Below are two sermons I preached on January 12 and 19th. Enjoy!
In Christ,
Rev. Evan
“You Are Not Lacking” (January 19, 2014- I Cor. 1:1-9)
[audio http://k007.kiwi6.com/hotlink/49fhp0iukn/you_are_not_lacking.mp3|titles=You Are Not Lacking|loop=no|animation=no]
“And The Spirit Descended” (January 12, 2014- Matthew 3:13-17)
[audio http://k007.kiwi6.com/hotlink/mkx6hjw5rw/spirit_descended.mp3|titles=And The Spirit Descended|loop=no|animation=no]
My new year’s resolution is one that I think many people make: to read more.
I enjoy reading and I even have a Kindle.
I have an ever growing list of books that I want to read, should read and have been recommended to me but by consequence of having a full time job, preaching on Sundays, a wife and two kids, time is scarce.
So this year I am going to make a goal to read 14 books in the year 2014. I know to some avid readers out there 14 is the standard quota for a week but I am taking baby steps here.
I hope to write reviews on the books I read during this challenge and you never know maybe I will surpass my goal of 14.
If you have any recommendations for me feel free to comment below!
In Christ,
Rev. Evan
https://twitter.com/jetpack/status/420249744414224384![A Universal Thank You [Explored]](https://i0.wp.com/farm7.staticflickr.com/6112/6391380389_76c97e6d2e.jpg)
In Christ,
Rev. Evan
A school assembly speaker is gaining national attention. In Richardson, Texas a high school brought in “motivational speaker and dating expert” Justin Lookadoo to speak to the students about relationships and dating. Lookadoo traverses the country speaking to students about the ins and out, the perils and pitfalls of dating. According to his website, he is a former probation officer with a biology degree who likes to speak to students (I guess that’s all it takes to be motivational speaker).
Through his “Are You Dateable Quiz” Lookadoo gives teens a definitive answer on their status in the realm of dating. His quiz parallels with his “Dateable Rules” (read them here) some of which are textbook gender stereotypes and Christian theological distortions.
Here are a few of them:
Dateable Girl Rule 1:
Accept your girly-ness. You’re a girl. Be proud of all that means. You are soft, you are gentle, you are a woman. Don’t try to be a guy. Guys like you because you are different from them. So let your girly-ness soar.
Dateable Girl Rule 6:
Be mysterious. Dateable girls know how to shut up. They don’t monopolize the conversation. They don’t tell everyone everything about themselves. They save some for later. They listen more than they gab.
Dateable Girl Rule 9:
Let him lead. God made guys as leaders. Dateable girls get that and let him do guy things, get a door, open a ketchup bottle. They relax and let guys be guys. Which means they don’t ask him out!!!
Dateable Boy Rule 1:
Being a guy is good. Dateable guys know they aren’t as sensitive as girls and that’s okay. They know they are stronger, more dangerous, and more adventurous and that’s okay. Dateable guys are real men who aren’t afraid to be guys.
As you can imagine many parents had concerns about this particular speaker especially when they did not know about it or consent. Parents contacted the school and took to social media to spread the word about the assembly.
While reports have come out stating that the speaker did not speak about his religious beliefs, he did speak about the ins and outs of relationships.
To be honest, I think his “rules” are bogus. They come from a place where boys and girls are divided into classes and in the end boys win. Making girls out to be “damsels in distress” and boys are “heroic warriors looking for an adventure” doesn’t equate a relationship.
Relationships are built upon respect and mutuality not antiquated thinking when it comes to gender roles.
This particularly hits home for me when it comes to Girl Rule #9.
Picture this… a 16 year old husky, acne prone, tuba player who has a crush on a cute blonde haired girl he has been friends with for a while. While he is extroverted with his friends he can’t seem to articulate the words to ask out this girl. Then one glorious day, this girl breaks rule #9 and ask him out to the movies! (I know Justin Lookadoo is gasping…) After that they began to date and I am happy to say that I have been married to that beautiful blonde haired girl for nine years. Had my wife listened to Lookadoo’s crazy rules who knows if I would have ever have garnered enough intestinal fortitude to ask her out. If that had not happened who knows what my life would be like today.
This is not “Pleasantville” where we live in a perfect “Leave It To Beaver” style world full of “awww shucks” and Dad smoking a pipe while reading the paper. This is the 21st century where we have advanced our notion of relationships to the point where we make them “official” by updating our statuses on Facebook. Girls need not be afraid of breaking some rule or social etiquette when it comes to dating. I am sure there are hundreds if not thousands of teenage boys just like I was just hoping that a girl will ask them out. Girls, hear me, if you like someone, you my permission to break rule 9 and ask them out, sooner rather than later. You never know what might come of it.
Lookadoo’s rules interject theology that many Christians do not stand for. Again this goes back to Rule 9 which claims that God made boys to be leaders. Okay Mr. Lookadoo (I still have trouble believing that is your real last name) if this is the case then why in the Biblical record do we find women in prominent roles of leadership, authority and at the heart of the Gospel? Should girls disregard the Biblical stories that promote women in the same roles as men? Deborah the Judge– get rid of her? Queen Ester– don’t need her? Ruth– that’s just a nice story? The women who found Jesus’ tomb empty– I guess the men had “manly things” they had to take care of like hiding and running away.
Holding the view that women are just side show pieces to prop up the work of men is not found in the Biblical record… sure you can make it fit but you can do that with anything. (Also, some of the men found in the Biblical record probably wouldnt fit the bill of date-ability either.)
Girls today need to be taught that there is a God who doesn’t favor boys more than them. If we are all created in the same Image of God, created by the same Loving God and that same God knitted us in our mother’s womb, then why would having two X chromosomes disqualify someone from serving, leading, taking charge and being a strong person?
Lookadoo believes he has uncovered the secret formula for relationships… yeah you and every other author in Barnes and Nobles in the “Relationship” section.
It’s time to empower teenagers and have meaningful conversations about dating, relationships and all the craziness that comes with it.
In Christ,
Rev. Evan
Mark Driscoll, pastor of mega church Mars Hill in Seattle, Washington, is never far from controversy. Whether it is his stance on women in the ministry or the husband/wife relationship, if there is an open mic, Mark Driscoll will say something in it. Through his sermons, blog articles, books, tweets and Facebook posts Mark Driscoll shares his view of Christianity to the masses.
To be honest I have never met the guy and I have only read/heard a few things by him. What I have read/heard I have not agreed with. He and I do not see eye to eye on many things in the realm of Christianity. But, even though we have our differences, this is not what I want to focus on.
I was wasting time one day on Facebook when I saw a friend of mine had “liked” something that Driscoll had posted on Facebook (which if you haven’t ever checked his Facebook page he posts several things a day… its a lot folks). Out of curiosity I clicked on the status and began to read. I had prepared myself for an onslaught of literalism and verses out of context but rather it was a paragraph quoting one of my favorite comedians, Brian Regan. (See below)
What I find interesting about this post is that many times Driscoll has come out against yoga claiming it to have “demonic roots.” This was emphasized in the comment sections of his post. I wasn’t sure how to take it. Why would someone who dislikes the concept of yoga on religious basis promote a comedian that uses it to make money? Isn’t that like a vegetarian supporting a barbecue festival?
Then I found that he quoted Regan again…
I was amazed… Mark Driscoll and I have something in common… besides being Christians, pastors, husbands, dads and male.
Can the ground of commonality be forged on the field of comedy?
Maybe in the realm of theology and Christian practice Driscoll and I are different, but when we need to unwind and have a good laugh, Brian Regan brings us together. Maybe I have forgotten that Mark Driscoll is just like me, a fallible human being. I took away his humanity and made him into this robot of a branch of Christianity that I did not agree with. Knowing that he laughs at the same jokes I do is humbling and thought provoking all at the same time. Sometimes its hard for me fully grasp the tenet of the Disciples of Christ “freedom of belief” especially when I think someone else’s theology is harmful and misrepresents God and even the intent of the scriptures.
Sure I would love to tell him about my understanding of God, the Bible, Christ, women in ministry and the like but I doubt that will ever happen. I will continue to pursue a God who loves me despite the way I act and even think about others. Hopefully more common ground will be found but until then, enjoy the video below and laugh with Mark and I.
In Christ,
Rev. Evan
This week’s guest post is from my sister Caitlin Dolive. Enjoy! If you want to write a post be sure to click here for more info!
I decided to put my thoughts down on paper and post them on my brother’s blog in hopes of helping others and in hopes of getting some feedback from clergy, pastoral and ministry friends and followers of evandolive.com. Let me first start with my personal views on worship.
I LOVE PRAISE and WORSHIP. It is my favorite part of most church services. I often get more from (as in hearing from the Lord, encouragement, and hope) just by hearing or singing hymns to give praise to God. Though I still connect to the word or message provided by the pastor, I often times feel myself connecting more in a moment in worship. I feel worship is intimate and can be powerful all in the same breath. But as Christians, I think we often check out or miss those moments that God is trying to stir in us a moment of worship. God wants us to Praise him and honor him. Why should we hold back or wait for the right time?
Growing up I was not raised in church that lifted their hands arms, danced or jumped around to give praise to God, but this is not something I am ashamed of, if anything I am grateful for the foundation that I had growing up in church. I am thankful that God has opened my eyes up to other ways to worship him. Throughout my worship experience both now and in the past, I have learned worship does not have to be anything more than you thanking God for his many blessings, sitting in the quiet listening for his sweet voice, or even lifting your voice with praise all with a grateful heart. The key is to worship with a grateful heart and to not got go through the motions. If you’re praising God with just words what justice does it serve?
Your worship should also be in your actions ( your life as a Christian.) . Billy Graham says it best “The highest form of worship of unselfish Christian service. The greatest form of praise is the sound of consecrated feet seeking out the lost and helpless.”
Psalm 95:6 -7 states “Come let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before our maker for he is our God.”(NLT) When you worship are really bringing yourself in to God’s presence? If the King of Kings came into your place of worship would he be pleased and honored with your worship or in some cases would he be welcome? As Christians we shouldn’t wait until Christ’s return or when we leave this world for eternity to Worship God and spend time in his presence.
Also, John 4: 21 – 24 states, “Believe me, dear women the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. But the time is coming – indeed it’s here now – when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit , so those who worship him must worship him in truth.” ( NLT)
I can’t imagine what the worship is like or will be like when I get to Heaven. But if I can have glimpse of it here on Earth I want do whatever it takes to manifest his glory and honor until that time. God wants all of our worship, everything in us to praise and worship him. Let’s make a point to worship God by opening the floors of heaven with our worship, honoring the person who deserves all that we can truly give him.
I want my worship to be FOR REAL and I pray that you experience his presence in a way you never experienced it before. The video below is for the song Fire Fall Down by Hillsong United. I love this song and to me it represents what worship is all about.
I pray it blesses you.
May God Bless you and keep you always.
Caitlin Dolive
There was one constant this week at work while I visited patients– and no, it wasn’t the fact that people mistaken me as a Doctor or a Nurse. This week over 50% of the rooms I entered had the George Zimmerman trial on the TV. CNN, MSNBC and other major news outlets have been running what seems like 24 hours coverage of courtroom drama; the lead story for most of the news stations and more than likely on talk radio (on both sides of the aisle) has been a run down of the evidence, the objections and word for word break down for the testimony given. Social media has been flooded with hashtags, posts, reflections and petitions for both Trayvon and George Zimmerman.
Talking heads and media commentators have weighed the evidence and tried to ascertain what verdict the all female jury will return with. They have debated the use of “cracker” as a derogatory word and have talked ad nauseum, often in circles, about this case. At times, it can be too much to handle or absorb.
But through it all, there is one piece of information, in my opinion, that the ratings-hungry news organizations have missed or overlooked; whether the jury comes back with a guilty or innocent verdict, a 17 year old boy, Trayvon Martin, is dead.
Trayvon Martin via Wikipedia
While it is right to seek after justice, is it possible during the process to miss the point? Has the media and the populace become so enamored with the trial and the ultimate verdict that Trayvon has been pushed to the side? Is this the effect of the 24 hour news cycle with its constant updates, critiques and up to the minute details?
Trayvon was brought up during the trial. But in my view it was more indirectly, as if he was a part of some grand motion picture of the legal system of Florida. He was described as a thug high on marijuana as well as a 17 year old kid just trying to keep out of the rain and get back home.
What happened that February night was a travesty for all parties involved. No parent should ever have to bury their child and George Zimmerman now has to live the rest of his life knowing that he took another human being’s life.
At the center of the Creation story found in the Book of Genesis is the notion that all of creation is made by the hands of God. But it is humanity that takes a special place in the order of creation. God created humanity in God’s likeness and image. Genesis 1:26-27 reads:
“Then God said, ‘Let us make humanity in our image to resemble us so that they may take charge of the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, all the earth, and all the crawling things on earth. ‘ God created humanity in God’s own image, in the divine image God created them,male and female God created them.” (Common English Bible, 2011)
These two verses serve as a reminder that no human being is an accident and that every human being is a product of a living God. It was God who formed from the dirt Adam and then breathed the very breath of God into his nostrils. These two events are not the by product of a passive God; these events signify that God has an intimate relationship with ALL of humanity, no matter what side of the “train tracks” you are from.
During the next few days (or maybe weeks) we need to remember the story of creation. As the verdict is returned and the news organizations postulate why the jury went one way or the other, may we remember that all life is precious and all people are children of God.
George Zimmerman, guilty or innocent, is a child of God.
Trayvon Martin, no matter his past or alleged wrong doings, is a child of God.
May we remember where we all come from not just during a high profile case, but forever.
In Christ,
Rev. Evan
English: A folded American flag held by a United States Marine at the funeral of Douglas A. Zembiec. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I have never served in the military. I have had family and in-laws who served this country in a variety of capacities though the armed forces. Now more than ever, the public is keenly aware of the movements and campaigns of the US military are leading in the Middle East and around the world. New stations cover a returning solider, coming back home to a throng of people cheering and waving US flags; we get choked up when we see a solider surprising their family; we stand and clap during sporting events when a service person is recognized on the jumbo-tron.
While all of these things are wonderful expressions of thankfulness and gratitude, what about what is going on in the inside of the solider, inside their mind, their heart and their soul? Can one ever understand what life is like in service to the country? Can one ever understand the what life is like in the line of fire? to shoot a gun? to have bombs go off near you? to lose a friend? to kill someone?
How does one (if ever) reintegrate into a fast paced, self centered, on the go American society?
The book Soul Repair: Recovering From Moral Injury After War takes a look at the notion of moral injury in returning combat veterans.
Moral injury results from having to make difficult moral choices under extreme conditions, experiencing morally anguishing events or duties, witnessing immoral acts, or behaving in ways that profoundly challenge moral conscience and identity and the values that support them. Moral injury is found in feelings of survivor guilt, grief, shame, remorse, anger, despair, mistrust, and betrayal by authorities. In its most severe forms, it can destroy moral identity and the will to live. The struggle of combat veterans to return to civilian life can be even more difficult than serving in war and last a lifetime. (taken from http://www.brite.edu/soulrepair/)
The book profiles five different soldiers from different campaigns that the US has been involved with and their struggle with their own morality and faith and how their soul was injured during their deployment. The book is written by Rita Nakashima Brock and Gabriella Lettini who both had family member serve in combat; both articulate that their loved ones were not the same people after their deployments.
This is an eye opening book to the pains and injury (not just physical) that combat has. I guess sub conscientiously knew it but I never connected the dots. This text brings moral injury to the forefront, to a place where we as a society and nation are faced with it. By hearing the stories of struggle and pain that the soldiers went through the reader is taken to a different place, into a world that most of us are not privy to.
The book states that returning combat vets are at a statsically greater risk for suicide and violence; this leads many to think that the pangs of war and combat are deeper than just what is reported on television.
Soul Repair does not hold back on its critique of the Veterans Administration and the US government for not support returning veterans.
Selected Quotes:
Moral injury results when soldiers violate their core moral beliefs, and in evaluating their behoavior negatively, they feel they no longer live in a reliable, meaningful world and can no longer be regarded as decent human beings. (page XV)
Veterans who struggle with moral injury are struggling to recover their lost sense of humanity, which they require to reintegrate into the human community. No easy shortcut can bring them home. (page 54)
Engaging in collective conversations about moral injury and war can help us all to strengthen the moral fabric of society and the connections that tie us to the rest of the world. Our collective engagement with moral injury will teach us more about the impact of our actions and choices on each other, enable us to see the world from other perspectives and chart pathways for our future. (page 114)
The Disciples of Christ in 2011 voted to look into the notion of moral injury and how the church can help veterans from all campaigns with moral injury. Thanks to a grant Brite Divinity School in Fort Worth, Texas opened the Soul Repair Center.
I support the work of the Soul Repair Center and I pray that it will be used for the healing and restoration of all people who are faced with moral injury. The authors note that the church used to assist with the transition of those returning from war who had “shed human blood.” They had to undergo “a rehabilitation process that included reverting to the status of someone who had not yet been baptized and was undergoing training in Christian faith. … this ancient form of quarantine was required because early Christians understood that killing or participating in war, regardless of of the reasons, injured the souls of those how fought. (page xviii)”
I recommend this book to anyone who has or has had a member of their family in military combat, no matter how long ago. Moral injury is something that has been with humanity ever since the first war broke out.
Book Link
5 out of 5 stars
★★★★★
In Christ,
Rev. Evan
Today I found out that I was listed in the Top Five Coolest Dads on the Internet by People Magazine! They ranked me number 3!
Here is what they wrote:
When Evan Dolive, a reverend from Houston heard about Victoria’s Secret’s Bright Young Things collection, he wasn’t exactly running to the mall. Based on observations of the collection – which ranged from polka-dotted hipsters screen-printed with the phrase “Feeling Lucky?” to thongs emblazoned with the words “Call me” on the front – he was worried the iconically sexy retailer was targeting middle school-aged girls. And so he thought of his daughter, a 3-year-old who loves princesses, peanut butter and jelly and drawing pictures for people.
“I want my daughter (and every girl) to be faced with tough decisions in her formative years of adolescence,” he wrote in a March letter on his blog. “Decisions like should I be a doctor or a lawyer? Should I take calculus as a junior or a senior? … I want my daughter to know that she is perfect the way she is; I want my daughter to know that no matter what underwear she is wearing, it does not define her.” –Written by Alison Schwartz on people.com
I am honored to be selected for this list. As I have said many times before (and will say many times again), I never thought that my letter to Victoria’s Secret would ever garner this much attention.
Thanks to everyone for reading and supporting me on this journey!
A BIG THANK YOU TO PEOPLE.COM AND THE AUTHOR ALISON SCHWARTZ!
If you would like to see the others listed click here for the full article.
In Christ,
Rev. Evan
On May 26, 2013, I preached my final sermon at Bethany Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
I was serving there as their Interim Minister. On June 3, I will be a Staff Chaplain at Saint Elizabeth Hospital in Beaumont, Texas.
Leaving is never easy to do but I am looking forward to the new opportunities that await me.
To the members and friends of Bethany, thank you for the opportunity to serve as your Interim Minister.
Sermon Link (Romans 5:1-5)
In Christ,
Rev. Evan
Rev. Dr. Evan M. Dolive 