Jeffrey C. Long

There was a time when many of you can remember that being a Christian was as ordinary as being an American.  The foundation for our institutions was a Judeo-Christian belief in one God.  People knew that the Bible was the story of Israel and Jesus.  And our understandings of morality were based on the 10 commandments and the Golden Rule and other ethical standards found in the Bible.  

But as the prophet Bob Dylan said “The times they are a-chainging.”

While 95 percent of Americans say they believe in God or a universal force. Only 35% are classified as Born-again.” When conducting his surveys George Barna, an evangelical pollster used 2 criteria to classify respondents as born-again.

The 1st were people who said that they have an ongoing, personal commitment to Christ that is still important today. Second, they said that they believe they are going to heaven because they have confessed their sins and accepted Jesus as their savior. Only 35% of Americans hold these beliefs.

Worse is the number of Americans who are classified as Evangelical. To be classified as evangelical respondents must agree with the previous two statements about being born again plus six others: First, that religion is important in their lives; Second that God is an all-powerful, all-knowing Creator and ruler of the world; Third, that you cannot get to heaven just by doing good things; Fourth, that the Bible is accurate in all that it teaches; Fifth that Satan is a living force and not symbolic; And finally that Christians have a personal obligation to tell other people about their religious beliefs. Only 7 percent of American adults polled can be classified as “evangelical.”

That leaves 65% of Americans who are either non-religious or follow non-Christian beliefs. Even though they believe in God, more Americans claim “no church affiliation” then claim affiliation with any other major U.S. religious group except Catholics and Baptists.

And while all of this is disconcerting, the future is even more precarious. Additional research indicates that “40 percent of 16- to 29-year-olds” are already “outside the church” and only a small fraction of those currently within the church will remain

It’s important for us to understand that the America we live in today is very different from the one 60 years ago. 
This is the first of a series of 3 sermons that I have the priveledge to preach this summer about the prophet Elijah. Studying Elijah is worthwhile to us because he lived at a similar time. He ministered while Ahab was king of the northern kingdom, Israel.  According to 1Kings 16:30, Ahab and his infamous wife Jezebel “did evil n the sight of the LORD.” They led Israel in the worship of Baal, the Canaanite god of storms and fertility rather than Yahweh, the God of Israel.

However, the key difference between Elijah’s time and ours is that not only had his nation turned from Yahweh, it had become hostile to those who still served Him. Our country is not hostile to Christianity in the way that Israel was hostile to Elijah at this time.  It is safe for us to go to church.  We won’t be arrested for sharing our faith with someone.  We do not have to register with the authorities if we want to have a bible study in our home.  We can even speak out against our president without risking our life as Elijah did.  But as the statistics show, most of our neighbors do not worship Jesus.  In fact many of them worship other Gods. 

When Elijah found himself living in the country where God’s chosen people had turned their backs on Him, Elijah was not allowed to retreat into seclusion. Rather, God placed him in the home of a woman who worshipped Baal. God used Elijah to demonstrate to us that when our neighbors turns away from God, we cannot turn away them.

I want to share 3 skills we need to practice when God has placed us amongst people that are increasingly turning their back on Yahweh and Jesus.

First, we need to learn which people to treat with hostility and which people we should be hospitable to.

Second, we need the faith and vision to believe that God may miraculously provide for our neighbor’s needs so that we can use that provision as an opportunity to showcase God’s faithfulness.

And finally, when tragedy occurs in the lives of friends who are serving other gods, they will believe it is a sign of judgment because their god’s approval depends on their service to him. This is an opportunity for us to show them that the true God is a God of love and grace and that tragedy is simply a natural part of life rather then a sign of God’s judgment. 

When we first encounter Elijah in the Bible in 1Kings 17, he has hit the ground running.  The only biographical information we have is that he was a foreigner of Gilead.  But from that point on it is all action.  Offended for God and seemingly on his own authority Elijah decreed a drought as a national punishment for Ahab’s waywardness.  In Verse 1 Elijah said to Ahab “As Yahweh, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.” This was a rather bold move for Elijah because as far as we know, he hadn’t even been commissioned as a prophet. 

But it also put him in an awkward position. If there’s no water for the infidel, there’s also no water for the prophet. So in vv. 2-3, God provided for him by telling him “Get up, and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, that is before the Jordan. 4 It shall be, that you shall drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” But eventually the brook dried up and he had to move.  So verse 8 says “The word of Yahweh came to him, saying, 9 Arise, get you to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow there to sustain you. 10 So he arose and went to Zarephath which was a safe distance from Ahab. But rather then putting Elijah in country that served His God, Elijah found himself in a time and place where worship of Yahweh was foreign. In fact God placed him in a home where a woman who worshipped Baal took care of him.

So now we see the first skill that we need to learn to practice. We need to learn which people to treat with hostility and which people we should be hospitable to. The situation Elijah found himself contrasts these two types of people and demonstrates the appropriate way that each should be treated.

Ahab was a leader of Israel, a nation that had covenanted with God to serve Him and Him alone.  He not only chose to turn his back on the God with whom he had a covenant, but He led the nation in the same way.  But this woman grew up in a nation that never had a covenant with Yahweh.  She was a simple woman living out the beliefs that had been handed out to her.  It was appropriate to treat each of these differently because of what each needed.  Elijah was hostile to Ahab because he was leading the nation away from God.  But Elijah was hospitable to this woman because God was using his relationship with her to teach her about Yahweh’s faithfulness. 

We need to learn from Elijah that it is appropriate to speak out when leaders are suppressing the expression of faith in Yahweh and Jesus. When I went to the Filer Idaho High School graduation I was surprised they unabashedly began and ended it with a student led prayer.  At my graduation in 1986, we were not allowed to pray during the graduation because it was believed it violated the separation of church and state.  But 9 years later, in 1995 the secretary of education, under mandate of the President, provided legal guidelines to help school boards and administrators write policy about religious expression in schools. Rather then simply describe what was not allowed it went on to demonstrate what _was_ allowed.  It turns out that there are many religious things students can freely do without infringing on the rights of others.  And so, like Elijah, it is appropriate for us to stand up against leaders who try to suppress the public expression of faith in God and to support students within the guidelines given to them by the Secretary of Education.
 
On the other hand, we learn from Elijah that it is appropriate for us to be hospitable to those who worship either a different god or no god.  The worst thing that you can do to your friends who have a different faith is to be hostile to them.  All faiths understand what it is to be persecuted for what they believe.  And so being hostile to them puts them in a defensive position that reinforces their beliefs about us.  Elijah let this woman take care of him.  He lived with her in her home.  It was only through the years that he spent with her getting to know him and the God he served that she eventually was convinced about who Yahweh was.  In the same way we need to learn to be there for our friends who follow a different faith, letting them see God in us.  It may be years before they become convinced about who Jesus is, but if we are hostile to them we will only turn them away.

The second skill we need to develop is the faith and vision to believe that God may miraculously provide for our neighbor’s needs so that we can use that provision as an opportunity to showcase God’s faithfulness.

verse 10 says “and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks: and he called to her, and said, Please get me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. 11 As she was going to get it, he called to her, and said, Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand. 12 She said, As Yahweh your God lives, I don’t have a cake, but a handful of meal in the jar, and a little oil in the jar: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and bake it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.  13 Elijah said to her, Don’t be afraid; go and do as you have said; but make me of it a little cake first, and bring it forth to me, and afterward make for you and for your son. 14 For thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, The jar of meal shall not empty, neither shall the jar of oil fail, until the day that Yahweh sends rain on the earth. 15 She went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, ate many days. 16 The jar of meal didn’t empty, neither did the jar of oil fail, according to the word of Yahweh, which he spoke by Elijah.

One of the opportunities that we have when we have close relationships with people of other faiths is to show them God’s faithfulness.  To be there to help them with any need that they may have.  The widow saw God’s faithfulness as day after day passed that the jar of meal did not empty nor the jar of oil fail.  

And yet, no matter how faithful God is, when tragedy comes it can lead people to think that God doesn’t love them.  They believe it is a sign of judgment because their god’s approval depends on their service to him. And so the final skill is that when tragedy occurs in the lives of friends who are serving other gods it is an opportunity for us to show them that the true God is a God of love and grace and that tragedy is simply a natural part of life rather then a sign of God’s judgment. 

17 It happened after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him. 18 She said to Elijah, What have I to do with you, you man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to memory, and to kill my son!

This widow believed that it was because of her sins that her son was killed. That when she allowed Elijah into her home God’s attention was suddenly focused on her and He became aware of her sins and judged her by killing her son.  When the worst happens, people’s most common reaction is to either believe that God is judging them or that God doesn’t care for them. Each of us knows the wickedness that is in us.  And so we fear that when a tragedy happens it must be that God is punishing us.  

Jesus addressed this belief in John chapter 6. when he passed by a man who was blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “Neither did this man sin, nor his parents; but, that it was in order that the works of God might be revealed in him.”

When this man was born blind it was not because of his parent’s sins.  It wasn’t because of his own sins.  And when the widow’s son died, it wasn’t because God was judging her for her sins. When tragedy happens to our friends, it is not a sign that God is judging them for their sins.  Elijah uniquely demonstrated this by bringing her son back to life.  

19 He said to her, Give me your son. He took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into the chamber, where he abode, and laid him on his own bed. 20 He cried to Yahweh, and said, Yahweh my God, have you also brought evil on the widow with whom I sojourn, by killing her son?   21 He stretched himself on the child three times, and cried to Yahweh, and said, Yahweh my God, please let this child’s soul come into him again. 22 Yahweh listened to the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. 23 Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him to his mother; and Elijah said, Behold, your son lives.

One of the hallmarks of other faiths is that you must work in order to follow their religion.  You have to do good deeds.  You have to live up to a certain standard of holiness.  And if you don’t then you will be under judgment.  I went to a seminar once on reaching out to people of another religion and it made the point that often you can’t reach out to these people until they are in their 40’s and 50’s because by that point, they are tired of living under the stress of these expectations.  They can’t do it.  They can’t be good enough.  And then when a tragedy happens, they think that it is a sign that God disapproves of them.  It is at this time that we can share with them God’s grace.  That Jesus came _because_ we weren’t good enough.  This can be hope to someone living under the expectations of another religion.  It was to this woman.  

This story of Elijah and the widow teaches us the importance of having relationships with people of other faiths.  Of reaching out to them.  Of demonstrating God’s faithfulness.  And of being there for them when the worst happens.  Take some time and think about friends that you might have who have different beliefs then you do and how you might learn from Elijah how to minister to them. 

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In the Winter 2000 issue of Whole Earth Magazine I came across an article about Long Now Foundation’s work to create a 10,000 year clock. (shown above)

The following comment in the article caught my eye. “Danny Hillis’s idea was that by slowing down the usual speedy movements of a clock, he hoped to slow us down and have us think about the long term. The purpose of a clock that runs for 10,000 years is to encourage us to create things that require 10,000 years to measure. A great civilization for instance.”

[Read more →]

I’ve been meaning to write for quite some time on some of the software and habits that have made my life work so much better. I often harp online about people backing up. My coworker recently had her computer crash and she lost all of her pictures. I just got an external hard drive and I’m about to make a backup of my entire hard drive so that I can send my laptop in for warranteed repairs. My CD drive doesn’t work.

But there is a cheaper alternative if all you want to do is back up your pictures and documents: Mozy. http://www.mozy.com. You can sign up for a free account and get 2gigs of backup for free. It’s a little program that runs in the background and pays attention to folders you’ve told it to back up. When you put something new there, it automatically backs it up to your online account. It works on both Mac and PC. You can just tell it to back up your documents folder and leave it alone. I also keep a backup of my keychain which is where all my passwords and serial numbers for software goes. If anything bad happens, it’s a piece of cake to restore. 

I still recommend a thorough backup strategy. I have my itunes library backed up to DVD. A bootable backup of my entire hard drive. And you should also have an offsite backup. I’ve heard of someone who backs up to DVD and mails it to his Mom. Or like me, you could get a a paid account to Mozy that is unlimited, so my applications, music library, documents and pictures are backed up there. That way if your house catches fire and your DVD’s and hard drive are destroyed, you still have your files. 

Like I keep saying to my friends, there are two types of people in the world: those whose hard drives have failed and those whose hard drives w-i-l-l fail. Don’t be like my friend who just lost her invaluable photos. Get a mozy account and get to backing up. 

Today, while driving to Ephrata, we were listening to the classic rock station. I looked at my 12 year old daughter and asked “who is this band?” She gave me a sheepish look and said “I don’t know.” I threw up my hands in despair and said “U2!”

I’ve been on a path to try and teach my kids what I consider to be the essential bands to know to be culturally literate. U2. Journey. They already know Prince. The Beatles. The Beach Boys. I was trying to think who else to add. Madonna. Probably the Rolling Stones. The Grateful Dead. Phish. Of course, this is only rock, and only from the 60’s on. Credence Clearwater Revival probably belongs on the list.  Bob Dylan too, though I’m actually unfamiliar with his music.

Aesthetically, I should make them familiar with Jazz and Classical too. Bill Evans. Pat Metheny Group. John Coltraine. Miles Davis. Mozart. Handel. 

Who would you add? Post in the comments. And if anyone says “Weird Al,” you are getting flamed

I get a daily devotional called inward/outward in my email. This recent one caught my eye.

True Vocation http://www.inwardoutward.org/?p=658

by Parker Palmer

Our deepest calling is to grow into our own authentic selfhood, whether or not it conforms to some image of who we ought to be. As we do so, we will not only find the joy that every human being seeks we will also find our path of authentic service in the world. True vocation joins self and service, as Frederick Buechner asserts when he defines vocation as ‘the place where your deep gladness meets the world’s deep need.’ Buechner’s definition starts with the self and moves toward the needs of the world: it begins, wisely, where vocation begins not in what the world needs (which is everything), but in the nature of the human self, in what brings the self joy, the deep joy of knowing that we are here on earth to be the gifts that God created. Source: Let Your Life Speak

I think this sentiment is laudable. It reminds me of the old saying “do what you love and the money will follow.” But my experience so far has been that pursuing your true calling is really hard work and fraught with many obstacles. And I haven’t met many people who feel like they have arrived. For most of us life keeps us busy paying bills, raising our children and repairing our houses.

I think that where sentiments like this get us hung up is that they seem to point us to a finish line to cross. Palmer seems to be saying that “authentic selfhood” is a destination to be reached. But some of the greatest despair I’ve felt was when I looked forward to a hoped for future only to have it dashed on the rocks of reality.

I think a better alternative is to ask the simple question “What’s the next action?” This comes from David Allen’s “Getting Things Done.” Instead of looking for the finish line, focus on taking the next step along the path. Allen calls this horizontal thinking as opposed to the visionary work of vertical thinking. Of course, it’s important to pause now and then to make sure that we have the right destination in mind. Otherwise, you’ll be on the wrong path and taking the wrong next actions. But I think the majority of the work that needs to be done is in answering the question “What should I do next?”

So I think our response to Palmer should not be “What will it look like when I have arrived at that authentic selfhood.” Nor should we expect the money to follow when we do what we love. Instead we should ask “What can I do right now to be true to myself. What can I do this week that I love.” I think that we may never arrive at a destination we imagined. But I think there will be more joy on the journey.

Someone poined this out to me and I thought it deserved to be shown to all my readers. President Clinton left us the first ever budget surplus. Amazing what 8 years under Bush have done. It should be a crime.

I remember sitting in class at Bible college while my teacher would explain different points on a timeline of the end times. It all seemed so speculative to me, though shared with such an air of certainty. I’ve always been a skeptic regarding end times prophecies, including those that are interpretations of the authority itself, the Bible. Then I happened across the Bible teaching of Steve Gregg and discovered that the current school of Biblical prophecy interpretation is very modern. Someday I’ll write more about it… I’ve been meaning to. Suffice it to say, the beliefs popularized by the “Left Behind” books are very different from that of the historical church.

This has left me with the germ of a thought that I would like to research more. Why are we so fascinated by end-times prophecies and speculation. I don’t really know where to go to research the psychology behind it. So I thought I’d ask you, my readers. What do end-times prophecies mean to you? What meaning do they give to your life? Why is studying them important to you? Do prophecies help you by making the future more tangible? Do they make you hopeful or afraid?

I hope to hear from you.

All around us, we are seeing signs that the economy is going south. The dollar is weak. Gas is nearly $4 a gallon here in Idaho. People are losing their homes and those who are selling theirs are having a hard time.
I’ve spotted another sign: checking cashing and high interest loan businesses. My wife and I both work full time jobs. And we have the added income of student loan money. But still times are tough for us. Because I had to take a job living away from the family we have an additional rent cost. And I drive over 30 miles to work every morning. So we have troubles making ends meet. When we find our selves with more month then money, I often find myself noticing all the check cashing places on the boulevard and thinking “there but the grace of God go I,” and worry that God’s grace is going to run out and there I’ll be.

Recently I noticed that there seemed to be an awful lot of these places. So yesterday I drove down the boulevard and counted. I discovered there is a whopping 13 of these businesses in just two miles.

I think that this is a sign of the economy we live in. The cost of my yogurt, milk and gas have gone up, but my earning power has not.

A couple months ago I was with my wife at a debate contest. We sat down at the judges lounge with an acquaintance of hers who travels with the team. I sat uncomfortably through his demeaning talk about the poor clients in his social work and how they take advantage of the system. But then he decided to minimize the pain of the recession by comparing it to the depression. I blew up. People who are comfortable don’t understand the pain lower income people are in as the economy turns south. They don’t understand that the working poor are becoming trapped by the cycle of credit at these predatory lending businesses. 13 of them!

There but by the grace of God go I. These institutions are preying on the working poor. We need to show more compassion for those who are working hard but having trouble making ends meet. I know I’m talking about myself here. But I have also fallen prey to the lure of judging the poor, thinking they are getting a free ride by the system. That they have control of their situation if they would only work hard. It’s not as easy as that. Poverty is a complicated problem. And part of the equation now are these yellow buildings with red trim offering temporary relief at a high interest rate.

I began this by writing a short biography for my “About me” page. It gradually took on a life of it’s own and I decided that it belonged as a blog post.I am a husband, father of seven children, elementary music teacher and musician. I enjoy reading and playing chess.Since turning 40 I have realized that I have been living off of the dwindling energy of dreams from my teens and early 20’s that have not come to fruition. It is time to dream new dreams. To reinvent myself. I don’t know what that will include yet. My life is being remodeled at the same time as my blog.One thing I’m discovering is that I have wanted to do too many things and as a result have not done any very well. When I experience great music, I want to be as good as that musician and think that I can. When I read great books, I want to be a great author and think that I can. When I watch a great preacher and pastor, I want to be a great pastor and think I can. Unfortunately to do any of these requires that I set aside a lot of time that I simply don’t have as a father and breadwinner. And I can’t be great at all of them. So I’m trying to narrow down the things that I want to pursue into probably one area that I can devote what little spare time I have.In place of all this dreaming, I’m learning to be a fan. When I listen to Pat Metheny, I am able to enjoy his music, rather then imagining that one day I could play like him. I am a fan of my former pastor Doug Murren. Perhaps one day I will be a successful minister. But for now it is enough to be amazed at his communication skills. I’m also a fan of author Neil Gaiman. Of Star Wars. And of Anabaptist theology.One thing that I’ve set out to become is a good fan of baseball. I’m still figuring things out that for most fans are basics. I’m currently watching the DVDs of the Red Sox’s successful effort to win the World Series in 2004. I’m currently at game 3 of the American League Championship against their rivals the New York Yankees. Remarkable that they lost the first three games and then went on to not only win the championship but then the World Series.Along with being a fan, I need to figure out who I am as a minister. While many of my ministry dreams have died, I still have a sense of calling inside me that won’t go away. I’ve not been very successful as a traditional pastor. I have some ideas for how I’m going to minister freed from the expectations of congregational ministry. I don’t know what I’ll do yet. I’ll find a way to play worship music. And hopefully to preach and teach.However, life is very much on hold right now. Our goal is to move the family back to Washington this summer. That requires three dominoes to fall. First, I need a job in Washington in an area close to a school so Deana can finish working on her nursing program. Second, we need to sell our house. And third Deana needs to find a job. That’s a lot of dominoes to fall in the next 5 months. We covet all your prayers.So this puts me in an on-hold position. I can’t figure out who I am as a minister because I’m not settled in some where that I can try new things. Right now, life is revolved around cleaning up, cleaning out, getting finances in order and trying to find a new job. I’m learning to put dreaming on hold while I am faithful to do the work that needs to occupy my time right now.I guess that’s who I am right now in a nutshell. Putting some things to rest and looking forward to a new future.

I’m in the midst of a giant remodel of my website. I’m moving from Typepad to Wordpress.  Stay tuned. I don’t know how long this will take.