Image by echobase_2000 via Flickr— Shane Claiborne (The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical)
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
"And I think that's what our world is desperately in need of - lovers, people who are building deep, genuine relationships with fellow strugglers along the way, and who actually know the faces of the people behind the issues they are concerned about."
— Shane Claiborne (The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical)
— Shane Claiborne (The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical)
I guess my wife's just trying to protect me from the power of the iPhone. I don't have an iPhone. But I covet one...in an unholy and unhealthy manner.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Image by echobase_2000 via Flickr"Only Jesus would be crazy enough to suggest that if you want to become the greatest, you should become the least. Only Jesus would declare God's blessing on the poor rather than on the rich and would insist that it's not enough to just love your friends. I just began to wonder if anybody still believed Jesus meant those things he said."
— Shane Claiborne (The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical)
Image by loswl via FlickrThe problem is, we do this in in the church as well. But here, we're dealing with eternal ramifications. Those with whom we disagree don't just become "lousy people" but persons who are "non-Christian"-- often meaning "damned to hell." It could be that church down the road. It could be the religious group that's taken up a cause with which we disagree (e.g. against abortion, for gay rights, anti-war, etc). Even though, though a reading of Scripture and an understanding of how that Scripture is applied to life-situations, we've deemed them to be less than Christian. We spout out our vitriol in the name of Jesus.
So, it is with some interest that I found this post over at ThinkChristian.net. It's "Quick Thought: In All Things Charity" by Todd Hertz:
Last week, I casually mentioned a well-respected Christian ministry to a fellow Christian. With vitriol and definitiveness, he blurted out, “They’re not Christians.”
Unfortunately, I’ve seen enough in our Christian culture—even in the last week—to know this is not some rare ugly example of how Christians can treat fellow believers with whom they don’t agree. Arguments are fine, but why do we seem so quick to turn to hatred, discrediting and exclusivity when we come upon a brother or sister who we deem too conservative, too liberal, too fundamentalist, etc?
I don't want to say that God's truth is a lie. And I really don't want to say that all truth is relative. However, I do want to say that we "see in a mirror dimly" at this point and our perspective, out of the nature of our humanity, is limited. A fair amount of humility is necessary for our Christian interactions We don't want to claim that we have no understanding of the will of God or the mind of God...but we need to be clear that we don't know "the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth." We may be children of God, but we're human children of God and we need to admit that there are persons who passionately love God and with whom we passionately disagree...and that that can be OK. We need to get a little perspective here.
And yet we are left with the question, "When disagreeing with someone, how do we know when we are disagreeing because we are fearful or disagreeing because we're standing by the truth of the Bible?"
Sunday, June 27, 2010
At Girdwood Chapel, we are getting into the Parables of Jesus throughout the summer and I've been saying that it's true that we learn though stories. They teach us. The shape us into being certain types of people.
That said, I have four daughters and each of them has latched on to a particular Disney Princess. Our youngest twins idealize Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella and, on many nights my wife and I get to hear made up songs about each of these characters.
So, what are our children learning from Disney Princesses? If the following graphics are any indication, it might not be as harmless I I hope it is.
From BoingBoing by way of Dave Warnock's Blog:
Which is very similar to this image from Sociological Images:
That said, I have four daughters and each of them has latched on to a particular Disney Princess. Our youngest twins idealize Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella and, on many nights my wife and I get to hear made up songs about each of these characters.
So, what are our children learning from Disney Princesses? If the following graphics are any indication, it might not be as harmless I I hope it is.
From BoingBoing by way of Dave Warnock's Blog:
Which is very similar to this image from Sociological Images:
Well, if our boys aren't learning as much about being "male" from the Disney Princess movies as the girls are...merely because they may not watch them as much, these movies do teach us something about being male. And, if this graphic (from imgur.com) has any truth to it, we're in trouble.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Check out this review of Irresistible Revolution by Internet Monk, Michael Spencer, from 2006. Here's a little of what he says of Shane. This gets my spiritual blood pumping.
I can't wait. I'm scared.
Claiborne is the typical youth group kid I worked with for 15 years. (He’s a just turned thirty-something who grew up in a UMC youth group in Eastern Tennessee.) He’s the popular, small town boy from the entertainment-oriented youth group. The problem is that he’s also smart, into Jesus and full of the Holy Spirit. Somewhere between that small town youth group (with it’s usual menu of activities seasoned with a “mission trip” here and there) and graduation from Eastern College in Philly, Claiborne became a bonafide dangerous fanatic. He got politicized, activiated, and most important, radically immersed in the reality of the Kingdom of God.
Claiborne became a Jesus follower with the daring to follow Jesus, do stuff Jesus would do, take risks, side with the poor, get public, give simple answers, turn down the usual evangelical pablum and avoid excuses. He stopped believing everything the evangelical media said. He started thinking for himself, scaring his family, going where he wasn’t really supposed to go and doing things that went well beyond that two week mission trip.
I can't wait. I'm scared.
"This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown out on the scrap heap; the being a force of Nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy." - George Bernard Shaw
Friday, June 25, 2010
Image via WikipediaI've had the following couple of paragraphs from his blog on my radar for over a week now.
Newbigin distinguished between missions and mission. The church both “does mission” and “is a mission.” Missions are specific activities undertaken by a human decision to bring the gospel to places or situations where it is not heard. These efforts have quantifiable results. But while missions activities are a part of healthy churches, they do not adequately describe the fullness of God’s work in the world.
The concept of missio Dei, however, captures Newbigin’s wider intention. The mission of the church is less a “missionary mandate” than a participation in the ongoing work of redemption. The missio Dei is God’s mission – the grand story of creation, fall, and redemption. And it is a “story,” not a list of propositions. Propositions are helpful in particular times and places, but are enculturated by language and ethos. The story, however, rooted in time and place, transcends both. When we attempt to export a set of propositions from one time and place to another, we are usually operating in a colonial mode."
Now, the question I have, as I ponder this at 11:45 PM on a Thursday night is... "Can the church have an adequate understanding of the MISSION of the church without a grounding in MISSIONS?" My hunch is that it is only when grounded in "mission work" can the church understand the mission of God. I think this means that the church (and my church) has its work cut out for them (and us).
Image via WikipediaWe are well into our summer sermon series, looking at the parables of Jesus. Part of the premise of this series is that stories are one of the main ways we learn and share and relate with one another. When children are first learning concepts, it is often through storybooks. When persons are welcomed into a family, there are a whole bunch of stories that come with them. From great novels to family histories, from totem poles to Sunday School lessons we are a people who are shaped and taught and defined through the stories that we share with one another.
Stories have been a big part of my ten years here at Girdwood Chapel. Now, part of it is because I truly believe, theologically, that this is how we most learn. But, more, there have been some great stories.
One of my favorites, and I’ve told it many times (which is the way it works with stories), is the story of why children get a big piece of bread at Holy Communion. It was shortly after I got here that, during communion one week, little Jack B_____ was extra hungry when it came time for the bread and juice. So, Jack came up for communion along with his family. He received. And sat down. And after having eaten his bread he decided that he wanted more. So he came up a second time…got handed bread and juice…and sat down. And when he had finished, he wanted more. So he came back a third time. And it was funny. And Jack was well fed that day.
The following week, when it came time for communion, I thought I’d be proactive. When Jack came forward I gave him a big piece. And that was enough.
However, when other kids saw that Jack got a big piece of that warm, wonderful Bake Shop bread we have at our second service, they wanted a big piece as well. So they asked. And, to this day, I try to give kids some big pieces, and I’m partial to those who ask nicely for a big piece. And, to close out this story like I do when I tell it, “The world would be a better place if we all knew we needed a big piece of Jesus!”
See, that’s not just a story about Jack and bread. It’s a story about childhood innocence, about the wonder of Holy Communion, of the Bread of Life, and the importance of Communion in this place. And, I hope, that by telling it, each time you remember that.
Jesus knows that we learn through stories. Therefore, about a third of what he spoke to us was in the form of parables; stories with a point. Sometimes, just like the stories we know from our lives, we can tell them or hear them so often that we fail to catch their meaning. We fail to get the point because we fail to be surprised by it. “Yes, we know, the tortoise wins the race.” “Yes, we know, don’t cry ‘wolf’ or people won’t believe you.” “Yes, we know, the prodigal son is welcomed back by his loving father.”
The parable we’re looking at today, The Parable of the Prodigal Son, is one of those that we can be so familiar with that we fail to be surprised by it. It probably ranks up there with the Parable of Good Samaritan in that regard.
Barbara Brown Taylor, a wonderful Christian author and preacher, I think gets at the heart of the issue in an article called “Table Manners” that appeared in Christian Century a little over a decade ago. I’m adapting the next bit from that article. She has a wonderful illustration to start this off.
Taylor says that, in the Middle East, particularly in Jesus’ day, there was no fast food and family suppers with the NBA finals on. What you ate was a serious matter. Whom you ate with was a serious matter. And, more than other persons, it was a serious matter to the Jews. It was religious. There was etiquette. There were rules. Cleanliness was not just next to Godliness but was, in fact, integral to Godliness.
And Jesus, well, he really upset people by how he ate. He wasn’t terribly picky about the food. He didn’t seem to take all the ceremony very seriously. And, he ate with all the wrong people; people who were dirty and sick and obviously cared nothing about God.
Says Taylor:
People saw him eating and they knew who he was: someone who had lost all sense of what was right, who condoned sin by eating with sinners and who might as well have spit in the faces of the good people who raised him.
So how in the world do we get a sense of just how offensive Jesus’ eating habits were. Let’s think up just about the worst table that could be imagined at one of our local dining establishments…you know, a crowd that would make people really think Jesus cared not a bit for the people that had so wonderfully tried to raise him right.
Seated at that table might be an abortion doctor, a child molester (we’re starting big), a convict, someone with ties to a terrorist organization, a person with AIDS, an illegal immigrant (country of origin unknown), a drunk, and an unmarried woman on welfare who has five kids to, she thinks, three different fathers…although she could be mistaken. That should about do it. We’re just trying to get at just how socially unacceptable Jesus’ tablemates were.
But more, there’s Jesus there, at the head of the table, the seat facing the door, and he’s asking the convict to pass the Tabasco and is pouring the drunk another cup of coffee. There’s no sermon. There’s no, “I told you so.” There’s no Bible throwing or any pause in the conversation to “pray for the sinners to repent.” He’s just eating with them. He’s laughing. He actually seems to enjoy their company.
Most of us would be hiding our kids from this lot. We’d send e-mails around town telling people to beware of how far Jesus has fallen. And, when the local Bible study concludes for the evening and the class shows up at the same restaurant, they stay clear of them as well. They all wash their hand before they sit down and they all hold hands to pray before they begin eating. But you could hear and see them slurp their soup as they peer over their bowls at the lowlifes across the room. But the worst part of the whole scene, at least in their eyes, is that Jesus is right there with them. Doesn’t he know WHO HE IS? Doesn’t he know WHO THEY ARE? Doesn’t he know what kind of RELIGIOUS MESSAGE THIS IS SENDING? Who eats with THOSE PEOPLE?
I know this seems a long way from that nice, wholesome story of the Prodigal Son which gives hope to any who wander and has the power to make us feel all warm and cuddly inside when we think of the love and grace of our fathers or the other positive male role-models in our lives on this, our Father’s Day. But it’s important for you to get a sense of how difficult that whole dining scene is, and how offensive it could be, and how unnerving. Because, says Luke 15:1-2:
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
And what follows is the explanation of the religious message that he’s sending. First, “The Parable of the Lost Sheep” where, when one is lost, the shepherd goes out of his way, leaving his other ninety-nine to find the one lost one. Second, “The Parable of the Lost Coin” where, when a woman loses one silver coin she’ll turn the house upside down until she finds it and will have a big party and invite her friends. For, that is the joy in heaven over one sinner who repents. Third, our parable for today.
Two things are of utmost importance as we relate this parable to the lesson to be learned in Jesus’ table fellowship. First, is the extreme fallenness of the lost son and second is the extreme graciousness of the father. “Prodigal” means “wastefully or recklessly extravagant.” The “Prodigal Son” is a prodigal in the story in that he is wasteful with inheritance. The father, is a prodigal in the story in that he is extravagant in his love and grace, offering it to someone who doesn’t deserve it.
This parable is called “The Parable of the Prodigal Son.” But some other names for it may get closer to the meaning behind what’s going on: “The Parable of the Waiting Father,” “The Parable of the a Father’s Love,” or (hardest to fit on a church sign) “The Parable of the Compassionate Father and His Two Lost Sons.” (Whew!)
Regardless, as the story is told, throughout history many persons have seen the elder son as representing the Jews or the outwardly just person. He would be “the religious folk.” Dutiful. Plays by the rules. In proper relation to the Father. And mad as all get-out that Jesus could be hanging around with persons who were so clearly outside the realm of “HOLY.”
And the younger son…well the younger son for much of history has been seen as representing the Gentiles or the sinners. He would be those, “outside of church.” The ones whom God should judge for their actions or their beliefs or the way they dress or the church they go to. That younger son…well…he could be any of those wonderfully sinful folks we put around the local table hanging out with Jesus.
And the Father. Well, he’s God.
At least that seems to be most of the traditional understandings of this passage.
And we’re familiar with it.
A son goes to his father and makes an unusual request. “Give me my half of the inheritance and I’m going to strike out on my own.” Such a request would have meant a few things. First, this is something that was rightfully his at his father’s death and, merely, by asking some have posited that he’s telling his father to drop dead. Secondly, this is something that would have been an offense to the whole community. “ This son was breaking commandment number 5…that whole “honor your father and mother one.” Now there was a whole community that might have wanted that boy’s head on a platter.
And, we know, the father divided the property between them. According to Snodgrass’ Stories With Intent, Luke 15:12 literally says, “He divided to them the life.” This was his father’s life; that which would sustain him in his old age. And when the younger son left, he was, essentially, killing off his father. (131)
And we’re familiar with what happens. He goes off to a far away country and squanders it on loose living. He wastes. He’s prodigal. Until he has nothing. And then, while slopping with some pigs, he decides to go back to his father’s house. Is he really sorry? Is he just really hungry? Does he know if he’ll be welcomed back? Will the whole community be out to get him?
And he goes back. And, while he’s still a long way off, his father hikes up his robes a bit and runs down the drive to embrace his returning son. Yes, the welcomes the son who, at least by his words, seemed to have wished him dead.
Now, if the whole thing were to end here, we could see this as a great message of grace, mirroring, in fact, the message of the Gospel. We are all sinners who have gone astray but we have a loving Father, God, who is ready to receive us. So come home, sinner. I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see. We have a Victory in Jesus, our Savior forever. Amen! And it would make a great way to relate it to Father’s Day.
But, Luke has to go on and bring in that elder brother. He’s the one who’s done what his father asked. He was the good son. He got good grades and cleaned his room, at least when asked. Obedient. Dutiful. The kind of kid you’d be happy to have your son or daughter hang out with. But, something in him is out of synch with the father. While dad is able to offer forgiveness and mercy and is able to love and restore a relationship, the younger son…can’t. A party is thrown. The fatted calf is killed. And the elder son slumps in the field unable to rejoice. He is offended by the prodigal…recklessly extravagant…love of his father.
Kline Snograss, in his commentary applies to the real world. He writes:
One of the more striking theological adaptations of this parable is M. Volf’s Exclusion and Embrace. Volf writes from his experience as a Croatian struggling with the results of war with Serbians and with injustice and oppression more generally. He uses the story of the prodigal and of the father’s reception of the prodigal to address the themes of distance, otherness, exclusion, belonging, and embrace of one’s enemies. He rightly sees that this parable is not merely about relations with God but that it sets the pattern for dealing with human relations and estrangement as well. We cannot claim to be returning to the Father without displaying the same kind of forgiveness and willingness to embrace which the Father displays….Grace cannot be confined within boundaries.
If we are about the Father’s business, then we are about the business of inviting people home.
If we are about the Father’s business, then we are about the business of tearing down boundaries with people.
If we are about the Father’s business, then we must start looking like the Father in this story.
We started off with a communion story, let me close with a little about communion as well. When we have communion here, I often say, “It doesn’t matter where it is you’ve come from or where it is you’re going to, you’re welcome here. This is God’s free gift to you.”
How can we be God’s gift to those around us…no matter where it is they’re coming from or where it is they’re going to. Perhaps that’s the lesson of the Prodigal Son.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Image by echobase_2000 via FlickrShane Claiborne
9 days until Shane's at Girdwood Chapel
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Image via WikipediaOne can make the theological statement that I was, indeed, "God's gift to ministry in that time and place." The problem was that, more than I knew at the time, I was thinking in my head and acting out that "I was God's gift to ministry in that time and place." My own mother says I was annoying. My sister would have said I was annoying whether or not this was the case, but she was probably correct in this instance.
I had done ministry "in the laboratory" of a seminary eduction but not in the real world. Even though I had a couple of summer, real-life programs under my belt, I really hadn't been charged with a congregation -- one that was going to hear me preach each and every week and one that I was going to have to lead. Working on a sermon every once in a while sure was different than having to pull one together every week.
One way my theological correctness came through was my desire to "be crucified over every issue." So many things within the life of the church became issues of great concern for me. Now, some would argue that the pastor SHOULD try to have the best worship service possible, should question the questionable theological points and should move the church towards faithfulness in its actions. I get that. I really do. However, I was the "lone ranger." I was there to save the day. And, Super-Pastor that I was, I knew exactly how to save my folks -- you just had to ask me. This led to me looking for places to be crucified -- JUMPING ON TREES.
But, not every issue is worth dying over. One has to pick battles. Otherwise you'll lose the war because you're fighting too many skirmishes. Plus, some things are just not that big a deal. It's OK to have some give and take, some flexibility. It's like the phrase: "One has to learn to be like the bamboo tree...learning how to bend but not break." Not every theological or Scriptural problem is an issue we need to address. I may have had some theological skills, but I needed work in the people skills department. Some things I just had to let go. What's that verse from Matthew 23:24:
You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
Part of those first three years of ministry were learning how to differentiate gnats from camels. In dim lighting, they look a whole lot alike.
I think I could argue that the "tree" upon which I chose to be crucified -- that of welcoming the Hispanics into our congregation -- was the right tree. It was, indeed, the "camel" that needed straining.
But I still have a lot to learn here.
What are the trees you need to be crucified on? What are the important issues worth fighting for?
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Image by bartmaguire via Flickr
This is another Charles Wesley hymn. Man, that guy wrote a lot. Check out the "worms" in that last verse
GOD of almighty love, By whose sufficient grace
I lift my heart to things above, And humbly seek thy face;
Through Jesus Christ the Just, My faint desires receive;
And let me in thy goodness trust, And to thy glory live.
Whate'er I say or do, Thy glory be my aim;
My offerings all be offered through The ever-blessed name!
Jesu, my single eye Be fixed on thee alone:
Thy name be praised on earth, on high; Thy will by all be done!
Spirit of faith, inspire My consecrated heart;
Fill me with pure, Celestial fire, With all thou hast, and art;
My feeble mind transform, And, perfectly renewed,
Into a saint exalt a worm, A worm exalt to God!
Gotta' love the worm reference. That's so 18th Century, but I like it.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Image by whologwhy via FlickrAt my wedding today I saw some folks I knew and wished one of them a Happy Father's Day and was told, not rudely, but bluntly, "I don't celebrate Father's Day." There's probably a story there somewhere.
I know that the holiday is mostly a Hallmark-ready day, with cards and phone calls. And I know that it can lead into a sappiness that we want to avoid. But I'm aware of my own father and the relationship we have and have had. I'm aware of my own joys with fathering and teaching and leading my own children. I want to celebrate all of this. I think fathering (as well as mothering) is important and we have too many people in the world who have had bad experiences with their own fathers and mothers. We don't have enough good role models out there. We should celebrate that we have some good ones. And, as we look at Jesus, we know that at least the understanding of "Father" was an important one to him. It was a way that he related to God and understood God and communicated God.
It is with these reflections going on in my mind after worship yesterday that I read Jamie Arpin-Ricci's missional church blog called "A Living Alternative: A Missional Pilgrimage." It's a great blog that has helped me as I've gotten into a theology of the "Missional Church." Jamie has struggled to become a father and has, as he says, mixed feelings about the day--particularly seeing so many 20-somethings with broken relationships with the fathers in their lives. It's a good read. It is closed out with the following:
It is with this significance in mind that we must understand our call, as the Church, to be fathers to the fatherless. This is not a poetic way of saying that we need to fund orphanages and combat divorce trends. Both of these things are good, but when God calls us to be a father to the fatherless, He calls us to follow His example of genuine relationship and sacrificial love. He calls us to an active love that blasts through the boundaries of cultural propriety and familial loyalties- not the detriment or neglect of our own families, but through the conviction that God is calling us to a devotion to Him and others that must rival all others.
Our world is filled with the fatherless- and in more than just the literal meaning. This is call to extend the Father’s love to others is not some project or program that interested Christian might get involved with, but rather it is a defining characteristic of what it means to follow Jesus Christ. And it is a commitment that should not be driven by guilt (though conviction for our failing to do so is surely important), but driven by the same thing that drove Christ to pay the highest price for us: LOVE.
I'm father to five kids. How am I being a father to the fatherless around me?
The parable was the theme of this week's sermon.
I love this painting.
And I love Henri Nouwen's book about it.
I love this painting.
And I love Henri Nouwen's book about it.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Image by WolfS♡ul via FlickrFound over at Of All the Liars in the World...
The following is just a simple prayer that the bride and groom have requested for a wedding that I'm performing today. I'm attracted to the simplicity of this prayer.
Lord, behold our family here assembled.
We thank you for this place in which we dwell.
For the love that unites us,
For the peace given to us on this day,
For the hope with which we expect tomorrow,
For the healthy, the work, the food,
And bright skies that make our lives beautiful;
For our friends in all parts of the earth.
Amen.
The heading of this video says:
Here's the wonderful video. Commentary below.
I love her comment that, if John Wesley were alive today, he'd have a blog rather than a journal.
And, more than that, I love how she was able to tell how her blog was a real ministry in the life of at least one person (the survivor of the 9-11 attacks).
I think it begs some questions of me:
Thanks to Richard Hall's Connexions Blog from Wales. I am reading more and more of the stuff he has over there and can't help but be impressed what's going on on "the other side of the pond."
In memory of Olive Morgan
The most amazing 80-something blogger we have ever met!
Interview taken from Evangelical Alliance Godblogs Conference in September 2008
Here's the wonderful video. Commentary below.
I love her comment that, if John Wesley were alive today, he'd have a blog rather than a journal.
And, more than that, I love how she was able to tell how her blog was a real ministry in the life of at least one person (the survivor of the 9-11 attacks).
I think it begs some questions of me:
1) How is this site a ministry and how will I know it?
2) What are new ways to forge real relationships with persons for ministry?
Thanks to Richard Hall's Connexions Blog from Wales. I am reading more and more of the stuff he has over there and can't help but be impressed what's going on on "the other side of the pond."
Saturday, June 19, 2010
O Lord my God, I thank you that you have brought this day to its close. I thank you that you have given rest to body and soul. Your hands have been over me, guarding me and preserving me. Forgive my feeble faith and all the wrong I have done this day, and help me to forgive all who have wronged me. Grant that I may sleep in peace beneath your care, and defend me from the temptations of darkness. Into your hands I commend my loved ones, I commend this household, I commend my body and soul. O God, Your holy name be praised. AMEN.
This is from the United Methodist Hymnal. It's been adapted by Andy Bartel, an Alaska Friend who's no longer in Alaska to, as he says, by taking out the "thees and thous." See Andy's post over here.
This is from over at NakedPastor.com. David does some great work, including lovely non-cartoon work.
(Just a note from me: I confess that this post has a little more theological and philosophical depth than I'm used to and I might be in over my congested head. After finishing it, I feel a great need to post a funny music video or something.)
I'm sure there are two persons out there who are less likely to appear together in a blog post...but I can't think of them right now.
I'm sure there are two persons out there who are less likely to appear together in a blog post...but I can't think of them right now.
On one side, we have Glenn Beck -- conservative news show host, a pundit, tea party fan, and Fox News poster boy. On the other side we have Stanley Hauerwas -- potty-mouthed Christian ethicist known for some politically explosive commentary which doesn't really fit in with conservatives (or liberals for that matter). I've watched Beck on TV and I've listened to Hauerwas in ethics class. I can't see them sitting down for one of Obama's "beer summits."
Regardless, John Schmalzbauer, a sociologist of religion over at Missouri State University brings the two of them together in an article that caught my attention and I've been sitting on it for a while. It appears in the Duke Divinity Call and Response blog on Faith and Leadership. The article, itself, is full of links to his references and I encourage you to check it out.
The article was written shortly after Glenn Beck famously told his radio show listeners to run from those churches who preach "social justice." ABC News has a pretty good summary (you can find lots of summaries out there):
On his radio and television shows, Beck suggested any church promoting "social justice" or "economic justice" merely was using code words for Nazism and communism.
"I beg you look for the words social justice or economic justice on your church Web site," he said. "If you find it, run as fast as you can. Social justice and economic justice, they are code words. ... Am I advising people to leave their church? Yes! If they're going to Jeremiah Wright's church, yes!
"If you have a priest that is pushing social justice, go find another parish," he said. "Go alert your bishop and tell them, 'Excuse me, are you down with this whole social justice thing?' If it's my church, I'm alerting the church authorities: 'Excuse me, what's this social justice thing?' And if they say, 'Yeah, we're all in on this social justice thing,' I am in the wrong place."
Later, Beck held up a picture of a swastika and one of a hammer and sickle, declaring again that "social justice" has the same philosophy as the Nazis and communists and that the phrase is a code word for both.
Now, when this first came out, I, along with many other Mainline Protestants or Catholics were taken aback....because we're part of churches that preach "social justice." We use that terminology. In fact, as Girdwood Chapel strives to fulfill its mission of "Love God. Love Others. Change the World." we strive to act with justice. And a lot of Scripture seems to come to our defense here....not least of all Micah 6:8: "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."
However, Schmalzbauer claims that both of these figures, Beck and Hauerwas, can help us be more cautious about how we use the words "Social Justice" in our churches. Years ago, in his book After Christendom, Hauerwas posits that the notion of justice, itself, is a bad idea because we've let the world define that word for us. The church shouldn't be in the business of making the world more just. The church should be in the business of being the church and keeping the world, well, the world. In other words, the lines between church and world have gotten so muddy that we really need to focus on reclaiming who it is that we are. Yet, in still OTHER words, when we talk of "justice" we need to be careful what it is that we're talking about because we may just be pushing the world's agenda, doing th world's work.
And, perhaps, Glenn Beck is really opposed to a particular understanding of justice...an understanding that presupposes a liberal church relying upon a government to do their charity work. He's not opposed to helping people. He's opposed to "social justice" if it means the government co-opting the church's role in society.
I'll let Schmalzbauer close us out here with what I think are his strongest points:
Concerning Hauerwas and his understanding of Justice:
Unlike Mr. Beck, Hauerwas thinks that “freedom” and “Christian America" are bad ideas. Like his interrogation of the J-word, his critique of these notions is rooted in the conviction that the Enlightenment assumptions of the modern state have corrupted Christian thinking. Like the philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre, he has challenged the provenance of such taken-for-granted concepts, questioning the influence of Kantian philosophy on contemporary ideas of justice. From this perspective, the key questions are, “Whose justice? Which rationality?”
A little history on the use of the phrase across the political and social spectrum:
.
Since the nineteenth-century, social justice has meant different things to different people. Coined by the Italian Jesuit Luigi Taparelli d’Azeglio, it has been embraced by such diverse figures as Pope John XIII, the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, and Mother Teresa. On occasion, it has been co-opted by bigots, including Father Charles E. Coughlin, a notorious anti-Semite.
And a his final, final word:
As religious leaders rise to defend social justice, they should take care to explain what they mean.
Now I'm left to ponder what I mean when I use the phrase "social justice." How can it all be a matter of the church just being the church, trying to follow in the example of Jesus? One way to sneak around this, I think, is to truly focus energy on the local issues, that which the church can affect with their hands and feet. In other words, making sure things such as the Health Bill famously passed this year is secondary to the work of the local church dealing with the plight of the poor and sick in their own neighborhoods.
Tip O'Neill, former Speaker of the House, said "All politics is local." And while I wouldn't want to downplay the work of the church with struggling persons across the world, perhaps "All religion is local" as well. Or, maybe just most of us.
Check out what I found over at Engadget
Maybe if I show my wife this, she'll let me get an iPhone :)
I don't REALLY want this car.
But I'd love to crank up some Clapton in it.
Maybe if I show my wife this, she'll let me get an iPhone :)
I don't REALLY want this car.
But I'd love to crank up some Clapton in it.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Luke 15:11-32 (The Message)
The Story of the Lost Son
11-12Then he said, "There was once a man who had two sons. The younger said to his father, 'Father, I want right now what's coming to me.' 12-16"So the father divided the property between them. It wasn't long before the younger son packed his bags and left for a distant country. There, undisciplined and dissipated, he wasted everything he had. After he had gone through all his money, there was a bad famine all through that country and he began to hurt. He signed on with a citizen there who assigned him to his fields to slop the pigs. He was so hungry he would have eaten the corncobs in the pig slop, but no one would give him any.17-20"That brought him to his senses. He said, 'All those farmhands working for my father sit down to three meals a day, and here I am starving to death. I'm going back to my father. I'll say to him, Father, I've sinned against God, I've sinned before you; I don't deserve to be called your son. Take me on as a hired hand.' He got right up and went home to his father.
20-21"When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him. The son started his speech: 'Father, I've sinned against God, I've sinned before you; I don't deserve to be called your son ever again.'
22-24"But the father wasn't listening. He was calling to the servants, 'Quick. Bring a clean set of clothes and dress him. Put the family ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Then get a grain-fed heifer and roast it. We're going to feast! We're going to have a wonderful time! My son is here—given up for dead and now alive! Given up for lost and now found!' And they began to have a wonderful time.
25-27"All this time his older son was out in the field. When the day's work was done he came in. As he approached the house, he heard the music and dancing. Calling over one of the houseboys, he asked what was going on. He told him, 'Your brother came home. Your father has ordered a feast—barbecued beef!—because he has him home safe and sound.'
28-30"The older brother stalked off in an angry sulk and refused to join in. His father came out and tried to talk to him, but he wouldn't listen. The son said, 'Look how many years I've stayed here serving you, never giving you one moment of grief, but have you ever thrown a party for me and my friends? Then this son of yours who has thrown away your money on whores shows up and you go all out with a feast!'
31-32"His father said, 'Son, you don't understand. You're with me all the time, and everything that is mine is yours—but this is a wonderful time, and we had to celebrate. This brother of yours was dead, and he's alive! He was lost, and he's found!'"
Ummm... Ewww
I saw over at Mashable that Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff sent out a highly unnecessary tweet. Earlier today a Utah firing squaud executed a convicted killer by the name of Ronnie Lee Gardner. In the above tweet, Shurtleff announced the execution. In an earlier tweet, he wrote: “A solemn day. Barring a stay by Sup Ct, & with my final nod, Utah will use most extreme power & execute a killer. Mourn his victims. Justice.”
I can't say I've done "a lot" of funerals, but I've done my fair share...particularly during my time in Indiana. With all the emotions that go on at a time of death, I can't imagine summarizing in this fashion. There's no place for emotion. There's no place to talk about, really, life or death.
Whatever Mr. Gardner may have done, there is something about a 140-character message that seems inappropriate as a medium for the announcement.
I would hope this is the last time we'll hear of this happening.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
The review of this book from 1977 over at The Pitch says the following:
"The idea of being starved didn't originate with your stomach. It came from your MIND. It was SATAN'S IDEA. How do we know? A healthy body doesn't begin to starve until it has gone 40 days without food." (page 37)
"Everywhere you look you see fat Christians," C.S. Lovett complains in Help Lord -- The Devil Wants Me Fat!, the rare diet book to deploy prayers, visualization exercises, and reckless use of the caps lock in a war against Satan. "We have Christians who wouldn't think of lying or stealing or committing adultery unabashedly going around with bulging bellies," he writes, somewhat insensitively.
And, while humorous, I'd like to say there is some truth here. While I want to say that being overweight (which I am) is an issue of personal responsibility and impulse control, temptation plays a big role in it...along with immediate gratification. And so, I think I can give the devil his due for the state of my physical body. That said, I have to want to change enough to change enough.
Onward and downward. (I have lost about 20 lbs this year but I have a lot more I should lose)
Call: Who is it that you seek?
Response: We seek the Lord our God.
Call: Do you seek Him with all your heart?
Response: Amen. Lord, have mercy.
Call: Do you seek Him with all your soul?
Response: Amen. Lord, have mercy.
Call: Do you seek Him with all your mind?
Response: Amen. Lord, have mercy.
Call: Do you seek Him with all your strength?
Response: Amen. Christ, have mercy.
Mornings seem to get away from me more often than not. Kids going places. And I stay up too darned late anymore. Even now it's 12:27 AM and the TV's on and I'm coughing with this cold of mine.
What would it look like to truly alter my days and nights?
What keeps me from it?
What if every day started with that prayer above?
But, hey, I guess my day is ending with it..... (I'll just post it later in the day)
HAIL, thou once despised Jesus!
Hail, thou Galilean King!
Thou didst suffer to release us;
Thou didst free salvation bring.
Hail, thou agonizing Saviour,
Bearer of our sin and shame!
By thy merits we find favour;
Life is given through thy name.
Paschal Lamb, by God appointed,
All our sins on thee were laid;
By almighty love anointed,
Thou hast full atonement made;
All thy people are forgiven
Through the virtue of thy blood;
Opened is the gate of heaven,
Peace is made ‘twixt man and God.
Jesus, hail! enthroned in glory,
There for ever to abide:
All the heavenly host adore thee,
Seated at thy Father’s side;
There for sinners thou art pleading,
There thou dost our place prepare,
Ever for us interceding,
Till in glory we appear.
Worship, honour, power, and blessing,
Thou art worthy to receive;
Loudest praises without ceasing,
Meet it is for us to give.
Help, ye bright, angelic spirits!
Bring your sweetest, noblest lays;
Help to sing our Saviour’s merits;
Help to chant Immanuel’s praise.
Hail, thou Galilean King!
Thou didst suffer to release us;
Thou didst free salvation bring.
Hail, thou agonizing Saviour,
Bearer of our sin and shame!
By thy merits we find favour;
Life is given through thy name.
Paschal Lamb, by God appointed,
All our sins on thee were laid;
By almighty love anointed,
Thou hast full atonement made;
All thy people are forgiven
Through the virtue of thy blood;
Opened is the gate of heaven,
Peace is made ‘twixt man and God.
Jesus, hail! enthroned in glory,
There for ever to abide:
All the heavenly host adore thee,
Seated at thy Father’s side;
There for sinners thou art pleading,
There thou dost our place prepare,
Ever for us interceding,
Till in glory we appear.
Worship, honour, power, and blessing,
Thou art worthy to receive;
Loudest praises without ceasing,
Meet it is for us to give.
Help, ye bright, angelic spirits!
Bring your sweetest, noblest lays;
Help to sing our Saviour’s merits;
Help to chant Immanuel’s praise.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Thinking about finances...for both family and church and for the people around us.
I Found this over at Pete Wilson's "Without Wax."
Andy Stanley once asked, “Do you have money in the bank, but no peace in your heart?”
There is no correlation between money and peace.
Zip.
Zero.
Nada.
Get, earn, save, and invest all of it you want… but you’ll never squeeze an ounce of peace out of it.
Omnipotent Redeemer,
Our ransomed souls adore thee,
Whate’er is done
Thy work we own,
And give thee all the glory;
With thankfulness acknowledge
Our time of visitation;
Thine hand confess,
And gladly bless
The God of our salvation.
Our ransomed souls adore thee,
Whate’er is done
Thy work we own,
And give thee all the glory;
With thankfulness acknowledge
Our time of visitation;
Thine hand confess,
And gladly bless
The God of our salvation.
Thou hast employed thy servants,
And blest their weak endeavours,
And lo! in thee
We myriads see
Of justified believers;
The church of pardoned sinners,
Exulting in their Saviour,
Sing all day long
The gospel song,
And triumph in thy favour.
And blest their weak endeavours,
And lo! in thee
We myriads see
Of justified believers;
The church of pardoned sinners,
Exulting in their Saviour,
Sing all day long
The gospel song,
And triumph in thy favour.
Thy wonders wrought already
Require our ceaseless praises
But show thy power,
And myriads more
Endue with heavenly graces.
But fill our earth with glory,
And, known by every nation,
God of all grace
Receive the praise
Of all thy new creation.
Require our ceaseless praises
But show thy power,
And myriads more
Endue with heavenly graces.
But fill our earth with glory,
And, known by every nation,
God of all grace
Receive the praise
Of all thy new creation.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Text: Matthew 13:31-34
To begin, we’ve been saying that stories are very important to us as human beings. They have a role in defining us, in teaching us, and shaping our future actions. They are what we share when we get together and what we blog about and put as our Facebook status updates. They’re what we can’t wait to get on the phone and share with our parents…or our children…or our friends. And, every day, if we pay attention, there are more stories to be told.
One of my favorite stories from the past ten years at Girdwood Chapel is the story of the move from our church from the property up near Jack Sprat’s restaurant down to our present location. It was in late May of 2003. The church had been put on the back of a flat-bed truck the day before and had been rachetted down. And then, on a beautiful evening, we had a crew walk behind the church to follow it to its new location, just about where the sanctuary is on our new construction. There were about 87 of us that day. And, in the back of my old Toyota pickup truck, we took rocks from the old location to raise up an "Ebenezer" (1 Samuel 7:7-12) at our new location…a stone monument to the continuing blessing of our God. That Ebenezer’s been moved a few times, but we hope to get it up once we’re done moving machinery around.
Lanice _____ and Sali ____ played guitar so we could sing and follow our building to the new site. Our Bishop, Ed Paup, and Superintendent, Rachel Lieder Simeon, were there as well to celebrate.
It was funny that, as the church made its way down Davos Avenue, it began to pick up speed and our leisurely walk became a jog. Bishop Paup would go on to thank us for allowing him to walk with us, but he had no idea he’d be winded when we got to the stopping place. While sharing pictures in many a presentation afterwards, I would say, “It’s amazing how fast a church can go when it’s going downhill!”
There was an innocence to that time, before the nuts and bolts of construction and work teams and permits and financial cost. But it was a start to a dream that has carried us through today.
And, it’s a good story.
One of my favorite stories from the past ten years at Girdwood Chapel is the story of the move from our church from the property up near Jack Sprat’s restaurant down to our present location. It was in late May of 2003. The church had been put on the back of a flat-bed truck the day before and had been rachetted down. And then, on a beautiful evening, we had a crew walk behind the church to follow it to its new location, just about where the sanctuary is on our new construction. There were about 87 of us that day. And, in the back of my old Toyota pickup truck, we took rocks from the old location to raise up an "Ebenezer" (1 Samuel 7:7-12) at our new location…a stone monument to the continuing blessing of our God. That Ebenezer’s been moved a few times, but we hope to get it up once we’re done moving machinery around.
Lanice _____ and Sali ____ played guitar so we could sing and follow our building to the new site. Our Bishop, Ed Paup, and Superintendent, Rachel Lieder Simeon, were there as well to celebrate.
It was funny that, as the church made its way down Davos Avenue, it began to pick up speed and our leisurely walk became a jog. Bishop Paup would go on to thank us for allowing him to walk with us, but he had no idea he’d be winded when we got to the stopping place. While sharing pictures in many a presentation afterwards, I would say, “It’s amazing how fast a church can go when it’s going downhill!”
There was an innocence to that time, before the nuts and bolts of construction and work teams and permits and financial cost. But it was a start to a dream that has carried us through today.
And, it’s a good story.
And so, since stories are so integral to our learning and our being, it’s no wonder that Jesus used stories in his teaching. We call them parables. They are stories or illustrations that have a point to make. They are teaching moments that can then be used to teach us.
A couple of weeks ago we looked at the Parable of the Sower. Last week we looked at the Rich Man and Lazarus. Today we move to the Kingdom of God with two very brief parables from Mathew: The Mustard Seed and the Leaven.
Let me read these again, this time from The New Living Translation (Matthew 13:31-34):
A couple of weeks ago we looked at the Parable of the Sower. Last week we looked at the Rich Man and Lazarus. Today we move to the Kingdom of God with two very brief parables from Mathew: The Mustard Seed and the Leaven.
Let me read these again, this time from The New Living Translation (Matthew 13:31-34):
Here is another illustration Jesus used: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches.”Jesus also used this illustration: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.”Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds. In fact, he never spoke to them without using such parables.
Now, the parable of the Mustard Seed occurs in all three synoptic Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The parable of the Leaven appears just in Matthew and Luke. This is a different form a parable than we’ve looked at so far. There really is no story here. There is no plot. They are similitudes . They are analogies . They compare the mustard seed and the leaven to the present and future Kingdom of God. It’s a comparison.
In order to enter into this Mustard Seed parable we need to understand a little bit of the cultural reference. In our own culture, we know that HYPERBOLE IS THE BEST THING EVER. Hyperbole is a rhetorical device whereby we make a point through exaggeration. And so, if I want to say that the Bible is heavy, I might use hyperbole and say: “THIS BIBLE WEIGHS A TON!” Or, if I’m trying to say that my three year old twins can’t can’t seem to focus on anything, I might say, “THEY HAVE THE ATTENTION SPAN OF A GNAT.” Hyperbole can be fun and entertaining:
- I’ve been waiting for you FOREVER.
- I’m STARVING.
- That kid is as strong AS AN OX.
- That person has a brain the SIZE OF A PEA.
Now, none of these are literally true. No, you did not wait, “FOREVER.” No, you are not “STARVING” but are merely hungry. The kid may be strong, but we’re probably not in “OX” territory and it is unlikely that the person has a brain the size of a PEA. But they are fun and they are descriptive. We know what’s meant by them.
So, what does it mean that Jesus compares the kingdom of God to a Mustard Seed? Well, back in “the day” – the Jewish, Greco-Roman Day of Jesus – mustard seeds were known, proverbially, for their small size. They were small, about one millimeter in diameter. But the orchid and cypress had smaller seeds. And while Matthew mentions the size of the plant, it’s good to know that we’re talking about 10 feet tall here. Yes it could have birds in it. Yes it did grow quickly. But there were taller plants and trees around.
I think the key here is, there was a common knowledge about the mustard seed..., “IT GROWS PRETTY TALL FROM A VERY SMALL SEED.”
So, what does it mean that Jesus compares the kingdom of God to a Mustard Seed? Well, back in “the day” – the Jewish, Greco-Roman Day of Jesus – mustard seeds were known, proverbially, for their small size. They were small, about one millimeter in diameter. But the orchid and cypress had smaller seeds. And while Matthew mentions the size of the plant, it’s good to know that we’re talking about 10 feet tall here. Yes it could have birds in it. Yes it did grow quickly. But there were taller plants and trees around.
I think the key here is, there was a common knowledge about the mustard seed..., “IT GROWS PRETTY TALL FROM A VERY SMALL SEED.”
Throughout history, this parable has taken on some different meanings. Some have viewed it in light of the whole church…which started small in a little corner of Palestine and then would spread and triumph over all other religions. But, I’m not sure that’s what Jesus would have had in mind as he’s preaching away.
It seems that, more appropriately, we really need to focus on what Jesus says about the Kingdom of God here. It begins small…insignificant…easy to miss if you’re not looking at it, but will come to fruition through the person and work of Jesus.
It seems that, more appropriately, we really need to focus on what Jesus says about the Kingdom of God here. It begins small…insignificant…easy to miss if you’re not looking at it, but will come to fruition through the person and work of Jesus.
Says Kline Snograss in Stories with Intent – the “big” book on parables I purchased to help me through this summer:
Whatever else is debated, this parable pictures the presence of the kingdom in Jesus’ own ministry, even if others do not recognize it, and Jesus’ expectation of the certain full revelation of the kingdom to come. (Snodgrass, Stories with Intent, 222)
We need to realize that the Hebrews were expecting the Kingdom of Heaven to come in with power and might. The "Messiah" they were waiting for was going to be mighty, and awesome, and scary. When the Messiah comes into the world as Jesus Christ, we talk about how funny it is that it’s not in a palace but a stable with dirty animals around. The people he traveled with were stunned that he hung out with tax collectors and sinners and reached out to the poor and oppressed…like a commoner. At Girdwood Chapel, over the years, as we’ve talked of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem we talk about the irony of it happening on the back of donkey. We believe the Son of God came to earth and died on a cross beside criminals.
This didn't make sense to those who were expecting a very different kind of Messiah. It is, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:18-19, foolishness.
This didn't make sense to those who were expecting a very different kind of Messiah. It is, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:18-19, foolishness.
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."
As Christians we believe that the Kingdom of Heaven was present in the person of a poor carpenter, Jesus of Nazareth. That brings us to that Greek word, AUTOBASILEIA, “KINGDOM IN PERSON” that we occasionally mention here. And even though, in the grand scheme of things in his day and age, he seemed to be utterly insignificant, with each leper healed, each sin forgiven, each parable spoken, each person transformed from wayward wanderer to faithful follower, those around him experienced the inbreaking of the kingdom of God.
It is, in fact, like that mustard seed. It starts out small. You know, it’s so small that you might miss it. People around Jesus did. But it grows and grows. And we know that we’ll see it reach its full growth when the Kingdom of Heaven is eternally realized in our midst.
As Jesus said in that verse from Luke 17:21 which was read earlier, after the ten lepers are healed… “For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you.” Or, as Jesus says in the beginning of Mark’s account, after his time in the wilderness, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news” (Mark 1:14)
It is, in fact, like that mustard seed. It starts out small. You know, it’s so small that you might miss it. People around Jesus did. But it grows and grows. And we know that we’ll see it reach its full growth when the Kingdom of Heaven is eternally realized in our midst.
As Jesus said in that verse from Luke 17:21 which was read earlier, after the ten lepers are healed… “For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you.” Or, as Jesus says in the beginning of Mark’s account, after his time in the wilderness, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news” (Mark 1:14)
This Mustard Seed Parable was a word to his listeners. “If you pay attention here, you will come to realize that these works, these words, in fact this person among you…is a sign that the Kingdom of Heaven is here, right under your noses.” As Peterson says in his The Message translation in John 1:14:
Every cookie handed out, every box of organic vegetables picked up, every kid who learns something at Vacation Bible School, every hymn sung with praise to God…is a sign that the Kingdom of Heaven is here. It changes how we look at the work of God in the world and changes how we look at the seemingly insignificant acts we do as we try to live faithfully in this world in this present age. We are Kingdom kids. And we’re about Kingdom work. All in the name of the King. And it grows into the tallest of all shrubs!
Now the Parable of the Leaven goes hand in hand with the Parable of the Mustard Seed. And whereas the Mustard Seed emphasizes the seeming insignificance of the Kingdom that has come in Jesus, the Leaven gets at the what’s in store. Once the Leaven is in the dough, it’s going to multiply and it’s going to grow and it will not be stopped. That little work done by Jesus to the woman at the well, to the ten lepers who were healed, to the woman accused of adultery...what he did with the Scribes and Pharisees, with his Disciples...when he was in the Temple, on the Mount, in the Garden, on the Cross…that work is gonna’ grow. What happened in a small Middle Eastern country 2000 years ago would have bearing on the entire universe.
God is in the business of leavning – magnifying – lifting up – multiplying – that which seems unimportant.
The Word became flesh and blood,And it’s not just for the original hearers. It's a word to us as well. If we pay attention here, we will come to realize that, every person healed…every act of love done in the name of Jesus…every divine inspiration or teaching…every act of community and communion…is a sign that the Kingdom of God is here...that God has "moved into the neighborhood."
and moved into the neighborhood.
We saw the glory with our own eyes,
the one-of-a-kind glory,
like Father, like Son,
Generous inside and out,
true from start to finish.
Every cookie handed out, every box of organic vegetables picked up, every kid who learns something at Vacation Bible School, every hymn sung with praise to God…is a sign that the Kingdom of Heaven is here. It changes how we look at the work of God in the world and changes how we look at the seemingly insignificant acts we do as we try to live faithfully in this world in this present age. We are Kingdom kids. And we’re about Kingdom work. All in the name of the King. And it grows into the tallest of all shrubs!
God is in the business of leavning – magnifying – lifting up – multiplying – that which seems unimportant.
Friends, we sit here in Girdwood, Alaska. We have kids playing baseball or soccer. We’re going to plant some flowers with folks from Sustainable Girdwood this afternoon and try to get up some netting to keep our community garden free of moose. We have work teams coming next week to help us get into our building...the one we moved for 7 years ago. We have folks driving a dangerous highway every day to get to work and back home. We have tourists showing up for a night at our hotel. We have coffee shops where community happens. We have people who care about each other mixed in with people we hardly know. We have mountains and streams and bike rides and people still skiing in the snow. Fishing season’s starting up. We’re in the midst of another fund drive for the building fund…we’re used to them. It's a beautiful place. We love it. It is our "ordinary."
And, in this "ordinary," every little act we can do which springs from the spirit of God, is going to grow…somehow. It’s our way of participating in the inbreaking of the great kingdom of God. How will God bring in his kingdom through you today? It’s never insignificant when you participate in the Kingdom of Heaven.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
(Picture of mustard seed from Flickr user, zoyachubby.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
(Picture of mustard seed from Flickr user, zoyachubby.
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