Pilgrims' Progress

America, the Secular, Part 3

2010-12-20T09:13:00.003-05:00

I've written here two posts on "America, the Secular," emphasizing the fact that the United States was established as the world's first secular nation, having no preferred state religion---official or unofficial. Brent Walker, of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, in Washington, DC, has written an excellent article concerning " Top Five Myths of Separation of Church and State." I commend this article to you---just click on the article title to read it.

The Need for Grace

2010-09-13T12:49:00.003-04:00

Today (Mon., Sep 13) follows a weekend of extreme highs and lows, a weekend of remembered pain and sorrow, a weekend in which the already-volatile emotions of people around the world simmered everywhere and exploded in some places.

Many Christians began this day, as they do many days, with a prayer to God we call "A Collect for Grace" which (in its classic form) reads:

O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God,
Who has safely brought us to the beginning of this day:
Defend us in the same with thy mighty power;
and grant that this day we fall into no sin,
neither run into any kind of danger;
but that we, being ordered by thy governance,
may do always what is righteous in thy sight;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

I commend this prayer to you (modernize it, if you desire), as one good way to begin each day.

If you wish to read more about this prayer and how it has been prayed by various Christian faith groups over the centuries, Click Here. The article is by a friend and colleague, Rev. Taylor Burton-Edwards, OSL, of the General Board of Discipleship of the United Methodist Church.

A Case of Butterflies

2010-07-12T12:13:00.000-04:00

May little things always surprise us and increase our joy.

I went out this morning (Monday, July 12) to take bags and boxes to the curb for pickup---for me dreary but necessary.

Recently I've added 3 planters full of yellow Lantana which, this morning, due to yesterday's torrential rains are awash in blooms. During the 20 minutes or so I was in and out, I was surprised, first by a gorgeous butterfly---black outlines and irridescent blue wing panels---the first I've ever seen in my yard.

Soon the first one was joined by another---black outlines and panels but covered with lots of sun-yellow spots. They intertwined and danced together flitting from bloom to bloom.

What a way to begin a day. (Especially a Monday!)

America, the Secular, Part 2

2010-03-21T12:54:00.002-04:00

Excerpts of a recent editorial by Wayne Laugesen published in The Gazette, Colorado Springs, Colo., were reprinted in today's edition of The Villages Daily Sun, The Villages, Fla. The Daily Sun ran this on their Opinion page under the title "God is concept, not a religion, U.S. court rules."

The full text of the Gazette editorial can be seen at:
http://www.gazette.com/opinion/stop-95654-claus-view.html

Essentially, this item reiterates the legal/constitutional distinctions made between use of the term "God" in American social discourse and how/whether using the term "God" is, in and of itself, an affirmation of religion and a violation of the principle of "separation of church and state."

The case, brought by athiest Dr. Michael Newdow, was heard and dismissed by the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals, often referred to as "the most liberal federal court in the land."

Laugesen's editorial is not only interesting to those of us who strongly adovcate for separation of church and state, but is compelling in the construction and presentation of his argument. I recommend his editorial for your consideration.

America, the Secular

2009-07-21T16:45:00.004-04:00

This is not a comfortable discussion, but in recent weeks several people have asked me to comment on emails and news items they’ve read concerning that broad topic, “separation of church and state.”

Growing up as I did in Virginia, where one can hardly take a step without bumping into a historical marker or artifact, and growing up Baptist, where it was expected that we understood the First Amendment and its implications quite as thoroughly as we knew each week’s Bible memory verse, I’m always surprised that others don’t seem to know or understand this one basic fact of the American Experience: The United States of America was never, is not now, and—God willing—will never be, a Christian nation.

What we call “the American Experiment” is the fact that the USA was conceived and constituted as the world’s first intentionally secular state, where government and religion might coexist side-by-side, but where they stayed discreetly and absolutely out of each other’s affairs.

If you’ve been down Tampa way in recent weeks, you may have seen the billboards posted around Pinellas and Hillsborough Counties, featuring supposed quotes by founding fathers (Washington, Jefferson, etc.) supporting integration (what Baptists call “entanglement”) of church and state. I say “supposed” because some of the quotes were never said by that person. Yet the “Community Issues Council” there seems to say, they would have said it if they’d thought to.

Obviously, the folks at this “issues council” have not bothered to read the Federalist Papers, the correspondence of the Patriots, the records of the Continental Congress, and the debates on toleration vs. liberty which led up to adoption of the Bill of Rights.

Obviously, these folks have never read Article VI of the Constitution which states, “no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States,” and they clearly do not understand what “disestablishment” is all about.

The First Patriots had had their fill of church-state intrigues in the “old world.” Many, if not most, who came to these shores came looking—not just for freedom, but—for liberty. And when they finally had it, they were not about to let it go. The “new way” in America meant no state church(es), no clergy paid by tax revenues, no political-religious elite ruling church and congress. The “new way” was a different, secular, way.

Old Ben Franklin is supposed to have said, “The price of liberty is eternal vigilance.” Whether or not he did, the message is true, if we are to have a free church in a free society, we must learn and teach the truth about our Republic and our Religion. When they asked Jesus about this, he gave his famous answer which was, in essence, “Caesar is not God, and God is not Caesar,” and we need to continue to assert that one must never be confused for the other.

Missio Dei / Tikkun Olam

2009-06-04T14:15:00.005-04:00

From time-to-time, I write or speak about Tikkun Olam, the Jewish concept of Repairing, or Healing, the World. With all the issues swirling these days about ecoresponsibility, global warming, etc., I find it refreshing when responsible Christian leaders come forth and attempt to help those of us in the church think theologically about God's Mission and whether or not we're working in harmony with it, or off on some tangent of our own.

Rev. Daniel Vestal writes compellingly about Missio Dei and gives us much to consider, both in adjusting attitudes and in adjusting behavior. CLICK HERE to read his article.

A Day to Pray

2009-05-07T16:35:00.000-04:00

Any day---every day---is a good day to pray. And for those of us for whom prayer, meditation, or thoughtful contemplation is part of our way of life, it is certainly not a strange thing to do. And considering the present state of our religious institutions, nation, and world, we could probably stand to pray a bit more than we do. But do we really need anyone---religious, political, or governmental leader---to tell us that one day or another is a particular day to pray or a day to pray for a particular thing?

This video was recorded on May 7, 2009, designated the National Day of Prayer in the USA.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Down to the River to Pray

2009-04-21T09:52:00.002-04:00

Sunday night (4/19/09) we watched the season premier of "In Plain Sight" and were jerked up short at the end when the strains of the haunting Appalachian gospel song quietly stole into the soundtrack---"Down to the River to Pray." We'd first encountered it in George Clooney's hit movie "O Brother, Where Art Thou." (I have the soundtrack playing as I type this.)

This got me to thinking of the several excellent TV series which, as part of their weekly offering, include some excellent music as a footnote or exclamation point to the storyline. It got so that when we watched "Joan of Arcadia" and "The West Wing," we waited expectantly to see/hear what the producers would serve up for that musical point/counterpoint. We were never disappointed. Now we occasionally catch these bits of spice on "House," "Bones," one or another of the "Law and Order" offerings and other favorites that we follow, but it seems they're not used as a regular habit as they were in the earlier series.

Music---specifically church music---has been at the core of my existence as long as I can remember (and probably had its roots even earlier). One of the enduring agonies and ecstasies of my life as a pastor is the privilege of planning and leading worship for a community of faith where music is essential to the fabric of our existence. Yet, though personal taste may move us in one direction or another, I'm always a bit surprised to find my Spirit being equally nourished by Appalacian gospel as it is by Gregorian Chant or Taize or....

If you watch TV or go to the movies or worship with a congregation keep your awareness high for the choice and use of music---whether it's featured or part of the background. Note where, when, and how your Spirit resonates with the music and the message of the song. Then take time to dialog with your soul about what the music demands.

A Church Ancient and Alive

2009-04-20T14:34:00.003-04:00

Pilgrims' UCC has made much use of the work of Marcus Borg, Diana Butler Bass, and others of their ilk over the past 3 years as we've worked hard to become and remain a church "ancient and alive," a church in touch with those parts of the authentic Christian tradition which have always energized and motivated Christians and Christian communities. We've also affirmed our belief that Pilgrims' posseses a "vibrant and vital" understanding of our call and commitment as "authentic Christians in our day."

If you'd like to read more about how Borg, Bass, and company understand these terms and phrases---and if you'd like to understand more about the progressive theology, worship, and practice which is Pilgrims' CLICK HERE to read an article posted in today's Presbyterian Outlook. (OK, we're not Presbyterian, but in matters of church health, we share some common features with Presbyterians.)

After the Resurrection

2009-04-13T10:36:00.000-04:00

Private Eye ran a cartoon some years ago of St Peter standing in front of Jesus's Cross and saying to the other Disciples: “It's time to put this behind us now and move on.” It was a satire not on Christian belief, but on politicians and counsellors, and their trivialising mantras. It depended on Jesus's death being not just an odd, forgettable event - and that it was His Resurrection, rather than a shoulder- shrugging desire to “move on”, that got the early Christians going.

Easter was the pilot project. What God did for Jesus that explosive morning is what He intends to do for the whole creation. We who live in the interval between Jesus's Resurrection and the final rescue and transformation of the whole world are called to be new-creation people here and now. That is the hidden meaning of the greatest festival Christians have.

CLICK HERE to read the rest of the article by Tom Wright, Bishop of Durham.

Where's Jesus Today (Holy Saturday)?

2009-04-11T10:41:00.000-04:00

Something strange is happening ... there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. God has died in the flesh and hell trembles with fear.

He has gone to search for our first parent, as for a lost sheep. Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, he has gone to free from sorrow the captives Adam and Eve, he who is both God and the son of Eve. The Lord approached them bearing the cross, the weapon that had won him the victory....

CLICK HERE to read the rest of this ancient Holy Saturday homily.

What's Good about Good Friday?

2009-04-10T10:05:00.005-04:00

CLICK HERE to read a meditation for Good Friday.

May God be in your heart and mind this day.

Election Fallout and Strange Bedfellows

2008-11-07T13:30:00.002-05:00

As the United States continues to take stock and begins to work into the shift involving new paradigms for government and society, I was caught by surprise this morning when I opened the daily paper to the Op Ed page and proceeded to do something I seldom do: read Cal Thomas' column. And as has happened once or twice in the past, I was doubly shocked to find that I agree with him. What could do this? Read his article. CLICK HERE.

Combatting Ignorance and Biblical Illiteracy

2008-09-15T16:10:00.002-04:00

I get lots of email. Some of it comes in the form of notes from colleagues on various topics in which we have common interest. Other notes contain the text of, or pointers to, ezines or other online periodicals.

Once such periodical is The Baptist Studies Bulletin, published monthly by some friends and colleagues of mine at Mercer University, in Macon, Georgia. The September issue, which hit my inbox just this afternoon, contains a couple of interesting and provocative articles on ignorance and biblical illiteracy.

Both of these articles weigh on the current political campaign being waged here in the good ol' US of A. These articles are well worth your time. Click Here to read them.

Checking the "Ground Signs"

2008-08-27T11:37:00.004-04:00

Recently, we’ve explored the "Phoenix Affirmations" which provided us a "bird’s eye" view of ways our spirituality and our theology and our ministries work together. This year, Diana Butler Bass, in Christianity for the Rest of Us has shown us examples of healthy mainline Protestant churches and provides some "signposts on the ground" or "ground signs" which may prove useful to us in taking our pulse and gauging our health.

So far, we’ve convened two study groups for the "Passionate Christianity" course which uses Bass’ book as a text. In that study, we’ve seen how other churches express their life and witness in terms of the ground signs. The signs are:

Hospitality	Diversity
Discernment	Justice
Healing	Worship
Contemplation	Reflection
Testimony	Beauty

The Phoenix Affirmations link our theology and spirituality together. Bass’ Ground Signs identify the ways we actually express theology and spirituality in our daily living.

As we move into autumn, once the second class has completed the study, we’ll have a better picture of where and how we may need to "tweak" a thing or two—or, perhaps, find that things are going well enough to not need tweaking.

Take a moment and consider these ten ground signs. Ask yourself, "When I hear or see these words, do they make me think of Pilgrims’ and our life together?" Let me know what you discover.

(This is a reprint of Ron's article in the Sept. 2008 issue of Pilgrims' Progress, the PUCC newsletter.)

Practice vs Purity

2008-07-21T14:49:00.002-04:00

If we consider that the Pilgrims and the Puritans came together in 1648 to form what became American Congregationalism, one of the main streams which ultimately formed the UCC, it might surprise some folks that, today, many of us who might be thought of as the "Puritan's spiritual children" are less concerned with purity in the church than we are with praxis (or practice).

Nearly every denomination large enough, or vocal enough, to demand media attention these days has been racking up plenty of airtime and column inches with stories of their internal disagreements between factions facing off---to put it very simplistically---over issues of purity vs praxis.

North American Presbyterians, United Methodists, American Baptists, and Episcopalians are awash over issues related to inclusion and biblical interpretation. The Episcopalian debate has spread to the worldwide Anglican Communion, where serious threats of schism are being heard.

No matter the particular issues today, or in the past or next centuries, we will probably continue to have debates over whether the church is the "hospital for sinners," or the "museum of saints."

I grew up in a denomination whose principal statement of faith declared that a church is "a body of regenerate, baptized believers," and who worked rather fervently to ensure that non-regenerate folk (that is unbelievers, sinners, and backsliders) did not have their names on the church roll. Yet history reveals that this was always a hope, an ideal, a goal, rather than a realized reality. In this model, one's baptism is intended to be the outward sign that, though one was once a sinner, one is a sinner no more. Yet the debates were many and intense about what cure there exists for those who "fall back into sin."

As we move toward the end of the first decade of this new century, the church is being faced with a major shift in perceptions of what "church" is and should be. Some have hastened to brand this time as a new reformation. One movement which is gaining a recognizable shape and identity is referred to as the emerging church. (The emergent church is a similar, but, so far, different movement.)

From her study of 300 healty, mainline Protestant churches, Dr. Diana Butler Bass, focusing principally on exemplary subgroups of 50 and 10 churches (composed mainly of United Methodist, UCC, Presbyterian (USA), Episcopal, Evangelical Lutheran (ELCA), and Disciples of Christ congregations), discovered a number of characteristics these churches mostly share. In general:

they exhibit a profound spiritual vibrancy, Christian authenticity, coherent faith, passion and purpose that is open and generous, intellectual and emotive, beautiful and just, moving into the future by reengaging their best past.
they call their members to lives of transformative engagement with authentic Christian tradition as embodied in faith practices, and encourage them to express their transformation in new ways and directions, "rebirthing tradition" rather than maintaining or improving inherited ways.
they focus more on God's grace in the world than on the eternal state of their own souls.
their churches are sacred spaces where saints and sinners gather to hear God's word, engage practices of prayer and service, and are transformed through active participation.
their churches are communities formed around Christian practice rather than moral or theological purity.
they understand that thinking theologically does not mean "arriving at certain conclusions," that their goal is not to arrive at doctrinal certainty, but at awe-filled action.
they understand that, though Jesus may be the same yesterday, today, and forever, we change from moment to moment.
they adopt a pragmatic approach toward ideas and practices, both new and old: adopting them when they feed the spirit and shedding them when they no longer contribute to life.
they understand church as an adventure into creating authentic spiritual community, as a matter of transformed traditions rather than as a matter of organized structures.

These congregations have no desire or interest in "separating saints from sinners." Just as in yesterday's gospel lection from Matthew 13, they are content to let "the wheat and the weeds" grow together, trusting that God's spirit will be at work transforming lives. For my own work, I've come to embrace this parable as definitive for linking what we, here at Pilgrims', and what these other emerging congregations are becoming.

He's Baaaaaaack!

2008-07-21T13:11:00.002-04:00

I just realized that my last post here was on May 29. Since then I've been writing, just not for this blog. Following the seminars and the reading which accompanied them, I've spent considerable time and energy writing two papers, one concerning the emerging polity of the UCC, and the other on lessons those of us in the church who've come from mostly west- and northern-Eurpoean climes and persons of other ethnic backgrounds.

The first paper traces the development of polity in the UCC from the 1957 merger which formed this denomination, from a polity with a presbyterian-accented congregationalism to a new model--still evolving--of what we've come to call "covenantal congregationalism" or "covenantal polity." Since this is still a work-in-progress, there's much more to be said and done.

The second paper examines some of the "hidden histories" of groups and movements within our predecessor denominations and the racial/ethnic groups with which they came in contact, through missionary activity and by other ways. The prayer which arises here is that we and our children not repeat the same mistakes and that we find better ways to interact with others we perceive as different.

Holy Conversation on Race

2008-05-29T08:17:00.004-04:00

Our denomination has been called to comment on and engage in a "Holy Conversation on Race" during these weeks following Pentecost. Our Florida UCC Conference Minister, Kent Siladi, has posted on his blog (click on the Progressive Revelation link to visit and read it) an excerpt from an article on Race and White Privilege.

During our cluster's clergy fellowship meeting this week, we discussed how it seems that in some of our congregations it's easier to address and resolve issues concerning ONA and LGBT than issues of race. We also reminded each other that race, fundamentalism, and even denominationalism are quite modern constructs which didn't exist as we know them more than a couple hundred years ago. They, as are so many other sociological concepts, products of our post-enlightment culture.

Several members of our congregation have connected with one or another of the projects seeking to map matrilineal, or mitochondrial DNA (mDNA) which is that part of the genetic code of every living person which lives in the nuclei of the cells of our bodies and which we get only from our mothers. mDNA is passed mother to child, and can be passed generationally only from mother to daughter. This means that women who had no children or who had only sons who survived to puberty to reproduce did not pass on their mDNA. This also means that women who abort their female fetuses or kill their female infants fail to pass on their mDNA.

In the larger picture, this means that every person now living is descended from a single female ancestor, dubbed "mitochondrial/matrilineal Eve." mEve lived in east Africa between 100,000 and 400,000 years ago and all of us trace our ancestry to her through six (or seven) of her daughters whose children migrated out of east Africa and eventually populated the planet, replacing other inhabitants with whom they were genetically incompatible.

As these migrants moved and settled in various places, they developed secondary characteristics which we now see in variations principally in skin color/texture, hair, stature, and facial and other bone structure characteristics. However, we have to realize that, as scientific studies have shown, interbreeding has been so extensive that "racial purity" has always been nothing more than a myth. War and conquest with their consequent rape, enslavement, and seduction, not to mention commerce and trade and intermarriage between peoples have served to thoroughly blend the genetic heritage of Earth's population.

The genetic code we receive from our parents helps shape our physical appearance and provides the large part of our personal predispositions to behavior, health, and taste. And our environment provides the rest, shaping our rhythms, associations, language, ethnicity, and familial norms. Who and what we believe ourselves to be is a greater factor in how we live and behave than some set of arbitrary categorizations based on those secondary physical characteristics.

Lots of people eat "grits and greens." Lots of folks enjoy "rap and rhythm" or the classics. Others order their lives according to sexual identity. And how this gets done may have little to do with skin color, facial characteristics, or our "family of origin" or the neighborhood we grew up in.

So one of the first decisions we need to make as we take up a conversation on race, is what do we really mean in the first place by using and defining the term, and whether or not it provides a useful frame of reference in categorizing and identifying people in our day and time. Is "race" a useful classifier or is it yet another tired and hackneyed term best left for dead?

World Economics

2008-05-24T10:50:00.004-04:00

I rarely write on this and related subjects, but the continuing rise in energy and food costs has, I believe, captured everyone's attention. Many of my neighbors are seriously engaged in selling their more fuel-inefficient vehicles; a number are getting measured for helmets and are checking out motorcycle and bicycle dealers.

When I think of gas and food in the same breath, my mind travels back to the winter of 1972. We'd just received a settlement from an auto accident and were finally able to purchase a good car. When my eyes fell on that red 1973 Pontiac Grand Am--one of the first off the line of that model--it was (since I was a male of that generation) love at first sight. With gas at 25 cents a gallon who cared that this car with its huge engine got 8 mpg city and, on a good day, 13 highway?

Only months later came the 1973 gas crisis and suddenly this grad student on partial scholarship and an assistantship was paying 400 percent more to feed this baby. In short order it became a "pleasure vehicle" and I adapted to the joys of urban transit. Even after the pump prices receeded to only 300 percent of their prior level, I had to keep my bus pass and use it daily.

But in 1973, just before gas prices skyrocketed, Texas panhandle wheat was going for upwards of $3 a bushel, which meant that a regular loaf of bread was running at about 30 cents. And West Texas crude oil was going for $3.55 a barrel.

Late in 2007 as headlines screamed that, due to numerous factors, wheat was soaring to "record" prices of just over $10 a bushel. Shortly after that the headlines began screaming that oil prices could rise precipitously, sending the prices of gas up and over the $4 per gallon mark. This week, in our area, we're almost there and crude oil is hitting $135 or more per barrel.

Obviously, I'm no economist, but I do possess some basic math skills. Adjusted for inflation and cost of living, a bushel of wheat, $3 in 1973, should be selling for $14 today and a barrel of that crude, then at $3.55, should now be at just over $16.

Yet, the price of wheat, even at "record" 2007 highs, has failed to keep even with inflation, while the price of oil is off the charts. So the farmers and the citizenry of the world in general are even deeper in the hole and the oil barons are riding even higher on their wave of prosperity.

What this means for interstate, much less, international trade, I'm not exactly sure. But I've said for years, since the first gas crisis in 1973, that the price of wheat should be tied to the price of oil as an international standard. Perhaps then, we could have some equity on both ends. So then we say to the oil producers, "Go ahead and set any price you want for your oil, but remember, you're also setting the same price you're going to pay for the wheat you buy." So that, however you cut it, the standard becomes, again as it was in 1973, a bushel of wheat for a barrel of crude. Seems fair to me.

We now return you to the usual daily insanity.

'nuff said

2008-05-12T08:53:00.002-04:00

CLICK HERE for a (we hope) final perspective on the J. Wright flap.

Beware the terrible simplifiers....

2008-05-07T11:05:00.000-04:00

Politics, Religion...and Athletics

2008-04-11T11:04:00.003-04:00

It seems that hardly a day has passed since Christmas that we haven't had to wade through stories of the entanglement of religion in the American Presidential process. For as long as I can remember there have been tensions between the officially athiest government on the Chinese mainland and the people and religious leadership of Tibet---that struggle from China's claim of ownership of Tibet.

Enter the modern Olympics, which, since its inception has always managed to include some significant component of religio-political turmoil. From Jesse Owens and the 1936 Berlin Olympics, with its headon confrontation over Nazi Arianism to the Cold War boycotts which affected the games in Moscow and Los Angeles, we come to the Beijing Olympics of 2008 and the odyssey of the Olympic Torch.

It's unlikely that separating religious interests and politics will ever be fully realized, especially not when we have the quadrennial political, er--religious, er--Olympic, games to arouse nationalistic and athletic fervor.

There were rumors earlier this week that there's a new song being sung on the West Coast, "I left my torch in San Francisco," but this morning's headlines seem to suggest that it did actually make its way out of town.

Closer to home, the UCC ran a full-page ad in the New York Times a week ago, as an attempt to clarify the denomination's perspectives on church polity and conduct. There's another ad running in USA Today this weekend on the call for a national dialog on race. I'm not suggesting that you buy a copy to see the ads---I don't buy either of these papers but that's because I don't buy papers which don't have a comics page---but keep your eyes and ears peeled for any mention of the ads in the media.

Use these links if you want to see the ads without buying the papers. You'll need Adobe Reader to view the PDF files, though.
CLICK HERE to see the NY Times Ad.
CLICK HERE to see the USA Today Ad.

Sounds of Life

2008-04-04T03:43:00.003-04:00

I've written recently of the pair of cardinals who come to play outside my window every so often. They were back today playing tag through the trees and vines in the side yards definitely brightening the day here even as the clouds rolled in setting us up for an afternoon "light show" and thunderstorm.

Meanwhile grandson Wyatt, who will be 2 soon, still making wonderful discoveries about his world was captured on video enjoying the "family cardinal" who comes to sing his song in their backyard. Enjoy life and this brief clip about nature's songs and a toddler's joy of life. (Video by Wyatt's mom, Lisa.)

Sunday of Doubt

2008-03-31T12:47:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, being the Second Sunday of Easter, we considered according to our tradition, the gospel story (John 20:19-31) relating to the disciple most often referred to as "Doubting Thomas."

Some modern scholars, with whom I agree, believe that Thomas got a bum rap. We believe it was his profound grief over the lynching of his long-time friend and teacher which made him refuse to believe second-hand information (in court, that's called "hearsay"), waiting until he could see for himself.

The church of my youth insistently taught that "doubt" was something I should avoid like the plague---that no matter how preposterous or unbelievable a doctrine or religious tenet might be, my job was to swallow my doubts and believe it all---just like it was taught.

But now I've come to believe that doubts, rather than being "the enemy" are really some of our best friends. They help us sort truth from fiction, faith from fantasy, and help us work our way toward resolution of the issues before us. So I've fallen in with Progressive Christians and am not only surviving, but thriving. And now I have the opportunity to encourage others to embrace their doubts, examine the skeleton-filled closets of fact and fancy, and dare to bring their questions out into the light of day where we can, together, squarely face the issues and build a stronger, more robust system of faith, belief, and practice.

Garrison Keillor had something to say about doubt recently. If you'd like to read his comments, CLICK HERE.

A Stroke of Insight

2008-03-21T15:09:00.004-04:00

Often we get lost in the babble of trying to discuss and explain experience and even to sort out our experience, to try to make sense of life.

Today's New York Times online carries a remarkable article and video clip about a "Brain Scientist" who describes her own experience during and following a stroke and the insights she gained. I encourage you to take the 20-30 minutes to read the article and view her presentation, especially if you or someone you love has ever experienced any brain-related condition.

And if you have time, you can scroll through the (at this moment more than 60) comments posted by readers, some of whom just try to relate, and others who launch into heated "right versus left brain" battles.

I immediately began to process my own perceptions of how I acquire, store, and use data flowing in, through, and out of me, particularly religious or theological data---plus all that other stuff which interests me.

Read. Watch. Enjoy. Ponder. Here's the link:
Brain Scientist Suffers Stroke

Feel the Awe

2008-03-03T10:17:00.004-05:00

Having passed the midpoint of Lent, we find ourselves observing the return of life all around us. Living in Florida, we are always surrounded by things that are green and growing, but there is still a lot of plant and animal life which responds to the seasonal rhythms. Stalks and deciduous trees which have stood bare for several months are displaying that first burst of pale spring green as leaves and buds appear. The pair of cardinals have returned to the yard outside my window looking for tasty tidbits and nest-building materials.

And we in the mist of our Lenten meditations, with the warmth of the spring's morning sun on our faces, pause to consider the life that energizes us and the life around us.

Rabbi Jonathan Case, a longtime friend, has an interesting web site, Life's Pathway, where he posts meditations and MP3 clips of his reflections on life and Scripture from his perspective. The web site also provides a link to his blog which contains commentaries on Torah and life.

But for today, with the spring sun peering in my window, the cardinals on the lawn, and the squirrels out digging for last season's nuts because the nut tree is only now budding, Rabbi Case's words on Psalm 4 call me to ponder with awe the great love of God which embraces me. Click on the link and join me in this meditation. Psalm 4 link.

Blessed Dust

2008-02-06T09:44:00.000-05:00

We come to Ash Wednesday, the First Day of Lent. We come with a sense of humility (most of our English words that begin with "hum-" are from the Greek/Latin root for "dirt") and we hear and say that line from Scripture "Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return." But if we think about it for a moment, we can also approach the day with a renewed sense of wonder and awe when we think of the "dust" that composes our physical selves.

Those of us who are able to ponder the age of the universe realize that the physical matter we encounter today has been around a long time and has been used over and over again. Just as may of us who today try to trace our family trees hoping to find we're descended from ancestors of note, we should also pause and consider that some part of our flesh may once have been matter from the heart of an ancient star on the other side of the galaxy, or that our enzymes or the water in our cells was once part of the makeup of Leviathan or another of earth's ancient and fabled creatures. "We are stardust" is more than just a line in one of Joni Mitchell's songs.

But we teach that we are also the people of God--a God who loves and cares about us. We may, indeed, be stardust, but we are loved. Beloved, blessed dust. So we may come to this day with humility, wonder, and awe. We are dust--one with the universe--and to dust we shall return. And what then shall our dust become when our spirits are at home in God?

Being Part of the Story

2008-01-29T13:51:00.000-05:00

It's a wonderful moment when a Christian actually wakes up to realize that "the Story" isn't about someone else someplace else, but integrally includes each of us wherever we happen to be. We cannot afford to be spectators, cannot sit on the sidelines while others take an active part, but we each need to make ourselves ready to take up our part of the story as our turn comes.

Rev. John Thomas, General Minister and President of the UCC, was in Florida over the weekend to take part in and to preach the sermon at the installation of Rev. Kent Siladi, our new Conference Minister.

Rev. Thomas took time to remind his listeners--and now readers have the chance--to think of ourselves and our role--as individuals and as members of congregations--in "the Story." To read the text of his sermon, CLICK HERE.

Beyond the Fear and Terror

2008-01-24T12:44:00.000-05:00

Fourteen of us from Pilgrims' had the opportunity this week to spend several days with Walter Brueggemann and Barbara Brown Taylor as they discussed "Spiritual Maturity in a Time of Christian Conflict and Change."

In their talks and discussions Brueggeman and Taylor gave us insights into the life and times of the Prophet Jeremiah--and into our own life and times. His day was certainly one of "orange and red level alerts" and with high government officials exploiting fear and terror to press their own agendas.

We were given insights in working through and past the terror and fear and pain and in affirming our own identity, our need for--and place in--community, and in arriving at the place where hope dwells. And we were given oh, so much more, than platitudes and practical advice. It isn't easy to look in the windows of one's own soul, but it is life-affirming and hope-full.

How's your "hope level" today?

Survey says: "Church is full of hypocrites"

2008-01-14T16:41:00.000-05:00

Talk about a non-news item. Religious News Service, in a Jan 9 article titled "'Unchurched' Americans say church is 'full of hypocrites'" reveals what I've been hearing on a consistent basis for more than 50 of my 60 (so-far) years.

Surprise: There are hypocrites in the church. So where else should they/we be? The church is full of sinners of all kinds, so why should we be surprised that it contains (at least) its fair share of hypocrites.

One of my friends used to tell me that every time her brother (who was "unchurched" by his own choice) went off on hypocrites in the church, she would remind him that there's always room for one more.

I think we should be shocked and surprised if we should find a church without any sinners/hypocrites--now that would be news--or any household in America (or the world), for that matter.

"Church" is not about perfect people, it's about a community of imperfect people drawn together, under God, to "bear one another's burdens," "bind up each other's wounds," and seek to help each other live lives of worth and purpose--"warts and all." Come to think of it, here at Pilgrims' we still have a few empty seats. Hypocrites (and any others) welcome!!

Thoughts on New Year's Day

2008-01-01T08:58:00.000-05:00

Today I am 60; today my son is 33. New Year's Day has a special meaning in my family. But also years and birthdays ending in "zero" have a meaning all their own as well.

"Zero years" are years for looking back, taking stock, and looking ahead, pondering what the future may hold. I remember my 10th birthday when I counted up how old I'd be in the year 2000 and thinking how positively ancient that seemed. Now I look back on the year 2000 and still remember how relatively young I was then, that my hair was much darker--and there was more of it.

So 2008 is another "zero year" for me, personally; and a "zero year" professionally--it is the 20th anniversary of our ordination. (Inga and I were ordained together and have worked together most of these past 20 years as a clergy team.) In those 20 years we have moved--literally--across the continent and back, "from Maine to California," and "from border to Gulf" (Wisconsin/Michigan to Florida), pastoring churches and ministering in communities in all four "mainland timezones."

In these 20/60 years, there have been many opportunities to make acquaintances and friends everywhere we've been. I'm still in contact with some of my high school classmates--many the same kids from my church youth group. I'm still in contact with my college roommate, also clergy, who's a pastor of a church near enough that we can meet for lunch occasionally. My contact list still holds the names of clergy, church members--former and present--and folks from across the country who maintain contact and whose prayers and encouragement I deeply appreciate.

In an earlier post I commented on the saying that "The best things in life aren't things." Indeed, the best things in life are the people you gather to travel through life together, most cherished are those you are privileged to keep through the years, and yet more than that, those whose lives become utterly intertwined.

May God keep us and bless us in this year of grace, 2008.

More on Collateral Damage

2008-01-01T08:42:00.000-05:00

In my earlier post on "Collateral Damage" and in my sermon on Sunday, Dec 30, 2007, with the same title, my intent was to focus in somewhat narrowly on the issue of murder and of softpedalling a particular form of murder by calling it "collateral damage."

My comments were not about warfare in general, nor about the justification for war, nor the fact that freedom comes with a price.

Yet I did intend to raise the question that, when we consider the price of liberty and measuring that cost in human lives, we must be able to look at ourselves in the mirror and know that we haven't bought our freedom at the cost of innocent lives.

Accidents happen, in peacetime and in war, but the morals and ethics upon which our society is supposed to be founded should/would argue that those "accidents" be strictly minimized and investigated and, if found that the acts are, indeed, wanton and murderous, prosecuted.

Collateral Damage

2007-12-29T17:43:00.000-05:00

This week, in stark contrast to the Christmas celebration, those churches who include certain saints' days and other observances in their calendars observed the Martyrdom of Stephen (Dec. 26) and Holy Innocents (Dec. 28). This year, churches following the Revised Common Lectionary and Calendar will read the gospel from Matthew 2:13-18, which is the same reading as for Holy Innocents.

"Holy Innocents" is the title given by the church to the infants of Bethlehem slaughtered by King Herod in an attempt to be rid of Jesus, proclaimed to him by the Magi as the new "King of the Jews." Though there is some historical question of whether the massacre actually occurred and how many infants might have died if it did occur, historians are generally agreed that Herod certainly could have ordered the deaths. (He did, after all, kill his own sons, one of his wives, and several other members of his family.)

Of course, in Matthew's story line, the attempt to kill the infant Jesus is also part of an historical reenactment by Jesus of the travels into and out of Egypt by the Hebrew people, where he and his parents flee to, and reside in, Egypt until after Herod's own death so that, in Matthew's words (quoting Hosea), "Out of Egypt I called my son," directly comparing Jesus to Moses.

But to use a phrase coined by the US military, probably during the Viet Nam War, the Holy Innocents were "collateral damage." The point of the death warrant was Jesus, but just to be sure, included any male child in Bethlehem under age 2. The movies usually show the massacre as a massive slaughter, but historically, the number actually slain would have been closer to a half dozen, possibly as many as 10 or 12. Yet, in terms of morality, one would have been too many.

In the history of the world, the number of innocent deaths due to the predations of war and civil unrest are astronomical. And the ethicists and theological moralists continue to debate when and whether murder becomes simply that form of justifiable homicide now labelled "collateral damage." Today's news, telling of the carnage at and after the assassination of Prime Minister Bhutto in Pakistan, includes this phrase. Some hairsplitters have claimed that, if it's done by a terrorist, it's murder, but if it's done by the military or other agents of a legitimate government, then it's only "collateral damage."

But, really, how much difference does it make to those on the "wrong end" of the bullet or the blast? When and how is it possible to justify the deaths of the innocent? Read more about this at Common Dreams.

Christmas Toys and More

2007-12-19T09:04:00.000-05:00

I read bumper stickers. There are lots of things I wouldn't know if I hadn't seen them on bumper stickers. The wisdom of our day. Two I've seen many times over the years showed up again recently on the same day and got me thinking about their combined message.

The first was "The one with the most toys when he dies, wins." This is, of course, a comment on the materialism of our day--the mad drive to shop and acquire--that infests our culture. Of course, at this time of year, we're not thinking just of general materialism, but Christmas materialism, in particular--that drive to spend and overspend, to stress already-maxed credit cards and deplete savings in order to decorate and to pile mounds of brightly-wrapped packages under picture-perfect Christmas trees.

Growing up, I wondered if every "preacher" I'd ever heard had been required to prepare one or several sermons against "Christmas Materialism" as a condition for ordination. I knew that, every December, we'd be "treated" to one, or even two, of these sermons. Now we can blog.

A partial antidote for this drive, I've found, is living in Florida. Here attics, basements, and storage sheds are scarce. So many, if not most, Floridians are faced with the prospect of taking something to the curb every time we bring something new home. Or if not to the curb, then to the local thrift shop or church rummage sale.

But we do live in a culture which encourages us to "spend, spend, spend" and to always yearn for the next new thing. And we've not yet developed an antidote.

The other bumper sticker I again encountered is: "The most important things in life aren't things." Living far from family--from children and grandchildren--and having a spouse with a serious life-limiting illness makes it easy for me to relate to this bit of wisdom. What I really want "under my tree" this--and any future Christmas--is family and folks who are important to us.

I saw a bright red Corvette with a For Sale sign the other day. And it again helped me confirm that I'm not yet ready to start my "mid-life crisis." (I've been told that life's hardest decision is when to start middle age.) I'd much rather have a year of health for those I love than a red Corvette, if I can "pick my presents."

May the ill find health, the destitute hope, the persecuted justice, the oppressed freedom, the warred-upon peace, and our world life in all its fullness. The peace and hope of Christmas to you and to all you love.

Hedging Bets

2007-12-08T14:11:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow's (Advent 2) Gospel from Matthew 3:1-12 presents the picture of John the Baptizer preaching his "baptism of repentance" at the Jordan River, "and the whole district made their way to him."

Yet, in the midst of this story John becomes irate because he sees (probably prominent) Pharisees and Sadducees lining up for baptism. The writer of Matthew seems to assume that his/her readers understand John's anger, but it's not so clear to us today.

He was upset because the Pharisees would believe that they already "had things right with God" but because they believe in the life in the world to come probably figured they should "get baptized" just in case there was something they needed to repent for but didn't know about.

He was upset because the Sadducees (the word means "the righteous ones") also believed they were righteous and not in need of repentance, but they did not believe in a world to come--no afterlife.

John looked beyond their actions and looked into the conditions and intentions of their hearts. They were not there because they truly believed they needed to turn their lives around, but were simply trying to live out the maxim, "better safe than sorry." They were insincere and John knew it.

The message in the story is that it matters how we live. Our intentions and our motivations matter--and how they are lived out in our actions matters also. Let us in this season of sincerity be certain that our love is true, that our wishes for health and happiness are real, and that, where we have the opportunity, that our caring and giving be truly generous and open-handed.

To use a 60's phrase, John's message to us and to our world is "get real." We have more than enough phonies.

The Nazareth Manifesto

2007-12-05T00:27:00.000-05:00

The history of the Christian Church has been one of turmoil and tension. Sometimes the trouble has come from "outside," but most often it has come from internal stresses, dissent, and power struggles.

Today is no exception. In the USA, nearly every "mainline" denomination is besieged within and without from forces tearing at the fabric of their very being. After the Disciples of Christ, some of the Baptist denominations (particularly The Alliance of Baptists and The American Baptist Churches) are very close to the UCC in doctrine and polity.

Over the past 30 years, we've witnessed the breakup of the Southern Bapist Convention, and, more recently, similar attempts to disrupt the American Baptist Churches. Out of this turmoil a new effort is underway, called the New Baptist Covenant, spearheaded by former presidents Carter and Clinton and leaders of several Baptist denominations and fellowships.

One of the related efforts is development of a video titled "The Nazareth Manifesto," which discusses Luke 4:18-19 as Jesus' "mission statement" and a call to the church to be about social justice. You can click the play button to view the 5-part (14 minutes) video. If you're not Baptist, just substitute "Christian" wherever you see/hear the word "Baptist" in the video. The message is not just for Baptists, but all serious (particularly those of us who think of ourselves as progressive or liberal) Christians.

Advent

2007-12-03T16:11:00.000-05:00

Sunday, Dec. 2, was "Christian New Year's Day" as I often call it. It was the "First Sunday of Advent," the beginning of the Christian Year. For many Protestant Christians, Advent, as one of the "seasons" of the year, is a season of confusion. Many of us just aren't sure what to do with Advent.

Perhaps this will help a little: Advent is to Christmas as Lent is to Easter.

So Advent (approximately 4 weeks) and Lent (40 days) are seasons of preparation leading up to Christmas and Easter, respectively. In some places Lent has been, traditionally, a time for encouraging unbelievers to embrace Christianity--the occasion for the "spring revival meeting" in many churches--while Advent has been the time when Christians who've "dropped out" are encouraged to "Come Home for Christmas."

In any case, Advent can, and should, be a time when Christians and non-Christians are invited to think about peace, reconciliation, health, and wholeness and how these values can be better exemplified in our own lives, as individuals and as communities.

If we want peace, then we need to find a way to become peaceful and to work for peace; and here's the hard part: we need to do it in ways that don't provoke more strife and anger. Conflict and warfare are not the path to peace.

If we want reconcililation, then we need to find ways to mend fences with those nearest to us--members of our own families, our neighbors, our enemies, and the person who sits near us in worship each week. It may mean that we have to make the first move, rather than wait for the other person to "go first."

If we want health, then we have to adopt and begin to live a "healthy lifestyle." This is not to be confused with dieting, losing weight, exercising, or body building, though these things--judiciously applied--might be part of a healthy lifestyle. The healthy lifestyle means avoiding things which damage us and, at the same time, adopting habits which repair past damage and promote health for the present and future.

If we want wholeness, then we have to remember that we need to be healthy, not just physically, but also mentally and spiritually. We need to examine our beliefs, our priorities, our assumptions about "how the world works." We need to examine our attitudes and motivations and intentionally work to let go of those which damage us and those around us and, of course, work to adopt new attitudes and motivations which provide for health.

Advent, as a season of preparation, can truly be a time when we prepare for the year ahead, when we take an active role in our own lives. Someone once said there are three kinds of people: those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who say, "What happened?" Advent people are the first kind.

Thanksgiving

2007-11-22T03:05:00.000-05:00

First in Virginia, years later in New England, English settlers--those who had survived the Atlantic crossing and harsh living conditions, whether they'd come originally for "God, glory, or gold"--took time to thank God that they had something to share with each other and that they had their lives.

Today many of us will sit down to bounteous meals--the largest meal of the year, whether we're rich or poor, whether we're homeless or not. Many will eat today knowing there's "more where this came from." Others will eat today and begin wondering again tonight if there will be food and clothing and shelter tomorrow.

Those of us who have more are ever challenged to share with those who have less. This is one of the central principles of living a Christian life. Our goal is that everyone may be able to give thanks--on each Thanksgiving Day and on all the days in between.

May God who has richly blessed us make us a blessing to others.

Cloud of Witnesses

2007-11-08T00:56:00.000-05:00

Sunday (Nov. 4) our congregation celebrated All Saints' (traditionally observed on Nov. 1) along with many other Christian churches around the world. Having grown up in one of the "ahistorical" denominations, All Saints was one of those things I discovered as an adult exploring the wider world of Christianity.

In the church of my youth, it was "there was Jesus and the apostles...then later our congregation was established and here we are." What happened between the apostles and us was treated as irrelevancy. Yet, a lot has happened these 2000 years that has helped shaped us and influenced us today.

All Saints is one of those reminders that we, in this generation, didn't "invent" Church nor, as Paul points out, did the "gospel begin with us." We are heir to a tradition, whether we acknowledge it or not. Our "convictional genes" are part of our Christian, and our particular denominational, DNA.

We are who we are because of who they were--as that phrase in the book of Hebrews reminds--that "great cloud of witnesses" of all times and places, who faced "dungeon, fire, and sword," who remained true to the Christian faith as they understood it.

We don't own our DNA--it's something we receive, hold in trust, and pass on. Some day future generations will remember us as part of their "cloud of witnesses." May we be found faithful.

A Touch of Color and Song

2007-10-27T09:15:00.000-04:00

Each year about this time, the mornings are often gray, and showers come almost every day. But also, about this time, a bit of color flashes past my window on a fairly regular basis.

A pair of cardinals (members of the finch family) show up about this time each fall and seem to take up residence in a tree of the house next door. Then they spend a lot of time flitting back and forth between the houses, foraging for tasty tidbits and singing their cheerful songs.

I know cardinals aren't supposed to be migratory, and I don't have a clue where they spend the rest of the year, but this pair sure know how to brighten a gray autumn day in otherwise sunny Florida.

Touching

2007-10-13T09:28:00.000-04:00

In this week's Gospel text from Luke 17, Jesus heals ten lepers. As in most of the stories of healings in the Gospels and Acts, touching is involved--Jesus (or an apostle) touches or is touched by another person. In fact, a significant number of the "interpersonal encounters" recounted in Scripture include a mention of touching in one way or another.

Today, we laugh at Mr. Monk (on TV) because every time he has to shake hands with someone, he needs "a wipe" to clean himself after the contact. We DO laugh at him and chuckle over his "obsessions and compulsions." Yet, there's a booming market today for hand-sanitizing lotions, sold "in bottles small enough to fit in pocket or purse." We go to the supermarket and are offered a towelette to clean off the handle of the shopping cart in case the last user left some nasty germs behind.

In church many people are leery of sharing in Communion because they might "catch something" from the loaf or the cup, because others have had to handle them. Instead of hugging, many folks just give a "hiya" gesture and instead of kissing someone on the cheek we give "air kisses"--making a smooching noise in the air somewhere near them without actually making contact.

Often, we fail to notice that the hand sanitizers and the household cleaners and the pest control we use to try to rid ourselves of the "bugs" around us are never 100% effective. In fact, they kill only the weaker "bugs" and "germs" leaving the stronger ones to come after us later. And the commercials remind us of that--"kills 99.9%" they say--but that 0.1% is still there and growing. We can fear them--or not.

Touching is a human need--some touching can, indeed, be inappropriate and pathological--but the kind of touching that conveys warmth, caring, genuine affection, and, particularly, comfort in times of fear and pain and mourning, is something our souls yearn for.

Jesus touched--and healing happened. He lived boldly rather than fearfully. How, then, should we live? Do we treat others as "lepers"? Do others treat us that way?

Friends

2007-10-06T08:44:00.000-04:00

As morning gets underway in our part of the world, I listen to the birds outside greeting the morning and each other with their various songs. Thinking of songs, my mind moves to a quote I heard recently: "A friend is someone who learns your song and will sing it for you when you forget or can't sing it for yourself--and will continue until you can sing it again."

The world is full of acquaintances--people we know by face or by name--people we'll nod or smile at when we pass them in the aisle at the store or on a Sunday morning before or after worship. But when the line is crossed into friendship--when we begin to learn and sing each other's songs--we realize we've found someone who will sing us through the tears, through the dark times, until we can again greet the morning.

Each of us may have many acquaintances, or even several true friends. Who knows your song? Whose songs do you know?

Nonviolent Living

2007-10-05T09:21:00.000-04:00

This Sunday we begin a new study course based on The Powers That Be and "The 'System' Belongs to God." The book is the condensation of Walter Wink's "Powers" trilogy and the video series records his discussions with James Forbes and Janet Wolf about the main themes, claims, and theses in Wink's work.

To put it in a nutshell, the main thesis is that violence is not an inherent part of our nature, nor of society's--that it's "added on" rather than "built in"--and that we can seek and find means to learn to live and coexist with others in nonviolent ways.

Looks like this will be an interesting course. If you live nearby, grab a copy of The Powers That Be and come join the discussion. --Or start one where you are.

To Hear and To Do

2007-09-30T01:12:00.000-04:00

Several recent conversations, some in person, some online, have gotten me thinking and then clarifying a very broad taste in music. And not just music, but for this post, I'll limit my comments to a musical metaphor.

Someone commented that his taste in music was very narrow, limited to a single musical style; thus, he knows that style and the names and titles very well, but all he knows about other styles, performers, and groups, is that, since they're outside "his" style, he doesn't care for, nor expose himself to their "sound."

I've often said that in my house, on any given morning, one might hear Mozart, Bach, Handel, Dolly Parton, Kathy Mattea, the Beatles, the Eagles, Chant (in any of several languages, including Latin and Russian), and/or several dozen other possibles.

While my friend might be said to have musical taste "one inch wide, but a mile deep" could it be said of me that my tase is "a mile wide, but an inch deep"? On reflection, I think not. Here's why.

My friend is "stuck" with one specific "style" of music, and--good or bad--it's all he will voluntarily listen to. He listens to the "style" and compromises on "quality." I realized that what I want from the time I spend listening is to listen for the quality, no matter what the style happens to be. It doesn't matter if the medium is classical, C&W, R&B, Jazz, R&R, gospel, or what, but the singers and players need to be excellent in performing and interpreting the musical work they're presenting.

This is what I also hope for the Sunday Liturgy, that what I/we offer to God is done as Gabe Huck would say, "with style and grace," and also, with passion. There are musical styles I prefer and there are liturgical styles I prefer, but leading, participating, or observing, the more important standard should be the quality of our effort, rather than the style we choose to express it. For this I always pray.

When "Inside" and "Outside" Meet

2007-09-25T02:23:00.000-04:00

It's a time of year that many Americans come alive in ways related to how particular sporting events influence their "emotional center." Professional baseball fans whose teams are in the "race for the pennant" become reinvigorated as the long season begins to draw toward a conclusion. The jockeying for a prestigous bowl bid and a national championship finds countless college football fans already in a dither and just as many basketball fans swept up in eager anticipation before the season has even begun.

The momentary glow experienced by American soccer fans which was sparked when David Beckham came ashore has been renewed with the rise of the American team in the women's World Cup play in China. And the new professional football season has many of us--myself included--already anticipating Super Bowl glory for our favorite team--and, vicariously, ourselves as well. (I confess, as I'm typing this I'm sitting at the keyboard wearing a Steelers t-shirt--I have several!)

We Americans, in general, love our sports--whatever the sport may be--and possess a passionate emotional involvement in our favorite teams and/or stars. Pull into the parking lot and walk into any stadium or arena or sports venue in America and the spirit is truly tangible and infectious. Those "plugged in" to the unfolding event are caught up in it and carried along with it. (And those who find no such interest or connection mentally twiddle their thumbs and count the seconds until the thing is over.)

In America's churches many of the same phenomena can be observed--and experienced. In some places, the music and the singing and the movement (whether incidental or integral) often serve to get worshippers' "hearts started." For others, the anticipation of hearing a legendary pulpiteer hold forth gets the "juices" flowing. Still others quake at the prospect of "meeting God in the Eucharist." Sometimes--some places--that "tangible spirit" can be felt at the threshold--or even out in the parking lot--as one approaches the worship space.

Many of us depend on the event "outside" to generate feelings and emotional involvement on the "inside." Just as many seem able to kindle and nourish a glow or an "inner fire" which rises up from within and seems to flow outward to connect with the larger spirit present and grows brighter as the "spiritual momentum" builds.

In other words, some need to connect to an outside source in order to get ourselves spiritually and emotionally involved in worship--we need a set of "spiritual jumper cables" to connect us to an energy source and get us going. Others seem to maintain an inner energy that's there--like a fully-charged battery--which keeps them energized and invigorated between "events."

Do you need something "from outside" to "reach in" and get you going? Do you need the music or a speaker's passion or something else to motivate you? Is it easy or difficult for your inner spirit to connect with the outer spirit alive in a group or event or place? What does it take for your "inner" and your "outer" to get together, commune and grow?

Coming Unstuck

2007-09-22T08:21:00.000-04:00

Progressive and liberal Christians have always chided the so-called "religious right" for their literalism, rightly so, I believe. However, literalism is often a bugaboo for those of us who consider ourselves progressive or liberal. Sometimes it's called "political correctness" (PC), sometimes it's not named, but "there" nevertheless.

Marcus Borg, in one of the units of the video course "Living the Questions" (both series 1 and 2 of the course)--and in other venues--explains how this phenomenon "severely erodes" Christian witness.

His thesis is that modern Western culture is the only culture in history to insist that "truth and verifiability" are required to go together--to our damage. He notes that, when we are very young we view the world with "pre-critical naivete" and take things pretty much as we hear them (stories of the tooth fairy, Santa Claus, the virgin birth narratives of Jesus, etc.). As we grow older we move more or less automatically into the next phase of "critical thinking" where we begin to sort out which stories of our childhood we'll continue to believe and which to dismiss. This is also the stage where questioning and evaluating new information for truth and verifiability sets in.

He notes that this skill can be valuable and adaptive, but also warns that it can also become a ruthless taskmaster and destructive if allowed to develop into cynicism. We do need a means for sorting truth from tale, but need to be careful and set limits for our scepticism.

He argues that we need to be able to bring "post-critical naivete" to bear on some situations and also to be able to disconnect truth and verifiability where we need to. This is because, often, the truth (or truths) of a story do not depend on whether they "really" happened in such-and-such a way, at some specified time and place.

He notes that, though we move automatically from "pre-critical naivete" to "critical thinking," we don't automatically move on to "post-critical naivete." To get there--to get "unstuck" from the rut of "critical thinking"--takes an act of will. But when we do, we can then reevaluate the stories of our youth, and the stories we've acquired over our lifetime, and reappropriate them as true stories--for the value that they have to inspire and motivate and encourage--without getting into divisive and destructive arguments over whether or not they happened as historical events in "just this way."

I've been told many times, "If you're really a progressive, then you can't say those things and you can only say these things this way...." But that comes from getting stuck in critical thinking and robs us of our ability to find the truth in the metaphor. It also makes us quite as literalistic as our friends on the "religious right."

So when we come to doing Christian Education or to participation in the Liturgy, when we find ourselves "mentally editing" our language and our participation as we go--falling silent on certain lines of a hymn, or when we come to certain phrases of the affirmation of faith, or in explaining the meaning of a parable or a miracle--we can end up severely crippling ourselves, not to mention our students.

According to statistics the so-called Boomer and Buster generations have been some of the most "detached" and "critically-thinking" oriented generations in history. Yet we're seeing a massive turn toward (or back to) mysticism and mystery in the next generations (the so-called Gen-X, Gen-Y and "echo boomers") now growing up and maturing. They seek to enjoy and seek out mystery--particularly in religion--and select for what we Boomers have so often dismissed as "outright myth," as "smoke and mirrors," or "smells and bells."

Perhaps it's time for the church to begin again to revisit our Story, to see it again, as Borg suggests, with "post-critical" eyes; to recover the sense of awe and wonder and to "get unstuck" from our "hard-headed" insistence that every thing and every event must be sorted, categorized, and demystified. Jesus said something about becoming "as little children" did he not?

Tikkun Olam

2007-09-19T03:05:00.000-04:00

This past summer and this fall I'm reconnecting with the work of Walter Wink, through the books of his "Powers Trilogy" and his book which more or less condenses the trilogy, The Powers That Be. This reading together with facilitating the study course "Living the Questions" (LtQ) has sparked the renewed interest.

In LtQ, numerous references are made to the "myth of redemptive violence," the "Domination System," and "principalities and powers." The first two are terms Wink uses and defines in his writing; the third, by Paul in his letters.

Wink holds that an analysis of the creation myths of many religions around the world (particularly those which influenced modern Western and Middle Eastern societies in both their sacred and secular aspects) reveals that violence is a "given"--part and parcel of the fabric of existence, both of individuals and of peoples. In these models of reality, violence is "who we are."

Wink also points out that the creation myth of Genesis 1:1-2:4a presents a radically different picture of creation in which violence plays no part in the creation of the world or its peoples. In this model violence is something which may be "added on" but which is certainly NOT "built in." In fact he suggests that the Hebrews who recorded this creation story did so intentionally as a direct refutation of the violence-saturated stories of their neighbors. The strong theme of this premise is that, if we've learned to be violent, we can unlearn it and live another way.

The 16th century Jewish mystic Isaac Luria is the first author known to use the phrase "tikkun olam" which is usually translated into English as repairing, or healing, the world. He poses a different, but interesting, story of how the world became "broken" but his proposal is essentially the same: we are invested with the purpose of healing the world. (You can read more about Tikkun Olam at such sites as www.innerfrontier.org/practices/tikkunolam.htm.) This is a vital--not simply an academic--question for progressive Christians as well, particularly for those of us who are coming/have come to believe that the concept is central to understanding the true meaning of Jesus' term "Kingdom of God" (or, as Wink reads it, "God's Domination-free Order").

Building on our initial experience from this summer's LtQ study, we are planning a fall study on "Principalities and Powers," which goes deeper into Wink's theses and which ultimately asks us to confront the question with how we--as individuals and as a community--intend to participate in Tikkun Olam.

Things to Do Before I Die

2007-09-17T10:40:00.000-04:00

This will probably be the first of several posts around this topic. Last week I received a note from a high school classmate (we just marked our 40th reunion, for those who could make it). She had gotten and modified one of those list of Things to Do Before I Die. This one had 10 items, but a Google search reveals hundreds of thousand of web pages devoted to the topic with lists running from 10 to 1000 or more things, depending on the author. There are also a number of books now available on this issue as well. (I wonder if "making a lot of money selling a book" is on those authors' lists!)

Most of the lists I've seen, including the one forwarded by my classmate are, unsurprisingly, "me-centered." Such lists include lots of travel and sightseeing destinations (Galapagos, Mt. Everest, Venice, even the space station) or daredevil events (drive a race car at 200 mph, climb Everest). Which, of course got me thinking about my own aspirations and what I consider worthy and memorable achievements.

Here's the start of my list:

1. Have a relationship with your true soulmate, your best and truest friend, and your life's partner, and realize they're all the same person.
2. And have that esteem, affection, and love reciprocated most willingly.
3. Tuck your children in at night and watch them sleep.
4. Tuck your grandchildren in at night and watch them sleep.
5. The feeling that comes with having a grandchild recognize your voice on the phone and actually talk to you--and include at least one spontaneous "I love you" in the dialog.
6. Enjoy every sunset and sunrise I have the opportunity to behold.
7. Be happy living most everywhere I have occasion to live. Find something good about every place and enjoy it.
8. Realize that when some folks ask my opinion they really do want to know what I think and feel on an issue--and value that opinion.
9. When I die folks will mourn, rather than be relieved to be rid of me.

I'm stopping at 9 so I can think more about this. That way later I can come back with a revised list as I move toward a list with numbers that end in zero. What's important to you?

Useless or Useful?

2007-09-10T03:56:00.000-04:00

I've said in other places that one thing I appreciate about the Salvation Army is that there are no "inactive" members. If you "join" the Army, you put on the uniform and go to work--there's no place for pew sitters, or "Christmas and Easter" members, or inactives.

Yet many churches have and continue to add to long lists of inactive members, seemingly fearful or incapable either of letting them go or insisting that they meet and maintain some reasonable level of participation. In one church I pastored for a while the minimum requirements for being maintained on the "active" list was contributing at least one cent per year OR attending one worship service per year OR in being elected (or appointed) to some office in a given year (no requirement to actually discharge the duties of that office). Someone once said that if we expect the minimum, we shouldn't be surprised when we achieve the minimum.

(Here, let me make it clear that I'm NOT referring to those who are unwillingly absent and/or inactive due to age, illness, or injury, but to those who can participate fully, but won't.)

Yesterday's second reading (Sep 9, 23d Sunday of the Year, Philemon 1-21) is built around the character of the slave "Onesimus" (which translated, means "Useful" or "Benefit") and the pun Paul (which translated, means "Pee-wee," and Phlemon, translated might mean "Sweetie" or "Kissy-face") uses to contrast how and when Onesimus has been "useful" or "useless" and how Paul desires his continued usefulness in service to the gospel of Christ.

And a principal part of Paul's appeal to Philemon is that Philemon not inhibit Onesimus, but allow him to continue to be of maximum usefulness--thus living out the meaning of his name.

Each of us who have taken the name "Christian" at our baptism is daily confronted with the choice to be and to remain useful; we, too, must decide to be "Onesimus" or someone else; we, too, must determine if hanging out on a church's inactive list is the best place to be.

(The notes in this post about the punned translations of names is to point up the fact that nearly every page of the Bible includes some joke or humorous item--most often a pun of some sort. Unfortunately, most of these are lost in translation and/or not translated, so we miss a lot of the joy and jolity of those who wrote the Scriptures. And, of course, the whole text of the letter to Philemon is a pun on "Onesimus.")

Living the Questions

2007-09-08T13:29:00.000-04:00

We've recently completed our first encounter with the study course "Living the Questions" (www.livingthequestions.com) and are now rerunning several sessions for those who missed those sessions the first time around. LtQ has been so well-received that we've acquired LtQ2, which is the new edition of the course, intending it for this winter. LtQ2 is organized a 3 7-session courses rather than the single 12-session course of the original LtQ.

LtQ is an introduction to Progressive Theology, and the "faculty" (presented by DVD) includes such folk on the current theological scene as Borg, Ammermann, Crossan, Sample, Townes. The challenge students to consider how they feel and what they truly believe about numerous issues--questions--of the past century so they can decide how they choose to live in this century. Some of the questions discussed are "biblical authority," "biblical authorship," "facts about the historical Jesus," and what our scripture, history, and doctrine call us to in the 21st century.

At one point, Crossan summarizes the focal issue for us, "It has begun. Are you with the program?" The "it" is the imperative Jesus presents to us in our day to live both as a people of faith and as a faithful people. For the "faculty" of LtQ and for us, the questions relate less to "what do you believe?" but "how do you live?" Another faculty member provides one answer to those who inquire, "Come see how we live and work--see what difference this makes in our lives."

These and other issues continue to be living concerns for those of us who take the Bible "seriously but not necessarily literally." What questions of life and living keep you awake at night? Do you have a secure and safe place to discuss your questions? Are there people you can trust to hear you and work with you to engage those questions as you examine potential answers? If not "in church," where? Churches which offer LtQ (or LtQ2) as part of their curriculum are very likely places such as this. Pilgrims' (www.pucc.info) is one.

Can We Trust the New Testament?

2007-09-03T07:36:00.000-04:00

The title of this note is also the title of a 1977 book by Bishop John A.T. Robinson which I've reread a number of times. Most recently, I read it while facilitating sessions of the "Living the Questions" (LTQ) course in progress at Pilgrims'.

Several members of the "faculty" of LTQ are members of "the Jesus Seminar" which, like most post-World War II Christian scholarship hold that most of the New Testament (NT) books were written decades--generations--after the days of Jesus and the beginning of the Christian church. However, it is seldom pointed out that all of the bases for this "late" dating of the NT books are founded on untested, largely unexamined, and unverified assumptions. These assumptions, for the most part, were the product of the "German School" of theologians working in the late 1940's and '50's and, in my view, were based on the assumptions--not of First Century patterns of writing and authorship--but on their own 20th Century patterns of writing. It appears that their controlling hypothesis was, "This is how we do it, so that's how they must have done it."

From such assumptions come the hypotheses that Mark, the shortest gospel, was written first--because it's the shortest and scholars' first editions are always shorter than their later editions. And that, because Mark was thus first, then Luke and Matthew copied from Mark, adding their own material gathered from other sources.

As Robinson notes in his book, the arguments also try to explain away the "difficult sections" of the NT books by making them the work of second or third generation Christians, rather than eyewitnesses or companions of the eyewitnesses, and slotting their work in the 70's and later of the First Century CE, and into the early 2nd Century. Robinson also comments that the selection of target decades for the hypotheses is interesting because the 70's in particular are a decade we really know little about.

Robinson concludes that there is no hard evidence and no serious reason for the late dating of the texts, strongly suggesting that, both the early lore of the church (cf. Eusebius, et al) and the internal evidence of the texts (none mentions the fall of Jerusalem in 70 CE--a cataclysm which would hardly have gone unnoted) may be yet more reliable. His timeline puts the authorship of the NT in the 45-69 CE range and also makes room still for development of proto-gospels prior to that.

His conclusion? The NT is probably more trustworthy than less, particularly when understood better in its own context.

Whence & Whither "Liberal"

2007-03-23T01:00:00.000-04:00

In recent weeks we've heard the word "liberal" used in ways we're not accustomed to. What makes a sermon or a worship service "liberal"? How does it differ from a "conservative" sermon or worship service? What makes the person(s) designing/leading/delivering it "liberal" or "conservative"?
Do the words "liberal" or "conservative" really have any meaning at all in our day? Did they ever?