Yesterday, I watched a couple episodes of Doctor Who with my daughter. That’s a good moment! While looking for the preaching moment, I was struck by a theme that both had in common.

The Problem of Pain.

Many philosophies today attempt to answer C.S. Lewis with a process approach to God: God isn’t actually powerful and omniscient and he doesn’t stop pain because he can’t…etc. I find this anemic and utterly devoid of the need for the Trinitarian God, the incarnation, the cross, the resurrection, the life in the spirit and the revelation of God through Scripture. But I digress…

Like Jesus toward the cross, I was amazed by the way the writers approached pain and suffering: Head On. In the first one I watched, Age of Steel (S2E7), catch this dialogue (you can play it below the blockquote).

Lumic: Doctors need not exist. Cybermen never sick.

Doctor: Yeah but that’s it. That’s exactly the point. Oh, Lumic, you’re a clever man. I’d call you a genius, except I’m in the room. But everything you’ve invented you did to fight your sickness, and that’s brilliant, that’s so human. But once you get rid of sickness and mortality, what’s there to strive for, eh? The Cybermen won’t advance, you’ll just stop. You’ll stay like this forever a metal earth with metal men and metal thoughts. Lacking the one thing that makes this planet so alive: people. Ordinary, stupid, brilliant people.

Lumic: You are proud of your emotions?

Doctor: Oh, yes.

Lumic: Then tell me Doctor, have you known grief and rage and pain?

Doctor: Yes, yes i have.

Lumic: And they hurt

Doctor: Oh yes

Lumic: I can set you free would. You not want that? A life without pain?

Doctor: You might as well kill me

Lumic: Then i will take that option.

“Carrying his cross by himself, he went out to a place called Skull Place (in Aramaic, Golgotha). That’s where they crucified him—and two others with him, one on each side and Jesus in the middle [John 19:17-18; CEB]. ”

Do you hear, “You might as well kill me” reverberate? Pain and suffering are not only a part of life, but evidence of it. That’s certainly not to say that I prefer pain to joy, but we have to deal with it like the rest. That is the problem of pain in its simplest form, too.

In Episode 10, Love and Monsters (Season 2), Elton, played by Marc Warren, ends the episode like this (watch the first 30 seconds):

Makes it better? Are you kidding?

There is a story in the Buddhist literature about a lady who comes to the Buddha to ask that her suffering be taken away, for her child has just died. Buddha says to her, “I will take your suffering away; but first I want you to go through the village and ask until you find someone who has never lost a loved one.”

She goes through the village asking, “Anyone not have someone die?” She comes back to the Buddha and says, “Thank you.” via

Pain connects us to one another and God to us.

“My brothers and sisters, think of the various tests you encounter as occasions for joy. After all, you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. Let this endurance complete its work so that you may be fully mature, complete, and lacking in nothing [James 1:2-4;CEB].”

Would it be better if there were no pain? The Doctor doesn’t think so.

“Try to exclude the possibility of suffering which the order of nature and the existence of free wills involve, and you find that you have excluded life itself.” C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain.

It’s President’s Day today. When we look at a Game of Thrones, our country is not exempt. Politics and religion prismatically extent into the far reaches of culture. And of course, not all of the games are bad. Some are valiant. Abraham Lincoln (Vampire Hunter — sorry, couldn’t help myself), continues to exemplify courageous and sacrificial leadership to the world. The world that produced Lincoln and his values? That was a Game of Thrones if ever there was one. While the throne is now an oak desk in the Oval Office, the game remains.

It’s important to realize how close Israel of the Old Testament is to our nation, or any nation, today. The scriptures become anemic when we think, “that was them,” or “Oh, isn’t that pathetic how they did that back then?”

When the Hebrews arrived at Mt. Sinai, The Lord spoke, saying, “I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You must have no other gods before me. Do not make an idol for yourself — no form whatsoever [Ex 20:1-3; CEB].”

The options were limited: God, the Lord, or no god at all.

What this meant was that God was Lord, Savior, Protector and Commander in Chief. It was The Lord who led the people into battle and gave them victory. It was the Lord who defined national boundaries. It was the Lord who gave land to his people. It was the Lord who legislated. The chain of command reached beyond the mountain into the heavens. This made Israel stand out among nations. They were different. Their sovereignty was of divine origin. Their political system was unicameral, with no other candidates.

But…the people didn’t want to be different. They wanted a king, like other nations. First, with their adolescent demands negotiated, Israel entered into the period of the Judges. The judges were mediaries between God as King and Israel, his people. This had it’s ups and downs, but Israel still felt too close to God’s reign. So, the time of the Judges came to an end.

The people did not want to be different. They wanted a king, like other nations. They wanted to be defined by the culture that surrounded them. They wanted options. They wanted freedom.

Freedom is not a bad thing. It’s a great thing depending on how it is used. When one is emancipated from slavery or addiction, freedom is a song that billows through the rafters of heaven. But when one is emancipated from God, it’s not freedom at all. Sometimes being free, makes you anything but. Do you recognize areas of your life where you wish you had less freedom? Of course, you do.

Before, capitulating to the complaints of the Hebrews, God instructs Samuel to make sure Israel knows what having a King really means. It is a brutal and heartbreaking offer [read 1 Sam 9:10-18; cf. Dt 17:14-20]. Yet, without thought, almost impulsively, Israel accepts saying, “There must be a king over us so we can be like all the other nations. Our king will judge us and lead us and fight our battles [1 Sam 9:19-20; CEB].”

Israel accepted a counterfeit. An idol. A god other than God. A god in the form of a king.

They wanted to be like the Joneses. When they fought an army, their enemy had a king who led his troops into battle. Israel had none. They chose to become like their enemies.

Marinate in the awkwardness of that.

As we will see next week, sometimes when we get what we want, it isn’t what we wanted…at all.

This past Friday, our community was rocked by a teen suicide.

We didn’t know the student or his family, but have walked alongside our families and greater community for the last few days.

Needless to say, blogging hasn’t made the top priorities list.

Will be back in fighting form on Monday!

In the meantime, check out this new song from Springsteen, an ironic look at the way things are and the way they should be. Or perhaps, the we hear things are and the way we experience them.

Thanks for watching.

What questions would you like to see me wriggle with on these Theology Thoughts. Chime in on the comments below.

Here is the sermon that is referenced in the video. It’s quite good…so I’ve heard.

Now Eli was very old. He heard all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting. He said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all these people. No, my sons; it is not a good report that I hear the people of the LORD spreading abroad. If one person sins against another, someone can intercede for the sinner with the LORD; but if someone sins against the LORD, who can make intercession?” But they would not listen to the voice of their father; for it was the will of the LORD to kill them [1 Sam 2:22-25].

“Not a good report”? Um…what would a bad report be, then? It was too late to speak up anyway. Eli’s voice was a John Cage symphony on a muted iPod.

Eli is another father who forgot one small thing: to raise his sons. He was the epicenter of ethical and moral development for Israel, which I imagine he did effectively, but had a weak spot when it came to his sons. He couldn’t parent them, couldn’t discipline them. In short, aside from some slightly unpleasant words, Eli looked the other way, while his sons did things that dishonored the temple and its God.

“Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels; they had no regard for the LORD or for the duties of the priests to the people. When anyone offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come, while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand, and he would thrust it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is what they did at Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. Moreover, before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come and say to the one who was sacrificing, “Give meat for the priest to roast; for he will not accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.” And if the man said to him, “Let them burn the fat first, and then take whatever you wish,” he would say, “No, you must give it now; if not, I will take it by force [1 Sam 2:12-16].”

Recently, Joe Paterno found himself in Eli’s shoes. A legacy coach. A powerful leader in the national world of academic sports. He was focused, famous, and successful. However, when it came time to exercise his power and authority with those closest to him…he didn’t. Perhaps he couldn’t. Perhaps he didn’t think it had anything to do with him. It wasn’t his business. It was.

Closer to home, the Miramonte school scandal has caused irreparable damage to children, families, a community, a city.

When Samuel receives his call to be the judge of Israel [1 Sam 3:2], Eli is snoozing at work. He’s asleep on the job. We can read this as “not with his family.” Some of us work long hours, that’s just how things are. Eli didn’t do anything wrong by working. His failure was forgetting to raise his sons at the same time. He remembered how to do his job, lead the worship life of Israel at Shiloh, but forgot the primary instruction: “Train children in the way they should go; when they grow old, they won’t depart from it [Pro 22:6 CEB].” Perhaps he didn’t think that their business was his business. He was wrong.

Eli reminds us to take a look at how we are shaping our children.

The Lord cares how you respond to these questions. So…how do you?

This band wrote this song and recorded an album.

I never heard the song.

BUT these guys did and filmed this incredibly creative and enigmatic cover.

After I saw their interpretation of the other band’s song, I had to go and see who did it originally.

That’s evangelism.

Sharing somebody else’s message, song, idea, etc…through their own personality and passion.

In the church, it looks like this:

Jesus proclaims this message of grace and freedom and people don’t hear it.

So you fall in love with the message and allow inspiration to create a medium that grabs peoples’ attention. Compelling, mind you. NOT repelling. A medium that makes sense. A medium people can own and experience. Like a YouTube video in this case.

When I first saw the Walk Off The Earth Cover, there were only 30 million views, now it’s 53 million a couple of weeks later. When I first saw the Gotye video there were less than 20 million views, not there have been over 70 million!

See people LOVE the cover, but you know what? They love the original more.

PS: Watch these. Seriously!

In a Twitter, that is an accurate review as far as I’m concerned.

When I listened the first time, all I could focus on was the Mike Anthony’s missing upper stratospheric harmonies (that Chickenfoot is currently enjoying). The second time through, I was like, “Where are the solos?” and “Why is Dave yelling so much?” The third time through, I got to thinking, “The solos are there, Eddie’s just playing as part of the band and Dave is yelling because HE CAN!” That dude’s got longevity and pipes in spades.

A Different Kind of Truth, if we’re honest, is right where Van Roth ought to be. There’s enough of the old blended with plenty of new. Roth’s lyrics and vocals are kind of part 70′s, part Bone, Thugs & Harmony. There’s some sage rock wizardry in the way he’s crafted those lyrics and melodies. The big reverb rock anthem sound that died with Hagar’s era stays put. The songs on ADKoT are legit, straight forward Van Halen. I’ve heard that a lot of these songs are old demo retreads, and you can kind of place them on previous records, but I don’t care! I’m a fan and at this point I’ve listened to it enough times to just be glad it is finally with us on the planet.

If you listen to a track like You And Your Blues, I think you hit on the real problem of the album, it’s got the ‘Unchained’ vibe in the guitar riff, but without the melody. ADKoT lacks the melodic Eddie riffs that our ears crave. That’s probably the biggest difference between this and the other albums, but we gots to allow the band to change! The beginning of China Town starts with a pretty cool riff, but then disappears.

The Trouble With Never shows off Wolfgang’s riff-diculousness. Eddie’s boy shows up and gives a solid performance on every song. I still miss Anthony, though! It’s when he’s not there that you realize everything he did when was.

Stay Frosty is like an eponymous ode to every Van Halen song ever. It rocks. It sways. It swaggers. It stays frosty. It sounds more like a record ending song, but then what would you do with Beat’s Workin‘? The nod to Ice Cream Man just HAD to make the track listing.

In my opinion, there are a dozen singles on this album, none of which are Tattoo. Of all the action happening on ADKoT, Tattoo is impaired by comparison. It has a place, but many songs lower on the totem.Don’t judge A Different Kind of Truth by Tattoo. Just don’t.

This is a fun album for life-long Van Halen fans, and even new ones.

You can hear the whole thing on Spotify…or just pick it up any ol’ way you like!

I realize that I’m posting this review after the expiration date, long after the party is over, but here it is. This wasn’t the book I expected, but it also wasn’t the book I expected. This is the story of Mark and Grace Driscoll’s relationship and marriage. They have lived through themes that many people encounter in life together. While I don’t agree with the way they interpret everything, particularly because I can’t join the authors in the complimentarian worldview, I’m glad that church leaders are joining the fray and talking about things that matter to people. This podcast reviews, affirms and provides counterpoint to the book as I experienced it.

Press play for more…

You can also click the prophetsandpopstars podcast banner (on the right) to subscribe to this podcast on iTunes.

Here are the alternative resources that I do recommend in the podcast.

A popstar flippin’ millions of viewers the bird during the Superbowl Halftime Show!

On Prime Time?

Didn’t M.I.A. know that kids were watching Madonna???

Oh, wait…but kids are also watching this…

and this…

and this…

and this…

and M.I.A. makes you angry?

Yeah, there’s a threat to our kids.
but it’s not M.I.A.
or her finger.

[Micah 6:8]

The Church is leaking.

Of course, that statement has nothing to do with plumbing, unless you call the water of the church, young people. Citing Barna and Leadership Journal, Byron states that six out of ten young people will leave the church for an extended period of time, some of which will never return.

According to Leadership Journal, here are six reasons (quoted from Byron’s blog):

Isolationism. One-fourth of 18- to 29-year-olds say church demonizes everything outside church, including the music, movies, culture, and technology that define their generation.

Shallowness. One-third call church boring, about one-fourth say faith is irrelevant and Bible teaching is unclear. One-fifth say God is absent from their church experience.

Anti-science. Up to one-third say the church is out of step on scientific developments and debate.

Sex. The church is perceived as simplistic and judgmental. For a fifth or more, a “just say no” philosophy is insufficient in a techno-porno world. Young Christian singles are as sexually active as their non-churched friends, and many say they feel judged.

Exclusivity. Three in 10 young people feel the church is too exclusive in this pluralistic and multi-cultural age. And the same number feel forced to choose between their faith and their friends.

Doubters. The church is not a safe place to express doubts say over one-third of young people, and one-fourth have serious doubts they’d like to discuss.

In an excellent post by Chris Brooks on the Wayfarer’s Blog, Brooks notes an incompatibility between youth programs and later young adult communities. Citing a USA Today article, Brooks notes, “70 percent of Protestants between the ages of 18 and 30 drop out of church before age 23.”

“The problem arises from the inadequacy of preparing young Christians for life beyond youth group,” writes David Kinnaman, co-author of unChristian. He points to research findings showing that, “The university setting does not usually cause the disconnect; it exposes the shallow-faith problem of many young disciples.”

I submit that this trend has been the rule for quite a long time and as these young adult become…er, adults, they…, well, they hold a grudge.

And why wouldn’t they hold a grudge?

Ferris is right, “Life moves pretty fast.”

Why would anyone want to be a part of a system that settles into the complaints experienced above?

Those statistics, if empirically true, are an invitation for the church to…well, to not suck

Jesus pushes the mission of God forward through the church. We are a body that is designed to make The Fast and The Furious look like Thomas the Train Engine! The mission of the Church is an adventure epic in scale and heart arrestingly dangerous. How on earth have we become isolated, shallow, anti-intellectual, exclusive, sexually ambivalent doubt haters?

At the church I pastor, Glendale Presbyterian Church (in Glendale, Ca), we are journeying through the Gospel of John; moving through The Year of Living Dangerously. We are taking on the challenge of Jesus, finding his rhythm in the world and playing along.

The Church may be leaking, but the Gospel is in the business of pipe replacement.
Wherever it is, the drip won’t drop for long.

What do you think?