A Finite God?

Does God know the future? Seems like a pretty simple question. God is omniscient - He knows everything, so of course He knows the future. But there are those that believe that the future is as yet undetermined, and thus unknowable by God or anyone else. The main issue is that whole freewill thing. We obviously determine, in a sense, at least part of future with the decisions we make. And God certainly appears to change His mind at times. He bargained with Abraham regarding the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. He regretted creating mankind and all but wiped them out with a flood. That whole Adam and Eve doesn't seem to have gone all that well.

First of all, let me reassure those of you reading that, yes, I do believe God is all-knowing. And I understand the concept of anthropomorphism, that we often attribute human characteristics to God for the sake of our puny human understanding, and so did the authors of the Bible. And there is certainly plenty of scriptural evidence that God knows the future; i.e. a buttload of prophecies that went down exactly as foretold. But do you think that somehow, God is (and I use this term veeerrrrry loosely, for fear of lightning strikes) limited in His view of the future? I've always believed that God lives concurrently in the past, present, and future, but does that mean that the future is already determined? Then what of freewill? Can God be both omniscient and have limited knowledge of the future? Any thoughts? Hello?

I am not a heretic, so put down those torches.

No, life is not fair

Today marks the 15th anniversary of my brother's death. Sean Douglas Rhinehart was 21 years old when the boxtruck that he was driving rear-ended a tractor-trailer, likely a result of Sean falling asleep at the wheel. He was survive by a wife, Starla, a son, Colton (2), and a son who was to be born just two weeks later. My brother and I were never close. He was five years older than me, and we were quite different. Sean took crazy risks, like jumping off of our roof into our above ground pool with a depth of about four feet. I do have some great memories of him (like when he was 15, chasing a potential home intruder down the street with a screwdriver), but I mostly have regrets, regrets in not taking advantage of the opportunity to have a brother. I miss Sean, but more than anything, I'm sad for all that he missed out on. What would he be like? What kind of father would he be today? Could we have been close after all? How would his kids' lives be different had he not been killed? Would he have provided them with the stability that their lives have sorely lacked? I don't know. Sure, he's "in a better place." But I can't help but wonder about the man he would be, the brother he would be, and how we would all be different. It's true--life is not fair. If it was, the world would never have suffered this loss. But God is faithful, and His grace is sufficient.

"The Wounded Healer"

I've decided recently to take a break from reading new Christian books, and take some time to connect to some of the classics, because basically, Truth hasn't changed. I love Brian McLaren and Donald Miller and Rob Bell and such, but for the most part, they aren't saying anything new. So I'm starting with The Wounded Healer, Henri Nouwen's 100-page answer to the question, "What does it mean to be a minister in contemporary society?" It's a little dry and heady at times (Nouwen was a professor at Yale Divinity School after all), but it's a great view of the future from 1971. Nouwen was a Catholic priest, but his works continue to have broad appeal to Protestants and Catholics alike. I really loved this quote about a pastor's vulnerability being the key to his ability to help others:

"Pastoral conversation is not merely a skillful tool of conversational techniques to manipulate people into the Kingdom of God, but a deep human encounter in which a man is willing to put his own faith and doubt, his own hope and despair, his own light and darkness at the disposal of others who want to find a way through their confusion and touch the solid core of life."

Of course, I believe this applies to all of us in the Church, but that a pastor should be open and vulnerable is a message come should here. Many believe that the pastor is an untouchable, unapproachable person, because, well, some of them are. Some prominent Christian personalities teach that it is their purpose to hear from God for their flock, and they are simply not to be bothered with the tedium of such tasks as washing their own cars or cleaning their own houses. The problem with this is that if you want to lead people, you should be able to relate to them. But enough about that. I'm trying to be more positive these days . . .

We so often make the mistake of underestimating the power of our own vulnerability. I think being able to be open and honest about our struggles as well as our triumphs, our messes as well as our successes (OK, I swear I didn't mean for that to rhyme. That would be lame. And that's no game.) is the one of the keys to effectively living in community. Not to mention it keeps us humble if we bear in mind how thoroughly we screw things up sometime.

Wrestling

I recently decided that, after a little time away, that I do indeed want to pursue being a full-time worship leader, but I'm not sure what that means. I don't have much interest in sending out resumes to random churches, hoping they like me and, just as importantly, I like them. And honestly, I don't feel like I'm ready. I've come through some painful church related experiences in a the last few years, and God has done a tremendous amount of healing in me. There remains only a trace of the bitterness that was once so prevalent. I have forgiven those that I needed to forgive, and God's grace has filled the cracks that covered my heart. But a few issues do remain, issues that could be potential stumbling blocks to my effectiveness as a worship leader.

First, as my blog "Something Corporate" revealed, I still have major questions regarding the function and understanding of worship in the post-modern matrix. Why is worship often limited to music? To what extent is encouraging the congregation appropriate? Perhaps most importantly, how much of what we do is Christ- or Bible-oriented (check out Brian's current blog series on this very topic). And personally, why do these questions present such obstacles to me? Am I too sensitive? Should I proceed with business as usual and adjust accordingly when understanding comes? Or should some modicum of a grasp on these realities take hold before I can truly progress?

My second major issue is that I just don't know what church is anymore. I mean, I read so many books and have a great idea of what I don't like that some churches do, and even some grip on some things I do like. And I love the church I'm at right now. It is an absolute Godsend. But it's been so long since church had any ring of normalcy to it for me. After I left Calvary Temple, I went to my dear friend Brian Richardson's church, and even had opportunities to lead worship there, but I never seemed to find my niche. I was still so burnt out from years of unhealthiness that it never clicked for some reason. Then I went to Bethany and didn't attend church until my second year, leading worship at a veeeerrrrrry small church plant, which was cool, but there was still no kindredship, no unity of vision--again, no click. Now I'm here in Texas and really finally feel like I'm in the right church. But it's going to take a while to get acclimated to church as healthy, functional place of relationship and community, all those things I preach, but fail to represent.

So, although God has graciously granted some clarity in the last few weeks (thanks in no small part to my amazing wife, who encourages me to not only wrestle with these issues, but to take action and initiate some degree of movement), I still think it's going to take some time before I'm ready to take that leap toward full-time ministry. It's frustrating, because I see myself getting older, and part of me wants it to happen NOW, and the other parts of me don't want it to happen at all, mostly out of fear. Why couldn't I be called to sleep full-time? I kick ass at that.

My Enemies Are Men Like Me

Peace by way of war
Is like purity by way of fornication
It's like telling someone murder is wrong
And showing them by way of execution

- from "My Enemies Are Men Like Me" by Derek Webb

On his second solo project, Mockingbird, Derek Webb tackles some tough issues head on. This entire record, along with Jim Wallis' book God's Politics, changed my life dramatically. I seriously used to think that if you are a Christian, you vote Republican and don't ask any questions. It seems, however, the older I get, the more liberal I get (one of my favorite professors at Bethany said that was because I was getting smarter. Maybe so . . .). The intersection of politics and religion is unavoidable for a couple of reasons: first, if you are earnestly serving Christ, then His message will impact the way you see everything, including politics; second, Pat Robertson, et al. You don't have to watch CNN for long until you hear the term "religious right." Heck, John McCain sold his soul to John Hagee for an endorsement (shouldn't that endanger his church's tax exemption?). The religious right is a powerful group, and I'm not sure that's a good thing. Webb and Wallis really made me evaluate my views, particularly on war and the death penalty, and weigh them in light of the message of Christ. So I ask you, should a Christian ever be pro-war? How should a Christian feel about the death penalty? Can a Christian support a candidate who has a pro-choice stance?

A New Law

Don't teach me about politics and government -
Just tell me who to vote for.

Don't teach me about truth and beauty -
Just label my music.

Don't teach me how to live like a free man -
Just give me a new law.

- from "A New Law" by Derek Webb

Funny thing, freedom. We love freedom. Freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of religion, you name it. We're even told that our nation is such a bastion of freedom that other cultures hate us because of it. But when it comes to freedom as a Christian, things get complicated. We want parameters. We want the line of demarcation between sin and not sin to be clearly defined for us. The problem is that living under grace rather than law messes with our heads. Can a Christian listen to secular music? Can a Christian watch R-rated movies? Or, God forbid, can a Christian vote for a Democrat (gasp!)? The Bible doesn't advise us directly on these (and a million other) subjects, so what's a Christian to do? Do we just avoid the difficult question of life and faith and culture and the intersection of such? Do we do what the hell we want because, we're free, dammit?

"You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You keep meticulous account books, tithing on every nickel and dime you get, but on the meat of God's Law, things like fairness and compassion and commitment—the absolute basics!—you carelessly take it or leave it. Careful bookkeeping is commendable, but the basics are required. Do you have any idea how silly you look, writing a life story that's wrong from start to finish, nitpicking over commas and semicolons?" Matthew 23:23-24 (The Message)

Perhaps even our consideration of these things is the issue behind the issue. In all our religious fervor to be "good", we often miss the point. We strain out a gnat and swallow a camel, Jesus said. Keeping all the rules, most of which are man-made anyway, doesn't amount to anything if you don't have compassion. Tithing is great, but not if you don't love your neighbor. What do you think? Does focusing on the "weightier matters" preclude living according to a man-made moral code? Or does striving for moral excellence still play a role in the life of a Christian in today's culture?









OK, so a I missed a day. Did you not read all that anti-legalism stuff I just wrote?

D-Webb

Tonight I had the fortune of seeing Derek Webb, one of my favorite singer-songwriters, in concert. If you haven't heard Derek's stuff, it's stunning. Start off with his first solo project, "She Must and Shall Go Free", a concept album about the relationship between Christ and the Church. It's full of profundity and hard truths we should all face so boldly. Consequently, my next few blogs will be based on Derek and his brilliant lyrics. Starting tomorrow. Daniel tired.

OK, not so frightful . . .

It was only like half an inch of snow, but for someone that grew up in central California, that's a big deal. See how Gus frolics! Frolic, Gus, frolic!

The Weather Outside Is Frightful

So, it has snowed two out of the last four days here. In Dallas. Dallas, Texas. Snow. I'll post some pictures tomorrow.

Mawiage

Not much to say tonight. You know, I dreamed of being married from the age of like 14. That's admittedly pretty young to think of such serious things, but what can I say? I've always wanted kids and the whole nine. But on July 13, 2007, it happened for real. It was a strange trip to get to that point, and it continues to be strange. Which I love. I guess I want to say that I am so proud to call Mrs. Jennifer Ann Rhinehart my wife. She is literally a dream come true. All those visions I had when I was younger about what married life would be like, they pale in comparison. She's my best friend, my confidant, my lover, and my biggest fan, and I can't imagine a single day without her. If you're married, tell your husband/wife how much you appreciate them. If you're not, if you haven't found that special someone, trust God. He/she is out there. It may not be the person you thought it would be, but it just might turn out to be someone worlds better than you had imagined.

Disclaimer: The preceding sappiness is not an indicator of future posts. I shall return in all my glory tomorrow.

Something Corporate

Leading worship is something that is very natural and easy for me, and I think I do a good job at it. I've lead for different groups of varying sizes and ages, and I get a lot of fulfillment from it. But the last several months, I've begun to question the whole idea of standing in front of people leading them in singing songs. And that's what it is, no matter how much we mystify it - a worship leader is first and foremost a song leader. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but I sometimes have difficulty in distinguishing what's genuine from that which is nothing more than stale church rhetoric. I love experiencing God's presence and worshiping Him through music. There really is nothing that compares to His gentle, intangible, yet unmistakable embrace; when the stresses of this earthly life fade away, if just for a moment, and you're caught in the overwhelming manifestation of infinite love and grace. But the problem I have with worship leading is the other times. How much of what a worship leader does, and perhaps more importantly, how the congregation reacts, is emotionalism and hype? I was speaking with a friend about this, who happens to be a senior pastor who leads worship for his church, and he had some interesting things to say. He told me that he knows that certain songs will produce a specific response in his congregation, and take the service in a certain direction (as a result, he shies away from these songs). And if you've ever lead worship, or even if you haven't, you've probably experienced this. You know, that song that gets everyone jumping, or draws the masses to their knees, or whatever the case may be. Is that genuine? Is God in that? I'm at a point in my walk with the Lord that I'm tired of hype with no substance. I've had more than my fair share, and I sure as hell don't want to add to the problem by feeding this Pavlovian tendency. I don't believe that my job as a worship leader is to be a cheerleader to rally the troops. Church is not a pep rally.

I think a big part of my problem with the way much of the American church views worship is that, no matter how we say "worship is a lifestyle" or whatever cliche is hot these days, worship for most is still that part of the church service where we sing the songs. And I hate that. I even hate that it's labeled as "worship", as though you aren't worship God by learning His word or building relationships with others. And that great musical genre known as "worship music". What makes something "worship music"? Is it the acoustic guitars? Oh, I know. It has to lyrically be directly to God; i.e. God is good = not worship, but You are good = worship. I also love it when people complain about there being too many I's in worship songs. Try saying "I love You" without using "I". Go ahead. Try it. For me, a song about how much I love my wife is just as worshipful to the God who blessed me with her as the latest Hillsong hit. But it wouldn't be appropriate for a corporate "worship" service. And there's the rub. Corporate worship seems to have different rules, as it should. But I'm not sure what those rules are at this point in my journey. I feel like I'm relearning everything, which is actually as invigorating as it is frustrating. Well, I have no answers at this point, but I welcome any input anyone out there is willing to contribute.

The Shuffle Game

A change of pace . . .

Music can tell you a lot about a person; not just what they like but sometimes a little deeper than that. So, in that spirit, take your iPod or MP3 player, set it to shuffle, and name the first ten songs that come up, say whatever you want regarding it - why you like it, what it reminds you of, etc. No cheating to make yourself look cooler than you are; if Hanna Montana comes up then you damn well say so. (thanks to Pat Walsh for the format)

1. Let's See Action - The Who
A steaming pile of crap song by an otherwise brilliant and original rock band. Thought they'd try their hand at honkytonk. Big mistake. The middle section of the song is cool, classic Who, then back to crap. My friend Albert and I were just discussing this very song, and how it is an anomaly to the rest of The Who's catalog.

2. You Make Me High - Jason Mraz
A beautiful, sad song by one of my favorites ever. His sense of meter and lyric is unbelievable. And he puts on the best show you'll ever see.

3. Owner of a Lonely Heart - Yes (Max Graham remix)
A crappy remix of a great song by a great band. "The Break-Up" gave me a new appreciation of this song.

4. Jingle Bells - Diana Krall
A really cool arrangement of the most annoying Christmas song ever. If you are over 10 and sing this song, poke yourself in the eye.

5. She's Always a Woman to Me - Billy Joel
Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant. This song gets me everytime. Lyrically profound. Musically profound. Billy Joel is amazing. Ignore "River of Dreams".

6. Mystery of Iniquity - Lauryn Hill
This is from Lauryn's MTV Unplugged CD, which has some great stuff on it, but her voice sounds pretty well worn. Great song, plus Kanye West sampled it, which makes it even cooler. Lauryn is phenomenal, and went from the biggest star in R & B to nowhere really fast. Wonder what that's about.

7. Jump - Van Halen
Probably one of the most instantly recognizable intros ever. Van Halen just canceled their Dallas show tonight, and a lot of people are pissed. Eddie's fried and they need to hang it up. Probably one the top 5 American rock bands of all time, and their legacy grows more tainted with each feeble comeback.

8. Amsterdam - Van Halen
OK, I'm not a huge VH guy, but two songs in a row. iTunes has spoken. This may be my favorite song of theirs, and it's from Balance, the last legitimate album they made.

9. Frontin' - Jamie Cullum
A great jazz cover of a Pharrell song. Jamie is so good, and this song is one of his best. And seeing him live? One of the best concerts I've ever been to. Plus, David Ryan Harris opened. Google him. Download him.

10. The Long and Winding Road - The Beatles
The last number one song they had, and you can almost hear it in the song itself. It's achingly sad and signifies the end of the greatest rock band ever. Go buy "Across the Universe", by the way. It's great.

That'll do it. Anybody who wants to play along, just repost with "The Shuffle Game" and let's see what you've got loaded up.

Time to feed the sheep

"When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, 'Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?' 'Yes, Lord,' he said, 'you know that I love you.' Jesus said, 'Feed my lambs.' Again Jesus said, 'Simon son of John, do you truly love me?' He answered, 'Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.' Jesus said, 'Take care of my sheep.' The third time he said to him, 'Simon son of John, do you love me?' Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, 'Do you love me?' He said, 'Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.' Jesus said, 'Feed my sheep.' (John 21:15-17)"

The idea of being in full-time ministry . . . well, let me be frank--it scares the piss out of me. I guess my greatest fear is failing. Not all that uncommon, I know. But I worry that I'll drop the ball and be yet another example of failure in the Church, yet another reason for people to just try something else, because this Christianity thing is full of flakes. I can't help but think Peter felt that way to some degree, too. The above passage amazes me. Peter had just fulfilled Christ's prediction and denied Him three times, after Peter had pretty much told Him, "OK, now, Jesus, I get that You're God and all, but that's just not going to happen." Well, yeah, it did happen. So Peter is all bummed out, and decides to go fishing. Now, this is not like you or me going fishing: Peter was a fisherman. At least before Christ called him to be a disciple, he was. For Peter, going fishing was giving up, returning to the life he had before Jesus changed everything. So Peter goes fishing and Jesus shows up out of the blue. He asks Peter that magic question, "Do you love me?", not once, not twice, but three times, once for each of Peter's previous denials. And after Peter's response, the Lord tells him, "Feed My sheep." Take care of My people. This is not a simple command. Jesus, knowing full well what had transpired over the last couple days, that Peter had denied Him, that Peter felt horrible about it, took special care to tell Peter to feed His sheep. Get out of the boat, Peter. You're still a fisher of men. I haven't given up on you. There is still work to be done, and you're still my guy. Jesus wasn't merely giving Peter a command -- He was re-releasing him into the ministry. Fast-forward 2000 years or so, and here I am. I feel like I've spent so long being bitter and angry, licking my wounds, sharing with anyone that would listen what I hate about the Church and how I was done wrong by these people, and how this person did this to my friend, and whatever. Good lord, what a whiner. After a couple of years of laying low, still loving God but being so leery of jumping back into ministry, I feel like God is saying, Daniel, feed My sheep. Get out of the boat. I haven't given up on you. There is work to be done, and you're still my guy.

Still Reforming

My church recently had an event that they call "THEOLOGY+CULTURE". I guess they do this thing every few months where they show a movie on a Friday night, and afterward discuss the theological relevance to today's culture. Hence the name, I suppose. This Friday night, the movie was "Luther", the 2003 biopic on the life of Martin Luther. (Side note: Joseph Fiennes played William Shakespeare and Martin Luther in back-to-back movies. That's some heavy stuff.) If you don't know the story, Martin Luther was a priest in 16th century Germany. When he was sent to Rome, the center of the Roman Catholic Church, he was appalled by what he saw. You see, the Church was engaging in the practice of selling indulgences. Basically, what this means is they were manipulating people into giving money to the Church by telling them that when they gave, they or their loved ones would be spared time in purgatory if they gave. They received a certificate stating such. And on the back, a coupon for a free scoop at Baskin-Robbins. OK, that part is not true. When Martin Luther saw this, he became saddened and furious. He began preaching about these practices, and, long story short, got himself kicked out of the Roman Catholic Church and started the Reformation that launched the Protestant church.

As I watched this movie, I couldn't help but think we haven't learned anything. Nearly 500 hundred years later, you need only tune in to one of the Christian television networks out there and hear pretty much the same message. Oh sure, they don't preach purgatory. But it sounds a little like this, "If you'll send me $100 right now, that lost son will come back to the Lord." Or, "Do you need a miracle? Make a $1000 vow tonight." How is that any different? Don't get me wrong--if you give to the Lord, He will bless you. But He is not a puppet. He is not obligated to react the way you want Him to. And if you are giving in order to get something, shame on you. The truth is, God has already given us the ultimate blessing in His son, Jesus Christ. What can I do that will begin to repay that debt? Nothing. There is no amount of money or time or work I can do for God that will swing the scales back over into my favor. God will continue to bless us, because He is a loving Father that takes great pleasure in lavishing gifts on His children. But in His wisdom, He dispenses those gifts when and how He sees fit, and for us to think we can force His hand is, well, it's heresy, plain and simple. Perhaps it's time for another Reformation . . .