Sing Until You Understand

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Frankie Rodriquez

There was a renewal song of praise from the 70s that came up at our Living Stones Church Community Group Men’s Bible study recently. It’s meant to be sung allegro con brio. I don’t know what that means but it has to do with up-tempo and gusto. I love the first line and here it is. Sing it: “I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously…” I love that first line.

But then I start singing the next line and my singing deteriorates into mumbling by the end of it. The next line of the song goes like this: “…the horse and his rider fell into the sea.” Ouch. I’m singing a song of praise because God killed people?!?! Granted, these were soldiers in war-like pursuit of God’s chosen people of Israel as they made their way out of Egypt and headed toward the Promised Land (Exodus 15). But, to sing joyfully because someone has died? What happened to “blessed are the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9) or “love thy enemy” (Verse 44)?

I especially hear these types of contestations from folk who are challenging my faith and use such scripture passages as if they were winning trump cards. But, do they really win? I think not. Their problem is they are measuring God by their imperfect, finite and very human reasoning. They are defining God by how they think God should act. And they are saying that God can only act like one of us. Who wants to follow that god? Not me.

Exodus 15 encourages us to avoid looking myopically, to see the greater picture, to understand God in the whole counsel of Holy Scripture. It is then we realize that the omnipotent God who can speak creation into being has also given us the gift of eternal life in Jesus, His Son. Truth is, we often act like the soldiers of Pharoah, even for the sake of our religion. God’s preferred plan for us is to know our salvation by His mighty hand.

So, I can sing this song.

“I will sing unto the Lord for He has triumphed gloriously;
the horse and rider fell into the sea. (2x)
The Lord is God and I will praise Him.
My Father is God and I will exalt him! (2x)

Allegro con brio.

Filed under: Believe, Bible, Faith, Gospel, Theology, war | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

I Never Thought I’d…

Posted on September 1, 2011 by Frankie Rodriquez

Recently I picked up a book by W. Bruce Cameron and began speaking in a third language. I’m asked very often I am bilingual. My answer is, “I speak two languages but that only makes me bi-illiterate. So what am I if I now speak three idioms? “Special”—right?

Cameron’s book is called A Dog’s Purpose. I found it be a delightful read from a not-so-believable perspective until I found myself believing from that same perspective. I was not only believing what I was reading, there I was—speaking in a way dogs would understand me. Literally understand me. I could communicate with dogs as I read that book. You probably think I’ve lost my mind. But I’m here to tell that now I know what our two family dogs are saying. When my wife’s Great Dane growls as I approach for a “Honey, I’m home!” kiss after work, I know exactly what she is saying. When our muttigree dog barks more like a yelp than a woof. I understand as if she is speaking to me. That is the impact the book has left on me!

My dog has been yearning for me to understand her verbally. She’s told me so. Now that I can our connection is even greater. We can finish each other’s sentences. She only has to whimper-whimper once and I know precisely what she wants to get. We no longer play fetch, because she’s told me I’m a poor thrower of the bow-wow.

What’s more, my rrrrrarf! can even say things to me that lift my spirits. When I come home tired and huhhhrrrrh out, she has told that she heh-hehs me even if the rest of the woof doesn’t.

I’m serious. I’m not pulling your howooooooooooh. Pick up Cameron’s woof. You’ll be RRRALF you did. Here’s the most important thing you need to know about A Dog’s Purpose—woof rarf-rarf howoooooooooh heh-heh ssslllllurp grrrrrr arf!

(I know you don’t understand, but your dog will get it fully.)

[This post is in response to an invitation by Camille Rodriquez to enter a blog contest. I encourage you to enter also. Use English.]

Filed under: Family | Tagged: , , , , , | 7 Comments »

Like God

Posted on June 28, 2011 by Frankie Rodriquez

My new job is giving me ample experience in living my faith in the secular marketplace. As a bivocational priest I am challenged to perform for the sake of the organization while living faithfully in worship and praise of our God and King.

While the challenges are new, the expectations are not unknown to me. The job description is my playing field. My goals and objectives are the game plan. The rules… Well, the rules afford opportunities to break said rules in order to win. If you’ve watched a basketball game you’ve seen this done. It drives my wife crazy when she sees someone intentionally foul to keep someone from scoring.

Rules can be used similarly in the marketplace. That does not mean we should use them. I have a business coach and today we talked about one of my “unconscious competencies”. I didn’t know I had them. An unconscious competency is something you do without having to think about doing it. For instance, I don’t wake up today thinking that I have to motivate. I wake up thinking how I’m going to motivate more effectively. My unconscious competency identified today was integrity.

For me, integrity means not breaking the rules just because you can break the rules. It means that I am going to do what I tell my staff I am going to do. It impacts my approach in every minute of my day. It means I will show up on time for meetings. It means I will have to write everything down so that I do not forget to follow-up. It means that what I preach from behind the pulpit I have to practice in front of the pulpit (work).

Integrity. We are called to live it as Christians. We are called to practice it with everyone we meet. We are called to exemplify it in the way we do everything. Everything. No crass jokes. No coarse language. No disrespect of another human’s dignity. No rule-breaking to gain an advantage.

New job. New boss. New colleagues. New jargon. Same character demands. To be God-like.

Filed under: Faith and Workplace, sports and faith, witness | Tagged: , , , , | 1 Comment »

Tensions in the Middle East

Posted on June 5, 2011 by Frankie Rodriquez

There is really only one answer to the Israeli/Palestinian issue that is the tempest in the Middle East. Neither of the parties, however, will appreciate hearing it.

The issue that separates these two people, though deeply religious, is about land. The Jewish people believe the land commonly called Israel was given to them in a command from God (Exodus 3). This land was called the promised land by God and though it was occupied by certain peoples (not all of them descendents of Ishmael (Genesis 17:17-21)) it was to be given to the people God saved by calling Moses to lead them out of Egypt.

The people of Ishmael (commonly referred to as “Arabs”) settled on the Sinai Peninsula between the Old Testaments areas called Havilah and Shur (Genesis 25:18). These lands now belong to Egypt and Yemen. The Arab people spread throughout the region during the centuries that Israel was not allowed to exist as a state. Thus, when Israel was allowed to become a country in 1948 there were Arabs present in the land that was now being given to the Israelites this time by other governments.

Whose land is it? Well, that is what the violence and turmoil are all about. Because we as humanity have not answered the question, people of all three monotheistic faiths (Jews, Muslims and Christians) are passionate about their respective stances.

For the answer to this question, I turn to God yet again. All three faith traditions descend from Abraham. As one of those descendants I believe I have every right to offer a solution. That solution is in the teaching of Jesus of Nazareth, a Jew and a descendant of Abraham who also is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. Jesus taught us that God is not confined to a temple or to a land. God is not bound by circumcision or Torah. Our salvation is not obtained by an identity but rather by believing that Jesus is Lord and Savior.

I told you Jews and Muslims would not like my answer. But it is the only one that will bring about a Godly resolution. Pray for Jerusalem. Pray for Palestine, too.

Filed under: Bible, Faith, Theology, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , | 1 Comment »

Mixed Emotions about UBL

Posted on May 2, 2011 by Frankie Rodriquez

My first thought was “Wow!” when I heard about the death of Usama bin Laden this morning. It was a thought of surprise and not one of excitement. I confess that I struggled with my response at this historic news.

One who tries to live a life of Christian faith experiences many dichotomies. Some of the more well-known of these “tensions” are exemplified by these biblical passages:

In the World But Not of the World

I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. (John 17:14-18)

Sinner and Redeemed

We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! (Galatians 2:15-17)

And then there are others—

the kingdom of God is now – the second coming of Jesus
humans are flesh – humans are spirit

Back to bin Laden. My red, white and blue blood wants to pump my fist in the air and shout “Yeah!” with all the patriotic bravado I can muster. At the same time my spirit is saddened at the death of a human being. You see, I believe in the sanctity of human life. It is one of my meta-ethical foundations. Because I believe in the sanctity of human life, I passionately care for every human to know about salvation in Jesus Christ. I am pro-life because I believe the sanctity of human life. It compels me to care for my neighbor.

My belief in the sanctity of human life makes me lament all wars. Even biblical wars raged by God’s chosen had harsh, even violent, consequences. David expanded the kingdom of Israel by engaging in battles against neighboring tribes and then told his son, Solomon, “My son, I had it in my heart to build a house to the name of the Lord my God. But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘You have shed much blood and have waged great wars. You shall not build a house to my name, because you have shed so much blood before me on the earth.” (1 Chronicles 22:7-8)

For me, Martin Luther King, Jr. summed it up best in this quote that is going viral on the internet:

“I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”

Usama bin Laden was an evil, evil man. I love my country. Jesus died for bin Laden. I am saddened that our witness as Christians did not touch his heart. I cannot cheer his death. I am proud to be an American. The world is better off without bin Laden. The world is worse off when the leaders of freedom have to kill to win.

Filed under: Bible, death, Theology, war | Tagged: , , , | 1 Comment »

While the Girls Are Away…

Posted on April 4, 2011 by Frankie Rodriquez

Because of a very special family gift, my wife and three daughters will be going on a cruise this weekend. I really am excited for their “girls cruise”.

And I am very excited for us three boys staying home and doing whatever we want to do without feeling any pressure from side glances, not-so-subtle encouragements to not sit in front of the television all weekend, and the compromise of eating healthy or girly. No, sir! This weekend—we are gonna sit around, scratch where it itches and smoke cigars.

Well, my sons won’t smoke cigars because they are 17 and 12, but, hey! It’s a boys weekend! They can figure out what to do on their own without me having to make a schedule or a plan. Somewhere there’s a cruise director that has schedules and plans all figured out for those who apparently really need those kinds of things.

Who needs to go promenade shopping? Why would I care which heels to wear for dinner? I know where Cozumel is but I can wear shorts and a t-shirt around here just fine, thank you very much! Hey, the Master’s golf tournament is this weekend. I’ll watch it. Or not! My sons know how to make toast and order pizza. We’re not going to go hungry. I’m getting a bucket of fried chicken!

And to really enjoy it as a weekend for the boys—we might not say one word to each other just because we can. And we’ll be just fine, thank you…

Until the cruise ship docks back in port. Then we’ll be even better, right?

Filed under: Family, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , | 3 Comments »

Check out this blog that is getting bigger…just like the blogger!

Posted on March 30, 2011 by Frankie Rodriquez

Good friend and twin sister of a good friend, Allison Oliver, writes a very entertaining blog. She wants to give you a gift certificate, so check Allison out here. I’m sure she wants to give me one, too!

And I’m going to re-start my blogging commitment. Be forewarned!  (ha!)

Filed under: Uncategorized | 3 Comments »

Achoo!

Posted on March 7, 2011 by Frankie Rodriquez

Gesundheit! We often hear that word after someone sneezes. It’s a German word that means “health”. Or you might hear, “Bless you.” Or—aghast—“God bless you”. The origin of saying any of these phrases is superstitious. It appears that these verbal responses to someone sneezing were prompted by the plagues of the 13th century. People believed the plague was the presence of evil in a person and that a sneeze was the body trying to reject evil. So someone gesundheit-ed as much to protect themselves from evil being blown their way.

I choose to say “God bless you” when someone sneezes. “But aren’t you being superstitious when you do that?” someone might think. I don’t think I am. Rather, I choose to bless whenever I can and a sneeze is just as good a reason to bless someone as is expressing gratitude for a good deed.

To bless is to recognize the Abrahamic covenant God has made with His people. In Genesis 12 God promises to Abraham,

“I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
(Genesis 12:2-3)

Imagine hearing the voice of God. The one who loves all of Creation because He is Creator has blessed us with such hearing. Imagine seeing the face of God. The One who has shown love that is pure and gratuitous has blessed us with the revelation of Himself in Jesus His only Son. Imagine those things with which Satan has tried to distract your approach to the Almighty. The Savior of the world has come to bless us with access to the throne room of God as we sing with the heavenly choir.

Imagine such blessing in your life, promised to you and given to you simply because God is crazy about you. Now, share that blessing with others. Be that blessing to the world.

Filed under: medical issues, witness | Tagged: , , , , , | 1 Comment »

I Don’t Measure Up

Posted on February 28, 2011 by Frankie Rodriquez

I continue to learn much about the process of job-hunting for corporate level executives. Take résumés, for example. (No, please—really—take my résumé!) I have a résumé for a meeting at which I am only seeking a referral. I have a résumé that supports the expansion of my career. I have a résumé that is detailed and one that is a succinct statement of philosophy. Even with this many résumés , I recognize that I will get a job only because “I know someone who knows someone.” You see, there will always be someone with a better résumé than mine. When measured by the résumé only the candidate with the better résumé gets the job.

I thank God that He doesn’t work in the same way. I know that in my church there is always someone more spiritual than me. There is always someone who knows more scripture, someone who is more compassionate, more prayerful, someone whose spiritual résumé is better than mine. Yet, God has chosen me. I hope you can understand the measure of such grace.

We sang a song in worship this past Sunday. It’s by Matthew West and it’s called Only Grace. The chorus acknowledges the height of God’s grace made manifest in the person of Jesus, God’s only Son.

“There’s only grace.
There’s only love.
There’s only mercy and believe me.
It’s enough.
Your sins are gone
without a trace
and there’s nothing left now.
There’s only grace.”

You can listen to it here.

At the end of the day, our spiritual résumés are totally inadequate. Likely, if you are busy working on building your spiritual résumé you are also judging others by theirs. Big mistake. Salvation, not judgment, is the central message of the Gospel. Salvation is ours only because of God’s grace and God’s love for us. And that’s more than enough.

Filed under: Faith, Gospel, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

Now Near to God

Posted on February 21, 2011 by Frankie Rodriquez

“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”

Ephesians 2:13

I was once far off. The truth is I still often find myself farther than I think I am from God. The enemy of Christ would like to point that out continually. I don’t measure up. I am inadequate. If you are following me, then there’s a big fall awaiting you around the corner.

But this passage is not meant to be a criticism, but rather an encouragement. Our reality is that we are sinners. The consequence of sin is death, therefore our just reward—justice—is eternal death and separation from God. Only perfect obedience to the law produces salvation from this verdict. The perfect Muslim must obey all the Q’uran, or face eternal death. The perfect Jew must obey all the Torah, or face eternal death. The perfect Hindu must attain Moksha (perfect thinking and perfect action and complete comprehension of the universe), or face eternal human reincarnation. The perfect Buddhist must obey completely the Eightfold Path in order to attain Nirvana, a perfect and blissful state of nothingness, or face eternal…somethingness?

I’m sorry that…no, wait…my heart is saddened that some of you are offended by the Word of God. I do not apologize for the saving Word of God. Nor do I share this as a judgment, but as a revelation of Truth. We are incapable of perfectly following the law. I thought I could do it on my own at one time. I was “far off.” I came to realize that where I was was all there was. I found that to be a place of hopelessness.

But God, recognizing that we humans would be incapable of attaining perfection, provided for us a way to be reconciled to him. God provided for our salvation. God saved us from justice (eternal death) by the death of his Son, Jesus of Nazareth. His perfect Son, took our sins upon himself and paid our debt by his sacrifice. We who believe Jesus to be Lord and Savior are now “brought near by the blood of Christ”!

Filed under: Believe, Bible, Faith, Gospel | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

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