Take a Monkey to Lunch Day #200

Today, February 12, 2009, marks the 2ooth anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin. In celebration I thought I would re-post my blog from last Feb. 12. I hope I get more responses this year. Let's be creative.

"Do you know whose birthday today, February 12th, is? I had no idea until a phone call with a friend. If you say Abraham Lincoln you would be absolutely correct. But there was another historically significant individual who was born on the same day in the exact same year as ole Honest Abe. And who was that illustrious persona? (A little drum roll please) Ta da!!! — Charles Darwin. That’s right, today is Darwin Day! (hereafter known as Duh Day — emphasis on Day) C.D. would have been 199 today, if only he had been stronger in his evolution and not been naturally selected to die.

Yessiree, Mr. Natural Selection who, when he wrote his magnum opus entitled On the Origin of the Species, naturally selected not to mention one word about how all this actually originated. My, my! Slight oversight there, Chuck.

Soooo, wanting to give credit where credit is due, I wandered over to www.darwinday.org. Interesting website. One of the links on the home page takes you to a page that instructs you on how you can participate in Duh Day. The first suggestion is “Sponsor and produce a [sic] annual Darwin Day event.” (The particular Darwinian who wrote this has not yet evolved into high school grammar.) As I pondered what would be the best event to commemorate Duh Day, several ideas came to mind. But before I share my ideas here is the official Duh Day Challenge for both my readers: What event can you think of to properly pay homage to ole Chuck-E (for evolution)-Cheesy D?

Here are a few suggested events for Duh Day:
1. As per the title, take a monkey to lunch or work or school. Since you are only an ape in designer jeans (not with Designer genes), what a fitting way to celebrate.
2. Take someone weaker than you to the gas chamber. Oh, sorry, the Nazi’s already did that one. But if you are truly Darwinian, you in your superiority get to choose who the weaker ones are.
3. A little commercial here: The very best way to celebrate Duh Day will be to make plans now to take a friend to see the new movie Expelled when it comes out this spring.

Charles Colson has an interesting commentary on Duh Day at his website recognizing PETA as the perfect example of Darwinism carried to its logical convulsion, er conclusion. Here is a brief quote:

“Here’s where PETA comes in. PETA was celebrating Darwin Day long before there was an official Darwin Day. You can see it in everything it does—from its ads comparing the slaughter of animals to the Holocaust, to PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk’s famous statement that “When it comes to pain, love, joy, loneliness, and fear, a rat is a pig is a dog is a boy.”

What does that have to do with Darwinism? Everything. To a Darwinist, you see, there is no distinction between human beings and animals. We all came about by chance; we are made of the same “stuff,” and we all end up as nothing more than dust. Instead of recognizing humans as bearers of God’s image, Darwinism sees us as nothing more than competitively successful bipeds with opposable thumbs. Forget any talk of human dignity.” (http://www.breakpoint.org/listingarticle.asp?ID=7522)

OK, answer the challenge. What creative way can you think of to celebrate Duh Day? Post it here."

truth in love…in action

Too often the church is limited in the scope of what it considers ministry. We fall into the trap of thinking that the “ministries of the church” are what we do together at the place where the church meets or, at least, in the homes of the church members. Now, of course, those things are a part of the ministry of the church. But the ministries of the church should be so much more than that.

Point 1: The followers of the Lord Jesus Christ are the church. All followers of all time are the universal church. Those in a particular area who have committed themselves to the Lord and one another are a local church. Those are the only kinds of churches the Bible mentions. But…again…the church is THE PEOPLE.

Point 2: Wherever the church is it ought to be salt and light in the world.

Matt. 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

That is, every member of the church, wherever he/she is touching the community/world, ought to be “letting the light of Christ shine through them” into the darkness of the world. Our mindset ought to be that we are THE church ministering “justice and mercy and faithfulness” everywhere we go.

Matt. 23:23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.

Mic. 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

We are the church. We are the church of the living Lord Jesus Christ. When we leave the “meeting place” we are still the church. He has chosen us and saved us and filled us with power from on high to go into the world and shine as light in the world so that the world will see our “justice and mercy and faithfulness” and give glory to our Father who is in heaven.

A Prayer for All Nations, Especially Our Own

Psalm 8:3-4 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?

Psalm 9:20 Put them in fear, O Lord!
Let the nations know that they are but men! (ESV)

As I read these words this morning just after reading the morning newspaper, I was struck with a profound awareness of the arrogance of humanity, especially those who are public figures of any stripe. Without naming names or pointing fingers at individuals (which would be unfair because of all those who would be left out), it is safe to say this is a chronic human malady. And, so that you will know, without question I am including myself and others who are “religious leaders.”

Stark Humility (Psalm 8): David considers only God’s creation, not even moving into the vast, infinite regions of all that God is in and of Himself. And with that limited view of only the heavens he is awestruck that the Creator of these things would give one nanosecond of thought to us little humans. And yet, he goes on to point out the place of high honor that the Creator God has given to us.

Demolishing Arrogance (Psalm 9:20): What could be more instructive and rehabilitating than for us all to become fully aware that we are humans. However, that this is exactly what we are and all that we are and all that we ever will be. Yes, nations, there is One Who is infinitely other than us. He is the Eternal, Creator God, before Whom we are mere men.

Selah: Pause & think!

A Prayer for President Obama

In praying for our new President, following the model of my friend Al Mohler would be good: A Prayer for President Obama.

Christians of the USA, if there is anything we ought to be able to unite about in relation to our nation, this is certainly one. Let's commit ourselves to praying for Barack Obama and his family. The Christians in early Rome prayed for the Caesars ("kings and all in authority"). How could we do less?

Bishop Robinson's Prayer

Opening Inaugural Activities

Washington, D.C.

January 18, 2009

Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson prayed:

"O God of our many understandings, we pray that you will…

Bless us with tears – for a world in which over a billion people exist on less than a dollar a day, where young women from many lands are beaten and raped for wanting an education, and thousands die daily from malnutrition, malaria, and AIDS.

Bless us with anger – at discrimination, at home and abroad, against refugees and immigrants, women, people of color, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.

Bless us with discomfort – at the easy, simplistic “answers” we’ve preferred to hear from our politicians, instead of the truth, about ourselves and the world, which we need to face if we are going to rise to the challenges of the future.

Bless us with patience – and the knowledge that none of what ails us will be “fixed” anytime soon, and the understanding that our new president is a human being, not a messiah.

Bless us with humility – open to understanding that our own needs must always be balanced with those of the world.

Bless us with freedom from mere tolerance – replacing it with a genuine respect and warm embrace of our differences, and an understanding that in our diversity, we are stronger.

Bless us with compassion and generosity – remembering that every religion’s God judges us by the way we care for the most vulnerable in the human community, whether across town or across the world.

And God, we give you thanks for your child Barack, as he assumes the office of President of the United States.

Give him wisdom beyond his years, and inspire him with Lincoln’s reconciling leadership style, President Kennedy’s ability to enlist our best efforts, and Dr. King’s dream of a nation for ALL the people.

Give him a quiet heart, for our Ship of State needs a steady, calm captain in these times.

Give him stirring words, for we will need to be inspired and motivated to make the personal and common sacrifices necessary to facing the challenges ahead.

Make him color-blind, reminding him of his own words that under his leadership, there will be neither red nor blue states, but the United States.

Help him remember his own oppression as a minority, drawing on that experience of discrimination, that he might seek to change the lives of those who are still its victims.

Give him the strength to find family time and privacy, and help him remember that even though he is president, a father only gets one shot at his daughters’ childhoods.

And please, God, keep him safe. We know we ask too much of our presidents, and we’re asking FAR too much of this one. We know the risk he and his wife are taking for all of us, and we implore you, O good and great God, to keep him safe. Hold him in the palm of your hand – that he might do the work we have called him to do, that he might find joy in this impossible calling, and that in the end, he might lead us as a nation to a place of integrity, prosperity and peace.

AMEN."

Actually, some of what he prays for are things with which all who are truly Christian could agree. My concern is with his addressing the prayer "O God of our many understandings." As a friend of mine said, it's a prayer "To whom it may concern." At least a Muslim would address his prayer to Allah or a Buddhist to Buddha.

I have no problem with Gene Robinson or anyone of other faiths praying to their gods. I think of Elijah on Mt. Carmel. He didn't say to prevent the prophets of Baal from praying to their god. In fact, he encouraged them to "call him louder." Elijah was concerned with neither the prayers nor the gods. We who worship the Lord Jesus Christ today know that prayers offered to God through His Mediator Jesus Christ are the prayers which God receives. We make no apology for thinking that. It is at the core of what we believe.

As I said, some of what the bishop prayed was good. Too bad he wasn't talking to the right Person.