Tuesday, December 28, 2004

10:44 PM The interview on WYLL went very well with a lively exchange of views, especially on the issue of homosexuality. I wrote about the interview (along with my comments on the seven questions listed below) in today’s Crosswalk weblog entry called Questions and Answers. 7:00 AM We leave for China in 16 days. 6:59 AM Don’t forget about the “Prayer Party” featuring the Breakaway Band this Friday night, New Year’s Eve, in the Upper Room, 7-9 PM. We’ll laugh, we’ll sing, we’ll share, we’ll remember, we’ll rejoice, and we’ll enjoy refreshments together. 6:54 AM This afternoon I’ll be one of several religious leaders taking part in the Pastor’s Roundtable with host Scott Thomas on WYLL, 1160 AM. The show airs from 3-5 PM. Yesterday they sent me a list of the seven questions we will be discussing: 1. Given the devastating death toll of the south Asian Tsunami (over 23,000 at this hour), people will certainly be asking the “What kind of God allows this to happen”, or “Where was God in this” question. As a pastor, how would you answer that? Why doesn’t God stop these kinds of things from happening? 2. Reggie White died Sunday. As a star in the NFL, he was the most visible overtly Christian pro athelete of his time. What do you think about athletes that publically thank God, specifically “my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” after games, after accomplishments, etc. Are pro athletes (for better or worse) role models? Should they be? 3. Pastor Ray Pritchard’s recent book is called “Discovering God’s Will For Your Life”. Let’s talk about whether God has a specific plan for everyone…how you go about discovering God’s will for your life…and what happens when you find it (or don’t). 4. This Christmas season was reflective of, I think, a growing secular agressiveness to take God out of the “Public Square”. So pervasive is the PC pressure that stores like Macy’s (the store of the Miracle on 34th St.) no longer allows employees to greet customers with Merry Christmas. As believers, how should we respond to the growing secular pressure? 5. Celebrities, most notably Madonna, have put Kabbalah (Jewish Mysticism) in the spiritual spotlight. What is it? How do we, as Christians, challenge it? 6. in 2004, an ELCA Church (Hollywood Lutheran) ordained a practicing homosexual as pastor, joining the Episcopal and United Methodist churches in this practice, although contrary to its own rules. Should homosexuals be ordained? Is sexual immorality unfairly scrutinzed more than other sins? 7. In your opinion, what were the most important news items or social events of 2004?