Still Learning

Why I Don't Gamble

2012-02-06T09:56:00.000-06:00

Last night, I had made eight not-so-serious predictions prior to the Super Bowl on Twitter. After, I jokingly tweeted: "Only two of my eight predictions for the #SuperBowl were correct. #fessingup #whyidontbet". An old friend responded via private message asking why it is that I don't gamble. I thought I'd share some of what I responded:

First of all, as with most things these days, I claim the spirit of Romans 14 in this. You asked my thoughts, so if you hear any legalism or forced piety directed at you within my response, check your filter. In other words, my conclusion on this is a non-essential and I'd be happy to sit at the table of Communion with someone despite our disagreement on this (and an ever-increasing list of other things).

There have been very brief times in my life when I've toyed with the notion of gambling. I've had some success with Blackjack and variant forms of online Poker. I believe that with patience and the proper amount of time spent, I could be a decent gambler and bring in more money than I'd lose. I can imagine myself being able to do that and while it may sound cocky, I generally believe it to be true.

But in the end, I see gambling as just another form of taking other people's money.

I'm less concerned about becoming addicted myself (I do believe that is a possibility for anyone, though not a certainty for everyone). I'm more concerned that if I did indeed win, I'd simply be profiting from the impulsivity and addiction of others. That doesn't jive with my understanding of Christ. Even (and especially) when I win, I'm just contributing to the system. Put differently, gambling is just another way to confess my faith in power, specifically, the power of money (but also "winning" and "thrill"). That's something I'm trying to avoid as I try and understand the self-emptying of Christ.

Most people waste money in one form or another, and I am no exception. Sometimes I take my kids on the carousel. It costs $2.50 or so. I'm basically paying for the brief thrilling experience and - if I'm lucky - a small memory, because the money and the moment are both gone almost as quickly as a round of Blackjack. I could see how some say the same of gambling - they enjoy the thrill. I can understand that. But the overall picture I describe in the previous paragraph is enough for me to avoid this as a whole.

After the Yellow Ribbon

2012-01-24T09:40:00.001-06:00

"In any war, at least one side loses; in some wars, no side wins." - John Howard Yoder

Back in November, I flew down to North Carolina for a very short conference called "After the Yellow Ribbon" put on by the students of Duke Divinity School on their campus. It was my first time at Duke: impressive all around, as expected. Quite a stately campus. I've been on my share of campuses, but I'm not sure that I've been more in awe than at Duke. Of course, the fact that my favorite theologian (Hauerwas) walks those halls might have been a factor (though not for long, this is his last semester, I'm told). And there was indeed a Duke men's basketball game that weekend, making for a crazy campus.Anyway, the conference was bringing together three parties: the Church, the Academy, and the Military to talk about our response to soldiers who have come home from war. Some of my notes and reflections are below.

Overall, I was greatly challenged by the conference, as I knew I would be. I'm not really sure how to be proactive in response. I don't know any recent veterans (in my area, at least). My path to and on nonviolence basically led me to understand that despite my contrarian feelings about the US's military actions, my responsibility as a follower of Christ is to be directed to those who are hurting and those who are ignored. Veterans often to fit both of those demographics.

I was a bit out of place - it was mostly Duke Divinity students (academics) and a few in the military. It only kindled the fire in me to be back in school, but this is to come. There might have been a few other pastors, but I didn't perceive that anyone else really flew in for it.

A lot of this is a sporadism of notes, but glean what you can.

-----Friday Evening: Lieut. Colonel Pete Kilner -----

Lt. Col. Kilner teaches at West Point.

"There are elements of heaven that are only in war." - This is related this to a "band of brothers"-type camaraderie/community.I've actually considered this in relation to the Church and koinonia and have a sermon series on the very back burner along these lines. Good relationship generally cannot be manufactured. Something happens to people when they sweat and bleed together. I've not experienced war, but I've known the sweat and tears of serving for a couple of weeks in an impoverished area. The people I was with and I have bonds that cannot be explained nor recreated.

I was made to consider the notion of selective conscientious objection. Generally, a conscientious objector must object to ALL war...not just the current one. (i.e.: "Would you fight in WWII?") I have had my paperwork to sign and file to my denomination for my conscientious objection sitting on my desk for over half a year. I'm not sure why I haven't sent it in yet. Part of me wonders that if a situation like WWII did come about, I might actually want to participate. Anyway, Lt. Col. and others at the conference talked about "selective conscientious objection." I forget Kilner's feelings about it, but others would lobby for it. And I think I would too.

[paraphrasing] The people are not doing their job in doing a good public debate concerning the just-ness of war.

One take-away was just the notion of creating some kind of a "Soldiers Anonymous" group in our community. I would need a leader(s) though, and it certainly can't be me. But we need to create safe places where veterans can come and talk of their experience together...or at least just be together.

-----Saturday morning, Exploring the Moral Landscape: Military, Theological, and Academic Intersections (Elyse Gustafson, Herman Keizer, Warren Kinghorn) -----

(Kinghorn) PTSD - not just anxiety, traumatic events in the past act determinatively in the course of life in the present; generally considered a medical condition/diagnosis, responded to with medicine and therapy; But Kinghorn, while acknowledging the reality of PTSD, believes it can be an oversimplification for those coming back from combat, as PTSD is a general "explanation". But unlike other physical diagnoses, PTSD is in and of itself the symptoms. (Other diagnoses come about because of symptoms, which point to the diagnosis.) He might consider PTSD as coming about due to the _moral_ effects of war. He notes the difference between recipient trauma and agentive trauma ("done unto" and "done to others"). His belief is that these are the majoritive causes for PTSD in combat-related PTSD.

"moral injury" - perpetrating or failing to prevent the occurrence of moral events.problem: moral injury can hardly be classified simply as a medical term. As such, the issues and thus, the responses, are as diverse as the number of soldiers coming home.Again: create spaces for personal narrative-sharing

(Gustafson) First Liut. Gustafson's presentation was probably the most moving of the conference for me. She told us of her experience in receiving soldiers home as a chaplain.

One such: "Dan" - combat soldier, on going to Church: "I'm treated either as a hero or a monster. Neither is a person."She wrote a prayer for "Dan."

When she read it to him, he cried, and she describes the experience as "the closest she'd ever felt to God." To me, she is describing Matthew 25.

Reconciliation for the penitent: confession; examination of conscience - Yes, confession. Growing up, like so many other Protestant boys and girls, confession was this crazy-idea to control people invented by the Roman Catholic Church (Forgive me, please). And even still, I have to remember that confession is only sometimes about culpability. But confession and incarnational ministry is as of Christ - "Taking the sin of the world upon oneself." This sharing in the RESULT of sin is our ministry. Soldiers (like all those who have injuries) need spaces of confession.The complexity of issues, responses, etc. is astounding.

"It's true confession if it brings people into community."

(Keizer) Chaplain Col. Keizer spoke freely and from the heart, obviously from decades of experience.

Reported that 52% of Veterans are reserves, meaning they do not go back to people that understand them. There apparently is a much different debriefing process for reservists. (parenthetical comment by me: so far, my respect for the military has increased and for politicians and citizens has decreased)

"Reflexive" versus "reflective" in making decision to kill.

Again: the opportunity of selective conscientious objection

"If we're no longer able to be critical of our country, then we are unable to be good citizens of our country."

Keizer spoke of two things I need to read: Matterhorn (novel on Vietnam) and his own article: "I'll be home for Christmas"

He encouraged us to use the psalms to help veterans speak and heal.

-----Seminar: Caring for Veterans After War (Chaplains Bill Cantrell & John Oliver) -----

Bill is a Navy Chaplain, working for the VA here in Durham

Trauma:
Often challenges the integrity of our body and our sense of ourselves
Challenges our beliefs about: life, death, meaning, our sense of mastery and potency in the world
Can challenge the very foundations upon which we build our lives
Affects our identity and identification

Moral Injury: Causes & Consequences
[persistent threats to assumptions of right & wrong]
Altered assumptions/changed humanity
Affects decision-making & behavior
Actings out, revenge, retribution

The Emotional Toll
Fear, Anxiety, Stress (Guerilla warfare, civilian threat)
Guilt, Shame (killing, abusiveness, destruction)
Anger, Rage (Helplessness, betrayal/violation)
Sadness, Dysphoria (Loss, hopelessness, witnessing grave suffering)

Spiritual Fitness Guide
Fit-->Stressed-->Depleted-->Drained

The journey home marks the beginning of an internal war for the [soldiers].

Spiritual Aids to Recovery
Group exercises
Community Involvement
Spiritual Practices
Existential Topics
Forgiveness
Values for Living
Finding Meaning and Purpose
Ritual

George Washington, November 10, 1781: "The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive how the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation."(parenthetical: I'm not sure if this is good or bad...)

John Oliver - Pastoral Care

6308 US fatalities
4017 wounded (as of Wednesday of last week)
...in comparison...
Vietnam - over 60,000
WWII - hundreds of thousands

So we've kept the casualties down, but this means more wounded coming home. What are the implications of this?

Four Issues:
Life Threat (you could die)
Wear & Tear on Body/Spirit/Soul
Ongoing loss of friends and family
Inner conflict of moral dilemmas

Of those interviewed coming home:
92% knew of someone killed
81% attacked or ambushed
75% seen dead bodies

30% of combat soldiers have some kind of diagnosis
So this means that there are 70% who are "resilient" - they are strong people

As pastors, the language of "disorder" is difficult in what it does as a label or even as a self-fulfilling prophecy

There are three people types in regard to trauma:
Been through a trauma
Those who are going through a trauma
Those who will go through trauma

Pattern of Lament:
Life is good.
Life is disrupted.
...yet...
Trust. Hope.

We can see this in the progression of Psalm 22 - 23 - 24
Let this be a pattern of how we serve as pastor to people through trauma

The removal from the community of the "band of brothers" is so difficult.
Can we bring them "home" into the community of the Church?
...this will not be easy, particularly because of the facade of community in the Church.

Spiritual reactions to trauma:
Confusion about God
Discounting community
Alters one sense of meaning in life
Loss of previously sustained and sustaining beliefs (especially superficial ones)
Guilt
Anger
Self-blaming
Questions of theodicy
Questions of God's love ("God can't love me..." I'd rather die than bring this stuff home to my family)

Three stages of recovery:
1. Safety (people need to know that they are safe)
2. Remembrance & Mourning
3. Reconnection

Sometimes remembering is difficult not simply because they don't want to, but because they can't

-----Mapping the Moral Landscape Discovering Resources for Recovery with Stephen Xenakis, David Miller, Peter Bowen -----

(Miller) Should the first place soldiers return to be a rally or the confessional? Because when they return, they are returning from having done things that no human should ever have to do (Again...confession isn't always about culpability, but about the opportunity of releasing the effects of sin.)

I really appreciated Miller's talk. It again left me wondering if I might be a better fit in an anabaptist tradition.

The Church needs to focus on nurturing the baptized in priority to speaking in the public square.

Trauma results in a disconnection from others.

I love this quote:"May the next generation create no veterans." - David Miller

Penn State, Fathering, & the Nonviolence of Christ via Pastor Rudy Rasmus

2011-11-21T10:30:00.001-06:00

Often when people get into a discussion of the nonviolent response of Christ, and thus, of his followers, the typical response is a presentation of the hypothetical question: "But what about if someone is hurting someone you love? What would you do then?"

As one convinced of Christ's peaceable living, and as one who loves my wife and four children dearly...this is a haunting question. (It's also a little bit of a ridiculous question, not because I can't imagine it happening, but because there is a certain insanity after a while when it comes to hypothetical questions. Life is not hypothetical.).I recently read a short book by John Hower Yoder, who many see as the go-to when it comes to Christian pacificism that seeks to begin to "answer" this question. It was a great read. But part of the insanity of this over-simplified question is that there is no over-simplified answer, at least not for the pacifist.

Today, I found a video thanks again to TWOTP.com from Pastor Rudy Rasmus. I've only heard of/from Rasmus a couple of times, but I perceive him to be a man of one message: love, and love at all costs. So I was intrigued as to what his response would be in light of the Penn State child sexual abuse situation. He responds not as a pastor, but as a father who follows Christ. I appreciate his honesty.

"Daddy, I would have hated to have lost twice."

Crossing Over To Love from The Work Of The People on Vimeo.

A Great Prayer

2011-11-13T06:37:00.001-06:00

Your kingdom come around and through and in me;
Your power and glory, let them shine through me;
Your Hallowed name, O may I bear with honor,
And may Your living Kingdom come in me.
The Bread of Life, O may I share with honor,
And may You feed a hungry world through me.

Once every three months or so, I listen to this version of Gloria Gaither's song, I Then Shall Live. I'd probably otherwise assume that the Gaither Band is a "sweet-by-and-by---someday-we'll-get-to-heaven" kind of propagation...and I'd be wrong.

Pretty much the whole song is quotable ("I've been so loved that I'll risk loving too!"), but the third verse above is such a great prayer for your day and your life, here and now.

May it be so.

After the Yellow Ribbon, Pre-Conference

2011-11-11T12:45:00.001-06:00

Why would someone who believes in the nonviolence of the cross of Christ decide to go to a conference based around our response to and support of American soldiers?

Today is Veteran's Day. I'm right now sitting at JFK Airport in New York City on a layover from Boston to Raleigh-Durham for a Conference at Duke University. There are yellow balloons everywhere, probably 500 or so just within 100 feet of me, in bunches and making a huge archway. There is a troop of Boy Scouts, probably 15-20 of them here, waiting for soldiers from the New York National Guard to come in from a flight. My Facebook feed is saturated with patriotic pictures, thanks made to veterans, and yellow ribbons. People are remembering veterans today. This is of mixed emotions for me.

A problem with holidays is that we tend to reserve the designated celebration or thankfulness for those holidays. But my mother is my mother 365 days a year and not just a day in May. And it's good to be thankful on days other than November 25th. And we would do well to resolve to do well in our lives other than on the first day of the year.

So I fear that I will forget veterans tomorrow and the day after. It's likely that most of the country will as well.

I've twice now read the stat that veterans of the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are committing suicide at the rate of 17 a day.

...seventeen a day...

I didn't even know that there were that many vets to go around. (I still kind of question the statistic.)

The ongoing effects of war and the results of fighting in war are so incomprehensible to me. I truly can ONLY imagine. Stanley Hauerwas calls us to consider the difficult transitions and situations that soldiers go to in the video below.

Hauerwas on moral fragmentation

And so I hate the wars. I hate that the most powerful nation in the world chose to fight them in the ways that she has. I hate the money that has gone into them. I hate that men and women from the United States have died by the thousands in them. I hate that hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and Afghans have died, many of whom were not soldiers.

Selfishly, I hate most of all that Bobby Moscillo is dead today because of the war in Iraq.

So in a few hours I will be sitting with a group of people listening to and responding to the topic of our response to the homecoming of soldiers.

Why am I going?

Because the compassion of Christ to which I am called is for all. I'm no great futurist or sociologist, but I can imagine that there will be veterans whose lives have been drastically affected by these wars around us for decades to come. As a pastor in a small church, I expect that I will come across many of them in the coming years. Indeed, I already have.

There are a variety of ways that evil causes us to suffer. Veterans are suffering after returning home from the evils of war the likes of which I cannot imagine. Christ's call is for his followers to identify the suffering and suffer with them ("with suffering" = com - passion).

That's why I'm going.

Wesley's Spiritual Disciplines

2011-11-04T09:51:00.000-05:00

When my good friend, John Reilly, first spoke to me about Wesley's spiritual disciplines as though there was a set group or list of them, I was intrigued. After that conversation, I went home and searched for them, but didn't easily find any comprehensive or generally agreed-upon list. I emailed John, and he sent me something that had been compiled from Dr. Henry ("Hal") Knight's dissertation, which is now in published book form: The Presence of God in the Christian Life: John Wesley and the Means of Grace. But don't look for the Kindle version and be prepared to spend at least $50 if you want it in book form. This compilation/list is at the end of this post in three parts.

But this past Tuesday and Wednesday, I was able to hear John present some of his work from his own dissertation, and he presented what I think is a more comprehensive work. I believe this list is his own compilation and have an email out to him to verify (update: verified). Some asked me to share this when I returned, so here they are, Wesley's Spiritual Disciplines:

Prayer - Personal/Corporate
Fasting - Personal/Corporate
Journaling - Personal
Solitude - Personal/Corporate
Silence - Personal/Corporate
Bible Reading - Personal/Corporate
"Feeding" the Poor - Personal/Corporate
Christian Conferencing - Corporate
Circumstantial Grace - Personal/Corporate

John was continually insistent on reminding us that all of these are framed around, pointed at, and intentionally directed to a heart of love. So the practices don't matter unless they are directed at this purpose.

Now I don't believe that they were ever presented in such a list/form from Wesley himself. Let's remember that Wesley's writings are extensive. Sometimes I feel like if something can be said one way or another, then Wesley said it that way at some point. He often changed his mind. So a single voice in the totality of his writings is often difficult to ascertain. Nonetheless, I find the above list helpful as I consider my own discipleship and the oversight of others. They can certainly be demonstrated to be within the totality of Wesley's encouragement to those who listened to him.

I'd love to believe that in the next several weeks I might blog a post commenting on each one, but those who know me know that this will not happen. So let me comment generally:

For me, discipleship is firstly formed by Christ. As I look at this list, I can understand from the witness of scripture Jesus Christ himself participating in a form of each one, with the exceptions of journaling and perhaps silence (we might assume it from his regular solitude, but it's not there explicitly). But the rest are easily demonstrated to be within his own discipleship, even in both forms and all of them are within scripture. I haven't yet explained that this list was given with the distinction of whether or not each practice can be either personal, corporate, or both. Wesley apparently encouraged the distinction, and practicing each both individually and in community as was possible.

Any time a list is presented, one runs the risk of codification or fostering legalism. I'm willing to run that risk since discipleship is so impoverished these days. At least in my own tradition, discipleship generally means "Sunday School" and "book studies." The intentional and regular practice of fasting, solitude, silence, etc. is reserved for old saints, super-pastors, and monks. Even for a denomination that prides itself on compassionate ministry, it's vastly encouraged as a means to change the world rather than to change me.

There are obviously things not on the list, namely for me: evangelism. While evangelism is generally not considered an act of discipline/discipleship, I argue that it indeed is. Jesus, in forming his own disciples, sent them out to evangelize as an act. Evangelism is a spiritual discipline and is the last one Jesus handed on in the synoptics. Making disciples is part of our discipleship in Christ.

Now, for the list as given from Dr. Knight:

All means of grace have as their end the life of love, the Christian life.

General Means of Grace

Universal obedience
Keeping all the commandments
Watching
Denying ourselves
Taking up our cross daily
Exercise of the presence of God

Instituted (Particular) Means of Grace

Prayer: private, family, public; consisting of deprecation, petition, intercession, thanksgiving; extemporaneous, written
Searching scripture by reading, meditating, hearing; attending the ministry of the word, either read or expounded
The Lord’s Supper
Fasting, or abstinence
Christian Conferencing, which includes both the fellowship of believers and rightly ordered conversations which minister grace to hearers

Prudential Means of Grace

Particular rules or acts of holy living
Class and band meetings
Prayer meetings, covenant services, watch night services, love feasts
Visiting the sick
Doing all the good one can, doing no harm
Reading devotional classics and all edifying literature

Why give a nod to Halloween?

2011-10-31T14:54:00.001-05:00

I have a love-hate relationship with Halloween.

Not big on the candy, costumes, and hoop-la.

But I think it's a great opportunity to remind us of life & love.

I don't really single it out. There are aspects of Easter and Christmas that bug me too. And I find little value in Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Mothers'-Fathers' Days, and Flag Day. (Flag Day... Really?!)

Anyway, Halloween is today. Our culture knows this: the day is second only to Christmas in terms of dollars spent in anticipation of (industry expected $6.9 billion for Halloween this year). I know it goes with the ages of my children, but it seems like the hype surrounding Halloween grows each and every year. My kids were invited to wear their costumes at their music recitals. They were invited to parties (on nights other than Oct. 31). My oldest - in first grade - even got a "boo-gram" again this year. (Kind of fun, actually: another child tapes candy to a piece of paper that says, "You've been BOOED!", puts it on the doorstep, rings the bell, and runs away.) The lawn and house ornaments and lights, etc. are so overdone, it's not even funny. There are enough blow-up spiders on roofs in Hingham to make any arachnophobe tremble. It's unbelievable.

And why...?

With Christmas or Easter, we might explain that at least most people value the story and Christian tradition behind the holidays.

But Halloween...? Do people know?

Before I get to that, I almost forgot: my first-grade son Brayden came home from school one day last week and said, "Hey Dad, do you know the holiday called 'Day of the Dead'?"

Now I vaguely remembered hearing of this Mexican holiday, but at the moment, I just assumed he was confused: "You mean All Saints' Day, right?"

Brayden: "No, Dad. We learned in Spanish today about Day of the Dead. It's in Mexico. They all go into the cemetery and think about the dead."

Me: "Okay, Brayden, but that sounds a lot like our All Saints Day."

Brayden: "Well what's All Saints Day?"

Me: "It's a day when we remember those who have died in Christ."

Brayden: "Oh, no. Not that, Dad. My teacher said Day of the Dead has nothing to do with Jesus. It's not like rising from the dead."

[...silence...]

Me: "Um, Brayden, when is Day of the Dead?"

Brayden: "November 1st."

Me: "Hmm...that's the same day as All Saints Day. So I imagine that they're related. ...so Jesus is kind of important to All Saints Day."

Brayden: "That's not what my teacher said. She said it has nothing to do with Jesus."

Now I have a lot of respect for public school teachers, so I let it drop for the moment. I looked it up and remembered hearing in the past about Day of the Dead, which is indeed a national holiday in Mexico. Yep: while pre-dating even Christ with Aztec roots, the day is intentionally set on November 1st and 2nd in connection with All Saints/Souls Days. Not even sure why I looked it up.

But "it's got nothing to do with Jesus," of course. :-p

Anyway, I actually want Brayden to know about All Saints Day. So we've been having some conversations. Here's why I think Halloween is an opportunity for we who follow Christ and why I am up for working a bit to re-claim All Saints Day:

We're horrible at dealing with death. I wish I was talking about just American society in general, but it's true of my church tradition as well. So All Saints Day is a wonderful way to remind us what we believe about life, death, and resurrection by the Resurrected One himself, Jesus Christ.

So, I wrote the below for our church. For the third year in a row, we are handing out hot apple cider (for warmth), glow bracelets (for safety!), and candy (I guess because we're supposed to) to those who walk by the chapel. We're also adding about 75 milk jug luminaries around the property to light up the neighborhood. I may even pull out a table and light our red sanctuary candles that we have in memory of those saints who've gone before us. I'm hoping this continues to catch on for our church community.

-------------

Why would an evangelical Christian church do anything on Halloween?

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear..."

John was one of the first followers of Jesus Christ. He wrote the above words in one of the books of the Bible that's attributed to him. In today’s contemporary world, one in which much is built upon or informed by fear, our church believes rather that love is to be at the heart of what we do.

So we reject any continued and intentional effort to instill fear in anyone. Quite frankly, much of what causes fear these days is nothing at all to even be feared!

Life, Death, and Resurrection

What about participating in the evil of Halloween? It's true that many see Halloween as a night of opportunity for interacting with "evil," whatever that may be or look like. And this has mostly come from the subject of death and "what happens" after death: the folklore of ghosts, ghouls, zombies, and other scary things that we'd otherwise rather avoid. The mockery made of these things may actually be well-played, for in mockery, we are often seeking to rise above the things that scare us. But sometimes we mock things as an easy way to avoid dealing with an otherwise difficult subject.

What might be well-intentioned mockery to a child (or adult!) on October 31st may take form in untrue yet seemingly realistic and very influential ways when Grandpa or Mom or Brother dies any other time of the year.

For Christians, we don't fear death. We acknowledge its reality, but we seek to overcome it by the Resurrected Christ. We seek to speak life, light, hope, and love in the midst of death. As far as we know, we will all die someday. But those who follow the Risen Christ think differently about death, knowing that death is not the end, but a state of "rest" in which the dead are "waiting" for the return of Christ and the Great Resurrection.

So people who have died aren't wandering spirits, but instead are...well...dead. You've likely seen the popular usage of "R.I.P." on decorative Halloween tombstones, which means, "rest in peace." Well this is meaningful and not at all scary for Christians: that those who have died in Christ now lay in rest, waiting for his return.

For we who remain, we remember the dead (even with sadness sometimes), but we don't fear them! We acknowledge death, but we don't "meddle" in it. Death is for real and while mockery may help ease the all-too-often real "sting," for those who follow Christ, the true avenue to overcoming death and the hurt, despair, and other difficult things surrounding it is found in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

So we "practice" the things of resurrection now: life, love, light, hope, and peace.

You may know that the Halloween of today is a descendant of a holiday of the Christian Church. Even today, many churches still give a slight nod to what is called "All Saints Day" (and also for many, the subsequent "All Souls Day"). All Saints Day (or "All Hallows Day") is November 1st and the night before ("eve") has since become "All Hallows Eve" or Halloween.

For Christians, remembering our dead is a way to proclaim the continued reign of the Resurrected Christ. We don't fear them in their deaths...we celebrate their lives. Surely we miss them. But in Christ, we know that death is only temporary.

-------------

I'm looking forward to finally preaching two corresponding series this coming Lent & Easter on death and life. I think we need it. Jesus was pretty intent on bringing healing to people, good morals and all. But his life & ministry culminated on the cross and out of the empty tomb. This is our message.

"Bringing a little Dorchester" to Hingham

2011-10-25T14:20:00.000-05:00

"We're bringing a little Dorchester with us."

That's what Donnie Wahlberg said last night at the grand opening/premiere/party thing that opened up the new Wahlburgers restaurant about 2 miles from where I live, minister, and worship.

I find the statement so ironic. It's what I often wish would happen in Hingham.

Now the Wahlberg boys aren't stupid. Chef Paul (brother to the famous Donnie of NKOTB and even more famous Mark) chose the Hingham Shipyard as the location for his two (soon to be three) restaurants and not their actual hometown of Dorchester. Dorchester would have been a horrible business decision. The first restaurant is reportedly doing very well, and the second - scheduled to open to the public today - will likely as well. If the likes of the people who showed up to the private yet well-publicized premiere opening last night have anything to do with it, it will be just fine. David Ortiz, Kevin Youkilis, Danny Paille, and Rob Gronkowski were all there, completing the four major Boston sports teams. Alas, the minister from the closest house of worship was not invited. :-) And I'm not sure if the poor were there either. But I could be wrong.

Anyway, it's them (the poor) that made me write today.

At the very same time that these were celebrating the new establishment, much of the rest of Hingham was focused on establishing the financial foundation for a new middle school to the tune of $60.9 million. After much debate, the article at Hingham Town Meeting passed just fine by 82 votes (it now goes to general election this Saturday). I couldn't make it to the special Town Meeting as I had an Overseers meeting for the church, but I'm not sure how I would have voted had I been there. If and when I do go, I like to listen to the heart of democracy work (the New England town meeting is a thing of beauty and wonder) and then decide.

But I'm not really in the business of deciding the need for a new school. I think education is important, but I'm not overly worried about the quality of education in Hingham. I tend to think that the space is much less important than the people (teachers) and the medium (curriculum, etc.). But you do need a place to make these things happen. As it stands I "kind of" have three children in Hingham Schools: my oldest is in first grade and my twin girls go to the Integrated Preschool that we can't afford for about 10 hours a week. So I recognize and affirm the need for education and the much more subservient need for a place to do it.

...I'm just not sure why it takes $60.9 million.

Some of the scare tactics used to lobby for the school were laughable: "Crack forms in ceiling. Need new school." I guess I grew up in a different way: if the car needed a new radiator, we didn't buy a new car, we got a new radiator. I don't want to downplay the importance of fixing things for safety's sake. I do want to downplay the desire for fresh paint and an auditorium in a middle school. The middle school I went to (in a fairly wealthy town) had no auditorium. That was for the likes of a high school. And "not adequate space" for the music room? Wait...you mean there's a music room!? And did you see all those instruments!? Anyway, I'm way too into details at this point.

What is my point?

It's in moments like these that I wish we could really do what Donnie Wahlberg suggests: bring a little Dorchester to Hingham. When I read the local paper and see people go on and on with the passion and zeal of Dr. King himself about where to put stoplights and whether or not the lines downtown should be yellow like everyone else's or red, white, and blue for the 4th of July, it makes me want to rent some coach buses and take my fellow Hinghamites a few miles down the road to Dorchester. Just to get out, ya know?

I want to give the town of Hingham some credit. If there's a need, the community is going to take care of it. The school system is pretty good, the roads are well-paved, and the stoplights are pretty (although the way we handle trash and recyclables needs to go!). The average home selling price is above $700,000 for good reason. Despite the "horrible" economy of the past several years, the housing market in Hingham hardly took a hit. There are houses on my street in which I could run from one side to the other in less than a second (=small...and I've got bad knees) that have sold multiple times in the last couple of years for over half a million dollars. Even the tiny house that I live in which is need of some repair and a decent paint job (again!) is assessed near $500,000 (five years ago).***

Further, there are really smart, thoughtful, and resourceful people here who know how to find money and exercise the various grants, funds, etc. available from nonprofits and levels of government outside the town. Example: did you know that there are grants that you can apply for to purchase a boat pump out station? Someone in Hingham did. Props to them! And this $60.9 million middle school will actually "only" cost the taxpayers of Hingham $35.6 million because the state is kicking in some $25 million.

...If I lived in Dorchester, I'd kind of wonder why Hingham is getting $25 million dollars to build a new school. I mean...really? Hingham needs help building a school?

I'm not offering answers here, just throwing out these thoughts as a way of thinking more deeply than a scare-tactic YouTube video (Single-pane windows!? The horror! Can't we get new windows?). Education isn't about facility. Facilities are servants to more important things.

In six years, if I'm still in Hingham, my oldest son will go to the new middle school. I'm sure it will be great. And I understand about the opportune time in regard to the state funds.

I just struggle with the amount of money.

***Disclosure: By the way, I should really point out that I am hardly a Hingham taxpayer. I am a resident of almost six years, but the only taxes I've paid are from my vehicle and I believe, a small entertainment/food tax from the restaurants. The church owns the house we live in, and being a nonprofit, pays no real estate taxes. I'm conflicted by this when I consider town issues. So I don't even really have reason to complain as the tax increases won't affect me. I'll never be able to afford to buy in Hingham.

A Non-Resistant Ethical Blueprint?

2011-10-07T09:37:00.002-05:00

I basically am typing this out and posting it for future reference as it describes better how nonviolence plays out for the one(s) following Christ.

If we took the precept of non-resistance as an ethical blueprint for general application, we should indeed be indulging in idealistic dreams: we should be dreaming of a utopia with laws which the world would never obey. To make non-resistance a principle for secular life is to deny God, by undermining his gracious ordinance for the preservation of the world. But Jesus is no draughtsman of political blueprints, he is the one who vanquished evil through suffering. It looked as though evil had triumphed on the cross, but the real victory belonged to Jesus. And the cross is the only justification for the precept of non-violence, for it alone can kindle a faith in the victory over evil which will enable men to obey that precept. And only such obedience is blessed with the promise that we shall be partakers of Christ's victory as well as of his sufferings. (Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship)

Pardon my Bennet Brauer quotational-tendencies for a moment, but when I first starting flirting with these understandings of Christ several years ago (just out of seminary), I was told by that I would "get over it," it was "just a phase," that I was "idealistic," etc. I was "out of touch with reality." At one panel discussion on nonviolence, one senior clergy-person said to me: "Yes, but Jeremy, right now there are terrorists hiding in those mountains who have a notion to kill innocent people," as if I didn't think about that.

In the years since, I've been more silent about my understanding of the nonviolent Christ. But my faith conviction in the prescriptive cross has not gone away and has actually only been kindled as I continue to watch the powers of the world bicker and smolder in a struggle of power and control. And by "powers" I don't only mean nation-states, but also the individuals around me (including myself) who so often resort to the ways and means of control to make situations as I would have them to be.

There is no blueprint, really. That would be another Law. Rather, there is a call to follow Jesus in the moments of life. Questions of "What if someone's rapin' your Grandma?" might slightly begin to help flesh out what to do, but only obedience to the will of God by the grace of God will lead us as it did Christ.

So really, it's not about "killing or not killing" at all. If the discussion/debate focuses there, we're doing no better. It's not even a discussion at all, really. And it's certainly not a "position" (of pacifism, or whatever else you want to call it). It's a decision to follow in the path and example of the crucified Christ. Obedience...

The notion of, "Yes, but in real life..." doesn't stop Jesus. We'd all be in big trouble if it did.

A Prayer on the 10th Anniversary of 9-11

2011-08-31T07:58:00.000-05:00

I participate in the local religious leaders group here in Hingham (Hingham & Hull Religious Leaders Association). It's a great group of people. We meet monthly for fellowship, conversation, and to challenge one another, usually in the form of a current topic, issue, need, etc. We also have various events and services (MLK Day, Thanksgiving Service, etc.). This year, we are gathering in the afternoon on the 10th anniversary of 9-11 to have a service of remembrance for the day. We are also ringing our various chapel/church bells throughout town in the morning at the time of the second WTC building collapse.

This occasion is of mixed emotions for me. It's no secret that I'm not a big fan of how the United States has responded. I don't know all the answers. I know that my hope is in a peace that rises above the ever-contradictory "fight for peace." A lot of things have been said since then:
"It changed the world forever."
"We'll never be the same."
"We'll never forget."

I challenge the notion of these kinds of statements. I'm not sure we have changed. I think the world is pretty much the same as it was before: one big power struggle between human beings. The powerful have become stronger, the powerless have become weaker, and fear reigns. It's with these notions and others that I wrote this prayer for the 10th anniversary of that horrible day.

So Keep Us True to Our Words
Jeremy Scott

God:
9-11 happened.
We responded.
And we respond.
Help us.

We've said, "We will never forget."
So help us to do so out of respect for and in memory of those lost,
And not out of revenge toward those responsible,
For we understand that to be yours.

We've said, "We will never be the same."
So help us to bring this to fruition:
That we might not be the same as those who've sought to destroy us:
Returning fire for fire; But instead, love, despite the fire.

We've said, "We will never forget."
So help us to remember that which it takes and means to make peace;
That our re-member-ance would be all 'putting-back-together'
And not an excuse for more 'tearing apart'.

We've said, "We will never be the same."
So help us to make this true:
That this day ten years ago would indeed make us different:
Our love: only genuine;
Our hate: only of those things that are evil;
Our holding on: only to that which is good.
Our quest to outdo: only in the things of honor.

We've committed to keep shopping.
So help us spend the currencies of mercy, grace, and love,
All in the favor of the universal product-good that is peace.

So cast from us fear,
Deep into your love.

Thus, keep us true to our words.

Amen.

Belief, Faithing, & Doctrine

2011-08-01T08:41:00.000-05:00

"I believe what I write, or rather, by writing I learn to believe. But then I do not put much stock in 'believing in God.' The grammar of 'belief' invites a far too rationalistic account of what it means to be a Christian. 'Belief' implies propositions about which you get to make up your mind before you know the work they are meant to do. Does that mean I do not believe in God? Of course not, but I am far more interested in what a declaration of belief entails for how I live my life."

The above is from Stanley Hauerwas in his memoir, Hannah's Child.

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord', will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?' Then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.'"

The above is from Jesus in Matthew 7.

Why is it so hard for so many Christians to realize that Jesus' call is to action and not simply to "head-think"? "We're saved by faith and not by works!" is the general response. But the New Testament is full of statements like the one from Jesus above, not to mention that faith is inherently active in the Bible from beginning to end.

Bryan Stone points out that this is another word where the English language fails us. "Faith" is a noun and not a verb. We shift to "believe" when we want a verb, but this doesn't actually work. Dr. Stone (half-jokingly, I think I remember) proposes a new word to help us: "faithing." Faith is not faith unless it is active.

It's not unlike a marriage. If a husband sits on the computer all day, calling out "I love you!" once an hour to his wife, all the rest of the while doing nothing to demonstrate this, his words will eventually move from intimacy to platitude, from truth to lie, from actuality to fantasy. He might like the idea of loving her, but he doesn't actually love her simply by saying it.

The distinction of "saved by faith while judged by works" is helpful to begin, but it's still a head-think, doctrinal way of describing what happens. That's a start, but if faith is to be faith, our feet will move out of faith from the love and mission of God, not a law or doctrine.

Doctrine is great in telling us what happens, but not so great in helping us get there.

As usual, I appreciate Hauerwas' honesty. There is a vulnerability in writing and crafting, whether it's in a book, a sermon, on a blog, or on Facebook. The temptation is to think that we have to have everything perfect and correct before "putting it out there." And who can blame us? Our elementary, middle, and high school teachers demanded such excellence. But life is rarely lived in the finished product. We want to put out our best, but we can only get there by trying out what we've got first.

It's the same with our faith(fulness) in God, in our discipleship behind Christ. We generally read the passages of Peter, or Thomas, or Philip, or another disciple saying something stupid to Jesus with an air of pity, but at least they tried. And they eventually got it. Or even if they didn't fully grasp it (for who of us can?), moving through mistake or doubt at least eventually took them to greater places.

The Wild Goose (Part 4 of the Bible)

2011-07-12T13:31:00.000-05:00

If you're still with me after the first three parts of this, you may find yourself asking, "So what?".

I think it's important how we view scripture. Allow me to do something I'm not too big a fan of: proof-texting:
It cannot become what the Law was for the Pharisees.
It cannot replace God.
It is not God. It is God's servant.
And it is our servant (useful!).

I struggle when I see faith statements or church belief statements that begin not with God, but with scripture. Our story doesn't begin in or with scripture. It begins with God (even scripture says so). Faith does not come from the Bible, faith is fed and shaped by the Bible. The Bible is not the "source" of our faith or the "foundation" of who we are. Jesus is (by the Holy Spirit.)

Speaking of the Holy Spirit...sometimes it feels to me like the primal authority that is often given to scripture cheapens the active presence, work, and person of the Holy Spirit. Jesus, by the way, did not leave us the Bible. Jesus left us his Holy Spirit. We didn't trust ourselves a couple of centuries later, and thusly canonized scripture (and it's a good thing, because we certainly did/do need it).

But ultimately, anything is nothing without the active presence (=inspiration) of the Holy Spirit. We can understand that this was the same Spirit of God that inspired the people who spoke and wrote scripture and is the same Spirit of God who helps us with it today.

Faith is not so easily a matter of black and white. And the spotlight of our faith (the Holy Spirit) is not a matter of black and white. There is a good reason that the Holy Spirit is called "spirit" and not a Holy "Rock" or Holy "Head" or Holy "Statue" or anything else that we can easily see, manipulate, control, or stick in our pockets. Material things can be controlled. But you can't control the things of spirit. We might even say that it blows where it pleases. Further, there are good reasons that the Holy Spirit is described by images like stillness, fire, wind, and loud noises. Again: none of those are easily controlled.

We're able to control the words of the Bible with our own power. We can shape and form them as we see fit. And we do so very often (all of us). None of us come to the scriptures with unbiased lenses. But the Holy Spirit doesn't live in our pockets or in covers with zippers that Grandma stitched. (I was recently informed that a Celtic image for the Holy Spirit is the "wild goose." Not bad. Though even a goose can be caught and manipulated for our own purposes.)

It's difficult to place too much priority on things that are of divinity, but I'm comfortable saying that the Bible is subservient to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

But it's notable how they work and dance together.

So I will continue this later with a further post on how I tend to think the various ways that authority comes to us. It's my feeling that if I give the Bible too much authority, I'm actually devaluing the living and active God. I have one or two other posts brewing as well in response to questions that have come up. I'm not sure I can do this daily from here on, but I will try.
________________
This is Part 4 of a short series on The Bible.
Part 1 - Chan, the Bible, & Jesus
Part 2 - I love the Bible. Really.
Part 3 - A Signpost and a Compass

A Signpost & Compass (Part 3 of the Bible)

2011-07-11T10:00:00.004-05:00

N.T. Wright is one of my favorite biblical scholars (certainly the one I've read the most from). (I realize that when I make that statement, it already puts me in the danger zone in the eyes of many of my brothers and sisters in Christ.) Wright talks about the signposts of scripture. I love this image and find it very useful in talking about what scripture is and does:

A sign along the road is something that points us in the right direction to get to a destination. It is not the destination in and of itself, but without it, we may never get to the destination. Once we've passed a road sign and arrive at our destination, we don't need the sign anymore.

So to flesh the image, the destination is to be "in Christ," with Christ, etc. The Bible is a signpost to get us there. We will always need the Bible in this lifetime. But in eternity, the Bible will be quite moot. It's not part of God's creation. It's of human hands, inspired by God.

(By the way, this is one thing that separates us from those who were directly given their scripture from God like Islam (via Mohammed) or Mormons (via Joseph Smith).)

At the same time, scripture is more like a compass than it is a roadmap. A roadmap tells us exactly where and when to turn, with every step along the way. A compass points us in a direction, and we often find we need to return to the compass to be re-aligned.

The destination is Jesus.
The point is Jesus.
The Bible tells us about the point and isn't in and of itself the point.
________________
This is Part 3 of a series on The Bible. I'll post the fourth tomorrow.
Part 1 - Chan, the Bible, & Jesus
Part 2 - I love the Bible. Really.
Part 4 - The Wild Goose

I love the Bible. Really. (Part 2 of The Bible)

2011-07-08T10:00:00.005-05:00

I read, study, preach, and otherwise talk about the Bible for hours every week. It's kind of important to what I do as a pastor. I love scripture. I have dozens of Bibles and hundreds of biblical commentaries. The more I read scripture, the more I love it. I love the incredible melting pot of personalities, love, anger, creativity, emotion, narrative, power, weakness, divinity, humanity, poetry, art, inspiration, and so much more that the Bible is. I love reading about the people of the Bible. I'll never forget staying up late reading my children's bible as a kid (I particularly liked Joseph, David, and Daniel). Today, the gospels sit at the center for me, while Paul's description of the sacrifice of Christ and the community of his Body (the Church) continually inspire and challenge me.

But the Bible is not God, falls well short of God, is temporal, and should not be made more than it actually is. I even believe that the Church is above scripture, always has been, and always will be, even despite our whorish and schismatic brokenness today (a predicament that makes what I'm saying here challenging in orthopraxy, I know).

All by the grace and inspiration of God, the Bible was:
formed by the Church (the people of God),
selected by the Church,
has been maintained by the Church,
and is taught by the Church.

Unless one is part of a church that only reads from the original text in Hebrew, Greek, and the little bit of Aramaic and Latin (meaning no preaching, no teaching, or anything else other than reading verbatim from the original text), this is pretty much how everyone operates. Interpretation has begun the very moment that someone opens their mouth with words other than the text to explain the text.

I am glad that the Bible is the most printed book in all of history, and I am glad that it's so accessible and more accessible every day. I wish everyone in the world had a Bible. But...there is something to the concern that the RCC had about the Bible being in the hands of all during the Reformation. They were wrong in their monopolization and fist-grip, but they were partly right in their concern about what might happen. (As an aside, I loved how the movie The Book of Eli dealt in the slight with this.) Some of the greatest acts of history were inspired by the words of scripture. And some of the worst atrocities of history were supported by the same.

Don't get me wrong: I believe that God will use whatever vessel, means, path, or anything else to reveal Godself to people. If someone wants to begin with the Bible, I believe that God will honor that. But the Bible simply cannot become God, or the only source by which one finds God throughout the whole of life.

Tim Suttle discusses this wonderfully in his new book:

...the Bible is not self-explanatory. Just as the Ethiopian eunuch needed Philip to help him understand what he was reading, we need help as well. No one can read the Bible apart from community. For one thing it is a written document. You cannot read it unless you’ve been taught how to read. One has to know the language, and language is socially and culturally mediated. You have to be taught the meaning of words by someone else before you can read them. No one is born with the ability to read and understand words. For another thing, the Bible was written in languages hardly any of us can read. It has to be translated into a language which we can understand. This means as soon as we pick up an English translation, we are reading a text which has been mediated by someone else. Lastly, the Bible was never intended to be read apart from community. For the first fifteen hundred years of the Bible’s existence, until the invention of the printing press, it was read privately only in very rare cases. Our ability to read comes from community, as does the Bible itself. People love to point to the case of the addict who grabs the Gideon’s Bible from the hotel room and comes to faith in Christ as an individualistic event. But, who taught him to read? Who put the Bible there? Who translated it into English? Who authored it? Who decided what writings would be included and not included in the canon? Much of what we know about God has come to us through community and has been mediated by that community under the guidance of the Spirit. (An Evangelical Social Gospel?: Finding God's Story in the Midst of Extremes, Chapter 5)

That bold and underline emphasis is mine. The Bible is nothing without the Holy Spirit, which I'll deal with in the next post.

________________
This is Part 2 of a series on The Bible.
Part 1 - Chan, the Bible, & Jesus
Part 3 - A Signpost and a Compass
Part 4 - The Wild Goose

Chan, the Bible, & Jesus

2011-07-07T23:07:00.005-05:00

So Francis Chan spoke tonight at Nazarene Youth Conference. The die-down on Twitter and Facebook of chatter piqued my curiosity a bit. People were excited about him being there. There's no doubt why: he's popular, catchy, cool, and has written what I've been told is a good book (sound familiar?, I mean really...look at those two pictures side-by-side again). But I don't see how Chan's very Wesleyan. I'm sure that he loves Jesus, Jesus loves him, and I could learn a lot from his incredible example. I hope and pray that people were changed tonight for eternity. I trust that it happened and is happening.

But if so, it was because he showed them Jesus and not just the Bible.

Several weeks ago someone posted this video on Facebook. I appreciate much of what Chan says (love the part about clay telling clay about the potter). I had to chuckle at the coupled warning to "be careful what we read" with the blatant "buy my forthcoming book" (on hell). And I find the reaction to Bell's book on hell predictable. Both Chan and Bell have ingenious marketing folk.

But the video has led me back to thinking about what I believe is the primary difference and divide amongst so many in evangelical, mainline, and other circles of the Body of Christ today.

We can list issues that vigorously separate Christians today: homosexuality, abortion, peace/war, atonement theories, the age-old Reformed/Arminian spectrum, and more. But it's more than likely that the position held by someone(s) boils down to one thing: how we read, use, and view scripture, its authority, revelation, and inspiration. That's a lot of words, but it boils down to: the Bible.

(By the way, in the time that I took to type this post out, some chatter has arisen on Twitter about NYC and how great Chan was tonight. Awesome!)
________________

This is Part 1 of a series on The Bible.
Part 2 - I love the Bible. Really.
Part 3 - A Signpost and a Compass
Part 4 - The Wild Goose

Some more thoughts on compassion

2011-07-02T14:28:00.000-05:00

In the below video of Brene Brown (yeah, I'm a big fan) from Altar Video Magazine, she quotes Buddhist nun Pema Chodron who says, "Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It's a relationship between equals."

Part of her point is that we can only become truly com-passionate ("suffering with") once we have realized and actualized our own brokenness. I'm not sure I completely agree (it seems like Chodron is describing empathy more than "suffering with").

But it's likely that I'm drastically influenced by the compassion of Christ, who was both at the same time: equals ("man") and also healer ("God"). However, I definitely like how Chodron (and Brown as well) are challenging people to realize that compassion is hardly just the healthy helping the unhealthy and cannot be equated with charity. It sounds familiar. The Incarnation is all about this.

Anyone else have thoughts?

Learning How To Sit In The Dark from The Work Of The People on Vimeo.

Leaving [a] Church

2011-06-28T22:46:00.001-05:00

I'm reading a great book right now by Tim Suttle, who I had a class or two with in seminary. Perhaps I'll write a review when I'm done, but probably not. I always say I'll do something on this blog and then don't, so don't count on it (I'm sure you were).

There are a lot of "take-homes" from this book. But this paragraph is particularly chewable:

I’ve noticed a pattern within this phenomenon. People who tell me they are leaving our church always begin the decision with the same three words: “We have decided.” By the time those words are uttered, faith has already been broken. These are some of the most painful words I ever have to hear. “We have decided to leave for this or that reason.” The reasons they give vary and they usually have at least some merit. Yet they pale in comparison to the egregious sin of breaking fellowship—read faith, fidelity, faithfulness, allegiance, pistis—with that part of the body of Christ to which they have been given. This is one of the most insidious forms of individualism. Why do people feel as though they can make the decision to leave their community of faith in private, without ever submitting this decision to the rest of the body? In truth this action violates the unity of the body. It runs counter to the notion that our worship runs much deeper than simply where we go to church on Sunday. Rather worship involves the whole of our lives. To “decide” privately to leave a church means we sever deep bonds of friendship and community that are meant to be reciprocal relationships. The phrase, “We have decided,” is a sign that individualism has so pervaded our lives and our Christian faith that we think we are fully justified in making decisions on behalf of everyone in our community without consulting them. This, I believe, is one of the most damaging effects of individualism on the church.

Ouch. What's often sensitively difficult about these situations is that these people most often try to demonstrate "concern" about hurting the feelings of the pastor (me). They'll make statements like, "We really like you, but..." or "It's not you, it's..." These statements only add to the disconnect between who the Church is perceived to be (largely pastor-driven, pastor-led) and who it should be (a community of people following Christ who have a pastor).*

But I also have a bit of a difficulty with what Tim's saying, as it assumes that this kind of reciprocal relationship was ever there in the first place. That's perhaps even more disturbing.

I Corinthians 12 continues to be formational for my ecclesiology (=theology of the Church). It's such a far cry from what the typical local church looks like today. For sure, we are a much more transient society than in Paul and Corinth's day. People are going to move geographically and as such, change local churches. And no one's saying that no one should ever leave a church body. But the flippancy with which it happens these days is whorish.

And if one does leave a church, let the church send you! What a beautiful way for the Body of Christ to participate in the on-going revelation of the Kingdom of God in the commissioning and sending of one another. If indeed it is right for an individual or family to move from one church to another (even if it's across the street), couldn't we all participate in that?

When a family or individual leaves a church, the most grievous moments are the ones when we remember such things as their marriage, or the baptism of their child, or the grief that we shared together in the death of a loved one. It's these kinds of sacramental moments that make us responsible for one another in Christ and by the grace and love of Christ, can over-power the fickle temptation to run elsewhere in the moment of disagreement, misunderstanding, hurt, or offense.

(By the way, Tim does wonderfully in responding more to this issue in the book. Read it!)

*I do want to give some credit to those who would at least talk to a pastor or better yet, several people in their church community, before moving on rather than just simply moving on. But even then, as Tim says, the decision is usually already made. I also want to acknowledge that the last I knew, the average pastoral tenure in my own denomination (the Church of the Nazarene) was less than 4.5 years. Pastors apparently are no different, and perhaps even worse.

Ordination Invocation

2011-05-21T16:50:00.000-05:00

God our Father in Heaven, your name is holy.

As this corner of your Kingdom gathers now,
This limb of the Body of Christ coming together
To be joined by the sinew of your Holy Spirit,
Would you hit us with these reminders this morning:

Of the call of your whole church to the work and movement of your mission (your Kingdom come)
Of the hope that is in what you want for your people and the whole world (your will be done)
Of the field in which we find ourselves to fulfill these things (on earth)
Of your mission already at work (as it is in heaven)
Of your hand full of those things that we need (give us this day our daily bread)
Of your call to the ministry of forgiveness and reconciliation (forgive us as we we forgive)
Of your guidance and direction to good ends (lead us not into temptation)
And of your great sacrifice of liberation in Jesus Christ (so deliver us from evil)

That today is not an end, but a beginning:
An endeavor of authentication, authorization, recognition, and confirmation
To be stewards, proclaimers, gospel-bearers, and holy witnesses
Fed by the gifts and graces swathed upon our backs by your good hand.

Ever and always...this kingdom: yours.
And each day, week, season, and year...the power: yours.
And today, even in this great moment for your church and her ministers...the glory: yours.
In the name of the First Beloved Ordinand at whose initiation you were greatly pleased,
Jesus Christ,
Amen.
_______________

Written for the 2011 New England District Church of the Nazarene Assembly Ordination Service, May 21, 2011

Joe Baldinger (who I'm pretty sure I remember giving me a ride on his motorcycle when I was a kid), Nell Becker Sweeden (with whom I was in seminary), Sharon Desrochers (who was youth group leader when I was a teen at the Lowell First CotN), Melissa DeBono (who is such a great friend), my colleague: Lynnette McCabe (pastoring in Pawtucket, RI), and Tom Quattrociocchi were all ordained as elders into ministry in the Church of the Nazarene this morning. As always, I really appreciated the service.

Thoughts on Food, The Biggest Loser, and another Dinner Prayer

2011-05-11T09:08:00.000-05:00

A couple of years ago, I wrote a dinner prayer for our family. You can read it here. It has stuck, the kids know it, and I love it when we pray it (we also still often pray the other ones that I mentioned in that post).

I wrote another one this past week:

Lord God,
We’ve gathered at this table here,
The food before us all to share.
We take it just as Christ has done.
Thank you for this course we’ll run.
We break it: make us, Lord as one.
We give it, God, as did your Son.
And in his name we ask your seal
Upon and in and through this meal,
His presence in our bond revealed.
Amen.

I was preparing to preach on Jesus' meal with the two from Emmaus, and was reminded that there is a repeated pattern in the meals Jesus oversaw. Jesus, in numerous places, takes the food, thanks God for it, breaks it, and gives it. He did this at the Emmaus table, in the feeding of the 5000 in Luke, and at the Lord's Supper in Luke (I haven't looked at the pattern in the other gospels at this point). If we pray before eating, we generally are good at the second part (thanking). And we do the first as well, but almost exclusively subconsciously and involuntarily.

The main point of the sermon this past week was that we can let our meal times be a reminder to us of Christ's presence to us. I find this encouraging, refreshing, and strengthening. It's to be celebrated! In our eating, God gives us the opportunity to be reminded of what God has done and what God is doing.

Call me old-fashioned, but I'm more and more convinced that our meal times are so very often wasted. We rush them, make them happen as an aside to other activities, and otherwise unhealthily abuse them. When I noted on Sunday morning that this is abnormal in comparison to much of the rest of the world and the rest of human history, the five or so people seated in our sanctuary who have served on the mission field nodded their heads, some of them vigorously so. For most of the rest of humanity and for most of the rest of human history, food is the #1 order of the day. Daily schedules are centered around putting food on the table and eating it. In our society, it's mostly centered around things and other various often meaningless activities.

I am a huge closet fan of the show, The Biggest Loser. Some reality shows have come and gone on my list of what I watch, especially as the list has grown shorter and shorter due to time and the capacity to care. But The Biggest Loser has remained. Call me a sucker, but I love it. While I realize that the bottom line of pretty much anything we see on television is money and ratings, I do appreciate how the show maintains that it isn't just about weight loss, but about not allowing the things of food, depression, self-worthlessness, and other various forms of abuse control us.

Food and the practices surrounding it is a major problem in our American society. So take time to pray and be thankful, to break and share. Enjoy your food, but don't let it control you. And enjoy the ones with whom you eat. If you usually eat alone, try and find time and space to not to. It's harder to sin in general when you're with others, and similarly, eating with others might be a good way to change some of your eating habits for the better. And while fights can certainly be had at the dinner table, it's generally true that it's harder to fight with someone when you're sharing some good food.

(I appear to some to be becoming more and more drawn to the things of the "whacko" Amish, Mennonite, and Brethren. Yes, that's true. Guilty as charged. :-)

Even Exchange?

2011-05-02T07:28:00.000-05:00

Five years ago yesterday (5/1/2006), my little buddy Bobby Moscillo was killed in Iraq. "Different war," yeah I know. Yesterday (5/1/2011), Osama bin Laden was killed.

Even exchange?

Tauros. Skubala.

Will My Son Be a Christian?

2011-04-30T20:02:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I read something that completely nails how I feel about something. This is one of those times: from Miroslav Volf, the first paragraph of his article entitled Will My Son Be a Christian?

The statistics are clearly in my favor. An overwhelming majority of children adopt the religion of their parents. So I shouldn't worry. It is highly probably that my son Nathanael - and his younger brother, Aaron - will grow up in some sense a Christian. But I still worry, mainly because I am not satisfied with his being a Christian "in some sense." Mindful of Kierkegaard's critique of Christendom, I'd almost rather that he be no Christian than an indifferent Christian, or, even worse, a zealous Christian manipulating faith to promote his own selfish ends. But I want him to embrace Christianity as a faith by which to live and for which to die.

Yeah.

That.

It reminds me of these words from Stanley Hauerwas in the below video:
"One of the most heart-breaking aspects of our lives today are young people, desperate to have something to die for, and we're afraid to give it to them."

Good Friday

2011-04-22T07:48:00.001-05:00

Good Friday is always such a weird day. It's difficult to wrap our minds around: Why's it "good"? What was really going on? How can God die? Why didn't Jesus do something? Was it really a transaction? Did the Father forsake the Son? Did the Trinity lose a member for three days? Why did Jesus have to die?

And so on.

I've come to appreciate that these tensions are better left taut than exhaustively figured out. It better typifies actual life. Words so often fall short. But other forms of expression might speak better in these times. I've found the following songs and visuals to be great focal points for a day like today.

Oh My God
A Portrait of Jesus
Why We Call It That

Any others?

Lenten Journey 2011

2011-04-15T07:04:00.000-05:00

I haven't posted in a while, but it doesn't mean I haven't been writing. I'm again writing with a group of others for a season of the Church. We wrote together during Advent, and are now in Lent. Two of my short reflections are out as of the moment, and I thought I'd post them here as well. I'll post the rest as they come out.

March 9, 2011 - Decisions & Directives
March 18, 2011 - Solidarity in Christ
March 28, 2011 - The King's Face
April 6, 2011 - Spirit & Clay
April 15, 2011 - ...that we may die with him.
April 25, 2011

...that we may die with him.

2011-04-15T06:04:00.000-05:00

(This post is a copy from the Lenten Journey website. I wrote with a number of other pastors during the season of Lent, 2011. Each day, we reflected on one passage from the Daily Office. It's best to read the passage before the reflection.)

April 15, 2011 - ...that we might die with him.

Jeremy D. Scott

John 11:1-27

My list of biblical personalities that “get-a-bad-rap-but-maybe-shouldn’t” is growing. Thomas has been on there for a while. The fact that his best known moniker includes “Doubting” is usually seen as a detriment to his faith and character. We’ll leave the debate over that sentiment for another day, but for today’s passage, Thomas’ input is one of the most powerful and challenging statements in scripture:

Let us also go, that we may die with him.

This is a wonderful summary-statement for the whole of the season of Lent. We might do well to quote it every day during Lent:

Let us also go, that we may die with him.

We can quickly point out Thomas’ misunderstanding about what was happening in this moment. The disciples believed that if Jesus headed to Bethany, and thus, Judea, he would surely be killed by the people there who were feeling challenged by what he was saying and doing. Jesus, undeterred by the notion, determined to go nonetheless. And it’s then that Thomas gives what we might see as a William Wallace-like rally cry:

Let us also go, that we may die with him.

Turns out he was right. His timing was off, but Thomas was right. Jesus would die. But not yet, and better yet...not finally. Though the path in both situations went through death - whether Lazarus’ or Jesus’ - God’s glory was going to come about in a surprising clash of celebration, victory, and life.

Many have a difficult time accepting the season of Lent. This is understandable as for we who follow and worship the one who has won victory over death, it might seem odd to revisit the things of death. But this is part of Jesus’ story. And we find in life, that it is still yet a part of our story. We can’t ignore it. There is no resurrection without death. And while we may not experience the nails of the cross, we indeed are called to its cruciformity: a pattern by which we come to see the heart of the nature of God and better yet...the victorious glory of God.

So Thomas was right. But he was only partly right.

Let us also go, that we may die with him...

...and thus know him and the power of his resurrection.

Make these words of Paul your prayer for this day:

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Amen.

- Philippians 3:10-11

Do you sit in the dark with your children?

2011-04-11T14:37:00.002-05:00

I'm still being challenged by yesterday's Word from John 11. At the moment, what's chewing on me is what did/didn't happen when Jesus showed up in the midst of a mourning crowd (those who loved the now-dead Lazarus).

It's notable what Jesus didn't say: "There, there, now don't cry. [God just needed another angel in his heavenly choir.]"

And it's notable what Jesus did: Jesus wept with them.

This situation, like others, serves as a microcosm of the whole Incarnation: Jesus entering into the situation of humanity, not simply as an emergency helicopter out (though he does do that sometimes, at least from the trials of the lives of some who needed healing). Rather, Jesus showed up.

As a parent, I'm still learning. And Meghan and I wrestle with the tension of protecting our children and allowing them to experience life. Some people didn't like some of the implications of my reflections on letting Brayden go to school on the bus (and public school at that...oh the horror!). The people who didn't like it were current parents of young children. But many more people resonated with what I was feeling and encouraged me. These were generally parents whose children had grown up and moved on.

In this video-interview, Brene Brown (who I'm becoming a huge fan of), talks about sitting with our kids in the dark (as opposed to always choosing to turn the lights on).

----
Funny thing: as I'm sitting here typing this, I'm outside while the kids play. A friend from my six-year-old son's kindergarten class walks by with her mother (who's also pushing a little boy in the stroller). They ask if he wants to come along for some ice cream. Now I know this mother. I know her husband - they seem to be great people. We've met them several times at school events and as we each walk through the neighborhood. My son has been over their house for a playdate before. I have no reason not to trust them.

But as I sit here, watching them walk away with him, I still have a feeling in the pit of my stomach. And what's crazy is that I live in an incredibly safe neighborhood, in an incredibly well-established town. If anyone has nothing to worry about in this situation...it's me.

Yet I know that for my son, it's good for him. Not just to have fun and eat ice cream, but to experience the realm of "the other." There are certainly boundary-lines for six-year-olds. And there will be boundary-lines for ten-year-olds. And the same for sixteen-year-olds. But at some point, the leash has to be slowly released. Otherwise, it may end up choking them and/or breaking free at the wrong point.
----

Anyway, the above may or may not relate to what I'm talking about for you. But it does for me. I could have come up with a good reason to not allow him to go (we're about to eat dinner, we have to go somewhere). We can do all sorts of things in an attempt to protect those we love.

Jesus could have gone and healed Lazarus.
God could have skipped the whole wilderness thing and sent them directly to Canaan.
God could have chopped down the tree of the knowledge of good & evil.
God could have killed Hitler in 1920.*
God could...

It's less clear, although rather so to me, that God does not send his children to difficult situations (just as I wouldn't take an infant to sit in the bleachers at Fenway for a Sox-Yankees game). But when they arise, we might understand how those situations can be used for the better.

God didn't do the above list. But what God did do in Christ was come to be alongside us in these things. In the overall picture of life, is there a more loving thing to do? It's not an easy question.

*Whether or not God's action such as this would challenge his loving nature is a debate for another time.

Each Other

2011-04-09T06:24:00.000-05:00

Having seen Jars of Clay in concert this past Sunday night for the first time in over a decade, I am listening quite a bit to them lately (and Derek Webb as well). I bought their newest album when it came out and loved it, but it's poking me again these days. I was doing something I've not done in years (actually reading the booklet that comes with it - this one an "e-booklet", of course), and came across this quote from David Dark:

"The idea that any of us can have meaning alone or be the authors of our own significance or have joy for which we only have ourselves to thank is a death-dealing delusion, a psycho covenant that implies that a strong, successful few of us might somehow gain our lives without losing them."

That's all.

Spirit & Clay

2011-04-06T05:49:00.002-05:00

April 6, 2011 - Spirit & Clay

Jeremy D. Scott

Jeremiah 18:1-11, Romans 8:1-11

The thing about fresh clay is that it’s workable, malleable, and generally open to being shaped into something new. A finished piece of pottery is something that’s turned hard. It might good for one thing: to hold water, prop flowers, contain food, or a number of other meaningful uses. But the finished earthen vessel will have a difficult time being formed into something new.

The thing about “spirit” is that it’s of unpredictable formation. The biblical images are all things that are hard to contain: wind, fire, water. You might be able to control these things in small amounts, but in any kind of mass bigger than us, they become as wild as can be: forces of unstoppable mission. Whether it’s a tank-like tornado, a consuming conflagration, or a sweeping tsunami, one thing is for sure in the wake of this kind of Spirit-storm: things will not be like they were before. The Spirit is ever moving to do something new.

The fruitful infusion of these two - clay and spirit - will only come about in an environment of shifting, openness, and a vulnerable humility to something outside itself. This Lenten season is an opportunity to be re-membered as Christ would have us to be (that is, to be put back together again). The brokenness that follows repentance is fertile ground for the pieces of our lives to be washed and worked into a fresh clay. With the victory and power of resurrection looming on the other side, it may not be too early to ask the question: Is the Potter seeking to re-work your functionality?

We could ask it otherwise in this season:

Have the weedy plants of last season’s garden been raked up to make room for new growth?

Are there messy and choking cobwebs that need some cleaning out so fresh air might come into the house?

Do we need a month or two of spring training to be ready for the marathon that is the regular season?

For Lent and the soon-coming Good Friday, we might even ask:

Does something need to die?

There is no resurrection without death.

Indeed: “He who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.”

Lord, in this season, break me such that your crafting may make in me a vessel of usefulness, wherein your wonderful treasure can reside, move, and thrive.

The King's Face

2011-03-28T05:35:00.001-05:00

Jeremy D. Scott

Psalm 80

I’m not very good at making eye contact with people.

It’s something that I’ve worked on (actually, it was a practice I challenged myself to last year during Lent). Making eye contact has various implications in different cultures. For my culture, it’s a sign of respect for the other, relationship, and a general sign of healthy communication. When we make eye contact with someone who is speaking to us, we are telling them, “I hear you” without even opening our mouths. It’s an acknowledgement of the other.

It’s said that this is in play in the second third of the high priestly prayer (Numbers 6):

The Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you...

The ancient picture is of a kingdom subject, perhaps a peasant or slave, who happens to gain admittance into the throne room of the king. It’s one thing for the lowly to be present before the king. But it’s a whole other thing if the king would actually turn his face toward him, to acknowledge his presence. The notion of well-being (“shining” face!) would be the absolute best situation possible: Graciousness distributed from the king to the lowly.

Some know or remember the thrill of the lead singer at a rock concert looking and pointing at them at a specific point in a song. Or perhaps you’ve been to a professional sports event and seen the joy on a child’s face who waits by the tunnel for a high five from one of the players as they leave the arena (remember “Mean Joe Greene”?). There’s something about being noticed by those in the limelight.

This is the prayer of Psalm 80 - Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved. Yet this is no rock singer or point guard, but our very creator and the one from whom all blessings flow. Inherent in the prayer is the acknowledgement that this One can save us.

We’re well into Lent now (this is the 17th day, almost halfway through!). The ashes are long gone, yet we’re hope-fully moving along with the reminder that we are in such great need of God’s restoration. The reminders of this season are not far off from the image of the king-subject relationship. A true monarchy works such that the poor peasant and indeed all the people are at the whim of the king. With all that we can “do” in today’s world, this is a good reminder this season: God is God, and we are not. So we pray:

Turn again, O God of hosts; look down from heaven, and see;

Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved.

Amen.

Solidarity in Christ

2011-03-18T09:49:00.002-05:00

March 18, 2011 - Solidarity in Christ

Jeremy D. Scott

Hebrews 4:11-16

We are walking in the path of Christ, through the cross and out of the tomb alike.

This is one of the great reminders of the season of Lent. While our hope is found in the Risen Christ - a hope that we celebrate every Sunday (even during Lent!) - the intentionality of Lent causes us to remember and own the path upon which Christ walked on his way to overcoming death.

This may be a surprise to some of us who, whether told explicitly or not, heard that Jesus would solve all our problems. In times when it is difficult to reconcile the joy of salvation in Christ with the often difficult moments or days that occur despite knowing him, we sometimes might be left wondering what we’re doing wrong. After all, if we know Christ, we should know no pain, right? And in these moments, it’s easy to question whether we’re in Christ or not. Indeed, as Hebrews purports, we might often feel left “naked and laid bare” for God and the whole world to see.

Yet this surprise can turn into relief. It’s when we find that the pain of our lives actually does identify with the pain and suffering of Christ that we can truly begin to understand what it means to be “in Christ.” The cross becomes much different than a beautifully-polished image of warm feelings, and instead a roughly-made stick of solidarity. We remember that Christ himself was left “naked and left bare,” exposed for all the world to see.

And in this solidarity...

...solidarity with a Savior, who prior to rising victorious out of the tomb, was ignored, betrayed, and denied by his loved ones.
...solidarity with a Son, who wrestled with the cup he was to inherit from his Father.
...solidarity with a Servant, who in the deepest of pains, was left crying out loud, “God, where are you?”

...we actually find hope.

I recently saw a short video interview with popular human emotion researcher, Brene Brown*. She talked about her return to the Church. She remembers going back to church in hopes of a cure-all or epidural, as a way to cover up or even remove the pain of life. But instead, she found that this just isn’t how Christ comes to us. Faith in Christ is much different than self-help or dumbing of pain. Rather, Brown concludes that the faith of Christ’s Church is much more like a midwife than it is an epidural. We’re brought through the pain.

And knowing that Christ himself “was there” is a relief. Indeed, “we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are.” And again, indeed: “Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Lord, as I walk today in the path of the cross of Christ, in your mercy, grant both the strength and the hope of victory of the One who walked it before me.

* Epidural vs Midwife, Altar Video Magazine, accessed here.

Decisions & Directives

2011-03-09T09:46:00.000-06:00

March 9, 2011 - Decisions & Directives

Jeremy D. Scott

Jonah 3:1-4:11

A friend of mine recently put some words from Dr. Eric Mason on his Facebook status: “The word ‘application’ is not in scripture. We use that so we don't have to talk about obedience.” Pastor Mason is on to something, regardless of whether or not this cover-up is intentional (most likely, it is not intentional at all).

Most followers of Christ appreciate the understanding that it is a decision (we “choose”) to follow Christ. Many of these further appreciate the understanding that with each subsequent day, we make a multitude of decisions, all of which are made in the hope that they too “follow” Christ. And thus, whether our lives follow Christ’s is up to us and the choices we make each day. At all times, the first step to following Christ comes in my decision to do so.

We often focus on Jonah’s difficulty in making the right decision in responding to God’s call, and rightfully so. The storyline is simply illustrative (“applicable” even!): Choose not to follow God’s call, and you very well could find yourself in the dark and undesirable places. Yet, we much less often note the difficult ending of Jonah’s story found in our passage for today: Our choosing does not mandate our directive in any given situation. God is still yet God and we are still yet servant.

Christ understood this well and his life on earth exemplified it. If I were Christ, having done exactly as God had asked, I might have expected to end up in places more glorious than the dome of death that was Golgotha. And even if we jump to the victory of the empty tomb, we still must note the path that first goes through the cross (and hence, we walk together each year through this season of Lent).

As we watch Jesus walk to the cross this Lenten season, we would do well to note his resolute decision to follow the path set in front of him. He strayed not either from the call of God before him, nor the corollary events, surprises, treatments, or difficulties that arose from that call.

Jonah had certain understandings of God and what God would do. I’m not sure that we can escape these. But when we find that God’s directive is different than our own, our response - either in action or in attitude - is made up of our choice. We can pout with the worms and the dying plants, or we can conclude our prayer with “nonetheless, God, not my will but Thine.”

God, I pray this day - the beginning Lent - that as I make decisions, they be in response to your directive: following your good and perfect will.

"I AM the Dorito of Life"

2011-01-21T13:35:00.001-06:00

I learned of this video on Brannon Hancock's Facebook page.

The premise is troubling, but I don't blame Doritos or Pepsi. Why would we expect any less from corporations for whom the bottom line is their bottom line? Besides, it's pretty much the image of many evangelical churches and institutions: do whatever we can to get people in the building (free cable, anyone?). Conversely, it's the image of evangelicals themselves: I'm going to go wherever "I'm fed" and to whomever will entertain me the most. We are indeed consumers.

Jesus said to them, ‘For real, people, I'm telling you, you are searching for me, not because you want something great to happen in your life, but because you want me to fill your bellies. (John 6:26, JDSV)

And while food & drink is indeed a foundational image that Jesus used heavily, the one depicted here and in much of the evangelical church's emphasis on "more" is far from the picture Jesus gives us in John 6, just after having filled the bellies of some five thousand people on a hillside (feel free to read the whole chapter for context). While "feeding the flock" is indeed our job, the bread and the cup that Christ offers, and thus the Church should offer, is one that is otherwise difficult to accept:

So Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live for ever.’
When many of his disciples heard it, they said, ‘This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?’ (John 6:52-60, NRSV)

Doritos and Pepsi are easy to consume. So is "Jesus will make your life just swell." But it's hardly the message of the good news.

A Different Perspective on Haiti

2011-01-13T06:50:00.000-06:00

So it's been one year since Haiti's devastating earthquake. Since then, storms and outbreaks of cholera have heaped more hell upon Haiti. The picture below is not from just after the earthquake. It's from this past Sunday.

(Copyright REUTERS/Jorge Silva)

I heard Tony Campolo say similar things when he was at ENC a few months ago as he does in the article below. I don't always agree with him and I don't completely understand every aspect of the article, but the general notion is right on. This is a different take from Tony than many of you might be used to:
Making Matters Worse in Haiti

Similarly, I remember a gentleman from Africa standing at the WC Leadership Summit a couple of years ago and bluntly saying, "We don't need your aid. We need your trade."*

This isn't simply responding to one's personal worry about people spending our money well, but doing all that we can to enter into another's situation to take upon ourselves their need.

I never refuse an opportunity to propose that there is a difference between charity and compassion. Most of what happens in response to these situations (Haiti, Katrina, etc.) is charity. Rarely is it compassion. Charity can serve compassion, but compassion is literally "suffering with" that many people either don't realize, or at least hide from behind the giving of finances. I propose that compassion is only partially capable of happening through the giving of resources (namely money) and/or a spending a week somewhere. And if it's in the pattern of Christ, compassion will move to the incarnational (apologies to Dave G.!), that "suffers with" in order to "lift up." (Philippians 2)

We might even say that an God was charitable prior to Christ, but that in Christ God shows compassion. No longer does God act by proxy...sending divine messengers and messages, and "fixing" situations from a distance. Rather, God in Christ enters into our situation to take upon Godself the situation in which we live, that we might conquer it together and be lifted up. By no means do I think we should stop giving money to charitable organizations. I believe that love can be practiced and that this is a great practice (not unlike beginner piano lessons). But the money we give out of charity stops short of compassion. It is simply a proxy.

*This is why I personally think that "giving" $20 to Kiva is money better used than $20 to other organizations.

Baseball

2010-12-09T12:11:00.001-06:00

I don't have all the answers. Hence the title of this site.

But on the day when co-fans of my "favorite" baseball team are praising the ownership for committing $142 million to a guy who's darn good at baseball, my mind is again going in different directions. I remember being a student at Eastern Nazarene College when the Red Sox signed Manny Ramirez to what turned out to be a $200 million contract. I had his picture all over my dorm room door, with made-up balloon quotes mocking the Yankees. We Sox fans were ecstatic. And Manny delivered, being one of the greatest hitters ever in Red Sox history, winning one World Series MVP, and two World Series rings.

Now I wholeheartedly admit that the following has a profound impact on my feelings on all this (I wrote this elsewhere):

I have gone to Fenway since May 2, 2006, but only a few times. Before that, if I was living in New England, I was at Fenway at least 10 times a year. And now that I actually have a clergy pass that gets me in rather cheaply (in comparison, at least), I still don't go. Time isn't so much a factor as the games are in the evening, and my wife often says that I should go. But I don't. When I went to watch the Red Sox and Yankees on that day (May 2, 2006), my friend and I were waiting for the rain delay to subside (it never did) when my phone rang. I answered and my mother told me that my "foster" brother, Bobby Moscillo was killed in Iraq. What was normally one of the happiest places on earth for me quickly turned into a Hell hole. Everyone's antics in that place just seemed so stupid to me at that point. I'm sure people wondered why this guy was sitting there bawling his eyes out (my friend who was with me was very gracious). But the few times I've gone since then, it just seems stupid: the money involved (in so many ways), the chants, the wave (which I've actually never been such a big fan of), and so much more.

The last time I went to Foxboro was with Bobby. We sat in the second row from the top in very cold weather and watched the Jets beat the Patriots (2002...second to last or last game of the season). I've not been back to Foxboro for a game since. I've had my chances.

Today I'm reminded of the money aspect. I can't get over it. If I decry the notion that a bank executive can make this much money, why would I stop short for an athlete?

I found this video a while ago, but I've re-visited it numerous times. The pastor in it (Chris Seay) puts his time and money where his mouth is.

So...have at it:
How should those who call for the compassion and incarnation of Christ respond to such exorbitant amounts of money?

(To be clear, I have no issue with baseball, or football, or banking. I think each can play an important and integral part of society. Note that Chris also calls out the make-up industry, etc. in the video.)

And also, remember that I have questioned the possibility of money being the primary factor in solving problems, preferring compassion and incarnation over charity and money, but at this level, something's surely amiss.

More Phone Commercial "Wisdom"

2010-11-16T10:20:00.000-06:00

A couple of months ago I posted this cell phone commercial because I thought it had some great (unintentional) points about society.

I don't know what it is with cell phone commercials, but I've seen a couple more that have good (again, I think unintentional) social commentaries. The first is for the new Windows phones. I ask the same question of Microsoft that they ask repeatedly of phone users in the commercial: "Really?" I mean, really, Microsoft? You're trying to sell us a cell phone because it will reduce our use of cell phones? Exact quote: "It's time for a phone to save us from our phones." Really?

But the second one I just saw this morning, and it gets right to the heart of the matter:

The question is a good one: "Why won't you look me in the eye, Marty?"

I am for sure guilty of hiding behind technology, but I know that I'm not alone. I'm trying to do better by making more eye contact (something I'm horrible at), acknowledging the presence of others, and getting away from the computer even more. And it's not because I have this thing against technology or that I'm trying to be a "purist." (Anyone who knows me knows that technology is a huge part of my life.) But I am growing in belief that we were created to be present with one another and that we're

Advent is soon upon us and one of the themes of Advent is that of presence. You know, the whole notion that through Advent we wait for the coming of the Lord, who then comes by incarnation (presence!). Advent Conspiracy does a great job of challenging us to think about this: Spend less, give more. Less presents, more presence. Sounds good to me.

Learning to be Loved

2010-09-25T18:45:00.001-05:00

Once again, Stanley Hauerwas steals my words...or maybe I've read him enough to have arrived at the same words without hearing them from him. That's a scary thought to some. Oh well. :-)

There is really no pattern to learning about love. I tend to think that it can happen a number of ways for different people. For me, I first knew love because of my family. And now, though I still have a number of selfish bones in my body that need breaking, I do certainly enjoy sacrificing for others from time to time (part of this came with the difficulty of a first year in marriage...and then a kid...and then a few more). But when it comes to love, I still have a really hard time accepting that God would love me. I quite often stupidly (yet subconsciously) still think that I have things to prove before God would ever do that.

When the grace-full love of God hits me hard, it's an incredibly wonderful thing. This is that whole Aldersgate experience.

I think this is what Stan is getting at above. A mature love might be arrived at like this:

1A First we think that love is that warm and fuzzy thing that makes us feel good.

1B Next we think that love is something we receive.

2B Then we think that love is something we give.

2A By which we come to find out that it quite often hurts.

...but hopefully, we finally dive into the realization that it's unfathomably all of the above (and more) wrapped up together in one beautiful mess.

A "Fascinated" Society

2010-09-21T12:55:00.000-05:00

I find this commercial a bit fascinating (no pun intended, Samsung). I find it interesting because of the number of commentaries it makes on today's society. While Samsung succeeded in being funny, there is a whole sermon series within the minute and seven seconds. If I had more time, I'd expound. Maybe I will at some point, but for now, don't count on it. The commitments I make on this blog don't have a good history.

Response to Last Post

2010-09-20T15:06:00.000-05:00

I've gotten a number of responses to my last post - School Buses & God the Father, a few here in the comments section, and some more on Facebook and by email. Thanks to everyone for the solidarity. But one response, from Eric, asked for some clarification:

First, Eric - I don't believe that I know you, which makes online communication quite difficult, and often almost impossible. The best venue for discussion is incarnational and in relationship. We don't have that, so please keep that in mind. But allow me to try and clarify your questions.

Jeremy,Thank you for your post. However, I am a little confused on a couple of issues. I am not an expert on the Bible, but i am eager to learn. First, I would like you to elaborate on your comment that "God is first and foremost a being of love and grace." Where do you derive this from?

First off, it appears that we may be operating in slightly different understandings of who God is based upon the sources from which we draw our faith and understandings. The Bible plays a big role for me and is an authority, but it's not the only source. I come from the Wesleyan tradition which seeks understanding and faith from a variety of sources, most often the things of scripture, reason, tradition, and experience.

I mention this because the basis of your questions seems to be drawn solely upon scripture. And while it's extremely important to me, the Bible is not the only thing from which I draw my understandings of the nature of God.

What passage tells us that God's love is first in the order of His attritbutes? What passage tells you that there is a "foremost" attribute and, consequently, an attribute that is "last" in priority?

Good call! I'm glad you called me out on this. "Foremost" was a bad choice of wording. You are right that our hope is not to fashion God into that which we desire, but to seek God who already is, and shift ourselves to desire the great I AM.

However, I'll stick with the wording of "first." My understanding of creation and the initiative that God made in creation was that God did so out of love. God's first impulse was love. It's my belief that our greatest understanding of God comes from the incarnation, life, death, life again, and ascension of Jesus Christ. And the gospels are saturated with the notion that the impetus for the incarnation is the love of God. If you're desiring a passage, what is likely the most famous verse in scripture will suffice, but so also will the whole of I John. There's great stuff in there: "This is the message we have known from the beginning...", a message of light and love.

If you have such a passage, where does it teach that God exercises this love in the releasing of His children to the spirit of the age and the prince of this world?

Okay, now I'm the one who is confused. I didn't say that God releases his children to the spirit of the age and the prince of this world. I'm not sure how you arrived there (unless you mean to say that public schools are that age and that prince, with which I would disagree). What I did say is that God the Creator/Father allows the space for his creatures to choose to chase after him...or not.

I am curious simply because it seems, on the surface, that such an action would be the antithesis of love. In fact, it could be construed at best as neglectful and, at worst, cruel.

I agree.

I would also be interested to know what your views are on discipline with your children. I assume you accept the Biblical mandate to do so and that, as God deals with His sons, you chastise them out of love. But why do you do this? What is your objective? Again, I assume it is to teach them to love the good and hate the evil. You are showing them the Divine model that evil choices will result in pain, righteous ones with praise. But is that not a manipulation of the will? Are you not conditioning your child toward a particular end? Are you not limiting their "freedom" by directing their will in one direction and away from another? And so I am left confused. Are you loving your child when you do this, or are you going against love by teaching them the way of righteousness, rather than allowing them to find it on their own. And if you do choose to release them into the world, as the prodigal example you gave seems to suggest, will they really be free to make their own decisions? Your own words seem to say no: "I truly hope that he learns from his teachers and classmates. I believe that they will all teach him things that, as his parents, Meghan and I can't." Is not the goal of education similar to that of discipline: To instruct on what is true and what is false; what is right and what is wrong; what is beautiful and what is ugly? This also seems to be a manipulation of the will. Why can't the child learn these things for themselves? If they are not capable, then what is it that these "teachers and classmates" possess that you and Meghan do not. Considering what Paul says in 2 Tim 3:16-17, I can't imagine what that would be. And so I remain a bit confused. If influencing the will in a particular direction is to attach "balls and chains" to the subject, are we going against God's example by training our children in a Christian home? If so, are we guilty of the same by allowing them to go into a secular environment to have the same done by those who are enemies of God?Please clarify these for me if you would. In Christ,Eric

It's difficult for me to ascertain what you're asking here. What it seems to me is that you're setting up a false and simple dichotomy that implies that we either set our child outside the doorstep after s/he's take a first breath, or shelter every minute of their lives from the outside world.

Part of what I was saying in the post is that it's a difficult thing to know how and when and if to hold back or to let go. Absolutely, our children are in our care: Meghan and I are in great part their stewards, and make many a decision for them. But what we know is that someday, at a later age, we will no longer hold much of (if not all of) this stewardship. Someday, they will make their own decisions with little or no help from us (I shudder at the thought!). So in the meantime, as they are under our care and stewardship, we will do all that we can to help foster and train them for that time of life. Absolutely, we are seeking to foster (I'll refrain from the very you used: "condition", though that may work too) that they follow a certain path. No, I do not believe that is manipulation. Manipulation would be demanding conformity in all situations. We are not doing that - we are wrestling with the tension of choosing for them at young ages and gradually allowing them to choose for themselves so that when they are of age, they will not be clueless as to how to live life.

I fear that I've not answered all of your points of clarification (I confess to not being able to ascertain all of what you're asking). But hopefully this helps a bit.

Grace & Peace,
Jeremy

School Buses & God the Father

2010-09-09T08:25:00.004-05:00

So I began this blog in great part due to the fact that we had our first kid, Brayden Wesley Scott. I entitled it "Still Learning" because if having a child implied anything...it was that I have a lot to learn. Some would laugh at this post, others would nod somewhat patronizingly in memory of feelings long past, others still may have similar feelings that are recent and fresh. Regardless, I share it because I need to.

About fifteen minutes ago Meghan and I just let a huge part of Brayden go. We let him get on a bus with some driver-dude I've never met. And now Brayden is under the influence of people I have never had control over: children who have been raised by parents other than Meghan & me and teachers & aides who will influence him in ways that Meghan and I have not, will not, and cannot. He will be hurt. He will likely hurt others. He will interact with people, ideas, and systems that we wish he wouldn't. This great part of his life will be out of our control...by choice.

I ashamedly confess that I used to look down upon home-schooling. This was yet another situation where I thought for sure that I knew best: "How are kids supposed to learn social skills?", etc. But surely...I understand now. I understand the desire to home-school and I believe there are times and places to do so.

Because it's not that we can't control this. We could keep him home. We could even move to northern Canada and just live "safely" as a family away from the whole world. I'm pretty sure we could teach him the academics if we worked hard enough (although, having a public educator as a parent myself, I believe that teachers do often know better than parents). I may even be able to teach him social skills without actually being social (though probably not). But I'm not sure that we could very well teach him the nature of God the Father...who lets us go.

For Meghan and I, we've looked at it this way:

Of all the things we want for our children, we want the most for them to see the nature of God in us (including our parenting). As Wesleyan-Arminians, we believe that God is first and foremost a being of love and grace. Even as I grow with the pains of parenting, I'm learning more about this. It's surely arrogant and presumptuous, but I feel like I understand just a bit more the compassionate God who suffers for and with us because God lets us go. I'm not ignorant to the fact that many (even most?) these days believe that God is a God who controls everything, mostly because they run on that Greek platonic belief that God by very definition is omnipotent. Don't get me wrong - God is indeed all-powerful, but the primacy of my understanding of the nature of God is that of love and grace. And by definition...love and grace only exist where there is freedom.

God does not make us love.
God makes us to love.

I wonder if I've felt the macrocosmic heart of a creative God today in this microcosmic releasing of Brayden to a school bus. When God released humanity on earth in the biblical creation story, it's portrayed by God setting Adam & Eve in the garden with some guidance and instructions...yet without balls and chains. I feel this way today. We also see the same nature in the loving Father toward the prodigal son. Many parenting styles today would say, "Um...no son, of course you cannot have your inheritance money because you'll spend it frivolously." Some would even build a fenced-in pen to keep the son in. Yet the loving Father in that parable lets the son go free. The son finds his own pen, and surely a much more disgusting one than the Father could have built for his son. Meghan and I feel that our job as parents isn't always to make our kids comfortable, but rather to comfort them in the situations of life. In the parable, the course of events allows that when the son returns for forgiveness, he has a perspective on the world, life, and love that the son who stayed home can't fathom.

Back to the creation story: it shows God's curiosity in watching what humanity would do. I also feel that way today. Brayden is such an incredible kid. I truly hope that he learns from his teachers and classmates. I believe that they will all teach him things that, as his parents, Meghan and I can't. And when he is taught or experiences things that are contrary to the will and nature of God, we will continue to do our best to show him otherwise. You could call these "teachable moments." Scripture is full of them.

Our greatest hope is that this small release today will help Brayden understand the nature of God the Father all the more. Probably not right now. In fact, he may even be angry at us at some point for letting him get hurt (read the psalms, anyone?). But my hopeful prayer is that, in the long run, it will be best for him in knowing who God is and thus, who he as God's child should be.

(By the way, the girls started preschool yesterday too. Here are some pictures from yesterday and today.)

UPDATE: Despite any fear to the contrary, Brayden did come home and get off the bus just fine. And he had a good time. And the bus driver introduced himself to us. His name is Paul. And he's nice.

Bonhoeffer

2010-08-29T22:09:00.000-05:00

I've been watching a documentary on Bonhoeffer. I don't know how to tell you how much I'm feeling this quote tonight:
"I think I'm right in saying that I would only achieve true inner clarity and sincerity by really starting to take the Sermon on the Mount seriously. This is the only source of strength that can blow all this nonsense sky-high."

"The restoration of the church will surely come from a new kind of monasticism, which will have nothing in common with the old but a life of uncompromising adherence to the Sermon on the Mount in imitation of Christ. I believe the time has come to rally people together for this."

Save Us from False Ambition

2010-08-12T06:46:00.000-05:00

God, I am just too busy. Too many people, too many questions, too much to do. We confess we stay busy because we fear acknowledging our emptiness. How amid this busyness do we rest? How do we worship you? Please create space, which may be other people, to make time, our time, serve you. Force us to rest through the activity of prayer so that all our loves and fears might be made perfect in you. Help us see how such busy service, if it is service, may be just the rest we need - just the worship we need. Finally, and most importantly, save us from false ambition. Amen.

While Christlikeness is the essence of holiness, I must realize that I am not Jesus. I am not the Savior of the world. While I hope to be present to suffering people (even the presence of Christ himself), their hand up is not solely dependent on me. God is bigger than that. I know the Healer, the Weeper, the Savior, but I am not the answer in and of myself. If I were to die today, the Kingdom of God would go on. The presence of Christ is not solely dependent on me. It's in the situations that I realize I cannot do anything that I have realized my (our) need for God. And truly, I must realize this in every situation, for I can do nothing on my own. I can do from my own will, but I will do nothing without God's.

I know these may seem like obvious distinctions to many, but I need the reminder.

As a pastor, Acts 6:2 is chewing me up and spitting me out.

(Prayer from Stanley Hauerwas, Prayers Plainly Spoken)

Faith & Film: Theological Themes at the Cinema Series

2010-07-27T10:07:00.003-05:00

So we were going to have a "Faith & Film Discussion Series" at North Street this summer, but it kind of fizzled out, mainly due to schedule, but also because no one but me was really excited about the book. I've known about the book Faith & Film: Theological Themes at the Cinema for a while, but had never actually read it (hence inviting our community to read it too). Even though it hasn't worked out with North Street, Meghan and I have decided to read the chapters and watch the films together. I'm looking forward to it.

The book has a number of enticing elements to it for me: 1. To order the theological themes, the book uses the Apostles' Creed. I continue to grow in appreciation for the place of the ancient creeds in worship and formation, so I appreciate this (and also some "order" to the discussions rather than a generally-themed book (like "love," "mercy," "faith," etc.). 2. The theological and ecclesiological lenses through which the author, Bryan Stone, would write such a book (I hope). I've already mentioned Bryan here before: I have really appreciated his work, particularly Evangelism After Christendom. He grew up in my tradition (the Church of the Nazarene), and still has connections (including maintaining his ordination credentials, or so I've been told). But he is what we might call a "recovering evangelical." He is thoroughly Wesleyan. 3. It involves watching movies. I need to enflesh myself in more stories in my life that I might tell stories better myself. (Side note: We are finally moving from a cable-TV home to a no-cable TV home. Instead of cable, we've signed up for Netflix. Perhaps I'll blog soon about some other "re-modeling" that we are doing in our home.)

As we finish each chapter, I'll write a response here and update the chapter links below. I enjoy movies, but be forewarned: I'm no film critic. And I confess that lately that most movies haven't really moved or wowed me. The only exceptions are the great blockbusters (like Avatar) or very simple stories that are believable (like Once). I've only seen a handful of the movies below (and actually like very much the ones that I've seen), so we'll see how Bryan's other choices do for me.

Introduction - "Cinema, Theology, and the 'Sign of the Times'"

1 - "I believe" - (Contact)

2 - "God, the Father almighty" (Oh, God!)

3 - "Creator of heaven and earth" (2001: A Space Odyssey)

4 - "Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord" (Jesus of Montreal)

5 - "Conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary" (The Greatest Story Ever Told, The Last Temptation of Christ, & The Gospel According to St. Matthew)

6 - "Suffered under Pontius Pilate" (Romero)

7 - "Was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead." (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest)

8 - "On the third day he rose again, He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father." (Phenomenon, Powder, & E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial)

9 - "Will come again to judge the living and the dead" (Flatliners)

10 - "I believe in the Holy Spirit" (Star Wars)

11 - "The holy catholic church" (The Mission)

12 - "The communion of saints" (Babette's Feast)

13 - "The forgiveness of sins" (Dead Man Walking)

14 - "The resurrection of the body and the life everlasting" (The Shawshank Redemption)

Acknowledgement of Presence

2010-07-13T11:21:00.001-05:00

I think that they lonely are often so, not because they don't have people in their lives, but that they have so many people in their lives who don't acknowledge their presence.

A couple of months ago I decided to start saying hello to whoever came into my presence. Whether walking down the street or sitting in Panera Bread or something, I now simply say hi or hello to everyone. The responses are often humorous. More often than not, I catch them off-guard and they're not too sure what to do (it's simple really...just say hi back!). Sometimes it'll take them 2 or 3 seconds and they might be 5-10 feet behind me now (if we're walking past one another) and they'll respond. Pretty much everyone responds, though some don't. No one's punched me yet, so I think I'll keep doing it.

I'm becoming more and more a believer in presence. Presence begins with a physical proximity. Sometimes this is enough - just to be present in one's life, much like the Jewish practice of a shiva call. Shiva is the grieving process put into place after the death of a Jew. When people visit those who've had the loss, they come just to be present: not to talk and not to offer trite cliches about "another angel in heaven." From Wikipedia: "Traditionally, no greetings are exchanged and visitors wait for the mourners to initiate the conversation, or remain silent if the mourners do not do so, out of respect for their bereavement." When I've tried this, it's been hard...the modern tendencies of our society are word-based and we always think we have to say something. Often, it's better not to, as St. Francis also reminds us.

But then there are the times when we just completely ignore each other's close proximity. It's these ones I'm trying to challenge myself about. It's not that I'm changing anyone's life in doing this; rather, just the opposite. I'm hoping that this practice helps me notice others around me. Our own agendas (even if the agenda is boredom or procrastination!), our busyness, and so many other things direct us to focus on what we're thinking, doing, or even not doing.

I'm still floored by the Joshua Bell story. I'm not saying that I would have stood there for the whole 45 minutes, but I'd still like to think I'd stop to listen. I wouldn't have known who he was and I wouldn't have picked out that the violin was a Stradivarius, but I do recognize good classical violin. Yet I probably would have been like most anyone else that day: too distracted by whatever to see the beauty in front of me. It makes me wonder how often we do this every day.

Joshua Bell Story from City Church Chicago on Vimeo.

Vermont, Family, Community, & the Body of Christ

2010-07-12T08:22:00.000-05:00

I've already rambled about our camp on Lake Champlain before and my love for the place, family, and time that I find there. We just got back from a week or so up there. The first several days we were with other extended family, and then we were alone as a family of six for about two days. I wish I could say that I feel rested (like you're "supposed" to after a vacation), but the fact is that in this season of life (=four younguns), it's more about creating memories than it is about rest. Regardless...we had a great time and I daresay were quite successful in the creation of memories.

I like to talk about community quite a bit, as you know (though I rarely use that actual word anymore). I can't call my extended family a community because we are apart far more often than not, but there are some incredible aspects of my family that portray my understanding of the ideal community that I know from no other experience, group, church, etc. in my life. I was reflecting yet again on this:

My extended family who gathers at the camp is extremely different from person to person. For sure, we all share the same blood and heritage (although...there are a number of children adopted by my grandparents who share not the blood...but I suppose that only feeds my forthcoming point). We come from the same family tree. Yet today...we are all quite different, even in the "ever-important" things of faith. Some in my extended family are atheistic or agnostic. Others are rather deistic (God exists, but isn't really in the picture anymore). Others are rather evangelical. Others are recovering evangelicals (raised hand here). Still others...well I'm not completely sure about everyone.

The differences continue: some of us are politically conservative, others almost as liberal as you can get and still be called American (don't assume that these lines are drawn in the same places as the faith understandings above - they're not). Still others are politically confused and perhaps what I might call politically agnostic (raised hand here). Some of us drink alcohol. Others abstain (raised hand here). Some of us are rather patriotic and even militaristic, one even having served in Iraq. Others don't think we should be there. Still others are rather pacifistic (raised hand here). Some of us eat meat (and a lot of it). Others are vegetarian. Still others are vegan.

There are some rather "important" similarities among us all: love of the Boston Red Sox, fishing, and the couple that was and is Stephen and Christine Nease.

As you can see, in list-form, the differences outnumber the similarities. But somehow...the similarities carry enough weight to keep bringing us together. For sure, I imagine that with Grandma & Grandpa now dead and the years since their deaths now growing in number, we will be together less and less as time goes by. And also for sure...we know of our differences. Sometimes we do...um..."discuss" them. Lots of the time, we don't and we just let the similarities rule.

I wish the Body of Christ could do this better. We're so good at knowing who's who by identifying our differences. And we're even "better" at letting the differences rule. It makes me very, very sad, is extremely unbiblical, unlike Christ, and not of the Kingdom of God. The things of God and faith surely separate. And in my own faith journey, will separate in some kind of way for good sometime down the road. But that separation ("judgment") is not of our own doing...but of God's. We need not serve as judge right now.

I know that some immediate problems arise with this for many:
Some will call me a universalist. You need to read again what I'm saying. Although...I have little problem with being a universalist when it comes to how we respond to others in love. We should let our actions separate...not our words. As for eternity, I need to learn to be comfortable with leaving that to God.

Others will accuse me of being "yoked together" with unbelievers. No I'm not. I'm no more yoked to unbelievers than Jesus was to prostitutes. You do know what a yoke is, right? It's that thing that makes you do something with another (two oxen yoked together must go in the same direction). We need not participate in the things that those we are with do any more than Jesus poked the prostitutes he hung out with. Holy huddling is anything but.

But what about speaking prophetically into peoples' lives? I affirm that there is a time and place for this. But a look at scripture shows that the vast majority of prophetic speaking is limited to the person of God (prophet) warning the people of God (exceptions exist: Jonah and Ninevah, Abraham and Sodom-Gomorrah).

I have a lot more to say about this...but it's already too long and rambled. Perhaps more later...

My mother did a good job of capturing a few moments from our time together in Vermont that though short, does a good job of showing what it's often like up there. There were many missing (actually...if everyone who "owns" this camp were up there at the same time, it would be rather crowded). But this is what's rather normal for us while at the Lake. (By the way, be sure to take note of my never-been-Boy-Scouts-trained camp fire...I fully affirm any accusations of pyromania.)

(I'm currently eating cream of wheat with Vermont maple syrup on top. While we were up there, I asked on Facebook of my Vermont-resident friends where the cheapest syrup is these days. Some people (who aren't Vermont residents) responded and told me to get it at Ocean State Job Lot (discount store) or other non-Vermont locations. Uh...NO! :-) I don't care if the stuff actually came from the same tree and some how got shipped to separate locations...I will always buy it in Vermont. We ended up finding this nice older gentleman (Mr. Gillespie) at the end of a dirt road in Waterville who sold us two quarts for $20. And it tastes really good.)

Compassion, the Missio Dei, and the Great Chasm

2010-06-25T07:22:00.000-05:00

Several months ago, two articles I wrote were in the NPH Communicator, a small six-page "thing" (I'm not sure what to call it) that is 50% advertisements. They used to archive the issues here, but they stopped between my two articles (I wonder what I did!). It's just as well, because some of the teeth of the second installment were yanked out (my first experience with publishing and editing...oh well).

Anyway, I have posted what I originally wrote here and here.

The problem is that I'm nowhere even close to living up to those two articles. I'm not saying that I lied, but that when I read what I wrote, I know that it's an ideal that few live up to.

There was some response to the articles, mostly friends saying, "Hey, I read your article!" and nothing more. But some others varied on a range of responses from "Jeremy, that was pretty provocative," to "I really appreciated what you said."

I continue to loathe the chasmic separation between what I understand the missio dei to be and how I and the community of which I'm a part actually live. There's obviously a hole in the transformative nature of preaching and teaching if it doesn't move from the ears and heart to the hands and feet. I know I need to work on this.

But in the meantime...it often makes me sad, and greatly detracts from my self-efficacy. And it's not even so much that I wish I were "more effective" in leading people to follow in Christ, but that at the end of the day, I long to live what I know to be truth in Christ.

I was talking with a mentor a couple of weeks ago. Ron Benefiel and Roger Hahn were in town to present at a conference about missional theology and practice. I got frustrated as they were presenting - not at them, necessarily, but at the Church, of which I am a part. And I got frustrated again at our own context. I reflected with Ron after about how I sometimes think that living missionally is an easier thing to figure out in urban contexts than it is where we are, in an upper-class suburb. (Please note that I did not say that it's easier to live out the mission, but simply that it's easier to know what we should be doing.) Ron agreed with me, but it may have simply been out of pastoral concern and support. :-)

I don't really have a conclusion to this post...just typing out some random thoughts (and I have been meaning to post those articles for a while).

Tim Keel on Living in New Places and Chaos

2010-06-17T06:51:00.000-05:00

So while in KC, Meghan and I worshiped with the community called Jacob's Well and when we went, Tim Keel was the teaching pastor. He left last fall to go to New Zealand to study. I found the below clip on TWOTP's Vimeo account this morning. He reflects on the transition. Much of what he says speaks for me these days, particularly around 4:15, isolation (I'm not sure he ever actually uses that word), and then about chaos surrounding the image of water in scripture. He speaks of Genesis ("while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters") and that's true, but lately for me, it's been more like the waters upon which Peter walked and then fell. These days I'm kind of looking for that hand up.

Untitled from The Work Of The People on Vimeo.

Dear Generation

2010-06-12T21:16:00.001-05:00

Okay...this is written to no one in particular, and yet to some very specific people. Indeed, it's written to me, too. I often get very frustrated with my generation, of which I am a part. I need to let some loose right now, and this serves as my venue for today. This is complaint...and confession.

Dear Generation:

It's not nearly as bad as your whining makes it out to be. Well, it might be, but it's likely your own fault. I don't really think that my grandparents are watching me from the sky right now, but when I entertain the idea, I get embarrassed. I get embarrassed for the same reasons that I would if some of those little kids in the third world countries we see on commercials and websites came to live with me ("You mean you really pay money for water in a bottle when you can get it for free out of that shiny pipe?").

You know all the toys, gadgets - even the gifts you've given to me - that make our lives better and easier? Yeah, well...they don't. They only make us insatiable for more: more chaff, more plastic, and more emptiness. Yeah, yeah, I know...they were gifts: I should be appreciative of your "generosity." Well actually, it's most likely that you bought the gifts with someone else's money, so whatever tickles your "charitable" heartstrings.

Oh, and speaking of debt...I don't want to hear about it. It's your own fault. Yeah, yeah...good things like college and weddings cost more than they used to. That's BEE-ESS. Your generation (and you too, boomers) are still living off the backs of three generations behind us. Sure, a recession here or there in the last couple of decades have been "tough"...but we don't really know tough times. At least, any tough times have likely been brought on by our own ignorance and false, puffed-up "hope."

Some of us get it - sometimes even I do...in swift and rare moments of grace and divine revelation. We've got real people sacrificing throughout the world or even in the poorest places in our own land. But most of the rest of us look back upon a week or month or two of college in South America or Eastern Europe and think we may have just served our time. Sad, really.

And there are some in our generation who have truly really been hurt. They have real reason to whine, you know, because they were brutally abused as a child or were truly impoverished (and just because your family owned a Pinto or Rabbit or lived in a small house, it does not qualify you for poverty; after all, you had a car and a house). I know these people because they abound all around us. If you'd stop whining about yourself, you might actually get to know about them. And what I've found is that these who've been truly hurt or disadvantaged actually work a ton harder than you do. They get it.

And the band Arcade Fire gets it. Well, one of their songs at least does. Here it is:

----------------------------------------

Somethin' filled up my heart with nothin', someone told me not to cry.
But now that I'm older, my heart's colder, and I can see that it's a lie.

Children wake up, hold your mistake up, before they turn the summer into dust.
If the children don't grow up, our bodies get bigger but our hearts get torn up.
We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms turnin' every good thing to rust.

I guess we'll just have to adjust.

With my lightnin' bolts a glowin' I can see where I am goin' to be
when the reaper he reaches and touches my hand.

With my lightnin' bolts a glowin' I can see where I am goin’
With my lightnin' bolts a glowin' I can see where I am, go-go, where I am

You'd better look out below
----------------------------------------

Yeah, that's right: we're just a million little individualistic self-serving gods causing rain storms, turning every good thing into rust. Yes...I'm ticked off. I'm ticked off at you and I'm ticked off at myself for being one of you.

Oh, and all of you who "love Jesus" and who are still in the Church, or at least feigning some kind of semblance of being so...could you pick something and stick with it (for community's sake, is there such a thing as sacred time and space? Just because Mickey Mouse is on when the church gathers or because your sister's cousin's mother's co-worker's friend is in town that weekend...oh, forget it...God forbid that you'd actually bring them with you.)? If Jesus were this fickle, we'd all be screwed. If you're still waiting for this rock star to show up to preach or this one to lead worship, perhaps you should actually read the Bible and note that God raises up in each generation not from the great ones, but from the weak ones: guys and gals who have nothing upon which to rely but God Godself.

Oh, and for all of you who aren't in the Church and whine about her whorishness and lack of like-Christness, do you think that you're the first generation to notice? Ever heard of this guy? Or this guy? This guy? Maybe this one? Or perhaps this one? Each of them were pretty ticked at the state of God's people and yet did what they could to effect change rather than wallowing in self-pity.

And speaking of that last guy, perhaps the next time you get ticked because the music's wrong, or the slight details of the lyrics aren't theologically pleasing, or the pastor doesn't feed you or isn't cool enough, or you don't like how someone looked at you, or it's boring, or whatever else...just take a look at his example...you know, how he stormed away from the Temple, refused to participate in the local synagogue, and wouldn't engage the religious leaders (oh...wait...he tried to change the Temple system, was found in the synagogue all the time, and always engaged the religious leaders rather than sulking off in the distance). As he said, "If you love me, you will love my people."

In my vilest of moments, I sometimes wonder what would happen if we really did enter into a period of tough times, like an actual Great Depression 2 and not just a "Kinda-Depression-of-2009"...I may even wish for it sometimes. Seems like if that were to happen, only then would we really know what it is to suffer, and thus...to know Christ.

In kinder moments, I excuse a lot of you due to the fact that you have indeed been lied to. But I believe that humanity is better than that...that deep down, we know. And in moments of life, each of us has had a choice to do right, to sacrifice, to say "no" to more. Yet time and again, we continue to buy and continue to make choices or whine according to our own needs and vantage points.

"Oh, but I do want community!" No you don't. You want conformity. You confuse the two. The latter demands to be with those who are the same. The former chooses to be with those who aren't.

Take out your buds, put your iPod down, and take a look at the world around you. No, not just the Kiva website or the picture of the Compassion International Child who gets $20 every two weeks or so and thus fulfills your quota, but I mean the people who are actually around you. Enter into their presence with thanksgiving. Empty thyself of all you have that you might see things from their vantage...and thus the vantage of Christ.

I'll do it as soon as you do.

[only ever] Thinking about joining the Old Order Mennonites,

With all my love (as long as you do what I like, too, of course),

A sinner like you,

Jeremy

Suffering with Patience: The Community

2010-06-01T07:03:00.001-05:00

I pastor a church of a few dozen people. It's with wonder and amazement that I think of pastors who can truly pastor with compassion a flock just a little bit bigger that the one I get to oversee. For within the five or six dozen or so people that I pastor, the list of suffering runs the gamut of societal problems: homelessness, addiction, suicide, grief, divorce, poverty, mental disorder, gluttony, and sexual abuse...not to mention the general evangelical who can't seem to identify in the least with all of the above, regardless of good intentions.

It seems like this group would be fertile ground for eucharistic fellowship and community. But it's been very difficult. Many of the hurting and suffering trust me (I guess they are supposed to, I am their pastor). But they don't trust one another very well. They have sympathy for one another, but they don't really seek empathy. Perhaps they feel sorry for one another, but they are without true compassion, in the sense of "suffering with" one another.

Someone recently taught me about the deep-rooted relationship between compassion and patience. The Latin grandfather of both words is pati, meaning "suffering, feeling; enduring". From pati come both passion ("suffering") and patiens ("I am suffering"). So our English word compassion is "to suffer with" while patience of course means "bearing with".

This has a profound impact on how I look at those who are in need. I confess that sometimes I want to shake individuals and tell them to snap out of whatever situation they are in, particularly if it is due to their own doing. My impatience with the lack of change in a given person's situation could be excused as human. But it is surely not compassionate.

This connection between compassion and patience has a lot to say about the Body of Christ. We may never actually see the change for good we seek, at least not for a long, long time. If we view the world from God's perspective however...that's nothing new. God is used to it and apparently has the patience not to shake us in frustration.

And God has certainly demonstrated the compassion. This is what incarnation is all about and suffering is why it's so closely connected to the cross. We see in God in Christ our role for and to the world. In life, there are lots of things that seek our attention, but only when it's of benefit. Lots of people want to help those in need. Few would suffer with them.

On a number of occasions, I have heard someone mention compassionate ministry as a great way to "grow the church" (perhaps the majority of these occasions were within my own head!). Well it's true, the church grows out of true compassionate ministry. But the fruit of compassionate ministry grows in the qualitative ways that Paul writes of at the end of Galatians 5, not the quantity of fruit in the basket.

Compassionate ministry does not increase numbers in any shape or form. In fact, if it is true compassion (again, "suffering with"), what it does is empty us of so many things: money, energy, resources, and chaff-like individuals who weren't around for Christ-like ministry in the first place. So while we may not grow in size, we for sure grow in the likeness of Christ. Remember, the crowds left him when the going got tough, too.

Most weeks, our church community is sent out with the same benediction. It speaks to this notion of identifying with those who are hurting. In his song Take to the World, lyricist Derek Webb's benedictory words challenge in this way: "Like the three-in-one, know that you must become who you want to save, because that's still the way he takes to the world."

We're headed to Lent, which culminates with the passion week. We who follow him are to especially seek to suffer with Christ in this time. While we for sure use this season as a remembrance of Christ's once-and-for-all death on the cross, we're told in scripture time and again that the cross is our own: our way, model, and pattern (Phil. 2:5, Mark 8:34-35, etc.).

Lent is a wonder-full time for the local church community to re-member this together. While we're called to Christlike suffering with "the least of these," we're called to it together. What we find when we come together to suffer with those in need is that we are connected in ways we cannot understand. Perhaps you have noticed this in part during a short-term missions trip or even a week at youth camp when life-as-we-know-it is turned upside down and you have nothing more to rely upon than the people around you. You're left with an indelible mark and connection with those people. For the Body of Christ, this is the norm, not the exceptional week every year or two.

This is the way of the Church: suffering together. As Paul tells us in I Corinthians 12, "when one [member] suffers, all suffer together with it." When the members suffer together, we look more like the Body of Christ.

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This is the second installment of an article I wrote in 2009. Here is the first.

Suffering with Patience: The Individual

2010-06-01T07:00:00.002-05:00

"Is that it?"

As I let go of her hand and lifted my head, I noticed again her leather-like face. It was now crunched in a grimace of gentle disappointment, and with a somewhat polite pity she said, "Let me do it."

And as she proceeded to pray for me, I immediately knew that Christ was somehow present. Her words surely would have failed the Systematic Theology classes I've taken, but her belief that God was listening was as palpable as the smell of alcohol on her breath.

This was about eight years ago. I've not forgotten the moment, and I often still try to exegete it. In that moment when I was to be Christ, I instead met him. And I didn't expect it.

The short prayer I offered as a means to encourage this homeless woman, though offered sincerely and hopefully, was nothing more than an incantational attempt to make her feel better, to show her that I believed in a God that I believed could help her. And I did (and do!) believe that.

Since then however, I've read Matthew 25:31-46 (the separation of the sheep and goats) seemingly countless times. And I've had other similar encounters as the one with this homeless woman, encounters in which I've been surprised by the presence of Christ...when I was supposed to be the one "presenting" him to others.

While I was growing up, this passage in Matthew was a warning to me that if I didn't help people in need, I was bound for eternal damnation. But when I began to consider all the personal pronouns in that last sentence, I had to conclude that I was missing the point of Christ in this account.

The passage is about incarnation, and more specifically, compassion. But it's not your KJV-have-pity compassion. It's the literal "suffering with"-compassion. Generally, our society understands compassion as that charitable thing we have for people in need. But a biblical Christlike notion of compassion is the one that steps down from above to suffer alongside the ones in need. While fulfilling the need (hunger, nakedness, loneliness) may happen, it is but a bi-product of identifying with the need.

To have compassion is to take the place of the seat next to the one who is suffering, not the seat above him.

We can see this in the incarnation of God. We've recently come through Advent & Christmas. Advent - the coming of the Lord to be present with and dwelling amongst humanity in Christ. But what we know as those who follow him today is that our lives chase after his own footprints - we are to be today the presence of Christ in the world.

...which makes Matthew 25 so difficult for me. If I am the presence of Christ to others, then how on earth could he say that when we do to "the least of these," we unknowingly do to him? The problem with seeking to help those in need to fulfill a "call," a "mission," or even responsibility is that...well...it should be more than just ful-filling. In fact, what we find in identifying with need is that it's so often requires quite the opposite - emptying.

Indeed, we are to be today the presence of Christ in the world...as he was in the world: he, who was God, but emptied himself of all that (Phil. 2).

But the wonder of it all is that it ends in new life...in life coming out of that which was dead. This is the hope of compassion - that when we descend from our lofty places and positions to take up residence with "the least of these," we all together might be raised up to new life. It's what Christ did.

So while compassion leads to change and improvement in the world, it is not in and of itself change. If my compassion is meant to change or fix the world around me, it is not compassion. It might be charity. But it is not compassion. In fact, if anything changes because of seeking to go and suffer alongside those who are in need, we'll find that the change happens in us. Compassion does indeed change the world...but it begins by changing me.

Again, we see it in the life of Christ. For sure, God came into the world to "solve a problem." But the first thirty years or so were spent living amongst and identifying with those who were in need. This was the first part of his incarnational and compassionate ministry. And it's an endeavor that requires a lot patience.

And isn't that the way the Body of Christ is to work anyway: each part crucial to resonating with the leading of the head, that is Christ himself? Paul tells us in I Corinthians 12 that we clothe "the least" of these with greater honor. We might suppose that it's because what we do to the least of all, we do to Christ himself.

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This was the first installment of a submission for an article on compassion that I wrote in 2009. Here is the second part.

Common Cathedral

2010-05-24T09:24:00.000-05:00

Yesterday some of us from North Street went into the Boston Common to join in with the "Common Cathedral," the worship gathering of Ecclesia Ministries. In short, Ecclesia Ministries is a church for anyone, but it's a church for the homeless of Boston. Yesterday, I'd estimate that there were some 50 people who participated in some way, and probably 30-40 of those were homeless or mentally challenged. I had first heard of this gathering of the Table a while back, but determined to join in at some point after reading about it in Bryan Stone's book, Evangelism After Christendom.

This summer, The Remembrance is taking a different schedule, intentionally trying to gather around the Table in atmospheres and situations out of our own understanding and experience (including several times gathering with others). So we invited the whole church to come in for this gathering. There were but a handful of us (12).

The experience was as described: like none other than I'd experienced elsewhere. You can picture it: a group of several dozen (many coming and going at any point) gathered in a sorry circle just in front of the fountain beside the Park Street T Station, with thousands of others on the Common at the same time for all sorts of activities on this beautiful Sunday afternoon. There were details that I had read about:

People walked right through our circle, hardly noticing or caring that we were actually doing something. (One group of three passed just behind me, and I could audibly hear them mock one of the priests as she talked.)
It was quite appropriate that we went on Pentecost Sunday, because there was a number of elements that resonated with that first Christian Pentecost in Acts 2: some indeed appeared to be drunk (and some probably were); there was a certain "order" of chaos (it was obvious that if anything/anyone was in control is wasn't us, one of the priests, or anything but God); I could not understand much of what was being said...yet there was an understanding that when someone was speaking, it was a precious and important thing being said.
A wonderful gentleman played what I think was a mandolin and brought a small box of rhythm instruments for others to play. You will hear much more trained musicians elsewhere, but you may not see such passionate singers in many other places. We sang well-known songs: Kumbaya, We Shall Overcome, Holy Ground, etc.

And then there were a few things that I didn't expect, but were of note and impacted my experience:

During the Prayers of the People, one gentleman walked right through the center of the circle, pulled out a dollar bill, and bought a cigarette from another man. I tried to imagine this exchange in our services of communion. One of the obvious goals of Ecclesia Ministries is to very publicly declare to the world that the Table is open to all...wherever they may be at: addicted, confused, sick, misunderstood, broken. I greatly appreciate this...it's how Christ first invited to the Table (Judas the Betrayer, James & John the Power-Mongers, Peter the Denier, Thomas the Doubter).
As we were about to begin receiving the Eucharist, it was obvious that one of the gentlemen in our circle was in need of medical attention. There were several times that the two priests had to rely upon one another to juggle responsibilities of the service as the other took care of some other need (someone speaking angrily or "too" loudly, etc.). But this situation was the most obvious. We actually had to pause what we were doing as they called 911, the Boston Fire & EMS showed up (ever seen an ambulance drive up right next to the Table of Communion?), and carted the man away. It was my first time there, but I wondered how often this occurs. :-)
During the Eucharist, one of the priests left the circle with the bread to offer to others outside our circle, even if it may have been obvious that they would refuse. She wasn't pushy - she moved on if it was refused - but the way she offered it even to those who hadn't apparently come to be a part really impacted me. I'm still processing it.

I'd like to go back again, with more from our church and to reinforce some of the experience to my kids. I've tried very hard, but somehow the church is still a building to them, rather than the people who gather around Christ. At one point, Brayden was talking rather loudly, which I don't mind per-say, but it was obvious that his attention wasn't on what was happening. As I asked him to be a little quieter and to pay attention to what was going on because we were in church, he looked at me and said, "No, we're not!" with a look of confusion on his face. It was a teaching moment, I suppose and we talked about it again later.

I'm glad for Ecclesia Ministries and their faithful response to fulfilling I Corinthians 12.

Wesleyan Art

2009-12-02T07:17:00.000-06:00

My feelings on art and the Church resonate with Carole Baker and Leonard Sweet in the videos below ("bastions of boredom," funny...but also not).

Reclaiming The Material Gifts from The Work Of The People on Vimeo.

Len Sweet: Wack-A-Mole from The Work Of The People on Vimeo.

So I like and need art in a variety of forms and find it virtually absent in the Church today, and dangerously so. I find that the vast majority of what is labeled "Christian" art today is either:

not art (usually some pale copy/attempt at art, or worse yet, simply mass-produced for easy distribution);
doesn't speak to me (like southern gospel, 97% of CCM, Thomas Kincaid, etc.*);
or is dominated by reform theology (I love listening to Derek Webb and Shane & Shane, but they are unapologetically and wholeheartedly Calvinistic...frankly, so is much of contemporary worship music).

We know that much of what came out of the ministry through John Wesley was in great part due to his brother's music and lyricism. The argument might be made that Charles was more concerned about didache than music...but I might disagree. Charles seemed to understand that didache is best done through art.

So my question is this:
Where, who, what have you found these days that speaks to the soul that's saturated with Wesleyan-Arminian theology?

A couple of answers to my own question:

The musical group Jars of Clay has always spoken to me...since I first heard their first album back in 1995. They were postmodern before most any in the Church new what the term meant. While not necessarily Wesleyan, I find that their lyricism is much different from most of the reformed-dominated nature of CCM.
The visual liturgy site The Work of the People continues to slay me with their work. While not exclusively Wesleyan (in fact, quite often reformed**), they have been studying and highlighting Wesleyan-leaning theologians and artists more and more (like Leonard Sweet and Stanley Hauerwas).

Wow...my list is short. Perhaps I'll remember more later, but I basically want others' help. Anyone?

-------------

*I'm really not trying to start a debate on southern gospel, Thomas Kincaid, or anything concerning contemporary worship music. Please don't make this post that. Focus on the bold question above.

**I'm also not dismissing reformed art, I listen to and view it all the time. I'm just looking for more Wesleyan.

"Braby" Parker Scott

2009-10-10T15:57:00.000-05:00

So I haven't blogged much about our impending fourth child. Meghan's due around October 31st. I confess that this wasn't the easiest idea (another child!) at first. I'll never forget when Meghan told me that she was pregnant. I immediately said to her, "Um...I'm going to need a minute."

It has taken longer than a minute.

I thought we were done having children of our own. Brayden was beginning school again, the girls were becoming more independent, and I was looking forward to giving more time and energy to North Street. But the news gave my plan a "set back." Of course I knew right away that I would love this child and that I would grow into the same feelings I had for my first three. And I certainly have. But to say that it was butterflies and smiles right away would be disingenuous.

Then the other day an overwhelming feeling of excitement and anticipation overcame me. I can't wait for this guy, despite my uncertainty of how on earth we're going to live with four children. It's not that our house is too small (it isn't, unless you're measuring by American standards). It's more so that I have no clue how we're going to make it financially. I'm praying and researching about this right now.

We still don't have a name for this poor guy! It's odd. With Brayden, Brenna, & Brooklyn, it was no trouble at all. We had their names pretty well set early on. But with this one, we're somewhat set in the whole "Br-" thing. We're contemplating something else, but it really wouldn't make too much sense. And other meaningful Br- names just aren't coming...

...well there is one that I like, but Meghan won't go for it. I don't blame her. But the more I read about the guy, the more I wouldn't mind one of my children being named after him. Phineas F. Bresee is one of the founders of the Church of the Nazarene (his name is pronounced "Breh-ZEE". Having been pretty much forced from the Methodist Episcopal Church, he founded the original Church of the Nazarene (not initially a denomination) based upon the notion that Christ's church should first and foremost be composed of the poor. Not just that we should minister to the poor, but with the poor and as the poor. Now it's pretty likely that this vision was very quickly compromised, and for sure the CotN is so so far from that founding vision, but nonetheless...Bresee was a challenging and formidable man.

Our first three each have a name after someone in our family or church history. Brayden's middle name is "Wesley," which was my grandfather's middle name and certainly so after the great John Wesley. Brooklyn's middle name is "Gwen" after Meghan's great aunt Gwendolyn Mann who was a long-time professor at Eastern Nazarene College and who had a profound impact on my mother in heading into education. And Brenna's middle name is "Munro" after my great aunt, Helen Munro Lahmeyer who was named after Bertha Munro, long-time ENC professor and Nazarene saint. So "Bresee" seems to fit...

But Meghan just can't do it. And I understand, because while I like to read about the guy and know who he really was, he is most often in our denomination seen as a sort of "Mr. Nazarene"...which isn't necessarily our kind of thing. But if we named our child after him, we could tell people what he was really like (as if I even really know...we all know that saints are made after death).

Anyway, we're taking any and all suggestions. It's 99% certain that his middle name will be "Parker," which is Meghan's maiden name. We've jokingly thought about naming him "Bronald" since Meghan's dad's name is Ronald. Then he'd be "Bronald Parker". :-) Just for fun, I've put a poll on the page to see if anyone has any input.

Anyway, his arrival is likely in two or three weeks. Life will change yet again. I can't wait.

Remembering

2009-10-01T09:28:00.000-05:00

I think one of the things that most greatly pains me about the Christian Church is the brokenness of her various parts. Often, the Church's voice speaks of the brokenness of the world. As well it should - the world needs some help. But the Church herself is broken and it pains me. And it pains many others who've pretty much given up on the Church. In great part, I can't blame them.

But at the same time, it's nothing new, is it? The people of God have quite often been a collective whore, selling themselves out to whatever the whims or ways of the world are at the time (monarchy or syncretism with Ba'al for Israel, tradition for the Pharisees, Christendom for the Catholic Church, politics for the evangelical Church, and so, so many more examples). But our faith and theology tell us that Christ, the bridegroom is faithful all the while. Do I get pissed off at the Church? For sure...but it's in these moments that the words of Christ (via lyricist Derek Webb) challenge me back: "If you love Me, you will love the Church." In part, we love not because of perfection, but because of potential.

More and more I'm understanding that this side of the Great Resurrection, the Church will continue her shameful ways. This is not to say that I will not strive to do what I can to speak prophetically and to love unconditionally. It's also not to say that we shouldn't strive together to be who we were made and created to be...together...as a people. But I need to temper my emotions and read Jesus' prayer for his people in John 17 over and over and over again.

So when we began our Sunday evening gathering of communion at North Street, we called it "The Remembrance." There is a lot of intentionality behind the name. It is a gathering around the table of communion and specifically not around the preached word. The grace of the table abounds in multiple ways (ways that I'm still learning about and discovering). But one way we receive the grace of God - that is, we understand who God wants us to be together - is that Christ told us to come together at the table "in remembrance of him."

For sure, this means the general notion of what it tell our children it means: "remember that Jesus died for you." But it's way more than that. The Greek word here is "anamnesis": to recollect, indeed to remember. But what does that mean? To re-collect or to re-member is to put back together the things, the thoughts, or the parts of something. So...at the table of communion, if we are, as Christ asked us to, doing it to re-member him, then each of us, who is a member, coming to the table is making a decision to put the Body of Christ (the Church!) back together.

So it's my hope that this is what happens at the Remembrance - that it's a symbol, a hope, a desire to right now put back together the Body of Christ.

The Work of the People, as they often do, have just put out a wonderful video. In it, John Goldingay speaks to this notion of remembering. He talks about how the Hebrew notion of "remembering" isn't just about the past. To "remember" means to "be mindful of" (and thus, we can actually "remember" the future"). So to "forget" is to choose "not be mindful of." (This might help for those who can't understand how God can "forget" sin...)

Give it a watch, and wrestle with me about this "re-membrance" of Christ's Body, the Church.

Book Response: Evangelism After Christendom, Bryan Stone

2009-09-21T07:28:00.005-05:00

I'm not really a good book reviewer. Keep that in mind. This is way more a response than a review.

I have started a post on this book multiple times over the last couple of months, but never posted it. And the other day, after finally finishing the whole book, I wrote a long post which I lost when we lost power.

I'll try again...

I'm not sure I've read a book that's been more affirming and challenging and resonating and all sorts of other things more than this one. I'd say it was 90% affirming and 10% challenging. It was incredible and wonderful to find an ecclesiology that "matches" much of who/how/what I feel like the Church is supposed to be. More than once I put the book down and said to myself something along the lines of, "There, there, Jeremy...you're not an idiot." Well...maybe I am an idiot. But at least I know I'm not alone.

I read the book along with a group of three other Nazarene pastors. It was interesting. At the beginning of our conversations on the book, I think that there was some frustration and disagreement with Stone. As such, at that time I tempered my thoughts that agreed with Stone a bit. But by the end, I'm fairly confident in saying that each of the other pastors was pretty much on board with Stone. The topic of pacifism may be excluded for them, but in terms of evangelism as a whole, I think each pastor appreciates and embraces the notions of the book. More than once in the later weeks of our discussions, the question was asked: "What on earth are we going to do with this?"

I also put the book down in frustration sometimes, but not because I disagreed with it. I've never met nor talked to Bryan for more than a few seconds. But he lives less than 30 minutes away, we have multiple mutual acquaintances (including friends who are studying with him), and I feel like I "know" him from what I've read. This all led to frustration because as I read about this wonderful image of the local body of the Church, I could not help but wonder, "Yeah...great, Bryan...where the heck are churches like these?" (In fairness, he finally answers this question in part almost right at the very end of the book. I hope to join this community "at" their gathering sometime soon.)

The book is saturated with Wesley & Holiness. While not surprising since Bryan's training is both Nazarene & Methodist (and he teaches at a "Methodist" School of Theology), many who consider themselves either Wesleyan or Holiness people would be aghast, confused, or both at the claims of the book.

One thing's for sure: This book has only thrown more gasoline on the fire that is my desire to return to studying theology at BU. I see no possible way for this to happen with the current state of our lives, so the fire is only an insatiable monster.

I have no clue how to really respond specifically to the book in a post...I feel like I could write a book on this book. I guess I'll just post some of the things that jumped out at me throughout the book and in places give some commentary. Really, the book is a major repetition, over and over again, of the same thing (the thesis): "...the most evangelistic thing the church can do today is be the church." (p.15)

Right away in the intro, with the way that he talks about "re-claiming the E-word," I was challenged. I'm *sure* that this was explained fully to me in my seminary evangelism class: that "to evangelize" means to give good news. Simple as that. Nothing more and for SURE, nothing less. (My evangelism class should have been called "The Church Growth Model," but whatever...speaking of seminary, I've already sent a strong recommendation to the president, dean, and new evangelism professor that this book be strongly considered as a text for the class).
(p.12) "...the power of the gospel is demonstrated not through winning, but through obedience." How on earth do we read anything else through the eyes of scripture, particularly Jesus' ministry?
(p.15) "The church is the evangelistic strategy."
(quote from Hauerwas & Willimon): "The only way for the world to know that it is being redeemed is for the church to point to the Redeemer by being a redeemed people." (p.48) One aspect that I think I have taken away the most from the book is the encouragement that Christ has already done it all. We need not "win" for Christ. He's already done it. Our lives are simply now to reflect that victory again and again in the situations presented to us. Here's another quote that speaks to this (p.234): "To believe that the 'real world' is something other (or larger) than the world of the gospel is to deform Christian evangelism from the beginning."
quote from Russell: "...salvation is a story and not an idea..." (p.61)
quote from Lohfink: "What drives them to the new thing cannot be force, not even moral pressure, but only the fascination of a world that is changed." (p.73)
I wrote at one point on p.79, amidst Stone's discussion of Table fellowship (and fellowship in general): "Is exclusion our job or theirs?"
(p.85) "All Christian evangelism, therefore, whether directed to the rich or to the poor, is ultimately eschatological from beginning to end. It is not an exercise in getting persons ready for 'the end' but rather the practice of inviting persons to be transformed by the end that has already made itself present, and on that basis to see differently and live differently."
"The Constantinian story is the story of the church's forgetting its journey and making itself at home in the world." (p.116)
"...the point is that the logic of evangelism is not, in the first place, a matter of what 'works' but rather a matter of faithfulness and obedience." (p.162)
I've read Yoder's Politics of Jesus almost twice. But for some reason, this statement from Stone made clear "politics" to me better than ever before (p.178): "Politics refers to the processes, rules, and skills that help us as a people to understand, order, and form our involvements and relations." Yet another word that needs "re-claiming."
(p.195) "Holiness is never a way out of the world but ever and always a way into the world. It is for the world that the church is called to be both in the world and visibly different from the world." Good grief how did we ever get away from this?
(p.196) "The politics of evangelism, then, is the church's 'otherness' in worship, fellowship, baptism, discipline, moreality, and martyrdom." Um...why did I leave seminary feeling in great part like evangelism was best "done" when modeled after the ways of the world? Like...we have to be "cool" or something to evangelize people...
(p.199) "eucharistic fellowship and sharing" Nothing more I need to quote. These three words together are shaping my ecclesiology. I need them to shape my life.
(p.200) "The Eucharist is an economic act." (quoting Yoder)
"Sanctification does not happen first behind the closed doors of the church and prior to its bodily social engagement with the world. Rather, the church's eucharistic engagement with the world is its sanctification as a visible and public body that glorifies God." (p.211)
On pages 216-217, I wrote this: "Dude...you need to give Bresee credit." It felt like he was quoting Bresee without referencing him. Here's one such line: "It is to make sure that our buildings, sanctuaries, and meeting houses are places that cry out welcome to the poor." Doesn't that ring of Bresee!?
Yoder quote again: "...brokenness, not success, is the normal path of faithfulness to the servanthood of God." (p.224)
A general notion of the chapter on the Holy Spirit is that evangelism is for the whole church community, not just those who aren't yet a part. I wrote in the margins of p.228: "When I cease to reek of good news, I need to be evangelized."
(p.229) "...evangelism is characterized by witness rather than by effectiveness."
(p.257) "Evangelism cannot be measured by the conversions it 'produces.' Its only measurement is faithfulness to the gospel of Christ of which it is a witness and to which it is an invitation." Again, this resonates with a Bresee quote I recently discovered: "Don't count them. Weigh them. Not quantity, but quality." I know that a lot of people don't like this thinking. I do. And I daresay it's quite biblical.
(p.260) "The problem is this: when the practice of evangelism becomes so preoccupied with entry that it loses sight of the journey itself, it is capable of being taken over by a logic foreign to the journey and even antagonistic to it."
I'm still chewing on this one...and will be for a while. It haunts me: "...the one who is committed to the poor must run the same fate as the poor..." (this is a quote from Romero). This, to me, is the truest and more literal notion of com-passion. (p.287)
(p. 291) parenthetical: "it is worth noting that the word patience, like the word compassion, is derived from the Latin pati, which means 'suffering'"
"Evangelism takes time. But for a people of hope, it is precisely time that we have been given." (p.294)
(p.294) "To evangelize is not to convince or convert; it is to share a promise that has been made by God, narrated in the story of God's people and embodied in the person of Jesus."

In one sense, I hate giving proof-text quotes like this. You need to read the book.

The postliberal nature of stuff like this is more and more how I believe the Church must move forward: know the story of God in such a way...that our lives are the story of God...acting as an invitation to the world to become a part of the same story.

American Idols: Security

2009-09-01T09:24:00.002-05:00

This is actually a posting from our North St. News site, but I thought I'd post it for the four of you who read here too. It's coming out of our topic from yesterday at North Street: American Idols - Security.

The recording for this past Sunday's American Idol: Security is now posted. For those of you that are listening on the web alone and aren't able to or haven't been in our worship gathering with us each week, you should know that after the sermon we take some time to respond to it, question it, and offer other perspective/thoughts about the given topic. A couple of great and difficult points were brought up this week, and I said that I'd respond more in depth during the week. Please understand and read these questions only in the light of the sermon (read: "listen to the sermon first!").

What about the Kings and Nation of Israel in the Old Testament? Doesn't this show in scripture a balance between the pacifist Christ-King and a people of God who fight for God?
It's notable that in the very first place, when the people of God (Israel) told God that they would like a king to rule over them, God basically said, "Um...no you don't. A king will take your sons and make them work for his armies and take your daughters and make them work for him as well. And a king will tax you and take your best things from you." But the people persisted and said, "No, we are determined to have a king like the other nations." And so God said, "Okay, have yourself a king." And the rest is history...

God even goes as far as to say (to Samuel), "When the people ask for the leadership of a king, they are rejecting my kingship."

You can read it all in I Samuel 8.

The other story that I alluded to was when King David "counted" his armies (II Samuel 24 or I Chronicles 21). The two accounts differ on how it happened, but the main point to David was this: don't count your armies and/or people.

The power of God is always to be the power of God's people. Or, again, the people of God are at their best when they rely on nothing but the strength and power of their cruciform God. As one person noted on Sunday (in context Zechariah...not Gideon), "'Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord of hosts."

In light of that verse from Zechariah, I can't help but think again of the theme for yesterday: the people of God are at their best when they rely on nothing but the strength and power of a cruciform God. When has the Church been at her best? Look at Pentecost, for one. What was the power of that day? The very Spirit spoken of in Zechariah (and not might or power).

So does God leave us powerless?
Absolutely not! That's the whole point! God gives us great power! But it doesn't look like power as we tend to know it. His strength and power to drive out fear and evil is love (I Peter 4:16-21). And Paul gives us some great words about what our defense ("security" we might even say) does look like in places like Ephesians 6 (the armor of God). But take note that Paul says that we have this armor to "stand against," to be able to "withstand," and to "stand firm." He doesn't speak at all of "going and getting people." Yeah, yeah, I know...Paul talks about having the "sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." First off, any fencer will tell you that a sword is as much of a tool of defense as it is of offense. Second, there's that "Spirit" again, which we already know is not of "might nor power." Third, the "word of God" is our defense, so wonderfully demonstrated to us by Christ during his time of temptation in the wilderness/desert (Luke 4:1-13 and Matthew 4:1-11). Thrice Christ uses the "word of God" to defend himself against the "wiles of the devil," just as Paul mentions at the beginning of this passage.

I can't help but think of some of the great martyrs of our history: people who decided that fighting wasn't the way of the Kingdom and ultimately lost their life on this earth (for now) as they knew it. Martin Luther King, Jr. is perhaps my favorite. This short speech gets me every time (he spoke those words the very day before he was killed...haunting words). He also said, "Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time; the need for mankind to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to oppression and violence. Mankind must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression, and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love."

But perhaps best known to us is the account of the first martyred follower of Christ, Stephen, in Acts 7:54-60, where again, we find this "Spirit" of the Lord. It says that Stephen, full of that Spirit, laid down his life. So we see that the people of God, when filled with the Spirit of God, don't fight back...but remember that there is more than living (and dying!). It doesn't make any earthly sense. :-)

This has turned into a much longer post than I meant, but I can't help it...I continue to hold to the notion that God has more for his people than we see in the way we generally respond to the evils of the world.

Again, the question for us in all of this is, do we trust God? Or are we trusting other things in the place of God (the very definition of "idol")...?

Peace,
Pastor Jeremy

TheWorkofthePeople.com

2009-08-29T06:14:00.002-05:00

I've shared their videos before, but I continue to be moved and inspired by the work and art of Travis & Steve over at The Work of the People. Their videos go beyond simple interviews and/or rebukes of the Church and/or cheesy evangelical videos...all the way to art. We need more art in the Church. When the Church sold itself to rationalism, we left the arts to the rest of the world, which is an absolute pity. Anyway, there are about a dozen videos I want to share from them right now, but the one that's been haunting me the most lately is from Fuller Seminary professor John Goldingay.

In the first ten seconds, I was annoyed with Goldingay. By the end of the two-minute video, I wanted to cry with him. If anything can switch my emotions that quickly...it's art.

HELL IN A HAND BASKET from The Work Of The People on Vimeo.

"What's your strategy to love?"

"To do it."

True, true.

Going Away

2009-08-24T06:30:00.002-05:00

Only for two nights, but Meghan and I are going to the Cape to a bed and breakfast. We're finally using a B&B.com gift certificate that the church gave us last October. I need this time (I need more, actually). But I need it to be restored a bit. Last week was a particularly difficult week in various different ways. If you're actually reading this on my site rather than in a reader, you'll notice that I finally changed the mast. I look forward to sitting and watching the ocean wash things away sometime in the next 48 hours. I need that.

I did indeed record a podcast as I said I would be doing with the Three Philosophers (click on the sixth episode to hear the one I participated in). Feel free to listen to it, but again be warned that it is rather raw. I was caught a bit off-guard because I thought we were talking about the future of organized religion. Instead, we talked about evidence for God...which is a conversation I don't really get into. For me, true faith can't be built on evidence. That's kind of the whole point for me...as Augustine said, "If you can grasp it...it isn't God." But it was enjoyable to record, I suppose. Having listened to it again, I feel like I sounded more belligerent than I meant to at a point or two. But I suppose that's what happens in these types of things.

Anyway...peace to you all this day.

Summer...meh...and a few updates

2009-08-05T05:18:00.005-05:00

Yeah, I know, it's been a while. Not posting should not imply a lack of not thinking or learning. I'm learning much (still) these days.

So the picture on the mast of this blog is still one with tree branches covered with snow. Yes, I know that it's August 5th. I've not changed it due to time and perhaps some sloth.

But I've been thinking lately about how I can't stand summer. Really. I mean, yes, I enjoy some aspects...but I dislike it more than than I like it. Mid- to late-Fall is where it's at. Early spring too. Call me abnormal. I'm okay with that.

Here's why I dislike summer:

1. The heat. I really can't complain so much this summer. It's been mostly beautiful. We've had perhaps a collective week over 85 degrees. So this isn't so much a complaint this year. But I hate it when it's hot. I don't like sweating. Even more, I don't like more sweating at night when I should be sleeping comfortably. And for some reason...I feel badly when we run our ACs. We kept them out until late July this year, so that was nice, but since I've put them in I feel like I'm slipping dollar bills out into the humid air.
Society. I feel like I don't fit in much of the time. I've driven by Nantasket Beach (and other beaches) several times on "nice" summer days this year, seen the thousands of people having a great time. I don't fit in there. All I can think of at the beach on these kind of days is sticky sand, scratchy salt water, and dirty, oily trash. I love the beach...but mostly before 7:00 AM or after 7:00 PM. I love to go and sit at "The Gut" at the tip of Hull and watch the busyness of the boats and Boston. I feel like I'm so close yet so far away when I'm there. But as for a crowded, hot beach on a hot summer's day: not for me. In addition, it seems like society is more willing to be stupid in the summer.
Inconducive to community. I think the biggest annoyance about summer for me is that our church community is very difficult to keep together. Seems like half of everyone is gone every week. It makes it really difficult to be a community, and it greatly frustrates me.

Wow...I hate for this to be the way I post for the first time in a while. There are good things going on in life! Here are some updates:

North Street is a great group of people. We've been here almost three and a half years now and we continue to wrestle with the notion of daily Christian community. This continues to be the intense prayer and desire for Meghan and I. In the meantime, we're in the middle of a sermon series called "American Idols." Click here for more, including recordings. I've not preached this way before: either topically (leaving the lectionary) nor as prophetically. It's going well so far, but to this point, there have been no topics that will bring much dissention (busyness, the moment & instantaneity, and success). We'll see how it goes when we get to legislative morality, democratic freedom, family time, and the Bible. The hope is that coming through this series...we will all rely more upon God and one another.
Our pregnancy is going great. The difference between our first pregnancy and this one is slightly humorous. We're having a great time, don't get me wrong - I love feeling his movements when Meg and I are just chilling together. And the notion of what's happening in her belly continues to blow my mind. But it's surely different than the first. I can't believe how quickly this is going. We're less than three months away from his arrival. As for a name...we're at a loss. Any suggestions are welcome.
The kids are growing quickly and amazing me each day. Just yesterday, Brooklyn went out with me to visit some people and I was taken back by her knowledge of animals as I watched her read a book with someone. I just didn't know she knew that many of them. And both she and Brenna are singing ABCs (albeit not too enunciatively). The twins turned two and a half on the 1st. Brayden's almost four and a half and still incredibly smart and programmatic. He'll be going to "school" again for two days a week this fall. As advanced as he is with reading (and now math!), he is definitely behind socially. We look forward to more social structure for him.
Tomorrow night, I'll be a guest on a podcast called "Three Philosophers," but it isn't your academic notion of philosophy. Feel free to search for the podcast, but be forewarned that it's raw. I've enjoyed listening to these guys - they're honest, not afraid of dialogue or being wrong. Two of them are Christians, however disillusioned. The third is an atheist. I'm being brought in as they discuss the future of organized religion (we'll see where it really goes).
I've got a couple of other things on the horizon too that I should remember to post when they go live (a small writing "job" for NPH, and a roundtable discussion video with the House Studio.)

Anyway, I'm not sure I meant to write this much, but thought I should have something up here. Peace.

Update, Prayer & Community

2009-06-20T06:01:00.002-05:00

Yeah...I know. It's been months. Sorry.

Just a quick update for those who don't know - I've currently got Lyme's Disease. It's not been a great experience, but I am definitely coming out of it. Our family looks forward to driving down to Lynchburg, VA on Monday to spend a night or two with Mike & Beth Lyle and then on to Orlando, FL for the General Assembly of the International Church of the Nazarene. I'll be helping out on an unofficial reporting site (click here), namely the GS Election Tracker.

The baby in Meghan's belly is doing great. His name is "Braby" for now. We really haven't come across many options we like for a name. We'll see what we'll do. But we're excited about it.

Anyway, what prompted my post was actually a video from an acquaintance of mine here in Hingham. He's a monk at the beautiful Glastonbury Abbey, a Benedictine monastery. He speaks about prayer & community. God...I long for this.

Local Voices: Br. Dan Walters from Robin Chan on Vimeo.

Till next time. And I hope it's not several months again. Once I figure out the best way to format and update my blog on the new Mac, I'll get some things done, but not for a few week.

Peace.

Where The Wild Things Are

2009-03-26T19:58:00.002-05:00

Long been my favorite young children's book, the movie is well on it's way. Here is the trailer:

Flags Removed from Global Ministry Center

2009-03-19T16:39:00.002-05:00

So over at Naznet.com, Chuck Milhuff reports that by order of the Board of General Superintendents, the American and Kansan flags have been removed from the Global Ministry Center.

Which makes sense for the GLOBAL Ministry Center of the INTERNATIONAL Church of the Nazarene.

Here's the thread

Family Dinner Prayers

2009-03-18T14:11:00.002-05:00

We rotate between three different meal prayers. One is: "Lord, bless this food which now we take to do us good for Jesus' sake." Another is the good ole "God, our Father" song. And the third is "God you're great, God you're good..." I have minor theological differences and/or dislikes with each one of them.

So I wrote one for us:

We thank you, God, for the food we have

and the ground from which it came.

We think of those who have it not

And pray them help in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Any thoughts?

Refuse to Lead

2009-03-18T06:30:00.002-05:00

This video really hit home this morning.

Last night, Danny sang Jesus Take the Wheel on American Idol. I'm not a big fan of the song. The music's all right, but the lyrics fall short of my Wesleyan-Arminian understanding of the relationship between God and humanity. While it may seem a worthy thought to hand over the steering wheel of our lives to Christ, it doesn't really work that way. When we "give" our lives to Christ, we still play a major part in making the decisions of life. The change comes in that we've committed to living life in an understanding that we're following in the way of Christ. Sure, we have Christ's Spirit to guide us, but Christ is a guide...not an auto-pilot. The image I've seen used and used myself a couple of times is the difference between a road map and a compass: our lives in Christ are not lived by a road map which tells us exactly where to go, but by a compass, who gives us direction.

It's actually quite a beautiful thing...this interaction and relationship between humanity and God.

This video from Peter Rollins describes this in part on a human-to-human level within the Church. From the experience of some of my interactions lately...he's right on. I would like to say more, but probably shouldn't...

SNL: How to Get out of Debt

2009-03-14T11:49:00.004-05:00

There is a group at North Street right now talking and studying together about personal finance. I'm psyched that Dr. Dick Fish is leading this for us. The Fish's are a great example of a Christian couple who live not within, but below their means to be able to help out others. Dick has shared his personal finance testimony with us, greatly relating himself financially to the story of the prodigal son and loving father as well as this portion of Acts 2, a chapter which has been challenging me for a while now. If you're in the area on Wednesdays at 8:00 PM, join us.

Anyway, I found this Saturday Night Live video on Hulu.com just now as I ate my lunch. It's loosely funny...yet it's profoundly true. In more ways than one, America is consuming itself to death.

Finally

2009-03-03T08:15:00.007-06:00

File this under "90% of you don't care," but the new iMacs and Mac Minis have finally officially been announced. We've been thinking, saving, and waiting for months for this. Our poor 6 year old PC deserves a proper burial for good service rendered...but we're going to be moving on soon.

Now...we just have to decide if we're going with the BYOM (monitor) Mini or all out for the iMac. At this moment, we're leaning with to the Mini, but we'll see.

U2 at the Paradise!?

2009-03-02T05:57:00.005-06:00

I used to go to concerts. A lot. In high school and the beginning of college, not a month went by when I wasn't be groovin' it at a show. My favorite groups to see live were mainly "jam bands" Strangefolk, Phish, Guster, and Bela Fleck & the Flecktones (Guster kind of strayed from that scene to pop over the years). I'd catch other smaller groups to fill in the gaps. The range of other groups spanned from hard altnerative like Grammatrain to improv jazz like Medeski Martin & Wood. I drove all over the five states of New England. And truthfully, more often than not, I went alone. But all to say, I went to shows a lot.

Over the last 6-8 years, I've gone to perhaps half a dozen, if that. The major reasons for my inability to go include time and finances. But I've often missed the scene. I love live music.

So the front page of Boston.com speaks of a rumored U2 show at the Paradise in Boston. Some of my favorite memories in concert were at the Paradise. Jars of Clay were great there, but I think my favorite show was actually Deliriou5?. It was an incredibly passionate and worshipful show, open bar and everything.

But U2 might as well come and play in North Street's sanctuary. It's probably only just a little bit smaller than the Paradise. I mean, U2 could sell out a 100,000 seat venue, if it existed in Boston. If it's true, it's one show I won't be getting tickets to. Not because I wouldn't love to be there, but because, well...no one will get tickets to a U2 show that small.

I will however be at the very-quickly-sold-out Phish concert (can't call it a "show" at Great Woods) on June 6th. Phish has been off for a few years and this is a reunion tour of sorts. I've always wanted Meghan to be able to go and see the scene. So Grandma's coming to watch the kids and we'll be there.

While I think that Phish is my favorite large venue group to see live...I've never seen U2 in concert. And I fully confess that my concert resume is not complete without seeing them. I guess they'll be playing at Gillette Stadium in September, but I'm not sure I can justify two concerts in a six-month span these days. We'll see...

Lent

2009-02-25T08:21:00.008-06:00

I'm posting this mostly as accountability, but some may be interested. I will be observing Lent in the following ways:

Eating vegetarian - Meghan and I have been greatly challenged in our eating habits of late. This video is a main part of it, but I've also been studying Genesis closely about the distinction between carnivore and herbivore from the perspective of humanity. I wrote this to someone recently about it. Somewhat sums up my initial thoughts:

As for the intentions of what humans were to eat "from the beginning," the argument for some is that in the creation stories of Genesis 1-3, God only mentions to Adam eating of plants. It says that God made the plants for food for humanity and the animals to eat. In the first account of creation, it's mentioned at 1:29. In the second account of creation, it's at 2:9 and again at 2:16. Then in Genesis 3, after the disobedience, God only mentions Adam eating "from the plants" (v. 18).

While there might be made an implication that Cain eats of his sheep in chapter 4, it's really not until after the flood at the beginning of chapter 9 that God gives provision of the eating of the animals.

Now...

...I would never really run with this dogmatically whatsoever, but it does make us think about how much we consume. If the establishment of the Kingdom of God (Kingdom of Heaven) is indeed somewhat of a return to Eden, vegetarianism could
play a role in the already-but-not-yet-revealing of the Kingdom of God.

Again, I wouldn't run with this dogmatically, but it's something to think about.

So I'm trying the traditional practice of Lent to not eat meat. I don't hold it as prescriptive for everyone else (yet!), but I am challenged by how we overconsume meat to the overall detriment of the earth. I'm the first to say that I could pound a plate of buffalo wings or a 12 ounce steak. But with the rate that everyone's going, I'm concerned about health: ours and the earth's. This was one of my commitments from Saturday's Boston Faith & Justice event that I already blogged about.

We'll see how it goes...because I love meat.

Showering every other day for less than five minutes - This also comes out of the Boston Faith & Justice event. I already bought a shower timer a while ago. Of all the travesties in the world, the fact that so many are incredibly sick and even die from the lack of access to clean water sickens me. We're talking about water here (I feel like Allen Iverson). WATER!!! My cutting back on showering for a while will not give them clean water, but it will in very small part remind me of their plight. In addition, it will save water, money, and energy right here where I live.

So I'll be showering on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, the days I play basketball. (And Sunday, of course.)

This is what I call my "reminder that I'm human" for Lent. You may remember that I didn't shave during Lent last year. Part of what's happening for me in this time of preparation for Easter is a reminder that I am human and I need God.

Less sports radio, more reading - I am going to look into going from standard to basic cable to save time and money. In Kansas City we just used an antenna, but here in Hingham, it's useless. If we want any TV at all, we have to have cable in some fashion. But we could save a bit every month by going to basic. We'll lose a lot of what I watch (NESN, ESPN, CNN, Discovery: basically the sports and news stations) and what Meghan watches (TLC, etc.).

But for Lent, I will not listen to sports radio. I did this last year as well (though admittedly, much of the impetus was that the Patriots had just lost the SB, and I didn't want to listen to it).

In place, I'll be reading more. I'm reading five books throughout Lent: continuing Evangelism After Christendom and Finding Our Way Again, and beginning Beyond Homelessness, Between Cross & Resurrection: A Theology of Holy Saturday, and The Story of God. I've made a reading schedule which is somewhat aggressive on some days and not so much on others.

There will be some other things going on during Lent coming out of our church community.

But these are the big things for myself. Perhaps I'll post those after I hand them out to North Street.

What is terrorism? (...and what is our response?)

2009-02-24T15:42:00.000-06:00

One of the things I really enjoy about being in Hingham is participating in the religious leaders association (and don't you dare call it a "clergy group"). The Hingham & Hull Religious Leaders Association meets monthly, is well-organized with a president, VP, treasurer, and usually 15-20 attendees at the monthly lunch meeting. The group also includes counselors and compassionate center leaders (including NCM Friends of the Homeless). While there have been one or two "almost intense" discussions in my three years of participation (I'm there probably 75% of the time), I am amazed and proud of the collegial and friendly interaction amongst our group, which includes faith traditions Episcopal, Roman Catholic, Benedictine, United Methodist, Unitarian-Universalist, Reform Jewish, liberal conservative Jewish, Congregational (UCC), American Baptist, Conservative Baptist, Baha'i, and Mormon (LDS).

A smaller group of us meets regularly for lunch and extended conversation (a rabbi, UU minister, Baptist minister, UCC minister, and me, the Nazarene...yeah, go ahead and make your jokes). I've really enjoyed this group. Each of us knows that we believe different things, but we know that we come to that table without fear of discrimination, proselytization, or anything other than helping each other figure each other out. Indeed, I feel like I'm a better follower of Christ because of my learning and understandings from this group. Are we different? Definitely. Do we get heated sometimes in dicussion? Yes...if we didn't, then I might actually feel like I'm compromising.

The HHRLA hosts a number of events every year including an MLK, Jr. event, a Thanksgiving Eve community gathering, and several "Hot Topics" forums. These forums have discussed things such as Heaven & Hell, Faith & Politics, and End of Life Ethics. The format usually has 3-4 of us sharing about the topic from our faith perspective. Last night we held another forum, this one answering the question, "What is terrorism and what does our faith do in response?". I shared for the first time last night. After reading McLaren's Everything Must Change, Yoder's Politics of Jesus, and Claiborne's Jesus for President all in the last six months, I had some feelings on the subject.

Below is what I shared.

My name is Jeremy Scott. I serve as Pastor & Teacher at North Street Community Chapel, a Church of the Nazarene.

Before I begin, a preliminary...I maintain a online blog and the blog is in my name. And on my blog, I give this disclaimer:

The written understandings expressed on this website and blog are solely those of Jeremy D. Scott and are not necessarily (though perhaps hopefully!) representative of the International Church of the Nazarene, North Street Community Chapel, or any individual or organization other than Jeremy D. Scott. If you happen to quote this website/blog, be sure that it's quoted to "Jeremy D. Scott," and not as necessarily representative of the aforementioned groups.

While the words I write and speak are certainly reflective of my upbringing, my education, my family, my experience, and my life in a certain faith tradition, namely the International Church of the Nazarene, a Wesleyan-Arminian denomination, to single out my words and feelings as wholly representative of any one of these bodies or experiences is hardly accurate. You'll find members of my family, members of my denomination, and professors I've had each of whom may disagree with portions of what I'll say tonight. But that's the beauty of living within the story of humanity, isn't it?

All those who speak publicly in front of crowds know that a small percentage of spoken words are retained by listeners. So many a Sunday morning, as I stand in front of my small community at North Street, I find myself saying, "If you only hear one thing this morning, pay attention right now and hear this."

I'll offer the same kind of thing this evening. If you only hear one thing about my perspective on terrorism as one who follows Christ, hear these words from Henri Nouwen: "Much violence is based on the illusion that life is a property to be defended and not to be shared."

While I'll work from the definition of terror as "that which uses various expressions of power to elicit fear through intimidation." The question of terrorism for me really comes down to a discussion of power. And power, in speaking of terrorism, is so very related to a discussion of inequity, a vast chasm on the spectrum of prosperity. If terrorism were put on one end of a spectrum of labeled "responses to power," the other end of the spectrum from my viewpoint would be resistance through love and self-sacrifice. And much like the opposite end of the spectrum - a response of love, that is - terrorism is defined by the eye of the beholder. What is terrorism to one is heroism to another.

Any good dictionary follows a definition with examples. This is where things can get difficult. For myself, the spectrum of terrorism runs from the obvious: flying planes full of people into buildings full of people to make a statement - to the not-so-obvious to some: the use of torture for information extraction or the use of a massive bomb for the purpose of a statement of power.

So as a follower of Christ, how do I respond to terrorism...

Christian author and activist Brian McLaren, in his 2008 book, Everything Must Change sets out in one part of the book to propose three metaphors in response to the problems of international security, equity, and prosperity. While I have not the time to go in depth with these metaphors, they are hopefully somewhat self-explanatory. He says that Jesus might respond to these problems, all today an imbalance of power, with a "divine peace insurgency," an "unterror movement," or a "new global love economy." (at this point, I read from the book)

And the topic of power is one to which I believe the life of Jesus of Nazareth greatly spoke, particularly noting the society, government, and culture in which he walked and lived (I'll get back to this in a second...).

Really, a response to terrorism is in effect a national security plan. And a true Christian response to terrorism is "a national security plan that won't be winning any elections."

Activist and "new monk" Shane Claiborne wonders in jest why we never hear the words of the Gospel according to Matthew 10:39 from the mouth of a president: "Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it." (read from book)

Even the Old Testament, which at first has seemingly exemplar examples of genocide and terrorism in the eradication of peoples in the Promised Land by the nation of Israel, the nature of God as written and understood by those who were called his people gravitated towards Jesus' understandings in certain times. I Samuel 2: "...not by might does one prevail." Zechariah 4:6 - "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord."

But terrorism is about demonstrating the most power at any given moment to one-up the opposing side. For the follower of Christ, this is unacceptable. Christian preacher Barbara Brown Taylor wonders, "If Jesus wanted his followers to conquer the world, why did he teach them to wash feet?"

Perhaps you remember the Presidential Forum held at the evangelical Christian Saddleback Church in California, over which Rick Warren was moderator. The question as asked was, "Does evil exist and what do we do about it?" While one candidate's answer satisfied me more than the other, they both made the conclusion that we play a great part in eliminating evil. That evil can be squashed by human endeavor and that this is the role even of the United States.

And though this may be the response of many Christian groups, and indeed win elections, I hardly believe it to be the response of the human being that was and is Jesus. Would Jesus say that evil can and will be ridden once and for all? Yes, definitely. Does Jesus live by example in human form demonstrating how to fight evil? Yes, of course. Does Jesus give example of squelching evil by force? No, not when it counted most.

It's not by mistake to me that the central image of the Christian religion is perhaps the greatest icon of terrorism of all-time. The cross or crucifix was the tool of terrorism of the Roman Empire: the society, culture, and way of living into which Jesus of Nazareth was born. It was no accident that crucifixions were carried out in public, on high places, for days at a time, where all could see and remember the sight, the anguish, and the stench. The pax romana, that is the peace of Rome, came at great cost to tens of thousands of human beings who served as blatant and obvious reminders of what happens to anyone who dares to challenge the pax romana. This is terrorism: as I know it: "that which uses various expressions of power to elicit fear through intimidation."

And so was Jesus' response to this terrorism was to fight back, to give 'em what they give, to fight fire with fire, and to squelch by force the powers of oppression? No, not at all. As it goes, Christ succumbed to the cross, "took it up," so to speak, and lay down his own life.

I'll conclude again from scripture, and from a passage that I believe to be central to Christian ethics: Philippians 2: 5-11, which reads:

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,

who, though he was in the form of God,

did not regard equality with God

as something to be exploited,

but emptied himself,

taking the form of a slave,

being born in human likeness.

And being found in human form,

he humbled himself

and became obedient to the point of death—

even death on a cross.

Therefore God also highly exalted him

and gave him the name

that is above every name,

so that at the name of Jesus

every knee should bend,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue should confess

that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

From a human perspective, this seems foolish, and it's certainly not the natural response. This is for us part of what Paul means when he says in I Corinthians 1: "...the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us it IS the power of God."

But as a follower of Christ, that's why I believe that we see the best of humanity and divinity when we look at the person of Jesus Christ.

-------------------------------------------------

Some discussion ensued after.

The general notion of the forum was that the panel was pacifistic. I'd rather describe myself as an "almost-but-not-quite-pacifist." At one point, the statement was made that "not doing anything" isn't how somebody wants to respond to terrorism. I tried to clarify that I never said I wouldn't want to do anything. There is a difference between pacifism and passivism. Pacifism can be and ought to be proactive while passivism is...well...passive.

I have more thoughts, but that's good for now. This post is already a few weeks delayed.

The Church

2009-02-21T20:32:00.003-06:00

I haven't been this transparent on this blog in a while.

Went to the Boston Faith & Justice Network's Gratitude Economy: Gratitude & Creation tonight at Park Street Church, at which Shane Claiborne was the main speaker.

Meh...

I'm sick of "hearing."

My feelings can be summed up by two songs:

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For and The Church

In the spirit of the first song, I'm frustrated. I've "heard" it all. Been in the classroom. Read the books. Sat in the discussion groups. Blogged. Thought about it (a lot). Discussed it...none of it's satisfied what I believe it means to be in Christian community together. Sure, I do the one-on-one loving in the sense of the Great Commandment(s) (though certainly I have a lot more to do...to be). But I want to be part of a group of people doing the same...

In the spirit of the second song, I know I can't just give up. It's so tempting to move away to northern Vermont and live where I won't be distracted by the things around here (though certainly I'd find distractions there too), and to, in the words of Mother Teresa, "Find my own Calcutta" up there.

I don't know...I'm not sure any of this is coherent.

The grass is always greener, right?

"If you love Me, you will love the Church."

Adam Hamilton on Homosexuality & the Church

2009-02-10T07:42:00.002-06:00

I have a few "favorite pastors" whom I greatly value...individuals that I am very thankful are great leaders in the evangelical church and leaders to whom I think we need to look for vision for the future of the Church, particularly in the United States. These include "popular" names like Greg Boyd and Tim Keel, but also some Nazarenes like Jon Middendorf and Scott Daniels. Perhaps the most recognized individual I really appreciate is Adam Hamilton, pastor of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection. Meghan and I would go there on Saturday evenings quite often to worship while we were in Kansas City. I'm not big on big churches...but I could be a part of CoR if I weren't in ministry (though living in KC would be difficult!).

Anyway, below is Adam's response to a question about homosexuality & the Church. He elucidates my feelings very well. You can hear the overtones and opinions of the questioner in the way the question is asked..."reaches gays and lesbians". I might have said "ministers to...". Anyway, here it is:

SHANE: You recently preached a sermon on a controversial topic: homosexuality. Your position on this subject seems to have moved left over the years, but you show an unusual amount of respect for people on both sides of the issue and you even appear to be attempting to forge a "third way." What would be your advice to congregations that take far left or far right positions on this? Is it possible to take a traditional position on homosexuality and still be a congregation that effectively reaches gays and lesbians?

ADAM: I think it will be increasingly difficult to be a vocal proponent of the current UM position on homosexuality and effectively reach the next generation, or to effectively reach gays and lesbians. I think one might hold the current UM stance and not address the issue and reach them. One might, for the next five years (ten years in the south) articulate our current position with great compassion, and still reach young adults, homosexuals and their friends, family and co-workers. But the world is changing and I think the church will see this issue differently in the future. I'm convinced that all of the evangelical churches will wrestle with this issue in ten to fifteen years or they will have lost a generation and will themselves begin a steady period of decline. Sunday I asked our congregation to raise their hands if they have a close friend or someone they love who is gay. 90% of the congregation raised their hands. These folks already see greater complexity in this issue than the church does. They may still be a bit more conservative, but they will not tolerate churches that speak in ways that are cruel and insensitive about their friends. It's one thing to debate homosexuality as a hypothetical argument about someone you hardly know. It is another thing to consider a position regarding the life of someone you love.

My own journey and position on this involves several things: First, I continue to acknowledge that the scripture teaches that heterosexuality is normative and, to use Leslie Weatherhead's language from his book, The Will of God, God's "intentional will." The second is to recognize that there is a small portion of the population that seems to be shaped differently from that intention, either at birth or by early childhood, and usually not by a choice that was their own. For these heterosexuality will be very difficult to live into, even with the kind of "reparative therapy" offered by some. Next, after thirty years of daily Bible reading I have come to recognize that the Bible is a more complex document than most people would like to admit. It is both a book written by human beings who were shaped by their cultural and theological presuppositions, and the limitations of their knowledge, and it is a book through which God has spoken and continues to speak. This recognition gives us the ability to wrestle with the texts on homosexuality and to at least ask questions of them (did God really intend that homosexuals be stoned to death? Does God really see the gay children who we baptized, gave third grade Bibles to, confirmed and raised up as an "abomination"?) Fourth, we have a clear mandate, throughout scripture, concerning demonstrating love. We are to "do justice and to love mercy." Finally, what has most affected me and my views of this issue over the years has been my love of the children in our congregation. Having been in this church nearly 19 years, more than a dozen of the children I've baptized and watched grow up in the church later "came out" - I love these children (now young adults) and as I listen to their stories, and the way they've been treated by other Christians, I find myself being very protective of them. Likewise, in a congregation of 16,000 people, if we're reaching a representative sample of the community, 5% of these - roughly 800 people - are gay or lesbian. And I feel a great compassion and care for those in my flock that I know who are gay. So, both in my theological reflection about the nature of God, the nature of scripture and the nature of love, and in my personal experience with children and youth I care about in my flock, I find my views moderating on this issue.

I've tried to navigate a third way that says that we at Church of the Resurrection will agree to disagree about this issue - we've got folks on both sides. But we will continue to try to learn, grow and understand more clearly both the issue of homosexuality and how God looks at his children who are gay. And we will be a place where no one's children are turned away, or wounded by our church. I have tried to model how we might affirm the normative status of heterosexuality while seeing homosexuality with fresh and more sensitive and understanding eyes than we have in the past.

I still have a lot of unresolved questions about homosexuality, but what I've said captures the struggle, and the journey, I've been on.

The Best Music of All-Time

2009-02-04T10:00:00.000-06:00

I've been working on this post for months. In some ways, I've been working on it for my whole life. I reserve all rights to make changes in the future, although since this actual post took me months to write, I can't imagine too many changes will be likely.

I'm a huge fan, devotee, connoisseur, and lover of music. While I do not consistently listen to all forms, I appreciate all forms. You won't find me listening regularly to opera, rap, or hip-hop, but even these I have come to appreciate in certain moments (like this one or this one).

The following list is my Top Twenty Best Compositions of All-Time. I don't expect people to agree with me. It wouldn't necessarily make sense. I liken making a list like this with giving an opinion as to "the best spouse ever." It's going to vary from person to person, and for good reason. "Best" is relative. This list, while claiming "all-time" is quite obviously affected by a number of demographics, not to mention time itself - I live in the 21st century in the United States. Anyway...

Actually, one last thing before the list...any interpretation of the lyrics or meaning of a song is pretty much my own. That's one of the beauties of art, isn't it? While the artist most likely has an intent with the work, it becomes up to the interpretation of the recipient who gets to enjoy the work down the road. Any good artist realizes this and seeks to elicit emotions from the listener or observer.

I tried to assess an order to these...I couldn't, with the exception of a "Top Three." The others are in little to no order.

Let me begin:

Where the Streets Have No Name, U2 - The link is probably my favorite version. It was in Boston. I wasn't there, but I should have been. I've been to a lot of good shows and concerts, but my "resume" will not complete without hearing this live.

The Strong, the Tempted, & the Weak, Derek Webb - Sorry, but I couldn't find an audio file online or at YouTube. The link is to lyrics. The song led me to blog once.

Worlds Apart, Jars of Clay - I bought Jars' first album on a whim during my freshman year of high school before anyone had really heard of them. For a long time they were considered my "favorite band." I've seen them live over 20 times, from Mama Kin's in Boston (my first 18+ show...I was 16...thanks, Jeff) to SoulFest to my favorite show at the Paradise in Boston. The link is a pretty long live version. This song has brought me through a number of difficult times in life. I've tried to listen to a lot of "Christian" bands over the years. Only Jars have stuck (and perhaps Derek Webb).

More Than A Feeling, Boston - Thanks to Ray for turning me on to Boston. This is one of many songs that are meant for driving with all the windows down and the volume turned up.

Today, Smashing Pumpkins - Not really sure what the video's all about, but it's just a great song.

In Memory of Elizabeth Reed, Allman Brothers Band - I never got to see them live, but this is my favorite song from the band. Love the way it builds into a classic 70s jam.

Dissolve, Guster - (The link is to a site with a clip of the song...Guster's record company must have a strangle-hold on their songs, because I couldn't find anything on YouTube.) At some point in high school, I was at the CD store in the mall, looking through the Jars of Clay section (I wasn't looking for anything other than to see what they had...I already had everything possible put out by Jars). A salesclerk came up and said that if I liked the acoustic rock sound of Jars, I would like "this three-man band with two guitars and bongos." Turns out it was Guster. I bought their first album (Parachutes), and have a couple more, but none of the later ones. I should check them out again. I later befriended the salesclerk, Mark Lisavich, and we went to at least one show together (turns out we had mutual friends). Anyway, the whole of the Parachutes is incredible, but I remember listening to this song over and over. By the way, I don't really think that Jars and Guster sound much alike...but it doesn't matter. The notion got me to Guster.

Fake Plastic Trees, Radiohead - Do you remember those sob songs that you'd listen to in high school when someone rejected you or you got turned down by a girl or something? Yeah, this was one of them for me. I also like this acoustic version.

As I've listened to it more over the years though, the lyrics have actually come to mean something very deep for me, and for anyone who's ever been addicted to anything. It speaks of the things in life that are enjoyable in the moment, but over time become shallow, cheap, and ultimately a hindrance to greater truth and goodness, rather than feeding it.

One, U2 - The link is a great version with Mary J. Blige. This song is saturated with theology. I used it for this video.

So Well, Strangefolk (Reid Genauer) - The link is a horrible video of an acoustic version of the song. Reid Genauer is a great folky songwriter and lyricist. I wish Strangefolk had never lost Reid, but I can't blame a man for searching for his own. Regardless, this song brings back many memories of the Somerville Theater, and speaks well of life and death, even touching on some of my theology, though Reid may likely cringe at the thought.

Hoedown, Bela Fleck & the Fleck (originally Aaron Copeland) - (skip to 1:50 on the YouTube clip for the song) One of the signs of a great composition is the numerous musicians who seek to tap into the complexities of the composition (for the younger, "covering" a song) to make it their own. Emerson Lake & Palmer's version is great. But my favorite is by Bela Fleck.

All Along the Watchtower, Jimi Hendrix (originally Bob Dylan) - Another song redone by many. I used to listen to the Dave Matthew's Band's version a lot. U2's is great.

David Bowie, Phish - The song title is "David Bowie" and has little to nothing to do with the guy who wore tights in The Labrinth. This was my favorite Phish song for a long time. There are a lot of good songs with extended jams from Phish, but this is one of the originals.

Jamming, Bob Marley - There are a number of Bob Marley songs I could put up here, but the four chords at the beginning of this are legendary, pardon the pun.

Prince Caspian, Phish - Just a great tune. I used to put Brayden to sleep with it when he was a baby. It has no theological significance or relation to the book from the Chronicles of Narnia (at least, not according to any published report by the band), but it's a great song.

Slave to the Traffic Light, Phish - I used to have this bumper sticker in my car that said, "See the city, see the zoo, traffic light won't let me through" (lyrics from the song). Who of us who have ever seen the light sticks flying at a Phish concert can forget this song?

Big Country, Bela Fleck & the Flecktones - Very simple on this one: this song makes me happy. It's very relaxing, soothing, and pretty incredible composition-wise. I'm not sure I've seen a show with more musical talent on one stage than this group. If I could switch Carter Beaford for Future Man, this would easily be the most talented band on the planet.

Etude in C-minor ("Revolutionary"), Frederick Chopin - I was turned on to this piano solo by my friend J. Paul Pepper who can play it. A powerful quick song.

3. The Four Seasons, Antonio Vivaldi - I kid you not: I used to listen to this over and over in my room when in middle and high school, flailing my arms as if I were the conductor. I particularly like the Winter I portion, the end of Winter III (intense!), and Summer I.

2. Fix You, Coldplay - This is the newest song on the list. I don't even know what to say. It's an incredible song. I suppose if I listened to it 20 times in a row, I might get bored of it...but not 10 times in a row. I actually do often listen to it 3 or 4 times in a row. My kids love it. I've used this in worship and at a funeral. This is a song of redemption, a song of putting back together something that has gone wrong. I see it holistically for the world: "Lots of times things suck. That's not what God in Christ wants."

1. Messiah - Hallelujah, George Frederic Handel - It just, well, I can't help but be blown away by this song. It can certainly be overdone and when it's used comically or as a fill-in in a movie, it seems cheap, but when it comes down to it, this composition is loaded with inspiration, power, and truth. It's when music can inspire beyond the notes that it most moves me. The image of a final creation with "Christ and all things Christ," with no sorrow, all that ails and plagues us wiped away - that's pretty powerful. Handel does a "pretty good" job of putting this to sound. Most who've ever actually sat and listened through Messiah and gotten to this part can tell you how powerful it is.

All right, have at it...

Tony Jones Interview

2009-01-28T08:34:00.002-06:00

I had to share this...I stumbled upon it on YouTube.

I don't know who the interviewer is. I appreciate the interviewer at least sitting down with someone like Tony Jones and trying to figure out what makes us run rather than just making up damning and "truth-telling" websites (like this one). Although the "I'm sorry" comment was pretty cheap.

Anyway, Tony does well during this "litmus test" interview. His comments are much my own.

Wing Suits...UNBELIEVABLE

2009-01-21T15:26:00.002-06:00

wingsuit base jumping from Ali on Vimeo.

Crazy...

I saw a portion of this video a while ago when someone posted it on Facebook. While I consider myself a pretty adventurous guy...I'm not sure I could do this. I guess I better start with regular old sky-diving...

My favorite part:

"At the beginning of wing suit base-jumping, we were trying to get as far from the wall as possible...and now it's getting boring so we 'play around.'"

PLAY AROUND!?!? Are you kidding me?

If you don't have 3-4 minutes to watch the whole thing, be sure and check out 0:28, 2:03, 2:20, and 3:10. Forget it...just watch the whole thing.

I want to see them do the flips on the skis, soar for a while with the wing-suits and then find a landing spot with the skis on. Then I'd be impressed.

(Can someone explain why they wear helmets at all?)

MLK

2009-01-19T06:33:00.003-06:00

It's a couple-of-years-old tradition now for me to watch MLK speeches on the morning of today, the federal holiday in his honor. I'd love to spend paragraphs commentating on the speeches, but I think I'll just post them and invite you to watch them (again). The first is the whole of August 28, 1963 ("I Have A Dream"). The second is a very short segment of his last public speech, the day before he died. If you've watched either of these and think along the lines of "I've already heard that," I challenge you to listen/watch again. It's akin to listening to a song again because you liked it so much the previous time.

Kory Baker Ambler

2008-12-30T17:37:00.004-06:00

It's been quite a few days. In spirit and in truth...I'm exhausted.

For those who don't know him, Kory Ambler passed away tragically on Christmas Eve. You can read the obituary here.

Kory was the fiance of Jodi K. Newell, a long-time friend and a part of our North Street Community. Kory worshiped with us several times over the last year and a half. I got to dedicate their son, Corado (and Jodi is due with their second son, Benjamin Anthony on 1/4). I got to know Kory over the last year and a half as I talked with he and Jodi about family, marriage, life, and God. As you might imagine, over the last several days, I've seen numerous pictures of Kory on Facebook and at the various funeral activities. That's my favorite picture of he and Jodi to the right.

I had the incredible honor of overseeing much of Kory's funeral services. Even now as I type this, I am amazed at the outpouring of love and support for Kory and his family. The visiting hours yesterday went from 3:00-8:00 ("officially"), but there was a line waiting from before 2:45 and it still wrapped well around the building when I slipped out at 8:15.

This morning, the funeral procession from the funeral home was dozens of cars long. While Father Dan could probably give me a better estimate, I would guess that the funeral mass at Sacred Heart in Weymouth Landing saw at least 800-1000 people in attendance. It was a somber yet beautiful gathering of worship, culminating in the sacrament of communion.

After communion, the family had asked me to speak briefly about Kory. In some ways, it didn't feel right, as I've only known him for one and a half years, and there were well over a thousand people there who've known him for life. Needless to say, I was humbled. I am thankful to the family for the opportunity. At the same time, I appreciate the grace and hospitality extended by Father Dan Riley and staff at Sacred Heart. They really made me feel a part of the whole funeral mass, recognizing our roles together.

Anyway, I'm posting two of the things I read for the services over the last two days here. It's pretty much for Jodi's future reference, as I don't expect that she would have heard a word I said today. Jodi...peace to you.

Morning Prayer:

“Lord of Life, death scares us. We know we must die, but we have become skilled at living in a manner that ignores that stubborn fact. After all, most of us are not really old enough yet to have to face our deaths. Death happens to the old, not us, who are thus condemned to live as if we are perpetually young. Yet death slinks even into our young lives. We do not like it. We try to hide its presence by not being present to those who are dying and avoiding those who must be present to the dying. We therefore pray for your unfailing and sustaining presence for this family. Give them the same love and courage that sustained them and Kory in life. May that same courage find a home in our lives, that we may come to fear you more than our own deaths and thus be enabled to be present to one another. In Christ, Amen.”

(Adapted from Stanley Hauerwas' Prayers Plainly Spoken)

Funeral Mass Reflections:

Before anything else, let me be as bold as to offer a line from a song by Coldplay...words, I think, that speak honestly, yet hopefully:

"Just because I'm losing...doesn't mean I'm lost."

For me to stand here and say that I know Kory under the circumstances of those in this place of worship is quite presumptuous. The circumstances of being with all of you: his friends and all of his cousins, uncles, aunts, grandparents and of course his siblings, his parents, and his beloved Jodi, there's a lot more to Kory than the year and a half or so that I've known him. So, there are a lot of things that I don't know...about Kory, both the individual, and the greater story of his life.

Yet, in the time that I have known him, in the conversations that we did have, I came to know some things, and it's a couple of very important things about Kory that I want to reflect on just for a minute this morning.

1. He was an example for us of graciousness, thoughtfulness, and a gentleman-ness that is so often lost in our society today.

It was soon after Kory and Jodi came back to the right coast that my wife, Meghan went to a baby shower for them. It was really Meghan's first interactions with Kory, and her reflections on the day began with how wonderful Kory was, to his family, and to Jodi. Whether it was visiting people in the hospital, shoveling snow for Friends of the Homeless of the South Shore, or looking out for those who are usually over-looked, Kory had a keen eye and heart to help people out. May the rest of us live up to his example.

2. He loved his family...

It was Sunday, November 9th, when many of us gathered for Corado's 1st birthday. I was yet again struck with the enormity of his family. My twin daughters and I were lost in a sea of loved ones and other children on that day. And in my conversations with him about Jodi and Corado, his great love for them was more evident to me than anything else I will say about him.

Kory was blessed and he loved his family. And it's obvious to me that he was loved by his family..

3. He loved people, and thus loved to make people happy.

Kory loved and loved to love well. One of the times when I was over at Kory & Jodi's, they shared their dream of opening a wine and spirits shop. He shared that his desire to make people happy drove him. I remember sharing with them that this is what counts: the notion of the Apostle Paul's words in Galatians chapter 5: "The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love." While it may not make sense to you today, I indeed believe that Kory's desire to not disappoint those he loved went with him everywhere, even to his dying day.

"The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love."

Kory indeed had faith. In the most troubling of times that I knew Kory, we talked about God, and how God could carry them through. And despite the tragedy of this week, I still have that faith, and I invite you to as well - have faith in a God whose love and grace is bigger than you can ever know, despite any circumstance.

Christian theologian Brian McLaren reflects on death in one of his books. I will not forget one line from this book, and in thinking about Kory, it rings loudly today...

"We are becoming on this side of the door of death the kind of people we will be on the other side."

What kind of person do you remember Kory Baker Ambler to be?

Let me finish how I started, with words from Coldplay, again speaking of our emotions: honestly, but of the future: hopefully. When I hear these words, I dare think of them as of our Savior, Jesus Christ:

When you try your best, but you don't succeed

When you get what you want, but not what you need

When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep

Stuck in reverse

And the tears come streaming down on your face

When you lose something you can't replace

When you love someone, but it goes to waste

Could it be worse?

Lights will guide you home

And ignite your bones

And I will try to fix you

And high up above or down below

When you're too in love to let it go

If you never try you'll never know

Just what you're worth

Lights will guide you home

And ignite your bones

And I will try to fix you

An Advent Homily on Peace

2008-12-21T08:04:00.004-06:00

(This is a "North Street @ Your Street" sermon...)

Peace.

Yet another loaded word comes to us in the Advent season.

Peace on earth. Goodwill towards men.

People use the word to describe a variety of things, most often a void...or an absence:

the absence of war
the absence of noise
the absence of activity
the absence of life ("rest in peace")

I think of the word when I wake up before anyone else in my household. That's peace!

I also think of it during snowstorms like we had yesterday (and today!). I know..."storm" and "peace" don't seem like they should go together, but I always love the snow because it does bring about a sense of peace for me. If you just step outside during the snow, especially after at least half a foot, the snow gives our surroundings quite a different sense than normal. A fresh blanket of snow soaks up all the noise. It makes everything look uniform for once, rather than a big fight for attention. What usually may look rough or jagged becomes rounded and soft. Hard ground becomes as soft as a mattress.

In addition, snow storms are an automatic sabbath from God. I love it! The demands of life and society around us are forced to stop. Schedules must be shifted (or eliminated!). The busyness of the world comes to a stop. It's a nature-given time of rest (yeah, yeah, I know, we have to shovel and all...). While the news media and the majority of people portray it as a hindrance, I welcome the snow as a reminder that everything we think is important...can probably take a break for a bit.

Anyway, back to peace...

The word is the word of the day for us this year on this fourth Sunday of Advent.

What does it mean when considering the incarnation, the coming of God into humanity?

What does it mean to call him the "Prince of Peace"?

In our Old Testament passage for today, King David is reflecting upon the fact that he has a resting place: his own dwelling, his own home in which to live. This is obviously a time of peace for King David and for Israel (verse 1 says that he is "settled" and that he has been given "rest" from his enemies). But King David wonders aloud about God: does God have a dwelling place? He knows that his people, Israel, have carried the very presence of God with them where ever they've gone in the ark, in a tent. But this was when Israel was a transient people, moving from place to place. Now they have their own land. King David and his mighty men have established a place of residence for the people. He wonders aloud, "What about God though? Doesn't God have to have a place of residence amongst us as well?".

The contrast between the response to this question here and the response in the coming years after King David is interesting. God responds here in II Samuel that God has never had a "dwelling place," but that he's always been "moving." But we know that after David, Solomon indeed tries to build a residence place for the presence of God - the Temple. But what does God say here to King David?

Though we, as humans, have tried since the very beginning to wrap up God, put God in our pocket to be able to easily carry Him with us...God has always demonstrated that we are not capable of doing so without His own giving of Himself to us. One of the images that we use of God is spirit. "Spirit," amongst other things, is the image of something that can't be boxed up. We can't take God and settle Him down into our own places. We can only understand and know God as He is given and revealed to us.

So God continues in his response to King David's ponderings...and he says, "Did I ever really ask for that? Did I ever really want the leaders of Israel, saying 'Why have you not built for me a house?' I am going to establish you a house. I took you from a pasture (from the sheep nonetheless). I am the one who makes you who you are. You do not make me who or where I am! I've been with you wherever you go, not the other way around.

God is with us wherever we go. We can't box God up. We're too small, and God's too big.

And again, God continues in his response. God tells King David of a time and place when he will indeed establish David's people forever. God calls it a time when they will be "disturbed no more," a time when evil shall no longer afflict the people, a time when people will be given "rest from all their enemies."

If we know God only by his revelation to us, his greatest revelation to us is himself, found in Christ Jesus the God-man. And in his coming ("giving" of himself), we indeed have access to God at all times, in all places, wherever we go.

What's beautiful about the Incarnation, the "story" of Christmas, is that in it we have "God come to earth," "God come to humanity." He has given himself!

This is the peace of God, that He gives Himself to us. For good. Completely.

This is the "already-not yet" of Advent and of the Kingdom of God. While we continue to live in a world hell-bent on war, fighting, positioning, and line-drawing, we already have the peace of God given to us in Christ. So we have it, but we ignore it. Though God's given us peace...we choose not-peace.

Many are clamoring for the US president-elect to have a "Secretary of Peace." Wouldn't that be something! Instead of just making sure we've got our checklist of "important" things taken care of, things that we focus on (i.e.: Secretary of War, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Homeland Security), we have someone who makes sure we're focused on what's good! That indeed would be something!

If you've heard me preach much at all during Advent, you've heard me say it so many times already...but it's so notable to me that God chose to show up in humanity as a little baby. He could have come as a fully-grown man, right? Just dropped in from heaven as a 30-year-old man...but he didn't. God entered the world in the form of an innocent and peaceful baby. I think it's quite a statement: "This is my nature for you...that you would come to people not in war/fighting/aggression...but in peace."

Sacrifice & Such

2008-12-09T09:08:00.006-06:00

The time when the atonement felt most real and moving and incredible and sacrificial all at the same time was when I had surgery to repair a hernia two summers ago. I'd never been more vulnerable, in the hands of others than at that moment. When they laid me on the cold metal table, naked save a thin hospital gown, strapped me in, told me to breathe their gas, all with the knowledge that they would soon use a scalpel inches from my manhood...well...it was the closest to Good Friday that I've ever felt.

...and yet it wasn't even close.

Further, it wasn't even close to what so many I know go through on a regular basis. C. S. Lewis quotes Walter Hilton, in his Preface to The Problem of Pain: "I feel myself so far from true feeling of that I speak, that I can naught else but cry mercy and desire after it as I may."

Clive Staples continues with his own words, "I have never for one moment been in a state of mind to which even the imagination of serious pain was less than intolerable. If any man is safe from the danger of under-estimating this adversary, I am that man."

That's how I feel sometimes when I'm speaking of people taking up their cross, challenging them to identify with Christ...that if we're really going to be Christ-like, we'll follow him in the hard and not just the easy. And speaking of easy, it's just that for me to say it. I mean, I know it's the gospel and everything, foolishness and all, but there's always been something about "you can't take someone where you haven't been" for me.

Regardless, I know that comparing one life to the next is quite often futile. In fact, it's because of this practice that so many can't get life straight. If we spend life compaining about other people's grass, we'll...well...we'll spend life complaining because we'll always be able to find some that is greener.

Satisfaction and wholeness comes in self-actualization and self-realization. That is, for myself, I must find my role within Christ and his cruciform example with that which I have been blessed...or cursed. And I believe that God seeks our response to be of one that says, "Here's what I can do, and thus, what I will do." This is why Niebuhr's prayer is a good one.

Anyway, I've been thinking about these things because our three-year-old son, Brayden, is headed for surgery tomorrow. He's having his adenoids and tonsils removed and tubes put in his ears. We are hoping that it will improve his hearing, behavior, and sleep patterns. When it comes down to it, the surgery is pretty normal. I had similar procedures done when I was real young (before my memory). Apparently it was stressful for me, but only my parents remember. But there has been a quarter of a century of medical practice since then. Meghan and I have all confidence in the doctor.

Nonetheless, a sharp blade will be taken to my little boy tomorrow. I've said many times now that I've come to understand the nature of God in deeper and more intimate ways since having children. Usually I am referring to love, grace, and forgiveness.

But with Brayden's impending surgery, John 3:16 takes a different light. I know, I know...I'm sick of the verse too, at least, I'm sick of the abuse it's taken (not to mention that I think John 3:17 is the message the world needs to hear...or at least the Church does). After reading it and hearing it a million times, seeing it displayed on posters between the uprights, on bridges and subway walls, how could John 3:16 have new meaning...

Well as humans are apt to do, we usually focus on ourselves and what something means for us. But having children has made me look at things from God's point of view more often. And actually, what happens is that God's word for me becomes more powerful.

It's Advent season, leading up to Christmas, so that means it's time for me to whine again about how so few get it...both of Advent and of Christmas...and both Christians and non-Christians. We continue to get wrapped up in the wrapping. Or as the latest Advent Conspiracy video puts it, we give more presents than presence.

Perhaps one of the antidotes for this is to connect the manger with the cross. If the cross is the central image for the Church (this is such an aside, but can someone remind me why we need a flag? I had a Roman Catholic priest in our sanctuary on Sunday night and when he asked, "What's that other flag?" [other than the US], I laughed out loud. How could he be a Christian and not know that?!? In the case that someone who doesn't know me very well is reading this...that question is saturated with sarcasm.)

Anyway, as I was saying, if the cross is the central image for the Church, which I believe it is, most all things should be seen with the cross in mind, or at least in the conversation. The Christmas story is nice and all, but if we end with warm fuzzies, we've missed the story of Christ. I think we should "give things" at Christmas time, for sure. But the giving of Christ goes so way beyond what we give it's hardly comparable. We love when we give all that there is. The image of the cross is an image of complete surrender, complete dedication. Christ left nothing on the table when he went to the cross. So giving some change to the SA (which you should do!) or even a $20 to some other holiday charity is great, but for Americans, it doesn't speak of the depth of the Christmas story.

Anyway, I got to more rambling in this post than I meant to, but as I "hand over" my son to the whim of a surgeon tomorrow, I can't help but think of the Incarnation, and God's complete giving of his Son to the world. Jesus could have shown up as a grown man, right? But he didn't. God entered the world in the form of a baby. Crazy.

Ultimately, it doesn't compare (the incarnation and my son's surgery). This is obvious. God likely knew that it would lead to Jesus' death (at least, God certainly knew that he would be rejected in some fashion). I'm fairly certain that tomorrow's surgery will turn out okay. So they don't compare.

...but I still think about it. And it makes me love God even more.

From noise to silence...

2008-11-04T14:54:00.007-06:00

From Noise...
I first read the name "Barack Obama" a few years ago.

I used to be a big fan of Alan Keyes (my how far we've come...). I thought (and still think) he's one of the greatest debators I've seen. I can now see that his arguments are bogus...but he still uses them well. And I fell for him in 1996 and then in 2000 wrote him in for president. After 2000, I kept tabs on him. In 2004, when the Republican candidate for Senate in Illinois had to withdraw from the election due to a scandal, they tabbed Alan Keyes to come in and carry the ticket.

Turns out he was running against this heathen with a weird name: Barack Obama. Immediately I formed an opinion of Barack Obama. I swallowed Keyes' words that "Jesus wouldn't vote for Barack Obama." He must be evil. But even I could admit that this dude's speech at the DNC was pretty good.

It was Sen. Obama's speech at the 2006 Call to Renewal Conference in Washington, D.C. that gave me my first real ounce of hope in politics. For the first time, I heard a politician speak frankly and honestly about the interaction of his faith in Jesus Christ and his politics, particularly concerning the poor. I so wish that followers of Christ could watch this video today without a year and a half of politicking, political ads, and FoxNews.

Later that summer, I asked my Democrat uncle and Representative to the Vermont State House and Assistant Majority Leader, Floyd Nease if he thought Sen. Obama had a chance at the presidential nomination. He said something along the lines of, "No way, he is not known well enough to get the nomination." I don't mind having something to hold over him. :-)

I was pleased when Sen. Obama announced his candidacy, even though I knew he and I differed greatly on some issues, namely abortion.

At the same time, I've been disappointed with how he's run some of his campaign:

For one, he took the video of the above speech off his official website...the transcript's there, but it's not complete. You can watch the video in five parts on YouTube (here's the first part). I've not seen the speech spoken of in the media.
Secondly, the way he handled his pastor and church was seemingly completely a political move and it greatly disappointed me. (Yes, I know...my disappointment with the situation is a very different disappointment than that of pretty much everyone else you hear from. I have my reasons, but that is a post for another time.)

Of course, I realize that if he had not done the above two things (particularly #2), he would not still be running for president. But that's besides the point...I would expect a follower of Christ to be a follower of Christ no matter what. (Which begins to answer another question for another post: "Can a follower of Christ truly serve as President of the United States?")

Despite these two things, Rick Warren's forum gave me back just a little bit of faith in Sen. Obama's faith. I still can't understand how people can assume so strongly that Sen. McCain carries Christian values more than Sen. Obama based on one issue (and we all know what that one issue is). The demeanor of their answers to Pastor Warren's questions that evening were so very different. It was clear to me that Sen. Obama spoke of a Christ I knew better than Sen. McCain.

For instance, note here how they both answered the question of what it means to follow Christ daily. Sen. McCain barely answered it, and certainly didn't speak of what it means from day-to-day, which is very important to me in picking the most powerful human being on the planet. Sen. Obama spoke of how his faith in Christ affects his daily decision-making.

Or, note how they answered the question of evil. While I disagree with both of them in general that the answer to the world's problems is to kill Osama bin Laden, Sen. Obama at least acknowledges that revenge is God's and not ours. McCain's answer was based on the general American feeling that we are gods and we get our own revenge, revenge, revenge. He moves in his answer from killing Osama bin Laden to the assumption that the American military is the answer to theodicy. I vehemently disagree. Talk like this is an abuse of faith in God (note 2:09 of this video...and 3:50). We must be careful of what we label "the will of God."

So, anyway, if Barack Obama wins the election and if he will be even 50% of the man I saw give that speech at Call to Renewal as president, I'll be happy. Of course, Derek Webb may be correct, and you can call me ignorant or gullible for having hope...but I'd rather live hopefully than fearfully. However, I maintain above all else that despite his own repeated words ("America is the world's last great hope"), Sen. Obama is not the hope of the world.

I also like Sen. McCain. I said before the party nominations were clear that the best case scenario for me would be an Obama-McCain race. I think Sen. McCain is very respectable (his answer to Rick Warren re: "why are you running for president"was way better than Sen. Obama's and so was his answer to the question regarding his own moral failure). I think he will truly try to serve as he knows it and that he has not lied nearly as much as most politicians in DC. And citizens of the United States can feel safe if he's elected president (if that's your priority).

So today's the big election. And tonight I'm going to be in front of the TV watching history, one way or another. And everyone's buzzing, from updates on Facebook, to the Naznet, to the polling places, to the media. I'm hoping that there's no long, drawn out declaration of a win.

I commit here and now to praying for the President of the United States tomorrow. I think that with either man, the US will be headed in a much better direction. I confess that I've not prayed for President Bush enough. I give a sub-confession that things like this and this detracted me from doing so. That's wrong. I commit to praying for the President more.

Speaking of prayer...

...to Silence
Tomorrow morning we're heading up to Waterville, VT. Not much going on up there. I'll have no internet access and weak cell phone reception. We're going up so I can spend a couple of days in silence, prayer, and planning regarding North Street and our direction in worship and scripture in the coming months and the coming Church year. I'll sit at Meghan's "Pop-Pop's" desk for most of the time. I know that he used this desk and office for scripture study and prayer quite a bit before he passed away.

(That covered bridge in the picture is a 5 minute walk from Meghan's grandparents' home.)

And then since my birthday is Saturday, we're going to spend the tail end of our trip doing our Vermont stuff: the Cider Mill, Cabot outlet, and driving on Route 100. We'll be well past peak up there (we're past peak here in Hingham), but it'll be nice to be in Vermont anyway.

Until Monday...