I opened the Post and Courier today (the Charleston newspaper) and saw the headline which said, “MORE BOMBSHELLS”. Yes, the whole story about our Governor and his affair is like a slow, methodical drip from your kitchen sink that begins to just drive you crazy. About the time you think you have heard it all and can move on with something else…drip, drip, drip. We now find out, by his own admission, that while he never had sexual relations with any other women except his wife and mistress, he has had “inappropriate contact” with numerous women through the years. My hope is that this is the last “drip” in this whole convoluted, sordid, crazy tale.

I only mention this again because in the story Governor Sanford begins to identify the place where he began to move in a wrong direction. He tells the story that on several occasions he would be at events or situations where he would be dancing with someone other than his wife. He stated (not me) that “for a married man it probably isn’t good to dance with women who aren’t your wife”. YOU THINK!?! Unfortunately, I can probably also assume that alcohol was available which only exasperated the already challenged testosterone on the dance floor.

I know… I am a pastor and am supposed to be full of mercy and compassion with those who have fallen. In all honesty, I really am a compassionate, non “stone-throwing”, restore gently kind of person and pastor. My heart genuinely aches for his marriage, his family, and how all of this has to be done on the front page of the paper, talk radio, and on CNN, FOX, MSNBC, and every other media outlet. I really do want him (them) to succeed in picking up the pieces of their devastated life and bring it back together again. I have seen, through the years, marriages take an incredible hit and still be recovered. My prayer still is and has been that this will be case.

That being said, I want to use this state-wide disappointment to underscore the principle of BOUNDARIES. There are some boundaries in your life as a Christian that simply must be protected. It is the same concept as “lines that should not be crossed”. We were created to have intimacy with only one partner. Intimacy is not just the act of having sex, but it is the conversation, the closeness, the topics, the touch, the hug, the smile, the laugh, the “giddy”, the verbal exposure that should be reserved for your spouse alone. Our problem is that as a society our boundaries are fading and getting hazy. We think as long as we are not technically having sex with someone else, that anything up to that line is somehow “legal”. We forget the tactics and the strategy of the devil and the deception that begins to be released when we blur the lines of Christian decorum. The story of our Governor is the story of Samson, David, Solomon, Eli’s sons, Abraham and Hagar. These people were esnared because they did not protect their boundaries and they they crossed the lines of appropriate interaction.

My frustration through the years has been the constant drum beat of the sloppy-agape, cheap grace form of Christianity that has almost endorsed boundary busting activities. There really is good reason for a pastor to stand up and look at his congregation and say…”it is not smart, discerning, or realtionally healthy for you to embrace another woman on a dance floor”; “it is foolish for you to consume anything that would cause your self-restraint and sound-mindedness to be blurred…yes that means alcohol”.

If anything good comes from this whole debacle my prayer is that the church and Christians in general learn from the words of the Governor himself that boundaries are established, not to restrict us, but to keep us free and whole. I suspect if the Governor could relive the past year he might think those boundaries to be a good thing. Years ago, while working on the farm one of my jobs was to check the fence line so what needed to stay in would stay in and what needed to stay out would stay out. Maybe we all should take a few moments to check our relational “fence lines”. If something is down…fix it…you’ll be glad you did.

Just ask our Governor.

Pastor

I know, I know…the minute you see the word “television” associated with ministry all kinds of images can pop up in your head. Truth be told, however, the television has incredible power to touch thousands, even millions of people if used effectively.

Several months ago Faith Assembly of God (Summerville) purchased channel 18, a local Christian television station. The pastor invited all the pastors of the low country to a free lunch to share with them the vision of this new endeavor. I was very impressed that they hired exceptionally professional and experienced people to start this endeavor. The vision is for a “family” oriented station which will include local news and weather, events, community happenings, and of course a Christian witness through church programming. It all looks first class to me and to be candid, I was amazed and excited that they wanted the churches and pastors of our region to participate with them.

Having said that, I got a call last Friday to participate with Pastor Burgbacher on his program, “Ask the Pastor”. It is a “live” call-in program that gives the people of the Charleston area a chance to talk with a pastor on subjects of interest and relevance. It will be on tonight from 9:00 pm to 11:00 pm. I would appreciate your prayers. I have done TV and radio before so it is not like I am nervous, but when you are on the media you always want to put your best foot forward and present yourself (and ultimately the Lord) in the best possible light. You can get channel 18 on Knology cable systems or by regular signal through your converter box. Should be an interesting night.

Pastor

This week has had more interesting, heartbreaking, and disappointing news at once than we have seen in some time. The Scripture tells us that God will shake all that can be shaken, in order that those things which cannot be shaken shall remain. The Lord is long suffering and patient with us all, but there will come a moment He shakes things in order to drive us back to His unshakable Kingdom.

Let me say first, I will have some things to say about our Governor, Mark Sanford, live on Sunday morning. His admission of an affair and the ancillary issues surrounding it are of spiritual significance to those of us who are South Carolinians. This disappointment is not just a political issue, but has spiritual repercussions. My hope and prayer is that the Senior Pastors of this state will arise in their God-given authority and begin to set in order those things that are so apparently out of order. This is a moment for spiritual transparency and direction for our state.

We have also lost 3 celebrities in recent days: Ed Mcmahon, Farrah Fawcett, and Michael Jackson. I do not know their spiritual backgrounds or their faith foundations, but it should remind us all of several things:

1. Death is the great equalizer. There is no one who can avoid it. Last time I looked, statistics tell me that 100 out of 100 people die. This moment will come to us all (except in case of rapture). It is a respecter of no one. Life is enjoyable, but all of us need to prepare for that moment we step out of this world and enter the next one. I hope these 3 celebrities had the foresight to make those preparations.

2. Death can be unscheduled. Sometimes death comes when we least expect it. That is why you have to live ready for that event. You cannot presume you have 80 or 90 years to get your spiritual life in order. We live in a fallen world which can touch us in unscheduled ways. Live ready. Live like you are going to meet your God at any moment. You will never regret that preparation.

3. We all have to embrace God’s truth of how we are reconciled to Him. The Lord has clearly revealed how we are made right before Him. We must confess Him as Lord, repent of our sins, ask for His forgiveness. These things are not my opinion, but His Word. We do not get to make up our own rules or our own path. Celebrities can tend to be rather self absorbed people. Hopefully, these 3 realized before death came that there was a higher authority to reckon with.

4. Riches and noteriety are no good for any one when you are ushered into eternity. God is unimpressed with our earthly achievements or crowns. He calls them, “wood, hay, and stubble”. There will be great celebrations here on earth in memory of these famous people. There is an appropriateness to memorialize all people. The real question is whether or not there is a celebration in eternity.

I am no man’s judge…but  I do have a personal relationship with the one true Judge of the universe. I respect Him above all else. My sincere hope is that these 3 were wise in these regards. Pray for their families and let us be mindful that “life is but a vapor”.

Grateful I am holding on to the Unshakable Person and Kingdom!

Pastor