Book Review: The Sword of the Lord: The Roots of Fundamentalism in an American Family

I first heard about Andrew Himes while reading a guest blog post by Stephen Lamb on Matthew Paul Turner’s blog Jesus Needs New PR. Stephen is Andrew’s nephew and they both share an incredible story. They are both related to the legendary fundamentalist Christian, John R. Rice. Andrew is the grandson of Dr. Rice and Stephen is Dr. Rice's great grandson. In the blog Stephen highlights his uncle’s book, "The Sword of the Lord: The Roots of Fundamentalism in an American Family". The blog post immediately captured my attention because John R. Rice was a hero to me and my family. I gave just over 20 years of my life to the fundamentalist movement – specifically to the Independent Fundamental Baptist (IFB) denomination.  I was a member of one of the world’s most prominent IFB churches. I ultimately served full-time in the same church for a number of years after training in an IFB college. You could not and cannot go anywhere within IFB circles without knowing intimately about Dr. Rice and his impact on the fundamentalist movement in America. He was the face of fundamentalism for decades. I can recall handing out hundreds of his Gospel tracts as a teenager, and reading dozens of his books and listening to many audio tapes of his messages. I also devoured each weekly edition of the Sword of the Lord – the historic fundamentalist newspaper that Dr. Rice started decades ago. As a teenager I went nearly every summer to the Bill Rice Ranch in Murfreesboro, TN with my church youth group. So when I read that Andrew had written this book and Stephen presented the opportunity to read an advanced copy and write a review about it, I did not hesitate to submit for this opportunity. I am so grateful that I did and that I was allowed to do so. I confess when I received the book I wasn’t quite sure what I would be reading. I understood that he was going to be telling a family history of fundamentalism, being related so closely to Dr. Rice. But I also understood that fundamentalist Christianity can be an extremely controversial topic. It would be easy to write from an extreme position for or against the movement, which continues today. But as I began to read the book I was blown away by a number of things which I will chronicle further below as my review.

When I read a book there are several things that I look for that are extremely important to me:

Is it compelling? I look for a compelling reason to read it – something that speaks to me and draws me in – giving me a reason to give my time to it. 

Does it have clarity? I look for clarity – which to me is about the quality of communication or the writing style of the author. I have a fairly short attention span so it needs to arrest my attention from word one.

What is the content? I look for content – is it a fluff piece or does it have substance - something significant that needs to be said?

What is the character of the book? Is it heavy-handed or uneven in its approach? Is it one-sided? Is it vitriolic and acidic toward another point of view (which can be an easy thing to do on the subject of fundamentalism)? Or is it fair, balanced, and kind?

What is the conclusion of the book? What is the point the author is trying to get across to me?

First, is this book compelling? As you may have gathered by my introduction, the book was extremely compelling to me because of my history with fundamentalism and my intimate knowledge of Dr. John R. Rice. However, whether you are currently in the movement or have been in the movement you will want to read this book. If you’re considering being a part of the movement as it exists today you will want to read this book. If you are only vaguely familiar with fundamentalism or the IFB denomination, whether through 20/20 segments on TV or you have a neighbor or a relative in the movement you will want to read this book. Simply put, fundamentalism has touched almost all of our lives – in good ways and in bad ways. It’s a very real aspect to American history and to our society today and there is much to learn from Andrew in this book. As much as I knew about the movement from first-hand experience I learned an incredible amount of new information that I simply did not know before – about Dr. Rice and the Rice family going back generations and about fundamentalism throughout the course of our nation’s history. Saying that the book is a compelling read is an understatement.

Second, does the book have clarity? As a writer, this is an extremely important point to consider. Someone can have a lot to write about, but if they are not able to do so in a way that is engaging and readily accessible to the reader then it becomes tedious and monotonous and the book is in danger of becoming a door stop or a donation to Goodwill. This book was extremely easy to read. It is full of facts and figures and steeped in history and I found it hard to put down. It was not laborious to read at all. On the contrary it was enjoyable and articulate and a great tribute to Andrew’s writing abilities. There are very few authors I would say that I would buy and read anything that they write, but I happily add Andrew to that short list of authors for me.

Third, what is the content of the book? This may seem an odd question considering the name of the book, "The Sword of the Lord: The Roots of Fundamentalism in an American Family". Obviously it’s about Andrew’s family history – specifically as it pertains to fundamentalism, going back generations even to his family’s Scots-Irish heritage and migration to America. Obviously it focuses rather intently and comprehensively on the fundamentalist Christian movement in America from the very beginning. But there is so much more than that. There is his story – which is compelling enough on its own. I love to hear anyone’s story. The very fabric of our stories has an intimate quality to it that can touch anyone anywhere. Our stories are real life and everyone has a story and they are all worth telling and reading. I learned so much from Andrew’s personal journey. But there is also an incredible amount of history on a variety of topics: the Civil War, the Lost Cause, the Southern Reconstruction era, the Ku Klux Klan, the Civil Rights Movement, the American Indian Trail of Tears, the Scopes Monkey Trial, and so much more. There is a wealth of well-researched historical material in this book that is so intertwined with the religious history of America. If you love history in general or historical perspectives on any of the topics mentioned in this paragraph, you will not be disappointed.

Fourth, what is the character of the book? As much as I have written positively in the preceding three paragraphs concerning Andrew’s book, it is these last two paragraphs that mean the most to me. I was humbled and honored to read a book with potentially controversial subject matter that was written with such passion and compassion. Andrew never side-steps any controversy, but in his address of any issue of disagreement that he wrote about concerning the movement and his families involvement in the movement he does so with kindness while clinging to his beliefs. That is a very difficult thing to do when something is so personal to you and has marked your life at times in profoundly negative and disappointing ways. I have had to learn this in my own life from many of my own experiences with fundamentalism. And lest it appear from this paragraph that there is a lot of negativity about the movement in the book, I assure you there is not. There is balance. He is quick to note and applaud much good that he has seen in the movement and in his family’s involvement with it. My hat is off to him for helping to reinforce to me the need to be kind even while speaking the honest truth. 

Fifth, what is the conclusion of the book? What is the point? In my words I would say the book caused me to consider the following for myself: Do I love my theological framework and those who espouse it more than I do the two great commandments? If my theology isn't an outflow of my love for God and if it doesn't cause me to love my neighbor then it is nothing more than knowledge that lacks the heartbeat of God.  Tim Keller puts it this way, “When the world sees us doing evangelism, they just see us recruiting. When they see us doing justice, they see God's glory.” There was a point and time where I would have disagreed with such statements – “we must win souls at any cost!”, but thankfully those days are behind me. Not that the Gospel means any less to me. Rather, the Gospel means so much more to me. The Gospel must have a holistic approach – soul, heart, mind, body, and spirit. But the best way I could write about the conclusions I took from this book would be to quote Andrew Himes. The ending of his book summed it up so well for me. I will quote a portion now (spoiler alert!). "Following Jesus...requires much more than orthodoxy or platitudes about love. It requires orthopraxy: placing Christ's incarnation of love and justice at the center of your life and Christian practice..." Amen! He also writes, "...here is what I have learned from my post-fundamentalist family: Honor truth. Love well. Live your faith..." Indeed. And now he is passing that on and may God use this book in the lives of so many people for their good and God’s glory. 

When I first requested an advanced copy of the book to read and review, I was asked to write the reasons why I wanted to do so. Unintentionally I wrote at length about my reasons, which flowed from a deep place in my heart and which centered heavily on my own past experiences from within fundamentalism. He was very kind in his reply, stating he shared much of my thinking and that he looked forward to hearing my reflections with much interest. Well, Andrew, this is my review, and I’m privileged to say in return – I share much of your thinking as well. And hopefully others will as a result of this tremendous book. Well done and God bless. 

Now, reader, please go and buy this book. In fact, buy two and give one away as a gift. It is well worth it. You may do so by visiting Amazon.com today. And one final word for all you bloggers out there, Andrew has asked for me to pass along that you can apply for a free review copy of his book by visiting here.

Grace and Peace,

      Lance Brewer

      5/8/2011

What Will You Leave Behind?

Death and taxes - it's been said that those are the only guarantees in life. Truth is, death is a certainty. Unless, of course, Christ decides enough is enough and returns before death can sting us. But if we do draw our last breath here, what will we leave behind? What type of legacy will we pass on? Some of us have a broad reach. Some of us a shorter reach, but no less significant. Your legacy may be to pour into your children, and perhaps they will grow up to have a broad reach that affects millions through some calling, gift, or talent. But it started with a father or a mother whose reach seemed small, but was indeed great in the long run. We shouldn't compare ourselves among ourselves. It is indeed unwise. But we should all look to discover what it is that God has blessed us with or called us to do, and make the most of it today so that tomorrow we won't be filled with regret - asking ourselves, "I wonder what might have been...?" And we shouldn't keep it to ourselves.

I recently read the amazing story of a lady named Vivian Maier. She was a nanny in Chicago in the 50's and 60's. She never married and lived a very unassuming life. Nobody would have ever known there was anything special and unique about Vivian if they hadn't discovered boxes and boxes of over 30,000 film negatives upon her death. And what a discovery it is turning out to be. Even though she never lived to see it, she is now being heralded as one of the greatest - if not the greatest - street photographer ever. If you don't know what street photography is, you're missing out. This type of photography captures real life moments - nothing staged or fake. Yet they are moments that will take your breath away - a child laughing while they splash in a puddle or an elderly woman staring deeply back at you. They could be beautiful, melancholy, dark, simple - but all true life stills. They are pictures of life captured often without the object of the photo even knowing. Her work is astonishing, and experts are just beginning to understand the scope of her work - which is second to none. This was her hidden hobby - her personal passion. It's just something she did, but because of her reclusive lifestyle nobody ever knew about this talent - what she was really great at. Even now a man named John Maloof is going through the tedious task of digitizing all of her photos, with the goal of making her work available to the public via print media and gallery displays. He is the 26 year old Chicago real estate agent who "discovered" her when he purchased the contents of a repossessed storage locker that belonged to the by then deceased Vivian Maier. What started out as the surprise find of a lifetime chronicled in his blog has turned into a life-altering venture of introducing the world to Vivian's art. A company called Kickstarter is gathering funds to tell her story in documentary form - "Finding Vivian Maier". I look forward to its release.

Vivian died at 83 in 2009 never knowing that her secret life's work is now amazing the world. I think this is both incredible and sad. Incredible to have such a gift and passion that can be weighed and measured - with the capability of benefiting and inspiring millions; but sad that no one knew this while she was alive. Just think if she had shared this with the world while she was alive! Who knows why she lived her whole life with no one knowing her and knowing this about her, but what a legacy she has left! Just think how much greater that legacy could have been had she shared this gift out loud. Or maybe she didn't have the support or encouragement she needed and therefore, she alone knew of her gift and passion. But I think the lesson here for all of us is to embrace the gift of life that God has given us, and with that gift pursue what He has put within us to do. A calling. A talent. A passion. Share it. Live it. Love it. Don't settle. Don't compromise. Don't hide it. Don't be ashamed or fearful. Take a risk. Step out in faith. If there are obstacles in the way, by God's grace and persistence - overcome them and use them as stepping stones to get to the next level. And once there, really live joyfully and peacefully - knowing that you are doing what God gave you to do. It may take time, but don't give up, and don't hide away. While there is a happy ending to this story that will live on forever, it is sad to think that, even though she created such amazing art, no one knew while she was alive. No one really knew her. Find what it is God has blessed you with, and share it, and leave behind a legacy - not to be accidentally discovered, but a legacy left on purpose. Something you knowingly built during your life that will live on even after you are gone, and, in the words of Russell Crowe's character in Gladiator, something that will "echo in eternity." What legacy are you working on building even now in your life, for your family, your friends, your community, your church, your country, your world? I know I was challenged by this story of Vivian Maier. I hope you are too. And I hope you get to check out her amazing work! Peace.

Red Sun Farm

Those of you who know Erin and I know that we are very conscientious about the food that we buy. Most of what we buy is organic. We spend a little extra money and a little extra time going to different places to get it, but the quality is as God intended - be it vegetables, meat, fruits, dairy, etc. But not everything that says organic is organic. You have to do your homework. Most manufacturers of organic products meet the very base requirements of what that means. But there are a lot of great brands out there doing it right. I wanted to take the time to introduce you to one that is local - Red Sun Farm. Since 1793 this Loveland, OH farm has been doing this the right way when it comes to organic crops and meats. All of their food is grown without chemicals, drugs or hormones. Animals are grass fed and roam on a free range. I've posted about what that means in weeks past when briefly mentioning the documentary Food, Inc. - which shows what most Americans eat these days, and how the food gets to them in such horrible, unhealthy, inhumane ways. It's amazing to think that just a couple generations ago our country thrived on what was rightly produced by farms such as Red Sun. Now it's all about corporate greed and the high cost of low prices from places like Walmart. It's a shame, but we won't have anything to do with it.


When you go to Red Sun, you'll be blown away at how beautiful it is. It's like stepping back in time. It's set off of Loveland Avenue in the country. It's a gorgeous drive. When you get there you'll see their black barn on the left as you pull into the circular driveway. You can park, get out and go in their little store. You will find shelves stocked with all natural and organic products - eggs, cheeses, poultry, beef, pork, honey, jams, breads - you name it. And what's great about it is - most of the time they have an honor system on how you pay. They are not always in the shop. There's a box for you to slip your money or check when checking out your items. There's a mason jar with coin and bills for making change. And there's a notebook for you to right down your name, the date, what you purchased with the dollar amount, a tally, what you paid with (and left in the "Honor Box"), and the change that you made. That's all there is to it, but that's not really all there is to it. It's wonderful. It's old fashioned. It's honorable. It's right. And you leave feeling good that you helped some folks making the right choices with how they do business, and you'll be surprised to find that their prices are often better than even a grocery store like Whole Foods and Kroger. When you're done with your shopping and talking to caring, like-minded people you will no doubt meet in the store, you can walk the grounds a bit and appreciate their animals and grounds and how they take care of it all. I've always had a dream to have a little spread like that. I don't know if it will happen, but I do know that my wife and I will always support places like Red Sun Farm, and hopefully you will too. Why don't you make it a fun little trip? Historic Loveland has many great little shops and eateries and it's only five or so minutes away from the farm. Have lunch and then go shopping at Red Sun. You won't be disappointed and I guarantee you will go back again and again.


Additional Information:
They are located at
10995 Grog Run Road
Loveland, Ohio 45140
513-683-9780


Web Site:
http://www.redsunfarm.com/

Wanna See Something Scary?

Click here.

I'll give you a hint - it's directly related to the picture below.

This kind of thinking is killing our country and our homes. My wife saw the above picture and laughed. Funny, I had an entirely different response. :) I will write more on this topic later this week, but for now - the web link above and this picture will have to suffice. It's plenty to take in.

Living A Trash-Free Life

Could you and I live a trash-free life? It can be done, and I can prove it below. I know it's hard to believe, but it's actually not as hard to do as you might think. As with most things in life, it all comes down to choices. Conscious choices. Or, better yet, conscientious choices.

The average person creates an average of 4.5 pounds of trash a day. In America alone, we throw away almost 250 million tons of trash a year - with only 33 percent being recycled. Imagine how much money could be saved and how much better we could treat the earth that God created if we became more determined to not just throw everything away - or, even worse, litter. Imagine the benefit this would have - not just on the environment, but even on the economy. Think about jobs this could create. Renewable energy. The list goes on. Because just about everything can be recycled these days, or even better - re-purposed. One mans trash is truly another mans treasure, and I've written on re-purposing before so I won't revisit that now. But sticking to the idea of recycling - I've noticed week to week (since becoming a home owner in July of 2008) that the recycle bin we put by the road is completely full and our trash bin is almost empty (we actually have two trash bins and seldom use both anymore). It's getting down to one bag of trash every two weeks, and we know even that is too much. Now, there has been some conscious thought put into that concept over the last two plus years, but the good thing is - it has started to become routine. We really don't put much thought into it at all anymore. We recycle as much as we can, but we know there is still room for improvement. I know this because of Amy and Adam Korst of Dallas, Oregon.

The Korst's made a choice to live as trash-free as possible for a whole year. To do so they had to make sure that what they bought could be recycled, or composted (I'm sure I will write more on conscientious purchasing at another time). Then they made sure they recycled as much as they could - almost everything. The end result? Let's just say it could all fit into one medium size box - 75 scraps of trash total. Among the scraps of trash that could not be recycled were eight used razor blades, a burned out light bulb, two Theraflu pouches, and a broken Christmas ornament. This all added up to almost four pounds of trash - for the year. Not the 4.5 pounds of trash the average American generates a day (which is almost 1650 pounds of trash for the year by the way). But they generated four pounds of trash FOR THE YEAR. They are my heroes. And they are an excellent example for all of us.

In recent weeks, we've decided to stop using sandwich bags for lunches and we purchased plastic, washable, reusable lunch bins with separate food compartments in it to take to work every day. We've also stopped getting and using plastic bags from Target and Kroger. We use reusable shopping bags. And we no longer use those same plastic bags for our, um, pets you-know-what - which used to get thrown in the trash bins (poor garbage truck driver!). Instead, we use organic litter that flushes down the commode. OK, OK - that might be information overload. :) But the principle is the same - what decisions and choices can we make in reference to recycling? It's not hard. Call Rumpke or Waste Management, and they'll drop off a huge recycling bin at your house that contains a sticker on it of codes and examples of what can (and should!) be recycled. Then, purchase recyclable products. And do it - RECYCLE. Make your trash bin lonely. It's really not hard, and it's the right thing to do. Remember - you can recycle almost everything! Erin and I are very conscious and determined in this and other areas like this, and we long for the day when having these types of conversations with people doesn't cause them to look at us like we have two heads. We would rather find like-minded individuals who simply care about doing the right thing. And shouldn't that be the Christian response? I'm positive some folks clicked on this thinking I would be writing a spiritual post about ridding our life of sin, but in one sense - that's exactly what I'm doing. Want proof? James 4:17, "To him who knows to do what is good and does not do it - to him it is sin." This certainly qualifies.

How about it? Get a medium sized box and set it aside for those random things that can't be recycled - and do the right thing with all the rest - recycle, recycle, recycle. And you may end up needing to do what we need to do even now - get a second recycle bin!

For more on The Korst's please visit the following article:

Couple lives nearly trash-free for a year - Green House - USATODAY.com

On Being Wrong

On a beautiful September Sunday afternoon in 2008 the San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos were battling hard on the NFL gridiron in a back and forth struggle. With less than a minute to go in the game the Broncos had the ball on the Chargers one yard line about to score the potential go ahead touchdown. The Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler dropped back to throw and the ball slipped out of his hands. It bounced off the grass and into the arms of Chargers linebacker Tim Dobbins. The play was ruled an incomplete pass on the field and declared dead because veteran referee Ed Hochuli had blown the whistle. However, instant replay showed that the play was clearly a fumble, but because the whistle had blown NFL rules state that the ball has to be placed at the spot where the ball hit the ground. So Denver retained the ball at the 10 yard line and not long after that they scored a touchdown and a two point conversion to win 39-38. Had Ed Hochuli not blown the whistle prematurely, the replay would have awarded the ball to the Chargers who no doubt would have won the game. Mr. Hochuli had this to say after the game, 

"I'm getting hundreds of e-mails -- hate mail -- but I'm responding to it all," Hochuli wrote to several Chargers fans, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune. "People deserve a response. You can rest assured that nothing anyone can say can make me feel worse than I already feel about my mistake on the fumble play. You have no idea … Affecting the outcome of a game is a devastating feeling. Officials strive for perfection -- I failed miserably. Although it does no good to say it, I am very, very sorry." 

Wow.

It takes a man to do that, and no one would question that Mr. Hochuli is a man when they see him in the zebra stripes on Sunday. He is bigger and in better shape than a lot of the athletes he referees. But that's physical appearance. I'm talking about character here. He had the character to admit he was wrong, respond to EVERYONE who sent him all manner of hate mail, and apologize. I was stunned when I read this. This is a man who used to be president of the NFLRA and who now will be graded down thus affecting his ability to earn a lot more money officiating in the playoffs. Yet he took responsibility and did the right thing by admitting he did the wrong thing. There are a lot of lessons to be learned here.

I thought of the above story about Ed Hochuli as I was reading a recent post in the Freakonomics blog in the New York Times. It was a guest post by Kathryn Schulz author of Being Wrong. Here is some of what she has to say, 

"Listening to BP CEO Tony Hayward dodge and duck during last week’s congressional inquiry into the explosion of the Macondo oil well in the Gulf of Mexico, I was struck all over again by our stunning, culture-wide inability to face up to ignorance, failure, and mistakes. That inability is particularly evident up in the power stratosphere, where admissions of error are made rarer by (among other things) threats of litigation, fear of the wrath of voters or shareholders, and a value system that generally prioritizes certainty and ego over curiosity and humility.  But this problem is hardly limited to our political, military, economic and corporate leaders.  On the contrary: our society as a whole has completely neglected to master the art of acknowledging our mistakes.  In fact, we haven’t even mastered the basic skill of saying “I was wrong.” This is a startling deficiency, given the simplicity of the phrase, the ubiquity of error, and the tremendous public service that acknowledging it could provide.  Instead, what we have mastered are two alternatives to admitting our mistakes that serve to highlight exactly how bad we are at doing so.  The first involves a small but strategic addendum: “I was wrong, but…” – a blank we then fill in with wonderfully imaginative explanations for why we weren’t so wrong after all.  The second (infamously deployed by, among others, Richard Nixon regarding Watergate and Ronald Reagan regarding the Iran-Contra affair) is even more telling: we say “mistakes were made.”  As that evergreen locution so concisely demonstrates, all we really know how to do with our errors is not acknowledge them as our own. How do we go about changing that?  It would be nice if we could all just start saying “I was wrong” more openly and readily – but if that’s the end we want, it cannot also be the means to get us there.  (Not to mention that if it were that easy, we’d hear a lot more of those admissions in the first place.)  Cultural shifts aren’t created by wishful thinking, and they aren’t created out of whole cloth, either.  As James Bagian, head of the Veterans Administration’s National Center for Patient Safety, told me, “You don’t change the culture [of denial and blame around error] by saying, ‘Let’s change the culture.’  You change the culture by giving people new tools that actually work.”

In this article the tools they go on to discuss are more motivational and moral rather than spiritual. But for the Christian, we have been given a lot of tools to help us know when we're wrong; to help us admit we're wrong; and to help us not be wrong. We know the tools: the Bible, prayer, the Holy Spirit, the example of Christ, the church - so much! But what are we doing with the tools? How are we using these tools? Here are a couple verses to help get us started in the right direction:

Psalm 119:11 (ESV), "I have stored up your word in my heart that I might not sin against you."

1 John 1:9 (ESV), "If we confess our sins he (Jesus) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Don't be afraid or too proud to say...

The GodBlocker

If you're anything like me, you read a ton - news, magazines, books, blogs - whether it be online or the old-fashioned way. A lot of times as I'm catching up on the news, I get tired of seeing the same thing over and over again - the latest Justin Bieber article, or worse - what shocking thing Lady Gaga just did (sad that this qualifies as "Breaking News"). Or else there's the latest failed Bachelor or Bachelorette couple. Or perhaps you're overwhelmed by the constant reporting concerning the BP oil spill or some other real-world news story that you find depressing or annoying. Being a technology geek I love when I come across new technologies that serve a purpose to make life easier or less cluttered. Recently I've read about web developers who have created browser plug-ins that scrub the browser of any and all mention of whatever or whoever you choose. Perhaps the most popular was created as a Firefox application that blocks any and all mention of Justin Bieber (called "Shaved Bieber"). So if you apply that plug-in to your Firefox browser then you can browse the world wide web free of any mention whatsoever of Justin Bieber. I, for one, think that's awesome (hopefully I won't receive any death threats for mentioning that - some people love them some Bieber). The same thing has been done in other ways as well - there is the "Ex-Blocker" which blocks any mention of ones ex - be it girlfriend, boyfriend, spouse, or significant other. And, for that matter, it can be used to block anyone from your browser view. Kind of funny. Kind of sad. But if that wasn't crazy enough, there is also a browser plug-in which allows you to block any and all mention of...God. "GodBlock" is the name of this product, and it is becoming quite popular. In the developers words, it is designed to "hide religious content from impressionable kids." When visiting the web site for this product, you further read the following: 


"GodBlock is a web filter that blocks religious content. It is targeted at parents and schools who wish to protect their kids from the often violent, sexual, and psychologically harmful material in many holy texts, and from being indoctrinated into any religion before they are of the age to make such decisions. When installed properly, GodBlock will test each page that your child visits before it is loaded, looking for passages from holy texts, names of religious figures, and other signs of religious propaganda. If none are found, then your child is allowed to browse freely. In the last century, the United States has seen a resurgence of fundamentalist religion. Fundamentalist Evangelicals, Mormons, Baptists, Muslims, and Jews have held back progress in science, human rights, civil rights, and protecting our environment. How can we reverse this trend and join the rest of the world in the gradual secularization of society and government? Most deeply religious people are born into their religion, but even children raised in a secular household are vulnerable to content on the web. That's why we've produced GodBlock."


There is no question that there are religious extremes that give true Christianity a black eye, and I wouldn't want anyone to be exposed to the hate-mongering and false teaching that exists with such fringe belief systems. But, unfortunately, this blocker will remove ALL mention of God - which includes all that is true and good about him, his nature, and his purposes. In other words - real faith. Now God is certainly bigger than a browser plug-in attempting to completely silence all mention of him to the world wide web audience (which, by the way, one would have to choose to do - this is not a default setting for any web browser). But the mere idea of such a resource speaks to a larger problem that is growing in society, and the web site supporting this product sums it up well, "How can we...join the rest of the world in the gradual secularization of society and government?" To me, that is a great summation of what is taking place all around us today - secular humanism is seeking to block God from everything. Even traditional denominations are desperately trying to move toward a level of tolerance on secular and social issues, even political matters, that removes God and the truth of his word from focus. As I read about this shift, I couldn't help but think about Psalm 14.


Psalm 14:1-5a (ESV)

"The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.' They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none who does good. The LORD looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one. Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers who eat up my people as they eat bread and do not call upon the LORD? There they are in great terror, for God is with the generation of the righteous."

The literal translation of the phrase "there is no God" in verse one is, "No, God." Only a fool would say no to God. Only a fool would say that there is no God. Only a fool would seek to block all mention of God from existence. Throughout history men have tried to destroy God and his word. In A.D. 300 the Roman emperor Diocletian ordered every Bible burned because he thought that by destroying the Scriptures he could destroy God and Christianity. Anyone caught with a Bible would be executed. But just 25 years later, the Roman emperor Constantine ordered that 50 perfect copies of the Bible be made at government expense. The French philosopher Voltaire, a skeptic who destroyed the faith of many people, boasted that within 100 years of his death, the Bible would disappear from the face of the earth. Voltaire died in 1728. The irony of history is that 50 years after his death, the Geneva Bible Society moved into his former house and used the Gutenberg printing press to print thousands of Bibles.

Trying to block God and his word is not a new concept. It has happened before and it will happen again. But perhaps the best answer to individuals who seek to block out God and his word from existence would do well to remember Matthew 24:35, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away."

Reading Recommendation

One of the beautiful things about a "staycation" is all of the reading i can get done! I just finished an excellent book entitled Life of Pi. I highly recommend this amazing story of faith and survival centered on a young Indian boy named Pi who survives a shipwreck on the Pacific Ocean. He is the son of a zoologist and let's just say that zoo animals play largely in this creative work of fiction. One of the better books I've ever read.

When I read I like to note quotes that stand out. Even in this work of fiction there were many quotes that were great. Here is a sampling:

* "The presence of God is the finest of rewards."
* "Evil in the open is but evil from within that has been let out."
* "The main battlefield for good is not the open ground of the public arena but the small clearing of each heart."
* "I have a story to tell that will make you believe in God."
* "Religion is more than rite and ritual. There is what the rite and ritual stand for."
* "I must say a word about fear. It is life's only true opponent. Only fear can defeat life."
* "To choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation."
* "If you take two steps toward God, God runs to you."

7 Leadership Lessons Learned from Cleveland Cavaliers Owner Dan Gilbert’s Embarrassing Letter about LeBron James | Live Intentionally

Excellent take (IMO) from Living Intentionally about the Cleveland Cavaliers owner's response to Lebron's leaving. Good lessons here.

7 Leadership Lessons Learned from Cleveland Cavaliers Owner Dan Gilbert’s Embarrassing Letter about LeBron James | Live Intentionally

"The Elusive God Particle"

In my various readings recently - be it scripture or otherwise - I've come across a lot of texts dealing with creation. As a person of faith, I do not wrestle with issues of origins - the universe, the earth, mankind, wildlife, plant life, etc. I have a foundation and a framework tried and true that answers enough questions for me, and when I do not find the answers that I may want I find God's sovereignty is bigger than God's silence on a matter. I find it to be sufficient, because I trust enough of what I do know about God - his character, his name, his existence, his word - to remove all doubt about what I do not know. That is faith according to Hebrews 11:1. Nor do I get upset over scientific or inner-faith debate and dialog over the young earth/old earth argument. In my mind either way is amazing and miraculous (although I lean toward a young earth because of how specific the original language is on the matter). Don't fool yourself - to be an evolutionist in the Darwinian sense requires faith as well. In that way it is quite religious. But it is a religion that, in large part, goes against the teaching of the Bible. And since I believe that faith is a gift from God and not from man, I have faith in God in matters of the physical just as I have faith in God in matters of the spiritual. I do not have that kind of faith in something man-made and man-centered. I know this is a lightning rod topic, but I refuse to fight about it because I think much can be learned through science, and I embrace science. But science has limitations. Faith does not. And it is important to recognize that where science ends faith has to begin. It is also important to recognize that true faith and true science need not and will not contradict.


I was reading recently in the UK's Telegraph about the Large Hadron Collider. If you are not familiar with it let me explain. It is a particle accelerator being used for experimentation taking place right now in Geneva. It is the world's most powerful "atom smasher" which is buried 100 metres under the French-Swiss border. Here scientists are trying to find the "elusive God particle" otherwise known as the 'Higgs boson'. Finding this Higgs boson is the main goal of the LHC. It is a quest to find a subatomic particle which has never been discovered even though this quest is in its fifth decade. It is believed to be the reason why we are all here. Noble laureate Leon Lederman is the one who came up with this theoretical boson ("the God particle"). He believes its discovery could unify our understanding of the universe and help us "know the mind of God" (at least he mentions God). I'm not surprised that this particle has not been found. Genesis teaches that God created all things "ex nihilo" - or, out of nothing. He spoke the worlds into existense. But even if it is found, my faith would not be shattered. Rather, it would be even more affirmed. It would truly be a great triumph for science, but all it would show to me is just one more layer into the depth of God's power to create something as magnificent as our universe and to allow us to discover this. This, in turn, would only serve to give God the glory.


I can't help but think that so many are missing God because they are so consumed with the quest to find his "particle." If one wants to "know the mind of God", one only has to open his word. And in his word he reveals all that is needed to truly know him and his creation. The following are some verses I've read recently on this subject:


Jeremiah 32:17 (ESV) ^"17 Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you."


Psalm 135:5-7, 13 (ESV) ^"5 For I know that the LORD is great, and that our Lord is above all gods. ⁶ Whatever the LORD pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps. ⁷ He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth, who makes lightnings for the rain and brings forth the wind from his storehouses. ¹³ Your name, O LORD, endures forever, your renown, O LORD, throughout all ages."


Psalm 19:1-6 (ESV) ^"1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. 2 Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. ³ There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. ⁴ Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, ⁵ which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. ⁶ Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat."


Romans 1:20 (ESV) ^{20 "}For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse." 


A few weeks ago NASA captured the rising sun lighting up the midnight sky. "The International Space Station snapped a particularly beautiful photo of the various layers of our globe's atmosphere with the rising sun peeking out to say hello, while touring over the Greek islands around midnight. NASA's Earth Observatory, which posted the photo, pointed out the polar mesopheric clouds, or 'night-shining' clouds as they called them, which are seen at twilight. Usually the clouds are only lit up by the sun when it's setting, however this particular shot shows the rising sun inking its rays across the low clouds." (image below)


Why would anyone want to find just a particle of God when one can know all of him - through creation; through his son; through his word? I love science, but I love God more. Science is great, but not as great as God. Science is good, but not as good as God. Science is glorious, but not as glorious as God. I would rather spend my next 50 years pursuing him than a particle that most likely does not exist.

Let Me Introduce You To Bruce And Evelyn

First, Evelyn.


Evelyn Levy Shaw was born in Cincinnati in 1921. She graduated from the Cincinnati Art Academy and the University of Cincinnati Art Department. She spent a year working in the studio of Moses Soyer in New York. She was an artist - and a good one at that. She had exhibitions all over the country in the 40's and 50's - many quite notable. Here is a listing of her exhibitions:


International Color Lithographers Biennial
Cincinnati Art Musuem
Library of Congress
Museum of Fine Arts in Boston
Sweat Museum in Maine
Print Club of Philadelphia
ACA Gallery in New York City
Creative Gallery in New York City
Dayton Art Institute
Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati
Speed Museum in Louisville
Fort Wayne Art Museum
Butler Art Institute of Ohio
Albany Museum of Art in New York
Columbus Art Museum


She was a board member of the Society of Ohio Print Makers and taught painting and drawing for many years at the Cincinnati Art Museum. Her work remains in the permanent collection of the Library of Congress as well as many corporate and private collections. She was a lifelong friend of noted printmaker and teacher Paul Naish. Evelyn died in 2009 having left behind a life of creating and teaching. When she died her estate was left to her son. Unfortunately, he died six months later and he was her only living heir. She had a home in Kenwood where so much of her life's work remained. When she passed on and when her son passed on the question arose - what to do with this wonderful woman's life's work? That's where Bruce comes in.


Bruce Clawson - owner of The Garden Gate in our historic Lebanon, Ohio. Erin and I stop by there often and look at all of their wonderful and unique garden items. It's a place for "all sorts of garden themes, schemes, and dreams." We have bought several things there in the last couple of years - including our beautiful wind chime hanging on our porch. When you visit this store, there is a room off to the back of the store on the left hand side. There is usually a lot of local artisan items for sale and display there. On this particular day, we had enjoyed the Fourth of July parade in the heart of town and then we decided to go through the shops (something we do almost weekly). Upon entering The Garden Gate we wandered through the shop until we got to this specialty room, and we immediately noticed it was set up as an art gallery - all dedicated to Evelyn Levy Shaw. So many of her works were on display as well as a brief biography. While admiring it Bruce came in and began to tell us a story. The story was so good I knew that I had to share it. He mentioned all of the above concerning Evelyn and then told us how he got a phone call one day by someone tasked with getting rid of her things (since she had no living heirs). He received the call because of the unusual amount of art, letters, cards, and memoribilia that was found at the home she left behind. Long story short, he bought it all in hopes of selling it and keeping her art alive. He shared with us letters that he found written to her from famous artists all across the country - and old Christmas cards as well - all of which go back over 60 years. And then there is her art. They are selling pieces and attracting interest, and well they should. I hope to have a piece myself soon. Some of the art is simply her sketches of subjects she would paint later. Some of it was darker. Some of it very colorful. There is definitely a quality to it that shows real heart, craft, skill, talent, and history. It was like going back in time to an exhibition she may have had herself. I couldn't help but think about what her last thoughts were concerning her art? Who would see it? Who would care? And then her son as well - knowing he was the last of the line. Thankfully, her art lives on and will continue to do so, and not just in what she created but also in how she taught others to create. Truly a great story. I recommend you stop by and talk to Bruce at The Garden Gate.


Walking home this left me to consider life - what we make of it. What are we doing now that will outlive us once we're gone - on this earth and in eternity? Are we fully utilizing our gifts and talents - pursuing our dreams and the things we love? And then having the character and care to pass it on to others? I was encouraged and challenged on a very deep level by a lady I never knew personally, but I know her art and a little about her story - all of which have outlived her and continue to inspire. And all of this should add up to a worthy lesson for us all.


What is your dream and are you pursuing it? On the subject of dreams, Ashley Smith had this to say, "Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.”


What will your legacy be? On the subject of legacy, Billy Graham had this to say, “Our days are numbered. One of the primary goals in our lives should be to prepare for our last day. The legacy we leave is not just in our possessions, but in the quality of our lives. What preparations should we be making now? The greatest waste in all of our earth, which cannot be recycled or reclaimed, is our waste of the time that God has given us each day.”

10 Things That You Should Never Buy New

Excellent article on Yahoo Finance by Donna Werbner. All great suggestions. Check it out.

10 things you should never buy new | Yahoo! Finance

"Somebody's Watching Me"

We've all heard the song lyric by Rockwell and Michael Jackson, "I always feel like somebody's watching me." And it's true. We live in truly fascinating times. Technology allows us to do so much now - good and bad. What's more - technology allows what we do to be monitored - good and bad. We worry about "big brother" watching our every move via satellite technology, internet monitoring, phone tapping, etc. Very little is private in our lives any more. It seems like we leave a trail behind us every where we go - especially online. And we do, but we live like we don't. Somewhere in the back of our mind we wonder about it but not enough to change our habits. We think we're getting away with something. Big brother hasn't come for me yet, right?


What about "big boss?" During the Olympics, NBC.com provided online streaming of the games. In their streaming player they had a "Boss Button." This button had one purpose - when pressed, the player was replaced by what appeared to be your computer desktop with an open Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. This gave the appearance of productivity if your boss happened to walk by. Pure deception. CBS has the same feature for their online streaming of the NCAA mens basketball tournament games. When their "Boss Button" is hastily selected the player is replaced by what appears to be a Microsoft Powerpoint presentation. Again, not everything is as it seems. In both cases, the players were specific to Windows-based systems. I guess Mac users were out of luck. I know it's kind of funny, right? But it's really not good (unless you're fortunate to work for a boss like mine who allows some give during big events like these).

There are more examples of this. The Google Chrome browser has a "Panic Button" extension that you can add to the toolbar of the browser. The "Panic Button" makes it easier for you to hide all of your tabs at once just by clicking on a button. Another click on the "Panic Button" restores all of the tabs you have hidden earlier. You may also make use of "Panic Button" keyboard shortcut. Just press ESC to hide and restore all your tabs. This is obviously designed to allow the user to hide the tabs that they have open - presumably tabs that they do not want a boss, manager, or coworker to see.


What's interesting about this is companies are beginning to crack down on this "cyberslacking." There are myriad computer programs out there designed to allow for monitoring of an employees productivity while at work - employees who are utilizing an asset to perform a job for pay - not for pleasure. Social networks are destroying employee productivity. Time and money are being wasted at a higher rate than most employers think. Statistics show 64% of employees use company time to browse sites like Facebook. Programs like The Office Software (theOS) provide network-based productivity tools to help managers monitor employees and achieve increased productivity and enhanced security. On average, workers with an Internet connection spend 21 hours per week online while in the office, a little more than four hours per day. And on average, 26% of that time is spent on personal-interest websites. That amounts to roughly an hour per day, or 22 hours per month - per employee. This is simply mind-boggling. 


Getting back to Google, recently they did something pretty nifty - when you went to www.google.com they provided a mini-Pac-man game that you could play. Hey, I'm not going to lie - I played it, and I told everyone on Facebook about it (that was when I was still on Facebook). That, in turn, caused me to lead many people astray, for they, too, burned some time on this game. Then I read this article, and I was dumbfounded. A company called Rescue Time did a study and proved several things statistically:


1. On that particular Friday (when the game was posted on Google.com) the site experienced 36 extra seconds per visit. This doesn't sound like much, right?
2. This added up to an astounding 4.8 MILLION wasted hours of game play by Americans - most of which transpired through the work day (4,819,352 man-hours to be exact).
3. This, in turn, averages out to $120,483,800 in lost productivity. Millions of dollars. As RescueTime put it, "you could hire every single Google employee, including co-founders Larry Page, Sergey Brin, and CEO Eric Schmidt, and get them for six weeks for that much money."


In a word, crazy.


So often we think we're getting away with things like this. It seems harmless to hit the internet throughout the work day to check Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc. But it really does add up, and if we're doing it on the companies dime then what does that make us? I've certainly been guilty of this in the past. It amounts to poor stewardship of time, and stealing. And you know when you do it that you're a little nervous someone will come around the corner all of the sudden to find you watching the "First Semester of Spanish Love Song" (and I recommend that you do watch this - as well as the "Second Semester of Spanish Love Song" - only do it on your own time.)


The truth is, we're not getting away with it. Others know, even if the boss never finds out. And you know. And God knows. If we (especially Christians) lived our lives with the understanding that God sees and knows everything, it would certainly cause us to think very carefully about wasting time and making wrong decisions - not just at work, but at home, at church, at the grocery store - everywhere.


A couple of passages to ponder:

Proverbs 15:3, "The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good."

Jeremiah 23:23, "Am I a God at hand, says the LORD, and not a God far off?

24 Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? says the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? says the LORD."

I wonder how different we would live our lives day in and day out if we truly believed that Someone was indeed watching us? No matter what, somebody is watching us. What do they see?

(eye in the sky)