Your ordinary televangelist usually has so much energy and so much to say, that they barely have time to take a breath.

This guy is not your ordinary televangelist.

This guy has so little to say, he eventually decides to hand things over to the audience.

Seriously.

Giving up on the salvation pitch, he looks out to the crowd and asks “So, anybody got anything going on?”

Their response…….sheer silence.

Apparently aware that everyone has dozed off, he announces that he’s going to join them, so they can all have a slumber party with God.

This guy may just be our new favorite televangelist.

So this exists.

It’s from an old show that Kenneth Copeland produced called ‘Super Kids’.

In this episode, Copeland steps out from behind the camera as a hardcore biker for Jesus who takes the Super Kids on a mission to overthrow a demonic, cyborg overlord who’s hanging out where all Satan worshipers hang out….a rock concert.

Naturally, Copeland converts the demonic cyborg to Christianity and the two close things out with a lovely duet.

Seriously, you couldn’t make this stuff up if you tried.

(Source)

The Wiser Family Puppet Band is here to let you know that the truth will set you free.

(Source)

I’m a big fan of King of the Hill. Or at least I was until Fox got the terrible brilliant idea to cancel it.

One of my favorite episodes of all time involved the Hills’ search for a new church.

They had been lifelong members of Arlen First Methodist, but when they arrived late to church one Sunday and discovered that their usual seats had not been reserved for them, and that the pastor had no plans on rectifying the situation, they decided it was time to look for a new church.

After trying out several different options they eventually landed at the Church of the Rising Son. It was the quintessential mega-church, complete with it’s own Starbucks, tram service, dry cleaners, and big screens in the sanctuary that they left on after to church so everyone could watch the Cowboys game. Of course, all of that was just the tip of the iceburg.

The Hills quickly discovered that the church also offered a never ending stream of activities; activities which they wouuld also be surveyed on to determine their level of satisfaction. Before they knew it, the Hills were so wrapped up in church life that they barely had time to take a breath before the next church event started.

I don’t know about you, but I think a lot of us fall into this same rut.

Church is great and so are many of the events that churches put on. I love going to church, I’ve dedicated my life to serving the church, and I’m usually the one planning half of those non-stop events.

However, I’m not convinced that all that “stuff” is a great thing. In fact, and this is going to sound a bit strange coming from someone in ministry, I wonder if sometimes we get so busy trying to “be Christian”, that we forget about taking the time to just enjoy life.

I’m not talking about all the wonderful things like love, compassion, hope, and grace that define the Christian life. I’m talking about all the other “stuff” we attach to “what it means to be a Christian” like small groups, church softball, Wednesday night fellowship, and all the other extra-curricular activities that have come to define church. Now, there’s nothing wrong with anything of these things. In fact, many of them are wonderful things to be a part of. But I think a lot of us have become consumed by a form of “checklist Christianity” in which our identity as Christians is defined primarily by our church attendance, how many church activities we’re involved in, or how much “Christian stuff” we do.

Once again, there’s nothing inherently wrong with any of those things. And I want to be very clear, that there is not and never has been any such thing as “just Jesus and me.” Likewise, there is no “being Christ-ian” apart from the Body of Christ.

But sometimes I think we get so busy doing “church stuff” that we neglect the incredible world and opportunities to enjoy that world that God has created for us.

Here’s what I mean….

There’s a great story in the Gospel of Matthew that tells us about the time Jesus was anointed with oil by an anonymous woman. This was an incredibly expensive and lavish gift. The disciples were appalled at the apparent waste. Like most of us would have done today, they pointed out the money made from selling the perfume could have been used to help the poor.

Being that it’s Jesus that they’re talking to, we would expect him to say “You’re right” and then miracously refill the bottle of perfume so that it could be sold to help people. But he doesn’t. Instead, he says something very “un-Jesus-y”, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me.”

On the surface it might seem that Jesus was being a little selfish, “Forget the poor! I want to smell nice!” However, I think Jesus was reminding us of something very important, something we so often neglect in our pursuit of being “better Christians”.

We forget about beauty and how to enjoy life.

I’m not talking about personal, superficial beauty that fades with age and income. I mean the beauty that’s all around us in creation. And when I say we need to enjoy life, I’m not talking about a free license to fulfill all of our selfish, destructive desires. I mean the simple moments of pure happiness that last a lifetime.

I’m talking about the beauty and enjoyment that comes when, as the great Thoreau once said, we “live deep and suck out all the marrow of life.”

Have you ever seen water erupt of the earth in Yellowstone? It’s better than any reality tv show you’ll ever see.

Or climbed the ruins of Mayan temple? It’s a workout you’ll actually enjoy.

Or buried your feet in the black sand beaches of Costa Rica? It’ll make you forget all about your backyard pool.

Or eaten an incredible meal at a back alley restaurant in Florence?

Or simply laid on your back in the park and watched the clouds go by?

There is so much to do in the world. So much to see. So much to experience. If God gave it to us or at least inspired people to create it, then I have to believe that it’s a gift meant to be enjoyed. And if that’s true, then those moments when we pause and enjoy the life God has given us, those moments are acts of worship.

Please don’t hear this as a call to abandon the poor or cease participation in your church. Those things are profoundly important. But we shouldn’t neglect the gifts of life and beauty that God has given us.

There will always be another mission trip to go on, another church service to attend, or church softball game to play in. You only have 1 life. Only one chance to see and experience a creation more beautiful and diverse than you could ever imagine.

If we don’t take the time to enjoy the beautiful creation God has given us, then it is all for waste. So don’t be afraid to “live deep and suck all the marrow out of life.” Even if you can’t make it all the way to the Great Barrier Reef, find the time to explore a national park, eat a great meal at a local restaurant, or just sit on your front porch on a warm summer day with a glass of lemonade and watch the world go by.

Doing so will create memories that will last a lifetime, but more importantly it will remind you how amazing, wonderful, creative, and extravagant God truly is.

Grace and peace,

Zack Hunt

An increasingly popular topic in many evangelical circles today is the relevance and/or importance of denominations. Not surprisingly this conversation occurs primarily, but certainly not exclusively, among  pastors and congregations not affiliated with any denominational and who, by definition, have already concluded that denominations are either irrelevant and/or unimportant.

This issue came up in the conversations at The Elephant Room this week. Not surprisingly the panel made up of pastors not affiliated with any denomination (no, “Baptist” isn’t a denomination), was convinced that denominations are losing their relevance. Although, ironically, by their own admission most of these guys also participate in “cooperative networks,” which are almost like denominations, except that they allow the local pastor to hold on to his power authority.

I’ve seen the numbers too and, generally speaking, traditional denominations are losing members. Despite what you may think, however, I believe that this makes them more relevant, not less.

Why? Because it seems to me, and many others, that the mass migration we are witnessing is fueled in large part, not by a burning passion for an “authentic faith”, but by consumerism. I’m not saying there aren’t people leaving denominational churches with legitimate scars. Nor am I saying that “relevance” isn’t important.

However, if there is one thing the church does not need more of it’s fracturing. The reality is that even within traditional denominations, there is great diversity, including many churches who are making intentional efforts to be “relevant” to the 21st century. Surely we can find ways to further that diversity by staying faithful to the commitments we have made, rather than bolting for the cool, new church down the street, further dividing an already fractured church.

With that in mind, I would like to try to make the case that denominations are not only still relevant, they are also tremendously important.

We need less splintering, not more.

I don’t know of anyone who would argue that the church needs less division. However, our actions speak louder than our words. I could be wrong, but there seem to be more Christian denominations today than at any point in history. We began with 1 church and now there are over 38,000 different denominations.

Diversity is a great thing. Splintering is not.

It was Paul who said we are one body, but many parts. The hand cannot say “I don’t need” you, for it will die by itself. Yet, this seems to be exactly what we’re doing today.

So what gives?

I don’t think we have to look much further than McDonald’s  and Wendy’s for the answer. We live in a consumeristic society. We love our menus. We want to pick and choose whatever we want, reject what we don’t want, and not be held accountable for either decision. If we don’t like what we see at McDonald’s, then we’ll just go across the street to Wendy’s. They still have basically what we’re looking for, but we like their Frosty better than McDonald’s shakes. And of course, if we get tired of burgers and fries, then we can just head down the street to Taco Bell and pick up a  ”taco”.

We do the same thing with church. We are consumeristic congregations. If we don’t like the preacher, the style of music, or the color of the carpet, then we feel free to leave at our whim. Certainly, we all have the right to choose our particular faith tradition. But once we have committed to that tradition or a particular church and we leave because we get upset about something or because the church down the street is suddenly more exciting, then I think we need to ask ourselves some tough questions.

What does it say about us and what we are actually “seeking” that we shop around for the “right” church that makes us comfortable?

Likewise, what does it do to the body of Christ when our commitment to her is based primarily on our personal happiness?

Simply put, the church doesn’t need more splintering. The church needs men and women brave enough to stay in the churches or traditions where they are, enrich those churches or traditions, and become agents of change within those places when necessary.

By what authority?

As freedom loving Americans we may not want to hear this, but authority in the church is important. That’s not the bias suggestion of a minister, it’s the model Jesus himself established in the Gospels. Jesus lays his hands on his disciples and literally breathes authority into them to establish his church and make disciples. Years later, when a formal church and hierarchy is established it’s not the “invention of man”, it’s the invention of Jesus.

This isn’t an argument for us to all return to Rome. (sorry Catholic friends) I’m simply making the point that if you’re going to go out and establish a new church, particularly an autonomous one, then you need to pause and ask “Who gave me the authority to do so?”

Before you say God told you to do it, I have to ask how you know it was God and not just your own frustrations or dreams. The New Testament gives us a way to discern this. Paul tells us to “test the spirits”. He’s not telling us to simply pray and then go with what our gut or heart tells us. Both Paul and Peter tested what they thought they were called to do by appearing before the Council of Jerusalem. In other words, they brought it to the church. The formal church, not an abstract, spritiual collection of Christian friends. If the church would affirm it, then it was from God. If they didn’t, then it wasn’t.

This is the pattern the church as largely followed ever since then. Certainly there are moments of irreconcilable difference in the church, i.e. the filioque controversy and the Protestant Reformation. However, there is a tremendous difference between disagreeing over fundamental tenets of the faith and breaking away from the established church because you want to be “more relevant”.

Likewise, denominational authority is tremendously important because it gives both the local pastor and the laity someone to appeal to beyond the local church. In the case of autonomous churches, there is no one to appeal to beyond the pastor or church board. If your problem is with the pastor and/or church board, then how can it ever be resolved in a fair manner? What is to stop the pastor or board from simply ignoring you or worse, turning you into a “wolf among the sheep”?

The answer?

Nothing.

We need accountability

This goes right along with the issue of authority. With few exceptions denominationally unaffliated churches live and die with their founding pastor. It was the pastor that founded the church and his or her charismatic personality that draws people in. This certainly happens in denonimational churches, but it is the exception rather than the norm.

When this is the case, their power often goes unquestioned. There may be rules or structrures in place to govern the church, but ulimately everyone knows who is “really” in charge. When this happens, as it so often does, the pastor becomes accountable to no one but himself. This is obviously an incredibly dangerous and toxic situation. You don’t have to look further than the constant stories of financial corruption, illicit affiars, and spiritual abuse to see what happens when a pastor is accountable to no one.

However, having denomination leadership in place, rather than the pastor’s friends, aka the church board, goes a long way in holding the pastor accountable for his or her actions. Though it’s not a perfect system, most denominational pastors are keenly aware of the limits of their “power” and act accordingly. This makes for a much healthier church, than a cult of personality.

Vast resources

Denominations have vast resources from which to draw from, and I’m not just talking about financial resources.

Listening to converstions between “innovative” pastors and “their ideas” for their churches, I never cease to be amazed. They often talk about the programs, strategies, and models they have created as if they are their own, original creation. They may add some 21st century flair, but their’s almost never anything “new” or “innovative” going on. It’s just a repackaging of something the church has already been doing for hundreds of years.

And that’s just the thing. There’s no need to “reinvent the wheel”. The wheel has been invented, tested, and tweaked for 2 millenia. To assert that the church needs “innovative” pastors to come in and teach her how to function is either naive or arrogant. Certainly, the church is always in need of tweeking. But when we are members of a denomination, rather than breaking off on our own, we have access to vast resources for “how” to do church. They may need tweaking in light of new technology, but they don’t need inventing.

Additionally, when we attach ourselves to a church that is not denominationally affiliated, we do so in large part because of the style of worship, the personality of the pastor, and/or the teachings of the church. If we move away, there is no guarantee that we will be able to find a church that is even remotely similar to what we fell in love with. This isn’t usually the case, however, with a denomination. Certainly no 2 United Methodist churches are exactly the same, but if you move from Orlando to Portland you can still be relatively sure that you’ll be able to continue to worship in the tradition that has shaped your faith.

Likewise, this inter-connectedness creates a wide and wonderful family that simply can’t be found in autonomous churches. Personally speaking, this is one of the things that appeals to me the most about being part of a denomination. I’ve been a member of the Church of the Nazarene my entire life. It’s not a perfect denomination, but one thing I cherish about my tradition is its connectedness and sense of family. It doesn’t matter where I go, I seem find a Nazarene connection. When this happens it’s like meeting a lost friend and when I visit another Nazarene church it kind of feels like coming home. Obviously you can find friends and a sense of home in any church, but denominations have this already built in and I think that’s a wonderful thing. In fact, I think that’s what the church is really all about.

Clearly, I’m not a big fan of the surge in autonomous churches. However, I firmly believe that those who attend these churches are every bit as Christian as the rest of us. Likewise, I don’t think that leaving your church for another is by any means an unforgivable sin. Sometimes we should leave, particularly when spirituality abuse is occurring.

My issue is with the unnecessary splintering of an already fractured church as well as the unaccountable authority that is recklessly wielded by autonomous pastors.

Because of this I think denominations are relevant and important now more than ever. In a world of consumeristic “have it your way Christianity” when we all, pastor or lay, want to be accountable to no one, when need to be reminded that autonomy and consumerism are antithetical to Christianity. It was Jesus who said “not my will, but Yours”. If we are going to claim to be Christ-like then we have to learn that we are not the center of the universe. If there was anything Jesus taught us, it was that should always be the needs of others first.

Likewise, Paul, the man who constantly butted heads with the leadership of the early church, was also quick and emphatic in reminding us that we are one Body and we cannot say to each other “I don’t need you.” We may claim that this is not what we’re saying when we break away to form autonomous churches, but that is the very action Paul is warning us against.

I’m afraid that we’ve opened a Pandora’s box that may never close before Jesus returns. That being said, there is always hope. If we truly love the church we must learn to passionately pursue unity.

Conformity does not equate to unity and I don’t think that is what we are called to be as the Body of Christ. Diversity is beautiful and tremendously important. However, we must also strive to remain faithful to the committments we make to the church and avoid fleeing for greener pastures if it can at all be helped.

God has invited us all to be a part of his Body. That body was broken once for all on the cross. Let us not needlessly break it apart anymore.

Grace and peace,

Zack Hunt

I’m not Pentecostal.

Not only do I not have the energy required  to be Pentecostal, but I also have some serious questions about the Charasmatic movement in general.

For example, why is it that the so-called “gifts of the Spirit” don’t exist throughout vast majority of Church history (post early church era, and even then it was not that common) and don’t appear until 1906 when they miraculously show up in Los Angeles, CA at a place called Azusa Street?

Was the Holy Spirit too busy for the 1800 years or so before that time to dole our Her gifts? Or were there just not enough genuine Christians around worthy of receiving these gifts?

And before you play the “we’re living in the last days” care, remember we’ve been living in “the last days” ever since Jesus walked out of the tomb and the kingdom of God began to dawn on earth.

Now, I tease. Pentecostal Christians are just as Christian as the rest of us, but these are legitimate questions that I think anyone in the Pentecostal movement needs to wrestle with.

That being said, this story is absurd to me.

If you show up to a Pentecostal church today you know, or at least you should know, what you’re getting yourself in for. In other words, if you’re not ready to join the holy mosh pit, then you’ll probably want to go somewhere a little less exciting.

Which makes me wonder what in the world the lady who is suing this church thought was going to happen when she visited. Did she think this was one of those non-Charismatic, Charismatic Church?

Maybe it’s just me, but this story seems to be  just one more example of how ridiculously litigious our society has become.

Evangelical Churches Catch Suits From ‘Spirit’ Falls

ABC News’ Lyneka Little reports:

A parishioner at the Disciple Fellowship Christian Church in East St. Louis, Ill., claims the spirit moved another worshiper so much during service that she caused others to tumble over backwards into her, causing injuries. Now she’s suing the church for damages.

Cheryl Jones alleges in a complaint filed in December that she was visiting the church when member of the congregation received the “spirit” during praise and worship and with no ushers or members to assist, the parishioner fell backwards knocking several members into the plaintiff, who was injured falling to the floor.

“They should have either warned Cheryl and people like her of the potential dangers -especially if they’re not going to have deacons or parishioners to help these people when they fall,” attorney for the plaintiff Brian Millikan told ABCNews.com. Because falling during the service, according to Millikan, is something that “seems to happen often” at the church.

“One of the interesting questions of this case is what standard to apply: someone engaged by the holy spirit and not fully accountable or someone that should be treated objectively as assuming the risk of this activity,” said Jonathan Turley, a tort law professor at George Washington University and legal blogger told ABC News. He is not involved in this case.

When filled with what is often called the holy spirit, “participants are worked up into such a frenzy that they may no longer appreciate or respond to risk. The question is how much is the church responsible in anticipating people will be acting without concern for danger or injury,” said Turley.

“The whole idea of being touched by the holy spirit is to surrender yourself. In doing so, these are people that surrendering themselves to collapsing involuntary. These churches tend to treat this response as the holy ghost has taken away the power of the individuals to even stand,” Turley continued.

But, it’s this alleged negligent behavior, according to the complaint originally posted on the legal news Website On Point News, that allegedly caused Jones to hit her head, neck, back and buttocks and lose consciousness during the Jan. 5, 2010 services. She wants the church to pay for her medical bills.

Jones is suing the church for failing to protect her. The complaint states on that day the church typically had “two ushers that would stand on each side of the member to prevent the person receiving the ‘spirit’ from falling and injuring themselves” but no one was when she was injured.

The suit asks for a trial by jury.

Continue reading

If you couldn’t tell from the name, this blog is dedicated to the phenomenon of American Christianity; that fascinating and sometimes horrific blending of patriotism and faith.

Well, you don’t get more American Christian than this song.

Fortunately, this guy is a much better singer than our last featured vocalist.

However, I’m not sure that redeems this song……or the choreography. Although, to be honest, when the ladies start saluting and waving their patriotic scarves as they march around the stage, I can’t help but smile.

God bless the U.S.A…..

First things first.

We believe that prayer is really important.

We also believe that praying with and for people is a really great thing.

And we believe that this ministry has their heart in the right place by wanting to pray for everyone.

That being said, can we at least agree that blue Walmart greeter vests and a kiosk only add to the already awkward idea of ambushing strangers in public in order to pray with them?

A few weeks ago the now former Governor of Mississippi, Haley Barber, caused quite the controversy by issuing dozens of pardons on his way out of office, several of which were issued to convicted murders. Not surprisingly, the victims’ families were appalled at what they felt was an act of injustice.

Living in Memphis, this story has been all over the news. One thing that has stuck out to me, is the bitterness and resentment that most of the victim’s families still harbor towards the now pardon murderers. To be honest, I can’t really blame them. I can’t imagine the pain they went through and continue to go through to this day.

But even in this midst of what seems to most of us to be justified animosity, I keep asking myself “Where does forgiveness come into play in all of this? Jesus said the Father wouldn’t forgive us if we don’t forgive others, but did he really mean we have to forgive people who kill our loved ones?”

Just a few days ago news broke that legendary Penn State coach Joe Paterno had died. Six months ago he was heading off into the sunset with an untarnished legacy. On Sunday he died in the middle one of the worst scandals in the history of college athletics; a scandal which found him too close to the heart of the fire.

Instead of simply celebrating a lifetime of achievement, the coverage of Paterno’s death has largely centered around his role in the Sandusky sex scandal and how that should or should not tarnish his legacy.

Just like the Mississippi pardon scandal, I keep asking myself “Where does forgiveness come into play in all of this? Jesus said the Father wouldn’t forgive us if we don’t forgive others, but did really mean we have to forgive people who molest [Jerry Sandusky] or allow others [Joe Paterno] to molest our children?”

Yesterday, Matthew Turner made us all aware of an awful situation at Mars Hill Church involving the response of the church’s elders to the moral failing of one of its members. The offending member sought forgiveness for his actions, but when he refused to sign a contract that would in effect “seal the deal”, he was excommunicated.

There is a lot that could and should be said about this issue. Without a doubt, the hypocrisy and shallow, fundamentalist reading of the Bible that is used to support the church’s actions should be called to account. For example, if Mark Driscoll really believes that passages from the Gospels can be isolated and used as a literal paradigm for church discipline, then why hasn’t he gouged out his eyes or chopped off his hands when they have caused him to sin?

Then again, Driscoll may be right in his emphasis on Matthew 18:15,16. Just not in the way he thinks.

If that passage is going to be the normative paradigm for church discipline, then it would behoove the leadership of Mars Hill to have a Biblical theologian on staff who could call their attention to the Bible’s use of irony. The same Jesus who told his followers to treat “sinners” like tax collectors and sinners, showed them exactly how this treatment should work. He ate with and befriended them before they ever even asked for forgiveness.

In an additional twist of irony, the man who wrote down this prescription for dealing with sinners, Matthew, was himself a tax collector who Jesus personally chose as a disciple. With that in mind it’s hard to believe that the shunning treatment is what Jesus really had in mind.

Enough of stating the obvious. This post isn’t about church discipline. It’s about forgiveness.

The way in which the scandals surrounding Mars Hill, Penn State, and Haley Barber have played out indicates to me how desperately we need to rediscover both our capacity to forgive as well as the ability to forgive rightly.

This is, of course, no simple thing to do. There is no magic formula for forgiveness. On the surface forgiveness should be easy. Somebody injures us in some way. They apologize. We forgive them. Then everybody moves on with their lives. But forgiveness is rarely, if ever, that easy. Often times the people that injure us never apologize. Even if they do, the pain is so deep it feels all but impossible for us to forgive them. Even when we find the courage to forgive, we found out quickly that complete forgiveness takes time. It’s a long and often difficult process.

Nevertheless, we are called to forgive just as we have been forgiven. Even without this divine command, forgiveness is necessary for life in a community. Without it, our bitterness and anger would overcome us, making it impossible to live together.

So, how are we supposed to go about this business of forgiveness?

For starters, it doesn’t mean we forget the past or pretend that we were never hurt. Despite the popular mythos, God doesn’t forget the past either. When Jesus appears to the disciples after the resurrection, his scars from the cross haven’t disappeared. When Revelation describes Lamb who sits on the throne of heaven, he looks “as if [he] had been slain”.

Forgiveness isn’t about changing the past, it’s about redeeming it. Forgiveness means we acknowledge that we have been injured, but that we chose to allow God’s grace to reign instead of our bitterness, vengeance, and pain. When we do that we incarnate the divine drama of redemption and reconciliation which brings the kingdom of God to earth as it is in heaven.

That being said, I think it is also important to talk about what happens when forgiveness doesn’t work out “the way it’s supposed to”.

The truth is reconciliation may never happen before the eschaton. There will probably never come a time this side of eternity, and maybe there shouldn’t be, when the victims of people like Jerry Sandusky are reconciled with their victimizer. And they should never be forced to do, regardless of “proper ecclesiastical procedure.” To do so is both is both disingenuous and dangerous, particularly to the victim. I think that sort of reconciliation may need to be left until Jesus returns to make all things new.

For me, there are 2 ways to look at this forgiveness thing.

On the one hand, we could throw up our hands in defeat and declare that sometimes forgiveness and reconciliation are impossible. This is the path many of us choose. It’s easy and to be honest, I can understand why we choose this path in many situations. Sometimes the pain is so deep, we can’t even speak about it, led alone begin the work of reconciliation.

On the other hand, we could look to the promises of Revelation 21 with renewed hope and believe that when Jesus says there will be come a day when he will wipe away ever tear from every eye and there will be no more death or mourning or sorrow, he really meant it. Though I can’t begin to explain exactly how Jesus will restore the impossibly shattered I hope that he will. That’s an amount of grace and redemption that I can’t comprehend, but want to believe in.

I choose the latter, mostly because of my father.

My parents divorced not long after I was born. One day when I was in first grade my father left and never came back. I only heard from him a handful of times between that moment and the only time I’ve actually seen him since when he came to town while I was in college because we thought his mother was dying.

Needless to say, Christmas, my birthday, and father/son picnics weren’t always the most enjoyable times. For a long time I was torn between hating the man who abandoned me and wishing I had a father around to play catch with. Forgiving him was rarely on the forefront on my mind. After all, what had he done to deserve it?

However, at some point I began to understand that I had two options. I could either forgive him and move on, or let the bitterness and resentment overcome me and define who I was as a person. I don’t know that I can say I “forgave” him. I think it would be more accurate to say I’m “forgiving” him. It’s a process, one which I hope will completed someday soon, because strange though it may sound, I still hold out hope that one day our relationship will be restored.

Now, I fully recognize that being abandoned by a parent is nothing like being molested by a parent or having a parent murdered. I’m not suggesting our reactions to these things should be same. However, as must as I truly want to do otherwise, I can’t escape Jesus’ condition-less call to forgive. Jesus’ doesn’t tell us to forgive “if”. He just tells us to forgive. And when Peter tries to put a limit on how many times we must forgive, Jesus tells him that he must never stop forgiving.

It’s a difficult path to follow. Jesus called it narrow and said few would find it. I hope that you can find the path to forgiveness and won’t allow bitterness and resentment to consume and define who you are. You can’t change the past, but you can change your future if you will allow the grace of God to reign in your life, redeeming the past and giving you a future with promise and hope for better days.

It won’t be easy, but with God’s grace you can do it.

And if we do need a “how to” guide to forgiveness (and the life, death, and resurrection is Jesus is not enough), then might I suggest we look no further than Paul’s letter to the church in Colossae. There he challenges the church to try an approach to forgiveness and reconciliation that is slightly different than what has been prescribed by Mars Hill. Rather than avoid one another, Paul calls on us to embrace grace…

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Grace and peace,

Zack Hunt

You should have a Bible in your hand at all times. Especially if you’re looking for God.

All you have to do to find Him is look down at your hand and the book that you’re holding. He’s right there waiting for you.

Get it??

Christian puns. So witty.

Sigh.