Perhaps the title should have been reading and thinking. I like to read and I like to think, but it seems lately that it's harder and harder to wrap my brain around the things I'm reading. I feel like I'm living in the space between modernity and post-modernity. I can think and align with modernity--it's linear concepts are easy to solve, easy to understand--black and white. But the older I get, the more gray I live in. I'm currently reading three books: Intuitive Leadership by Tim Keel, Not on Our Watch by Don Cheadle & John Prendergast, and A Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns. They are all three fascinating books with much to consider.
Tim Keel says in his book, "In post-Christendom, the church is that community of people who look to discover what God is actively doing in the world around them and then join themselves to that work. The church is that community of people gathered around Jesus Christ in order to participate in his life and incarnate it not the context where he has placed them. The invitation from God is for us to start right here, not just the exotic out there." This sounds beautiful. Sign me up. But where? It's not practical enough to fit nicely in my mind...but maybe it shouldn't. Maybe that's the point. Maybe our faith isn't supposed to be neat. I know it's not meant to be compartmentalized. So I struggle with what this looks like.
Then, I visit Washington, D.C. I get riled up about using my voice. I get passionate about changing the systems that keep people impoverished, oppressed, and enslaved. I visit the Holocaust Memorial and hear the words, "Never again." And, I pray that somehow, some way I can make a real difference in the lives of people being destoyed again. So, I read books like Not on My Watch to get a deeper understanding of what's happening in Africa--particularly Darfur. It seems I would know all about 100's of 1,000's of people being murdered, raped, tortured, starved, and displaced. You would think it would consume the news, but it seems we're more interested in the weather or hollywood or the economy. God's children--six million--have been killed in the last couple of decades in this holocaust, and millions more have been driven from their homes. The authors of this book claim, "...the good news is that these horrors can be stopped. It is in our hands: citizen action in the United States and around the world can make a huge difference to the protection and survival of entire communities and peoples." They are calling on us as Americans to use our voices to change policies to save lives. So where are the pastors calling on us as Christians to rise up against such atrocities? Why are we more concerned about the budget and the landscaping and youth center and reaching young families? Why do we operate out of fear? Why do we allow economics to rule?
Richard Stearns says in his book, "For the first time in the history of the human race, we have the awareness, the access and the ability to reach out to our most desperate neighbors around the world. The programs, tools, and technologies to virtually eliminate the most extreme kinds of poverty and suffering in our world are now available. This is truly good news for the poor — but only if we do our part." Stearns believes the combined efforts of 2 billion Christians worldwide, each doing his or her small part, can change the world. I do too.
So, how does the church be the church without being co-opted by the government? How does the church be the church without exercising power and privilege over the marginalized? How does the church be the church when we're never confronted with how to live differently--how to live within the kingdom of God? I'll close with another thought from Tim Keel. He says, "The gospel is not a location to be defended. It is an alternate reality based on the person of Jesus Christ, who has called around himself a new community to live his life out in the world in hope, courage, and joy. We are called to live out our faith in the margins, witnessing to the gospel as communities of disciples following in the ways of our Master, Jesus Christ." I don't know what that looks like, but I know I want to be part of it.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Silence
So...it's been so long since my last post, I forgot how to blog. I didn't forget how to think or reflect or write, but I couldn't remember how to sign on. I remember now.
Today, the scriptures are silent about how Jesus spent his day. Some speculate that he probably remained in Bethany with his disciples. I like this idea. I like that Jesus might have been spending time with friends--with the people he loved--the night before the last supper, before washing his disciples' feet, before giving a new commandment, before telling Peter he would deny him, before offering peace to his disciples, before praying for his disciples, before struggling in Gethsemane, before being betrayed, before being arrested. I like the idea that he might have simply been enjoying being in the presence of the ones he loved. I like the idea that he might have been trying not to think about what was coming.
Jesus had spent the day before teaching in stories about the Kingdom of God. He'd confronted the Jewish leaders. He been sought out by some Greeks. He'd foretold of the destruction of the temple, the destruction of Jerusalem, his persecutions, of the signs of the end of the age. He'd warned of the necessity for watchfulness and faith. And on Monday, he'd cleared the temple of greed--declaring prayer more essential than profit.
But, today. Today, we don't know what Jesus did or said. And that's okay.
Today, the scriptures are silent about how Jesus spent his day. Some speculate that he probably remained in Bethany with his disciples. I like this idea. I like that Jesus might have been spending time with friends--with the people he loved--the night before the last supper, before washing his disciples' feet, before giving a new commandment, before telling Peter he would deny him, before offering peace to his disciples, before praying for his disciples, before struggling in Gethsemane, before being betrayed, before being arrested. I like the idea that he might have simply been enjoying being in the presence of the ones he loved. I like the idea that he might have been trying not to think about what was coming.
Jesus had spent the day before teaching in stories about the Kingdom of God. He'd confronted the Jewish leaders. He been sought out by some Greeks. He'd foretold of the destruction of the temple, the destruction of Jerusalem, his persecutions, of the signs of the end of the age. He'd warned of the necessity for watchfulness and faith. And on Monday, he'd cleared the temple of greed--declaring prayer more essential than profit.
But, today. Today, we don't know what Jesus did or said. And that's okay.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Advent
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945), a German pastor imprisoned and executed for his attempt to overthrow Hitler said this:
A prison cell, in which one waits, hopes ... and is completely dependent on the fact that the door of freedom has to be opened from the outside, is not a bad picture of Advent.
We live our lives day in and day out not realizing we're even in a prison cell. We wait. We hope. And, we work in vain to open the door of freedom. We think we're in control. We think we have to have all of the right answers. We think we could have done this better or that better or been better prepared for the tests in life.
But when we let go. When we realize that our efforts are in vain. When we begin to understand the mystery that is God. We wait. We hope. And the door of freedom is open for us.
Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow.
Praise Him ALL creatures here below.
Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts.
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
Amen.
A prison cell, in which one waits, hopes ... and is completely dependent on the fact that the door of freedom has to be opened from the outside, is not a bad picture of Advent.
We live our lives day in and day out not realizing we're even in a prison cell. We wait. We hope. And, we work in vain to open the door of freedom. We think we're in control. We think we have to have all of the right answers. We think we could have done this better or that better or been better prepared for the tests in life.
But when we let go. When we realize that our efforts are in vain. When we begin to understand the mystery that is God. We wait. We hope. And the door of freedom is open for us.
Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow.
Praise Him ALL creatures here below.
Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts.
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
Amen.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Longing
Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, "Those who follow Jesus will be hungry and thirsty along the way. They are filled with longing for forgiveness of all sins and for complete renewal; they long for the renewal of the earth and for God's perfect justice."
Is this really what those who follow Jesus in the United States long for? Is it really what I long for? Certainly, I long for forgiveness and renewal for myself. And, certainly, I want it for others, but do I really long for it? To long for something seems to be a more serious yearning.
Matthew 5:6 says, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled."
I hunger and thirst for a lot of things. Admittedly, my own righteousness more often than Gods'. I mean, who doesn't want to be right? I, like most Americans, want to be right, to have the finer things in life, the right house in the right neighborhood with the right car wearing the right clothes having the right electronics, right dreams, right goals, right body, right schedule, right job with the right company, etc., etc., etc.
So how can I long for God's righteousness? How can the church help to heal this absurd longing for things? I think the best way for communities of faith to alleviate our insatiable desires is to stop modeling it! How many times have people of faith been in church meetings longing for church vans, bigger organs, family life centers, more young families, more tithers, more state of the art equipment, more, bigger, newer, better? We can't model justice while continuing to live unjustly.
Lord, help your people to learn to say no. No to suffering. No to injustice. No to personal righteousness. No. Lord, may your kingdom come.
Is this really what those who follow Jesus in the United States long for? Is it really what I long for? Certainly, I long for forgiveness and renewal for myself. And, certainly, I want it for others, but do I really long for it? To long for something seems to be a more serious yearning.
Matthew 5:6 says, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled."
I hunger and thirst for a lot of things. Admittedly, my own righteousness more often than Gods'. I mean, who doesn't want to be right? I, like most Americans, want to be right, to have the finer things in life, the right house in the right neighborhood with the right car wearing the right clothes having the right electronics, right dreams, right goals, right body, right schedule, right job with the right company, etc., etc., etc.
So how can I long for God's righteousness? How can the church help to heal this absurd longing for things? I think the best way for communities of faith to alleviate our insatiable desires is to stop modeling it! How many times have people of faith been in church meetings longing for church vans, bigger organs, family life centers, more young families, more tithers, more state of the art equipment, more, bigger, newer, better? We can't model justice while continuing to live unjustly.
Lord, help your people to learn to say no. No to suffering. No to injustice. No to personal righteousness. No. Lord, may your kingdom come.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Blessed are the meek??
How is one meek without being thought of as weak? An age old question for followers of Jesus Christ. Yet, here it is again:
I still think we're often confused about what it means to be blessed, but today I want to focus more on the word "meek." Merriam-Webster gives three definitions of meek:
Definition #1 does not sound like a blessing for the meek one, yet it does sound like Jesus--and that's who we say we want to be like--right?
Definition #2 sounds like you're lacking spirit & courage--which, to me, contradicts the first definition. To be able to endure injury with patience & without resentment would require a great deal of courage and a great deal of help from the Holy Spirit.
Definition #3 is confusing--not being violent is certainly a good thing, but does the "not" apply also to the word "strong"? In order to live a life of non-violence, I believe you need a great deal of strength. I believe violence is a weak response to conflict.
Meanwhile, my desire to be right is often more powerful than my desire to be meek. Sometimes I may exhibit meekness, but all the while, seethe on the inside. How can I claim the power that is mine to choose meekness? To choose humility? Truly, choosing meekness and humility requires much more strength, much more power, much more self-control than being abrasive, sarcastic or right. Choosing arrogance is easy. It's in my nature. But if I could harness that power or even recognize it in the moment...
I'm sure I could experience great joy and inexplicable freedom. I'm sure my "enemies" would have no power over my life. I'm sure I would be one step closer in my desire to follow Christ. Meekness is a gift that may feel more like a burden than a blessing.
Matthew 5:5 says:
"Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth."
"Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth."
I still think we're often confused about what it means to be blessed, but today I want to focus more on the word "meek." Merriam-Webster gives three definitions of meek:
1 : enduring injury with patience and without resentment
2 : deficient in spirit and courage
3 : not violent or strong
2 : deficient in spirit and courage
3 : not violent or strong
Definition #1 does not sound like a blessing for the meek one, yet it does sound like Jesus--and that's who we say we want to be like--right?
Definition #2 sounds like you're lacking spirit & courage--which, to me, contradicts the first definition. To be able to endure injury with patience & without resentment would require a great deal of courage and a great deal of help from the Holy Spirit.
Definition #3 is confusing--not being violent is certainly a good thing, but does the "not" apply also to the word "strong"? In order to live a life of non-violence, I believe you need a great deal of strength. I believe violence is a weak response to conflict.
Meanwhile, my desire to be right is often more powerful than my desire to be meek. Sometimes I may exhibit meekness, but all the while, seethe on the inside. How can I claim the power that is mine to choose meekness? To choose humility? Truly, choosing meekness and humility requires much more strength, much more power, much more self-control than being abrasive, sarcastic or right. Choosing arrogance is easy. It's in my nature. But if I could harness that power or even recognize it in the moment...
I'm sure I could experience great joy and inexplicable freedom. I'm sure my "enemies" would have no power over my life. I'm sure I would be one step closer in my desire to follow Christ. Meekness is a gift that may feel more like a burden than a blessing.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Pastor, Minister, Reverenrd, Priest or Clergy
Pastor: a spiritual overseer; especially a clergyman serving a local church or parish
Minister: one officiating or assisting the officiant in church worship
Reverend: of or relating to the clergy
Priest: one authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, an agent between humans and God
Clergy: a group ordained to perform pastoral or sacerdotal functions in a Christian church
According to Merriam Webster On-Line, these are the definitions of words we so often use interchangeably. However, as I reflect on these titles, only one appears to be about a person who cares deeply for the spiritual health of others--and that is Pastor. Can one be called to be a minister or priest without being called to pastor? Is being clergy simply about performing functions? Officiating? Being authorized to perform rites of religion? Authorized by whom? By God? Or by man? Doesn't scripture tell us that God equips the called? Moses certainly didn't have his resume in order, and yet God called him to do great things.
What is it we're looking for in clergy today? Are we looking for church CEO's? Managers who ensure duties are performed as assigned? Financial officers who ensure the books are in order? Dynamic speakers who entertain? In my denomination, we have a person who's title in our conference is Director of Pastoral Excellence. What makes an excellent pastor? How is that measured? Who decides?
It seems to me that the criteria for an excellent pastor might be different than the criteria for an excellent minister. And, while I believe we need excellent ministers, I believe the world is longing for--even aching for, excellent pastors. We're looking for guides who are living the way of Jesus. We long for glimpses of those who truly clothe themselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience...those who bear with one another, forgive each other...above all those who are clothed in love. It's not fair to expect more of one human being over another, and yet...we do.
Minister: one officiating or assisting the officiant in church worship
Reverend: of or relating to the clergy
Priest: one authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, an agent between humans and God
Clergy: a group ordained to perform pastoral or sacerdotal functions in a Christian church
According to Merriam Webster On-Line, these are the definitions of words we so often use interchangeably. However, as I reflect on these titles, only one appears to be about a person who cares deeply for the spiritual health of others--and that is Pastor. Can one be called to be a minister or priest without being called to pastor? Is being clergy simply about performing functions? Officiating? Being authorized to perform rites of religion? Authorized by whom? By God? Or by man? Doesn't scripture tell us that God equips the called? Moses certainly didn't have his resume in order, and yet God called him to do great things.
What is it we're looking for in clergy today? Are we looking for church CEO's? Managers who ensure duties are performed as assigned? Financial officers who ensure the books are in order? Dynamic speakers who entertain? In my denomination, we have a person who's title in our conference is Director of Pastoral Excellence. What makes an excellent pastor? How is that measured? Who decides?
It seems to me that the criteria for an excellent pastor might be different than the criteria for an excellent minister. And, while I believe we need excellent ministers, I believe the world is longing for--even aching for, excellent pastors. We're looking for guides who are living the way of Jesus. We long for glimpses of those who truly clothe themselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience...those who bear with one another, forgive each other...above all those who are clothed in love. It's not fair to expect more of one human being over another, and yet...we do.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Manifestation, Restoration
Psalm 80 -- 1 Corinthians 12:1-13
Manifestation, Restoration...or is it...Restoration, Manifestation
In reading the scriptures above these words stuck out. Psalm 80:3,7 and 19 say: "Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved." Restore us. I think we long to be restored, yet we run from the restoration process. I have a dining room table that would be magnificent if it were restored. Yet to be magnificent, it has to be stripped, laid bare, sanded, smoothed, then re-finished...rubbed, polished, cared for. In it's current state, it's functional, useful, not completely unattractive. It holds memories and bears the marks of a good life. And yet...if it were restored to it's previous grandeur, it would still be functional, useful, beautiful. It would still hold memories, and perhaps, it would sustain the marks of a life to come.
Restore us. Sounds humbling. Sounds frightening. Sounds painful. Sounds ugly. Sounds like love. Sounds magnificent.
Then in 1 Corinthians 12:7 another word surfaces. "To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good." Manifestation.
Freedictionary.com says of manifestation: "An indication of the existence, reality, or presence of something." For example, morning sickness is an indication that you might be pregnant. There may not be visible signs of the existence of a child for some time, but that doesn't change the reality that a child is present. So, the Holy Spirit, manifests itself, shows itself, indicates it's presence in different ways for each person. Why? For the common good. This notion of a personal relationship with Christ is relatively new isn't it? We want personal service, individual recognition, our own blogspots, "my"space, personal identification numbers, "I"-pods, "I"-phones, it really is all about me. At least that's what I've made it.
So which comes first? Manifestation or Restoration? Restoration or Manifestation? Or do they come together? Does the Spirit manifest itself in the process of restoration? The restoration of each of us for the common good of all of us. Let your face shine, that we may be saved. Sounds magnificent.
Manifestation, Restoration...or is it...Restoration, Manifestation
In reading the scriptures above these words stuck out. Psalm 80:3,7 and 19 say: "Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved." Restore us. I think we long to be restored, yet we run from the restoration process. I have a dining room table that would be magnificent if it were restored. Yet to be magnificent, it has to be stripped, laid bare, sanded, smoothed, then re-finished...rubbed, polished, cared for. In it's current state, it's functional, useful, not completely unattractive. It holds memories and bears the marks of a good life. And yet...if it were restored to it's previous grandeur, it would still be functional, useful, beautiful. It would still hold memories, and perhaps, it would sustain the marks of a life to come.
Restore us. Sounds humbling. Sounds frightening. Sounds painful. Sounds ugly. Sounds like love. Sounds magnificent.
Then in 1 Corinthians 12:7 another word surfaces. "To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good." Manifestation.
Freedictionary.com says of manifestation: "An indication of the existence, reality, or presence of something." For example, morning sickness is an indication that you might be pregnant. There may not be visible signs of the existence of a child for some time, but that doesn't change the reality that a child is present. So, the Holy Spirit, manifests itself, shows itself, indicates it's presence in different ways for each person. Why? For the common good. This notion of a personal relationship with Christ is relatively new isn't it? We want personal service, individual recognition, our own blogspots, "my"space, personal identification numbers, "I"-pods, "I"-phones, it really is all about me. At least that's what I've made it.
So which comes first? Manifestation or Restoration? Restoration or Manifestation? Or do they come together? Does the Spirit manifest itself in the process of restoration? The restoration of each of us for the common good of all of us. Let your face shine, that we may be saved. Sounds magnificent.
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