College trip update

It's Tuesday morning and I am sitting in a hotel in Edmund, OK. We are in the midst of a tour of Christian colleges. Here is a recap of our trip so far:

Saturday afternoon we headed out from Rochester. We ended up in Chicago and celebrated Easter at Willow Creek's main campus. It was an uplifting and encouraging morning. The lesson was challenging. It was a pretty amazing experience.

Most of Sunday consisted of driving. I found out why they call it The Great Plains. I have never seen so many fields in my life. The best thing is that the speed limit in some places was 75 mph. After about ten hours of traveling, we arrived in York, Nebraska.

I was pleasantly surprised by York College. I had never been there before. I didn't know what to expect from a small Christian college in a small town in the middle of Nebraska. The people were very friendly. The campus was nice. It was a good experience.  I would recommend that you check out York if you are looking at Christian colleges.

Yesterday afternoon we jumped back in the van and headed south. Last night around 9:00pm we arrived in Edmund, OK. The cool thing is that we had homemade pizzas waiting for us. Kurk Ziegler, one of the students from ministry in Amherst, Ohio, is now a senior at Oklahoma Christian and made food for us! It was good to see Kurk. He looks so grown up! Anyway, we hung out with him for a bit and our two teen boys spent the night there.

I am about to shut this down and head over to campus for our Oklahoma Christian experience. Tonight we travel to Harding. We might want to stop and have pontoons installed on the church van before traveling to Searcy. We will get to experience the floods first hand. More to come...

shine!
Jason

When I make a wrong turn

Thank you to everyone who was a part of Illuminate weekend!! I felt like it was a great weekend and so many people were a part of it. To the adults who helped plan and coordinate, thanks! To the teenagers who were a part of worship, Ignite sessions, and the rest of the weekend, thanks! Most of all, thanks be to God who made this a truly great weekend!!

As I reflect back on Illuminate weekend, I am reminded that God continues to be faithful, regardless of what we do or have done. He is always seeking to find us, even when we feel lost.

We have a God who always wants what is best for us, even when we don’t realize it. He wants to protect our hearts, our minds, our bodies, and our soul. He wants us to have life abundant.

Unfortunately, we often get lost along the way. We take wrong turns, we go down dead ends, we take the wrong exit ramp. We find ourselves in places we never thought we would be. But that is often when God does His best work.

The apostle Paul wrote, "So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

I am reminded every day of how true that is in my life. God is much more concerned with finding me than condemning me for how lost I am. God would rather wrap His arms around me than point a finger at me. My God never puts why I am lost above why He wants to find me. That is the God of grace and mercy that I know and love.

shine!
Jason

Illuminate 2008...what a weekend!

Last weekend was our second annual Illuminate conference. This is a conference for teenagers, parents, and youth workers that we host at the Rochester Church. Here is a recap...

Friday during the day was filled with last minute preparations. Take 2 performed at assembly at Rochester College. David Fraze and Salient arrived. The final adjustments were made to the stage. We finished setting up rooms. And a whole lot more I probably wasn't even aware of.

As evening arrived, students and adults started showing up. By 7:00pm, students were entering the auditorium for the evenings activities. After months of preparation, it was time to go!

This year's theme was "LOST." Our focus was on helping those who felt lost find their way out and helping all of us minister to those who feel lost. Throughout the weekend, I was amazed at the people God brought together to carry out what we hoped to accomplish. As usual, God took our few loaves and fish and turned it into a feast!

The lights went down and the kickoff video played. Then Salient led us in some incredible worship and Ambassadors from Ohio Valley University performed a drama to set up the weekend. David Fraze and Take 2 weaved speaking and drama together to bring a powerful message. The evening ended with a great performance by Riley Armstrong.

Saturday was action-packed! In the morning, Chris Lindsey and his praise team led us in worship, David Fraze delivered another powerful lesson, and Ambassadors performed another drama. Following our morning session, adults and teenagers went to Ignite sessions. The teenagers were separated into three groups (teen boys, high school girls, and middle school girls) to address issues for their specific groups. This was a very moving morning where we addressed issues such as pornography, purity, cutting, eating disorders, body image, and more. All three sessions were led by great people. Patrick Mead and Gary Turner talked with the teen boys. Take 2 led a powerful session with the high school girls. Dana Spivy and a number of other young adult women spoke with the middle school girls.

We had a lunch break where students enjoyed a quick bite to eat, visiting college tables, and hanging out in the Underground Cafe. It was a good break before jumping into the afternoon activities.

Saturday afternoon included one more large session and three Ignite sessions. We had a variety of afternoon Ingite sessions for teenagers to select. Patrick Mead led a few sessions about "getting out of the woods." Pat Pugh and Jason Read asked "why do we go there?" Katy Dzwigalski lead a session about alcohol and drug issues. Josh Graves offered two different sessions, one on "finding your voice" with Shaun Hover and another on "finding hope" with Darren Chilton. Ambassadors led an interactive session called "acting out" where students acted out life situations. Sara Barton talked about "listening to the voice of Jesus. I can't being to tell you how good of a job all of these people did!

Dinner break sent everyone around the Rochester area for a bite to eat and a chance to decompress before the evening session.

We came back to the building and kicked off the evening with a short performance by Minor Measure, a band consisting of members from the 180 youth group. Then the colleges came up for drawings. The grand prize winner was a student who won an iPod shuffle. After that, Salient came up on stage and performed an exciting, energy filled concert. (I even got called up on stage to dance. That was interesting!)

After the concert we took a short break and it was time for the final session.

Chris led us in worship and Ambassadors performed another drama. Then David and Take 2 presented a powerful message that called us all to let God find us. It was an incredible evening as a number of students responded for prayers. There were over 20 students who had requests for prayers and encouragement. And there were three students who were baptized at the end of the evening! Two of them were from the 180 youth group!! :-)  (I also found out the next morning that a student who attended Illuminate was baptized Sunday morning at his home church.)

It was an incredible weekend where God was present in a very tangible way. Thank you to the dozens of volunteers who made it happen! Thank you to the hundreds who attended! Thank you above all to the God who never gives up on finding us, no matter how lost we may feel!!!

shine!
Jason

Soul-making Theodicy

Here is another paper from my grad class. This one addresses John Hick's article on his "Soul-making Theodicy."

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John Hick's theodicy emerges from his inability to realize the compatibility of the concept of God as both limitlessly powerful and limitlessly good and loving and the problem of evil. In his proposal, Hick provides an approach to this apparent conflict by revisiting and revising the Irenaean approach to theodicy.

The Irenaean approach to theodicy looks at the world as a "person-making world" which utilizes an evolutionary approach to the development of human beings. This is contrasted against the more historically popular Augustinian approach which begins with the fall and is known in modern times as "the free will defense."

It appears to me that Hick begins with an evolutionary presupposition when he writes, "For more educated inhabitants of the modern world regard the biblical story of Adam and Eve, and their temptation by the devil, as myth rather than story." He goes on to discuss how most "educated" people today believe that humans have evolved from lower forms of life.

Irenaean theodicy is built upon a two-stage approach to the creation of human beings. First, the "image of God" was a gradual process which brought forth human beings. In contrast to Augustinian theodicy, which supports the fall, Hick’s approach rejects the Creation story we find in Genesis and existence "in the image of God" as potential at the outset, rather than something to be realized progressively over time.

This approach then moves on to the divine "likeness," which is where modern human beings find themselves after experiencing one’s own free responses. Rather than the "paradise lost" we find in the Creation account in Genesis, Hick’s theodicy looks at the ideal state solely as a future and unrealized goal, not as something lost in the Garden.

Hick’s theodicy is extremely evolutionary. One of his arguments hinges on his belief that God could create beings that would, in essence, not sin. Hick states it this way: "It appears to me that a perfectly good being, although formally free to sin, would in fact never do so." One of his examples to support this position is Newton’s first law of motion. While this is an interesting consideration, laws of science do not function in the same manner as behaviors of living creatures. I believe that Hick chose a weak illustration to support an argument that does not make sense.

Hick goes on to argue that his theodicy makes moral goodness even more valuable because it is earned, not given. In other words, Hick argues that since God created imperfect beings who had to attain to a higher good, their morality is more valuable than one that God created in the first place. In one sense, this appears to be aligned with free will. However, the significant difference is that Hick argues that morality was never a part of the original design for man. This understanding of the source of morality disregards the Genesis story and removes much of God’s role in the creation story.

He also writes about the evolutionary idea of "survival of the fittest" and argues that natural evil helps develop our character. Since humans are forced to learn in an environment that includes natural evil, pain and death contribute to the growth of one’s moral nature. According to Hick, this world we live in – with its challenges and dangers – exists to help in the person-making process. Removing this pain and suffering would impair moral growth.

Hick does concede that this person-making process does not end in this world and continues in a future world, but his conclusions differ greatly from mine. He argues for universal salvation and states that, "the completeness of the justification must depend on the completeness, or universality, of the salvation achieved." In other words, according to Hick’s theology, everyone must be saved to complete God’s plan. This is basically an inevitable obligation on the part of a God whom one believes created every human being imperfect. If God made them incomplete creatures and life is the effort to be better, He would have to allow all of them to enter Heaven, regardless of their place on the journey.

I disagree with Hick’s theodicy for a variety of reasons. It contradicts the meta-narrative of God’s people in their struggle to regain what was lost in the fall. In my opinion, it negates – or at best diminishes – the significance of the cross. And it supports the idea that man was not initially created in the image and likeness of God. Rather we are evolving into what God intended us to be.

In his effort to justify his belief that God and evil cannot co-exist, Hick has created a theodicy that appears to be grounded more in humanism than in good theology. While some of his arguments may find a base in humanism, very few appear to take seriously God’s mission in the world to renew creation.

While I fundamentally disagree with many of Hick’s positions and opinions, I do not believe his theodicy is completely irrelevant. While I feel it is misapplied, there is a sense that life is about person-making. As individuals, communities, and the world as a whole wrestle with the implications and impact of sin, God is calling each of us to use life’s experiences as an opportunity to grow in our terms of our "God-likeness." In our individual journeys as well as the meta-narrative of human existence, God is calling us to learn from good times and bad to develop more fully into the people he intended us to be. This is where Hick and Irenaus do offer something of value in our understanding of evil, sin, and how God can coexist with these negative aspects of the world.

David is back!

After a "mess" last week, David Archuleta came back strong this week on American Idol. This kid can sing!

The Free Will Defense

This is a paper for my grad class examining an article about "The Free Will Defense" by Alvin Plantinga.

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In his article, Alvin Plantinga sets out to address those who would argue that an omnipotent God and evil cannot coexist. He especially addresses Mackie’s paper, "Evil and Omnipotence." I found the first part of Plantinga’s essay challenging and difficult to follow at times, but he discusses the importance of theodicy showing that an all-loving, all-powerful God is not logically inconsistent with the problem of evil. This becomes the foundation upon which the Free Will Defense is built.

Plantinga begins with the premise that an omnipotent God exists and has a good reason for creating a world in which evils exists. The purpose of the Defense is not to find the reason or purpose of any specific evils, but rather to say what might possibly be God’s reason for allowing evil of any type to exist.

One important belief of the Free Will Defense is that there may be a kind of good that God cannot bring about without permitting evil. In addition, a person must be free to make choices with regards to action. True freedom must give a person the ability to perform an action or refrain from it without direct interference. While one may be able to predict what someone will do, a person must have the power to choose their actions.

Plantinga outlines several other requirements as he defines free will. He states that an action is morally significant if it would be wrong to perform the action but right to refrain from it, or visa versa. In addition, someone would be considered significantly free if he is free with respect to a morally significant action. He also distinguishes between moral evil, evil that results from human activity, and natural evil, all other evils.

These thoughts come together in Plantinga’s initial statement of the Free Will Defense, which states, "A world containing creatures who are significantly free (and freely perform more good than evil actions) is more valuable, all else being equal, than a world containing no free creatures at all." One of the foundational beliefs is that in order for us to be capable of moral good we must have the freedom to choose moral evil. In other words, our goodness is only as meaningful as our opportunity for doing evil.

It is quite possible that God could not have created a universe that contained moral good without moral evil being present. While some would argue that God could have created a world where people only made good choices, this would contradict the idea of free will. In a sense, it would negate the value of moral good by eliminating the option of moral evil.

Others might argue that it is possible to do only what is right, even when presented the option to commit evil. However, God, with His wisdom and power, likely created the best possible world that still provided mankind with the opportunity to choose. So in order to create the best possible world, God created a world where there is the existential possibility for evil to exist.

While God could have created any world, the world God creates must be a world in which he exists. It must also be a world in which moral good exists while people have the opportunity to make choices, whether for good or evil.  God could not have created any world he wanted, but only worlds which contain moral good and moral evil. Otherwise, it would not be a world where true freedom exists.

In conclusion, Plantinga argues that God’s power does not allow him to create a world in which free will exists without moral evil. While God is all-powerful, his power cannot contradict what is logically true, that for moral good to exist, moral evil must be an option. Plantinga briefly addresses natural evil at the close of his essay when he discusses transworld depravity and that everyone suffers from that.

God, in his wisdom, created a world where he, the ultimate source of moral good, can exist with his creation, which has the freedom to choose good or evil. This free will makes it possible for a perfect being to coexist with beings who can decide to do what is right or what is wrong. Our freedom neither negates nor reduces God’s power or goodness. It makes it all the more wonderful.

Illuminate...2 more days!

Well, in a little more than 48 hours, several hundred people will descend on the Rochester Church for Illuminate 2008 - "Lost." We have begun to transform the stage into an island for this weekend. The picture to the right was taken earlier today.

Please be in prayer for David Fraze, Take 2, Salient, Riley Armstrong, Chris Lindsey, Ambassadors, Patrick Mead, Pat Pugh, and everyone else who will be presenting this weekend. I would also ask that you pray for our planning team and our volunteers. Most importantly, pray for the hundreds of people who will be participating in Illuminate this weekend and that God will work mightily among us.

If you want to learn more about Illuminate, please visit www.illuminateconference.org.

shine!
Jason

Will it ever end?

This past weekend, my dad, much of Ohio, and several surrounding states were buried by snow, blown around by winds, and generally miserable due to the weather. The photo above is from Progressive Field (the ballpark formerly known as "The Jake") in Cleveland, Ohio. This serves as another reminder of the winter that seems like it will never end. It makes me wonder what happened to global warming.

On the other hand, our Illuminate conference for teenagers and their parents is only FOUR days away! In the next couple of days I will try to blog a little about what is going on as we prepare for an exciting weekend. Today I sent the programs to the printers and continued to make arrangements for the Gathering times and Ignite sessions.

If you don't know anything about Illuminate, it's not too late to find out. Visit www.illuminateconference.org for details.

shine!
Jason

Interview with a teenager

This past Wednesday many of our teens were able to be a part of a special Connections upstairs with the adults. I had the privilege of interviewing four different students about how they saw God at work in their lives.

I interviewed Kalie about how she saw God at work as she learned she had diabetes. Hearing about her faith and trust in God was encouraging.

I interviewed Steven about how he saw God at work as he served inner-city children in Cincinnati. It was touching to hear how he learned that serving someone else is actually a fun experience.

I interviewed Amber about playing Mary in Imagine Christmas. She shared how playing this role changed her thoughts about one of her favorite characters in the Bible.

I interviewed Cassie about her decision to be baptized at WinterSplash. It was uplifting to hear about how her parents shaped her and how God became real to her the weekend of WinterSplash.

There was a lot of positive feedback from those who were in the audience that night. They were touched by those who heard stories about how God is working in the lives of our teenagers. As much as teenagers get “bad press” nowadays for being disrespectful, lazy, and more, I really enjoyed hearing compliments about some of the students in our ministry. Thanks to those who shared! Your words were a blessing.

shine!
Jason

I'm still alive...I think

This week I had a close encounter of the worst kind. I got to "enjoy" an intestinal virus (not flu, as my wife reminded me) this week. It started on Tuesday night. I had been invited to go with a student to the Pistons game. (I need to write more about this experience soon.) But at the game I started to get sick. I spent most of Tuesday night floating in and out of sleep and much of Wednesday sleeping on the couch, trying to feel better. The rest of the week has consisted of trying to feel better and getting caught up...and getting ready for Illuminate!

Sickness has a way of reminding us that the world does not revolve around us. We can be lying in bed and the world contines on without us. We are important, but not central, to the happenings of the world. I hope I don't need to be reminded again in THAT way for a long time.

shine!
Jason

More than just a test...

Last week I had my mid-term exam for my Graduate School Class. (Students, I don’t tell you this so you can know that I understand your pain when it comes to studying for school. Although, I guess that is a great point.)

Anyway, the class I am taking is Philosophy of Religion. We are considering questions like the existence of God and problem of evil and suffering. It has been an interesting and challenging class.

While I have learned a lot, one of the most important things I have been reminded is that we can use our minds and be a Christian at the same time. So many times I have been told that Christians cannot have faith and be intelligent. I have heard it said that science and religion are not compatible.

One of the things I am learning this semester is that these things are far from the truth. The more we learn about our universe, the more obvious it becomes that there is a beginning that needs a “Beginner.” The more we learn about our bodies, cells, atoms, and other aspects of Creation, the more obvious it becomes that there must be a “Creator.”

People may argue about the specifics of who this “Beginner” and “Creator” are, but my faith, the revealed Word of God, and the complexity and design of nature all speak together loudly that there is a source of the universe; I know Him as God.

shine!
Jason

It's not about me, but I need to be about it

Yesterday was our monthly youth ministers luncheon. John Barton, one of the professors at Rochester College and a great guy, lead a discussion surrounding ministry and what Paul had to say in 1 Corinthians 3. Here is the passage we discussed:

Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in the Christian life. I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready, for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world? When one of you says, “I am a follower of Paul,” and another says, “I follow Apollos,” aren’t you acting just like people of the world?

After all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building.

Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ.

Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.

Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.

Stop deceiving yourselves. If you think you are wise by this world’s standards, you need to become a fool to be truly wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say,

   â€œHe traps the wise
      in the snare of their own cleverness.”

And again,

   â€œThe Lord knows the thoughts of the wise;
      he knows they are worthless.”

So don’t boast about following a particular human leader. For everything belongs to you—whether Paul or Apollos or Peter, or the world, or life and death, or the present and the future. Everything belongs to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God. (1 Corinthians 3:1-23, NLT)

For most of people in ministry - if we are honest - this can be a struggle. We enjoy recognition. We want to hear that we are doing a good job. But how do you balance humility and success?

On one level, Paul reminds us that our ministry is not about us. We are not important - in the sense of being central. We are God's servants. Ultimately our ministry is about drawing people to Jesus, not us. Paul wrote, "Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow."

How many times have you heard a minister say "my church" or "my youth group"? I know I have said that before. Those phrases aren't intrinsically bad, but if we don't guard our attitude, phrases like those can twist our view on who should be the focus of our ministry.

On the other hand, God calls us to give our ministry our best. Paul wrote, "But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done." God will consider the quality of our ministry. He does not expect perfection, but He does expect faithfulness.

I have known ministers who have these two things backwards. They want their ministry to be all about them while they put little effort into it. They are self-centered and lazy. And what a terrible witness for the Kingdom.

Most ministers I know are not like that, but it only takes a few to give other ministers a bad reputation. I pray that I would never be guilty of this.

Regardless of what we do - ministry, a profession, a sport, or any other endeavor - God calls us to be selfless and self-conscience at the same time. We must never fall into the trap that this world is about us while at the same time treating everything we do with the understanding that our efforts can bring glory or disgrace to the One we serve.

It's not about me, but whatever I do, I need to be about doing it...and doing it well.

shine!
Jason

David Archuleta

I have never really been a big American Idol fan. In the past I might have watched it occasionally. But this season, one young man draws me back to the show every week. David Archuleta, a 17-year-old, is an absolutely phenomenal singer! Here is what he sang last night. Remember, he is only 17!

Long distance call from Korea

So early this afternoon, I am standing in the office of Patrick Mead, our pulpit minister, when my cell phone begins to ring. I look at my phone and see this really long number that doesn't remotely resemble any phone number in the US. Not sure who it is, I decide to answer. Maybe it's one of those guys from Africa who keeps emailing to help transfer a bunch of money. (Do you get emails from them too?)

Anyway, I pick up the phone and on the other end of the line a voice asks for me. I respond that this is Jason and this voice tells me it's Cary. Now you have to understand, Cary and I are friends from college. Not college as in Harding back in the late 90's. This is a friend from my Case Western Reserve University days (1988-1992).

Cary and I ran together for student government back in the day. Cary was the candidate for Student Body President and I was the candidate for Vice President of Finance. We, together with one other person, ran as a ticket of three. Without boring you with all of the details, we survived several political scandals and emerged victorious, defeating the ticket that everyone thought would win. Later, Cary went on to pledge and join the fraternity I was a part of, Beta Theta Pi. So we have history.

Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you about the phone number. Cary was calling me from South Korea, where he is an executive for an energy company. He was calling me in the middle of the night during his "connect with the States time," which is somewhere between midnight and 4:00am. (Isn't technology cool that a friend from over 16 years ago can call my cell phone from Korea?)

What a great phone conversation we had. We talked about a variety of things, but a significant portion of the call was Cary asking about my faith journey. How did I go from being a non-believing, fraternity guy in the early 1990's to a minister today? It was refreshing to have a chance to tell my story. It reminded me of how far God has brought me.

Sometimes when we are in the middle of living life, we forget where God has brought us to. In the midst of stress, family, work, finances, and so much more, we can miss seeing the big picture. I never want to be caught looking in the rear-view mirror so much that I miss opportunities to grow, learn, and move forward. However, there is value from time to time in taking a breath, pulling out the spiritual "scrapbook," and looking at what God has done.

Cary, thanks for the chance to be reminded of God's faithfulness.

shine!
Jason

Laughing at someone else's pain

Last night I was invited to drop by an all-night birthday gathering of teenage boys. After Matthew's concert (which was great!), I drove over to the young man's house. I felt like I was in a spy movie as I drove into his driveway and sent a text message that I was there. Within seconds, the door opened and I was allowed to enter.

After saying hi to the guy's mom (she was barely awake on the couch), I ventured downstairs to the testosterone zone. Here I joined a group of teenage boys who were playing Looney Tunes Monopoly. Honestly, I didn't know that version existed. I did come to find out that this family has numerous versions of Monopoly. (I assured him that Parker Brothers was thankful.)

I plopped down on the couch as the boys finished their game. I watched as they added up their "laughs" (the name for dollars in this particular version) to determine who was the victor.

After the game was packed up, we plugged in the PS3 to get on the internet. (This was an educational evening for me. In addition to my ignorance about Looney Tunes Monopoly, I didn't realize you could surf the net with a video game system.)

Anyway, we proceeded to venture over to "YouTube" to watch some videos. Suffice it to say that the next hour or so consisted of laughter, tears, and nearly wetting ourselves. We watched a series of videos called "Funny Crash Compilations." I am not sexist one bit, but I think this is foolishness that boys enjoy much more than girls do. It was hundreds of episodes of people tripping, crashing, falling, and a multitude of other injurious situations.

I did feel a tinge of guilt rejoicing over the pains of others, but it was also pretty entertaining.

But what about the times we rejoice over people getting hurt emotionally?

What about the times we feel better about ourselves because we put someone down?

What about the situations where we wish harm to others so we can experience success?

There is something about us human beings that can cause us to find pleasure in someone else's pain. Maybe it's the fact that it's not us. Maybe it makes us feel better about our situation. Maybe it's our sinful nature that allows us to become self-centered and self-seeking.

Regardless of what the cause is, God calls us to explore a different way of living. Instead of laughing at someone's misfortune, God asks us to get down in the mess with them. Rather than rejoice in another's sorrow, God wants us to weep with them.

It is a different way of living. One that the world often looks at strangely. But it's one that often catches the eye of the person who is hurting. While the world often looks on in bewilderment, the downcast and untouchables of society capture a glimpse of the One we live to serve.

shine!
Jason

The Analogical Teleological Argument

Yet another paper I wrote for my grad class. It discusses an article by William Paley entitled The Analogical Teleological Argument. This is another nerdy, read at your own risk article. My thanks once again to Dr. Rubel Shelly for his corrections, suggestions, and challenges that helped shape this paper. I am now "caught up" on posting these things, so hopefully I will have something a little lighter next time. ;-)

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Paley begins his essay contrasting the difference between discovering a stone and a watch. While a stone has little visible sign of design, a watch, with all of its intricate moving parts, cries out for a creator. The way that all of the parts work together tells us "that there must have existed at some time, and some place or other, an artificer or artificers who formed it for the purpose which we find it actually to answer: who comprehended its construction and designed its use."

Paley continues by providing a number of supporting thoughts to defend his argument for design:

• The conclusion is not weakened if we have never seen a watch made.


• If the watch does not always run exactly right, it does not invalidate the conclusion.


• If we do not understand the role of each part, that does not bring uncertainty to our argument.


• One should not argue this was just one of many possible combinations that would have worked.


• We cannot imagine a principle of order apart from the intelligence of the watchmaker.


• It would be surprising to think that the mechanism of the watch was only there to make us think it was designed.


• It would be just as surprising to argue that the watch was simply the result of the laws of metallic nature.


• Being told you know nothing about the matter does not drive us from our conclusion.

After laying out his argument, Paley compares an eye to a telescope. As much as the telescope has an obvious creator, the eye, an even more complicated "device," must have a creator. He also argues that "the contrivances of nature surpass the contrivances of art in the complexity, subtly, and curiosity of the mechanism." The complexity of the eye – and its greater complexity than a telescope – confirms a creator.

Paley concludes his argument by comparing the eye and the watch. He reminds us once again that this is a matter of examining the evidence. I believe that Paley’s argument supports the belief in a creator. The intricate design of so many parts of creation points to an ultimate designer.

It is difficult to comprehend a world as complex as ours evolving into what it is today. Something as simple as a single human organ (e.g., kidney, brain) shows the complexity of our bodies. I am convinced that the more we learn through science and research, the more Paley’s argument is reinforced. As science discovers more and more about the intricate design of the human body and other aspects of creation, the Teleological Argument becomes even stronger evidence for the existence of God. As evidence for this, one need only take account of the recent works of such scientists as Gerald Schroeder and the impact of their science-based arguments on philosophers such as Antony Flew.

The popularity of Paley’s well-known argument declined dramatically in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries because of the work of Charles Darwin. Darwin’s evolutionary model claimed that the (apparent) order in living things has resulted from natural selection rather than divine creation. Today Paley’s argument is finding renewed debate and discussion as the "Intelligent Design" movement and scientists such as Richard Dawkins reconsider Paley’s argument in light of recent scientific discoveries.

While I believe Paley’s argument makes some excellent points, there is at least one area of possible weakness that merits discussion. As a "creation focused" argument, Paley’s argument could be used by a Deist as well as one who believes in the God who continues to work in the world. To be fair, I don’t believe that Paley set out to prove the existence of a God though His ongoing works. Rather, he hoped to consider the evidence from creation and show that this line of thought is a strong argument for the existence of God as a Creator.

The Cosmological Argument

This is another paper I wrote for my current grad class. It discusses an article by Bruce Reichenbach entitled The Cosmological Argument. This is another nerdy, read at your own risk article. My thanks to Dr. Rubel Shelly for his corrections, suggestions, and challenges that helped shape this paper.

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In his essay on the Cosmological Argument, Reichenbach not only presents his points and opinions, he does an excellent job of addressing many of the objections to his position. He begins by reviewing some of the earlier approaches to arguments for the existence of God. In this section of his essay, he discusses the explanation for God. He explores the Principle of Sufficient Reason, according to which "no fact can be real or existing, and no statement true unless it has a sufficient reason why it should be thus and not otherwise." While considering this principle, Reichenbach goes even further to detail the nuances of the principle and how it fits the Cosmological Argument. He argues that, "a moderate version of the principle, which holds that what is contingent or what comes into being requires a sufficient reason why it exists or comes into being." This is one of the foundations of the Cosmological argument because everything in the world is contingent and needs a reason to exist.

He also comments on the necessity of scientific and personal explanations. While scientific explanation requires natural features, events, and processes or conditions to occur, personal explanation is explained through the actions of a person. When dealing with the existence of God, Reichenbach argues that both are critical.

Another central question addresses the issue of what needs explanation. The argument for a sustaining cause deals with why the universe exists. In this argument, we would argue that contingent beings, those things which the universe consists of, are dependent on other beings for their existence. The argument for an initiating cause discusses the cause of the coming of the universe. This argument would advance the idea that since the universe exists, it must have a cause. While both arguments have some validity, Reichenbach warns us to be careful in situations where an explanation in terms of God competes with that of science. As science discovers more and more, we must look to science not as our enemy, but as a friend who often fills the gaps in ways that enforce the Cosmological Argument, not weaken it.

Reichenbach goes on to outline a Deductive Cosmological Argument from Contingency. This argument would advance the idea that a contingent being exists and that it has a cause or explanation for existence. Since contingents require another being to cause or explain their existence, a necessary being must be included among the beings which exist. Therefore, a necessary being must exist. This argument hinges on the fact that "contingent beings alone cannot cause or explain the existence of a contingent being." I agree with this statement and its validity. Therefore, I believe this argument is sound.

During his examination of this argument, Reichenbach openly discusses the objections to and possible problems with this method of thinking. The first major objection he tackles is the idea that the universe simply exists. Most of his explanation circles around the writings of Bertrand Russell, who argues that the Universe "just is." However, Reichenbach argues that the source of the universe demands an explanation. While he states that quantum physics raises some questions about indetermination on the subatomic level, Reichenbach would argue that even these subatomic particles require a cause. Contingent beings still need a necessary being.

The second objection he addresses is the idea that explaining the individual parts of the universe is sufficient to disprove the existence of God. Hume even argued that uniting the parts of the universe is an act of the mind and has influence on the nature of things. Reichenbach argues that how the parts are arranged is crucial to the argument because examining the parts may very well give an incomplete picture of the whole. In addition, we must consider why these parts exist and their role in the universe.

The third objection confronted the notion that the conclusion is contradictory. This objection centers on the fact that the cosmological argument presupposes the cogency of the ontological argument. Reichenbach explains that a necessary being is not self-contradictory, and its existence is not intrinsically impossible. He argues that this is not the logically necessary existence that Kant discusses. Rather, necessity in the Cosmological Argument is understood in the sense of a factual necessity. This is a convincing point because without a source or cause, there is nothing.

Reichenbach finishes by defending his thesis that God provides the best explanation. His essential claim is that God is not scientifically explainable and does not depend on anything else for His existence. In addition, God provides the best explanation of our expectations of the universe. Since there must be a cause to the universe and God is the simplest and most reasonable answer, the God of religion must exist and is the cause of all creation.

I appreciated his approach because he was not afraid to tackle objections and other points of view. Reichenbach did not try to cover up these arguments against his opinions. Rather, he addressed them in a variety of ways. He acknowledged those times when others made a valid point. But he also considered the weaknesses of those counterpoints. For example, when dealing with Hume’s quantum physics argument, Reichenbach affirmed the challenges but went on to see the limits of Hume’s point. By considering and talking about the objections and arguments, Reichenbach actually helps strengthen his task to prove God’s existence. The Cosmological Argument accomplishes that goal very well.

Back to my roots

The last week and a half have been a blur! Between preparing for our trip, Illuminate preparations, grad class, snow removal in the middle of the night, and all of the stuff I usually do, my life has been a blizzard of activity. But this past weekend was a chance to refocus on the things that are really important.

I have been distracted recently by all kinds of things that have gotten me off track. But God used this past weekend to steer me back in the right direction.

We took a group of 37 down to Ohio for a weekend at Castaway Bay for a youth trip. It was a great weekend, a good balance of fun and spiritual renewal. We spent time in the water park and time in worship. We played and we prayed. And one of my favorite aspects of the weekend; it was an intergenerational weekend where people of different ages had a chance to grow closer together.

So, let me tell you about a particular highlight of the weekend. After worship on Sunday morning, Cassie, one of our teens, told me she wanted to be baptized. To be honest, there are times I wonder if a teenager is really sure about what they are doing when they make that decision. There was no doubt that Cassie knew what she was doing. You could see it in her face. You could hear it in her voice. She knew it was time to get out of the boat and follow Jesus!

We had originally planned to find somewhere to baptize her in the water park after lunch, so we headed off-site to lunch. Well, in our search for a place to eat, we ended up at Chet & Matt's, a local pizza place. (We were in Sandusky, Ohio, the area where Michelle and I both grew up.)

Next to Chet & Matt's was the Meadowlawn Church of Christ, the church where Michelle grew up and where Michelle and I first attended when we met. There was no one there by this time on Sunday a afternoon, but we decided to make some calls and see if we could get in the church building to do the baptism there.

After a few calls, Vern - one of the members there - was able to come over and open the door. So we all went in and prepared for Cassie's new birth.

OK, so here is the cool part. I know this baptistry well. On May 10, 1996, I was baptized in this same church building and this same baptistry. As I was preparing to baptize Cassie it brought back memories of that day almost twelve years earlier. I remembered the excitement. The joy. The new beginning. I was reminded of the commitment I made to God in this very place where I was standing.

Then I recalled all of the times I had let God down since that day. The rebellion. The sin. The selfishness. There were so many times I had chosen to do what I wanted, not what God called me to do. That day seemed so long ago. That new start seemed like a distant memory in some ways.

But as I walked down into the water, I was reminded of God's grace.

As I saw the excitement on Cassie's face, I was reminded of God's love and mercy.

As I baptized Cassie I was reminded of the blood of Christ that continues to cleanse us.

This week I am renewed. I am renewed by the faith of a young girl who decided that she was ready to get out of the boat and follow Jesus. I am renewed by the fact that God is always there, always faithful, always ready to receive us. He is the Creator who loves His creation. He is the King who cares for His people. He is the Father waiting for the prodigal son to return.

He is the God that I know.

He is the God that I serve.

He is the God that I love.

And it feels so good to know that no matter where I have been, He loves me too.

shine!
Jason

It's just that simple

Yes, it’s just that simple sometimes.

We try to make Christianity so complicated. You have to believe this and that. You have to be against this other thing. If you get all of your beliefs about certain issues right, then you’re faithful.

Now, don’t get me wrong. There are a lot of things about God and following Jesus that require serious conversations. Bible study is a vital part of our faith walk. Christians should never disengage our brains when it comes to our belief. God wants us to think.

But God also wants us to act!

Sometimes the most important thing we can do is act. Act by serving someone else. Act by being less self-centered. Act by seeking out opportunities to give of ourselves.

Jesus Himself said that we should love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. God wants us to use every aspect of our lives to follow Him. Our heart must learn to love God. Our soul must connect with God. Our mind must learn about God. And our strength should be used in the work of the Kingdom.

Following Jesus should never be only something we learn about; it must also be something we put into action. Lay down your life, pick up your cross, and follow Jesus for the adventure of a lifetime.

Yes, it’s just that simple sometimes.

shine!
Jason

Divine Omniscience and Voluntary Action

This is a paper I wrote for my current grad class. It discusses an article by Nelson Pike entitled "Divine Omniscience and Voluntary Action." It's kind of nerdy so read at your own risk.

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Much of Pike’s essay centers on the example of Jones mowing his lawn. The primary argument is that, if God is omniscient, humans cannot have voluntary actions. In continuing to revisit this illustration, Pike reinforces the idea that, if God knew in the past what we were going to do, we would not have the choice to decide what we will do. With the example of Jones, Pike argues that, if Jones decided not to mow the lawn, then Jones would cause one of God’s beliefs to be false. In a sense, Pike’s belief is that God’s foreknowledge precludes us from having the choice to change because it makes God a liar.

I disagree with Pike’s assessment, because he appears to consider God a temporal being who cannot work independently of time. When we treat God as a human and give Him human limitations, we will see his power reduced and expectations diminished. Pike argues that, if a human changes her mind and avoids acting in the way “God knows,” then she is going to prove that God is not perfect.

I believe that Pike’s argument fails because he does not take into consideration the belief that that God functions in a way where time does not constrain Him. God’s knowledge 80 years ago about something today does not mean that it was going to happen. I believe that God’s knowledge exists outside of the boundaries of time.

This presupposition is what much of the argument hinges on. If we accept that God’s belief “80 years ago” is a belief constrained by the limitations of time, then it is true that Jones must mow His lawn or make God into a liar. However, if we can acknowledge that God ultimately exists and functions outside the limitations of time, then His beliefs are not from the past or in the future. They are eternal beliefs that reflect how the world is at a given time, not what God knows will happen. This is a very challenging concept to grasp, but I believe that God exists outside of time, but is able to work within time. Much like a two-dimensional world cannot relate to three dimensions, I believe that God is in a dimension beyond our comprehension. This is what makes this dilemma difficult to figure out or understand. However, I do think that God is able to relate to us in our limited comprehension. That is part of the miracle of God; while He is timeless, He finds ways to interact with His creation which is bound by time.

I believe that God is omniscient, but humans still take voluntary actions. Even if God knows tonight what I am doing tomorrow, that does not ascribe Him control over all of my daily decisions. Because God is the “I AM,” He is a being that exists outside of the boundaries of this world. His knowledge of past, present, and future events in our lives does not rob us of voluntary action. As a matter of fact, this type of knowledge allows God to be active in the world providentially.