America, The Foregone?

On more than one occasion, over the last few weeks, I've heard people at more than one local church praying for "America to come back to God." At least, that was the gist of the sentiment. There's no denying that this is something on the minds of a number of church-going folks in the wake of the recent ruling from the Supreme Court on same-sex marriage. I've thought about this desire for an American "restoration" for a little bit and I'd like to share some thoughts... feel free to comment and let me know where I've gone wrong :-)

1. Seems to me that it doesn't take much to shake the faith of the average American. How can we talk about a God that is so omni-everything, and then completely wig out and bemoan our existence, as a people, just because of a judicial ruling?

2. I, too, believe that the US was founded by men who claimed to be followers of God and framed their fledgeling nation-state based upon the Judeo-Christian values which came naturally to them. However, that's a far cry from making the USA a nation that is "God's" in the sense many seem to believe it has been at some point in the past.

3. (building on 2) Why do we seem to have this notion that, somehow, the state of human existence is getting worse by the second? Culture changes, but I can't go along with the persuasion that we are worse off, morally, now than we were 50 years ago. Have we already forgotten World War II, for example?

4. Why would people who find so much identity in their Christianity be so surprised when the secular world doesn't give a flying fig newton about their values. The Apostle John tells us in I John 3:13 that we should "not be surprised when the world hates us."

5. Most importantly, what hurts me the most is to see so many people who claim to be following Jesus reacting with so much unfiltered and raw fear. Jesus said that others would know we are Christians by our love.

So.... what say you, church folks? Am I just missing the boat? How bout the folks who haven't darkened the doorway of a church building in years? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this as you observe things from the outside.

One Simple Thing

I'm in a place in life where I believe many find themselves...there are lots of decisions to be made and many of them feel as though they could knock the earth of it's axis if not handled correctly. As I write this, I'm sitting on my bed in a mission in Nicaragua. I'm here because the director of the mission invited me to bring my family down so that we can talk about how our family might fit into the work here, long term. I have ongoing conversations with a handful of churches in the US, who are all interested in me as a potential staff member on one level or another. I also have a job, currently, with a company that is incredible, treats me very well, and makes me a better person. 

How could anyone feel prepared to make decisions about these kinds of opportunities? 

Honestly, I have no idea, and at this point I really don't plan on making any decisions, at all. Here's my prayer in the midst of all this...I'm praying for God to close all the doors of opportunity, except for the one(s) He knows will be best for His purposes. I'm not capable of holding the wheel on my own life and actually getting the ship where it needs to go. 

We can make our plans,

but the LORD determines our steps.

Proverbs 16:9