Today, I had my Meet and Greet with my synod's ordination committee.
Let me start off by saying that I left the meeting feeling as though the panel members affirmed my calling into the ministry in the ELCA. I have never heard any of my seminary friends, all further along in their respective processes than I am, say that they left such a meeting feeling affirmed (or even good). The four pastors who interviewed me were very gracious, insightful, and kind. The questions were direct, but served a purpose. I know that as I get further along, the questions asked will become more probing, more difficult, less affirming. We can expect -- and should demand -- nothing less from those overseeing the ordination process. Our future pastors should be well-prepared for tough questions. The process should find and select those capable the herculean task ministers regularly face. Today, though, I feel respected and valued -- not just as a potential young clergy person, but as a candidate for ministry. I left feeling that there is hope.
Looking at the path ahead, however, I realize the problem with how most liturgical traditions "do" ordination. There are certain demands placed on students, and these demands are at odds with one another. On the one hand, it is expected that students be able to drop everything, possibly move across the state, region or country, take classes full time for at least three years, and spend spare time working on ordination requirements (in my case, it will be at least three years after completing my MDiv). This assumes candidates are young and relatively un-tethered by family commitments. The move and time commitments assume that one does not have children, that one's spouse has not started a career (assuredly, he or she would have to give it up or postpone it), and that one has several years to devote to the awkward stages between laity and clergy.
On the other hand, ordination is an expensive process. It requires that one have a well-stocked savings account to raid to pay for school, living expenses, psych evals, CPE applications, and "registration fees." Ordination can easily cost well over $90,000 (assuming you don't have additional requirements like an extra year at a denominational school). Such expenses are only affordable to second-career candidates.
The Church needs leaders from all walks of life, from every age group, from every background. But when you look at the process and all that it requires, the denominations really seem to be asking for a 40-year-old, single former lawyer. (May God have mercy on us.)
I'm excited about my future, even though it's a long road. I certainly didn't answer this call for the financial security. I know that I can no sooner shun this vocation than I can my humanity. I look forward to participating in and even leading the ministry of the Church. But it still scares me.
Now if you excuse me, I'm going to go apply for jobs so that I can pay down my debt during my gap year.
Rock on.
Showing posts with label Ministry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ministry. Show all posts
12 April 2013
03 January 2013
Teaching the Bible as Mythology
I remember the slight sense of fear that accompanied my first biblical studies class in college -- the challenges to fundamental doctrines I had grown up hearing, the implicit critique that many of my pastors and Sunday school teachers were either ignorant or liars, and the demand that I must, somehow, restructure my worldview to either reject religion or find some way to allow it to co-exist with post-Enlightenment rationalism. In many ways, I went to college on more sure footing than many of my classmates. While I was conservative, I had long since shed the fundamentalism that informed many of my colleagues and, more importantly, had been raised in a household dedicated to belief in the Triune God and acceptance of scientific and historical inquiry.
The tension was still there, though.
And I saw this same tension resurface in my own life and the lives of those around me during seminary -- especially in my friends who had no background in religious or biblical studies. In a class (rather creatively) titled "Teaching the Bible," I was granted the opportunity to explore this large disconnect in what we, as leaders of the Church, teach our congregants, and what we are taught in seminary.
I've long joked about "stories that didn't make the felt board" -- the pericopes that are deemed too violent or controversial to be explored in Sunday Schools and reduced to flannelgraph illustrations. The disconnect between formal theological education as presented in the Academy and the informal devotional education used in the local congregation, though, goes beyond violence and sexuality. It is symbolic of a deeper rifts between our Church, its leadership, and inquiry.
Myth and Mythopoesis
A leading reason driving these rifts is a cultural perception of mythology. In the vernacular, mythology and myths are meant simply to be "not true" or false. In that regard, hoaxes and urban legends are granted the same status as the stories told by the ancient ones -- that Beowulf, Gilgamesh, Zeus, Odin, and Arjuna hold the same weight as stories of cockroach eggs in the glue on the back of postage stamps. This conflation simultaneously gives too much credit to urban legends and robs the ancient narratives of their power. The shared status of falsehood does great harm to mythology.
Myth does so much more, though. Myths, though not necessarily factual, are true (or at least contain a seed of the truth). Urban legends seek to disguise the truth, to make it more exciting, or to spread fear, but myth reveals the very essence of love, courage, evil, life, death, fear, of humanity itself.
In Tolkien's wonderful essay "On Fairy-Stories" (for those interested, the essay is currently available in Del Rey's compendium The Tolkien Reader), he outlines what he terms mythopoesis -- the creation of mythology. (In many ways, Tolkien is working to correct the over-zealous dismissal of myth encapsulated in Frazer's The Golden Bough). In making entire worlds -- or reflections of our own world -- humanity partakes in the divine act of poesis -- that is, bringing order out of chaos: art. Creation. Mythology, then, is one of the many ways that humanity can partake in the divine creative process and bring forth truth.
Myth and Scripture
Scripture has an undeniable mythological feel about it. One need only compare Genesis 1 to the Enuma Elish, compare Genesis 6:1-4 (and the further explanation of the Nephilim in 1 Enoch) to the accounts of giants and titans spread throughout the mythological landscape, or compare Daniel 7 to accounts of Baal, or compare Christ to the other dying-rising gods. There is no way around it. And so the Church stops short. These parallels rarely find their way into sermons, Bible studies, or Sunday schools. The curriculum denies, denies, denies.
In denying the mythological character of Scripture, Church leaders are relegating all of mythology to be "not true" and denying the power of mythopoesis. In doing so, not only are they forced to ignore the significant parallels between other mythologies and Scripture and the advances of biblical criticism in the modern era, but they also deny the power of myth testifying to the Truth.
For Tolkien, the most significant part of mythology was that all of human creation was pointing to one event: the Incarnation. He called this the Eucatastrophe: the point at which the story takes a sudden turn for the best. Myths end with this sudden turn; Tolkien calls it "the Great Escape: the Escape from Death." Just think of Campbell's outline of the Hero Journey: every hero must fall, but then comes back. That is the Eucatastrophe. "The eucatastrophic tale is the true form of fairy-tale, and its highest function." All myths point to Creation and the human role in shaping this world. And in doing so, they foreshadow the dying-rising god and ultimately point to the glory of the Incarnation and the Resurrection. Myth reveals truth which prepares the way for the Truth.
Madeleine L'Engle took Tolkien a step further, suggesting that all art is inherently Christian art. CS Lewis took Tolkien's understanding to be the key to believing in Christ in the modern era: that in Christ, mythology and history collided in a single eucatsrophic event.
Understanding myth in this way reveals something that comparative historical work can only hint at. It reveals the deeper meaning running throughout human history and God's work throughout all of humanity -- culminated in the person of Jesus the Christ. It provides a theological framework for the arts (perhaps why it is best expressed by artists and authors rather than theologians).
Rock on.
The tension was still there, though.
And I saw this same tension resurface in my own life and the lives of those around me during seminary -- especially in my friends who had no background in religious or biblical studies. In a class (rather creatively) titled "Teaching the Bible," I was granted the opportunity to explore this large disconnect in what we, as leaders of the Church, teach our congregants, and what we are taught in seminary.
I've long joked about "stories that didn't make the felt board" -- the pericopes that are deemed too violent or controversial to be explored in Sunday Schools and reduced to flannelgraph illustrations. The disconnect between formal theological education as presented in the Academy and the informal devotional education used in the local congregation, though, goes beyond violence and sexuality. It is symbolic of a deeper rifts between our Church, its leadership, and inquiry.
Myth and Mythopoesis
A leading reason driving these rifts is a cultural perception of mythology. In the vernacular, mythology and myths are meant simply to be "not true" or false. In that regard, hoaxes and urban legends are granted the same status as the stories told by the ancient ones -- that Beowulf, Gilgamesh, Zeus, Odin, and Arjuna hold the same weight as stories of cockroach eggs in the glue on the back of postage stamps. This conflation simultaneously gives too much credit to urban legends and robs the ancient narratives of their power. The shared status of falsehood does great harm to mythology.
Myth does so much more, though. Myths, though not necessarily factual, are true (or at least contain a seed of the truth). Urban legends seek to disguise the truth, to make it more exciting, or to spread fear, but myth reveals the very essence of love, courage, evil, life, death, fear, of humanity itself.
In Tolkien's wonderful essay "On Fairy-Stories" (for those interested, the essay is currently available in Del Rey's compendium The Tolkien Reader), he outlines what he terms mythopoesis -- the creation of mythology. (In many ways, Tolkien is working to correct the over-zealous dismissal of myth encapsulated in Frazer's The Golden Bough). In making entire worlds -- or reflections of our own world -- humanity partakes in the divine act of poesis -- that is, bringing order out of chaos: art. Creation. Mythology, then, is one of the many ways that humanity can partake in the divine creative process and bring forth truth.
Myth and Scripture
Scripture has an undeniable mythological feel about it. One need only compare Genesis 1 to the Enuma Elish, compare Genesis 6:1-4 (and the further explanation of the Nephilim in 1 Enoch) to the accounts of giants and titans spread throughout the mythological landscape, or compare Daniel 7 to accounts of Baal, or compare Christ to the other dying-rising gods. There is no way around it. And so the Church stops short. These parallels rarely find their way into sermons, Bible studies, or Sunday schools. The curriculum denies, denies, denies.
In denying the mythological character of Scripture, Church leaders are relegating all of mythology to be "not true" and denying the power of mythopoesis. In doing so, not only are they forced to ignore the significant parallels between other mythologies and Scripture and the advances of biblical criticism in the modern era, but they also deny the power of myth testifying to the Truth.
For Tolkien, the most significant part of mythology was that all of human creation was pointing to one event: the Incarnation. He called this the Eucatastrophe: the point at which the story takes a sudden turn for the best. Myths end with this sudden turn; Tolkien calls it "the Great Escape: the Escape from Death." Just think of Campbell's outline of the Hero Journey: every hero must fall, but then comes back. That is the Eucatastrophe. "The eucatastrophic tale is the true form of fairy-tale, and its highest function." All myths point to Creation and the human role in shaping this world. And in doing so, they foreshadow the dying-rising god and ultimately point to the glory of the Incarnation and the Resurrection. Myth reveals truth which prepares the way for the Truth.
Madeleine L'Engle took Tolkien a step further, suggesting that all art is inherently Christian art. CS Lewis took Tolkien's understanding to be the key to believing in Christ in the modern era: that in Christ, mythology and history collided in a single eucatsrophic event.
Understanding myth in this way reveals something that comparative historical work can only hint at. It reveals the deeper meaning running throughout human history and God's work throughout all of humanity -- culminated in the person of Jesus the Christ. It provides a theological framework for the arts (perhaps why it is best expressed by artists and authors rather than theologians).
Rock on.
29 June 2007
Blue Like Miller
My Intro to Religious Thought teacher is, in essence, the embodiment of post-modern philosophy. Raised as a conservative Methodist, he majored in Religion as an undergrad, and, as all Religion majors, realized that Christianity is not as simple as it seems. And, as all young adults coming to that this realization, faced the accompanying crisis of faith. After all, if you can accept that most of Genesis is exaggeration (at best, and this is not to mention all of the other things you learn about the Bible in school) and not notice an impact in your faith, something is probably very wrong with you. Studying those like Nietzsche and coming to the realization that you cannot prove what you believe tends to do that to you. Post-modernism is, really, the philosophy of rejection. All our lives are stories, and nobody's story can be correct.
It is into this time that we see (and need) a post-modern response to a post-modern philosophy. Whether or not they claim to be a part of the Emergent movement or not, authors like Brian McLaren, Shane Claiborne, and Rob Bell provide this response. And most popular among them (at least among the youth group masses) is Donald Miller. I'll admit, his books are probably among my favorite. You laugh, wonder, think, grow angry, and hopefully, learn. Christianity Today's review of Miller (not his books, but the man himself) says Miller is "often described as 'irreverent' or 'bohemian'". Which means one thing: he fits in with the rest of the world born after 1970.
Though the article focuses, in the beginning, on Miller's current aging-yet-relevant style of being (the author mentions that he is starting to have those mid-age moments, meeting a friend and asking, "Hey, how's your wife feeling these days?"), it later goes on to discuss this new trend of the Christian experience as a whole. Quoting one fan, we read, "I love Blue Like Jazz because it's, like, a Christian book, but it doesn't make you feel bad about yourself." Which means one thing (well, several, but I'll focus on this one): Nietzsche was wrong when he said that guilt is inherent in Christianity. Instead, Miller would probably argue, and I will agree, that Christianity is a post-modern religion. It's about our stories. God's story about how much he loves humanity, humanity's story about how we are trying to get back to God, and our own stories about how we relate to God and humanity. Miller is quoted as saying, "The chief role of a Christian is to tell a better story."
And, as the article points out, this is how Miller writes. Blue Like Jazz is the story of Miller going through life and learning. Searching for God Knows What is a collection of essays drawing from stories - his story of developing his own sense of evangelism, realizing that the world is fallen and needs God's help, and thinking about the role of the Church. In fact, Miller has one book that is really just one long story punctuated with moments of philosophical clarity; Through Painted Deserts is about how Miller discovered Portland.
As the masses start to wake up and smell the stories, they will need leaders, or at the very least, influences. Whether or not he wants to be, Don Miller has taken that position.
So, what's your story?
Rock on.
It is into this time that we see (and need) a post-modern response to a post-modern philosophy. Whether or not they claim to be a part of the Emergent movement or not, authors like Brian McLaren, Shane Claiborne, and Rob Bell provide this response. And most popular among them (at least among the youth group masses) is Donald Miller. I'll admit, his books are probably among my favorite. You laugh, wonder, think, grow angry, and hopefully, learn. Christianity Today's review of Miller (not his books, but the man himself) says Miller is "often described as 'irreverent' or 'bohemian'". Which means one thing: he fits in with the rest of the world born after 1970.
Though the article focuses, in the beginning, on Miller's current aging-yet-relevant style of being (the author mentions that he is starting to have those mid-age moments, meeting a friend and asking, "Hey, how's your wife feeling these days?"), it later goes on to discuss this new trend of the Christian experience as a whole. Quoting one fan, we read, "I love Blue Like Jazz because it's, like, a Christian book, but it doesn't make you feel bad about yourself." Which means one thing (well, several, but I'll focus on this one): Nietzsche was wrong when he said that guilt is inherent in Christianity. Instead, Miller would probably argue, and I will agree, that Christianity is a post-modern religion. It's about our stories. God's story about how much he loves humanity, humanity's story about how we are trying to get back to God, and our own stories about how we relate to God and humanity. Miller is quoted as saying, "The chief role of a Christian is to tell a better story."
And, as the article points out, this is how Miller writes. Blue Like Jazz is the story of Miller going through life and learning. Searching for God Knows What is a collection of essays drawing from stories - his story of developing his own sense of evangelism, realizing that the world is fallen and needs God's help, and thinking about the role of the Church. In fact, Miller has one book that is really just one long story punctuated with moments of philosophical clarity; Through Painted Deserts is about how Miller discovered Portland.
As the masses start to wake up and smell the stories, they will need leaders, or at the very least, influences. Whether or not he wants to be, Don Miller has taken that position.
So, what's your story?
Rock on.
14 May 2007
Reflections of the Student Formerly Known as a Freshman
First and foremost, I'm out of the dorms! That's the best news I've gotten since I was admitted to UGA. Though this is a happy moment, I am a little sad to be done with it. While I no longer have to put up with people loudly tromping through the hallway at all hours of the morning, I can no longer be one of those people. My days of running around Payne Hall in an all-out Lysol-spray war are over. Really, it's hard to imagine another place where such an act is allowable. And, at least over the summer, I'll miss my late night (ok, it was actually early morning) philsolphy conversations at my favorite coffee shop (the great thing about discussing ontology at three in the morning is that the coffee keeps you just awake enough to speak, so everything you say makes sense in some way).
Time has no meaning in college, except in philosophy and physics classes, and even then, it's debatable. As I said at the end of last semester, it feels like I haven't been here but a week, but at the same time, it seems like my friends have been my friends since childhood. Though the lectures seem to drag on forever, the free time flies by. Some of the friends I've made have already moved on (I hope Krista's enjoying the Peace Corps and that Amy likes working of Coca-Cola). Others are finishing up their time (Brian and Beth! Don't leave us!!!!) Still others are going to have to put up with me a little while longer (Kelly and Becca, Jason and Mike, and of course, my fellow Fres...erm...Sophmore group, and Jon (w00t for Philosophy and coffee!)).
While I can not and will not share everything I've learned in class (wait...I actually learned stuff in class???), most people have said, and now I can't help but agree, that classes are really not even half of what college is all about. Learning is no longer confined to the lecture hall.
Now, to all my pre-college readers (I actually have readers?), some advice:
Rock on.
Time has no meaning in college, except in philosophy and physics classes, and even then, it's debatable. As I said at the end of last semester, it feels like I haven't been here but a week, but at the same time, it seems like my friends have been my friends since childhood. Though the lectures seem to drag on forever, the free time flies by. Some of the friends I've made have already moved on (I hope Krista's enjoying the Peace Corps and that Amy likes working of Coca-Cola). Others are finishing up their time (Brian and Beth! Don't leave us!!!!) Still others are going to have to put up with me a little while longer (Kelly and Becca, Jason and Mike, and of course, my fellow Fres...erm...Sophmore group, and Jon (w00t for Philosophy and coffee!)).
While I can not and will not share everything I've learned in class (wait...I actually learned stuff in class???), most people have said, and now I can't help but agree, that classes are really not even half of what college is all about. Learning is no longer confined to the lecture hall.
Now, to all my pre-college readers (I actually have readers?), some advice:
- Get to know your roommate. I regret how little time I spent talking to Alex.
- It only takes a small question to spark a great conversation. Everything from God to grass is up for discussion. Enjoy this openness. And as I said, your education is not all about class.
- Community is essential. You're just a number to the university itself, but to your friends, you are more than can be expressed in words.
- Class may be optional. So is bathing. Nobody will notice skipping either occasionally, but do not make a habit out of it.
- Get a laptop. From taking notes in class to writing a paper outside on a nice day, it is well worth the investment.
- Dell hates you. So does Microsoft. Get used to it.
- Textbooks are horrible monetary investments. Therefore, use them in class. Otherwise, what's the point?
- YouTube is fun, but dangerous. Before you know it, it'll be 3 am and you'll have a test in five hours.
- Extracurricular events are great. Concerts, recitals, lectures, and conferences - again, learning is no longer limited to class.
- It saves nearly an hour of sleep to shower at night and go to bed in your shorts. This way, you just roll out of bed, grab a (clean?) t-shirt, sandals, and a granola bar and head to class.
- Sleep in on Saturday mornings. Nobody else is awake anyways.
Rock on.
18 March 2007
Eye of the Storm, Part II
I'm back from my second trip to clean up after Hurricane Katrina. CCF took a group of about fifty people for Spring Break. I'll be making a third trip over Easter weekend for Eggs in the Easy. The trip went very well. There were few injuries (one stepped-on nail, one spider bite, several sinus problems, and two ruptured eardrums, both of which were mine). I hope to have some pictures to post, but I took a film camera down, so I need to get the roles developed. Without any further ado, here's my journal from the week.____________________
Tuesday: I think we are in a harder hit area this time. Sheds have been flipped off of their foundations, tress pulled up by the roots, and planes flung like children's toys. Yesterday, we spent several hours cleaning up yards untouched since the storm. In one yard, the grass had completely grown over and covered the sidewalk. It was essentially a carpet from one side of the sidewalk to the other. The grass was at least a foot high, with fiberglass, mold, and other random stuff in it. [Looking back, cutting it down was a great idea because it gets rid of the insect problem, but we didn't wear masks, which was the start of the sinus problems for a lot of people.]
While we are in a harder hit area, there is some good news: We have traveled through some of the same areas we were in last time and there is less debris. Today, we cleaned up after an Irish/Italian heritage pride parade and while this seems contrary to the reason for the trip, I view it as a sign that the festive culture of New Orleans is returning. Don't get me wrong, there is still at least five years worth of cleanup to be done and some houses still haven't been touched, but like the Christmas ligts last time, this serves as a glimmer of hope in a dark time.
Wednesday: Today showed me what this trip was about. We spent the afternoon handing out fliers in an impoverished section of the city for a grocery giveaway. Within sight of the Superdome, there is block after block of housing, in poor condition before Katrina, now worse, noting more than four walls and a roof housing entire families. We would pass houses we thought were uninhabitable only to have occupants emerge and ask us what we were handing out. Homeless men came up to us, living in what I consider the slums, to tell us how bad things still were in the lower 9th Ward, only a few miles away.
Despite the poor conditions, people were still smiling. Residents were happy to see us and talk to us. The owner of a local grocery store was so happy to receive the news we brought that the offered to hand out fliers to her customers and let us put up some posters on her building.
I'll admit that I was scared at first. This area is worse than the worst parts of Atlanta, the city of my nightmares. But I was shocked at how friendly the people were and, after an hour, was quite comfortable.
During the morning, we saw some of the mansions of New Orleans, only to be shown the projects in the afternoon. It shocking to think that as uninhabitable as the houses we saw are, that these houses would be considered blessings for the citizens of the slums of third-world countries.
Tonight, the freshmen and the interns got together and had our weekly Bible study. While it was quite untraditional, we sat around in the compound's warehouse and discussed how God was moving us this week. I'm so blessed to have such a group of friends.
Thursday: Today will be a good day. During our morning devotional time, I read Psalm 69. It is incredible how much of it realtes to the storm and the cleanup. We leave in a few minutes to gut hoses and I am so excited about how great things will go that I am literally trembling.
[Post-Work] Today was only a half day, but we still finished nearly an entire house. While we were going to divide up and do two houses at once, the second house was off of it's foundation and from the center of the living room to the external wall, a distance of three feet, the floor dropped a foot and a half. The leaders decided that the structure, sitting on cinder blocks, was not safe to work in.
After the three hours of work, we headed downtown to the French Quarter. The buildings (untouched by flooding), food, and music were amazing. But the stores were like a Mardi Gras version of Gatlinburg. They sold nothing but voodoo dolls, raunchy shirts, and beads. And then Bourbon Street. Bars, strip clubs, and even shops offering "favors" with graphic pictures as advertisements. Most of the advertising methods I thought to be illegal. It was almost as if the city's economic council was made up of frat boys, and I mean that in the worst possible sense. I don't understand how a city known for its great culture can host America's festival in praise of drunkeness and fornication. New Orleans is among the most beautiful cities in the South, but wallows in filth. This being said, the love of Christ is present in the great work being done by the Church in the area and I can only hope that the city will restore itself to its former beauty and go beyond it.
Saturday: We spent Friday working on three different houses and the group I was with got to pray with the owner of our site. It's amazing that after one week of hard labor and poor leadership on the part of CrossRoads missions [for any leaders thinking of a missions trip to the area, I would encourage you to not go through CrossRoads as the leaders are some of the most condescending and uptight people you will ever meet], the group stayed up-beat and energetic.
Today, we are on our trip home and most people have zonked out. This trip has brought us (being about half of all of CCF) together more than anything else could ever do.
____________________
I sit here in my dorm at my computer, enjoying the air conditioning and even the dorm building itself. I hope that I do not fall back into my old complacency. It is so easy to complain about dorm life, but I have spent hours walking around the ghetto and cleaning out mold. I have not been forced to flee the wrath of nature and still have all of my belongings.
Please, pray for the people of New Orleans, the people trying to clean up, and those who were on the trip that we may never forget what we saw and how the Holy Spirit changed us.
Rock on.
Post Script: To read about the first trip, made the weekend before Thanksgiving 2006, see Eye of the Storm.
Photo Courtesy of Jackie Bangma.
26 February 2007
An Open Letter and Confession to My Fellow Ecclesia
Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
We are the called out. Christ commands that we show our faith in love. Love for God and love for others. Paul told us not to be of this world. Time after time, the Word dictates that we who are in God, and that only through the grace of his blood, be different. It is time that we live this out.
I must first confess my own short comings. All of the sins listed below our my own and for committing them, I sincerely apologize. It is out of my love for you, my brothers and sisters in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, that I warn you of these.
First, and the root of all, is apathy. It is in our own sinful nature to care only for ourselves. The thinking goes, "If it does not impact my life, it does not concern me in the least." But in the words of the martyr Martin Luther King, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Christ did not and will not stand for injustice. He comes to "preach good news to the poor" and "to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the opressed." Christ protected the adultress, cleared the temple, and forgave those who killed him. To be like Christ, we must fight our own self interest and our own apathy and cange the world.
Second, and very closely related, is greed. I do not need that new shirt or that new CD. It is worth food for fifteen days in Africa or another trinket for me. So instead of providing the basics for others, I cushion my own existence. This extends, though, beyond our affluent lifestyles. It goes on to the everyday spending of everyone. Businesses export jobs to take advantage of lower wages. They overcharge and overpay to maximize on profit. We have a responsibility to support humans worldwide. It is time for us to support Fair Trade and fight against poverty. It is time for us to go out and in the name of God help the poor, in the US and the world. Likewise, the planet belongs to the human race. Respect the creation of God, for he called it good. Support environmentally friendly companies. Pick up trash. Recycle.
We shold set ourselves apart by loving others. We are all sinners, we have all fallen short of the glory of God. Show our equality. Fight prejudice. We can start with our own. The term "gay" has become synonymous with "stupid". While I believe homosexuality is wrong, there is no reason to discriminate agaisnt or degrade those who are, in fact, homosexual, or those who are affeminate. Fred Phelps misrepresents the Lord and accuses God of hatred. We should not follow in his footsteps but instead actively work against him and love all. The crime of genocide is a travesty and it is our job to stand against it. We must follow through on the promise of "Never Again". Nationalism is a plague among the world. We are first and foremost citizens of the Kingdom of God. I may be from Georgia and I may be an American, but this is nothing more than where I live. As such, we should fight for freedom everywhere, not just at homre or for our "national interests".
Brothers and sisters, we are the children of God through the grace of God. It is time to act like it. It will not be easy. Quite the contrary, it will be very difficult and is only possibly through love, given freely through the death and resurrection of Christ. This is our challenge, our calling, our job.
May the grace and peace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ be with you now and forever.
Rock on.
We are the called out. Christ commands that we show our faith in love. Love for God and love for others. Paul told us not to be of this world. Time after time, the Word dictates that we who are in God, and that only through the grace of his blood, be different. It is time that we live this out.
I must first confess my own short comings. All of the sins listed below our my own and for committing them, I sincerely apologize. It is out of my love for you, my brothers and sisters in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, that I warn you of these.
First, and the root of all, is apathy. It is in our own sinful nature to care only for ourselves. The thinking goes, "If it does not impact my life, it does not concern me in the least." But in the words of the martyr Martin Luther King, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Christ did not and will not stand for injustice. He comes to "preach good news to the poor" and "to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the opressed." Christ protected the adultress, cleared the temple, and forgave those who killed him. To be like Christ, we must fight our own self interest and our own apathy and cange the world.
Second, and very closely related, is greed. I do not need that new shirt or that new CD. It is worth food for fifteen days in Africa or another trinket for me. So instead of providing the basics for others, I cushion my own existence. This extends, though, beyond our affluent lifestyles. It goes on to the everyday spending of everyone. Businesses export jobs to take advantage of lower wages. They overcharge and overpay to maximize on profit. We have a responsibility to support humans worldwide. It is time for us to support Fair Trade and fight against poverty. It is time for us to go out and in the name of God help the poor, in the US and the world. Likewise, the planet belongs to the human race. Respect the creation of God, for he called it good. Support environmentally friendly companies. Pick up trash. Recycle.
We shold set ourselves apart by loving others. We are all sinners, we have all fallen short of the glory of God. Show our equality. Fight prejudice. We can start with our own. The term "gay" has become synonymous with "stupid". While I believe homosexuality is wrong, there is no reason to discriminate agaisnt or degrade those who are, in fact, homosexual, or those who are affeminate. Fred Phelps misrepresents the Lord and accuses God of hatred. We should not follow in his footsteps but instead actively work against him and love all. The crime of genocide is a travesty and it is our job to stand against it. We must follow through on the promise of "Never Again". Nationalism is a plague among the world. We are first and foremost citizens of the Kingdom of God. I may be from Georgia and I may be an American, but this is nothing more than where I live. As such, we should fight for freedom everywhere, not just at homre or for our "national interests".
Brothers and sisters, we are the children of God through the grace of God. It is time to act like it. It will not be easy. Quite the contrary, it will be very difficult and is only possibly through love, given freely through the death and resurrection of Christ. This is our challenge, our calling, our job.
May the grace and peace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ be with you now and forever.
Rock on.
11 July 2006
Ministry
1 Corinthians 9:19-23
What does the perfect ministry look like? Is it a Billy Graham crusade? Is it Cornerstone?
How is the perfect ministry performed? Through speaking? Music? Writing?
Obviously, this is a hypothetical question. No ministry except for that of Christ has ever been or ever will be perfect. But more than that, there is no formula for the "best" ministry.
The reason for this is quite simple: Relationships. To reach someone, you must be able to relate to them, on an intellectual, spiritual, and emotional level. To reach the Jew, you must become like the Jew. To reach the weak, you must become weak.
To relate to someone, you have to do several things: Hear. This is most important. Speak. But only after hearing. And relating. Not only does this show that you heard, but that you understood and that you know what the person is going through.
And out of the three, relating is most important. It's not only how you can relate to the person, but how God can relate.
After all, Christianity itself is a relationship.
Rock on.
What does the perfect ministry look like? Is it a Billy Graham crusade? Is it Cornerstone?
How is the perfect ministry performed? Through speaking? Music? Writing?
Obviously, this is a hypothetical question. No ministry except for that of Christ has ever been or ever will be perfect. But more than that, there is no formula for the "best" ministry.
The reason for this is quite simple: Relationships. To reach someone, you must be able to relate to them, on an intellectual, spiritual, and emotional level. To reach the Jew, you must become like the Jew. To reach the weak, you must become weak.
To relate to someone, you have to do several things: Hear. This is most important. Speak. But only after hearing. And relating. Not only does this show that you heard, but that you understood and that you know what the person is going through.
And out of the three, relating is most important. It's not only how you can relate to the person, but how God can relate.
After all, Christianity itself is a relationship.
Rock on.
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