How long, Lord?
Must we endure the slaughter of our children another day?
Evil men invade our schools, our churches,
Your churches,
and yet they continue.
Nothing changes. They never stop.
In the mourning of the slaughter we await news of the next massacre.
Many offer tired answers which do nothing to change the hatred buried in our hearts,
their answers do nothing to transform perverse minds,
who find joy in shedding the blood of our children and your people.
Do not hold past sins against us;
let Your compassion come to us quickly,
for we have become weak.
God of our salvation, help us-- for the glory of Your name.
Deliver us and atone for our sins, because of Your name.
Why should those who hate you ask “Where is their God?”
Before our eyes, let vengeance for the shed blood of Your servants be known among the nations.
Before our eyes, transform our selfish, greedy, and hateful hearts.
Before our eyes, give your comfort where there is no comfort to be found.
Before our eyes, bring your peace to a people who hate each other.
Let the groans of America reach You;
according to Your great power, preserve us.
We are dying.
Revive us, Lord.
Rescue us from death.
Restore us in the Name and the Power
of our great Lord and Savior.
Then we, Your people, the sheep of Your pasture,
will thank You forever;
we will declare Your praise to generation after generation.
 
In Jesus’s Name we beg.
Amen.

I had a great time reviewing the Weird Al film UHF as a guest on the Retro Rewind Podcast. This show has quickly become one of my favorites, and if you enjoy lively discussion about nostalgia inducing films you really should check them out.

You can subscribe to them here.
You can listen to the UHF episode here.

The Untold Podcast Reviews the Nnewts Trilogy by Doug TenNapel

Visit us for free audio fiction: www.untoldpodcast.com
Check out www.ChristianGeekCentral.com

www.nathanjamesnorman.com

Find Nnewts here: https://www.amazon.com/Escape-Lizzarks-Nnewts-Doug-TenNapel/dp/0545676479/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1501950077&sr=8-3

Last week Untold Podcast released a rather controversial episode. It delves into LGBTQ issues within the context of Christian faithfulness. We also produced a great trailer for the show. If you're so inclined, give the show a listen and let us know what you think.

http://www.untoldpodcast.com/home/episode-62-to-refuse-blood

In case you missed it, here is the video update for the third CrossTalk Global residency.

Just before the 2017 Academy Awards, Oscar winner John Irving encouraged artists who received an award to use their speeches to talk about their political platform. While I find intermingling entertainment with overt political messages to be frustrating, it isn't morally problematic.

But then he made the following two statements:
1. "the creative community has an obligation: to be intolerant of intolerance."
2. "In our community, tolerance of intolerance is unacceptable."

I understand the sentiment. And if I'm being honest, it is how I want to operate. I want to love the lovely, accept those who accept me, and befriend those who think along the same lines as me.

John Irving doesn't expound on what intolerance of intolerance looks like. Is it merely speaking out against anyone's ideas who don't match with his own values? Maybe. Or is it more along the lines of "hating the hater"? I don't know.

I have no doubt, Mr. Irving's intentions are honorable: defend the defenseless. Don't let those with power bully the weak. Don't allow hatred to win the day!
And again, while Mr. Irving's values likely differ from mine on a number of issues, the sentiment is very appealing to me.

But then the Apostle Paul comes along:
Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good. (Romans 12:21)

Paul, under the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit, tells me I can't do shady business to beat an even shadier businessman. I can't spread malicious gossip to hurt a person who hurt me by spreading malicious gossip. In the same way, I can't beat intolerance with intolerance.

Worse still, Jesus comes along:
You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, (Matthew 5:43-44 )

This is a higher form of love than romantic love. A higher form of love than friendship. A higher form of love than a family's love for each other. This is divine love! Unconditional! And sadly, utterly impossible for me or anyone else to actually achieve.

So, I ask for the help of Christ to do within me what I am not able to do myself. No one can love their enemies. No one can seek the good and betterment of people who who have hurt and abused us. It is divine love that accomplishes this. It is the sort of self-sacrificial love we saw in Christ.

I cannot settle for a lower form of love that only loves those who love me. I am trying to follow Jesus. And to follow Jesus, is to do what he did: sacrificially love our enemies.

Pray with me:
Father God,
Maker of heaven and earth,
and of all things visible and invisible.
There are many people I do not like,
If I am being honest, I want their lives to be ruined.
I confess to you this is hatred.
Please forgive me.

Lord, Jesus Christ,
by whom all things were made:
Thank you for loving me when I was your enemy.
Teach me to walk in your ways.
Teach me to love in truth,
and seek the good for those who hate me.

God the Holy Spirit,
Lord and Giver of life,
change me heart.
May I not love merely with words or speech,
but with truth and action.
I ask all this in Jesus' Name.
Amen.

#higherlove

Review: Sensitive Preaching to the Sexually Hurting

Summary: Sensitive Preaching to the Sexually Hurting walks preachers through a variety of topics related to human sexuality. Dr. Sam Serio offers practical suggestions and language to use while discussing these sensitive topics.

Review: For six years, I served in a sexual abstinence program through my local pregnancy support center in upstate New York. In retrospect, we should have been named a sexual design program. So, I was very interested to read this book with my background biblical sexuality and my current role as a pastor.

Serio explores sexual topics with an openness that’s needed in the Christian church. He covers the topics of Casual Sex, Abortion, Sexual Assault, Childhood Abuse, Same-Sex Attraction, and Sexless Marriage. His categories are helpful, and he highlights some topics that had not occurred to me.

At the end of each topic, Serio gives text suggestions to talk about these individual topics. I did not find these terribly helpful. However, the main sections of the chapters are very helpful. He offers terms, phrases, and great insight on how to present these sexual issues to congregations in a gentle but biblically truthful way.

My one major criticism with the book is the chapter on Same-Sex Attraction and Homosexuality. While I appreciate Serio’s balanced and loving concern for individuals, he puts too much emphasis on the parents as a root of same-sex attraction. He highlights four types of fractured parental relationships that lead to this type of attraction but fails to address what happens when none of these fractured relationships is present and a person still experiences same-sex attraction.

Ultimately, I was surprised with how helpful I found this book. There are areas I disagree with his approach, but Serio offers pastors an image of gracious, biblical conversations from the pulpit.

Find it on Amazon here.
Find it on Kregel here.

Rating: 4/5 Stars (I really liked it)

My daughter loves the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Now, she's never seen the show, but her friends like it so she does too. She's informed me that "Mikey" is her favorite and asked me which one was mine. Without hesitation, I said "Raphael - the red one."

And then she asked, "Why?"

I did not share the following with her, but I now share it with you, dear reader:

I was six years old when the Turtles became a hit cartoon show. My parents pre-screened it and said we could watch it as long as it didn't become any more violent. All three of us Norman boys loved the show, so for Christmas we were asking for the action figures.

Somehow, this is how the selection of the action figures went down. My older brother, naturally, was going to get Leonardo. He was the oldest and the defacto leader. Keeping with Old Testament familial practices (and also because he was really smart), he received a double-portion. My older brother would also receive Donatello.

My youngest brother would be getting Michelangelo. At the time, he was goofy and ate weird things. (Currently, he's less goofy and I think he secretly eats weird things.) Mikey was a natural selection for him.

So, in keeping with the way things usually go for middle children like me and Jan Brady, I was left with Raphael. As a consolation prize I was also given Casey Jones.

And that's how I became the most awesome brother.
Left with the scraps of Teenage Mutant Turtle fandom, my characters became the greatest ones of all! And as they rose in prominence, so too did I.

Raphael is the best Turtle forever!

Cowabunga!