Category: God

Distraction, Focus & Questions: Chapter 25 of The Screwtape Letters

focus, God

Tomorrow I’m teaching a lesson at our Friday morning men’s group on Chapter 25 of C.S. Lewis’ book, “The Screwtape Letters.” It’s a challenging book to read and understand for several reasons, principally because Lewis wrote the book from the perspective of a “senior demon” writing to an underling. He’s very clever, but it’s challenging at times to interpret and chapter 25 is no exception. I titled this lesson, “Distraction, Focus & Questions,” and created some slides to accompany our lesson which I’ve shared on SlideShare.

Distraction, Focus & Questions

View more presentations from Wesley Fryer

The video “Social Media Revolution 2 (Refresh)” which I’ll be showing is available on Vimeo. It is no longer available on YouTube because of a copyright violation. Interesting.

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Putting the Passage of Amendment 10-A for Christians Worldwide in Statistical Perspective

God, questions, struggles

Cross-posted from “Moving at the Speed of Creativity.”

Back in August of 2006 I created the blog “Eyes Right” as a Christian team blog where I (and others) could share posts related to Christianity and our walks of faith. Since that time, I’ve generally shared posts focused on religious, spiritual, and specifically Christian topics there rather than here on my main blog, “Moving at the Speed of Creativity.” This decision followed a post here in which I shared my personal testimony of faith, which remains linked in the right sidebar of this blog. The reason for this separation of blog posts by topic is definitely NOT a lack of desire on my part to publicly profess and share my faith, but rather my sense that most readers of my main blog “are coming” not to read and learn about issues of faith but rather topics more closely related to learning, educational technology, leadership in 21st century schools, etc. With that ongoing understanding in mind, I’ll make this post brief.

As you may know as a reader of my blog, I am a Christian and a Presbyterian. The recent passage of “Amendment 10-A” by Presbyteries of the PCUCA denomination represents a significant change in the historic doctrine of the Presbyterian Church. The 11 May 2011 CNN article, “Presbyterian Church U.S.A. to allow gay and lesbian clergy,” highlights some of the events and actions which led to Amendment 10-A. This chapter in our denominational history represents and reflects a continuation of a broad cultural war which continues to be promulgated on many fronts. In this post I want to principally commend to and amplify for you two posts written by Dr. Mateen Elass, author of “Understanding the Koran: A Quick Christian Guide to the Muslim Holy Book” and pastor of our Presbyterian church in Edmond, Oklahoma. Mateen’s two most recent blog posts, “Historic moments, Part 1” from May 14th and “Historic Moments, Part 2” from May 15th express multiple perspectives in response to the Amendment 10-A passage which deserve careful consideration. In the second post, Mateen attempts to put the ‘historic significance’ of this action in statistical perspective considering the numbers of professing Christians worldwide. He writes:

The PCUSA has joined 3 other American denominations (the UCC, Episcopal Church, and ELCA) in embracing homosexuality as a lifestyle blessed by God. Rounding upwards generously, this group represents a maximum of 10 million people. Estimates place the worldwide Christian population at roughly 2.1 billion people. There are no other major denominations or Christian movements worldwide which support the ordination of practicing homosexuals, but let’s add another 5 million to cover liberal, post-Christian Protestant Europe. That means that with our recent vote, the PCUSA has moved from siding in this matter with 99.8% of the institutional church on earth to that representing 0.2%. I’d say that qualifies as a momentous change and historic moment for the PCUSA, but it hardly registers on the scale statistically for the worldwide church. Even if you lump all 2 million Presbyterians in the pro-homosexual ordination category (which is obviously not the case), we account for less than a one tenth of one percent shift of view in the worldwide Church on this matter. Hardly historic.

While this decision of Presbyterian denominational leaders may not be statistically significant on a global scale, it certainly is (as Mateen points out) for our denomination. Jesus’ commandments to love the sinner but to hate sin are clear. We live in a world which, however, increasingly places the values of tolerance and moral relativism on a transcendent altar of worship. The definition and even existence of “sin” is contested and rejected by many. I share Mateen’s perspectives and passion in his May 14th post, in which he wrote:

My prayer is not for unity with a culturally syncretistic leadership, but that God will gather all orthodox, evangelical Presbyterians together to pool our resources and use them to forward the great ends of the church, rather than support a bureaucracy and system which has been manipulated regularly to blindly underwrite a post-Christian cultural agenda. I’m not sure exactly what such a gathering would look like, but I hope to find out. I’m not interested in leaving the PC(USA); I’m interested in our taking back the city, and instituting sweeping changes.

The culture wars of the 21st century continue, and the battle lines have been drawn across my front yard. Don’t worry, I’m not going to use “Moving at the Speed of Creativity” as my principal media channel for writing about this and other topics relevant to the Christian faith. The separate “Eyes Right” blog will continue for that purpose. I do want to share with and recommend to you Mateen’s posts, however, and observe that the passage of Amendment 10-A does not represent my beliefs or views as a Presbyterian.

Just in case you were wondering.

Vote!photo © 2008 Kristin Ausk | more info (via: Wylio)

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How would you begin to respond to Fake Steve?

God, Jesus, questions, struggles

From time to time, I like to check in on the blog of the Fake Steve Jobs. Although I do not like and disapprove of his periodic use of profanity in his posts, much of what he writes is funny and on target with things happening related to Apple. The recent post, “Hate-spewing “Christians” need to listen up,” makes some good points but also leaves me asking, “How should I respond to this?” After starting with an initial denial of Jesus as the resurrected Son of God, fake Steve (a.k.a. Daniel Lyons) shares with a great deal of accuracy the stories of the good Samaritan, the woman at the well, and the prodigal son. His points on the first two stories are on the mark, he seems to miss that grace definitely IS a huge part of the prodigal son story, however. In his older post, “FWIW, Jesus didn’t always tell the truth, either,” he reveals a clear background in Bible study and awareness citing the scene of Jesus before Pilate prior to his crucifixion. His conclusion, that Christ lied frequently and was inconsistent in discussing his identity, is off base, but I find it noteworthy Daniel reveals some background in Biblical study but BIG misunderstandings about major points.

My goal with this post isn’t to debate Daniel Lyons’ ideas point by point, but rather to raise the startling point that in this widely read, written for laughs blog – Christianity is being not only discussed, but also brazenly attacked. Certainly Christ is maligned and mis-interpreted by Daniel. It strikes me as quite remarkable, however, that this kind of frontal attack on core ideas of Christianity and the gospel is being carried out on this blog. The 199 comments on this post (as of this writing) also reveal an engaged debate about many of the issues Daniel raises, with people chiming in from multiple vantage points.

My main response to this is to pray. It’s not ultimately up to me to change Daniel’s mind about Jesus and who He is, it’s in God’s hands. That does NOT, however, mean I should disengage from this discussion or shy away from sharing Christ with Daniel as well as others in my life. I know prayer is the right path in every circumstance, and these messages from Daniel are so challenging prayer seems to be the natural, reflective response. If you’re reading this, I encourage you to also pray for Daniel Lyons: That God would reveal himself to him, that he would read the Words of Christ in the Bible again and be transformed, that (like Saul who became Paul) he would stop persecuting the church on earth and instead be transformed to become its agent and champion.

Daniel is 100% correct that Jesus and the Bible do not command us to hate other human beings. We are, however, commanded to hate sin. He is also correct that the Catholic church historically strayed FAR from the teachings of Christ. I’m pleased indulgences are no longer for sale, but it’s understandable many are disillusioned by the checkered past of “the church” and those proclaiming to act in God’s name as well as the name of Jesus.

Overall, reading this post as well as others in which Daniel takes jabs at Christians as well as Christ reinforces my conviction that we must be vocal and speak out in the world about Christ and for Christ. This is a basic idea behind the “3 Minutes About Jesus” video campaign. In our lost, postmodern world, we need to shine as lights in the darkness.

In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

John 1: 4-5

We’re not called to shine alone. We’re called to shine together.

Let Your Light Shine

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Crucified with Christ (5th grade Sunday School lesson this week)

BLASTcast, discipleship, God

This Sunday in 5th grade Sunday School, we’re discussing and exploring the meaning of Paul’s words in Galatians 2:20.

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

We’re using the following presentation in class, along with a movie clip from “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.” Specifically, we’re watching scene 17, titled “Aslan’s Sacrifice.”

Please take some time this week to discuss this verse with your child, which is our memory verse of the week. Discuss what it means to sacrifice, and to live with the knowledge that Christ lives in us. Talk about your own understanding and belief in the crucifixion as well as resurrection of Christ. Talk together about why this belief is a cornerstone of our faith as Christians, and how you live differently each day with this knowledge as well as the faith it provides.

Cross-posted from BLASTcast, except here the Zoho Show embed works! (iframe tags are stripped on WordPress.com sites like BLASTcast, but not from self-hosted WordPress blogs like this one when the “visual” editor is not used.)

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Good resources and conversations about Christian parenting

books, God, kids, struggles

I had an opportunity yesterday to attend the “Journey” Sunday School class at Liberty United Methodist Church in Liberty, Missouri. I attended with my sister and family. Their class is using the “Making Children Mind without Losing Yours Video Series” by Dr Kevin Leman, which is based on his book by the same title. Their class is mainly for parents, and has a great format: Discussions in class, frequent fellowship events, and group mission activities. They have purchased an inexpensive apartment which they maintain as a class and lease to (usually) a single parent with children living in their area. What a unique mission project!

Project Parent 365 - Day 1: The Hands
Creative Commons License photo credit: BuckDaddy

Here are a few notes I jotted down yesterday in class which I thought were both thought provoking and worth sharing.

Rules without relationship lead to rebellion

Super parent syndrome says: “I own my children”
– they are gifts, we don’t own them

The Christian home is not a military bootcamp

Misused verse: spare the rod and spoil the child (that is not the verse)
Proverbs 13:24

Quote from El Guapo: “I know you like I know my own smell” (from movie “Three Amigos”)

Don’t be afraid to do things that are counter cultural, you want your kids to be different
– Kids who aren’t different are married 7 years (before divorce) and have 1.7 kids

Research question: Do kids behave better on a playground with fences or without? With fences

Being counter-cultural is a big issue

God lets me choose right or left, he does not force us to be good
– are you good at letting your children choose and make decisions?

Letting our kids make choices is SO important
– good idea to take your kid’s picture when they dress themselves, and when you pick your clothes for them (this worked for parents who wanted their daughter to realize what she looked like sometimes when she chose her own outfits)

Do you want your home to be a cage or a nest?

[END OF NOTES]

Earlier this year the Sunday school class used the “Fireproof Your Marriage” curriculum, and my sister said it was great as well.

I do enjoy teaching 5th grade Sunday school, and this will be my 4th year to teach it at our church in Edmond. I miss opportunities like this Sunday school class to discuss parenting, family and personal issues with others however, and to go to a Sunday school class with my wife. Their “Journey” class is a very warm, welcoming group and clearly a great outreach ministry of their congregation.

If you’re involved with or leading a church class for parents, you might check out both the curriculum options I’ve linked in this post. Both sound great for Christian parents to use! And, if you happen to live in or near Liberty, Missouri, consider visiting Liberty United Methodist Church and the Journey Sunday School class!

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Is Jesus the only path to salvation?

God, questions

The following comment and question was posted on my main blog on a recent entry, “Message for Oklahoma Christians: Muslims are NOT our enemies.” The comment was:

I have one thing to ask of the people who claim their respective religion is the “only” path to God, and that is to ask themselves what happens to people who are atheistic or of the “incorrect” religion, but are truely [sic] good people? Does this mean that they are never saved, never loved by God in heaven (or whatever you believe happens when you die)?It is an interesting question, one that I have wondered often, especially when some christians claim that the path to God is only through embracing Jesus.
Jeff – a high school student who stumbled on this article

Here’s my response:

Jeff: Great question.

In the case of Christianity, I go back to what CS Lewis wrote in “Mere Christianity.” A lot of people want to put Jesus in a box and say something like, “He was a good moral teacher but not the Son of God.” Lewis says Jesus was either a raving lunatic or exactly what he said he was: God on earth. Jesus in his teachings was clear about “the path to salvation” being through a narrow gate. This is a HUGE stumbling block for many people who consider themselves Christians today, but have a more unitarian / universalist view of salvation. It may sound much nicer to say “all religious roads lead to the same path” but that is not what you’ll read in the Bible. So a fundamental question to answer for yourself in this regard is, “Who do I believe Jesus was and is?”

Jesus, of course, did not endorse a terrible list of evils which have been perpetrated throughout time in his name: the inquisition, the crusades, actions by white supremacists, etc. These are big issues that keep many people from understanding Jesus and his message as well.

Christianity is differentiated from all other religions in the world in one significant way: Grace. In every other faith, you’ll learn about how you need to work and “do things” to earn your way to salvation. For the Christian, a transformed life is one filled with good works for God– but salvation is not a result of works. You don’t find this in Islam, Hinduism, or any other mainline religion but you do in Christianity.

My encouragement to you is to keep seeking the answer to the question you’ve asked here, keep asking other people, and keep praying to God to open your eyes and reveal Himself to you. Read the Bible and seek God’s spirit through it, especially reading the gospels.

Ultimately there are MANY things we don’t know and can’t answer with certainty, even when we have a strong faith and conviction in knowing God. He is infinite and so definitionally He’s beyond our limited abilities to fully understand. This is not a cop-out, I think it’s actually wisdom which you will find with many “religious” people, Christian and non-Christian alike. This does NOT mean truth is relativistic and “unknowable” either, but it does mean we aren’t going to get everything figured out while we’re still all mortals on this planet.

If you see or hear someone who claims to be a Christian espousing damnation and a condemning judgement on others, in a hateful spirit, be wary. When you read about the life of Christ in the Bible, you learn he never acted that way toward everyday people. He was most severe and condemning when he criticized the religious leaders of his day, the Pharisees. Believing that Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life” and the “narrow gate” through which we are able to be forgiven and accepted by God does NOT mean we are to go around condemning everyone we meet who doesn’t believe the way we do. Jesus simplified all the laws in the Old Testament in these two commands: Love God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself. There’s not any condemning in those commands.

What would you say in response to Jeff’s questions?

Memorial at Ponte Vedra Beach
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Confident in God, not in ourselves

focus, God, prayer

These words from the apostle Paul spoke to me most clearly this morning, in 1 Corinthians 10:11-12. In this context Paul is comparing the people of Corinth to the Israelites who God led out of Egypt with a mighty hand.

These are all warning markers—danger!—in our history books, written down so that we don’t repeat their mistakes. Our positions in the story are parallel—they at the beginning, we at the end—and we are just as capable of messing it up as they were. Don’t be so naive and self-confident. You’re not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it’s useless. Cultivate God-confidence.

The world says, “Do it yourself.”

God says, “Rely on me.”

The world says, “Christianity is a crutch.”

God says, “You need a crutch, for your strength is insufficient for the challenges before you.”

The world says, “Do it your way.”

Jesus says, “Follow me.”

We all fall short of the glory of God. Thanks to his grace and mercy, we find forgiveness and strength. This day, for others and for myself, I pray we will all have confidence in God’s strength and God’s ability to see us through our struggles. Rather than focus on our own abilities and be confident in what we think we can do, I pray we put our faith and confidence in God.

He’s the pilot we need at the controls, and he’s a much better one than I am.

In Control
Creative Commons License photo credit: Steve Snodgrass

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2010 Men’s Conference at Mo Ranch, Texas

discipleship, God, worship

Last weekend I had an opportunity to attend the 2010 Men’s Conference at Mo Ranch, Texas. Mo Ranch is a Presbyterian camp located in the Texas Hill Country. The following are three panoramic images I took during the conference with my iPhone using Pano.

Panorama at Mo Ranch

This photo shows the river area and the big water slide, which unfortunately was closed this year. Last year I went down it several times. It was very exciting!

Panorama at Mo Ranch

The BBQ on Saturday night is always a highlight food-wise. The brisket this year was some of the best I’ve ever had.

Panorama at Mo Ranch - Saturday BBQ!

The best parts of the men’s conference at Mo Ranch are fellowship and worship. The short video below of the men’s choir on Saturday night will give you a small taste of the experience. It really is wonderful singing with over 400 men and worshipping God together. Most of the songs we sing are in unison with just two leaders up front, but a choir practices during the weekend twice for this Saturday evening performance.

Choir singing at Mo Ranch

The Sunday morning sunrise service at the Men’s Conference is another highlight. It’s rare for me to get up this early and worship God with other men as the sun is rising, so this makes for special memories.

Sunday morning service at Mo Ranch

This year at Mo Ranch was particularly special because my father, Tom, was able to attend with me. This is a photo of us after the Sunday sunrise service. The original photo was a bit underexposed, so I tweaked it using ToonFX Paint.

Wesley and Tom Fryer at Mo Ranch

The monday morning after the Mo Ranch weekend, Dad and I were able to play 9 holes of golf before he drove home at Cimarron National Golf Club in Guthrie, just north of Edmond where I live. This was a REAL treat as well, even though I didn’t play very well! Best ball is a great thing at times like these.

Golf in Guthrie, Oklahoma

Golf in Guthrie, Oklahoma

Each day, every day is a gift from God. I am thankful for this past weekend’s opportunity to draw closer to God, my father, and other men from our men’s group in Edmond. The weather was perfect, and the time “offline” and in God’s beautiful creation was sorely needed by yours truly.

If there is any way you can attend I strongly recommend the annual Mo Ranch Men’s Conference. It’s always held in early May.

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Survey: 72% of Millennials ‘more spiritual than religious’

BLASTcast, evangelism, God, kids, struggles

The USA Today article, “Survey: 72% of Millennials ‘more spiritual than religious’” caught my eye today. From the survey of US residents:

Among the 65% who call themselves Christian, “many are either mushy Christians or Christians in name only,” Rainer says. “Most are just indifferent. The more precisely you try to measure their Christianity, the fewer you find committed to the faith.”

Key findings in the phone survey, conducted in August and released today:

  1. 65% rarely or never pray with others, and 38% almost never pray by themselves either.
  2. 65% rarely or never attend worship services.
  3. 67% don’t read the Bible or sacred texts.
  4. Many are unsure Jesus is the only path to heaven: Half say yes, half no.

“We have dumbed down what it means to be part of the church so much that it means almost nothing, even to people who already say they are part of the church,” Rainer says.

Some days I definitely could be called a “mushy Christian” because I don’t open up my Bible. We live in the most distractible culture in history. We must be intentional to immerse our minds in God’s Word each day. I need regular reminders of this, and to do a better job making Bible reading a regular habit each day. All too often I find myself reading a LOT of content online, but not making the time to read God’s Word first. I need to resolve to check in with God regularly each day, and NOT make that something I “just” do on Sundays or Wednesday nights.

some food
Creative Commons License photo credit: Rushay

These are alarming statistics, and provide me with greater incentive to continue teaching youth Sunday school. We need to not only help our children and families understand and follow God’s Word, but also share it regularly with others who come to a church on Sundays and those who don’t. It all begins with our personal walk with God, however. If I’m not walking with and talking with the Lord each day, it’s not possible for me to authentically share him and invite others to know him.

Walking the walk as we talk the talk. It’s a daily challenge. Please pray for me and our family as we struggle to continue following God and seeking HIS will in our wide world of choices.

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