westjourn

TRIBUTE

2012-02-16T11:17:00.000-05:00

This one is going to get me into trouble. It's not because I am shaking foundations with a counter-cultural confrontation or giving my take on a controversial hot topic of the day. It's because yesterday (February 15) was my wife's birthday and I am going to tell her age and say some things about her. (Do I live on the edge or what?)

Yesterday, Patti turned 56. I feel relatively safe in saying this because she doesn't try to hide it. As a matter of fact, it is a kind of milestone for her. Patti now self-identifies as a CRONE. This comes for different women after the age of 50.

Patti chose 56 because that is the age that her good friend, Sally Haddix Haye, identified herself as a Crone. The two of them talked often about what this meant, and in the bonding that became theirs, they explored the meaning of the word and its characteristics. Patti has looked forward to this year and now it has arrived.

Crone is a word found in literature and myths, but most closely aligned with the subject of Wicca. The red flags may already be going up for some would cry, upon hearing that word, "Witchcraft." In a sense of nervousness, folk might proceed to the idea that Wicca is associated with Satanism (It isn't) and therefore to be shunned. Wicca works its way out with a lot of different features, not the least of which is a respect and appreciation for the feminine, a sense that God may also be understood as Goddess, a love for this bountiful earth, and the bestowed gifts on all creation. Wicca might be closely akin spiritually to Native American understanding. Women, like Patti, draw strength, meaning, and clarity from Wicca, just like the monk, Thomas Merton, drew insight from Buddhism near the end of his life.

Some associate Crone with the dark sinister side of the feminine, describing it in terms such as "old woman" or "hag." Anyone who knows Patti (or who knew Sally) realizes that those descriptive terms do not apply.

Crones cross over at a certain time (maybe age 56) where they are not afraid of the wisdom gleaned through years of, sometimes, difficult living. They follow the urgency of expressing and living out their freedom. More and more they come to the place where they do not suffer fools gladly. They admit that they have gifts and are eager to use them. Crones love to put their hands in the dirt and participate in the growth of nature. They have a profound respect for the cycles of life and season. At our home, those same hands delight in preparing scrumptious meals. They also create a variety of things, usually gifts for others. Not the least of these latest gifts is the making of bath salts to be enjoyed and to give to other women, and whose wonderful aroma coarses through our house. Crones read things like Clarissa Pinkola Estes wonderful work, WOMEN WHO RUN WITH WOLVES, and they believe its mythic truths. And yes.........they roar!

So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND BEST WISHES FOR THIS COMING YEAR.....my soul-mate.........and my favorite Crone.

Living Between Polarities

2012-01-08T21:46:00.000-05:00

(The last attempt to publish this had a glitch. Let’s try again).

I grew up in a small cotton farming community in West Texas. Located in the center of town was the Baptist church where our family held membership. Today, I would use the term "evangelical" to describe its theological stance. The folks themselves didn't use that word. They were just good, loving people who offered me a lot of encouragement. They were not fundamentalists. They held strongly to certain fundamentals, but they were not mean about it, always relating with a kind of edge to their conversation, and offering a litmus test they designed that everyone else must pass before really being accepted. They just weren't like that. And I will be forever grateful.

I have moved a long way in my lifetime from that particular stance. Some of those folk would look at me in a quizzical sort of way today, but I'm convinced they would still love me.

I'm not the only one who has moved. Many evangelicals have also. And they have moved in the same direction as I - to the left. A big part of that movement has been in reaction to the craziness of the extreme religious and political right. It began with folk like the Sojourners group in Washington who, in being faithful to their witness, also developed a strong social awareness and conscience. They began to tackle hard issues. They started taking stands in some of the arenas that before had only been the domain of the left. For some, that process was painful, but they were willing to move nonetheless.

Today, there is more rising from the ranks of evangelicals. It is called the "emerging church movement." I am pleased with what I see and plan to work with some of their thinking in my preaching this year. I think, for this time in the 21st century, theirs is a voice that needs to be heard and I am anxious to see how, on the one hand, they can inform my thinking and shape my life. I admire the passion with which they struggle.

Opposite the emerging church is another pole from which I draw challenge. It is the renewed area of biblical and theological criticism that finds expression in such bodies as the Jesus Seminar, historical studies, and other contemporary scholarly pursuits. Their presentations, both oral and written, are understandable and have made the last two decades of work the most exciting of my life.

Can these two polarities come together in such a way as to better equip our lives? I really think so, but it will be difficult. “Emergents” are already delving into a deeper biblical criticism, but evidence seems to state that it is very hard for some of them. It will rattle some cages for such neo-evangelicals to really have to consider, for instance, that Jesus was probably born in Nazareth instead of Bethlehem and that the Bethlehem narrative was set to show that the birth of this special One revealed a person that was greater than David or Caesar. To have to re-think the atonement and what “the death of Jesus” means is going to be excruciating for some. But re-think it we must. It goes to the very character of God.

And for all of the giftedness of their brilliant minds, some scholars need to let go of a perceived sense of arrogance and come into the market place in a pursuit of justice instead of just talking about it. A good dose of evangelical passion might be the right tonic for such a time as this.

I live now between two poles. Truth is probably somewhere in the middle.

Readings From 2011

2011-12-30T12:39:00.000-05:00

The end of another year. Time to consider those New Year's resolutions and whether we believe we will really take them seriously. For me, this is a time when I look back over some of my reading material for the past twelve months. If interested, you might want to check some of them out.

One of the more intriguing books was UNPROTECTED TEXTS: THE BIBLE'S SURPRISING CONTRADICTIONS ABOUT SEX AND DESIRE by Jennifer Wright Knust. Really calls into question what we may think we are saying when we talk about a biblical view of family and sex. It's all there, but putting it together right in front of us can be surprising.

SPEAKING CHRISTIAN by Marcus Borg is a good work on crystalizing basic thoughts about the God/Human relationship and how we speak of it. Borg takes old terms that have become familiar "church talk" and infuses them with fresh meaning.

Two disturbing books: C STREET: THE FUNDAMENTALIST THREAT TO DEMOCRACY by Jeff Sharlet and AMERICAN FASCISTS by Chris Hedges bring to mind what I sense is going on in our country but causes me to think that it is worse than anyone could imagine.

I discovered a new author this year. His name is Tony Jones and he is a leader in the emerging church movement. I have read his blog for a while and decided to purchase some of his books. The two I have worked with so far are THE NEW CHRISTIANS: DISPATCHES FROM THE EMERGENT FRONTIER and THE CHURCH IS FLAT: THE RELATIONAL ECCLESIOLOGY OF THE EMERGING CHURCH MOVEMENT. There are several others I plan to tackle in 2012. The emerging church movement is something to be reckoned with in our world today despite its receiving much resistance in some quarters. I'm impressed with a lot of what I see and in a few days will write about it and its connection (or lack thereof) with biblical higher criticism and historical studies related to Jesus and the early church.

Happy New Year and good reading.

X in Christmas

2011-12-21T08:40:00.000-05:00

My friend, Jacob, is writing some interesting material about the present Advent/Christmas season. See the link Blogismos on this page for what he's saying. I want to develop a little more a particular thought that he's expressed. It all relates to the idea of "taking Christ out of Christmas." That statement seems to be a regular feature of every Christmas season. The idea is that when folk use the word Xmas, they are removing Christ and substituting the letter x which in turn makes the whole episode a secular enterprise. And, oh, do the alarm bells go off when that happens!

A little background to that word and how it is used. The rendering (and it has been around for a long time) involves not the use of the letter x but the Greek letter X (in English, spelled chi and pronounced like "key") which looks like a capital x. This X is actually the first letter of the word transliterated as Christos, which, of course, means Christ or Messiah and has long been a symbol for that term.

I tried to explain this during a Wednesday evening study many years ago. I will not forget the look of the woman on the back row as she folded her arms, shot daggers at me with her eyes and mouthed the words, "I don't care what it means, I don't like it."

And therein is the rub. There is something I may not understand. It's different from the norm that I follow. And I will not accept it, no matter how it is explained. Even if Xmas means the very same thing that others mean when they say Christmas, maybe even more so.

The loudest voices say we are taking Christ out of Christmas. Question: How do we human beings manage to "take" Christ out of anything? Do we have that kind of power? Such frivilousness falls in the same category as saying that "we kick God out of school when we do not allow public prayer." Really? Seriously??? We are going to be able to "kick" God anywhere? Jesus said something about praying in our closet which translates to me that the nature of prayer is such that one does not need an organized setting and a vocal prayer in front of a microphone for prayer to occur. Prayer can happen anytime, anywhere--rising from deep within us without a sound ever being uttered. But I digress (bad habit of mine).

Can we not stop dividing life into the sacred and the secular? God is present everywhere. Christ calls us forth in the area dedicated to public worship and in the extreme messiness of any aspect of the marketplace.

It's not an x. It's X (Chi). And it means Christ. Can we not find a way to get over this one?

Merry Xmas!

I Don't Understand

2011-12-06T09:45:00.000-05:00

There are a lot of things I don't understand. I recognize that more and more every day as I age. But some things seem to be so blatantly important that common sense screams for their implementation.

We just celebrated the second Sunday of Advent and in our community of faith we considered together the ideal of peace. Some of what I say in this blog I stated on Sunday. But I am one that believes repetition is necessary.

We joke that a standard answer for every Miss America contestant is that she hopes for "World Peace." I sense that it really is something that many desire and the longer conflict continues, the more folk seem to ache for it. We pray for peace but pay for war. Or at least that is supposed to be a part of the tax plan. If you worry about the financial crunch that our nation and our globe is presently experiencing, look, in part, at the use of our treasury on present and recent unnecessary wars. We fight them with no declared plan to pay for them. The money has to come from somewhere, so most of us somehow feel the crunch.

Which brings me to what I don't understand. Our corporate life is geared toward defense and seeing that such is well established. We sometimes wage war. Why not learn to wage peace? It is hard work and it takes courage. Why not find practical solutions that challenge our consciousness and move towards transformation in our attitude about conflict and violence.

Why do we not have a PEACE STUDIES program in every school? We study our history and know of the unfolding of violence in so many different quarters. Why not consider ways to counter the violence? More colleges and universities, especially those with Departments of Religion and Philosophy, are adding Peace Studies to their curriculum. I have only heard of an extremely small number of Peace Studies in public or private schools, but where they do exist, the classes are packed.

Peace Studies offer not only a chance to study war and possible alternatives, but also consideration of family violence, violence against women, prejudice and bigotry against those of a different race or sexual orientation, and hostilities against any form of diversity. What could possibly be wrong with that kind of effort?

John Lennon was right. Give Peace a chance. I just don't understand why we can't find practical ways to work on that issue.

Anonymous Communication

2011-11-15T11:41:00.000-05:00

I do not read anonymous letters. From time to time over the years, there have been those who have a beef with me and want to "bless" me out via a letter without signing it. As soon as I see where the letter is going I always check to see if it has been signed and, if not, I immediately discard it in the trash.

Recently, our community of faith invited John Dominic Crossan to be our guest for our annual Davis Lectures. Crossan has spent his lifetime as a serious student of scripture and, most especially, the historical Jesus. He takes scripture seriously, but not literally. We knew he is and would be, even now, for some folk in our area a bit controversial. We had no idea!

After his departure and a subsequent news article, the cries for his scalp and ours began. Letters to the editor, messages left on our answering machine that dripped with condescension, and the anonymous contacts burst forth. Some folk did identify themselves (you have to sign your name if you write the editor). But the very first message that came to the answering machine was from a minister who refused to identify himself but did seem to take pride in telling us how we should rebuke Crossan. Then, yesterday a cd arrived in the mail. It was the recording of what appeared to be a Wednesday evening prayer service where the preacher prayed a little and then blasted us a lot. The basic thrust of his message was that we had invited the "antichrist." Again, no enclosed note with a signature. No return address or identifying mark.

I confess that a part of me hopes that I can come face to face with these individuals some day so I can say to them that I find them to be cowards. I'm relatively sure that none of the above parties read this blog so I can't bait them into making contact with me and identifying themselves. In the meantime, we move on, understanding that this is just a part of the make-up of the world in which we live.

But even so, I still take pause. Such actions rank right up at the top with me for the list which reads "Reasons not to call yourself a Christian." If this kind of visceral, loud, self-righteous, but cowardly behavior describes what it means to be Christian, then I don't want to be one. I see nothing of the spirit of the One from Galilee in such hypocrisy.

Having now ventilated enough for the moment, perhaps to move on to something much, much more serious is necessary. The Penn State fiasco should say to all of us that there are moments in which we may find ourselves where we must stand up and speak out. Family violence, abuse of children, and sexual assault come to mind. On this we cannot be anonymous. Perhaps there can come a movement where folk see the vital importance of speaking face-to-face.

LITTLE THINGS DO MEAN A LOT

2011-11-08T09:36:00.001-05:00

What are the occasions that are really wonderful? If I answer without considering very much, I may be inclined to say "when someone rushes out to greet and embrace me, the fatted calf is called for, and a grand celebration begins." Now, there is nothing wrong with celebrations. I believe there is something in the human spirit that yearns for laughter, song, dance,and a really great meal! But is there not more, in a less demonstrable way?

A few days ago I was driving through a quiet neighborhood in our city. Under falling leaves from huge trees in the yard, I saw a sight that tugged at my heart. An elderly man (probably about my age!!) was tossing a football back and forth with a young boy that I would guess to be 9 or 10. As I passed on by that heart-warming scene I wondered, what caused that to happen? What was that older gentleman trying to accomplish? Was he just bidding time, spending a few moments with his grandson or nephew or neighbor boy? Or in moments of nostalgia, was he remembering his day on the gridiron, touching the ole pigskin in front of cheering fans? Was he trying to teach something to the boy about life being a "contact sport?" Was it a regular feature of their life where they took the time to be together?

Whatever the reason, I am going to make a big guess that when the boy is the man's age, he may still remember that fall day in a front yard, passing a football. Some kind of seed was planted. Little things mean a lot.

Our community of faith had a scare this past Friday. A mother and her teenage soon were involved in a serious car accident. The mother has a broken sternum and the son has severe injuries to his face that will require surgery and, probably, a lengthy time of healing. They are going to be all right. But it was scary.

Folks began to come from everywhere. Showing up at the hospital, calling and e-mailing each other to pass the word, asking in so many ways, "What can I do to help?" The healing season has started. In the meantime meals will be brought in, transportation offered, errands run. Little things that will make a difference.

When Jesus walked the hills of Galilee, we only have record of his teaching, healing, and sharing of meals. What we don't hear much about was those moments when, traveling from village to village, he listened, tried to clarify, encouraged those who were seeking to understand his communication about this matter called the reign of God. Quiet, personal moments that were on-going.

It's the little things that matter.

LINGUISTIC ABSURDITY

2011-11-01T14:08:00.000-04:00

The German Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche was fond of speaking of the "death of God." In the late 1960's and early 70's, there unfolded, in theological circles, what came to be known as "The Death of God Movement." Numerous scholars led the charge in this, to put it mildly, shocking expression related to the Almighty; most notably Thomas J. J. Altizer and William Hamilton. My theology professor, William Hendricks, thought such expression foolish. God, by very definition, would have no ending of existence, transcendence, or mystery. He called it "linguistic absurdity."

The interesting thing, however, was that Hendricks agreed with what these guys were trying to say. He just didn't like the way they were saying it, and he said so. I find myself after all these years agreeing with Professor Hendricks.

What was being attempted five decades ago was to say that the human has a strong propensity to create God in our own image. God created a three-tiered universe where God resided in heaven above, we try to work it all out on earth in between, and the setting where the godless ones fry is located beneath. This God thinks like us, hates the same people we hate, favors our nation (and maybe even one race over the other), wants power in the hands of the favored few, has a stringent list of doctrine that must be followed lest the bottem tier call our name, accomplishes divine purpose through violence, and is always watching us guilty ones!

Scholars would say that particular God died! I would say that God never existed. Instead of teaching that God's demise had come, I wish they had taught that we have images and beliefs about God, sometimes strong ones, that simply will not stand up to scrutiny any longer. And the understanding we have today may not hold up somewhere in the future. Our understanding of God is not God. If we press it, that understanding simply becomes idolatry; we worship our own image of God. Instead of burying God, perhaps we should do some serious re-thinking.

God is dead - a statement intended to shock and teach a valuable lesson. But it is linguistically absurd.

Rethinking our understanding of God.....always, throughout life, never pitching our tent on any one statement. Seems like that has possibility.

THE SACRAMENT OF TOUCH

2011-10-20T15:02:00.000-04:00

Often defined as "an outward and visible sign of an inner and spiritual grace," sacrament is understood in Christianity as vital and necessary to that particular way. Roman Catholics state there are seven: Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Eucharist, Matrimony, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, and Holy Orders. Protestants hold only two: Baptism and Communion/Eucharist. Some groups prefer the word ordinance as opposed to sacrament.

Although you will never find it on a traditional list of sacraments, I suggest there needs to be another one; the sacrament of touch.

I was first introduced to this idea in the early 1970's when I was working a Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) unit at Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas. As a part of this kind of "on-the-job-training," we served in the role of chaplains for the hospital. We visited patients, wrote up patient encounters and then critiqued them, attended case conferences and lectures. One of our lecturers was an old Catholic priest. Instead of standing behind a lecturn, he asked that we arrange our chairs in a circle and he joined us therein. I remember him as a crusty fellow, salty in his language, blunt in his statements. If one had gotten close to him, my guess is that the aroma of good scotch could have been detected. He focused for me that day a consideration I have never forgotten when he said, "the most sacramental thing you can ever do is to touch." In that setting, of course, he was urging us to touch the hand or shoulder of the patient as we visited. But I knew he meant that it must be applied on a much broader scale.

Over the years I have sought those ways when I thought a physical touch might help and be appropriate. (I know we must teach our children the difference between "good touch" and "bad touch.") And I have discovered that almost always, the person in front of me responds favorably to that kind of approach. Some, at first, have almost recoiled and it becomes apparent that it has been way too long since they have been so attended. Then they relax and invite one more into their inner circle.

A handshake, a pat on the back, an embrace - touch takes different forms. But it conveys, as do few other expressions, that what happens to you makes a difference to me. I am here with you. I will help bear your burden.

Touch. An outward and visible sign of an inner and spiritual grace.

LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION

2011-10-15T22:50:00.000-04:00

John Dominic Crossan came to town a few days ago. Intriguing person. Brilliant. Engaging. Humorous. Provocative. He managed to do his assigned work with some of us and move on before the self-appointed "faith police" jumped into action. The raving and ranting quickly began after an article about him appeared in the newspaper. In spite of the fact that the article misquoted him at one point and did not really develop his thought in other ways, the FP's, who have not read his books or had a conversation with him, branded him guilty by association with the Jesus Seminar and pressed on with their condescending attacks on him and those of us who took the time to listen to his three lectures.

He addressed us on the subject of The Lord's Prayer. His book, THE GREATEST PRAYER, fills in details which time did not allow him to do in the lectures. New thoughts were introduced which make the praying and understanding of that prayer more meaningful.

I have had more trouble with the statement, "lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil," than any other part of the prayer. What was Jesus saying? Why would we think that God would ever lead us into temptation?

Almost any New Testament scholar, regardless of his/her position on the liberal-conservative spectrum, would say that the main theme of Jesus' preaching and teaching was the kingdom of God. Jesus announced that the kingdom had come. It's already here in our midst. It is within us. We do not have to wait to "go" into the kingdom at some later apocalyptic event. We are invited to participate in the kingdom, here and now.

Nor do we bring the kingdom into reality. No matter how faithful we strive to be, our efforts will never accomplish its realization. It is God's gift to give and sustain. Some however will sense that their efforts are so vital that anything and everything must be a part of the coming of God's reign on earth. It might even mean that our zealotry for this kingdom would be so intense that whatever action necessary must be taken to order its advancement. It could mean excluding some folk because of their unorthodoxy. It might mean the use of violence, including, but not limited to, acts of war.

Jesus lived in a time that knew its share of violence. That is the way that the Roman Empire settled its accounts and dealt with its issues. Some would want to aid the coming of Messiah through acts of violence. Their descendants are with us today.

Crossan left an idea in my heart that I can't ignore. Never think (or pray) that God will somehow do God's work through violence. The ugliness of it may be all around us. But never be tempted to believe that is God's way.

PARTICIPATING IN CHURCH

2011-10-05T11:53:00.000-04:00

I try to be careful about how I use words. What we say, especially over a long period of time, can describe how we think and even who we are. One of the ways I've tried to correct myself is to stop saying "I'm going to church." I started teaching this as a lesson to our children when they were young. We do not GO to church. We go to a particular building at a certain time during the week. Rather, we ARE the church GOING. Wherever we are and in whatever circumstance we find ourselves, we are the Body of Christ. We don't go. We are.

But I sense that some days I experience or participate in church in some special places and unusual ways. A few weeks ago I was in the church building for worship at 11:00 on Sunday morning. We did all the usual things - sing, pray, read scripture, have a sermon, have fellowship after the benediction. It was a good time. But it didn't stop there. I participated in church again shortly after I left that building.

I went downtown and joined with some others at a couple of eating establishments that were located close to each other in proximity. The proprietors of these eateries had invited folk from the local homeless shelter to come into their establishments and have a good Sunday meal at no charge. They were seated at tables, waited on by waiters, and fed a good meal. Some of the remarks afterwards were, "This was great. Such a good meal. We didn't feel like outcasts. We were treated as humans and not as one lesser than." Good food. Conversation around the table. Laughter. I was in church.

Later that week I participated in church again. I went to my favorite waffle shop. (I seem to have a thing about church happening where food is served). I ordered my usual - two eggs over medium, sausage, biscuits and gravy. There are three waitresses there who wait on me regularly. They call me "Honey," "Sweetheart," .....well, you get the picture. (That used to bother me. It doesn't much any more, especially with these three).

Several months ago when one of them asked me how I was, I found myself relating the story of our daughter giving birth two months early. Little Emma only weighed a little over two pounds. The waitress immediately said, "I will pray for your family." Now when I go in all the wait staff take turns asking me about my granddaughter, my daughter, and the rest of my family. They still tell me they pray for me. And you know what.....I believe they do. I have participated in church.

No, church is not something you attend. Church just happens. And, trust me, it can make a difference.

JESUS AND THE THEORIES OF ATONEMENT

2011-09-20T16:21:00.000-04:00

What would Jesus think about the interpretation that says his death was necessary for humanity's reconciliation with God? What would he say about "theories" developed some time after his crucifixion that stated he became a substitute for the cruel death we deserved, that his life was given as a ransom for many, that God received necessary satisfaction because Jesus was willing to go through an ancient, horrific execution?

My hunch is he would have none of it.

Here's why.

Jesus seemed to draw heavily from the work and proclamation of the ancient Hebrew prophets. These prophets argued against the practice of sacrificial ritual (Jer. 7:4; Mic.6:7) and even questioned if God ever established a sacrificial system (Amos 5:25; Jer. 7:22). The God of Hosea says, "I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings" (Hosea 6:6). They forcefully stated that justice, love, and morality are more important than purity laws or rituals.

The sacrificial concept is simply not present in the teachings of Jesus. He stated in various ways the idea of the open generosity and invitation of God, unrelated to sacrifice or any kind of symbolic payment. Jesus spoke of his impending death and tried to prepare his disciples for that moment, but he did not say that it was God's will or that it would somehow effect human salvation. The developed notion of a blood atonement has so gripped the Christian movement that it has pushed off of the stage of history the ethical teachings of Jesus. Jesus called for a life of compassion; the church has cried "blood."

For Jesus, the way to God is already open and we gain access by a response of faith. Even this has been manipulated as "faith" has been corrupted and changed from an idea of trust to an idea of belief.

Stephen Finlan is a theology professor at Fordham University and the author of several books on the subject of atonement. Dr. Finlan says, "The cross demonstrates the cruelty of the state and the violent envy of religious hierarchies; it was not required by God." "This fact is too painful for many Christians to admit, since it threatens to reveal something about their continuing engagement in selfish political maneuvering and in the use of ritual to enforce conformity." The church has expanded its base under a system of control that says "believe this or know the very wrath of God."

Jesus taught that God says, "You are accepted."

A PERSONAL THEORY OF ATONEMENT

2011-09-13T11:19:00.001-04:00

How can a human being ever be at one with God? How can we know God? Understand God? Respond to God? What do we have to do and how can we be sure that we are doing every thing necessary exactly right?

For several weeks I have been writing about the different historical theories of atonement. Although they vary at different points, they all have agreement that Jesus' death on the cross was crucial to the process and that somehow that horrible execution, which was a common destiny for thousands of Jews in the Roman Empire, made it possible for humanity to be forgiven of their sin and reconciled to a God who would otherwise shut them all out. This holy God had zero tolerence for sin and would only be appeased if a sacrifice, substitution, something was done. Then it would be up to all people to trust that process. But what if a person didn't get the "trusting" part right?

If Jesus lived only so he could die for human sin, then why did he spend all that time (one to three years, depending on who you believe)teaching, preaching, healing, and eating with sinners. If his sole purpose was to die, all he would have had to do would be to march into downtown Jerusalem and say in a very loud voice, "God is God and Caesar is not." If he said that enough times, the Romans would have obliged him and had him cruxed in short order.

I don't buy it. Any of it. Haven't for a long time. And, for me, it all comes back to the question I posed in the first description, "What does this say about the character of your God?" Why in the world does the God of all ages have to turn into a blood-thirsty monster to show us how much we are loved? If this is really how God is known, then I am going to have a difficult time worshipping this God. In fact, I won't.

One word expresses it all for me. Instead of Jesus being a substitute or sacrifice or something else, I am invited to be a participant. In other words, you and I and everybody else are already in, we are already at one with God. God's very reign on earth is a present reality and we are invited to participate in the reign of God as it unfolds. God is love. God defines love; love does not define God. This love receives us without any proposition and expresses itself in the most beautiful reality known to humankind, namely grace. This grace says we are invited and included in God's way and there is nothing that anyone, including Jesus, has to do to make it possible. It just is.

For me, that is good news. And I yearn to understand more of how I can participate.

Next blog, I look at how I believe Jesus viewed this whole matter.

NON-VIOLENT THEORIES OF ATONEMENT

2011-09-06T15:16:00.000-04:00

"BLOOD." Are you washed in it? Under it? Covered by it? Plunged into it whereby you have your guilty stain removed forever? That has been the "good news" message for a really long time for Catholics, some in mainline denominations, evangelicals, and fundamentalists. Our hymnody, with what is referred to as the "blood hymns," has impressed such thoughts deep within our psyche. Few of us can think very long about the atonement without having the idea of Jesus shedding his blood for our sin ease into our thoughts.

I once heard someone express the notion that Jesus was not killed nor was he executed. No one would really be able to do that to him. Rather, he chose to die. He purposely went to the cross in a horrible act of suffering so that all who choose to trust him and believe that he died for us might be made right with God.

Question: If Jesus taught non-violence as the ultimate description of what the reign of God is to be like on earth, then why is this atonement matter so directly connected to an act of unspeakable violence? If Jesus is a decisive image of God, then how does it square that he reveals God's love and grace through such a brutal happening?

I know........many will say that sin is such an atrocious reality that it has knocked all of humanity off course and it takes this kind suffering and sacrifice in order for sin's offensiveness to be cleared in the presence of God and for our course to once again be set.

But I still must ask, "Why this?" "Why this way?" Is God not capable of simply saying, "I forgive?"

For a period of time now those folk who express themselves as feminists or as individuals of color aching for a way of equality, of peace, of reconciliation have slowly been teaching that God is capable of simply forgiving and that concludes the transaction. We are at one with God. The off-shoot of this theory is that we are to turn in reconciliation toward one another. God's acceptance of us mandates our acceptance of all our brothers and sisters.

Yes, Jesus did have a date with pre-mature death. In the very essence of his teachings he expresssed that God is God and Caesar is not. Two thousands years ago, that could get you killed. A cross was his destiny and we must reckon with that and try to understand why it happened.

Next, I will seek to articulate my own personal understanding of the atonement; an explanation that is always subject to change a bit. And then I will try to state how I think Jesus himself looked at this whole matter.

MORAL INFLUENCE THEORY

2011-08-30T11:15:00.001-04:00

The Moral Influence Theory of the Atonement was developed by a French theologian/philosopher named Peter Abelard (1079-1142). He has been described as extremely charismatic and the most outstanding theologian of the twelfth century.(Google his name. He really was an interesting fellow).

Abelard would say, with others, that Jesus was obedient unto death. He knew that a premature death would be his destiny because of what he was saying and doing which manifested itself as a threat to the power of Rome and the religious elite of the day. His death had nothing to do with the defeat of Satan or the satisfaction of God's need for justice. This theory reflects a change in disposition, not of God or Satan, but rather humanity.

The purpose of the death of Jesus, according to Abelard, was to provide an example for humanity to follow. His was a willingness to suffer whatever it took, including death, in order to show the love of God for everyone. Regardless of what humanity did to him, Jesus was willing to absorb the rejection and pain, and still love. By doing so, he was stating that this is the image of God. God is not a petty despot who needs satisfaction. God loves regardless.

Another point that would be made with this theory is the idea that though Jesus was crucified by human hands, it must be said that God is God and there is no other. God is God and Caesar is not, even though Caesar could made the call to execute.

The hoped-for end result is that human beings would learn to love like that......absorb the pain, reaction and rejection, but still keep on loving.

This is a position held by some folk who are more liberal. As one can imagine, this theory has received much attack and denigration.

Next, I will go to more contemporary theories of atonement. And I will attempt to conclude with what I think was Jesus' take on this whole matter.

THE VICTORY THEORY

2011-08-23T11:13:00.000-04:00

As noted previously, the Swedish theologian, Gustaf Aulen authored a book entitled CHRISTUS VICTOR. He draws from the ransom theory which he calls "classic." The idea is still that humanity is under the control of Satan, sin, and death because of the on-going human condition. But instead of Jesus, by his death, being the ransom which allows humanity to be redeemed back from Satan, Aulen states the theory in such a way as not to put this act on God. Rather, Jesus volunteered his death. There was no payment made to the devil. Jesus, because of his "obedience unto death," effected a defeat-in-principle over the power of evil. This action ends the demonic control over humanity. Satan is defeated, sin does not ultimately control, and death loses its sting.

Other theories focus only on what happens with the cross. This theory has to step beyond that and include the idea of the resurrection. Jesus was willing to die, but with God raising him from the dead, death and sin are defeated. If Jesus had not been raised, his death would have been to no avail. Jesus wins this victory and humanity is given opportunity for reconciliation with God.

This theory does not put God so much in the position of being a blood-thirsty ogre who must be satisfied by the payment of a debt caused by sin. It all occurs because Jesus was willing to take this on himself. In doing so, he demonstrated his love and gave us an image of God's love. Even so, though a victory has been won, it is still up to humanity to respond by faith to what God has done. If we are not willing to cast ourselves upon what has been accomplished by some kind of action (confession of faith, trust in Jesus, ask for forgiveness of sin, etc.) we are still going to be on the outs with God. No real attention to God's grace reaching toward us to accept us regardless. Instead, we must "do something" in relation to Jesus before we are accepted.

What if we don't "do" it right?

PENAL SUBSTITUTION THEORY

2011-08-17T10:45:00.000-04:00

The early theories that we have considered (Ransom or Classic and Satisfaction) have similarities with the Penal Substitution Theory. In all of them, Jesus becomes a kind of victim, offered up on behalf of all humanity through his death, in execution fashion, on a cross. This is required, many have said, as a way for God to take sin seriously and have God's own sense of honor and justice restored. It all boils down to the idea that God will only be happy through a slaughter-type arrangement of God's Son. There is no way to dress up these theories and make them palatable. To view the cross in this way brings God off as an ogre.

But in the Penal Substitution approach, the death of Jesus is not so much a sacrifice as a payment to God for the debt owed by humanity because of sin. A price HAS to be paid for wrong-doing. We have sung in worship "Jesus paid it all." (Beautiful melody with questionable theology). This would be what God required and Jesus was willing.

This theory came into being with full force during the Reformation under the tutelage of John Calvin. Calvin would write in his major work, "No-it was expedient at the same time for him to undergo the severity of God's vengeance, to appease his wrath and satisfy his just judgment. For this reason, he must also grapple hand to hand with the armies of hell and the dread of everlasting death...He suffered the death that God in his wrath had inflicted upon the wicked!...'My God, my God, why hast though forsaken me?'" (Institutes II, 16,10f)

That's rich.

I remember hearing this illustrated in a legal way. Humanity stands in the courtroom before a Just and Holy God. All are pronounced guilty. They deserve to pay the ultimate price of death and eternal punishment. But then a strange thing happens. The Judge (In the person of Jesus) steps out from behind the bench and says, "I will suffer all this for you." Jesus becomes our substitute and pays the price for our sin.

A couple of things to note: First, there is that sticky, tricky issue of the Judge being God, but really being Jesus. If God did all this, did that mean that God was dead for three days as was Jesus. Imagine, a world without God for 72 hours.
We can't have it both ways. Either Jesus is God and therefore an absent God for a stretch or Jesus is separate from God.

Secondly, based on what else we have understood as a truth streaming its way through our history, why could not this God/Judge of UNCONDITIONAL LOVE say, "I love you too much to let you go. All is forgiven. Let's go home together?"

Imagine!

THE SATISFACTION THEORY

2011-08-08T14:56:00.000-04:00

The high, holy day each year for Jews is Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. In ancient times, this special gathering centered at the temple. The High Priest, who alone could enter the Holy of Holies, would sprinkle the blood of a bull and a lamb on the fire within that sacred place as a sacrifice for the sins of the people. The High Priest would also take a goat and, after laying his hands on the back of the goat signifying the transfer of the people's sins, send the animal into the wilderness. There was always a little side-play to this drama....someone would see to it that the "scapegoat" would go over a cliff so that it would not, in time, wander back into the city.

After the crucifixion of Jesus, the idea developed that there would no longer be the need for a sacrificial offering. Jesus would be considered that sacrifice. His death would cover all the sins of all people forever and he would be something of a scapegoat, bearing the sin away.

This theory was developed by Anselm, the Archbishop of Canterbury, in the early 11th century. Anselm pulled from that ancient Jewish ritual of sacrificial offering to establish his thought. Rather than making a deal with the devil, Anselm would state that God in God's holiness and justice must have some sense of satisfaction. Human sin could never be something that God, in a sense, just winked at and forgave. Something had to be done that would recognize and respect God's honor and holiness, and thus bring satisfaction to a God that had been so offended by the depth of human sin.

John Dominic Crossan reports seeing and hearing Mel Gibson, before the opening of the film THE PASSION OF CHRIST, say "Dying was His reason for living." Crossan challenges that by turning it to say, "Living was His reason for dying."

What confuses me here is that this theory seems to necessitate the "programming" of God. Certain things must happen before God can act. Make the sacrifice, please God, then be forgiven. And those who go with the programming insist that God has set it up this way.

If God is Creator and the One in whom we live and move and have our being, why cannot this God say "I forgive. Nothing else needed. Be a part of my family."

It is also interesting, and tragically so, that humanity now adopts the satisfaction attitude and says of others, you must pay a bloody, violent price before reconciliation can be effected. Somewhere here, since at least the 11th century, and probably long before, we have created a God in our own image.

THE RANSOM THEORY

2011-08-01T11:36:00.000-04:00

Gustaf Aulen (1879-1977)was a Swedish Theologian who, more so than most, gave attention to the concept of atonement. His book CHRISTUS VICTOR is considered one of the "go to" books on the subject. Although his work would connect with the more recent "Victory Theory," he stated that the ransom theory was really the first to find expression and that it should be considered the CLASSIC theory. In time, he would build on the ancient idea, change it a bit, and develop his own thought.

Two ancient church fathers (Irenaeus, late 2nd century) and Origen (3rd century) laid the groundwork for this concept in their writings and debates. They would build on a text such as Mark 10:45 where Jesus said, "For the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many."

The theory is as follows: because of sin, humanity winds up on the devil's turf. Satan laid claim to all humanity and enslaved (Irenaeus) them in a reality of sin, evil, and death. No hope, no escape from any human vantage point.

But God chose to act. God offered the necessary payment (Jesus) to the devil as a ransom to free all humanity. Rather than a holy God destroying a sinful humanity, God was willing to "buy back." Martin Luther would later describe the process thusly: "The blood of Jesus became the bait on the fishhook that caught the devil."

Ugh!

However, the death of Jesus on the cross became only a part of the deal. The devil thought himself satisfied because he had received the perfect ransom. But God tricked the devil by continuing the story. Jesus was resurrected, which made him victorious over all sin, evil, and death. The devil was defeated and humanity was freed.

Some concluding thoughts: This theory, in my opinion, makes God deceitful. God promised payment with God's son, and then took it back through the resurrection of that same son. Just because God was dealing with the devil does not keep God from being like Jacob, a "trickster."

Secondly, even though the paid ransom freed humanity, most religious groups still say that humanity needs to jump through certain hoops before God's grace will be applied and God will accept the human, i.e. confess one's faith, join a church, etc.

Strange theory.

INTRODUCTION TO ATONEMENT THEORIES

2011-07-26T15:14:00.000-04:00

I seem to always need to give an introduction or, as I sometimes say, "set it up." Over fifty years of writing sermons creates a habit that is hard to break. So allow me an introduction to this topic of atonement. Presentation of actual theories will follow over the next several days.

An effort to understand what happened when Jesus was crucified and its effect on humanity began long before the word atonement came into play. The word was coined in the 16th century. Atonement (at-one-ment) means joining into one or reconciliation. In time it came to describe what "had to be done" to effect humanity's reconciliation with God. Paul Tillich would say that atonement involves both a divine act and a human reaction.

Some will see Adam and Eve as historical characters who, because of their disobedience, caused all humanity to be infected with the reality of sin. This is most often referred to as "original sin." Others, like myself, see Adam and Eve as mythic and, thus, a kind of "Everyperson" - we see our story in their story. They disobeyed; we do the same. Sin became their reality; so it is ours. In time this came to be described as "the fall." According to this idea, everyone, including the new-born infant, is immediately stained with sin. The very act of propagation carries it forward. (In my opinion, the terms original sin and fall need some re-thinking also, but that is another effort for another day.)

In various ways, the debate on these theories seem to heat up in the middle ages. There are several and they basically coexist in Christian thought today, despite their incompatability with each other. It seems to boil down to this: All humans have sinned, a price must be paid for wrong-doing, God's holiness and justice must somehow be honored, Jesus became a substitute for us and took on the punishment that we deserved, we need Jesus to intercede for us with God, and the anger of God awaits all who resist and question this.

In thinking this through, it seems as though Jesus never really addressed something like this. This came from others (early on, think Paul). The major problem with these theories is not that they do not come from Jesus but rather what they imply about God.

Some scholars say that there are only really three theories when all thoughts are put on the table. Others believe this fans out into five or six theories. Some hold to as many as ten. I will address the traditional ones by name and in this order: Ransom, Satisfaction, Substitution, Christus Victor, and the Moral Theory. Following presentation of these traditional thoughts, I will consider two others that have developed more recently and could be considered post-modern.

I will try to get at the heart of these different theories in as brief a writing as possible. If you want to study them more in depth, the internet holds all kinds of possibilities.

THEORIES OF ATONEMENT

2011-07-19T15:41:00.000-04:00

Ellyn Mullis is a friend who likes to exchange ideas, especially from books she's just read. During the Lenten season, I spent some time with her community of faith, Trinity Episcopal, where her husband, Brad, serves as rector. I must have said something about atonement and some of the on-going questions I have about that particular doctrine. She recently told me about reading THE GREAT EMERGENCE:HOW CHRISTIANITY IS CHANGING AND WHY by Phyllis Tickle. Tickle says that about every 500 years the Church has a big "rummage sale".....takes everything out, looks at it, throws some of it away, keeps some it, and rearranges a whole lot. We are now in a 500 hundred year period and one of the "items" receiving a lot of attention is this matter of atonement.

Atonement is not a subject that is neatly packaged in our theological system. There have been other periods in the story of Christianity when atonement has been questioned and closely examined. Its development did not stop with the first stated idea about it. It has been re-developed and re-examined on numerous occasions over a long period of time. And, today, it is still being questioned.

Why did Jesus die on the cross? However understood, there has typically been the idea that Jesus' death was necessary for us to attain salvation.....to get right with God, to escape hell, to gain entrance to heaven.......whatever. It is as though the sole purpose for Jesus being born was so he could die.

This concept has been preached and taught so extensively that it is almost a part of our genes. If you want to see some folk go into a fit of apoplexy, challenge the idea of "blood atonement."
The idea that "Jesus paid it all" becomes a part of our make-up. The necessity of being "washed in the blood" is held without doubt. His death on a cross is the only way that anybody can be SAVED.

Really?

I do believe that somehow we must reckon with the matter of the cross and Jesus' death on one. But did that cruel act make it possible for us to be whole and approved by God? Is God's anger toward our sin so great that it took a crucifixion to satisfy God?

Atonement comes in different categories. We call them theories and there are several of them; some better than others, some sorely lacking, in my opinion.

I want to explore these theories. So for the next several weeks I will take a "theory" each time I write and try to develop it as it has been historically and traditionally understood. I will welcome any additional thoughts from the readers as we go along. At the end of it all, you decide. Which is as it should be.

I will only ask that you approach this time of reflection with one question hanging over all your thought and consideration about the cross and the death of Jesus.

What is the character of your God?

TRUTH STRANGER THAN FICTION

2011-07-13T18:16:00.000-04:00

A page-turning mystery seems to require a particular set of ingredients: secrecy, back-room deals, power invested in the lives of the elite, cover-up, illegal transfer and use of funds, and sex...lots of sex, especially of the promiscuous, perverted, and abusive type. Such can make for a great "beach" read. But that is all escapist reading, isn't it? A good way to take a break from the stresses of our life and lose ourselves between the covers of a book.

But it is a bit disconcerting when we find out that such things really take place and more than we can possibly imagine. The dis-ease is only made more profound when we discover that one of the most fertile contexts for such activities and behaviors is the religious.

Two books have been authored that turn over the rocks and reveal
an unbelieveable ugliness in both our own country and around the world. Even though exposed by these writings and other media endeavors, the culprits continue to move right along as though entitled. And they see themselves as ambassadors for God.

The first book is THE FAMILY by Jeff Sharlet. Without giving too much away, just suffice to say that this effort is located in our own Washington, DC with tentacles that stretch around the world. This group has been in place for years and presents a good front, i.e. the National Prayer Breakfast each year which comes under their sponsorship. You have recently heard about the "House" on C Street in Washington, where politicians reside and, and as of late, has been in the news as the place where politicians engaged in sordid extra-marital affairs stay and pray. You have to read the book to see what a massive secret cult this has become with participants from both major political parties. Their key idea is to turn our government into a theocracy that can only be described as the child of right-wing fundamentalism. (Sharlet has just written a follow-up book entitled C STREET: A FUNDAMENTALIST THREAT TO AMERICAN DEMOCRACY. It's just hot off the press).

The other book is THE POPE'S WAR by Matthew Fox. I still find it unbelieveable even though the accusations have been duly documented. One of the major thrusts is the extensive cover-up related to the pedophilia crisis among the leadership in the Catholic Church. But there is more.......so very much more.

Truth really can be stranger than fiction.....and a lot scarier.

WOUNDED HEALER

2011-06-24T12:46:00.000-04:00

When we find ourselves caught in the grip of an uninvited, harsh situation, it is easy to quickly ask, "Why me?" Seldom, if ever, have I head someone ask the same question as they bask in hundreds of great moments during an exceptionally good day. It is not as though we feel entitled. It's just easy to go with the flow and experience the pleasure of life when it comes our way, usually on a fairly regular basis. But in that moment of surprise and agony, which eventually comes in varying degrees to all of us, we cry out in anguish, "Why me?" "What did I do to deserve this?" "What is God trying to say to me?" "I wish I were dead."

Perhaps a word from Henri Nouwen will give a necessary theme to ponder. Nouwen was a Dutch Catholic priest who wrote 40 books, taught in prestigious universities, i.e. Yale and Harvard, and eventually lived out his days residing in a home for the developmentally challenged in Toronto. The thesis of much of his writing was the growth of the inner person through attention to spirituality and while he nurtured that through academics, travel, prayer, and reflection, he found his "place" in a setting of pain. Day in and day out he tended to those who could barely do for themselves, if at all.

One of Nouwen's best books was entitled THE WOUNDED HEALER. He discovered that instead of asking "Why?" about his circumstances of life, he could use the pain he had experienced as a way of opening his heart toward others.

Nouwen knew about wounds. He struggled with clinical depression. He had a difficult time coming to terms with his sexuality and only late in his life could he discuss, with friends, his homosexuality. His health declined considerably in the last few years of his life before he died in 1996. Gradually he learned to stop asking "Why me?" and instead asked "How may I be with you?", "How may I address this situation of pain?" Out of his own wounds he learned to identify with others, empathize, and be a presence to a time of need.

Working out of our woundedness can assist not only with pain but also with injustice. It was out of their wounds that the parents of Pat Tillman exposed the cover-up related to the death of their son in battle and, at least for a season, let it be known that the powers-that-be could not get away with that kind of atrocity.

Providing healing for someone else out of our own pain can not be scripted. We just have to wait until a time of need or crisis comes along and then see if we can show up and be present.

FAIR TRADE

2011-06-14T21:54:00.000-04:00

I like coffee. I drink several cups each morning as a part of my wake-up routine. Occasionally I drink it at times later in the day. I like my coffee black, strong, and hot.

So it pleased me several years ago when I started hearing about Fair Trade Coffee. Fair Trade is an organized effort to get a better wage for producers of goods in developing countries. Fair Trade includes such products as the aforementioned coffee, cocoa, tea, handcrafts and numerous other items. If you are not really familiar with it, then google Fair Trade and read all about it. There are lots of articles describing its scope and purpose. You can also find lots of products that are sold under the Fair Trade banner.

This idea started small and has steadily grown. Large corporations such as Proctor and Gamble (producers of Folgers and Millstone Coffee among hundreds of other products)at first opposed the effort. Their resistance was eventually broken down because other competitors signed on to the idea. P & G now offers their Millstone coffee as a Fair Trade item. Fair Trade
items can be found in well known businesses such as Dunkin Donuts,Starbucks, Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, Costco, as well as many grocery chains.

Fair Trade items are more expensive, although not by much. They are also of outstanding quality. Paying a little more here at home makes possible a better wage for a poor farmer in another country who produces what we so enjoy. It is one of the easiest, yet genuinely helpful, ways that all of us can compassionately touch the larger world.

So, enjoy good java. And look for the fair trade label. Your purchase will help a family somewhere else. That makes for a double enjoyment.

EATING WITH SINNERS

2011-06-07T13:48:00.002-04:00

My new friend Jacob has introduced me to Jay Bakker, albeit vicariously. He has spoken some in regard to his friendship with Bakker and how the two have connected in their faith experience. Many of you will know "about" Jay Bakker. I remember thinking about him and his sister years ago and feeling a sense of anguish toward them. You see, Jay is "little Jamie," son of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, former TV evangelists and subjects of a major scandal. As much as I disagreed with the Bakkers at that time and even joined with others in poking fun at them, I remember thinking that no child...NO CHILD...deserves being in the center of that kind of pain and embarrassment.

Today Jay is a preacher seeking to be faithful in living out his own ministry. He is a most untraditional minister. He invests his life with those who live on the margins, with those considered by many to be "different" if not outcasts. He seems to emulate someone else from about 2,000 years ago. I have just purchased two autobiographical books by Bakker. Some folk will continue to shun him, both because of his last name, how he looks (lots of tattoos and some body piercings) and especially because of what he says. I want to get to know him better. I think I need to hear what he has to say.

As I write this I am following the news accounts of the fall and disgrace of Congressman Anthony Weiner. I have listened to Weiner from time to time. I like him. I like his ability to frame issues clearly, his fiery rhetoric, even his combative personality. But what has happened? Have all elected national leaders gone the way of idiocy or just most of them? Is it really just an accepted idea that most politicians lie and quite frequently, that they abide in such hubris that they believe they can keep their skeletons hidden in the closet? Do most of them eventually move toward irrelevancy?

I have actually wondered what kind of childhood Congressman Weiner had. Did he suffer because of his last name? Was he bullied? Is that part of what gave shape to whom he has become, both openly and secretly? (For more reference to this, go to the most recent link of A Church for Starving Artists).

My thoughts today carry me far back to the idea that Jesus ate with sinners....all kinds of them. He spent time with them breaking bread, listening to them, speaking to them, surely touching them. When I sit at meal with a large group I realize that I may be in the midst of some who are broken by their own actions; perhaps carrying deep within the shame of something so far unrevealed. And as I eat, I must take pause and remember that I, too, am among the company of the sinful. I need to be very careful about judgment.

IDOLIZING JESUS

2011-06-03T09:58:00.000-04:00

An idea floating in the Sunday School class this past Sunday has remained with me. Our response to who Jesus of Nazareth is has been pre-empted and a fraudulent substitute has been put in its place. When all is said and done it must be stated that many Christians WORSHIP Jesus. Why?

Have you ever heard someone pray to Jesus? Are you familiar with moments of hearing Jesus being praised and adored? Have you perused through a hymnal lately and noticed how many hymns speak of a worship/attention/allegience that is to be given to Jesus only? Somehow I thought all of this was to be directed to God....the one who stands behind Jesus, the Bible, and all other aspects of the grandeur of creation.

Yes, before you jump to correct me, I know that some bishops a long time ago struggled to understand who Jesus really was and finalized that issue in their own minds by elevating Jesus to a trinitarian framework. God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Just remember that that neat little package is the result of some votes taken, manipulated by the more powerful bishops, and blessed by the Emperor. You will not find an unfolding development of that thought in the Bible. After you strip away what others believed about Jesus, you will not find that concept on the heart of or in the mouth of Jesus. He was faithful to God. He worshiped and prayed to God. His ministry pointed toward the reign of God on earth.

It is a whole lot easier to worship Jesus than it is to follow him.

You see, that's what gets us off the hook and perpetuates the fraud. If we just praise Jesus, sing loudly about what he has done through his death/resurrection, verbalize in the church building, on the street or the TV program about "the wonderful, matchless grace of Jesus...magnify the precious name of Jesus, praise his name!", then that will be enough. It's a great arrangement!

The hymnbook of the ancient Hebrews was the Psalms. There, God was praised, adored, held in awe, sometimes struggled with. Yes, the Psalms were pre-Jesus. The worship in spirit and truth of God still holds. Even Jesus said that.

When I was young and engaged in "church-talk", I never remember saying (or hearing) that Jesus called me to preach. Rather, it was that God called me to preach. Discussing our lives, plans, and purpose, no one ever said anything about seeking Jesus' will. We spoke of trying to find God's will.

Robert Funk has said that we need to give Jesus a demotion. He asked for it, he deserves it, we owe him no less. We are the ones who elevated Jesus to a position of adoration. That way we don't have to take him seriously. If he actually became our leader, this kingdom movement might find reformation.

Jesus is, for me, the best picture I think I will ever get of God. He points me toward God and especially what God desires here on earth. He leads me into understanding more and more who God is.....the God I seek to worship.

A BRIEF WORD ABOUT THE LINKS

2011-05-26T16:18:00.000-04:00

As I indicated last week, I have taken some steps to change and add to Westjourn. One of the additions is the listing of some of the blogs I read that I have found to be helpful. A quick word about a few of them.

A CHURCH FOR STARVING ARTISTS - Just came across this one somehow. Authored by Jan Edmiston. Sounded interesting and what I have read has proven to be so. Looking forward to more.

BILL MOYERS JOURNAL - Thoughts and challenges on a wide range of topics as only Moyers can do.

BRIAN MCLAREN - One of the earliest and most effective leaders in what is known as the emerging church movement. Mclaren comes out of an evangelical background but reveals a remarkable struggle of personal inquiry and change of direction in his faith understanding.

HUFFINGTON POST - This is where I go every day for the updates on the news. Covers a really wide range of topics. Updated periodically throughout the day.

JESUS SEMINAR - The more familiar name of the Westar Institute. Good place to find out what the seminar is doing, order books from Polebridge Press, and print off articles out of their journal, The Fourth R. This will stretch you a lot. I love it!

MATTERS OF PRINCIPLE - A weekly, brief blog written by Gary Hart. Regardless of his "mess-up" in the presidential run years ago, I still think he has some of the best insights to be found on subjects political.

More thoughts on the other blogs in a day or so. Happy Reading.

A NEW LOOK

2011-05-21T21:06:00.000-04:00

I have been writing Westjourn now for about 18 months. I have wanted to develop it a bit more and had stated such a few weeks back. Well, this is the new product.

Patti and I have enjoyed a weekend getaway. She has been the technical mind behind this changing effort. She has helped me develop where I want to go, find a way to set it up, and get it out to a wider audience. I am sending this today to those who had signed up long ago plus the crowd that gathers for "Theology on Tap" and a few new ones that I have added along the way. If this is not something you want to spend your time with, please respond to me and I will take you off the mailing list.

The theme will follow more of the concept of pilgrimage. The picture for this date is that of an old man and others struggling up a sidewalk toward the Old Court House during a peace march.....the idea of pilgrims moving toward the seats of power with a statement of concern. That will be at the heart of a lot of these columns. As soon as I can get the resident photographer (Granddaughter Madysen) to do her thing, I will post an image of a road that stretches out before us.

I have added numerous links that I believe will offer insights that can be helpful for the kind of journey upon which we embark. I have found them to be enjoyable and challenging. Over a period of time, I will add more that prove to be interesting.

This kind of effort works best if you will read and respond. Disagree, give another slant, add to out of your experience and understanding....whatever you choose. That helps us all with our questions, doubts, and struggles.

In a day that still reeks of "rapture" thinking, religious bigotry, theological meanness, pharisaical exclusiveness, and all kinds of convoluted efforts to create a God in our own image, we need a conversation that is unafraid to move in a different direction.

I'm not very good at this as a lone ranger. I do much better if I can travel with a community.

LOOKING BACK.....WAY BACK.

2011-05-13T14:32:00.004-04:00

On Easter Monday, I spent some time walking through a cemetery in Hendersonville, North Carolina. No, this was not some kind of post-Easter mystical, resurrection escapade. I was looking for a particular grave and I found it. It was the grave of a man named Carl Bates.

A bit of explanation. Our daughter, Jordan, is working as an apprentice for Thomas Shepherd and Son Funeral Home in Hendersonville (Who would have thunk!!!!). I knew that Bates and his wife had retired to Hendersonville sometime in the 1980's. I had gotten word of his death in 1999. On a lark, I asked Jordan if perhaps Shepherd and Son had provided the service for his funeral and.....would you believe.....they had. So with Jordan's assistance I found his grave and, while the rest of the family walked around and studied other graves, I spent a few moments rememembering this gentleman.

An explanation is in order, I know. Carl Bates was pastor for many years of the First Baptist Church in Amarillo, Texas. First Baptist had at that time, and still does as far as I know, an extensive coverage of their Sunday morning early worship service. People in the panhandle of Texas, eastern New Mexico, western Oklahoma, and southern Kansas are all able to view that service. It is not religious programming as one might see today with all the "soul molesters" who come into our homes via the TV. It is just the televised worship service.

In a sense, Dr. Bates was a kind of pastor figure for that whole geographical area. Tall, good-looking, with a deep, rich baritone voice, he was quite the striking figure. I first heard him speak in the late 1950's. Even as a young boy, there was a kind of magnetic appeal about this man. He was funny, relational, and his sermons were well-crafted and challenging. In time he would move to the pulpit of the First Baptist Church in Charlotte, thus establishing his residency in North Carolina which would become the location of his final resting place.

As a student in college I came across a book written by a selection of ministers giving their insights to young ministerial students. Since I was classified in that particular category, I purchased the book and read it from cover to cover. One of the chapters was written by Carl Bates. The one thing I remember from that whole book was his statement to would-be-preachers, "Always have good books. Do without a fine automobile, live with fewer clothes and collections of stuff for your house. But always have good books."

I took the man at his word. There have been few days through all these years when there has not been a good book within my reach.

I met Carl Bates and his wife, Myra (who followed him in death in 2005), in Asheville in the mid 80's in a restaurant. We spoke briefly. I remember he made some self-deprecating comment about himself. And I thanked him for an influence that he never knew he had on a young man many years before.

The community of faith of which I am a part has been talking in recent weeks about our journey on, what Scott Peck called, the "road less traveled." It is an exciting road, albeit difficult at times. As I stood in front of the burial site of Carl Bates I realized that my journey of faith had some of its most important, beginning steps in my observation of and reading from the life and heart of this man.

Thank you Carl Bates. I will always have good books.

CLOSURE?

2011-05-02T20:56:00.003-04:00

The older we get, the more we will have opportunity to remember exactly where we were and what we were doing at the moment of events that had global impact. Some still remember when Pearl Harbor was bombed. Many of us remember the assassinations of John Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy. We remember what we were doing at the death of Elvis and John Lennon. And more recently, we remember all too painfully our activity on September 11, 2001.

We will now remember where we were when we first heard the news of the death of Osama bin Laden.

Many will say that justice has been served. Others will breath a sigh of relief, even while they admit that the ideology which breeds terrorism is still alive and well. Still others will say "good riddance" at the death of this murderer and human disgrace.

There will also be some who will say that this act brings closure. That statement is being challenged, especially by those who have felt the seering pain most directly. I watched the interview of a woman who lost her sister in the collapse of the world trade center. She pled for folk to speak of justice if they like, but to please refrain from using the word closure. For her and for thousands of others, the chapter will not be complete; that door in their life will not now slowly close. There will still be an empty chair at the next family gathering.

Yes, people move on. Even though the wound may remain open, it will, in time, experience some kind of healing. But a terrible scar will always remain. Whether it be the execution of someone who, in one murderous act, took someone away from the family table or the assassination of an evil, self-righteous terrorist, there is still no closure.

The seat at the table is still empty.

TELLING STORIES

2011-04-12T10:50:00.002-04:00

All theology is biography. I have said that for some time now and I still believe it. Regardless of how we may systematize our thoughts about God, Humanity, and the Cosmos with points and sub-points, it still comes down to our story and how we work to understand. Theologians may write materials that help us in our search. Often I find that theologians of the past only make that effort more difficult by writing in very hard-to-read paragraphs with far too much complexity than is really needed. Some of the new "kids on the block" are penning their thoughts in such a way that most can read and grasp the concept. For that gesture I am grateful.

But it still comes down to a story; our story and the stories of those with whom we inter-mingle. Perhaps that is why we can sometimes find more insight in novels, dramas, movies, poetry and essays than we do in a supposed theological blockbuster. And as we tell and listen to each other's stories,light comes through.

A story was the main way of communication for Jesus, especially in the synoptic Gospels. Parables, aphorisms, and one-liners were used to describe the Empire of God. When his listeners could not grasp what he was saying and inquire as to what it meant, he would most often "tell another story."

As I pass my years with preaching/teaching responsibilities, I am becoming more aware of the value of a good story. Stories that are exciting, heart-breaking, humorous, inquisitive, and thought-provoking can more readily speak to the heart than a declaration with three main points.

I use a particular tool for my personal Bible study. It is called the Bible Workbench. The idea is to take a passage of scripture and ask three questions about it: what is happening in the text, how is this happening in today's world, and how is this happening in my life? It is amazing what can break out of a text when those three questions are asked.

So, learn your story. Just because you have lived it doesn't mean that you know or explicitly understand it. It takes work. Include all the chapters: the good, the bad, the grand, the messy, the betrayals, the commitments, the strides, the failures and the questions.

So read the theologians, especially the current ones. But know your story. Tell it to someone who will hear you and then listen to theirs. You are a breathing, walking, talking, piece of theological art.

A STUPID QUESTION?

2011-03-24T20:07:00.001-04:00

Occasionally one hears another say, "This may be a stupid question, but...." Those who facilitate Q&A usually respond by stating, "There is no such thing as a stupid question." And if one has something inside them that calls for clarification, then nothing asked should be dismissed.

I once read, however, what I thought could meet the standard of a stupid question. Trouble is, the question was found in the New Testament. Even worse, Jesus was the one asking. The scene is found in John 5. All kinds of folk - blind, lame, and paralyzed - are gathered around a pool by the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem. Evidently people are healed by entering the pool when the water is stirred. One man, who had been ill for thirty-eight years was lying by the pool. And Jesus asked him, "Do you want to be healed?"

Now seriously. Here is a sick man whose condition had been with him for a very long time and Jesus wants to know if he would really like to be healed. Are you kidding? I was hesitant to even allow my disbelief to surface very much because, after all, this was Jesus asking. Surely anyone would understand that this man would rather be healed more than anything in the world.

Or would he? As I considered what Jesus might be trying to show, it occurred to me that perhaps he understood something that I was not taking into consideration and he had not even taken Psychology 101. The reality of life is that while folk may moan, groan, and carry on with legitimate pain and illness, the idea of being completely removed from that circumstance is a bit frightening. If you're healed, you have to be more responsible. If healed, you can't expect almost everything to be done for you. Healing means that you return to the task of making your own way, choices, decisions,and facing the consequences thereof. And that's what happened to the man. He was healed, got up, took his mat, and walked away.

To be made whole is a thrilling experience, but one fraught with all kinds of possibilities. We might step into dimensions of life that we never dreamed were available. Or we might slip, and find ourselves stretched out once again by the pool.

Life is a risk. There are things that hold all of us back. Do we want to be healed?

HEROES

2011-03-17T16:43:00.003-04:00

Little baby Emma was born February 24. She is grandbaby #7. (This grandparenting role is the way to go!!!). The operative word for Emma at the time of her birth, however, was "little." She was ten weeks premature...2lbs,3oz. Daughter/Mother Lyndsay had gone for a regular check-up two weeks before and everything was just right. But at the next check-up, her blood pressure had gone through the roof. The condition, as I understand it, is preeclampsia and it is not a good thing. The way to deal with it is to deliver the baby. So little Emma arrived about 2:00PM; over two months before we were expecting to first greet her.

We were told that the birth by C-section went as expected and things were stable. Emma almost immediately dropped 3 ounces as we had been told she would. The short form of this story is that Lyndsay stayed in the hospital several days, but was able to be at Emma's side a great deal of the time. Now released, she and Daddy Willie go back and forth to the hospital several times a day. They are able to hold her, she is gaining weight, and the medical attendees say she is doing great. She will probably stay there until the end of April. But that's all right. She is being taken care of remarkably.

Which brings me to my thought. I now have a new category of heroes. They are the nurses on the neo-natal intensive care unit. The acronymn for that (which I hear often now) is NICU (Nick-U). It is unbelievable to watch them work. They are well-trained and skilled. There may be a bummmer somewhere in the group, but I have yet to meet that one. They all exhibit the highest quality of care and compassion. And to watch them work with those tiny infants, while at the same time speaking intelligent words of encouragement to the parents, is a sight to behold.

Because of the ability needed for that work, I'm sure the nurses are well paid. And that's as it should be. In my opinion, no matter how good their salary, it is not enough. These are the folk who ought to get the mega-bucks, not the athletes or entertainers who, all too often, bore the rest of us and embarrass their chosen field by an extreme level of infantile behavior.

There are heroes everywhere really. Some are more noticed than others. The drama of the moment may cause us to notice some. Others are just there, doing their best day in and day out. Teachers, coaches, counselors, addiction specialists, workers with children and adolescents,intervention experts, EMS workers, police, firemen, other medical personnel....these are the folk I'm talking about. Some get paid well; others should be paid more. But if they are really authentic in the service they perform, they are not just doing it for the money. Their efforts are just a part of who they are and it is as though they can do no other. They are heroes.

Daughter Lyndsay is still having blood pressure problems. The delivery of Emma has not totally rectified that issue. So she has been referred to another medical specialist - someone whom we trust will be a hero in their everyday efforts. And what they do will enable Lyndsay to be healthy again.

I am in awe.

When Irresponsible Words, Mental Illness, and Guns Get Together

2011-01-11T16:47:00.003-05:00

During the election last fall, there were those who seemed to feel that our country is in such bad shape that "second amendment remedies" might be needed. Others targeted those they wanted to defeat with images of cross-hairs. Since the horrific tragedy in Arizona, those who followed such expressions have quickly gone on the defensive to say "that's not what they meant and their words should not be blamed for anything that a nut-case decided to do." I will accept their quick reaction and say that I do not believe that's what they meant. But what did they mean with those words and images?

Words really do have consequences. Every day we use them to convince, persuade, even intimidate, if necessary. Words are a remarkable gift we have for good or ill. Use them consistently on a theme for a period of time and they will burn like acid into someone's mind and who, if that mind is twisted, will eventually act on the implied suggestion.

Now we have calls for more gun control. This urging has its moment for a short time after such a tragedy, but seems to quickly die. We are a country in love with our guns. If guns were used only for self-defense, hunting, and sport, the legs of the anti-control arguement might stand a bit stronger. But guns are not used for those purposes alone. That are purchased with the full intent and purpose of killing someone else. Why are some guns even available? Their only reason for existence is for killing people.

One might think that there would be at least a pause in guns sales, for a brief period of time. But, no. In Arizona, sales of semi-automatic weapons increased by 60% on the Monday after the tragedy; 65% in Ohio, 33% in Illinois, 16% in California, and 5% nationwide.

I watched a Congressman give his take on tv about the whole situation. He quickly stated his anti-gun control stance and said that could never be the answer. Instead, he said that this killer was mentally ill and that a mental health answer needed to be applied. If early on, someone had just put this person into the mental health system, this tragedy might have been avoided. I actually agree with the Congressman's statement. But if he really believes that and wants to work toward that end as an answer, he is going to have to do a serious amount of homework about the mental health system.

In most states, the system is broken. Mental Health Reform is a buzz-word of recent years and it has failed miserably. Mental Health workers do their best, but they are tied down by enormous amounts of red-tape and limited budgets in all the states. Beds are being emptied in mental hospitals. People with mental health needs are sent back to communities where often they wind up on the street. If one does not have insurance or medicaid, they probably have little, if any, hope of treatment.

There used to be the day when a person who demonstrated harm toward himself or someone else could be picked up, taken for evaluation, and even hospitalized, albeit involuntarily. Now, in many settings, that person has to give evidence of having a plan - a gun, a knife, a bomb, or whatever will get the job done. It is no longer enough to hear one say that they are going to kill themselves or someone else.

So it is an explosive mix. Words designed to convince, occasionally do just that. Mental Health planning and treatment that falls way behind the needed response.
And guns. Put them all together and lives will continue to be blown all to pieces.

It just seems like this is an issue that we can't let go unattended much longer.

END OF THE YEAR RESOLUTION

2010-12-28T10:40:00.002-05:00

When I heard of the news of the death of Elizabeth Edwards,I was saddened. Without knowing her, I admired her and especially her efforts to make our world a bit better. My sadness changed to serious anger when I heard of the plans of Fred Phelps and members of the Westboro Baptist Church, Topeka, Kansas to demonstrate outside the gathering for her funeral. This congregation has been identified by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a hate group. The one thing they seem to really "love" to do is to tell other people how they are going to hell. The criteria for being hell-bound, in their thinking, is to not possess their idiotic mind-set. They seem to know no shame.

But then a strange thing happened on my way toward a growing sense of vengeance. I read a brief article in the "Christian Century" that told of another way. Seems that the folk at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Durham were blessed with an antigay protest outside their building by the Westboro crowd. The decision was made to proceed with worship as scheduled. The congregation would pray for the protesters, but would not confront them. In the midst of these tense circumstances and as an expression of hospitality toward them, the pastor placed on the church lawn a table set with china, silverware, water and wine glasses, candles and a centerpiece. The protesters left when the service began. It is not known if they caught the significance of the table.

Probably not the way I would have handled it. But I now realize that it is the way I must consider and move, in my heart, toward expressing.

It has been a long time since I have been much on making New Year's resolutions. Like many others, I don't follow through very well. But this experience touched me enough that I decided to try to live into it and see what would happen. I'll even state it as an end-of-the-year resolution. No need to wait.

I will try to practice more compassion and look for ways in which it can be applied.

I know I will need some help. So I am looking to one of my favorite authors to provide what is needed. Karen Armstrong, prolific author and thinker, is shaping more and more of her efforts toward the work of compassion. She has a new book coming out in January titled "The Twelve Steps of Compassion." She has also started a grassroots effort entitled Charter for Compassion. Go to www.charterforcompassion.org to find out details and where you can add your name to a growing list.

Armstrong says that every major world religion has at its core some concept of the golden rule. She challenges us to return to the core.

I wish you a happy, compassionate, new year.

SOMETHING NEW IN THE FAMILIAR

2010-12-14T13:42:00.003-05:00

Several mornings a week I usually take our granddaughter, Harlan, to her maternal great-grandmothers house for baby-sitting. I travel the same route each time. I am so familiar with the drive that I seldom notice the sights on either side of the road. Recently, however, I noticed a small house that I had never seen before. It has been there for some time. I just never saw it. Maybe it was because the surrounding trees have shed their leaves and made the house more readily available to the eye. Perhaps I just happened to fix my gaze in that particular direction at that time. Regardless, I saw something I had never seen before.

The house is attractive and reflects a sense of warmth. Well kept structure, tidy yard, remains of a garden off to the side....so inviting that one could easily say, "I wish I lived there." The inhabitants who do live there can sit on a back deck overlooking a small pond. There is a serene sense of quietness about the place. For those who are so inclined, this house in the woods could be a real object of envy. And I had never seen it before.

As I drive that same road, I always look at my newly discovered house. And I take time to notice other houses, yards, ponds, and points of beauty along the way. As a matter of fact, this recent attempt to see with new eyes has become more of a gift of awareness during this advent season. I more consciously seek out the new as it can be noticed by the different senses.

Addiction groups that have a twelve step program frequently point out how important it is to live one day at a time. Just because one is clean and sober today does not guarantee that such will be true tomorrow. Each day must be experienced and lived for itself. I have heard the one-day-at-a-time suggestion for many years. Honestly though, I have never consciously practiced it with any degree of seriousness. I am always looking at the schedule and the calendar and considering what is on up ahead in the next few days, weeks, months, even years. I am beginning to sense that I really miss the important in pursuit of the unknown.

Advent means waiting patiently, anticipating how the promised one might come again into our lives. If I am thinking about something down the road a few days, I most likely will miss that sense of presence. So, whether it is looking out for new sights on a well-traveled road or waiting to see how the God of Mystery will touch, challenge, and transform me today, I am becoming more eager to find the new in the midst of the familiar.

WORSHIP IN TWO SETTINGS

2010-11-23T17:37:00.003-05:00

This past Sunday, I worshipped in two settings. At the usual morning hour, I gathered with others of our community of faith at the church building. This time was spent together doing something a little different. We spoke of older traditions common to a denomination in which most of us grew up. Probably we would speak unanimously as a group saying that while we still hold on to some of the old, we have moved beyond many of those earlier traditions. We were reminded that some of the "old ways" were part of the bridge that carried us into the birth and development of our faith.

The second act of worship was not to return to the church building later that same day. It began as my family and I placed ourselves in a small eatery known as the "Cook Shack" in the northern part of our county. Some of us ordered an early afternoon meal off of the menu and then waited with others who took seats in the crowded venue as the time approached for a concert by the folk singer, John McCutcheon.

McCutcheon has been a favorite of our family for a long time. We have been to a couple of previous concerts and have enjoyed his music via tapes and cds over the years. Many a long trip was made easier as we listened and sang along with John.

The next two and a half hours were spent listening to the oldies and some of his newer compositions, co-mingled with stories that he told. As always, there was a lot of humor. There were also moments that caused a lump to rise in our throats. That which came from his mouth focused on realisms of our day, some good, some not so good.

He concluded the show with his noted work, "Christmas in the trenches." The song is based on a historical event during World War l when the English and the Germans called a truce, came together on the battlefied to sing, share goodies, and play soccer. As dawn approached, they returned from their respite to the work of war. The song concludes with the words, "The ones who call the shots won't be among the dead and lame and on each end of the rifle, we're the same." Powerful sermon.

I no longer hold to a differentiation of space, namely, that some locales like a church building are sacred and most of the rest are secular. The sacred is found in all kinds of places. And as I had to consider again the need for our understanding of a shared humanity, I sensed that I was on holy ground. Even at the Cook Shack.

SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE

2010-11-09T10:28:00.003-05:00

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." These words form the very first part of the first amendment to our national constitution. I found it interesting, during the recent silly season and beyond, that there are still numerous folk who insist that the originating documents of our country never intended that there be a separation between, as we say, church and state. They cry out for a merging of these two monumental institutions, denying all the way that a gap was ever intended between them. There is no clean way to put this; those who press this point want a government that reflects their religious beliefs, and theirs alone. And that's scary.

But do those who espouse such thoughts really understand what that would mean if it became reality? As it now stands, both benefit from this arrangement. Government can call upon religious teaching for input on how to create a better communal life. Religious institutions benefit from the provision and protection of government. And for those who choose not to arrange their worldview around some religious tradition, their choice will be respected. It is a wonderful exercise in democracy.

Religious institutions also benefit by receiving tax-breaks and being able to count donations to their cause as a deduction come April 15 of each year. And there is the built-in advantage of being able to speak truth to power. Much of the time, the provision and protection we receive under our government is truly remarkable. On some other occasions, it needs to be challenged. And religion has the freedom to do that under the present arrangement.

So what if there was a merger and we developed a state-church and a church-state. Well, first we would need to get ready for our religious institutions to start paying taxes. What a blow that would be to a local congregation. A raise for the preacher might not be in the works because a congregation would have to scramble to figure out how to add the tax payment to the annual budget. And then all those tithes and offerings we total up each year as a deduction which makes our tax responsibility a bit more bearable. Well, we would no longer be able to do that.

Those who follow this line of thinking...are they really sure that's what they want?

THE END OF SILLY SEASON

2010-11-04T14:04:00.003-04:00

A columnist that I frequently read wrote just before election day that we have now reached, for a short while, the end of silly season. Silly season is the every two or four year election campaign in our country. Regardless of how needed it may be or what good might conceivably come of it all, the one theme I hear uttered consistently before the election is, "I will be so glad when all of this is over." Silly Season.

Glad to be done with the media attack ads costing millions of dollars. Glad to no longer have to hear that certain campaigns were the most expensive ever. Glad to no longer have to hear that "The American people want....(fill in the blank)" and to realize that I am an American and that such is not what I want at all. Glad to no longer have to hear an individual say, "When I get to Washington (or Raleigh)this is what I am going to do", when it only takes a middle school civics course to teach that individuals don't really accomplish much by themselves but in concert and compromise with others, even those with whom they disagree. To try anything else is to have gridlock (sound familiar??). Glad to no longer have to tolerate the insult that certain groups have an agenda when most politicians, by their staying on certain talking points, have nothing but an agenda. Glad to have a reprieve from someone being asked a question and, while looking straight into the camera, contort themselves into all kinds of pretzel like shapes and refusing to answer the question directly. Glad to have a few moments in which I do not feel like I am being lied to. Glad to have an occasion when, for a brief time, I can shake off the realization that my representative seldom ever represents me or my interests. Glad to have a few moments of breathing space when I am no longer treated like an idiot.

Ah, but silly season will soon return. Like a bad head cold or chest congestion that just will not go away, it will come back with force. By early 2011, our country will already be in high gear toward 2012. Or maybe I'm mistaken. Maybe that started the day after the election.

Democracy is a beautiful reality. And it is hard work. I don't mind the hard work. It just seems that the spirit of it all is somehow beginning to head south. It is in a moment like this that I am reminded that I participate in the kingdom of this world, but only secondarily so. There is another kingdom that beckons my attention. At its heart is compassion, service, sacrifice, love,inclusion, and faith. The kingdom of this world does not understand this primary kingdom at all. To this world, such fleshed-out realities are sheer silliness.

All in how you see it.

A further note: I have enjoyed doing these blogs. It stretches me to stay with them. Now that I seem to have the time, I want to work with them more consistenly. Sometimes there will be statements that are brief, but also published more readily. I also want to start adding to the blog page. I need to go back to Madysen's pictures and other works that some of you might share. I am going to start adding a list of other blogs that you might find helpful and challenging. My hope is that when you come to Westjourn, there will more and more be something that will capture your imagination.

In the meantime..........take risks!

"BE A VOICE" ART

2010-10-27T10:49:00.003-04:00

Last night I heard a woman tell her near-death story as a result of domestic violence.You might have a chance to hear the story some day, so I will not give away complete details. But I did ask if I could use her story as the basis for this blog. She gave me permission to do so.

Her name is Michelle Johnson Major. To read more about her, go to her webpage, www.beavoicearts.com. Michelle is a wonderful artist. Shortly after her marriage several years ago, her husband became more and more abusive, eventually choking her into unconsciousness. Before that cowardly act, he took a knife and "butchered" (as she describes it) almost 100 of her paintings. Years of work carved up into shreds. He struck at her very life as well as her soul, capsuled somewhat in all those works of art. I hope many of you can meet her someday. Her's is a powerful story of survival and movement out of victimhood into a stance of identity.

I have heard her story before, in all those expressions of women who describe the controlling, threatening, injurious patterns of behavior perpetuated against them by the men in their lives. Yes, I know, sometimes women are the offenders. But the vast majority of personal, violent acts are men against women. When we first started our work at the shelter, a woman was brought to us by the police late one night. She was wrapped only in a bed sheet that had been provided by the hospital emergency room. She was beaten beyond recognition. I will never be able to erase that memory of the policeman picking the woman up in his arms and carrying her into the shelter so that we could try to tend to some of her needs and offer her safety.

This has been referred to as the silent crime. People still have difficulty talking about it, especially if it involves those we know and love. But if we know and love them, or if they are just a stranger stumbling down the street, we must start talking about it. Its harsh reality is being exposed somewhat. Laws are tightening up. People, both male and female, who batter other adults or children are being brought to justice. Some progress is being made. But there is such a great distance to go.

A part of Michelle's story that I know to be true, but still find unbelieveable, is that professionals, who should have known or made offers of help available, did nothing. A pastor never asked about how to get her to safety, even thought the husband admitted in the pastor's presence that he had abused her. A medical worker never probed into what might be going on at home as she examined this frightened woman who had gone to the hospital seeking an escape from the terror. How can this be!!!!

I found myself becoming so uncomfortable during her presentation that I started asking myself, "Why did she stay? Why didn't she leave?" That's the traditional question. And there are all kinds of answers. He threatens to kill her or someone she loves if she leaves, she loves him and takes her commitment to him seriously, she has been threatened, intimidated, and put-down so many times that she does not have the inner strength, at the moment, to just walk out. All kinds of reasons that many of us just do not understand unless we have been in that kind of frightening scene.

But that is not really the main question, is it? The main question is "Why does he do it?" And we must find ways to keep asking that question more and more and louder and louder.

TEACHING UNTIL THE VERY END

2010-10-20T12:05:00.003-04:00

I started the memorial service with the question, "Have you ever been in the presence of someone who, you realized, was teaching you how to die?" The answer, of course, was that if you had related in more recent times to the one whose life we were memorializing, then you were finding yourself in a teachable moment. Few like to talk about death. It is not acceptable dinnertime conversation. We are, most of us, afraid of the topic and prefer to quickly change the subject. But this one could speak, with absolutely no sense of forced bravado, of facing mortality, setting one's affairs in order, beginning the walk into the valley, without worry and without fear. It was an incredible sight to behold. And if we would but stay with him and listen, we would learn.

His life had been devoted to teaching and coaching. "A great wrestling coach" was an accolade heard often. He faced the integration of races on the wrestling team at a time when such a step could have caused a blistering string of events by saying, "We're just going to do it." And they did. And they won championships and shared the glory together.

He taught physics and algebra to the brightest of students. He knew that most of them would do well and, indeed, most of them did. But what about students who may not because of lack of natural ability, encouragement, or chance, make it successfully in today's world? So he went back to school, got his Master's in Marketing, so he could teach students who might not have much of a chance how to work in business and succeed in life. How often do most of us order our life in such a direction that someone else may have a good chance?

I try to suggest to myself, my family, and to others who might listen to live in such a way that no one will have to lie at the funeral. That doesn't mean we have to attempt perfection or seek to be great. Just be open to all the possibilities, fully human, and willing to learn. If so, someone with understanding and wisdom will come along and teach us how to give ourselves away and, yes, even how to die.

Bill Cook.........rest in peace.

SHORT SUPPLY

2010-10-14T11:03:00.002-04:00

In recent days, I have been part of a crowd that was exposed to a reconsideration of the concept of mercy. We were reminded that a Biblical worldview is replete with this hard, but vitally important practice. God is merciful to us; we are to practice mercy toward one another. In conversation, we became more aware that mercy is something in "short supply."

Long ago I heard someone say that most of us, "want justice for everybody else and mercy for ourselves." Justice here carries with it as least a tinge of punishment if not outright application. For some reason we are usually able to justify the difference, claiming one response for ourselves and another for someone else. Do they deserve "justice" more than we?

Another difficult part of living out mercy is that it is all too easy to want a "selective mercy." When someone we know or who is somewhat like us stumbles, mercy extended comes easier to us. But when a perpetrator of wrong really does something horrid or, at least, is harmful in a way we find totally unacceptable, then we can't seem to bring ourselves to be merciful.

Several years ago when the children of Amish families were slaughtered in their own schoolhouse and the killer then took his own life, mercy played out in a dramatic way. To be sure, we must never assume that those families did not grieve and have the widest range of emotions about that horror. We probably cannot imagine the depth of pain that was expressed behind closed doors. But those families showed mercy by reaching out to the family of the shooter, offering forgiveness, assistance, and support. The media just did not know what to do with that and so they reported very little about it. Most of us did not know what to do with that, so we just wondered and asked how such could be possible.

Every day I sense more indicators of how divided our country is; how angry we are with each other and with circumstances of the day? Where is the mercy?

It is in short supply. But this often misunderstood, seldom applied offering of self must be reinstated. Else, we really are in trouble.

BUMPER STICKERS

2010-10-04T20:43:00.002-04:00

Across the back bumper of the vehicle parked just in front of me were numerous stickers. I have a thing against bumper stickers. It is seldom that I see one I like. I smile every time I remember the person who said that he pulled in behind a car bearing the sticker which proclaimed, "Honk if you love Jesus." He pressed rather forcefully on his horn and then watched as the driver of the sticker-bearing car turned and gave him the finger. Bumper stickers, by their very brevity of space, try to reduce complexities into simplistic notions.

Among the stickers was one that caught my attention immediately. It read: ANNOY A LIBERAL. WORK. SUCCEED. BE HAPPY. Well, that one spoke to me. By my long-time admission, I am a liberal. Unapologetically so. I did not come to this position quickly or easily. It evolved over a good period of time and after careful examination of self and surroundings. I will also be the first to admit that contemporary liberalism can be like a piece of swiss cheese...riddled with gaps and holes. Just like contemporary conservatism. Neither posture is a know-all, end-all.

The statement produced immediate annoyance inside me. But not for the reason given. You see, I want people to work. I get annoyed when people don't work, especially when they are capable and choose not to, for whatever reason. I also know that there are some who ache to work, but again, for different reasons, are just not able, at least not in any way that is fulfilling and life-sustaining. I want people to succeed. Yes, some folk want to be carried, believing, mistakenly, that the world owes them a living. The national self-esteem has hit the skids because so many have fallen short of set goals, cannot seem to recover, and just give up. And yes,I want most of all for people to be happy. At present, we seem to be an unhappy lot. Again, some will whine and complain, because it is just the way they have learned to survive. But others are not happy because they just cannot pull it out of their brokenness. If I had walked their journey, I doubt that I would be happy either.

I have met a few people who are just downright lazy, unmotivated, and sour. But they are very, very few. When I take time to listen to folk, pull together the pieces of their story, and reflect on their experience, I understand why so many are as they are. My guess is that if I got to know the person whose vehicle bore what I considered a ridiculous bumper sticker, I might better understand why it was placed there.

Stupid Is As Stupid Does

2010-08-23T07:42:00.003-04:00

One of the more memorable lines from the movie FORREST GUMP is from the lead character when he says, "Stupid is as stupid does." This was something his mother had taught him. I take that to mean that just because someone or something looks stupid, such is not enough of a qualifier. Stupidity is expressed in words or action.

If that is the proper criteria, I am now ready to say that Franklin Graham is a stupid man. Franklin is the son of the world famous evangelist, Billy Graham, and now heads the Graham Evangelistic Association. He bills himself as an evangelist, but I seldom hear him utter "good news." Most of his public comments are harsh, unloving, and accusatory. His father may be closely aligned politically to his son, but the famous evangelist almost always had the good sense to express himself publicly with openness, love, and compassion for all. Not so with son Franklin.

His latest embarrasing utterance is to imply that President Obama is a closet Muslim. That is one of the foolish ideas floating around that further helps divide our nation and Graham knowingly plays into this when he indicates that Obama's father was a Muslim (He wasn"t really. He renouced that early on and lived out his days as an atheist). Graham's rationale for this is that because father Obama somehow had a connection to Islam, the seed of Islam passes through the father to the child. Thus, our President is a Muslim.

Forget the whole notion that President Obama made a choice several years ago to be a follower of Jesus. That is at the very heart of Graham's supposed theology. Choose whom you will serve and then follow. Obama has done just that. But the rub is that, politically, Graham has serious disagreement with the president and therefore seeks to undermine his standing and influence by tossing out a bogus idea. It's untrue, but why should one let truth get in the way of one's convictions.

As I say.......stupid!

I wish that we found ourselves in a time when rational folk could sit together and rationally discuss ideas without benefit of lies and accusations. But that is not the tenure of our times. Bill Moyers once said that one will never be able to change the mind of a fundamentalist by offering solid, persuasive ideas. You can't change their minds; you have to fight them. Regrettably, it sometimes turns into a street fight.

One of the saddest parts of this whole escapade is that so many will accept what Graham says simply because he is Franklin Graham. His statements and motives will not be put under a hot searchlight and examined. He said it; therefore, it must be true.

How stupid!

WALKING EASY ON THE EARTH

2010-07-29T10:29:00.004-04:00

My maternal grandmother was one of the healthiest, most well-balanced people I have ever known. I understand that now, looking back over her life and reflecting on how she related, these twenty five years since her death. She never had a day of psychological therapy in her life, yet she applied the tools of self-care and relating to others as though she had spent years in analysis. She followed a healthy diet, took care of herself, worked hard, rested as needed. I rarely remember her being ill. She loved to serve people, but she was never a door-mat. Faithful companion to my grandfather,she would never abide chauvinism. My grandfather, strong and stern though he was, would never try to control her. She just seemed to make the important, necessary stuff look easy.

I am glad I had her as a model early on because it has helped me recognize "walking easy on the earth" in a few other folk. No one accomplished that better in my eyes than did Wayne Rogers.

We lost Wayne on July 11. Since then we have had a memorial service and a special recognition given to his gifts and presence during worship this past Sunday. A day hasn't passed when I haven't thought about him. I have tried to say that Wayne reflected "real" manhood. He was small in stature but huge in heart. His manliness came not through the flexing of his muscles but the expression of his character. I yearn for the world to have more such "real men."

He just made it look so damn easy. I'm sure it wasn't always. There had to have been those moments of struggle when he carried heavy loads or found himself caught between hard decisions. But still the humor was there, the words of encouragement, the inquiry about someone else's welfare, the mischievous twinkle in his eye, the offer to help, the demonstrated gift of compassion. I kept looking for the "other" Wayne to show up and he just never did.

On the Sunday morning after our daughter Lyndsay's wedding six years ago, Wayne caught me before worship and grabbed my arm with his strong left hand and said, "Son, remember, there is nothing more important than family." We both stood looking at each other and weeping. I have heard others throughout my life say something of the same thing, but it never made the imprint it did on that particular day when I was addressed by the "easy man."

James Kavanaugh wrote a beautiful piece years ago entitled "Some Few Walk Easy." Kavanaugh never knew Wayne Rogers. But a lot of the rest of us know exactly who he was talking about.

Kindness

2010-04-20T10:54:00.003-04:00

"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, and patience, forbearing one another, and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive." (Colossians 3:12)

These are not necessarily the words that we would associate with Paul the apostle. He more likely deals with grand theological themes, i.e. Justification by faith, etc. So to speak of, among other things, the necessity and importance of kindness as being a mark of our identity is something we do not ordinarily hear. But there it is; a word, associated with other words, that might speak of lowliness and humility, a willingness to offer another a sense of graciousness. It certainly does not describe the bombastic, self-made, aggression that often passes as Christian conviction and courage.

Our President has caught some flak recently for (among many other things) his willingness to reciprocate with a bow when he visits leaders and citizens of far Eastern countries. Apoplexy almost sets in as folk will scream, "We bow to no one," and then they may quickly follow with words like, "except God or Jesus or...."

In June of 2008 I traveled to Japan for the wedding of our son Donny to his precious wife Izumi Kajiyama. I was greeted at every turn with a bow and, as is our custom, maybe a handshake. Since I was received so graciously, I wanted to present myself in the same way, so I bowed so frequently that I thought I might become stooped. But not once did I feel like I was submitting myself to another or bowing out of fear or unworthiness. Likewise, those who greeted me with a bow looked me in the eye with no sense of fear. I never once thought that my faith or my American citizenship was being compromised.

It is strange that we get upset about this matter of submission. We are a people who practice it or, at minimum, think about it a great deal. We see ourselves as the greatest nation on earth and, some in our midst, interpret that to mean that others should respect us to the point of being in submission to us. The spirit of imperialism is alive and well in some quarters.

And domestically, there are those who still live by the rule of submission. More men than any of us would like to think will communicate to "their" woman that she must submit to him in all things or else he will beat the hell out of her and they make no bones in loudly proclaiming to anyone in earshot that they will beat the hell out of her. In their sick, pathetic little minds, a woman being submissive marks him as a real man. And what can we say to the manner in which they threaten children.

"Random acts of kindness" is an idea that seems to work. Oh that it could become our on-going lifestyle. Sure might clean up some of the rhetoric and clouded minds we sense today.

THE THING ABOUT PROCESSIONS

2010-03-29T13:18:00.003-04:00

Everybody loves a parade, or so we are told. Often parades are thematic, communicating to bystanders what the participants hold as important. Thus, we celebrate with Christmas parades, Fourth of July parades, Rose Bowl parades, and so on. But parades can provide more than pomp and pageantry. There can be an underlying message directed toward the crowd of onlookers and those viewing the parade may ignore that message to their peril.

Parades communicating a serious message can be referred to as processions. The one at the head of the parade is going somewhere for a definite and unbending purpose. This time of the year calls to mind some important historical processions. The one most noted is referred to as the triumphal entry of Jesus of Nazareth, riding on a donkey, as he enters the city of Jerusalem, thus, beginning what is historically known as the week called Holy. That procession would have had Jesus and his disciples coming from the east after their 100 mile or so trek from Galilee. They would have passed though the Mount of Olives as they entered the city. We know from the New Testament that crowds gathered and cheered this one who was being described by some as "the promised One."

John Crossan and Marcus Borg provide a human interest perspective on that particular entry in their work, The Last Week. They draw from Roman and Jewish history in describing another procession that enters Jerusalem, at about the same time, from the west. At the head of that procession would be Pontius Pilate. This appointed Regional Governor by the state of Rome would also have his crowd of spectators, albeit presenting themselves in a very serious mood. For this was serious business. Pilate would have come sixty miles from his luxurious dwelling on the coast to Jerusalem for the expressed purpose of seeing to it that nothing got out of hand during this passover season. Rome had a serious need for control. No societal acting out was allowed.

Two processions coming into the city from opposite directions. One headed by a Galilean peasant who before the week was out would be dead. The another headed by a brutal Roman appointee, secure in all the power and wealth of mighty Rome, who in time would wash his hands of the whole affair.

Two processions, representing two stances and two mind-sets. Which procession do we find ourselves in?

Let's not kid ourselves. We live in terribly divisive times when power, control, greed and lives marked by half-truths, if not out and out falsehoods, are the order of the day. People living out of their fears and anger, which means that their choices are connected to a very short fuse, are growing in number. The movement to not tolerate anything new and to put down in swift order anything that would challenge status quo is growing. The ranks of Pilate's procession are swelling.

The procession of the lowly Galilean speaks of compassion. This Galilean is also willing to show his anger at the greed and the lies. On Thursday of that week, he would conclude the evening meal by washing the feet of his disciples and telling them they should so respond to the world in like fashion.

Two processions. Worlds apart in understanding and wisdom.

Which procession are we in?

2010-03-02T11:51:00.002-05:00

I have been away for a while. No, not geographically relocated, but just "away" in my thinking and living. Lots of things have been happening with which I will not bore you. If I allow myself, I start feeling bad about not being disciplined enough to "do my blog every week." No reason, though, for excuses. I have just been giving my time and attention to other matters. But the Christmas hymn, "I wonder as I wander", comes to mind as I reflect back on the past weeks. I have spent some time wondering....and, yes, trying to sharpen up my openness to that sense of wonder.

I read recently that a good number of folk are probably in short supply on a sense of awe and humility. In a world of deadlines, meetings, increasing responsibilities, and a general overall sense of busyness, it is easy to lose that known, but somewhat indescribable, aura we speak of as awe. But now and then it just seems to happen. The beauty of a snowfall heavily blanketing the earth, the splendor of a full moon on a cloudless night, the surge in my chest following a choral or instrumental presentation, and, most recently, the gaze into the face of my month-old granddaughter as I rock her in the early morning hours. These are moments that might be described as awe-ful.....whereby we are filled to overflowing with a sense of awe. Breathing slows, little else matters for the moment, and a sense of being carried along enevelops us.

A effort at humility might be the necessary preparation for awe. But humility is something of which I know very little. I seldom, if ever, preach on it. It is almost a foreign notion. After all, I have places to go, people to see, thoughts to think, and work to do. But even as I express that, I realize that such is the problem. Humility too is a discipline I do not apply. To even think about trying to be humble is probably an act of arrogance. Better if I slow down, let go of some opinions that are just one among zillions of others, take pause, and wait. Learning to listen more and speaking less might help. Counting my blessings regularly surely wouldn't hurt. Looking for a way to help another might focus my life a bit more clearly. I should explore the possibility, rather then miss the awe.

Happy Trails.....as you wander and wonder!

RESOLUTION 2: LEARNING FROM ROSA PARKS

2010-01-13T14:33:00.004-05:00

As we spend these next few days celebrating the memory and contribution of Martin Luther King, Jr., I find it also important to call Rosa Parks to mind. Ms. Parks really was the one who primarily assisted in catapulting King onto the national and global stage. By his own admission, King did not desire the kind of limelight that resulted. He wanted to be known as an outstanding pulpit figure (which he certainly achieved), the pastor of a prestigious congregation (which also came to pass) and eventually, maybe an academic (which didn’t happen, although his sermons and writings are academically astute). But on December 1, 1955, when Parks refused to give her seat to a white person on one of the city buses of Montgomery, Alabama, the time was ripe for all hell to break loose and, indeed, it did. The call went out for a leader and, although he first resisted, King eventually acquiesced to the requests and stepped into the Civil Rights leadership role, beginning with the Montgomery bus boycott.

But it all began with Parks. She refused to stand up from her seat because she “was tired of giving in.” Life experiences had helped shape her response. A seamstress who knew the sharp rebuke that could come from the personality of bigotry knew first-hand how such could cut deeply into her life. She served as secretary to the Montgomery chapter of the NAACP and equipped herself in a non-violent way at the Highlander School in Tennessee, a program designed to explore worker’s rights and racial justice. As she reported years later, she finally purposed that how she felt and believed on the inside would find its expression on the outside.

The dictionary word for such is probably integrity – what you see on the outside is what you are really getting. To follow the Rosa Parks decision is my second resolution of the year. I have worked on this for some time and believe that I have made some progress, based on checkpoints that I can evaluate from my past. One probably never becomes fully “integrated” - what is seen is actually what is. Nonetheless, I am determined to try.

Congress eventually recognized Parks as the “Mother of the Modern Day Civil Rights Movement.” And it all started when a 42 year old woman grew weary of things as they were and decided to let it be known outwardly how she felt inwardly.

RESOLUTION: COMMUNITY OF FAITH

2010-01-10T20:33:00.004-05:00

It's New Year's resolution time again. Occasionally I am able to set something with which I follow through and allow it to remain a part of my life. Most often I fail. This year I am struggling again with some of the old standards: eating better, giving attention to my physical conditioning, and losing weight. I suppose that anyone who looks at me in a few months will be able to determine quickly, on glance, whether or not I have been successful.

But there are some ideas I believe can have an effect on how I live that are swimming around in my mind and I want to try to incarnate them in such a way that they really become a part of who I am. I don't know how it works for others, but I have learned about myself that the way I verbalize matters becomes very important in how I understand and do life. Over the years I have performed "rhetorical surgery" on myself for the purpose of excising those expressions or clichés that I find to be empty and without merit. For instance, it will be a very unusual day if you hear me use the word "nice”; a word way overused and overplayed and ineffective from its original intent.

For one of my new year's resolutions, the latest removal will be the word "church." I have carried it in my theological luggage for a long time and have used it extensively. I believe in the concept of church, but sense that it's noblest expression has been strangely corrupted. I have long had a running lover's quarrel with the church. But when I hear the word and look about at what it means from numerous vantage points, I find myself withdrawing and believing that the modern expression is a joke, and not a very funny one. That is not true across the board. There are bodies, cells, remnants, that are faithful to a much higher and earlier calling that really do seek to be a physical presence representing the One from Nazareth in today's world. The British theologian, Don Cupitt, has said that "What Jesus preached was 'the kingdom’; what he got was the church!" There is a difference and the discrepancy in understanding seems to be growing wider and wider.

David Comer, a friend and mentor to a lot of us, has suggested we change from talking about “church” to speaking of” a community of faith.” I think he’s on to something. Words can only be words unless we delve into their content and expression and seek greater truth. In our coming and going each day, we are indeed a community. We have something in common, namely, our on-going struggle and delight in learning how to be disciples in today’s world and how that gets worked out. It becomes something that we really cannot do alone, but with companionship, possibilities abound. And it is a journey of faith. I can almost depress myself when I consider how I may work hard and expend much effort, and only as an after-thought allow the possibility of faith to enter the equation. Part of the problem is I’m still trying to figure out what faith really is. I know it must have something to do with trust. But, even again, the companionship can help me my insight.

So it is. First resolution is, I will stop (in most cases) speaking of church and start speaking of a community of faith. Whether it makes any difference is to be determined on down the road. I may even change the resolution next year. But for now, let it be.

THEOLOGY ON TAP

2009-12-29T19:39:00.004-05:00

Several weeks ago, I wrote about a proposed "Center for Radical Christianity" and how such a feature might operate. One of the ideas suggested was a gathering in a local pub where the attendees could speak of God and things theological without a fear of being condemned because one might think in an untraditional manner, not to mention in a rather untraditional setting. The conversation would probably be braced by one's favorite choice of beer or wine. (None of the hard stuff mind you. That might create a conversation that would not be remembered the next day or one that participants might wish to forget). Well, interestingly enough, I received a fair amount of feed-back on that particular blog and it was all centered on the idea of "Theology on Tap." All of the feed-back was positive and the response was, "Why not?"

So that is what I am now asking my self. Why not? If some of you readers are really game, let me know, because I have already started working on it. I am in converation with a local establishment whose proprietor has expressed interest. I will talk with him further about what evening of the week is best and what time works for all. I'm thinking that this will need to be a weekly venture in order to establish some sense of continuity. Once a month probably stretches it out too far. And most interested citizens I know drink beer at least once a week!

I don't believe this can be a time where we are content to trash fundamentalists or develop some sense of elitism because we are not afraid to raise tough issues or ask hard questions. It will need to involve a genuine sense of search and struggle about our lives and how we are to journey on with the understanding of God that we have. No topic would be off the table. It could be fun but it could also be head-spinning. And it could jar us out of our neatly patterned doctrinal beliefs.

Our esteemed mayor pulled me up hard at a recent luncheon when he asked how I squared God with the recent tragic death of a beautiful young teen-ager. Those kind of moments will not abide tired old cliches or quick defensive answers. That is what theology on tap could address.

I know that some readers of this column do not live in the same area as do I and would not be able, logistically, to participate in my own home setting. To you I only suggest that you look for something of this nature in your own place of residence.

My own surge toward this kind of questioning has resulted over the past few years as I have more intently engaged in, what is commonly known as, historical Jesus studies. There are a lot of good materials out there and a lot of different thoughts that provide new lens through which we may see. A willingness to do some side-reading would probably be important to this effort.

So let me know if you are interested and I will keep you posted. Whatever results, I wish for you a happy and a searching 2010. Blessings on you.

2009-12-11T08:41:00.002-05:00

We are celebrating the season recognizing the advent of one who subsequently became known, among other designations, as "The Prince of Peace." In the midst of all this, we find ourselves as a people who live in the tension of praying for peace, but paying for war. Jesus seemed to order his teachings toward exposing the cruelty of oppression and the horror of violence; any kind of violence. There are well-intentioned folk, with all kinds of opinions, who somehow try to explain this position of Jesus, even to the point of explaining it away.

Last week. I drove past a local high school. Gathered on the front steps of the school was the student ROTC group, assembling evidently for a group picture. This program trains students to prepare for service to their country and, if necessary, to eventually fight in war. They are conditioned to serve boldly and honorably, an achievement that many of them attain.

We are told of needing a "fair and balanced" approach to many discussions in our time, especially in the field of the news media. There is value in hearing all sides of an issue, debating, and then moving toward a sharpened point of truth. However, some folk want to be fair and balanced without considering other parts of the debate. If we are going to prepare our young men and women and put them in harms way to be war-makers, if necessary, then why not balance that with also equipping them to be peace-makers. I am convinced that peace has to be waged just like war does. Being a peace-wisher does not make one a peace-maker.

I have suggested in the past that peace study programs be incorporated into our school's curricula and that suggestion has usually been met with a blank stare or the subject is changed. The Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Alabama has excellent materials called Teaching Tolerance which are provided to any school upon request at no charge. Those materials could at least be a start in teaching students simply how to get along with their peers.

Colman McCarthy, former columnist of the Washington Post, developed a curriculum for a Peace Studies class and taught the class in a Maryland high school for years. Such materials are still available and they are excellent. Students would study issues of war, including the "Just War Theory" and other necessary options such as diplomacy. But the materials do not just start with and stop on the issue of war. There is also consideration of peer violence, violence in the streets, family violence, and the need for conflict resolution.

All of which is to say, at the end of day when we live in the tension of "praying and paying," why not at least try to balance out the conversation. I don't think such would be a class where students slept for an hour and the class period would drag ever so slowly. I would envision spirited debate and disagreement, but perhaps the possibility of seeing another way.

What do we have to lose by having a Peace Studies Program in our schools?

CENTER FOR RADICAL CHRISTIANITY

2009-12-02T12:06:00.004-05:00

Recently, I read a brief article which mentioned the "Centre for Radical Christianity" (British spelling) in Sheffield, England. The Center is a part of the St. Mark's Anglican congregation. There were only two or three descriptive statements, but it was enough to pique my interest. Since I am prone to explore such ideas, I started asking myself "What would a Center for Radical Christianity" look like? Would it be a part of a particular faith community or just a loose-knit effort of some like-minded folk? This writing is to ask of you the same questions and I hope some of you will give it some good thought.

Right off the top, the first reaction may be against the adjective radical. There are already too many that describe Christianity. A quick survey produces terms like orthodox, neo-orthodox, conservative, liberal, Catholic, Protestant, Eastern, fundamentalist, evangelical, neo-evangelical, post-evangelical, moderate, and progressive. The descriptions alone are enough to make you want to quit!

The word radical is unsettling and perhaps it should be. Most will assign to it a definition that conveys extremism or fanaticism. But that's not the real meaning of the word. To be a radical is to be one who "goes to the root of something." Jesus was a radical. His life, teachings, and ministry sought ways to get to the root of life, not religion or beliefs, or creeds, or doctrines. He was interested in people understanding what participation in God's rule on earth was like, how one relates, what one does with their money or goods, whether one was open or closed to all others, who people ate with, how they treated those quite different, the shunning of acts of violence, and what they did with those in need.

I suppose a "Center" would need to have a location, but I'm not sure where. Maybe it could be transient and caravan from place to place. It might find roots in a church building, but for most I think that would be a pretty good leap. A small group, with conversation and questions, meeting in an out-of-the-way place could be considered. I know a lot of folk with a gut full of questions who like to gather around a table and drink wine or beer. A "theology on tap" session in a local pub would have an appeal.

And what would mark this group? First to come to mind is intellectual honesty. There are still too many of us who hold onto an old time religion that was good enough for all our predecessors, but it really is not good enough for us. We can recite creeds and tick off doctrinal statements in a systematic way, but do they work for us any longer? Many of us must plead real biblical ignorance. A commitment to questions and still more questions, a willingness to listen to each other, a fierce effort of study and reflection so that we might be able to give some shape to our new radicality probably is a minimal beginning.

An openness to new mediums of expression might help. Finding something of human condition and need, as well as good news, in art, music, drama, novels, biographies, poetry, and movies could perhaps deliver us from some of the misguided religiosity of the day and humanize us even more. Dietrich Bonhoeffer spoke of "religionless Christianity," but he died before he could really develop that thought. That might be an assignment we could pick up.

And would it not have to mean continued speaking of truth to power and identification with "the least of these" to the point that a difference is made in their lives and hope is given?

A Center for Radical Christianity. Maybe there is a better term. I believe there was an exhibit long ago and it was called church. Or, people of the way. If we can ever experience it, then perhaps we can figure out what to call it.

CHOICES

2009-11-24T08:40:00.003-05:00

Yogi Berra (in his own inimitable style) once said, "When you come to a crossroad, you have to take it." We are faced with crossroads every day, sometimes in excess. It becomes a matter of making a choice as to which one we take. Who among us does not look to their past and wish they could take back some choices? There is hope that we come to the end of our days without too many regrets. But choices can leave their stamp. Choices may be made that are extremely unwise, on a dare which we later wish we had never made, out of fear or ignorance. Sometimes our decision of the moment so wounds us that we carry a scar for the rest of our life.

The Good News of God, as announced through the centuries, is that not even our choices can separate us from this God. And they need not separate us from each other. Forgiveness can be offered and accepted, grace applied, and the extension of a love that welcomes us all back. A bad choice is not the end of everything.

But not all choices are bad. Daily choices can bolster us in hard times. Some choices are so remarkable in their end result as to be indescribable. There is the thought that with wisdom of years come better choices.

The ancient word was, "Choose this day whom you will serve." That could mean many things, some of which would be to our detriment. But the better interpretation would be to choose God, as one understands, and offer oneself up in a diligent, on-going response. The choice of God does not mean that we therefore shut other people out. We have come through a time of "Holy Wars" (which are anything but holy), the building of walls which exclude others from our presence, and a stance of retribution toward those with whom we disagree. There is even the sense from some that such is a proper choice. Unless someone speaks our God-talk, follows our doctrine, agrees with our beliefs, and has a god created in human image, then that one is out. I believe that such is a bad choice.

On Thanksgiving Eve, a group of us will gather for brief moments to sing, to listen to sacred readings, and to greet one another with openness and warmth. It is a time that I cherish each year. There will be representatives of the Abrahamic faith, (Jews, Muslims, and Christians) all under the same roof. I look forward to the day when those of Eastern Religious expression can join with us. No one will be asked to compromise their faith. The subject of who is right and who is wrong need not even come up. In a time when there is insistence that we pray "in Jesus' name" or that all other believers are infidels, surely we must find ways to come together, not feel threatened, and model the idea of a larger spiritual family.

I believe that such is a good choice.

Happy Thanksgiving!

CONNECTING WITH GOD

2009-11-19T15:44:00.004-05:00

I recently spoke to a man who was distraught about his present circumstance in life. His current condition was what I am inclined to describe as "9 miles of bad road." By his own admission, some of what he was experiencing was a result of his own unwise choices. He had also been tripped by circumstances beyond his control. Those two realities seem to encapsulate us all at some point in time and we really start feeling the squeeze. With choked hesitancy he remarked, "This is not what I want. I want to be able to connect with God.

How does one do that? I will save you the listing of simple formulas because I don't think there are any. I also will not quote scripture, because too many are geared for that and it comes off a bit flippant and too easy. Reading the Bible a lot, praying hard, and going to worship may till the soil of our soul for the proper planting to occur. But I'm not sure even that is enough. Our understanding of God is not God. Surely we know that God will not be manipulated toward that which we deem best nor is it a very good idea to try to create a God in our own image (although such may be the god that we all know best).

And how would one know if a connection was really established? My own experience is that of others, in that, I most often do not "feel" as though God is close. Sometimes there seems only silence, at best. Still others describe that which is overwhelming in both its impact and mystery. I once heard someone describe an experience with God (as he understood it) as though he were "floating in wave after wave of liquid love." Pretty impressive!

Karen Armstrong is one of the best to be found in struggling with and expressing an understanding of God. She has written prolifically and any work of hers is worth reading. For all the depth and scholarship that she brings to the subject, she now says that for her it boils down to what we call the Golden Rule - "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Or, reach out to someone with compassion. Let compassion be the most conscious expression of your life.

So with Armstrong's thoughts working in my mind, I said to the man who desired connection, "Reach out to someone who is hurting." "Give yourself to someone in need, listen to them, and do what you can." "Be compassionate toward all kinds of people." In a serendipitous kind of way, God may come close by.

WHEN THE WELL IS DRY

2009-11-10T16:21:00.005-05:00

I apologize for the length of time since the last post. When I started this venture, my intent was to have at least one, if not two, a week. I will briefly tell my story of more recent days. It is no different than most of you and for some, it is not even on the same page as far as intensity is concerned, which is to say that my struggle does not even come close to what some must bear. But maybe it will help for us to think together. Suffice it to say, there just seems to come those occasions when the inner well runs dry. There is no sense or willingness to give the "bit more" that is needed.

I'm sure that a part of what I struggle with still is the recent loss of my Dad. He died on a Thursday before I was scheduled to see him the next Tuesday. I had seen him a little over a month before and am now grateful that I had that time. I really thought I would share one more visit. It was not to be. I still think of him every day and recall years of past memories. But I have yet to shed a tear since his death. And that is strange, because we are an emotional family. I have long held to the notion that tears help wash away some of the grief.

I know the reason I have not wept. Along with other contributing factors to the dry spell, I have to take a particular medication for about a year, every other year. The side effects are awful and I am left with a daily sense of serious fatigue. But thank goodness, I have been prescribed something that eases the symptoms considerably with the exception of the fatigue. The only problem is that the medicine is an anti-depressant. So, while I can now avoid disconcerting side effects, I also have trouble feeling. And I hate it! In a few months I will be off the meds for another year and I'm sure the emotional surges will return. And perhaps also the tears.

When the well is dry, who we are seems to be affected at some rather deep levels. Do we need to just get more rest, have a change in environment, work on changing negative habits? What? I have worked at the shelter long enough to know that I can almost go through the motions and still get the job done. But I am charged with the responsibility of being a proclaimer every Sunday morning and on some of those days, I feel as though I just cannot get in touch with what I need to say.

Jesus spoke of living water. I believe in such nourishment. But how do I get it? Do I need some kind of body-slamming religious experiences? Those don't seem to come to me. My challenge and my vulnerability is knowing that mine is a day by day sojourn. So I look to my time with a group of wild men every Friday morning over coffee, the embrace of dear, dear friends, a freedom-loving congregation, the face of Jesus in those who hurt, and the love of a family that never seems to be willing to give up on each other. Cool refreshment comes in a variety of cups. And for a while my thirst is quenched.

Living in Gratitude

2009-10-05T14:10:00.002-04:00

On Thursday evening, September 24, at about 7:40 PM, my cell phone rang. As soon as I heard my brother's voice, I knew what the call was about. Through choked tears he said, "Dad just passed away." Several of our family members from North Carolina were able to make the trip to Texas and there we joined with other family and friends. We reminisced with laughter and tears about his life and his remarkably engaging presence in our midst. Monday morning, on a cool, windy West Texas day, we placed him beside my mother who had died 13 years before.

We started the return trip home only to receive a phone call from our oldest son saying that his newly born son, Zac, was back in the hospital for a second time and that the situation was looking grim. Though it was painful, our family could understand bearing my father, who was 88 years of age, to his grave. To even consider the possibility of our son and his family having to bear their child to his grave was more than we could even fathom. We continued to drive the distance toward the airport, trying to decide if we should come home or head to San Diego. The drive took several hours and our son called again to say that there was slight improvement. The shorter form of this account is that our grandson did improve steadily, has now returned home from the hospital, and is doing much better.

It was a difficult week. But everyone has difficult weeks. Suffering is our lot in life. We had a close call with our grandson. Others have had the close call and it ended in deep and abiding pain. Couple all of what we face with what we see in the world around us on most days and it would be easy to turn cynical, embittered, pessimistic, and defeated.

But we must not. When I am hurting, usually it is for a season. Perhaps the wound is so deep that I will carry the scar forever. In those moments, I may forget that most days life is good, there is purpose and meaning, I am loved, and I, in turn, can love someone else. As I age, I realize more and more that attitude is preeminent in how we face life. If we want to turn as described above, there will be many opportunities to motivate us in that direction. But if in the darkness, we can still find that for which to be grateful, perhaps we have a chance.

For our family, there has been an outpouring of support and encouragement. Today, I still feel the heaviness of sad grief. Tomorrow, maybe it will be a little better. Regardless...I am grateful.

A Gift in the Valley

2009-09-09T13:18:00.004-04:00

The words of the Psalmist are printed indelibly upon the hearts of most of us, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for (the Lord) is with me." We inevitably walk toward the valley, sometimes accompanying another as far as we can go, and then eventually moving toward that space ourselves.

Funerals or memorial services afford opportunity to remember the deceased with dignity and gratitude provided they are not led by an egomaniac who has a perverse need to give an altar call. A good number of us remained close to the valley recently as we grieved the loss and celebrated the life of Kathy Holland. Kathy moved into the valley on August 22 and our time since then has been one of remembrance. We remember when she and her husband Matt and daughters Sophie and Emma came into our faith community six years ago. The church has not been the same since and that has been for the good. Her remarkable sense of humor, leadership skills, interest in and love for young people, desire for deeper understandings of her faith, and the ability to perform the ministry of encouragement as well as anyone could endeared her to a whole broad section of folk. Her memory carries us still and all that we experienced with her become gifts to us from the valley.

And then comes word last evening that my ailing dad in Fort Worth is being transferred soon from a hospital to a long-term medical care unit. He has lung cancer, a heart that plays tricks on him, fluid collecting on his brain that shortens his memory and an all-around weakening condition. And then those words from my brother who, when he asked the doctor "how long" quoted the answer back to me, "maybe six months." I lost my mother thirteen years ago and my dad lost his wife and best friend. As son Donny has said, "He could never live long enough to get over the grief of losing her." As best medical prognostication can be, the valley is approaching.

I have known this day would come, but it is that time for which one never gets ready. But it has caused me to reflect on numerous occasions of the gifts received from my dad. Although there were many, the one that sits most closely beside me is that I learned about grace from him. He never explained it in theological terms. But he communicated to me verbally and many other ways that he loved me and that nothing in this world could ever possibly tear me away from that love and acceptance. In that grace, he was indeed my cheerleader. And that matchless truth will accompany me, even from the valley.

It is my understanding that the Shinto religion does not have a developed concept of an after-life. Instead, they believe that when a person dies, who they were (essence or emotion) enters their loved ones. When the first person dies, the love they had for another person becomes a part of the second person. What greater gift could we receive from someone we treasure than to know that they enter our lives as they proceed into the valley.

Evangelism

2009-08-24T11:54:00.005-04:00

A few weeks ago, I addressed the general subject of missions/evangelism in the Sunday morning worship service. I want to touch on that again and go a bit further. I think the subject is important.

I will concede that some folk understand this as THE most important aspect of one's life in trying to follow Jesus and that it should be a part of every moment of every day. I also recognize that still others have seen the effort and end result of this approach and they have been completely turned off by it all. So the question becomes, given the demonstration of some tactics of evangelism, do we indeed want to consider that we are to evangelize?

The word is defined along the lines of "announcing good news." Another question follows, namely, what is the good news? Answers normally fall along the line of how one is made right with God because of what Jesus has done (death/resurrection) and that if one but trust this Jesus and what is said about how one is made right with God, then one will be "saved" and, when one dies, will go to heaven. This is seen as the impetus of how churches are to grow and expand. Numerous mega-churches will state that their large memberships are due, in the main, because folk took seriously this task of evangelizing.

My concerns about this go to how the "good news" is presented. We all may be familiar with high pressure tactics, arguements against a person's worldview or lifestyle, a questioning of whether one follows true orthodoxy (right thinking) in knowing that one has responded to the call of God, and even an attempt to cause a response with the desired end being that one gives money to a particular institution. I once heard a man speak facetiously of "assault and battery in the name of Jesus" as his understanding of the evangelism he was observing.

Those who participate in this activity often refer to themselves as "soul-winners." Their thought is that by convincing a person to understand certain basics and respond in a particular way, that they will have "led" a person to a relationship with Jesus which then puts them "right" with God. Soul winners have sometimes, with distaste, been referred to as being likened to the old West gunslingers...namely keep notches on their belt for every person they have won. Soul-winners is not a Biblical category, nor can it be developed with Biblical understanding. It is entirely a human construct and can, gradually, become a monument to self-righteousness and ego-expression ("I have won X number of people to Jesus!!!).

Can there be an authentic evangelism or is that an oxymoron? I believe the answer is yes, it can be authentic.

We do not "win" folk for God. If there is any wooing, drawing, or winning, that is done by the Spirit of God, touching and somehow speaking to our very lives and calling us forth into a new dimension. Human beings don't get to classify themselves in that effort, although many try. We can, on the other hand, "bear witness" to our faith and that can have an influence on another person's consideration of spiritual matters. Of course, we have to have some kind of faith, feeble though it may be, to which we bear witness. We are "witnesses" not "soul-winners." The very act itself may be a speaking of and about our faith or it may come as we demonstrate our faith by our works, which may, itself, lead to a conversation.

I fear that what goes under the guise of today's evangelism is nothing more than an effort of recruitment. Get folk like unto or similar to ourselves to come join up with our own local group. We used to sing "Bring them in from the fields of sin." We never did really bring them in. Some, by our very attitude toward them, were kept out. It was as though we created a litmus test that folk must pass before we would ever include them. I can't help but wonder if the understanding of evangelism or "bearing witness" had been more along the lines of reconciliation instead of recruitment, would it have made a difference in how evangelism is viewed and its impact on the larger church? The good news we should be announcing is that God accepts....everyone....regardless. That has more of a ring of authenticity for me and to my ear, it is good news. Anything less than that is bad news. Our efforts are for the pulling down of walls. I think St.Paul said it thusly, "God was, in Christ, reconciling the world..." I don't believe I can improve on that. And you will never convince me that the present effort of recruitment has been reconciling. It has been the cause of building more walls.

As a P.S., let me broaden the subject just a bit to include MISSIONS. For years, churches have sent missionaries to the far hinterlands to "win" people to Jesus. Problem is, we didn't want the "won" to come state-side and join our churches. Some were even blocked at the front door when they tried. We also did not consider that people in other countries are indigenous to that land. They had their own customs and worldviews. We wanted them to change and give up who they were as a people before they could be "won." In truth, it was only an effort to transport an American world-view, tinged with our understanding of democracy, which is not a bad thing. But it was not, and never can be, squared with an invitation to participate in the kingdom of God.

Burn-out

2009-08-04T15:31:00.003-04:00

Recently, a regional meeting of battered women’s shelter workers was held in a local church building. They meet periodically, in different settings, for training and companionship which in turn better equips them to do their work in a volatile setting. The staff of My Sister’s House, a local shelter for women and children fleeing abuse and sexual assault, served as hosts for the meeting. The theme for this particular meeting was “Burn-Out.”

Before I proceed, I must say that burn-out is a staggering reality and can cause a severe diminishment of life. I have seen burn-out victims firsthand. It is not a pleasant sight. It can carry with it serious medical and psychological consequences. And it takes hard work, probably in cooperation with trained professionals, to deal with it.

Having said that, I also believe that burn-out has become a kind of buzzword for people suffering from other ailments and what they experience is not anywhere close to what I have observed of someone who is truly “burned out.” This is especially true for the category of human service workers. They invest their lives in the lives of others, sometimes for the good, sometimes not. Their service can be both rewarding and terribly, terribly frustrating. It is not unusual at all to hear human service workers speak of the need to take care of themselves. That idea came into vogue in the past few decades as a result of therapeutic practice. And to be sure, a servant of humankind who does not take care of oneself physically, mentally, and spiritually, is not going to be very effective in the long run. Folk who work long, hard hours for extended periods of time can also be a candidate for burn-out, I guess, but I do not think it is because they have worked too hard. I will explain my reasoning. First, let me try to quantify what may be happening under the heading of “burn-out.”

There is no intriguing way to say it, but for some who claim burn-out, the reality is they are lazy. Sorry to be so harsh, but it is true. I have known too many in my life who make a daily litany of how burned-out they are and how they must take care of themselves. This means the neglect of their appointed services. It means they lose effectiveness as far as interpersonal relationships are concerned. And in the long run, they are just damn boring to be around. These are the ones for whom the statement “GET A LIFE!!!” was invented.

But there is a second group. These are the folk who have legitimate claim to being totally worn out. It is more appropriate to say that they are exhausted. Included in this group are the same human service workers mentioned above, business people, housewives, movers and shakers all around. Their condition may proceed into a diagnosis of burn-out. This is the category that probably catches most of us. Living with stress, a bad medical condition, concerns related to guilt and shame, 18 hour days every day – all become hallmarks of the exhausted one. The antidote to exhaustion may be multi-faceted. It may mean the discipline of taking regular days off, learning stress reduction, using those vacation days, practicing Sabbath. If an antidote is not found and applied, then the result can be devastating. Heart attack, ulcers, abuse of substances, the break-down of relationships: all become familiar companions for the exhausted one.

And then there are those who are really burned-out. It is as though their inner core is charred through and through. Dysfunctional becomes a descriptive term. This condition sometimes must be treated through in-patient hospitalization. This is serious stuff.

What causes it? My answer is simple, but I have sensed it profoundly applied on too many occasions. People become burned-out when they lose their commitment to the task for which they give their life, but still continue giving.

The precipice of burn-out is a good time to consider a career change, the giving up of “get and gain” and becoming a servant, finally saying no to a relationship that is crushing, or engaging those questions that having been hanging hard in one’s heart for way too long.

Church Work

2009-07-29T14:06:00.003-04:00

In the context of a local church, there are two major responsibilities that most pastors have to assume. One is church administration. The other is pastoral care. Some pastors enjoy both, even relish the work, while some prefer one over the other and some dislike both. Those of us who are clergy type are trained to carry out these efforts. But if Jesus’ people are really just a circle of friends and if we are trying to break the clergy/laity dichotomy, then why not spread these responsibilities around. Lay people can learn how to do both. In some churches this is already happening.

In the most distinct way, church administration involves the pastor as a kind of CEO, head of a multi-staff arrangement, and the occupant of the desk where the buck stops. Someone has to be in charge, or so we think. But the emerging idea is that of a consensus arrangement where a lot of church leadership is done by a body elected by the congregation. Yes, the pastor may still need to write correspondence, see that the office is well organized and functioning, be sure that deadlines are met and meetings accomplish what they should. But lay folk can do a lot of this. The arrangement in my faith community is that of a church cabinet, composed of the chairs of various boards. They deal with business matters of the church and present them to the congregation for approval. Other churches have sessions or some organized arrangement that helps facilitate business matters. If laity can carry more of this load, it frees the pastor (and other associates) to spend time on other responsibilities, i.e. study, sermon preparation, and the other major responsibility; namely, pastoral care.

Pastoral Care involves hospital visitation, in-home and shut-in visits, nursing home visits, counseling, listening, encouraging, grief ministry and the general overall shepherding of the congregation. In ancient times it was referred to as the care of souls. Most pastors are trained for such and most congregations seem to expect it. The joke is that some pastors are just that; “great pastors”, but they can’t preach worth a lick. For others, the reverse is true. It is difficult, especially in larger congregations, for one or two people to cover all that may be needed in the care of souls.

Why should not more and more church members be involved in this kind of care? They can be trained for such and this could be an educational component in the church itself. Let those who know train those who would learn. If it is best to go in teams, then let folk go two by two as Jesus instructed his own disciples.

Many churches follow an effective schedule of providing meals following a hospitalization or a death. I see this as a vital and important service. But there could be more.

I received a call one evening about someone who had just died in the hospital. I dropped what I was doing and sped quickly to the site. When I arrived, I found two women who had beaten me there. They were standing in the room with family members or outside in the hallway. They both knew the family and their quick presence brought a sense of comfort that I, with my pastoral training, could probably not have brought. They were there not because they were expected or because they were “paid” to do such, but because they cared and wanted to somehow flesh out that concern. It was a beautiful sight to behold.

Administration and care do not have to have the professional title “Pastoral” in descriptive form in order for it to be effective. People, with their own set of gifts, can bring a touch to ministry situations that can be lasting.

Something I read one time about “Love one another” and “bear one another’s burdens.” No reference at all to it having to be done by the preacher.

Does God Suffer?

2009-07-22T15:54:00.002-04:00

In January, 1983, Alex Coffin, son of William Sloane Coffin, Jr. was killed in an auto accident in Boston. By his father’s own admission, Alex had probably tossed back a few too many suds at the local bar, drove his vehicle into an area that had no warning sign on a foggy evening and ran off the end of the pier that had no guard rail. At that time, William Coffin was Senior Minister of the Riverside Church in New York City. Ten days after the accident, Coffin returned to the pulpit and preached a sermon entitled “Alex’s death.” In the sermon he said, “My own consolation lies in knowing that it was not the will of God that Alex die; that when the water closed over the sinking car, God’s heart was the first of all our hearts to break.”

Does God’s heart break? Does God “feel” with us in our suffering?

Everyone has the hour of trial and we all, sooner or later, journey through the valley of the shadow of death. Some things happen to human beings and the earth that are simply inexplicable and occasionally the happening is so horrific as to be indescribable. We simply cannot rationally work our way through it. I would hope that we could say with Coffin that such is not God’s will; that God does not desire this way for any of us. But bad things do happen to both good and bad people, and the end result is truly that of broken hearts. Some folk seem to experience more pain than others. “Why? “Is one of those questions that is interesting for philosophical debate on our good days, but for which there is no reasonable answer. But suffering will eventually catch us all.

We don’t do suffering very well. Often we will ask, “Why me?” We may grieve, assign blame, or feel guilty, but we most likely will do everything within our power to flee the pain. The result may be near clinical depression or medicating ourselves with mind-numbing substances. “Where was God?” may become the cry of the moment. Did God turn a back to us? Does God even care?

Some will speak of the impossibility of the suffering God. In speaking of God as divine, the idea would be that this One cannot know the passion of the human heart. Impassability is the word used to describe the inability of God to feel pain or know suffering. But another technical word has now made its way into the lexicon; namely, theopaschism. This is the thought that God, indeed, does suffer with us. The theoposchite position, once considered heresy, is now considered, by some, as orthodox.

I take my position with those who say that God does suffer with us. Maybe it is just wishful thinking on my part; hoping that God feels our pain. But if we are going to delete this concept from our thinking, then what will we do with the ideas that God loves….that God shows mercy….that God forgives……that God will never leave nor forsake us? All very meaningful human qualities and passions that are used to describe God. I cannot imagine a love, any love that does not experience pain when the object of one’s love suffers.

Guilt and Grace

2009-07-16T16:28:00.003-04:00

What is the purpose of the church at its most basic, grass-roots level? Regardless of how the local congregation is organized and functioning, what is its reason-for-being? Several answers might quickly follow. Is its purpose evangelistic, reaching out to others and bringing them into the fold (a particular kind of fold, no doubt)? Does it exist for the purpose of worship; gathering to sing, pray, hear the scripture and sermon, participate in communion? Is it to be a voice in the world, prophetically speaking truth to power? Is its purpose the nurturing “care of souls” of its members?

All of the above answers could reasonably be accepted as valid. I have probably lived close to them all at one time or another. Individuals probably have their own favorite idea and hold onto it tightly. I am no different.

For me, the purpose of the church is to be a repository of grace which is released in all kinds of ways into the world.

I will define grace in its usual way: unmerited favor or application of unconditional love. Paul Tillich’s statement works for me: “Accept that you are accepted.” No strings, no obstacles, NOTHING. Just accepted. Totally.

I’m not sure the church has a sterling record of proclaiming and living such acceptance. We speak of grace, but we live (or at least expect others to) as though we are totally under law. One must do something: behave, keep the rules, obey commandments, be orthodox in thinking and belief, keep oneself clean and unstained from the world (and if you can’t do that, at least don’t get caught). We do not have a history replete with the truly developed purpose of preaching grace. Much of what we state is really bad news. Get right with God (which is always meant to coincide with the belief system of the one making the statement)…..or else. There is almost a sense of unmasked glee as we announce that some will be “left behind” or left out. In lieu of good news, we moralize. The church has a long history of thinking it is at its best when it tells folk to shape up…..or else.

The end result is a whole load of guilt………..more than most of us are able to bear.

I frequently call to mind the words of the sage, Garrison Keillor: “Guilt is the gift that keeps on giving.” And indeed it does. We want to be as white as driven snow, we can’t stand being guilty, yet we are all but crushed under its weight.

Or perhaps instead of always being truly guilty, we just wear what others have put on us and it becomes instead guilt “feelings.” We feel guilty. About everything. And if we try to ignore, there are still daily reminders, behind someone’s wagging finger, stating that we are not doing right. Images come to mind of nuns slapping the hands of students with rules, trying to instill truth and beauty in them, all the while exposing their badness...or a Pope, who presides over a Church that refuses to examine itself, scolds our President (and others) because of a particular stance on abortion, all the while covering up its massive sense of pedophilia and sexual abuse. Or the TV soul molester who, with red face, warns about the temperature of hell if one does not repent (read that as believe his way. And yes, it is almost always HIS way), spends unfathomable time talking about the after-life, fulfilled prophecy, and ignoring daily life experiences, here and now. Or the person, be they in pulpit or pew, who deep down is so unhappy with self, that the only way to handle it is to blame or put down someone else. Rigid, unbending, unloving, defensive, and frightened. This is often the legacy of the church as she tries to flesh out her purpose. But even as this happens…..grace still awaits, with open arms.
Though we may all carry unnecessary guilt feelings, we are all guilty of something, at different points in time. Grace is for us.

Maybe I’m wrong. Some might cry “cheap grace.” But how much does grace cost? How much is an ounce of grace worth? If you can put a price on it, then it’s not grace and maybe we ought to go back to selling it. Or have we?

Yes, maybe I’m wrong. Maybe these ideas that I lash out against are true. But if they are, we are going to have to find another word for our predicament. If this kind of love is not acceptance of all of us…..all of the time…regardless, then it may be something. But it’s not grace.

The Contemporary Church - Part II

2009-07-09T16:21:00.003-04:00

What might church in the 21st century look like? There are as many answers to that question as there are groups who are willing to gather and try to hammer it out. And the answers given today may change tomorrow because change, though resisted by many, will be at the core of the journey. Never will any of us have a corner on truth. There will always be more light up ahead. Given that, these are my continued suggestions, for now at least.

I believe the time is right to begin to lessen the imprint of denominations on our lives. Except perhaps for certain bookkeeping necessities, denominations are old school. Let them go. Pay much less attention to them. They serve, in a major way, to expand hierarchy and provide roles for those thirsty for political clout. If you don’t believe it, ask yourself when you last saw a denominational executive consistently serve food in a soup kitchen, visit a nursing home regularly other than for their own family, put themselves on the front lines for some issue other than abortion or gay marriage, or really call for shared sacrifice. They are too busy (read that as important and powerful). Instead, participate in the larger universal church by finding a body of common interest where one can fellowship, learn, and serve together instead of passing resolutions, finding ways to judge, and excluding those unlike yourself. This will probably mean that you will cross denominational lines and become much more ecumenical.

Develop relationships with other faith expressions. Light might be more forthcoming if every Christian congregation would invite, listen to, and learn from someone from the synagogue, the mosque, or a far eastern temple. Give up the notion of converting them. Learn to be with them.

Allow ourselves, in every experience, to be about what we do and not what we believe. Doctrine, by its very nature, divides. Discipleship unites.

Let women be strategic in every leadership/participatory role. Hint to my Roman Catholic and fundamentalist friends: Give it up! It’s going to happen. Help hasten the day when there is true equality in our work/service/worship.

Practice inclusion. In spite of our best efforts to leave some folk out and to do so with the construction of the best proof-text defense we can develop, in the spirit of Jesus, it just won’t wash. The notable thing about Jesus that seems to be beyond debate is that he became, in his ministry, open to any and all. That is probably one of several reasons why he became such an irritant as to eventually get himself executed. He gave of himself to those considered unclean and unacceptable.

I will conclude thoughts on the contemporary church with a consideration of guilt and grace.

The Contemporary Church - Part I

2009-06-30T14:09:00.008-04:00

I can’t help but chuckle a bit every time I see a church sign announcing a “Contemporary Worship Service.” It would seem to me that any service would be contemporary because it’s happening “right now.” Yes, I know, in a contemporary service, the music is usually a bit more modern than traditional, instruments are played beside piano and/or organ, dress may be more casual, and the whole focus is more on the present moment with all of its cultural trappings. Something other than contemporary would be “traditional”, a service of worship that is structured much as it has been for generations, with orders of worship, the wearing of robes by worship leaders, standing and sitting at pre-arranged times, and a more subdued response in the worship setting.

I know of a church that has a really stimulating lecture series each year under the general heading of “Jesus in the 21st Century.” If you are interested, ask me and I will give you the details. I think such an emphasis is important, because in this still relatively new century, some folk are doing some of the finest 19th century thinking to be found anywhere. Tradition can have value, but it may be so hardened that it depresses life and the spirit. I believe we are called forward by the One we know as God. And to be in such an encounter is to somehow figure out how to live in the present moment.

What might a “contemporary” church look like? I sense that there is a need to have changes, additions, and deletions from the present expression. Following are some of my thoughts on how to bring the church into the 21st century.

First, adopt a whole new attitude toward church buildings and budgets. I’ve written on this previously (See June 5). I know there is a vital need for the body to gather and the efforts of the body will require expense on some occasions, so the bills and obligations have to be met. But somehow, let us find more ways to be present in the market place and the neighborhood. Biblical metaphors like salt, light, and leaven ought to speak to us at this point. And we may need to take a cue on using our monies in ways other than building more church buildings. Wouldn’t it be amazing if the largest part of funds shared by the church would be in the areas of missions and Christian re-education and not in salaries and building up-keep?

Secondly, let’s delete some of our hymns. There are some good ones that we need to hold on to and sing with abandon. But have you really read the theology in some of the older hymns? Be gone especially with the “blood” hymns and those who speak of our escape from this world and removal from any presence of struggle. Perhaps keep familiar melodies or easy- to- sing tunes, but the texts need to change. And it’s happening in different ways. There are some great hymn-writers on the scene. We ought to pay attention to them.

Thirdly, do whatever we must to remove the divide between clergy and laity. Let church be seen as a circle of companions and not as a ladder of power with the strongest at the top. Let the voices heard in gathered sessions be of the novice as well as the ordained.

Fourth, eat more meals together. That’s all I’m going to say about that, except to encourage others, who would not normally be at our table, to join with us.

More on the contemporary church next week. I welcome your thoughts on how to do church in the 21st century.

Religious Triumphalism

2009-06-24T14:23:00.002-04:00

Did you ever encounter a bully? Have you ever sensed the taste of blood in your mouth after being punched or loss of wind after being kicked in the gut? Or perhaps you have felt the sting of a crowd pointing fingers at you as they surrounded you and laughed. Maybe bullying occurred as you were stared down with steely eyes and a flushed faced all the while being yelled at with threats. Bullying is not discriminatory; it is found in all types of people. A bully may be very large with strength of size or even extremely small with skills of unusual intimidation. Bullies seem to have something in common; they are either cowards deep down and try to cover their fears with excessiveness or else they are so lacking in self esteem and genuine conviction that the only way they can ever see themselves elevated is by putting someone else down.

Bullies are male and female, young and old, and are found on playgrounds and work sites, in locker rooms and board rooms, in employer-over-employee relationships and within family dynamics. A lot of bullies are strategically found in church.

Bullying in church is not just the individual who finds himself/herself on a board or committee and consistently flexes manipulative muscles or who may even realize personal impotence in other segments of life. Bullying can be characteristic of large segments of the church as a whole. It even has a name….triumphalism. It sounds sophisticated, but it is really only a corruption and an embarrassment to the way of Jesus.

Bullying in church (hereafter called triumphalism) is a deep-seated ideology that perpetrates an extreme self-righteousness. The person or group states what they consider to be truth in all things and refuses consideration of any other contrary idea. In their mind, their convictions are absolute. They seek to ensnare by use of biblical proof-texts and expose as heretical or immoral any and all who disagree. They are almost always positioned on the extreme right side of any part of the culture wars and see as the mission of the church the taking over and control of all culture. This is the group that is adamant about a “Christian America” and respects no tolerance for any other worldview. Indeed, their ultimate goal is the Christianizing of the whole world, according to their interpretation of Christianity, of course. Strangely, their thinking is grounded strongly in the second coming of Jesus and what is happening in modern day Israel. For this grouping of the church, there is no compromise. Their ideology tells them that they alone are on God’s side and, more importantly, that God is on their side and they will ultimately WIN!

This is a theology of glory. It has been around since the rule of Constantine and impacts the world profoundly in the present moment. Triumphalism is found all the way from the proclamation of the electronic soul molesters to the hissing of the older woman whose hand I called on her overt racism saying, “Jesus is on my side” and all kinds of religious bullying tactics in between.

The “cross of Jesus” gets a lot of play in the conversation and air time of triumphalism. And yet that cross, a core symbol of Christianity, reveals one who identified with the suffering and the weak and whose place in history seems to invite us to do the same. Somehow there seems to be a serious disconnect between the cross and a bully.

Hiatus

2009-06-10T14:37:00.004-04:00

Due to a heavier than usual schedule and the need to take care of some personal matters and get ready for all of our family to go out of state next Monday for daughter Jordan's wedding, I will suspend this blog for a few days. Will be back the week of June 22.

Housekeeping matters: Some of you say that you are trying to post a comment and it is not publishing. I am having some problems too. I have found that if I try more than once, it sometimes works. Sometimes doesn't. I'll try to get clarification on this and follow with some instruction. If anyone out there in cyber-space land has a suggestion, then post it (if you can) and we will all benefit.

Also, those of you who have signed on as friends have had the understanding that when I post, it will show up on your e-mail. That was my understanding also. Patti thinks that we need to somehow enter your e-mail addresses and the problem will be solved. We will take care of that upon our return also.

If you have not already, I would encourage you to go back through the blogs and read the comments. Folks have served up some really good thoughts for consideration.

In the meantime, think about "triumphalism" as it applies to the church. Read up on it if you can. That will be the subject of the next post.

Until we meet again...........

Church - Part 3

2009-06-05T18:03:00.001-04:00

Two words about church: buildings and budgets.

We are told that the church in its very earliest days gathered in homes or met in hidden places. As the church grew and expanded, the decision-makers figured out that a meeting place might work. This was given special credence when the Roman Empire offered its approval. In time, church buildings appeared and some even came to be described as cathedrals. But an immediate problem developed, in that people began to associate the understanding of the nature of the church with the location of the church building.

As I have raved on other occasions, I believe the expression “going to church” has been one of the most devastating and erroneous features to ever hit the church. We go to a building and at that site we may do a variety of things. But we do not GO to church. Rather, we are the church going… to our house where we gather with our family, to school, to our job, meeting with friends for a meal or cup of coffee, sitting with someone in a hospital waiting room, speaking up and speaking out against that which cripples, holding tight someone who is frightened, being present when there is laughter or tears, spending our moments listening, reflecting, pondering, standing beside an open grave and meeting on Sunday morning for study and worship. In all these instances and many, many more we are church. In those situations, we may or may not speak of God. We may or may not pray (out loud). There may or may not be a sense of the spiritual in the air. But we are the church….the very Body of Christ….and being in a certain building that perhaps has a steeple has precious little to do with an understanding of church.

All of which leads me to rave on. If we are to speak of budgets, then there is a sense of stewardship about this matter. Where is the stewardship found in the construction of exceedingly expensive buildings that, at best on most weeks, are open on two or three occasions? A few congregations are beginning to see the seriousness of this and offer their buildings for a variety of meeting opportunities through the week. But all too many fall into the trap of the congregation that formerly housed a developmentally disabled group in its basement area only to formally eject them when they found that the walls had been “scuffed.”
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My cynicism also believes that many building efforts are also motivated by a sense of entertainment for those who wish to “come” and participate, giving rise to the need to compete with other churches in town in the effort to show that “there’s no business like show business.” It would be an amazing thing if many churches banded together and, instead of building gyms and providing chandeliers and elaborate furnishings, they pooled what it would cost and gave it to state prisons for the establishment of the best counseling and substance abuse treatment services imaginable. Talk about the church GOING!!!

But I doubt that is ever going to happen. We do need our appearances and comfort zones.

And about budgets in general. Why do we have them? Yes, I know and agree that people need to be responsible and that includes the church. We do need to be good stewards of our financial gifts and it is just good business practice to have and follow a budget. BUT THE CHURCH IS NOT A BUSINESS. Too many have never moved past that idea. Church is an endeavor of faith.

There are always some, for their own personal reasons, who are unwilling to make a pledge to the church (or to any other need, for that matter). In these hard times, others are concerned about making a pledge they may not be able to honor. And don’t even get me started about the “prosperity gospel” and how if you will only tithe, God will reward you four-fold (or whatever percent it is). That is simply garbage and as far removed from the idea of sharing one’s life and goods as one can get. Why must we always attach a reward factor to every thing we do?

Why not try this. Decide what you will spend in a year…….in administration, education, missions, for building and grounds. Think about it. Pray about it. Let it be a challenge that perhaps makes the church a bit uneasy. You could put down some figures for basic bookkeeping necessities. Then, don’t take any pledges. Just follow the dream.

Yes, I know that is outlandish and unthinkable. And yes, I know even more that it might become an excuse for some folk to not give at all. (Do they really need an excuse?) I will agree that it is not sound business practice. Could it be an act of faith? Could it stretch the congregation into deeper transformation? That after all is something of what church is about.

And, it just might…………

Church - Part ll

2009-06-02T15:45:00.004-04:00

Rolling right along now, I can’t seem to shake this matter called ordination. I have questioned its viability for some time but have never said a whole lot about it. The only other person I’ve ever heard really question it out loud was an old friend and mentor by the name of Frank Stagg. He believed it was unnecessary, even troublesome. Since the last blog regarding church leadership, I have had the subject on my mind and cannot shake it. So, I try to process it some by writing my thoughts.

Has not ordination been the symbolic gesture that leads to a major division in the body of Christ, namely, the separating of clergy and laity? The “ordained” clergy are the ones vested with certain rights, rites, and responsibilities. Such noted ones, and they alone, are to lead communion, baptize, marry and bury. Those within the laity group that also have the possibility of ordination, i.e. deacons; often see their new role as that of “running the church,” even though the meaning of the word is one who serves. I guess that means Jesus can be excluded from that responsibility even though he’s supposed to be the head of it.

Even Caesar gets in on this by stating that only those who are “official” can offer leadership in certain areas. In about two weeks I will be officiating at the wedding of our daughter Jordan and her fiancé, Russ, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Don’t even ask). But in order to do that I had to jump through all kinds of hoops. I had to request documents from the state of Nevada, complete an application, have a representative from the denomination of which I am a part sign off, as well as the signature of our own local church cabinet chairperson. Then it all had to be NOTARIZED!!! After submission of such I was notified that I was accepted and approved provided the wedding occurred within a certain span of time. Lord, have mercy! As in any state, I will have to sign a marriage license in order for the whole matter to be legitimate. I guess I understand the reason for such documents with states having to keep records and all. But I also realize that the only reason for a marriage license is that it gives the couple the right to sue each other should they ever desire to do so. Bless Caesar’s heart.

I know this arrangement is not going to change. It’s too entrenched and, besides, there are many who crave the attention and power that supposedly accompanies the ordination. But I have failed to see, both in my lifetime, and in my reading of Christian history how this one act has contributed to the development of servants in the overall body. It seems to me that, more times than not, it has just been a power trip.

Having stated all of the above, I will say that I believe that the “laying on of hands” is biblical and is important. But not just for the ordained. The laying on of hands means that a church recognizes a need, blesses it, and sends people forth in a commissioned way to do the work of the church. So let us commission new workers in the context of the church, youth when they go on a mission trip, those whose gifts compel them to begin something different in their life, teachers before they go into the classrooms, physicians and nurses before they enter their medical practice, attorneys before taking their first case, business people as they venture forth, students, upon graduation, as they move into a new dimension of life, and any others who give expression to their gifts in the work of ministry and the building up of the body of Christ.

Ordination isn’t all that it’s cranked up to be. The laying on of hands is.

Church - Part I

2009-05-29T14:06:00.002-04:00

I want to do something different, content wise, with the next several blogs. Call it a series if you like. I have a vague idea where I am starting; no clue where it will end. I want to think about the nature and structure of the Church. I would welcome your thoughts or even future conversations.

In response to the statement, “I don’t like organized religion,” someone once asked, “Would you prefer disorganized religion?” My response would be that I prefer no religion at all. I have stated at other times that I think religion is a system that comes out of human development and, many days, misses the point. Jesus talked about relationships in numerous directions and how they were to be built on love. But the Jesus Way got to be quite large and the early leaders believed they needed to “organize” it all so it would be manageable. The problem is that the movement was also diverse to the extreme and the manageability became something akin to herding cats. So now, the earthly “body” of this Jesus which we call Church has structure, hierarchy, schedules, councils, conferences, convocations, resolutions, by-laws, boards, committees, denominations, doctrine, creeds, buildings all over the place, differences that divide and separate, lots and lots of meetings, and a notion on the part of no small number of groupings that, in reality, at the resurrection, God said “Yes” to Caesar and not to Jesus.

When I say “Oh my God”, I’m not swearing. I’m praying. Where do we start?

Since we are faced with such a massive amount of diversity, differences, and beliefs, I know of no other way to deal with this mess than to allow for some organization. But what shape could it take? I’m thinking the least that will really do.

So I will start with the presence of leadership in the church. Of course, we have this major division that corrupted the process from the start, namely, clergy and laity. Since the drive for power has become a hallmark in both camps down through the ages, that polarization only stymies any effectiveness. The clergy lead and use the laity to do things they don’t want to do or do not have time for. But no one likes to be used. So would a more balanced division of responsibilities be possible?

Going back beyond even the earliest church leadership and trying to understand the way of Jesus, it seems that the arrangement was a circle, not a hierarchy. The emphasis was on service, not power or control. Perhaps the one who “leads” ought to be the first in the trenches and the first to get their hands dirty.

What about allowing others from the laity to preach, lead communion (not assist), even baptize? And both male and female so participate. Pastoral Care….why must that be only the realm of the ordained one? I’ve known of those, not ordained, who could visit the sick, listen to the bewildered, show compassion in all things as effectively as anyone who has had the laying on of hands.

The book of Ephesians is designated as one of the letters of Paul, but a good number of scholars think that the epistle was written after Paul’s time by someone who knew him and his thought and who used Paul’s name. That kind of thing was common and acceptable in ancient times. Chapter 4 of Ephesians speaks of gifts that were recognized in the life of the church at the time. The first part of the chapter seems to speak to the developing need to somehow organize this “body.” I encourage you to read verses 11 -16 of that chapter. When you read it, take out the commas. They were not found in the Greek text. It also makes the whole reading flow with the idea of folk working together to build something, namely, the “body.” I am also intrigued that the pastor is not just pastor alone, but pastor and teacher. Should she or he preach? Probably so, but not with just moralistic diatribes. Even the proclamation should have an element of teaching to it.

It is important for the contemporary church to re-think or re-educate herself. Indeed, it is a must. Years ago, in psychotherapeutic quarters, there was the idea of how we are all programmed and conditioned by the “tapes” that have been made in our minds. The “tapes” cause us to see, think, hear, and respond in ways that are sometimes very unhealthy and often untrue. So, the gist of the therapy was that one should learn how to erase, at least some of, those present “tapes” and make some new ones. I believe it was described as the heightening of awareness or consciousness and learning how to live by truth as one understood it. The analogy applies to the church. Some things we must erase, and other things we must create as new.

More to follow.

Communion With Pie And Tea

2009-05-26T15:46:00.003-04:00

Have you ever had communion with lemon meringue pie and a small glass of tea as the elements? I, along with five others, did so yesterday around lunch time. Now let’s just go ahead and get the orthodox theological stuff out of the way right off. I know that some folk, upon hearing such, would be appalled at the idea of communion with no bread or cup (with grape juice or wine) and would somehow want to react in holy defense of the tradition. Under normal circumstances I would feel sorry for them. Under these circumstances I would be terrifically annoyed because they would only be giving evidence of no awareness whatsoever of the situation or of the people involved. And some might add another layer of name-calling by hearing that I, an ordained minister, did not start the process by reciting words of institution, breaking bread, and pouring the cup. It started with the initiative of a beautiful woman as she lay in a hospital bed, suffering from an illness from which she will not recover.

Five of us had driven to another state to visit our dear friend, Sally. What we each shared with her is ours to remember forever. But one beautiful moment bears repeating. The lunch tray was brought into the room just about noon. Sally does not have much appetite at all and it is difficult for her to eat. She was encouraged to take a few bites. When asked what she would be willing to eat, she gazed at the lemon pie and said, “Pie.” But after taking a bite, she refused more. Instead, she sliced a small piece of the pie and handed the little plate to the individual standing bedside left and with her eyes communicated “take.” Someone whispered “communion.” Slowly the plate passed from hand to hand around the bed. The one having received cut a small slice for the next person. This was followed by a sip of the tea.

Like many other things of the Spirit, communion carries a definite element of mystery. Normally it does involve bread and cup placed upon an ornate table in the center of a room. There is precision and protocol and, yes, in some settings that table is “closed” with an intention of refusal to certain ones because of something particularly unique about them. What great offense that refusal is to the very spirit of the table! But the very meaning of it all can be lost in propriety and a sense of entitlement.

So, what is its meaning? Regarding the basic features of the table, Jesus shared a meal with a circle of friends and worked with what he had. Before him on the table that day was bread and wine. If he had had only grapes, olives, and water, I believe he would have distributed that. That moment was not about food categories. It was about friends who had shared a journey that, in a sense, was shortly going to be different. The one thing that was continually impressed upon them was that they were to love one another and the journey would not be whole unless they took time to be together.

Lemon pie and tea will do just fine, thank you.

As a footnote, albeit an important one, those moments became an experience of prayer. No one said, “let us pray,” no one bowed their head, no one voiced words that sounded like prayer and there was no amen. But it was prayer.

John Lennon Was Right

2009-05-20T11:04:00.007-04:00

Jack King, my friend and dentist (and no, that is not an oxymoron), recently put me onto a book by James Hollis entitled What Matters Most. I have read the preface and the first chapter and it is one of those books that grabs me from the very first page. On that page, Hollis concludes, with William Blake, that our highest faculty is not reason, useful and necessary as that is, but the imagination.

Perhaps a question for some of us today is how intimate are we with our imagination? Do we frequently know the interruption of being pricked with an idea, letting it perk for a little while, then begin to enlarge our dreams around that "new baby" and imagine it into reality. Ah, there may not be a rush quite like it. And if you say that you know nothing of any such rush, I can only be sad for your momentary loss of imaginative skill. I know it's there somewhere; perhaps it is just not being exercised.

And are we so derailed as to believe that imagination is only the playground of the child? To be sure, a child can get lost in her own little world, relate to imaginary friends, and create a scenario that defies anything Hollywood can produce. But adults can journey in that land also and it must not be seen as a waste of time, else how could we have entrepreneurship, invention, technical advancement or any kind of progress.

I sat on the side porch of an old farmhouse in Yancey County in the summer of 1982 and began to dream about a direct service effort that could provide food, clothing, and other essentials for the impoverished. I knew nothing about developing a non-profit program, but I knew how to ask questions, and soon the dots began to connect and the porch-side dream became "Reconciliation House," a local crisis center. Then in 1988, Patti and I began ping-ponging questions and statements off of each other and another dream was birthed. The result of even more dot-connecting was "Diakonos," the organization that eventually became the parent to what is now Fifth Street Ministries. Those two efforts, that were pivotal, solidified for me the value, even the necessity, of letting our imaginations run wild. I learned to say with John Lennon that I am a "...dreamer, but I am not the only one."

Probably the most noted Christian scholar of the Hebrew Bible today is Walter Brueggemann. Brueggemann is a prolific author who has written, among other works, The Prophetic Imagination. He traces the notion from Moses through Isaiah and other prophets on up to Jesus that those who respond to the call of God must understand themselves as being in a counter-cultural relationship with the world. Truly, "This world is not our home, we're just a-passin' through." Those today who stand with Brueggemann say forcefully that our final allegiance is not to any Pharaoh or Caesar or any other organized, power-driven, self-enhanced entity. The operative word in all of this is "transformative." We are to become more and other than we are at any given moment. And that will take a large dose of imagination.

Look at what the contemporary church is, bless its gifts (which are many), forgive its idolatries (which are probably more) and then imagine what could be. I'm not so sure but that, on some days at least, imagination is synonymous with what we know as Holy Spirit.

Vance Henry, 1948-2009

2009-05-18T11:32:00.006-04:00

We have lost a good man. Vance Henry died last week. His funeral was held on Saturday. The church was packed, indicative of the lives he touched. A lot more folk who knew, loved, appreciated, and respected him were unable to be there. But that does not diminish the impact of his life on theirs.

The folk at 5th Street knew Vance or knew of him. For a good period of time, we felt his influence. He served on our board from 2003-05. He was eligible for another term of three years, but his illness was already hitting him hard, so he opted not to re-up so he could better fight that which was ravaging his body. And fight he did. The longevity of his life is probably due, in the main, to the fact that he would not give up.

Two things I remember about Vance. One was that he, in a sense, became our board pray-er. He was often called on to lead in prayer at the beginning of the meeting. He loved to pray and it was good for the rest of us to hear him. Secondly, he had a special style of relating to our shelter guests. Long before he became a board member, he would come on site. He would see someone standing on the yard that he may or may not have known. He would motion for the individual to step aside and come over to him. Then he would put his arm around the person’s shoulder and say something like, “Hey, man, how are you doing?” “What do you need?” “Is there something I can do for you?” “How can I help you?” Then, he would continue talking and listening, trying to find an in-road into the person’s life where he could actually make a difference. Often he did.

He carried the same compassionate touch into the prison system. That was his passion; visiting those who were incarcerated. Though he would take the crime seriously, he would take the person more seriously. He would not talk over a person’s conversation nor moralize with him. Often he would just listen and try to figure out how he could help.

He was a devoted family man, hard worker, lover of music and a person of faith. Does it really ever get any better than that?

There is a concept making the rounds today called “servant leadership.” It has been in place for a period of time now. Some churches (which certainly ought to practice it if anyone should) try to make this their form of governance and leadership. Some businesses are now instituting this as their way of “doing business.” The concept is that the elected leadership, the CEO, the manager, the supervisor, et al take the approach to their endeavors not of lording it over but of finding ways to serve, to assist, to draw out the best of one’s gifts. Ideally this has a ripple effect and the employees, committees, and followers will catch and practice the same spirit.

Vance Henry knew about servant leadership long before it was given a name. Unlike some self-recognized leaders and activists who are enamored with the sound of their own voice, who spend much time in conversation with elaborate God-talk, and mention regularly how we should "just pray and trust God" but are never quite willing to descend into the trenches, Vance knew about the trenches from the inside. He knew what they looked like, how they felt, and how they smelled. Yet, to the trenches he would go. A servant leader.

He will be missed.

Woe is me.......here comes Socialism!

2009-05-15T10:00:00.009-04:00

Last week I was surfing through the evening talk shows and came to the opening remarks by Sean Hannity. His first statement was “Welcome to Barack Obama’s SOCIALIST America.” Silly little man. I doubt that he would know a real, live socialist if one ran over him in a Mack truck. This was like most of his other sputtering that would not stand up to the light of scrutiny. He gives genuine conservatism such a pathetic face.

But he is mouthing what a growing number of folk are beginning to say. There is an economic philosophy known as socialism. But that is not what is at play here. While the extremely wealthy speak of “redistribution” and “spreading the wealth around”, the real issue is an uncomfortable resistance and unwillingness to seriously discuss the growing gap between the very wealthy and those who are not, which is resulting in a nation of increasing inequality and, for many, declining opportunity. The disparities in wealth which have arisen over the past three decades and how that is now resulting in socialism would be laughable if it were not so disturbing. Since the 1970s, the share of income going to the top 1 percent has doubled and the share for the top 0.1 percent has tripled. More than 40 percent of total income goes to the wealthiest 10 percent – the biggest share of the pie in at least 65 years.

I’m talking here about those individuals and corporations who have profits in the mega-millions. I am not talking about those folk from the middle or upper-middle classes who have worked hard, saved up a solid egg nest, and want to live comfortably in their retirement years, have something to give to their children, and maybe to the charity of their choice. I’m talking about those from any field of endeavor who make incredible amounts of money and want to hoard it. They are the ones speaking loudest about socialism and Sean Hannity is in that category.

Speaking in stereotypes can be dangerous, but sometimes they are true. Observation of a good number of very wealthy individuals would note their creative thinking, their hard-charging drive and their ability to develop outstanding programs. But it would also reveal that many of them cannot find their “uh-huh” with both hands. They oversee vast efforts. But they could never do it without assistants who do the grunt work, secretaries who make everything happen on time, and wonderful custodians who make the work setting shine like a hospital corridor.

So this is my suggestion about “passing the wealth around.” It’s called appreciation and fairness. Pay those assistants, who carry heavy loads, some really remarkable salaries. Let the secretary’s pay scale be one of the best in town. And the custodians? Ah, yes, pay them a hefty amount so that they can live in comfort and send all of their kids, regardless of how many they have, to good colleges. Offer really good healthcare insurance to everyone in the company. Build preventive health features into the workplace. Give really good vacation packages. And, while the CEO’s are at it, pay a fair tax amount. Stop sending it to tax havens off shore or getting caught up in welfare for the wealthy by using every loophole imaginable to hoard and extend one’s greed. And the really wealthy could still go home with a million or more each year. Why must their salaries and benefits number in the tens or hundreds of millions?

This pays it forward. This makes for sterling work environments. This sets basic fairness. And it is not socialism. It is simply caring and gratitude for those who help in all the endeavors.

Many of those who scream “socialism” also are prone to use a fair amount of God-talk. You know: a Christian America, prayer in public schools, family values. Those topics that one would be hard pressed to find that Jesus really said very much about. He did speak often and firmly about the idolatry associated with the material and the need to share one’s life and goods. That idea is usually explained “away” by the mega-million group.

We just can’t have a Jesus talking about “spreading the wealth around."

Remember the Sabbath......

2009-05-12T11:52:00.005-04:00

Maybe it’s just because I’m tired. Both Patti and I have been feeling the need for a break from the action following the lead-up to and the dedication of the new shelter facility. This past year has been busy and we have not taken the time off as we normally do. Last weekend we got away for a couple of days and rested up. It was good, but probably not enough. I rested well, I got the required amount of sleep at night, but I still felt tired. Is there more for me to do?

In 2000, I received a 4 month sabbatical. As I prepared for that, I remembered the comment of an acquaintance from my past. The man was a very busy pastor of a large church that granted him some time away for a sabbatical. The church actually implemented a sabbatical program for its staff to receive after each had served seven years. He told me that it took him two weeks of doing only what he wanted to do, when he wanted to do it, and getting a lot of good rest at night along with numerous afternoon naps before he began to feel rested. I went into my sabbatical with that thought in mind. And sure enough, it was almost two weeks later before I could state that I really felt rested. For two years after my sabbatical ended, I continued to feel good. I worked the same hard schedule, but I also exercised regularly, ate as I should, and took regular time off. That sense of “rest” only began to end in June of 2002 when I had surgery for cancer. My recuperative period took longer than I expected and I felt weak for some time which translated into weariness for me. I have found myself in the predicament of a lot of folk who, when they take a week or two of vacation, feel worn out upon their return, especially if they try to catch-up with their work.

I know there is value in the biblical principle of the Sabbath. Taking a break on a regular, consistent basis and guarding it jealously is important to our well-being. But it is easy to say; hard to pull off. Some folk seem to believe they can do it if they take a break a little more frequently, work outside, develop a new hobby, play a little more golf, or, as we did last weekend, get away for a short period of time. Some actually think they will be able to incorporate Sabbath when they retire. I’m not sure that’s what it means.

Patti and I made a decision while we were away. We are going to schedule two personal times a week for ourselves. One will be on Monday evening and the other on Friday. I have a bad (but seemingly necessary) habit of reading any time I have a few moments of quiet. It is a part of my teaching/preaching preparation as well as for enjoyment. It may enrich my life, but, for me, it is not Sabbath.
So, on those two nights there will be no reading. Perhaps other things, such as TV viewing will go. On Friday, there will be occasions when we socialize with our friends. That will provide something of a break from the schedule and will be enjoyable. But we may even borrow thoughts from our Jewish friends and schedule Sabbath from sundown Friday until sundown Saturday. For us, some kind of consistent exercise program during the week is also important. The plan will unfold as we go. But we will not allow it to become work.

Long ago the idea was floated past me that the antidote to exhaustion is worship. Please hear me carefully!!!!! That does not mean going to another meeting at the church building. Somehow it means drawing aside. Learning to reflect, remember, refresh oneself. It means sitting in awe, joining hearts in conversation and love. It is the breaking of bread, the speaking of gratitude and listening for what comes next.

P.S. Regarding this blog matter, I am experimenting with the format and just sort of making it up as I go. One of the many things that I enjoy about our granddaughter Madysen is her ability with a camera. So, from time to time, I will publish one of her shots with my thoughts. Sometimes it will correlate with what I am trying to say; other times it will be just that I like the picture. But it beats just having words on a page. THANKS MADYSEN!

The Meaning of Prayer

2009-05-06T08:45:00.001-04:00

More so than perhaps even the mystery of God is the mystery of prayer. At least that’s the way it seems to me. I am content to speak of the mystery of God by stating only that “God is…” Beyond that I really cannot go very far. Anything else that I might say would border on the idolatry of my own human construct. But prayer…….prayer is something I want to know about, learn how to do, order my life around. It should be a human experience, at least in part. But much of what I have been told about prayer just doesn’t seem to wash. It doesn’t hold up under the hot rays of life. Nothing much seems to change when I pray. When I question prayer, I sometimes finding myself questioning the God to whom I should be praying. All that can’t be good, can it?

I like what Anne Lamott says about prayer, namely, that there are only two kinds: “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” and “Help me, help me, help me!” I might add to that a bit. Seems like “I’m sorry!” “I love you!” “Be with me/us!” and “Wow!” also qualifies as prayer. And maybe those days when we simply cry out “Oh My God!” either in ecstatic joy or unbelievable pain also is prayer. On some days, St. Paul touches it the best for me when he speaks of how we just “groan”, but such is known as prayer.

Surely we are beginning to understand that prayer does not rearrange the universe to our liking. Cemeteries are filled with people who prayed. So are hospitals and prisons and battlefields. Divorce courts are still open and DSS still take custody of children. Storms blow through randomly despite what Pat Robertson says. Some of the saddest words ever uttered are “I prayed” and the end result didn’t change.

Maybe it is best to understand that we pray not because it works or we expect a dividend in return but rather that it’s just what we do. We can’t help but pray. And is that wrong? Maybe our focus on prayer needs to be not our speaking, but our listening. Maybe our praying will not change any circumstance, but it might just change us. I cannot imagine our continuing to pray for someone that we despise and it not change how we feel toward them. But that is a hard, scary step to take. It might turn us into a forgiver and unforgiveness is a powerful addiction.

And then, as I have tried to say and understand for myself in more recent days, some days we are the answer to our own prayer. If healing needs to be brought to a situation, we are the wounded healers. If something needs to change, we are the power behind that change. If an aspect of life needs turning around, we are the ones who can live in such patient endeavor.

Lord, teach us how to pray. It surely must be a lifelong lesson.

Not Religious

2009-05-01T10:02:00.001-04:00

I do not see myself as a religious person. That makes for a problem because some of the categories used to describe my values, dreams, and desires come out of the religious conversation. If I were to take a kind of standardized test and be asked if I am religious, I would check “No.” But some of my other answers would connect me to the religious category and thus skew the test. Of course that only speaks of the limited understanding that the test-developers have of faith matters. They throw in a few religious sounding words and feel that have captured the concept.

I don’t think Jesus ever intended to start a new religion. What would he think of what he might see today done in his name? Religion is a system developed by human construct like other systems: economic, political, educational, medical, technological, or social. Such systems spawn institutions which, although they may serve worthy ends, all have in common a desire to grasp for our souls and control our lives. Those few in strategic positions work the system to gain much power.

And I no longer am very comfortable with being called a Christian. Christianity has many faces today and a large number of them are grim and scary. I don’t want to be identified with that. My dear mother would probably wrinkle her brow considerably if she heard me make the above statement. And I regret that others I know and for whom I have much appreciation probably feel a sense of concern when I say such a thing.

So I’m not religious and I am uncomfortable being called a Christian. What should I be called? I really don’t know. Any suggestions? The country balladeer, Tom T. Hall, calls Will Campbell a “Jesus-loving agnostic.” I can see that and believe that it has a more comfortable fit. Or maybe I’m just a “listening to Jesus Unitarian.”

What do I call myself? I would welcome suggestions. Somebody help.

Does it work just to be called human?

How Can We Know?

2009-04-28T14:46:00.001-04:00

How do we know what we say we know in theological matters? In philosophy, that question comes from the study of epistemology. But what makes possible our ability to understand and build on what we recognize to be the truth? Some would say we know because the “Bible tells me so” and the Bible is the Word of God. But how do we know the Bible is the Word of God? Well, because the Bible says it is. Actually, it doesn’t and that is a bit of a leap to base one’s knowledge of something solely on the subject being questioned. The Bible is so because it says it is so? That really is an exercise in dismissing a question we don’t like.

I was taught there are two ways of receiving knowledge or truth. One is by Revelation. That, by definition, made my theology a revelatory theology. There are some things I know simply because they are revealed to me. I had no part in understanding. If it had not been revealed by God, then I would not know. But again the question, how do I know? How do I know that what I believe as “truth” came to me by the sole initiative of God and to millions of others before me? Based on a lot of scrutiny and hard research, we now recognize that the Bible, with its revelatory message, has passed through a lot of hands over many, many generations and the result has been additions, deletions, changes, and all manner of work-over. So how can we really say we know that something has been revealed to us if it has been “doctored” by those out of the past?

The other way of receiving knowledge or truth is through discovery. It is that gift of our humanity where we can ask, search, examine, albeit sometimes with great difficulty, and find out. The end of that endeavor results in such things as the Salk vaccine, how to travel to the moon, or the indescribable world of cyberspace.

Now to get this all into perspective is to say that some knowledge comes to us only through revelation and some, probably the majority, comes through discovery. Or, to put it another way, revelation is primary and discovery is secondary. Revelation is ultimate and divine. Discovery is normal and human. But how are we to know?

Do we know because so many others preceding and surrounding us say they know? If that is the case, then we are just going along with everybody else without question. We may do that with our theology, but there are few other areas of consideration where we would be so open.
And as we believe that we do come to “know” something, then we have the issue of what we knew yesterday not squaring with what we learn and know today. So, something will have to go. That may seem frightening but it really doesn’t have to be. A breakthrough or a reconfiguration of our mind-sets may be the something healthy we need for right now.

I do believe this. Truth may be painful, at least for the moment, but it does not have to be frightening.

Pull your boots up higher. The riddles and resulting fall-out will continue.

ROOTS AND RELIGION

2009-04-21T16:31:00.001-04:00

I am a “recovering Baptist.” Seriously. Steeped in a tradition that, early on in my life, would not hear of broader, ecumenical thoughts, I have spent the last thirty years struggling to be free from the grip of that addiction. Trust me, it is strong. If anyone has an ego at all (and I do) then the seduction of it plays right into ambition, certainty, glamour, applause, and near show biz activity. Christian theology is secondary; Baptist beliefs are ultimate. And the two are not always the same.
The heart of all this cold demagoguery was my old home church. They were as traditional and conservative as can be; genuine Southern Baptists. But they were also the bridge that brought me over. They loved, nurtured and encouraged me and for that I am forever grateful. They were like many who are traditional stereotypes; they did not let it make fools out of them. But about twenty years ago, I decided that while I will probably always be a baptist (little b) who lives in the South, I will never again be a Southern Baptist. And there is a difference. I retain the emphasis on the priesthood of the believer and religious liberty taught me by my baptist forebears, but everything else is open to re-interpretation.
Match that effort of recovery with the family crucible into which I was born. My maternal side of the family was hard-working, straight, thrifty, rigid with conviction, “church-going” ……and stubbornly racist. I am now convinced that about the only thing that seriously frightened any of them was the presence of someone with a different colored skin.
The paternal side was total opposite. Almost to a person (with the actual exception of my Dad who I think really lived under the sway of my mother because he loved her so dearly) they were loud, profane, earthy, risky, heavy drinkers and smokers, brawlers, who seldom showed up at the church building. If they liked you, they loved you with an uncommon loyalty. If they didn’t like you; well just forget it. And they had a tendency not to be very inclusive of anyone, regardless of race, creed, and especially religion.
At first, I followed the lead of the religious side, although their racism troubled me at a very early age. But though I was a Baptist who frowned upon such profanity, I could not get away from the paternal side; especially the earthiness, the risk-taking and the unusual loyalty.
I am an inescapable product of two families. This is the stuff of my life and the clay with which God the Potter works. I am doing my best to leave behind the conditionings that shrivel my soul and cause me to live in the land of “what would people think.” I think AA members call it getting rid of “stinkin thinkin.” But how, in the midst of all this, does transformation occur?

Breakfast At Easter

2009-04-13T13:54:00.001-04:00

Yesterday morning, I gathered with almost 200 of my friends and acquaintances for breakfast. And I do mean breakfast. Not some kind of “continental” expression of sweet rolls and yogurt. I mean BREAKFAST………eggs, ham, sausage, livermush, grits, biscuits, gravy, coffee and juice. A full cholesterol delight! And lots of it. Anyone who wanted seconds stepped up and was served. It was a celebratory event. We gathered at the shelter at 6:45 AM for the celebration of the resurrection of Christ and then walked together into a beautiful new dining hall to break bread together. Members of our faith community joined with shelter guests and numerous other folk from Statesville and beyond.
Even folks who, by their own admission, have a hard time waking up early were there with an alertness that speaks of a good time. The second largest commodity exhibited besides food was laughter and greeting. People who did not know each other and who might even be considered by some as being “different” from others (whatever that really means) shared the same table and connected, albeit briefly. Our children and grandchildren gathered at one table which required adding more chairs. Joining them was “Buttercup”, one of our best known and most respected shelter guests. I don’t know what he took away from them, but I’m glad they were able to be close, for a brief period, to this fine man.
Some sociologists have said that they can tell us something about ourselves by discovering with whom we share a meal. Is it only family or just our closest friends? That would be the norm, but breakfast at Fifth Street gave us an opportunity to stretch that a bit. Now, if only we can maintain that consistently. Some have been able to do so. Years ago, they might never have considered crossing south of the great divide known as Garner Bagnal Boulevard and heading into Southside. Now it is done with ease and frequency. Others still come with a buddy and with some hesitancy, but they come. And somehow they find a way to feast together.
Maybe we all have our favorite stories of Jesus’ post-resurrection encounters with his disciples and others, i.e. the road to Emmaus , behind closed doors, or a mountain in Galilee. My favorite, I think, is recorded in John 20 where Jesus appears on the beach and invites the disciples to breakfast. Jesus uses the moment to instruct Peter with a bit of loving sternness about what discipleship means and even says that if someone else’s discipleship unfolds in a different way, it really is no business of Peter’s.
It may seem strange to us but one of the most controversial things Jesus ever did was to eat with people….all kinds of people. Therein was the rub. Status quo and elitist thinking implied then, as now, that a great host should be barred because they think, believe, act, or appear remarkably different from those who have quick and ready access to the table. But it’s really hard to feel prejudice, a sense of disgust, or even hate when we sit in close proximity with another and ask them to “please pass the biscuits.”

Good Friday

2009-04-10T16:51:00.000-04:00

It is Good Friday. In just a short period of time, I will participate in a Service of Darkness. We will hear again and try to imagine the wrenching story of the crucifixion. Before the end of our gathering, the Christ candle will be extinguished. Darkness. There will be no boot-legging of our hopes into day after tomorrow. Just darkness. And despair. Hopefully our imagination will allow us to center into that awful moment on a horrific day called “Good” long, long ago.
Before the evening is over I will ask the question, “Why did Jesus die? “ It is a question that I have asked much more in recent years. Others seem to be doing the same. Most of us have been convinced we know the answer, so why waste good time asking about something that has been established with such certainty. HE DIED TO SAVE US FROM OUR SINS.
I can no longer say that. I can’t accept that the sole purpose of Jesus’ life was that he die. And he didn’t just die for us as though it was all a part of a grand scheme. He was murdered. Slaughtered. Executed. Let us take from this moment not what was done for us but what was done to him.
Perhaps we have done our study and made a connection to the cultural and religious systems of Jesus’ day. In ancient Judaism, the sacrificial system was in place and without question. For the sins of all the people, a lamb without blemish was slain, blood was spilled, and a sacrifice was made on the altar within the Holy of Holies. Then hands were laid on a goat, a “scapegoat” if you please, transferring the sins of the people onto the animal which was then sent into the wilderness….bearing the sins away.
With a bit of creative spin, the apostle Paul (with help from some others) substituted Jesus and his death for both that lamb without blemish and a scapegoat. A sacrifice was made for our sins and by his death, our sins are carried away. And it had to be that way….that kind of price had to be paid for wrong-doing. Sin was so alienating and God was so offended that nothing else would suffice.
One really big problem (along with several others): we know nothing about nor do we live under a sacrificial system today. If animals of any kind were sacrificed, we would move to head it off legally. And human sacrifice? That is the stuff of barbarism. (Really….what does that say about the character of God that the only way God can be appeased for human sin is through the slaughter of God’s son).
Jesus died because the story of humankind has as one of its tracks that we humans have a hard time with a pure love that comes to us regardless and not only to us but to everyone else. There’s the rub. Love us, but not them. Treat us special, but not them. Allow us the power, but not them. It is the scarlet thread that runs through our empire building, our wars, our greed, our petty jealousies and envies, our need to be in charge and to always be right. If you don’t see that, then imagine standing outside the Pentagon with a sign proclaiming “Blessed are the peacemakers and Love our Enemies.” Go to Wall Street and proclaim that “a person’s life does not consist in the abundance of things possessed.” Encourage someone to sell what they have, give it to the poor, and follow Jesus. Find a way to be last or least and to live as a servant. At first you will only be considered unstable. But press the point and you will be arrested, or hurt, or worse. You get my drift. The world turns viciously on that kind of thinking and action. It will even kill if threatened too much.
And that’s what happened long ago on a Good Friday.
It just seems to me that Jesus knew all that; he knew what he was getting into. But the shape of his obedience was that this is what God is like. Even when we react in all those ways, God still loves us. And God will not give up on us. Even if it means that God’s son dies.
John Dominic Crossan has been of help here. He says the Q Gospel (the lost writings from which Matthew and Luke pulled some of their material) flows with the idea not of sacrifice, but Jesus as the WISDOM of God. This is the way God desires for humankind. This way reflects God’s character. And this wisdom can be persecuted. It can be killed. But it cannot be destroyed. It comes back. Crossan says, “(This) theology would be: the world’s powers killed Jesus, but he has returned to God, and he is with us despite his death, as God’s wisdom.”
For me, the sacrificial metaphor no longer works. I’m not sure I can worship a God who stands behind the idea that God must allow the only begotten son to be killed off before I can be won over.

DOING A NEW THING

2009-04-08T15:23:00.002-04:00

I’m trying something new with the words you are presently reading. It’s not as though I’ve never done a similar thing before. For almost half a century I have written out sermons on a fairly regular basis. I pen a column for the shelter newsletter on a monthly (soon-to-be bi-monthly) schedule. But I’m slow to get caught up in things technical. My children marvel that I am only now learning how to “text” and I’m still not able to take pictures with my cell phone, although that’s coming soon. But there’s this interesting feature now called a “blog.” People write whatever is on their mind, put it out there for others to read, challenge, correct, or laugh at. And maybe even a few of those folk will respond with their own ideas and a little learning can take place. So, welcome, to my first blog.
The idea of doing something new isn’t easy for me. I don’t even like the word. My significant others will tell you of my distaste for anything new that ranges all the way from clothing to automobiles. If it’s really broken in, a bit rumpled and fits comfortably, then I’m happy. I can’t stand shopping for most things, but thrift stores are mildly manageable. The less I have to pay and the older it is, the better.
But I find myself caught on the horns of a dilemma. A beautiful faith community called Grace, where I hold membership, consistently pushes to the edge of something new. The history of Grace has been an exercise in exploration, struggle, questioning, seeking, as well as challenging tradition and long-held concepts. During this year’s season of Lent, our journey has built on Isaiah’s statement that God is “doing a new thing.” In the whole, overall scheme of things, I’m not sure if it is really all that new or if we are just slow to catch up and catch on. Whatever, it’s bound to be different from some of the history we have known.
What we call Christianity has had segments in its time of reformation or renewal. Dramatic shifts took place in thinking, interpretation, and action. I’m not enough of a prognosticator to know if we are presently in such a time, but I hope we are. I try to be a follower of Jesus even though I know that on most days it is from a very great distance. But I’m having a harder time calling myself a Christian because of what I see reflected through the media and in society in general. If most of that is what it is to be Christian, then I’m out of here. What can I call myself? Any suggestions?
There is a movement presently underway called Progressive Christianity. I like what they seem to be saying even while I do not care for their self-description. Any group who is doing anything at all could fancy itself progressive. But I believe they are asking good questions. They are resisting much that has corrupted the process thus far. They are performing that perilous, shaky task of saying perhaps we ought to pay a bit more attention to what Jesus taught and did instead of just focusing on his birth (the description of which is questionable at best), death, resurrection, ascension, and return. These matters are important, but even they may need some re-interpretation. For sure, we have a whole block of material related to his life that we have conveniently explained away if not outright ignored.
So, maybe you can detect the direction in which I am heading. I think everything is up for grabs. I like what one church says about its existence. They emphasize “critical scholarship and unfinished personal experience.” None of us has a corner on truth. But if we are seekers, I think we need each other. And I am now at a place in my life where I need to re-think everything. God, Jesus, Church, the Bible, why Jesus died, what means the resurrection………everything…..open to examination. To do that is, indeed, a new thing. To do so has been condemned, not encouraged. The church has manifested itself, in the main, as a control freak, not as an avenue of liberation.
So I hope you will join me and give your input. We don’t have to always agree. Let’s try to be as honest as we can. I will come to you on a fairly regular schedule. I will probably give you a suggested reading list so that, if you are interested, you can at least be singing on the same page with me even though you may not like the text or the tune on some days.
The graphic on this blog is a cowboy boot. I chose it because I like them and am a long-time wearer of them. I also chose it because I know that there may be moments when it seems the fertilizer is getting pretty deep. Nonetheless, let’s wade on in.