Ray Comfort on "Heaven is For Real"

While I was scanning my newsfeed at 1am, I stumbled across Ray Comfort's post on the upcoming film, "Heaven is For Real". (You can find it on his FB page, here.) I know the movie is based on a popular book of the same name, but I haven't read it, nor do I have plans to see the film version.However, the post caught my attention since it's Holy Week and the movie comes out on Easter. That's sort of nice, I thought. Long story short, I don't usually pay much attention to Comfort, and his post on the film was the typical commentary of those in his camp. Ray Comfort's response was along the lines of the typical, "this, is NOT Biblical" argument. It was of no interest to me, and honestly, I would have continued scrolling if it weren't for Comfort's final statement:

"God's “note” is the Bible. It says, "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.” I believe the Bible, not because I welled up some sort of faith in its words, but because the Gospel came to me “in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance.” It authenticated itself because it took me out of darkness and brought me into light. Therefore every other promise in it about the joys of Heaven, the pains of Hell, and everlasting life is utterly true altogether."

Immediately, my inner dialogue became: "WAIT. What? lol. He's kidding, right? Is Ray Comfort For Real?"

I kept rereading this, and I even went back to reread the analogy he used previously, of a note and a house, and something or other...but the lines that really gave me pause were, "God's "note" is the Bible." Well, I get it, I guess. The Bible crucial to the Christian faith, it is a written document...but still.

 "God's "note" is the Bible."

All I have to say that is, NO.

God's "note" is Jesus Christ.

remember? John  1:1?

As we read the New Testament, it is important to remember that there is an important distinction between the Word of God, and the word of God.  For the sake of brevity, one is the incarnate Word, That's Jesus. He is the Word made flesh. He is God's message, God's note, embodied. The other 'word' is a collection of 66 books of divinely inspired written words on pages.

So, I'm going to revise Mr. Comfort's statement, because I think it contains some glaring fallacies.

Here goes:

God's "note" is Jesus Christ. He say's "love God, and love your neighbor as yourselves." I believe In Jesus Christ. Not because I welled up some sort of faith in His words, but because He came to me through the gospels, "in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance." He authenticated Himself because He took me out of darkness and brought me into light. Therefore every other promise is rooted in Him. He is a reflection of heaven, He overcame hell, and in Him we find everlasting life; He holds everything together.

This is a poor mashup, and it will never do my Savior justice. However, the Bible should never be held up synonymously with Christ, or be rendered indistinguishable from the One of whom it testifies. Never.

First and foremost, Messiah Jesus.

In Him we have all we need.

There is way more to this...but that's meant for another post, another day. So, I will end with this: the Bible is extremely important. Personally, even outside of Sunday morning Church, my entire career as a seminary student has been spent learning how to read it, translate it, and exegete it. I have spent devotional time reading it's narratives, and marveling at its poetic beauty, and  its inspired words. However,the bible is not a person of the Godhead to be worshipped, Jesus is. And none of these things trumps Messiah Jesus, of whom the bible testifies.

So, why is this so important? Why not just assume when we say "Bible", we actually mean everything the Bible talks about, which of course includes Jesus? Because what we believe about God and Jesus and the Bible, affects our lives at the deepest levels. It affects how we view and treat our God, ourselves, and other human beings. When we choose the letter over the love, the principal over the person, we miss out on something crucial. We miss out on the life of Christ, and we stifle our ability to practice that life.


 Christians, it is Holy week. Therefore, remember this.

Sensitive Listening: Humble Jesus in Gungor Music

Picture courtesy of http://mudpreacher.org

Every now and then I ride down beltway 8 here in Houston, and I surrender my thoughts to every lyric of every song that plays on my iPhone or radio. I don't make it through every song, but music does something to me. I listen to music in almost the same passion as I have in reading a book: with reckless abandon, allowing my thoughts to be captured and taken hostage to another world for a fraction of a moment. I sort of commune with music. Certain songs speak lyrically of my heart, and others defy and transgress it; at which point I carelessly hit skip, switch the station, or simply resign to silence.

With some music, there just isn't any other way to describe it: It is sacred.

So I practice a little "sensitive listening."


Particularly, there is one song I've listened to repeatedly that has so resonated with me, one that I have been itching to sit and write about for weeks. It is one of those deliciously sacred songs. I'm hoping someone out there is already in dialogue about this song, because I think it does way more than is realized. The song is titled "The Best Part" by my favorite band, Gungor. This song captures the beauty of Christ in His incarnation, His joy, and His suffering, which I guess is sort of appropriate for the season of advent.  I think it melts together the joy of Christ's humanity and the ache of the  deadly Cross quite beautifully. In a simple way, I intend to share my love for this song, and talk about how it helps me identify with my Savior Jesus, and reminds me how to face suffering, longing, and lonliness.

I don't think death by crucifixion would be the most painful way to die. Far be it from Human beings to stop at crucifixion. I think that by now, we have come up with countless ways to abuse, maim, torture, kill, and murder, (in that order) and I think as of now, there are perhaps other more grisly ways to meet ones maker than crucifixion. Who am I to say it, but that's how I see it for now. I don't think God's big plan was in Jesus having the most physically painful or excruciating death. That wasn't the best part.

Gungors song attempts to capture the very best part. The song very subtly captures the Saviors voice, which is sung by Michael Gungor's wife. As the song opens, she lilts:

'I have seen it all, all...
I have seen it all, I've felt it all...'

When I first heard these words,  in one of my trance like personal listening parties on my ride to work one morning, I almost hit the breaks. How the Lord Himself saw and felt every bit of humanity...He allowed time to run its course in and in 33 years experienced human breath, heart beat, and emotion. He exercised in speech, in physicality, and in intellect. And then, to hear the echos in the song, the woman's soft voice...added a depth to His humanity which I had never fathomed. Complete unity in his humanness. Having seen it all, and felt everything too...

"life is running swift now,
like a raging river, how it runs out..."

It didn't take long for me to backtrack and listen to just these four lines over and over again. Meditating on this moment. Its like a second frozen in time. The Messiah, hung on a cross to die, remembering every moment, as His very lifeblood runs out of him.  At this point, I fully entered the world of the narrative...

"Please don't go...
Please don't go...

I thought to myself, oh now this is agonizing. Not only are you dying Lord, but you are begging ME to stay! You are begging me to enter into this moment with you, and realize as fully as I can! I don't want to look upon your broken body, or your blood shed, but yet, you have asked me to stay, and remember! And I must. At The Lord's bequest, I must not go. This also reminds me of who was actually present there that very day at Golgotha's tree. His own mother, his own family. He would want them to stay. Want them to behold, and know. Loneliness creeps in with death, the unknown, the deafening solitude...of course He would want them to stay. It makes perfect sense. When we suffer, we want those around us who know and love us best.

'Cause this is the best part,
lying awake in the dark.
This is the best part.
here in the beat of a heart.'

The Song goes on in a lovely emphasis of this narrative.

But that's where I fall into it. Utter realization that the best part was that He got to do this with Us, For Us, In Us. This is the Lament of the Suffering Savior. A Holy Rejoicing...There is such peace in knowing that to suffer with Christ, is to suffer well, to fully experience the best part. The pain is there, but it is not there in a vacuum of having never been experienced. We are reminded that He saw it all, felt it all, wept, walked, wanted, reached out,  His arms limited in their humanity, yet fully capable in the Fullness of His deity. How is this even possible? Its the best part that God became a man, who suffered for the revival of humanity.

 Another favorite artist Audrey Assad captures this beautifully in her incarnation song "Humble":  "Not too proud to wear our skin, to know this weary world we're in...Humble, Humble Jesus. Not too proud, to dwell with us, to live in us, to die for us. Humble, Humble, Jesus."

Wow. So that Gungor song does something serious to my worship. Elevates it? Breaks it down? Am I communing with the Lord more fully? I don't exactly get it. That's ok. For now I will keep listening deeply for those sacred songs of the heart, and know that  lI've learned something about how to have joy in the moments of my utter humanness, to be patient in afflictions, to suffer well.

Thanks, Humble Jesus.


"We bow our knees. We must decrease, You must increase." - Audrey Assad, Humble

Gungor's "The Best Part"

10 Reasons Why Reading the Bible Made Me More Progressive

Benjamin Corey, a fellow blogger over at Formerly Fundie, wrote a post last week titled "10 Reasons Why Reading the Bible Makes Us More Progressive”. Corey’s post describes journey towards a more theologically progressive world view based on more critical, and frequent Bible reading. Corey catalogs his own experiences, which include developing humility, understanding the importance of taxes, showing mercy, and even his views on immigration laws. I found his post to be a loose, yet accurate portrayal of my own theological journey. Corey writes:  

 "we became Christian progressives because we read our Bibles, not because we put them away. It’s okay if you’re not here yet or if you ever will be, but it’s important to understand the truth about how and why we arrived here."

So, in light of Corey’s list…

I thought it would be fun to write a list of my own! (But I must warn you, as Mr. Corey noted above, this is not an account of everyone's journey, nor is it a comprehensive exegetical list of what ought to be found in the pages of scripture. It is simply me chewing the cud of what it means to be a Christ-follower.)

Here goes.

1.     The more I read my Bible, the more I realize that Paul was mostly talking to us about Jesus.

I’m going to be very plain here. There was a whole lot Paul meant for us to keep for all time, and that "whole lot" is primarily Jesus. Paul wanted his churches to know Jesus, to live the Gospel well, and to love one another without restraint or barrier. A lot of other Pauline stuff we often impose on ourselves and others is secondary, historically immediate, and uniquely specific to the particular groups to which he spoke. Readers need to be more sensitive to this notion. The more I read the Bible, the more I see less of Paul’s teachings about things that are culturally irrelevant, and more of a reflection of Christ. In reading and contemplating Paul’s guidance of his churches, I long for Jesus as pastor. Therefore, I make no apology in saying that Jesus frames all of Paul’s teachings within their proper place and time. Paul’s expositions most certainly reflect the work and person of Jesus, yet Jesus Christ is the only One who is able to give the Gospel and the Christian life their Eternal relevance, rather than the do's and don'ts that are often derived from the Pauline writings. 

2.     The more I read my Bible, the more I realize that Jesus is the center of it all.

Now that I’ve gotten my Pauline soapbox out of the way, I get to add these lines to one of my favorite Israel Houghton songs:

Jesus at the center of it all

Jesus at the center of it all

From beginning to the end

It will always be, it's always been You Jesus

Jesus (Israel Houghton)

  I find true healing and blessing in these lyrics.

 But these are even better:

“He is the exact image of the invisible God, the firstborn of creation, the eternal. It was by Him that everything was created: the heavens, the earth, all things within and upon them, all things seen and unseen, thrones and dominions, spiritual powers and authorities. Every detail was crafted through His design, by His own hands, and for His purposes. He has always been! It is His hand that holds everything together. He is the head of this body, the church. He is the beginning, the first of those to be reborn from the dead, so that in every aspect, at every view, in everything, He is first.”

(Colossians 1:15-19 THE VOICE)

And I think that pretty much sums it up. Jesus at the center of it all.

3.     The more I read my Bible, the more I realize it’s about The Kingdom, not the rapture.

I stopped focusing on being raptured some time ago. As I read further, my focus seemed to naturally turn to Jesus’ emphasis on Kingdom. I always believed the “Kingdom of Heaven” was a place away from earth, up and away. Yet that whole line about “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” sort of knocked some sense into me. I faced the truth that I was all too happy to leave this “fallen world” behind and fly away to escape the coming tribulation. But is that really what its about? I don’t think so anymore. Based on how Jesus taught it, I live in a Kingdom that is now, but still not quite yet. Jesus will be back, I just don’t think the eschatological concept of “the rapture” accurately depicts his impending return. I’m still fleshing this one out, but this definitely puts me in the more progressive camp.

4.     The more I read my Bible, the more I realize Jesus was a feminist and a pacifist. 

Yes. I think Christians get too riled up and uptight around these two words, as well as these types of Believers. Guys and gals, please calm down about this. I don’t care what anyone says, feminism gets a bad rep. I don’t buy the stereotypes or the propaganda, no matter how “biblical” or preachy. The Bible documents it well. Jesus loves women in a way that is counter-cultural. Jesus promotes peace in a way that is counter-cultural. He is the only perfect feminist, and the only perfect pacifist. In Christ all things are new, and that includes how men and women should relate, and how justice ought to be won. Plus, after reading Sarah Bessey’s Jesus Feminist, I see the beauty of the Christian life this way. At the end of the day, these are just words, and I think they can be owned and reconciled. When feminism and peace-making are perfectly characterized in Christ, and properly demonstrated in one another, we have the makings of a beautiful, wonderful Kingdom!

5.     The more I read my Bible, the more I realize that the overuse/misuse of the word “Biblical” gets on my nerves.  

Ok, this one is a pet peeve of mine. The word "Biblical" is not a one-size fit all stamp for what I consider to be “the right doctrine.” After some careful Bible reading, I realized this word can fall prey to serious abuse. I like how Rachel Held Evans puts it by saying that we often practice “inherent selectivity.” This means we arbitrarily select what to own as “biblical”, often without realizing it. Like Evans, I have attempted to share my concern over the misuse of this word with friends and loved ones, only to be met with blank stares of confusion. Oh well.  The more scripture I read, the more I see that the Bible is not to be made into a “biblical blueprint” for life. It has many different options for various situations, and with countless possible outcomes; no need to tack on the word “Biblical”, in order to bolster credibility. It’s far too often an abuse of the term.

6.     The more I read my Bible, the more I realize that “Patriarchy is not God’s dream for humanity.”(Jesus Feminist)  

     This is one of my favorite Sarah Bessey quotes. I think it accurately reflects what I found to be true as I read more Bible. As a result of my learning, I've adopted what some may call an egalitarian view of men's and women's roles. IMHO, I just don't think patriarchy ought to have a such a prominent place in the church. First, Jesus honored women in humility and equality. He spoke and interacted with women in ways that contradicted the status quo. Jesus didn't argue for his power, he deferred it in the presence of women. Next, Paul establishes the concept of newness in Christ, where there is neither slave, nor free, Jew nor Greek, male nor female, and that all are one in Christ.  He also taught that submission should first be mutual. In fact, the main distinction established between believers in Christ, are the gifts of the Holy Spirit. I think that's where the buck stops. Due to some good Bible reading, patriarchy has been weighed and found seriously wanting.

7.     The more I read my Bible, the more I realize it wasn’t written in a straight line.

Scripture was not recorded in a linear fashion, nor does it detail a linear story. Instead, it is a narrative with many twists and turns, nuance of the times, poetry, battle, drama, and dare I say, even some contradictions! As I read more closely, I become more attuned to these discrepancies, and they don’t take away from or burden my Christian life, they only serve to make it richer. The Bible becomes less predictable, and I am less likely to put it down.

8.     The more I read my Bible, the more I realize it wasn’t written in King James’ English.

This is another battle I gave up a long time ago. Once I learned that there is really no “word for word” English(or any other language) translation of the Bible, and that an “original” manuscript does not exist, I gave myself permission to ditch the KJV. At first I felt most at home with the ESV, but now I've settled in with The Voice. I prefer an emphasis on the narrative of God’s word.

9.     The more I read my Bible, the more I realize conflict in the church is “Old Hat”.

Church battles are nothing new. We should stop treating the book of Acts like a blueprint for the perfect church. Even Paul had his disputes. The early church was full of problems, and so no amount of “New Testament” practices is going to eliminate that point. Where the body of Christ is concerned, its ok to deviate when necessary from the book of Acts and beyond. We don’t gather to emulate what we consider the absolute right way to practice church, we gather to commune, to celebrate, to lament, and to worship. Along the way, I've learned that it’s possible to bend without breaking. 

10. The more I read my Bible the more I realize it doesn’t make life any easier.

I consider the Lord's servant Job. He seemingly had it all together, until he didn't. Knowing the Bible, practicing it's ways, and being a Christian doesn't exempt me from real suffering, either temporary or prolonged. None of these factors releases me from the need to lament my losses, to drift away into silence, to question God in times of disorientation. The words of scripture reveal that this is how the nation of Israel interacted with God, and when they didn't interact they fell prey to forgetfulness. Forgetting spelled terrible things for the Israelite! I'd rather face the tough realities of life head on, sometimes even in anger at God (gasp!), rather than suppress them and lose touch with God completely. Otherwise I grow quiet, despondent, and passive. And then I forget. Reading my Bible more taught me that suffering is not only a possibility, it is imminent.  

This list is not meant to be for everyone, but it has been my journey. As I read and study the Bible more and more, I get more sensitive to who God is and what He is really about. Life has been a lot more peaceful. Therefore, I'm OK with the progressive side of me.

I leave you with this Wonderful Video. :)

waking up to the water: An Intro.

"What the hell is water?" 
Photo: Thinkcreateart.com 2011, Wordpress

There are these two young fish swimming along, and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says, "Morning, boys, how's the water?" And the two young fish swim on for a bit, and then eventually one of them looks over at the other and goes, "What the hell is water?" - David Foster Wallace in "This is Water" 

One of the most memorable classroom lessons that I have taught so far this school year was the concept of "the Rhetorical Triangle (RT) ". The RT outlines Aristotle's rhetorical system, which offers the basic connections between a speaker, her message, and the audience. This simple (or not) notion happens to fit nicely into the shape of a triangle. To keep it interesting, I introduced this lesson by presenting a video titled "This is Water".

"This is Water" is the title of a speech given by the late great David Foster Wallace as a commencement speech. Needless to say, the message of this piece deeply impacted my students and I. In his address, Wallace asserts that awareness is what separates the truly educated from the "walking dead". He claims that many adults are walking around on a "default setting", unaware of their surroundings or the impact they have therein.

And this is what got me thinking.  At many junctures in my life, I have been that "younger fish", supremely unaware that "this is water."

This work of rhetorical genius melted all my thoughts about God, church, people, life, my gifts, and my calling into three simple, yet profound words: "this is water". They means so much. "This is water" means to wake up, take a look around, be aware, smell the roses, and get educated. Instead of circling around inside my own head with both eyes shut, I can choose to open my eyes and gaze at the bigger picture, look up at the stars, taking in the sights, sounds, Divine image-bearers, and wonders of the world around me. But it starts with the simple yet profound realization, that hey..."this is water."

Studying at an ecumenical Christian Seminary (GO HGST!) has caused me to entertain awareness, while still being so afraid to get my hands and feet dirty. Yet and still, I embrace this fear with dignity and longing. I will admit, I had to stop reading the Bible, to actually begin reading the Bible (more details later). What once was flat, became not only round, but rugged and often jagged...I began to realize that "this is water." I am currently on a path that recognizes there is a grappling, and a persistent struggle with truth, and an awkward discovery that "this is water." It is devoid of certainty. To experience life, to love, to suffer, to work, to play, and to have faith, is to have countless opportunities to engage and to become increasingly aware. To be present in the world sensitive to the living, and yet somehow strengthened by that sensitivity.

A fellow blogger and professor at Abilene Christian University, Richard Beck once said, that "we all believe things we don't think we believe until it's pointed out to us." Sometimes we need someone to point out those obvious unknowns (yup), and we are met with a shocking moment (or moments) of awareness. Sometimes we are the ones who need to do the pointing.

Such awareness is beckoning me into a more empathetic and holistic approach to my life and to the lives of others. Such awareness requires a sensitivity to humanity, which I have yet to fully understand. This is the meaning of sensitive skin. Garnering a sense of awareness which leads to empathy. Empathy is the cornerstone of true education, morality, faith, religion, and life, and as a Jesus-follower, empathy is a character trait that I am called to exude.

Therefore, this is my place to wake up and share by saying, "hey guys, this is water." Here at sensitive skin, I hope to engage topics that build awareness, increase empathy, while gently merging society and theology in a way that fosters redemptive speaking, living, and dwelling in communities. Hopefully this creates a safe space for healthy sensitivity, which I think develops stronger, more mature, and more educated individuals and communities.

find your water.