Month: February 2015

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The Dress was Headline News and My Friend Died

So yesterday was something else.The Dress

It seems a huge amount of people were vehemently arguing over whether this dress was blue and black or white and gold.

It made headline news and drew scientific explanations as to why people were seeing different colors.

Oh, yeah – and my friend Bill died.

There’s no other way to describe him than to say he was grand. I met him when I moved to town almost four years ago. He was one of the most senior seniors in the church – a Veteran of World War II. His time in the Army was an immediate bond with this Army Reserve Chaplain and, even though he had been out for decades, the military never got out of him. He would salute me every time he saw me in uniform. He was incredibly active with our local chapter of the VFW honor guard, which meant he and I did several funerals together in uniform. One Memorial Day he was tasked with dropping a wreath in the local lake during the Memorial Day Celebration in honor of the fallen. He was a man of deep patriotism. Bill Nash

Bill was an avid carver and whittler. He was always working on projects and had who knows how many little pieces stashed away. He delighted in giving away various whittled creations. Over the years my family received several whittled Christmas Tree ornaments. He also made me a wall hanging of the cross and a cut-wood version of The Last Supper that I kept above my office door.

Though he didn’t play, Bill was an avid supporter of the church softball team. If the weather permitted and he knew about the game, he was always there. He brought bubblegum for the whole team – the Bazooka Joe gum that you can only chew for 90 seconds before it gets hard and you risk chipping a tooth.

Bill had hearing aids that had to be cranked up for him to hear, but he was faithfully in worship every week. Every once in a while Bill would comment about the volume but it wasn’t a complaint – just a comment. Drums and guitars didn’t seem to bother him. I remember one Sunday I preached a little longer than usual. That usually irks some people. As I was saying goodbye to people at the door, Bill came through the line. I apologized for running a little late and he said, “Sorry?! Why are you sorry?!” (most everything Bill said was sort of half-yelled, probably because of his hearing loss) I said, “Well, I know some people get upset about running late.”

Bill’s response: “So what?! Say what you gotta say!”

He was always encouraging and helpful – doing whatever he could to support every ministry of the church (yes, even the kids ministry!). My wife just talked with him a few days ago, and now he’s gone. My heart is heavy and the world is a worse place losing men like Bill.

But please, let’s keep going on and on arguing about a dress.

There are things in life that matter and things that really couldn’t be less important. People matter. Eternity matters. I’m reminded of the simple prayer that Jesus taught his disciples:

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
(Matthew 6:9-13 ESV)

We worship God.
We embrace His kingdom and His will.
We ask for His sustenance and provision.
We pursue reconciliation with others and with God.
We seek His continued help and deliverance.

That’s it! That’s the only prayer Jesus taught, but it shows us where our focus should be.

There is an eternal perspective that we are missing when we get caught up in ridiculous stories and arguments about colors of dresses. I don’t think Bill would have care one whit about the color of a dress. I KNOW Jesus wouldn’t have cared. Jesus had that long-range perspective – a focus on what really mattered.

The death of friends and family usually makes us take stock of our own lives. What matters? Who matters?

The Dress doesn’t matter to me. I can’t even bring myself to read through an entire article about it. Bill mattered.

Today my prayer is that we can shake ourselves free from the inane things that plague our every day and begin to live lives that matter.

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Defending a Liberal from a Bible-Wielding Bully

I’ll admit it right up front – I consider myself to be a moderate. There are some areas where conservatives get it right. There are other areas where liberals get it right. It’s foolish to think that either side gets it 100% right or wrong.

But one thing that really gets my blood boiling is when a person one side seeks to tarnish (or completely strip away) the salvation of an opponent on the other side. This was just the case this week as conservative blogger Matt WalshMatt Walsh wrote a piece partially titled: It’s Incredibly Obvious That Barack Obama Isn’t a Christian.

While Mr. Walsh and I probably agree on a great many things politically, ethically, and morally, I disagree with his admitted attack on President Obama’s Christianity. I have two fundamental problems with Mr. Walsh’s attack piece. First, the beginning part of the article is superfluous and unnecessary. Mr. Walsh let’s loose with a long list of grievances that show the President’s lack of Christian faith:

– he’s part of a radical heretical sect called Black Liberation Theology
– he attacked religious freedom in America
– he “aided and abetted” persecutors of Christians overseas
– he supports same-sex marriage
– he’s dishonest
– he exploits racial tensions
– he’s generally corrupt and unwaveringly narcissistic

Mr. Walsh invokes Jesus’s words in Matthew 7:16

You will know them by their fruit

It’s quite possible that nobody ever told Mr. Walsh that reading a Bible verse requires seeing the surrounding verses as well for context. In Matthew 7:15-16 Jesus actually says:

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.

Do you see it there? Jesus is talking about judging and gauging prophets. He’s not talking about politicians. While there may be a general life principle about watching a person’s behavior to know who and what they are, we mustn’t tweak Jesus’s words to fit our agendas.

Then, admitting that his entire list is irrelevant, Mr. Walsh says:

He could theoretically be all those things and still be a Christian.

So there is no biblical support to back up the initial accusations. They do not stand as proof of a false Christian faith. The real issue, what Mr. Walsh is really getting to, is his intense loathing for President Obama based on Mr. Obama’s stance on abortion.

Leave all of that aside, then. The thing above all else that really reveals his true faith (or lack thereof) is his undying passion for, support of, and belief in abortion.

Mr. Walsh then unleashes a plethora of articles and facts illustrating Mr. Obama’s stance on abortion.

Plethora

Here comes my second fundamental problem with Mr. Walsh’s article. He misuses the Bible again to support his point (c’mon, this blog is about the Bible, of course that’s going to be the issue here).

Mr. Walsh “quotes” the Bible and adds his own commentary:

If anyone causes harm to these little ones, it would be better for him to have a millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

Did you catch that? Can we all take a moment to let that one sink in (no pun intended)? You would be better off dead than harming a child. It would be wiser to literally drown in the ocean than do anything that would bring harm, whether physical or spiritual, to a child. That’s God talking. Do we think He was joking? Exaggerating? Just blowing off steam? Does he need to calm down and be reasonable, as pro-lifers are constantly told when they make statements not nearly as strident and damning?

No. This was a direct statement. A command. A promise. When you bring harm to the innocent, you commit a sin so terrible that physical death would be preferable.

Mr. Walsh is creating his own meaning to Jesus’s words. No – it goes beyond that. Mr. Walsh is putting words in Jesus’s mouth. I looked at Mark 9 in 15 different Bible versions – including my Greek New Testament, the New International Version, the King James Version, The English Standard Version, the Holman Christian Standard, heck, even the Message! I didn’t see Mr. Walsh’s version anywhere.

Because it doesn’t exist.

After Jesus’s disciples have an issue with an outsider doing exorcisms in Jesus’s name, Jesus says, “Do not forbid him…. Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble….”

Jesus is NOT talking about hurting children. He’s talking about Christian behavior damaging the faith of other believers.

It is dishonest (perhaps unintentionally) to use this passage to promote a pro-life agenda, AND I SAY THIS AS A PRO-LIFE SUPPORTER. Jesus gave no direct statement, command, or promise about abortion or hurting children. Abortion existed thousands of years ago but there was still no direct command against it.

I personally believe that a high view of human life being created in the image of God should lead people away from abortion, but don’t put words in Jesus’s mouth.

So let’s get down to brass tacks. The Bible DOES talk about faith and salvation.

Peter preaches, “To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.”

A jailer asks Paul, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Paul answers, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

We’re never called to hold to certain political positions in order to be saved. It’s about faith in Jesus. That means that, though we may not like it, there is a WIDE variety of people and political ideologies that still fall under the umbrella of Christianity.

We may not like a person’s position. We may feel that they are downright wrong. But we don’t have the ability to revoke someone’s salvation because they differ from us on issues. C.S. Lewis said in Mere Christianity
that we don’t have the ability to say a person is or isn’t a Christian. We are not the judge of hearts. All we can say is that a person’s behavior doesn’t seem to align with what we think Christian behavior ought to be (forgive the paraphrase, I can’t find the exact reference right now).

I am pro-life.

I will not destroy the salvation of someone who disagrees with me, even though I personally believe that abortion destroys the human created in God’s image. Even on the big issues, salvation is still about Jesus. That’s it. The closer we walk with Jesus the more our morals and values will align with his, but we’re all in different places in our spiritual growth and development.

In the end, I’ll let God determine whose faith is authentic and who is merely faking it.

That’s kind of his job anyways – not mine.

_ _ _ _ _

I welcome all discussion, just keep it civil and polite. If this post resonates with you in any way, please share it on Facebook, Twitter, or email!

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The Gospel of Lady Gaga

Like millions of other people around the world, last night my wife and I watched the 87th Academy Awards. For the most part, the show was pretty routine. But one of the elements that DID stand out was Lady Gaga’s “The Sound of Music” medley.

Quite simply – it was phenomenal.

I saw a lot of Christians on social media talking about how much they loved it. Not just liked it – they LOVED it. But it’s not just because you have to love The Sound of Music in order to be a good Christian (that’s a given).

The real reason for Christianity’s overwhelming exclamation of affection for Gaga’s performance was aesthetically driven. Let’s be honest – there are probably a good many conservative Christians who don’t really listen to Lady Gaga but only know her from photographs and media coverage.

And, once again, let’s be honest – Lady Gaga’s image has been notoriously odd (perhaps even disturbing?).

Lady Gaga

But last night the world was treated to something different: a very presentable Lady Gaga singing beloved songs.

Lady Gaga

The end result is that many people stopped looking at the exterior and finally listened to the woman’s vocal talent.

It reminds me of a story in the Old Testament when the prophet Samuel is looking to anoint the future king of Israel. As he’s judging the sons of Jesse, he picks potential kings based on how they look. God has to remind him:

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

In our lives we judge a lot of things by how we perceive them with our eyes. But the way we see things isn’t necessarily the way God sees things. I’m not just talking about people – this can include situations in life. When we are quick to judge and to hold onto those judgments, we miss out on what is happening on the inside.

So take a step back from your evaluations. Re-evaluate if you have to. Look at the deeper qualities in people, in life. Try to see things from a divine perspective and find the value within that is covered up by mere appearances.

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Oh, a Real Wise Guy, Eh?!

Everyone knows a real wise guy…

Wise Guy

Who is the wisest person you know? We’ve all got people in our lives we look to for insight into tough situations, to come up with that little nugget to find a way out of a difficult situation. Then there’s the other guy. You know him, too. The guy who thinks he’s always got the answers. He has the plan. He knows what to do. Just ask him. But he really doesn’t. His “wisdom” has him fooled.

Proverbs 11:2 says:

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.

We have a real problem, though – a division between different kinds of wisdom. James’s readers had this kind of debate about wisdom. Wisdom was a really big deal, because we often look to wise people for guidance, direction, and leadership. The beauty of our political system today is that any dummy can get elected…and many do! James wants us to understand that there is a difference between worldly wisdom and heavenly wisdom; wisdom that comes from our own hearts and the wisdom that comes from God’s heart

James 3:13-18 says:

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

Let’s unpack this a little bit:

Wisdom

Wisdom plays out in two ways:

  1. Real wisdom that comes from God is exhibited through good conduct and work
  2. Demonic wisdom is characterized by jealousy and selfish ambition

When James talks about demonic wisdom he’s not saying that some people are given wisdom by demons. He’s saying that worldly wisdom that focuses on jealousy and ambition is the same kind of wisdom that even demons have. We’ve all met people that use what they know only to pursue their own gain. They look out for number one. They don’t care about you or anyone else – they use their wisdom for their own benefit. Doesn’t sound like a real nice guy, does it? Human wisdom seeks self-advancement and is anything but humble. It is driven only for its own success.

Obviously real wisdom is what we’re after, then. James tells us what heavenly wisdom looks like. It hits us and changes us – forms us in three areas: our character, our actions, and our constancy.

  1. As to character James tells us that Godly wisdom is pure. It is peace-loving. It is considerate. It is open to reason (submissive).
  2. As to actions James tells us that Godly wisdom is merciful (compassionate) and full of good fruit (this is a biblical metaphor for behavior – an apple tree produces good apples).
  3. As to constancy James tells us that Godly wisdom is impartial (unwavering) and sincere (no hypocrisy or anything false).

In a nutshell, what James is talking about is surrender, and these are our terms of surrender. We give over to God our character, our actions, and our constancy. That means who we are and what we do without any hypocrisy or waffling. We can’t be considerate today and inconsiderate tomorrow. We can’t be reasonable today and unreasonable tomorrow. We can be compassionate today and uncompassionate tomorrow. We need to be constant, allow God to change us more and more every day so that we are less and less like that old character.

God is calling his people to surrender our rebel hearts and to take on new character and new behavior without hypocrisy. On the job. In the home. With our families. With total strangers. It’s a call to a new way of living – his way of living.

Godly wisdom.

For Reflection:
– Think about your “wisdom” – what does it lead you to do?
– Does your wisdom lead you to Godly behavior and Godly character?

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The Bible Says, “No Life Hacks!”

Have you ever heard of life hacks? They are simple things that you might never have considered that seek to make life easier. For example:

Hack 2

C’mon, now. This one is pure genius! No more wasted Nutella!

 

 

Here’s another one:Hack

If you’re like me then you’ll accidentally have sucked up plenty of small things while vacuuming the floor: Legos, jewelry, paperclips, you name it. This simple lifehack can help you.

Get the idea?

Shortcuts for making life easier. But sometimes we aren’t meant to take shortcuts in life. Take the ancient Israelites, for example.

When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, “Lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.” But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle. Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones with you from here.” 

And they moved on from Succoth and encamped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people. (Exodus 13:17-22)

 

Here are two things we can learn from this:

1. The fastest way is not always the best way or God’s way.

There was a way Israel COULD have taken but God led them a different way – a longer way: The human tendency is to believe that being forced to go the long way through something means that God is not present or that God is punishing us. But here is an example of God Burger King Lifetaking people the long way around FOR THEIR OWN GOOD! In our personal lives sometimes we feel like we need a shortcut to get where we want to go and we get frustrated when we’re forced to go the long way. Maybe we’re waiting for a job. Maybe we’re waiting for an apology. Whatever the area of life, we like to have it our way. We want the Burger King life.  God isn’t a fast food employee. Sometimes His way is slower than the way we want. Do we have the faith to trust Him when we don’t get the shortcut we want?

2. The slow way may be preparing us for the battles to come.

If the Israelites had seen war too soon they would have turned back to Egypt. There is an interesting concept here, and that is that the human element makes a difference in God’s possibilities: we can go along with His plan or we can go against Him. This is not to deny God’s sovereignty – this is simply saying that we have the ability as free agents to walk away from the good plans God has for us. Even Jesus was limited by human rejection when he went to minister in his hometown. Because of the lack of faith he was only able to do a few healings. Was his power limited? I don’t think so. I think that humanity has the choice to embrace what God is doing or to walk away.

The Israelites left Egypt equipped for future battles, but God was holding it back until they were ready. Our detours and long way around might seem frustrating when we want to get there NOW, but we have to trust that God is using this time to prepare us. Just because you’re being delayed does NOT mean God has abandoned you. Notice that God is present with Israel day and night (cloud and fire). Even today we have his assurance that He is with us. His presence has not departed just because we’re taking the long road.

So here we are. Whatever desert you’re going through, whatever delays you’re facing, know that God is still walking beside you. Perhaps this time is being used for your own good and you simply can’t see it yet. Persevere. Hang in there. One day you’ll get to where God is moving you to go. In the meantime, walk in faith following His lead.

*If any of this post has resonated with you, please share it on Facebook, Twitter, or email the link to your friends and family. Thanks! 🙂

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Christians Were Violent, Too!

Imagine a husband and wife having a fight. The wife, with a legitimate complaint, says, “I can’t believe you did ___________!” The husband has two choices. He can a) address the issue face up to the complaint or b) distract from the current issue by saying, “Yeah, but you did the same kind of thing to me last year!”

The second response is called deflecting. It’s avoiding dealing with the current issue by pointing fingers at the past. This is what is happening in the religiopolitical conversation taking place between Islam and Christianity. While people are bringing up valid concerns about the behavior of global Islam, it is merely deflecting to say, “Yes, but Christians behaved atrociously a thousand years ago in the Crusades.”

Islam vs Christianity

There is an appropriate time and place to address historical Christian behavior (and, for the most part, contemporary Christian leaders have apologized for historical Christian violence). Still, one should not bring up those issues to deflect or diminish the original complaint.

In our world today there is a valid concern about Islamic violence globally against Christians AND non-Christians. (non-violent Muslim-Americans do not negate the violent acts carried out daily by Muslims in other nations).

From a biblical point of view, we are called to pray for those who persecute us. We are called to do good for those who would do us harm. There is an incredible notion that we love even the people who loathe us. In the conversation about Islam we too often lose sight of this ethic. I believe it is possible to love and pray for those who would do us harm while still speaking the truth.

And the truth is, it is not the Church that has people fearing for life and limb. For the last thousand years that role has been taken up by global Islam.

We can drop the angry rhetoric. I don’t think it’s loving or Christ-like. We don’t have to hurl insults at Muslims. Angry rhetoric We ought be keeping ourselves in check and asking, “How can I speak truth about the world while still maintaining a loving outlook towards everyone?”

That’s the Christian way.

*If any of this post has resonated with you, please share it on Facebook, Twitter, or email the link to your friends and family. Thanks! 🙂

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You’ve Got a Big Mouth :-O

baby tongueIt’s fun watching babies discover how to make sounds with their mouths and tongues. While it’s all gibberish, they realize that they are able to produce a wide variety of noises. Like babies, adults have the ability to make a wide variety of noises – and it’s not all good!

How we use our tongues is a big part of practical Christianity (not just what we believe but how we actually live out our faith in real life). This is what James is talking about in 3:1-12 ~

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.

How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

One little body part can bring on so many BIG problems. The tongue is a spark that starts forest fires! Our words can do incredible damage if we’re not careful.

I’m always reminded of a joke my mom taught me when I was a kid about a big-mouthed little frog. I’ve heard several variations, but the gist of it goes like this:

A big-mouthed little frog was hopping down the road when he saw a cat. In a very loud voice the frog yelled, “MR. CAT! TELL ME, WHAT DO YOU EAT?” The cat yawned and said, “I drink milk,” and went back to sleep. The frog said, “OH, THAT’S NICE!” and hopped down the road.

love-903178_1920

Then the big-mouthed little frog met a dog. “MR. DOG!” shouted the frog, “WHAT DO YOU EAT?” “I eat meat,” said the dog. The frog shouted, “OH, THAT’S NICE!” and hopped down the road.

Then the big-mouthed little frog met a cow munching on some grass. The big-mouth frog shouted, “MR. COW, WHAT DO YOU EAT?” “Can’t you see?” said the cow. “I eat grass!” Again, the frog shouted in its big voice, “OH! THAT’S NICE!” and hopped away.

Then the frog saw a big alligator on the side of the road and shouted, “MR. ALLIGATOR! WHAT DO YOU EAT?” The alligator smiled a big, toothy smile, looked at the frog, and said, “I eat big-mouthed little frogs.” The frog hopped back, then whispered in a very small voice, “Oh… that’s nice.”

We can choose what we do with our mouths! We can build people up or tear them down. Proverbs 10:19 says it like this:

When there are many words, sin is unavoidable, but the one who controls his lips is wise.

So what’s the answer to the problem? Jesus tells us:

How can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart. A good man produces good things from his storeroom of good, and an evil man produces evil things from his storeroom of evil. (MATTHEW 12:34-35)

To change your mouth you have to change your heart – when we actually develop a loving and caring heart then our words will follow. Our goal should be to speak life: affirming words, compliments, loving words,

Imagine a world where people use their tongues to help people rather than hurt people. One kind word can make a HUGE difference in someone’s life – be the person to speak it! You have the power to create or destroy – which will you choose?

For Reflection:

– How have I been hurt by someone’s words?
– Have I used my words to hurt others?
– How can I be more intentional to build others up through my words?

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What Christians Can Learn from the Seattle Seahawks

Super Bowl 49

Like millions of other people around the world, I was watching the Super Bowl Sunday night as the Seattle Seahawks took on the New England Patriots.

Of course the entire world is talking about the final Seahawks play of the game. With mere feet to the endzone and a renowned running back, the Seahawks opted to throw the ball rather than run it. What looked like a sure score and Super Bowl victory turned out, well, disappointing for the Seahawks.

For the last couple of days I’ve heard lots of criticism and jokes made at the expense of the Seahawks coaching staff. But it’s easy to be an armchair quarterback – to criticize things from the outside looking in – even though we have never (and will never) spend a second playing in the big game.

There are others who point to the fact that the play call was NOT, actually, a bad call. The New York Times posted an article looking at the Super Bowl through Game Theory and posited that the call was actually the smart move.

Fox Sports said something very similar:

So what’s the lesson Christians can learn from this whole debacle? Cross-apply the principle of armchair quarterbacks to armchair church members and the lesson is this:

We shouldn’t be so quick to criticize play calls made by Christian leaders.

It’s easy to be removed from the situation and criticize the play calls and the ones making the calls. I see this kind of behavior on social media and in real life. People are quick to criticize the decisions made by pastors, elders, or ministry leaders. It’s easy to stand back and, in hindsight, say, “That was a terrible decision! You should’ve done it differently!”

But in the middle of living life we don’t get to make decisions with the luxury of hindsight. Sometimes a play can be a perfectly viable play and still go horribly wrong. If the Seahawks had made the play and scored, Pete Carroll would have been a hero instead of a goat and the brunt of internet jokes:

Pete Carroll

Yes, I know that the coach, pastor, leader (whatever) takes the heat for bad calls. It’s the reason why the project manager of the losing team usually gets fired by Donald Trump in The Apprentice. But Christians can act with grace, knowing that sometimes people can make viable decisions that have poor results. It doesn’t make the leader a bad leader. Sometimes it just means that the other team’s defense stepped up and made a better play.

Instead of blaming church leaders every time we perceive a bad call, let’s act with love and grace.

‘Cause that’s kind of how the Bible calls us to act.