Political Musings and American folly!

So, today I've had a good day resting and catching on my personal political musings. Now as many of my international friends have heard - we are in an election year here in the USA.  Our choices are President Obama, (I.e., according to 1/3 of all americans) born in Kenya and muslim despite the fact he has proclaimed himself a Christian and member of United Church Of Christ. (Uniting Church to my friends overseas) and holding a birth certificate from Hawaii. (Oh, I forgot The kingdom of Hawaii is a sovereign nation so he is foreign born) Then we have Governor Willard Romney who is mormon born to a family known for its polygamist history in Mexico and believes one day he will be a GOD. No Jokes friends! Romney of course, is the darling of Wall Street and is worth $200 million.  Obama is worth 11.8 million. Both men are pro-death (abortion), pro-gay marriage, and for universal health care like Canada, Australia, New Zealand, England, and Germany. (Very Socialist nations)   Hmmm... now what should I do to ensure my vote is in line with my Christian faith?  No Republican President has repealed Roe v. Wade.  Republican's (including Romney) called for universal health care with individual mandates long before Hillary Clinton called for it. So I'm in a dilemma!  According to my "Christian Republican" friends a vote for Obama is a pro vote to end America as we know it. According to them, America will become like Western European socialistic governments.  Hmmm... I like Great Britain, Germany, Denmark, Holland, Switzerland... great places to live visit and crime rate is low. Italy has great coffee, wine and food.  NO FAT PEOPLE either weighing down their health care systems - no skyrocketing insurance costs as a result either.  I like the Queens, the prime ministers, the parliaments, and shared values we have with these countries - after all most WHITE americans came from these places.  Yet, if Obama gets elected - That's it!  No more starbucks, no more small businesses - communism, atheism,  and totalitarianism will replace the constitution.  For the first time in American history we will suffer the total loss of our country according to the right wing neo-conservatives of the Republican party if Obama gets a second term. If I vote for Romney, I vote for jobs :)  in singapore, india, pakastan and the phillipines!  It will improve our ability in international trade against China, Japan, and Germany especially.

Voting for a republican will end abortion, protect marriage (with it's 62% divorce rate), end gay rights, restore America to her past as a Christian nation - killing first nation's people, enslaving africans... etc., and get rid of all these damn hispanics, asians, and muslims invading our borders and 7-11 stores. Let's not forget the importance of ensuring that we need a strong military force to protect our American interest in Iran.  We'll get all that new oil out of Montana, Colorado, Pennsylvania Shale mines and put the Arabs out of business if we just vote for Willard!  

Obama is going to get everybody on Welfare.  We won't need jobs. Permanent vacations for everyone!  We'll have "Solar Power," "Wind Power," government cars that run on water and a banking system that is regulated. He'll destroy the billionaire wealth creators who promise to give everyone their fair share... and oh wait, "He'll let mormons have multiple wives again" as long as same sex marriages are included.  Yes, we must stop him for those old conservative values!

Remember when conservative George Wallace, the Governor of Alabama, promised of "segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever" when he ran for president?

Did you know that Eisenhower campaigned on the traditional ideas of a 1950 home and family even though his mother was an African-American like Obama!

Let's not forget President Nixon making it clear "I'm not a crook!" and then ended up resigning before his impending impeachment!  He may not have been a crook but he certainly stretched the truth about the mexican break in at The Watergate Hotel.

Restore America????  To what?  Rev. Robert Hunt (who supposedly made a sacred covenant) on the shores of Cape Henry accused his wife of adultry and divorced his wife and left his son Thomas with her just before coming to the shores of Cape Henry.

"The Light and The Glory" puritans of New England massacred the first nations in mass and then took whole native families and sold them into slavery.

Even though William Penn treated the Leni-Lenapi with respect he owned and traded African-slaves.  

so in light of the trial of tears, the doctrine of discovery enslaving people being written into our laws in 1823 (and never removed) What time period of America do we want to restore this nation too?   Yes. it's the end of the world as we know it... and even though Modern America is drifting into the sunset with the rise of Post-modern, post-colonialism America - We'll all be fine!  Even if Obama gets a second term... 


 I will still be a spirit-led Christian, choosing to vote my conscience, continue to win people to Christ, and still try to make my world a better place... even if my friends think I'm going to hell for voting the wrong way!   Ghee!  Freedom of faith, freedom of conscience, freedom of press...  don't you hate it?

Confessions of a spoiled Christian

A number of years ago, we renamed our church "CrossRhythm Church."  The thought behind the name was "there are rhythms of life, "patterns" or "stages/passages" of life that we all go through developmentally. These stages include:

1) Early adult transition (17-22) - leave adolescence, make preliminary choices for adult life

2) Entering the adult world (22-28) - make initial choices in love, occupation, friendship, values, lifestyle

3) Age 30 transition (28-33) - changes occur in life structure, either a moderate change or, more often, a severe and stressful crisis

4) Settling down (33-40) - establish a niche in society, progress on a timetable, in both family and career accomplishments; are expected to think and behave like a parent so they are facing more demanding roles and expectations .

5) Mid-life transition (40-45) - life structure comes into question, usually a time of crisis in the meaning, direction, and value of each person's life.  neglected parts of the self (talents, desires, aspirations) seek expression.  Men are seen more as parents than as “brothers” to other men who are somewhat younger than them and this message comes as an irritation at first.  Also at this time, men becoming increasingly aware of death and they are reminded of how short life really is.  They become involved in trying to leave a legacy and this usually forms the core of the second half of his life.

6) middle adulthood (45-50) - choices must be made, a new life structure formed. Person must commit to new tasks. It is here that we have to take all we know and apply it and finish a life of significance or find ourselves completely stagnated because we didn't finish the tasks of former stages of life. 

However, the most important aspect we have to apply to each stage of life is the cross.  This means in each transition we make in life "we must die to our self-life" and recommit ourselves to making Christ the center of our lives. Phil. 1:21 says, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." So, we concluded that we would be a people who would learn to apply the Cross to each Rhythm of life.

At this point in my life, after 35 years of great ministry, I've surprised myself at how disillusioned I've become with what I use to think was important in life.  I find myself digging to find things that really matter in life.  My marriage is strong, my kids are doing great, I love where I live and I love the people God has given me to serve. But my spirit is grieved by the American Church world. It preaches "grace" only after getting caught in "sin."  It preaches "forgiveness" only after "abuse, dysfunction, and divorce."  It endorses and enables "addiction" in various forms while promoting "group" co-dependency.  Instead of preaching the gospel, "The American Church" tends to alienate the people who need it the most.  I love Jesus. I love his people (when I can find them).  But, there has got to be more than this current state in our journey of faith than this.