“People in general are equally horrified at hearing the Christian religion doubted, and at seeing it practiced.”  Samuel Butler

Ever since its release in October of 1971, John Lennon’s Imagine has been a lightning rod for the insecurities and indignations of the faithful.  For just as long, the song has remained the wistful ballad of the wayward and the soundtrack to all secular longing.  If man were the measure of all things and humanity divine, Imagine would be atheism’s loveliest hymn.  But to anyone whose worldview has God at the center, Lennon’s lyric overreaches and underpays; an artifact from the ruins of Babel.

If we really care about people, then we will really care about ideas.  What was John Lennon’s idea here and what accounts for its broad and persistent appeal?  Lennon wasn’t evil, but simply a nonbeliever doing the best he could with what he had on hand.  The Apostle Paul wasn’t threatened by all the false deities being celebrated on the hills above Athens and he wasn’t combative with the philosophers who argued for their veneration.  He listened, observed, and proceeded to fill in the blanks for anyone who would listen.  He simply shared the good news of Jesus Christ and let the Gospel topple all that was false.  At this week’s Roundtable, we’re going to discuss the lyrics to Imagine and work to understand why a weary world is left to its imagination and how Christianity might be the dream come true.  See you this Sunday, August 26^th at 8:30 in the morning.  God bless you!

Click here to read the lyrics to “Imagine”

Much of history is a record of what’s done with sledgehammers. Men and women, frustrated with the nature and structure of things, cock back the wrecking ball and let it swing; smashing the established order to pieces. Boundary lines are moved, laws rewritten, statues toppled, books burned, and temples leveled for the rebuild. What are Paris, Jerusalem, and Rome but tubs of Legos that emperors, kings, princes, and generals have played in over the millennia? One of the lessons we’ve learned from these furious histories is that many of the things that get smashed should have been left as they were. Some that ends up as rubble should have been guarded as gold.

Ours is one of these iconoclastic ages when the sledgehammers are swinging. Under the banner of progress, a lot of our societal structure has been condemned as unfit for a noble and free people and is being slated for disassembly. As the chaos increases, those of us interested in preserving what’s best for our families and neighbors are left to decide what can be left to burn and what must be preserved. One of the changes Christians are being forced to consider is the rapid legalization of marijuana. Long seen as an illicit narcotic that seeks to arrest the energies of young people and fog the minds of all who get hooked, cannabis is today being championed as a medical miracle, a less dangerous alternative to alcohol, and even a gift from God. What should we say to our lawmakers, our youngsters, and our brothers and sisters battling chronic pain? In Marijuana to the Glory of God?, Pastor Jeff Lacine of Portland, Oregon offers his perspective for our consideration. Come join the conversation at the Roundtable this Sunday morning at 8:30am. Hot coffee will be brewed and baked goods spread out to sweeten the meeting – hope to see you there!

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