Currently The Search for God and Guinness: A Biography of the Beer that Changed the World By Stephen Mansfield see related

More to Guinness than a Beverage

I did not grow up among beer drinkers, yet I was not surrounded by people who preached against beer either. I had a grandfather who like his beer, and I tasted it when I was pretty small...didn't really like it! My other grandparents were pretty strong Christians, and that grandmother belonged to the WCTU, the Women's Christian Temperance Union. Somehow, in the midst of those extremes, I probably was not far from thinking a lot like my forebears in Ireland.

By college, I was going to a Baptist church that opposed all alcoholic beverages, which was no big deal since I didn't drink anyway. When I visited Europe on a tour with a singing group, I tried Swiss beer in the Alps which I thought was wonderful. Obviously, my more than half German blood recognized its heritage; besides the dark beer we drank was low alcohol, dark, and very different from what I'd ever tasted back in the U. S.

Nevertheless, in time, I became a Baptist pastor although I never shared their strong anti-alcohol bias. I taught what the Bible says, emphasizing the prohibition of drunkenness. With all that as a backdrop, I guess it's no surprise I'd pick up a book like The Search for God and Guinness: A Biography of the Beer That Changed the World, especially with such a provocative title.

For someone living in the United States where excessive beer drinking has become a think of frat parties and dissolute living, it is hard to imagine beer as a force for anything positive. Author Stephen Mansfield appropriately devotes his first chapter, “Before There was Guinness.” As he admits, and I agree, the history of beer is a remarkably positive one but one unfamiliar to most of us. Because water was often unfit to drink, beer's low alcohol content killed germs in the water, making it a healthful alternative. What a surprise it was to learn that the Pilgrims and Puritans loved and needed their beer!

The story of the Guinness family is more than the story of how Guinness beer became world famous, making the Guinness family wealthy. It is also the story of a generous family who success, in part, arose from their caring attitudes for their workers, long before unions or the sense that the lower classes were also human beings. It came, too, from a love for their city and country where they invested in helping those in need beyond their own family or employees. Then, for some Guinnesses, their wealth enabled them to become pastors and evangelists for Christ.

The Search for God and Guinness is the story of an Irish Christian family whose faith avoided the clashes between Catholics and Protestants in Ireland, thus bringing glory rather than shame to the name of Christ. In a day when some scorn both wealth and success in business or regard the accumulation of wealth as a matter of “luck,” this story shows both the ups and downs that the Guinness family faced through its history—the ravages of illness, the destruction of war, and family misfortune—and how the faith and determination of the Guinnesses overcame it all.

Currently The Case for a Creator: A Journalist Investigates Scientific Evidence That Points Toward God By Lee Strobel see related

Can We Agree to Disagree?

Is unity possible within the Body of Christ? Can there be unity without uniformity of belief? Are we able to enjoy fellowship in love even if we disagree about various doctrinal or practical matters? That was an honest question at a recent gathering of Christians, but it isn't a new one. Certainly, we see little of civil disagreement in the world, not even when they deny absolutes and affirm relativistic ideas. However, can even Christians do this?

It is a fair question for the Church, given Christendom's history of conflict and division. The antagonism within the family of God is a scandal, one that has rendered us powerless and robbed the Church of the influence it once had. In the first two thousand years, the Church turned the world upside down and created what we know as Western Civilization. Yet, during the same 2000 years, those bearing the name of Christ often fought with each other. Once they no longer faced persecution by the Roman Empire and achieved influential status, Christians, both nominal and genuine, began to seek earthly power. As the ideas of the Reformation began to challenge some of the worst distortions, charges of heresy, threats of excommunication, and even torture and execution became tools to force agreement, Catholic and Reformer alike. After experiencing the dangers of combined spiritual and civil authority together , the idea of separating the two became prevalent. Yet even with the lure of earthly power largely gone, Christians continued to seek control of the Church or at least some portion of it. Even the leadership of a small group of followers seems to be sufficient enticement to encourage division and strife.

Ego, what we often call pride today, tends to demand agreement. People find reassurance in the agreement of others. Being able to look down on those with other opinions strokes the egos, as well, giving opinionated people even greater cause to focus on the disagreements. In the worst cases, some count those who disagree as pagans, heretics, or unbelievers; in the better situations, they regard dissenters as second class Christians. Ironically, some of the strongest, most vitriolic arguments focus on ideas with relatively little conclusive support, let alone definitive proof that one position is superior to the other.

Let us also acknowledge that money contributes powerfully to division. Perhaps not as clearly as in politics, a party spirit becomes a tool for raising funds. “We must defeat the other side” is a terrible reflection on the mercies of our heavenly Father and the gracious forgiveness of our Savior. How dare any one, in Jesus' name, intentionally divide what he created to be one? It is more than mere ignorance to ignore the plain words that say, “May they be one as I and the Father are one,” and “Love one another as I have loved you.” We all struggle with the urgings of our fallen pride, but to reject his clear and often repeated commands for financial gain is grossly repugnant. Furthermore, nothing is more likely to repel an unbeliever that religious profiteering.

Power, ego, and money are a potent trio driving believers apart. While it might be considered as mere ego, human nature tends to prefer agreement, what we often call compatibility. As both sacred and secular communities become more divided and hostile, even our most important relationships struggle to overcome disagreement. A person may be attracted to another who thinks and acts in different ways, but the passage of time often demonstrates that agreement is often preferred. God designed male and female to be complementary, so that together a couple would be more complete than either individual alone. Many other factors—personality, family history, education, experience—add to the diversity, which God intends to enrich individual lives through marriage, as well as friendship and Christian fellowship.

The Church, more than any other relationship or organization, should benefit from diversity of calling and giftedness. No believer should fear fresh ideas or find the various perspectives of others uncomfortable. God provides these numerous perspectives and personalities for the good of the ministry that serves him. No single person possesses all the gifts, is capable of seeing all insights without help, or knows all truth. God's word is complex, even in its original Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic. Translation adds further complexity and confusion because the very nature of language—definitions of words, the use of verb tenses, the presence of idioms, etc.—varies from one to another. Every translation has some degree of interpretation.

On the one hand, have many people seeking to understand the Bible helps all of us to get more of the truth from it. I rarely fail to appreciate the insights of another pastor, who has worked to comprehend the meaning of a text, even though I may disagree. Thus, on the other hand, the end result of a complex Scripture and numerous interpreters will unavoidably be disagreement. Dare we tolerate such a thing? Not only can we, but we must accept and love our brothers and sisters when we do not agree, especially with regard to something as important as God's Word. Further, I believe it will be our choosing to do so, to remain as one family and, when necessary, to reconcile those relationships, that will enable us eventually and in many cases to find agreement that satisfies most of us. This, I believe, is God's intent.

Not only is our natural variedness something we can accept and from which we may gain, but I believe God has alternatives to overcome that deadly trio of causes of division. To start, God doesn't need money, and often we don't need the money we think we must have to do his work. More importantly, we will fail at doing his work if money becomes the overriding consideration. How many very public ministries have taken in huge amounts of money, ostensibly for the purpose of evangelism, only to become a scandal to the ultimate harm of the Church's outreach? This reminds me of Bob Briner's Deadly Detours, things that well-meaning Christians seek to do, but end up doing in a manner that violates love, grace, or integrity. I believe, however, that we are equally at fault if we allow or even support a money-grubbing phoney, especially one who pretends to be right while accusing others of being wrong.

Christian leaders often have strong personalities—I know that I do! Perhaps it takes such strength to take up the challenges in a call from God. However, those with big egos need to see the temptations they face and resist them, temptations like demanding agreement from followers. God has no interest in cults of personality among his people. Ordinary Christians need to have the wisdom to avoid allegiance to men, whom we should follow ONLY as they follow Christ. I believe leaders should all have mentors to whom they are accountable, and I also think it good if there are believers under their teaching who have the grace and courage to “pull the rug” from under those whose egos get too big. It never hurts to remember that God uses “the foolish in order to confound the wise,” and sometimes even the weak to do what we imagine only human strength can accomplish. In other words, God doesn't need egos any more than he needs money, and he surely is displeased when ego-driven men or women divide his people.

What about power? Frankly, power offers false security in earthly reckoning. So many of us fall into the trap of believing that power is the key to safety, thereby trading earthly, human power for God's limitless power. Bad men use people to gain power, and I doubt it is ever truly for good. God says, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit.” The only legitimate power God offers, the only power that is true power, comes through and by his Spirit. When a person disobeys, using strife and division to gain power, in any measure, he grieves the Spirit and loses true power. I might fear the power of a Hitler or Bin Ladin, but I prefer the power of a godly man. In the end, those who use power to oppress--an almost impossible temptation to resist--will find themselves standing in judgment before the very power of God. That's a place I would hope to avoid, except in the loving embrace of the Savior and shielded by his forgiving grace.

So, obedient followers of Christ will avoid recruiting followers to gain power, satisfy their egos, or get money. They will strive to be a force for unity, even when the personalities and ideas of some threaten to drive them crazy. I have been working to do this for a while, and it works. We can get along and work with people with different opinions, especially the issues are relatively minor. I am not a charismatic, but I relate to and work with many who are. I have fairly strong Calvinistic beliefs but accept those who don't. I have many reservations about how the end times will play out, but it rarely ever is an issue in my associations. I have music preferences, I try to find worship that fits my tastes, but I worship when other kinds of music are used.  Indeed, the unity already exists; we only work to preserve what God has already done!

How should Christians relate to Christians who disagree about major theological matters? Jesus taught that we should love one another, love our neighbors as ourselves, and love our enemies and do good to those who persecute us. Is there any category of people we are not to love? If not, then the task is to deal with disagreements constructively, beginning by loving those who disagree--kindly, patiently, and respectfully. If a believer concludes that another confessed believer is seriously in error, then the task is to reason and persuade lovingly. If unsuccessful, then pray that God will reveal error wherever it may be (Of course, prayer is not the last resort; believers should pray for the lost, those in error, brothers and sisters caught in sin, and for other believers). Nowhere is there justification for anger, rejection, or strife.

Is there ever a time when believer should “separate” from other believers? After all, Paul says, “Come out and be separate from them.” The primary intent of this principle is for believers, especially new converts, to separate themselves from the immoral activities of unbelievers or, to be clear, make a clear break from their sinful behavior and those who shared in it, not to be yoked to things contrary to faith, especially idolatry. Once adopted into God's family, our primary fellowship and our deepest connections will be with our brothers and sisters. However, if anything, we love our former companions even more, seeking their salvation. If a fellow Christian falls into sin, he or she should be lovingly confronted in order to urge them to stop, repent, and be reconciled. At a certain point, the Church may agree to take the step of treating the unrepentant sinner as an unbeliever, denying them of the normal fellowship of believers; we then pray for them, seek their salvation, and continue to love them.

Believers naturally gravitate toward those who share their opinions and tastes. I'm not convinced that this is wrong, unless it is accompanied by antagonism and harsh criticism of others. The reality of our current situation suggests Christians can no longer afford to be divided into hostile camps, which are, in fact, not Biblically justifiable at any time. Many congregations have removed the denominational labels from their public names, seeing that they discourage interest. That only helps if the corresponding hostility is also removed.

In the end, we serve one God. We are members of one family. God has called us to be one, to stand together in unity, and to love one another. The answer to the question, “Can we agree to disagree?” must be a concerted effort to love each other regardless of our differences and to present a harmonious Church to the unchurched world.  In the end, differences and a variety of opinions help us more than harm us, leading us to broader understanding and better, more productive relationships.

Currently Beautiful Mess: The Story of Diamond Rio (NelsonFree) By Diamond Rio see related

Many Voices...One Song

I have sung in choirs and ensembles for more than 40 years.  I have also directed them.  For me, the coming together of different voices or instruments, each with its individual sound, is a beautiful metaphor of the church, as each comes together to contribute its uniqueness to create one glorious, harmonious sound.  I guess it's fitting, then, that a true story of shaping such a sound would demonstrate God's hand.

In my mind, country music has always glorified hard living, heavy drinking, and cheating on your woman; from this you might assume I'm not a country music fan. I'm not especially fond of biographies either--no reason, just my preference.  So how did I end having good things to say about Beautiful Mess: The Story of Diamond Rio?

When I picked up the book, I literally knew nothing about Diamond Rio except the name. Besides knowing they were a country group, I assumed some connection to the auto company, which had a plant a few blocks from where I lived for 20 years, but that was Diamond Reo.

“Beautiful Mess,” as you may already know, is one of Diamond Rio's hits, a true love song without drinking or cheating, just as the book is kind of a love song for a remarkable group of 6 guys with a truly excellent sound. It tells the story of how those six men, guided by the hand of providence, not only came to be much loved artists, but also survived the typical pitfalls that usually tear such groups apart. Author Tom Roland traces their beginnings with Opyland, recounts the individual stores of each member, shares the impact of a musicians worst nightmare, and finally shows how that divine hand took Diamond Rio into a place where He wanted them.

Those who are already fans of Diamond Rio will enjoy getting better acquanted with them as separately and corporately. Those who are, like me, not familiar will find their story inspiring and, if they choose to check it out, their music worth hearing. Regardless, readers will see gifted and yet ordinary men, who deal with all the usual struggles of life, especially celebrity life, support each other, rise above the challenges, and hold their group together. Perhaps, most touching were the acknowledgments, usually placed at the beginning, which were the final pages of the book.

Beautiful Mess reminds me of Romans 9:21, where Paul describes us as a blob of clay to be shaped by God's hands. Like each of us, none of these guys are perfect. Yet, despite and, to some extent, because of their unique imperfections, God blended them together to become a much loved and highly regarded country band.

Noir Bizarre Book--Cool!!

I've spent most of my adult life in ministry where I often dealt with the most difficult aspects of life—sickness, tragedy, conflict, and death. When I took time to read, I often chose what I generally refer to as “escapist fiction.” I work in the real world, and I prefer to relax in worlds far away. Science fiction, fantasy, mystery, adventure, thrillers, and an occasional horror novel. I read good Christian authors when I can find them, but that's never been a requirement.

T. L. Hines writes “noir bizarre stories,” not a category I'd ever heard of before and not one I'd have picked up, on my own. However, I find that I like this unique kind of fiction. Faces in the Fire ties the lives of four people together with a number and the image of a catfish, telling the story in reverse order, and showing how each character discoveries the key to their personal deliverance and healing. Do these folk experience some kind of benevolent magic or the hand of God? That is for the reader to determine, although I'm not sure it matters. Indeed, it is equally uncertain whether redemption comes from an external source or from the riving of the good inside each one.

I often re-read good books, in time, but I could see myself reading Faces in the Fire again soon. I will also be looking for other “noir bizarre” books by T. L. Hines.

* * * * * *

One of Hines' characters refers to herself as a "bottom feeder."  We often call them "down and out."  When I was younger, I spoke regularly at the city rescue mission in Cleveland, Ohio, and I remember seeing many such people.  Drunk and addicts who have often lost everything and everyone to live just for the next fix.  Such people live at the lowest levels of society, incapable of regular work, scrounging for the money the need to pay for drugs or alcohol and virtually neglecting everything.

How do people end up in such circumstances?  It's easy for those living comfortable lives far removed from where "bottom feeders" live to make assumptions, often invalid assumptions.  Many once lived in those comfortable lives, at least appeared to do so.  Nice clothes and pleasant neighborhoods readily conceal dark secrets and private pain.  Nobody starts out as a bottom feeder; mistakes--their own or those of others--drive them to the bottom.  Hurt, broken, and hopeless--these are the people Christ came to save.  In the end, bottom feeders are nothing more or less than sinners in need of the Savior. 

Sadly, some, far too many, are already his.  Salvation alone may not keep a person from hitting rock bottom.  An often used term is "back-slider," but the direction isn't just backward but downward.  Sometimes an early decision for Christ brings joy and enthusiasm, followed by seemingly unbearable pain, sorrow, and grief.  Neither labels nor theological disagreements must prevent a person from hearing that Jesus still delivers, heals, and gives hope, if we will receive it.

Currently Pagan Christianity?: Exploring the Roots of Our Church Practices By Frank Viola, George Barna see related

Sacrifice Misapplied and Misunderstood

"No person was ever honored for what he received.

Honor has been the reward for what he gave."—Calvin Coolidge

“Nor was he honored for what he took or forced other to give”—Roger Wilson

We’ve heard a great deal, recently, about the virtue of sacrifice, but it’s not the first time.  I recall working with a ministry that did the same thing.  This is not the virtue of voluntary, Christ-like sacrifice, something that each believer is challenged to do.  No, this sacrifice is engineered by someone else, thus crossing the line from virtue to evil.

One person led the ministry I mentioned, a person who excelled in accomplishing big things with minimal resources.  That was a gift, and it enabled them to accomplish much through their sacrifice.  I have sacrificed much in order to continue to tutor refugees, but it is my choice, one I make because I care about my students.  I won’t say I never regret the outcome when it “pinches”, but I never regret the choice or the reason I’ve made it.  Like I said, it was my choice; no one imposed it on me, as was theirs.  However, their attempt to force those who work for them to accept sacrifice unnecessarily moves from thrift to cheapness.

If a ministry pays substandard, non-competitive wages out of necessity, then those who choose to work for that ministry accept sacrifice with the job.  However, if the ministry is simply cheap, paying low wages without reason, then they demonstrate something less than spiritual.  It’s even worse when a government demands sacrifice with its power to force compliance.  Recently, we have seen officials force sacrifice onto citizens in the name of some greater good; however, it is clear that the ultimate goal is simply power.  In fact, the sledgehammer being used is a trillion dollar fund, created by means of the largest debt in human history.

This is not about parties or personalities but a perspective that has been evident for some time.  In fact, the first glimmers in this country were mere echoes of the same attitude in what became the Soviet Union.  An author named Ayn Rand wrote about its result, over there, in a book called “We the Living,” a sad but compelling story of the deprivations and abuses in her homeland.  In another, “Atlas Shrugged,” she created an imaginary story on the imposition of sacrifice, in which the “consumers” expected the “producers” to sacrifice their ingenuity, creativity, hard work and resulting profit for the benefit of everyone else, many who did nothing to provide for themselves.

Rand was an atheist.  I suspect part of the reason were the misguided Christians who favored Marxism (They're still around!) and imposed sacrifice; perhaps she also misunderstood the genuine virtue of sacrifice that God not only taught but modeled in the sacrificial death of Christ.  Voluntary sacrifice is good, an expression of love and compassion, motivated by the One who loves us and gave His life for us.  Compelled sacrifice isn’t true sacrifice; often it is merely theft, where the thief tries to manipulate the victim into accepting their deeds.  Can governments steal?  Of course, they can, but their robbery is typically massive.  It is also insulting to have the robbers justify their acts as compassion.  As anyone, who has worked with agents of the government, can tell you, government bureaucracy is rarely characterized by compassion.

When I invest my time and resources to help my refugee students, they see the sacrifice over the course of time and recognize the caring in my doing so.  They sometimes react very clearly to the kindness they see in person.  When the government takes from one person and gives it to another, however needy, with layers of government bureaucracy between, administered by someone who is often well-paid for their clerical duties but who often cares little for the client, neither the “giver” nor the recipient benefit from the any kindness or compassion in the act, for there is none!

What I do may inspire my students to their own acts of generosity; what they see and experience, they may copy.  They also receive generously from the government since they have no family to support them.  Foster families provide a home and, sometimes, a visible irony.  The refugee teenager may get more in medical and dental benefits than the foster parents themselves do.

When government or anyone else, regardless of the motive, interferes with the simple principle of working to provide for oneself and family, it deprives us of independence and self-sufficiency.  In a sense, it enslaves us, forcing us to work for someone other than self.  When Paul writes, “Whatever you do, do it heartily as unto the Lord,” he seeks to raise the virtue of hard work to a higher level; slavery makes working nothing more than the avoidance of punishment, whether by the whip or by fines and imprisonment.

The big lie is the government’s promise to “take care of everything.”  Imagine those who captured men to enslave them saying, “Don’t worry; your new master will take care of everything.”  Did some slaves have a good life?  A few often did, but they were still slaves.  Did some slaves miss the security of their former place after emancipation?  I wouldn’t be surprised that some did.  Most people prefer freedom, even at the cost of working hard to provide their own security with the possibility of achieving far more.

Forced sacrifice is slavery.  Voluntary sacrifice in service to Christ honors him.  Christians who demand employees work for substandard wages do not honor Christ; they create resentment, deprive their employees of an honest wage, and often receive less than maximum effectiveness from them.  Churches that underpay their pastor or staff, such as the church janitor, likewise dishonor Christ.

By comparison, parents who sacrifice for to put their children in Christian school serve the best interests of their children and honor the Savior.  Spouses who put their wife or husband first, giving up other interests do the same.  An employer who sacrifices in order to assure their workers receive adequate pay and benefits represents the spirit of Christ; the political leaders who does so is rare but all the more worthy of respect, since government agencies including schools are absurdly bloated and top-heavy.

As Coolidge said, there’s no honor in receiving, nor in taking or forcing others to give; there is no honor in manipulating what belongs to other people for any reason.  The honor comes in giving, sharing, and using your own property, whether great or small, for the good of another.  Our country’s leaders could stand to learn this.  Many of the Church’s ministry leaders could, too.  As Paul tells us Jesus said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive.”