Two unrelated incidents from my years in the church recently came to mind. The first was when I worked for the Quakers and was not active as a congregational pastor. The church we attended at the time had a "young adults" Sunday morning class (these young adults were all in their late 30's, but who was counting? -- I guess the group had been together as a class since they truly were young adults), and I was asked to lead it. I forget now what the topic or book study was to be at the time (I did several with them), but a week or two before I was to begin as their "teacher," a couple from the group came up to me and expressed their appreciation that I was going to step into the role, saying, "so you can help us know how to get into heaven."
The second incident occurred a number of years later. A young couple in the church where I was the pastor at the time celebrated the birth of their first child. Visiting them in the hospital, I saw their joy first-hand. The mother made a reference to having the newborn baptized. This surprised me because both she and her husband were active members in the church, and the whole movement that eventuated in our denomination, dating back to the American frontier, included two straight-forward tenets regarding its practice: Communion (the Lord's Supper, or as some traditions refer to it, the Eucharist) was a part of every worship service; and, baptism took the form of immersion for those who made a confession of faith that "Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God." In other words, we practice "believer's baptism." Both tenets were intended to demonstrate a "restoration" of the New Testament faith and practice of the first followers of Jesus.
Well, the new mom in this case wasn't entirely on board. Maybe we should baptize the infant "just to be sure." It didn't happen, unless they took him to another church that did practice infant baptism.
It has been a very long time since I considered the Christian faith as a means to "go to heaven." (Those who have/had the misfortune of attending years worth of church meetings might, in fact, hold an alternate view of what it's all about!)
One reason I don't think of the faith as a path to heaven is that there is an implication that God can be manipulated. Sprinkling water on a baby doesn't convince God that if the baby should meet an early, tragic end, he/she "goes to heaven." Baptism is symbolic of giving one's life to following Jesus. In my mind, part of that is trusting God to do the right thing -- in all circumstances. This is important for parents of newborns to keep in mind, especially if they have been baptized, themselves. The water comes from a faucet in the church building, supplied by a well, or the city.
Similarly, believing an accepted list of doctrines, or not saying bad words, consuming alcohol, dancing, playing cards, or (name someone else's sin) doesn't force God's hand when the time of transition comes about. "You're stuck, God. I played by the rules. You have to let me in." (I would dare say that most folks who claim they live by the Ten Commandments, or that the commandments make or break one's ability to get their heavenly ticket punched, can't even list all ten of them.)
The fact is, there is NOTHING we can do to "earn" God's grace.
This all came up because last Sunday at the church we now attend, the text for the day was the story of the woman with the 12-year hemorrhage who approached Jesus, touched "the hem of his cloak," and was healed. Jesus felt power going out from himself when the woman touched him, asked who did it, and when she confessed, he said, "Your faith has made you well (or whole, or healed you)."
The temptation in preaching from this text is to make it strictly an example of Jesus' ability to give physical healing, or a "cure," for some malady or disease. It's also possible to take it a step further to say something along the lines of "Jesus can help you when you're feeling low, or things don't go your way, or when you're confused about something."
OK, if that's what you want to do.
To me the story gets at the heart of what the Christian faith really is all about. While the woman was bleeding all those years, with no relief, her very life was slipping away. She turned to Jesus to get her life back, and she got it.
Now, the notion of "life" has many dimensions, it seems to me. Simply breathing and having a heartbeat may provide a definition of life, but likely most people would not trade places with someone on a ventilator. The person on the ventilator is "alive," but is hardly experiencing life.
Jesus spoke of the "realm of God," or the "realm of heaven." OK, his words are translated as "kingdom," but let's not limit Jesus only to male-dominant images. The "realm of God/heaven"
was described by Jesus as being "at hand." Or, he sometimes said it "is like..." In other words, the realm is now. It's here. You can live in it, you can embrace it, you can be defined by it.
This is what the story of the bleeding woman teaches: grabbing hold of Jesus and what he taught/stood for/exemplified gives one the life found in the realm of God/heaven. Indeed, it gives life as God intended -- abundant and everlasting for all of Creation.
Assuming one's place in heaven while doubting the same place for others does not fit in God's realm.
Assuming scarcity of the earth's blessings and the need to accumulate them at the expense of others is not a heavenly realm virtue.
Assuming religious postures and affecting religious jargon while embracing cultural norms that separate, alienate, and encourage an attitude of "me first," isn't "touching the hem of Jesus' garment."
The values of agape love, seeking what is best for others, generosity and sharing, compassion (not just feeling "sorry," but entering into the situation of those who suffer), and yes, sacrifice, are life-giving. They are realm living. They heal us. They make us whole. They introduce "salvation" into our very being.
Again, I don't worry about what happens next, after death, because:
a. I can't do anything about it;
b. I trust God to do what's right;
c. What God does in all circumstances is right.
What I can concern myself with, and what I can do, is seek to grab hold of Jesus and be made whole by his touch, stepping into the realm of God, the realm of heaven, the realm of LIFE.
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Saturday, September 10, 2016
Huh?
While it was a little difficult to follow what the
writer was saying in the opening paragraph, the guest column “Doesn’t freedom
of speech extend to everyone?” (Asheville Citizen-Times, September 10) was not only “déjà vu all
over again,” but it was ironic, as well. (The article appears below)
When I read the article I realized it simply was an updated
version, with local references, of an article I read some years ago, probably
during the last election cycle. I forget
the name of the “Christian” organization that put out the same word before, but
the message was unchanged: the government
is waging war on Christianity, 100,000 pastors aren’t speaking up, the same non-speaking
pastors should tell their people how to vote, etc. This group encouraged pastors to tell their
flocks to vote for Republican candidates.
The IRS was on notice!
Perhaps the writer did not choose the title of the
current article, but that’s where the irony took flight. It seems he was wringing his hands over the
notion that people hold different views, and express them, regarding Islam and
other unnamed matters that are leading the United States to “a very terrible
future.” The sense was that those views
need to be tamped down while the “fast-disappearing freedoms and liberties of
everything Christian in our United States of America” should be promoted by
Christian leaders who are “sitting back in their safe church safety zones and
saying nothing.” His views are to take
precedence over all others.
He compares this imagined “war” against his version of
Christianity to Nazi Germany of World War II.
There are no examples in the article of how this is played out. It sounds serious, but there is nothing to
back up the scare-tactic illusion.
As a seminary-educated clergyperson with over
thirty-five years of experience in church pastoral leadership and in heading a
national ministry devoted to social justice, I regret that the church can produce
individuals who cherish exclusion, prejudice, a false idea that the United
States was established as a “Christian nation,” and even hatred of those who
are different from themselves.
The example of great Christian leaders such as Rev.
Martin Luther King, Jr., Rev. William Sloane Coffin, Bishop Desmond Tutu, and
so many others, such as Rev. William Barber right here now in North Carolina,
who may or may not be public figures, but who dedicate their lives and
ministries to raising awareness of human oppression, suffering, and other forms
of injustice inspire people like me and many others not only to become pastors,
but to also work diligently to come to terms with the deep meaning of
scripture, and as Christians, to embrace the challenging teachings and example
of Jesus.
The sad reality is that in many instances when pastors
attempt to tap into the prophetic word of scripture it is so challenging to
those who hear it – largely top-of-the-heap dominant culture folks – that they
are ignored, mocked, derided as unpatriotic, or even removed from their
position. I guess some things haven’t
changed since the days of Amos, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and others.
The only “war” on Christianity seems to be from
within. And I must assert that it is not
a “right” to reduce, refuse, or regret the humanity of another person. It is
scandalous in a country founded on freedom and liberty that it takes hundreds
of years of struggle to move society in a direction to recognize and even
codify the value of equality for all.
The writer of the guest column suggests that Franklin
Graham “has the answer from the great physician, the creator God of all
creation, the God of Israel and the God of our Founding Fathers,” but that
answer is not shared in the article.
So, we are to conclude, it appears, that freedom of
speech is disappearing from those who are victims of a war against their faith;
the United States parallels Nazi Germany; 100,000 pastors are afraid to say
anything, but they should tell us for whom to vote; the Founding Fathers engaged
in daily prayer; and Franklin Graham holds a secret answer that will make our
country Christian again. There also is
this curious statement, “Only God knows how our presidential election is going
to go and what it is going to bring and it is not going to bring what either of
them is promising.”
All of this feeds the dismissal of, mocking of, and
disdain for Christianity and the church that taints all people of faith – even those
who take seriously the command of Jesus to love God with all of one’s heart,
mind, soul, and strength, and to love one’s neighbor as one’s self.
---
Doesn't freedom of speech extend to everyone?
Regarding the Aug. 11Asheville Citizen-Times front page story titled “Trooper: Amen to antiMuslim video post”: It appears the AC-T doesn’t appreciate what Trooper Dowdle had to comment on the statements made by the pastor of his church. Doesn’t Trooper Dowdle have freedom of speech also? Sounds like you’re wanting the trooper to catch trouble from his higher-ups over freedom of speech if not spoken by your standards and the standards expressed by the so-called professor at UNC Chapel Hill, Carl Ernst, a professor of religious studies who described the pastor’s video as a diatribe riddled with inaccuracies and falsehoods.
I challenge the professor to point out the inaccuracies and falsehoods (which most liberal statements today are based on).
In the Asheville Tribune weekly newspaper, a very talented, educated writer named Mike Scruggs has written close to 14 articles on the detailed
life and beliefs of the Muslim people plus their Islamic beliefs.
life and beliefs of the Muslim people plus their Islamic beliefs.
It would be a patriotic endeavor to all the citizens for the Asheville Citizen-Times to get Scruggs’ permission to print his series on Islamic religion and the Muslim people. It could save our U.S. from a very terrible future. What truly surprises many of us Christians is the lack of Christian leadership, sitting back in their safe church safety zones and saying nothing of the fast-disappearing freedoms and liberties of everything Christian in our United States of America.
I was told there are more than 100,000 church pastors of the Christian faith throughout the U.S. and, if this is so, where is their voice condemning all this evil that is spreading across our nation?
Do they even know or care that the God of all creation said they are to be the salt and light of the world? Do they even know the salt is to be the preservative of a society and the light is the truth of Jesus Christ? Their actions do indeed speak their apathy as our nation deteriorates into the septic tank of human history.
This war against Christianity by our own government is coming to be like the war Adolf Hitler did wage against the Jews before and during World War II, a war that brought forth some 90 million dead and untold trillions of dollars in damage. That subject isn’t taught in schools, so the people do not know what a falling apart society can come upon itself.
Look in the paper at the so-called entertainment section, all crime, guns, killing, drug wars, etc. And the church leaders are silent but a few, like Pastor Dennis Love, are trying to wake up a society who is nearly sound asleep in their apathy. So they jump on those who are trying to wake them up with truth. Look how our nation forgot 9/11, nearly 4,000 killed in one swipe and basically nothing done about it. The ones who promoted it, we shake their hand. Wow.
What’s left? In my opinion, our Founding Fathers brought forth the greatest freedom and liberty nation in all of human history by daily prayer power. They even held church service in our nation’s capital. Now we are throwing that nation away.
What’s going to replace what we are now losing? A living hell time. We can change it back to good by what Franklin Graham is preaching in every state. Notice the liberal media is not even covering it because they don’t want to know about what Franklin Graham is preaching to our once-great USA. He has the answer from the great physician, the creator God of all creation, the God of Israel and the God of our Founding Fathers.
Now if this was something else, someone else, talking about how the moon was going to fall out of outer space and crash into the earth, you can bet the media would report on it every day.
Only God knows how our presidential election is going to go and what it is going to bring and it is not going to bring what either of them is promising.
Where are the voices of those 100,000 church pastors? Where are all their billboards and newspaper ads, advising all of us Christian voters how to vote? Yes, the preachers have the right to tell the sheep how to vote but they have no backbone. So folks, put prayer time and power of prayer to work daily. God does hear and answer prayer time.
Jerome Peters lives in Marion.
Monday, July 25, 2016
Put Your Hands Together
In a recent worship service I attended we reached the moment during which folks were invited to share their "Concerns and Celebrations," i.e. prayer requests. There were the usual mentions of illnesses and surgeries, family issues, etc. One woman reported that her adult children were traveling somewhere, and she wanted prayers for "a safe journey, and that they will have a good time."
"Have a good time?" Next weekend I'm planning to attend a performance of Dvorak's "New World Symphony." Maybe I should pray that the musicians play a flawless interpretation of the piece, that the weather will be nice (it's an open-air venue), and that post-concert traffic isn't too bad on the way out of the parking lot onto the highway!
Thinking about this brought to mind someone from one of my congregations along the way. She stated more than once in my presence that she "and the Guy Upstairs have an understanding." Things would be OK between them "as long as I have a roof over my head and two meals a day." How reasonable of her not to demand three meals a day!
One wonders what vengeance she would wreak on God if a twister came through town and blew the roof off of her bungalow. Perhaps she would stop attending church!!! (This was, of course, the same person who didn't care for something I brought up in a sermon in one known instance. When I pointed out that, well, according to the text for the sermon, Jesus said that, she replied, "I don't care what he said!")
There is no question that I have offered my share of inane, selfish, useless prayers over the years. I also have been asked to make prayers on behalf of others that were similar in their level of validity. Some were so specific and detailed as to what God was supposed to do that I privately hoped God would be taking notes in order to keep track of all the assignments coming God's way.
I suppose there is some value to the corporate prayer time in worship: people given the opportunity to help share each other's burdens; reminding the folks of the Source of the many blessings everyone enjoys; and, a bit of community-building.
I'm not convinced, however, that God is persuaded by our supplications to do anything .
It seems to me the main issue at play here is freedom: God's and our own.
One aspect of God that seems undeniable is that God is a completely free agent, unencumbered by our promises ("if you do this, God, I will..."), pleadings ("please, God, after all, I am using the biblical formula of tacking on 'in Jesus' name' at the end of my prayer"), and threats, which are too ridiculous even to characterize.
Another point about God is that God's love provides utter freedom to human existence. God is not a Grand Manipulator of Events, making things turn out to anyone's liking. (I do not presume, however, to suggest that God cannot or never will intervene in human events. That is up to the completely free God.)
The older I get, and the more I experience life and think about spiritual matters, the more comfortable I become with the notion of God less as a "being" than a "presence." It is difficult for me to envision a physical entity existing somewhere "out there" or "in heaven." It seems that a spirit moving among, around, and even through people is a more relevant and forceful reality than an All-Seeing, All-Knowing, All-Hearing Person of Either Both or Neither Gender. Certainly, a "god" that creates but hates Those Different From Me is completely out of the question.
Perhaps it always has been easier to personify "good" and "evil," but an eternally-alive devil or "Satan" seems patently ridiculous, and a "god" always looking over our shoulders, deciding somewhat capriciously whether to grant our individual requests just doesn't make much sense, either.
It seems that an active tension between what is life-giving and life-defeating surrounds and influences us in ways subtle and perhaps, at times, overt. Just as the spark of what we term "life" or the "human soul" remains primarily mysterious, so does the "presence" that I sense as God. But mystery and reality are not mutually exclusive.
But, enough of that. At least, I hope it's enough to give a context for how "prayer" begins to make sense to me.
I think the Quakers and mystics of other stripes are on to something meaningful. Meditation is, I believe, a way to tap into the presence that I think of as God. Meditation, of course, takes many forms. There was a little book written by Brother Somebody-or-Other who described finding God in menial tasks, such as washing dishes. Some people practice particular postures and/or mantras in meditation. When I was a young person, still living with my birth family, I often went into the backyard with a plastic baseball bat and ball, flipping the ball into the air, hitting it, walking to pick it up, and doing the same thing again. Over and over. I was doing a repetitive activity, lost in my thoughts, or even lack of thoughts. To me, I realized many years later, it was a form of meditation, a time alone, away from others and distractions, to be renewed and refreshed.
When Quakers speak of praying for others, it is often in terms of "holding in the Light" the other person and their concern. For un-programmed Quakers, worship consists of gathering the community into a period of silence, waiting, seeking the Spirit, or the "presence" of which I am writing.
To me, seeking -- and finding -- that presence is to draw nearer to its power, its influence, its consolation, and its comfort in a way that can have an effect on me, my life, my interactions with others, my attitude and outlook, and even my insight as I deal with the world around me. It is not an attempt by me to manipulate, change, or control events. Rather it is a fount of strength or wisdom or other resource useful in facing the realities of life.
"Have a good time?" Next weekend I'm planning to attend a performance of Dvorak's "New World Symphony." Maybe I should pray that the musicians play a flawless interpretation of the piece, that the weather will be nice (it's an open-air venue), and that post-concert traffic isn't too bad on the way out of the parking lot onto the highway!
Thinking about this brought to mind someone from one of my congregations along the way. She stated more than once in my presence that she "and the Guy Upstairs have an understanding." Things would be OK between them "as long as I have a roof over my head and two meals a day." How reasonable of her not to demand three meals a day!
One wonders what vengeance she would wreak on God if a twister came through town and blew the roof off of her bungalow. Perhaps she would stop attending church!!! (This was, of course, the same person who didn't care for something I brought up in a sermon in one known instance. When I pointed out that, well, according to the text for the sermon, Jesus said that, she replied, "I don't care what he said!")
There is no question that I have offered my share of inane, selfish, useless prayers over the years. I also have been asked to make prayers on behalf of others that were similar in their level of validity. Some were so specific and detailed as to what God was supposed to do that I privately hoped God would be taking notes in order to keep track of all the assignments coming God's way.
I suppose there is some value to the corporate prayer time in worship: people given the opportunity to help share each other's burdens; reminding the folks of the Source of the many blessings everyone enjoys; and, a bit of community-building.
I'm not convinced, however, that God is persuaded by our supplications to do anything .
It seems to me the main issue at play here is freedom: God's and our own.
One aspect of God that seems undeniable is that God is a completely free agent, unencumbered by our promises ("if you do this, God, I will..."), pleadings ("please, God, after all, I am using the biblical formula of tacking on 'in Jesus' name' at the end of my prayer"), and threats, which are too ridiculous even to characterize.
Another point about God is that God's love provides utter freedom to human existence. God is not a Grand Manipulator of Events, making things turn out to anyone's liking. (I do not presume, however, to suggest that God cannot or never will intervene in human events. That is up to the completely free God.)
The older I get, and the more I experience life and think about spiritual matters, the more comfortable I become with the notion of God less as a "being" than a "presence." It is difficult for me to envision a physical entity existing somewhere "out there" or "in heaven." It seems that a spirit moving among, around, and even through people is a more relevant and forceful reality than an All-Seeing, All-Knowing, All-Hearing Person of Either Both or Neither Gender. Certainly, a "god" that creates but hates Those Different From Me is completely out of the question.
Perhaps it always has been easier to personify "good" and "evil," but an eternally-alive devil or "Satan" seems patently ridiculous, and a "god" always looking over our shoulders, deciding somewhat capriciously whether to grant our individual requests just doesn't make much sense, either.
It seems that an active tension between what is life-giving and life-defeating surrounds and influences us in ways subtle and perhaps, at times, overt. Just as the spark of what we term "life" or the "human soul" remains primarily mysterious, so does the "presence" that I sense as God. But mystery and reality are not mutually exclusive.
But, enough of that. At least, I hope it's enough to give a context for how "prayer" begins to make sense to me.
I think the Quakers and mystics of other stripes are on to something meaningful. Meditation is, I believe, a way to tap into the presence that I think of as God. Meditation, of course, takes many forms. There was a little book written by Brother Somebody-or-Other who described finding God in menial tasks, such as washing dishes. Some people practice particular postures and/or mantras in meditation. When I was a young person, still living with my birth family, I often went into the backyard with a plastic baseball bat and ball, flipping the ball into the air, hitting it, walking to pick it up, and doing the same thing again. Over and over. I was doing a repetitive activity, lost in my thoughts, or even lack of thoughts. To me, I realized many years later, it was a form of meditation, a time alone, away from others and distractions, to be renewed and refreshed.
When Quakers speak of praying for others, it is often in terms of "holding in the Light" the other person and their concern. For un-programmed Quakers, worship consists of gathering the community into a period of silence, waiting, seeking the Spirit, or the "presence" of which I am writing.
To me, seeking -- and finding -- that presence is to draw nearer to its power, its influence, its consolation, and its comfort in a way that can have an effect on me, my life, my interactions with others, my attitude and outlook, and even my insight as I deal with the world around me. It is not an attempt by me to manipulate, change, or control events. Rather it is a fount of strength or wisdom or other resource useful in facing the realities of life.
Friday, July 8, 2016
Fear Itself
During a live interview this morning on national television a pastor who organized the protest rally in Dallas that ended up with snipers shooting at police, killing at least five and wounding twice as many, was asked a question along the lines of, "What message do you have for people in light of what happened here?"
His response was that he would tell people to "stop shooting each other." Then he added a few words about the importance of love.
Frankly, I don't know what I would have said in that moment if I were the one being asked the question. But, I have the advantage of time to think about it without TV cameras in my face and millions of people watching, with a frenzied police investigation unfolding behind me.
His two thoughts are pertinent and valid, of course. As a clergyperson, I have no disagreement with what he said. I also believe some other points should be made.
In scripture -- both "testaments" -- one can find numerous examples of a message that comes through when God is blatantly present and when Jesus displays signs of God's presence. That message is "do not fear," or in some instances of translation into English, "do not be afraid."
It occurs to me that we are living in a season of fear. There is, of course, fear of terrorism both in the United States and abroad. I would argue that terrorism is a direct product of fear. There also is a fear of change, especially among those who see themselves as being in society's dominant position. Longing for "the good old days," having a desire to "take back our country," or to "make America great again," all express that fear: those who have enjoyed privilege and unfair advantages see it crumbling away, and that makes them very afraid.
It is especially distressing when "people of faith" give in to and express such fears. Many "Christians" and "churches" express hatred of homosexuals and/or Muslims; a hatred rooted in fear. There is a fear of those who are different, those we do not understand, those who do not embrace our specific values or ways of living.
Yet, scripture conveys the message that God created all of humanity, that God desires abundant life for everyone. God envisions the world and its inhabitants as an expression of God's love. When circumstances put us in position to encounter someone who is not exactly like us, or to live through times that are a-changing, or that challenge us even to question our own ways, thoughts, desires, priorities, and understanding of the world, the message from God is, "Do not be afraid."
We are seeing what happens when we submit to fear: hatred, division, bitterness, and violence. We are not holders of The Truth. We are not the center of the universe. We are not God.
God's Word exists through eternity -- that's before and after our few moments in this life. As I interpret God's Word, the main thing I see is God's desire for life, abundant and everlasting. And even after all the shooting is done; even after the bodies are laid to rest by broken-hearted loved ones; even after oppression and exclusion and stigmas do their damage, life keeps happening. Life springs up in the midst of death. Life brings new awareness and blessings. Life presents different and better possibilities.
It has happened down through the ages. It will happen as far ahead of us as our minds can imagine.
Why do we keep looking for ways to interfere with that? Why do we keep resisting God's will and desire for us and for all of Creation?
His response was that he would tell people to "stop shooting each other." Then he added a few words about the importance of love.
Frankly, I don't know what I would have said in that moment if I were the one being asked the question. But, I have the advantage of time to think about it without TV cameras in my face and millions of people watching, with a frenzied police investigation unfolding behind me.
His two thoughts are pertinent and valid, of course. As a clergyperson, I have no disagreement with what he said. I also believe some other points should be made.
In scripture -- both "testaments" -- one can find numerous examples of a message that comes through when God is blatantly present and when Jesus displays signs of God's presence. That message is "do not fear," or in some instances of translation into English, "do not be afraid."
It occurs to me that we are living in a season of fear. There is, of course, fear of terrorism both in the United States and abroad. I would argue that terrorism is a direct product of fear. There also is a fear of change, especially among those who see themselves as being in society's dominant position. Longing for "the good old days," having a desire to "take back our country," or to "make America great again," all express that fear: those who have enjoyed privilege and unfair advantages see it crumbling away, and that makes them very afraid.
It is especially distressing when "people of faith" give in to and express such fears. Many "Christians" and "churches" express hatred of homosexuals and/or Muslims; a hatred rooted in fear. There is a fear of those who are different, those we do not understand, those who do not embrace our specific values or ways of living.
Yet, scripture conveys the message that God created all of humanity, that God desires abundant life for everyone. God envisions the world and its inhabitants as an expression of God's love. When circumstances put us in position to encounter someone who is not exactly like us, or to live through times that are a-changing, or that challenge us even to question our own ways, thoughts, desires, priorities, and understanding of the world, the message from God is, "Do not be afraid."
We are seeing what happens when we submit to fear: hatred, division, bitterness, and violence. We are not holders of The Truth. We are not the center of the universe. We are not God.
God's Word exists through eternity -- that's before and after our few moments in this life. As I interpret God's Word, the main thing I see is God's desire for life, abundant and everlasting. And even after all the shooting is done; even after the bodies are laid to rest by broken-hearted loved ones; even after oppression and exclusion and stigmas do their damage, life keeps happening. Life springs up in the midst of death. Life brings new awareness and blessings. Life presents different and better possibilities.
It has happened down through the ages. It will happen as far ahead of us as our minds can imagine.
Why do we keep looking for ways to interfere with that? Why do we keep resisting God's will and desire for us and for all of Creation?
Monday, May 23, 2016
Side-stepping God
In some Christian denominations and churches, yesterday was designated as "Trinity Sunday." If my worship experience was at all typical, whole services were wasted as preachers went through contortions and gyrations to "explain" the "significance" of the "doctrine" that God exists as three "persons," the "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit."
To me, placing such emphasis on descriptors that complicate one's perception of God is at best vain, and at worst idolatrous. Check out this definition of the "The Trinity:"
God is a trinity of persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Father is not the same person as the Son, the Son is not the same person as the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is not the same person as the Father. They are not three gods and not three beings. They are three distinct persons, yet, they are all the one God. Each has a will, can speak, can love, etc. These are demonstrations of personhood. They are in absolute perfect harmony consisting of one substance. They are coeternal, coequal, and copowerful. If any one of the three were removed, there would be no God. (written by Matt Slick on the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry website)
Charts have been devised that show instances in which the Bible refers to God as one or the other or the other of the three components of the "Godhead."
Of course, for some believers, the Holy Spirit only arrived after Jesus was crucified, ignoring numerous instances in the Hebrew Scriptures of Holy Spirit-like adventures and occurrences. Those who cling to the notion that God is "Father" forget what happened "In the beginning"-- "So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them." (Genesis 1:27, NRSV) So, it would appear that God has female qualities.
To me, placing such emphasis on descriptors that complicate one's perception of God is at best vain, and at worst idolatrous. Check out this definition of the "The Trinity:"
God is a trinity of persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Father is not the same person as the Son, the Son is not the same person as the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is not the same person as the Father. They are not three gods and not three beings. They are three distinct persons, yet, they are all the one God. Each has a will, can speak, can love, etc. These are demonstrations of personhood. They are in absolute perfect harmony consisting of one substance. They are coeternal, coequal, and copowerful. If any one of the three were removed, there would be no God. (written by Matt Slick on the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry website)
Charts have been devised that show instances in which the Bible refers to God as one or the other or the other of the three components of the "Godhead."
Of course, for some believers, the Holy Spirit only arrived after Jesus was crucified, ignoring numerous instances in the Hebrew Scriptures of Holy Spirit-like adventures and occurrences. Those who cling to the notion that God is "Father" forget what happened "In the beginning"-- "So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them." (Genesis 1:27, NRSV) So, it would appear that God has female qualities.
Just a little reminder that "The Trinity" hovers dangerously close to being an anti-Semitic and patriarchal "doctrine." But maybe that shouldn't be very surprising.
In the culminating activity of my seminary days, known as the ORAL EXAM, I stated that "The Trinity" was not a biblical concept. Yes, there are various means in scripture by which people described and understood the working, presence, and essence of God, but the Bible as a whole never lands on a single, agreed-upon way to understand God. As an aside, think of the dozens of images used to describe Jesus and what he was all about, or the very words of Jesus himself when he described the Holy Spirit (Come on, you can look them up!)
Of the three professors tasked with "pouring their derision upon everything we did, exposing every weakness" as the then-fairly-current Pink Floyd snippet from The Happiest Days of our Lives song on The Wall album phrased it, two were from my very own faith tradition which held the exact position I expressed. (In fact, one of our primary forebears in the faith tradition expunged "The Trinity" from the beloved hymn Holy, Holy, Holy!) The third spat, "Oh, I am so sick of that canard!" I think mainly he was attempting to unnerve me, as was the pattern in those exams, but he probably bought into the doctrine, at least somewhat.
In any case, when I think of "The Trinity" as an entity (which is rarely) it brings to mind the same image I carry around of modern councils of church potentates -- a bunch of old men with appropriate beards sitting around gigantic oval-shaped conference tables in wood-paneled rooms, wearing flowing robes, vestments, academic hoods, medallions and over-sized crosses while considering 400-page white papers detailing why Christians of diverse backgrounds cannot recognize the validity of one another's baptisms or sanction the qualifications of one another's clergy. Each stridently defends the purity of his tradition.
Meanwhile, on the street, the homicide rates skyrocket in many of our major cities; bigotry is more and more blatant; police and minorities are at war; family values champions and clergy are caught up in salacious scandals; youth are addicted to electronic stimuli and become more and more isolated as genuine human interaction is replaced by virtual life; irrational anger, insults and bullying comprise the fallback position when someone unique appears on the scene, or when one does not get his or her way; terrorism on both domestic and international fronts are daily occurrences...fill in the blank yourself.
To me Christianity is much more than tradition, doctrines, statements of beliefs, and the like. Clearly, it seems to me that too much time, effort, and brainpower are wasted on codifying and explaining God's various "heads." (Fareed Zakaria of CNN had a guest on his show yesterday, supposedly an expert in Islam and the Koran, who stated that the text about martyrs for the faith reaching heaven where "72 virgins" await them has been misinterpreted. The word thought to represent "virgins" in this particular passage is more correctly understood to be "raisins.")
Long and short -- NONE OF US FULLY KNOW OR UNDERSTAND GOD -- despite our pretensions.
If there is anything that seems at all clear to me about God, from my reading and study of scripture over the past 40 years, it would be two related assumptions:
1. We are completely and utterly dependent upon God for all things; and,
2. God makes all things new.
Keep your doctrines. Keep your arrogance about your self-serving God. Keep your canards. Keep your learned behaviors about how you play church.
Just help me and the rest of the world come to grips with how I/we can be transformed by the knowledge of God's love and provision, and renewed by God's will and promise of life made new.
Thursday, May 19, 2016
A Questionable Icon
Recently, the gun used by George Zimmerman when he murdered Trayvon Martin -- a crime for which he was acquitted -- was put up for auction. According to Zimmerman, the gun is an
"historical icon." The last time I heard about it, bids reached $65 million, with several days of bidding left. What the final outcome was, I don't know. I was so shocked and disgusted, I never followed up on learning what eventually happened.
For some reason, this brought to mind the time I interviewed with a congregation seeking a pastor. It was more than twenty years ago by now. The church was located near where I lived at the time, and I will admit from the outset my enthusiasm for the job was not at 100%. But I applied, and they called me in to talk.
When I arrived and saw who was on the search committee, I braced myself for a question I knew was coming. After a few minutes of the usual flirting, the woman with the loaded question unloaded: "Do you believe that the Bible is the inspired inerrant Word of God?"
Interview over.
When I said, "No," I could see the color drain from behind the frozen smile on her face. I went on to say that I thought people had to be careful in interpreting scripture, that differences in language, culture, worldview, and so forth were to be taken into account. I suggested that the scriptures represented the witness of people of faith during the times in which they lived, and that the Bible evolved (how about that for a description of the Bible when arguing with a fundamentalist?) over centuries, gradually being pieced together as councils of religious authorities sorted through spiritual writings, including some, rejecting many, so on and so on, blah, blah, blah.
After a few more perfunctory questions and responses, the chair of the committee showed me around the facility. At one point I asked him to let me know when the search committee decided anything pertaining to further discussion with me regarding the position. I admit this was a tweak, since I already knew their decision was made, but I also said it because search committees, at least in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), are notorious for just casting aside rejected candidates without letting them know one way or the other where they stood in the process.
As expected, the letter I received from them relieved me of any further dialogic obligation.
Also as expected, that particular congregation went through a lot of dissension, conflict, and upheaval as the Bible Wars played out over the ensuing years. It, like so many others, is a mere shell of what it once was in terms of membership, strength, and ministry, sitting there on a huge plot of land in the middle of the county seat. It appears there will not be any Family Life Center or gymnasium or great cathedral or whatever the monumental visions and plans were at the time the property was purchased. Just a lot of grass to mow in the summer and a long driveway to plow in the winter.
So, what is the correlation between Zimmerman's iconic murder weapon and the church barely on life-support?
How about this -- when church people worship the Bible instead of seeking to discern its relevance for life in the world now, today, as we experience it, they -- we -- are going to miss out on the message of scripture with all of its truth, hope, and yes, guidance.
And this -- when people of faith miss out on the message of scripture as it relates to today's world and times, they -- we -- will have no relevant witness to offer to those around us.
And this -- when there is a lack of relevance in what the church proclaims and does (or, does NOT do, since it lacks a relevant witness), those on the outside will clearly see the self-centeredness, judgmental attitudes, exclusivity, intolerance, ignorance, and just plain FEAR that exist within so many church communities.
And this -- when the church fails, it is dismissed.
And this -- when the church, and consequently, the "faith" it proclaims are dismissed, the witness of scripture for the reconciliation of all of Creation within itself and with God goes unheard.
And this -- when the call to reconciliation is not heard, it is not embraced or suffered for or seen in all of its hopeful promise.
And this (I could go on much longer, but let's cut to the chase here) -- human division, animosity, injustice, greed, and violence will continue not only to occur, but also continue to be accepted as appropriate - and even necessary - for "survival," when all along a better path is revealed.
It is a path ignored, not believed, and even hidden by those who have it all at hand in the dusty book that is supposedly so important to them.
"historical icon." The last time I heard about it, bids reached $65 million, with several days of bidding left. What the final outcome was, I don't know. I was so shocked and disgusted, I never followed up on learning what eventually happened.
For some reason, this brought to mind the time I interviewed with a congregation seeking a pastor. It was more than twenty years ago by now. The church was located near where I lived at the time, and I will admit from the outset my enthusiasm for the job was not at 100%. But I applied, and they called me in to talk.
When I arrived and saw who was on the search committee, I braced myself for a question I knew was coming. After a few minutes of the usual flirting, the woman with the loaded question unloaded: "Do you believe that the Bible is the inspired inerrant Word of God?"
Interview over.
When I said, "No," I could see the color drain from behind the frozen smile on her face. I went on to say that I thought people had to be careful in interpreting scripture, that differences in language, culture, worldview, and so forth were to be taken into account. I suggested that the scriptures represented the witness of people of faith during the times in which they lived, and that the Bible evolved (how about that for a description of the Bible when arguing with a fundamentalist?) over centuries, gradually being pieced together as councils of religious authorities sorted through spiritual writings, including some, rejecting many, so on and so on, blah, blah, blah.
After a few more perfunctory questions and responses, the chair of the committee showed me around the facility. At one point I asked him to let me know when the search committee decided anything pertaining to further discussion with me regarding the position. I admit this was a tweak, since I already knew their decision was made, but I also said it because search committees, at least in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), are notorious for just casting aside rejected candidates without letting them know one way or the other where they stood in the process.
As expected, the letter I received from them relieved me of any further dialogic obligation.
Also as expected, that particular congregation went through a lot of dissension, conflict, and upheaval as the Bible Wars played out over the ensuing years. It, like so many others, is a mere shell of what it once was in terms of membership, strength, and ministry, sitting there on a huge plot of land in the middle of the county seat. It appears there will not be any Family Life Center or gymnasium or great cathedral or whatever the monumental visions and plans were at the time the property was purchased. Just a lot of grass to mow in the summer and a long driveway to plow in the winter.
So, what is the correlation between Zimmerman's iconic murder weapon and the church barely on life-support?
How about this -- when church people worship the Bible instead of seeking to discern its relevance for life in the world now, today, as we experience it, they -- we -- are going to miss out on the message of scripture with all of its truth, hope, and yes, guidance.
And this -- when people of faith miss out on the message of scripture as it relates to today's world and times, they -- we -- will have no relevant witness to offer to those around us.
And this -- when there is a lack of relevance in what the church proclaims and does (or, does NOT do, since it lacks a relevant witness), those on the outside will clearly see the self-centeredness, judgmental attitudes, exclusivity, intolerance, ignorance, and just plain FEAR that exist within so many church communities.
And this -- when the church fails, it is dismissed.
And this -- when the church, and consequently, the "faith" it proclaims are dismissed, the witness of scripture for the reconciliation of all of Creation within itself and with God goes unheard.
And this -- when the call to reconciliation is not heard, it is not embraced or suffered for or seen in all of its hopeful promise.
And this (I could go on much longer, but let's cut to the chase here) -- human division, animosity, injustice, greed, and violence will continue not only to occur, but also continue to be accepted as appropriate - and even necessary - for "survival," when all along a better path is revealed.
It is a path ignored, not believed, and even hidden by those who have it all at hand in the dusty book that is supposedly so important to them.
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
Dr. King, Isaiah, and a Sense of Emptiness
There is no denying the fact that I have been a privileged person my whole life. I grew up in one of the wealthiest counties in the United States, just on the edge of the Nation's Capital, and attended a leading public school system when it was at or near the top of its game. Achievement and success always were in the air, and expectations were high. My high school not only boasted an almost 100% graduation rate, but over 90% of our graduates went on to college. It seemed like all of that simply was taken for granted, so a measure of culture shock awaited me when I found myself living in places "outside the Beltway" for college and seminary, and during my career as a clergyperson.
It always took some adjusting, but I finally figured out not everyone shared my advantages, experiences, and worldview. A memorable encounter with a professor just prior to my leaving seminary occurred on my final visit to the campus. When I saw him I somewhat facetiously said, "Well, I was ordained back home, and got a call to serve in a congregation in (another state), so I guess I'm ready to head out into the world and convert the heathen!" I was stopped in my tracks when, without missing a beat, he replied, "Or be converted."
I soon discovered there was a genuine warning in his words. After spending a few years with him and others considering the complexities of God, theology, scripture, history, human psychology, sociology, and other topics I found myself in settings, among people of faith, where there was resistance to such exploration, and even pressure to abandon the notion of continued spiritual and intellectual growth. This was and is the church in North America.
There were so many distractions (chosen or not) that pulled Christians and their churches away from what I perceived was their mission and purpose. Matters such as nostalgia for an idealized past, physical and emotional loss, fear of change, financial pressures, social and political confusion, clergy misconduct, and other concerns always stood in the way of the church hearing and responding to God's call.
As disheartening as all of this was and is to me, standing out was the pressure to trivialize and "dumb down" the Gospel message. Never in my life had I been encouraged to do less than my best in trying to do something until I was in a leadership role in the church. It simply did not compute in my mind, but it was there in so many overt and subtle ways. I guess it was the "conversion" of which my professor warned me.
As a young person growing up, I was deeply affected by the dominant issues of the day, namely the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam war protests. In particular, as we recalled yesterday the anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., I was struck by the religious aspect of so much that was said and done in response to injustice and violence.
Being a church person, even though I was still an adolescent, I resonated with the cases being made to provide justice for the oppressed and to stop the killing. Growing up in Washington and its environs exposed me to a heavy focus on all of this, and I remember clearly the after-effects of Dr. King's murder on our city and many others across the country.
These observations and experiences were branded into my psyche, and as I perceived a call to ministry there seemed to me to be a lot of relevance in the Christian faith to such devastating world crises. It always was difficult for me to justify the church's existence without making application of the faith to such real world concerns.
But, the pressure to dumb things down, the resistance to stretching and growing, and the denial even of recognizing the realities for which Jesus was willing to sacrifice his life, pulled and tugged all the time. To me, it was reminiscent of something the prophet Isaiah said, which I hear as a sad, disappointed, lonely lament:
Go now, write it before them on a tablet,
and inscribe it in a book,
so that it may be for the time to come
as a witness forever.
For they are a rebellious people,
faithless children,
children who will not hear
the instruction of the Lord;
who say to the seers, “Do not see”;
and to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us what is right;
speak to us smooth things,
prophesy illusions"
(Isaiah 30: 8-10, NRSV)
Why bring this up now? A couple of reasons, really. First of all, these long have been factors in my experiencing such a feeling of emptiness in ministry. Also, the anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s death reminds me of dashed hopes. And lastly, I saw it all on display again recently.
At a church service I attended, a couple was brought to the front of the sanctuary because they soon will be moving away. They expressed, with some emotion, how they would miss the church and everyone because of how nice and compassionate the people had been with them. We were all their friends forever, and we should call them if we ever find ourselves in their new hometown.
Fine. All well and good. But in this case, as with every other time I have witnessed such displays, or when people have shared why they love their church so much, never has anyone said, "This church is important to me because here I have been challenged to grow in my faith. Here I have learned to see things in new ways that have opened up great meaning and significance in my life in how I view and interact with the world. Here I have truly experienced a sense of God's presence and the life-transforming power of the Holy Spirit. Here I have seen that Christ lives."
Nobody ever says those things. It never occurs to anyone that the church could -- or should -- affect their lives, and consequently, the life of the world, in those ways.
It always took some adjusting, but I finally figured out not everyone shared my advantages, experiences, and worldview. A memorable encounter with a professor just prior to my leaving seminary occurred on my final visit to the campus. When I saw him I somewhat facetiously said, "Well, I was ordained back home, and got a call to serve in a congregation in (another state), so I guess I'm ready to head out into the world and convert the heathen!" I was stopped in my tracks when, without missing a beat, he replied, "Or be converted."
I soon discovered there was a genuine warning in his words. After spending a few years with him and others considering the complexities of God, theology, scripture, history, human psychology, sociology, and other topics I found myself in settings, among people of faith, where there was resistance to such exploration, and even pressure to abandon the notion of continued spiritual and intellectual growth. This was and is the church in North America.
There were so many distractions (chosen or not) that pulled Christians and their churches away from what I perceived was their mission and purpose. Matters such as nostalgia for an idealized past, physical and emotional loss, fear of change, financial pressures, social and political confusion, clergy misconduct, and other concerns always stood in the way of the church hearing and responding to God's call.
As disheartening as all of this was and is to me, standing out was the pressure to trivialize and "dumb down" the Gospel message. Never in my life had I been encouraged to do less than my best in trying to do something until I was in a leadership role in the church. It simply did not compute in my mind, but it was there in so many overt and subtle ways. I guess it was the "conversion" of which my professor warned me.
As a young person growing up, I was deeply affected by the dominant issues of the day, namely the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam war protests. In particular, as we recalled yesterday the anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., I was struck by the religious aspect of so much that was said and done in response to injustice and violence.
Being a church person, even though I was still an adolescent, I resonated with the cases being made to provide justice for the oppressed and to stop the killing. Growing up in Washington and its environs exposed me to a heavy focus on all of this, and I remember clearly the after-effects of Dr. King's murder on our city and many others across the country.
These observations and experiences were branded into my psyche, and as I perceived a call to ministry there seemed to me to be a lot of relevance in the Christian faith to such devastating world crises. It always was difficult for me to justify the church's existence without making application of the faith to such real world concerns.
But, the pressure to dumb things down, the resistance to stretching and growing, and the denial even of recognizing the realities for which Jesus was willing to sacrifice his life, pulled and tugged all the time. To me, it was reminiscent of something the prophet Isaiah said, which I hear as a sad, disappointed, lonely lament:
Go now, write it before them on a tablet,
and inscribe it in a book,
so that it may be for the time to come
as a witness forever.
For they are a rebellious people,
faithless children,
children who will not hear
the instruction of the Lord;
who say to the seers, “Do not see”;
and to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us what is right;
speak to us smooth things,
prophesy illusions"
(Isaiah 30: 8-10, NRSV)
Why bring this up now? A couple of reasons, really. First of all, these long have been factors in my experiencing such a feeling of emptiness in ministry. Also, the anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s death reminds me of dashed hopes. And lastly, I saw it all on display again recently.
At a church service I attended, a couple was brought to the front of the sanctuary because they soon will be moving away. They expressed, with some emotion, how they would miss the church and everyone because of how nice and compassionate the people had been with them. We were all their friends forever, and we should call them if we ever find ourselves in their new hometown.
Fine. All well and good. But in this case, as with every other time I have witnessed such displays, or when people have shared why they love their church so much, never has anyone said, "This church is important to me because here I have been challenged to grow in my faith. Here I have learned to see things in new ways that have opened up great meaning and significance in my life in how I view and interact with the world. Here I have truly experienced a sense of God's presence and the life-transforming power of the Holy Spirit. Here I have seen that Christ lives."
Nobody ever says those things. It never occurs to anyone that the church could -- or should -- affect their lives, and consequently, the life of the world, in those ways.
Tuesday, March 29, 2016
Faith and Politics
In recent days the thought occurred to me that I should write a letter, send an email, or call on the telephone the members of Congress - representative and senators - that supposedly speak and vote on my behalf in Washington. The issue on my mind was the defiance of GOP members regarding the President's Supreme Court nominee.
I chose not to follow through, though, knowing full well it would be futile. None of them sees things as I see them, and my feeble protests might or might not be noted by the 22 year-olds in their offices assigned to keep track of such things.
Next up was a state issue, H.B. 2, an emergency-session North Carolina legislature action taken to make sure people don't pee in the wrong bathrooms (according to state law). Added to that was the restriction on local governments to prevent them from extending rights to LGBT folks.
Again, I thought of contacting the governor and my assigned representatives, but just as quickly I dismissed the notion. There would be no point to it. I was heartened, however, to read a column in Sunday's local paper that clearly articulated the vanity of the legislature's decree.
Watching the news and reading relevant publications I sometimes lament the lack of influence of thoughtful people of faith who take up Jesus' priorities of justice, peace, and the worthiness of all people. Have we failed to provide the witness given to us? Do we have anything positive to contribute to public issues? Are we frightened? Are we too self-centered or overly focused on "going to heaven?"
Of course, candidates and office-holders often make a public spectacle of their religious convictions, which so often seem to coincide with the choices that would be made by white, male, wealthy, dominant-culture types afraid of slipping down from their perch on the top of the heap. There rarely appears to be any relevance to the teachings or example of Jesus. I guess saying something is "Christian" makes it appealing or palatable to folks who are scared.
There always is a debate churning about the role of religion in politics. Some confuse this with the idea of the separation of church and state. And, of course, there are folks who maintain, and can "prove," that America (or, the United States, as it is more properly referred to) is a Christian Nation by design of the Founding Fathers. Try talking a true believer out of that idea!
In any case, I feel sorely frustrated by the current realities regarding how people of good will and faith can relate to our political process. While I never bought into the notion that salvation can be achieved through engagement with politics and government, I have done my bit in the past to advocate for fairness, equity, inclusion, and peace.
It can be a lonely endeavor, especially for a pastor. Most of the folks in the pews won't get involved for a variety of reasons. Preaching can be a delicate issue, as well, in mainline congregations when it comes to trying to address the significant concerns of the world. Clergy sometimes lose perspective in seeking to be 'prophetic,' and church members have a different agenda for coming to worship, i.e., comfort and escape from the pressures of day-to-day living. As I was once told, the people want to be "uplifted," rather than reminded that Jesus sacrificed his very life on behalf of the poor, the abused, the exploited, and the hated.
During a particularly active period in this realm for me I was fortunate to meet a few folks who shared my convictions and faith perspective. We were able to encourage one another, and to band together to act in some meaningful ways. Another positive factor in our case was the presence of a member of Congress who actually gave us fair hearing regarding our concerns.
I learned a lot during those years that I am happy to share with any who would "speak truth to power."
-- Finding fellow travelers is essential. There is strength in numbers, and the support you give to one another is vital in the face of the guaranteed frustration, disappointment, and failure.
-- Be positive in your witness. Instead of always lamenting and criticizing, offer a positive vision.
-- Respect those with whom you disagree. Caricatures and insults do nothing for your position.
-- Know what you're talking about. Be informed and up-to-date on the issue of concern.
-- Recognize the complexity of issues, but remain firm in your convictions.
-- In dealing with the media, respond to questions by sharing the points you wish to make, regardless of what they ask. In most cases, reporters and journalists simply are trying to get you to state your position, but may not know the right questions to ask. Help them succeed.
-- Visit members of Congress in your home district office. You are more likely to meet him or her personally than if you go to Washington. This helps you develop a relationship with that person.
-- When visiting a member of Congress, always: be on time for the appointment; BE POLITE; make it clear who you represent and why the issue is important to you/them; mention any common ground on issues you may have with the member; state your concern clearly and succinctly; BE POLITE; offer alternative positions or actions regarding your disagreements; suggest ways to follow-up on your conversation; BE POLITE; thank the member for taking time to meet with you. Never: insult, ridicule, cajole, threaten, or express other negative behaviors. It only gives that person a reason to dismiss you, your position, and concern.
-- Plan public events that raise awareness about your issue. Press conferences, public forums, workshops, conferences, etc. help you to share your concerns. Letters to the editor, and guest columns in local newspapers get the word out, as well.
-- Try to build coalitions with groups and individuals who share similar concerns.
-- Encourage members of your church to learn about and engage with the issues through group discussions, letter-writing campaigns, and volunteering with organizations dealing with your concerns.
-- Spend time in prayer, and pay attention to scripture. Your understanding, conviction, and passion can easily spin out of control if you lay aside the original source of inspiration for your vision. Again, you are well-served to make this a group endeavor.
Personally, I never understood how faith communities could exist only for and unto themselves, but it happens.
If you have a broader vision of the church and its possibilities, I pray that God will strengthen and embolden you, and that your faithful efforts to be a witness to God's will for abundant life for all of God's creatures will find receptive hearts.
I chose not to follow through, though, knowing full well it would be futile. None of them sees things as I see them, and my feeble protests might or might not be noted by the 22 year-olds in their offices assigned to keep track of such things.
Next up was a state issue, H.B. 2, an emergency-session North Carolina legislature action taken to make sure people don't pee in the wrong bathrooms (according to state law). Added to that was the restriction on local governments to prevent them from extending rights to LGBT folks.
Again, I thought of contacting the governor and my assigned representatives, but just as quickly I dismissed the notion. There would be no point to it. I was heartened, however, to read a column in Sunday's local paper that clearly articulated the vanity of the legislature's decree.
Watching the news and reading relevant publications I sometimes lament the lack of influence of thoughtful people of faith who take up Jesus' priorities of justice, peace, and the worthiness of all people. Have we failed to provide the witness given to us? Do we have anything positive to contribute to public issues? Are we frightened? Are we too self-centered or overly focused on "going to heaven?"
Of course, candidates and office-holders often make a public spectacle of their religious convictions, which so often seem to coincide with the choices that would be made by white, male, wealthy, dominant-culture types afraid of slipping down from their perch on the top of the heap. There rarely appears to be any relevance to the teachings or example of Jesus. I guess saying something is "Christian" makes it appealing or palatable to folks who are scared.
There always is a debate churning about the role of religion in politics. Some confuse this with the idea of the separation of church and state. And, of course, there are folks who maintain, and can "prove," that America (or, the United States, as it is more properly referred to) is a Christian Nation by design of the Founding Fathers. Try talking a true believer out of that idea!
In any case, I feel sorely frustrated by the current realities regarding how people of good will and faith can relate to our political process. While I never bought into the notion that salvation can be achieved through engagement with politics and government, I have done my bit in the past to advocate for fairness, equity, inclusion, and peace.
It can be a lonely endeavor, especially for a pastor. Most of the folks in the pews won't get involved for a variety of reasons. Preaching can be a delicate issue, as well, in mainline congregations when it comes to trying to address the significant concerns of the world. Clergy sometimes lose perspective in seeking to be 'prophetic,' and church members have a different agenda for coming to worship, i.e., comfort and escape from the pressures of day-to-day living. As I was once told, the people want to be "uplifted," rather than reminded that Jesus sacrificed his very life on behalf of the poor, the abused, the exploited, and the hated.
During a particularly active period in this realm for me I was fortunate to meet a few folks who shared my convictions and faith perspective. We were able to encourage one another, and to band together to act in some meaningful ways. Another positive factor in our case was the presence of a member of Congress who actually gave us fair hearing regarding our concerns.
I learned a lot during those years that I am happy to share with any who would "speak truth to power."
-- Finding fellow travelers is essential. There is strength in numbers, and the support you give to one another is vital in the face of the guaranteed frustration, disappointment, and failure.
-- Be positive in your witness. Instead of always lamenting and criticizing, offer a positive vision.
-- Respect those with whom you disagree. Caricatures and insults do nothing for your position.
-- Know what you're talking about. Be informed and up-to-date on the issue of concern.
-- Recognize the complexity of issues, but remain firm in your convictions.
-- In dealing with the media, respond to questions by sharing the points you wish to make, regardless of what they ask. In most cases, reporters and journalists simply are trying to get you to state your position, but may not know the right questions to ask. Help them succeed.
-- Visit members of Congress in your home district office. You are more likely to meet him or her personally than if you go to Washington. This helps you develop a relationship with that person.
-- When visiting a member of Congress, always: be on time for the appointment; BE POLITE; make it clear who you represent and why the issue is important to you/them; mention any common ground on issues you may have with the member; state your concern clearly and succinctly; BE POLITE; offer alternative positions or actions regarding your disagreements; suggest ways to follow-up on your conversation; BE POLITE; thank the member for taking time to meet with you. Never: insult, ridicule, cajole, threaten, or express other negative behaviors. It only gives that person a reason to dismiss you, your position, and concern.
-- Plan public events that raise awareness about your issue. Press conferences, public forums, workshops, conferences, etc. help you to share your concerns. Letters to the editor, and guest columns in local newspapers get the word out, as well.
-- Try to build coalitions with groups and individuals who share similar concerns.
-- Encourage members of your church to learn about and engage with the issues through group discussions, letter-writing campaigns, and volunteering with organizations dealing with your concerns.
-- Spend time in prayer, and pay attention to scripture. Your understanding, conviction, and passion can easily spin out of control if you lay aside the original source of inspiration for your vision. Again, you are well-served to make this a group endeavor.
Personally, I never understood how faith communities could exist only for and unto themselves, but it happens.
If you have a broader vision of the church and its possibilities, I pray that God will strengthen and embolden you, and that your faithful efforts to be a witness to God's will for abundant life for all of God's creatures will find receptive hearts.
Saturday, March 26, 2016
I Certainly Hope So (or, Easter Gets One's Attention)
A recent television ad for a new movie titled, Risen, included the claim that it was faithful to the Biblical account of Jesus' resurrection. It didn't say, however, to which Biblical account it was referring. Because if someone were to read the four Gospels he or she would discover that each tells a different story. Check it out if you don't believe me.
None, of course, mention lilies, or bunnies, or eggs, or ham, or new clothes for the children. There is no encouragement for those who otherwise never attend church (except for perhaps on Christmas Eve) to get their hind ends into a pew on that special Sunday. Parades and big hats for the ladies came about much later.
What we do see, though, in all of the Gospel accounts of the story, is the most emphatic expression of the underlying truth that stitches together the entirety of the Biblical witness: God makes all things new.
For some reason, this Easter I find myself thinking about my dear departed friend from seminary days named Clark. We didn't know each other prior to our meeting up in Indianapolis. In fact, we were different in numerous ways. He was from the West Coast, I was from the East Coast. He was somewhat conservative, probably willing to vote for Republicans. Me...well... I was athletic and aware of goings-on in professional sports, Clark had no interest. I could go on, but the point is, we arrived in Indiana at the same place and time, and before long became as close as brothers.
One year he was awarded the prestigious Annual Alumni Fund Scholarship, the big prize at Honors Day at the seminary, and I got it the next year. We weren't in many classes together, but often would go to an underground archive room at the library to study and write papers. Neither of us bothered with note cards or outlines or any other techniques recommended for composing term papers. We just carried our typewriters (yes, it was that long ago) and some paper to the archive room and banged them out.
After graduating from seminary, Clark settled right there in Indiana, I headed on down the highway. But, he and I were in each other's weddings, we used to make cassette (and later, video) tapes to send to each other. On occasion, although rarely, we visited. And of course, there were telephone calls, but they, too, were rare.
One time, though, Clark called me from the hospital in Fort Wayne where he was a patient. I was in Florida. He never made a direct appeal, but something about his demeanor set off frightening alarms in my head. Clark suffered from diabetes since he was a teenager, and over the years after seminary had lost both legs below the knee. He had some vision difficulties, kidney trouble, and probably other health problems I never heard about. Without fail, Clark remained upbeat, and even made light of it at times. On this occasion, though, I knew something was dreadfully wrong, even though he never said so.
Before long, I was on a plane to Indiana, arriving after he was discharged from the hospital. (Of course, someone from my church floated a rumor that the real reason for my trip was to apply for another job. As usual, she was wrong. Although, I must say, it was not a bad idea..)
I spent a couple of days with Clark, appalled at what his life had become (I will spare the details here), but glad to reconnect face-to-face. Clark was his usual carefree self, but I knew he was glad I correctly interpreted his signals and made the trip to see him one last time.
A few months later I received word from one of Clark's sons that he was dead from a heart attack while undergoing kidney dialysis. He just drifted off as he was receiving his regular treatment. Another trip to Indiana was required.
I'm not sure why this has all come back to me now, at Easter. May 9 will mark seven years since Clark's passing. But I do know that even as I recall those unhappy days seven years ago, framing it all in the context of the Easter observance gives a sense of hope. Clark truly was a person of faith, and I am sure that contributed to his attitude in the face of his suffering.
The hope, witness and promise of scripture that God makes all things new is the message that seeks to emerge in the midst of all our distracting traditions and celebrations. It's impossible to understand the depth of God (another topic for many other days!), but as I see it, Easter gives us the opportunity to focus upon and proclaim the word that nothing inhibits God's determination that life prevails over death, that suffering and pain do come to an end, and as both the prophet Isaiah and the Book of Revelation tell us, "every tear shall be wiped from their eyes. Mourning and crying shall be no more."
When? Where? How? God's ways are not our ways, God's thoughts are not our thoughts. But the promise is consistent and sure. All things are made new. By God. That includes Clark's life, and mine, and yours.
Put that in your Easter basket!
None, of course, mention lilies, or bunnies, or eggs, or ham, or new clothes for the children. There is no encouragement for those who otherwise never attend church (except for perhaps on Christmas Eve) to get their hind ends into a pew on that special Sunday. Parades and big hats for the ladies came about much later.
What we do see, though, in all of the Gospel accounts of the story, is the most emphatic expression of the underlying truth that stitches together the entirety of the Biblical witness: God makes all things new.
For some reason, this Easter I find myself thinking about my dear departed friend from seminary days named Clark. We didn't know each other prior to our meeting up in Indianapolis. In fact, we were different in numerous ways. He was from the West Coast, I was from the East Coast. He was somewhat conservative, probably willing to vote for Republicans. Me...well... I was athletic and aware of goings-on in professional sports, Clark had no interest. I could go on, but the point is, we arrived in Indiana at the same place and time, and before long became as close as brothers.
One year he was awarded the prestigious Annual Alumni Fund Scholarship, the big prize at Honors Day at the seminary, and I got it the next year. We weren't in many classes together, but often would go to an underground archive room at the library to study and write papers. Neither of us bothered with note cards or outlines or any other techniques recommended for composing term papers. We just carried our typewriters (yes, it was that long ago) and some paper to the archive room and banged them out.
After graduating from seminary, Clark settled right there in Indiana, I headed on down the highway. But, he and I were in each other's weddings, we used to make cassette (and later, video) tapes to send to each other. On occasion, although rarely, we visited. And of course, there were telephone calls, but they, too, were rare.
One time, though, Clark called me from the hospital in Fort Wayne where he was a patient. I was in Florida. He never made a direct appeal, but something about his demeanor set off frightening alarms in my head. Clark suffered from diabetes since he was a teenager, and over the years after seminary had lost both legs below the knee. He had some vision difficulties, kidney trouble, and probably other health problems I never heard about. Without fail, Clark remained upbeat, and even made light of it at times. On this occasion, though, I knew something was dreadfully wrong, even though he never said so.
Before long, I was on a plane to Indiana, arriving after he was discharged from the hospital. (Of course, someone from my church floated a rumor that the real reason for my trip was to apply for another job. As usual, she was wrong. Although, I must say, it was not a bad idea..)
I spent a couple of days with Clark, appalled at what his life had become (I will spare the details here), but glad to reconnect face-to-face. Clark was his usual carefree self, but I knew he was glad I correctly interpreted his signals and made the trip to see him one last time.
A few months later I received word from one of Clark's sons that he was dead from a heart attack while undergoing kidney dialysis. He just drifted off as he was receiving his regular treatment. Another trip to Indiana was required.
I'm not sure why this has all come back to me now, at Easter. May 9 will mark seven years since Clark's passing. But I do know that even as I recall those unhappy days seven years ago, framing it all in the context of the Easter observance gives a sense of hope. Clark truly was a person of faith, and I am sure that contributed to his attitude in the face of his suffering.
The hope, witness and promise of scripture that God makes all things new is the message that seeks to emerge in the midst of all our distracting traditions and celebrations. It's impossible to understand the depth of God (another topic for many other days!), but as I see it, Easter gives us the opportunity to focus upon and proclaim the word that nothing inhibits God's determination that life prevails over death, that suffering and pain do come to an end, and as both the prophet Isaiah and the Book of Revelation tell us, "every tear shall be wiped from their eyes. Mourning and crying shall be no more."
When? Where? How? God's ways are not our ways, God's thoughts are not our thoughts. But the promise is consistent and sure. All things are made new. By God. That includes Clark's life, and mine, and yours.
Put that in your Easter basket!
Thursday, March 24, 2016
Maundy Thursday 2016
Christian congregations and groups around the world today commemorate the Last Supper with worship services that include communion, prayers, hymns, varying degrees of light and darkness, and, in some cases, foot-washing. The services focus on the night Jesus met with his disciples in the upper room, presumably to share in a Passover Seder. The meal turned into something else, however, as Jesus told them to remember him when they gathered to eat and drink.
This alone might have been confusing enough to the disciples, but scripture tells us that Jesus also asserted that one of them would betray him, and that Peter, perhaps the most dominant and vocal disciple, would deny numerous times even knowing Jesus. This meal occurred just hours before Jesus spent time in the Garden of Gethsemane agonizing over the inevitability of his arrest and execution.
So, many of this evening's worship services will strike a somber chord among those who attend, and will conclude with everyone encouraged to depart in silence.
Fine. Do that.
But, it all will wear off soon enough, even if some go through the somewhat traditional Good Friday exercise of three-hour services the next day.
One of the things about the season of Lent that bothers me is the remarkably small impact it has on people who even take the time to observe it. For instance, the notion of "giving up something for Lent" often is trivialized. Some give up dessert or chocolate. Maybe it's caffeine. Or they don't engage in some activity or avocation they find enjoyable. But what happens when Lent concludes? Everything returns to "normal," and the "fasting" is over. So, nothing changes.
Easter is a celebratory time but, like with Christmas, cultural intrusions refocus many of us on irrelevancies. In my days as a pastor I tried not to be a spoilsport, but I either found ways to avoid participating in activities like Easter egg hunts and going through contortions to assign "Christian" meanings to secular traditions, or simply did not offer encouragement or enthusiasm for such things. My hope always was that deeper significance would be discovered or recovered.
Something that occupies a bit of my time these days seems to relate to Maundy Thursday. As a volunteer worker at a food bank that serves 16 counties, a lot of food passes through my hands. My work involves receiving pallets of donated food as it is unloaded off the trucks that bring it to the food bank from grocery stores and other sources. Usually, the pallets have 30 or so boxes of food on them, and with other volunteers, I sort through the boxes, separating items, and restacking them on other pallets. Our categories of items are produce, bread, bakery, frozen salvage, refrigerated salvage, dry salvage, and meat. It's impossible for me to imagine how many tons of food show up at the loading docks each month. It's also unfathomable for me to think that if the food bank or some similar organization did not exist, most of that food would be wasted in the face of so many people who are lacking adequate resources to have enough to eat.
The food bank where I volunteer recently marked the distribution of the one millionth food pack created for children in need to take home from school on Fridays because otherwise they would have little or no food until they returned to school on Monday. Summers are especially difficult for many families with children. Seniors on limited incomes, as well as those who are unemployed or underemployed, also benefit from food banks that help distribute food to soup kitchens and local food pantries in churches and other places.
For me, the connection of all of this with Maundy Thursday is that Jesus chose a meal as the means by which he told his followers to remember him. I believe that God's will is life abundant for all people, and the most basic aspect of that is adequate food.
So often it appears that people are worried there isn't enough (I always heard that in the church, of all places!). Yet, the witness of scripture and the evidence of the world is that there is abundance. We are just too self-absorbed to realize it. Our culture teaches us to compete and get ahead and accumulate, with little to no regard for the well-being of others. If someone else has less they are stupid or uneducated or lazy. Society is made up of winners and losers, and we want to do anything we can to be winners, as defined by our culture.
Jesus took a piece of bread and said, "Remember me when you eat bread together." He poured wine into a cup and said, "This is a covenant of my blood, poured out for the forgiveness of sins." As I understand it, sin is separation from God, so the covenant of which Jesus spoke is a coming together with God and, consequently, with our sisters and brothers.
Maundy Thursday reminds us that yes, Jesus sacrificed a lot. He suffered a lot. And it says to us, I believe, there were reasons for that sacrifice and suffering that are wrapped up in the deepest of human needs and realities.
If we remember Jesus around meals, in handling and making use of food, we cannot help but to think beyond ourselves. We cannot help but to realize abundant life is God's desire. We cannot help but to understand changes in our attitudes, outlook, and actions are in order, not just for a few weeks in the springtime, but moving forward.
Maundy Thursday is a sobering observance on so many levels, but it holds the promise of great joy, for life and the world do not have to remain as we experience them now. Inch by inch, moment by moment, day by day, awareness by awareness, spiritual step by spiritual step, we can live into a fuller embrace of the truth of God's abundance.
Not only for ourselves, but for all whose lives we, as people transformed, might touch.
This alone might have been confusing enough to the disciples, but scripture tells us that Jesus also asserted that one of them would betray him, and that Peter, perhaps the most dominant and vocal disciple, would deny numerous times even knowing Jesus. This meal occurred just hours before Jesus spent time in the Garden of Gethsemane agonizing over the inevitability of his arrest and execution.
So, many of this evening's worship services will strike a somber chord among those who attend, and will conclude with everyone encouraged to depart in silence.
Fine. Do that.
But, it all will wear off soon enough, even if some go through the somewhat traditional Good Friday exercise of three-hour services the next day.
One of the things about the season of Lent that bothers me is the remarkably small impact it has on people who even take the time to observe it. For instance, the notion of "giving up something for Lent" often is trivialized. Some give up dessert or chocolate. Maybe it's caffeine. Or they don't engage in some activity or avocation they find enjoyable. But what happens when Lent concludes? Everything returns to "normal," and the "fasting" is over. So, nothing changes.
Easter is a celebratory time but, like with Christmas, cultural intrusions refocus many of us on irrelevancies. In my days as a pastor I tried not to be a spoilsport, but I either found ways to avoid participating in activities like Easter egg hunts and going through contortions to assign "Christian" meanings to secular traditions, or simply did not offer encouragement or enthusiasm for such things. My hope always was that deeper significance would be discovered or recovered.
Something that occupies a bit of my time these days seems to relate to Maundy Thursday. As a volunteer worker at a food bank that serves 16 counties, a lot of food passes through my hands. My work involves receiving pallets of donated food as it is unloaded off the trucks that bring it to the food bank from grocery stores and other sources. Usually, the pallets have 30 or so boxes of food on them, and with other volunteers, I sort through the boxes, separating items, and restacking them on other pallets. Our categories of items are produce, bread, bakery, frozen salvage, refrigerated salvage, dry salvage, and meat. It's impossible for me to imagine how many tons of food show up at the loading docks each month. It's also unfathomable for me to think that if the food bank or some similar organization did not exist, most of that food would be wasted in the face of so many people who are lacking adequate resources to have enough to eat.
The food bank where I volunteer recently marked the distribution of the one millionth food pack created for children in need to take home from school on Fridays because otherwise they would have little or no food until they returned to school on Monday. Summers are especially difficult for many families with children. Seniors on limited incomes, as well as those who are unemployed or underemployed, also benefit from food banks that help distribute food to soup kitchens and local food pantries in churches and other places.
For me, the connection of all of this with Maundy Thursday is that Jesus chose a meal as the means by which he told his followers to remember him. I believe that God's will is life abundant for all people, and the most basic aspect of that is adequate food.
So often it appears that people are worried there isn't enough (I always heard that in the church, of all places!). Yet, the witness of scripture and the evidence of the world is that there is abundance. We are just too self-absorbed to realize it. Our culture teaches us to compete and get ahead and accumulate, with little to no regard for the well-being of others. If someone else has less they are stupid or uneducated or lazy. Society is made up of winners and losers, and we want to do anything we can to be winners, as defined by our culture.
Jesus took a piece of bread and said, "Remember me when you eat bread together." He poured wine into a cup and said, "This is a covenant of my blood, poured out for the forgiveness of sins." As I understand it, sin is separation from God, so the covenant of which Jesus spoke is a coming together with God and, consequently, with our sisters and brothers.
Maundy Thursday reminds us that yes, Jesus sacrificed a lot. He suffered a lot. And it says to us, I believe, there were reasons for that sacrifice and suffering that are wrapped up in the deepest of human needs and realities.
If we remember Jesus around meals, in handling and making use of food, we cannot help but to think beyond ourselves. We cannot help but to realize abundant life is God's desire. We cannot help but to understand changes in our attitudes, outlook, and actions are in order, not just for a few weeks in the springtime, but moving forward.
Maundy Thursday is a sobering observance on so many levels, but it holds the promise of great joy, for life and the world do not have to remain as we experience them now. Inch by inch, moment by moment, day by day, awareness by awareness, spiritual step by spiritual step, we can live into a fuller embrace of the truth of God's abundance.
Not only for ourselves, but for all whose lives we, as people transformed, might touch.
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