Clare De Graaf's Blog, page 12
October 22, 2018
What Kind of Catholic is She?
A man I’d never met called last month and asked for an appointment about an urgent matter. So we did.
“My son is dating a Catholic girl and my wife and I are sick about it! What should we do?”
As they say, this isn’t my first rodeo. I’ve been asked this question dozens of times over the years, so I’ve learned to ask this question;
“What kind of Catholic is she (or he)?”
Invariably the reaction is always the same. “What do you mean by that? She’s Catholic. How many kinds of Catholics are there?” Here’s how I answered.
“My son is dating a Catholic girl and my wife and I are sick about it! What should we do?”
As they say, this isn’t my first rodeo. I’ve been asked this question dozens of times over the years, so I’ve learned to ask this question;
“What kind of Catholic is she (or he)?”
Invariably the reaction is always the same. “What do you mean by that? She’s Catholic. How many kinds of Catholics are there?” Here’s how I answered.
October 15, 2018
The Upside Down Gospel
Almost everything Jesus taught is counter-intuitive to human wisdom. If you’re looking for logic, go to math. But if you’re searching for truth, come to Jesus.
That’s the way I began my mentoring of several post college young men a few years ago. These men were raised Christian, but at best were secular Christians. What’s a secular Christian? A person who believes what the Bible says, and has an outward veneer of spirituality, but has little spiritual depth, or a worldview that actually governs their day to day decisions.
Signs of a secular Christian?
That’s the way I began my mentoring of several post college young men a few years ago. These men were raised Christian, but at best were secular Christians. What’s a secular Christian? A person who believes what the Bible says, and has an outward veneer of spirituality, but has little spiritual depth, or a worldview that actually governs their day to day decisions.
Signs of a secular Christian?
October 8, 2018
Red Letter Christians
Last week’s blog was on the authority of the Bible. If you’re a parent, grandparent or mentor, there’s a second alarming trend coming your way – “red letter Christians”.
A few years ago, two hugely influential writers, Tony Campollo and Shane Claiborne, wrote a book entitled, The Red Letter Revolution. In the author’s own words, the basic premise of their book is this;
“Not only do we say that the red letters (the actual words of Jesus in red letters in the four gospels) are superior to the black letters of the Bible, but Jesus said they were! Jesus over and over again in the Sermon on the Mount, declared that some of the things that Moses taught about such things as divorce, adultery, killing, getting even with those who hurt you and the use of money, had to be transcended to a higher morality.”
In all fairness, I agree, as do most theologians, that the last part of this quote is true. Jesus did “toughen up” and raised the bar of Moses’ teaching in almost all of these areas. But that’s exactly why this book and this red letter revolution idea is so dangerous. It mixes, “let’s just live like Jesus” (and who’s going to argue with that!) with making commands in the rest of the Bible, including the balance of the New Testament books a virtual footnote.
But, this blog isn’t a personal assault on Tony, or Shane, two men I’ve not always agreed with theologically, but who clearly are trying to be serious followers of Jesus and are courageously calling others to do the same. But, it is a warning about red letter Christianity. My concern is that these views will only further undermine the confidence of younger Christians in the reliability and authority of all scripture for their lives. So, why would these authors do that? Here’s my theory;
A few years ago, two hugely influential writers, Tony Campollo and Shane Claiborne, wrote a book entitled, The Red Letter Revolution. In the author’s own words, the basic premise of their book is this;
“Not only do we say that the red letters (the actual words of Jesus in red letters in the four gospels) are superior to the black letters of the Bible, but Jesus said they were! Jesus over and over again in the Sermon on the Mount, declared that some of the things that Moses taught about such things as divorce, adultery, killing, getting even with those who hurt you and the use of money, had to be transcended to a higher morality.”
In all fairness, I agree, as do most theologians, that the last part of this quote is true. Jesus did “toughen up” and raised the bar of Moses’ teaching in almost all of these areas. But that’s exactly why this book and this red letter revolution idea is so dangerous. It mixes, “let’s just live like Jesus” (and who’s going to argue with that!) with making commands in the rest of the Bible, including the balance of the New Testament books a virtual footnote.
But, this blog isn’t a personal assault on Tony, or Shane, two men I’ve not always agreed with theologically, but who clearly are trying to be serious followers of Jesus and are courageously calling others to do the same. But, it is a warning about red letter Christianity. My concern is that these views will only further undermine the confidence of younger Christians in the reliability and authority of all scripture for their lives. So, why would these authors do that? Here’s my theory;
October 1, 2018
What Does the U.S. Constitution and the Bible Have in Common?
Does God have the right to…? (and you can complete that question any way you want.)
We older evangelicals believe we know the answer to that question and can’t imagine any Christians not agreeing with us. “Yes! Of course God has the right to do, or ask of us whatever it is he wants! We live under the authority of God, as expressed in the Bible.”
But the truth is, even if we believe he has the right to order our lives, even those of us who willingly say we put ourselves under his authority, still buck his commands occasionally.
I’m asked all the time why I decided in my late 60’s to tackle the LGBT topic. The answer is simple. The real battle today is not LGBT questions or same-sex marriage, or homophobia, co-habitation, racial discrimination, or divorce. Those are simply the unintended consequences of a far more dangerous trend. Here’s what that is;
Confidence in the authority of the Bible is being eroded.
We older evangelicals believe we know the answer to that question and can’t imagine any Christians not agreeing with us. “Yes! Of course God has the right to do, or ask of us whatever it is he wants! We live under the authority of God, as expressed in the Bible.”
But the truth is, even if we believe he has the right to order our lives, even those of us who willingly say we put ourselves under his authority, still buck his commands occasionally.
I’m asked all the time why I decided in my late 60’s to tackle the LGBT topic. The answer is simple. The real battle today is not LGBT questions or same-sex marriage, or homophobia, co-habitation, racial discrimination, or divorce. Those are simply the unintended consequences of a far more dangerous trend. Here’s what that is;
Confidence in the authority of the Bible is being eroded.
September 24, 2018
What Does Jesus Think of Retirement?
A few years ago, I attended a “Bible Study” in Florida of a dozen retired guys down for the winter. They heard I was in town on vacation and asked me to be their guest discussion leader. The topic that morning was a discussion on a chapter from Rick Warren’s book, The Purpose Driven Life.
When I arrived, they had a dozen questions they’d saved up over the weeks for me to answer or comment on. Among them was this question;
Is retirement biblical?
When I arrived, they had a dozen questions they’d saved up over the weeks for me to answer or comment on. Among them was this question;
Is retirement biblical?
September 17, 2018
Simple Faith
The other day I was listening to a radio teacher who was splitting some theological hairs on a question I can’t even remember anymore. But he was trying to make some very nuanced argument about some verse in scripture and I began rolling my eyes in an “oh, brother!” kind of way.
Then this morning, I read this from Matthew 19.
“Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’” Matthew 19:13-14
I don’t think the Holy Spirit had Matthew just plunk down this random passage any old place. It immediately follows Jesus teaching on divorce in Matthew 19:1-12. How in the world are they connected? (And by the way, this blog isn’t about divorce. It’s actually about faith.)
Then this morning, I read this from Matthew 19.
“Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’” Matthew 19:13-14
I don’t think the Holy Spirit had Matthew just plunk down this random passage any old place. It immediately follows Jesus teaching on divorce in Matthew 19:1-12. How in the world are they connected? (And by the way, this blog isn’t about divorce. It’s actually about faith.)
September 10, 2018
Dark Arrows and Light Arrows
Christians talk about “walking in the Spirit” all the time, but what does that really mean in everyday life? I posted this blog three years ago, when my readership was much smaller. I’m posting it again because so many people I meet with one-on-one, have found it helpful for living out the Spirit-filled life. I hope you will also.
“Alright Clare, I have a very important and potentially tough meeting today. Exactly what does it mean to be led by the Holy Spirit in that meeting?”
That’s the question a CEO of a major company posed to me a few years ago over breakfast. He didn’t want the theologically correct answer; he wanted advice in a way he could understand and use. Today! So, here’s what I told him.
“Alright Clare, I have a very important and potentially tough meeting today. Exactly what does it mean to be led by the Holy Spirit in that meeting?”
That’s the question a CEO of a major company posed to me a few years ago over breakfast. He didn’t want the theologically correct answer; he wanted advice in a way he could understand and use. Today! So, here’s what I told him.
September 3, 2018
Don’t Be Afraid of All Slippery Slopes!
Every Christian has been told to beware of the slippery slope.
If we start having women in leadership, before too long we’ll be ordaining them! It’s a slippery slope.
If your church tries to love LGBT people, sure as shootin, you’ll be going liberal. It’s a slippery slope.
If you welcome Christians co-habitating – living together, pretty soon everyone will be fine with that. That’s a slippery slope.
And so it goes. “Yes,” there are slippery slopes and “yes” we need to be aware of them. But how should Christians who want to be faithful to scripture engage these topics without heading down the slippery slope?
If we start having women in leadership, before too long we’ll be ordaining them! It’s a slippery slope.
If your church tries to love LGBT people, sure as shootin, you’ll be going liberal. It’s a slippery slope.
If you welcome Christians co-habitating – living together, pretty soon everyone will be fine with that. That’s a slippery slope.
And so it goes. “Yes,” there are slippery slopes and “yes” we need to be aware of them. But how should Christians who want to be faithful to scripture engage these topics without heading down the slippery slope?
August 27, 2018
How to Intelligently Navigate Conversations About Sexual Identity with Students
If you have high school or college age children or grandchildren, and don’t feel comfortable yet discussing LGBT questions, this might help you. This blog is actually an audio transcript with Sam Allberry, author, speaker and minister at Maidenhead Anglican Church in the U.K. Sam also experiences same-sex attraction, but believes same-sex, sexual relations are sin. Sam is being interviewed by Pastor John Piper. www.desiringgod.org
Sam, I want to talk with you about the sexual-identity conversations you’ve had on secular college campuses. This is a huge question facing pastors and leaders. These conversations are as potentially volatile as they are potent for good.
Obviously, speaking of sex practices and self-identity, with biblical conviction and with humility, opens outreach opportunities like few other things. From your experience, what have you learned from publicly engaging LGBT societies on campus? And how can we steward these types of conversations well?
Sam, I want to talk with you about the sexual-identity conversations you’ve had on secular college campuses. This is a huge question facing pastors and leaders. These conversations are as potentially volatile as they are potent for good.
Obviously, speaking of sex practices and self-identity, with biblical conviction and with humility, opens outreach opportunities like few other things. From your experience, what have you learned from publicly engaging LGBT societies on campus? And how can we steward these types of conversations well?
August 20, 2018
Judgment Day – Your Report Card
When I grew up, somehow I got the notion that Christian life was largely about sin management. Our job, my job, was to make sure I sinned as little as possible, especially the “big sins” like sexual sins. Oh, I knew God also required me to pray, worship him, give and do some acts of service to others. But aside from going to church, putting cash in the offering plate and volunteering, “doing good things for God” was hard to quantify. But sin was sin. When I did sin, I generally knew instantly that I’d done something wrong.
Perhaps you too were raised in a sin management home or church, as well. Where did that idea come from?
Perhaps you too were raised in a sin management home or church, as well. Where did that idea come from?
