The Pastor's Study

Story "Footnote 1": On Science and Faith

2010-04-19T13:38:00.015-06:00

Truly, it's time!

This blog has suffered enough from neglect. (Oh, the "tryanny of the urgent" in life which can keep us from the things we enjoy most!)

And then, there was a most frustrating start to our Story campaign (our 31-week walk through the Biblical narrative): I know it was not as bad as I think it was... Still, there was so much I wanted to say and couldn't.

Using this blog as a file for weekly "footnotes" to my messages stands to help me get over some of my frustrations... and to revive my engagement of this blog.

And so, we resume and proceed with "footnote #1" (re: yesterday's "Creation/Genesis" message)... and continuation of the conversation between Science and Faith.

As I suggested yesterday, there need not be a conflict between the two. (Note the quotes in yesterday's handout from highly respected [and faithful] scientists!) It's a position furthered by the recognition that the "agenda" of Genesis may not sync with some modern agendas. I'm strongly inclined to agree with Andy Stanley and Adam Hamilton:

In writing, there are many different genres. Poetry is different from history, just as an editorial is different than prophecy. Interestingly, the Bible contains all of the above. So, when it comes to its account of miraculous events such as the creation, how should we interpret it? Did the author intend it as a literal account? Or, was it just a metaphorical representation of the event. After all, we weren't there..

As you might imagine, many views have been presented over the years. Some scholar note that the creation story is more concerned with the, "who" and "why" than the "what" and "how." Following this line of thought, they suggest that the account is a poetic summary of an elaborate series of scientific developments. Literalists, on the other hand, would disagree. They argue that events took place exactly as the text describes. In between, there are those who point out that God could use evolution as his method of creation. And finally, secular evolutionists leave God out of the picture altogether.

There are two challenges to this whole discussion. First, the human mind wasn’t made to fathom an event of such magnitude. So for starters, we're playing out of our league (see Romans 11:33-36). Second, there's just not enough scientific evidence to bring everyone's convictions into alignment. Until we come across additional information, the various sides will continue to argue their case.

At any rate, certain facts are unmistakable in Genesis. Humans are the pinnacle of God's handiwork, created to reflect his image. What's more, creation didn't happen by itself. Many prominent scientists have eventually come around to this conclusion. So, while we may not know precisely how our world came into being, Genesis tells us who brought it about (Genesis 1:1). And the marvels of our solar system point to a creative mind bigger than any human intelligence. The focus of our faith is the Maker of all creation, not the method of creation.

—from Andy Stanley, North Point Ministries, “Is the Creation Account Literal?”
in Starting Point, pp. 37-38.

[Acknowledging the various camps which vie for a position on the question of how Science and Genesis relate to one another (i.e., something we see in the quote from North Point Ministries), Methodist Pastor Adam Hamilton hones in on what he calls the “biblical-scientific synthesis” approach...]

This is the approach held by man scientists and biblical scholars and the one that nearly every mainline Protestant denomination, as well as the Roman Catholic Church and even many evangelical churches, take. This view begins by recognizing what Genesis 1-3 is meant to teach and what it is not meant to teach. These verses are clearly meant to lay claim to the fact that God is the creator of everything. Nothing exists apart from God's creative word, will, and power. The Genesis account teaches us God is the rightful ruler of all things, owner of all things, and that all things are a reflection of the Creator. These verses are meant to teach that everything God designed is good, that God created everything out of love for us and a desire to give God's own self to us. The Genesis creation poem was intended to make clear to the ancient Israelites, living in the midst of peoples who worshiped the sun, moon, stars, animals, and inanimate objects that none of these things are gods. Israel's God, in fact, created them all!

But listen carefully: These verses were not meant to teach us the how and the when of creation, only the Who and the why! This section of Genesis is set in poetic language, the language of faith, not science. This does not mean that the poetry of Genesis stands counter to scientific discoveries but that it serves a higher purpose, leading us to the truth about God our Creator and our relationship to God. The creation poem is meant to communicate the purposes of life. It is meant to describe in epic fashion the most marvelous theological truth of all: that Israel's God was not merely another regional god like the other nations served but is, in fact, the LORD God who, by God's very words, called forth light from darkness and life from nothing at all…

Those who hold this view are not threatened by science exploring the "how" of creation. At every stage we step back and evaluate the scientists' theories and discoveries, and they only serve to heighten the sense of awe at a God who designed all creation!

—Rev. Adam Hamilton,
“Creation and Evolution in the Public Schools”
in Confronting the Controversies, pp. 36ff.)

What Would Jesus Buy?

2009-12-15T15:09:00.002-06:00

Sermon prep a few weeks ago (re: "Unplugging the Christmas Machine"... you know, disconnecting from that which deludes and distracts) had me coming across a video -- a trailer to a movie about Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping.

Was all prepared, in fact, to run the trailer as a video clip in support of my sermon. Technical difficulties precluded it ever being seen by the masses.

Some considered the breakdown an act of God -- sparing me an embarrassing moment in worship! I'll leave that for you to decide here, now...

I Wish You a Mary Christmas!

2009-12-07T15:09:00.003-06:00

Video I made for "Faces at the Manger" Series at Strawbridge... and, more particularly, focus a few weeks ago on Mary.

Brian Bate's song is so meaningful.

Admittedly, I felt a certain pull to the Judy Garland clip at the beginning. Of course, there was/is her singing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." Beyond that, though, there's the reminder of a tragic life that looked so "merry" on the outside but, oh, so hollow and pained at deeper levels -- the kind of soul that Jesus came to rescue.

May God bless us all with a Mary Christmas -- even as we are mindful of the brokenhearted and downtrodden!

Psalms (R & R Reflections #4)

2009-11-02T15:14:00.007-06:00

Again, the tyranny of the urgent has displaced me from my journaling.

Not lacking, though, are the ways I continue to feed off of my Summer Benedictine Experience.

The Psalms, for example, continue to be a most important part and center of my prayer life. It’s a center grounded in Benedict’s Rule and the daily rhythm of Benedictine devotion.

“But, why the Psalms? Why should this mixed bag of emotions – some very base and ungodly… Why, should these form a nucleus for our prayer life? Maybe they could dance at the periphery, but why these prayers at the center of our devotional life?” (Benedictines, you see, will engage all 150 Psalms in the course of a week. Some Coptic communities in Egypt engage all 150 every day!) The question of why the Psalms are given such primacy was a real question before us during my Summer Experience.

While I have only begun to really dance with the Psalms (and, even then, it’s an erratic dance), I can nonetheless affirm their value and importance…

1) On a general level, there’s the way that the Psalms turn my mind toward a God who is over all creation… and a creation that contains a radical mix of beauty and corruption. (Especially is this needful, when so many of our prayers are about “me” and “my” little world.)

2) And then there’s the mix of Psalms and the breadth of emotions and realities they represent:

“Cursing” Psalms which help me identify with the poor and oppressed (and even have me asking myself, “Am I a part of the oppression?”… or, more precisely, “In what ways am I a part of the oppression?”)

Psalms of Confession, Lament and Contrition help me to bow before the Eternal and acknowledge that it’s not about me and that God’s holiness demands that I not get overly nonchalant or complacent in His presence.

Psalms extolling Zion and Jerusalem make me homesick for the “New Jerusalem” to come.

Psalms of Deliverance have me affirming the “spiritual warfare” embedded in this earthy existence… even as they have me affirming my total dependence on God and Grace for “victory.”

Psalms of “Coronation” invite me to enthrone God as Lord of life and living.

Father Richard Rohr has a book entitled, Everything Belongs. It’s an affirmation of the contemplative spirit: that all things in life, when given enough attention, “preach.” It’s a title that conveys much of my feelings and reverence for the Psalms. “Everything belongs”: the praise and confession, the curse and the praise,… God accepts all our prayer-feelings… and all these feelings can point us to God and His life.

“Why the Psalms at the center of devotion?” In light of my own experience, the question or questions that emerge are: “Why not the Psalms?” and “What else, if not the Psalms?”

"Stop, Look, and Listen!" (R&R Reflection #3)

2009-08-09T18:51:00.006-06:00

Among the things that came easiest to me during my "Benedictine Experience" (in spite of what a lot of folks thought when they heard about it) was taking and keeping a vow of silence.

Part of it’s ease comes from my being an introvert. Yes, I know, it’s hard for many to believe. “You get up there every Sunday and preach!,” they’ll tell – something, I guess, that puts me up there with dancing with a lamp shade on my head. My understanding of introversion and extroversion is informed, though, not by what I do in public but by how I “recharge” when I am done. Extroverts, I was taught in seminary, recharge their drained batteries by being with people… while introverts recharge their batteries by being alone. At the end of a long, hard week, you see, I find myself enjoying silence and solitude.

Used to be I felt guilty about this: I mean, a pastor should just want to be with people, shouldn’t he (or she)? Then, I remembered that Jesus often found a lonely place apart. It’s helped me to accept the way I am wired.

Of course, opposites attract. Kathy, you see, in an extrovert. Not so surprisingly, we can go to the same family reunion and Kathy can say “boy, when can we do that again!” while I am sighing under my breath, “I sure am glad we got that over with!” It’s something I have to be mindful of as Friday approaches. What’s good for the goose is not necessary what the gander needs!

Anyway, back to the vow of silence…

Yes, in some ways it came naturally to this introvert. In still other ways, it was refreshing – freeing me to look and listen to “life”… and helping me to form thoughts that really might be sharing. I’m mindful of Henri Nouwen, analyzing the downside of what he calls “our wordy world”:

"There was a time not too long ago without radios and televisions, stop signs, yield signs, merge signs, bumper stickers, and the ever-present announcements indicating price increases or special sales. There was a time without the advertisements which now cover whole cities with words. Recently I was driving through Los Angeles, and suddenly I had the strange sensation of driving through a huge dictionary. Wherever I looked there were words trying to take my eyes from the road. They said, ‘Use me, take me, buy me, drink me, smell me, touch me, kiss me, sleep with me.’ In such a world who can maintain respect for words?" (The Way of the Heart)

I’m mindful, as well, of what Dad used to say: “God’s given us two eyes, two ears, and one mouth… maybe it’s His way of saying we ought to look and listen twice as much as we talk!”

Of course, the “vow” does not eliminate all talk. There was “spiritual direction” and time for “sacred readings” during mealtime and points at which we could ask questions as we engage topics related to “Benedictine Spirituality.” Far from being a call to complete silence, then, the “vow” was a commitment to meaningful words.

And, as I moved forward (even until today), I find myself wanting to talk less… and listen and look better.

St. Benedict and his followers remind us that there’s plenty of wisdom in the old words at the railroad crossing – wisdom that goes well beyond our physical being, wisdom that penetrates to our best as spiritual and social beings: “Stop, look, and listen!”

The Gospel According to Chocolat

2009-08-06T07:39:00.004-06:00

In our current "Power of Holy Habits" sermon series (on the "Means of Grace" as "Means of Intimacy with God"), I struggled for a handle which would help us to get in touch with the spirit (or Spirit?) of Holy Communion. There was a handout with all sort of heady guides and instructions, but now, as we approached the table, I wanted our hearts engaged.

Of course, my heart and mind were drawn to the movies -- my "art" of choice. First to mind was "Babbett's Feast," a beautiful and powerful foriegn film about a woman who cashes it all in to spread a feast in the midst of a community of religious legalists. The meal is liberating for all!

Subtitles a burden... and other things hard to condense into a timely video, my mind turned to a kindred (and more recent... and more managable) film in Chocolat:

It's the story of a fresh wind blowing in a stagnant village.

It's the story of a new spirit coming to a villaged seeped and trapped in legalism -- a spirit who seeks their freedom.

In the face of defiance, this liberator throws a feast -- eating with sinners and seeking their release from captivity.

And, on the other side? There's dancing and rejoicing and hugging and reconciliation.

I took liberty to make the legalist scenes and characters black and white, I admitted to the 11 o'clock crowd. It was my way of making a point about legalistic existence. Don't know if I tampered too much or not. However, if you'll allow me that freedom, I'd ask you to ride with the "poetry": namely, the Gospel at the heart of Holy Communion seeks to free us from our black and white existence... and release us in to a full color existence!

I hope you enjoy this montage video as much as I enjoy my attempts at being an artist through video media...

"Bowing to Icons???!!!!" (R & R Reflections, 2)

2009-07-28T11:01:00.018-06:00

In my last post, I shared my appreciation for the bows we brought to God and each other in our prayers throughout the day – with our “bows to God” being especially focused toward the icon at the front of the oratory (or worship center). Understanding the nature and symbolism of icons (especially from, say, a Greek Orthodox background) helped me tremendously to see and appreciate what, exactly, we were bowing to in the icon above.

John the Baptist (standing to the right): understood as the last “Old Testament” figure, with words of the prophet on his lips and expectations of the Messiah (foretold and foreshadowed in the Old) in his heart

Mary (standing to the left): the first person to accept Christ into her life and, therefore, the first of Christian believers

Note that both John and Mary face Christ – conveying and emphasizing that is in Christ that the Old and New meet.

The enthroned Christ (a throne, not so surprisingly, like Emperor Constantine’s arched throne) rests his feet on footstool – its corners reflecting the four corners of the universe… Jesus is Lord of all. (Note how Christ, even when seated, is as big as John and Mary. Clearly, he’s not only central but bigger than them both!)

Note the significance of colors and the message of colors in the icon. Blue is the color of divinity, red humanity, gold and white the glory and the light of God. The white areas or lines on the flesh and clothing represent the transfigured light of Christ. Accordingly: Christ is part and emerges out of the glory and light of God, Christ is divine and puts on humanity, Mary (representing all of us) is human and takes on divinity,…

In Christ’s halo are the Greek letters which comprise the word “ego” or “I am.” That it is in the circle of the halo speaks of repetition. Reminiscent of God’s words to Moses: Christ is the eternal “I am”: “I am what I am” and “I will be what I will be.”

Christ holds the Bible, the Word open with his left hand. Not so surprisingly, the text is from John 14:6: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” His right hand is held up in blessing. Hard to see in the icon above (but clear in the inset from another icon) are two fingers held up (conveying the two natures of Christ, human and divine) and the other three fingers coming together (signifying the trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit).

It was clear to me… and it should be clear, I believe, to the open-minded and open-hearted among us and around us: that our bowing in front of the icon on our way into the worship was not any king of idolatry but a real gesture of reverence for the Lord of all Creation (to which the icon points, to which the icon is a window). In much the same way, when I put my cross necklace on in the morning, I do not see my kissing it as a worship of the metal or even the cross as much as a way of kissing Christ.

The story was told, in fact, during our time apart of a woman who could not understand why her father would kiss a bedside picture of her departed mother each night before he went to sleep. Upon hearing and unpacking some of the meanings of the icon and the real grounds for bowing, it became clear: the old man was not kissing a picture as much as he was kissing his beloved goodnight.

My Jesus, my Saviour

Lord there is none like You

All of my days, I want to praise

The wonders of Your mighty love

My comfort, my shelter

Tower of refuge and strength

Let every breath, all that I am

Never cease to worship You

Shout to the Lord

All the earth let us sing

Power and majesty

Praise to the King

Mountains bow down

And the seas will roar

At the sound of Your name

I sing for joy

At the work of Your hands

Forever I’ll love You

Forever I’ll stand

Nothing compares to the promise

I have in You

"Take a Bow!" (Reflections from R & R, 1)

2009-07-23T18:30:00.004-06:00

Returning from a most meaningful time of rest and re-creation – perhaps the most meaningful I have had in recent memory. There was time for personal retreat and renewal – participating for the better part of a week in a “Benedictine Experience” in Dallas. There was real time to work and sweat – with downtime to read and pray – here around the house as we set up home. (I’d say we are 95% of the way done: cars are in the garage, only a half dozen boxes sitting in a closet [where they can stay], ceiling fans hung,… Really, only some pictures to hang!) And, then, there was participation in a “Day of Wellness” for clergy at Methodist Hospital. Yes, there could have been a few more day trips sprinkled in – and seeing friends out and around. Still, though, it was most meaningful time of “Sabbath.”

So meaningful, in fact, that I thought I’d take a few postings to process… and to share reflections and insights and gleanings from this time apart.

I begin with (and probably have the most to share from) the “Benedictine Experience” in Dallas at the end of June. It’s designed as an opportunity for the those so interested (lay and clergy… across denominational lines) to get a taste of living the life and prayer rhythm of a monastic lifestyle -- with lectures sprinkled in on Benedictine Spirituality (i.e., Spirituality and Theology and Devotional Rhythm emanating from the ancient Rule of St. Benedict). It’s long been an interest of mine. (See previous posts.) Truly, it was a refreshing experience that opened my mind and heart to alternative ways of prayer and devotion and living.

A quite simple and innocent gesture is among the first things I’d elevate and reflect upon: coming into the Oratory (i.e., the worship center) and bowing – bowing to an icon reflective of the Christ in our midst… and, before taking our seats, bowing to others in the room. No, we were not bowing to the icon but bowing to the Lord and Savior it conveyed – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit behind it. And the bow we made to one another? It was simply a way, with our bodies, of affirming the sacredness of the others in the room – the reality that Christ is in our neighbor.

I know that we Protestants can misunderstand and misjudge our Catholic brothers and sisters as they employ their holy water and genuflections and do their signs of the cross. (I am relieved that our misunderstandings and especially our judgments are not as pronounced as they used to be!) Refreshing for me, though, was the way that my body was a part of my spirit in the Worship and Devotion: bowing had me truly feeling that I was in the presence of the Holy – truly in the presence of a Lord and King who was more than worthy of a bow. And bowing to my neighbor had me truly feeling a more profound sense of the sacredness and worth of the other. In a way, the bowing of morning, noon, evening and night prayer times had me “bowing” throughout the day – well beyond the worship center. I found myself walking with a much more contrite heart throughout the “sanctuary” of the day and our retreat facilities.

So, take a bow! Trace a sign of the cross over mind and heart and soul! Let your fingers touch the sacred and mysterious waters of life and baptism! And, amidst it all, ask your self if it does not find – in this cooperation, this convergence of body and action and soul and creed – a certain heightening of devotion and reverence in your deeper spirit and soul!

We bow down,

We cast our crowns

At the feet of Jesus.

The greatness of

His mercy and love...

at the feet of Jesus

And we cry holy, holy, holy,

Holy, holy, holy…

is the Lamb.

"You Say You Want a Resolution..."

2009-05-28T12:44:00.003-06:00

Annual Conference is over…

Real joy in my heart as I return to Strawbridge!

Among the things Conference does is give me a chance to review the year past and renew commitments for the coming months: commitments in ministry, commitments with family in mind, personal commitments,…

It may not be totally safe to share in this kind of forum. Still, in a Wesleyan kind of way, I need some accountability partners. And so, I share…

I want and need to rekindle my devotional life… Things are stale and I earnestly seek freshness in my daily time with Him… in a rhythm that has Him woven throughout my day!

I want and need to rekindle my life as a father and a husband… It’s not that things are terrible, but, like my devotional life, I know there’s greater freshness and joy and meaningful intimacy to be found and claimed.

I want and need to settle down in my work here at church… Oh, not kick back and loaf. But, recognize that there’s enough on the platter. That, as much as we need to do anything new right now, we need to engage the programs and needs (and new initiatives) at hand… and find time to enjoy each other throughout it all!

I want and need to take better care of my physical being… I drink too much coffee and coke. I do not exercise like I should. I am careless in my eating and snacking. I am 30+ pounds overweight (with a whole wardrobe hanging there, unused in my closet)!!!! All in all, it has my short of breath too easily… and sweating like a pig!

I want and need to be a better friend and brother and uncle… I want to reach out to folks better and be there for them and learn more deeply what it is to love – love with His love!

I want and need humility. I want to harness that “want” in me which seeks attention. I don’t always have to talk. I don’t always have to go for the joke or the laugh to draw attention to myself. I need to learn the art of silence… and really listening to the other – including the Other which is God!

And amidst it all, I want and need you, out there – friends, family, brothers and sisters in the Faith… I need and want you all to pray for me… and even hold my feet to the fire. I need your encouragement. I need you to question me – when, say, I reach for that second cup of coke. I need you to know that I want to be better – better for myself, better for you, better for God. I need and want you to be patient with me… and accept me when I fail.

I need and want balance in this walk… and I need and want Companions on these tight rope journeys called life and Christianity!

Joy Journal

2009-05-18T08:04:00.007-06:00

In my 13 years of post-high school schooling, two papers particularly stand out in my memory. Both achieved marks of “D.” Both were tremendously helpful as learning devices.

The first paper (not a real focus here) was in Freshman English at A & M. Perhaps its biggest lesson was emotional or spiritual: a certain humbling of the boy who thought he knew it all. Yes, I learned to write (or, at least, advance in writing) that first semester of college English!

The second paper (more of a focus here) taught me a lesson about and the meaning of being “critical.” A “critical review” of a book in Christian History book at seminary had me tearing the book apart for all its weaknesses… and the flaws I saw. Isn’t that the nature of being critical after all?! You know, like criticism?!

Problem is, I soon learned (with “D” in hand), that “critical” (at least in “critical review”) implies a balanced effort to analyze weaknesses, yes, but also to affirm strengths!

It’s a lesson that has had meaning throughout the years – even unto today: the importance of seeing not just the “original sin” in the world but also the “original goodness,” as well!

It’s the basis of encouraging staff around the church to keep a joy journal – a daily catalog of all that is good and right and “worthy of praise” in our lives and world… a counterbalance to all the stresses and negatives that can come our way (because we do live in a fallen world).

Admittedly, I waver and wane on this discipline (as I do with most of my spiritual disciplines). In the wake of the last blog, though ( a blog which I continue to struggle with… but, for whatever reasons, do not want to erase),… In the wake of the last blog, I feel inclined to count my blessings. (It’s got to be a great concept! I mean, it’s not only a great hymn but there’s Bing singing about it in “White Christmas!”)

And so, just to get the ball rolling on this Monday morning and this new week, I take a minute or two to recall my blessings and joys in life…

a loving wife and companion
healthy children who are going through the normal throes of trying to figure out who they are
the means and the place in which to finally get a home
my health (though I need help here!)
a very loving congregation… and a committed core of church leaders
a “livable forest” which, in so many ways… at so many turns, has me feeling God’s presence
a call and a reason and a vision and a purpose in life
good (and meaningful) books and movies
a very loving extended family… I know that they’ll always be there for me!
a string of very dear friends which span the years and the communities in which we’ve lived – friends as dear and as close as family
a devoted companion in Toby (the wonder dog)!

Yes, it’s only a start. But, it’s enough to get me on the right path!

For it’s true: if you’re going to “make the grade” in life and living, you’ve got to learn the art of looking at both sides!

"Contra Church-Hopping"... or "Church Membership and Community as a Means of Grace (i.e., a Means of Transformation)"

2009-05-12T14:14:00.007-06:00

I'm sorry I haven't maintain this blog too well of late. Over a month since my last post!

It's not for lack of things to write... and feelings to engage. In fact, it's the strength of feelings that has held me back -- making me wonder if I really want to put myself out there. Will folks be able to take it... and accept that I can have such feelings?

Still, I seek transparency. I seek to be a "disciple out of control." And that, plus the acknowledgement that this blog has limited circulation, has me willing to journal here, now.

At the heart of my feelings (that is, at the heart of my heart) is a strong sense of sadness about and disappointment in Church members who have packed up (and here, I must say, it spans the years... and is not just a Strawbridge thing!) and left. And, more specifically, it's their stated reasons for leaving.

It's not that leaving a Church is unforgivable... or that there might not be reasons for so leaving and connecting with another fellowship. (I suggested such in a letter to the congregation in December -- announcing an adjustment in our Sunday morning schedule: "ponder just what are the Biblical grounds for separating one’s self from a community or congregation… [Tolerated immorality {especially among shepherds/leaders}: yes, that just cause! The preaching or teaching of heresies: yes, that’s just cause!] Without wanting to put a false guilt trip on anyone(which would be spiritually abusive), I feel that the question needs to be raised nonetheless: “would/will your reason(s) for leaving the congregation on the basis of an adjusted Sunday morning schedule stand up in the presence of Jesus and eternity?”) Yes, very legitimate reasons exist for leaving one community and joining another! And, yes, very legitimate reasons exist for staying with a community -- even when they don't do things your way!

My frustration, as I've already shared, is with the stated reasons for leaving which I have heard from too many across time... and the reasons I still hear for leaving community. (Please, be advised: these lines cut across my years in ministry. Anyone reading this should be warned against assigning any of these lines to a given place, time, or person!)

"11:00 is the Traditional Worship hour in America!" (where traditional here means "traditional" worship)

"I can't get up at 8:30!" (understandable from many elderly souls... the problem with this line was that it came from a soul who was able to go on a 2-week overseas tour [shortly after saying this] -- a tour that had a rigorous morning schedule for those 14 days!)

"the youth make too much noise in their classes and disturb us... and don't dress up for church... and don't seem to respect my ways or the things I think they should!" (sounds like something Jesus sure would have spit out of his mouth!)

"I never thought it would mean this!" (the words of one soul who told me, "something needs to happen and we'll support you and the church no matter what"... and then left when the "no matter what" demanded adjustments on their part)

"if the men of this church start cutting the yard, I'm out of here" or, another time, "if we start charging for donuts, I'm out of here!" (lines I heard at one church when we were considering some of the things we might do to balance the budget... again, donuts and a manicured lawn: the kind of things Jesus died for!)

I guess you can hear that I'm battling some strong feelings here. I surely want to avoid self-righteousness and attending judgmentalism. Still, with these acknowledgements and their attending prayers, I remain very frustrated and disturbed! I find it extremely hard to embrace these excuses in the light of Jesus and the Cross and the Gospel. Here, I affirm that the importance of Christian community is not that it conforms to us (and our tastes) but that it is a vehicle through which Christ works to conform us to Him. (And, as there's more to conform to, perhaps there's the potential for greater Christ-likeness!)

Truly, I am saddened that people leave the church. And, even sadder for the [empty] reasons they can articulate for leaving a local congregation. But, then, maybe here's hope and consolation (and here I must watch out again, lest I deceive myself): that when some leave a church/congregation for the wrong reasons, there's greater hope for the Church (capital C). For when there's less people consumed with donuts and the churchyard and worship times and attire and having it their way, there's more room for Christ and a singular focus on Him and His way!

Dear God, for all these attitudes -- theirs... and mine:

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy!

Easter Concert, Part One: Maundy Thursday, The Basin and the Towel

2009-04-08T13:35:00.002-06:00

In the spirit of Christmas' concert, a few of my favorites for this most sacred time of the year -- beginning with Michael Card's poignant reflection on humility and footwashing:

The Decline and Fall of Christianity in America

2009-04-06T19:03:00.012-06:00

I really try to keep an open mind... and ponder all sides of an issue. (For that reason, I watch FoxNews and CNN.) It's my theology of tension at work: believing that both sides belong... and stand, together, equally, to contribute to a full understanding of reality. (Of course, that's not to ignore the way both sides can delude and distort!)

Watching "Fox and Friends" this morning had me hearing their rantings about Newsweek's newest issue -- cover-storied with an article on the decline of Christianity in America. (Come on, Newseek, adding "Fall" in the title was a bit sensationalist!)

I have no doubt that the "Foxes" had part of the truth about this "decline" being related to perceptions and biases of the Media.

But, the Media is only part of the problem in my mind. (Talk about bias!! Our Friends at Fox even wanted to suggest that the timing of the article was an afront to American Christianity -- ignoring the fact that Newsweek has traditionally cover-storied articles on faith and religion this time of year, every year!)

Truth is, as I see it, that blaming the Media is a diversion. It's blaming one's poor health on the doctor who, even though he might have poor bedside manners and really doesn't care about you, nonetheless reports truth about your condition.

Truth is (as I see and feel it), Christians have no one else to blame for a poor diagnosis of their condition than themselves. For too long, we've accepted lower standards... and a compromised witness. (What was it that Chesterton said about Christianity? Something like "Christianity has not been tried and found wanting as much as it has been found difficult and hardly tried!) In my mind, we've pretty well given reason for Americans to write us off! I can hear outsiders saying, with cause: "what's the real difference between Christians and non-Christians? what difference does the Church really make?" And finding no real solid or convincing answers to their questions, they go elsewhere for meaning and healing.

To be sure, elements in the Media have given us a bad rap. But, then, we've done a lot to deserve and justify it. The remedy to the "decline and fall" of Christianity in America, you see, is in our becoming a lot less American in our faith and practice... and a lot more, genuinely Christian!

Especially as we enter this Holy Week, let us fix our eyes on the life of Christ... and what we need to let go of (and take hold of). Then, having addressed the "plank" in our eye, we'll be in a much better position to judge how much of the problem is the Media... and we'll be in a much better position to change their minds and hearts!

All Ye Who Are Weary, Come Home!

2009-03-11T06:14:00.004-06:00

Sarah Brooke (daughter at A&M... reminder: Katie is the oldest and don't forget Michael!!) is coming home this Friday... Spring Break... WOOHOO!!!!

A post, then, in honor of homecomings and reunions -- with an excerpt from the grad video I made for her (almost a year ago??!!!)...

Ready to have you home, Brookie... and have all the family together!!!

Love you,

"Fadder"

the "brookie dookie" show, conclusion @ Yahoo! Video

I Heard It Through the Grapevine

2009-03-10T07:05:00.004-06:00

So much converges to make Pierre Teilhard de Chardin’s poem, “Above All, Trust in the Slow Work of God,” relevant and meaningful to where I am (and where we are) in this season of transformation. (Not only is there our focus on becoming Emotionally Healthy and spiritually mature, but there's Spring and Lenten Scriptures/images [including Jesus' Passover focus in John’s Gospel on vines and branches and our Vinedresser God]…

Above all, trust in the slow work of God.
We are quite naturally impatient in everything
to reach the end without delay.
We should like to skip the intermediate stages.
We are impatient of being on the way
to something unknown,
something new.
Yet, it is the law of all progress that is made
by passing through some stages of instability
and that may take a very long time.

And so I think it is with you.
Your ideas mature gradually. Let them grow.
Let them shape themselves without undue haste.
Do not try to force them on
as though you could be today what time
-- that is to say, grace --
and circumstances
acting on your own good will
will make you tomorrow.
Only God could say what this new Spirit
gradually forming in you will be.

Give our Lord the benefit of believing
that his hand is leading you,
and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself
in suspense and incomplete.
Above all, trust in the slow work of God,
our loving vine-dresser.

Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer as a "Cross Walk"

2009-03-02T17:33:00.024-06:00

Engaging my “Protestant Rosary” (see previous post)… and praying the Lord’s Prayer as I get to the central cross in my lanyard of beads and knots has invited me to see the Prayer itself as a walk through the crucifix…

“Our Father, who art in Heaven,
Hallowed (honored and blessed and regarded as Holy) be your Name (and character)…

[here, my finger traces the head of Christ – recalling Heaven and Christ’s coming from the Father]

“Thy Kingdom come, thy Will be done on Earth (or “in Earth”… something we all are)

[here, my finger makes its way to Christ’s feet – as His feet touched ground and brought the Father’s will to earth, even so, I am asking that God’s will touch ground in and through me]

as in Heaven”…

[my finger makes its way back up to the head and Heaven]

“Give us this day, our daily bread/manna” (or “the bread we need for today”)…

[here, my finger makes its way up to the one hand of Christ… as I ask for Him to “give,” I imagine his hand open to me and gifting]

“Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against
us” (or “Forgive us
our [past] sins as we walk as those living
and forgiving under
the Reign of
Your Grace”)…

[here, my finger traces the heart of Christ – the source of His love and mercy and Grace and forgiveness]

“And lead us not into [future] temptation, but deliver us from Evil and the Evil One…”

[here, my finger traces his other hand… as I ask him to “lead” me/us, I imagine taking His hand outstretched hand so that he can guide me/us into my/our future]

“For thine is the Kingdom, Power and Glory forever. Amen.”

[over time, I have found my finger retracing its “walk” through the cross: for thine is the Kingdom (head), the Power (on “earth”), and the Glory (from hand to hand)]

In these ways, the Lord’s prayer is a cross of sorts… or a “cross walk” in which we are about a certain “sign of the cross” as we pray it…

Don’t know if you saw it or not (above), as well: that the Prayer is also a walk through space and time: bridging Heaven (God/Father) to Earth (us humans)… and spanning present, past and future.

Whether any of this “works” for you or not is not nearly my concern as my hope that you are about some regular engagement of this perfect prayer from our Lord… and finding the ways it lives in you… and you live in it..

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

A Protestant Rosary

2009-03-01T17:18:00.003-06:00

I wear a cross around my neck. Its fosters God-consciousness and Christ-sensitivity through my day. Over time, I’ve embedded a few knots and few beads in the lanyard—the cord upon which the cross hangs. In formal and not so formal times, the knots and beads guide me in prayer—a makeshift rosary.

Knots on the cord call me to pray my version of the “Hail Mary”—composed a few years ago when I really did take the rosary and its mysteries on in my prayer life. (Protestant as I am, though, I was not quite comfortable with the "Hail Mary" and some of the theology upon which it hangs. “Why pray to Mary when you can go straight to the Son and the Father and the Spirit?” ran my thinking.) And so, I came up with my own prayer for “counting the beads”—a “Prayer to the Blessed Trinity”:

Blessed and Mysterious Trinity—
Father, Son and Holy Spirit—
Source of all Goodness, Life and Truth,

Worthy art Thou and Thou alone
to receive all honor, glory and power.

Create in me a clean heart
and renew a right Spirit within me,
now and at the hour of my death. Amen.

Beads in the lanyard call me to pray a prayer of healing which I formulated a few years ago at a Healing and Wholeness Conference:

Lord Jesus Christ,
enter into _______,

a precious child [or creation] of yours
and heal that which is broken

in me [or him or her or it]. Amen.

Sometimes I pray the prayer with me in mind. Sometimes I pray it with any number of specific individuals in mind... Sometimes I am mindful of Kathy and each of my children... or my brothers and sister... Sometimes I pray it with Strawbridge in mind or the Church in general. Sometimes I pray it with all creation in mind and heart. Broken and fallen are we all—physically, emotionally, and/or spiritually. All of us are in need of His restoring and redeeming touch.

When I get to the cross (i.e., knots and beads are equally and symmetrically arranged around the central cross), I stop to savor the Lord’s Prayer. I pause with each line and envision that petition. (Another post in the days ahead will convey my experience of that prayer as a walk "around the cross"... More to come!) Sometimes I say “Our Father” and sometimes I personalize it, saying “My Father in Heaven...”

But ours is more than brokenness -- something which invites me to engage the beads on the "other side" of the cross... with another prayer for those I prayed for on the "front side" of the cross:

Lord Jesus Christ,

enter into __________,

a precious child [or creation] of yours

and strengthen all that is good, right, and true

in him/her/it. Amen.

Working my way through the knots and beads is not the fullness of my prayer life. Sometimes I do allow it to make its way into morning or evening prayer time. Mostly, though, I find it becoming a part of the hours in between: stuck at a traffic light or in traffic, knots and beads take me home; waiting for a meeting, knots and beads remind me of who I am and whose I am;...

Sometimes I make it through the rounds once, sometimes a couple of times, sometimes half way. Ever there is the need to make the process meaningful—forbidding that it simply become a mechanical and mindless/heartless rifling through the circuit.

No, I don’t have to take it off from around my neck as I pray: the knots and beads can be felt through my shirt as my fingers trace their way through my “Protestant Rosary.”

Am I suggesting that you need to take up this discipline? Of course not! But I do want to nag you with the question: “what are you doing to make prayer and Christ a meaningful and regular part of the rhythm of your day?” For me, tracing the knots and the beads is one way of keeping Christ before me... and keeping me before Christ.

Forgive the repetition, Friends, but I am convinced it is true: as breathing to the physical body, so prayer to our spiritual vitality. For the Christian, prayer is not one part of life among many. Prayer is life!

With You, in the Quest for a Daily Rhythm in Prayer and Spiritual Breathing!

Putting Ken to Bed...

2009-02-27T14:41:00.004-06:00

Guess I need to get beyond the afterglow of Ken Medema... and move on. (Though, I admit, I'm on a crusade to have him return to Strawbridge... Maybe the Fall?)

One last story, though, before I move on... Kind of a "good night" story... you know, for "putting Ken to bed"...

Among the most remarkable things one experiences at a Ken Medema concert is his asking for stories from the audience... and then taking what he hears and composing a rich and meaningful composition and song. (Very much the same thing he did with my sermon in the previous post.)

Found the attached audio line from a time when Ken was at the Pacific School of Religion and set it to a picture in the following video. Yes, not much of a video. But, then, Ken's gift is not so much what he conveys for our physical sight as much as what he paints for our mental, emotional and spiritual vision...

Ken Medema, Tell Me a Story: "Millie" @ Yahoo! Video

Yes, Good Night, Ken... at least for now... at least in this blog...

And, thanks, Ken... thanks for the ways you wake me up!

Preaching with Ken Medema

2009-02-24T15:37:00.011-06:00

A dream realized: not just getting to meet Ken Medema, but having him engage one of my messages in song.

For those who don't know Ken, his is the amazing gift (among many) of hearing a message and then being able to compose (on the spot) a musical response -- kind of the Wayne Brady thing (from "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" fame). But, in Medema's case, there's an amazing instrumental composition... and very profound spirituality and theology.

And so, mine was the joy of not only getting to meet Ken (someone I have admired from a distance for over 20 years now) but also getting to collaborate with him.

First, there's the video that preceded the message...

What is Real? @ Yahoo! Video

And then, there's my sermon and his response (which begins around the 28:00 mark)... Truly, as several kidded me, Ken's "second sermon" was, by far, the best!

Preaching with Ken Medema @ Yahoo! Video

Living on Heaven's Shores (A [Web] Conclusion to the "Sacred Romance" Series)

2009-02-16T11:59:00.015-06:00

Ralph Mather (a member of the Crockett congregation I once served) shared the story of how, while he was growing up, he and a group of his friends would tease an old Civil War veteren. Illiterate, but too proud to admit it. Ralph and his friends would occasionally throw a book his way to see what he “thought” about it. Pride had him always coming up with some kind of commentary.

On one occasion they threw a Bible the old man's way. Day's later, they asked him what he thought of it.

"Oh, that old book," the man exclaimed. "It's just like all the rest: in the end, they get married and live happy ever after."

"In the end, they get married and live happy ever after": no better a summary could be given to the book of Revelation and the Sacred Romance which is the Gospel.

Sadly, though, we lost our claim on this great ending... and its claim on us... "The reason we have such a hard time resisting our other lovers and living from the heart is we think that this is as good as it gets... At a heart level, most of us have our doubts about the next chapter." (John Eldredge)

Yes, we got to learn a way to keep the story ever before us. In that vein, I love the story which Phil Barnhart tells about the little boy reading a suspenseful western:

One night a father saw a light beneath the door of his son's bedroom. Wondering what his son was doing at such a late hour, he went to the door and heard the boy saying, "ifyou only knew what I know. If you only knew what I know." The next day the boy told his father what was happening. The boy was reading a wild west thriller and had gotten toward the middle of the book where the plot was getting thicker and darker and the hero was being outrageously abused and disgraced. The villain, winning at every turn was gloating over his triumph. When the boy couldn't stand it any longer, he turned to the last page to see how the story was going to turn out. There he saw the hero gloriously vindicated and the villain suitably punished. He went back to the middle of the story. But now, instead of agonizing, he was rejoicing in the midst of the dark plot because he knew the outcome in advance: "If you only knew what I know! If you only knew what I know!" (Phil Bamhart, quoted by Rev. Tim Bruester, FUMC, Georgetown, TX)

Oh, yes, we’ve got to keep the end before us… We’ve got to find a way to tell our souls and the world around us – over and over again: “If you only knew what I knew!”… to tell our souls over and over again:"I am a child of eternity."…

Of course, it is not that easy. It’s a matter of daily rising up to this recollection…

Deeply, am I moved by George MacDonald when he prays for us all:

Sometimes I wake, and lo, I have forgot,

And drifted out upon an ebbing sea!

My soul that was at rest now resteth not,

For I am with myself and not with thee;

Truth seems a blind moon in a glaring morn,

Where nothing is but sick-heart vanity.

Oh, thou who knowest! Save thy child forlorn.

—Geo. MacDonald, Diary of an Old Soul

Yes, it is not that easy… And, for such reasons, we’ll need to take a good, long and hard look at what the Ancients of our faith have called the “Means of Grace” – Holy Habits which help us to recollect… and be re-collected by the truths of this Sacred Romance. (Coming this Summer!)

But forgetting is only a part of our problem. There’s the equal danger that comes from “belittling” Heaven as our Soul’s destination – sterilizing and domesticating it to the end that it does not capture our hearts and yearnings and desires. (And what is it that we’ve said before? If Heaven does not take your breath away, something else will!)

Along this very lines, Peter Kreeft writes: “Our pictures of Heaven simply do not move us; they arc not moving pictures. It is this aesthetic failure rather than intellectual or moral failures in our pictures of Heaven and of God that threatens faith most potently today. Our pictures of Heaven are dull, platitudinous and syrupy; therefore, so is our faith, our hope, and our love of Heaven ... It doesn't matter whether it's a dull lie or a dull truth. Dullness, not doubt, is the strongest enemy of faith, just as indifference, not hate, is the strongest enemy of love. (Peter Kreeft, Everything You Wanted to Know About Heaven)

Beloved, it is one thing for us to rehearse the story and its end… over and over again. But, it is still another, equally grand thing to make sure we are recalling how breath-taking it all is… how ‘so worth it’ it all is!

And here, words and art totally fail in conveying the awesomeness of Heaven… and its ability to fulfill our every longing and yearning… without ever becoming boring!

I like the way Goerge MacDonald put it, writing to the daughter that he would soon lose to tuberulosis: "I do live expecting great things in the life that is ripening for me and all mine--when we shall have all the universe for our own, and be good merry helpful children in the great house of our Father. Then, darling, you and I and all will have the grand liberty wherewith Christ makes free--opening his hand to send us out like white doves to range the universe." (The Heart of George MacDonald, from JD, p. 123)

Sending us out like “white doves to range the universe!” Wow, now there’s an inkling of eternity that stirs my soul… an inkling that carries me beyond the fear, as Eldredge put it at one of his Conferences, that Heaven is no more than an eternal worship service! (To quote him: “something in my heart says, "For how long? " I mean a 100,000 years? A couple 100,000years? I mean I like worship, maybe as much as the next guy. But, forever ever? Heaven is an unending church service? That sounds like Hell to me... Church is fine, but it doesn 't take your breath away. A weekend in Hawaii beats it hands down!")

“Inklings” of heaven, then, are about all we get. A glimpse here, a stirring there. But, they are enough for me—enough for me to believe that these shadows, these tips of the icebergs we see can not begin to declare the greater depth and glory which goes beyond the comprehension of mind and heart and soul.

I almost cringe here to have just talked about icebergs and to turn to the film clip I have chosen, from Titanic. Admittedly, I have mixed feelings about this blockbuster. On the one hand, I have always been a little, if not a lot, disturbed that Hollywood made so much money off of such a terrible tragedy. Of course, there is a great romance embedded in it – just one more reflections of that “Sacred Romance” we’ve been talking about: lovers, adversaries, arrows,… But, perhaps most stirring, most compelling for me, is that ending… a glimpse, an inkling of reunion and beauty and intimacy…

Inklings… Shadows… Glimpses… Huantings… It’s all we have. It’s all we’re given. It’s all this world can ever offer.

Most times, they are enough… (And, those times when they aren’t? I wait.)

Inklings… What was it that Paul said about such treasures as Heaven… and Eternal Life? Something along the lines of “eye not seeing nor ear hearing nor heart conceiving what God has in store for those that love him!?”

Inklings… Isn’t that the gist of what Lewis was saying when he wrote of this world's existence as but the “shadowlands” of a higher existence in God... nothing but the title page of a story in which “every chapter is better than the one that went before." (cf., C.S. Lewis, LW&W in Chronicles)

Yes, Inklings… Yes, we can only begin to imagine…

Closing Prayer (from Macdonald, Diary of An Old Soul):

When I no more can stir my soul to move,

And life is but the ashes of a fire;

When I can but remember that my heart

Once used to live and love, long and aspire,—

Oh, be thou then the first, the one thou art;

Be thou the calling, before all answering love,

And in me wake hope, fear, boundless desire.

We interrupt this programming…

2009-02-16T11:32:00.007-06:00

“Life is what happens where you’re busy making other plans.” Yeah, right! But what about when you’re sick – neither busy nor living!??!?!

Okay, so here, on the other side of some kind of bug, is the plan… It’s a plan that I was actually going to convey during worship through this last week’s teaching handout (see banner, above):

1) conclude “Sacred Romance” (SR) series this last weekend (2/15)with message on “Living on Heaven’s Shores”

2) defer what was originally slated to be the last message in the SR series on how we can and should live as “Resident Aliens” (that is, how we can live as those in this world but not of it)... defer it until this Summer when we talk about “The ‘Means of Grace’ [prayer, Bible study, etc] as the Means of Keeping It All Alive”

3) commence Lenten series on “Emotionally Healthy Church” this coming Sunday the 22^nd (while Ken Medema is with us)… with a keynote question of “do you really want to get well?”

Your head spinning, too? Or, is it just the vestiges of this bug?

With the [now additional] adjustment that this last Sunday’s conclusion now needs to become a blog posting (coming soon!), I am pretty well thinking that’s what we’re going to do…

At least, that’s the plan… and I’m sticking to it…
provided I don’t get sick…
and provided there’s not a hurricane…
and provided Jesus doesn’t come bustin’ in any moment… (Maranatha!)
and provided…

Being Faithful to the Gospel ‘Bridge’… and Relevant to the Age!

2009-02-08T18:07:00.005-06:00

Just got back from preaching at a “Homecoming/Revival” service at a congregation I formerly served in Highlands…

So good to catch up and reminisce.

As a way of speaking where I am in my own ministry… and as a way of speaking about the real paradox the Church faces in this age of “Post-Christendom,” as many are calling it – this age in which the Church and the Gospel are not the nucleus around which our culture revolves; I shared a most compelling image that was first presented to me by Emergent Church guru, Brian McLaren.

The image comes in the wake of torrential rains associated with the landfall of Hurricane Mitch in Central America in 1998. Rainfall of between 75 and100 inches of rain in just a few days time was enough to trigger major mudslides and to significantly alter maps of the region. Rainfall and erosion were enough, for example, to change the course of the river flowing through a state capital, Choluteca. (See picture, below.) The result: a once useful bridge which spanned the river (and connected two communities) was now useless—serving mostly as an object of curiosity for locals and tourists.

Comments McLaren: “Change is happening constantly. But when a lot of change is concentrated in a short amount of time, structures that used to serve become tourist attractions. And, the maps that used to accurately reflect reality don’t reflect reality anymore. And then you have to start adventuring off the map.”

The implications for the Church are obvious to me: living in an era of unprecedented change, the “geography” of our culture has changed. If the church is to remain an effective agent of God in bridging humans and God (as well as the members of the human community), we are going to have to acknowledge the shifts; to accept that some features of the old “map” are no longer relevant; to admit that the bridge may need to be moved or changed; and to affirm that more than we are attached to any specific bridge (no matter how effective it’s been in the past), we are committed to bridge-building that is relevant to current conditions! In other words, we’ll need to find ways to make the timeless Gospel relevant to a new day and age—without compromising the essential qualities and principles of that Gospel! To fail to do so is to set ourselves up as objects of curiosity for future generations much like the cathedrals of Europe. (Or, as Methodist Pastor and Consultant, Bill Easum suggests: if it does not engage in the necessary work of responsibly engaging the emerging culture, the United Methodist Church is on the fast track to becoming, say, the Shakers of the next generation. [Of course, there’s nothing wrong with Shakers. No, the “problem” with the Shakers, if we must use that word “problem,” is that they are almost extinct and they exist, in the minds of most, more as an object of curiosity than as a functional “bridge” — effectively connecting human with human… and “outsiders” with God.])

Effective bridges, you see, are not only true and faithful in concept but are also seated at the “right” places —touching ground at precise points of existing need and dislocation.

Ultimately, as I shared with my friends in Highland, we have a choice of moving the bridge, of becoming flexible according to the sentiments of a new age… or we can remain locked in place with the conviction that “if they really want God, they’ll do things our way.”

Frankly, I am very discontent to sit around and hope that they’ll finally see things our way and come to us. Frankly, I believe (and I believe Jesus and Paul and the Saints believe) that, so long as you don’t compromise the Gospel and its timeless principles and laws of life, there is nothing we should not change in style and method to reach those outside for Christ!

Like Highlands, you need to know that’s what makes me “tick.” That is, I believe, what must be at the heart of congregations and disciples yearning to be fully alive in and faithful to the Christ!

Rescuing the Prodigal from "the Obscurity of the Familiar"

2009-02-01T18:27:00.007-06:00

Ken Bailey (referenced below) speaks of the danger in reading and studying the Bible of "the obscurity of the familiar" -- that is, our missing a the truth of a passage because we are too familiar with it... so familiar that we have blinders on.

Scouring the internet, I wanted to find some fresh expressions of the Parable of the Prodigal Son -- all in the hopes of our seeing it anew.

eprodigals.com is a great place to visit -- unpacking the teachings of Rev. Ken Bailey (a Presbyterian pastor who has spent the majority of his years in the Middle East, a reknown Biblical scholar well respected for his insights into Christ and his first century culture). For the ways it conveys the parable with some respect for it's Middle Eastern roots and for the ways it conveys the scandal of a father running... and the outrage of a village for a father scorned, I find the following video most insightful. (Don't neglect, by the way, the insights to be found by going to eprodigals.com!)

More contemporary is "Prodigal Sons," a contemporary rendering of the parable about two sons trying to manipulate their father to achieve their own selfish ends. It's one of several parables available for viewing (and worth watching) at ModernParable.com:

http://modernparable.com/watchfilms/prodigalsons

Frustrating to me is that I can not find any link for you to listen to Christian Rap Artist, Prodigal Son... and his song entitled "Prodigal Son." His music is acclaimed as "Holy Hip-Hop." For those willing to get out of the box, it may be worth the 99 cents for the download from itunes...

I'll keep looking...

As you find a video or article that gives you a fresh insight into or exerience of the Prodigal, I'd love to hear about it!

A Maverick of a God

2009-01-24T16:25:00.003-06:00

Admittedly, I am not much of an artist... Stick figures is about it. I have found a channel, though, for my creativity through video production.

The following is a music video I created -- synchronizing David's Wilcox's very meaningful "Show the Way" with images from the Internet... and Disney's "Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe." Altogether, it serves to undergird this week's "Sacred Romance" message on our "Maverick of a God" -- a Trinity that is beyond our domesticating... and, yet, remains on our side. What was it that Mr. Beaver said about Aslan, the Christ figure, in Narnia: "He's not safe, but He's good!"

The Problem of Pain

2009-01-20T18:13:00.005-06:00

I have no doubt that the greatest roadblock to believing in the God affirmed by Christians: how a loving, all-present, and all-powerful Deity could tolerate pain and suffering. It’s an issue, if not the issue at the heart of this week’s focus on “A Maverick of a God.”

Reading Yancy’s Where is God When It Hurts? a few years ago had me finding a partial answer and resolution, at least for me. At one juncture, I found myself journaling:

“As deeply, now, as I ask ‘Where is God when it hurts?,’ I ask ‘Where is His Church – His People – when it hurts?’ We, you see, are the answers to both questions. God is not on trial in our sufferings as much as we, the Church, are. And, to the extent that we are THE CHURCH, the question of meaningless suffering is radically diminished.”

Evil Cast Among Us

2009-01-14T20:19:00.003-06:00

A small group study on EPIC (a sister work by John Eldredge, the author of The Sacred Romance) provoked one teen to produce the following video about “The Entrance of Evil” in that Story in which we find ourselves. It’s worth a watch for the ways it captures and conveys the interplay of foci from the previous two posts: there’s an adversary in our Story… and there are ways in which this adversary, like other elements of our “meta-narrative” finds its way into our lesser stories and the Arts.

(Note, as well, what I said earlier about the White Witch [from Disney’s first Narnia film], a main focus of the second half of this video: namely, the fact that she’s not ugly or repulsive in appearance and that she offers something so tasty as Turkish Delight. It speaks of the real ways that Evil can deceive and seduce. It’s very much in touch with Paul, writing in 2 Cor. 11:17: that “Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.”)

Reel to Real

2009-01-13T08:39:00.007-06:00

“…we need to hold the creeds in one hand

and our favorite forms of art in the other.”

--John Eldredge, The Sacred Romance

It’s a basis for this sermon series being so filled with and complimented by film clips and my recommending movies for various age groups: Hollywood’s classics are in touch with eternal themes of the Gospel and the Sacred Romance.

What we are talking about here goes far beyond entertainment, though. It was, in fact, the basis for the conversion of C.S. Lewis to Christianity. While Lewis’ art form of choice was mythology, it was nonetheless his conversations with J.R.R. Tolkien about his favorite Myths that led to his embracing Christ and Christianity.

In a letter to his friend, Arthur Greeves, Lewis recounts a watershed conversation between he and Tolkien and Hugo Dyson on the famed “Addison’s Walk” on the grounds of Oxford. An excerpt from the letter, written a week and a half after the never-to-be-forgotten dialogue:

"I have just passed on from believing in God to definitely believing in Christ--in Christianity... what Dyson and Tolkien showed me was this: that if I met the idea of sacrifice in a Pagan story I didn't mind it at all: again if I met the idea the idea of a god sacrificing himself to himself ... I liked it very much and was mysteriously moved by it: again, that the idea of the dying and reviving god . . . similarly moved me provided I met it anywhere except in the Gospels. The reason was that in the Pagan stories I was prepared to feel the myth as profound and suggestive of meanings beyond my grasp even tho' I could not say in cold prose "what it meant". Now the story of Christ is simply a true myth: a myth working on us in the same way as the others, but with this tremendous difference that it really happened...."

-- C.S.Lewis to Arthur Greeves, 18 October 1931, in
They Stand Together: The Letters of C.S. Lewis
to Arthur Greeves (1914-1963), p, 427.

For Lewis, like Tolkien, then, the Gospel was a “True Myth” – God’s historic fulfillment of all the truths embedded in the lesser stories, myths, and even movies composed by men.

Of course, the words “myth” and “Gospel” in the same sentence can be offensive and treatening to some – as, indeed, they would have been for me a few years ago. “Myth” connoted, in these earlier years, fantasy and fantastical stories disconnected from reality. To associate the Gospel with “myth” would have sent me reeling… and had me disconnecting from such a teacher/preacher. “Why, them’s fightin’ words, Preacher!,” I can hear someone out there saying.

But, here me out… or maybe hear Lewis out – as I think he might say it best:

[t]he heart of Christianity is a myth which is also a fact. The old myth of the Dying God, without ceasing to be myth, comes down from the heaven of legend and imagination to the earth of history. It happens—at a particular date, in a particular place, followed by definable historical consequences. We pass from a Balder or an Osiris, dying nobody knows when or where, to a historical Person crucified (it is all in order) under Pontius Pilate. By becoming fact it does not cease to be myth: that is the miracle. … God is more than god, not less: Christ is more than Balder, not less. We must not be ashamed of the mythical radiance resting on our theology. We must not be nervous about "parallels" and "pagan Christs": they ought to be there—it would be a stumbling block if they weren't. We must not, in false spirituality, withhold our imaginative welcome. If God chooses to be mythopoeic—and is not the sky itself a myth—shall we refuse to be mythopathic?

--C.S. Lewis, "Myth Became Fact," in God in the Dock

“He has set eternity in our hearts” (Ecclesiates 3:11)

“The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands…
Their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.”
(Psalms 19:1,4)

And, across the ages, sensitive spirits have sought
to define the stirrings of their hearts
and contain the voice of the Heavens
in story, in song, in art.
But, their's were only dim echoes and shadows.

The Real, I mean THE REAL—
Word and Truth and Very Spirit of God—
Could never be captured or confined or contained.

So, in the midst of frustration—His… and ours—
God spoke the Word into our lives.
But, as always happens when He speaks,
That Word was active and alive
And lived and breathed and walked among us.
So that, seeing the Truth enfleshed and risen,
Our hearts saw the Source of all stirring
And our Souls, the Voice of the Heavens.

And still, my Soul craving the Heaven’s voice,
I go to the movies and the lesser fictions,
heart stirring…
And, I go to the Bible to understand why.

O come, Thou Author and Perfecter,
Fulfillment of every truthful story,
And write my story,
Perfect my part in Your greater play.
And carry me beyond the “title page” of this world!

Arrows and Adversaries

2009-01-12T15:02:00.006-06:00

I have to admit: I’m proud of the image I came up for this last week’s sermon. The one about there being arrows and an adversary in that story we are living in—the Sacred Romance we’ve been talking about. I took an image of the “White Witch” from the Chronicles of Narnia movie… and superimposed a broken heart that I tweaked from another site.

All that pride stuff behind, it’s an image that helps me get to this week’s topic: the hindrances and roadblocks to our living in this great “Love Story.” The causes are multiple, as we’ll see. But, chief among them is the fact that our hearts are scarred from past words and experiences… and there’s a distorter of truth out there who wants us to forever live under these “lies.”

As an aside: looking at the image, above, I am struck by the fact that Disney gave us an attractive “White Witch.” And, then, there’s that Turkish Delight she offers: so tasty! It serves as a good reminder, doesn’t it: that the “adversaries” out there are subtle and deceptive—often appearing as our friends and as something desirable in our lives!

More to the week at hand, though.

Excited as I am as we continue to explore this story we Christians find ourselves in, there’s a certain trepidation and caution. I’ve been around enough to know that anything that promises real breakthroughs can also spark real upheaval in people’s hearts and souls.

Even so, as we advance to talk about scarred hearts (and the memories attached to those scars) and a strain of Evil woven into our reality. There’s demons in this stuff! (And here, we are going to have to find some way to affirm that there’s Evil and “demons” in our stories without getting carried away!) Yes, there’s demons in this stuff and “they” are provoked when we ask people to think about the arrows in our lives… and to ask God to enter our pains and do something about these arrows. Whatever Evil is… whatever Satan is (and here, we’ve got to get beyond the guy with the goatee and horns and cape and pitchfork!)… Whatever these things are, there’s something woven into our stories which desires to hold us back. (Just ask the recovering addict who seeks a new life!)

And so I enter this week very prayerfully—leery of the ways some might be provoked and unsettled but ultimately grateful for the power of our God over the slings and arrows and adversaries!

Along these lines, I leave you with a story that Neil T. Anderson tells in his best seller, The Bondage Breaker. (It’s a book, by the way, that many may find of value in this week of letting go of arrows.)

IN MY EARLY YEARS OF understanding, I was asked by a local Christian counselor if I could provide some spiritual assessment of one of his clients. He had given her several psychological tests but never got to the root of her problem. After four years of counseling with no results, he finally considered the possibility that his client could be in some kind of spiritual bondage. During those early years of counseling, she wrote the following prayer to God, then ten minutes later tried unsuccessfully to kill herself with an overdose of pills:

Dear God,
Where are you? How can you watch and not help me? I hurt so bad, and you don’t even care. If you cared you’d make it stop or let me die. I love you, but you seem so far away. I can’t hear you or feel you or see you, but I’m supposed to believe you’re here. Lord, I feel them and hear them. They are here. I know you’re real, God, but they are more real to me right now. Please make someone believe me, Lord. Why won’t you make it stop? Please, Lord, please! If you love me you’ll let me die.

—A Lost Sheep

The kingdom of darkness was far more real to her than the presence of God…

The woman who called herself “A Lost Sheep’’ finally gained some measure of freedom. She was sitting in church one Sunday four years after she wrote her desperate prayer when she sensed God’s leading to write His response to her. This is what she wrote:

My Dear Lost Sheep,
You ask Me where I am. My child, I am with you and I always will be. You are weak, but in Me you are strong. I love you so much that I can’t let you die. I am so close that I feel everything you feel. I know what you are going through, for I am going through it with you. But I have set you free and you must stand firm. You do not need to die physically for my enemies to be gone, but be crucified with Me and I will live in you, and you shall live with Me. I will direct you in paths of righteousness. My child, I love you and I will never forsake you, for you are truly mine.

—Love, God

(Neil Anderson, The Bondage Breaker, p. 17, 28)

"The Life of the Beloved"

2009-01-06T21:15:00.010-06:00

As we make our way into this series on "The Sacred Romance," my heart is drawn to the words of a favorite mentor, Henri Nouwen from a sermon he gave in 1991. (Time does not permit to tell you more about Nouwen... and all the ways he's spoken to me through the years. Alas, I see another post [or two... or three... ] coming!)

I would like to speak to you about the spiritual life as the life of the beloved. As a member of a community of people with mental disabilities, I have learned a lot from people with disabilities about what it means to be the beloved. Let me start by telling you that many of the people that I live with hear voices that tell them that they are no good, that they are a problem, that they are a burden, that they are a failure. They hear a voice that keeps saying, "If you want to be loved, you had better prove that you are worth loving. You must show it."

But what I would like to say is that the spiritual life is a life in which you gradually learn to listen to a voice that says something else, that says, "You are the beloved and on you my favor rests."

You are the beloved and on you my favor rests.

Jesus heard that voice. He heard that voice when He came out of the Jordan River. I want you to hear that voice, too. It is a very important voice that says, "You are my beloved son; you are my beloved daughter. I love you with an everlasting love. I have molded you together in the depths of the earth. I have knitted you in your mother's womb. I've written your name in the palm of my hand and I hold you safe in the shade of my embrace. I hold you. You belong to Me and I belong to you. You are safe where I am. Don't be afraid. Trust that you are the beloved. That is who you truly are."

I want you to hear that voice. It is not a very loud voice because it is an intimate voice. It comes from a very deep place. It is soft and gentle. I want you to gradually hear that voice. We both have to hear that voice and to claim for ourselves that that voice speaks the truth, our truth. It tells us who we are. That is where the spiritual life starts -- by claiming the voice that calls us the beloved.

--from the “Life of the Beloved,”

Henri Nouwen, May 17, 1991

Heart Matters

2008-12-30T11:47:00.013-06:00

Over the course of the last 10 years, several books have had a tremendous impact on my throughts and feelings about the ideals that surround (at least, for me) discipleship and the Gospel and Church life. (See related blog posting, October 18.) Two of these books will be the bases of what I consider to be among the most important discussions of our life together… and our entering into a new chapter in our personal and corporate lives at Strawbridge.

The first of these books, The Sacred Romance (by Brent Curtis and John Eldredge), will be the basis of a sermon series by the same name (to be presented between January 4 and February 22). While there’s a need to be critical of aspects of its discussion (as I believe there is with any and all books and discussions and teachings), "Sacred Romance" has done more than any other book I have read to assist the Gospel in making that “longest journey” which is the “18 inches from head to heart.” I’ll share this coming Sunday, for example, about how the book was part of a bigger move of the Holy Spirit to convert my relationship with the Gospel and Jesus Christ from a mostly academic/intellectual one to a more holistic (and balanced, I believe) engagement of mind and heart and soul and being. Breathtaking it is (or should be) for us to consider that we – you, I – are His cherished beloved… at the heart of Jesus’ Passion!

The second of these books (which will inform our focus during Lent, from Ash Wednesday to Palm Sunday) is Peter Scazzero’s Emotionally Healthy Church. (A companion, follow-up, well worth reading, has a more personal, less corporate focus and is entitled Emotionally Healthy Spirituality.) I first heard Scazzero at a Beeson event in Nashville. I found his testimony compelling and his work more than refreshing. (A video of this testimony as well as a pdf version of this testimony are available by clicking either word, underlined above.) Here was a life experience and a perspective on ministry which brought together so many of the scattered (and seemingly disparate) threads of my own experience and ponderings about ministry: contemplative spirituality, family systems theory, the importance of a “rule” for spiritual formation,… And at the heart of it all? Something I believe to be crucial, not just to Strawbridge at this time in our history, but to every disciple and community of disciples who would seek to get "below the surface" of real and full and "deep" discipleship.

[I’m already anticipating the ways this Lenten series will synergize with a 40-Day prayer vigil focused on the principles of being emotionally healthy disciples and an emotionally healthy congregation – a vigil which will lead us to some kind of “sacred assembly” whereat we’ll all have a chance to leave baggage behind and begin a new and fuller chapter in our lives. Don’t worry: more details coming!]

Enough for now... It’s sufficient, though:

to give you some sense of the “lay of the land” immediately before us (in our ongoing “journey of clarification”),

to give you some recommendations for reading (to compliment your Sunday morning experience through the course of the months ahead), and

to declare my intentions and hopes that we can be about a conversation on these series/messages/topics (through this and other forums) over the course of these coming month!

Yes, "heart matters" in discipleship: it matters that our hearts are engaged by the Gospel... and it matters that our hearts are on the way to becoming pure and whole. Yes, the "clarification of our hearts" is very much a focus of the first third of the coming year!

I pray that you are looking forward to it all as much as I am!

Coffee Break: A Mini Christmas "Concert"

2008-12-23T08:00:00.006-06:00

Enjoyed posting some holiday music favorites (via youtube) on my Facebook last night. Enjoyed it enough that I'd like to share a few with you, here -- each with a little commentary.

[Maybe it's time to get a cup of coffee, or hot chocolate, or tea... and to close the door... and sit back, be still, and relax...]

Okay, call me a sap and a sucker for this first one... Still, it's a favorite since I first heard it years ago. And little Avery White (Lord, I pray, she doesn't lose soul and spirit amidst all her success at an early age!): her expressions make this particular youtube find most special. (If you can, slide the play position forward to the 40 second mark and get past some of the empty verbage.)

The next two pieces are from one whom I believe to be the most powerful Christian songwriter and composer of our time, Michael Card. His is the real gift of profound theology, artistry, and wordsmithing. Unconventional as they are (that is, they are not in the mainstream of holiday music), these selections work so well to present the gift of Christmas... and to remind me/us of our choice now... and throughout the year.

In addition to Card's music in this next piece, I also appreciate the rich synchronization between music and film (mostly clips from "The Nativity")... My compliments to the creator of this clip (whoever he/she is):

Finally, there's my favorite sacred song of the Season, "O Holy Night." The words get richer with every hearing. Had to scour the internet for a long time to find a version out there with all the verses. Yes, there are lot of awesome renditions out there (check out Mariah Carey, e.g., or Charlotte Church with Placido Domingo), but each of these comes at the expense of some precious words. Neglected in most versions, you see, are verses 3 and/or 4 (or parts thereof). As you listen to this "full version," consider the words [printed below the video] very prayerfully:

O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of our dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
'Til He appear'd and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! O, hear the angels' voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born;
O night divine, O night, O night Divine.

Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,
Here come the wise men from Orient land.
The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friend.
He knows our need, to our weakness is no stranger,
Behold your King! Before Him lowly bend!
Behold your King, Behold your King.

Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother;
And in His name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! O praise His Name forever,
His power and glory evermore proclaim.

Blessed are the Poor in Spirit...

2008-12-17T12:44:00.022-06:00

I'm preparing for the “Blue Christmas” service tomorrow night. (I’m on an internal campaign to change the name next year to “A Service for the Longest Nights,” as others are calling it… or something akin. Frankly, “Blue Christmas” has too much Elvis in it for me… and “Longest Night” is so much more creative: speaking of Winter's solstice and hurting folks going through long, sleepless nights – made even longer by the pomp of the Season and our culture’s emphasis on “fa la la la la…”)

If it’s not clear already, the function of the service is to reach out to those going through any number of griefs and mournings in life… and to help them to find the deep meaning of the Season in their times of feeling “blue”—in their long and lonely nights. And here, while the death of loved ones is clearly our most immediate thought, let us not forget those who are grieving the loss of jobs, the loss of a marriage, the loss of what never was,…

Realist that I am (and here, I guess I need to apologize to those eternal optimists who don’t want any “downers” in their Christmas… or Christianity… or life)… Realist that I am, I have to say that I believe the majority of folks live with at least some part of their being in some kind of “long night”—some kind of “dark night of the soul,” as St. Teresa put it. It’s a notion akin to my belief that each of us is broken. How did Thoreau put it – about our all living “lives of quiet desperation"? Yes, while some may be in denial and some may think the best way to get better is to put a positive face on things, I believe that “Blue Christmas” and “Longest Nights” are realities for us all!

In fact, there’s the way they [i.e., mourning and grieving] need to be realities for us – if we are to experience the full joy and meaning of the gift of God… at Christmas and beyond. The Scriptures abound with direct and indirect declarations that it is the lost and the least and the lonely that find the real life and living of God’s Kingdom:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of God.” (Or as I translate it: “Blessed are they who declare Spiritual bankruptcy, for they are finally in a position to let God have His way!”)
“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.”

“If I must boast, I will boast in the things that show my weakness… For in my weakness he is glorified.”

I’m strongly believing, then, that the most appropriate and meaningful Service of Worship for Advent is, in fact, this “Service for a Longest Night… or ‘Blue Christmas’”… and that those who are in the best position to receive God’s gifts in Christmas are those who humbly admit that it’s the service they need. From the beginning, Advent has been a Season of yearning, hungering, thirsting… -- with a strong pinch of hope for and anticipation of deliverance from the Outside. From the beginning, Advent has been a Season best experienced by the outcast and downcast.

(And here my Soul wants to ask forgiveness of God: that, in just one more way, we’ve let the World around us dictate and drive the spirit of our spiritual exercises and Church year!)

Even if you do not attend this year’s “Blue Christmas,” can I encourage you to:

pray for all around who are broken… and who mourn and grieve… and whose mourning and grieving is that much harder because of the secular foci of the season; and
prayerfully consider your own brokenness

The Light is brightest at night…

And Heaven’s riches are most valued when we see our poverty!

In Your Mercy, Lord... Hear Our Prayer...

2008-12-14T15:44:00.011-06:00

.

On this Sunday afternoon (post-Council meeting and a decision to adjust the Sunday morning schedule), my heart is very heavy.

There are some who left the Council meeting feeling like they lost, feeling left out – hardly the feelings that any part of Church should inspire.

“If you so hurt, then why would you have advocated any adjustment in the first place?,” I hear the question.

In large part, because I believe there were more who were feeling left out without an adjustment – but leaving with no voice (at least, that we were hearing). Some were visiting 11 o’clock worship [with the Sanctuary 85% empty], for example… and, feeling no real energy in worship or from the worshipping congregation, were leaving with the decision that Strawbridge did not feel right for them. Still, again, there was the young mother who told me of various times they were tempted to leave (because Sunday morning wasn’t really working for them). “I told my husband [with this new proposal]: look, it finally is going to really work for us!” Truly, I believe (yes, my opinion), the negative consequences -- not just for Strawbridge but for the greater Kingdom (which is what really matters to me!) -- of doing nothing would have been greater than any potential [adverse] fallout from what's been decided... or any other option for that matter.

It goes back to my previous blog: you’ll never make everyone happy.

Still, even when you move (with reason and just cause), there’s pain when everyone is not happy. Particularly sharp is the pain when there’s a sense of hurt and injury – even though none was ever intended.

To be sure, part of my reaction was/is to be mad at those so hurting: “If they’d had their eyes on God and His Kingdom… and the needs of young families, they’d surely be able to compromise,” I think. Humility… and staying with the course in community and covenant -- even when you don’t get things your way: that's the proper way to behave.

But, IT'S NOT THAT EASY!!!!! These people are Christian! They do have real feelings and concerns and needs! God is in it all… and in each one of us!

And so, I ache: my head aches, my heart aches, my stomach is knotted… Yes, I believe we’ve done something necessary for the Church to move forward. But, it doesn’t take away one bit from the real nausea I’m feeling…

Yes, I ache… and I pray… and my only consolation is that God is not finished with any of us yet…

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

To Thine Own Self Be True!

2008-12-11T09:08:00.006-06:00

Among the comments emanating from our recent survey about the Sunday morning schedule was this one:

"Please ask Pastor Reiter to stop calling women “dear” when we come to communion. It’s condescending and rude. Why doesn’t the pastor shake hands with people after 8:30 service?"

Admittedly, there was some hurt and defensiveness on my part. “I’ve never meant that ‘dear’ (or ‘brother,’ for men) as anything but a term endearment for those coming to receive the most intimate of gifts from a loving Heavenly Father,” “this person is calling me rude and condescending without even giving me a chance!,” “and what does this have to do with the price of tea in China… or the timing of worship services?,” "they want a handshake but rail against a term of endearment!": these were among my initial feelings and thoughts (and maybe some lingering feelings and thoughts… hey, I’m human!).

Truly, I don’t want to argue about or for any of these feelings or thoughts. They are quite simply feelings. (To be sure, there’s that part of me that wishes the Soul behind the comment would realize that her own emotions to the word “dear” [and what was behind that reaction… where are those strong words and the feelings attached coming from?] are as much the issue as my using the word.)

Still, all this said, there are a few basic lessons as I move forward… (Really, in spite of all the space and time I’ve taken, I am moving forward!) Clearly, for example, there’s my watching my tongue – being a little more careful with words like “dear” and “sweetie”… words I used to throw out without much caution… I can see how they could be construed by some as “old timey” and chauvinistic.

Strongest, though, is the lesson—actually, the reminder—that you can and will never make everyone happy. (Yes, I know it’s truth in my head… It’s one of those things, though, my heart is still learning.) Face it: if the well-intended and rather unconscious use of a word has the ability to ruffle feathers and incur judgment, what else is it that I am doing that is turning folks off? I recall, in fact, the transference that can take place when a person, any person, reminds someone – by looks or sound or whatever – of a bad memory or personage from the past.

Yes, you’re just not going to make everyone happy, Jim!

To be sure, it could paralyze one from doing or saying anything. A vow of silence and a paper bag over the head might be the answer.

Quite the contrary, though: my soul finds a certain freedom in the realization that I can’t and will never please everybody. “Hey, if the well-intended and rather unconscious word can offend and turn off, then there’s reason for living a life of integrity and speaking the truth as one sees it. Hey, if you’re going to turn some folks off anyway... If you will never be in a place where everyone likes what you do, then, the offense might as well be over the things that really matter!”

More than enough for now, huh?

Oh, yeah, one last thing. I still can’t believe that the author of that comment would have the nerve to sign it! Thanks, Kathy Reiter!

Welcome to "Winter's Lent"

2008-12-02T08:14:00.018-06:00

"Our ancestors, in an all out effort to save the holy celebration of Christmas, very wisely included a time of preparation, an Advent season, to properly prepare for our Lord’s birthday. They did not feel spiritually ready for Christmas until they had prayed, fasted, and examined their hearts in a season of winter Lent—i.e., Advent."

—Pastor Bill Hinson

I’m struggling with a Faith that calls for penitence. It’s not the penitence per se. No, my real struggle is more precisely that of elevating a Faith that calls for introspection and sacrifice and thinking of the other in a culture that puts a premium on comfort, convenience, and feeling good. Especially when that culture has made its inroads into the Church and a popular understanding (or misunderstanding, as it may be) of Christ and the Gospel, it’s especially hard to argue for “deny yourself and take up your cross” without feeling like a real wet blanket.

Had an organist at one of my early churches who totally railed against “Prayers of Confession” in worship. Her words serve to epitomize, for me, the sentiments of a feel good culture: “All they [prayers of confession] serve to do is make people feel guilty in worship… such negative energy… such prayers are totally passé and out of touch with the times!”

And, along comes Advent…

Popular sentiment – not just from the culture, but within the Church – is that it’s Christmas. So much so that “God Bless the typical middle-of-the-road Protestant Pastor if there’s much talk of saving the Hymns of Christmas until December 25th (and thereafter).” Gone is any notion that Advent, which means “to come,” might call for some consideration, not just of his first coming, but of His coming here, now… and His coming again in His fulness at the end of Time! And gone, in a world that values comfort and ease, is any notion that these “Second Comings” might demand our adjusting our lives and living – any notion that God may not be happy with the ways we’re doing things. Yes, gone is any sense of Advent as a season of penitence and soulful preparation.

It can almost make one feel like the Grinch to advocate silence and solitude (for introspection)… and confession… and a real, substantial divestment of self for the sake of the poor and downcast.

Still, at the potential cost of being such a “Scrooge” and of potentially promoting “bad feelings,” I’d like to suggest a few things we might be about on the way to observing a “Holy Advent”—a holy season of preparing for his Comings in our lives. This list is by no means exhaustive. Still, it’s enough to suggest real channels of meaning and joy in the days ahead:

observe a regular [daily] quiet time… give yourself to a prayerful reading of the Gospels (especially the first few chapters of Matthew and Luke) and/or some other seasonal devotional guide… but, as much as you read, be still and listen…
take on one of any number of mission/outreach projects to those less fortunate
consider the needs of the homebound, the grieving, the recuperating—and do something about it: a note, a call, a visit!
extend or receive a word of forgiveness—especially the one so long overdue!
attend worship services and programs slated for the coming weeks in your area… and prayerfully consider who it is (among your neighbors, family, co-workers,...) that you can and will invite (even bring) to upcoming events

Whatever we do (or don’t do), my prayer for us all is that we’ll not settle for the lesser preparations for Christmas: the shopping, the parties, the decorating,… Of course, none of these are bad. But, succumbing to them at the price of a “Holy Advent” can be just one more way the really Great can be lost in a sea of good.

Perhaps Pastor Hinson summed it up best: “Please do not let the world rearrange our ancient calendar. First comes Advent and then Christmas. I guarantee Christmas will be much better when preceded by a prayerful Advent.”

Remember Who You Are...

2008-11-22T19:26:00.010-06:00

Gearing up for January/February's series on "The Sacred Romance" -- wherein we affirm the Gospel as the ultimate love story (in which we are focal characters)...

Ours, though, is the curse of forgetting: forgetting the overarching story (i.e., the "metanarrative," as the academics call it) of our lives and living, forgetting who we are, forgetting Whose we are...

A clip from the children's classic, The Lion King, has long stood out as the perfect illustration for me: of this forgetfulness... and our call to remember... and our need to return:

Yes, we have forgotten who we are [in our baptisms]. Truly, whether we have been apart from the church for decades (or a lifetime)... or a part of it for the same, we are more than we have become. Dear Newcomer... and Old-Timer: isn't it time to "return" and claim our place, afresh, in the "circle of life" and living?!

Yes, there may be more in our childhood stories and epic adventures than we ever imagined! Maybe our hearts,... maybe our salvation!

Beauty and the Beast: Music Hath Charms to Soothe the Savage Breast

2008-11-19T19:06:00.005-06:00

you-tubing today... believe it or not, it's a part of my worship design work... hey, someone's got to do it!

had me returning to one of my favorites: Connie Talbot taming the savage beast, [American Idol's] Simon Cowell...

get a cup of coffee... or tea... and enjoy!

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"Here's to You, Jesus... and the Outsider!": Reflections on Christian "Social" Drinking

2008-11-17T08:50:00.015-06:00

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[23]"Everything is permissible"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"—but not everything is constructive. 24Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others… [31]So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. [32]Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God—[33]even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of of many, so that they may be saved. (1 Corinthians 10:23,24, 31-33)

“We affirm our long-standing support of abstinence from alcohol [and illegal drugs] as a faithful witness to God's liberating and redeeming love for persons... We commit ourselves to assisting those who suffer from abuse or dependence, and their families, in finding freedom through Jesus Christ and in finding good opportunities for treatment, for ongoing counseling, and for reintegration into society.” (From The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church [2004])

It has happened more than once in my ministry. A church member goes to a Church function (as, e.g., a Sunday School party). Unbeknownst to the class, that person is a recovering alcoholic. Again, I have seen it more than once: the look of disappointment… and the sense of betrayal (that they shared with me, their pastor)—something along the lines “how could that which I thought was a safe haven [i.e., the church and my Sunday School class] be just one more place of temptation, one more place which ordains the demon I am trying to escape?” Of course, these souls were strong enough and “recovered” enough to voice their disappointment and concern. Of course, they eventually gravitated to other communities that were more sensitive to the needs of the weaker among us. (A more disturbing question for me is: for every one of these who voiced their concern, how many others left the church altogether… or, God forbid, forsook their path of abstinence?!)

For too many years, I have heard too many Methodists brag about their Methodism as though it was a license to “eat, drink, and be merry”: “one of the reasons I am Methodist is because we can dance and drink!” (It’s a sentiment which smacks of the other slam I hear about “Methodists believing anything!”) At a time of year when many are prone to assemble and party (and to do so under the umbrella of the Church through one of its programs), allow me to clarify the Methodist—and, in my opinion, the Christian position—on drinking. (Therein, maybe you’ll overhear some principles to be distilled for dancing and “eating meat sacrificed to idols” and all other sorts of behavior!)

Yes, it is true—and grounded in the Gospel: that Methodists are “free.” However, lest liberty become license—i.e., freedom give way to licentiousness—some higher principles must prevail and govern that freedom.

This “higher principle” the Apostle lays down as loving regard for and sensitivity to one’s neighbor. Yes, he argues in his correspondence with the Corinthians, you are free to do all things—free to partake of every kind of food and drink! But not all things edify—that is, “build others up.” In the end, then, we gladly constrain and refine all we can do on the basis of all we should do for the sake of others and our witness to these others—whether “they” be our children, the weaker among us… or the weaker who may unknowingly come our way. For the Christian, you see, drunkenness is hardly the measure of too much drinking as that solitary sip that might cause another to stumble… or think less of your witness, the Church, or the Faith. (If there’s any “stumbling block” or obstacle to the Faith for others, let it be Christ and Christ alone!)

Amidst discussion of mission and purpose in various congregations, I have heard those who emphasize that we should not forsake our existing congregation. The thinking here would seem to be that, amidst our efforts to reach outsiders, we should not neglect the needs of existing members. To be sure, we have an obligation to members that is not eclipsed by the needs of outsiders. However, a real part of that obligation and ministry is to equip these “insiders”—in the very Spirit of Jesus our Lord—to be passionate about the outsider and sensitive to their needs and potential weaknesses. (Give me a group whose primary mission is to members and I’ll show you a country club. Give me a group whose primary mission is to outsiders [i.e., those who could and should and would be with us] and I’ll show you a Church in the image of Christ!)

Of course, I know I need to be careful here—lest I sound judgmental and run the risk of hitting that opposite extreme which is legalism. I am aware of and respectful, for example, of Episcopal friends who invited us to a wine and cheese reception after a performance of “The Messiah” last year night—even as I am aware of a host of our brothers and sisters in Christ who partake of wine every Sunday morning as part of their communion liturgy! Still, on this last note, I can not help but remember another recovering Soul, a newborn to the Church, who humbly came to me—fumbling with the right way to ask whether we Methodists served real wine during Communion. “I’m sorry to ask, Preacher,” he said, “but you need to understand that one drop is enough to knock me off the wagon!” With that dear Soul (and others) in mind, I’ll gladly forbear a drop of wine—even though I have a “right” and the “freedom” to drink the whole bottle! And, I’ll continue to celebrate Holy Communion using the fruit of the vine bottled by fellow Methodist, Mr. Welch.

In the coming Holiday (i.e., Holy Day) Season… and beyond, can I encourage you—as individuals and as members of the Strawbridge Family of Faith—to be about this same [Methodist] witness to the weak among us… and the weak who could be and would be and should be among us?!

Pioneers vs Settlers

2008-11-13T15:43:00.025-06:00

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In view of this Sunday's sermon (on "A Risk-Taking Church")--a sermon which will draw upon imagery from the commentary on the church which is Wes Seeliger's Western Theology, I have decided to include the following summary. (This summary itself is an excerpt from Brennan Manning's Lion and the Lamb.)

Basically, Seeliger and Manning--and I, myself (in this Sunday's message)--seek define two possibilities for the modern church: there's the Settler "circle-the-wagon, pitch-the-camp, let's-stay-right-here" mindset... and then theres the Pioneer "Wagon-Ho, ours-is-a-manifest-destiny-to-win-the-world" outlook.

Writes Manning:

There are two visions of life, two kinds of people. The first see life as a possession to be carefully guarded. They are called settlers. The second see life as a wild, fantastic, explosive gift. They are called pioneers.

These two types give rise to two kinds of theology: Settler Theology and Pioneer Theology. According to Wes Seeliger in, in his book Western Theology, the first kind, Settler Theology, is an attempt to answer all the questions, define and housebreak some sort of Supreme Being, establish the status quo on golden tablets in CinemaScope. Pioneer Theology is an attempt to talk about what it means to receive the strange gift of life. The Wild West is the setting for both theologies.

In Settler Theology, the church is the courthouse. It is the center of town life. The old stone structure dominates the town square. Its windows are small and this makes things dark inside. Within the courthouse walls records are kept, taxes collected, trials held for bad guys. The courthouse is the settler’s symbol of law, order, stability, and--most important--security. The mayor’s office is on the top floor. His eagle eye ferrets out the smallest detail of town life.

In Pioneer Theology, the church is the covered wagon. It’s a house on wheels, always on the move. The covered wagon is where the pioneers eat, sleep, fight, love, and die. It bears the marks of life and movement--it creaks, is scarred with arrows, bandaged with baling wire. The covered wagon is always where the action is. It moves toward the future and doesn’t bother to glorify its own ruts. The old wagon isn’t comfortable, but the pioneers don’t mind. They are more into adventure than comfort.

In Settler Theology, God is the mayor. He is a sight to behold. Dressed like a dude from back East, he lounges in an over-stuffed chair in his courthouse office. He keeps the blinds drawn. No one sees him or knows him directly, but since there is order in the town, who can deny that he is there? The mayor is predictable and always on schedule. The settlers fear the mayor, but look to him to clear the payroll and keep things going. Peace and quiet are the mayor’s main concerns. That’s why he sends the sheriff to check on pioneers who ride into town.

In Pioneer Theology, God is the trail boss. He is rough and rugged, full of life. He chews tobacco, drinks straight whiskey. The trail boss lives, eats, sleeps, and fights with his people. Their well-being is his concern. Without him the wagon wouldn’t move; living as a free man would be impossible. The trail boss often gets down in the mud with the pioneers to help push the wagon, which often gets stuck. He prods the pioneers when they get soft and want to turn back. His fist is an expression of his concern.

In Settler Theology, Jesus is the sheriff. He’s the guy who is sent by the mayor to enforce the rules. He wears a white hat, drinks milk, out-draws the bad guys. The sheriff decides who is thrown into jail. There is a saying in town that goes: those who believe that the mayor sent the sheriff, and follow the rules, they won’t stay in Boothill when it comes their time.

In Pioneer Theology, Jesus is the scout. He rides out ahead to find out which way the pioneers should go. He lives all the dangers of the trail. The scout suffers every hardship, is attacked by the Indians. Through his words and actions he reveals the true intentions of the trail boss. By looking at the scout, those on the trail learn what it means to be a pioneer.

In Settler Theology, the Holy Spirit is the saloon girl. Her job is to comfort the settlers. They come to her when they feel lonely, or when life gets dull or dangerous. She tickles them under the chin and makes everything okay again. The saloon girl squeals to the sheriff when someone starts disturbing the peace.

In Pioneer Theology, the Holy Spirit is the buffalo hunter. He rides along with the covered wagon and furnishes fresh meat for the pioneers. Without it they would die. The buffalo hunter is a strange character--sort of a wild man. The pioneers never can tell what he will do next. He scares the hell out of the settlers. He has a big, black gun that goes off like a cannon. He rides into town on Sunday to shake up the settlers. You see, every Sunday morning the settlers have a little ice cream party in the courthouse. With his gun in hand the buffalo hunter sneaks up to one of the courthouse windows. He fires a tremendous blast that rattles the whole courthouse. Men jump out of their skin, women scream, dogs bark. Chucking to himself, the buffalo hunter rides back to the wagon train shooting up the town as he goes.

In Settler Theology, the Christian is the settler. He fears the open, unknown frontier. His concern is to stay on good terms with the mayor and keep out of the sheriff’s way. “Safety first” is his motto. To him the courthouse is a symbol of security, peace, order, and happiness. He keeps his money in the bank. The banker is his best friend. The settler never misses an ice cream party.

In Pioneer Theology, the Christian is the pioneer. He is a man of daring, hungry for new life. He rides hard, knows how to use a gun when necessary. The pioneer feels sorry for the settlers and tries to tell them of the joy and fulfillment of life on the trail. He dies with his boots on.

In Settler Theology, the clergyman is the banker. Within his vault are locked the valuables of the town. He is a highly respected man. He has a gun, but keeps it hidden in his desk. He feels that he and the sheriff have a lot in common. After all, they both protect the bank.

In Pioneer Theology, the clergyman is the cook. He doesn’t furnish the meat. He just dishes up what the buffalo hunter provides. This is how he supports the movement of the wagon. He never confuses his job with that of the trail boss, scout, or buffalo hunter. He sees himself as just another pioneer who has learned to cook. The cook’s job is to help the pioneers pioneer.

In Settler Theology, faith is trusting in the safety of the town: obeying the laws, keeping your nose clean, believing the mayor is in the courthouse.

In Pioneer Theology, faith is the spirit of adventure. The readiness to move out. To risk everything on the trail. Faith is obedience to the restless voice of the trail boss.

In Settler Theology, sin is breaking one of the town’s ordinances.

In Pioneer Theology, sin is wanting to turn back.

In Settler Theology, salvation is living close to home and hanging around the courthouse.

In Pioneer Theology, salvation is being more afraid of sterile town life than of death on the trail. Salvation is joy at the thought of another day to push on into the unknown. It is trusting the trail boss and following the scout while living on the meat provided by the buffalo hunter.

Beyond "Buffet Christianity"

2008-11-12T08:09:00.016-06:00

“It just makes you feel good inside”: the pitch of a local church I won’t name (though I suspect many of you know of whom I write… still, not naming it has a way of making the point that I don’t want to digress into church/denomina-tional battles). To me, it’s too much the sentiment of the age: "I need a faith and a church that make me feel good inside." To me, it’s disturbing: Christianity is not so much nor has it ever been about our avoiding the cross as much as it is our living, with Him, through (and beyond) our crosses!

It’s truth I encountered as I finished Gary Thomas’ Authentic Faith the other day. (It’s not the best written book, but it does do a good job of establishing its thesis: namely, that there are hard parts of life and even hard disciplines of the faith that God uses for our spiritual growth; to avoid such hard times is to side-step spiritual maturity.) In his Epilogue, Thomas quote Harry Schaumburg’s False Intimacy:

A quick reflection on the first-century church reveals that New Testament Christians never attempted to validate the truth of Christianity by the way in which their experiences in life improved [or made them feel better or become richer]. For them, becoming Christians meant real sacrifice and sometimes death. (Thomas, Authentic Faith, p. 241)

Folks, to borrow from Mother Theresa, discipleship has nothing to do with our becoming more successful but it has everything to do with our becoming more faithful--becoming transformed more and more into the full image of Jesus our Lord (an image which was often bloodied and bowed and broken, with tears streaming down the cheek.)

Sadly, though, there are too many who pick and choose – custom design – their discipleship response: “I’d like a good heaping plate of feeling good, topped with prospertiy… and, oh, hold the ‘brussel sprouts’ which are the dying to self and the mission work and any real identifying with the poor and broken and the…”

Recalls for me an article by Dick Staub on “Buffet Religion, Buffet Christianity”:

We should not be surprised that today’s Christians are constructing a self-serving approach to the faith. Most Christians seem to think the faith is a buffet when it is, in fact, a fixed menu. At a buffet you pick and choose what you want, but in a fixed menu you get it all… Buffet Christians want to take the part they like and leave the less appealing parts—you know, lots of desserts and no broccoli. (from "CultureWatch" at http://www.dickstuab.com/)

And then, he goes on to conclude:

The Christian life is not a buffet; it is a fixed menu. Everything on the menu has been carefully planned and is time-tested to produce health and growth. As the old chorus puts it, Jesus must be “Lord of All or not Lord at all.”

Tough as it is to accept, we are not in charge of the menu! No, ours is the simple choice: to be in it for the full course of Christian discipleship… or to be about some other diet which is delicious and immediately satisfying but hardly Christian (no matter what you call it).

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Liberals (Democrats) vs Conservatives (Republicans)

2008-11-04T09:39:00.011-06:00

A convergence of things has me musing about the differences between liberals/democrats and conservatives/republicans: there’s election day, of course; there was my participation in a clergy marriage/leadership retreat (and engagement of the Myers-Briggs Personality Inventory);… even my recent post on traditional versus contemporary (and my wish that we could find a centrist position that brings them together).

At first blush, a long-held generalization about liberals and conservatives was something I confided to only a few: “liberals think with their hearts, conservatives feel with their brains.”*** It comes across rather brusque if not superficial.

Still, it was not formulated or held without some grounds:
• liberals are often referred to as “bleeding hearts” (where “heart” is the seat of emotions and feelings)… and Bush’s reference to a “compassionate Conservative” seemed like an oxymoron to many
• Liberals seemed to always resort to what Jesus, the Word of God, would have done (appealing to his love as an emotional impulse)… and conservatives seemed to always resort to what the Bible, as the Word of God, says (appealing to it’s truth as an objective reality to be discerned and obeyed)

More recently, though, there’s been other data/input to undergird my generalization—making me feel a little more justified in my position… and a little more willing to air it. First, there was my overhearing a quote from Churchill on the radio the other day: something along the lines that “any man who is under 30, and is not a liberal, has not heart; and any man who is over 30, and is not a conservative, has no brains.”

And then, there was my engagement of Myers-Briggs (MBTI) preferences. Election fervor had me wondering about Democrats vs Republicans—so much so that I did a little googling.

“Allen Hammer published several statistics about the political affiliations of each MBTI preference in Snapshots of the 16 Types. In his research, he found that: Republicans preferred INTJ, ENTJ, ESTJ, and ISTJ (the executive types). The ESTJs are more than twice as likely as the INFPs and INFJs to be Republicans. Democrats were typically NF or INFJ. In fact, those people with a preference for Feeling are more likely than other types to identify themselves as Democrats.” (http://www.thembtiblog.com/2008/10/mbti-preferences-of-republicans-and.html)

(For those not versed in Myers-Briggs, the third letter in each personality configuration refers to thinking (T) or feeling (F) as the primary mode of decision-making—so that Hammers stats verify that Republicans feel and Democrats think.)

Of course, the real issue is not whether my generalization is founded (or not) as much as it is, just one more time, our need to find a way to bring it all together – to find that precious synergy and synthesis: liberal and conservative, heart and mind, emotions and thoughts, truth and love, knowledge and vital piety, the mercy of Jesus with the uncompromised truth/law that Jesus declared and upheld, democrat and republican.

And here, I guess, I “hit the wall” of reality this side of Heaven: that forever, in this world, there will be liberals and conservatives who do not know the meaning of or way to crossing the aisle and meeting in the middle,… that the centrist position I hold dear and that stirs my heart is, no doubt, an impossibility on earth, another property of His Kingdom coming.

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***of course, there are exceptions to this generalization... still, even as I recognize this and write this footnote, my mind drifts to talk radio and the plethora of conservative talk hosts and the demise of Al Franken (and radio USA... or whatever it was called): could it be that talk radio was made for thinkers.... even as movies and documentaries and moving images(Michael Moore) work best for feelers??

Thirteen (Books and Authors) Worth Reading

2008-10-18T13:02:00.046-06:00

"I guess the fact that I flunked the fourth grade:" my answer to the question a youth "reporter" asked me (on the way to writing an article for their emerging newsletter), "What is something about you that might surprise other people?"

"Actually," I added, "I didn't flunk as much as I repeated the fourth grade." (They stuck with the word "flunk" -- explaining that it was attention grabbing. [Sensational media... even in our church!])

Truth is, I have only recently (in the last 5 to 10 years, when formal education... with grading behind me) grown to love reading and studying and learning. Up to that point, reading was an arduous task... and learning was a matter of regurgitating what the teachers and profs wanted to hear. (By the time I hit A&M, I was a master of regurgitation! Some would say that's what A&M does best!) "Making the Grade" behind me, though, my heart and soul opened up to the adventure of learning... and thebeauty of a good book. (It took some time for me to appreciate reading fiction. But, that's another story.)

Along the way, I found myself engaging the "Reading Lists" of my favorite authors and mentors. Time came when, in various small group settings, I begand to pose the question of favorite books: "If stuck on a desert isle," the question might go, "what 10 books (besides the Bible) would you want to have with you… or recommend to another?" Over time, a stack of responses has grown.

In that time period, though, I've never engaged in the exercise myself. And so, I set about the task the other day of answering my own question. Admittedly, I am not finished. (You'll note, in fact, that, in many cases, I've only been successful in listing my 13 favorite authors... and representative favorite among their works.) Incomplete as it is (and ever evolving... even now, I am thinking of a book or two I forgot!!!), I offer my "Top 13" in no particular order:

The View from a Monastery (Fr. Benet Tvedten)

Long have I been captivated by the Rule of St. Benedict and the community life it inspires. Meaningful, to me, are Fr. Tvedten's reflections on that rule and life--emphasizing that God does not call the perfect to community as much as God perfects the called in and through community. Refreshing, then, is the balance of human and divine in Tvedten and his reflections.

The Purpose-Driven Church (Rick Warren)

"Seek simplicity but learn to distrust it," said Alfred North Whitehead. And, while I have heard and strongly suspect that there is probably much to distrust in Warren and his Purpose-Driven conceptions of discipleship and the church, I frankly find them refreshing for the ways they simplify the discussion of what it is to be a disciple of Christ and a community of Christ. While I will continue to distrust it (and seek to read its critics), PDC is foundational to that paradigm from which I minister and live the Christian life.

The Emotionally Healthy Church (Peter Scazzero)

What Purpose-Driven Church has been for my conceptualization of the local church and its key processes, Emotionally Healthy Church (and its companion, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality) has for my engagement of emotional-relationship dynamics -- both within the church... and in the lives of individual disciples (including myself). It's not that I never heard these concepts before, but that Scazzero brings it all together... and hangs it all under the larger umbrella of maturity and the ancient disciplines and rules of the Faith. Here's an invitation to get "below the waterline" of who we are in Christ and in community. Here's a refreshing marriage of the ancient disciplines and modern concepts of psychology and mental health.

A New Kind of Christian: A Tale of Two Friends on a Spiritual Journey (Brian McLaren)

When it comes to the "Emergent Church," McLaren is my chief interpreter and mentor. Through a device/genre which he calls "philosophical dialogue," "New Kind of Christian" (and its partner in a trilogy) seeks to unpack the dimensions and content of an emerging Faith and Church through a narrative which houses a series of vital and rich dialogues. The storyline is okay. The dialogues are rich. And the faith they hint at are exhilarating! (And that's not to mention the appeal both of the story and its author: of a pastor, like myself, nearly burned out on the traditional way of doing Church and who catches new wind and energy with a glimpse of the Ancient Faith and a timeless Gospel being transposed (without compromise) for a post-Christiandom/post-Modern world.

The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)

While I have long held up Michener and Uris as the kings of historical fiction, I must admit that a re-reading of some of their [Jewish-Arab] works has me strongly suspicious of very blatant biases and prejudices they bring to their work. While Follett may have his own biases, they aren't readily apparent. Here's a real blend of epic storytelling, fantastic character development, and history. It's a joyful and fun to study and learn about the past when the story is so engaging!

The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)

Before you see the movie, please read the book! An engaging and compelling story of redemption wrought in a, at once, strong yet broken community.

The Tolkien Reader (J.R.R. Tolkien)

Of course, I have to have Tolkien! (Lord of the Rings is epic myth at its best. But, then, it's so long and laborious!) More to my fancy is "Leaf by Niggle" in this Reader... A powerful parable of what's real... and our pursuit of it.

The Jesus I Never Knew (Philip Yancey)

What Lewis was for the mid-20th Century, Yancey is for the early 21st. While I especially appreciate his many ways of dancing with the issue of God vis-à-vis pain and suffering, his "Jesus I Never Knew" is my decided favorite: move aside, Fannel Board Lady (from preschool Sunday School days)... here's a picture of Christ and the Gospel which is real and "round" and challenging and refreshing.

Glittering Images (Susan Howatch)

Along with Lewis and Tolkien, Howatch has helped me to wake up to the value of "fiction." (Used to be, for me, that if it wasn't non-fiction, it wasn't worth engaging.) Glittering, commended to me by a read of Scazzero's Emotionally Healthy Church, is a powerful psycho-drama that helped me to flesh out much of my own woundedness... and need to put up the right image in ministry.

The Sacred Romance: Drawing Closer to the Heart of God (John Eldredge)

Perhaps the most formative book in my life (outside the Bible)! Admittedly, there are snags (as when Eldredge seems to overly depend on Dante for some of his understandings of the Biblical narrative). Still, this book, more than any other helped the Faith to jump from left brain to right -- from being a mental/academic construct to being a matter of the heart and experience.

The Great Divorce (C.S. Lewis)

Lewis (like Nouwen and Yancey) is such a mentor to me. So many others I'd recommend from his writings: Mere Christianity, Narnia,... The Great Divorce captivated me, though, for the ways it invited me to ponder the utter realness of heaven and the drabness of hell. Very intriguing to think that God may not send us to hell as much as we might choose it (for the ways it's too uncomfortable to engage the realness of Heaven)! Like all of Lewis' works, it puts a fresh and invigorating spin on ancient tenets of the Faith -- making Orthodoxy contemporary and relevant.

The Way of the Heart: Desert Spirituality and Contemporary Ministry (Henri Nouwen)

Among my favorites of Nouwen's (up there with Adam... and his various diaries). Beautiful and meaningful attempt to bridge the wisdom of the Ancient Desert Fathers/Mothers with our contemporary culture... and ministry. So condensed, it demands multiple, slow readings.

Same Kind Of Different As Me (Ron Hall & Denver Moore)

Eclipses, for me, Tuesdays with Morrie (from my Top Ten): not only is it a compelling story of one who dies with triumphant dignity, but it's equally a most awesome testimony of reconciliation and the joy (and risk) of getting out of one's comfort zone!

Contemporary vs Traditional

2008-10-17T08:21:00.009-06:00

It doesn't take much time for folks to know that a fundamental part of who I am is maintaining "necessary tensions." My life is full of them. "Jesus Christ," in fact, is the epitome of tensions: Jesus the Human co-mingled (without change, confusion, division or change [as one of the old creeds put it])... co-mingled with the Divine Christ. Sorry, getting a little carried away here...

Gary Thomas' "Authentic Faith" and his chapter on the essential place of mourning in our lives and spiritual formation had me reading about a fundamental flaw in a whole lot, if not all, of the Contemporary Worship cultures/venues I have encountered and worked with:

...the modern nondenominational Protestant church all to often keeps every service deliberately upbeat and positive. Even though somber issues may be addressed, pastors often feel obligated to wrap everything up at the end so that the service ends up in an uplifting way. This lightheartedness is not an accurate reflection of life... (p.151)

Well might he have said the same thing about the Protestant Contemporary services I have attended--and not just in nondenominational settings: there is a premium in such settings on feeding a consumeristic crowd with what they want and need to hear... and that is most often "feeling good." A balance must be struck where heart and emotion are wed to mind and some sense of somberness before the Holy (and our fallenness). The Ancient Faith begs to be heard and to assert itself at points beyond praising God and helping us to feel good.

Of course, there is a tension here. Just as the adolescent** Contemporary spirit needs to be bridled to see a more serious and demanding world and faith, the seated (and more crusty?**) Traditional crowd needs to remember and affirm that the Faith is living and dynamic--like an organism. It can not and should not (and really, will not) be contained in narrow expressions or channels. Wesley, whom Traditionists most cling to in a Methodist setting, was an innovator and "contemporary" in his time: moving worship beyond the sanctuary to the mouth of cold mines, empolying contemporary tunes in the articulation of an ancient faith and theology,...

"Oh to join the two so long divided: knowledge and vital piety": so wrote Wesley. For our immediate purposes in worship, well might we say: "oh, to join the two so long divided: adolescent enthusiasm and innovation... and a sensitivity to and reverance for the enduring and timeless [even if it does not always feel good... or serve my needs].

Yes, there are too many "Traditionals" who need to remember that Wesley was Contemporary... and too many "Contemporaries" who need to remember there was a Wesley.

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**Mind you, words like adolescent and "crusty" (and other such connotations in this post) only refer to personalities and positions at the edge and extremes. There are plenty of Contemporaries and Traditionals "in the middle" who see the value of the other side... and strive strive to hold it all together (in creative tension). There are enough, though, at the extremes for me to still advance these words to the general "encampments."

"St. Benedict Speaks: Resident Aliens"

2007-10-09T12:57:00.000-06:00

The Rule of St. Benedict has long held my heart and mind. Like the Gospel from which it emanates, it declares timeless principles so relevant to our age.

A few years ago, I began writing a book -- a Protestant pastor's attempt to practically transpose the Rule and its wisdom for my parish. (It's one of those things in progress--simmering on the back burner, crocking in the pot.)

Perhaps you'll overhear something worthwhile from this ancient path of wisdom as I share with you from my emerging essay:

It’s a question I’ll leave to academia: the comparisons and contrasts between Benedict’s times and ours.

It’s not that there isn’t room for such a discussion. There’s animosity at (and within) the borders. An abundance of competing philosophies vie for our devotion. The Church has its share of glaring shortcomings which converge --inviting too many to (legitimately) question the Gospel and its relevance: too many spectating worshippers, too many “shopkeeping” pastors, syncretism and relativism threaten to sweep Orthodoxy away, “functional atheism” abounds whereby creed and deed become two separate things. An “Empire” wanes. “Civilization” (at least as it is known) seems endangered. Christians, as if jolted from a nap, struggle to define themselves in a place and time they do not remember.

Yes, the comparisons are there—as are the contrasts. But, they should not and will not consume us here. Our real need is affirming and embracing the practical handles for faithfulness and effectiveness which Benedict and his Rule offers us--as disciples, as communities, as pastors.

But, while a depth analysis of the times may be too impractical, there can be no taking away from Benedict’s conception of the times and the relevance of that conception to ministry now... and at all times.

"Society was regarded… as a shipwreck from which each single individual person had to swim for his other life. They were the ones who believed that to let oneself drift along passively, accepting the tenets and values of what they knew as society was purely and simply a disaster. They knew they were helpless to do any good for others as long as they floundered about in the wreckage. But once they got a foothold on solid ground, things were different. Then they had not only the power but even the obligation to pull the whole world to safety after them."

While Nouwen and Merton were referring to the early desert fathers, these words could just as well have been spoken of Benedict and his followers (who surely drew inspiration from these Spirits).

Consider the rich imagery which serves as a backdrop to his Rule – imagery which serves to portray our pilgrim existence in this world and the purpose of life in community:
• needing to wake up and get up;
• seeking a place in the Lord’s “tent” (reminiscent, perhaps, of the tabernacle… in a hostile wilderness… in the Exodus journey… halfway between slavery and promised land?);
• establishing a school for the Lord’s service”;
• preparing “heart and bodies for the battle” at hand.

Admittedly, it might be a case of “eisegesis” on my part (the bane of every preacher whereby we are tempted to read into a text what we want to see or hear), but, for me, there is ultimately the overwhelming and overarching image--however latent and informal--in the Rule: of the monastery as a fortress set amidst and against a hostile world. Moreover, Benedict’s is a world outlook which includes fundamentals like hell and judgment. Altogether, it invites us to remember and affirm that we are “resident aliens”--“in the world, but not of the world.”

For all the ways and reasons we do not need to bog down in an analysis of Benedict’s times vis-à-vis ours, this may be a fundamental (and timeless) truth we need to reclaim… on the way to a reclamation of our discipleship, our community, and our pastoring: namely, that, as much as we’d like to pretend or hope otherwise, there will forever be an animosity between this World and the life of Faith and the Spirit and, because of that, there will forever be ways in which Christ and discipleship and ministry must stand in opposition to this World and its ways and its values. Ministry which tries to make friends with this world and its ways is diametrically opposed to ministry which sees this world and its ways as delusional and fallen, in need of redemption. Ministry which affirms that Hell and judgment are real is diametrically opposed to ministry which believes that any old life will do, any old way will get you there.

To be sure, we need to be careful here. Being at odds with this world does not mean being at odds with “people” per se – as Benedict’s emphasis on hospitality surely makes clear. Affirming “Hell” and “Judgment” does not give us license to scream fire and brimstone. To be sure, while our argument is with the World, the real “battle” is within. (Otherwise, why would Benedict’s first words call us to “listen carefully”… with the “ear of our hearts”?) Yes, caution is in order. Things are not as easy as they appear.

Still, be advised, Church: you can’t have it both ways! On these things, Benedict was more than clear—and clear from the outset: society is a shipwreck, ministry is lifesaving, Jesus is Lord, life is a battle, the monastery is a stronghold. Such is the ground of his Rule… and its vitality through the ages. Such is the ground of vital congregations and faithful disciples throughout the ages. Until and unless we, as disciples and as congregations, recover a sense of our unique mission, its urgency, and the passion for discipline that it demands, our work—as, indeed our lives--will have no more meaning than the proverbial rearrangement of “deck chairs on the sinking Titanic.”

-

"Who Am I?

2007-09-12T11:45:00.001-06:00

On the other side of a conversation in which we shared our joys and concerns in life and ministry, a colleague sent the following to me--a poem, a prayer penned by Lutheran pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer just one month before he was executed.

Who am I?
They often tell me I would step from my cell's confinement
calmly, cheerfully, firmly,
like a squire from his country-house.

Who am I?
They often tell me I would talk to my warden
freely and friendly and clearly,
as though it were mine to command.

Who am I?
They also tell me I would bear the days of misfortune
equably, smilingly, proudly, like one accustomed to win.

Am I, then, really all that which other men tell of?
Or am I only what I know of myself,
restless and longing and sick,
like a bird in a cage, struggling for breath,
as though hands were compressing my throat,
yearning for colors, for flowers, for the voices of birds,
thirsting for words of kindness, for neighborliness,
trembling with anger at despotisms and petty humiliation,
tossing in expectation of great events,
powerlessly trembling for friends at an infinite distance,
weary and empty at praying, at thinking, at making,
faint and ready to say farewell to it all.

Who am I?
This or the other?
Am I one person today, and tomorrow another?
Am I both at once?
A hypocrite before others,
and before myself a contemptibly woebegone weakling?
Or is something within me still like a beaten army,
fleeing in disorder from victory already achieved?

Who am I? They mock me, these lonely questions of mine.

Whoever I am, Thou knowest, O God, I am thine.

Yes, Lord, whoever I am, Thou knowest... I am thine. And that's enough for me.

"The Frog in the Kettle"

2007-08-29T15:34:00.000-06:00

In his 1990 book, The Frog in the Kettle : What Christians Need To Know About Life In The Year 2000, Christian pollster George Barna introduced a powerful and compelling metaphor for the modern Christian and Church.

“Place a frog in a kettle of boiling water,” he wrote, “and it will quickly jump out, aware that the environment is dangerous. Place a frog in a kettle full of room temperature water and slowly increase the temperature of the water until it is boiling. The frog will stay in the water until it boils to death.”

Much as we admit that culture is changing… and the church is in need of real reform, things really aren’t that bad, are they? We don’t have to make any real radical adjustments, do we?! “Come on in, folks, the water’s fine!”

Sadly, I fear, we’ll only know how bad it really is when we croak… and it’s too late to jump!

"A Copernican Revolution of the Soul... and the Church"

2007-08-28T07:04:00.000-06:00

YouTube helps me once again to be about a humorous beginning working toward a most serious end: namely, our acknowledging and repenting of a "it's all about me" approach to Chrisitianity, both as indivdiuals and as communities. Yes, we need what I call a "Copernican Revolution of the Soul."

But, not so heavy, Jim... Not so fast!

To invite us into this truth with a laugh (isn't it amazing how a good laugh opens us up to serious truths? how laughter can help us to lower our guard?)... To gingerly invite us into this truth, then, I turn to YouTube. Two videos posted there (from the worship video generator/distributor which is sermonspice.com) poke fun at a ego-centric mentality we see in our culture--if not in our own hearts:

There's the "Invitation" to "Me Church":

And, then, there's my favorite, the "promo" for a "classic" CD collection, "It's All About Me:"

Laughter still ringing, perhaps, its time to confess (in my own life... and in so much of the church)... It's time to confess that "it's not about me"--though, in fact, there are so many conscious and unconscious ways I/we make it about me/us!

As Copernicus got in our face nearly 500 years ago and told us that we are not the physical center of the universe (that the universe does not revolve around us), even so we need to come down off our high horse and admit that this world does not revolve around us and our small, egocentric agendas.

I am not alone in this conviction. I have read it elsewhere... and owe a great debt to others.

Like Max Lucado (remember his book, It's Not About Me?):

What Copernicus did for the earth, God does for our souls. Tapping the collective shoulder of humanity he points to the Son—his Son—and says, "Behold the center of it all.”...

When God looks at the center of the universe, he doesn't look at you. When heaven's stagehands direct the spotlight toward the star of the show, I need no sunglasses. No light falls on me.

Lesser orbs, that's us. Appreciated. Valued. Loved dearly. But central? Essential? Pivotal? Nope. Sorry. Contrary to the Ptolemy within us, the world does not revolve around us. Our comfort is not God’s priority. If it is, something's sone awry. If we are the marquee event, how do we explain flat-earth challenges like death, disease, slumping economies, or rumbling earthquakes? If God exists to please us, then shouldn't we always be pleased?

Could a Copernican shift be in order? Perhaps our place is not at the center of the universe. God does not exist to make a big deal out of us. We exist to make a big deal out of him. It's not about you. It's not about me. It’s all about him. (Lucado, p. 4f.)

Or like John Ortberg:

Humility has nothing to do with submitted willingness. It involves a healthy self-forgetfulness. We will know we have begun to make progress in humility when we find that we get so enabled by the Holy Spirit to live in the moment that we cease to be preoccupied with ourselves, one way or the other. When we are with others, we are truly with them, not wondering how they can be of benefit to us.

Indeed, humility involves a Copernican revolution of the soul, the realization that the universe does not revolve around us. Humility always brings a kind of relief.

Humility, if we could grow into it, would not be a burden. It would be an immense gift. Humility is the freedom to stop trying to be what we’re not, or pretending to be what we’re not, and accepting our “appropriate smallness.” In Luther’s words, humility is our decision to “let God be God.” (from The Life You’ve Always Wanted by John Ortberg)

Friends, it is about me and it is about you. But not in the ways we think. It's about us losing ourselves, taking up the cross, and finding our only orbit around Him.

O Lord,
Through the tears of laughter, soften me up...
So that the greater tears of repentence may flow.
"I bow down. I lay my crown at the feet of Jesus..."
That's battle enough. (I'll leave the rest to You!)
Amen.

"The Pastor: Chaplain… or Rancher?"

2007-08-19T19:41:00.000-06:00

Am struggling with the role of the pastor—and especially his/her role in a “transforming” community.

It's a debate that was kindled well before I came here to Pollard—back to the time when, as pastor of 900-member Chapelwood UMC in Lake Jackson, I came to realize that I could not do it all… nor was it what the church really needed of its pastor. The voices of “coaches” (Bill Easum and George Brookover) confirmed that conviction.

Work over the last few years here at Pollard (first with Beeson studies [through Asbury] and more recently with Conference consultant Don Nations [of DNA Coaching]) has only heighten these impressions.

Most recently, Don was meeting with our Strategic Mapping Team—discussing the report that is currently before our Administrative Board… and its recommendations for the Pollard Parish.

Along the way, he described the role of the Pastor in a church like ours. With broad strokes, he described the way a pastor should allocate his/her time in a setting of “transformation:” a day spent with the targeted unchurch, a day spent in developing internal church leadership, a day spent in his/her spiritual growth,… a lot fewer meetings, etc.

He drifted off before I caught the whole picture, the whole plan. Admittedly, it wasn’t his agenda that night to nail down the specifics as much as paint a picture for the SMT: of a church family in which the pastor is more of a “rancher” than a “shepherd.” (Ranchers, you see, know the undershepherds but not every sheep and lamb. They know the hows and whys of “husbandry” [i.e., making more sheep] and ranch development but do not micromanage every single movement of every single flock.) I heard him saying that, Biblically speaking, the pastor is to be a lot more than the chaplain who caters to, panders to, and/or plactes the whim of every single soul inside the walls.

Because I did not hear him fully, though (and wanted to make sure I was really hearing him [and not myself… and my wishes and wants]), I wrote him—asking him to clarify and expand: “Don… wondering if you’d give me a snapshot/summary of that ‘average week in the life of a Transforming Pastor’… Okay, I have 7 days (Monday thru Sunday)… Tell me how I might live those 7 days… How did you live an average week?”

With his permission, I post his reply.

It may not be what I specifically wanted. (In some ways, I would have liked a more straightforward answer that didn’t mean so much processing on my part: “on Monday, I’d….; on Tuesday, I’d…; on Wednesday….” Be that as it may, his response does provide real food for thought… and further discussion. And that may be far more valuable than the simplicity I immediately seek and want.

Jim,

Please send me a link to your blog. You are welcome to use my response as part of an ongoing dialogue.

You asked, “what does an average week in the life of a transformational pastor look like?” Allow me to paint with a broad brush and make some foundational statements/assertions/beliefs/thoughts/ideas first.

* The Church exists as much for those outside of it and for those inside of it [did Don mean "as it does" here rather than "and"?]
* People do not owe us a visit but we owe them a visit
* Most people who don’t go to church aren’t looking for a church but they are open to a relationship with someone who happens to go to church
* People can smell a sales job from a mile away so a relationship started simply to be able to “sell” Jesus likely won’t be effective
* Church people typically are not that good at building relationships with new people, especially people who don’t go to church
* A real relationship with someone is a better foundation for sharing Jesus than cold calling on someone
* Too many pastors are so locked into taking care of existing people that they leave little time for unchurched people
* So many of the things that many pastors do have little to do with the long-term success of the church

In new church start situation we typically encourage pastors to spend at least 50% of their time with those who do not go to church. In an existing church this should likely be 20%-33% (or more). This may seem like a lot and the pastor may have to “negotiate” with his/her church but it is necessary if the church is to grow. Not that the church should simply rely on the pastor to reach new people but it is important that pastors become better at reaching new people. It would be even better if the pastor could take people from the church on outings to interact with unchurched people.

I believe that people should spend 80% of their time in the 20% of things they do best. This means that it is essential that the pastor know and understand his/her spiritual gifts. Certainly there are some things that pastors have to do that may not be in the areas of their best gifts – making hospital visits, managing staff, filling out denominational forms, attending meetings, etc. These, however, should not occupy the bulk of the pastor’s time. Unfortunately, there are many churches which seem to value these things – taking care of us – above almost anything else.

I think the pastor needs to be the best spiritually prepared person, have a great sermon, have a heart that beats with God’s vision for the church and be a great spiritual leader. Beyond these things, everything else is secondary. The pastor may or may not have great spiritual gifts in each of these areas but the larger the church, the more these are essential. At the very least (and in many ways this is an essential task) the pastor should be good at identifying “spiritually pregnant people” and recruiting, developing and deploying new leaders.

In my last church I attended almost no meetings. I averaged being out less than one night per week with meetings. I met with leaders and they met with their committees. I met with people who I thought were emerging leaders and these gatherings often occupied a total of a day per week. I didn’t spend much time in sermon preparation (literally less than 5 hours per week) but I invested significant time in keeping up with the headlines, knowing my community, understanding the issues with which the people in the church were wrestling, etc. I consider those things as part of my sermon preparation. I spent time with staff and I think that is important, especially if the time is spent in mentoring them, helping them grow and getting to know them better. Sure I had to do some administration, reviewing of financial records, etc. I had a very part-time associate pastor who made almost all of my hospital visits; I only made about 11 hospital visits in 5 years. That is just me and I am not saying that this should be true for all people but many pastors invest a lot of time making visits and have very little to show for it. I invested some time helping people be accountable to the membership covenant they signed when they joined the church. I did invest one night per week playing on the worship team but (1) I was not the worship leader, (2) many of the key leaders of the church were on the worship team and (3) I really wanted to help craft the worship service and move it in a particular direction.

Questions:
* What are you spiritual gifts?
* How much time do you spend in the 20% of things you do best?
* Who really sets you agenda – the church, you or God?
* With how many people who do not attend church do you have a relationship?
* When is the last time you shared your faith in Jesus and what happened?

I also believe that all leaders need to tithe and be involved in some form of spiritual growth. Is this happening in the life of the local church? Are most leaders participating in continuing education during the course of a year?

There is much more that can be said but allow me to stop there for now and see what questions and comments emerge.

God’s peace,
Don

Admittedly, my struggle, now, is not so much with Don's conceptions. I am sold... and could find myself in this radically different role in a heartbeat. (Maybe I am deluded here? I really don't think so.)

No, if there's any real struggle that abides it is that of how to sell the leadership and laity of the local church on this adjusted role and job description of the pastor--leaders and laity who have their conceptions, who are largely used to and want a chaplain, a shepherd who coddles, placates and panders.

The Gospel (and the Church) According to YouTube

2007-08-17T16:48:00.001-06:00

When it comes to surfing the net (and the waves of technology), I am not so much in front as I am in one of the troughs behind--not on top of the newest things, but enjoying many of the things others have been talking about for awhile.

Have discovered the joys of YouTube here lately. (Like all the Web, you have to be careful. It is, at once, a source of blessing and curse.)

Oh, the joys of seeing Keith Green (a mentor from A&M days) in concert... and Rich Mullins...

Amidst my discoveries have been videos which stand as social commentaries on Christianity. Interesting to overhear (and admittedly, entertaining... to me, at least) are the ways the Church and Jesus are percieved.

Be advised, for those "weaned on a dill pickle" (as Hinson put it), some of this can approach irreverance.

Still, I share them. Good for a laugh... and good for reflection and prayer.

Some of the college kids directed me to this "Jesus Video" [from Vintage21]... A real hoot (to me, at least)! (Pay special attention to the "rules for church.")

Never concieved of "King of the Hill" (what few times I have suffered through it... insomnia in the middle of the night will have one watching just about anything!)... Never really thought of them as church goers:

"Rocking the Membership Boat"

2007-08-16T09:12:00.000-06:00

The newsletters of various ministries are ever crossing my desk.

I admit, I don't read them all. (Many hit "file 13" with little more than a slight twinge of regret that I don't have more time.)

Something caught my eye, though, in Richard Foster's July, 2007 Perspective. (I encourage your clicking and engaging it for yourself.) Among other things, its focus was "the dangers of institutional preservation." One of the things it commended was a engagement of Jan Linn, his writings, and the "Jesus Connection."

And so, I clicked and looked into things. Eventually, bought three of Linn's books... and have been swept away by this prophetic voice. (I strongly encourage your prayerful consideration of all three!)

Among the biggest "WOW!" moments (it's written there in the margin of the book) came as I read Linn's chapter on "The Percentage Game" in Rocking the Membership Boat: Counting Members or Having Members Who Count.

Can't help but share an exceprt here:

…today we are in a time of numerical and financial decline wherein megachurches are booming and non-megachurches are struggling to survive. This makes leaders even more vulnerable to the pressure from a consumeristic churchgoing public to give them what they want. Of course, not everyone comes to church with this kind of attitude. All churches have faithful members who genuinely love and serve Jesus and make numerous sacrifices on behalf of their church. The point is, these people are not the majority, and that is what creates the pressure. Truth be told, this has always been the case. First Church, Main Street, USA, has been living by the 80/20 principle since it was founded. Eighty percent of the people who attend church watch twenty percent do all the work. This means most of the people who show up on Sunday do nothing but that.

Although this is the way it's always been, there is a difference now. Overall numbers are much smaller today, giving more power to the 80 percent who can and do vote with their feet and their pocketbook. Give them what they want or they will go or give somewhere else. Their power comes from the fact that most churches cannot afford to lose them, nominally involved as they may be. When churches were full, the nominally involved had little power to affect decisions about ministry. They could go somewhere else, and the average church didn't feel the impact. Usually someone else took their place the next week…

Of course, being in the 20 percent group is no guarantee that one’s understanding of the gospel or the meaning of church membership is better than those in the 80 percent group, although their level of participation does give reason to think it is. But that is really not the main point either. The crucial thing is that the 80 percent hold the power to influence the church because the 20 percent are constantly trying to figure out ways to get the 80 percent more involved. In other words, the 80 percent group, by virtue of not being involved, are the consumers, and consumers hold the power in a market-driven culture. In a new church, power tilts even more to the 80 percent because numerical growth is not simply desirable but necessary. Indeed, the combination of a culturally conditioned view of success in the church and consumeristic thinking in the general public means we are in the ironic position of the unchurched holding all the power in a new church.

It is not difficult to see the pressure at work in this situation that leads ministers and churches to lower the threshold for membership as much as possible. The reality of what it takes to survive as an institution in a market-driven culture has put all churches in jeopardy. But the basic question is not one of survival. It is one of integrity. What Christians today must face is the truth that the loss of integrity in ministry is a fate worse than institutional death…

Borrowing from (Willowcreek’s) John Ortberg, Linn concludes:

“The only power ministers and churches have to resist the pressure of dancing to whatever tune it takes to get people to come to church or stay is knowing genuine survival in ministry is more about keeping our eyeson Jesus than sitting safely in the boat.”
(Membership Boat, pp. 35-36, 39-41)

WOW!

O Lord, help me, help us to keep our eyes and you... and get out of the boat!!