Poem: "Kids"

You're weird. You talk to imaginary friends.

You whine and make messes. Your parents are hippies.

But when you became a tearless, wordless teddy bear 

taped to a little pink cross,

minding your manners in horrible silence,

I stole away and died a little death.

Why I Wear a Beard

It's kinda depressing.

This is my uncle, Jackey Dale Sturguess. He died in 1995. He was the first in a long string of losses for my family. Nobody seems to remember him. We didn't talk about him as much as we should have after he died. Maybe the adults didn't think we children were old enough to grasp what suicide is. But even when I grew up, I had to pry information out of the rest of my family. Jackey took his own life (or was murdered, depending on how one interprets the evidence - either way, it was all because of drugs).
Nobody remembers him. Even his public arrest records seem to have vanished. Aside from census records, a few photographs, a poorly Xeroxed copy of his autopsy report that I found in the family Bible, and a tombstone bearing the words "Beloved Son, Brother, and Dad," it's as if he never existed. Maybe everyone was too hurt to bring him up. Years after his death, I overheard my grandmother tell someone that my grandfather would "never stop being mad at Jack."

Jackey wore some form of prominent facial hair most of his life, like my father and the rest of the males in my family. Sometimes he had a horseshoe mustache, sometimes a respectable trimmed beard, sometimes a big long ZZ Top chin-slinky. My father said the funeral home cut his beard off.
My mother said it should have been a closed-casket funeral - she said his mouth seemed swollen from the bullet wound. I always found it wrong that they took his beard off, even if Jackey wasn't really there to know it. It just seems like an indignity. That wasn't the only insult - the pastor mentioned suicide one too many times in his funeral sermon, which angered my uncle Mike to the point he had to be restrained from making a scene. It could be said that the whole mourning process was a mess. Maybe that's another reason people were so quick to put Jackey out of their minds. Friends who shot dope with him have long since scattered and destroyed their own selves - or gotten sober and exalted themselves above the memory of such an addict as Jackey. The police who beat him with flashlights have other things to deal with, other dopeheads to bust. And my own family slowly broke up, with anger and stubbornness taking up too much room in the heart for sorrow to have a place.

So, I remember my uncle by wearing a beard, just like he did. It's a reddish brown, slowly graying memorial to Jackey Sturguess. And it works out for me, because I look so good with it, and because I have no chin - without my beard, I look like I'm a character on "Bob's Burgers." Jesus says in Matthew chapter 10, "the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." God did an awful lot of counting when He totaled the sum of hair that would sprout on my head when He took into consideration this kinky beard. He numbered even more for my uncle Jackey - the hair on his scalp may have fallen off right after high school, but his messy beard that grew to his chest was numbered hair by hair by his Savior. A finite number, great as it may have been, just like the number of his days - greater though they could have been.
Jackey Sturguess was more precious than many sparrows. I'll wear my beard, coarse and unkempt as it may be, to remind me that I too am precious in the sight of the infinite Creator, and the love of His Son has made this beard finer than the coat of the finest sparrow.

It's weird, the whole beard thing - I started it! Now they all do it! They all either look like Rasputin or your dad a year after the divorce (my particular form of beard is known as "the Jethro Tull"). But when I see everyone imitating the Sturguess style, I'm not only flattered, but I'm reminded of my uncle - forgotten in that weird, slow shuffle of time and loss, but not before the sight of our Savior.

Dang I'm interesting.

"As for man, his days are like grass;
as a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
For the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more."
-Psalm 103

The Jashubite Woman's Prayer

“I am a Jashubite, of the family of Issachar. A man seized me behind the thicket, and he went into me and violated me. And now he must marry me. He may not divorce me all the days of his life.
The Law says that if a man seizes a woman and forces himself upon her, and she is betrothed to another man, then the man must be killed. He has done no different than if he had risen up in the field against his sister and killed her. I could have seen his blood stain the stones as he was crushed and cursed. But the Law says that because I am not betrothed, the man who violated me must marry me and care for me all the days of his life. He will give my father fifty shekels, and then I will be his wife.
I mourned and pulled at my hair, but I could not weep. I tried to claw tears from my eyes. The more I could not weep, the angrier I became. I seethed with hate for my new husband. This man whose eyes were once filled with lust and madness now droop to the ground in defeat – I am his defeat, because he cannot be rid of me. I am his burden. Why should he go about lamenting? Am I not the one he held to the dirt, behind the thicket? Am I not the one who screamed, whose cries went unheard? Am I not the one who watched the sparrows fly away in fear as he howled? Am I not the one who watched them fly away as I tried to ignore the pain, and the dripping of the blood, until he was done with me?
But he will never be done with me. I am a chain to his ankle.
        God, why must this be? This is the Law You gave! You alone are righteous and there is none like You! Far be it from You to let the man go without stoning, without punishment of death! Far be it from You to let him glare at me as if I were a chain to him – I am no chain to him, he is a chain to me! He violated me, Lord!
God, why does Your Law give us such statutes? Why mustn’t I wear both linen and wool? Why mustn’t I eat what chews the cud but whose hooves are not divided? Why mustn’t my brothers plow with an ox and a donkey together? Why mustn’t I fall in love with a Moabite if he should treat me well?
My mother came to my father’s aid when he fought with Shuah, the son of Ebal, whose land is next to my father’s – her hand was cut off, according to Your Law, because she attacked the man’s genitals. Look! Her hand is gone, cut off at the wrist for defending her husband! Why should I be given to one of this hideous man’s hideous brothers if he dies and does not give me children? Why should I look into a babe’s face and know he is the seed of a man I can never love? Is no one to be condemned for this iniquity? Will no one be condemned for this evil? Where is the mighty man of valor to save me?
God, deliver me from bitterness! God, You will make it right! My soul is bitter, my Lord! May the Almighty give me wisdom from what I do not understand, from what I despise. Your prophet Moses said, after he gave Your Law, that You will raise up a Prophet. Moses said it is Him we must hear. Will the Prophet make us to hear good? Will He make us to hear more statutes about linen and wool, more statutes concerning the animals with divided hooves, and how I am to be passed from hideous brother to hideous brother if they die without giving me a child I cannot look in the eye?
The Prophet is from You, God.
Far be it from Him to leave undone what is right.
You have answered me, Lord. The Prophet You give will make everything right. Lord, the Prophet You send will make sense of the weights and the measurements. He will make sense of the ox without the muzzle, the leaven, the sprinkling of lamb’s blood, the deaths, the wrongs done to me. I have never concerned myself with lofty things, O Lord, never concerned myself with things too great and too profound for me. But I have no choice with this ugly, profound thing.
May Your Prophet come quickly. I am bitter at heart. May He make everything right in this bramble and brier. May He make my screams to be precious. May He do what is right with my attacker and his howls. The sparrows who flew away, may He send forth as messengers.
God, may Your Prophet come quickly. I am bitter and sick of love.”

"Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow." -1 Peter 1:10-11

-from Sheep Named Spike by Cpt. Bud Sturguess

The Bible & Feminism

When my mother passed away a few years ago, I asked that the pastor use Proverbs 31 - the go-to Bible passage for describing strong, admirable women - as the basis of his sermon. This chapter fit my mother perfectly, as she was the greatest mom who ever lived. I mean no offense when I tell you that, compared to my mother, your mom is Casey Anthony. But only by comparison, so please don't be offended - I'm sure your mother is a wonderful mom...just not as wonderful as mine.
The character of Proverbs 31 is often called "the virtuous wife." During his sermon, the pastor noted that most often when the word "virtuous" is used in the Hebrew Old Testament, it is used in a militaristic sense.

The Bible is full of strong women of high character. There was Deborah, the judge of Israel, who was nothing short of a B.A. heroine; Rahab, who risked being caught and killed by her fellow Canaanites to hide the Israelite spies sent to scout her country, and was saved by God for her courage; Naomi, who bitterly persevered after the loss of her sons and husband; Jael, who...well, she drove a tent stake through a guy's head.
In the court of modern feminism, the argument has been made that most of the female role models in the Bible are limited to background roles, and are usually associated with and overshadowed by a husband or other male figure. I can't deny this. Being that the events described in the Bible took place in a time and culture where that was the way of life, it's inevitable that even its baddest of heroines are few in number compared to the male heroes described. This doesn't mean they didn't exist, but in the events recorded, most of the notable figures happen to be men. This was the time and culture through which God was revealing Himself and His plan of salvation. I'm sure if God had chosen to reveal these things in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, women would have had a much more prevalent role. But, He didn't. He revealed these things in a time where women's roles in societies were much different.

But the Bible doesn't tell the story of men and women, or of societal progress or regression - it tells the story of our Savior Jesus Christ.

The question is often asked, by Christian and non-Christian women alike, "how can the Bible support feminism?"
The first caveat of my answer is: do you really want to hear an answer from a man? What do I know about discrimination? What do I know about social inequality? It would be downright pretentious and condescending of me to use longwinded language to try and identify with something about which I know nothing. I've no idea what it's like to be a woman oppressed. You would have a much better perspective from a Christian woman - someone who knows the trial of following Christ while also escaping the appalling man-made (and un-Biblical) chains that tell her she's supposed to stay barefoot and pregnant.

But my gender or place in society not withstanding, my only response to "how can you reconcile the Bible with feminism?" is,

I can't.

I can cite all of the Deborahs and Proverbs 31's and Galatians 3:28's, but the hard fact is, I cannot make the Holy Scripture fit the ideology of modern feminism. The Bible is a terribly inconvenient Book for those who believe it. And I dare not twist or discard what keeps me from being seen as progressive. There are many Christians who laud the Bible, but dismiss the parts they dislike as outdated or mistranslated. This is dangerous. If we label instructions of Scripture outdated, we eventually dismiss God and the risen Christ altogether: today He is seen as an outdated, even dangerous superstition with no place in the twenty-first century. And I'd rather be buried as a neanderthal than sell out my Savior who died for me. One Jesus means more to me than thirty people who would applaud me as a progressive crusader.

But again, the Bible is not the story of feminism or any of our other isms - it is the story of Jesus.

It's offensively easy for me to say all of this - I know no societal oppression. I know religious persecution only in the form of criticism and lies. Especially when I watch an SVU rerun, wherein the first suspect is always some deranged religious zealot, for no other reason than grim comedy relief. But other than that, my Nerf-soft American comfort keeps me free from the tortures, imprisonments, and deaths suffered by Christians in many other parts of the world.

So, as I know almost no human oppression, take everything I've said here with a grain of salt, and have a little mercy on me.

The hard truth is that the Bible depicts men as heads of Christian households and of church congregations. Not as some ignorant tyrant, but as a loving protector. This is certainly against the grain of modern feminism, but I have no way to reconcile the two. It would be pathetic and condescending of me to try. The Bible does not forbid women from being the heads of Fortune 500 companies, from being Senators and Presidents, from being Generals in the military, from being astronauts, weightlifting champions, or anything else "outside of the home." The Bible does not teach that the wife's duties shall be cooking and cleaning, or that the man is above those things and can't be bothered with them. But, yes, it's true - the instruction I've gathered from Scripture is that Christian men are to be the heads of households and congregations. Maybe I've interpreted wrong - I hope I have, because life would be much easier for me, religiously speaking. But then again, what kind of thing worth following is easy? If only I were interpreting wrong the command not to lust. Life would be peachy.

Perhaps the best I can tell you concerning the matter of equality in the Christian household is the truth that man and wife are one flesh: if the man receives his instruction from Christ and Christ alone, as all believers male and female must, then the woman does not heed her husband, but Christ, as does the husband; they are one flesh obeying the instruction of one King.
The same is true for church congregations: if the pastor receives his instruction from Christ alone, as he must, male and female worshipers do not heed their pastor, but their King. And if their pastor preaches a lie, both male and female believers must use the same spirit of discernment to cast him out (just as the wife has a duty in Christ to rebuke her husband if he does what is against God's word, and vice-versa). "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28). In God's eyes, men are not superior, women are not inferior; each of His children are made in His image, and He has shed the same precious atoning blood for both. He's given His children different roles on Earth, but in eternity things will be different.

If you would turn away from Christ's Scripture because it doesn't jibe with feminism, I'm sorry for that. But I can't lie about my God's words. "Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar" (Proverbs 30:5-6). But Christianity's core is not to be politically correct or to mold to any human's idea of what it "should" be - it is the truth that Jesus Christ died on the cross for the sins of all men and women, and rose from the dead, defeating the power of death and sin, so that those who believe in Him will have eternal life in His presence.
In eternity, all will be perfect. "God will wipe away every tear from their eyes...for the former things have passed away" (Revelation 21:4). I'm quite sure that many of those tears He will wipe away will come from the oppression we impose on one another, the oppression that is a by-product of a fallen and imperfect world, fallen by sin, a world that will be made new in eternity. For now, all of Creation groans waiting for Jesus' return - not only with floods and fires, decay and mortality, but as we strive with one another and grieve one another in our fallen nature in our imperfect world. But someday it will all be made new, and it is only made new because of the cross on which our Lord Jesus suffered, for men and women alike.

But concerning the Bible and feminism, that's the best I can tell you. I'm sorry.

On His majesty's service,
Cpt. Bud Sturguess

Christians & Suicide

It's almost impossible to make the claim that suicide will not send a Christian to hell without
appearing as though you're advocating the taking of one's life. I've seen many people make the argument that suicide is not an unforgivable sin, only to be accused of heresy or abandon for the sanctity of life. But I don't write this to make suicide look okay, because it's not okay. God does not wish for anyone to take his or her own life - if a person does so, he or she is trying to usurp the authority of God. Suicide may seem like a way of relief to we who are in despair, but it only punishes those we leave behind - it leaves them with guilt, questions, and agony. We have no right to do so to those we love.

Having said that, it's not my wish to defend suicide, but only to refute a teaching that is not Biblically based, despite being taught and believed by many Christians. We all have a duty to rebuke false teachings, no matter how well-intended they may be. This teaching is the teaching that suicide is an unforgivable sin, even for a saved person; that suicide is a one-way ticket to hell, despite Jesus' death and resurrection. Again, I write these things not to defend or encourage suicide, but only as a way to, firstly, refute an incorrect notion concerning the Bible, and to perhaps assure those with saved loved ones who have taken their own lives that their sin - and suicide is indeed a sin - did not negate Jesus' covenant.

First, let's look at suicide from a mental and emotional point of view. The human instinct is to survive. If one's brain has seemingly lost that instinct, and instead harbors the opposite and a longing to die, something is wrong. I'm not saying that their obviously impaired mental judgment relieves them wholly of responsibility; I only say this to provide insight to what's going on in their heads. I've attempted suicide once, on January 8, 2006, and I'm glad to say I failed. Further, for the better part of the next year, I planned again to take my own life. But the hand of God delivered me - that terrible year came and went, but I did not go with it. Since then, there have been times when I desired so strongly to die that I've considered ending my own life. But love has preserved me. Praise God! "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly" (John 10:10).

Now, let's talk about what is truly "the unforgivable sin."

Many Christians develop their notion that suicide is an unforgivable sin based on the suicide of Judas Iscariot. But they're missing the bigger picture beyond Judas' noose. Judas will not inherit the kingdom of God, not because he hanged himself, but because of his betrayal of Jesus Christ into the hands of sinners. Judas not only betrayed our Lord, but was not a godly man before that - John's account mentions that he would regularly steal the money kept by the disciples. (But even so, I find it an example of God's unfathomable grace that, for a time, Judas Iscariot was an apostle - given authority by Jesus to heal the sick and cast out unclean spirits - imagine! The man who would betray our Lord, given the power by the same Lord to do amazing things to proclaim His kingdom!)

The actual "unforgivable sin" cannot be committed today, because those who committed this sin are no longer alive. This sin was the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit spoken by the scribes and Pharisees who rejected Jesus. They attributed His works to Satan. Mark chapter 3 reads: "Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation” - because they said, “He has an unclean spirit.”" These people - the "wicked and adulterous generation," as Jesus called them - have all since died.

The unforgivable sin today is more of an unforgivable state - the state of unrepentant rejection of Jesus as Lord.

Now let's look at the argument that the suicide of a saved person will revoke their salvation.

"Even a Christian goes to hell if they commit suicide."
Why does this particular sin nullify Christ's work on the cross? Does His death not atone for all sins of those who accept Him?
"But there's obviously no way for them to atone for it afterwards, because they're dead."
So the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross is incomplete? This is what's implied if some additional human chore is needed. Our only responsibility is to accept it or reject it. How can we call Christ's atoning blood complete if a sin still needs some human action to be considered forgiven? 
"The person took their own life! That's wrong!"
It is wrong. But what if a saved person gets into an argument with a loved one and says heated things they didn't mean, then moments later, suffers a heart attack? Or if two unmarried people fornicate, and on the way home they're killed in a fatal car crash? Because they didn't have time or chance to 'atone' for that sin by some special prayer, confession, or deed before they happened to die moments later, does that prevent them from entering into eternity with Jesus?
"Those sins are not as bad as suicide."
There are sins that are more severe than others. But all of them boil down to disobedience to God. Romans 6:1 tells us that, just because we're saved and under grace, doesn't mean we should go about sinning, shrugging it off with 'I'm already saved.' That's not living under grace - that's attempting to trample it. But even so, no mistake made by a saved person is bigger than the body and blood of Christ. To say so is to say the sacrifice of God is not sufficient without human works. If this is the case, we should begin stocking up on animals for sacrifices to atone for our sins, because the blood of Christ is somehow negated by certain wrongs.

There is no Scriptural evidence to support the claim that the sin of suicide negates the cross for a saved person.

The person who takes his or her own life will give an account on the Day of Judgment, as we all will, and the sin that ended their mortal life will surely be among the things they must answer for. The premature ending of their own life will leave many chances to minister to others undone, and unclaimed rewards in heaven. But it does not hinder one of Christ's sheep from entering into His eternal pasture which He has promised to those who believe His word - even if their minds and hearts were so tormented or broken they felt they could not wait for their Shepherd's comforting staff.

Suicide is a sin against God. But it is also, in most cases, a sign of something terribly wrong with the mind - a broken heart can drive the mind to fragility, and vice versa. If someone you know has contemplated or attempted suicide, or even alluded to not wanting to live anymore, minister to them. If they're saved, they should know the Scripture, and thus they should already know that ending their life would be a sin: even Solomon, at the time the most depressed man in Israel, wrote: "Do not be overly wicked, nor be foolish: why should you die before your time?" (Ecclesiastes 7:17) But we must also remind them of something else they should already know - that there is no hopelessness in Christ. He can lead us through the most pitch black of darkness, the most grueling and agonizing of sorrows, the most devastating of losses and loneliness.

The Bible never promises a rainbow-riddled fairy tale world for believers. In fact, the Bible promises pain and hardship. But we're also promised abundant life, both on earth and in eternity. Giving up in pain and idly waiting for death is not living. To say that death is our release from sin and misery is to say death is our savior, not Jesus. This is one of the many lies in which the devil delights.

Let us not relegate suicide prevention and awareness to copy-and-paste posts on social media. Everyone who ever took their own life, saved or not, had a story. It's our job as Christians, as ambassadors for Christ who died and rose again, to be compassionate and loving, even in the midst of our own heartaches, to take the time to hear another's story, another's despair. While a person in distress still breathes, let our focus not be to drill into their heads the sinfulness of suicide - they know this well. I knew it well, but as with any other temptation, my flesh and my mind warred against me to the point that I allowed myself not to care, at least for the moment. Rather than a lecture on sin, let our focus be to show them the love of Christ who longs for them to continue on with their brothers and sisters through the valley of the shadow of death, shining the light and unkillable hope of His Gospel in a dark and ugly world.

For more information on how to help the mentally ill, please visit nami.org.

Christians & Cremation

Dead people can be jerks. I've had many relatives who, because of their lack of consideration or sense of responsibility, did not have life or burial insurance (despite having a family), and their funerals and burial were a burden for the living to pay. Then they have the nerve to make demands: a mahogany casket lined with pillow top (and it better be mahogany, not oak), makeup to hide their eyebags, without looking too obviously like makeup, not to mention a concrete vault around them when they're put underground. And then, they're like, "I want you to take me and Elmer's wedding rings and put them on a necklace, and mail it to my granddaughter in Florida."
Addressing this subject, C.S. Lewis said it best: "You're dead! I'm not gonna run errands for you!"
I recently expressed to a friend and brother in Christ my concern about the earth running out of room for graves. Now that airtight concrete vaults surrounding the casket are mandatory in most places, graves take up more room than they used to. I think that someday, if the planet lasts long enough, mandatory cremation might be put into law, for no other reason than there will simply be no more room to bury physical remains the way they're buried presently. If not cremation, some other alternative means will be put into law for the lack of grave space.
My friend mentioned that he wouldn't want to be cremated, "for theological reasons." I didn't ask him about it, because we were in a pizzeria, and too much corpse talk might offend anyone within earshot who was trying to eat. But later, I looked up what kinds of concerns other Christians might have about cremation, and even donating one's body to medical science. I happened upon an article by John Piper. Given that my friend is a Calvinist, and John Piper is to Calvinists what Les Claypool is to aspiring bassists, I decided to read Mr. Piper's thoughts on cremation to better understand my friend's objections.

Mr. Piper was very much against Christians allowing their bodies to be cremated, citing the integrity of the human body, and the fact that the Scripture instructs Christians to care for it; after all, 1 Corinthians 6:19 tells us "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own". This is absolutely true. Scripture teaches us that it is wrong to disrespect one's live body - a temple - by immoral actions such as sexual promiscuity, drugs, nicotine, over-indulgence in alcohol, and other harmful things. Mr. Piper also quotes 1 Corinthians 15:37, 42-44: "What you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain...So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body."

But, nowhere in these verses, nor elsewhere in Scripture, do I find any suggestion that the destruction of one's remains after their soul - and the Holy Spirit - have left that physical temple violates God's command to care for the health and sanctity of one's living body. And I find no instruction for doing all one can to make sure his or her body is intact after death, to be better presentable for its resurrection.

Let's look at what happens to the body after death, without cremation:

1. You're eaten by worms and maggots.
This may not be so much of a problem now, with concrete vaults and embalming (we'll get to that), but it wasn't terribly long ago that, unless you were a President or monarch given your own tomb, a flimsy wooden casket held an un-embalmed body, with no underground vault, both of which were destined to rot underground. Mr. Piper states that the Bible often associates fire with hell and punishment. But it also associates worms and rotting with punishment - "And they will go out and look on the dead bodies of those who rebelled against Me; the worms that eat them will not die, the fire that burns them will not be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind" (Isaiah 66:24). Jesus also references this passage in the ninth chapter of the Gospel according to Mark.
It seems to me that, if being turned to ashes is an insult to the temple of God, then so would worms playing pinochle on your snout. But, again, the physical body is perishable - we will be raised with imperishable bodies, and the decay of the ones in which we labor on the earth does not affect that truth.

2. You're embalmed - a ghoulish process:
Embalming did not become a widespread practice in America until sometime after the death of President Lincoln. His body was embalmed so many times due to its long train trip to its final resting place that it was exceptionally well-preserved. Many mourners who saw this remarked how wonderful the President looked post-mortem, and many hoped to look just as good when they were dead. Mr. Piper mentions the practices of false religions and their rituals of burning bodies. If cremation shouldn't be encouraged because of similar practices by pagan religions, then neither should being embalmed - the body is being well preserved (albeit minus its major organs and blood, making the term "preserved" a bit loose), much like the Egyptians used to do to their dead (removal of blood included). Pharaohs were entombed with many of their belongings (often including their pets), so they could take them to the afterlife. We know this to be ridiculous, as we cannot take our riches with us into heaven - but that doesn't stop us from placing trinkets and keepsakes into the caskets of our loved ones today, which will go with them into their airtight graves.
As we know, the ancient Egyptians served false gods, and their beliefs were integral to their preservation of certain dead bodies. This sounds a lot like what we do to bodies at funeral homes today. So, does that mean embalming is bad? Of course not. It's unnecessary and kind of dumb, but not a reflection of some pagan influence. Today, most states require a body to be embalmed before it's placed in the ground, save for certain exceptions. So, embalming and its grim process is inescapable in most cases.
Funeral homes remove a body's organs and blood, adorn the body with makeup so that it looks downright plastic and artificial, glue the hands together when placing them across the body, glue the mouth and eyelids shut, and inflate the corpse with chemicals. This doesn't sound very "respectful" to the body, at least in the way Mr. Piper defines it.

3. What about donating my organs or donating my body to medical science?
Mr. Piper addresses this in a follow-up article. He mentions the dissection as being a "seeming indignity." But, as was just explained, similar things are done to bodies that are not donated or cremated. He goes on to mention that, if he were involved in the scientific community, he would discourage cremation of a used cadaver, but also admits he doesn't know what happens to a body once a university is finished with it. The fact is, most, if not all cadavers, are cremated; the ashes are returned to the family if requested, or disposed of in other ways.
Fortunately, however, Mr. Piper acknowledges a world of difference in cremation as a means of hastily disposing of a corpse, and giving one's body or organs for the life of another, which blesses another body with health and life, as a temple should be given. I love Mr. Piper's words concerning the difference between mere cremation and donation: "But when one considers that the aim is the discovery or the improvement of some healing procedure for the body or training of doctors in the healing arts for the body, then those very so-called indignities to the body take on a kind of beauty that, in fact, serves the dignity of the body."

Mr. Piper also mentions the brutal things done to our Lord Jesus during His torture and crucifixion. He states in his first article: "Paul said he hoped to magnify Christ “in my body, whether by life or by death” (Philippians 1:20). Glorifying God is what the body is for — in life and in death." But what Paul was describing by magnifying Christ by death was martyrdom, and suffering for the sake of the Gospel. The context of Paul's words in the first chapter of his letter to the Philippians is important: in verses 12-26, Paul is clearly describing his chains and imprisonment, his physical affliction for Christ being a witness to the abundant and eternal life He's given us by His own suffering and death (Paul expresses similar thoughts in 2 Corinthians 4:7-12). He was not referring to a proper burial - how many Christians beheaded and mutilated for their faith were then given "proper burials" by Nero?

I think one of the underlying reasons many Christians - or anyone, really - balk at the thought of being dissected by medical students is because, to be blunt, it's gross. I think because of the understandable discomfort and "ew" that comes with that notion, many people, not just Christians, prefer to think of their remains being placed under flowers and a peach orchard, and leave it at that. We experience a creepy-crawly feeling when we think of some nervous med student at Texas Tech examining an abnormality in our frontal lobes. I believe Mr. Piper, and many of us, see the issue of post-mortem flesh through a fleshly lens, strange as that sounds: we're offended at the idea of strangers handling our organs, or being burned to ash in a crematorium, because it belies what we think should be done, that which is the comfortable, accepted, traditional norm - casket, burial, tombstone. "That was my spleen, that was my heart!", we think subconsciously (or consciously). "No one should be fiddling with my innards! It's weird!"
 
Mr. Piper mentions the Scripture calling death a "sleep" of sorts, and links this to the importance of such symbolism in death (see the section "A Symbol For Sowing and Sleeping"). But again, in the First Century, and even until about a hundred-fifty years ago, the body would not stay in such a sleep-like state, due to decomposition. Mr. Piper explains that the people of the Early Church did not know when Christ would return (and many of them expected His Second Coming during their lifetime), so laying a body "to rest" as if in sleep was important. But we know now that Jesus did not return during the First Century, and that the remains of believers buried during that time have long "returned to dust," as they should. Likewise, we today don't know when Christ will return. This factor is another reason that the decomposition of this temple underground does not affect the truth that it will still be raised in glory and imperishable. Likewise for those who have died at sea, or their bodies destroyed in accidents. The scene of the White Throne Judgment, wherein all the dead will be judged, is described by John: "The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done" (Revelation 20:13).

The physical, temporary state of one's remains after death does not affect God's ability to raise them in eternal glory. Yes, our bodies must be treated with respect and preciousness while we are alive, and our physical remains must also be given respect after death. Yes, it matters what we choose to have done to them when we die. The inevitable decay of our remains certainly doesn't negate the fact that God has made our temporary shells the temples of His Holy Spirit. In fact, Paul addresses this to the Corinthians, who had the mistaken belief that the body was a "tomb" that encased the soul, and the spiritual things were what truly mattered. But Paul made it plain to them that the body is precious, should be nourished and cherished, and is a temple of the Holy Spirit.
But the Spirit does not remain in a decomposing body after the soul has departed. Yes, the body is a temple for every believer, but someday this temple gives way, "mortality swallowed up by life," to a permanent and imperishable spiritual body, in the presence of God and the Lamb, who will be the eternal temple in New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:22).
But this earthly, temporary - but precious - temple gives way, no matter how we try to artificially preserve, seal, or mummify it after our physical death:

"In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread
till you return to the ground,
for out of it you were taken;
For dust you are,
and to dust you shall return."
-Genesis 3:19

"Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked shall I return there.
The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away;
Blessed be the name of the LORD."
-Job 1:21

The Wonder Women I Know

The wonder women I know don't look like Wonder Woman. Some have eyebags, and some have cankles. Some wear their pajamas to Wal-Mart, with their hair a mess and unconditioned - they didn't have time to shower that morning. Some have a crooked tooth or two because they bought birthday and Christmas presents, food and shoes and braces for their children instead of dentists for themselves. Some have faces hollow from grief, gray hair at thirty-three, like ghost tails in dark brunette ether. Some won't deign to call them "Proverbs 31 women" because they cuss and smoke. They don't look like Hollywood's Wonder Woman, but they're heroes who do wonders.
They're the most beautiful women I've ever seen.

President Trump - God's Instrument of Rebuke?

Depending on who you ask, someone will always say the current President is God's way of "rebuking" America. If you asked a disaffected conservative, they would say Barack Obama and the ill-advised involvement in the Syrian civil war were God's rebuke. If you asked a wary liberal, they would say George W. Bush and the meltdown of the economy were God's rebuke.

I myself am neither liberal nor conservative: that's at least one idol with which I don't struggle. Being that a Christian's views should be based on Scripture, there are some things, in worldly eyes, about which I'd be called "conservative," while other views I have might be seen as "liberal." I believe dogmatically following the man-made conservative or liberal way on any issue, without discretion, is extremely unwise. And you know you're being dogmatic when the religious zealot calls you dogmatic. Chris Rock once said, "Anyone who makes up his mind about an issue before he hears the issue is a fool." The word of God agrees: "He who answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to him" (Proverbs 18:13).

There's nothing wrong with calling one's self a liberal or a conservative. But it's when we turn these things to idols that blur and distort our view of Christ that they become stumbling blocks to we who are called to be His servants.

There are many American Christians who have been deceived into thinking that Christianity and conservatism are mutually inclusive; who think voting Republican is a fruit of the Spirit; who think the Gospel was written by the five evangelists: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Tucker Carlson. These are the idolaters who, I believe, God is rebuking by putting Donald Trump in the office of President of the United States.
Before I'm strangled with a red necktie, note that I do not believe it is "conservatives" God is rebuking, and not "Republicans." Rather, I believe the Trump Administration is God's way of chastening those who worship these things. Those who would do what's best for the red elephant before sacrificing of themselves for the Gospel. Those who look away from, shrug off, or make excuses for the racism, xenophobia, hatred, unfairness, and un-Christlike "values" inherent in many of their political beliefs and talking points, be they obvious or subtle, all for the sake of their red idol. These are the people who I believe are being rebuked with the administration's ineptitude and disregard for the sanctity of human life. They have attached themselves to ungodly ideas, and they must choose to let go, or put them above what is right and good.

(Keep in mind this isn't just possible for idolatrous conservatives - those who worship liberalism could very well find themselves rebuked by an Oprah Winfrey presidency.)

Why would a Donald Trump presidency be a blow from God?

I believe God has shown us, 'this man is all of your hypocrisy, your empty use of My name, and the harm you do; this is what you serve, more than you serve Me.' There is already a cringe-fest of embarrassment which America, more specifically its conservative bases, has suffered and will continue to suffer during President Trump's time in office, and the year-plus of the campaign rhetoric of the mogul and those working in his administration. These things will be a sore blemish to the GOP for the next fifty years or more. President Trump's wild, unproven accusations and ignorant claims, his blatant attempts at deceit, his inability to handle criticisms with Twitter tantrums, and unscrupulous ties and conflicts of interest are a blueprint for how not to govern with the best interests of the American people at heart. Those who call themselves Christians, and lean toward "the right," who recognize the folly, ineptitude, and moral corruption of this regime and its ideologies, will refuse conservatism as their savior. They may remain "conservatives," but they will refuse to serve it as an idol. They will say, much as I've said often in my own wanderings from God, "what have I done? I've got to get back to my Father's arms." "Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it" (Hebrews 12:11).
They will, much like me with each of my idols which God has destroyed, despise it and be glad their hearts are fettered to Christ and not to lifeless isms and ologies. "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28).

And those who don't - those who stubbornly refuse to see any evils done by this administration, their sight being blinded by the red insignia they worship - will be seen by history as the uncaring and ignorant, as pitifully deceived, their actions an embarrassing scar on the already weary face of America. These are the ones who made excuses for the recorded conversations in which Donald Trump bragged about sexually assaulting women. These are the ones who lauded him as brilliant for not paying his taxes, while bemoaning the fact that their own taxes support the "welfare moms" they despise. These are the ones who praised him as a Christian, yet ignored the fact his own casinos include strip clubs. These are the ones who claimed they were voting "pro-life" when they voted for a man who opposes abortion, yet who doesn't care for the lives of refugees and immigrants. These are the ones who with robotic response shrieked "Hillary's emails!" in response to any evidence of wrongdoing being found by the FBI's investigations of Trump and his associates. In idolatry they did all of these things.
It's not just "secular" eyes who will look at them in embarrassment and pity - it's the eyes of future followers of Christ. Christians of future generations will cite the current idolaters' actions as examples of what is not Christlike. Today's idolatrous conservatives will be synonymous with hypocrisy and worldiness. They will be bywords among believers and non-believers alike.

Even if, by some miracle, President Trump somehow becomes another Woodrow Wilson or Ronald Reagan, the fact will remain that so many who proclaimed Christ and His instruction blinded their eyes to scandals, lies, and follies, all for the sake of their golden calf. The end does not justify the means in our idolatry.

A rational question would be, "What about all of the people being affected by Trump's actions? Immigrants, refugees, minorities, the less fortunate? They weren't 'worshiping the red elephant.' Why would God put Trump in power as a rebuke to idolaters, but allow others to suffer, too?"
I would point to the prophet Jeremiah, who prophesied at a time when Judah was engaged in idol worship to the point of sacrificing their own children in fires to false gods. This was a detestable thing, which God would punish by allowing Judah to fall into the hands of the invading Babylonians. Jeremiah was faithful to God, obedient to the point of mocking, imprisonment, and other hardship, all to proclaim God's word. But Jeremiah also suffered as a result of the Babylonians' invasion: not only did it break his heart to see Jerusalem destroyed, but he himself was eventually taken from the land he loved, forced into exile in Egypt, though he hadn't bowed the knee to the false gods his countrymen had served.

God places in power all those who have it. I often said when Donald Trump's inauguration neared that if the Christians of the early Church could pray for Nero, if the early Protestants could pray for Bloody Mary, then I can pray for President Trump. This is a good and holy thing, as the apostle Paul instructs that "supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence" (1 Timothy 2:1-2). There are those who embrace these words when a Republican is in office, yet curse the life of the other guy; those who demanded respect for Bush as "my President," but cursed Obama for his crime of being a black Democrat. The same are hypocrites, and I don't want to fall into that sin and curse President Trump as being beyond redemption. To do so would be an insult to Jesus' sacrifice on the cross.

I don't care what hashtag is trending - Donald Trump is my President. "You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people" (Exodus 22:28).

When instructing us to pray for our leaders and not to revile them, Scripture does not, however, teach us to agree or embrace their every decision or decree, especially should they go against the holy word of God. Scripture does not teach us to remain silent about a leader's wrongdoings or when he or she speaks against what is right and good. And we're not called to pretend things aren't going terribly wrong. It's entirely possible to believe and trust in a God who works amazing miracles, and still be a realist.

I believe an essential task for American Christians today is to proclaim Christ in a way that separates His truth from "Republican Christianity," from the idols of conservatism and miscellaneous other ideologies of man and not of God. The world ignorantly draws its caricature of Christianity from those who claim Christ but bow down to the red elephant, whose strength to proclaim Christ depends on who's in political office, who receive their gospel from Breitbart, whose savior is Senator Combover, R-Oklahoma, who vows to put the Ten Commandments back on the schoolhouse walls.
The world's view of Christianity is drawn from those who think Jesus and Fox News are inseparable. Brothers and sisters in Christ, we must shatter this illusion. What is the best way to show Jesus to others? It's not by debates, nor by funding Creationism research rather than assistance for single parents. Not even video footage of the Resurrection would prove Jesus to anyone - the only way to show Him to another is to love them. "Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time" (Colossians 4:5). Let our every word and comment on social topics be sprinkled with the salt of grace and patience, but also with the starkness of truth, and let our every thought and deed be linked to the Scripture. We are to be God's image bearers on Earth - may that image not be marred in unbelieving eyes by the idols of Fox & Friends, InfoWars, or even on the other side of the spectrum by NPR and the Huffington Post.

"Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men - as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king." -1 Peter 2:13-17

Y'know What? America Is Great!

Y'know, I'm no jingoist (thank you, Word of the Day app), but even in our country's present dismal chapter, I've had it with America bashing.
It disappoints me that, in the past several months, I've seen many people handling their/our social media access about as well as President Trump handles his. These are mainly people I respect for their intelligence and insight. But in burning anger and disappointment, much of it rightful, they've become just as impulsive and hasty in their words as the President when expressing their feelings online. It's very disheartening. During last year's campaign, I assigned most of the irrationality to the more rabidly conservative among us. In the time since Trump's inauguration, I'd say it's 50/50 for both right and left.

I suppose what got my goat the worst - other than the campaign slogan "Make America Great Again," as if it weren't already - was the lusty, bitter cry that "America is not great! It was never great!"

In the past several years, God has taught me to be grateful for my country and my rights, while being careful not to turn it into an idol - I bear the cross, not the flag, and the Scripture is God's word, not the Constitution. I can say I love my country, and not have to blindly follow or agree with everything that happens in it. But there's a difference between being grateful yet aware, and just being obnoxious, pretentious, and ignorant, impulsively denouncing anything "American," while stuffing its luxuries in my face.

I would have some nerve to bitterly claim America is not great, yet denounce the travel ban and immigration policies - if I think America sucks, why would I want anyone to come here? And it would be incredibly pretentious of me to curse my country, yet expect to be protected by the Bill of Rights. In America, you can be an ungrateful, ignorant jerk, and have the right to be one without fear of a firing squad. That's one of the reasons America is great. I fudging love this place. America is great! That's why I want people to come to here, especially those in need. George Washington once said, "America is awesome. Or my name isn't George Washington."

I saw many people bemoan the ugly parts of this country's history, saying they'd rather live in Europe...because no European country has eras of its history it would like to forget. I'm grateful I live in a country where so many wonderful people vow never to forget the hideous things others have done in our past and present, and strive to provide a future and present where their children won't know segregation, lynchings, unlawful taking of their property, and the myriad of other things that stain our history. I'm grateful to live in a country with so many who are willing to fight those who long to return to those ugly days. I'm glad Christ teaches me redemption, that what is impossible with men is possible with God. I'm grateful I can proclaim that I'm thankful for my country and can't wait to see what improvements we make together - I don't have to hang my head in shame and mutter "Well, I kinda like America..."

America will always have people and events that maim its image. But it's not America's "image" I'm concerned about - I'm concerned about those who have been hurt by the sins of my fellow countrymen. I'm glad to live in a country where progress is possible: I won't resign to hopelessness. 

God bless the USA, and God bless you and me.