the fear of nothing ...

"God's spirit doesn't make cowards of us. The Spirit gives us power, love and self-control."
(2 Timothy 1:7)

It was so stunningly swift, it took all of 30 seconds.

When I lowered my daughter from the safety of my arms to the cold sand, she first gripped tightly to my arms -- they pinched, those little, stubby fingers.

Then, after watching the salt water lap harmlessly at her ankles for mere moments, she raised her eyes to meet mine, flashed her five teeth and ran ... right toward a surf swelled by a storm offshore.

I'm 6-2, she's just a little over 2-6 -- and I could barely keep up. Heck, even taking a nice-sized wave to her face when I wasn't watching closely enough only stopped her briefly ... and then only so that she could properly lick the salt water off her face. She thought that was a hoot.

At first I chalked it up to ber robust personality -- she's been known to climb the stairs in our house if you turn away long enough, and a few weeks ago she gladly accepted my uncle's pet rat onto her shoulders just days after playing with a rather slimy salamander. Maybe that's the case. She is quite brave.

But here's another possible explanation: maybe her bravado was really a lack of perspective.

After all, she only sees what's in front of her. One wave at a time, as it were -- not the fact that they keep coming with what can be a relentless cruelty if you don't have the requisite humility for nature. Indeed, she sees a small patch of water, not a seemingly endless ocean whose bosom has within it all the scary denizens of the deep, to say nothing of rip currents and high tides. She's never seen "Jaws," after all.

Yes, it's her innocence that kept her fear at bay. Quite simply, she doesn't know to be afraid.

I heard a preacher recently give a sermon, some of which touched on the theme of innocence. He played the song "The End of the Innocence," by Don Henley (great, great tune, yes?) and asked, among other questions, "Do you remember when you didn't know what a hospital smelled like?" "Remember when you'd never had a broken heart?"

I know what a hospital smells like. My wife's grandfather just passed away on Sunday after battling complications from a heart attack for several weeks. Unfortunately, that isn't the first time I've been to a bedside vigil for a sick loved one. And it's not the first time my wife's heart has been broken.

It sounds simplistic and trite, but life is cruel in the way it works sometimes. When we're born, we're pretty much a blank slate -- what Locke called tabula rosa -- left to be filled with experiences. And each of those experiences, even the good ones, chips away at our innocence.

How I'd love to have the innocence of a child once again.

It's the same way when you accept Christ -- or, as Jesus put it, when you are "born again." But that second birth comes with a twist: instead of each experience robbing you of innocence, each experience of growing in Christ builds toward a new, perfect innocence. Yes, those memories are still there -- I'll never forget watching my beloved Granny pass from this life into the next -- but Christ's redemptive power through his sacrifice at Calvary restores to me that which sin has robbed.

Then, the most amazing thing happens. At that moment of death, innocence is perfectly restored when, very literally, we combine our spiritual renewal here on earht with our physical one in heaven. We are made completely new when we come into the actual presence of God.

So, just as our experiences chip away at that pristine slate of innocence -- that which allows my daughter to boldly run toward a wave I understand in my less-than-innocent mind is dangerous -- our rebirth and growth in Christ builds toward that day when we finally meet Him face to face, and our innocence is made whole again.

And, when I rise to meet my Savior in the morning of eternity, I'll take a quick little detour afterwards -- to run headlong into an ocean that will hold no fear.

(copyright 2006, andrew j. beckner)

Want to know how to get your innocence renewed through Christ? Click on this link, read Romans 10:9,10 in the Bible and/or send me an e-mail.

a sad reminder

"He provided redemption for His people; He ordained His covenant forever -- Holy and awesome is His name."
(Psalm 111:9)

I saw myself last week, lying in a pool of blood just past midnight.

I saw my picture in the newspaper -- the reporter talked to a co-worker, who said "everyone is just shocked."

I saw my friends and family file into the funeral home. I saw them crying. My dad had to hold my mother up -- then take her home when she couldn't stand being there anymore.

Or maybe not. Maybe I saw myself two days ago, running my hands nervously through my disheveled hair. I'd run into an old friend, maybe, and was trying to explain why, at 30 years of age, I was still living in run-down apartments, still living on pizza and beer, still being the person I was. And knew I shouldn't be.

I shuffled my feet, avoided his eyes, maybe. I needed a shave.

"Yeah, just working," maybe I said. Maybe I was skinny -- too skinny -- and maybe I told the story of a mutual friend, now in prison for cooking meth.

But I was neither of those things last week -- or two days ago.

No, I'm married. And you should see my daughter -- oh, she's so beautiful. I'm healthy, happy ... a homeowner, for crying out loud (leaky basement and all!)

I want to tell you who I was.

I want to tell you who I am.

Last week, a young man was leaving his job as a bartender at a local restaurant. He worked there to provide for his live-in girlfriend, who is pregnant with the couple's first child. It was late -- just past midnight. A group of youths approached him, demanding his wallet. One of them had a gun. When he fought his attackers, he was shot in the head. He died almost instantly at the hands of a boy police say is just 16 years old.

I used to work at that same restaurant as a bartender a few years ago. I was about his age, and often parked my car in the same parking lot where he was killed. Why that parking lot in particular? Because it's free -- and I needed the money. Not only that, but I often carried a knife in my hand in case someone tried to rob me. When you are working a late bartending shift, you carry a lot of cash on the way home, see?

Then, just two days later, while shopping with my wife and daughter at Target, I ran into a friend from my restaurant days. He looked much the same as he did some six or seven years ago, when he was part of a group of friends to which I belonged. Drinking and drugs were the norm.

For anyone who has ever worked in a restaurant, you know it is a culture unto itself, full of its own rules and social norms. I was wrapped up in that culture for more than five years, and they had a devastating impact on my relationship to God. I'm overcome with emotion writing about it, really. I wasted so many years of my life chasing the sins of the flesh that it has, in many ways, left an indelible mark on the person that I am.

Of course, I'm free from all of that. The bondage of sin and death to which I was born -- and to which I most freely relished in those days -- has been loosed by the power of Christ in me. After knowing Him as a child, I strayed from His direction for my life for more than 10 years after graduating high school. Jesus welcomed me with open arms after I finally repented of the life I'd led -- he put on me the best robes He could find, and celebrated my return with a spiritual feast that has enveloped my life for the past few years (click here to read a similar story). Oh, how joyful a life He has given me!

But although that stain is gone from God's eyes, memories of who I was is painful. I hate that I was once innocent and now am "street smart." Some may think it a useful skill. I don't.

I hate that I know how to roll a joint. I hate knowing what certain drugs smell like when smoked. I hate knowing the difference between blended scotch and single malt.

I hate my past. I'm ashamed of it.

But here's the thing: it doesn't exist. Those things I once did? Gone. Literally gone. It's a Christian idea we refer to as "the sea of forgetfulness." Imagine your sins, everything you've ever done, completely drowned in the utter vastness of the ocean. And this is an ocean as deep and as wide as you've never seen.

I'm overjoyed at knowing that Christ's sacrifice on the cross has bridged the gap between my imperfection and the perfect love of God. Christ's love is so vast, it pours out into this great ocean, swallowing up everything I've ever done.

John Wesley wrote of the concept of "prevenient grace," that unmerited favor of God that pursues us throughout our lives, seeking to restore us into a right relationship with Him. All of our lives, He engineers circumstances in the world around us to reveal His perfect will for us. A preacher friend of mine likened it to the children's book "The Runaway Bunny."

"If you run away ... I will come after you, for you are my little bunny."

I ran and I ran and I ran. Christ not only came after me when I was mired in the muck of sin, but He also watched over me and protected me while I was there.

Because, really, I had two choices: I could have stayed there and died quickly -- like the young man at the hands of a teenager's bullet -- or died slowly -- like the friend of mine who lives where I once hung my hat.

I saw myself this morning, lying fully engulfed in the grace of my God.





(copyright 2006, andrew j. beckner)

Statement of Faith

Want the short version? It's all about Jesus. "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life," Jesus once said. "No one comes to the Father except through me." Not a lot of ambiguity there, huh? Our post-modern culture has embraced the "grayness" of life. It doesn't like black and white. It doesn't like the concept of Truth. But our culture has run into a very big problem. Jesus says He is Truth. Jesus says there is black and white, right and wrong, sin and righteousness, mercy and justice. And Jesus says the distinction comes only from Him.


Don't be mad at me. I didn't make the rules.

Perhaps my grandfather said it best: "No creed but Christ. No law but love." That's good stuff.


More? I like the Mars Hill Church "What We Believe" page, specifically their opening statement. It goes like this:

"When it comes to doctrine, culture, preferences, traditions, lifestyles, politics, behavior, etc., Mars Hill takes a closed hand/open hand approach. The closed hand hangs onto the non-negotiable tenets of Christian orthodoxy: sin is the problem, Jesus is the answer, the Bible is true, Hell is hot. The open hand, however, allows room for differences when it comes to secondary matters; we liberally allow freedom for conscience and wisdom to guide where the Bible is silent. The open hand fosters unity among the diversity of expressions...Democrats and Republicans, soccer moms and indie rockers, carnivores and vegans, trendy bohemians and Microsoft nerds.

Hence, Mars Hill is in favor of good beer (in moderation), great sex (in marriage), and even tattoos (Jesus has one). But our goal must always be love and concern for our friends so that we don't enjoy our freedom at the expense of our faith.

In this way, we are seeking to simultaneously heed the Bible's commands to have sound doctrine (1 Timothy 4:16; Titus 1:9, 2:1), to love our Christian brothers and sisters (1 Peter 4:8; 1 John 4:7-21) and to avoid unnecessary divisions (Romans 16:17; 1 Corinthians 1:10, 12:25; Titus 3:10).

Finally, if you're looking for a traditional statement of belief--you know, the numbered list you find on most church sites--here goes.

• I believe in a trinitarian God; that is, a God who exists in three persons: Father, Son and Spirit.
• I believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who came to earth as both God and man, born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, allowed Himself to be crucified to as a substitution for the punishment mankind deserved, physically rose from death after three days to fulfill the work of humanity's redemption and ascended to Heaven, where He lives and from where He will one day return to judge both the living and the dead according to whether they accepted His mercy or whether they will receive His justice.
• I believe in the ministry of the Holy Spirit, is a spiritual presence that dwells within those who have accepted Christ as Savior at the moment of their redemption and, following that experience, acts as intercessor between man and God, guiding him to righteousness, convicting him of sin and fulfilling the work of sanctification.
• I believe the Bible is the inspired word of God, i.e., written by man through direct inspiration from God Himself. Therefore, the Bible, both Old and New Testament, is without error and is the ultimate authority from which man can discern the Truth.
• I believe man is inherently sinful and therefore imperfect. Because of man's "total depravity," it is therefore impossible to have a relationship with a sinless and perfect God. It is likewise impossible for man, by his own abilities and efforts, to eliminate this alienation from God. Jesus, through His sacrificial death, bridged the gap, providing a way for man to have a personal relationship with God Himself. Salvation is thus a gift from God to man, provided by His grace, which must be accepted as an act of personal faith in the person of Jesus Christ.

(If you'd like scriptural references to the points above, some can be found at 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20,21; Matthew 5:18; John 16:13; John 3:16; Deuteronomy 6:4; 2 Corinthians 13:14; John 1:1,2; Luke 1:35; Romans 3:24; 1 Peter 2:24; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:3-5; Acts 1:9,10; Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 9:24; Romans 8:34; 1 John 2:1,2; 1 Peter 4:5; Romans 14:9; 2 Timothy 4:1; John 16:8-11; 2 Corinthians 3:6; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 5:18; Genesis 1:26, 27; Romans 3:22,23; Romans 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3, 12; Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:12; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:18,19. Or just read the whole Bible...it's all good.)

Please understand: this is not an exhaustive list of my beliefs. Far from it. But what you see in the bulleted list above is the foundation upon which my faith rests.

If you would care to discuss additional points, I would welcome the opportunity. Drop me an e-mail at CandidChristian@gmail.com, or we can "talk" through any number of social networks on which I maintain a presence: Twitter, Facebook, Theologica, Ping.fm, Last.fm, GTalk, Plurk, Pownce, Brightkite, Loopt. And we can chat by phone, too. I'm always open to talking about Jesus.

Grace and Peace...

Notable Posts

Thanks for visiting CandidChristian.com. I started the ministry in 2006 for one reason: to tell people about Jesus Christ. I do this the only way I know how: by sharing my own experiences with Him. Here, you'll find personal stories, political commentary, news items, links, videos, pictures. The common denominator is the same: it's all about Jesus.

Since joining the vast blogosphere in 2006, I've posted items that have generated a certain level of interest among the people who visit the site from time to time. What you'll find here, then, is a list of those posts that are either ones I personally enjoy or that others have either liked--or took exception with. I hope you'll take a look, and it's my prayer that through what you read you'll learn just a little bit more about my Jesus.

• The Calm in the Storm (posted May 1, 2006)
• Learning to Walk (posted May 16, 2006)
• Knowing the Truth (posted June 23, 2006)
• The Fear of Nothing (posted July 26, 2006)
• A Sad Reminder (posted July 13, 2006)
• Christ in the Clutch (posted August 25, 2006)
• Intercession (posted November 9, 2006)
• Why Some Atheists Make Good Sense (November 17, 2006)
• Under the Fig Tree (December 22, 2006)
• The Greatest Underdog Story of All Time (Decmber 22, 2006)
• The Digital Church (January 20, 2007)
• Heaven? Uh, no Thanks (April 21, 2007)
• At Home in a House Church (May 8, 2007)
• Simple Moments (May 14, 2007)
• I Hate People (May 17, 2007)
• Postcards from the Wilderness (May 29, 2007)
• Bring the Rain...and the Pain (August 23, 2007)
• Prodigal (October 2, 2007)
• Victory...Over Everything? (October 15, 2007)
• Was Jesus a Feminist? (October 18, 2007)
• I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For (October 24, 2007)
• The Scary Thing About Halloween (October 31, 2007)
• Happy Holidays? (November 29, 2007)
• WWJT, or What Would Jesus Twitter? (February 5, 2008)
• The Trans-Gender Movement: The Debate (February 25, 2008)
• The Emerging Church (March 3, 2008)
• The Passion of the Christ: A Running Diary (March 23, 2008)
• The Nature of Human Rights Violations (March 31, 2008)
• I Am Not a Good Person (April 19, 2008)
• Earth Day and Baptists (April 22, 2008)
• A New Stereotype of West Virginia Christians (June 20, 2008)

Independence Day

"Jesus said, 'If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'"
(John 8:31b-33)

Hey, I grew up in a Red State family ... that meant a healthy dose of respect for the flag, apple pie, the 4th of July (rhyme time!).

But today, on our nation's birthday -- happy No. 230, America ... you don't look a day over 220 -- I say let's forget about Independence Day. Or, at least as it relates to this great country of ours.

Instead, let's celebrate our independence, not from the tyranny of a carpetbagging government, but from the depths of sin and shame. Because that's exactly what happens when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and personal Savior. We declare our indepedence from a life separated from God ... instead, Christ bridges that gap.

If that's not cause for celebration, I don't know what is.

So, interested in learning how to have that freedom? Want liberty from the death itself? You can, you know. Learn about Jesus.

Believe in Him. Know Him. Trust Him.

Want to learn how? Follow this link, read Romans 10:9,10 in the Bible and/or e-mail me.

My new toy

See that? That's my MP3 player ... great, isn't it? (Guess you'll have to take my word for it.)

My most excellent wife sprung for that this Father's Day, and I've done nothing but annoy her with it since ... spending time holed up with Napster in the office, bringing my headphones to bed, plugging it into the car stereo when she's trying to talk to me. Good times.

Boys never grow up, it's just that their toys get bigger -- whoever said that was a genius ... or had a Zen Microphoto MP3 player.

Hey, this is a links post. Nothing much to say, really ... just wanted to point a few things out. Some of these links you'll find at your right -- like this most important link on how to know Christ -- but most are just for the moment.

This upcoming weekend (after July 4) I'm headed up to an outdoor retreat with some brothers in Christ. It's called "Outpost Advance," and you can check out their website here.

Oh, and one of the guys organizing the event is Jim Eaton, who I've e-mailed back and forth a few times. His blog is here. He's a forward thinker, and has a lot of great thoughts on true Christian action.

Jim sent me some links in regard to my last post, and you can check those out here, here and here.

Back to my MP3 player now. The thing is full of hundreds of songs already, and in case you're wondering what I'm listening to, here's a list, followed with a short description and a link to that artist's website. Give a listen.

Aaron Shust -- his infectious "My Savior, My God" is the best contemporary worship song going right now. But, trust me, his album has a lot more than that.

The Afters -- have a fantastic sound, a little pop, a little rock-n-roll. Great worship songs in here, too.

Downhere -- is another good modern Christian outfit. Good lyrics and a unique sound.

Gnarls Barkley -- eventually, I'll get around to listeing to something other than the song "Crazy," but it's so doggone good I never get past it.

Jars of Clay -- hey, a lot of CCM artists are jumping on the trend of releasing albums with nothing but old-time hymns, but I dare so no one does it better than these guys on "Redemption Songs"

Jason Morant -- a Christian version of Eliott Smith ... with hope, of course. Great, mellow Christian music.

The Longing -- as Discipleship Journal pointed out, a lot of bands take their cue from U2. Few pull it off as well as these guys (couldn't find a link, for some reason).

MercyMe -- who else? They've been in my rotation for going on three years straight now. Heard "I would die for you" yet?

I could go on and on. I've been busy realizing my early 20s fantasy of having every Pearl Jam song ever recorded. I'm doggone close, I gotta tell you. I've not been listening to a lot of PJ lately ... in some ways I think I've outgrown them, spiritually at least ... but I've sure been downloading the Godfathers of Grunge a ton.

For those times when I want to mellow out, it's Thelonius Monk, Damien Rice, Guster or the soundtrack to The Passion of the Christ.

And none of it would have been possible without my fantastic wife ... and my shiny new MP3 player.

Thanks, hon.

Knowing The TRUTH

"Jesus answered: 'I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
(John 14:6)

"Christianity Today" had, as its cover story in the June edition, a special section about "The Da Vinci Code." It's treatment included "How to Fight the Fever." Inside, CT made the same mistake I think most Christians are making when it comes to dispelling ridiculous notions an unbelieving (and largely unsympathetic) world seems intent on perpetuating.

I'd largely been ignoring the "Da Vinci Code" controversy ... not to marginalize it or anything, but simply because I didn't think it was as big a deal as everyone seems to be making it. It was the same with Martin Scorcese's "The Last Temptation of Christ," (I read the book a few years ago ... I'll admit it was interesting, misguided though it was). Christians boycotted, made the talk show rounds, spewed anger. Guess what? It's years later, "Temptation" is barely a footnote in pop culture history and Jesus is still God's son. Nothing changed.

Now, I understand the furor over "Da Vinci." It's claims are purportedly steeped in fact. And that has a lot of Christians nervous. How can we properly evangelize when so many questions are being raised by the book and film, and in light of the media's fascination with Gnosticism? And it's not just "The Da Vinci Code." There's "The Gospel of Judas," questions about the men who compiled the King James Bible ... all sorts of controversial topics. How should we react?

Well, one mistake we're making is that we're allowing "the World" to frame the argument. CT (and, to be sure, most others) are trying to combat the questions raised by "Da Vinci" by fighting fire with fire. That is, the evangelical strategy seems to be to use science and history to explain how The Bible can be the true, unfallible work of God -- which, of course, it is.

The logic is that if "the World" is using historical documents and scientific data to make spurious claims about Christ's divinity, then we should point to the historical and scientific accuracy of the biblical gospels to do the same. We want to point out, again, using the "world's" system of explanation, how The Gospel of Luke is more accurate than that of Thomas. Or we explain why -- again, using history, carbon-dating, etc -- the Bible ended up being what it is today.

This is a poorly chosen tact. It's so similar to that taken by those in the Emergent Church movement. Sure, their motives -- making the Gospel not only palatable but also interesting to an increasingly jaded world -- are wonderful. But when Brian McLaren and others want to steep it in "tolerance," not to mention dancing around the post-modern notion that truth can't be known ... well, there's a problem there. Again, you are allowing non-Christians to frame the argument, to put the explanation of Christ and His salvation on their own terms, not God's. Truth is knowable. Jesus is Truth.

Back to "The Da Vinci Code." Instead of pointing the reasons why our Bible, scientifically, historically and culturally, is more important than Gnosticism (or any other false doctrine), why are we not relying on our faith? We should be fostering faith -- and any attempts to explain our beliefs without that core value as its cornerstone is doomed to fail.

Start big and work inward. Macro-theology toward micro-theology, if you will. The facts are as follows:

1. God exists.
2. If God exists, then it logical to assume (the World assumes -- we know) that He is omniscient and omnipotent.
3. If God is both omniscient and omnipotent (that is, all-knowing and all-powerful), then is not God, in His divinity, able to determine what specific words make up His Bible?
4. If He can determine what goes into His Bible, then how arrogant are we to assume that man had anything to do with compiling the Bible?

Our mission is to tell others about Christ. We don't get them to trust and believe in Him by explaning His existence historically or scientifically. It's simple. He just is ("I am that I am"). And unless He is accepted in faith, he isn't accepted at all.

Yes, things were left out of The Bible. Yes, other Gospels were written. Yes, there are discrepancies between translations and so forth. But all of those things came as a result of a divine plan. We may never know why God chose to do what He did, but we can know Him.

And knowing Him changes EVERYTHING.

So, do you want to know him? Click on this link, read Romans 10:9,10 in the Bible or e-mail me.

A risky proposition

I hate talking politics in the context of my Christian spirituality because I think it's a dangerous proposition ... politicizing our faith, I think, causes great problems. It opens us up to be painted in very broad strokes, i.e., "all Christians are bigots whose ideas about social justice are hopelessly unsympathetic."

So, this isn't a political stance ... at least not overtly so.

But to answer some questions and discuss things relevant to our society, I want to weigh in on a political issue. My only fear is that I'll be painted as a liberal, a Democrat, a Communist ... I'm none of the above, but we've entered "darned if you do, darned if you don't territory here."

Indeed, I feel as though I'm apolitical when it comes to my Christian life. Ask Billy Graham what happens when you get too closely aligned with a political stance. To his credit, he learned the valuable lesson Watergate taught him ... and, now, doesn't waste words. He's too busy telling about "Christ, and Him crucified." If only all prominent evangelicals would do the same -- and leave social commentary to the politicians.

Hypocrite, hypocrite -- that's me. Here I go, doing what I just criticized. But, sheesh, the war in Iraq is just plain wrong.

Now, I'm not talking wrong in the political sense. There are arguments for and against what the U.S. did politically. But as Christians, that isn't our issue.

Our issue is whether war, in and of itself, is morally wrong. And I think the answer is unequivocally yes.

God didn't provide any qualifiers when He handed down the 10 Commandments. Christ didn't provide any qualifiers when He delivered the Sermon on the Mount. Look if you want. They aren't there.

"Thou Shalt Not Kill ... unless someone hurts you first."

"Turn the other cheek ... unless the jerk really made you mad."

I watched the movie "Munich" the other day, and it really brought the point home to me. Revenge is a natural response to terror. Defending oneself, you say? Even more so. Israel's response to the atrocities committed by Black September at the 1972 Olympics can be understood, if not condoned. But it was wrong, and not because of its consequences.

The War in Iraq is wrong, too, for the same reasons. Sure, you can point to the body count. You can point to the political morass that has come as a result. You can point to high gas prices.

Those are only symptoms of a greater problem ... that is, failing to abide by the principles set forth by Jesus Christ Himself.

"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth,'" Jesus said on the Mount of Olives. "But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you." (Matthew 5:38-42, NIV).

As Phillip Yancey points out in "The Jesus I Never Knew," humans throughout history have been searching for a way to explain away Christ's seemingly impossible precepts, specifically those given at the Sermon on the Mount. But our inability to live up to them -- how can I, for instance, "be perfect, even as your father in heaven is perfect" -- is insignificant. I can't. But that doesn't absolve me of my responsibility to try.

Agree or disagree ... take your pick. But you can't argue with scripture.

"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

Want to know Jesus? Click here to learn more.

beginning the discussion ...

"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
(John 14:6)


First, a few links so we can frame the discussion -- don't read anything into the order of the links. It doesn't imply anything other than a desire to be fully familiar with the subject matter.

Read about what's being called "Emergent Christianity" by clicking here.

There's also interesting reading about post-modernist Christianity here and here.

The reason for the next few posts (if our discussion gets that far) is a column written by Chuck Colson (he of Watergame fame) for "Christianity Today" magazine (which is an excellent rag, by the way.) Read the latest on his on-going argument against the post-modernist movement in the American Church by clicking here.

(I'm proofreading now and, sheesh, that's a lot of parentheses. Sorry. Of course, I just did it again ... I have a habit of using a lot of parentheses, elipses and dashes -- not that there is anything wrong with that.)

I've been enamored of the Emergent movement in the past year or so as part of a deeper look at my faith. Christ is the author of my grand inquisition (maybe that's a poor choice of words ... don't read anything into that, either). I just feel He is calling me to a deeper understanding of why I am a Christian and what that means for the ministry to which He has called me.

To get specific? I want to know why my generation and, more than likely, the one that comes after is so disillusioned by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Why do young men and women who were raised on His message and accepted Him as their Lord and Savior so readily dismiss Him for the carnal world?

Why is a message so loving and full of hope falling on ears that are more interested in "easy" answers to tough questions?

I'm growing more and more disillusioned by some of the basic assumptions of those participating in the "emergent" movement. I don't want to get into them too much here, because I have a few more things to read and a few more thoughts to make more lucid before posting them. Plus, I wanted to see if anyone who comes across this is interested in talking and exploring it more at length. We'll see, of course.

The God of Visa and MasterCard

I never intended this to be a "here's a another interesting thing God did for me" kind of blog, but it seems that way sometimes.

That being said, here's another interesting thing God did for me.

Baskin-Robbins has this absolutely wonderful promotion going on for summer (this isn't an ad, I promise). Every Tuesday, one scoop of ice cream is one dollar.

It's glorious -- my wife can get her double-chocolate chip and rocky road in a cup, and I can get whatever combination of sherbets I'm in the mood for -- all for the low, low price of four bucks and change.

(Oh, by the way ... if Baskin-Robbins doesn't bring Splish-Splash back this summer, I'm not going to be happy ... sure, Wild and Reckless is a fine choice, but nothing beats Splish Splash. Come on, Mr. Baskin or Mr. Robbins. Get with it.)

Another great thing about Baskin-Robbins? They take check cards because, after all, we live in a cashless society now (or close to it.) ... I didn't even have a five-dollar bill in my pocket. So, out comes the plastic.

Anyway, we get our ice cream, I pay for it with my credit card, and my wife, daughter and I all take a seat at the counter and dig in (except my daughter, who isn't a year old yet ... she had to settle for freeze-dried apples -- yum).

We were all close to finishing our ice cream when in walks this guy and says hello to me, by name. I didn't recall ever having met him -- my wife later told me who he is, and I remembered -- but here he was, saying my name.

Mere moments later, the clerk at Baskin-Robbins came around the counter.

"Are you Andrew?" he said.

"That's me."

"You might want this back," he said. It was my credit card. He'd forgotten to give it back, then forgotten who it belonged to.

That is until a guy I'd met only once just happened to walk in right as we were getting ready to leave and say hello to me, by name, loud enough for the clerk to hear him and identify the mystery credit card as mine.

Now, you may dismiss this as pure chance, mere happenstance. And, OK, maybe it was. After all, it wouldn't have been the end of the world had I left my card behind. I'd have remembered where I used it last and gone back to get it. No biggie.

But it would have been an inconvenience. God had other plans.

That scripture from my last entry, the one about how God feeds the birds and that, if He does that, surely He'll take care of us? It's appropos here.

After all, as Jesus said, "You are worth more than many sparrows." Even when you forget your credit card.

There He goes again, taking care of even the trivial things that happen in life. He can take care of you, too.

Want to know him? Click on the link called "How do I become a Christian?", read Romans 10:9,10 or send me an e-mail.

Wrong place, wrong time

"Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"
(Luke 12:23-25)

(Hardest piece of advice to follow in the Bible? It has to be up there, yes?)

Check out those photos there. Pretty crazy, huh?

My wife and I were coming back from a short trip to the mountains (Pocahontas County, just outside of Green Bank, for you West Virginians -- check out my photoblog, The Cross Project, for some pictures I took while we were up there). Just south of Minnehaha Springs, two orioles swooped in front of the car.

One made it ... the other didn't -- that's him (or her, as the case may be) in the spokes of my bike.

After my wife nearly jumped out of her seat, we drove on. Road kill is road kill, and hitting an animal with your car while driving through the biggest forest in the most rural state east of the Mississippi isn't that big of a deal.

When we stopped for gas later, there it was -- the bird had bounced from my windshield and into the spokes of my mountain bike.

(I love my digital camera, by the way.)

Here's the thing: twice, on the roughly five-hour drive home, we ran into stopped traffic from two car accidents. Neither looked serious, but both underscored how dangerous something as seemingly trivial as traveling on Memorial Day can be.

God took care of us. He always does.

That scripture? Man, it's tough to follow, tough to take to heart. But God loves us immensely, and never fails to keep watch over us, much more than than the birds of the air, beautiful though they are.

And if He'll keep us safe on the road, what right do we have to worry about anything else?

Want to know Jesus? Click on this link, read Romans 10:9,10 and/or send me an e-mail to Ephesians514@gmail.com.

(copyright andrew j. beckner, 2006)

A new project ...

The cross of Christ is pervasive.

You can find it anywhere -- on the manicured front lawns of Presbyterian churches, in cracks on a sidewalk, on the way a fence post lines up just right. It may not be intentional (at least by man), but the cross is everywhere. Pay attention and you'll see what I mean.

To that end, one of the reasons I started this blog was to post pictures of crosses I've "found" in traveling about and then posting them here. But, as it turns out, I've felt led to write more about other things on this blog and that's taken away from it a little bit.

That's why I've decided to start a new, different blog. There will be few words -- I'll limit the text to captions describing time and place. Instead, the cross of Christ will do the talking. It's a photoblog, where I'll post the pictures I've taken with my handy-dandy Canon Powershot. I have dozens of them already ... and find more everyday.

So please mosey on over to The Cross Project and take a look. I hope you'll like it.

(Just dont' forget about this blog, either).

Learning to walk

"Pull yourself together, Job. Up on your feet. Stand tall. I have some questions for you, and I want some straight answers. Where were you when I created the earth? Tell me, since you know so much. Who decided its size? Certainly you'll know that!"
(Job 38:3-5, The Message)

My daughter has reddish hair, blue eyes -- and a purple bruise on her cheek.

She's about a year old now, so she's learning to walk. She's getting pretty good at it, too. Just yesterday I was standing in my kitchen, back to the door, when I heard the pitter-patter of little bare feet on linoleum.

There she was, my beautiful angel, lips tersed in concentration, eyes wide with excitement and pride, doing a sort-of one-step-then-hop thing. Guess you had to see it to know what I mean. (Unless, of course, you too have a little one learning to walk.)

Then, just as she had come into view, she swayed. It was almost as if an invisible wind snuck its way into our kitchen. She stopped, eyes growing wider. She looked at me, helpless. Then, she unceremoniously fell to her rear with a thud. There were no tears, just as I knew there wouldn't be. Instead, she stuck her tongue out just the slightest little bit, then grinned widely and yelled, "DaDEEE!!!"

So I picked her up.

Here's one of the (many) things I'm learning as a new parent: Sometimes, I need to let her fall.

It's hard, watching her best efforts come crashing to the floor. But I know something she doesn't: if I don't let her fall, she'll never learn that there are consequences. She has to learn that turning one way is OK. Turning another -- and too rapidly -- brings that linoleum rushing toward her.

There's a lesson in the rude force of the floor, and it's one she has to learn on her own. I can't catch her every time she stumbles and explain to her what would happen if I hadn't done so. She won't understand. One day, when she is more mature, her mind more fully developed, I can reason with her: "If you drink and drive, you could be killed." "If you smoke that cigarette, you could get cancer."

Last week, I turned my daughter loose to walk to my wife in that same kitchen. She took two steps, then three, then four. Then, it happened: that invisible wind of imbalance and poor motor skills took over.

Except this time she didn't fall on her butt, and once I realized she wasn't going to, it was too late. In trying for one last-ditch effort to reach her mommy, she lunged forward ... and fell face-first into the refrigerator. She howled with pain, and when her mommy picked her up, she looked at both of us with a sad sort of accusatory glare. Her tears seemed to say, "Why did you let that happen?" I didn't have an answer -- I had made a poor decision not to intervene.

I don't know why God allows things to happen. I really hate my job right now. I had a very bad back injury a couple years ago that still gives me fits. My wife is stressed with her job, too. Why do these things happen when they hurt so, so much?

There's a lesson in them. I understand that much more clearly now that I'm a parent. God sees us swaying in the winds of life. Sometimes He catches us. Other times He lets us fall. And some times, it hurts.

One more story. A while ago, I left my daughter lying on the bed while I walked away -- just for a second, I promise! -- to grab another diaper. In that short instant, she rolled to her stomach and crawled toward the edge. I couldn't catch her in time. She fell with a thud, and I scooped her up in my arms and cradled her tightly, all while she cried into my shoulder. How terrible I felt! How irresponsible!

She is fine, of course. As soon as I took her outside to see the neighbor's dogs, she forgot all about the fall and instead directed her attention to pulling their mangy hair. All was right in the world.

God never does that. He never looks away, even for a second. He's never irresponsible. Oh, how I love Him for that!

Sure, I get angry with God sometimes. I want to shake my fist at Him and ask, "WHY?!"

Then, I remember. He's always there, every time I walk -- and if I fall, I know there's a reason for my pain.

It's because, in that moment, my God loves me too much to catch me -- and loves me enough to pick me up when I cry.

(copyright andrew j. beckner, 2006)

The calm in the storm ...

Today, I want to tell you about my good friend Jack Cummings.

You know, the things we do for God can have such an impact on others' lives in ways we may never intend. That picture at your left? That's a drawing Jack did several months ago ... beautiful, isn't it?

See, Jack draws cartoons ... very funny, very good cartoons that are, more importantly, inspiring. (You can visit his website by clicking here. I also link to his website on the list on the right.)

Now, that's not the first activity that comes to mind when we think of working for God, but that's exactly what Jack is doing. He's letting his talent shine for God, and He is getting the glory by doing magnificient works, through His people, by using Jack's divinely-inspired ability.

Like what? Glad you asked.

Remember, Jack drew this particular picture months ago -- every day, he sends out a new cartoon; one day out of the week he draws an artistic representation of a piece of scripture -- and I decided that, as part of a series of on the life of Christ I'm about to post, I'd use the picture. So, I perused my old e-mails and, after looking around for awhile, found it.

Then, this morning, I woke to dark clouds, heavy winds and tossing waves.

Ever felt that way? Even those closes to Jesus -- His hand-picked disciples -- did, and my spiritual walk with Christ is nowhere near the equivalent of walking with Him, in person, every day. (Of course, we can all have that close a relationship if we try ... but that's a subject for another day.)

So, there they are, in a boat in the Sea of Galilee, and, boy, is it storming. The Bible doesn't say how bad it was, but it was bad enough that Peter and the boys were sweating bullets -- and, remember, these were fishermen. They'd seen their fair share of storms. We know it was bad enough that they woke Jesus (yeah, He was real worried, huh?) and said, "Hey, you gonna let us die here?"

You know the rest of the story. Jesus, basically, told the wind to take a hike, told the seas to knock it off ... almost, as if, He said "Who do you think you are, trying to sink this ship? I made you. Back off."

And it did, prompting the disciples to say, "What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the seas obey Him?"

My job was really tough this morning. And there are all kinds of things going on outside of it as well ... I won't go into it. I'm sure you all have your own problems, too, and don't need burdened by mine (I could always use a prayer, if you'd like).

The bottom line is that I'm feeling a little down this morning -- and there's this picture of my Master, calming the waves.

Sure, I feel like running beneath deck and screaming, "Jesus! Don't you care that I'm stressed? Don't you care when the waves of my life are threatening me? Don't you care that I'm down today, that I'm feeling sorry for myself? Don't you care?"

Of course He does ... and a "cartoon" from a friend reminded me of that this morning.

Thank you, Jesus ... and thank you, Jack.

Want to know the One whom even the wind and the seas obey? Click on the link "How do I become a Christian?," read Romans 10:9,10 or send me an e-mail.

Just passin' thru ...

"This world is not my home,
I'm just a-passin' thru.
My treasures are laid up
Somewhere beyond the blue ..."

There's an old hymn for you ... with any luck, you have it stuck in your head for the next couple of hours.

Short post ... I'm quite literally just passing through here, on the way to bed. But I thought I wouldn't post something at my own peril. After all, I don't want to give the two or three people who read this thing the idea that I'm not a regular blogger. More tomorrow, I (hopefully) promise.

Got my first comment the other day. That's much appreciated. Ya'll come back now, you hear?

Today's cross? That's from a storm drain just down the street from my house in good ol' Charleston, West Virginia.

(Sorry about the Southern drawl coming through the grammar today ... I'm feeling very West Virginian this evening.)

Thanks for visiting. God bless ...

Want to know Jesus? Click on the link "How do I become a Christian?" read Romans 10:9,10 in the Bible or send me an e-mail.

Prayer vigil update

"I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
(Philippians 1:3-6)

Kudos to those of you who stepped up to the plate and signed up for the prayer vigil for the Kanawha Valley Women's Walk to Emmaus #58. Less than 48 hours after the call went out for people to sign up for a 30-minute slot, all of them are filled.

Praise God for that ... and praise God for you.

Short post today. Work has been very, very busy these past few days, sapping both my desire to post and my time to do so. I'm looking forward to a weekend helping serve the women's walk to boost my spiritual energy. It always does.

Again, thanks to everyone who helped out, especially those from out of state who responded in force to an e-mail from a stranger. May God truly bless you ... you'll certainly be in my prayers.

Want to know Christ? Click the link on your right called "How do I become a Christian," read Romans 10:9,10 in the Bible or send me an e-mail.

The power of a praying ... well, anyone

"I have heard your prayer which you have prayed to Me. I have set apart this house you have built by putting My name there forever. My eyes and My heart will be there always. "
(1 Kings 9:3)

The Kanawha Valley Emmaus Community is holding its spring women's walk this weekend. If you're counting, its the 58th Walk to Emmaus the community has hosted since its inception in the early 1990s.

That's an interesting number, 58. Subtract two from that, and you get 56 (and, yes, that's about the extent of my mathematical prowess -- I had to count on my fingers just to do that meager computation). There are, as of 9:30 a.m., 56 slots still empty on the weekend's prayer vigil.

If you stumbled across the blog and you're unfamiliar with with the Walk to Emmaus and other Fourth Day movements, I'll explain in a moment. If you're a part of the KVEC or another community, you'll undoubtedly understand how dire this situation is.

The Walk to Emmaus, to use the "official" definition, is "a spiritual renewal program intended to strengthen the local church through the development of Christian disciples and leaders. The program's approach seriously considers the model of Christ's servanthood and encourages Christ's disciples to act in ways appropriate to being 'servant of all.'" (Click here for the national website, or here for the Kanawha Valley Emmaus Community site).

Specifically, the walk is a three-day "retreat" (for lack of a better word), during which Christians around the world are in prayer for those attending the weekend. This is accomplished through 30-minute time blocks, what we call a prayer vigil. Trust me, when Christian men and women are on their knees in prayer every second of every minute of every hour of every day for three days, powerful things happen.

Problem is, there are significant gaps in this weekend's prayer vigil. It's a shame, really. There are worse things Christians can do than spend a full 30 minutes talking to God on the behalf of those seeking to know Him in greater and more meaningful ways.

So, if you reading this you are likely in one of two categories. You are either A) a member of our local Emmaus community or one elsewhere; or B) a Christian who has stumbled onto this site and hasn't been bored enough to quit reading yet. Either way, YOU ARE NEEDED.

Look, if you are a member of the KVEC and haven't yet signed up for a slot ... come on. People prayed for you on your weekend, right? Step up to the plate. Don't let them down.

If you happened upon this site by chance (think God may have led you here for this purpose?), please help us out and sign up for a slot on the prayer vigil. You can do it online by clicking here.

That scripture above? That's God talking to Solomon after he'd built the Temple. God heaped copious blessings on Solomon for building it, and made him the promise that it would be set apart and that the presence of God would always be there.

That's kind of like the Emmaus community. Through prayer, it's been set apart, consecrated by God to bring Christians into a closer fellowship with Him and to better fulfill His purpose for our lives. A small part of that is this prayer vigil, so let's help Him by getting it filled up, OK? Go ahead and click here, right now, while you are thinking about it.

Thank you, and God bless ...

Want to know Christ? Click the link on your right, read Romans 10:9,10 in the Bible or send me an e-mail.

The unseen hand of God ...

"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the LORD, 'He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him will I trust.'"
(Psalm 91:1,2)

I can't take an ounce of credit for it, but it's just too good an illustration to pass up.

A pastor was taking his first trip on an overseas mission. The country? South Africa, where he'd spend his first night in that country's legendary Kruger National Park.

Sounds great, yes? And it was, at least at the beginning. The pastor ate a traditional African feast outdoors in the splendorous beauty of the savanna. Then it was off to bed, in cabins whose windows were left open to allow the night air to keep things cool inside.

But therein lied the problem ... in the middle of the night, without warning, the thunderous roar of a lion shattered the calm. The pastor's eyes sprung open at the sound, then remained wide-eyed in terror -- for what protection did a small cabin provide an American preacher from the king of the jungle ... especially considering that open window?

Fear? You don't know fear like this. The pastor shuddered with it, lying still in his sweat, most of which came not from the African heat but with the terrible knowledge that he'd make much easier prey than a fleet-footed gazelle.

He lay awake the rest of the night, hearing the lion's roar many other times. But never did it seem to get any closer. Only when he left the cabin in the morning after hearing the others milling about did he learn why.

See, the campsite was, in fact, a compound, surrounded on all sides not only by a very high and very strong steel fence. Not just that, but at the gate were armed guards, all of whom told the pastor later that they'd not only heard the lion's roar, they'd monitored his whereabouts, too, just to ensure the missionaries' safety.

Now, here's word-for-word what was written about this story in this month's Discipleship Journal:

"Scripture likens Satan to a roaring lion that seeks to destroy. The world is full of the evidence of his violent attacks. Yet against those who seek their salvation and safety in the Lord, Satan is like the African lion fenced out of the camp: he can parade his strength, but he can never actually carry out his threats. His roar serves only as a reminder of what he can do if we do not seek our refuge in God."

Hey, we may not always feel -- or see -- God's protection, but rest assured ... it is always there.

Want to have that protection? What that blessed assurance? Read Romans 10:9,10, click on the link "How do I become a Christian?" on your right or send me an e-mail. I'll be happy to introduce you to my friend, Jesus. He's the biggest fence there is.

Kairos needs your prayer

"'For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me ... Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'"
(Matthew 25:35, 25; 40b)

This weekend, a group of a dozen or so Christian men are in prison. Don't worry. They want to be there.

They are there on purpose -- and for a purpose. They are part of the Kairos prison ministry, which ... well, let's let them explain it.

(From www.kairoswv.org: "The mission of the Kairos Prison Ministry is to bring Christ's love and forgiveness to all incarcerated individuals, their families and those who work with them, and to assist in the transition of becoming a productive citizen.")

For four nights and three days, Christian men are ministering to inmates -- called "guests" by those involved in the ministry -- at Mount Olive Correctional Complex in Fayette County, West Virginia, and telling them the good news of the gospel of Christ. My involvement with the ministry has been minimal; my father is actively involved, and others I know tell me how powerful this experience is, both for the "team" members (those ministering to the guests) and, most importantly, for the guests themselves.

I should have already posted something on this, but please pray for God's direction and guidance this weekend. Visit the website and see if God calls you to be personally involved. Part of that involvement includes signing up for a prayer vigil -- the entire weekend is literally bathed in prayer; there is someone praying for the guests each half hour for the duration of the weekend. If you are familiar with other "Fourth Day" movements, such as the Walk to Emmaus, you know about this concept. I urge you to pray for the experience.

Speaking of the Walk to Emmaus, the Kanawa Valley Emmaus Community is holding its spring walk for women, and there are slots available on that weekend's prayer vigil as well. You can sign up for a 30-minute block by clicking here. Feel free to sign up for prayer vigils anywhere else, too, all around the world. You can find other prayer vigils here.

And if you are interested in the Walk to Emmaus, and, more specifically, the Kanawha Valley chapter, feel free to visit its website or send me an e-mail. I'd love to introduce you to it -- and I do plan on posting more about it at some point in the next few weeks.

Oh, by the way -- today's cross is from a sidewalk on Dickinson Street, downtown Charleston, West Virginia (where else?) God bless ...

Want to know Christ? Click the link on your right, read Romans 10:9,10 in the Bible or send me an e-mail.