Make Church Count!

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As I reflect back on my time in the SEAL Teams, I realize more and more that so much of military life translates to the local church.  One of my favorite training drills was “IAD’s” (Immediate Action Drills).  This is a training scenario where the platoon is faced with enemy contact.  An insane amount of firepower is blasted towards the threat as the team does a sort of dance breaking away from the threat.  It is overwhelming to see the amount of lead a SEAL platoon can sling downrange and for a significant amount of time.  As the platoon disengages from the threat, in addition to expending a ton of rounds, we will travel a considerable distance.  We will “rally up” once it is deemed relatively safe.  In the “hasty rally” we will survey one another with two questions: 1) How much ammo do you have, and 2) are you okay?  Guys with more ammo will share with guys who are running low and major injuries will be handled.  We then quickly move to get out of there.  There is no way to convey this experience into one paragraph (click here to see 2minute video), but these experiences have transformed how I understand church life.

When I look out at the local church in our nation today, it seems like going to church is out for most.  For others it is a time to “pay back” God with an hour of boredom (well that was my childhood), or to appease someone like the wife, mom, or girlfriend…if one goes at all.  In this process we put on our “Sunday best” in order to show everyone how well we have this life mastered.  This is so backwards as the emphasis is on externals, not on our reality.  Hebrews 10:23-25 states this, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”  I believe these verses paint a picture of church being more like the “hasty rally” in the SEAL teams, than the “doing our hour once a week” culture.  Let me explain with a couple of points.

“How much ammo do you have?”  Have you ever noticed how many military illustrations the Bible uses?  Christians have been enlisted for military service (2 Tim. 2:3-4) and we need equipping for the warfare we face.  As this relates to church our ammo could be likened to multiple things, but I will stick to the importance of Sundays worship service.  The music and Bible teaching should draw one closer to God and deeper in their understanding of Him.  As we grow in our understanding and relationship with Him we increase our fighting power.

“Are you okay?”  Humans handle this question in a funny way.  Without a doubt we answer, “I’m fine.”  I don’t care if it’s the battlefield or the church.  We like to hide our problems when things aren’t going well.  We need to get over ourselves, let our guard down, and be real about our ups and downs.  It’s okay to share your struggles, worries, and needs to fellow believers.  We aren’t here to judge one another, but there are times when a brother’s confrontation of your sin can be the best thing for you (Prov. 27:6).  The church is supposed to be a close-knit family where we can help and serve one another in this journey.

To the Believer.    Choose your church wisely.  Find a church where the Bible is taught.  I am convinced that a church that teaches the Bible (actually going through and teaching the books of the Bible, not random topical teaching) is the best environment to foster spiritual health.  Connect to a local church, be faithful, and don’t church hop.  Get grounded in your local church.  Part of the struggle is planting roots and developing meaningful relationships where you feel comfortable and there is someone who genuinely cares about you to listen.  This doesn’t happen overnight.  I’m not against the large church, but the reality is these types of deep relationships are harder to form to form in a crowded setting.  Whatever size church you go to, get plugged in and be intentional about developing meaningful relationships. 

To the pastor.  Preach the Word.  Develop a culture of transparency by being transparent yourself.  Help the people of the church to develop meaningful relationships…I don’t have the answers of how to do this for your setting, but I am very convinced that we need to foster this in our churches today!

Forgiveness, Reconciliation and Consequence Clarified

Have you wrestled through the whole issue of forgiveness?  This wasn't really an issue for me before I became a Christian, but then after becoming a Christian I started to believe we were to forgive with reckless abandon regardless of the situation.  As I wrestled through the application of forgiveness Jesus' words to Peter often surfaced, "I do not say to you, up to seven times [speaking of forgiveness], but up to seventy times seven" (Matt. 18:21).  This presented some pain for me as I thought the Christian was to become a human punching bag by enabling an endless cycle of abuse followed by forgiveness.

Clearly the Christian has been forgiven much and should forgive as they have been forgiven by Christ (Ephesians 4:32).  This point is clear.  But what exactly is forgiveness?  I have heard that forgiveness is releasing the person who wronged you from owing you anything.  I get this as ultimately it helps you not to become an embittered person.  But does one-sided forgiveness result in reconciliation?  I think it is at this point where we often miss the mark because we think one-sided forgiveness should result in reconciliation, but most times it does not.

I find it interesting that the above quote by Jesus to forgive 70 times is found in the context of disciplining one in sin (see Matt. 18:15-20).  This is helpful to me as the context gives instructions for how do deal with someone in sin.  This is a flowchart to follow in disciplining the one in sin.  Jesus clearly instructs an escalation of consequence for the person refusing to repent.  If repentance doesn't occur the person is to be brought before the church and then essentially excommunicated from the body.  This seems harsh by our standards today.  But Jesus concludes by affirming their decision to discipline by saying, "For where two or three have gathered [the context is NOT prayer, but disciplining a fellow believer] together in my name, I am there in their midst" (Matt. 18:20).  Clearly the aim of discipline is reconciliation, but reconciliation seems dependent on repentance.  One's failure to repent often results in the consequence of a broken relationship.

I love the instruction the Apostle Paul gives in Romans 12:18, "If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men."  This is our aim.  The Christian's hearts desire should be to be at peace with all people.  This isn't always possible.  If someone has wronged you, you should seek them out with an aim of reconciling this problem.  This might fail.  At this point involving a mediator can be beneficial, but still might not result in reconciliation.  Regardless of how hard you try the other person may never truly repent and make amends toward reconciliation resulting in the consequence of a damaged relationship.

Regardless of the outcome, the person wronged needs to forgive no matter how heinous the wrong.  Don't be confused at this point.  Forgiveness does not alleviate consequence.  David, a man after God's own heart committed great iniquity.  He was a forgiven man, but still suffered the loss of his son and was forbidden by God to build the temple.  Forgiving one in prison does not mean they should be relieved of serving their sentence because they have received forgiveness.  There may be people who are simply hurtful people.  You should forgive them in your heart, but you may need to distance yourself from them.  Failing to forgive results in bitterness and I have heard it said that "bitterness is like swallowing poison and hoping the other person dies."

Olympic Reflections

I love watching the Olympics.  Naturally, like everyone, I prefer some sports over others.  Water sports take center stage for me.  This year the Olympic athlete I enjoyed watching was Ryan Lochte as he has had to compete in the shadows of the greatest Olympian ever.  The big event to watch was the 400IM the hardest of all swimming events.  Everyone was eager to observe Lochte and Phelps in this match-up.

In the lead up there were multiple video-montages contrasting the intensity of the Lochtes training over the last four years.  He broke from the typical training routines for swimming and took more of a CrossFit approach to core training through crazy exercises like slinging tractor tires and lifting heavy chain.  Check out this two-minute video that looks at his training.

Okay, I know this video was marketing for Gatorade, but that aside, did you see the crazy intensity of his training schedule?  Most of the commentators spoke of Phelps relying on natural talent and slacking during the four years between Beijing and London.  The results:  Lochte took the gold comfortably and Phelps did not make the medal stand.  This stuff fires me up!

I love reading passages like this one during the Olympic season:

"Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier. Also if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules." 2 Timothy 2:3-5

Paul encourages Timothy to take his service to the Lord seriously.  Not to slack.  To suffer like a soldier (which I also get fired up about) and to compete like an athlete.  What does this look like?  At the core of this is pursuing our relationship with God.  Growing closer to Him through prayer and studying of the Scriptures.  As we diligently pursue and nurture our relationship with God, opportunities to serve and to step out by faith will come.

How's your relationship with God mirror that of a soldier, athlete, or farmer (2 Tim. 2:6)?  I would encourage you to cultivate your relationship with God with intensity!  Don't hold back, go for it!

 

Chick-Fil-A-Melee

Last week, pictures circulated Facebook encouraging people to support Chick-Fil-A on August 1.  Initially, I didn’t notice the cause because it doesn’t take much to convince me to eat tasty food!  With this attitude, I shared one of the pictures with this statement: “This sounds like a great excuse to eat Chick-Fil-A to me!”  I had no idea the firestorm I was about to walk into.  I was blindsided by the outrage and attacks that came from some of my friends who hold values different than my own.

So much has been published about last week’s event that I wonder if I can actually contribute any new or pertinent ideas to this discussion.  Joe Dallas wrote “To My Angry Gay Friend” which I believe is the best Christian response to the LGBT community I have read.  I however have no intention of composing an apologetic post to last week’s event, but will attempt to express some thoughts that I think are particularly important to pastors and Christians as we navigate these interesting times.

Christ Crucified.

In this discussion, along with other hot buttons in our culture, I have seen Christian leaders opt out of the conversation for the sake keeping Christ crucified as the only message.  I agree with this position at first glance.  I certainly don’t want to minimize the Gospel—the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ is the jugular vein of Christianity.  It is the message of hope to a dead world whom God loves and has called us to reach.  The stance of preaching Christ crucified alone has been my response to a number issues in the past, but in all honesty I question my motives sometimes as I feel like I am hiding behind the Gospel for the sake of not having to take a controversial stance on a particular issue that is critical, sensitive, or divisive.

I guess the ultimate question at hand is does the Bible call Christians to be Switzerland (i.e. neutral and passive) on all issues outside of our message Christ crucified, or does Christ call the redeemed person to challenge the fallen culture in which they live as they proclaim Christ crucified?  In seeking to answer this question an article in Time Magazine (go figure) helped me square this issue as it relates to my calling as a pastor.  The article essentially asked Jerry Falwell how he dealt with Billy Graham’s criticisms of his political involvement.  His response was something along the lines of, “Billy Graham is an evangelist called to lead people to Christ.  I am a pastor called to lead people to maturity in Christ.”  I found this response to be helpful and insightful as it shows Billy Graham's goal was to remove all barriers outside of the Cross.  Jerry Falwell's goal was to lead people to Christ and then equip them to live out their faith in Christ.

There is a story in Acts 19 that I find particularly relevant to the debate in our land today.  If you don’t remember this story, let me refresh your memory here.  Paul had entered into Ephesus, and ministered there for about two years (Acts 19:10).  God used Paul’s ministry in a mighty way.  Many came to Christ and lives were transformed.  Their lifestyles changed and it affected the local economy radically.  One of the local businessmen was financially devastated because so many of his clients accepted Jesus as Lord.  He pulled the "silversmith union" together try to stop the Gospel because it had utterly destroyed his industry and livelihood (Acts 19:27) as the Christians essentially boycotted their services.  This is a story that clearly demonstrates the Gospel penetrates further than the soul of the individual it saved, but to everything touched by the saved individual.  The Bible seems to encourage believers to give preference of doing good to those of the household of faith (Galatians 6:10).  Maybe it isn't even an intentional action by a group of believers, but rather an organic byproduct of a group of people living according to Kingdom standards as revealed in the Scriptures?  Nonetheless, it seems to me the whole August 1 event was a display of support and blessing a corporation that stands for Biblical values.  Quite frankly, I was pleased to see Christians stand united for something they were for instead of the rallying against a particular cause that Christians have deemed inappropriate.

History records that the majority of people are silent as their culture is making a shift in a bad direction or towards evil.  I love what Bonhoeffer said in his context of Nazi Germany, “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”  The most difficult thing for me is determining which things are worth standing for and what things are not.  But I am certain that the majority of people choose silence instead of doing the right thing in the face of opposition.  Cowardice is not a Biblical virtue.  Christ instructs His followers “not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.” (Ephesians 5:11-12)

Our Citizenship.

In Philippians 3:20, Paul teaches that believers in Christ are citizens of heaven.  The lesson is clear that we live in a world filled with pain and sorrow and we are pilgrims passing through a foreign land.  I became a Christian while serving as a US Navy SEAL.  To say that I saw myself as a patriot would be an understatement.  During those early years God began to challenge my confusion, or syncretism, with my American citizenship and my new Christian citizenship.  God used the above passage to help me shape my new identity in Christ.  Does our new identity in Christ negate our earthly citizenship?  I don’t think so. Paul wrote this letter while under house arrest in Rome.  He was in Rome because he used the benefits of his Roman citizenship, as he did in a number of other places, to appeal to Caesar (Acts 25:11).  Clearly Paul was okay using his Roman citizenship for the sake of the Gospel.

In Paul’s letter to the Romans he instructs believers to be in “subjection to the governing authorities.” (Romans 13:1)  American Christians, in large part, have had the easiest job in obeying this command in comparison to other believers throughout history.  The United States is a governing authority that is of the people, by the people, for the people, and was born out of strong Judeo-Christian values.  One of our greatest privileges as Americans is the right to vote.  It saddens me that so few people who are eligible to vote actually register to vote and very few of those who are registered to vote actually exercise that right.  I do believe that we as pastors should encourage believers to register and to prayerfully consider who to cast their vote toward.

Clarity Beats Agreement.

As a final word, I’ve been going crazy over statements made in the midst of this whole Chick-Fil-A discussion.  I am shocked by the attacks against Christians and even more shocked by the Biblical illiteracy of the average believer as the Bible is clear concerning God's position on homosexuality.  I would like to end with a quote from Rick Warren as it helps untangle some of the false accusations and assumptions made in this discussion.  He said, “I am not allowed by Jesus to hate anyone. Our culture has accepted two huge lies: The first is that if you disagree with someone’s lifestyle, you must fear them or hate them. The second is that to love someone means you agree with everything they believe or do. Both are nonsense. You don’t have to compromise convictions to be compassionate.”

Gideon George Hanson

On Friday, July 13, 2012 at 6:13am, my son, Gideon George entered the world.  Seeing my children enter the world rank among the most significant moments of my life.  With each child I find myself contemplating life and my responsibility to them.

I love this picture to the left.  For the first couple days of his life, Gideon sported a U.S. Navy SEAL onesie.  Now, don't be mistaken by the outfit...I have no intention of forcing him to follow in my footsteps, my goal is to help him discover what God has in store for him.

As I looked at this child on Sunday morning a flood of thoughts came over me.  Looking at Gideon is sort of eerie because he looks so much like I did at that age.  It's striking.  In these moments, I reflect on life, pray, and make vows with God as a parent.

In that tired moment, it dawned on me that in our culture it is popular to want to give your children what you didn't have growing up.  The "what you didn't have" mostly relates to material things like education, houses, sports, clothes, etc, etc...  I had that feeling on Sunday, but in a different sort of way.  My heart's desire is not to provide more and better things.  Rather, I am very convicted to impart less tangible, but more valuable, things like integrity, honesty, and living with an upright heart before the Lord.  My prayer is that this child would come to know and love the Lord at a young age and that  he would walk with Him all the days of his life.

Movie Review - The Act of Valor

The Act of Valor came out in theaters a week ago today.  Since then, I have been repeatedly asked for my opinion about the movie.  I finally made it to the movies to check it out a couple days ago.  I am not a movie critic and find this review particularly difficult.  My plan is just to sort of lay it out there without much thought.


Initial Hesitations.  Going to this movie came with some concerns.

First, I was concerned about the fighting scenes.  I don't particularly enjoy "war movies" as they draw out emotions in me that I don't particularly enjoy.  The more realistic it is, the more I feel like I should be fighting back, yet find myself strapped to a chair helpless.

Second, I knew there would be fatalities suffered by the SEAL platoon in the movie.  For those watching the movie from the outside this is just standard movie stuff, but for me those who died in the movie were connected to real buddies who have been killed.  I sort of dreaded the death and funeral scenes because they would transport me back to the all too many funerals I have attended over the last ten years.

Finally, my greatest concern had to do with people in the movie theater.  I am highly sensitive to the lack of patriotism found in our nation today.  It really bothers me when I attend events and people don't stand, or stand still, in respect for the National Anthem.  I knew I had to brace myself to listen in silence to all the know-it-all movie attenders who would be spouting their mouths about the SEAL teams following the movie.

Thankfully, I really only had to deal with the second concern.


My review of the movie.  Again, I am not sure that I can give this movie a simple review...it is far too complex from my perspective as it was not just going to the movies for fun sort of event.

First, if you have never served as a SEAL you will not get it.  Period.  You can't watch a movie or read a book and think you actually understand what the SEAL teams are all about.  To understand and know the culture, you have to have lived it.  There is simply no way to convey it any other way. 

Second, this was a Hollywood movie--not a documentary lest we get confused. The scenes were fairly realistic, but the timing and choreography of events are clearly based around the storyline which is clearly that--a storyline.

The bottom line is I really enjoyed the movie.  I enjoyed being launched back into the teams for that short while.  My mind was able to fill in the blanks where the movie missed it--the camaraderie, the adrenaline of leaving an aircraft, the discipline if takes to stay quiet, the misery of transitioning from water to land, and the truly amount of lethal fire power a select few men are able to sling down range when it is needed.

Watching the action unfold, I feared the movie was glamorizing what we do in the way that the last Summer Olympics motivated half of America to start swimming laps after watching Phelps' domination in the pool.  The spectator doesn't understand the extreme amount of hours of training and sacrifice that go into the exceptional moments that come far and few between.  It is this extreme commitment that the Christian is to apply to their walk with the Lord.  As Paul says, "Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.  No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier." (2 Timothy 2:3-4).

I don't know the stats, but I am certain that the recruiters offices around the nation have been overrun with young guys that want to give it a shot.  I wonder how many guys were chipping paint and slinging slop during the 80's after enlisting to be an F-14 pilot after watching Top Gun?  I am certain this movie will have the same impact on recruiting.

As the glorification of war seemed to be reaching its pinnacle, a SEAL was killed and sort of changed the atmosphere in the theater.  I don't want to ruin the end of the movie, but I greatly appreciated the sobriety that the movie ended with.  It was hard to watch.  Flashbacks of my friend's funerals came back in living color.  While painful to watch, I was glad because this movie ended in reality.  We live in a time when reality is blurred by television, movies, and video games.  The good guys don't always survive the impossible.  I hope the ending of this movie will filter some future candidates who have no business going.

War is horrible as it decimates lives.  Unfortunately, evil is real.  We need warriors who will stand and defend the weak--this truth will remain until Christ returns.  (For more on my thoughts on combat see my most read post on "Reacting to Osama Bin Laden.")  If you saw this movie, enjoyed it, and are compelled to thank a SEAL, I would encourage you to make a donation to the SEAL Foundation which exists to serve the Naval Special Warfare Community.

Sanctity of Human Life

My thoughts on the Sanctity of Human Life as tomorrow, Sunday January 21, marks the 39th anniversary of Roe V. Wade. Since this date, it is estimated that 51+million babies have been aborted.  In perspective, on average per year this is about 1.5 million per year. 

This number is so great I like to put things into perspective— 

Two years ago in Haiti there were 92,000 deaths. Horrible. Since Roe v. Wade, 92,000 babies have been aborted every 22 days. 

Last year in Japan there were approximately 20,000 deaths. Horrible. Since Roe v. Wade, 20,000 babies have been aborted every 5 days. 

Let these numbers sink in… Every 22 days, for the last 39 years, we have aborted as many children as every person who died in the earthquake in Haiti. Every 5 days, for the last 39 years, we have aborted as many children as every person who died in the earthquake in Japan.  

A few years ago I attended a doctoral seminar where a very powerful video on abortion was shown. I opted out for a number of reasons--primarily I didn't want to face the reality of what it was because of my own history. A few months after the fact, I decided I should watch it to see if it would affect me. It did. I encourage you, especially if you are pro-choice, to watch it (CLICK HERE).

The majority of Americans seem quite content living under an allusion that abortion is all about "women's rights" and claim many reasons to justify it. You may be included, I know I was--or at least that reason seemed reasonable enough. If this is you, I implore you to watch the posted video so that you gain understanding concerning the truth of abortion.  Certainly if you are pro-choice you should have no problem seeing what you endorse.

God used this seminar to shake me to my core. It culminated January 2008, as I found myself pastor of Valley Baptist Church and preaching every Sunday. The Sanctity of Human Life Sunday was fast approaching and I had to decide if I would comment on the issue.

Many factors seemed to be at play. First, I stumbled across a chapter in John Piper's book, "Brothers, We Are Not Professionals" that challenged pastors on this topic--me in particular. I felt like such a coward. Then, I realized that I was finishing First Timothy the Sunday before Sanctity of Human Life Sunday...what would I do? I had no excuses. Ultimately, I decided the right thing to do was to take a stand for the unborn and for those suffering with the scars of abortion. I would preach on the topic from a biblical vantage point. This was the hardest sermon I have ever preached. I came with great personal pain, anger, and sorrow. I have preached on this subject ever since without regrets.

In my heart I don't think that someone can remain "pro-choice" after viewing this posted video, yet I know that I am wrong because many people are involved in this "medical procedure" day in and day out and are not moved by their actions. Our conscience is truly seared concerning this subject.

There are a few things that I want to say specifically on this matter:

1. If you have been involved in abortion (both female and male), Jesus has paid the penalty for your sin. Forgiveness is available to you if you ask Him. Forgiveness and consequence are two separate matters. Once forgiven, I believe it can take many years to sort through the guilt, shame, and scars.

2. I believe aborted children are resting in the arms of God. They are safe with Him.

3. Concerning abortion today. This is murder. We must act to defend the lives of the innocent. I am not suggesting that we murder abortionist, but we must rise up and help the helpless through political means, supporting your local pro-life pregnancy clinic, reaching out to abort-intent women, along with caring for young single moms who decided to keep their kids.

To you apathetic Christian, I implore you to watch the video and ask yourself, "What does God think about this?" Do you say, "Personally, I would never do it. But, I could never tell someone else what to do." Really? Watch the video, then tell me that! Then I would encourage you to read Proverbs 24:11-12 and ask yourself, "How does this passage relate toward abortion?"

Please people, watch this video. Let it hurt. Let the tears flow. Be ignorant no more!