A Week With No Media (Didn't Kill Anybody)

For the unfamiliar, my church family recently took part in an 8 day media fast at the urging of our pastor. I posted about it HERE.. No social media, no non-work related computer usage, no news, no books, no movies, no television, well you get the point. We were expected to talk to people. Actual conversations. We were encouraged to read our bibles and pray more. How crazy is that? It was an opportunity to evaluate and build on our relationships with our families & friends, ourselves, and God. The horror!

At the end of the fast (6pm this past Sunday night), I half expected a power surge in the county as an entire congregation of people plugged back in to "The Matrix" to catch up on a weeks worth of Facebook happenings and all of the latest episodes of our favorite TV shows.

Maybe your thing is social media. I like to know what's going on in the lives of my friends & family and Facebook is a good platform to at least catch some highlights (and yes, lowlights).  But in the week I was offline, my non-church family, those not participating in the fast, made nearly 2000 posts according to the update I got from Zuckerberg's crew. That is 2000 "at lunch with my bestie's", "I'm bored's" and some slightly offensive and politically motivated humor.  I missed it all and lived to tell you about it.

For me it's "the news".  I have to admit that I have been obsessed with the news most of my adult life. If Matt Drudge doesn't update his headline every hour I used to find myself getting anxious. And if I read the news I would typically just get aggravated or so lost in it, clicking from one story to the next, that half a morning or more would go by, wasted. I knew what was going on here on Planet Earth, at least as it was reported, but I wasn't truly any better for it. I was immersed in it and I allowed it to steal something more precious to me than money. It stole my time. I guess stole is not the correct word. I willingly gave my time away and had little to show for it.

The classic movie character, Morpheus, said: "The Matrix is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth", which may be more fact than science fiction. However, I submit that the "Matrix" I am concerned about is the one that occupies so much of our collective time that it prevents us from doing great and amazing things. It keeps us from reaching out to those we care about, hinders the following of our God-given dreams, it stunts our spiritual growth.

I think about all of the conversations I've missed, the writing I never got around to, the scriptures I could have studied and the relationships I could have built on. Is it wrong to follow the news? Absolutely not! Is it wrong to watch cats re-enact a scene from a James Bond movie? A much less emphatic, no. But, could I be a better man if I would give more time to living, to building relationships, and to developing my spirit-man? I strongly suspect I could. How about you?

The author is husband to an amazing wife, father to two beautifully grown daughters and papaw to two of the cutest and smartest kids ever created. He is currently the associate pastor at Tabernacle of Praise in Crestline, Ohio. At present, he is taking a break from his career as a Christian stand-up comic, however, if you would like to discuss him speaking to your church or group, feel free to contact him directly by e-mail at dwaynecastle40@yahoo.com or by phone at 419-961-1265. 

Where was God?

9/11, Mass shootings, natural disasters... Many are asking how a loving God could allow these things to happen. The premise of the question, I believe, is flawed. After the tragedy in Newtown, CT, the headline reads: "Churches Packed for Vigil".  Why does it take catastrophe to draw us to God? It's because at times like this, when we see true evil, that we have no frame of reference or ability to grasp what has happened. It's so large and overwhelming that only God can comfort us. Only God can possibly understand. 

But can't He guide and comfort us daily? Is He God only when disaster strikes? Why do the masses who pack the church during crisis avoid the church at other times? I believe a main reason is a lack of balance within the church community.

On one side we have in our global community those who have become so afraid of persecution or tired of the "in your face" corruption that the world offers.  We have gone on the offense, lashing out, becoming so militant in our faith that we condemn and push away those who don't hold the same beliefs that we do. Are we so prideful to think that we are above the persecution that Jesus has said we will suffer?  We are so busy declaring our rights that we fail present a Gospel of love and compassion. 

On the other side of the imbalance, we silently accept or actively endorse all manner of sin, acquiescing to the carnal desires of those who want to have a "faith" walk and a worldly lifestyle, simultaneously. But if we accept changes to the Gospel to accommodate individual lifestyle choices, how do we become any different than the Samaritans of old who mixed and matched their favorite parts of religion until the original commands of God were lost? It took Jesus to break through the false and distorted doctrines created by man. But he started with the woman at the well, with love and compassion and when he did "many that day were added" to the Kingdom of God.  

Jesus was not militant nor did He judge. He presented love, the word of God, the message of repentance and salvation. But those who chose not to follow him were not bullied or belittled. The rich young man was given the instruction to sell all he had, give the money to the poor and follow Jesus. When the man refused, it was that same man who hung his head and walked away. Jesus didn't mock or ridicule him. Jesus didn't poke His finger in the man's chest and badger him. But neither did He change the requirement that we must be willing to give our all to serve God. 

We as Christian's must be Christ-like. It's in the name. We will judge angel's, but it will happen when we have been given authority to do so. Who gave us a right to judge every person who comes across our path? And why do we judge some sin as more heinous than another? We have no right to judge others unless and until we have been given the authority to do so. On the flip-side, if we cave on the principles taught to us through scripture, in an attempt to draw in those who are seeking, what will they find but validation that the current path they are on is sufficient.

As a Christian, I challenge you to love others enough to share the gospel with them, but to respect them enough to allow them to make their own decision on serving the God that you serve. I challenge you to hold back your judgement of others but to love them enough to pray for them. I challenge you with this: Does the mighty God we serve need you or me to convince others of His existence, or do you think maybe all we have to do is love Him first and foremost, and love our neighbors as ourselves?

As for the original question "where was God?" He is right where He has always been, jealously waiting on you, craving a relationship. A relationship in which He heals your hurts, celebrates your joys, and guides your steps. A relationship based on the only true love that exists.

My prayers go out for the community of Newtown and for the hearts of a grieving humanity. 

(All scripture links from the "Blue Letter Bible". Please check out and support them.)

If you would like information about having Dwayne come to minister, speak or perform for your group, contact him by e-mail at dwaynecastle40@yahoo.com or by phone at 419-961-1265. 

The Election (Winners and Losers)

You may not have heard but we here in the USA have a little thing called the presidential election. In a few weeks we will decide who is going to be the face of our great country and lead us for the next four years.  According to polls it's anybodies guess as to who is going to win. The implications reach far beyond my corner of the globe and expand into the entire world, like it or not.

Although our collective name, United States of America, indicates one thing we are in reality a divided nation. There are those who are either in the Democrat or Republican camps or those who are third party proponents. There are the non-affiliated and the very disinterested or disheartened. To hear tell, regardless of who wins there will be anarchy, riots in the streets and life as we know it will be over. The winners will  undoubtedly gloat while being called cheats and liars. The "losers" will demand recounts and court battles or make excuses for the loss. Both the winners and losers will be called un-American.

The "winner", an imperfect human being, will be near opposite in principle from their closest opponent thus alienating all who would have voted for someone else. Furthermore, the winner will assuredly change or compromise on some of his principled beliefs, alienating those purists who expected 100% agreement with their own point of view by the leader of the free world.

This past weekend was amazing. We held a 24 hour prayer service at our church beginning on Friday night. We prayed about many things: health issues, elimination of the drug epidemic in our county, revival, and yes, even the elections (nationally, statewide, and locally.) We prayed for the protection of our leaders and for wisdom, integrity and fidelity of office, regardless of their party affiliation.  After the prayer service was over, we began a worship service with what I would call the best worship team ever. I'm a bit biased because I truly love the members of our team of gifted singers and musicians.

A team of dedicated women decorated the prayer tent our pastor thought to erect, as well as the sanctuary, all with the theme of Harvest Celebration. They set the tone for our prayer and worship in that we ought to be thankful to God for the goodness that He pours out upon us, the expectation of continued blessings, and for the hope that is to us, Jesus Christ.  Many people put time, energy and even money into this weekend. It was worth it. Every minute spent in preparation and prayer, every penny spent on setting the environment and planting spiritual seeds, all of it was worth the cost.

We believe in the Holy Spirit as a very real person, part of the Trinity with God and Jesus. Many of us felt the presence of the Holy Spirit during the prayer and worship time, conversed with Him, and were reinvigorated in our walk down this Christian path. Some were healed, some forgiven, and some were given vision for their future. We believe that every prayer was answered regardless of the visible results or the lack thereof.

Immediately after the event my wife and I left the church energized by two full days of basking in His presence and promptly hit and killed a deer with our new car. Not brand new, but new to us. We had only made a single payment on it and on top of that it was the car my wife uses for work and now she can't. Between the tragedy that befell the deer, Deborah's great sadness (she loves animals), the damage to the car and the fact that I hadn't slept but a few hours or so in the past 40, I was a bit upset. How could this happen? I just spent so much of myself worshipping God.   

"Dwayne, what does this have to do with the elections?" Great question. In politics, as in sports, there are people praying on and for each team to win. But there is only one winner. This isn't soccer and there won't be a tie. There are people on all sides hoping for a specific outcome and it will be devastation to some on the side garnering the least amount of votes. 

The outcome of our election, or our circumstances, does not change God. Whether my candidate wins or loses, it doesn't change the love that my God has for me. He doesn't love me more or less based on if I win or not. He isn't less of God because my car was damaged and a deer died. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. My faith is in Him not in my president or my team or my circumstances. I encourage you to determine if you are living a life that is only "good" when the "right" people and circumstances line up in your favor, or is it a good life, regardless of what it looks like in the moment.

If you like this post, please comment, share and/or subscribe. If you are interested in having me speak with your group,  please contact me at by e-mail at dwaynecastle40@yahoo.com, by phone at 419-961-1265 or through my website at www.funnybutclean.com.