Bikini Bike Washes

An attractive young woman, wearing a minimal bikini, is washing motorcycles, while the (male, and not so young) bikes’ owners sit back and stare. Actually, the oglers outnumber the bikes being washed. And, I don’t think they are ogling the bikes.

I’m having my motorcycle serviced today, at a dealership, and waiting while the work is done. It’s a Saturday, and the dealership is as much a biker hangout as a place of business. A band is playing. Burgers and beers are free. There are as many “hanging out,” as there are shopping. But, I suspect shopping is the hope of the dealership, and the motivation for its generosity.

And, in the midst of the action, a young woman in a bikini is washing dirty old mens’ motorcycles, while they sit back and watch her work.

As a pastor, I know I live in a bubble. This isn’t my normal world. There aren’t many bikinis in my world.

And, I’m an advocate for treating women with the dignity and respect they deserve, not as objects to satisfy men’s desires. Many men aren’t.

But, in light of the recent “Me too,” movement, I’m surprised and saddened.

You might be thinking. “She chose to do this. She’s getting paid, and probably tipped!” I’m sure she did, and I’m sure she is. I don’t know why she took the job. But, I doubt it’s because she enjoys washing bikes or being ogled by old men! I doubt this is the fulfillment of her career-goals.

Maybe she needs the money. Maybe she doesn’t have many other employment opportunities. Maybe she believes her beauty is her only asset. Maybe it’s the only reality she knows.

Part of me wants to offer her a beach towel to cover up, and to tell her, “Yes, you are beautiful. But, you’re so much more than your physical beauty. You have a heart. You have a soul. You have talents, and abilities. You have potential. You have value – and your true value is not your ability to turn men on. You are a beloved child of God, and you deserve better than this.”

Part of me wants to apologize.

I won’t. I don’t know her, and I might sound like I’m judging her for her choice. She doesn’t need that, any more than the ogling. Maybe that’s cowardly. I don’t know. But, I won’t.

So, while I won’t be talking to her, I’m writing this for all of the women and men who might read this. If you think this is worth sharing, I hope you will.

Ladies – you have inestimable worth, beyond your physical attractiveness. Men may, or may not, find you physically beautiful. Men may, or may not, find you sexually desirable. Men may, or may not, pressure you to comply to their desires, or demands. Regardless, your body, your beauty, and your sexuality is your own, and you have a right to decide how you use it. If you want to wear skimpy bikinis and wash men’s motorcycles, fine. It’s your choice. But, I doubt you really do.

Your body and your beauty is certainly not all you are. You deserve to be treated with utmost respect. You deserve to know your value.

Men – just because there are women who are willing to wash motorcycles in bikinis, or present themselves in other overtly sexual ways, doesn’t mean they want to or enjoy it. Yes, beauty is appealing and enticing. Yes, lust is a difficult drive to master. But, that young woman you’re staring at, is someone’s daughter, someone’s sister, and maybe someone’s mother. She has a heart and a soul. She has a story. She has dreams.

And, brothers, we degrade both women and ourselves when we objectify them. You are more than your lust. You are more than your animal instincts. A large part of being a man is the way we view and treat women, and how we practice self-control.

Men, let’s be good men.

Please remember, she’s more than an object. She’s more than your object. She a person, just like you. Treat her with the same respect you would want for mother, sister, wife, daughter, or yourself. Treat her with respect, even if she doesn’t ask you to. Treat her with respect, even if she doesn’t know to respect herself. Treat her with respect, because she deserves it.

How the Birthday Cake Ruined the Church…

In my half-century of life, a lot has changed (and is constantly changing) in our world. That’s, of course, a ridiculous understatement. The world is changing more rapidly and more radically with every passing day.

Though many of those changes involve science and technology, let’s consider something a bit more basic – a birthday cake.

A century ago, or more, if you wanted a birthday cake, you ground the grain you grew and harvested, collected eggs from your own hen-house, milked the cow, and hoped you still had the ingredients you couldn’t produce, purchased on your last trip to the general store. After mixing the ingredients, yourself, you might have needed to chop some wood to heat the stove to bake the cake.

A half-century ago, to celebrate a birthday, you went to the neighborhood grocer to buy the ingredients you needed – flour, sugar, eggs, milk, baking powder, etc. You took those ingredients home, mixed the batter with an electric mixer, and baked a cake in your electric or gas oven. I can still remember a particularly delicious chocolate cake my mom made, with thick, rich frosting. It wasn’t pretty, but it was sooooooooo good!

Then came a simpler way. Rather than buying individual ingredients, cake mixes and canned frosting could be purchased. You still baked the cake yourself, but the process was so much simpler, less time-consuming, and required less knowledge or skill – just dump the mix in a bowl and follow the directions on the package.

Then came the grocery store bakery. There have always been bakeries, of course. But, grocery store bakeries were cheaper and move convenient. Now, instead of baking, you could buy a ready-made, beautifully decorated cake, in the color and flavor of your choice, and even have a custom birthday greeting added for no additional charge. No time, effort, or skill required.

But, the problem is, everyone doesn’t like the same flavor of cake. Some people are on diets. Some are vegan. Some are lactose intolerant. Some are avoiding gluten. Some have food allergies. Some prefer more basic flavors, while others desire something more exotic. And, aesthetics matter. We don’t want to eat something that looks mass-produced. We want a nice presentation. So, we order designer cupcakes, on-line, catering to multiple wants and needs, packaged in special boxes, and have them delivered to our office or home.

We’ve shifted from creators, contributors and cultivators, to consumers (and, sometimes, critics and complainers).

This scenario is replayed over, and over, and over. We used to make coffee, at home, in a percolator. Now, we order ahead for a grande soy latte with whipped cream and an extra shot of espresso, hot and ready for pick-up in minutes. We used to wait in line at movie theaters, hoping tickets were available when you got to the window, knowing you might not get great seats. Now we order our movie tickets ahead, selecting from a variety of viewing and listening options, choosing our specific reclining, leather seats, with no waiting at the theater door, and with plenty of time to purchase a much wider variety of beverages and snacks than just basic popcorn and soda.

The list could go on and on and on.

Notice how we’ve moved from basic commodities – cake ingredients, coffee beans, general seating – to being served by others, with little-to-no personal effort, and much higher levels of expectation for personalization, specialization and convenience.

I suspect, when we made our own cakes and coffee, we accepted certain imperfections. I remember sitting on the front rows of movie theaters, just glad to have a ticket, or settling for a different movie because the show I wanted was sold out. I think, we used to be generally more accepting, and assumed the burden was on us to make things better if we weren’t satisfied.

If the cake didn’t turn out right, bake another one. If you don’t know how to decorate a cake, ask your neighbor for help. If you don’t like chocolate cake, hopefully you’ll get vanilla next year. If you made the coffee too strong, add some milk. If you want to get a ticket to the show, get in line earlier next time.

We don’t think that way any more. We want it customized. We want it perfect. We want it pretty. We want it easy. We want it special. We want it NOW!

We’ve become spoiled, critical, demanding, and impatient.

We’ve become consumers.

As a pastor, I see numerous ways this shift has negatively impacted the Church.

If you follow the same general timeline I shared about birthday cakes, there was once a time church consisted of the many and varied contributions of the members. Repairs to the facilities were performed by member craftsmen. Sanctuaries were cleaned and decorated with home-grown flowers collected and arranged, paraments sewn and embroidered, washed and starched, pews polished, holiday decorations made and displayed, all by the members. The music was generally the best efforts of the church’s best musicians. Some member typed the bulletin on a typewriter, usually including a few typos. Somebody arrived early to turn on the furnace or open the windows. An usher swept the front steps. Somebody baked the communion bread. Parents and grandparents took turns teaching Sunday School, leading and planning Vacation Bible School, and working in the nursery. Members taught Sunday School classes, and took food to the sick and homebound. Members gathered regularly for home-cooked, church-wide dinners. “Elder” members made the decisions, prayed, and dreamed of starting new ministries and building new buildings.

EVERYONE gave what they could, as the Lord provided. EVERYONE took turns, doing what needed to be done. EVERYONE did their part. And, when it was necessary, if a need or problem or deficiency became obvious, someone stepped up to do it.

Church was the gathered service, gifted-ness, creativity, and contributions of the members; sometimes as good as the delicious home-baked bread served at communion, and sometimes as terrible as grandma’s arthritic attempt to play the piano. Every gift was given and appreciated with love, for what it was – an offering of service to the Lord.

Now, church has become a place to be served. Though we still depend on volunteers, the message from many is, “Don’t ask or expect to much.” The even-greater message is, “I come to church to be served.” I want to sit where I want to sit. I want to sing songs I know and like. I want the volume set according to my tastes. I want to hear messages relevant to my life, that fit neatly into what I already believe. I want to attend when it’s convenient. I want the temperature adjusted to my comfort. I want to drop my children off at the nursery, or Sunday School, or VBS, or the youth group, and have others entertain them. I want someone to make sure I am safe. I want lots of programs offered for me and my family, so that I can pick and chose what fits into my schedule. I want a good parking space.

Even serving often seems self-serving.

Rather than expecting church to be the place to serve and contribute, many expect church to serve them and contribute to their own needs, wants and desires. If I don’t like something, I’ll complain, or at least grumble. If I don’t like the current sermon series, I’ll just stay home. If I don’t like the music, I’ll come late. If I don’t want to give or volunteer, I’ll let others take up the slack for me. If I’m not interested, I won’t show up. If I hear another church has more to offer my family, without asking so much, I’ll just go there instead.

Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy cupcakes and lattes. I appreciate convenience. I like to be served. I, too, have high standards and expectations. Even as the pastor, I want things at church to be done well.

I’m not questioning our appetite for excellence. I’m challenging our consumeristic expectations and demands. If you want something to be excellent, then YOU make it excellent. And, just because the world is willing to cater to your demands for convenience and customization, don’t bring that expectation to church.

Church is a place to serve, not to be served.

Church is like a birthday cake, baked from scratch, from pure, fresh ingredients. We are the ingredients – the flour, the sugar, the milk, the eggs – lovingly mixed together and baked by our heavenly maker. The final product might not be everyone’s favorite flavor. It might be a little lopsided. The icing might be a little un-even. “Hapy Birtday” written in frosting, might not be spelled exactly right. But all in all, the ingredients can potentially combine to create a delicious offering for the world. An offering for the world – not us!

Church is a place to serve, not to be served.

Maybe we need to learn how to bake cakes, from scratch, again.

The problems with belly buttons

The problem with belly buttons is, we all have them, but some are far more presentable than others. As someone who knows to keep his belly button hidden from public view, I feel comfortable making this judgement. Most belly buttons should be kept covered.

But, to further add to the complexity of the issue, we may not all agree on what constitutes an attractive, exposable belly button, versus one that needs to be covered. Belly buttons come in such a wide variety of shapes, colors, and sizes – among other miscellaneous and varied distinctions.

Some are cute…

Some are muscular…

Some are attractive…

Some, well…

Some are innies…

Some are definitely outies…

Some are decorated…

Some are hiding something…

Some are darker…

Some are lighter…

Some are proudly displayed…

Some are tastefully kept out of sight…

What’s the point of all of this silly belly button talk? EVERYBODY HAS ONE. Whether your’s is clean or dirty, hidden or displayed, cute or ugly, there’s nothing unique or special about having a belly button. I have one. You have one. We all have belly buttons.

Years ago, while I was traveling in Mexico,a friend pointed to a Volkswagon Beetle, and asked, “Do you know what we call those? El ombligos, or belly buttons. Everybody drives one in Mexico.” And, it was true. Every police car, taxi, rental car, etc. was a VW Beetle.

I’ve also heard the expression, “Belly buttons are like opinions. Everyone has one. But, like opinions, most are better kept undisclosed.”

And, that is my point.

There is a difference between information, preference, and opinion. Information is based on objective fact. Preference is based on personal tastes. Opinions are judgements, likely based in bias, prejudice, even ignorance, but are stated publicly as universal truths.

And, have you ever noticed how often opinions are shared in the form of criticism, insult, slander, grumbling, or gossip? Doesn’t the Bible say something about that? And, have you ever noticed how stated opinions never leave much room for disagreement?

Opinions are not facts. They’re just opinions. Everyone has one already. Like most of us don’t need to share our belly buttons with the world, you very likely don’t need to share your opinion either.

There’s nothing wrong with sharing accurate information, or even your personal preferences, if stated as such. We can agree to disagree about preferences. We can even disagree about certain information, until we check our accuracy with Google or Wikipedia. But, stated opinions often do far more damage than good.

I remember being taught, “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything.”

I also remember Jesus saying, “Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.” Perhaps that could be said as, “Share your opinions, only to the degree that you are open and interested in hearing the opinions of others.”

Yes, you have opinions. Congratulations. So do I. You likely have strong opinions. Me too. If you want to know mine, ask me, and I MIGHT share mine with you. I might. I might not. If I want to know your’s, I will be sure to ask you (but, please, don’t hold your breath!)

Oops. Did I just show you my belly button?

Privilege

Last night, I was privileged to attend a lecture, at St. Thomas University, by Dr. Diana L. Hayes, Professor of Systematic Theology at Georgetown University. Dr. Hayes shared about recognizing the image of God in EVERY person and the ongoing problem of personal, systemic, and institutional racism in America.

As a white, straight, middle-class, college-educated, male, Christian, southern-U.S. citizen it’s taken me a while to grasp the place of cultural privilege I’ve been afforded. I never did anything to earn or deserve the opportunities I’ve had, simply because of the life I was born into. Nor have others, more marginalized by society, necessarily deserved the challenges they’ve had to bear because of their skin color, nationality, gender, sexual-orientation, or socio-economic status.

Even though public education is available to everyone in the United States, there’s no denying some schools are better than others, and some homes are more advantageous for learning. I’ve never had to worry about being harassed by police for my skin color, or objectified for my gender, or condemned for my sexual orientation. I’ve never had to worry about my personal safety, or where my next meal might come from. I’ve never worried, for a moment, about being the victim of a hate crime.

I was, and am, fortunate. I’m privileged.

I recently read Ta-Nehesi Coates’, Between the World and Me. As a white man, it wasn’t easy to read. But, I’m so glad I did. Though we are, more or less, contemporaries, both having grown up in the United States in the same generation, our life experiences have been radically different, for one reason – the color of his skin, and the color of mine.

Through the years, I’ve denied my privilege, arguing, “Everyone has equal opportunity in America,” blind to the enormous head start I was given, and the myriad obstacles others have had to overcome. For a season, I was apathetic, thinking, “It isn’t my fault I was born white and male.” I remember resenting Affirmative Action and “Equal Opportunity,” foolishly presuming others were getting what I worked for.

For a time, I felt guilty. Maybe I still do.

Now, I would say, I increasingly realize I need to use my place of privilege to speak, act, vote and pray for those less privileged in our world, facing much greater and much more unfair challenges than I’ve had to contend with. I need to take off my blinders, do my homework, and seek to better understand other’s challenges. I have a role and responsibility to play in advocacy for those on the margins, who do not have the positional advantages I do to leverage change.

And – let me be clear – I have much to learn from people who have lived on the margins. And, I have much to honor and respect. What has been handed to me, has been hard-earned by others. Opportunities I’ve squandered, have been cherished by others. Though the reasons are deeply unfair, those who’ve lived on the margins have a greater strength from the battles they’ve fought, have greater perseverance from what they’ve endured, greater wisdom from what they’ve witnessed, and a very different perspective on faith and spirituality. Though I’ve no claim or right to their earned life lessons, I want to learn and I want to show respect.

Dr. Hayes specifically offered the following “Four Corners of Racial Reconciliation”…

Develop the ability to hear and be present to black anger, seeking to understand, without becoming defensive.
Create safe spaces that allow for different perspectives.
Cultivate genuine friendships with people of different cultures, ethnicities, and life experiences.
Develop a willingness to act on behalf of justice.

Though it’s been a journey, and it’s taken me longer than it should have, I am increasingly aware, increasingly open, and increasingly willing to do my part. Though I still have a lot to learn, friendships to develop, and cowardice to overcome, I’m starting to get it. I’m starting.

I’m sorry it’s taken me so long!

God is seldom in charge…

“I’ve got no strings
So I have fun
I’m not tied up to anyone
They’ve got strings
But you can see
There are no strings on me”

Pinocchio

Of course, God is in charge. I know God is sovereign, in control of his creation, and his plans will ultimately prevail.

But, I also believe in free will and the freedom God gives us to make our own choices and decisions – either in alignment with his will, or not. God is NOT a puppet master, controlling our every move. God let’s us choose, even when our choices are catastrophic.

C.S. Lewis wrote, “There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, “Thy will be done,” and those to whom God says, in the end, “Thy will be done.”

The primary question I’ve wrestled with, since the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting has been, “How do I reconcile the belief that God seems to work in the lives of some (including myself), but didn’t get involved in the life of anyone who could have averted Nicholas Cruz from his murderous plans?” Or, more personally, “How can I believe God leads me, if there’s no evidence of God leading the dozens of ‘authorities’ in Nicholas Cruz’s life, who failed to see his brokenness and intent to do harm?”

The root of the word “question” is “quest” – “a long or arduous search for something.” Sometimes, we’re content to just lazily pose questions, without bothering to find the answers. Not me. Not this time. My questions have led me on a difficult, arduous quest for answers. I’ve sought wise counsel from friends and mentors. I’ve prayed. I’ve searched Scripture. I’ve wrestled with my own beliefs. I’ve read. I’ve written, you may have noticed, as a way of processing what I’m thinking and feeling.

Today, I stumbled across the best answer I’ve found thus far, in Richard Rohr’s, Job and the Mystery of Suffering…“God is very seldom in charge, it seems to me. Only in the lives of saints, only in people who know themselves and love the Lord and one another is God possibly in charge. In the rest of us, God is in charge maybe a few moments a day.”

While I still believe God is ultimately in charge, is it possible God only controls the events of this world to the degree we align our wills to his’? Is it possible, we can only align ourselves, collectively, with God if we are truly seeking to know his’ will, and live accordingly? Is it possibly God only controls the events of this world to the degree we relinquish control to him? Is it possible our individual and collective pride, self-determinism, pettiness, busy-ness, and self-interest make us deaf and blind to much of what God wants us to see, hear, and do?

Could it be the Church’s fault? Is it possible the Church is failing to shape and form disciples who actively and intentionally “seek first his Kingdom and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33), through listening prayer, through self-surrender, and through sacrificial love and service?

Is it possible God was screaming in the ears of countless guardians, teachers, peers, mentors, investigators, neighbors, and law enforcement that Nickolas Cruz was a lethal bomb about to explode, but no one was listening? Is it possible God is warning us about the next Nickolas Cruz, but no one is listening now, either?

Why did God allow this to happen? Why did we allow this to happen!?!

“God is seldom in charge…” How much more would God be in charge, if we actually wanted him to be?

Remember your baptism?

Do you remember your baptism? I do.

July 22, 1984 – around 11:00 pm.

I was at church camp, at Fall Creek Falls, Tennessee. It was the summer between my junior and senior year of High School, and my last year as a camper.

Earlier in the evening, I accepted Jesus Christ, as my Lord and Savior, and was ready to be baptized.

After a night-time walk through the woods, the entire camp gathered by a mountain stream. I stepped into the cold water, with a young pastor named Alex. Alex asked me, “Do you believe Jesus Christ is the only son of God. Do you accept him as Lord and Savior?” As I said “Yes!,” Alex pushed me back into the water, baptizing me in the name of the “Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.”

I remember a lot of the details of that night. The cold water. My friends, standing by the river. A hundred, or so, flashlights shining on the water. More than anything, I remember thinking, “This changes everything.”

I didn’t make the decision to be baptized lightly. No one pressured me. It was entirely my decision. In fact, I had wrestled with the decision for at least a year. I wanted to believe. I wanted to be a Christian. I wanted to live like a Christian. I wanted to be baptized. But, before I could, I had to work through my feelings and thoughts of uncertainty. When I made the decision, I wanted to be sure.

And, I was. I can’t say, for certain, how or why I was sure. But, I was.

I feel fortunate to have such strong memories of my baptism. But, when I ask, “Do you remember your baptism?” and say, “I do,” I’m not just talking about the event itself. Whether, or not, we can recall the details of how or when we were baptized, baptism is more than a moment.

In many traditions, baptism is considered a sacrament. The traditional definition of a sacrament, from St. Augustine, is “an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace.” The “outward and visible” sign of baptism is water, of course. An “inward and spiritual grace,” is also at work.

Baptism is more than a religious ceremony. Baptism is spiritual change. Baptism is transformation. Baptism is new life. Baptism is an altered identity. Baptism is a new affiliation. Baptism is a new way of being and living.

I think of baptism this way… When I was born, I was born into a physical body – male, caucasian, flat-footed, brown-haired and blue-eyed. I was born into a particular family called “Rains,” with a certain history, values, rules, and expectations. I was born into particular culture – in my case, “Southern,” where I learned to say, “y’all.” And, by birth, I became a legal citizen of the United States of America, and became subject to its particular laws and obligations.

But, when I was baptized, I was spiritually ‘born again.” I became a member of a different family (God’s), and I became part of a different culture (the Church), and I became a citizen of a different kingdom (the Kingdom of Heaven). And, my baptismal identity is my primary identity. My baptismal allegiance is my primary allegiance.

Remembering your baptism isn’t about remembering the event. Remembering your baptism is remembering who you are as a member of God’s family, as a member of the Church, and as a citizen of God’s kingdom. Remembering your baptism is remembering you’ve been spiritually changed. Remembering your baptism is remembering you’ve been called to be like Jesus. Remembering your baptism ought to affect the way you treat people, the way you conduct business, the way you vote, the way you shop, the way you give, and the values you aspire to live by. Remembering you baptism ought to affect EVERYTHING!

Pope Francis says, “We are called to live our baptism every day, as new creatures, clothed in Christ.”

Do you remember your baptism?