After not blogging in a while, several things are happening this week that are making me want to write more. The first has to do with coffee. Last night Eileen and I watched the movie Black Gold with our friends Ben and Megan. It's a very well done documentary regarding fair-trade coffee and it gives faces and names to the farmers who produce the commodity which we so mindlessly consume billions of cups of every day. Perhaps the most moving scene in the film for me was seeing the Ethiopian farmers who produce the coffee we drink praying to God that they would be paid a fair wage for their work. To find out more, or learn how to get a copy of the movie, click the link above.
While I have known about fairly traded coffee and other products for a while, I have to confess that I am by no means consistent in buying them. I always buy fairly traded coffee to drink at home in the mornings - that I have done for a while. But when my middle-of-the-day caffeine craving hits, I find myself buying whatever I can get from whatever coffee shop happens to be most convenient. The most common of these places is the seminary's cafeteria, where the coffee doesn't even taste good!
So, I repent. Starting today I will no longer buy coffee at the seminary's cafeteria or at places which I know do not pay fair prices for their coffee beans. At some point I hope to talk to Mike, the chef at our cafeteria to find out if it's possible to get fair-trade coffee at the seminary - perhaps Pura Vida, or some other company which sees fair-trade as a Christian vocation. In the mean time, though, I'm cut off. Hello caffeine headaches.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Monday, December 11, 2006
Advent Hope: As Christ came to us . . .
We are called to come to Christ in the same condition that Christ came to us: vulnerable and wounded.
In the incarnation, Christ came to us in one little mass of vulnerability, a baby. Born in unsanitary conditions, susceptible to disease, that little child was defenseless against the harsh realities of this world. Matthew 2:13-18 tells us that Herod even commissioned the murder of all the male children in Bethlehem to try to kill the Christ-child. Of course, Jesus grew up to be the Man of Sorrows, suffering and dying for our sake: Jesus was no stranger to pain and brokenness. As I drove home from the church today, I was struck by how aptly the words to the Derek Webb song “We Welcome You” (#6 on i see things upside down) describe this:
“as You came to us so we come to You, fragile as a baby hopeful and new,
but learning fast that to walk is to fall, soon we’ve done it all”
It’s no secret that we’ve fallen – the pain we experience every day bears witness to that. Christmastime brings out the wounds we all bear as a result of sin, whether our own or the effects of another person’s sin which have been afflicted upon us. Shattered families, addiction, depression, etc., all inflict pain upon the world’s population, and the idyllic images we see of perfect families, happiness, and excesses of material gifts create simulacra in our minds to which reality cannot live up. Life here is flawed and painful, no matter what the movies tell us.
The miracle of Christmas is that Christ comes to meet us, to be God-with-us, in the midst of that very brokenness and accepts it himself. That is why we are able to come to Christ just as we are, waiting to be transformed by his power:
“we come broken and we come undone, we come trying hard to love everyone
but we come up short in all that we do, because we do, so we come to You”
At youth group last night, as I listened to a group of teenage guys talk in allusions and hints about the deep pains in their lives that surface at Christmas, I tried to point them to our only source of hope. I quoted Psalm 42:5, “Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise him for the help of his presence.” To that suggestion, one of the kids responded with, “I’ve given up on hope.”
I’m writing this because I’m convinced that in times when the circumstances of life make us despair that much, the absolute most important thing to do is to look to Christ. Only in Christ do we have the hope of becoming new creations, of making this world a new creation, of finding the forgiveness, love, grace, and freedom that allows us to extend the same mercies to others. The part that hurts, and the reason that boy said he was giving up on hope, is because hoping in Christ does not alleviate all our pain. Sometimes the pain intensifies, like a surgery that rips us open so that healing can begin. Sometimes the pain sticks with us like Paul’s thorn in the side, haunting us, humbling us, reminding us of our need for Christ. Again, Webb’s words speak the simple truth about this:
“You came to show the way not around but through, so through it all we come to You”
Not a way around the pain, not medication (cf. Webb's song "Medication"), not anything that blurs our vision of reality now, but a way to endure thanks to the even more real redeeming power of our God, who came to us fully exposed to the pain we feel.
“as You came to us so we come to You, dirty and hurting, then dead in the tomb
but raised redeemed to show off the scars, ‘cause You’ve brought us this far”
This Advent, I pray that God will grant us (me, you, our families, the kids at Northmont) all the grace to realize that in Christ we’re “raised redeemed,” even if we still bear the scars of this world, because our hope is Christ.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” -1 Peter 1:3 -
In the incarnation, Christ came to us in one little mass of vulnerability, a baby. Born in unsanitary conditions, susceptible to disease, that little child was defenseless against the harsh realities of this world. Matthew 2:13-18 tells us that Herod even commissioned the murder of all the male children in Bethlehem to try to kill the Christ-child. Of course, Jesus grew up to be the Man of Sorrows, suffering and dying for our sake: Jesus was no stranger to pain and brokenness. As I drove home from the church today, I was struck by how aptly the words to the Derek Webb song “We Welcome You” (#6 on i see things upside down) describe this:
“as You came to us so we come to You, fragile as a baby hopeful and new,
but learning fast that to walk is to fall, soon we’ve done it all”
It’s no secret that we’ve fallen – the pain we experience every day bears witness to that. Christmastime brings out the wounds we all bear as a result of sin, whether our own or the effects of another person’s sin which have been afflicted upon us. Shattered families, addiction, depression, etc., all inflict pain upon the world’s population, and the idyllic images we see of perfect families, happiness, and excesses of material gifts create simulacra in our minds to which reality cannot live up. Life here is flawed and painful, no matter what the movies tell us.
The miracle of Christmas is that Christ comes to meet us, to be God-with-us, in the midst of that very brokenness and accepts it himself. That is why we are able to come to Christ just as we are, waiting to be transformed by his power:
“we come broken and we come undone, we come trying hard to love everyone
but we come up short in all that we do, because we do, so we come to You”
At youth group last night, as I listened to a group of teenage guys talk in allusions and hints about the deep pains in their lives that surface at Christmas, I tried to point them to our only source of hope. I quoted Psalm 42:5, “Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise him for the help of his presence.” To that suggestion, one of the kids responded with, “I’ve given up on hope.”
I’m writing this because I’m convinced that in times when the circumstances of life make us despair that much, the absolute most important thing to do is to look to Christ. Only in Christ do we have the hope of becoming new creations, of making this world a new creation, of finding the forgiveness, love, grace, and freedom that allows us to extend the same mercies to others. The part that hurts, and the reason that boy said he was giving up on hope, is because hoping in Christ does not alleviate all our pain. Sometimes the pain intensifies, like a surgery that rips us open so that healing can begin. Sometimes the pain sticks with us like Paul’s thorn in the side, haunting us, humbling us, reminding us of our need for Christ. Again, Webb’s words speak the simple truth about this:
“You came to show the way not around but through, so through it all we come to You”
Not a way around the pain, not medication (cf. Webb's song "Medication"), not anything that blurs our vision of reality now, but a way to endure thanks to the even more real redeeming power of our God, who came to us fully exposed to the pain we feel.
“as You came to us so we come to You, dirty and hurting, then dead in the tomb
but raised redeemed to show off the scars, ‘cause You’ve brought us this far”
This Advent, I pray that God will grant us (me, you, our families, the kids at Northmont) all the grace to realize that in Christ we’re “raised redeemed,” even if we still bear the scars of this world, because our hope is Christ.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” -1 Peter 1:3 -
Monday, November 20, 2006
Jumonville!
Keith Kaufold told me last week that there’s something different about Jumonville (http://jumonville.gospelcom.net) , something that you notice in the air as soon as you step out of the van, something that is definitely spiritual. And he was right. The weekend that Eileen and I spent hanging out with Northmont’s Youth Group at Jumonville went far better than I could have ever imagined. (Thank you to all of you who knew I was nervous and intimidated by the prospect of spending the weekend with high-schoolers and who prayed for us – we felt your prayers for us up there!)
We arrived Friday night after a lengthy bus-ride, including some confusion about directions. The rest of the night is a blur in my memory now, going to Club (worship), running across the campgrounds in the dark, drinking hot chocolate with kids at the top of a mountain. Of course, we knew better than to expect sleep. My cabin didn't even attempt to fall asleep until 2:00AM on Friday night. At 3:30 Corey (one of the other leaders) and I were awakened by the sound of stereo blasting "Veggietales!, Veggietales!" at full volume throughout the whole cabin. The guys in our group, especially Mark, Caleb and Chris, made all kinds of mischief over the weekend, often ticking off the leaders and making us laugh out loud at the same time.
By Saturday, I was settling in and having a great time with the kids. Realizing that the order and structure of the camp were exactly like the Young Life camps (http://www.younglife.org) that I attended multiple times in high school. Saturday night, just like at a Young Life camp, a message about the cross of Christ and how Jesus heals our brokeness was followed by sending all the kids and leaders outside for twenty minutes of silence, alone in the cold night. During that time I prayed for all of the guys in our cabin, and when we all arrived back at the cabin that night, it was clear that God was at work in their hearts. For over an hour, we talked as a group honestly, genuinely, and emotionally about struggles, pain in our lives, and the need for God's help. At one point I had a flashback to the Young Life camp at which I "accepted Christ" nine years ago. I remembered hearing my Young Life leader quote Philippians 1:6 to me, "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." After hearing one of the guys share his own particular struggles, I realized that he needed to hear it as well, and so I payed it forward, pointing him to this encouraging verse the same way Todd Laws had done for me years ago. (Thanks Todd!)
That night it was easier for everyone to sleep, worn out physically and emotionally from such an intense day. I went to bed overjoyed at seeing how God was transforming these lives that weekend. As I've mentioned before on this blog, I've had a love/hate relationship with youth-ministry this year, at times being intimidated by all the kids and yearning to give them something deeper than just games, and at other times being delighted by the fact that a 6th grader asked me a deeper question than any adult at Northmont still has. This weekend, I loved every minute of the time we spent ministering to these teenagers, and I hope they know that. More than anything, I hope they will one day look back at this camp experience and be able to point to it as a stepping stone on the way to a lifetime of following after our Lord Jesus Christ, knowing that "He who began a good work in [them] will continue to perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus."
We arrived Friday night after a lengthy bus-ride, including some confusion about directions. The rest of the night is a blur in my memory now, going to Club (worship), running across the campgrounds in the dark, drinking hot chocolate with kids at the top of a mountain. Of course, we knew better than to expect sleep. My cabin didn't even attempt to fall asleep until 2:00AM on Friday night. At 3:30 Corey (one of the other leaders) and I were awakened by the sound of stereo blasting "Veggietales!, Veggietales!" at full volume throughout the whole cabin. The guys in our group, especially Mark, Caleb and Chris, made all kinds of mischief over the weekend, often ticking off the leaders and making us laugh out loud at the same time.
By Saturday, I was settling in and having a great time with the kids. Realizing that the order and structure of the camp were exactly like the Young Life camps (http://www.younglife.org) that I attended multiple times in high school. Saturday night, just like at a Young Life camp, a message about the cross of Christ and how Jesus heals our brokeness was followed by sending all the kids and leaders outside for twenty minutes of silence, alone in the cold night. During that time I prayed for all of the guys in our cabin, and when we all arrived back at the cabin that night, it was clear that God was at work in their hearts. For over an hour, we talked as a group honestly, genuinely, and emotionally about struggles, pain in our lives, and the need for God's help. At one point I had a flashback to the Young Life camp at which I "accepted Christ" nine years ago. I remembered hearing my Young Life leader quote Philippians 1:6 to me, "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." After hearing one of the guys share his own particular struggles, I realized that he needed to hear it as well, and so I payed it forward, pointing him to this encouraging verse the same way Todd Laws had done for me years ago. (Thanks Todd!)
That night it was easier for everyone to sleep, worn out physically and emotionally from such an intense day. I went to bed overjoyed at seeing how God was transforming these lives that weekend. As I've mentioned before on this blog, I've had a love/hate relationship with youth-ministry this year, at times being intimidated by all the kids and yearning to give them something deeper than just games, and at other times being delighted by the fact that a 6th grader asked me a deeper question than any adult at Northmont still has. This weekend, I loved every minute of the time we spent ministering to these teenagers, and I hope they know that. More than anything, I hope they will one day look back at this camp experience and be able to point to it as a stepping stone on the way to a lifetime of following after our Lord Jesus Christ, knowing that "He who began a good work in [them] will continue to perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus."
Friday, November 03, 2006
Thinking Aloud About Rest and Stress
For the very small number of people who have asked for an update on the youth group kid in my last blog, suffice it to say that nothing new has happened. Youth group stuff is still interesting, although I've lost the momentary passion I had during that blog post and have retreated to wishing I could just do the couple things I do well: preach and play guitar.
Stress seems to be taking over my life right now. Finals, papers, work, church, commuting, relationships, and the lack of time to adequately handle all of those have frankly left me feeling a bit depressed this week. Why do we work ourselves to death like this?
Monday morning I preached at our student-led contemporary worship service, talking about how a recent death in Eileen's family had reminded me of my purpose for ministry: proclaiming the resurrection life that comes with following Jesus Christ. That's a very broad purpose-statement, applicable supposedly to any Christian. Even so, in the midst of my more specific life situations and ministries in which I'm involved, I'm coming up short on motivation right now.
Dr. Son, my Christian Education professor, made a comment on Tuesday that caught my attention: "Rest is not the absence of labor. It is to rediscover the purpose of our labor." I have a short period absent from labor every Friday night and Saturday morning - but that hasn't been providing the rest I need this year. What I need is to reconnect with the very One whom I preached about as the purpose for ministry: Jesus.
I'm learning now that I need a Sabbath that is specifically focused toward God. I need to pray. I need to practice spiritual disciplines like fasting, silence, mediation and reflection. But my early mornings now are spent in Hebrew homework rather than in prayer. One solution might be "practicing the presence of God", a la Brother Lawrence. The first time I read that book it changed my whole view of spirituality, yet it's remarkably hard to follow through on, especially when you aren't doing manual labor such as dish-washing or gardening the way he did. Lord God, please help me now - I need You alone to pull me through times like this.
"Strangely out of place
There's a light filling this room
Where none would follow before.
I can't deny it burns me up inside.
I fan the flames to melt away my pride.
Do I want shelter from the rain,
Or the rain to wash me way?
Face to the ground to hide the fatal cut.
I fight the weight; feel you lift me up.
Can't deny it burns me up inside.
I fan the flames to melt away my pride.
Only had a second to spare
But all the time in the world
To know You're there.
You are the shelter from the rain
And the rain to wash me away
I need You, I need You, I need You."
-Jars of Clay-
Stress seems to be taking over my life right now. Finals, papers, work, church, commuting, relationships, and the lack of time to adequately handle all of those have frankly left me feeling a bit depressed this week. Why do we work ourselves to death like this?
Monday morning I preached at our student-led contemporary worship service, talking about how a recent death in Eileen's family had reminded me of my purpose for ministry: proclaiming the resurrection life that comes with following Jesus Christ. That's a very broad purpose-statement, applicable supposedly to any Christian. Even so, in the midst of my more specific life situations and ministries in which I'm involved, I'm coming up short on motivation right now.
Dr. Son, my Christian Education professor, made a comment on Tuesday that caught my attention: "Rest is not the absence of labor. It is to rediscover the purpose of our labor." I have a short period absent from labor every Friday night and Saturday morning - but that hasn't been providing the rest I need this year. What I need is to reconnect with the very One whom I preached about as the purpose for ministry: Jesus.
I'm learning now that I need a Sabbath that is specifically focused toward God. I need to pray. I need to practice spiritual disciplines like fasting, silence, mediation and reflection. But my early mornings now are spent in Hebrew homework rather than in prayer. One solution might be "practicing the presence of God", a la Brother Lawrence. The first time I read that book it changed my whole view of spirituality, yet it's remarkably hard to follow through on, especially when you aren't doing manual labor such as dish-washing or gardening the way he did. Lord God, please help me now - I need You alone to pull me through times like this.
"Strangely out of place
There's a light filling this room
Where none would follow before.
I can't deny it burns me up inside.
I fan the flames to melt away my pride.
Do I want shelter from the rain,
Or the rain to wash me way?
Face to the ground to hide the fatal cut.
I fight the weight; feel you lift me up.
Can't deny it burns me up inside.
I fan the flames to melt away my pride.
Only had a second to spare
But all the time in the world
To know You're there.
You are the shelter from the rain
And the rain to wash me away
I need You, I need You, I need You."
-Jars of Clay-
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Eating My Words About Youth Ministry
"I'm not made for youth ministry."
"I can't play the silly games."
"I don't know how to talk to kids."
These are excuses I've made since I was in high school about why I could never go into youth ministry full-time. Even at that age, I hated the egg-smashing, oreo-cream-smearing, gallon-of-milk-chugging, and gluttonous-junk-food-consuming thing that I thought youth ministry was. I said I wanted substance, which Todd Laws happily delivered in Friday morning Bible Studies at Starvin' Arvin's. Of course, part of the reason I didn't like the games was because I wasn't good at them, I was afraid of getting messy, and all my friends already thought I was a dork - why prove them right? So when people like Andrea Howard told me in high school that I should consider youth ministry, I laughed.
Now, though, I'm being forced to reconsider.
Last night I spent a couple hours hanging out with the youth group at Northmont. Two things happened. First, an example of a game I enjoyed: There is a hyper-active sixth-grader named Nick who goes to Northmont's youth group. He's constantly bouncing off the walls and maintains a perpetual sugar high by chugging Pepsi and eating candy. Last night, when he started hitting me in the head with a pillow, I jokingly whined to Sean, the youth minister, "Sean, Nick's picking on me." The response came back, "So, hit him." So I did. With a pillow of course. But it was hard enough to knock him over and we all, including Nick, busted up laughing. I did not know there were such simple pleasures in life.
Second, something of substance: Over our dinner of cheese pizza, Nick started complaining to me about the war in Iraq. Eventually he told me that he wanted to be Buddhist because he believes in peace. I told him Christians believe in peace, too - it's a lot of what Jesus taught. He responded with, "But W. doesn't believe in peace, and he says he's a Christian." Wow. There's a lesson in that for us to learn about the witness our supposedly Christian nation sends not just to other countries but to youth as well. But what I want to focus on is the depth of his words. This sixth grader is well-aware of world events, aware of other religions, aware of Christian hypocrisy. An hour later, the discussion of the whole boys small group (middle and high school) turned to the war in Iraq and the guys voiced opinions from every position on the spectrum. This conversation about the ethics of war, basic theology and missiology, and the connection between the teachings of Jesus and teachings about Jesus, was deeper than any interaction I've had with the adult members of the church.
When I met Eileen at Starbucks later, I was beaming. She smirked, knowing that I enjoyed my time with the youth group - a prospect that months ago had intimidated the crap out of me. God's doing a lot in my heart right now, and I've noticed it the most in the past couple days. It's going to be interesting to see what will happen through the rest of the year. My next interaction with the youth is the "Harvest Day" activity on Sunday - maybe I'll have more to share then. Praise God for the way His Spirit changes our hearts and transforms our lives.
"I can't play the silly games."
"I don't know how to talk to kids."
These are excuses I've made since I was in high school about why I could never go into youth ministry full-time. Even at that age, I hated the egg-smashing, oreo-cream-smearing, gallon-of-milk-chugging, and gluttonous-junk-food-consuming thing that I thought youth ministry was. I said I wanted substance, which Todd Laws happily delivered in Friday morning Bible Studies at Starvin' Arvin's. Of course, part of the reason I didn't like the games was because I wasn't good at them, I was afraid of getting messy, and all my friends already thought I was a dork - why prove them right? So when people like Andrea Howard told me in high school that I should consider youth ministry, I laughed.
Now, though, I'm being forced to reconsider.
Last night I spent a couple hours hanging out with the youth group at Northmont. Two things happened. First, an example of a game I enjoyed: There is a hyper-active sixth-grader named Nick who goes to Northmont's youth group. He's constantly bouncing off the walls and maintains a perpetual sugar high by chugging Pepsi and eating candy. Last night, when he started hitting me in the head with a pillow, I jokingly whined to Sean, the youth minister, "Sean, Nick's picking on me." The response came back, "So, hit him." So I did. With a pillow of course. But it was hard enough to knock him over and we all, including Nick, busted up laughing. I did not know there were such simple pleasures in life.
Second, something of substance: Over our dinner of cheese pizza, Nick started complaining to me about the war in Iraq. Eventually he told me that he wanted to be Buddhist because he believes in peace. I told him Christians believe in peace, too - it's a lot of what Jesus taught. He responded with, "But W. doesn't believe in peace, and he says he's a Christian." Wow. There's a lesson in that for us to learn about the witness our supposedly Christian nation sends not just to other countries but to youth as well. But what I want to focus on is the depth of his words. This sixth grader is well-aware of world events, aware of other religions, aware of Christian hypocrisy. An hour later, the discussion of the whole boys small group (middle and high school) turned to the war in Iraq and the guys voiced opinions from every position on the spectrum. This conversation about the ethics of war, basic theology and missiology, and the connection between the teachings of Jesus and teachings about Jesus, was deeper than any interaction I've had with the adult members of the church.
When I met Eileen at Starbucks later, I was beaming. She smirked, knowing that I enjoyed my time with the youth group - a prospect that months ago had intimidated the crap out of me. God's doing a lot in my heart right now, and I've noticed it the most in the past couple days. It's going to be interesting to see what will happen through the rest of the year. My next interaction with the youth is the "Harvest Day" activity on Sunday - maybe I'll have more to share then. Praise God for the way His Spirit changes our hearts and transforms our lives.
Friday, September 01, 2006
Free Derek Webb Music
One of my favorite musicians, and one of the few Christian musicians exercising a prophetic voice today, is Derek Webb. So I'm happy to announce that, as of today, you can download Derek Webb's latest cd, Mockingbird, completely free at FreeDerekWebb.com. I've been a fan of Derek's music ever since he was a member of Caedmon's Call, but even more so since he started his solo career and began dedicating his songwriting talents to speaking challenging truths to the Church today. As Christians we have a responsibility to be concerned about politics and society, and the songs on this cd speak a convicting message to a Church that often fails to think critically about these issues. Please check it out - it's free and it's great music!
Monday, August 28, 2006
Starting a Season of Community
"How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity!" Psalm 133:1 TNIV
Last night Eileen and I met our two new roommates, who together bring the house total to six, or five and a half. Explanation: Oliver, a longtime friend of Kendall with only two classes left in a Masters program here is going to be staying at the house from Sundays through Wednesdays, while commuting home to New York state to be with his wife of one year during the rest of the week. Since he's only living there half the time for half the year, we jokingly say he's half a housemate. Allison, a friend of Jen from her college ministry years with CCO at Chatham, will be living there all the time, having just finished Mission Year in Oakland, California. Together the six of us will be living in community, sharing the house, our possessions, and all the joys and trials of life in the coming year.
Before going to sleep late last night, the six of us gathered downstairs in the living room and spent close to half an hour praying for each other and for the house. Looking around the room at every different face, I knew that this was one more reason why God brought us to Pittsburgh. The connection with our housemates that I felt last night while we prayed was strikingly similar to the feeling I had when Jonathan and Michael and I gathered for prayer every night of our summer in Thailand. Praise God for the gift of brothers and sisters who are passionate about living out their faith together! I look forward to the adventures that are ahead of us!
Last night Eileen and I met our two new roommates, who together bring the house total to six, or five and a half. Explanation: Oliver, a longtime friend of Kendall with only two classes left in a Masters program here is going to be staying at the house from Sundays through Wednesdays, while commuting home to New York state to be with his wife of one year during the rest of the week. Since he's only living there half the time for half the year, we jokingly say he's half a housemate. Allison, a friend of Jen from her college ministry years with CCO at Chatham, will be living there all the time, having just finished Mission Year in Oakland, California. Together the six of us will be living in community, sharing the house, our possessions, and all the joys and trials of life in the coming year.
Before going to sleep late last night, the six of us gathered downstairs in the living room and spent close to half an hour praying for each other and for the house. Looking around the room at every different face, I knew that this was one more reason why God brought us to Pittsburgh. The connection with our housemates that I felt last night while we prayed was strikingly similar to the feeling I had when Jonathan and Michael and I gathered for prayer every night of our summer in Thailand. Praise God for the gift of brothers and sisters who are passionate about living out their faith together! I look forward to the adventures that are ahead of us!
Monday, July 31, 2006
Moving to Garfield, An Anniversary,West Virginia, and Church
The past two weeks have been packed for Eileen and me, hence the lack of new posts during that time. Everything that has happened, however, is significant, so here's a quick overview of what God's been doing in our lives:
1) Moving. As of July 22, we no longer live in the Seminary's apartments. That day, with the help of a few friends from the Open Door and from the Seminary, as well as with a U-Haul truck four times bigger than necessary, we moved into a house in Garfield, a neighborhood just a few blocks away. The owners of the house are Kendall and Jen Pelling, and we are renting a bedroom from them while sharing a kitchen, living room, and dining room. The house is over a hundred years old but feels almost brand-new thanks to Kendall's remodeling expertise. There are two reasons why we're doing this: a) It's a chance to live in Christian community, sharing possessions and space with each other the way the early church did. There are many other Christian communities doing this in America's cities and inner-cities today (Simple Way), and while the house probably won't take on the monastic flavor that others have, it will be an amazing experience. I don't know how God will change us during this time, but as our lives together take shape, I pray that Christ will be glorified and that we will all become more like Him through this time. b) This is the first time Eileen and I have lived in a mostly African-American neighborhood. A distinctive mark of similar Christian communities which I mentioned above is a passion for racial reconciliation, manifest in moving into neighborhoods that other white folks might not. This will also be a new experience, but priceless, I am sure. Praise God that now after talking/blogging here and there about problems of racism in Pittsburgh, I get to walk the walk.
2) Yesterday was our first anniversary! Praise God for a year of love, growth, and joy. Of course there were rough spots, but Eileen and I would both surely say we've grown through them. To celebrate, Eileen and I took off to Faith Mountain, a retreat center for pastors in the middle of rural West Virginia. Our weekend there was amazing as we enjoyed the beautiful mountains of WV, hiked, explored the small towns nearby, and spent time reconnecting with God and each other. Once we have pictures available, I may post a bit more about that trip, especially the bizarre looking turtle we stumbled upon while hiking.
3) Right after we returned from WV yesterday, we went to the Open Door where we participated in a special prayer time for Amara and Emilee, two young women whom we were blessed by every Wednesday in our weekly Bible study at the Open Door. They are each leaving Pittsburgh, both to New York state, though for different callings. Saying goodbye to them at the Creasys' house last night made me think about how the composition of the Open Door will change this year. Even as Eileen and I become a bit less involved there so that I can pursue field education at Northmont United Presbyterian Church, I know part of my heart will always be with the folks at Open Door. I have encountered no community like it who as a church embodies what it means to be followers of Jesus. I'm grateful for all the encouragement they've given me this year and look forward to seeing what God will do in the future there.
So with moving, church busy-ness, and the celebration of our first anniversary, it's obvious that a lot is happening in life. I hope to post more about the insights and lessons that I learn in the coming months. Praise God for his faithfulness and life in Christ!
1) Moving. As of July 22, we no longer live in the Seminary's apartments. That day, with the help of a few friends from the Open Door and from the Seminary, as well as with a U-Haul truck four times bigger than necessary, we moved into a house in Garfield, a neighborhood just a few blocks away. The owners of the house are Kendall and Jen Pelling, and we are renting a bedroom from them while sharing a kitchen, living room, and dining room. The house is over a hundred years old but feels almost brand-new thanks to Kendall's remodeling expertise. There are two reasons why we're doing this: a) It's a chance to live in Christian community, sharing possessions and space with each other the way the early church did. There are many other Christian communities doing this in America's cities and inner-cities today (Simple Way), and while the house probably won't take on the monastic flavor that others have, it will be an amazing experience. I don't know how God will change us during this time, but as our lives together take shape, I pray that Christ will be glorified and that we will all become more like Him through this time. b) This is the first time Eileen and I have lived in a mostly African-American neighborhood. A distinctive mark of similar Christian communities which I mentioned above is a passion for racial reconciliation, manifest in moving into neighborhoods that other white folks might not. This will also be a new experience, but priceless, I am sure. Praise God that now after talking/blogging here and there about problems of racism in Pittsburgh, I get to walk the walk.
2) Yesterday was our first anniversary! Praise God for a year of love, growth, and joy. Of course there were rough spots, but Eileen and I would both surely say we've grown through them. To celebrate, Eileen and I took off to Faith Mountain, a retreat center for pastors in the middle of rural West Virginia. Our weekend there was amazing as we enjoyed the beautiful mountains of WV, hiked, explored the small towns nearby, and spent time reconnecting with God and each other. Once we have pictures available, I may post a bit more about that trip, especially the bizarre looking turtle we stumbled upon while hiking.
3) Right after we returned from WV yesterday, we went to the Open Door where we participated in a special prayer time for Amara and Emilee, two young women whom we were blessed by every Wednesday in our weekly Bible study at the Open Door. They are each leaving Pittsburgh, both to New York state, though for different callings. Saying goodbye to them at the Creasys' house last night made me think about how the composition of the Open Door will change this year. Even as Eileen and I become a bit less involved there so that I can pursue field education at Northmont United Presbyterian Church, I know part of my heart will always be with the folks at Open Door. I have encountered no community like it who as a church embodies what it means to be followers of Jesus. I'm grateful for all the encouragement they've given me this year and look forward to seeing what God will do in the future there.
So with moving, church busy-ness, and the celebration of our first anniversary, it's obvious that a lot is happening in life. I hope to post more about the insights and lessons that I learn in the coming months. Praise God for his faithfulness and life in Christ!
Monday, July 17, 2006
A Response to Backwoods Presbyterian Part 2
To Backwoods Presbyterian: Thank you for your willingness to share your own experiences of poverty in rural West Virginia. You have some great ideas and I appreciate the perspective your travels around the world brings, but there are two things I must clarify.
One: Your comments seem to accuse me of just wanting to "throw money" at the problem of poverty. First, I've been addressing the attitudes of wealthy Christians, not suggesting particular political agendas or proposed solutions to poverty. I certainly realize it's not that simple and recognize that much has to change in the mindsets and attitudes of some people living in poverty. Being new to Pittsburgh and new to urban environments myself (I come from a small town where homelessness is unheard of), I don't have the experience or vision yet to know how to change the people affected by poverty. What I do know, however, and what I hope to convey in my blogs about this subject is that as followers of Jesus Christ we are called to avoid greed like the plague. I believe that a great deal of poverty is in fact caused by greed (i.e. the stealing of aid-funds by governments in countries you mentioned). However, if we are followers of Christ, we too must watch out for greed in every aspect of our lives. That America has become an icon for the idolatrous religion of the wealthy is what I mean when I say we are complicit in the problem. Would Jesus be pleased by business people making millions upon millions of dollars in unjust ways? Of course not, and yet some churches are filled with those very people. If I may be bold, I will say it is inexcusable for a person who claims to be a Christian to become wealthy. Why? Because Jesus told his followers, not just the rich young man, to sell their possessions and give to the poor. Because our material comforts lull us into a spiritual sleep (think of Christ's words to Laodicea in Rev. 3:14-21 - they're wealth distracted them from worshipping God). And because God cares about economic justice (all the Prophets).
Two: You seem also to assume that racism does not exist in America today and is not at least somewhat to blame for the problems facing inner-city minorities and immigrant communities. This winter, an incoming student here at PTS told me about an encounter she had with a local realtor: Moving here from another state, she contacted this man to look at houses in the area of the seminary. When she told him her price range, he responded with "Oh, if you have that money then you don't want to live down near all those black people." Little did he know that she was African-American. It's not a violent example, so it would never get in the newspapers, but it shows how this subtle racism works. The man automatically assumed that a woman with that much money could not be black. It's that same attitude that allowed white anglo-saxon protestants (yes, I think we are partially to blame because of our failure to follow Christ) moved out to the suburbs of Pittsburgh fifty years ago to escape the minorities living in the city. So much for listening to Galatians 3:28.
That's all for now. Thank you again for your comments and ideas and may God use both of us to glorify Him on this earth today!!
One: Your comments seem to accuse me of just wanting to "throw money" at the problem of poverty. First, I've been addressing the attitudes of wealthy Christians, not suggesting particular political agendas or proposed solutions to poverty. I certainly realize it's not that simple and recognize that much has to change in the mindsets and attitudes of some people living in poverty. Being new to Pittsburgh and new to urban environments myself (I come from a small town where homelessness is unheard of), I don't have the experience or vision yet to know how to change the people affected by poverty. What I do know, however, and what I hope to convey in my blogs about this subject is that as followers of Jesus Christ we are called to avoid greed like the plague. I believe that a great deal of poverty is in fact caused by greed (i.e. the stealing of aid-funds by governments in countries you mentioned). However, if we are followers of Christ, we too must watch out for greed in every aspect of our lives. That America has become an icon for the idolatrous religion of the wealthy is what I mean when I say we are complicit in the problem. Would Jesus be pleased by business people making millions upon millions of dollars in unjust ways? Of course not, and yet some churches are filled with those very people. If I may be bold, I will say it is inexcusable for a person who claims to be a Christian to become wealthy. Why? Because Jesus told his followers, not just the rich young man, to sell their possessions and give to the poor. Because our material comforts lull us into a spiritual sleep (think of Christ's words to Laodicea in Rev. 3:14-21 - they're wealth distracted them from worshipping God). And because God cares about economic justice (all the Prophets).
Two: You seem also to assume that racism does not exist in America today and is not at least somewhat to blame for the problems facing inner-city minorities and immigrant communities. This winter, an incoming student here at PTS told me about an encounter she had with a local realtor: Moving here from another state, she contacted this man to look at houses in the area of the seminary. When she told him her price range, he responded with "Oh, if you have that money then you don't want to live down near all those black people." Little did he know that she was African-American. It's not a violent example, so it would never get in the newspapers, but it shows how this subtle racism works. The man automatically assumed that a woman with that much money could not be black. It's that same attitude that allowed white anglo-saxon protestants (yes, I think we are partially to blame because of our failure to follow Christ) moved out to the suburbs of Pittsburgh fifty years ago to escape the minorities living in the city. So much for listening to Galatians 3:28.
That's all for now. Thank you again for your comments and ideas and may God use both of us to glorify Him on this earth today!!
A Response to Backwoods Presbyterian
To: Backwoods Presbyterian : Thanks for your comments and for being willing to engage in discussion about this issue. Your citations from Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians, however, aren’t quite applicable to poverty as we see it in third world countries and in the inner-cities of America today. If you read quickly through the rest of Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians, the “idleness” he’s protesting is that of Christians who assumed Jesus was going to return in a matter of days. “If Christ is coming again, then why waste time working in this life?” Paul corrects that, though, by reminding them that no one knows when Christ will return (1 Thess 5:1-2). His point is not that everyone should work to be independent or even to produce income – it is that we should be about the work of the Kingdom and other work which supports it in this age because we do not know when Christ will return.
Unfortunately, many people who are privileged with a comfortable American life don’t realize how hard it is for others who live in poverty. I agree with you also that poverty does not mean “not having a tv”. Poverty is deeper than that. It’s not being able to feed your children because the man who got you pregnant at sixteen ran away and your own parents are drug addicts. Poverty is dropping out of school because you’re afraid of gang violence and then never being able to get a job that pays a living wage. Poverty is an African woman infected with AIDS because her husband visited a prostitute and their country doesn’t have the resources to teach people how to prevent or treat the disease. I don’t believe any of these people are “idle” by choice, and they certainly aren’t being idle for the reasons Paul is challenging in the letters to the Thessalonians. Rather, I think it is our ignorance and our own desire for personal comfort that stops us from helping them. Our ignorance and our complicity is the problem, not the laziness of others. Perhaps we’re better off citing James 5 in this discussion: “1 Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. 2 Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. 3Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. 4 Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. 5 You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. 6You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you.”
Unfortunately, many people who are privileged with a comfortable American life don’t realize how hard it is for others who live in poverty. I agree with you also that poverty does not mean “not having a tv”. Poverty is deeper than that. It’s not being able to feed your children because the man who got you pregnant at sixteen ran away and your own parents are drug addicts. Poverty is dropping out of school because you’re afraid of gang violence and then never being able to get a job that pays a living wage. Poverty is an African woman infected with AIDS because her husband visited a prostitute and their country doesn’t have the resources to teach people how to prevent or treat the disease. I don’t believe any of these people are “idle” by choice, and they certainly aren’t being idle for the reasons Paul is challenging in the letters to the Thessalonians. Rather, I think it is our ignorance and our own desire for personal comfort that stops us from helping them. Our ignorance and our complicity is the problem, not the laziness of others. Perhaps we’re better off citing James 5 in this discussion: “1 Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. 2 Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. 3Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. 4 Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. 5 You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. 6You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you.”
Monday, July 10, 2006
Seminary Entertainment: The World Cup of Theology
Here's something that will make all you other seminarians and theology dorks smile: A Finnish Ph. D. candidate is hosting the "World Cup of Theology" on his blog. You just have to see it.
Read this article: http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2006/06342.htm
Then check out the blog: http://shrinkinguni.blogspot.com/
Read this article: http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2006/06342.htm
Then check out the blog: http://shrinkinguni.blogspot.com/
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Brian McLaren, Hell, Systemic Sin, and Rural America
I just finished reading Brian McLaren’s book The Last Word and the Word After That. (No – not his newest book. I’m cheap, so I bought this one at 50% off and am waiting to read The Secret Message of Jesus until it’s on sale too.) On the surface the book is mostly about the doctrine of hell, its development and its perversions. Though McLaren admits that some of his scholarship about the historical development of the idea of hell is speculative, his real point is the book is rock solid: an obsession with hell as Western Christendom has portrayed it for centuries distracts us from Jesus’ message of the coming Kingdom of God.
Here's how that works: When we view salvation as simply fire insurance, a way to escape hell and make it into heaven, we miss the ethical thrust of the Old Testament prophets and all of the New Testament. When we add to that our Protestant understanding of the means of salvation, we exclude our actions from the equation, allowing us to believe they are of no consequence. That leads, McLaren says, to a tacit approval of systemic injustice in our world. Assuming that we have the correct belief, we focus on the don’ts of the Bible’s commands and label all the do’s pejoratively as “works righteousness.” Hence we endorse agendas that overlook issues of social justice in today’s world, and even exacerbate it by promoting the commercialized Christianity that is so prevalent in America.
When I was back in Colorado in May, I had a conversation with my old high school Young Life leader about issues of poverty and the social gospel. Because of his own theological beliefs and his work's emphasis on evangelism, he understandably sought to remind me that “poverty exists because of sin.” I agree with one reading of that phrase, but probably not the reading he intended.
Since I’ve been living in Pittsburgh, I’ve seen more of how the sin of oppression unfairly forces poverty and other ills upon the already poor, regardless of their own personal morality. I think my friend in Colorado meant that individuals sin and end up in poor circumstances as a result of their own sin. Theologically he’s more conservative than I am, and as McLaren suggests, I bet his doctrines of hell and salvation influence that interpretation of poverty. But I think geography has a factor as well.
In rural America, where I grew up, systemic discrimination and injustice occurs on a smaller scale than in big cities. Racism is present, but poverty is more often the lot of pregnant teenagers and single parents, making it too easy to blame their circumstance on individual sin, especially sexual sin. In that environment, people see individual sins more than systemic and corporate sin. The same is probably true in many suburbs.
But does that mean it that systemic sin and oppression do not exist in rural areas? To what extent do rural communities actually endorse sins of oppression by passively ignoring them because they do not perceive the effects? What about suburban areas? Does education play a role in these differences? What would Jesus have to say to the rural church about poverty, oppression, and sin?
Here's how that works: When we view salvation as simply fire insurance, a way to escape hell and make it into heaven, we miss the ethical thrust of the Old Testament prophets and all of the New Testament. When we add to that our Protestant understanding of the means of salvation, we exclude our actions from the equation, allowing us to believe they are of no consequence. That leads, McLaren says, to a tacit approval of systemic injustice in our world. Assuming that we have the correct belief, we focus on the don’ts of the Bible’s commands and label all the do’s pejoratively as “works righteousness.” Hence we endorse agendas that overlook issues of social justice in today’s world, and even exacerbate it by promoting the commercialized Christianity that is so prevalent in America.
When I was back in Colorado in May, I had a conversation with my old high school Young Life leader about issues of poverty and the social gospel. Because of his own theological beliefs and his work's emphasis on evangelism, he understandably sought to remind me that “poverty exists because of sin.” I agree with one reading of that phrase, but probably not the reading he intended.
Since I’ve been living in Pittsburgh, I’ve seen more of how the sin of oppression unfairly forces poverty and other ills upon the already poor, regardless of their own personal morality. I think my friend in Colorado meant that individuals sin and end up in poor circumstances as a result of their own sin. Theologically he’s more conservative than I am, and as McLaren suggests, I bet his doctrines of hell and salvation influence that interpretation of poverty. But I think geography has a factor as well.
In rural America, where I grew up, systemic discrimination and injustice occurs on a smaller scale than in big cities. Racism is present, but poverty is more often the lot of pregnant teenagers and single parents, making it too easy to blame their circumstance on individual sin, especially sexual sin. In that environment, people see individual sins more than systemic and corporate sin. The same is probably true in many suburbs.
But does that mean it that systemic sin and oppression do not exist in rural areas? To what extent do rural communities actually endorse sins of oppression by passively ignoring them because they do not perceive the effects? What about suburban areas? Does education play a role in these differences? What would Jesus have to say to the rural church about poverty, oppression, and sin?
Friday, June 23, 2006
The Aftermath of PUP
After spending a few days pondering the precarious position of the denomination to which I belong, my mixed feelings about the passage of the PUP report have reached some resolution, though not necessarily a clear-cut one or one that you might expect. Let me explain.
First, I do not think PUP is as good as people want to spin it to be. Having read Edward Koster's article from the Outlook on PUP's passage, I'm not convinced that the action of the GA in any way strengthens the authority of the Book of Order. Koster seems to think that because the amended version of recommendation five allows for juridical review, everything's ok: "Whether the examination and ordination and installation decision comply with the constitution of the PCUSA, and whether the ordaining/installing body has conducted its examination reasonably, responsibly, prayerfully, and deliberately in deciding to ordain a candidate for church office is subject to review by higher governing bodies." Koster might be right, if every PJC in the denomination was committed to upholding the Book of Order as it stands including G-6.0106b. The simple fact is that they aren't. Look at the recent acquittals of William Parr and Jane Spar, who both performed wedding ceremonies for same-sex couples, but were declared by committees in their presbyteries not to have contradicted the denomination's constitution. Simply making decisions "subject to review by higher governing authorities" does nothing to win the trust of people who have watched the governing authorities contradict their own constitution.
But (secondly), I do not think PUP is as bad as people want to spin it to be. Given that we live in a post-denominational society, where very very few people actually choose a church solely because of its denominational affiliation, the approval of recommendation five does seem to allow an appropriate decrease in institutional power. Yes, it gives leeway to practices contradicting Scripture, but in so doing, it lays groundwork for the deconstruction of the national institution of the PC(USA). As Kruse Kronicle has diligently noted from the inside of the GAC, they are downsizing in recognition of the PC(USA)'s no-longer-privileged status in America. I would say that the institution of the denomination as we have known it is honestly in hospice, and rightfully should be if Presbyterians want to effectively work for Christ within American society. Presbyterian history, tradition, polity, and theology are all worth preserving, but can be done so without the bureaucracy that the national institution has become. People throughout the denomination realize this, but few are putting it into practice. The up-side of PUP, and the only positive spin I will put on its passage right now, is that it sets in motion significant changes in what we think a denomination is, and that very concept is in need of rethinking.
Though my obsession with Presbyterian politics for the past two weeks may not indicate this, I would like to identify myself more with the emergent church movement in terms of missiology and ecclesiology. Though it may sound strange, I think that PUP's passage is forcing us to redefine our denomination in ways that favor a shift toward emergent styles of church leadership. Fellow Presbyterians and emergent church friends - do you think there is any truth in this?
First, I do not think PUP is as good as people want to spin it to be. Having read Edward Koster's article from the Outlook on PUP's passage, I'm not convinced that the action of the GA in any way strengthens the authority of the Book of Order. Koster seems to think that because the amended version of recommendation five allows for juridical review, everything's ok: "Whether the examination and ordination and installation decision comply with the constitution of the PCUSA, and whether the ordaining/installing body has conducted its examination reasonably, responsibly, prayerfully, and deliberately in deciding to ordain a candidate for church office is subject to review by higher governing bodies." Koster might be right, if every PJC in the denomination was committed to upholding the Book of Order as it stands including G-6.0106b. The simple fact is that they aren't. Look at the recent acquittals of William Parr and Jane Spar, who both performed wedding ceremonies for same-sex couples, but were declared by committees in their presbyteries not to have contradicted the denomination's constitution. Simply making decisions "subject to review by higher governing authorities" does nothing to win the trust of people who have watched the governing authorities contradict their own constitution.
But (secondly), I do not think PUP is as bad as people want to spin it to be. Given that we live in a post-denominational society, where very very few people actually choose a church solely because of its denominational affiliation, the approval of recommendation five does seem to allow an appropriate decrease in institutional power. Yes, it gives leeway to practices contradicting Scripture, but in so doing, it lays groundwork for the deconstruction of the national institution of the PC(USA). As Kruse Kronicle has diligently noted from the inside of the GAC, they are downsizing in recognition of the PC(USA)'s no-longer-privileged status in America. I would say that the institution of the denomination as we have known it is honestly in hospice, and rightfully should be if Presbyterians want to effectively work for Christ within American society. Presbyterian history, tradition, polity, and theology are all worth preserving, but can be done so without the bureaucracy that the national institution has become. People throughout the denomination realize this, but few are putting it into practice. The up-side of PUP, and the only positive spin I will put on its passage right now, is that it sets in motion significant changes in what we think a denomination is, and that very concept is in need of rethinking.
Though my obsession with Presbyterian politics for the past two weeks may not indicate this, I would like to identify myself more with the emergent church movement in terms of missiology and ecclesiology. Though it may sound strange, I think that PUP's passage is forcing us to redefine our denomination in ways that favor a shift toward emergent styles of church leadership. Fellow Presbyterians and emergent church friends - do you think there is any truth in this?
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
PUP Approved by General Assembly
The General Assembly of the PC(USA), an hour and a half ago, approved the Report from the Theological Task Force on the Peace Unity and Purity of the Church, including recommendation 5, by a vote of 298-221. That means that ordination standards, including sexuality, are now considered a "local option", and that presbyteries across the country can choose whether or not they follow the "official" standards of the denomination's book of order.
Any opinions from fellow Christians who've been following this saga? What's next for the PC(USA)?
Any opinions from fellow Christians who've been following this saga? What's next for the PC(USA)?
Monday, June 19, 2006
Watching General Assembly
Thanks to the technological miracle of webcasting (http://www.pcusa.org/ga217/streaming.htm), I was just able to watch as the General Assembly of the PC(USA) approved the new paper on the Trinity which has caused some controversy this year. Andrew Purves, a professor here at PTS suggested that the passage of this paper could be more serious in its inherent meaning than the PUP report because of its implications for how we address and name God. The paper only affects worship and study resources produced by the Office of Theology and Worship, however, so it's not a doctrinal or confessional statement.
Good or bad? Meh. Here are some thoughts I wrote about it after reading it this spring: "This paper sounds rooted in traditional non-heretical understandings of the Trinity, but I’m left with a few points of discomfort. Line 631 – Can the Holy Spirit be analogized as a womb when the Spirit’s function is so much greater than this? While “Mother, Child, Womb” at least retain the personal aspects of God, why neuter Son to Child? Also, in the public eye, this would risk confusion, even though unintended, with Mary as Jesus’ mother, and necessary caution should be taken to avoid suggesting that we are worshipping Mary. 777-778: the idea that in proclamation of the Word of God, God is Speaker, Word, and Breath is very interesting, but is a triad like other analogies, useful for understanding, but not for a name. 885- The Rainbow, Ark, Dove triad is cutesy to the point of being laughable, devoid of personal meaning, and perhaps in danger of being perceived by the general public as childish and/or idolatry. 937 – Giver, Gift, Giving – this triad forgets that in the NT the Spirit is our “deposit” of salvation, a gift of sorts as well. Perhaps “Purchaser, Ransom, Deposit” would convey that. 938- Truth, Goodness, Beauty – this triad confuses the attributes of God that are common to all persons of the Trinity." I do think the metaphors suggested might be useful in understanding the Trinity, especially Speaker, Word, Breath, but it is not a name for God. Enough fuss has been made about the paper, though, that most people will understand the distinction between names and metaphors. So, while I'm not thrilled, I'm not upset that it passed - worse things can happen.
Watching GA has also been fascinating as I've watched online as Doodle Harris (our TSAD) and Robert Gagnon (one of our professors) have asked questions or spoken in the plenary. Tomorrow should be interesting - especially if Gagnon speaks on the PUP report and G.60106b. Anybody have predictions?
I've also found several other blogs from commissioners, GAC people, and advisory delegates that have been fun to read as the assembly continues. Here are some of the best: http://futuremoderator.blogspot.com/ , http://krusekronicle.typepad.com/kruse_kronicle/ , http://ariel-at-ga217.blogspot.com/ , and http://gruntledcenter.blogspot.com .
Gracious Lord God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, please work in and through the actions of the General Assembly this week. Bless the commissioners with diligence, attentiveness, and hearts in tune with your will. Grant us all the ability to hear You speaking into the important decisions at this time. Amen.
Good or bad? Meh. Here are some thoughts I wrote about it after reading it this spring: "This paper sounds rooted in traditional non-heretical understandings of the Trinity, but I’m left with a few points of discomfort. Line 631 – Can the Holy Spirit be analogized as a womb when the Spirit’s function is so much greater than this? While “Mother, Child, Womb” at least retain the personal aspects of God, why neuter Son to Child? Also, in the public eye, this would risk confusion, even though unintended, with Mary as Jesus’ mother, and necessary caution should be taken to avoid suggesting that we are worshipping Mary. 777-778: the idea that in proclamation of the Word of God, God is Speaker, Word, and Breath is very interesting, but is a triad like other analogies, useful for understanding, but not for a name. 885- The Rainbow, Ark, Dove triad is cutesy to the point of being laughable, devoid of personal meaning, and perhaps in danger of being perceived by the general public as childish and/or idolatry. 937 – Giver, Gift, Giving – this triad forgets that in the NT the Spirit is our “deposit” of salvation, a gift of sorts as well. Perhaps “Purchaser, Ransom, Deposit” would convey that. 938- Truth, Goodness, Beauty – this triad confuses the attributes of God that are common to all persons of the Trinity." I do think the metaphors suggested might be useful in understanding the Trinity, especially Speaker, Word, Breath, but it is not a name for God. Enough fuss has been made about the paper, though, that most people will understand the distinction between names and metaphors. So, while I'm not thrilled, I'm not upset that it passed - worse things can happen.
Watching GA has also been fascinating as I've watched online as Doodle Harris (our TSAD) and Robert Gagnon (one of our professors) have asked questions or spoken in the plenary. Tomorrow should be interesting - especially if Gagnon speaks on the PUP report and G.60106b. Anybody have predictions?
I've also found several other blogs from commissioners, GAC people, and advisory delegates that have been fun to read as the assembly continues. Here are some of the best: http://futuremoderator.blogspot.com/ , http://krusekronicle.typepad.com/kruse_kronicle/ , http://ariel-at-ga217.blogspot.com/ , and http://gruntledcenter.blogspot.com .
Gracious Lord God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, please work in and through the actions of the General Assembly this week. Bless the commissioners with diligence, attentiveness, and hearts in tune with your will. Grant us all the ability to hear You speaking into the important decisions at this time. Amen.
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Please Pray for the PC(USA) General Assembly
As the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) begins, the delegates and commissioners there who'll be voting about important matters in the future of the church are in desperate need of our prayers. As a former YAD at GA in Richmond, I know how exhausting all the politicking, arguing, and debating can be, and I can also tell you that it usually happens with very little worship or prayer actually happening at the Assembly. People on both sides of every issue come in with predetermined ideas about what's best for the church and rarely take the time to listen to each other, much less listen to God.
In the Lord's prayer, Jesus taught us to pray for God's concerns for this world before our own. In saying, "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" we are praying for three specific things to happen: 1) We pray that God would be revered as holy by all people (that "every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord"), 2) We pray that the Kingdom of God in all its facets (physical, social, spiritual) will continue to extend throughout our world, and 3) We pray that God's will and desires will be actualized in this world.
Whichever side of whichever issue you take, please pray those three things for General Assembly this year, namely God will be glorified, that God's will may be done, and that God's Kingdom will be made manifest in the actions of the General Assembly. When we pray for our own opinions, we're bound to see more hatred and division within the church, but if we would all pray solely for God's glory and will for the PC(USA), and actually listen to God's leading in Scripture and the Holy Spirit, then there may be hope for a new peace and faithfulness at this General Assembly.
In the Lord's prayer, Jesus taught us to pray for God's concerns for this world before our own. In saying, "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" we are praying for three specific things to happen: 1) We pray that God would be revered as holy by all people (that "every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord"), 2) We pray that the Kingdom of God in all its facets (physical, social, spiritual) will continue to extend throughout our world, and 3) We pray that God's will and desires will be actualized in this world.
Whichever side of whichever issue you take, please pray those three things for General Assembly this year, namely God will be glorified, that God's will may be done, and that God's Kingdom will be made manifest in the actions of the General Assembly. When we pray for our own opinions, we're bound to see more hatred and division within the church, but if we would all pray solely for God's glory and will for the PC(USA), and actually listen to God's leading in Scripture and the Holy Spirit, then there may be hope for a new peace and faithfulness at this General Assembly.
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
National Presbyterian Seminarians Conference
For all of you Presbyterian seminary students out there, I have to let you know about an event that's happening at our seminary this summer. From August 9-12, 2006, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary will be hosting this year’s National Presbyterian Seminarians Conference . There will be three plenary speakers (Dick Ray, Edith Humphrey, and Gary Hansen) and several workshop leaders from local and regional church leaders. Dick Ray is the Consultant for Theological Enrichment at Presbyterians for Renewal, and Edith Humphrey and Gary Hansen are both professors at PC(USA) seminaries. The conference will also include lots of time for seminarians from across the country to meet each other and make valuable connections. It is all sponsored by Presbyterians for Renewal and more information is available on their website. Scholarships are generously available for PC(USA) students, so cost should not be an obstacle. For anyone who’s looking at a future of ministry in the PC(USA), especially after this year’s General Assembly, this conference is a great opportunity. If you have any questions just email Presbyterianseminarians@pfrenewal.org .
Monday, June 05, 2006
Contextualization and Consumerism 2
My gratitude goes out to Brian for his thoughtful comments on my last post. In response to those comments, here are some more thoughts. First, I'm using "consumerism" to refer to a culture/lifestyle which makes the pursuit of material possessions a chief priority in life. Regardless of what the possession is (a t-shirt or a big-screen-tv), the pursuit of it for its own sake characterizes consumerism, and if we take seriously Jesus' teachings about possessions and who will inherit the kingdom of God, we would have to say this consumerism is flat-out sin.
I take for granted that there are some necessary possessions, such as food, clothing, and even our homes. In every one of these cases, the buyer can treat the possession properly (with modesty and gratitude to God) or sinfully (idolatry). The real estate market definitely adds elements of materialism to even modest homes, but the attitude of the purchaser is the issue. Is the house purchased because of what a nice house it is, or because of the opportunities for mission and fellowship come along with it? For example, buying a house in a neighborhood where you live and work is fully appropriate when it is done incarnationally (i.e. for the sake of living in proximity to the people with whom you are called by God to work), but not if it is simply because a person wants a nicer house. Either way, a lapse into the sinfulness of the community (be it buying drugs from a crackhouse near by or buying a brand-new Hummer) would be inappropriate.
The reason is this: When we contextualize the Gospel to translate it to American culture, we have to do so in a way that uses different languages and media to convey the truth of Jesus Christ, but remains faithful to that truth. Thus while we use the culture's language, we still have to critique the culture's sin.
As Brian pointed out, the use of expensive electronics by churches may seem extravagant materialism to some, but there is a difference between using tools and idolizing status symbols. A projector and a laptop enable praise songs to come alive in the voices of a young generation. Mp3 players and the internet allow people who wouldn't or couldn't step foot inside a church to access the Gospel. The culture's language (up-beat music, film, etc) is used to communicate Christ, and Christ convicts us of the need to repent of the sinfulness of other parts of the culture, including empty impractical consumerism.
I'm raising this question in regard to American culture because I think some other efforts at contextualization fail at effectively critiquing the culture's sin of consumerism. Example 1: Should someone ministering to high schoolers or college students wear Abercrombie and Fitch to be attractive to his/her target people group? I would say no. Doing so would convey a truncated Gospel, one divorced from action, because it conveys a subliminal endorsment of senseless materialism, human rights abuse, racial stereotyping, and sexual objectification. Certainly the Gospel can be made attractive to a younger generation without compromising moral standards demanded by Jesus Himself.
Example 2: Christmas. Everyone knows that Christmas commercialism is not Christian, but we still spend billions of dollars on it as a country every year. Last Christmas, as part of the "Buy Nothing Christmas" campaign, I saw an advertisement with a picture of Jesus and the caption, "When did I tell you to buy this much stuff for my birthday?" Here the medium of communication was an advertisement. The message was conveyed using our cultural language (advertising!), but the message was fully congruent with Biblical teachings. Contrast this with trying to Christianize Christmas by just reminding people that "it's the Incarnation we're celebrating" but still encouraging them to buy and sell needlessly. Which is more effective at conveying Biblical truth? Which is the better example of cultural contextualization?
If in Jesus Christ we are forgiven of our sin, but also convicted of the need to repent, how do we translate the Gospel to the cultural language without subliminally endorsing sin through the media we use? Doing so in America requires some very creative thought, and I would love to hear more suggestions.
I take for granted that there are some necessary possessions, such as food, clothing, and even our homes. In every one of these cases, the buyer can treat the possession properly (with modesty and gratitude to God) or sinfully (idolatry). The real estate market definitely adds elements of materialism to even modest homes, but the attitude of the purchaser is the issue. Is the house purchased because of what a nice house it is, or because of the opportunities for mission and fellowship come along with it? For example, buying a house in a neighborhood where you live and work is fully appropriate when it is done incarnationally (i.e. for the sake of living in proximity to the people with whom you are called by God to work), but not if it is simply because a person wants a nicer house. Either way, a lapse into the sinfulness of the community (be it buying drugs from a crackhouse near by or buying a brand-new Hummer) would be inappropriate.
The reason is this: When we contextualize the Gospel to translate it to American culture, we have to do so in a way that uses different languages and media to convey the truth of Jesus Christ, but remains faithful to that truth. Thus while we use the culture's language, we still have to critique the culture's sin.
As Brian pointed out, the use of expensive electronics by churches may seem extravagant materialism to some, but there is a difference between using tools and idolizing status symbols. A projector and a laptop enable praise songs to come alive in the voices of a young generation. Mp3 players and the internet allow people who wouldn't or couldn't step foot inside a church to access the Gospel. The culture's language (up-beat music, film, etc) is used to communicate Christ, and Christ convicts us of the need to repent of the sinfulness of other parts of the culture, including empty impractical consumerism.
I'm raising this question in regard to American culture because I think some other efforts at contextualization fail at effectively critiquing the culture's sin of consumerism. Example 1: Should someone ministering to high schoolers or college students wear Abercrombie and Fitch to be attractive to his/her target people group? I would say no. Doing so would convey a truncated Gospel, one divorced from action, because it conveys a subliminal endorsment of senseless materialism, human rights abuse, racial stereotyping, and sexual objectification. Certainly the Gospel can be made attractive to a younger generation without compromising moral standards demanded by Jesus Himself.
Example 2: Christmas. Everyone knows that Christmas commercialism is not Christian, but we still spend billions of dollars on it as a country every year. Last Christmas, as part of the "Buy Nothing Christmas" campaign, I saw an advertisement with a picture of Jesus and the caption, "When did I tell you to buy this much stuff for my birthday?" Here the medium of communication was an advertisement. The message was conveyed using our cultural language (advertising!), but the message was fully congruent with Biblical teachings. Contrast this with trying to Christianize Christmas by just reminding people that "it's the Incarnation we're celebrating" but still encouraging them to buy and sell needlessly. Which is more effective at conveying Biblical truth? Which is the better example of cultural contextualization?
If in Jesus Christ we are forgiven of our sin, but also convicted of the need to repent, how do we translate the Gospel to the cultural language without subliminally endorsing sin through the media we use? Doing so in America requires some very creative thought, and I would love to hear more suggestions.
Sunday, June 04, 2006
Contextualization and Consumerism
So I've been reading a book called "The Shaping of Things to Come" by Michael Frost and Alan Hirsh. It's about being missional churches in the midst of the secularized society we're increasingly finding ourselves in, and has some great points about the contrast between the way today's Church does things and the way the early Christians of the first three centuries did things. I understand their view of the Church, and of missions, except I ran into something today that seems hard to apply in our setting. After describing how some foreign missionaries in a Muslim country "contextualized" the Gospel (i.e. made it possible to understand in terms of that country's culture), they say this on page 93: "Their approach is to fully embrace the host culture in every way, but without sinning." Excellent point. But if we turn it around and apply it to how we reach out to American culture today, can we fully embrace our culture without sinning?
Overall, it seems American culture is based solely upon consumerism, which can quickly become sin. Add to that the fact that most of what's marketed in our society is sinful in some way: explicit sex in pop-music and movies; sweatshop labor in the clothes we wear; unabashed gluttony in fast-food chains; etc. If we were to strip away consumerism and all its companion sins, what virtue is there left in contemporary American culture which Christians can "fully embrace . . . but without sinning"? I do not intend to seem anti-American in this - I'm just having a very hard time understanding what there is in our culture that is not sinful, and would welcome any suggestions. What is there about American culture that Christians can honestly endorse and embrace? How do we contextualize the Gospel to communicate it to this culture without compromising our integrity and getting caught up in a host of other sins? Any ideas?
Overall, it seems American culture is based solely upon consumerism, which can quickly become sin. Add to that the fact that most of what's marketed in our society is sinful in some way: explicit sex in pop-music and movies; sweatshop labor in the clothes we wear; unabashed gluttony in fast-food chains; etc. If we were to strip away consumerism and all its companion sins, what virtue is there left in contemporary American culture which Christians can "fully embrace . . . but without sinning"? I do not intend to seem anti-American in this - I'm just having a very hard time understanding what there is in our culture that is not sinful, and would welcome any suggestions. What is there about American culture that Christians can honestly endorse and embrace? How do we contextualize the Gospel to communicate it to this culture without compromising our integrity and getting caught up in a host of other sins? Any ideas?
Saturday, May 27, 2006
Today's Headlines
Read: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06147/693671-84.stm
Psalm 2:1 "Why do the nations rage?"
Psalm 46:8-10 "Come, behold the works of the LORD, who has wrought desolations in the earth. 9 He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariots with fire. 10 'Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.'" NASU
Mic 4:1-3 "And it will come about in the last days that the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains. It will be raised above the hills, and the peoples will stream to it. 2 Many nations will come and say," Come and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob, that He may teach us about His ways and that we may walk in His paths." For from Zion will go forth the law, even the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 3 And He will judge between many peoples and render decisions for mighty, distant nations. Then they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they train for war." NASU
How long, O Lord? How long until You reign in peace?
Psalm 2:1 "Why do the nations rage?"
Psalm 46:8-10 "Come, behold the works of the LORD, who has wrought desolations in the earth. 9 He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariots with fire. 10 'Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.'" NASU
Mic 4:1-3 "And it will come about in the last days that the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains. It will be raised above the hills, and the peoples will stream to it. 2 Many nations will come and say," Come and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob, that He may teach us about His ways and that we may walk in His paths." For from Zion will go forth the law, even the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 3 And He will judge between many peoples and render decisions for mighty, distant nations. Then they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they train for war." NASU
How long, O Lord? How long until You reign in peace?
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