Scott Freeman

OK, so I can be curmudgeonly acerbic. I’m not bent toward maudlin sentimentality. I prefer not to celebrate Christmas until about the 21st, because that’s usually when I begin shopping.

But I now have three, count them three, little girls. And they looooove Christmas. So, this year I hung up lights outside for the first time. I bought Christmas penguins to put along the walk. But I’m not going to go nuts like some people do.

And the Christmas music? It’s too much. How many versions of the same old songs can we hear? Is there some rider that record labels put in contracts that require Christmas albums from their artists. I mean do we really need Neil Diamond and Barbara Streisand singing “Silent Night?” Doesn’t the fact that they are Jewish cause them a moment’s hesitation.

But, I digress. This is quality Christmas music and actually puts this cranky old coot in a festive mood:

Does it get any better than Sufjan? Merry Christmas.

I’m preaching on Colossians 1:28–29 this Sunday. The title is “Be Mature.”

So, I ask you, dear readers: What is a mature Christian? What do you think that looks like? What are the characteristics of of a complete, or mature, believer?

Don’t just cop out and say that he looks like Jesus. Give me some real feedback here.

It was a slow reading week for me. Outside of my work-related reading, I only finished two books. Neither of them wowed me.

First off, I read Dean Koontz’s The Husband. Koontz is very hit or miss for me, so the unevenness of this work was not a surprise. Mitch Rafferty receives a call telling him that his wife has been kidnapped. He has 60 hours to deliver the 2 million dollar ransom. The only problem is that Mitch is a gardener and has no access to that kind of cash. Are there limits to Mitch’s love for his wife? Will he do what it takes to get her back? While the action sequences are riveting, I found the book riddled with too much exposition that slowed down the pacing of the book. And for a book of this type pacing is everything. Overall, I enjoyed it but I can give it no more than 3 stars.

Next, I read Peace Mom by everyone’s favorite conservative Cindy Sheehan. Since we are only about 20 minutes away from the location of Camp Casey and GW’s Crawford Ranch we have been inundated with the story and I was fascinated to read her account of what led her to camp out during a central Texas August.
There are names that evoke great disdain on both sides of the political aisle. The left has their Ann Coulters and Rush Limbaughs that they despise. The right has their Clintons and Michael Moores. Over the last year and a half, Cindy Sheehan’s name has surfaced on that list. That is not completely undeserved.
I am not a Sheehan basher. Nor am I one of her supporters. However, we do share some of the same sentiments: disagreement with the conflict in Iraq and disappointment of the job performance of the president. However, she never should have become the focal point for peace activists.
I’m not sure that is what she set out to be. And obviously, there is enough hatred and vitriol in her heart that makes her a poor front person for those who advocate peace and reconciliation. Her missteps, poorly planned photo ops, and brash comments has given too much ammunition for those who think nonviolent proponents are “whack jobs.”
Ultimately the book is not well written. However, the recounting of learning of the death of her son is heart-rending and gives context to the events of the last two years. At the end of the book, I came away saddened. Saddened that a mother lost a son. I cannot begin the depths of pain and grief that can elicit. This is a book written by a grief-stricken, bitter woman. For that, I feel for her.
And I hope that she, like the rest of us, can know True Peace. Two Stars.

The world of blogging hit its peak this year. Everybody started a blog at one point or another and most of those abandoned them.
I read a lot of blogs, thanks to my handy bloglines lineup. Without RSS, I would get nothing done.
Coming up with my list of my 10 top blogs was difficult. Obviously, I like being able to visit blogs of family and friends and see what’s going on in their world. But does that make it the best? My favorite blog would have to be this one you are reading right now because I talk about stuff that interests me. But I’m not voting for myself.
So here’s a few ground rules for this list:

–The blog had to have been operational the entire year. If it started in April, it’s not eligible. I am looking for a full calendar year of excellence. Also, no prolonged blog hiatuses.
–There has to be some discernible purpose. An online journal of what I did today does not qualify, although I enjoy reading those.
–Excessive use of exclamation points and web lingo is grounds for disqualification!!!! LOL!

Here is my list:

10. Get Religion–Their tag line is: The press…just doesn’t get religion. They strive to give context behind the sorry stage of religion reporting in America. They scour religion based news across the country and provided further exposition. It is the one stop shop for religion reporting. Check out the latest entry on James Dobson.

9. Lifehacker–I am not the poster boy for organization. Understanding the ins and outs of productivity does not come easily for me. My failed attempt at working at home while keeping the kids has made the need for this practical blog all the more important. It gives me the websites and applications that help streamline the work process.

8. A List of Things Thrown Five Minutes Ago–All things pop culture in small increments. They have a great list of the “First 50 commercials from the 80s that our interns could find on Youtube.”

7. Mark Elrod’s Lame-O Weblog–The Harding University professor is a breath of fresh air among blogs in my tribe of believers. Smart, witty and liberal.

6. What’s Alan Watching?–Alan Sepinwall is the TV writer the New Jersey Star Ledger. He gives his daily take on whatever TV show he watched the night before in a concise and entertaining manner.

5. The Huffington Post–I read a lot of political blogs. Well, really, I skim a lot of political blogs. But this is the best of the best.

4. Pop Candy–This is the personal blog of USA Today’s Entertainment Writer Whitney Matheson. Several times a day she weighs in with recommendations, tips, comments and insight about the entertainment world.

3. Larry James’ Urban Daily–If you have a heart for the poor, the forgotten and the marginalized of our society, then this blog is absolutely critical. If you don’t have a heart for the least of these, then this blog is even more essential for you to read. Larry James is the director of Central Dallas Ministries. He bleeds for the people we often overlook. Read his blog and you will be changed. You may even become more like Jesus.

2. A Place For The God-Hungry–I’ll be honest, I’m jealous of Jim Martin’s prolific ability to encourage, uplift and motivate. This is more than a blog it is a daily destination for those who are hungry to draw near to God. He has an unsurpassed ability to show us the heart of Chrit.

1. Preacher Mike–Let’s face it: he is the gold standard of Church of Christ bloggers. With almost a million and a half hits, he is the go-to destination for those who affiliate with the Restoration Movement. I’m happy when I get 800 hits in a day. He does that before I wake up. And there is good reason because it’s the best blog out there.

What about you? What are your favorite blogs?

Due to time constraints this will be much more truncated then I would prefer, but hopefully we can explore this further as the comments progressed.

In early 2003 I taught a class at church that attempted to legitimatize our preemptive attack on Iraq by virtue of the Just War Theory. I have since repented of such a gross misapplication of Scripture.

If Constantine’s misuse of the Church was a dark page in our history then our adoption of the Just War Theory would comprise a full chapter. Before Augustine attempted to define the City of God there was no Christian author that attempted to make a case for Christians involved in warfare. For the first 400 years of the church there was no writing in support of war.

Walter Wink writes:

…when the church that had stood up nonviolently to the brutal repression of the Roman Empire found itself strangely victorious, it naively assumed the role of court chaplain to an empire eager for its support. It is as if Satan, unable to defeat the church by violence, surrendered to the church and became its ward. The price the church paid, however, was embracing violence as a means of preserving empire. But the removal of nonviolence from the gospel blasted the keystone from the arch, and Christianity collapsed into a religion of personal salvation in an afterlife jealously guarded by a wrathful and terrifying God–the whole system carefully managed by an elite corps of priests with direct backing from secular rulers now regarded as the elect agents of God’s working in history.

Despite the overwhelming testimony of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, the example of the early church, the universal understanding of the early Christians of the nonviolent legacy of Jesus, once Christianity became the “sanctioned” religion of the State, the defense of the State at all costs was inevitable.
Enter the Just War Theory.

Just War Theory consists of these principles:

1. A just war can only be waged as a last resort. The argument is that all non-violent options must be exhausted before the use of force can be justified.

But how can we truly determine if ALL options have been explored? How many wars have been entered into after trying Jesus’ recommendation of overcoming evil with good? In my estimation, none.

2. A war is just only if it is waged by a legitimate authority. This is to proscribe any action taken by an individual or group.

But what constitutes legitimate authority? Isn’t Jesus the ultimate authority for the church and its stance on morality, loving our enemies and praying for those who persecute us? Does the President or congress have veto powers over the admonitions of Christ?

3. A just war can only be fought to right a wrong. In other words we must have the right intentions in waging war.

But who argues for war on the platform that it is not just? Don’t all sides believe they are just and right in their stance? What wrongs are righted?

4. A war can only be just if it is fought with a reasonable chance of success. Deaths and injury incurred in a hopeless cause are not morally justifiable.

But how can we, as Christians, legitimately lend credence to this argument? What is success, killing more of their people than they kill of ours? What is success in war?

5. The ultimate goal of a just war is to re-establish peace. More specifically, the peace established after the war must be preferable to the peace that would have prevailed if the war had not been fought.

But it is impossible to determine if a greater peace can be established after we go into conflict. Violence does not beget peace.

6. The violence used in the war must be proportional to the injury suffered. States are prohibited from using force not necessary to attain the limited objective of addressing the injury suffered.

Wait, I know the basis for this one. I think it is called “An Eye for An Eye.” Right?

7. The weapons used in war must discriminate between combatants and non-combatants. Civilians are never permissible targets of war, and every effort must be taken to avoid killing civilians. The deaths of civilians are justified only if they are unavoidable victims of a deliberate attack on a military target.

What possible biblical basis can there be to “justify” spilling innocent blood? Modern warfare doesn’t discriminate between who is wearing a uniform and who is not. Is there a biblical justification for killing 3000 of “them” if they kill 3000 of “us?”

It’s interesting to note that Augustine had another criteria that stated that before you engage in killing, the Christian should repent of what he is about to do and then wear God’s love for the enemy into the battle. As if inner love can cancel out outward killing.

Another criteria of Augustine was that of humane treatment of prisoners of war and the honoring of international treaties and conventions. No commentary is needed here.

For the Christian these must be problematic. Our citizenship is in Heaven, Paul tells us. Our ultimate allegiance is to our King. We must tremble at the weight of taking another life, even under the auspices of a “just war.” As the church we answer a higher call. To quote Wink again:

…the church’s own witness should be understandable by the smallest child: we oppose violence in all its forms. And we do so because we reject domination. That means, the child will recognize, no abuse or beatings. That means, the woman will hear, no rape or violation or battering. That means, men will come to understand, no more male supremacy or war. That means, everyone will realize, no more degradation of the environment.

Ultimately “practical solutions” to “real-world problems” are embraced with regularity over the Kingdom viewpoint.

Ultimately, war is not just. Nor can it be. Christians must wrestle with the implications of embracing a doctrine that runs so counter to Scripture. We have been given a ministry of reconciliation. May the church forever endeavor to be agents of peace in a war torn world.

I listen to a lot of music. I stream tunes all day long while I am sitting at my desk and have long been classified as a music geek. As I’ve grown older my musical tastes have changed.
I listen predominately to music that has a strong lyrical base. Therefore, I tend to lean toward singer-songwriters.
Over the next few weeks, I want to introduce you to some of my favorite artists. Give them a
listen and you will be blessed.

My favorite artist for the past 15 years has been Michael McDermott. I first heard him back in 1991 when I saw a video of his around 3 in the morning on VH1. The original video can be found here.

Here is a live version of that same song “A Wall I Must Climb” recorded earlier this year.

Michael was destined for stardom. He was getting great press and by the time his third studio album came out in 1996, Steven King was writing the liner notes for him and including his songs in his books. This video comes from that third self-titled album, which is still, 10 years later, my favorite album of all time:

Posted By:Michael Kahn

Get this video and more at MySpace.com

Fame was elusive for Michael, however, after his label shut its doors shortly after the release of that video.
But he is still putting out tremendous music.
He is a prolific songwriting and every Monday he puts out new songs on his Myspace page.
You can get his 2000 album “Last Chance Lounge” and three live albums on Emusic.

You can also get his last tremendous 2004 release “Ashes” and other recordings on iTunes.

No artist has lyrics that resonate with me more than Michael. His songs explode with heartbreak, pain and, ultimately, redemption.
These are songs of painful faith, of believing even when life has assailed you from every direction. Songs of a tenacious cling to life in the midst of longing and disappointment.

I met Michael 6 years ago this past week. Although I don’t get to see him very often, he has become more than just another artist to me.
He has become a friend.

And I hope and pray that someday the world will find out just how great an artist he is.

A list of asides as I attempt to construct a sermon on Kenosis.

–If you are looking for a tremendous Christmas CD then look no farther than Sufjan Steven’s majestic box set Songs For Christmas. Since 2001 (with the exception of 2004, when he was recording Illinois) he has recorded a Christmas EP for family and friends. Now, he has boxed all five of those together and made them available to us. I’m no fan of Christmas music but this is enchanting and transcendent. If you are unfamiliar with the musical genius of Sufjan Stevens then pick this up. Get it on Amazon for 20 bucks and get all the extras it comes with.

–Seriously, how did Chris Leak get 13 years of college eligibility. Saturday is the big game. My boys have a great shot at winning, which is a first for us in the SEC championship game. Florida will be keying on McFadden and Jones and double-teaming Marcus Monk, so it will be tough. I would be surprised to see Mitch Mustain put in early if Casey Dick struggles. No matter what, Darren McFadden is the best running back to ever don a Razorback jersey.

–Tonight sees the debut of what will be one of the best comedy line-ups in TV history: My Name is Earl, The Office, Scrubs, and 30 Rock. That my friends in Must-See TV.

–Is it just me, or does this critically acclaimed female artist have the worst voice in the history of recorded music? This is a serious artist. People love her. Can anyone explain it to me?

–I guess that’s it. It’s Mitt Romney’s world. I’m just allowed to live in it.

–Oh, and to get that awful voice out of your head, here is a fun song that I defy you not to love:

I didn’t post this last Wednesday due to holiday travel so today is a super-sized installment of book reviews. I’ve read a bunch of classics over the last two weeks as I try to rectify my deficiency in that regard.
Today I’ll be beginning a five-star review process. Five star reviews will receive the Official Scott Freeman Seal of Approval (OSFSOA). All books available on the sidebar.

Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut–Vonnegut is quickly becoming essential reading for me. With an incredibly deft hand he is able to meld social satire and commentary better than anyone. Cat’s Cradle is a wickedly funny end of the world tale. It is in turn a send-up of the escalating arms race of the 60s, a reverent assessment of the strides of technology and a warning of the dangers of blind adherence to religion. He was awarded a Masters Degree in Anthropology from the University of Chicago for this work. Only Vonnegut could make me long to read the writings of Kilgore Trout. This book is Five Stars (OSFSOA)

The Fall by Albert Camus–I know that it is somewhat obvious to criticize The Fall for being overwhelmingly bleak and depressing. How could I expect anything but a completely pessimistic view of human nature from Camus? Yeah, life is meaningless. I get that. We are a sad and sorry lot. Check. I guess I’ve left my Existential days behind and I have begun to bank a little bit more in the innate goodness of man for this book to be a complete hit with me. However, Camus makes great note of our proclivity to benevolence only for our own gain. My quibbles aside, it’s still a foundational work. 3 and a half stars.

The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy–I’ve been a tad scared off of Tolstoy but this short novel was a marvelous read. It is an in depth look at the anguish of death. Ivan Ilyich is slowly dying and as he slides toward those final moments he must look back at his life and determine what was of value. Although it explores similar themes as The Fall this is a much more redemptive, hopeful and poignant work. Five Stars (OSFSOA)

Brave New World Revisited by Aldous Huxley–Or better titled, “Look How Smart I Am.” 25 years after he wrote the classic Brave New World, Huxley wrote a series of articles proclaiming how we were quickly becoming like the world he had described. The book is a mix of prescience (over-population, scarcity of resources) and outdated concepts (extolling the virtue of DDT, Eugenics). If you want a look at Huxley’s thoughts of his earlier work, read it. But otherwise 2 stars.

Seize the Day by Saul Bellow–Seize the Nap is more like it. I expected more from Bellow, having heard so much positive. But this was a snore-fest. I found myself online looking for Cliffs Notes just to tell me how it ended. One Star.

All Quiet On The Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque–Wow. And more wow. I was not excited about reading this, having seen the movie back several years ago. But this turned out to be one of the most gripping and harrowing books I’ve ever read. It is a novel that vividly recounts the horrors and atrocities of war from the point of view of a German soldier on the front lines. You won’t read a better fictional account of the pointless nature of nations warring against nation. Beautiful and gruesome. FIVE STARS (OSFSOA)

Cell by Stephen King–I listened to this traveling over Thanksgiving and greatly enjoyed it. My best description would be Oryx and Crake meets The Day After Tomorrow meets Night of the Living Dead. Nothing beats a good zombie read. Campbell Scott reads the audio version and as always he is stellar. He read Oryx and Crake as well. Four Stars.

Great stuff all around but King’s work put a taste in my mouth to read something that’s been written in the last five years. I think I’m going to take a break from the classics and go get something at the library today that is more contemporary. Any suggestions? I’d like something scary, dystopian or otherwise end-of-the-worldish.

Any thoughts on these books I’ve mentioned?

A little bit of business first: Happy 79th birthday Dad. We love you.

Beginning today I will take the next few Tuesdays to dole out my superlatives for this year: books, music, movies, etc. Today I will be recounting my top TV shows of the year.

I will be working on the calendar year rather than a typical TV season. Therefore, all of these shows are not playing currently. However, all of these shows have run in 2006.

10. 30 Rock–Going into this TV season this was not the SNL-inspired show that I was most looking forward to. However, as this season progresses Tina Fey is turning out a more consistent script than the much vaunted Aaron Sorkin. I’m hoping Studio 60 continues to improve to the point that it makes my list next year. But at this point 30 Rock is the superior show. It gets funnier each week. And it is obvious that Alec Baldwin is a comedic genius.

9. House–Hugh Laurie is stellar in his portrayal of the “curmudgeonly acerbic” title character. Sure, the show is formulaic with the case being solved just in time for the closing credits but Laurie delivers the most compelling character on network television. You root for him at the same time you know you would hate him if you ever met him.

8. Prison Break–This show is pure escapist fare which, by the look of this list, I am a huge fan of. That this show is still gripping is testament to the twists and turns that are delivered each and every week. It’s so improbably that its highly laughable at times. But if I liked popcorn I’d be eating each week while tuning in to this show.

7. What About Brian–I typically don’t go in for a show like this. Yet Brian, with the exception of Roseanna Arquette who looks about 30 years older than the rest of the cast, had great story lines and likable actors. I find myself coming back each week because I care about the characters. This is a hidden gem.

6. Heroes–This show takes the slot that belonged to Lost the last two years. But where Lost gets mired in its own mythology, Heroes gives answers and advances the storyline along. Whether or not that remains the case as the series progresses remains to be seen. If it maintains this momentum it will continue to move up my list. Save the Cheerleader, Save the World.

5. How I Met Your Mother–This show is hitting its stride in its second season. The “Slap Bet” episode was one of the funniest episodes I’ve seen in a while. And Neil Patrick Harris is top-notch as “Swarley.” This is the second best sit-com on TV today.

4. Jericho–Yep, I love it. It faces the same problem that the glut of serials today face: how to continue to stretch the story-line into multiple seasons. But so far, I’m engrossed with a small town striving to maintain normalcy in the midst of nuclear uncertainty. Who to trust. What exactly happened. How to continue life without knowing what’s going on. Those are entertaining themes to explore. Is it great TV? Probably not. But I enjoy it just the same.

3. Rock Star: Supernova–This is the only reality show that I can stand. American Idol and Dancing With The Washed-Up Football Players gets more ratings, but this is the one show that truly rocks. I couldn’t wait each week to see the performances of songs that Idol could never hope to get clearances for. Supernova is a horrible band, their album that just released is downright dreadful and they made the wrong choice of a front man. But the show was pure entertainment, none the less.

2. The Office–Not only is this the best sitcom today but I’m willing to go out on a limb and make a bold prediction: if Steve Carrell stays committed and doesn’t go off in search of box office stardom this will end up the greatest sitcom of all time. It’s that good. Every character is a master comedian and every episode leaves you cringing as Michael Scott walks the tightrope between boorishness and downright offensive. I love this show so much I made the theme song my ring tone.

1. 24–Two Words: Jack Bauer. The baddest man on the air. Enough said. January can’t get here soon enough. They reinvented the serial and every show that has followed in its footsteps can’t come close to matching the tension and adrenaline that this show churns out.

What are your thoughts?

Here is hoping you all had a safe and peaceful thanksgiving. My commitment to nonviolence was threatened only when tempted to cold-cock an LSU fan. But that’s a different story.

I have ceased numbering my nonviolent entries. The further along we go I fear the rising number of posts on this subject might discourage new readers.

The early church was wholeheartedly committed to nonviolence. Their understanding of the life, example and teachings of Jesus led them live peaceable lives and to eschew the taking up of the sword. For those of us who have grown up in a society and culture where war is hardwired into our collective psyche, that is hard for us to comprehend.

Yet, that is the example of the early church: the way of the cross rather than the sword.

That changed when Christianity began the shift from an underground movement to the Church of the Empire in 313. The Edict of Milan made Christianity a legal and recognized religion in Roman culture.

There are far greater recounts of Constantine’s impact on Christianity (or better, Christendom) than I can provide in this space. However, allow me to make a few observations about this shift and its implications:

1. The blame does not lie singly upon Constantine. Yes, he had a highly perverted view of the cross. He used the message of Jesus for his own blood-thirsty needs. However, the church had suffered these types before. False teachers and manipulators of the gospel are woven through the Pauline epistles. The difference? Power. Both for an emperor seeking to solidify his reign and expand his reach. And power for a church that had long been oppressed and marginalized.

2. Christianity, to Constantine, was tactical. There is no indication, outside of a death-bed conversion, that Constantine viewed the way of Christ as being anything other than a means to an end. Persecuting Christians was a failed policy that needed to be revised and amended. The church was still thriving. A way to solidify any power base is to appeal to the burgeoning groups. His personal life and his bloodthirsty methods belie any Christian commitment.

3. Constantine bought the church. By paying the priests Constantine assured that allegiance between the Kingdom and the nation-state would be put to the greatest test. A test that the church, ultimately, would fail again and again. We still fail this often, today.

4. Constantine made military service compulsory for the priests. Until this time, Christians had largely refused military service. It would be just a few years later that only Christians could serve in the Roman military. Thus begins the melding of Christian duty and military service.

Howard Goeringer made a fascinating parallel between the life of Constantine and the great missionary, Paul:

–After his vision, Constantine continued killing, even his own family. After his vision, Paul laid down the sword.
–To Constantine, the cross was the way to victory in battle. To Paul, the cross was the way to reconciliation with enemies.
–Constantine spent his life wielding power. Paul spent his life proclaiming Christ’s power.
–Constantine founded a city named after himself. Paul founded churches in honor of Christ.
–Paul was baptized immediately signifying his conversion. Constantine waited until his dying day.
–Constantine used the church for his own evil purposes. Paul served the church.

This underscores how Christendom was totally unrecognizable in the face of what the church was called to be: nonviolent, conciliatory, lovers of enemies.

But the way of the nation-state is selfish, it seeks its own gains and interests. That is antithetical to the way of the cross.

Goeringer states:

To be violently coercive and lovingly Christ-like at the same time is impossible. The power Constantine represents corrupts. It does not cleanse. The nature of coercive power that forces persons to yield to another’s will is evil, not only in dictatorships, but in every form of human government, including democratic republics whose legal, judicial, legislative, and military systems, are also based on coercive and dominative power inherent in every nation-state. When the state speaks, Jesus is silenced. The name “Jesus” is never mentioned when matters of state are discussed. The state’s “God in general” is popular, but “Jesus in particular”, never. The God in which the state trusts is a catch-all God who is used to support the political rhetoric of the moment. The fatal flaw in the Constantinian compromise is the illusion that the nature of God revealed in Jesus is compatible with the nature of the state that they they coalesce and become one in mission to the glory of God. They cannot. As human history shows, they do not.

Constantine thought that he could use the power of Christianity to suit his own purposes. What he failed to realize is that the power of Christianity is never through manipulation, coercion, violence or force. The power of Christianity is never contained through a nation-state. The power of Christianity is not political in nature.

Instead the power of Christianity is found in the basin and the towel, the silent prayer of an anguished saint, the loving embrace of a fallen traveler, the compassionate reconciliation of aliens and strangers. The power of Christianity is not in a worldly structure but in a Kingdom. A Kingdom not made with flesh and blood. A Kingdom not made with swords, but with a cross.

The way of peace.