie!

One of the aspects of Facebook that has caught my attention is the “Causes” application. As an individual, if there is an area you are passionate about, you can join the “Cause” and voice your concern. You can also make a financial donation to invest in the “Cause” and making a practical impact on that area of focus.

Here is where things get interesting…at least, to me. Check out some of these numbers –

Feed Hungry Children in Haiti: 10,238 members & $14,810 donated
Stop Global Warming: 2,476,050 members & $30,034 donated
Keep God in Schools: 452,495 members & $565 donated
Stop Abortion: 339,827 members & $2,337 donated
Stop Human Trafficking: 251,361 members & $5,814 donated

By rough calculation, we are looking at 3,529,971 people supporting these five causes to the tune of $53,560. Pretty impressive, huh? Well…maybe not so much. An average donation of 2 cents per person per cause. That’s some pretty “change the world” momentum there. Okay, maybe not.

Now granted, there are other ways to support a cause beyond simple financial contributions. However, Jesus did seem to make a significant correlation between where our treasure is, and where our heart is. Didn’t He?

We are currently in the midst of “Sanctity of Life” week. In our city, the local pro-life ministry is consistently supported financially by roughly 30 churches throughout the year, or approximately 15% of the churches in our community. My hunch is that there are more than 15% of the churches in our city that consider themselves to be pro-life and vote accordingly. A local ministry to teen-age moms survives on the support of even fewer churches. Can we be pro-life with out proactively engaging in those lives?

The average professing Christian attends church roughly twice a month, and gives just over 2% of their income to their home place of worship. Is that reflective of our passion for the “cause”?

Pink ribbons, “Race for the Cure” t-shirts and cars, and millions of dollars go to support the Susan G. Komen battle against breast cancer. It appears that those who are passionate about that cause are truly engaged in it. Unfortunately, millions of those dollars and countless grants have gone from the Susan G. Komen Foundation directly into Planned Parenthood (the nations leading provider of abortions) and countless other abortion facilities. Hate to be blunt, but yep…some of those dollars are “pro-life” Christians paying for abortions.

At some time, it is going to take more than a presidential change. At some place, the hands and feet of the church are going to have to do more than stand and applaud during a worship service. At some point, we are going to have to step off the platform and all of its political planks, and start actually putting our money…and our heart…where our mouth is.

Provided with permission by Chip Monck, Senior Pastor at Stonewall Wesleyan Church, Lexington, Kentucky.

Next month

We begin a new teaching series next month on recovery because, if we're honest, we're all recovering from something. I can speak with some degree of authority on the subject since I went down the road of addiction and came out on the other side. Prescription meds were my downfall. Actually, my past hurts and hangups were my downfall and meds became my temporary - and dangerous - escape mechanism.

If you come to Crossroads or listen to our podcasts online, I encourage you to spend some time thinking about recovery and how it applies to your life. For many, recovery is a foreign concept and think it's reserved for alcoholics and drug addicts. It's not. But the good news is that God sent His Son to lead us on a journey of grace and hope.

I hope that we can all learn something new in February.

Success?

We are teaching about "Success" in a few months. I ran across this quote in my research:

There is a great difference between "successfulness" and fruitfulness. Success comes from strength, control, and respectability. A successful person has the energy to create something, to keep control over its development, and to make it available in large quantities. Success brings many rewards and often fame. Fruits, however, come from weakness and vulnerability. And fruits are unique. A child is the fruit conceived in vulnerability, community is the fruit born through shared brokenness, and intimacy is the fruit that grows through touching one another’s wounds. Let’s remind one another that what brings us true joy is not "successfulness", but fruitfulness." - Henri Nouwen (Bread For the Journey)

The fruit Paul talks about in Galatians isn't "success" as we know it. It's love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

What kind of fruit do you and I produce?

Keep running

I ran a marathon in November. It was a defining moment in my life as I was able to experience a huge payoff after weeks of training. My body was stretched to the limit. Running 40 miles a week takes its toll but, in the end, I had accomplished a major goal.

Starting the run was easy. I felt strong and determined. My legs were solid and my breathing was steady. I was doing all of the things my trainer had suggested - water breaks every 3 miles, energy gel every 4 miles, and keeping a consistent pace.

At mile 6, I was ahead of schedule.

At mile 12, I hit my goal time within 20 seconds.

At mile 18, I was 3 minutes behind.

At mile 20, I was dying.

At mile 24, I was ready to quit.

At mile 26.2, I stumbled across the finish line with my kids in tow.

Finishing the race was amazing. I never dreamed that I could feel so amazing after a grueling 5-hour test of endurance. I started strong, battled fatigue, but avoided the desire to quit.

As a church, we are facing some huge decisions that test our emotional and spiritual endurance. It's like we need a dose of oxygen at the end of each day. Sometimes, we rely on the help of others for life-support. We feel sick, tired, and frustrated.

Paul instructed us to keep running because the prize is worth it. More importantly, as you and I move toward the finish line in this life, we have someone who runs the race with us. Or to be more specific, He runs the race through us. All we need to do to finish the race is to depend on Him.

Facebooking

I've become a fan. It's amazing how many people are connecting over the internet with large and small degrees of separation. 1 friend leads to 2 friends which leads to 5 friends and on and on and on.

Does connecting in cyberspace mean that we are becoming more relational or less relational? Is it just a safe way of watching the status of others without having to actually communicate? For example, I have 113 Facebook "friends" but I only communicate with a dozen or so on a regular basis. For the others, I get updates on what they are doing throughout the day. It's a voyeur relationship. No words are exchanged. Just photos that are updated periodically.

I wonder what it says about the millions of Facebook subscribers.

If you want to connect with us on Facebook (and have already created a free account), join the Crossroads Community Church Facebook home by clicking here.

Barackoblog

Today is the big day.

Evangelicals across the fruited plain are wondering how they should feel as Barack and his liberal evil empire prepares to take over 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. At the same time, on the same dais, Rick Warren (the poster boy of the religious right) will pray over the event. Such a dichotomy. Many think Rick Warren should have rejected the invocation invitation. Here are some comments from a previous blog:

I just lost a lot of respect for Rick Warren. How can someone who professes to be a Christian, put himself into a situation where other Christians would question him? Rick has done some good work however he just lost my respect. Dave

I was saddened to read that Dr Warren will be praying at the inauguration. I different with him on almost all areas of theology, doctrine and church polity, though he holds himself out as a evangelical. I was devastated by the election. Not that a Democrat was elected, I'm more of a person not a party voter. Not that President Elect is a mixed race. I was devastated by a number of reasons and one grieves me most when I think of Dr Warren praying at the inauguration. As the result of one Supreme Court Decision, over 50 million babies have been murdered to date. The President Elect has in no uncertain terms pledged to continue the pro abortion agenda. How could around 54% of Catholics, 96% of African Americans, many who claim to be professing Bible Christians, @ 100% of Jewish Voters, who apparently have forgotten about the Holocaust and probably 50% or more of all kinds of other professing Bible Christians vote for the President Elect in light of his pro-abortion agenda? How? The same reason Dr Warren is going to pray at the inauguration. There is no real moral outrage in our Nation about Abortion. "Just words, just words," as the resident Elect said often in his campaign about his opposition. Words, but not real outrage and action. Larry

This is terrible; this man call's himself a Christian????Barack H. Obama is the most PRO-DEATH president America has ever elected!!!!! He has said that as president he is going to pass the "Freedom of Choice Act" how can our country get any better with this type of MURDER?????? Mr. Warren school be ashamed of himself, protection of the unborn is the MOST IMPERATIVE issue as a Christian!!!!! For without life do we continue to have a society at all??? I think not!!!!! Pat

Here's my take...

Why can't a pro-life pastor pray at the inauguration of a pro-choice president? Do the people who protest Warren's involvement also believe it's wrong for Warren to pray for Obama at his church services? Should we be creating brick walls that keep people of differing opinions far from one another? I don't think that Warren will be at the podium to protest homosexuality or wave the pro-life banner. He was asked to pray - something Jesus exemplified in so many ways, in so many situations, and for so many types of people.

Thanks, Rick, for having the guts to be a Jesus follower in the midst of religious stone-throwers.

Serve

Today is National Day of Service Day. I guess the idea is that we are supposed to find a way to serve. So...there you go. I haven't really thought about what I'm going to do. You doing anything?

Mega-Blogger Seth Godin has some good ideas.

Secure in Him

"In effect, Jesus says the Kingdom of His Father is not a subdivision for the self-righteous nor for those who feel they possess the state secret of their salvation. The Kingdom is not an exclusive, well-trimmed suburb with snobbish rules about who can live there. No, it is for a larger, homelier, less-self-conscious cast of people who understand they are sinners because they have experienced the yaw and pitch of moral struggle."
-Brennan Manning, The Ragamuffin Gospel

We are broken but that doesn’t exclude the love of Christ.

We will continue to fail but that doesn’t exclude the love of God.

We are ragamuffins who are held tight by a grace-giving God.

Signs of the Apocalypse

MONTEREY, Calif. — First Nazarene Church used to start Sunday services with announcements and a generic welcome from the associate pastor. Now service starts with whirling spotlights, stadium music and a cougar mascot bounding down the center aisle slapping high fives and making "raise the roof" gestures.

"Adding Christian Cougar was a great move for us," says the pastor. "No one calls our church boring anymore."

Churches across the country are adopting mascots to pump up Sunday mornings and rally people in worship.

"Our new mascot energizes things," says pastor Del Richards of Valley Baptist Church in Little Rock, Ark., which just introduced Lift-Him-Up Lion.

On Sunday morning during worship time, the Lion rushes on stage and does the running man dance to "Blessed Be Your Name." He then makes "I can't hear you" motions and broad clapping gestures, then kneels with his hands raised when the songs turn slower. Worship team members play along with his antics. During the offertory he pulls out an oversized wallet and dumps wads of fake cash into the offering plate. During the sermon he stands to the side and makes rah-rah gestures and encourages people to applaud.

"I tell him to go with the Spirit and raise some heaven," says the pastor. "By the time I get in the pulpit, the people are so amped up they can hardly contain themselves."

Visitors say they enjoy the unpredictable element.

"There's an exciting X-factor because you don't know what he'll do next," says one woman. "Without a mascot, the service seems totally planned."

Mascots are also an affordable option compared to larger projects.

"We couldn't afford a new youth center, but we can afford a wolverine costume," says a Michigan pastor whose attendance has risen considerably since they added Worship Wolverine, who does trampoline flips, handstands and runs across the platform with a banner that says, "Praise!"

But there are pitfalls among the pratfalls. One mascot in Oklahoma got himself fired for lifting the pastor's toupee and pointing to his bald head. Another pretended to fall asleep when the sermon went too long. "People loved that, but that was the last of him," says one witness.

She cooks

My daughter is an aspiring chef. Whenever mommy cooks, Abby isn’t far behind. She typically assumes her spot on the kitchen counter just a few inches away from a mixing bowl. She even has her own cooking utensils that were a gift under the tree this Christmas. Although she likes the idea of cooking, she gets a little confused about the ingredients. Mom usually helps with the “what” but Abby sometimes misses the mark on “how much”. As a result, some of her concoctions are…challenging to consume.

When cooking, it’s important to have a handle on the ingredients. It’s critical to know what ingredients are used and how much of each ingredient is included. The Christian world is like a big bowl of soup – a melting pot of thoughts, ideas and concepts. I have a library of books, journals, and magazines that offer recipes for church leaders. Add a little of this and a little of that and…poof! Church in a box.

Jesus didn’t come to create a church. He came to start a revolution. He spent 33 years on earth to light a fire under the feet of people who thought religious rules and mantras were the things that would get them into Heaven. As a revolutionary, Jesus had a certain style and method that got people interested and excited in a new way of life. Others followed. Paul made sure that Jews and Gentiles heard The Message and realized early on that different types of people responded to different methods.

I love the fact that churches are so different. I shared some thoughts with a pastor friend of mine over the weekend. He leads a small church, teaches in a style much different than I, and has an undeniable passion for reaching his community (and the world). On paper, our churches look like polar opposites. Travis and I, however, share a critical mission - to reach the world for Christ. Different methods - same goal. His recipe looks different than mine but when the dish comes out of the oven, all types of people are fed. I love that.

He came for us

This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
So Jesus again said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. John 10: 6-10

Jesus’ focus was how He could take old ideas and transform them into new ideas. How He could take a group of crusty Jews and create refreshing Christians?

God never asks us to change or makeover anything in our lives by ourselves.

Never.

Instead, He said that all we have to do is be willing to change and He will actually create the opportunity for change. All we have to do is show up and be "mold-able"…transformable.

Home life is the most challenging sector of life for most people. Discipline happens there, intimacy happens there, money matters are decided there. In my life, I want to make things better at home. I want to see transformation happen at home. Here is how I have seen it explained from my college pastor 20 years ago:

Entry: This is where everything starts and ends. People are welcomed there with warmth and sent home with well wishes. My worship pastor showed up at our doorstep and walked into our home 3 years ago to sing Christmas. It was just 1 week after we started the church. It was exactly what we needed. Jesus does the same thing - showing up right when we need Him.

Living Room: We all need a place where we can just hang out with friends and family. We all need a place where we can just rest and meditate on His love for us.
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

Kitchen: Food consumption happens there. When we visit relatives, we know that we can just walk in the kitchen and get what we need. It's better at some places (like grandma’s house) worse at others (like our college dorm room). God says, “Don’t be shy about what you need, just ask” We say, “Give us this day our daily bread”. That happens at home but Jesus is talking about so much more than just food. He wants us to ask for everything that we need.

He came to give us an abundant life.

The newest thing from Mac

Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard

Not sure I get it.

Connected

The following is a blog post from one of my heroes in the business world, Tim Sanders. He used to lead the creative team at Yahoo and is now a book author and popular speaker around the globe. He knows his stuff...



The mobile phone has not helped the quality of calls we make.

In fact, mobile phone conversations are usually pretty lame: choppy, distracted, banal and often interrupted. When someone calls me, and they are ordering a burger as they talk to me, it is not a very good experience.

Over the last year or so, I’ve decided to stop making important calls on the run. When I want to give good phone, I shut down my laptop, spend a few minutes collecting my thoughts…then I call someone on my phone and totally concentrate on that call.

The results? Much more gets accomplished and the listener can sense your attention and respect for them. I know we are all busy, and feel like travel time is perfect phone time – but it is not. Working on time management may do more for you than cramming phone calls into driving, shopping or some other mobile activities.

I believe that the quality of our conversations determines the quality of our relationships and business life. They provide the nutrition that feeds both. So why would you eat ‘fast phone’?

The King's Birthday

He's 74 today, living in Chula Vista, and actively involved in the recovery community.

Tough times

The economy is affecting everyone in some way whether it's the cost of groceries, low milk prices (we live in the nation's dairy capitol), or the loss of employment. Yesterday, the poor economy affected me directly and, although I still have a job in broadcasting, things are different.

I found this on the internet yesterday and thought it may be food for thought as the economy continues to stutter.

Review

Married couple no kids.
Enter cute puppy.
Kids are born.
Puppy grows up and becomes a nightmare dog.
Kids grow up and form bond with dog.
Puppy grows old.
Puppy dies.

Incredibly sad story. Lots of kleenex. Ending could have been so much better. Saving grace - I love my dog so much more.

B-

Scooter grace

When your kids start riding an electric scooter, the issue if they will crash...it's when they will crash. Well...it happened.

Parker and Abby were flying around the boardwalk with their scooters last week. As they were travelling in a wide circle at light speed, something happened and both kids slammed into an parked SUV. It wasn't just any SUV, it was a beautiful black perfectly maintained Ford Expedition. The kids were a little shaken up but no major injuries. Once we conducted a quick triage on the kids, our concern turned to the vehicle. Not only was the SUV in perfect condition, the owner was standing next to it with surfboard in hand.

This did not look good.

He was nice enough to check on the kids' condition but, like us, his concern soon turned to his car. He and I looked at the minor damage and I quickly offered to give him my insurance information. Unfortunately, he accepted my offer. As I walked towards my car thinking about the imminent insurance premium increases, Leslie called me back to the pier and said that the owner had decided to take care of the damage himself. He was apparently impressed with the kids' willingness to accept full responsibility and their offer to pay for the damage in monthly installments of $4. Actually, none of that is accurate. The owner was just cool and told us not to worry about it.

Parker and Abby experienced a dose of "scooter grace". They made an error in judgment with negative consequences and, for no logical reason, they were let off the hook. Through it all, they learned something and will (might) react differently when faced with the same situation.

I'm glad Jesus is more into grace than justice. I have proven over and over again that I will make decisions based on poor judgment and negative consequences will be the result. And, so many times, Jesus shows up with a measure of grace for which I'm not deserving. Scooter grace.

His plan

I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. Jeremiah 29:11

A man approached me at church a few weeks ago. He was living at the local rescue mission but he appeared very well "put together" as compared to some other residents who are fresh off the streets and in the throws of addiction. "Jose" explained where he had come from and some of the struggles he has encountered in life - which are many. He was married with kids but due to a series of circumstances, he lost his job, his wife, and his home. Suddenly, after a long period of stability in life, Jose was empty and lost. After hitting a drug-induced rock bottom, Jose made his way to the mission, got sober, and began working on the rest of his life.

Then life took a left turn.

Jose learned that he had contracted cancer after having a lump checked on his forehead. Having cancer is bad enough but having cancer while living at a rescue mission with no medical insurance makes situation that much worse. Jose wanted me to give him some words of wisdom or comfort. I wasn't much help. I guess I could have talked about the importance of prayer and/or faith which is a tough pill to swallow when you're in the middle of Hell. I offered Jeremiah 29:11. It's a good fallback verse for people. Kind of all-encompassing. It gives authority to God's providence and offers some hope to the hurting. Every pastor knows it. It works in every situation.

I didn't think much more of Jose until yesterday, when he tapped me on the shoulder after our first service. He was beaming. Jose had worked things out with Medi-Cal (a miracle in itself) and was on his way to Palo Alto for an appointment with an oncologist. He told me that he had been meditating on the words of God in the passage I had given to him last month.

Funny how God works, isn't it? A "fallback scripture" that I pulled from my pastor's quiver ended up being the exact words Jose needed to hear. There are no coincidences with God.

This just stinks

Just when you thought it was safe to use the "s-word"...

BROOKLINE, Mass. — Pastor Terry McCann was pleased to see his associate pastor interviewed on the local news about helping to solve school truancy. But he was mortified when the associate used the word "sucks."
"I called him immediately and said, 'What on earth are you doing?'" says McCann. "He told me, 'Relating to the younger generation.'"
The staff of Rolling Hills church is evenly divided over whether the word "sucks" is appropriate or not.
"I don't think twice about it," says the youth pastor who uses it commonly with youth. He bonded with his new associate pastor by using the word.
"When you can freely say something sucks, it feels good. It's like letting your heart out," he says.
But he catches continual flak from pastors who find the word offensive.
"Do people know what it means?" says the executive pastor incredulously. "I don't care if everyone says it. It's beneath us."
He and others send out emails that remind their co-workers to "Let no unclean words proceed from your mouth." Some roll their eyes at the "sucks police." The singles pastor, a die-hard "sucks" devotee, responded one time with a reply that said simply, "That sucks!" He included a photo of a vacuum cleaner in the message, to cover himself.
During a recent sermon while McCann was on vacation, the college and career pastor used the word "sucks" off-the-cuff. When his wife pointed it out, he absconded with the sermon recording so McCann wouldn't hear it. But McCann found out anyway because members of the church sent him angry emails.
McCann finally insisted that no church staff member use the word, especially during ministry. He suggested alternatives like "that stinks" and "that's terrible."
"Saying something stinks sounds like you're just afraid to say 'sucks,'" gripes one staff member who says it "may take me a while to get around to changing my habit."
Meanwhile, McCann recently used the words "scumbag" and "brown-nose" in a mid-week sermon. Staff members later called him on the carpet.
"Do you know what those words mean?" they said with mock outrage. McCann looked up the definitions, turned red and vowed to ban the words from his vocabulary.

I would love to stay and chat but I really need to meet with my staff. I heard one of them used the word "phooey" during a hospital visit.

Rick Warren

In a couple of weeks, President-Elect Barack Obama will take the oath of office and the reigns of power will be transferred from one party to another. As a political junkie, I really enjoyed watching the presidential campaign. Obama's victory speech was stirring as was the concession speech by McCain. I look forward to watching our new president address a myriad of issues over the next 4 years. The war, same-sex marriage, the economy, and everything else under the sun will be tackled from a completely different perspective. Unlike many of my evangelical brothers and sisters, I don't think that Obama's victory means that we are going to hell in a hand basket. I will pray for him and I hope that the hateful rhetoric from many in the conservative Christian world will fade.

Minutes before Obama places his hand on Abraham Lincoln's Bible, Saddleback Church Pastor Rick Warren will deliver the invocation (at Obama's request). His decision to have Warren pray says a lot about Obama's willingness to honor those who may not share his same belief system. Warren has built an empire which includes a church of thousands and great publishing success (The Purpose Driven Life, The Purpose Driven Church, The Purpose Driven Bathtub, The Purpose Driven Porpoise, and on and on and on). He is unabashedly conservative and, in most cases, wears his Southern Baptist roots proudly.

Last week, Warren gave a speech to the Muslim Public Affairs Council. I read a portion of his speech online and the LA Times offered this review...

Fresh from being tapped to deliver the invocation at President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration, Orange County Pastor Rick Warren spoke Saturday night to about 800 members of the Muslim Public Affairs Council at its convention in Long Beach.

Warren’s theme was about people getting along, forgetting their differences and focusing on areas of agreement. The audience cheered him, and many people rose to their feet. Among the first to stand was singer Melissa Etheridge, a lesbian, who performed for the audience.

Recognizing the potential for controversy, Warren said near the beginning of his speech: “Let me just get this over very quickly. I love Muslims. And for the media’s purpose, I happen to love gays and straights.”

He said people ask him what he prays for when it comes to Obama. “I pray for the president the same things I pray for myself: integrity, humility and compassion,” he said.

A council spokeswoman acknowledged that some members objected to the choice of the evangelical pastor as the keynote speaker. “We’re always looking to work with unlikely partners, and I think he’s a new kind of evangelical,” said spokeswoman Edina Lekovic. “We have a lot in common.”

I like Warren because he looks for common ground. He reaches out to people who have, in large part, been rejected by so many in the church. He acknowledges areas of disagreement (same-sex marriage, abortion, etc.) but actively promotes a spirit of friendship, love, and cooperation on important issues that can unite people such as AIDS prevention and poverty. In his plea for Christian-Muslim cooperation, Warren said, "You don't have to see eye-to-eye to walk hand-in-hand." Later, Warren, in an unspoken reference to the criticism he's received from the gay community, also talked about how it is so easy to demonize and hate those we've never met, be they homosexuals, Muslims, Jews, Christians, or any other group.

Jesus taught us to love God and love one another and I think Warren has a great opportunity to show the importance of loving "across party lines" when he prays on the Capitol steps.