Have you heard people excuse their mis-behavior by saying, “I come from a dysfunctional family.” It’s time to drop that excuse. I’m not a sociologist, but as I see it, dysfunction can either be constructive or destructive.

What I am calling destructive dysfunction cripples through all forms of abuse. Its perpetrators and victims are unable, or unwilling, to construct better more functional lives because they continue to ‘live the dysfunction’ without the support or resolve necessary to make healthy changes that lead to greater functionality. As a result, another generation is raised in destructive dysfunction and the cycle repeats. But by the grace of God, sometimes people reach the place where they refuse to continue that cycle. So they seek the help they need to make healthy changes, they break the cycle and begin the climb out of the grave of dysfunction.

Most of us (those reading this) were raised in constructive dysfunction. By that I mean, our families were not the picture of perfect mental and emotional health, but we worked through those things that were not ideal. This journey toward functionality—developing maturity through ministry, counseling and growth we construct better mental and emotional lives. This generally happens across the family system, meaning parents as well as children continue to develop greater functionality over time. We grow by the process and through the dysfunction.

Our other institutions function in much the same way. Churches are sometimes lead by individuals who have not matured into healthy functionality and as a result, they abuse their people and the church is dysfunctional. We are seeing more and more that churches have moved to constructive dysfunction models. These churches are thriving today.

I think America is a constructive dysfunctional country. Sure we have problems. We don’t always function in a healthy way. But we learn from mistakes. We get help when we need it. We change laws that are unfair. We clean up messes. We are sometimes too indulgent and permissive. And sometimes we fail to respond when we should. When we elect bad actors, we replace them hoping to do better. When policies get out of line with functionality, we call the congress, write letters and protest at Tea Parties.

America is a great country, not because we are flawless, but because we are a constructive dysfunctional people. Our families are great not because we do everything in the most enlightened and healthy way, but because we have learned that dysfunction is our natural state, but it is not our permanent state. Hopefully we are always learning, always growing, always maturing and becoming better, healthier people. If we as individuals move from destructive dysfunction toward healthy functionality, then our families, our churches and America herself will move that direction as well.

telemicus out

These thoughts stem from someone who said to me, ‘The Bible says that God establishes all authority. If he chose Obama you should quit talking bad about his policies and get behind him or be quiet; or do you not trust God with this?” My feeling is that God also put Herod in place… but John the Baptist still opposed him publicly for his immorality. There is no doubt that we who are Christians and Americans are Christians first. In following Christ, where are our responsibilities regarding patriotism and morality?

The primary passage of this discussion says, “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God” (Romans 13:1). To disagree, even passionately, with leadership or authorities is not rebellion. Neither is it a lack of trust in God. We are not the children of the president and he is not above challenge even if established in that office by God.

God is sovereign.

Here is the short version of my argument. God, in his wisdom gave us the privilege of choosing our own leaders. About 130 million people participated in this selection process. The majority of those people claim a belief in God. When God allowed Israel to choose a king, (though he was against it) He told them, “When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, “Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,” be sure to appoint over you the king the LORD your God chooses” (Deuteronomy 17:14-15 – emphasis mine).

You see if God gives his children the opportunity to choose their own leaders, he expects them to appoint the ones He chooses. So the responsibility is on us to seek God, to know his will and to appoint those who would honor Him. Because he chose us, through us, he establishes our leaders. We have a responsibility whomever we choose, to hold them accountable for the decisions they make.

But the truth is we neglect our responsibilities. We vote our comfort. We did not challenge the over the top spending of the Bush administration, because we were comfortable. But now the pressure is on. The comfort is lost and the spending went from over the top to ten degrees past insanity. The current friction began with concern over our comfort. But when people began to examine all that Obama intends to do and the amount of money it will take, it stopped being about comfort and started being about policies. This is largely because bad policies affect our comfort.

I don’t think Americans at Town Hall Meetings and Tea Parties showed up because they suddenly saw that our choice was not God’s choice. I wish this were true. People chose Obama because of flash, narrative, and the ‘hope and change’ mantra. But the hope is false and the change is bad. My contention is that his policies are bad for America and are dishonorable toward God and Christ.

Did God choose Obama – no, He established him. When He entrusted us with the honor of appointing our leaders, He established the ones we chose. For better or worse – God gives us what we demand. This is not true in every country, but it is true in ours. When we choose our leaders, God is allowing us to affirm Him as our Lord. When the Israelite people demanded a king - God said to Samuel, “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king” (1 Samuel 8:7). Did we as a people, in selecting the current leaders, appoint the one that God chose?

The left wing political powers of this country have been pushing, shoving, cramming, jamming, forcing and pounding government run healthcare down our throats since early spring. When the people asked them to tap the breaks and be wise, they were met with annoyed resistance. Americans do not take well to be shushed by the politicians they vote into office… so on April 15^th they took to the streets in the form of “Tea Parties” and protested the belligerent actions of their over-reaching government.

The Left considered the ‘Tea Parties’ a cute and meaningless tantrum of the right wing conservatives and dismissed them as little more than a nuisance. But the more they were ignored by the Left, the more outraged the Right became and the strength of their resolve grew. The citizens of the tea parties became the citizens of the Town Hall Meetings in August. Once again, the left dismissed them and pressed on with their agenda. The plan was for the biggest take over of American business sector in history to take place in August without resistance. But the people prevailed.

Since taking office in January, the government has taken over the automobile industry, banks, student loan programs, more of the mortgage industry and it’s fighting with every moment of everyday to get its long cold claws on America’s health care. The people have done well in resisting the government’s takeover, and exposing the corruption they find in the current administration (i.e. Van Jones, the Czars and ACORN.)

However, the Left can no longer ignore the people, so they have shifted from just being on the offensive – they’ve gone to a no huddle tactic. The leader of the left is on television as much as possible. He’s made two nationally televised speeches, appeared on almost all T.V. news shows, he even tried talking to the school kids. There has never been a bigger push by an administration to push a piece of legislation through that people wanted less.

So while the Left is in ‘No-huddle Offense’ the Right seems to have decided to play ‘Prevent Defense’ – this is a mistake. Someone rightly said, “The only thing that the prevent defense is good for is preventing victory.” This is the time to Blitz! This is the time to put in fresh players with new energy and greater resolve to crush this thing for the last time – (until the next time.) If we simply function in prevent mode… we will lose.

The terror attacks broken up in Dallas, Springfield, Denver, New York and Philadelphia are a reminder that the role of government is to protect the nation from our enemies. It is NOT to provide our healthcare, housing, automobiles or cupcakes! The Left is so confident, so arrogant, and so audacious that they told us the play they are running and they are daring us to stop it. One of their leaders said, “Healthcare will be passed before the members go home for Thanksgiving.”

Will we take the fight to them, or will we play the prevent defense? Call everyone you know who loves this country and tell them to get in the game. Write Congressmen and Senators. Get informed and educate yourself on the issues. Don’t prevent victory by being passive. That whistle you just heard stopped the clock. This is the Two Minute Warning. No prevent defense… Victory!

telemicus out

One hundred forty-six years ago, Abraham Lincoln changed American history with a three-minute speech on the battlefield in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. America is experiencing now the nearest thing to a civil war that I have seen since the protests of the 1960’s. It is a conflict, not of flesh and blood, not between north and south . . . it is a conflict of ideology.

The conflict is formulated around the current attempt of the federal government to take over the health care system. They have attempted to re-frame the discussion by changing terminology, but at its core, the war is over freedom and the right to self-determination. This bill takes freedom from people and places it irrevocably in the hands of the government.

In honor of the 16^th President, and our continuing quest for freedom, I submit this piece as a tribute and as a rallying cry for citizens to stand up and be heard in this more civil, albeit very real conflict.

~

Seven score and six years ago, during the days of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln called forth in this country a new birth of freedom. Its aim, to preserve this nation conceived in liberty and its dedication to the idea that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a more civil war. The test of our day is not the preservation of the Union, but rather, the preservation of the ideals of our Constitution, the principles of our Republic and the Liberty of our way of Life.

Those who assemble at town meetings and call their representatives, those who speak up for the oppressed and for those who cannot speak, those who write articles and join in debate, these are the brave soldiers of our divergence. The enemy we fight is in the philosophy of the current administration and those who would slowly, but with fierce determination, chip away the foundation of our Republic—Freedom. The freedoms we defend are guaranteed by the Constitution. They have been, and are to this day, being purchased by the blood of Patriots. “It is altogether fitting and proper that we do this.”

Patriotism is not simply to love our country. To love, support and defend the ideals and philosophies that established, protected and advanced the principles of American liberty; to believe in and stand with the brave men and women who fight to defend the rights guaranteed by our Constitution, this is Patriotism.

May we now stand with renewed resolve that our Freedoms will not be taken, that our voices will not be silenced, and that our children will not be burdened with the tyranny of our debt. Let our adversaries be assured that our Patriotism shall not diminish and “this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government: of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” May God bless the people of the United States of America. May we continue to be a free people and may we choose wisely when next commissioned the honor of free people to select our leaders.

~

telemicus out

There’s been a lot of talk this week about Tea Parties. I know some people think that all the protesters are doing this because they don’t want to pay ANY taxes. That is not the case. Everyone, (not counting crazy people) knows that taxes are a necessary part of our social and government systems. The conflict is over the level of taxation and the fairness of its confiscation.

We live in a country, (one that I love and would proudly defend) that has some whacky tax situations. For example… my mother-in-law worked a part time job in which she earned about $2100 last year. She is in her 70s and is now disabled. But because the church that she worked for didn’t take the taxes out and filed on her as a self employed person, she had to pay almost $300 of that little amount in taxes. Something isn’t right.

There is a need for some reasonable changes in taxation. We are told that about 40% of all earners pay no taxes at all (meaning, no withholding—even the devil has to pay FICA). I heard this week that the top 10% of earners (those that earn the most) pay over 70% of the entire tax revenue that comes into the treasury. There is clearly a need for some sanity in this process. I don’t think that I’m smarter than many people, but I am smart enough to know there’s a better way.

When the wisest man to ever live passed from this life, he gave his son the role of King over Israel. His name was Rehoboam. When he became King the people asked him to cut their taxes so they could live with less of a burden. Rehoboam asked them to give him three days to think it over. He asked his father’s advisors and they gave good advice, but he rejected it. Then he asked his friends about cutting the taxes. They convinced him that it would serve their interests and make life better if he raised the taxes instead. So that’s what he did.

The people of Israel revolted (Tea Party) and the country divided. The nation never truly recovered from all the harm caused by a wise King who made foolish decisions and left an ill-equipped son to lead God’s people. Rehoboam never set his heart to follow God (2 Chronicles 12:14).

If they’re going to tax our tea, they had better know that there is a limit. If this young man president is going to listen to his ‘friends,’ tax like there is no tomorrow and spend like there is no end to the money; if he continues to proclaim, “only the government” then don’t be surprised if he ends up like another young king who divided the nation because he wouldn’t listen to wisdom, the people or set his heart to follow God.

telemicus out

In the movie, Leatherheads, there is a scene where the Duluth Bulldogs are playing a “Mud Bowl” type game against Chicago. It’s the end of the game and Duluth has to have a trick play to win. So Dodge Conner (George Clooney) uses one play to take out one of Chicago’s players, and trades places with him as they carry him off the field. Because mud covered every player on both teams, no one notices. This means that Dodge is covering his own man. The perfect distraction—Duluth wins!

Distractions can be good. We all need something to take our minds off the dragons that have us in turmoil or tangled in details. But, when there is a pressing matter that needs our attention, distractions can render us ineffective and waste our opportunities.

In Mark chapter 9, Jesus spent some time on a mountain with Moses and Elijah. Peter, James and John were also at this meeting and as they returned to the town, they found the other nine Apostles engaged in an argument with the teachers of the Law. Jesus says, “What are you arguing about?” Out of the crowd a man speaks up and says, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by an evil spirit . . . I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not” (Mark 9:17-18).

There you have it. The father brings his son, tormented by an evil spirit and because the Apostles were not spiritually prepared to face this evil spirit, they could not cast it out. Instead of dealing with their own spiritual weakness, taking the boy to a private place to minister to him, taking him to Jesus so that He could cast it out, instead of any other course of action, they got into a shouting match with the teachers of the Law about the fact that they couldn’t cast out this evil spirit.

And the Enemy wins.

What frustrated Jesus here is not the evil spirit. You can see that by the way he dealt with it that is was not a giant battle for him. No, what frustrated Jesus was the unbelief and the lack of preparedness in his own followers. For while his disciples argued about their own efficacy and power, a boy still was being tortured.

We see this in politics, where those we elect go and fight with one another on Capitol Hill and the talk shows, while ignoring the real people who need help. They say their fighting for us, but it’s rarely about us. It happens in churches too. While people need to know the love and forgiveness of God, “leaders” argue about what they want or don’t want to happen. I wonder . . . if Jesus walked into our building or attended one of our meetings, would he say, “Keep up the good work?” or “What are you arguing about?”

telemicus out

When I was about thirteen, dad walked into my room and handed me a picture of a poem with a gold plastic frame. He said, “I want you to memorize this and I want you to hang it on your wall.” I never did get the whole thing memorized, but it did have enough impact on my life that I never forgot the opening stanza and I will never forget the assignment. The fifth stanza is occupying my thoughts this week. We are hearing a lot about bailouts, losses, toxic assets, layoffs, stimulus plans, accountability, etc. Like many of you, I’m weary of it all.

Somewhere the notion of losing became foreign to us. We have schools that won’t fail students who fail. Our kids play on sports teams that protect them from losing by refusing to keep score. Pro athletes get no cut, guaranteed contracts. During the mortgage fiasco, people got NINJA (No Income, No Job, no Assets) loans—and no accountability.

Life is hard. There are winners and losers. And most of the time we all experience moments of both heart crushing losses and thrilling victories. Risk and loss are part of life experience. I don’t care to hear people whine about their losses. It is part of our being here. Risk gives life flavor and texture. The danger can be thrilling and devastating. It can lead to tremendous loss and unimagined gain. To fail to risk is to fail to live. Kipling said . . .

If you can make one heap of all your winnings,
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings,
And never breathe a word about your loss;

People in business should be required to face their losses with integrity. If you don’t want losses, be wiser. Return to the reality that in business a certain amount of risk is required. It’s true in life as well. I don’t know what to call people who want to be insulated from every loss. Sissy seems to be too nice, but some of the more pejorative words might be inappropriate (you may insert your term of choice here.)

I’d like to see just one of those C.E.O. types stand before Congress and say, “We loaned money to people who did not have the ability to pay it back. We will eat the loss and change the policies that led to this.” (Yes, I know the government forced some of that. Here again, integrity died on the alter of political expediency.) “We took a chance on product or resource development that did not pay off. We will take the loss and improve our research.” As Kipling said it, they need to take their losses, start again at their beginnings. In regard to their hard times and losses, I think they need to shut up and go to work.

telemicus out

I don’t know what it is like to be the most hated man in America. It has to be heartbreaking. I know what its like to make mistakes and for those mistakes to cost people money. I know what it is to make mistakes and have people disappointed in my actions. But I don’t know what it is like to be hated. Jesus said, “Woe to you when all men speak well of you…” (Luke 6:26). This is a burden George W. Bush will never have to carry.

George W. Bush is certainly the most hated man in America. This is a tragedy. While I have my issues with certain things he has done in his two terms, while I have anger at the billions of dollars wasted because he wouldn’t say “No” to spending, while I hate the needless loss of life that all war produces, while I think he was far too passive in recent months, it is wrong to hate this good man.

I hear and read people who can scarcely hold their own brains inside their heads they are so filled with hate toward him. But think about this – since 9/11 2001 there have been over 12,222 acts of terrorism by Islamic radicals and not one has been on American soil. It’s not because they didn’t want to do them here.

I am one American who believes the cause of fighting the terrorist who want to destroy this country and our way of life is a just one. I may have used a different “strategery” in the conflicts we faced, but the terrorists have not given up. They live on an ideology of hate. Those Americans who fuel their daily lives by hating George W. Bush will be consumed by it. I heard once that Hate leads to the dark side.

I want to say, Thank you Mr. President for your efforts to fight terrorism. Thank you for your example of grace to people who said the most hateful things about you without swinging back. Thanks for keeping the country free and safe. Thank you for being noble in the face of hate. May you find the respect you deserve on the other side of January 20^th.

telemicus out

I guess I’m a small man – in terms of character. I’m gracious when I lose at sports. But when I, or my side, suffer loss in the arena if ideas, I am not so gracious. Ideas and philosophies regarding politics or any other area of life that lends itself to good and bad or right and wrong these are positions we hold on principle. In matters of opinion, everyone has a right of course. However, if we hold positions based on heart-felt beliefs and principles we should not blow them off simply because our side lost.

During his concession speech, I didn’t want to hear McCain talking about how wonderful The One is. I wanted to hear him say congratulations and that’s it. Then I wanted him to say to the over fifty-six million people who supported him, “I promised to fight for you and when I get back to Washington I plan to do everything in my power to promote and defend the ideas of conservatism and the constitution we believe in.” But he didn’t side with the people – he sided with The One and promised to work with him. That takes a bigger man than me.

Tell me – should we forget the vitriolic horrible things that the left said about the current President as if they didn’t mean it? They did mean it! Every time they called him stupid, they meant it. Every time they called him a liar, they meant it. Every time they accused him of being a traitor, they meant it. And even when they made plans to accuse him of war crimes, they meant that too. The One achieved a victory on Tuesday by beating the current president without mercy on the campaign trail. He made Bush the sole scapegoat for everything that happened in the last eight years. It is an empirical fact that the democrats are responsible for the mortgage collapse. Yet The One waltzed across the country and daily hung it around the Presidents neck while Bush, and the Republicans remained silent.

The President came out yesterday with all the class in the world and expressed nothing but graciousness to The One promising to extend every courtesy and help in the transition. It takes a bigger man than me. I would probably send him a note, leave the keys to White House at the security gate, and call it good.

Jesus sent the disciples out into the world with the message of the Kingdom saying, “And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them” (Mark 6:11).  Was he being a bad sport, a sore looser, a small man or was he standing on principles that are beyond compromise? You may say, “Well the principles of the Kingdom are more significant than political opinions.” This is true only to the degree that ones political beliefs are opinion based on preference rather than belief based on principle.

For many, the sacredness of the Constitution and the Sanctity of Human Life, just to name a couple, are issues of principle and not opinion. There are times when the cause is bigger than opinion polls and our own reputation with the opposition. But perhaps to understand the value appeasement and capitulation it simply takes a bigger man.

telemicus out 

You gotta be kidding me. A Democratic labor leader, Cecil Roberts, said a couple of weeks ago, “I used to be a community organizer and I’m in good company; Martin Luther King was a community organizer. Listen, Sarah, Moses was a community organizer and yes, Jesus was a community organizer.”

This was a slap at Sarah Palin.

Jesus was NOT a community organizer. He was a revolutionary. From the moment of his birth, he upset the world. Check out The Revelation chapter 12. In the spiritual realm and the physical, there was an effort to destroy this baby. He lived within a political system poisoned by power and yet he did not organize protests. He did not run for office or a seat with the elders. He did not seek to be a scribe. He went about doing good.

His enemies criticized him for not being religious enough, made fun of his faith, and insulted him by questioning his ancestry. They falsely charged him with blasphemy; they accused him of being demon possessed and of using the devils power. They hated him like no one else.

He lived within a religious system that was corrupted by power and hypocrisy. Yet he did not organize a new branch of Judaism. He went to synagogue and worshiped according to the law.  He honored teachers as a boy and challenged them from his teens until his death. His life inspired the godly and convicted the unholy. His love endeared him to the people. Yet he resisted and even refused to become a community organizer (King). He called people to DO good not to organize.

His teachings were radical. Among them… He openly called God, “Abba” the most intimate of terms and taught others to do the same. This revolutionary act ushered in a new way of relating to God. He taught his followers a radical new way to live; to love their enemies, to do good to those who hate, to serve those who are demanding, to give and not expect a return, to be holy beyond the law, to sacrifice self for the good of others, to turn the other cheek, and to be kind to the rude.

Some call him a pacifist. These people don’t really know him. He took the time to make a whip and then used it to drive people out of His Father’s house who were turning it into a Super Center instead of the Temple of God. And this was not a one time event, but perhaps a habit. They hated to see him coming. Yet he acted alone. He didn’t even organize his own followers to do these things. He called us to stand for good and righteousness and for our Father.

Jesus’ declared a new level of morality. He demonstrated dignity toward women. He upheld the sanctity of marriage and the value of family. He modeled forgiveness, but beyond that, he modeled a refusal to pass judgment when society demanded it. He fed the hungry, healed the sick, and rescued those oppressed by the Enemy. In the end, He faced the horrors of hate in his physical body. He bore the weight of the sins of the world on his own soul. He faced the greatest shame and deepest loneliness that a human has ever known and yet forgave his oppressors and loved his own to the very end.

Jesus was not a community organizer, he was a radical, revolutionary savior. He changed the world forever. “No one ever spoke the way this man does” (John 7:46).

telemicus out