To Arms!

By any standard of measure, our first ever “Trunk or Treat” was a tremendous success this week. Kudos to our KidzTown Council and all our volunteers! I estimate we gave candy to 125-150 children from our neighborhood. Many of their parents thanked us and inquired about our church. In the long run, this simple ministry has provided us additional prospects, helped us break through the perception of churchiness that sometimes hinders our witness, and helped us dream outside the box about new ways to love our neighbors. That said, however, I must remind you: “We are at war!”

Were you to read those words apart from actually knowing me, or with no conversational context for such a statement, you might begin to form an incorrect and incomplete idea about me. You might think me to be some sort of alarmist, for instance, or warmonger. Perhaps you would assume I simply exaggerate for emphasis. Maybe, you theorize, I have some cultural or social axe to grind. You could even imagine me to be upset or pouting because some election did not go my way. And your presumptions about me, the messenger, would most assuredly influence your receptivity and response to my message: “We are at war!”

So, for those of you who are reading this and do not actually know me all that well, allow me to describe myself very briefly and to provide some context for my assertion. I love to laugh and sing and eat and play and be around other people who share a contagious “joie de vivre” – literally, a joy of living. I am a reader, an information junkie, and a student on a perpetual quest for conversation that informs, inspires, and incites me to become a better person, a better partner, a better parent, and a better pastor.

I am 46 years old – old enough to have been around the block a time or two and also to know I have much, much more to learn, old enough to begin to appreciate all that I have been given and to own my obligation to give back. I am very happily married – a happiness in no small part directly related to my growing awareness of how rare and precious a lady is my wife and how common and unworthy a steward am I to have wed so far over my head. I am the father of five wonderful children – each one a treasure and an assignment from heaven, each one for whom I would quickly lay down my life, and for whom I am learning I must just as readily purpose to live my life to the fullest. I am a pastor, a shepherd, a brother among family whom I love and I am charged to protect and feed and lead. Most importantly, I am born again, a child of God, a joint-heir with Jesus Christ, an image-bearer redeemed by His blood and filled with His Spirit to manifest the Truth about Him!

What does this have to do with war? Much, but simply this for now: I do not want war. I want peace and gentleness. My hopes are for safety, security, prosperity, and quiet living for myself, my family, my church, and my community. So, when I say: “We are at war,” it is not because I wish it so, but rather because by wishing, I am not able to make it not so. Moreover, peace is not achieved by appeasement but by resolute engagement against the threats to peace. Ask our Lord Jesus Christ Who found no other way to set men free that does not lead through a cross and a grave to a promise and a triumphant return.

“We are indeed at war!” This war, however is more than a clash of cultures or worldviews or generations. This war is cosmic and pervasive. It is the epic confrontation between Heaven and Hell over the souls of men and the integrity of God Himself.

By now you may be completely lost as to my meaning and wonder: “Where is he going with this, anyway?” In order to help you understand the war of which I speak and our role in this struggle, let me introduce the occasion that prompted this call to arms. The incident speaks to the vile nature and subtlety of our enemy, the precious and vulnerable souls at stake, and the response we, the people of God, must consider and implement. The following warning shot flew across my bow this week.

On December 7, a new movie will be released entitled “The Golden Compass,” based on the first book in a trilogy by author Philip Pulman. I remember seeing a trailer for this movie and thinking I might like to take my kids to see it. That is not my opinion now. My chief concern with what I am learning about “The Golden Compass” is two-fold:

1. The author is cited numerous times as being a self-avowed atheist (no problem yet – a man can believe what he wants … until the judgment) intent upon discrediting Christianity and countering the impact of the likes of CS Lewis (okay – now my cackles are going up).

2. My most serious concern is the shameful way these lies are being marketed to children! If the books are even remotely similar to the descriptions I have read from reliable, mature, credible sources, then the marketing of their content to children is nothing less than heartless targeting of the innocents! Unlike movies like “The DaVinci Code” or “The Last Temptation of Christ,” which targeted the faith of adults, this movie sets up an assault on children.

I have much more to learn and to say on this. For now, I want to enlist you to pray with me for the children, for wisdom, and for courage. Also, arm yourselves with information this week.

To the ends of the earth until the end of time!

Pastor Rob