Wednesday, November 07, 2012

Decompressing

I decided to write something here.  Get it all out in one long document and move on with life.  I'll share my thoughts and move on.

I am disappointed in the results of the election.  I really am. With the exception of State Legislature (both chambers) and US Congress, every one - EVERY ONE - of my votes failed.  So, now, what do I do with this?

  1. As a Christian, I have to remind myself that God is not surprised.  He's known how this election, and the next one, and the next one, and the next one, will turn out.  That doesn't excuse me from my responsibility in the process, but I can rest in His overarching knowledge and goodness.
  2. After $6 billion - $6 BILLION - dollars in campaign spending, we got the more of the same at the national level.  The House and the Senate have basically the same make-up, and so that will mean more gridlock. The last two years will probably prove to be a repeat of the past two years.
  3. Historically, sencond-term presidencies are a waste. Many are bogged down by scandals, party in-fighting, media backlash, and an emboldened Congress. W couldn't do much his second term. Clinton bounced from scandal to scandal and was ruthlesslessly attacked by those in the media he thought were allies. Regan was dominated by the Iran-Contra scandal and Congressional battles.
  4. Ironically, the Supreme Court will, most likely, move more conservative.  It's widely accepted that Breyer and Ginsburg are two of the most liberal members of the Bench, and Obama will be hard-pressed to find two equals to replace them.
  5. Unfortunately, it looks like abortion will be left unchecked for another generation.  That's a travesty.
  6. MN is in for a tough couple of years.  An untempered Dayton will be an interesting ride.
  7. The Republican Party needs to evaluate itself.  Their traditional voting block is evolving, and to remain viable, it will need to understand the values of a wider base.
  8. Christians are going to need to be more eloquent in how we address social issues.  I'm not talking about compromise, but we will need to be more savvy in how we communicate our message.  I think back to the church's early response to AIDS versus today.  We need to be able to address the issues respectfully without compromising our biblical standards.
  9. We will continue.  Things may not look great right now, but we'll survive this. 
Thank you for letting me decompress. 

Saturday, November 03, 2012

Accidental Pharisees - A Review

"The truth is that accidental Pharisees are made up of people just like you and me, people who love God, love the scriptures, and are trying their best to live by them. The thing to note about accidental Pharisees is just that. They're accidental. They're like dinner at Denny's. No one plans to go there. You just end up there." - Accidental Pharisees, p.19-20.

Reading Accidental Pharisees - Avoiding Pride, Exclusivity , and the Other Dangers of Overzealous Faith by Larry Osborne was an adventure. His style of writing is very conversational, which makes it very easy to read. His stories draw the reader in, and the book was very infuriating and convicting. I really enjoyed it.

Please view the book trailer here.




Reading the book was and adventure. I found myself, at many points, saying to myself, "yes, yes, yes - hey, wait a minute!" And I think that's the point. I found myself in many sections in the book, places where I didn't expect to find myself establishing extra-biblical rules and regulations in the name of holiness.

Osborne does a great job of defining how personal sanctification can lead to unbiblical identification of sin. For example, I may establish specific rules for myself, as I feel this is what God is asking me to do for my own walk toward sanctification. When I apply those rules as universal, however, I'm out of bounds.

One issue I had with the book was Osborne's use of "a friend of mine." He does share some first-hand stories, but the frequent use of others' stories left me with the impression the author saw himself as above some of the critique he made. I repented, and I think he would identify himself in the pages of the book, as well.

Overall, I would endorse this book. I feel, however, it's more appropriate for a more mature Christian, someone who's walked in the faith for a time, as I think the book could do more damage to a younger believer and could even confuse them in their faith.

One more note. Through November 5, you can get a copy of the book for your Kindle device for $3.99. Check it out.
I received this book for free through Cross-Focused Reviews (a service of Cross Focused Media, LLC) for this review.