Mike Guglielmucci and Healer

Sigh, I’ve been following this story all week and it looks like another one is biting the dust. Mike Guglielmucci, an Australian pastor and musician, has confessed that his alleged two-year battle with terminal cancer is completely untrue. There was never any cancer to begin with. Instead, according to Mike, he created this elaborate lie as a form of escape from his 16-year secret struggle with pornography addiction.  It’s one thing to fabricate such a thing, even to the point that your own wife and family are in the dark about it, but what’s at stake becomes even greater when countless others are unknowingly pulled into the mess.

Recently, Mike’s powerful song called, “Healer,” has been gaining popularity within churches and Christian circles all around the world. The story behind the song was originally a testament of Mike dealing with how to reconcile his (now, fake) cancer and his faith.  It was first recorded on a Planetshakers album but it’s gained even more attention earlier this year as Mike was invited by Hillsong Church to record “Healer” on their newest live album, This is Our God. Up he went, before thousands of people, with oxygyn tank and tubes in hand, and belted out the song, “Healer.”  I like the song.  I mean, i do, it’s great, it’s powerful, it’s truth, it’s an anthem for many…

But no doubt, there’s mixed feelings now.  On the one hand, thousands have been touched, moved, impacted by Mike’s story.  But it was a lie.  On the other hand, thousands have been touched, moved, impacted by Mike’s song, “Healer”… and though Mike’s circumstance has been a lie, the words to this song are still resoundingly true!  Do we still sing the song? Or, is it too distracting considering this whole debacle?

I’m still floored.. can you imagine?  The feelings of betrayal and shock and anger and everything.  No one knew.  His wife didn’t know, his family didn’t know, his friends didn’t know, his church didn’t know, Planetshakers didn’t know, Hillsong Church didn’t know, the public for sure didn’t know!  How? What? Huh?  I guess the only one NOT shocked by all this is, well, God.  As if it’s a surprise to him.  Mind boggling.

Now, it seems the response from around the world is either forgiveness and prayer for Mike or condemnation and judgement.  I definitely think this a time for grace, yes.  But, we have to hold others, especially Christian leaders, to high accountability.  I still think Mike has a lot more explaining to do to help so many who’ve been hurt to make sense of it all.  But, the ball is rolling.  Mike has confessed, i suppose in the process of repenting.  He’s getting psychiatric help – it’d be so interesting to be a fly on the wall in that room for sure..

There’s compassion for sure, we’ve all messed up.  But it just goes to show how personal integrity is so freakin’ darn important.  It’s worth so much.

Mike’s written statement

Mike’s interview on Today Tonight (9min)

CNN video for a shorter news clip (2min)

From Brian Houston, senior pastor of Hillsong Church – he mentions Galatians 6

Money.

As i hear more about my peers and friends finishing school and starting their careers in various disciplines, sometimes i can’t believe how much money they make. And everything i pride myself in in terms of material modesty and eternal perspective becomes more challenged at every stage. Sometimes, it feels like a slap in the face. Pitiful mockery.

I know i’m being led, willingly, into full-time ministry and that’s what i want and what i choose. And yet to my surprise my flesh finds itself coveting, not necessarily a monetary sum, but a concept of earthly security and comfort to the point that it shakes me up and leaves a horrible taste in my mouth. In my gut. In my heart.

There are some things and “tangible freedoms” that i will probably never have while others around me (both those who adhere to faith and those who do not) will have indeed. I used to pride myself in not desiring such things at all but perhaps my naivety is catching up to me a bit. However, ultimately i can say that i am content to be where i am now and the direction i am headed toward. Even though some people i know would say otherwise.. would say i’m dumb to go this way. People who i was hoping would be more supportive. People who apparently are supposed to be more supportive.

Maybe all this is another typical experience in the midst of the emotional process of raising my financial support as part of my ministry.. but regardless, i hope that Proverbs 30 would be a practical prayer of mine through the various material ambitions and temptations of life.

Hold loosely, Steph. You own nothing. You steward everything.

Two things I ask of you, O LORD;
do not refuse me before I die:
Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
give me neither poverty nor riches,
but give me only my daily bread.
Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you
and say, ‘Who is the LORD ?’
Or I may become poor and steal,
and so dishonor the name of my God.

Proverbs 30:7-9

Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

1 Timothy 6:6-10

Young John McCain

I watched the Saddleback Presidential Forum from this past week.. moderated by mega-church pastor, Rick Warren. There were a bunch of expected questions and answers but a few very interesting ones, at least to me.. e.g. “What is your greatest moral failure?” or, “What’s the most significant position you held ten years ago that you no longer hold today?” There’s plenty to comment on but i won’t get into any real politics talk for now. I just want to say that i like how John McCain is a storyteller. McCain never shies away from his experience as a veteran and his appreciation for those who serve their country, past and present.

People crack jokes about a presidential candidate running at age of 71 (and if elected, will be 73 when he takes office, yikes) but look at this pic of John McCain from way back when.. it sounds weird for me to say.. but what a strapping young man he was!

Christian the Lion and Whitney Houston

Has anybody else seen this? With over 10 million views on YouTube, i’m sure some have! But, if not… meet Christian the Lion. The story and footage is from an actual documentary (but the soundtrack and caption behind it were added, obviously). I saw this on another blog, it’s kind of unbelievable! My heart even welled up a smidgen. Enjoy!

Journey to the Center of.. The Dark Knight.. (title is too long)

Louise and I watched Journey to the Center of the Earth…

and got these sweet “RealD” 3D glasses…

And even though the movie is so blatantly unrealistic it was still entertaining. If possible, I would very much like to have an adventure like it. Who wouldn’t want to run for their life from a T-Rex? It also made me think, I wish i had a better imagination.

I never got around to talking about The Dark Knight after watching it 2 weeks ago.. without getting too much into it, like many others, I thought that it was a very dark and very smart film. Joker mentally freaked me out every time he gave a different story about his “smile” scar. What an enigmatic character.. the point that got me most is trying to figure out his motivation for evil.. which seems there is none.. just a plain ‘ol sociopath. Unrelenting, unreasonable, senseless. Which opens discussion to the biggest theme i draw from the film: examining sin nature. Or, without using such a spiritual term, simply asking, “What’s wrong with us? and from where? and why? as humans, people, society. not just in the “bad guys” but in the “normal guys” as well.. in Joker, in Harvey Dent, in the people of Gotham, in Batman. Where do we, all of us, fall on the spectrum of having this kind of potential for depravity?

Most anticipated movie for next year: Terminator Salvation. Christian Bale as John Connor.. perfect! This is going to be great.. especially since T3 was terrible. Ugh, TERRIBLE.