Pretty Mean Buick

Show and Tell


*Sigh.*

This week, my eldest nephew bought his first car. And he paid cash.

He's taking driver's ed, and got the opportunity to purchase an old Oldsmobile from a family friend for the princely sum of $1.00. Which means that yes, it needs some work. But it runs, all the basics work, it's got airbags, it's all in one piece, and the interior is in remarkable shape for being a 16-year-old car. But what really counts is that it's a car, and a 16-year-old boy has entered the realm of the driving public.

Which got me thinking about my first car. I didn't buy mine when I was in high school. I did pay cash, but it wasn't no stinkin' dollar. After I graduated, I took the money I'd saved and went to a local used car guy and plunked down $3,500 smackers on an eight-year-old Buick Riviera luxury coupe I'd been eyeing in his lot. It wasn't the car in the photo above; mine had two-tone light blue paint, one of those puffy landau tops in light blue vinyl, and rally wheels.

Under the hood lurked a massive 350 V8 engine, and I used to enjoy freaking out my passengers by waiting until the last possible moment to pull out into traffic... and then flooring it so my Pretty Mean Buick could surge forward at break-neck force.

"Pretty Mean Buick" came from my license plate: PMB-985. Yup, I still remember it.  One of my female friends from high school was coming up with acronyms for everybody's license plates, and that's what stuck for mine.

GM's notoriously unreliable power window switches haunted this car - as oddly, they do my nephew's 1994 Oldsmobile. While my Riviera guzzled gas like crazy, at $0.95 a gallon, the price of gas didn't really faze me. I remember when it finally hit $1 a gallon, and like everybody else, I thought the world was coming to an end. Oh, for the good old days!

About three years after I bought my Buick, I left work at the old Six Flags Mall here in Arlington and walked past an accident scene in the parking lot. It wasn't until I had walked past my Riviera that I realized it was one of the vehicles involved in the crash scene - which didn't make much sense to me at first, since it had been parked for several hours!

I remember a police officer walking over to me, and asking me if this was my car. I looked at the horribly crumpled wheel well and door of my car, and realized it was. Apparently, a drunken shopper had gotten into her car - a retired police cruiser with reinforced bumpers - and somehow backed into four other cars, totalling two of them: mine, and a car she pushed mine into. The teenage girl who owned that other car was crying as she saw the damage inflicted by my Pretty Mean Buick, pushed into her little Ford.

When I got the official word that my insurance company would be totalling my first car, I went to the impound lot where it had been sitting and said my goodbye's. Eventually, I had another GM car - oddly enough, an Oldsmobile - with unreliable power windows, but I've never owned another car as classy and powerful as my Riviera.

And with gas costing what it does these days, that's probably just as well.
_____

On the Value of Creativity - Part Two

I'm sorry, everyone - I'm an hour late... but I hope it's worth the wait!

Have you ever realized our society places a high value on very little? Literally! Standards have fallen to points so low that sometimes, it doesn’t take much to appear extraordinary. Hopefully, my blog doesn’t fall into that category, but if it does, it’s not for lack of trying to help explain away the mechanics of my snap-crackle-pop brain.

Seriously, folks: minimum standards rule our world, don’t they? Sometimes it seems as though people benchmark the status quo and then work backwards from there. The trouble with that approach should be obvious: how often does the status quo represent excellence?

Now, there are some tasks in life where excellence doesn’t really factor into things. For example, when you buy a car, you know that you’re not going to get a hand-crafted Rolls Royce on a Ford budget. You want your Ford to be safe and reliable, and you expect high standards on other basics, but if it doesn’t have a motorized hood ornament or come with your choice of over 100 leather colors, you’re still satisfied in the Ford’s ability to get you from point A to point B in the same amount of time. (Of course, with it’s recent accelerator problems, I guess a Toyota would actually get you there faster…)

Churches, Budgets, and, um, Art...

When it comes to corporate worship, however, how many churches push budgets to try and get the biggest and newest at the expense of the best and the finest? Minimization has taken over the evangelical church world, where congregations may spend thousands on high-tech gadgets but scoff at even a small stained glass window. Part of the mentality comes from Biblical mandates to be prudent with money, and part of it comes from the increasingly bland tastes of our society in general and Christians in particular. For people who claim to have a personal relationship with the Creator of everything, however, how many of us expend a lot of effort trivializing beauty by denying its expression?

Of course, if everybody attending churches would actually tithe, much of this problem probably wouldn’t exist. It’s hard to argue with churches about spending money on fine art when they can barely afford to keep the lights on. To the extent that believers steal from God by not returning to Him a portion of what He’s given them, sin may be robbing people of the opportunities to worship God in the splendor of His holiness through the arts.

So assuming that we are tithing – which, again, is the minimum standard; our offerings are also expected, aren’t they? – can we proceed with the discussion of what art in church looks like? After all, pontificating with platitudes about art and how we should take advantage of it only goes so far, doesn’t it? What does it actually mean? And do you need an income the size of a Wall Street executive’s before you can do something about it?

Remember, I’m not an art purist. If I was, I’d say that art has a place in any church’s budget, whether the light bill is being paid or not. But I’m not sure such a perspective would pass Biblical muster, because we still need to be mindful of the fine line between art for God’s glory and extravagance for our own sake. The Widow’s Mite went to the Lord’s work, of which paintings and statuary comprise only a part, not the whole.

Class, Let's Review

With that being said, let’s remind ourselves of some basics about what makes good art good:

• Good art makes you think. It focuses your attention on a limited range of ideas, concepts, or doctrines that engage your mind with truth.
• Every element in good art has a purpose. Whether a great building or a great painting, everything incorporated into the whole has a reason for being there.
• Regardless of your education or life experience, you can somehow relate to good art.
• Even if good Biblical art mimics popular culture, it don’t celebrate it. Holiness, or the quality of being set apart, doesn’t necessarily start outside of transitory ideas. Direct copies of popular culture, though, without any discernment as to their legitimacy at ascribing glory to God, probably don’t qualify.
• If the Biblical art is not entirely about an attribute of God, in which at least one of His characteristics can be identified, then generally, at least one of the fruits of the spirit can be identified in some aspect (love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, meekness, self-control).
• In good Biblical art, God receives uncompromised glory through its theme, the media used in its creation, and the way it is created.

Three Case Studies

Now, let’s consider some actual examples of evangelical churches who have gone the extra mile and intentionally incorporated fine art into their buildings and ministries. You might be surprised at what I think qualifies!

Case Study: Calvary Baptist Church; New York, NY
Project: Traditional gold leaf gilding
Overview: When the congregation remodeled the venerable church's sanctuary in the late 1980’s, they wanted to rejuvenate the tired, gray space and celebrate Calvary's legacy in New York City's arts community. Among other things, they executed a palate of soft hues with dusty pinks and creams with gold accents to brighten the space. But they decided that instead of gold-colored paint for the trimwork and decorative touches, they should go the extra mile and use the real thing.

Through its international missions work, Calvary knew of a Christian couple in Central America who were experts in traditional gold gilding. While this couple received commissions for Catholic churches, most evangelical Protestant churches scoffed at the idea of paying for real gold when speckled paint looked almost the same. However, Calvary decided that the precedent God set for having real gold in His original temple set a standard they wanted to emulate.

They brought the couple to Manhattan to gild the many plaster flowerettes and other embellishments that had been previously stuck onto the otherwise grim sanctuary walls. The result proved indisputably regal and elegant. When the remodeled sanctuary was rededicated, the story of the gold detailing elicited warm appreciation from the congregation who could finally see how this one detail could make such a difference.


Case Study: First Baptist Church; Arlington, TX
Project: Foyer renovation & hand-crafted partition walls
Overview: Here in Arlington, Texas, we’re hardly a hotbed of international art, but like many middle-America communities, wood craftsmanship enjoys a robust level of respect and artisanship.

Two years ago, First Baptist Church renovated its prominent foyer area from a formerly tasteless space into a gloriously inviting entrance to its sanctuary. Not only were aesthetics greatly improved, but First Baptist found a creative solution to nagging problems with the circulation of pedestrian traffic outside the sanctuary. With multiple Sunday morning services, worshippers waiting for the next service and people exiting the previous service were constantly getting tangled up in the unnecessarily narrow foyer.

Granted, that’s not a problem many churches would actually mind having, but First Baptist saw a lot of wasted space along the wide plaza outside of the foyer’s air-conditioned confines. And remember, this is Texas, where morning summertime temperatures can wilt big hair before Sunday School is over.

First Baptist decided to enclose most of their outside entry plaza and install a series of partition walls to help direct pedestrian traffic flow. But instead of plain drywall, a member of the church who is a master craftsman built several wood walls with coffered panels and modified Gothic cornices, all in a deep, lush stain. Exit doors were moved to the sides of the foyer, and glass archways opened up the space to the street, where even at night, the wooden panels are illuminated so passers-by can admire them.

The beauty of the new panels masks their surprisingly effective utilitarianism: church members tell me they actually do work at helping to moderate traffic flow; there’s a lot less congestion in their freshened, elegant foyer; and the sanctuary has a new public face combining efficiency with some old-world extravagance.


Case Study: Park Cities Presbyterian Church (PCA); Dallas, TX
Project: Easter Sunday flowered cross
Overview: As I crossed the busy avenue fronting my church after services on Resurrection Sunday, I glanced over to the police officer holding back traffic and out of the corner of my eye, I caught a delightfully unexpected vision. It was this extraordinary cross celebrating the life of Christ and His defeat of death and sin, erected outside the main doorways to our sanctuary. Since like many congregants at Park Cities, I never use those doors, I was unaware that this flowering cross has been a tradition by our children’s ministry for years.

Actually, the police officer directing traffic told me about it as I did a double-take to admire it. He’d been stationed outside our church since the crack of dawn that morning, and he watched as somebody brought out the Styrofoam-and-wire-mesh cross and set it up at the main entrance. Then groups of children came to the front of the church with flowers, and throughout the morning, they pushed their flowers into the Styrofoam or wire mesh, creating this simple yet dazzling sculpture.

How amazing an idea is this?! Wow – even now, looking at the photo, I’m struck with how the colorful flowers – God’s glorious creativity – take the ugly shape of the cross and replace its imagery of sin and death with life and beauty. Set against the gray stonework and sturdy wooden doors of our church, the flowers contrast even more strongly, proclaiming the lavish Resurrection promise literally from the steps of our church.

What an easy, low-cost, and profound way to share a glimpse of the Gospel with the world – or, at least, the Sunday brunchers along Dallas’ Oak Lawn Avenue.

See? Fine art doesn’t need to come from Italy, take years to craft, or requre fundraising. Where it starts is a love for God, an understanding of what He has done for us, and a desire to evangelize – even if it means using gold leaf, a mitre saw, and cut flowers instead of a microphone.

However you tell it, tell it well! That’s what fine art is for.

Photo by Darian Reichert

Raising Praise

Show and Tell

Can you guess the approximate time period when this photo was taken? Was it in the 1940s? The 1980’s? Or sometime within the past several years?

If it wasn’t for the four-color processing, amplification speakers, bright lighting, and air conditioning vents, it probably could have been taken in 1880, couldn’t it? Well, I don’t know if grand pianos were that big yet in 1880 or not… but you get my point, don’t you?

This is not your boomer father’s seeker-sensitive contemporary church, is it? In fact, it’s so non-contemporary that even though this photo was taken about three years ago, there are no JumboTron video boards in the sanctuary. A massive pipe organ had just recently been installed, towering over the chancel area where the choir is standing. And – gasp! – did I just say, “choir”? You mean a North American church still has a relic like that?

You're Invited

Now, before you fear I’m going to launch into a tirade about classical corporate worship versus contemporary worship: relax! You already know my thoughts on that subject.

Instead, I’m actually using this photo to do something I rarely do: advertise. But I’m not making any money on this. I’m advertising our Chancel Choir’s Eastertide Festival Concert this coming Sunday evening. For those of you reading my blog who live in the Dallas – Fort Worth area, I’d like to invite you to attend this special service celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is the cornerstone of our faith.

In case you haven’t already figured it out, this is a photo taken inside the sanctuary at Park Cities Presbyterian Church, near the town of Highland Park and the Dallas neighborhoods of Turtle Creek and Oak Lawn, just north of downtown Dallas. Originally built for the congregation of Highland Baptist Church in the 1930’s, the structure has been remodeled and brought to code by Park Cities Presbyterian, which bought the facility from the Baptists in 1992.

I’ve been attending Park Cities Presbyterian for the past ten years, and have been a member of the choir for the past four. Concerts like this Sunday’s Eastertide Festival represent the philosophy that governs the doctrine and programs of our church: the glorification of God. If you attend the Eastertide concert, you will not be entertained as much as you will be led in Trinitarian worship. That is, the focus will not be on you as an audience member, but on God and, specifically, Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection to save us from our sins.

Sound counter-cultural? Good – because it’s supposed to be!

This Is Intentional Church

The music you will hear has not been selected because of its popularity or ease of singing. It has been chosen because of the way it fits into the overall Easter story, as told in the Bible. Some of it will be contemplative, some of it celebratory, and most of it convicting. Remember, this music isn’t for you as a consumer. It’s to assist you in worshipping God, with Him as really the only audience. Your enjoyment of it will be a nice bonus.

Ahh, yes: enjoying classical music...! For some people, classical music remains an acquired taste. Others have been so indoctrinated by pop culture that masterworks by Bach, Handel, and others can be positively confusing. But for people who can appreciate our need to offer our best to God, you can’t deny that the mathematical structure and exegetical texts in the finest music represent a superlative contrast to simplistic, saccharine sounds and lyrics most closely associated with today’s transitory culture.

Personally, I’ll admit it: I don’t like all of the music we’ll be singing this coming Sunday evening. But I value it all, because even if the tunes don’t appeal to me, they’re of a quality which, in the music world, objectively ranks quite high. And the text of each piece relates crucial doctrines of our faith in ways a lot of ordinary choruses don’t.

Some people may say that’s being elitist. But drawing distinctions between the common and the extraordinary differs little when we're recognizing the deity of God contrasted with His creation.

And the fact that God desires fellowship with His creation and invites us to worship Him, should stir within us a humble desire to recognize who He is, and who we are.

Listen For It

One of the pieces we’re singing Sunday, Chandos Anthem No 9 - O Praise the Lord With One Consent by Handel, requires the choir to soften our voices to silence as we continue to sing one note. If we do it properly, you'll be able to note the imagery of raising our voices in praise to Heaven as we literally sing “to Heaven our voices raise...” But instead of only singing words about it, our voices trail off, evoking the floating of our praises up through the atmosphere to God Himself.

If you come this Sunday, listen for this part. It’ll sound weird at first, but when you realize how appropriately Handel crafted his score, maybe the rest of the music will fit into place for you as well.

After all, good news travels fast - and up!

Park Cities Presbyterian Church Sanctuary at 7pm
at the corner of Wycliff & Oak Lawn

On the Value of Creativity - Part One

“What is art, and what are the criteria for determining good art from bad art?”

Well, those are the fundamental questions of the art world, aren’t they? They’re even questions I’ve recently raised here on my blog. Only, Makoto Fujimura wouldn’t take the bait.

Fujimura had been invited by my church, Park Cities Presbyterian, to speak on contemporary evangelical perspectives in the art world as part of our church’s 2010 arts festival. For the past three years, Park Cities Presbyterian has hosted the event as a combination outreach/show for the arts community in Dallas’ trendy Uptown/Oak Lawn/Turtle Creek neighborhoods, where our church is located. People of faith are invited to enter artwork based on a specific theme, prizes are awarded by nationally-recognized Christian art critics, and our church and surrounding community can view and purchase the artwork ranging from photographs to paintings, sculpture, and more.

The question had been asked by a member of the audience, but her intentions in asking it seemed obscure: was she simply an arts amateur with a naïve question? Or, was she trying to hook Fujimura into an unwinnable debate over Christians and culture?

Fujimura smiled politely, with the air of somebody who’s been asked these questions a million times. He explained that his explanation for why he couldn’t answer would take two hours, and since our evening was rapidly drawing to a close, perhaps a better solution might be found by perusing the variety of content on his website.

The audience chuckled softly and gave an appreciative round of applause.

Why Do Christians Generally Dismiss Art?

Indeed, whether the question had actually been voiced or not, it has been one of the elephants in the room since practicality, social conservatism, and pop culture have drained most evangelicals of our historical vibrant interest in the fine arts.

Many evangelicals pride themselves on being boors when it comes to the arts, but whose loss is that?

The very fact that a Bible-believing church sponsors an arts festival in 2010 probably elicits more confusion than enthusiasm from fellow believers. “Why waste your time and energy on stuff like that?” I can hear them asking.

Perhaps the main reason why art receives short shrift by many evangelicals involves the fact that its very definition has proven to be so elusive. North Americans in general, and evangelicals in particular, need things cut and dried, in black and white. Sure, we can get a dictionary definition, but how many of us suspect that there’s far more to art than a rote definition, and we get intimidated by things that seem complex?

Many of us interpret the heady sophistication with which prestigious arts schools prop up their programs as proof that either they’re hiding something significant from us pedestrian arts patrons, or that their dismissive sneers over the more conventional art forms to which many of us more easily relate really means the principles with which they value art are, in reality, as hollow as their modernist works appear. The oblique angles, random squiggles, rude colors, and dissonant sounds are really one big farce, and they know it. Only they’ve built an empire of nuanced relativism to pretend existentialism is beautiful.

Then too, how many evangelicals have ever been encouraged to explore their creative sides? We learn truth from the Psalms but rarely wallow in their poetry and imagery. We bicker over Revelation, but seldom bask in its pageantry and majesty. We marvel at ancient cathedrals, music, and paintings, but scoff at the notion that we need any of those today to express our faith. Besides, it would cost too much!

But at what point to we imperil our ability to appreciate even a fraction of the divinity of our Creator by dismissing the less practical aesthetics of expression? We’ve all heard that art helps us express the creativity that God has implanted in our selves, but how seriously do we apply that truth to how we view Him, His Gospel, and His creation?

Have church budgets become all-consuming? Has being able to acknowledge great art from the past become sufficient reason to ignore artists of today? Has God stopped gifting His children with crafts He once specified for adorning His house? Do we lavish our own dwellings with expensive furnishings at the expense of our churches, which we decorate with plain drywall and fake flowers?

Does the popular notion of deviant artists with their sexual explicitness, screaming noises, and nihilistic themes automatically prejudice us against the possibility that God-honoring art can still be created? During his lecture at Park Cities Presbyterian, Fujimura sadly commented that the mere mention of the word “creativity” can imperil graduate art students at some of the nation’s most prestigious universities. What more proof do we need to hear in evangelical circles that the banner for one of God’s most omnipotent characteristics – His creativity – needs to be carried by somebody in our culture?

Um, that would be us, right?

Nobody denies that controversial art exists, and that the reason it’s controversial usually lies in its penchant for shocking its audience, denying truth, trivializing the sacred, and promoting the profane. Not all modern art has succumbed to the perversity that many evangelicals can easily identify in the publicized works and shows that some contemporary artists have used to make names for themselves. But unfortunately, unless one goes out and looks for it, modern art of intrinsically beneficial quality probably won’t reveal itself effortlessly.

Reclaiming Fine Art Isn't Tricky

So if evangelicals were interested in recapturing the pleasure and perspective of creativity in art, what should we be looking for?

Obviously, Fujimora and others of his expertise would probably be amused at my attempt to clarify the topic, but should it really be as difficult as some people make it? After all, the peasants who worshipped in them didn’t need to be an engineering genius to appreciate the great cathedrals. Common folk were among the first to laud some of the greatest painters our world has ever known. Regardless of the generation, great art has always possessed intrinsic qualities that bespeak the vitality, truth, and pleasures of our Creator.

Art created to inspire glory to God can generally be recognized by the following traits:

• They make you think. They focus your attention on a limited range of ideas, concepts, or doctrines that engage your mind with truth.
• Every element has a purpose. Whether a great building or a great painting, everything incorporated into the whole has a reason for being there.
• Regardless of your education or life experience, you can somehow relate to them.
• Even if they mimic popular culture, they don’t celebrate it. Holiness, or the quality of being set apart, doesn’t necessarily start outside of transitory ideas. Direct copies of popular culture, though, without any discernment as to their legitimacy at ascribing glory to God, probably don’t qualify.
• If the piece is not entirely about an attribute of God, in which at least one of His characteristics can be identified, then generally, at least one of the fruits of the spirit can be identified in some aspect (love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, meekness, self-control)
• God receives uncompromised glory through its theme, the media used in its creation, and the way it is created.

How Much Does It Cost?

One of God’s attributes which Fujimura made a point of explaining deals with His extravagance. His extravagance in grace, yes, but also His extravagance in His love for His people.

Now, obviously, extravagance is a subjective term. What some cultures would consider extravagant others would consider paltry, and much of it depends on a people’s affluence, opportunities, worldview, and access to other resources. Extravagance can also wax and wane based on economic cycles, levels of education, and even a basic commitment to the concept.

To the extent that we can afford it, to what degree should we be extravagant in our relationship with God? Remember the woman with the jar of exclusive perfume? Remember the different ways Mary and Martha spent their time with Christ? We’ve already considered the exacting and opulent design, construction, and furnishings for the Temple.

Extravagance involves some level of sacrifice, right? Not that we can repay God for his sacrifice and gifts to us, but we can demonstrate His prominence in our lives. Through the time, treasures, and talents He gives us, we not only tithe to Him but give Him offerings, and they’re not just offerings of hard currency.

When people find out that the majestic pipe organ at Park Cities Presbyterian cost over two million dollars, most of them fall into the same trap Judas did when Christ’s feet were washed with the expensive perfume. And I have to remind them that Christ ordered His disciples to worship Him first and foremost before being concerned about the poor and needy around us. He also chided Judas for his pretentious righteousness, knowing that he was stealing from God. If you tithe an amount pleasing to the Lord, then maybe you have a right to your opinions on how God’s money is spent. But if you don’t even tithe, then you’ve no place at all in the conversation of extravagance.

I’m not saying that we should all rush over to Fujimura’s gallery in Manhattan and run up the value of his artwork by buying out his collection. I’m not saying that if your church can’t afford a pipe organ that you’re dishonoring God. I’m not saying that all contemporary Christian musicians are writing music that glorifies God, either.

Just as we are discerning in the types of art we accept as valuable, we need to be discerning with it's actual processes and results, and measure them against the deity of Christ.

After all, what is purposed for God's glory is also for our benefit. Fine art shouldn't be something that gets stuffed down your throat - unless it's a splendid, gourmet meal, or your mother's specialty of the house (and if those are one in the same, give me your address so I can join you for dinner sometime!).

Part Two (coming next week): Examples of how art compliments faith

They Stole My Mood

Well, here I was, getting ready to discuss the arts from a Christian perspective in light of an interesting lecture I attended last night, when I discovered that my car had been broken into overnight.

So I apologize, but my creative juices just ain't flowin' today! They took - why am I minimizing it? they STOLE - about $130 worth of stuff, like an adaptor and collapsable camp chair in the trunk. They took my eyeglass cleaner, hand sanitizer, and a roll of paper towels, so maybe they're neat freaks, like me? At least they left my prescription sunglasses, which I suppose I should be grateful for.

Funny - being glad the thugs were gracious enough to leave something behind...

Prom Nite Blight

Did you go to your prom? You shouldn’t be surprised to learn that I did not. In fact, my small circle of friends in high school almost made a pact that none of us would degrade ourselves by wallowing in such a shallow, melancholy, and pretentious spectacle.

As if all of the sentimentality drenching prom night wasn’t bad enough, there was the incredible expense of wearing uncomfortable clothes to eat hotel food and sweat while jiggling to loud music. Besides, we all knew that most of our classmates considered prom as simply the first course in a night of alcohol-fueled sexual debauchery.

Prom-n-Aid

Was our assessment of high school prom night simply a stilted interpretation of negative stereotypes, or was it pretty accurate? If you went to your prom, and you attended a typical suburban high school, you have to admit that even if we were exceptionally cynical, we pretty much were correct, weren’t we? Maybe you didn’t drink, smoke, and have sex on your prom night, but you knew you were in the minority, didn’t you?

The year before I graduated, the son of a prominent local businessman trashed the Holiday Inn across the freeway from our high school’s prom hotel, Dallas’ glitzy Anatole. From what I heard, even some students who didn’t join in the fracas at Holiday Inn got plenty sick from contraband alcohol smuggled into the Anatole’s rarefied hallways and salons. Rumor had it that in response, the Holiday Inn forbid any access to our high school’s graduating classes for years, and our prominent businessman ended up paying for remodeling at least one room.

Ahh, good times, right?

To its credit, I didn’t hear of any similar stupidity taking place at my senior class’ prom, which the Anatole (with either a weak memory or weakness for business) also hosted. Who knows - maybe our proms were mild in comparison to others they've held? At least for my class' festivities, I recall hearing that faculty, parents, and other chaperones practically smothered revelers with supervision. Which I'm sure all of my classmates in attendance deeply appreciated.

Parental Advisory

Of course, having fun doesn’t have to be a crime, and different people have different ideas of what fun looks like. But the fact that prom nights at my high school don’t contrast with many proms across the country is not a point of pride. And the fact that many parents either react with apathy, a smirk and a wink, or outright complicity by providing the booze and condoms only compounds the problem.

And what is the problem? That our society actually endorses the notion that the best way to celebrate a milestone such as completing one’s childhood education is with sex and alcohol. By kids who are still minors.

Over the years, some people thought the stretch limousines and designer ball gowns were signs prom night had breached the boundary between recognizing achievement and silly excess. Why some parents now don’t think reserving blocks of hotel rooms for their teenagers isn’t a de-facto endorsement of wild behavior eludes me.

Even less responsible are the family lifestyles that apparently indoctrinate children with morally permissive attitudes as they’re growing up. After all, most kids don’t just suddenly turn into sex-crazed drunken hooligans on prom night, do they? Rather, they’ve been primed and coached since birth by their parents’ personal behavior and failure to frame cultural pressures and immoral temptations in terms of consequences, rewards, propriety, and dignity.

Raising the Bar (not the one in the lobby)

So, is it really about the kids, or… about what their parents have and haven’t been able to teach their kids?

I think the proudest parents are the ones whose graduating teenagers can demonstrate responsibility and celebrate maturely. And “maturely” doesn’t mean doing adult things as a minor. Any teenager can stumble over minimal standards.

After all, graduating is one thing. Proving you’ve learned something is what counts.

Controversy as Art

Art experts claim that subjectivity negates our ability to say art can be good or bad.

I say, “balderdash.”

Some art is good, some art is bad, and then some of what is purported to be art isn’t really art at all, but just a piece of junk masquerading around as an abstraction.

Take, for example, the sudden tempest-in-a-teapot over the heretofore unknown “Colonna Mediterranea” obelisk by heretofore unknown sculptor Paul Vella Critien. Critien’s “Colonna” has become a flashpoint for artistic debate in the village of Luqa, Malta, because of its obvious, um, phallic properties. Oh, and the Pope will be coming to town later this week.

They're Just Now Recognizing It?

Having been in place since 2006 in the middle of a traffic circle at the entrance to town, one wonders why the imminent visit of His Eminence has only now made village officials embarrassed by what they consider to be an offensive work of public art. It’s taken them four years to notice what it looks like? Is the Pope’s opinion of the obelisk more important than how God would view the artwork? What about the citizenry and city leadership that erected the piece to begin with? Does removing or hiding the art – against popular opinion, btw – somehow negate mindsets that once thought it was OK?

I’m not going to give you a direct link to view the object in question, but you can Google it easily enough if you like. If you look at it, you’ll see the reason for the controversy. But taken a step further, and it seems a valid critique to question whether it really even is art. Sure, it’s a shape, and it’s colorful, but beyond that, what makes it any better than a crunched toilet paper roll that a child may have painted?

Critien says he was incorporating ancient Egyptian art forms and Mediterranean colors to create his piece. If you took off the top-most piece of the structure, you’d probably remove most of its objectionable identifications, but you’d just be left with a brightly-painted column. Wouldn’t that still depict the Mediterranean flavor Critien says he was aiming for?

Who joins me in wondering if Critien has been waiting these past four years for somebody to finally make a stink over this silly piece of art? He knew that someday, somehow, it would all hit the fan, and he’d become famous. He probably didn’t figure it’d take a papal visit for things to get so blown out of proportion, although he knew enough people would come out in support of his piece that he could join the “uneducated art boor” cry which is being launched against critics.

Bad Artist? Get PR the Easy Way!

What an easy way to play pretend! If somebody doesn’t like a piece of art, you just suggest they’re unsophisticated and dim-witted. You can create the most crass piece of junk you can imagine, and you know you can run and hide behind the politically-correct screen of “art for art’s sake” protectionism that supposedly validates both the conventional and unconventional.

Remember the hideous 1987 photo by Andres Serrano of a crucifix in a glass of bodily fluid? He was a nobody “artist” before he hit on the idea of creating a stink in the art and religious worlds with his blasphemous idea. Of course, Serrano was counting on the unfortunately predictable habit of the religious right to make a greater fuss over things than they otherwise would warrant. Which is the equivalent to blood in the ocean, which draws the sharks of the media to come and rip the story to death.

But today, even if you were alive in 1987, you have to think a moment about what piece of "art" I'm talking about, and you probably never knew Serrano's name. All you remember is the photo, which even art experts would have to concede was nothing more spectacular than what a belligerent teenager might have thought up.

Of course, Critien’s work doesn’t come close to mimicking the absurdly vile taste of Serrano’s. They're two different sub-species of bad art. Critien’s statue in Malta is more obscenely goofy than sacrilegious. But is either good art? Instead, I think each piece says more about their respective craftsmen than anything else.

And that’s not particularly admirable either, is it?

Dude, My Parents R 2 Cool

Actually, I'm surprised it's taken this long for a family to pull this stunt.

But I'm not surprised they're from California.

At this very moment, 13-year-old Jordan Romero continues his climb to base camp, where he will begin his ascent after spending several weeks acclimating to the altitude.

Base camp? Acclimating to the altitude? What, is this kid climbing Everest or something?

Um, yup.

And where are his parents, you may ask? Well, his proud mom and dad, who have already joined him on similar ventures, including Tanzania's Mount Kilimanjaro when he was 10, are joining him again for this latest stunt. The family that climbs Mount Everest together stays together, I guess.

Climb Every Mountain

Romero told the AFP news agency that "It's something I've always wanted to do before I die - I just happen to be doing it at this age. I happen to be going for a world record. But I just want to climb it."

Hmm... a 13-year-old kid already has a bucket list? How weird is that? And what kid doesn't like climbing stuff? Bunk beds, trees... and Mount Everest? How does normal boyhood fun warp into extreme hubris? Who's really wanting to do the climbing here - Romero, or his parents?

How many 13-year-old's have a realistic appreciation for the rigors and disciplines required for scaling Mount Everest? Is it just me, or is Romero like many Olympics-destined kids? You know who they are - the idea for glory is planted by their parents, and their parents coax/nurture/pressure their kids along the way until the Olympic gold medal round or, in this case, the summit of Mount Everest.

How much of this is classic parental displacement, and how much of this is genuine ambition on the part of the child? And how much of the ambition is a desire to please one's parents rather than an insatiable, intrinsic thirst for something as wild as standing at the tippy-top of Mount Everest before you're in high school?

Please. I know I'm cynical, but where does good, nurturing, guidance-type parenting end and getting-my-thrills-through-my-kid parenting begin?

The Ultimate Celebration of Self

And what of climbing Everest itself? For all the adults who have done it over the years - aside from scientists who have endeavored to explore and explain the geography, biology, and geology of Everest - how many have accomplished much more than simply satisfing their selfish thirst for conquest and invincibility? How might society benefit from such displays of adrenaline and utter self-gratification? Granted, society may not benefit from a lot of things we humans do or don't do, but doesn't climbing a mountain represent one of the most gratuitous of personal endeavors?

Romero's parents say he'll have some of his school textbooks with him during his climb, and if they sense that he's reached his limit, they'll turn back.

But who is checking the parents? Who is evaluating their limits? On his website, Romero solicits funds so people can help him "climb the highest peak in the world." Contribution levels start at $100. In fact, Romero's parents seem to have developed a whole industry based on their child, from youth hikes to over 30 sponsors and partners.

Granted, they're breaking no laws, and you probably can't beat climbing Mount Everest when it comes to family-bonding excursions.

Except if Romero starts to complain, "Are we there yet?"
_____

Buggy Buggy World

Show and Tell

“It’s a buggy buggy world out there.”

When he was about four, my second-eldest nephew learned that phrase and had a knack for reciting it at humorously appropriate times. Actually, when you think about it, you could use it to end almost any conversation these days:

"Yes, it seems like everybody in Washington is there for the pork."
"You’re right – it’s a buggy buggy world out there."

"All Microsoft ever does these days is come out with new software to try and make us forget how bad their previous version was."
"I know – it’s a buggy buggy world out there."

"Did you hear that Sarah and Michael are getting married?"
"Really?! It’s a buggy buggy world out there."

(You think I’m kidding? Have you ever met Michael?)

Today's Show & Tell photo comes from a friend of mine who has a knack for finding some of the most fascinating things on the Internet. Monte Melugin, take a bow! Not only did Monte introduce me to Christoph Niemann, he’s found some photos taken by a physical therapist in Poland which capture insects as they’re resting in the dead of night.

As they perch still and dormant on a leaf in a state of torpor, heavy summer dew rests on their motionless antennae, eyes, wings, and other weird appendages. At about 3 am near his home in Jaroszow, Miroslaw Swietek gets up and slips into the woods around his village with a digital camera, a flashlight, and an incredible eye for secret splendor. He stalks his prey, sets his camera within an inch of it, and captures an image of bejeweled slumber. In the camera’s flash, dew droplets become gem-like ornaments that Harry Winston could only hope to emulate.

And those eyes – or ocelli, to be precise. The dew actually magnifies the microscopic intricacies of these optic orbs, and helps you realize how, when they’re buzzing annoyingly around you, these insects can evade almost all efforts at being caught.

Amazing, right?

You’ll forgive me, but I can’t resist delving into a little evolution-bashing while I consider these tiny creatures crouching on fragile leaves, with dew adorning even the slightest details. Doesn’t it take more faith to think natural selection contributed to all of this, than to believe that the almighty God of the universe actually crafted each molecule for His eternal glory? Dismiss my foray into intelligent design if you like, but doesn’t faith in evolution require ignoring many more facts than believing Genesis 1:1 actually supports?

Indeed, it’s a buggy buggy world out there, isn’t it?

Tanks for the Rattle

What’s your diversion? Sports? Gourmet food? Clothes? High-tech gadgets?

Let’s face it, there’s nothing wrong with any of these things. They all have a purpose and place in life when assigned their rightful priorities. And no, sports doesn’t take precedence over everything else.

My diversion is cars. Not the Formula One racing machines or customized street cruisers. Ever since I was a child, I been fascinated with regular, ordinary cars. How they’re designed. How they change from year to year. How tastes and expectations evolve and new concepts come to the market.

Some neighbors recently bought a 2010 Cadillac CTS, arguably the best-looking car made in American today. I also like the new Camaro and Malibu by Chevrolet, although after I had to go into arbitration over a bad Chevy purchase several years ago, I vowed I’d never buy another one.

Alas, my tastes tend to run towards the exotic when it comes to automobiles. A friend of mine is the executive assistant for the most exclusive car dealer in Dallas; his nameplates include Rolls Royce. After looking at her husband’s brand-new Mercedes she got with her special employee discount, I joked that I’d have to figure out some way of being adopted.

In One Accord

Not that my one-year-old Honda Accord is a bad car. Although we’ve had a stressful relationship lately. This morning, I just picked it up from the dealership where it’s been for the better part of the last month. And in case you think today’s Honda’s might be even better than old Honda’s, consider what has gone wrong with mine:

Initially, I took my Accord in to the local dealership because the seat belt mechanism for the middle part of the rear seat locked up, which was strange, because nobody has ever used it. However, the rear seat back won’t fold down unless all of the seat belts fold with it, and this one decided not to. So the dealership ordered a replacement seat belt and I went back to have it installed. Only they’d ordered the wrong color. So I had to take it in a third time.

On the third try, my service advisor helpfully asked me if there was anything else that might be wrong with the car. And I mentioned that yes, there is a rattle behind the rear seat, which may be related to the middle seat belt not working.

“Actually, Honda has a service bulletin out on rattles around the rear window. Maybe that’s the fix,” he offered. So I asked them to check into it.

I got the car back, and the rattle was still there. Innocently enough, I offered to drive around and show the service advisor what rattle I was talking about. We drove with a service technician, and we all heard the noise, but it didn't sound too serious.

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Two weeks later, the dealership informed me that the gas tank in my car had been improperly installed. Something about tubes that hadn’t been clipped in place properly, which along with other parts were banging and rubbing against the gas tank. After practically deconstructing the rear half of my car’s interior, they traced the rattle to a place completely outside of the passenger compartment.

The gas tank, of all things! Those things can catch on fire, can’t they? Remember the Ford Pintos I kept talking about in reference to Toyota’s current problems? The Pinto’s downfall was its gas tank.

Now, while cars may be a diversion for me, I’m in no way a mechanic. My longsuffering brother – a helicopter maintenance manager - can attest to that. So to me, when I hear my gas tank wasn’t installed properly, there are no warm fuzzies running up and down my spine. What I’m feeling is something more along the freakish variety, with mental images of flinty sparks shooting from metal-on-metal friction underneath my car. And then big orange fireballs. Consuming my Honda. (gulp) And me.

Which, the guys at the dealership tried to assure me, would not have happened. They couldn’t exactly tell me how they could be so confident it wasn’t a safety issue, but at least now it was fixed. They double-checked everything and even put some padding between the gas tank and the floorboard. It isn’t fireproof, but then, I suppose explosions usually render fireproof stuff ineffective anyway.

The dealership knew I wasn’t happy, but hey – it wasn’t their fault the gas tank was installed improperly. I knew that, too, and I didn’t blame them. In fact, I was astonished that the service tech thought to check the mounting of the gas tank – all of the noises we heard came from the interior of the car. And the two weeks it took them to find the problem weren’t a terrible inconvenience for me – they had given me a luxurious version of the Accord for me to tool around in. Silver, with black leather interior, an audiophile’s dream speaker system, and an impressive V6 (mine’s a 4-cylinder). So I was stylin’ as the dealership’s mechanics were going crazy trying to find the rattle.

When I met with my service advisor and his boss to go over what had been done to my car, they gave me the phone number for Honda’s United States office in California. I called the number to tell them the reason I bought a Honda was to actually avoid such problems as improperly-installed gas tanks, but the woman with whom I spoke told me that’s what my warranty is for. She wasn’t impressed when I said something to the effect of, “well, my warranty isn’t going to do me a lot of good if my gas tank explodes.”

So after the dealership cleaned up my car and got everything put back together again, I picked up my car this morning. It’s been sitting in the garage all day – I’m actually not looking forward to driving it! What other hidden problem might just be waiting to rear its ugly head?

It's Trying to Tell Us Something

Which brings me to the rattle that led to the gas tank. If it wasn’t for the rattle, none of us would have known a problem existed. Now, I understand most rattles come and go according to changes in the weather and temperature, and as a natural result of aging. Like people, cars are only brand-new once.

But today, my mother, who has probably sat in the back seat of my car more than anybody, made an interesting comment.

“Thank God for rattles,” she mused as I told her the final resolution to my Honda’s saga.

Especially since the gas tank nests just under the back seat.

Did They Get It?

No matter where you stand in the climate change debate, we can all agree that we’ve only got one environment.

Increasingly, however, that’s about the only fact on which everybody can agree. Even among the evangelical Christian community, many of whom are just now coming late to the party, consensus concerning the environment seems elusive. Believers with a social activist bent tend to lean towards the more draconian, cure-worse-than-the-disease side of the argument, while traditional conservatives bristle at any idea that chokes profits.

Yesterday, I discussed the Manhattan Declaration, and how Protestants, Catholics, and Eastern Orthodox adherents are being encouraged to participate in a one-million-signature demonstration in support of conservative social policy. But that’s not the only petition-oriented evangelical action website out there trying to get one million signatures. Christians concerned about government involvement in the climate change debate have founded WeGetIt.org, which promotes economically-balanced strategies for managing ecological resources from a Biblical perspective.

Is it About Conservation or Control?

The problem I’ve had with most conservative groups purporting to hold solemn respect for the universe God created involves their penchant for combining ecology with money. And to a certain extent, being careful stewards of the environment does involve some form of financial give and take. Preventing pollution costs more than just dumping chemicals into the air and sewage into rivers. Most Christians acknowledge that minimizing - or at least managing - pollution can work to our benefit.

However, further along the conservative spectrum, some American evangelicals take our resource-draining lifestyles as practically a God-given right. They forget that pollution in one part of the world tends to produce side effects in other parts of the world, which can reduce quality of life and even lifespans, which flies in the face of our "sanctity of life" ethos.

And WeGetIt.org doesn’t seem much different than other evangelicals with ethnocentric blinders when it comes to the environment. If you scratch the surface of the WeGetIt.org declaration, it does not require a stretch of the imagination to see a sub-culture of pro-business big-energy pundits whose agenda definitely tilts towards a uniquely American interpretation of God’s “rule and subdue” mandate for mankind.

Do We Really Get It?

As manifestos go, the WeGetIt.org declaration is short on specifics and long on platitudes – two suspicious characteristics which give it a lot of wiggle room when it comes to crafting policy. Which undoubtedly isn’t unintentional. In theory, the wording of the WeGetIt.org declaration could be taken on face value as a legitimate mission statement for an evangelical social or environmental organization. However, pour some water (one of our limited resources) on the wording, and gaps begin to appear as the sugary coating begins to dissolve.

For example, phrases like “watch over His creation,” and “stewardship… based on Biblical principles and factual evidence” leave a lot open to interpretation, as does the term “poverty.” The declaration also claims that theories of man-made global warming are “speculative dangers” and that we should help the world’s poor be “producers,” and I don’t think they were talking about movies or Broadway shows.

What does watching over God’s creation really mean? Do we watch farmers in the Amazon clear-burn, or do we watch to make sure sustainable agriculture takes place? Do we watch our skies play host to tons of undesirable chemicals, or do we watch polluters and make sure they’re incorporating the latest air-scrubbing technologies?

Aren’t the terms stewardship and Biblical principles open to interpretation? To some people, stewardship involves careful management and conservation of resources, while to others, stewardship just means resources are available for use as you see fit. And one person’s Biblical principle can be someone else’s heresy if doctrines and theology get too myopic.

When Scientists Disagree

By now, we all know that plenty of scientific experts have taken sides in the climate change debate. But has this posturing proven that man-made climate change is a fallacy, or just that it’s a far more complex situation than sound-bite Americans can handle? What if climate change is taking place but it’s NOT man-made? Does that negate our responsibility to respond to whatever perils may be inherent with living on a warming planet? What if this warming trend is short-lived, as some experts suspect, considering that some glaciers seem to now be re-freezing? Do we drop the mandate for more fuel-efficient cars and go back to 10 miles per gallon?

Who's "facts" do we believe? The ones that suit our economic philosophy?

What nobody seems to be addressing here involves the basic consumeristic mentality many evangelicals have embraced as their right. How many evangelical leaders have we heard calling people of faith to live lives of moderation, conservation, and simplicity? Do believers have an inherent right to their gas-guzzling SUVs? Does it make sense to double the consumption of a finite resource to get from Point A to Point B when a smaller car will get us there just as well? Do we honor God by running a small production studio in our living rooms, draining the power grid with all of our electronics? Must we reside in large, energy-inefficient homes? How will enabling people across the world ascend to our wasteful lifestyle improve the quality of life for all of us?

Can Somebody Answer These?

1. What do we do with the science of air pollution? Is it all bunk? Here in north Texas, we can see the air on bad ozone days, but is that just an optical illusion?
   
2. Even if we had 100% proof that mankind has no effect on global warming, does that mean Alaska’s permafrost isn’t melting?
   
3. Are jobs more important than a healthy environment? If we’re all gainfully employed but suffering appalling cancer rates from industrial pollution, have we really gained anything except the ability to pay for our own premature funerals?
   
4. Have we given up on technology? How protective are many evangelical environmental activists of old fossil fuel industries? Where are the creative inventors and entrepreneurs who used to tinker with new ways of thinking and doing? I hate change as much as anybody, but obviously, we can’t continue down our current path for too much longer. Natural resources have a way of running out, particularly when they’re wasted. Who’s leading the way? From my limited perspective, it looks like the Japanese are way ahead of Americans when it comes to fuel cell research.
   
5. What is the extent to which our “rule and subdue” mentality among American evangelicals – which usually means “use and abuse” – is working to our own detriment?

What is the Object of Their Intention?

At the end of the day, it all boils down to intentionality, doesn’t it? Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t see a lot of objectivity in the WeGetIt.org philosophy. I kinda like the wording, but I’m cynical enough to wonder if all the space between the lines holds a subtle agenda for the status-quo.

Or at least the status-quo that lets us keep as much of our North American lifestyle as possible.

Where does “denying ourselves” fit into evangelical environmentalism?

Easter Diet

Day 45 of 46 c Lenten Season 2010
Passion Week - Good Friday

Show and Tell

Eggs? Ugh – I don’t like them.

I know they’re an essential ingredient in all sorts of foods I love, but by themselves, eggs have never appealed to me. Their indistinguishable flavor may make them ideal for baking, but doesn’t do much for their appeal as a solo delicacy. Their texture – no matter how they’re cooked – resembles cooked or shredded rubber erasers to me. Their odor – well, let’s just say there’s a reason the gas company doesn’t pump strawberry-flavored chemicals into gas lines.

While growing up, our family’s Saturday breakfast tradition involved Dad preparing bacon and eggs, and while I’ve always enjoyed bacon, getting those eggs from my plate to my belly was torture. I remember sitting alone at the kitchen table, everyone else long since finished with their breakfast, leaving me with two puffy cheeks bulging with unswallowed egg.

Which may be one reason I'm prejudiced against the egg when it comes to its use in the observance of Christendom’s holy celebration of Easter. I can't blame the Druids or other pagans - after all, scant historical evidence exists to prove the “Easter egg” comes exclusively from pagan tradition, as has been widely assumed. The early Catholic Church may well have adopted some pagan practices involving eggs for their observance of Eastertide, but even then, too many cultures around the world had already established the egg metaphor in their beliefs and rituals. Aside from these inane, cultural, "traditional" Easter egg connections, though, I'm puzzled at this apparent need Christians have to mix the profane with the divine.

The Incredible Edible Egg

Indeed, being an almost universal commodity, eggs have provided sustenance and fable-fodder for many religions and people groups. And you have to admit that despite their disarming ubiquitousness, eggs represent an amazing dimension of Creation. That such a relatively tender membrane as their shell could protect and provide nurture for the developing animal inside seems incredulous. And then to watch the baby whatever-it-is break its way through the only home its ever known helps to validate the imperative for life, for opportunity, and for mobility.

It's not wrong to recognize the metaphor for new life represented by the humble, remarkable egg.

So of course, a lot of people see no problem in the evangelical church hitching up their Easter programs to something egg-themed. How many churches in your community have had – or will have – an egg hunt this week? Even my own dear church here in Dallas will be sponsoring an “Egg-stravaganza” outreach tomorrow in one of the city’s poorest neighborhoods. After all, why waste a good opportunity to incorporate a popular cultural symbol with one of our holiest observances?

Does the Recipe Call For Eggs?

Well, of course, using eggs to help portray the Easter story won’t automatically land any believer in Biblical peril. God does look at the heart and evaluates our actions through His piercing lenses of grace. However, doesn’t He also expect us to preserve and promote the holiness of His Gospel? Hasn’t He equipped us with the ability to evaluate and either approve or disavow methodologies that do or don’t contribute to our glorification of His divinity? What is the extent to which we can incorporate the frivolous with the sacred? To what degree do we try and add our own efforts to His salvific power, even under the guise of evangelism?

For people of faith who have addressed these considerations and resolved through prayerful evaluation the potential trivialization of the story of salvation with the egg, I'm not trying to pull the holiness rug out from under you. This issue stands as one of the extra-Biblical practices we talked about on Monday concerning liturgy. God can use anything to bring people to Himself, even if we make mistakes in the ways we proclaim His Gospel.

However, if as I suspect, many people of faith just think opinions like mine represent a stodgy, anti-fun, legalism-lover mentality, and they haven't considered the risks they run of marginalizing the Resurrection, then maybe they haven’t been disciplined enough to take their discipleship responsibilities seriously.

Think about it: metaphors can assist in explaining complicated concepts. But metaphors can also become the object of what is being explained. For example, the crucifix is a metaphor for the crucifixion of Christ, but a lot of people have incorporated it into jewelry and yard art without ascribing any of the doctrine of substitutionary atonement to it. The same is true of the Ichthys fish – and how many drivers with those on their bumpers drive like bats out of you-know-where? I won’t even go into the fallacies of Santa Claus and the Easter bunny.

Easter Doesn't Need Props

Back in the mists of time, when my brother and I were kids, our parents would give us Easter baskets with chocolate eggs and toys, but along with the trinkets and candy we got a loving sermonette about why we were making a big deal about Easter. The idea? Our parents wanted us to celebrate the day, and the way kids in our culture celebrate things is with candy and toys. But our folks didn't want the material side of the celebration to outshine the glory of the day's doctrinal significance.

Christ has arisen from the dead, securing eternal life for all who believe in Him!

If you've been able to read that sentence with a simple air of indifference, then you're in no condition to celebrate anything this coming Sunday! If you can't at least muster a glad "amen!" under your breath, maybe Easter eggs are all you have to enjoy when the rest of us are commemorating Resurrection Sunday.

If that is the case, then may I humbly encourage you to consider the claims of Christ found in the Biblical book of John. And look at the photo in today's Show and Tell - a picture of one of the famous Faberge eggs, although not of the imperial series. This is the "Resurrection Egg," the only Faberge treasure named for what this day represents: the resurrection of Christ from the dead. In this delicate scene, the power of eternal life defeating eternal death can be seen as Christ stands triumphantly over an empty tomb. By claiming victory over sin and death, the Son of God provides the means by which believers in Him can have fellowship with our Heavenly Father, God Himself.

Since Christ has secured the salvation of believers, there's nothing more we have to do except have faith in Him as the Son of God.

"For God so loved the world, He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not die, but have eternal life." John 3:16

Feast on this in your heart this weekend... it's cholesterol-free!