final days forum

What Would Jesus Wear?

Our Lady Immaculate and St  Philip Neri Catholic Church in Uckfield in East Sussex, England this week revealed a new sculpture of Jesus. Sculptor Marcus Cornish fashioned a 21st century image of Jesus -- with mustache, beard, short-sleeve shirt, and a hip pair of baggy jeans. The jeans are not a loin-hugging, Abercrombie and Fitch version but they look like those of a contemporary man. The sculpture's only "fashion" elements that are remotely familiar to traditional depictions of Christ are a halo and bare feet.

Ah, a Jesus for today. Basic Galilean wear might work among money changers and fishermen, but they apparently aren't a fit for a world shaken by a crippling recession, global warming, widespread famine, wars and rumor of wars.

Fashionistas everywhere might be celebrating the Jesus makeover, but Father David Buckley gave a serious reason why Our Lady Immaculate wanted the sculpture. He told the Telegraph: "You are always looking for new ways to enrich people in the experience of Christianity and it is good people can be open-minded to appreciate it," he said.

"On the continent you often encounter modern representations of Jesus but it is not so common over here. We wanted a figure of Christ not in suffering but dynamic and welcoming.

"We felt this design summed up the spirit and activity of Christ perfectly and I think it speaks for itself."

The sculpture is intriguing and is a bold shift from traditional images of Jesus. And Father Buckley has a point; the Jesus of biblical stories is a figure who makes himself accessible to people from every station of life. But is a sculpture the primary way to convey the accessibility and power of Jesus' love?

The image may annoy Christians who think it belittles Jesus, but how will it affect those who can take Christ or leave him? Art is a powerful vehicle to share meaning, but will those who view the sculpture heed or miss the message of Jesus?

Art is one facet of an overall effort by any church to share the truths about Christ's life, death, burial and resurrection. But a sculpture can't ensure that a family has a place to sleep when they lose their house to foreclosure or kiss the brow of someone in hospice care.

Those who sincerely love and follow in Jesus' steps can do that. The fashionistas are only good for the runway.

Judy Howard Ellis

This Broken Vessel Restored Blog Tour with Paulette Harper

Final Days Forum helps to kick off a blog tour for author Paulette Harper who will discuss her new book, That Was Then,This Is Now,This Broken Vessel Restored on various blog, radio and podcast sites on the Web. Paulette's "Devotional Reflections from the Bible" on "The Woman with the Alabaster Flask" is today's featured post:

One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to dine with him, and He went into the Pharisee's house and reclined at table.

And behold, a woman of the town who was an especially wicked sinner, when she learned that He was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment (perfume).

And standing behind Him at His feet weeping, she began to wet His feet with [her] tears; and she wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed His feet [affectionately] and anointed them with the ointment (perfume). Luke 7:36-38 AMP

What a heartfelt story of redemption and gratefulness to God. As I reflected on what God has done to bring me to this point in my life, I find myself reminiscing on the state of my condition years ago. Broken, scared but restored, like this woman I had many things that needed forgiving. This beautiful woman received forgiveness from the Lord and her gratitude was shown by her anointing Christ with some costly perfume. Her attitude of thankfulness was expressed by her tears and the kissing of his feet. She affectionately kissed his feet. I believe this to mean that she was so thankful because Jesus did not reject her or even reflect on the fact of her previous lifestyle. She had much to be forgiven for, a prostitute, a lady of the night, an outcast as the Scripture described her.

This story is a true symbolism of how our attitudes must be when we approach a loving, forgiving and merciful God. This woman possessed something of great value and could have been used elsewhere, but she wanted to express her gratitude to Christ in a way only she knew how to do and with what she had in her possession. As we mediate on the state of our condition years ago, last week and even yesterday, know that God has not judged us according to our deeds but has forgiven us according to his character and nature.

What we have in our possession is our worship, praise and thankfulness to the One who would gladly receive all that we can give when it comes from a heart that has been forgiven of much. As I lay before my Father with tears rolling down my face, I was so grateful like this woman for my life that was restored and made whole through his unfailing love.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Paulette Harper is an emerging Christian author making her debut with her first inspirational book, That Was Then, This Is Now, This Broken Vessel Restored, a compelling story of deception, heartache and ultimate victory. In 10 chapters she masterfully uncovers the hidden obstacles she faced as the “first lady” and how she eventually broke through those barriers.

A native of Pittsburg, CA, Paulette travels as an inspirational speaker and licensed minister teaching people how to overcome life’s unexpected experiences by delivering a strong message of hope.

Beyond her writing ability, she has a passion to lead people to a clear and precise understanding of how life challenges can become one’s ultimate source of victory by sharing solid, biblical principles that will enable people to find a way out of every trial so they can reach their God-given potential.

For more information about Paulette and her new release, visit: www.bvministry.org or watch the book trailer.

 

SHARE WITH US

In the comment section below, share a prayer of praise and thanksgiving to God, for what He has done for you. We can never repay him for what he's done, but we can give him all the praise and glory.

To share your story and fellowship with others, we want to invite you to join the This Broken Vessel Restored Facebook Group.

'Fat Man's Misery' and the squeeze of transition

One of my fondest memories as a kid was attending Camp Ondessonk in the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois. As a city kid, the camp was my first taste of freedom. And adventure.

I slept in a tepee one year, then another year in a cabin where the floor was perpetually dusty, despite sweeping. Canoeing was blissful on summer days when the water sparkled. I adored archery but got jittery when my horse bolted out of line on the trail and galloped to the front. No harm done, but I mastered my knuckle-grip that day. During the evenings, we enjoyed a stomach-sticking meal. Our tables were judged by the clean, creative way we stacked our plates, utensils, and glasses. I can hear the campers singing at their tables with the melodic clarity of youth: Do Lord, Oh do Lord, Oh do remember me, Look a way beyond the blue (horizon).

Camp Ondessonk, which celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2009, comes to mind today because of an activity many campers shared. For those who were willing, we climbed through a rock formation called "Fat Man's Misery" or "Fat Man's Squeeze." The narrow area of rock is closed now, a camp official told me today, but I still recall the slimy, cramped space. As young campers we shimmied through, our T-shirts and shorts soiled by the dampness. When we made it out, we realized that we had relied on each other and conquered fear.

This space with its impolite nickname is a picture of current times. Many of us face transition. Job loss or job change. Marital turmoil. Financial hardship. Health challenges. Bereavement. Uncertainity. Such life passages can be as slippery as that area of cool rock at Camp Ondessonk. Make a wrong turn and slow your progress. Become inert and delay those before and after you. Lose self-control and squander an opportunity. Refuse help and remain in that fear-ridden, claustrophic space that much longer.

At the place of transition, breathe, think clearly, and move.

Judy Howard Ellis

Dreaming about a radical church

Sleep, originally uploaded by Steven Fernandez.

What would happen if we no longer practiced church as usual?

Close your eyes and dream with me:

1. What if the church pursued welcoming, loving conversations about Jesus on social networking sites like Twitter, Plurk, and Facebook?  What if we saw opportunities on the Web to share Jesus, much like he seized chances to talk about his Father on the roads of Galilee?

2. What if the church didn't make God seem spooky, remote, and weird? Why not talk with people like we were regular people instead of robotic clerics agitated by our itchy hair shirts?

3. What if we took Jesus' words about the Holy Spirit seriously? The Bible says the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. What if we moved aside and watched the Spirit do his job?

4. What if the church did not act like the fashion police? Wehy can't we get our praise on even when the multi-pierced, the ghoulishly Gothic, the skimpily dressed, and the completely tattooed sit next to us in church?

5. What if we treated all sin as sin and didn't act as if lying, cheating, gossiping, backbiting, adultery, meanness, and gluttony got a pass in the Bible? Ahh. Jesus' words to the folks who wanted to stone the woman caught in adultery: He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.

6. What if we gave people food and bill assistance just because they asked for it? Some people will take advantage of our benevolence, but a lot of other folks would just love the church for helping them out during a rough time. Seems worth the risk to me -- just to see how God touches people and answers their prayers.

7. What if all the televangelists who typically ask viewers to "sow" into their ministry never asked for another dime? What if they urged viewers to sow into the church where they actually attend?

8. What if we actually believed in the expansive power of prayer? We could ask the Lord to heal and prosper our country instead of writing nasty, mean-spirited stuff on the Web and loudly protesting outside of people's homes?

9. What if we love people, regardless of how they vote in this presidential election? Think about it: civility the day after the election. And the church could offer the most civil environment of all.

10. What if we treated people with the grace God gives us? Unconditional love is wonderful to receive. Have we learned how to share it?

What are your dreams for the church?

 

Judy Howard Ellis

 

Mirror, mirror: Who's the fairest of them all?

Narcissism lures us with gloved tentacles, and it's not just John Edwards who fell captive. Anytime we operate in the world with excessive self-interest, we are like the young man in mythology who falls in love with his own face,  or the conceited queen in Snow White, whose worldview centers on her rivals because life is a perpetual beauty pageant.

Last week I watched Mr. Skeffington on Turner Classic Movies, which told the story about how beauty is only skin deep, and that selfishness is more shallow than that. Bette Davis powerfully portrays Fanny Trellis, whose beauty brings throngs of men into her presence -- even after she marries the dour Job Skeffington (played by Claude Rains) -- as she basks in their adoration. Fanny is cruel, selfish, and throws away the love of her husband and daughter as she pursues passion for her own face.

The story takes a twist when diphtheria ravages her face. She transforms into a ghoulish figure of eyeliner, mascara, face creams, and wigs as she childishly attempts to adorn an aged face. One crazy scene is when a ringlet falls from her head as a former suitor from her youth woos her again. Fanny soon learns that the cash-strapped suitor always wanted her because of her looks. Now he wants her for money.

Even those of us who call ourselves Christians can be choked by narcissism's gloved, but brutal grip. While we wag a finger at the Paris Hiltons of the world, shake our heads at the egotism of politicians (take your pick: Senators Barack Obama, John McCain, Hillary Clinton or former President Bill Clinton), and pooh-pooh the indulgences of the megarich and celebrities, what rages inside our own hearts? Are we narcissistic about our own religious practice? Is our concern for others based on our love for them and our understanding their inner brokenness? Or is our concern based on our own narcissistic standards of performance? When our pursuit of youth surpasses the needs of our children, who need our time, our direction and our example, are we living in vain?

I thought I understood beauty blossomed from within. Sure, Lord. I got this. Your word says in Proverbs 31: "Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."  (NIV) But then I contracted Graves' disease, which later caused my eyes to bulge. I began to experience the truth of that verse! I'll never forget when a friend I had not seen in years could not believe it was me when he saw me. His surprised reaction stung. But it was a good thing. The memory of that encounter and others force me to submit to God's beautifying work inside me and give that the priority. Even if God heals me right at this moment, may I continue learning His beauty lessons.

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who in the land is fairest of all? Jesus...the image of the invisible God.

Judy Howard Ellis

 

Links courtesy of: http://www.pantheon.org/, www.wikipedia.org, www.courant.com, www.imdb.com, http://www.tcm.com/index.jsp, http://www.bettedavis.com/, http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Park/6771/, http://www.parishilton.com/,www.barackobama.com, www.johnmccain.com, www.hillaryclinton.com, http://www.clintonfoundation.org/, http://www.ehealthmd.com/library/hyperthyroidism/HYE_eyes.html, http://www.ibs.org/bible/

'The Dark Knight' & the Agent of Chaos (Part 2)

Day 147. May 26., originally uploaded by Maryam S..

"The Dark Knight" offers several themes that could be elaborated on, but I'm focusing on the characters of the Joker and Harvey Dent. As I said in yesterday's post, the Joker gives us a pattern of some of Satan's schemes.

Applying the struggles of Dent's character to the Christian experience, Satan wars against men and women -- made righteous by the blood sacrifice of Jesus -- who seek to repair the causes of inner brokenness instead of burying them behind glamourous facades. As God's enemy, and as the enemy of the souls of the redeemed, Satan relishes in having followers of Christ wallow in pretense. He hates authencity. He likes Dent's outward glow -- golden but shallow!

In "The Dark Night," the Joker presses his crazed fingers into Dent's inner wounds, the places Dent didn't get healed before he became Gotham's righteous crusader. Had Dent possessed the world view that God ultimately wields all justice and corrects all injustice, and then found rest in that world view, he would not have sought his own revenge when the pain of losing his girlfriend -- and losing the war against crime -- was more than he could bear.

Dent's story is a well-told cautionary tale within a larger, complex story about Batman. (Isn't it funny where we can learn a truth of God?) As Dent shows us, outward change without the constant inward working of the Holy Spirit falls short of the authencity God desires and plays into the religious pretense Satan loves to produce. Satan knows that when the Christian is real, self-aware of his weaknesses and focused on the complete strength of God, the Christian is formidable.

I love this quote from one of my favorite preachers, Charles Spurgeon, about Joel 2:13. The passage refers to rending our hearts, not our garments, and turning to God. Spurgen is quoted on the site, www.gracegems.org, as saying:

"Men will attend to the most multiplied and minute ceremonial regulations; for such things are pleasing to the flesh; but true religion is too humbling, too heart-searching, too thorough for the tastes of the carnal men; they prefer something more ostentatious, flimsy, and worldly. Outward observances are comfortable; eye and ear are pleased; self-conceit is fed, and self-righteousness is puffed up: but they are ultimately delusive, for in the time of death, and at the day of judgment, the soul needs something more substantial than ceremonies and rituals to lean upon. Apart from vital godliness all religion is utterly vain; offered without a sincere heart, every form of worship is a solemn sham and an impudent mockery of the majesty of heaven."

Judy Howard Ellis

Speaking from the heart, not the head

Honesty flowers, originally uploaded by net_efekt.

An extraordinary spoken-word poet, Karen Thompson, once told me that I was a good writer, but as I performed, my poetry flowed from the head, not the heart. The words stung, but I got it and I'm still getting it.

Karen is the leader of the Speakout, a poetry group in Denver, and she is loving and straightforward. In simple words, she showed what we all must learn in life -- that authenticity is the golden key for genuine conversation and the currency for lasting relationships.

Her words intially were hard to hear because of the mask I cultivated as a journalist. Journalists are taught to focus on others, and to step away from themselves so as not to color a story with our opinions. This is an ethical aim when it comes to fairly conveying a fair news story, but it's a lousy way to cultivate a well-rounded life.

My natural reticence since childhood to share too much about my private life didn't help. While I don't advocate reckless sharing of inner secrets -- trusted friends are in place for that -- my church, Colorado Christian Fellowship, trained me to strive to for emotional accessibility when I interact with others. CCF, and specifically, my care group leader, the elegant-in-powerful-love Betty Rice, encouraged me to follow God's lead and go deeper, to face the hidden, broken places, the places that get patched up, but never healed. God wants better for me (and you). He wants me clear-headed, flat-footed, ready to share the truths I've learned, and armed with the force of his love and acceptance. His friendship, his cleansing, his peace, empower me to be present in every relationship, for God is never about hiding from the pain.

Thinking I knew all this because I had seen personal growth -- I was surprised, painfully so, when I did not share my heart when speaking this weekend at my girlfriend Cynthia's birthday party in Dallas. It was a milestone year for her and her husband, Leroy, did it up. He asked me to speak, along with other precious friends of hers, and I choked.

I could barely sleep that night. Memories haunted me. Cynthia walked with me during some of the darkest emotional nights of my life when I was single. She and her husband were a loving couple who knew how to befriend and encourage single people while displaying the beauty of married love in Christ Jesus. Cynthia was patient, wise. She didn't point fingers, quote cliches and condescend as the wife taking pity on the never-married woman. She tutored me for marriage. And when I did marry last year (to a powerful truth-teller, no doubt!), she was there again, supportive and excited about what God had done, just as he said would.

Why I choked at the party and failed to detail those times of sitting at her table, chattering away and eating her mushroom rice like I'd never had a meal before or eating her cinammon rolls like they were manna, still stumps me.

But I will move past it. One day I probably will write about how Cynthia mentored me to always believe the best is yet to come. One day I will write about her as the friend I love! For now, may I not neglect to practice the God-lessons Karen, Betty and CCF taught me about transparency, lest I neglect to drink fully of transparency's infinite grace.

Judy Howard Ellis

Welcome back 'Indiana,' but 'Prince Caspian' wins my heart

'"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," with its five-day opening expected to possibly hit $151 million according to Variety, has knocked "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" from first place at the box office. And that's too bad. "Prince Caspian" is a better movie and was worth me seeing it twice.

Truly. With every munch of buttered popcorn and Junior Mints, "Prince Caspian" captivated me. The movie bears an earnestness to depict a story with flesh-and-blood characters. Director Andrew Adamson and co-producer Doug Gresham, the stepson of C.S. Lewis, author of the Narnia series, took risks by altering Lewis' beloved story. But Adamson and Gresham made a strong film based on Lewis' story, as bloggers Carissa Smith of Christ and Pop Culture and John Mark Reynolds of The Scriptorium Daily have commented. 

The new "Indiana Jones" movie, however, is like welcoming home a favorite, world-traveling uncle who never lacks a yarn to tell. But this time, 'uncle's story possesses a been-there, done-that feel. We indulge him because we feel nostalgic and, well, he's part of the family. But really, the freshest part of "Indiana Jones" is the reinstatement of Karen Allen's character, Marion Ravenwood. Allen always belonged in the series because she deftly spars with Indiana, played by Harrison Ford. Allen's character puts hair on Indy's chest. Unfortunately, the new film limits their delightful repartee and Marion and Indiana surrender too soon.

But "Prince Caspian," though at times it mimics Peter Jackson's treatment of "The Lord of the Rings," the film bears more unexpected and satisfying turns. Where "Indiana Jones" settles into the comfortable folds of car chases, evil looters, and an artifact that mesmerizes and terrorizes, I'm still musing about aspects of "Prince Caspian." For example, why didn't Aslan show up more? Then I remember the grim lion statue first glimpsed in the Peneski's children's world -- cold, seemingly disengaged, but actually deeply embedded in their lives. The Aslan of Adamson and Gresham's movie makes me think of God's sometimes subtle, but always effective ways. Like the Pevensie children, I often run ahead of Him, only to fall back desperately into His arms.

"Prince Caspian" has had a tepid showing at the box office, but the film still makes me ponder theology in the movies -- days after I've seen it. This weekend's box office winner, "Indiana Jones," just makes me smile.

Andrew Adamson link courtesy of www.imdb.com

Doug Gresham link courtesy of www.christianitytoday.com

Karen Allen and Harrison Ford links courtesy of www.msn.com

C.S. Lewis link courtesy of the www.cslewisinstitute.org

Let the people talk!

Christians often skewer mainstream media for how journalists torture our words and make people of faith look silly when interviewed. This is particularly true when Christians are interviewed on the air. Sometimes Christians come off harsh (sadly, that's not always the journalists' fault) and at other times the words of Christians about God float away like meaningless wisps when Christian thought is overlooked or ridiculed by mainstream media.

We recognize those missed opportunities, so let's not commit the same media missteps with the programming we oversee. When Christian program hosts interview guests on the air, we should give them the courtesy of letting them speak -- in complete sentences, without our interrupting them; and in complete thoughts, so that listeners can hear the full counsel of what God indeed may be sharing through those guests.

Certainly some guests may rattle on, but that problem can be minimized by inviting guests who are media savvy or by coaching guests before they sit in the interviewee's seat. A skillful host also can keep a guest on point. Nevertheless, the main challenge for many Christian hosts is to listen to their guests, to draw them out, not drown them out. Great men and women of God with much to share have humbly allowed  hosts to dominate the conversation under the guise of "guiding" the chat. I've often wondered what those leaders could have said about walking with God, had the interview gone differently.

Words change atmospheres and motivate hearts. They are powerful instruments and that's why Christians bruise when we are mishandled by mainstream media. But we are guilty of the same short-sightedness when we thoughtlessly interview our guests and unwittingly deflate the hopes of the listener who has tuned in, just to hear those guests. 

When Christian hosts invite guests who are filled with words that matter, I hope that in the future, hosts sit back more often and let the guests truly have the floor. It doesn't lessen the role of the host; it demonstrates the host's humility, his wisdom in selecting an engaging and thoughtful guest, and his kindness in realizing someone may desperately need to hear authentic words, fitly spoken.

Jesus + 'The Bad Seed'

Oprah and author Eckhart Tolle, as I wrote yesterday, teach principles that view Jesus as a spiritual supplement. But many Christians live out the principle of Jesus-as-supplement every day.

We may have invited Christ into our lives and now have a relationship with the Father, but our self-efforts wither the vitality of the union. We inwardly believe lies about what Christ did for us. What the crucified and risen Jesus did was incomplete, so we tack on the same nefarious Jesus+X equation:

• Jesus+my efforts to be absolutely perfect=a good relationship with God.
• Jesus+my refusal to wear makeup =a good relationship with God.
• Jesus+my snubbing those who does not know Him= a good relationship with God.
• Jesus+my church attendance=a good relationship with God.
• Jesus+my cuss-free, drug-free, illicit-sex-free efforts= a good relationship with God.

You get the point. (Even people who think they know Christ practice such as equations, but let's concentrate now on those who really do.) Christians are God's own, but this devilish thinking reeks in the eyes of God. We do not take into account God the Father's commitment to make us whole. We ignore the work of the Holy Spirit to create wholeness in us a little bit every day.

Our efforts to reach perfection without relying completely on Jesus remind me of the pigtailed girl, Rhoda Penmark, in the 1956 film,"The Bad Seed."  Her outward perfection is jewel-hard, a manifestation of a polluted heart.

("The Bad Seed," courtesy of Shasta018 on YouTube.com.)

Rhoda's corrupted heart led her to kill others. When we believe the crucified and risen Jesus is not enough, that He is only a spiritual supplement, that we do not have to surrender to God's work in us to reach His standard of perfection, we cut off ourselves from heaven's bounty. For as Paul says in Galations, the life we live in the body, we must live by faith in the Son of God, who loved us and gave Himself for us.

The "perfection" we seek to obtain is merely bewitchment.

More tomorrow.

Film link courtesy of www.imdb.com.