Rebranding

Oh Netflix.

I am a huge fan of Netflix. Huge. I was a fan back when it was just DVDs and then an even bigger fan when I could start streaming. Even when they recently jacked up their prices big time, I remained. Because I can watch pretty much any movie ever within a day or two (or sometimes a few minutes) of when I want to, and really seventeen bucks still isn't that much in the grand scheme of things.

I'll be honest though, this whole rebranding thing where they somehow decided that the best way to fix a perceived miscommunication with their subscribers is to further complicate things by making two non-integrated websites is trying my patience. Now I can't see if the movie that is in my DVD queue is already available for streaming. My ratings of the television show that I just watched on my computer won't be counted in the algorithms over at the DVD side of things. Plus, they called the DVD service Qwikster. With a W. Because celebrating illiteracy is totally fun.

But I can't point fingers too hard at Reed Hastings. We Christians love rebranding stuff too. And it can be confusing and unhelpful as well.

Like hell.

At some point, the whole idea of burning in a lake of fire for all eternity seemed to lose its cachet with a number of people. Instead of talking about hell, we started just saying "separated from God." The idea didn't change, just the way that we talk about it.

I don't think I understand how that helps.

To the Christian, that is still a torturous existence.

To the unbeliever, it's pretty much how life is today.

So what's the purpose of the rebranding of hell? We still end up with an "in" group and an "out" group. Those on the inside still get to imagine people getting paid back for unbelief. We just get to use more gentle language so we don't feel like the sweaty guy standing on his soapbox, screaming at college students to repent.

What does the unbeliever gain here? They aren't any more aware of God's love, because the message is still that he's going to reject you for eternity if you don't believe. They aren't more aware of the love of those around them because they're still being placed in the out group. The message of rejection is the same, just now without the element of fear as a motivator.

One comment over at the Netflix blog said that Netflix is missing out because they lost their focus. People don't care about "streaming" or "DVD" - Netflix has always been "where we get movies." The service is what we care about. When the focus shifted from the service to the means, it has caused a mass exodus.

Dear Church, let us not do the same.

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but to save the world through him.
John 3:17, NIV

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What do you think is the primary service of the Church? Are our means in line with our service?

Judgment Day: Judge Judy or Mythbusters? Dan McMonagle

Dan is one of my music friends over on Twitter. Any time I tweet something about playing, I can pretty much count on a response from him, which is great, because I totally geek out about stuff like that. It's always a little scary to post about hell on your site, but Dan has managed to somehow make this a light-hearted post. Don't be fooled though, this will get you thinking as well!


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Part I: the “Dream”

I had a dream a few nights ago that scared the crud out of me! It was judgment day, but we weren’t standing before God: we were on the set of “Judge Judy” with a studio audience and a wacked out cast of characters. {Not a real dream… just roll with it…. ;-}

Thankfully, I wasn’t on trial -- I was the court reporter, hammering at the steno machine, trying to record the events & discussion going on around me. Two things annoyed me: a) I don’t know shorthand (stenotype?), and b) I couldn’t ruminate on the dialogue, I barely had time to record it.

Before we were called to order, I noticed various authors, pastors and bloggers mulling around the room, as well as some historical figures:

Rob Bell was chatting with Mahatma Ghandi;

John Piper and Mark Driscoll were each addressing a small crowd of their faithful followers;

Rachel Held Evans was sitting with Anne Frank, listening to her story;

Francis Chan and Greg Boyd were locked in a deep discussion, not arguing but listening and trying to understand each other;

Hemant Mehta was glancing around the room, shaking his head and wondering aloud “Why are we here? Nothing exists after death.”

There was also some guy wearing a white robe, listening and watching, but not speaking up…. I think maybe that was Jesus.

Judge Judy finally came in, court was called to order, and the following is the transcript as best as I remember it:

JJ: “Well, what do we have on the docket today? Is this one case… 20 separate cases… how far does that line go out the door?”

Piper: “Your honor, we’ve got a real mess here…. The Bible clearly states how we determine who goes to heaven and who goes to hell, but half the people here can’t agree…..” (a snort came from the direction of Hemant, momentarily distracting Piper.)

Bell: “Actually, there’s been disagreement regarding the scriptures for as long as there have been ‘Christians’. Are we really supposed to believe that God intends most people to be tortured for eternity? Ghandi lived an exemplary life of love and sacrifice… who are we to assume that he wasn’t answering God’s call?”

Driscoll: “UNIVERSALIST!”

Chan: “Actually, Mark, that would make Rob an ‘Inclusivist’, not necessarily a universalist. Now, I understand that many of us don’t WANT to believe in hell – but we can’t just ignore what the scriptures say about eternity….”

Boyd: “Eternity? When I read the scriptures, I read that the wages of sin is death and that people perish. Have you ever considered that maybe that means…. “

JJ: “Timeout! Jesus – you seem to be a central figure in this debate, yet you’re keeping strangely silent right now. What do you have to say?”

JC: “I know my sheep and my sheep know me. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen…. They too will listen to my voice and there shall be one flock and one
shepherd.”

A chorus of voices chimed in, “Lord, I know your voice!” Ghandi and Anne Frank both smiled and took deep breaths; Hemant rolled his eyes.

JC:”Of course, many will say ‘Lord, didn’t we do great things in your name?’, and I’ll say ‘Sorry, I never knew you.’”

JJ:”What? You’re no help at all! How am I supposed to sort this out?”

Then, I woke up…… What a nightmare!

I doubt that many believe “judgment day” will be like this chaotic illustration. But, I suspect most believers anticipate that our “judgment” before God will be handled like a court case, where evidence will be viewed and weighed.

Part II: the “Experiment"

What if “judgment” doesn’t come in the form of a “trial” or court case? I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that it’s going to be more like a physics experiment. What if judgment day is akin to something you might see on Mythbusters?

Jamie: “Today, we’re going to put Dan’s soul to the test. Just how are we going to do that, Adam?”

Adam: “Well, Jamie, this hot tub-sized vat contains a toxic mix of sulfuric acid and molten lava with a twist of lime. Dan’s soul will be plunged in the mix for 60 seconds – how do you think he’ll do, Kari?”

Kari: “Hmm. Dan seems like a good guy, but does he do nice things as an act so
people will like him, or has God really been working through him, building up a
spiritual body that can survive this incredible heat?”

Jamie: “I don’t know, Kari, but we’re about to find out. Hit the button, Adam!”

Yikes!

I think “judgment” may boil down to (no pun intended) discovering what we are made of. Not the words we speak, the books we read, or even our “works, so that no man can boast.” We will find out what we are made of.

If GOD IS the infinite source of light and love, what happens to us when we enter into His presence? What happens when we encounter the all-consuming fire of the love of God? That depends….

Have we been storing up “Treasures in Heaven” or “Fuel for the Fire”?

That which is pure and holy within us – treasures made for Heaven and forged by acts of love – will be refined by the fire and become even more beautiful.

The fluff? The facades? The “wood, hay and stubble”? Like tossing kindling into a roaring fire, it may be gone faster than we can say “but wai………”

Where does Jesus fit in this picture? He redeems us and makes us new: he is the
source of all that is pure and precious within us.

I don’t know about you, but on my own, I’m basically a selfish, stinky turd. If I have any “treasures in heaven” within me, they have been forged in those moments when I’ve surrendered to God, laid down my selfish desires and done “the right thing” in spite of myself.

That which has been refined and purified (i.e., the works of “following Jesus” and answering God’s call) will survive. That which is built on our own merit… not so much. (1 Cor. 3:11-15).

What about the Ghandi’s and Anne Frank’s of the world? In Romans 1:14-15, Paul writes that “when Gentiles… who don’t have the law… do by nature things required by the law… they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts.” Does that sound like “treasures in heaven” or “fuel for the fire”?

Hmm…. If it swims like a fish….

How about those that flat-out lived for evil? (Hitler? Stalin?) Maybe there’s a hellish alternative to heavenly treasures? Creosote soaked lumber? Firelogs soaked in kerosene? I imagine that sort of “fuel for the fire” could burn a very long time!

Honestly, we cannot know with any certainty how God will handle judgment, as the methods of “Judgment Day” are impossible for even the Mythbusters to verify.

So, how do we live with the "I don't know"?

Love God… and TRUST that He knows what He’s doing!

Love our neighbors as ourselves.

Study the Word and seek the truth, but be patient and understanding when others don’t see things as we do. After all, they might not be the one that’s wrong!

What do you think about Judgment Day? Will it be similar
to a court case, a physics experiment, or something altogether different?


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Dan McMonagle lives in the Pacific Northwest with his wife and three boys. A mathematician, a musician, and now a fledgling blogger, Dan often keeps "too many irons in the fire".  When he's not busy with his day job as an actuary, Dan likes to spend his time involved with kid's sports (baseball, football), church (musician, worship leader, works with kids) and family life.









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What Are God's Ways Like?

photo © 2007 matthew venn | more info (via: Wylio)

Since the release of Rob Bell's latest book, there has been a lot of talk about hell. Francis Chan is in on it. The Southern Baptist Convention is in on it. Some guy I don't know is in on it.

Honestly, it's not a topic I've spent a lot of time studying. I have no idea who is right in this case. I'm only on the very beginning of reading through some of these things. But even in my very brief study, I do have some questions that won't go away. Not exactly questions about hell, but questions about hell speaks about the nature of God.

Whenever this discussion comes up it's hard for me to understand how we talk about it without putting it in human terms. Most of us are appalled when we hear about stories of torture of any kind, particularly prolonged torture. It cuts at the very nature of us to think that someone is experiencing agony. Even if they are bad by every metric we have available, torture is almost universally met with disgust and loathing.

And yet when it comes to God, we seem to have no problem assuming that this is how he operates.

He condemns people that we work with, that we go to little league games with, who ring up our groceries, who may even attend our church to an eternal torture. And we are to believe that this is good and just. Despite nearly all of us agreeing that torture in this life is reprehensible, we are to believe that eternal torture is just.

And how do we know that it is just? We simply say that his ways are not like our ways (Isaiah 55:8).

Here is where it gets tricky for me. Why is it that when it comes to eternity, his ways are significantly shittier than our ways?

As a parent, I get that just does not always mean fun or happy. I get that we might not see the full picture. But I also know that my kids have a pretty good head on them and they know when a punishment is just and when it's just me acting out in an angry, mean way. They may not always like justice, but they know what justice is.

I feel like part of being made in the image of God is that we have an ability to see that which is good. The Scripture tells us that even in our evil ways, we still know how to give our children good gifts. We have the capacity for creation, for generosity, for love. Folks frequently point to our inherent ability to know right from wrong as a proof of God. And yet we all too often simply abandon our gut instinct about the goodness or justice of Anne Frank sharing the same eternity of torture with Adolf Hitler.

Over at Rachel Held Evans's blog last week, KatR commented, "I hope when I get to the end of my life I will find that God is not the a-hole that so many Christians insist that he is."


I hope the same thing.


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How do you reconcile the idea of justice with the idea of eternal torture for temporal wrong-doing? Do we have any way of understanding God's ways?   





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