Attempts at Honesty

Reflections on the interplay of the Bible and Culture

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Herod was conflicted about John the Baptist

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Mark 6:20 is an interesting verse. The best manuscripts of this verse tell us that Herod was conflicted about what to do with John the Baptist. Herod’s wife, Herodias, wanted John dead, but Herod feared John and was at the same time intrigued and confused by John. (Note that the KJV and NKJV tell us that Herod “did many things” rather than “he was perplexed,” There is strong manuscript evidence for the latter reading and this reading makes more sense in the context.)

To fulfill the mission of the church to make disciples, the church will interact with those who know nothing about God, the Bible or Jesus Christ. When we do, there will be times when, like Herod, they will be perplexed by the message, but hopefully drawn to it at the same time.

There is quote that has been attributed to St. Francis of Assisi which says, “preach the gospel always, when necessary, use words.” There is something to this, we are called to live in such a way as to make the gospel attractive to those who have not yet heard it. Yet we also know that living out the gospel is only the means to earning the credibility to share the gospel in words.There was something about John the Baptist the Herod feared and liked at the same time. John earned the right to be heard by Herod by the integrity by which he lived.

That being said, John the Baptist did in fact use words. He preached an unequivocal message. He did not compromise his message for anyone, not even King Herod. We should do the same despite the pressure from outside, and sadly, inside the church to tailor the message to our post-Christian, post-modern society. The world needs to hear the straight truth about their need for a savior and that there is “one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,” (1 Timothy 2:5)

At the same time, we should not be dismayed if the world, like Herod, is perplexed by our message. The Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 2:14 that those who are not in relationship with Jesus cannot understand spiritual truth. So we should not be dismayed.

On the other hand, Paul also tells us in Romans 10:17 that “faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” Therefore, we need to preach knowing that some will be perplexed by the message, yet hopeful that God will use the preaching to bring salvation and enlightenment to those who hear the message.

If we are faithful in accurately conveying the message of the gospel, God is able to break through whatever perplexity the hearer has. It is not our prerogative to make it more palatable. Dilution of the medicine renders it ineffective in curing the disease.

What do you think about this? Do you agree?

Freeze Warning: When visitors complain that your church is cold

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Freeze WarningWhen the Apostle Paul said farewell to the Ephesian elders, he quotes Jesus as saying, “it is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35) Paul pointed to his own work to support himself while among the Ephesians as an example of this. Along these same lines, Matthew 20:28 tells us that Jesus did not come to be served but to serve others.

Based on these verses and similar statements, churches rightly develop a culture of service where people come to contribute to the life of the church. It is good to come to church with the priority of serving over being served.

The question is, what is the goal of service? What are we trying to accomplish? How are we nurturing the ones who are serving?

In many churches, the primary goal of service is to bring more people into the church. This is a worthy goal (see Matthew 9:38) but it cannot be the only goal. Jesus himself said his ministry is “to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10) Yet, based on Paul’s analogy of the Body of Christ in 1 Corinthians 12, I conclude that growing the church cannot be the only goal.

Under stressful circumstances a human can ignore the needs of his own body for a while in order to remove himself from a dangerous situation. The body can be pushed beyond what is considered normal when the need arises.However, this cannot be a prolonged situation. There is a point where the person begins to break down physically or mentally if its own needs are neglected. In order for the body to function correctly, it must be maintained.

Therefore, service cannot be the only goal, there must be nurturing that happens along with the service. If that nurturing doesn’t take place, people will feel used and will eventually move on when they are burned out. Also, if the nurturing isn’t taking place, people will feel pressured to appear that everything is OK, even when it is not. If this is the case, they will go through the motions and those who are perceptive enough to see it will know that there is something wrong with the body.

In our physical bodies, a low temperature is a sign that something is wrong. In the same way a low temperature in the Body of Christ is an indication of problems. If visitors regularly complain that your church is cold, this is an indication that people are not getting nurtured in the body. This should be taken very seriously. Sure, there will be some who visit who have unrealistic expectations, and sure, we cannot please everyone. But, if the complaint of the church being cold and unfriendly continues to come up, leadership needs to be open to believing that it is true and take steps to begin the thaw.

We are the body of Christ, if any part of the body gives indication that it is not healthy, the whole body suffers as Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 12:26. Therefore we need to resist the temptation to identify some in our congregation as whiners and complainers who will never be happy. They are part of the body and perhaps God wants to use those who complain to highlight areas in the church (and in the leaders) that need growth and repentance.

The street on which I lived in Allentown had a hill in the next block. A neighborhood kid who was a football player was walking with his 3 year old little sister. She started running on the hill and quickly got out of control and fell, scraping her knee and causing it to bleed. In response to her screams, the football player picked her up and said, “walk it off, you’re not hurt that badly.”

Let’s not do the same with those that come through our doors who are hurting.

A Reaction to a comment by Bill Maher in Transcendent Man

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Bill MaherA friend of mine, @jimworth, invited me to view a panel discussion featuring Ray Kurzweil which was entitled “Transcendent Man.” The subject of the discussion was Mr. Kurzweil’s documentary of the same title.

As part of the panel discussion, a clip of comments by Bill Maher was included. In the clip, Mr. Maher made the statement that it is wrong for believers to use modern technology to get out their message. He made the seemingly witty comment that “you must choose your century.” The implication is that religion is a relic from the unenlightened past and modern technology should not be used to promote such an outdated message.

I have news for Mr. Maher. Christianity has always outlived its pall bearers. It has done so because Christianity is not a set of beliefs but a relationship. It is a relationship with Jesus Christ who has also outlived his pall bearers.

Hebrews 4:12 tells us that the Word of God is living and active.  Since it is living and active, modern communication methods are the perfect media for getting that Word out to the world that needs to hear it. The Word of God contains the good news about Jesus Christ.

One of the themes of “Transcendent Man” is that technology will be able to solve the problems of mankind. I will most likely have another post regarding the panel discussion but until then I would say that given their respective track records, my money is on Jesus Christ and the Word of God having a better effect on man than technology ever will.

Book Review: Jesus, My Father, The CIA, and Me by Ian Morgan Cron

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Why you might want to skip this book and review

If you are a perfect parent, and have perfect parents, feel free to scroll down and click on one of the links in the blogroll below and find something else to read. You will gain nothing from reading either this blog post or the reviewed book.

For the rest of us who are imperfect parents and were subjected to imperfect parenting, read on.

Impressions of the book


Ian Morgan Cron, the author, subtitles this book “A memoir . . . of sorts.” This subtitle proves helpful since the book is a series of stories rather than an attempt to provide a detailed chronology of the author’s life.

Throughout the book, Mr. Cron provides glimpses into the struggle that he had in finding a Heavenly father because of the failings of his earthly one.

One of the things that I appreciate about this book is the humor that the author captures when recounting scenes from his childhood. The stories are inherently interesting, but the way that Ian recounts them makes them delightful. The book reminds me of the movie “A Christmas Story” in the way that the author finds humor even in the difficult and embarrassing episodes of adolescence. There were a few places in the book where I found myself laughing out loud while reading it.

The stories are delightful, but also encouraging. While my father was neither in the CIA, nor an alcoholic, as was Mr. Cron’s, I could relate to the struggle to find a sense of self and purpose while navigating the stormy waters of the American school system. Ian shows the reader that all along the way, God was giving him clues to his existence and waiting for him to come home.

The author is quite candid about his own struggle with alcohol and the events that led up to his recovery. I appreciated the candor, and am reminded that even when our hearts have been given to God, sometimes it takes the rest of our being some time to align itself in this new relationship.

Why You Should Read This Book

If you want to laugh with the author at the foibles of growing up, then you will enjoy this book. If you would like to hear one man’s story of finding God even when it seemed as though the world was arrayed against him, then you should read it. If you had a childhood that contained events which were difficult and to this day are recalled with pain, then you might find encouragement from a fellow traveler.

The book is also comforting to me as a parent. Ian is candid about his own struggles and victories in parenting. I am also encouraged by the fact that God can work in the lives of children even when their parents are imperfect. The book instills hope that my own imperfections as a parent can be overcome by our Heavenly Father..

There is one other benefit to reading a book like this. Too often I am so consumed by my own stuff and the needs of my immediate family, to be sensitive to the needs of the people around me. Ian’s writing reminds me that no matter how put together the people we meet seem to be on the outside, there may be mountains of pain and struggle beneath the veneer. I am encouraged to stop and do a better job of listening.

Some helpful links:

Disclaimer: I was offered a promotional copy of this book for the purpose of writing a review for this blog. I have received no compensation for writing this, nor do I get any benefit from anyone purchasing the book through this hyperlink in the book cover photo. The link is provided solely for the benefit of the reader.

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