Human Slavery and Sex Trafficking

Our event with International Justice Mission was a tremendous success. We were pleased with the turnout and response at UNCA for Victor's presentation.

While he demonstrated the ugliness of human trafficking, we'd like to take a deeper look into some of its causes. Therefore, tonight, we will be screening the documentary, DEMAND produced by Shared Hope International.

The documentary features investigative footage of the dark and hidden world of sex traffickers, pimps and buyers. It exposes the roles that pornography and prostitution play in viscous crimes against our neighbors, even when the actions seem private.

We will be screening the film tonight at 7 pm at our building downtown 297 Haywood St., at the corner of Patton and Haywood, across from Hunter Volvo.

Because It contains graphic images, nudity and sexual content, the film is inappropriate for anyone under age 18.

Shocked by Grace

Our friend Carolyn is fighting cancer. About two weeks ago her kidneys shut down. She's now on dialysis and among other things is unable to walk. I spent some time with her at the hospital, just listening to her story and praying with her. I've since been following up and checking in.

Today I phoned her as I have a headcold and didn't want to risk getting around her while her immune system is not up to par. I called to listen and to encourage and to pray. As soon as she heard my voice, she began asking how I was feeling and praying for me, asking what she could do to help. She can't even get out of bed and her desire is to encourage and help. I was shocked at the picture of grace she painted for me.

I feel physically down, but spiritually loved. Thanks for praying for me Carolyn.

Sarah Palin and Point of Contention

The choice of John McCain to name Sarah Palin as his Vice-Presidential running mate was both stunning and politically brilliant. While the left wing is still dazed over the thought that perhaps he was choosing her to win over the Hillary Clinton supporters, my guess is that he actually chose her to prevail among the right wing camp; particularly, the right wing, conservative, evangelical camp. And triumph he did.

While prior to the Palin choice, I could get away with not supporting the Republican ticket among Christian social conservatives, I no longer have that luxury. I have been inundated with pro-Palin messages via email, facebook, etc. as if she were the Republican candidate for President of the U.S. all of which carry the message that if I don't vote for McCain-Palin, then I'm lined up with a Muslim terrorist who wants to kill my babies and eat them on national t.v.

What is so disturbing to me about this (besides the obvious absurdity) is that it seems to blindly follow partisan politics. Very few and far between are conservative evangelicals who even raise the question of the appropriateness of this choice. In fact, the first public statement I have seen on the issue was raised in an LA Times article just over a week ago.

Here's the point of contention: Is it really a God-centered, biblical family value to support a woman who has a teenager with a "crisis" pregnancy, a baby with Downs-Syndrome and two other daughters living at home, to neglect her role as wife and mother to advance a political career? And without a doubt, if she is going to effectively execute the office of Vice-President of the U.S., she will most certainly neglect the precious gift of being Mom. Perhaps we're seeing a little of that fruit in Bristol (Palin's 17 year-old, pregnant daughter) already at the governor level.

Men whom I greatly admire for their stance on the biblical, complementarian role of men and women have suggested that we compartmentalize and advocate that such roles are good for the church and the home, but that politics is a separate arena. I couldn't disagree more. Just as she cannot incise her home life from her political life, we cannot either. Perhaps Palin could offer glorious public service as Vice-President, but not during this season in her life.

Scripture unequivocally places family relationship as the priority. I am not raising the question due to a chauvinistic belief that women cannot work outside of the home, since Prov. 31 states that the virtuous woman does, in fact, work outside the home, but not at every season. And we are beholding a woman who is making political advancement a priority over her family, which according to Paul "has denied the faith and is worst than an unbeliever" (I Tim. 5:8).

I must caveat this with the fact that I'm not pushing a pro-Obama standpoint as there is much to his political agenda with which I prayerfully struggle. I simply ask, are we blinded more by a cultural expectation to vote Republican, no matter how unbiblical the choice or do we think more creatively (like third party write-ins). Wish I had more answers, but we're in a season where we should be asking tougher questions.

I post this with hesitation as I'm unsure of the willingness of evangelical Christians to dialogue...

Big Sweep Clean Up

Special thanks to all who came out and pitched in to clean up our section of the Swannanoa River.

Robbie & Kelly Greene
Josh & Sarah Lowe
Jackie Raffa
Michelle Robinson
Joshua Janis

From the pictures below, it appears that Robbie did the majority of the work (at least in front of the camera).

John 13: Part 2

The passages in John 13, 18, and 19 taken together seem to indicate that the Passover supper had not been eaten before Jesus was crucified. However, it is clearly taught in Matt., Mark and Luke that Jesus instituted the Eucharist after the Passover supper, which he consumed with His closest disciples. I suggested that the contradiction is only interpretive and that the text in John's account does not teach that Jesus was crucified before the Passover. Let's take a look at each verse:

1. John 13:1 - "Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come...." This verse is not setting up the timeline of the footwashing, but is telling the time when Jesus knew that His hour had come. In the original language, the participle "knowing" (translated "knew" in the ESV) refers to the time when the knowing took place. In this case, "Before the Feast of the Passover." John was pointing out that the events about to take place were no surprise to Jesus. He knew them before they came. The context reinforces this. The second point will make this a little more clear, but if the footwashing took place "before the feast of the Passover," then it could have been before Jesus was annointed at Bethany. But that doesn't flow with the text.

2. John 13:29 & 18:28 refer to "the feast" and "eat the Passover." It is an interpretive error to force these versus to refer strictly to the day when the Passover supper took place. Passover was a 7 day Feast (Ex. 12, Lev. 23, Deut. 16:1-3), much like the other multi-day feasts throughout John's account. The Lamb's were slain and consumed (Passover supper) and unleavened bread was to be the feast for seven days.
In John 13, the disciples could anticipate (even after the Passover supper) that more would be needed to continue the feast, especially in light of how hastily the supper was planned.
In John 18, the officers and chief priests and Pharisees would not want to participate in anything that would prohibit them from continuing to participate in the Passover feast.

3. John 19:14 states, "Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover..." and Jesus is rejected by the chief priests and sent to be crucified. Again, the text is not stating that this was the preparation "for the Passover," and if you notice, "Preparation" is capitalized. The reason is because the Preparation day was for the Sabbath on Passover week (i.e. Friday). We get this explanation in several other passages (Mark 15:42, Luke 23:54 and even in John 19:31).

The only way to get the text to teach that the Passover supper had not taken place is to make some interpretive mistakes. Hopefully, looking at this a little more carefully will instill in your faith an uncompromising, steadfast hope in God's Word to us. It is reliable and without error and you can trust it.

Human Slavery

Missio Dei Church is joining up with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and Montreat College to bring in Victor Butros of International Justice Mission to present his work.

We are also taking a look at the domestic problem of Human Slavery and Sex Trafficing by inviting Susan Hinz of the Hope House Project to present ways that we can get involved in assisting those who have been devastated by this horror.

The Hope House Project
International Justice Mission

John 13: Did Jesus Eat the Passover Supper or Not?

This week, we are approaching yet another controversial passage in John's account of Jesus' life, death and resurrection. A cursory read of a few passages seem to indicate that John, the beloved disciple of Jesus, didn't accurately record the details of Jesus' last night before his brutal murder, or that he changed the details so that he could emphasize a certain theology about Jesus.

If you consider the accounts in the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke), it is very clear that on the first day of Unleavened Bread, the day when the Passover Lambs were sacrificed, that Jesus and His disciples ate the Passover supper the night before His arrest, trial, and crucifixion. The accounts can be found in Matt. 26:17-25 (which mentions the first day of Unleavened Bread, but not the lamb. This was because the Hebrew audience to whom Matthew was writing would know the details of the day of Unleavened Bread), Mark 14:12-21, and Luke 22:7-23.

When we arrive at John's account, several passages seem to indicate that the Passover meal is a day later. John 13:1 starts, "Now before the Feast of the Passover..." and then tells the story of the footwashing, the betrayal by Judas and the denial by Peter. In John 13:29, after Judas has left the supper, the disciples think that Jesus told him "Buy what we need for the feast," indicating that they had not yet eaten the Passover supper. A few chapters later, after Jesus had been arrested and was being taken to the governor's headquarters, those who arrested Jesus refused to enter, "so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover." And finally, in 19:14, John mentions that "it was the day of Preparation of the Passover" when Jesus is delivered to be crucified.

I am of the persuasion that there is no disagreement. Contradiction can only be found in interpretation, but not in the text. In the next post I'll explain how and why this works.

September Sessions

September was a busy month for Missio Dei Church. To bring you up to date (and to give you an excuse as to why I haven't posted anything for nearly 7 weeks), here's what's been happening.
1. We've moved into our new building and I have been praying through and writing out a theology of ministry to "walk-ins."
2. We've nearly doubled in attendance at our Sunday morning gatherings (around 80 or so adults in worship gathering)
3. We have been enfolding our people into community groups (60 adults committed and 5 groups around the city).
4. We did a four part series called "The Space Between" exploring our experience from the tree in the garden at Eden to the tree in the city of God.
5. We conducted a Free "Sale," which was a huge yard sale where we gave everything away for free to be a blessing to the working folks in the neighborhoods around our building. A tremendous success.
6. We conducted a baptism and baby dedication.
7. We are organizing a river clean up for this weekend and have a speaker from the Dept. of Jusice to present his work with the International Justice Mission at UNCA


It's been a busy month.