Chris Linzey

October 21, 2014October 24, 2015

Relax, It’s Just Sex

So today I read an article/devotional about God’s perspective on the human body.

The piece was relatively short but affirmed an old Christian perspective that we ought to be careful about what we do with our bodies because, as the Apostle Paul says, “Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.” (see 1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

The writer even goes so far as to say:

This should say something to you about its value and the way you ought to treat it. Furthermore, you should take God’s words as a warning against abusing, misusing, or ignoring your own body.

I’ve seen pastors and Christian leaders use this reasoning to argue against cigarettes, alcohol, tattoos, and anything else Christians deem to be taboo when it comes to the human body.

But here’s the thing: this passage isn’t about body art, piercings, beer, or any of that stuff.

Like the title of this post says: It’s Just Sex. The Apostle Paul is very clear about sexual sin and the human body. But let’s not misuse the Bible to justify our own perspective on the appropriateness of other issues. We can’t condemn people with the “your body is God’s temple” line unless we’re addressing similar issues that God is addressing.

So go ahead and get that tat that says, “I LOVE MOM!” Don’t let people condemn you about your piercings (no matter WHERE they are o.O).

When the Bible speaks, we’ll speak. But let’s not force the Bible to fit into our molds.

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October 20, 2014

She’s Baaaaaack! Look Out, Here Comes Monica Lewinsky

So it seems dear ol’ Monica Lewinsky is back in the public eye. This time she’s on a mission, setting out to single-handedly finish off cyber-bullying once and for all.

But she’ll never be able to move on. She’ll never leave her past behind and ever be a “normal” public figure (still, are any of us normal?).

It’s not that Ms. Lewinsky wants to stay stuck in her past. She doesn’t. Here’s the problem:

We won’t let her.

She’s going to be the brunt of jokes and off-color remarks for the rest of her life because we, as a society, are going to keep reminding her (and each other) of her past sins and mistakes.

I don’t condone her past behavior, and sometimes the off-color jokes come quickly to us, but I’m pretty sure that’s not the way it’s supposed to be. Jesus was a big guy on giving people a new lease on life. He met up with a woman once who had been married multiple times and was living with a man to whom she wasn’t married. Jesus didn’t condemn her but used her as an instrument to tell the rest of her town about him.

Another time some religious leaders brought a woman caught in adultery before Jesus. This is the famous, “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone” story of the Bible. Jesus didn’t condemn this woman either. Instead, he sent her on her way with a new lease on life and told her to leave her past behind her.

If we are to take our cue from Jesus, we ought to be in the business of helping people move beyond their past failures and sins and move into a new life where grace and forgiveness abound.

Seriously, who HASN’T done something stupid you wish you had never done in the first place? Yet our humanity likes to force people to wallow in their past failures.

Jesus doesn’t let people wallow. He ushers us into a new tomorrow where the past is forgiven and we get a new chance to be. So, to Ms. Lewinsky and the rest of us who have ever screwed up:

Here’s to forgiven yesterdays and new tomorrows.

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If this post resonated with you in any way, please share it. Post it, tweet it, email it – just send it out there somehow.

Thx! 🙂

October 19, 2014

When Pastors and Lesbians Collide

There’s something crazy going on in Houston.

To make a long story short, some pastors publicly came against a city ordinance that would allow men into women’s restrooms and women into men’s restrooms. There was a big hullabaloo, lawsuits, yada, yada, yada.

Then the Mayor and the City issued a subpoena to the pastors involved mandating the pastors turn over all sermons relating to the ordinance, homosexuality, and the mayor (Houston’s first openly lesbian mayor).

The response of the Conservative Right has been one of righteous indignation. “How can the government try to coerce a faith group like this?!?”

And so the pastors have refused to comply and conservatives are rallying around them.

I agree with them. And I disagree with them.

I Agree – I think we’re on dangerous ground when the government threatens and coerces faith groups based and tries to silence speech. This applies to any faith group. The premise of religious freedom is that we are allowed to speak what we believe – even if you disagree with it. I may not agree with your religion, but religious freedom protects all religions from speaking their beliefs – even if that religion publicly disapproves of alternative lifestyles. The mayor and city made a stupid decision to threaten and coerce ministers into silence.

I Disagree – WHY ON EARTH WOULD ANY PASTOR BE UNWILLING TO TURN OVER SERMONS?!? THAT’S WHAT WE DO! We give public presentations of the Gospel SO THAT people will hear. Christians are on dangerous ground when we refuse to speak our beliefs that might get us into trouble.

I’m reminded of the early apostles in the Bible. The religious authorities arrested them and told the apostles to stop preaching about Jesus. Even with imprisonment, flogging, and horrible injustice, the apostles knew that their calling to preach superseded any threat.

When the mayor and city called for the sermons, pastors should have jumped at the chance and said to the world, “Here! Have them all!” (not to mention that SO many churches have their sermons publicly broadcast and archived online – the city probably didn’t even NEED a subpoena).

So where does that leave us?

It leaves us with government officials who are overstepping their power as elected leaders of a democratic republic. They need to be kept in check and NOT threaten or coerce religious groups into keeping silent.

It leave Christians with a stark reminder that this world is going to turn against us when we stand up and preach the truth. That doesn’t mean we should hide behind legalities and barriers. When the world directly asks, “What do you believe and preach?” we ought to be standing up and say, “Here it is!”

Jesus didn’t promise us easy times. He promised us difficulty.

Pastors of Houston – give them your sermons. If you want I’ll send you a few of mine to add to the pile.

Follow @chrislinzey

October 19, 2014

Dear Little Baby Jesus…

Do you pray to Little Baby Jesus?

The Church Plant

At the end of this digital church service there’s a place for comments. We’d love to hear from you. What did you take away from the service? What spoke to you? How can we do better?

Thx!

Last week we looked at the response Mary and Zechariah had to everything God was doing in their lives. Today we continue our look at the story of Jesus through the Gospel According to Luke, the third book of the New Testament and we get to see the birth story of Jesus.

Before we begin let’s just address the title of this post.

Every year I hear the complaints about the “war on Christmas” and “let’s keep ‘Christ’ in Christmas. But Xmas means Christmas. In the ancient world, when every word was written with a quill and ink, people would often abbreviate names by using the first letter of the name. It saved…

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October 15, 2014

Who’s Singin’ Now?!?

The Church Plant

If you’re not accustomed to people singing over you then this passage may weird you out a little bit.

I grew up with it.

Every night at bed time my mom and dad would sing a “goodnight song” to my brothers and me. In fact, our bedtime ritual was not complete without the song.

And then after nightmares I remember my mom coming to my room and singing over me to calm me down and help me get back to sleep.

In fact, it’s become part of how my wife and I put our kids to bed now. We sing over them as a way of saying, “I love you and will be here in the morning.”

Now understand that you have a heavenly parent who cares about us more than human parents care for their children.

And He is singing over YOU!

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October 12, 2014

She Couldn’t Carry a Tune in a Bucket

The Church Plant

Last week we looked at the story where the angel Gabriel tells Mary that she has been chosen to be the mother of Jesus. Today we continue our look at the story of Jesus through the Gospel According to Luke, the third book of the New Testament and we see Mary responding to the angel’s message. Then John is born and his father, Zechariah, responds to the angel’s message and the fulfillment of the promise God gave.

In many churches today the singing of songs is often taken for granted as “it’s just what we do” without much thought being put into it. We get together. We sing some songs. We listen to someone talk. We pray. We go home. For many people the singing might be as vibrant as Monty Python’s Knights of the Round Table rejoicing over the demise of some hated minstrels.

But that isn’t what’s…

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October 10, 2014

Too Difficult for God?

The Church Plant

The way we talk is not always the same as the way we actually believe.

We may say the words, “Nothing is too difficult for God” but often we don’t really believe it. We live in such a way that we end up relying on ourselves more than we rely on God.

But nothing is too difficult for Him. That question to Jeremiah was a rhetorical question. When God asks, “Is anything too difficult for me?” the implied answer is a resounding

NO! Nothing is too difficult for God.

May we learn to live this truth every day. May we come to rely on Him more than we rely on ourselves.

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October 9, 2014October 9, 2014

Don’t You Wish You Were a Straight White Male Like Me?

I’m sure you’ve seen posts like it. I’ve seen it before.

The other day I saw it again – something to the effect of:

When people post about gay pride they’re heroes.
When I post about straight pride I’m a bigot.

That might not be the EXACT wording, but you get the idea.

Straight people complain about those who tout gay pride.
White people complain about those to promote black power.

It always comes down to the same argument: If it’s okay for them to be proud and promote their empowerment why is it wrong for me to be proud and promote my empowerment?

The answer is simple, really. I don’t need to be proud and promote my empowerment because I’m the one in power.

Think about it. What we’re really talking about is the language of power and disenfranchisement. People who have typically been looked down on, discriminated against, or held down (socially, politically, economically, etc.) use language to bring their causes to light.

Why should those of us who are in power complain about people promoting their empowerment while we are not able to promote our own power?

We shouldn’t.

Jesus isn’t about promoting our own empowerment. In fact, biblical faith is all about supporting the disenfranchised and unempowered. James 1:27 says:

Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

The widow and orphan were individuals who had no chance to care for themselves; no family to lean on and no chance for making something of themselves. They were outsiders in society.

Jesus’ ministry was financially supported by women, people seen as less-than in the grand scheme of society. He regularly ate with social outcasts.

Jesus wasn’t about keep people from being empowered – he was all about loving people regardless of their status.

As Christians we ought to be leading the way in making sure that the disenfranchised are treated with equality and are given justice. Even when we disagree with someone’s life choice, we don’t have to make a stink about the language they use in their search for empowerment.

Those of us in power don’t need to flaunt our power in the face of others.

So, white people – stop complaining about “black power.” You don’t need to promote white power (you’ve already got it).
Straight people – stop complaining about “gay pride.” You don’t need to promote straight pride (you’ve already got it).
Men – stop complaining about women’s rights. You don’t need to promote men’s rights (you’ve already got them).

Do you get the picture? Rather than being upset when the disenfranchised rise up, we ought to be asking, “What can I do as a Christian to show love and support in a way that honors God?”

And maybe, just maybe, if those of us “in power” started behaving this way then those “without power” would have no need to make empowering statements – because WE would be the ones demanding justice in the first place.

And THAT is a message worth sharing with the world…

October 9, 2014

Who Sustains You?

The Church Plant

It’s easy to become overwhelmed with our cares and concerns.

Too easy.

But the Bible declares time and again that God will sustain us if we can learn to rely on him.

Some Christians take this too the extreme and believe that God wants us all to live in mansions and have huge bank accounts.

This is not biblical.

Many good Christians have lived modest lives. Many good Christians have lived through persecution. Casting our cares on God doesn’t remove the difficulties of life.

Casting our cares on God gives us the strength and motivation to keep going.

He’s on our side, no matter what this world throws at us.

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