Ah, Tear it Thence!

I've Moved!

2008-07-15T23:43:00.002-04:00

With my new MobileMe account I get webspace to publish my iWeb website which includes my blog. Come see the site!

New Site

I recommend...

2008-06-17T12:20:00.002-04:00

I recently discovered Minute Maid's Pomegranate Lemonade. Yummy stuff. The tea is OK, but not quite as great as the lemonade. Wal-Mart has it for $2.00 or so.

The most significant reason I like the lemonade so much is that it tastes just like the stuff we used to make at camp - a recipe from my Great Grandmother. It was called Goup. You start with a can of frozen lemonade concentrate, add Zarex drink flavoring, a can or more of Sprite and the rest of the two gallons or so of water. Very yummy stuff.

The Shack

2008-06-14T00:30:00.003-04:00

I am halfway through William P Young's The Shack and have very mixed feelings about it.

Here is a little snippet I found interesting. The protagonist, Mack, is talking with the Holy Spirit in a very literal sense.

"Mack was getting frustrated. He spoke louder, 'But, don't I have the right to...'

"'To complete a sentence without being interupted? [The Spirit had been interupting Mack's thoughts for almost a page now] Not in reality. But as long as you think you do, you will surely get ticked off when someone cuts you off, even if it is God.'"

Quite the day!

2008-06-09T19:15:00.003-04:00

Some news from today:

1. The Wesleyan Church functions a little differently from other denominations in that it has three coequal administrators in highest office. We affectionately refer to them as the Trinity. Today the General Conference of the church, which meets every four years, elected its first woman to the office. Read more here.

2. iPhone 3G announced. Oh yes.

Blessing After Blessing

2008-05-15T20:07:00.002-04:00

I can't hardly describe the day I have had, although I will do my best here. The day has truly been riddled with showers of blessing right from the beginning:

1. Greek class. It was the final Greek class I may ever have to take in my life. God be praised for a great year of relearning a pretty neat language.
2. My last paper for Spiritual Formation finished in half an hour giving me lots of time to get to Chapel, which is number three...
3. Chapel was EXCELLENT. We had a substitute organist who ROCKED the keys. Possibly the best we have sung And Can It Be. Dr. Mulholland brought the word. Yes he did. We were all blessed.
4. Nice chat at the lunch table about feelings and cognitive behavior therapy. Could work well with some people I am sure. God has blessed some people with great wisdom.
5. Spiritual Formation class was awesome. It was our last so that was the worst part. My song went pretty well, thanks to Cherith Meeks at the piano, but it was clear how God worked it all together to make a really wonderful class. My text has been a sort of them or the Seminary the past semester and Dr. Mulholland spoke on the text as well. Sometimes God knocks us over the head with themes like this and we actually get it.
6. I showed the car to a person today. I hope he makes the right decision for him. God knows I want Him to take the car back and for the right person. Maybe this is he?
7. I talked tonight for half an hour with my best friend from the age of, well, ever. Ben lived next door to me growing up (even when we moved from the trailer to the house) and was an ever constant companion. God has shown himself to Ben in the last year in ways he could only tell you because they are so amazing. We are the sought not the seeker. Praise Jesus for holding us close even when we are dead set against running away.
8. I talked to another buddy from home living in Lancaster. He and his wonderful wife have had a rough go of the last three years but will tell you with his mouth how faithful God has been through the ugliness. Little sparks of hope are all around for us to find.
9. Said friend's wife told me to grow a pair and call her in a week. I mean, how could you NOT love a person like that! ;) Thanks, Rachel. :)
10. The Office season finale rocked.

What an exercise - why don't we keep a list of 10 blessings for each day like this all the time?

Sweet Lord - how is it that I have been showered with these gifts? May they drive a response from within that reveals even more of your reckless love.

Relief

2008-05-08T07:01:00.002-04:00

God finally showed me a confidant to reveal my burdens to - what a blessing. Have you ever thought to yourself, "self - are there really any other skeletons in your closet?" Today I can answer a confident "no" and go on my merry way rejoicing at the new-found freedom that is mine. My God has freed me from an astounding guilt and will continue to renew me each day in different measure, but oh how sweet the conscience of a soul unburdened.

Happenstance Conversation

2008-05-01T22:16:00.002-04:00

A man I just met on my rounds is in town for his daughter's graduation. I told him I was going to be a preacher so his advice was to "preach the Word and step on toes if you have to. If people complain you know you are doing it right."

When a person tells you to preach the Word, and do so unappologetically, what do they mean exactly? What do you "preach" to the man whose son conceives a child out of wedlock who serves your church as an elder - is "the word" for him to resign? Are you preaching the Word to a family whose son died in Iraq when you picket his funeral as a protest to our domestic, national waywardness on issues like homosexuality and abortion? What relation is there between "Word" and "gospel"? Are they the same - can you swap one for the other? Are we spineless stand-for-nothings when we care about how we are received?

Disappointment

2008-04-23T22:40:00.000-04:00

I started this post some time ago and am just now finishing it. For whatever reason blogger post these things in order of draft and not post.

So...the title is inspired by a situation with a friend. Part of our conversation addressed moral gray areas I thought my friend and I were on the same page with, but it turns out we aren't. That got me thinking...

Disappointment has to be one of the worst feelings. I was disappointed in a friend, but I cannot imagine being disappointed by a spouse or worse - a child. How would a parent deal with that? Is it so hard because we paint an unreaslitic picture of these loved ones in our minds - or something else?

EDIT - I found the post date and time function. All is well in the world!

Power

2008-04-23T14:41:00.001-04:00

"If you define the terms you set the agenda" Dr. Rick Gray

Synthesis

2008-04-17T07:16:00.005-04:00

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I am going to do a recap of some thinking I have been doing lately. There is no way to say clearly where I am going with this thing, just that it will combine some thoughts on values, postmodernity, psychology and spirituality of personality, to name a few threads I will try to tie together in some meaningful way.

Much of what we think about God and the church is affected by the way we view the world God has created. Of these three the most important is our view of God. If we think we cannot possibly know God in our limited, human state (agnostic) the way we treat the world, the church - really, our whole lives will be affected. If we believe in an apersonal, set-the-world-in-motion-and-let-it-be, anti-miraculous sort of God (deism) we will necessarily react in certain ways to the idea of God, our families and cultures familiar and foreign.

In much the same way our personalities are large factors when it comes to how we behave as spiritual beings. Spiritual giants such as Thomas a Kempis such as Evelyn Underhill have been talking about the role of Spiritual Direction in the life of mentees Modern Psycho-social research on personality suggests that within the first few years of life we have already adopted a paradigmatic way of relating to the world. Myers-Briggs researchers identify four main avenues: feeling, thinking, sensing and intuition. It is observed that over the next few stages of life we learn to use the other three modes. I think (along with several personality and spirituality experts) that the person God created you to be will a large factor in how you relate to God. Thinkers will tend to think about God, just as they will do to every other relational situation. I think you get the idea.

In much the same way I believe communities tend to share similar approaches to God. Certain things can be said of the faith of the Amish, Methodists, Anglicans, Catholics and Charismatics. The way people view God's imminence, transcendence, the role of the Spirit, etc.

Thinking still larger, people across certain periods in history (within the same culture) can be said to think in similar ways. Nowadays Americans, Western Europeans, Australians and a few others could be said to have similar world views. We share similar cultures, cultural origins and economic conditions. One of the reasons institutions like Asbury Theological Seminary are blessed is because of the Beeson International Center which brings Christian leaders from all over the world to our campus. We are blessed to study and worship together - to share life.

People from other parts of the globe have a very different way of looking at the world. Their frames of reference are totally different than ours. This differing world view has repercussions with regard to the way these guests of ours relate to God.

Now we have come full circle to the modern - postmodern thing. Beginning with art critics and historians a movement has arisen to describe a shift of paradigms going on in our culture. Unlike any other period in history we are trying to describe the shift while it is happening and even forecast where we may be headed. These are educated people to be sure. They are, however, in among this shift as we all are. Some people claim the future can be forecasted to some degree by following trends in Europe, Australia and New Zealand which have tended to be anywhere from 20 to 50 years ahead of the US in similar shifts. These and other techniques can only be so helpful, however, since the period we are in can only truly be considered once we are out of it.

So here is a twist to our normal conversation: To what degree does talking about the direction our society is taking actually determine where its course?

On Balance and Christianity

2008-04-15T06:57:00.004-04:00

Many late night conversations with the roommate turn out to be blog-worthy chats. The problem is that these exchanges occur in the wee hours of the morning once I have arrived home from work. This post is one such conversation from my point of view. It draws heavily on what I have come to understand is an Eastern concept of balance and the writings of Richard Foster and Marjorie Thompson on spiritual disciplines.

Like many of our conversations this started with drinking. A friend of Ted's is heading up a singles ministry that involves twenty-somethings from a few area churches. One gathering announcement on facebook or somewhere talked about an upcoming event and had a strangely awkward sentence at the end talking about drinking. "Remember, we are being watched and must put forth the best witness we can. Therefore, we will not be drinking at our event."

Many of my readers can likely tell where I might be going with this. I am part of the Wesleyan Church, a Wesleyan-Arminian Church in the Holiness movement. We are a "dry" Church, meaning that we, as a people of like faith, have seen that alcohol in many respects has been an agent for evil and victimized children, wives and families. At the same time I have many family members, friends who were Wesleyans or friends who went to Houghton with me (a Wesleyan school) who do drink from time to time. Certainly I cannot say that each of these are responsible adults, but I respect these people and the integrity of their faith. I have come to believe that people of faith and good conscience can fall on both sides of this fence.

That brought my thoughts to a chapter of Marjorie Thompson's book Soul Feast discussing the importance of fasting. She sees two main reasons for fasting in the Bible. Primarily, fasting is seen as a personal or corporate means of repentance "and humble supplication before God in the face of imminent destruction or calamity (See Joel 2, Jonah 3 and Esther 4). The second purpose of a fast was to prepare oneself inwardly for receiving the necessary strength and grace to complete a mission of faithful service in God's name." (Thompson, 76)

Thompson goes on to explore fasting from the perspective of the Church's Lenten season. Founded on the idea of Israel's 40 years of wandering in the wilderness and Jesus' own 40 days of wilderness temptations, the Christian Church has long observed a period of fasting for 40 days prior to the Easter feast. She describes the entire Church calendar as "rhythms of feasting and fasting." (Thompson, 78)

Further back we can find foundations of this practice in the garden. "In Eden, God gave Adam and Eve every fruit of the garden but one. That one fruit, out of a world of variety, indicated a limit to human freedom. Accepting that limit was the single abstinence required by God. It was a way of recognizing that human beings are dependent on God for life. But Adam and Eve allowed themselves to be seduced by the serpent (a figure of God's enemy, Satan). The serpent's question inverts the reality of the situation, 'Did God say, "You shall not eat of any tree of the garden?" (Gen. 3.1, emphasis added). Instead of a prohibition against one fruit, God's warning is presented as a prohibition against all fruit. The temptation, it seems, is to see a single boundary as so restrictive that it negates the good of all other freedoms. Adam and Eve took the bait. Metapohorically, they "broke the fast," transgressing the one limit required of them. In refusing to accept the natural bounds of their creaturehood, they reached for the very place of God. They wanted it all." (Thompson, 79) We are, then, returning to the garden in our 40 days of Lent to remember that God is God and we are not. God is the source and sustenance of creation, including humanity.

This is a beautiful picture of fasting on a personal level - even the whole of the spiritual disciplines. We seek to place God back at the center of life, and in the case of fasting and other disciplines of restriction, we do this by voluntarily limiting our own freedoms. Could not the same be said of communities? Mennonites and Holiness communities and denominations (among others) are by their example seeking to create "fasts" to offset the "feasts" the rest of the world seems to be bingeing on.

The question is this, I suppose. Has God asked you to exercise freedom in Christ - and in that freedom display restraint - or has God asked you to participate in the self-giving of fasting for the sake of humanity?

Sabbatical

2008-04-10T07:03:00.002-04:00

Blogging and journaling have been closely related in my experience. Content traditionally reserved for one medium has often found its way onto the other. This season has changed that to some degree. In Spiritual Formation we talked about praying through Scripture as a spiritual exercise, especially the Psalms.

The Psalms? Really? The Psalms have been an enigma to me for as long as I can remember. After all, what enemies have I that are at my feet? I am an emotional person (no matter how well that is normally held back) but the Psalms? They are totally removed from the story of my life. Then I tried journaling with the sort of abandon David and his contemporaries needed to be expressing these raw feelings to God. Now the Psalms, though distant still, have been given new life in my reading.

So, lately I am bearing my soul to God in a new way and a different forum reducing my blog load. (I had some good comments on a few recent posts - yes, I will respond! The Beauty post was part of a Postmodern fan-hitting in the groups in which I travel so I had to take a step back from the conversation/argument to collect my thoughts.)

How about you? Have you allowed yourself journal - or even pray - to God without using "thees" and "thous"? Have you exposed your innermost feelings to him? Have you yet discovered the intimacy that comes from not only knowing God knows all about your thought life, but have determined to take God on a guided-tour through your innermost secrets? You would be amazed at what new ways God is given permission to renovate your life if you take him in further - not stopping at just those prayers that really match a life more holy than the one you are living.

There is a push at school for a sort of bloggers convention - to gather together and promote this "craft." Me? I will be taking a sabbatical with God and my journal.

Spring in Kentucky

2008-03-23T18:35:00.002-04:00

Although Easter is earlier this year than it will be again for another 150 years (or so I have heard), spring still hits here in Kentucky far earlier than in Maine. This beautiful tree was spotted while I was at a stoplight leaving church today. Enjoy!

Via Crucis

2008-03-23T18:07:00.003-04:00

The suitemates and I went to Cincinnati on Good Friday to walk through an experiential stations of the cross. I took pictures so make sure follow these three different links to hop over to my facebook and walk through the stations with us!

Album 1

Album 2

Album 3

Easter Craziness

2008-03-23T15:10:00.002-04:00

Happy Easter, everyone!

Here is a crazy link the suitemate found today. Check it out at your own risk...

Easter Ritual

Beauty

2008-03-06T15:56:00.003-05:00

Our church is in the middle of a wonderful transition to a Postmodern paradigm marked by many encouraging things. Among them is the demotion of reason (some may say truth) and the elevation of beauty. What does this mean, you may ask? Let me give you a good illustration - or at least give my best shot at it.

Today in Spiritual Formation we listened to a eulogy delivered by the former president of Asbury College, Dr. Dennis Kinlaw. He was memorializing the life of Dr. Caruth (spelling?) who was the previous Prayer and Spiritual Formation professor, and in fact, the first such professor in a Protestant Seminary.

Dr. Kinlaw's words were gracious and honoring. Without ever having known about Dr. Caruth's life, his ministry, his passions or his calling we came closer to knowing the type of Child of God he strove to be, endeavored to be, encouraged others to be. He was truly intimate with God - a true God hearer who lived life for the sake of others.

Today in chapel we heard a lecture delivered by Dr. Francis Watson of Durham University in England. The comment that links to this story was quite off-the-cuff (especially in a lecture setting like we had). Of the sacrificial system he was describing at the time, he said, "the priests were given the flesh of the burnt offering to eat and God was given the aroma."

I parallel these sacrifices in my mind, and with that of Jesus' sacrifice. God was pleased with the perfect sacrifices brought to the altar, with his son's body, anointed by a prostitute for burial, and with the life given to service to himself through intimacy and service to others.

I was inspired by these thoughts to think of the sort of bride I am preparing to be for Christ's return, both in the respect that I am his bride the same way the church I serve is his bride. Let me be the sort of mate befitting the Prince.

No longer Gomer. No longer Gomer.

Can you read this?

2008-03-06T08:31:00.000-05:00

Fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae an itnerseting mnid too!
Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can. i cdnuolt
blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg.
The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a
rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in
waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt
tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit
pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed
it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos
not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.
Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was
ipmorantt!

Trivial Trivialness

2008-03-03T10:39:00.002-05:00

This is a fun link for all you fellow bloggers. Not sure how the algorithms work, but it is interesting!

Blog Readability Test

How am I the Weaker Brother?

2008-02-23T14:43:00.003-05:00

A natural extension to the conversation we have had below is the practical workings-out of the weaker brother consideration.

A friend posited whether we should, as Christian leaders, be educating ourselves in the identification of such weaker brothers (or perhaps weaker siblings). There may be ways Psychologists, Sociologists and Theologians together may be able to help us identify the issues some believers have with certain behaviors that may not be expressly prohibited in the Bible.

Then we might also consider an introspective approach - how am I the weaker sibling? What things cause me to stumble?

The real question is, though, how do we create an environment where these things can be shared? How do we share these things with others if we are the "weaker" sibling? How exactly do we respond if we have been told of a weakness in a sibling? What limits ought I put on my freedom? Do I limit these freedoms at all times or only around those who would be offended? What of institutions and denominations that ask us to limit our freedoms for the sake of others as an oath of community - do these apply when I am in my home alone with family? What about on the road visiting unbelieving friends who wouldn't understand if I refused to participate with them? Who does it hurt?

Greatest Comic Strip

2008-02-18T20:18:00.001-05:00

Take a look see -

And in Contrast...

2008-02-18T20:16:00.002-05:00

Kentucky Snowbanks

2008-02-15T13:56:00.002-05:00

I grabbed this pic yesterday in Lexington. Haha.

Lenten Reader

2008-02-08T14:04:00.000-05:00

This season the seminary has a new reader. It is simply amazing - both in content and in style. You can get a taste of the reader at its website, www.asburyreader.com.

Come read scripture with us!

Orders

2008-02-07T16:00:00.000-05:00

The idea I am about to express is not mine - it came up during a Theological theme exploration last semester at the Asbury Wesleyan Community and I think it was Dr. Dongell who first posed the possibility.

My last two posts have been a result of this same drive a few of us Wesleyans at Asbury are feeling. Where is our slavery? Where is this generation's fight for civil rights for women and other minorities? What is our generation's incarnation of the activist spirit? A few possibilities were offered; environmentalism, immigration, etc, but then the question of mode comes. In their day, Orange Scott, Luther Lee and company were compelled to create a new denomination. Certainly it is not necessary to create a new body based on new convictions held by a pioneering few, especially if I am among that few and have no particular idea what sorts of issues will be so important. What other courses of change have we as a Protestant, Holiness movement?

The Catholic Church is our example here, I believe. A friend of mine spent last night at an abbey on retreat. The Abbey of Gethsemani in Trappist, Kentucky, is a Benedictine order. As I understand them, orders are a particular kind of regimented here are many Cistercian orders who are Benedictines who wanted to return to the strict observance of the Rule of Saint Benedict. This abbey is the home of Thomas Merton who was a very popular and well-published monk of our century.

Orders are important to the faith and within the Catholic Church especially. Rather than start denominations certain faithful believers of the first century took upon themselves the task of convincing the church that the Spirt asked them to live a lifestyle contrary to the norm. After gaining recognition from the church they began following the Spirit and have enriched the church by their example.

We modern Christians tend to think there is a singular Christian life we are to all imitate - that of Christ. I believe this is a valid goal. However, rather than think of ourselves as imitators of God, orders tend to make us think of the church as an imitator of Christ. In such a way we embrace the Spirit's leading individuals on different paths and enrich our own faith by communing with them.

Monastic life is often criticized as contrary to the great commission. I think this is a valid point. Certainly there are many abbeys and convents whose orders do not include vows of silence where mission work does occur.

The question for commenting: In light of this post, how does the Spirit work?

Another question: How could the Wesleyan Church (or your own denomination) embrace the concept of orders today?

Which Comes First - the Discipline or the Egg?

2008-01-30T16:38:00.001-05:00

As part of our polity class Dr. Kind had us draw up pretend memorials to send to General Conference to revise the Discipline. Mine, I decided, was a membership requirement describing a member's responsibility to be a responsible steward of natural resources.

My question is this: Do we change Discipline to match social reality or do we change it to match our goals as community? In the last post many have commented on gluttony and other social evils our church should be taking a stand on (sometimes distracted by arguments about drinking, etc). Should we have a grassroots movement of activism to get the church focussed and then change the Discipline to match the new movement, or do we change the Discipline because 2/3 of the GC and of the districts believe this is a wise thing?

Christian Liberty and Alcohol

2008-01-24T20:23:00.000-05:00

1Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. 2One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. 4Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
5One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. 8If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

9For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. 10You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. 11It is written:
" 'As surely as I live,' says the Lord,
'every knee will bow before me;
every tongue will confess to God.' "[a] 12So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

13Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way. 14As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food[b] is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. 15If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. 16Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. 17For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.

19Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. 20Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. 21It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.

22So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.

-Romans 8.1-22, New International Version of the Bible

Our Wesleyan Polity and Discipline class has spent a great deal of time discussing the "archaic" drinking and substance abuse clause in the Discipline of the church. It is widely considered the most controversial paragraph in the publication to be considered for discussion or change this year at General Conference.

Often times the proponents or opponents head to the Bible in search of texts condoning or condemning drinking or drunkenness, but I hope here to take a different approach.

Attitudes behind this debate confound me. Our church is in a sad position, I believe. Those in favor of taming the Discipline's language of prohibition are no doubt looking out for the health of the church assuming that adding these people who would be members aside from this issue would be assets to our fellowship. The Community v. Covenant debate is here evident - those interested in joining our congregations have been taken in as disciples under Community auspices and have remained there, rather than becoming full members, because of the issue of social drinking.

Community membership is a good idea. As Community members we are able to open dialog with and disciple those the Holy Spirit is guiding to us, but it should be assumed that those joining our communities are taking on the privilege of Community membership are aware of the church's rich history of abstinence from substances - this should not be a surprise that comes up during the temporary period they are discipled as Community members. People should not become Community members after discipling of this nature who disagree with the church on this point.

Further, the real issue here is that of Christian Liberty. I personally believe it is not morally wrong to drink, as it were, socially. Some people of good conscience say social drinking is wrong on the grounds patronage of the industry results in the further violation of families and abuse by those who are unfortunate enough not to be in control of their consumption. I would not go quite that far in my argument, but I can see its merit.

My argument is against the attitudes involved. Are we truly considering our brothers and sisters in the Lord if we exercise our liberty to engage in social drinking if we know full well that weaker siblings' faith does not allow them to as well? How self centered we are to flaunt our liberty! Why can't we suspend our liberty for the sake of the Kingdom?

As for addressing the topic in the discipline at all, I believe we have here a beautiful example of our rich heritage of considering the weaker sibling. God has given us this issue, no doubt, in part because of the liberty implications - I hope we would be wrestling with some other hot topic if alcohol or substances had never been invented - simply because the church needs reminding, as we are told in 1 Corinthians 6.12, "All things are lawful for me, but not all are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything." (NASB)

20Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.

Amen

Today's Sermon

2007-12-30T14:18:00.002-05:00

I am copying and pasting my sermon from today for public comment. I think Gram was a little confused by it. Another woman said, "I think there were 5 or 6 good sermons in there." Not sure if that meant she thought it could be shorter or that I didn't develop any one idea too well. (She may be right on that point...) Lets see what you think...

Halloween spills into Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving into Christmas. It has long been lamented that Thanksgiving, for example, cannot be truly appreciated because of what retailers have done to it - no sooner has Halloween ended than Christmas trees, decorations and toppers are available in, of all places, Lowe’s home improvement warehouse!

The church is guilty of a similar eclipsing. The start of the Christian year may be Advent at the beginning of December, but the quintessential holiday Christians celebrate is Resurrection Sunday. This is perhaps appropriate. Part of Jesus’ reason for coming as a child at Christmas was to settle a debt we could not pay - to offer himself as the atonement for our sin. But if we think this is the ONLY reason Jesus had to come to earth, we are preaching an anemic gospel.

Had Jesus only needed to die on the cross for our sins he would have likely come to earth in some extravagant production - down through the clouds for all to see. He wouldn’t necessarily have needed to come as a baby. He wouldn’t have needed to grow up, go to school, learn a trade, and he certainly wouldn’t have spent three years in ministry. After his baptism he would have needed only go straight to Jerusalem and incite the religious authorities to detest him and begin planning his demise. He would have wasted no time getting to the cross, and he certainly wouldn’t have needed to rise again. I have often heard it said that a gospel preached without a resurrected Jesus is empty. Just why is that? If we focus on Easter and forget Christmas we loose it altogether.

To get an idea of why Jesus had to come as he did we must return go the garden. Eden - indeed, the world - was perfect when it was created. After each thing was created - the light, the land and sea, even humankind, God declared it good. Listen to what was said of us when humankind was created, (Gen 1.26-28)
“God spoke: ‘Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature
So that they can be responsible for the fish in the sea,
the birds in the air, the cattle,
And, yes, the Earth itself,
and every animal that moves on the face of the Earth.”
God created human beings;
he created them godlike,
Reflecting God’s nature.
He created them male and female.
God blessed them;
“Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge!
Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air,
for every living thing that moves on the face of the Earth.”

Of course, this did not last long. After eating of the Tree-of-Knowledge-of-Good-and-Evil, Adam and Eve’s sin cursed not only themselves, but the whole of creation. Because of the sin of the serpent he was cursed beyond all cattle and wild animals - to slink on his belly and eat dirt all the days of his life and was set at enmity with man. Because of Eve’s sin, womankind was cursed to endure pains in childbirth and to be lorded over by her husband even though she would want to please him. And because of Adam’s sin, mankind was cursed to labor on the earth in pain and toil. As we are told in Genesis 3.17-19,
“The very ground is cursed because of you (speaking to Adam);
getting food from the ground
Will be as painful as having babies is for your wife;

-a quick aside - I guess women can’t really hold the pain of childbirth over her husband and children, can she, if the pain is comparable as this says? Anyway...let me start this again...

you’ll be working in pain all your life long.
The ground will sprout thorns and weeds,
you’ll get your food the hard way,
Planting and tilling and harvesting,
sweating in the fields from dawn to dusk,
Until you return to that ground yourself, dead and buried;
you started out as dirt, you’ll end up dirt.”
Notice how humankind’s sin cursed the earth - all of creation - the ground damned to produce thorns and weeds. As chief among created beings, created in the image of God, humankind was originally meant to rule the earth - prosper, reproduce and be responsible for everything in it. But because of our disobedience have come into the world pain, domineering, labor and toil just for sustenance.

The very next pericope in Genesis brings us to Noah and his family. Noah alone, of all the people on earth, pleased God. Genesis 6.5-7 says,
“GOD saw that human evil was out of control. People thought evil, imagined evil - evil, evil, evil from morning to night. GOD was sorry he had made the human race in the first place; it broke his heart.
GOD said, ‘I’ll get rid of my ruined creation, make a clean sweep: people, animals, snakes and bugs, birds - the works. I’m sorry I made them.”
All this was the responsibility of humans. As caretakers of creation our actions have doomed the Earth. Human evil alone placed the whole of creation at odds with God. And so the flood was sent to start anew - a sort of second creation.

After the flood God promised never to send another flood to destroy the earth, sealing the promise with the rainbow, and gave instructions to Noah and his sons, blessing them,
“Prosper! Reproduce! Fill the Earth! Every living creature - birds, animals, fish - will fall under your spell and be afraid of you. You’re responsible for them. All living creatures are yours for food; just as I gave you the plants, now I give you everything else.”
But just as this second creation was not as glorious as the first, there is already a stain of the fall on it - instead of being responsible for creation we see that every living creature will be afraid of us - the curse of the serpent extended to every living creature.

Without exploring the whole of Israel’s narrative between Noah and Advent, I will highlight one more aspect of our shared heritage - The Abrahamic covenant. At 100 and 91 years old respectively, Abraham and Sarah gave birth to Isaac, the son of the covenant. Isaac was still young when God instructed Abraham to sacrifice him on Mount Moriah. We all know the story well - “God will provide himself a lamb,” Abraham comforted a confused Isaac. And he did. As the knife was raised above Isaac, the angel of the Lord stopped Abraham and provided a ram caught in the thicket in Isaac’s place. Because of Abraham’s obedience in this and other tests he entered into covenant with God - covenant that would make his line great and a blessing to all nations of the Earth. At Mount Sinai God provides us with the details of the covenant - our end of the bargain. Ten commandments God writes on stone for the people and are kept in the Ark of the Covenant, but there are also many other laws God gave that day. Such as, “If someone hits father or mother, the penalty is death. If someone uncovers a cistern or digs a pit and leaves it open and an ox or donkey falls into it, the owner of the pit must pay whatever the animal is worth to its owner but can keep the dead animal” and so on. We move now to Exodus 22 to a very interesting set of laws in verses 21-24,
“Don’t abuse or take advantage of strangers; you, remember, were once strangers in Egypt.
“Don’t mistreat widows or orphans. If you do, and they cry out to me, you can be sure I’ll take them seriously; I’ll show my anger and come raging among you with the sword, and your wives will end up widows and your children orphans.”

God’s part in this relationship? God was to bless Abraham and his descendents - out of him would spring many generations, more numerous than the stars, out of his lineage would rise kings, and through him all nations of the earth would be blessed. Quite a promise to a man with a barren wife!

Between Mt. Sinai and the first Christmas day there were many things that took place, but we have a pretty good foundation now for where I am going. God created the world and humankind as its caretakers. Humankind rebelled and so cursed the entire earth, but God was already working on the remedy for human sin - he made a covenant with Abraham to foretell of his promised deliverance from our wretched state. The earth was created perfect and our job was to care for it, but after the fall and the flood we were given to lord over the land and all the animals within it would fear us and heed our commands. At Sinai we were told our end of the bargain - we are to keep his commands and thus stay in his good graces, and as I highlighted, care for the orphan, the widow, and deal justly with strangers because we were once strangers in Egypt.

It was a few hundred years I believe between Sinai and Christ’s coming - well, 42 generations between Abraham and Christ according to Saint Matthew’s account. Think of the first to know of Christ’s birth. Who were they? Luke tells us angels announced to shepherds on a hillside the birth of a Savior, Messiah and Master. In case you are wondering, shepherding is not for the elite. Pre-exodus, Abraham’s large entourage included shepherds but they were lowly slave boys. Angels appeared to shepherds proclaiming Jesus’ birth as a happy event for the entire world! Then back to Matthew - Wise men (or scholars, as the Message translates it) from the east have come some distance to worship the newborn king of the Jews. I say they travelled some distance because the Wise men have observed the star for many months at least - when they hoodwink Herod he orders all male babies two years and younger be killed to protect his claim to the throne. And this age - two years - was a number he learned from the wise men who had described their observations of the star and when it first appeared. Another thing to think about - I have done a search for mention of a star in the Hebrew scriptures to see what they believed this star in the east corresponded to and why they thought it heralded the birth of a King of the Jews - nothing. As Matthew records, Herod, after being told of the star by the wise men, gathers his scholars to learn where this child would be born and so points the wise men to Bethlehem because of Micah’s prophecy, which says,
“Its you, Bethlehem, in Judah’s land,
no longer bringing up the rear.
From you will come the leader
who will shepherd-rule my people, my Israel.”
But you notice there is no mention of a star to tell us of this great event occurring. Whose scriptures were the wise men reading, then? Their own? But that would mean God had worked through pagan scripture to point these particular scholars to a particular star at a particular time so they would be to Jerusalem by the time Jesus was born. If the wise men had not come there would have been a great many other prophecies unfulfilled as Matthew tells us - prophecy told us Jesus was called out of Egypt and that he would be called a Nazarene - both moves of Jesus’ family prompted by angels’ warnings in dreams to Joseph, and both set into motion because the wise men had visited Herod and not kept their deal with him. So we have the first parties to know of Jesus’ birth in shepherds, young boys, maybe slaves and wise scholars of another nationality altogether. Can you see how perhaps Matthew is trying to say Jesus is the fulfillment of the promise to Abraham - because of YOU all nations of the earth will be blessed?

So Jesus grows and matures. He is baptized by John in the Jordan, led into the wilderness where he is tempted by Satan and attended by angels. When he emerges he is a different person - a man on a mission. Jesus went to Galilee preaching the Message of God, Mark quotes Jesus, (1.14-15)
“Time’s up! God’s kingdom is here. Change your life and believe the Message.”

Notice Jesus does not immediately run to Jerusalem. For three years he is in the wilderness of Galilee, in Nazareth, keeping away from his ultimate demise in Jerusalem. He spends time teaching, preaching, traveling from place to place healing the sick, raising the dead and delivering the possessed of their demon possessors. This three years is in contrast to a week’s worth of time that ends in his resurrection from the dead. In fact, this is all before he claimed he was the Messiah sent by God.

Our Gospel lesson from Luke this morning shows us how Jesus intended to show his Messiahship - not through his death as that time had not yet come - but through his acts of mercy.
“Go back and tell John what you have just seen and heard:
“The blind see,
The lame walk,
Lepers are cleansed,
The deaf hear,
The dead are raised
The wretched of the earth
have God’s salvation hospitality extended to them.”
Think of the orphan and widow language of Moses’ law - do you hear an echo here? “The wretched of the earth have God’s salvation-hospitality extended to them?” In heralding the Kingdom of God Jesus is in effect pushing back the curse, one miracle at a time. Pain, sorrow, marginalization, fear, shame, even demons flee before him. Do they flee before us?

Before getting ready for the day yesterday I was thinking about our society of materialism. I thought I needed more jeans this year so I asked for a few for Christmas. I ended up with four new pair! Four pair of jeans to add to the drawer of jeans I brought back with me from school. Two pair have a color that is still in style but the fit is not, so I prefer not to wear them. Another I bought with a gift certificate from Christmas last year but I ended up home with them before I realized they had holes in them - purposefully! There all shades of colors, (denims, blacks, etc) different washes of blue or black, different degrees of stressing and distressing, and now holes! Then there are the host of non-jean pants in my closet. How many of you who are older than me had so many things in your closet as a child or young adult? I have often heard it said that each child had two sets of clothes - one for work and play and the other for school. Was there something inadequate with that system? I can’t imagine there was. We are concerned with saving the environment now, which as stewards of the earth we should all be concerned about, but here we are buying dozens of pairs of pants for each child, and each adult, wearing them one day and then throwing them in the hamper - if we are concerned with the environment won’t we wear the pants a few times and then wash them? Shouldn’t we stop buying so many jeans in the first place? I really should find out who said this quote because it is very striking - something to this affect, “The pair of pants hanging in the closet that you never wear are not yours - they belong to the person on the street who has none. Shame on us for leaving them there!” We are hoarders in America. Further, we invest in companies that make the latest style of jean because we know people will be out buying them for themselves or their children - but do they have the money to buy $80 or $90 jeans? Not to mention the practices the company employs in Taiwan where the jeans are actually made... We are caught in a trap of materialism and can’t seem to get out. Do the Amish and Mennonites have the answer? Some days I think they do.

This is just an example of the bondage we find or put ourselves in - the same that result from the fall and humankind’s disobedience. The same Jesus was crusading against in his three years of ministry - disease, sickness, evil of all sorts.

When we tell our story to others, what do we say of our deliverance? Do we give them some grand monologue in three and four-syllable theological terms about our justification or sanctification, then describe our stance for or against John Wesley, Calvin or Luther on this or that minute point? Or do we tell people plainly how Jesus delivered us from self-condemnation, drunkenness, smoking, illness, disease, or other obsession? Which is more relatable, more powerful? Furthermore - what do we do to combat materialism, substance abuse, poverty, hunger, homelessness and disease? Are we really disciples of Jesus if we preach a gospel of reconciliation with a wrathful God and are not working right alongside Jesus to turn back the curse any way we see it?

I visited a Greek Orthodox Church in Kentucky this fall and was I ever blessed! The congregation is still small and meets in a strip mall storefront just 10 minutes from campus. The sanctuary is decorated with beautiful gold icons of Jesus, and a few others. There are no pews in this church save a bench all around the room for the feeble - children and adults stand in the center of the room participating in the worship service. The whole service is in plain chant - the prayers to begin, the congregational responses, the epistle and gospel readings. The most impressive part of the service to me was the gospel reading itself. Until a certain time everyone is standing in families all around the room participating in the service in their own little groups - until the Priest grabs the large gilded book containing the gospels. At this point, he picks it up off the lectern and brings it down to the floor where the congregation is standing. Everyone in the group gathers to the front of the sanctuary as one body, where the Priest is, chanting through the day’s reading from the gospel. The symbolism is rich - God sent his only son from heaven to earth to dwell among us - listen to John’s rendering of this, (1.14)
“The Word became flesh and blood,
and moved into our neighborhood.
We saw the glory with our own eyes,
the one-of-a-kind glory,
like Father, like Son,
Generous inside and out,
true from start to finish.”

True, Jesus died taking the penalty of our sins on himself - but he lived so that we might live. He lived to show us how to live. He died to satisfy God’s holy need for blood to forgive sins and pass over us, but he rose again to prove that he was indeed the Son of God and to enable us, as he was enabled by God, to (Matt 28.18)
“Go out and train everyone we meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.”

Amen.

Advent Conspiracy

2007-11-13T20:00:00.000-05:00

From consumption to compassion. Check out this site: adventconspiracy.org.

Houghton's MATS

2007-10-31T15:22:00.000-04:00

So yesterday Houghton College (or soon to be University??) announced its second Master's program - a Master's in Theological Studies. It is a 48 hour degree used by many as a step toward a PhD. Pretty exciting stuff!! Go Houghton!

Here is the news release address: http://www.houghton.edu/news/articles/20071030.asp

First Corn Maize

2007-10-19T22:41:00.001-04:00

Yup - Corn "Maize"

I think this is a spin on the spanish term "maiz" which means corn. Very punny.

Here is a picture of the maze - pretty darn fun.

US Cellular

2007-09-13T07:13:00.000-04:00

My little cellular provider from home hit me with a massive roaming charge (only $111.00, I guess it could have been worse) so I will be sending them $150.00 shortly and hopping over to AT & T. So...how is it that a national plan has roaming charges, you ask? Beats me...

An African Creed

2007-09-09T20:41:00.000-04:00

We believe in the one High God, who out of love created the beautiful world and everything good in it. He created man and wanted man to be happy in the world. God loves the world and every nation and tribe on the earth. We have known this High God in the darkness, and now we know him in the light. God promised in the book of his word, the bible, that he would save the world and all the nations and tribes.

We believe that God made good his promise by sending his son, Jesus Christ, a man in the flesh, a Jew by tribe, born poor in a little village, who left his home and was always on safari doing good, curing people by the power of God, teaching about God and man, showing that the meaning of religion is love. He was rejected by his people, tortured and nailed hands and feet to a cross, and died. He lay buried in the grave, but the hyenas did not touch him, and on the third day, he rose from the grave. He ascended to the skies. He is the Lord.

We believe that all our sins are forgiven through him. All who have faith in him must be sorry for their sins, be baptized with the Holy Spirit of God, live the rules of love and share the bread together in love, to announce the good news to others until Jesus comes again. We are waiting for him. He is alive. He lives. This we believe. Amen.

Called to God's Mission

2007-09-08T21:47:00.000-04:00

(from the UM Hymnal, number 593 "Here I Am, Lord")

I, the Lord of sea and sky,
I have heard my people cry.
All who dwell in dark and sin
My hand will save.
I who made the stars of night,
I will make their darkness bright.
Who will bear my light to them?
Whom shall I send?

Here I am, Lord.
Is it I, Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord,
If you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.

I, the Lord of snow and rain,
I have borne my people's pain.
I have wept with love for them.
They turn away.
I will break their hearts of stone,
Give them hearts for love alone.
I will speak my word to them.
Whom shall I send?

Here I am, Lord.
Is it I, Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord,
If you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.

I, the Lord of wind and flame,
I will tend the poor and lame,
I will set a feast for them.
My hand will save.
Finest bread I will provide
'Till their hearts are satisfied.
I will give my life to them.
Whom shall I send?

Here I am, Lord.
Is it I, Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord,
If you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.

KingdomTide

2007-09-04T18:28:00.000-04:00

Apparently the school's Dean of the Chapel is responsible to produce a devotional for the ATS community's year. Today was the first day of classes so this is our first day of our KindgomTide Reader. Let me tell you - I am some impressed. Not sure if I have commented on him yet, but I will surely be talking about our Dean of the Chapel a good deal in the coming year. JD Walt is his name - our DotC and Vice President of Community Life. No doubt I would think as highly of Houghton DotC, Dr. Brittain, but I wasn't around the year he was hired.

This is the cover of our community devotional:

I will also be posting shortcuts to our Chapel services (video or audio) that I am sure readers would enjoy.

Warning - Motion may make one dizzy.

2007-09-04T16:37:00.000-04:00

Since arriving in Wilmore I have had the feeling that I have been here before or at least that I am as at home here as anywhere I have ever been. The community and camaraderie are the same as I found at Houghton with one obvious difference: ATS students are called to vocational leadership within the Church. Houghton students would likely be leaders in the Church but may or may not have vocations of ministry.

This aura, the Spirit of God filling the air - it is a truly remarkable thing. I hesitated to address this since I have so many friends who ought to be here as much as me and who aren't, during this season, able to come to a place like Asbury. I have decided to break the silence.

How awesome God is! I have yet to sit in the Chapel or in a lecture (classes started today - yay!) and find that I am not touched by the Spirit - to the point of holding back tears. My God has at this time graced me with confirmation. Confirmation of my call, confirmation of His leading to this place. I have also been blessed to meet incredible professors and fellow students whose very presence speak of the goodness and witness of the Spirit.

Someone tell me if I am stealing this thought from someone. Sometimes as God brings you to the next step, phase or season you wonder if you have ever lived fully before. That is the sort of rapture that is in my soul as I am touched by the Spirit. Maybe that is CS Lewis...

Get Moving!

2007-08-31T21:32:00.000-04:00

A car is easier to steer when moving. This is truth. I think we can also say this is true of our lives. In Revelation 3.16 God says to the church through John "So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I am about to spit you out of my mouth."

I went through a few physical ailments this spring - unusual for me - and was struck by a realization. Those ups and downs in faith I am accustomed to - often related to the vibrancy of my personal devotional time and corporate worship experiences - were related not so much to my active turning from evil things but turning TOWARD God. In those times I would find myself in bed for days on end sleeping and not spending time with God and, in the end, feeling just as empty and distanced from God than just after committing a sin I knew to avoid.

Such are our times of lukwarmness - neither hot nor cold. in our states of apathy we are useless to God. That is a bit of a stretch, I guess, since God uses people opposed to him in spite of themselves to accomplish His purposes, but why would a child of God settle to be used in spite of rather than with the Spirit? I don't think they rightly should.

The season I am beginning is one of motion. May God be the steerer and not me!

Ale-8-One

2007-08-29T13:46:00.000-04:00

Moxie is to Maine as Ale-8-One is to Kentucky.

As Ted the Baptist says, "it is a ginger ale with a fruity twist."

No, this is not the promised blog. That will be forthcoming.

Pictures!

2007-08-27T00:29:00.001-04:00

come visit http://picasaweb.google.com/irishtater for this and lots of other photos!

Finally in Wilmore!

2007-08-26T22:10:00.000-04:00

After 15 months and some 1,322 miles I have arrived in Wilmore, the home of Asbury Theological Seminary (ATS)! The trip was absolutely perfect: no rain, sleet, hail, traffic to speak of, and I had three awesome visits with Toby and Erin, Reid and Rachel and Erika and Andy. God has blessed me with AWESOME friends perfectly spaced along the route to make the three day trip to KY manageable when driving by oneself.

More pics and reflection to come, but I am having trouble with the photo uploading.

Caprice Classic Nicknames

2007-08-07T13:43:00.000-04:00

My sister and a few of my cousins have started a fun little game - come up with Caprice Classic Nicknames. I will share them below, but first - the story of how the first nickname came to be.

The g'rents (as Rene calls them) replaced the much beloved 1983 Lincoln Town Car in 1994 with a Caprice Classic from the same year. The Caprice wasn't the Town Car - it was big, yes, but it did not have the plush, velvety seats, the high pile carpeting, nor the rear-seat fold down arm rest all of us grandkids fought over sitting on to and from church on Sundays. It wasn't our favorite (although it was new and different), but it was Gramp's favorite.

In 2001 the g'rents decided it was finally time to trade cars. A local pastor had admired the Caprice and asked that he could purchase it for visitation work. When a replacement finally arrived (a nice new 2001 Aurora) the pastor purchased the car and went about his ministry. Reports of his pleasure with the roomy, comfortable, surprisingly easy-on-gas car trickled back to the family often. Gramp would reminisce - "we shouldn't have sold that car" he would say.

A few years (and by now well over 100,000 miles) later the pastor resigned his post in Northern Maine to take a church elsewhere. Gramp heard the news and immediately began thinking of his beloved Caprice. With the pastor leaving, he wanted it back. Sure enough - the Caprice and the Aurora were now back on the farm.

But not for long. Rene's mom (my aunt) needed a car she could depend on. After much salesmanship on Gramp's part (and I bet a little remorse as well) he sold Donna the car. It was during this time that Rene (I think) coined the phrase "church cruiser" after its job in its second life. Donna and Rene used the car just about up until the time they decided to move to Alabama when it was sold because it was no longer needed - Donna had replaced it with a Jeep.

And so it seemed the car was lost to the family forever. But forever did not last long. Gram was tired of listening to Gramp's comments about the Church Cruiser (or "the cruiser" as he still calls it to this day) so for Christmas 2005 Gram's present to Gramp was - you guessed it - his beloved cruiser. She had bought it from Donna as a surprise!

The next two years Gramp could be spotted on the Egypt Road early in the mornings headed to the horse barn in Presque Isle with his cap (just the same as his father Vernon in many black and white photos) in the cruiser. Whenever he headed to town it was in the cruiser. Not a squeak could it utter before he had it in the shop for repairs. The mechanics must think him a funny old guy to sink so much money into an old car. This spring he took it to the local community college where the students exercised their body work skills to take care of all the rust spots and repaint the exterior. This summer the car was used by a missionary family on furlow from Engalnd. Gramp was tickled by their pleasure with the cruiser - it is three to four times the size of their cars back in the UK, rides like a cloud and the AC still pumps good, cold air. The family really enjoyed using the big old car.

With this history you can see how special it was to have Gramp offer me the cruiser when I head to Seminary in just a few days. Chatting online with Rene and Dena this week has made me very excited to take a piece of family with me to school - especially a piece that means so much to Gramp.

And so began our fun game. Here is a list of the nicknames we have come up with so far...

Church Cruiser
Virtuous Vehicle
Holy Honey Wagon
Heavenly Hoopty
Pastors Prowler
Reverends Ranger
Concecrated Chariot
Sacred Smokah
Hallowed Hot Rod
Sacrosanct Sedan
Chaste Clunker
Just Jalopy

Thoughts On Worship

2007-07-03T08:42:00.000-04:00

My Sunday school recently discussed worship in the course of our studies in a text geared for the new or young Christian. Much of our discussion, and the treatment in the text, centered on the historical perspective: what are the origins of the various forms of Christian worship practiced today? We discussed styles, elements and preferences. I was missing, however, one thing in this treatment of the subject by an otherwise stellar reference: Paul’s admonition to the church in Romans 12.1-2: “I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” (NRSV) Certainly using just the word “worship” is not specific enough to indicate whether you are referring to a service of worship or the act—the noun or the verb. The title of the chapter was, however, “Learning to Put God First: Worship.”

Putting God first is a terribly difficult thing. In our time we are prevented by materialism and busy lives. Throughout history there have been other things to keep us from putting God first – in the middle ages it may have been the feudal system. At other times, and even in our time, the distraction has been basic survival – food, shelter and the like. Putting God first or loving Him supremely, Jesus tells us, is the most important commandment, followed on its heels by “loving others as ourselves.”

Are we able to love God and others more than ourselves? Can humans do such a thing? I think very few do. Some have – such as Mahatma Gandhi. He was certainly a self-sacrificing person. Think of his contribution to the world. Gandhi inspired many to follow his faith and promoted peace throughout the world. This sacrifice – was it prompted by love or by a set of values he espoused and would not compromise? Are the effects of his influence going to continue until the earth is destroyed and beyond? Holding unwaveringly to an ideal can be admirable, but I would argue the affects of his teaching and life will not outlast the earth.

Humans are not capable of loving others fully. How can we? Darwin argues that we are all in this thing called life to succeed and produce offspring who will succeed. Certainly we help others if there is someone is capable of returning the favor or we are indebted to another. But true self-sacrifice or agape love of ourselves? I don’t think so.

God wants His children to love others above themselves constantly. This happens to some extent in communities of faith. Children of God give of themselves to teach, minister, offer gifts or to aid financially in times of need for the sake of building the body. Other times these things happen but they do not come from a motivation of love. Things get done, but the joy in sacrifice is missing. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 13.3 “If I give everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would be of no value whatsoever.”

Watchman Nee’s sermons frequently assert that nothing offered to the Kingdom by way of the “outer man” or the flesh, mind or emotions cannot be effective at all. If we do something begrudgingly, Nee believes it will do no good for the Kingdom of God. In my conversations with thinking and faithful Christians through the years I have come to think that God can use offerings no matter their intention – He even used Pharoah and other leaders to display His glory (vessels for destruction). Why would we, as believers, by our attitute and motivations try to obstruct the work of the Spirit? Certainly we ought to make our work for the Kingdom participate with that of the Spirit rather than against it.

How does one ensure that the work we offer to the Kingdom is not tainted by us? For as Nee says, “Sooner or later a servant of God discovers that he himself is the greatest frustration to his work.” The answer – breaking the outer man. At the risk of sounding or being Gnostic in philosophy, I believe Nee’s practical treatment of a spiritual reality is beneficial. If we are broken God is able to use us as He intends. Our outer man does not hinder His work. Our spirit participates with the Holy Spirit in actual kingdom building. Our work cannot be tainted by poor motivation or even imperfection of delivery. Such a breaking of the outer man and release of the Spirit is a gift given at a proper time after quite a period of time for most believers. In my estimation, this period may parallel a period described by those in the Holiness tradition as progressive sanctification. During progressive sanctification the Spirit shows us areas of our life we were not aware were part of our end of the bargain. This progressive sanctification leads to a moment of entire sanctification, perhaps even this moment of breaking. This bargain I speak of is the one we made when we were saved – to offer ourselves as living sacrifices in exchange for eternal communion with the creator of the Universe – the only one who could satisfy our deepest longings.

Since I am a musician I am going to use my discipline to explore this particular application further. The Inner Game of Music is a work in the tradition of The Inner Game of Tennis. These are secular works to help the athlete or performing artist pull off a routine or piece under great stress. The authors describe the preparation, both technical and mental, required to ensure we do not choke under pressure. In very simplistic terms, these books teach a student to work so hard in preparation that they are able to let (in a rather passive way) their bodies do the performance rather than confuse it with a mind cluttered with instructions and techniques which cannot possibly be recalled in times of stress. Students are taught to let go and let the body’s sensory memory take over. This technique has freed many from stage fright and performance anxiety.

I believe we are able to give this technique a deeper meaning with the background discussed thus far. Simply emptying ourselves of distraction of thought while performing may help us display our mastery of craft, but it does not ensure we will be able to do Kingdom work through our talent. If we offer ourselves, and in this case our gifts, to God in service of the Kingdom and are enabled by His Spirit to commune with God while we are offering our best, I believe our work will be effective.

Worship leading is one such exercise. Musicians and other performing artists have the role and blessing of leading others in a worship service to encounter the Spirit of the Living God in a unique way. “Worship Leaders,” says Andy Park, “must first be worshippers.” One of my Houghton music professors was once asked how she was able to worship herself if she is always the worship leader. The students asked because the Houghton tradition of excellence tends to keep a person from offering music to God through the Spirit. (The Houghton tradition of excellence brings much to the Kingdom of God, but I think now that God does not desire so much to have our works as our lives.) The professor responded that she needs to feed herself in times of private worship rather than expect to be fed while she is tending to the technical matters of her offering to God in the corporate setting.

Now, Houghton’s general philosophy is that if we are working in God’s name, we should be very concerned with the quality of our work. Our work is, after all, an offering given to God just as our bodies are. And since Houghton is an institution of higher education, one would expect its focus to be on the quality of work performed. God certainly can use a routine or piece offered imperfectly. Why shouldn’t we, though, since we have a choice, participate with the Spirit rather than force the Spirit to work in spite of us?

The picture I have painted is helpful to a musician or performing artist. Lets take that concept and expand it.

Just as I have mentioned, everything we are involved in – every moment of our lives is to be offered to God as a sacrifice – our spiritual act of worship. This means that as we drive down a highway, take out the garbage, prepare a meal for a shut in, go about our vocation – all these things are to be done as unto the Lord. In a parallel fashion, I believe we are to be Spirit empowered as we offer God the works of our hands. God’s Spirit cleanses the vessel and the vessel, through God given abilites and talents as well as hard work and practice, is enabled to participate in true Kingdom work. In this way we are able to “put God first” in our lives.

Here is a helpful definition offered at a recent Wesleyan Church conference on the function of the Church in the world: “Worship is faith inspired, grace-enabled, life consuming responses to divine revelation and initiatives that glorify the Triune God and result in the sanctification of disciples in a life-style of reverence, holiness, fellowship, witness and service.”

Notes:
I am indebted to two authors and two specific works for most of my reflections on worship over the past few weeks. Watchman Nee’s work The Breaking of the Outer Man and the Release of the Spirit (some editors leave off the second half of the title) and Andy Park’s To Know You More, and from time to time I will refer to Harold Best’s work Music Through the Eyes of Faith and Barry Green’s The Inner Game of Music. Knowing Christ: Believing is the title of our Sunday School text. Ray E. Barnwell, Sr edited this first book in a four part series.

Dispensationalism and Historical Paradigms

2007-03-20T22:09:00.000-04:00

A friend commented on my last post with a great question that was originally to be a comment to that post, but has now been given a home on my blog frontpage. Hopefully I haven't misstated any positions held by adherents to any of the ideologies addressed below. Feel free to correct me if I have.

Without having studied each of the dispensations proposed by any of its proponents, I will start by soapboxing with regard to the concept. Those who propose dispensationalism find eras in history where God not only acts differently toward humanity but expects different things from it. Most notably are the law v grace, Israel v Church dichotomies. Most people, myself included, will protest to the general concept of God changing. Dispensationalists state God is not changing but the way he expects humanity to react to him does. In the law period humans were expected to follow the law and share it with other nations. However - in the grace period we are told by Paul and the Gospel writers that God has now revealed a new plan through Christ.

So our Dispensationalist friends have two groups of people both loved of God and, since we are in the early 20th century (when dispensationalism hit the popular culture) we are hyper concerned with the afterlife and not the salvific implications of the here and now. Both groups need to get to heaven, but they are of different dispensations. This is why I believe there is such a strong tie between dispensationalists and pretrib rapture believers. The pretrib rapture lets the dispensationalist get rid of the church and let God appeal to his "chosen" nation one last time before armageddon.

This is poppycock. First there is the concept of the two Israels - the nation and the faith. The faith, also called the "remnant" is the group God's promises are given to. Paul tells us, the Church, that we are grafted, adopted into God's family through Christ. There is now no longer any distinction between Jew and Gentile, slave or free... Moreover, the promises given to Israel now belong to the faith Israel (the remnant) and the Church. God need not whisk away the Church while he deals with the Jews - the Jews will enter heaven by the only way God has established - through faith in Christ.

Now that is a diatribe to sum up my dispensationalist take. To relate the dispensations to the eras of human history is a bit of a stretch the more I think about it. Each paradigm in Church history has been brought about by outside stimuli. Communication revolutions, Scientific and Philosophical revolutions have given the face of human society many different looks. God given? I believe God has his hand on human history and perhaps He has purposes for these paradigms. That is where I lean.

People criticize Bush to this day on both sides of the argument: Bush didn't have a postwar plan for Iraq and he doesn't seem to be willing to listen to criticism about his current philosophy. I think this critique is healthy and good since Bush is a human being and subject to mistakes. No one expects a perfect being to change unless it decides to change. Bush = imperfect, the Church = ?

I tend to think the Church is not perfect. We have humans involved at varying degrees of surrender to God and as Uncle Screwtape will tell us - being in Church to him is better than a Christian not be. Wormwood has a better chance of using petty inadequacies of members to irrititate the "patient" and whiddle away at his/her faith.

Obviously I refer to the Church universal and not just a specific congregation, but I still think it is evolving simply because it is not perfect. The reason I assert any one paradigm is not better than any other is because I believe through each of these phases in human history we are able to add another lens to our historical time travel device and continue to refine our view of God and the significance of this "story we find ourselves in" as McLaren says. One area of reflection we can and should keep revisiting is the incarnation.

So...this Emergent Church thing. Basically a group of great thinkers is converging in this community to discuss the nature of the new paradigm they believe humans have entered and the way the church will look in this paradigm. There are Emergents from every denomination - they seek not to form a new church but to encourage dialog between denominations and cultures so we can breathe new life into the Church worldwide.

Communal Memory

2007-02-09T09:30:00.000-05:00

While I was still in school I noticed that the same urban legends were passesd among the students. The same was true of jokes and secrets for bugging specific teachers. Today while subbing an AP Chemistry class (in most school systems the designation AP signifies the nationwide standard "Advanced Placement" tract some students are on - but not Presque Isle. AP in SAD1 means applied) the students were using the laptops to write single page synopsis of current events pertaining to Science. This would not normally be a chatting sort of event, but in this class it apparently was. The students were talking about this and that and then out popped the phrase - "I think the only big word I can spell is antidisestablishmentarianism."

Now this word is not used in any class that I know of - at least any that I took. The word is simply part of the communal memory of the Presque Isle High School student body.

Through time the memory is erased, however, or minds are changed. Pastor Matt was commenting on the idle drum set on the platform at church. He had hoped I was a drummer, but I am not. Some people in the church are opposed to having drums in the worship service so the current situation suits them just fine. This irritates the Pastor to no end. They did away with an organ recently and had the opposite fallout. Pastor would like to replace the organ with the drums. As he puts it - centuries ago when the first person put an organ in a church everyone revolted the "devil's instrument" was being placed in a holy cathedral.

My years-old fasenation with the Emergent movement addresses this memory. I am reading Ancient-Future Faith by Robert Webber. Webber says that we are in the middle of a paradigm shift from the postmodern (characterized by society holding science and reason of highest value) period to the postmodern (characterized by society holding community, symbol and mystery of highest value) period. There is nothing better about the postmodern period than the modern, or any other previous paradigm. I should also state that the Christian faith is not owned by any specific period.

Unlike McLaren, Webber does his best to focus our attention on the past to help us shape a postmodern faith. The values of postmodern society are most closely related to the first century - which was the era when the church was born. Webber would like us to study the "classical" church and learn what we can about how the faith was lived at that time so the church can relate better to current society. In this way we would jog our communal memory.

Finally Working!!

2007-02-07T14:22:00.000-05:00

Today is my first day back to work since leaving the bank on December 29, 2006. I can't say just how my bills have been paid in this time (and there certainly are bills) but between refunds from services I had overpaid to Christmas money and now tax refunds I was able to hang in there.

This month ahs been quite something. I have read a few books, finished others, began attending my new home church and helping them out, and had PLENTY of quiet time to myself. All in all I think I will look back on this period of little to do with much fondness. A simple, quiet existence I can hardly look forward to, but I can certainly look to make those times I do have to myself slow. Slow is good.

My church - we don't have a web site so I cannot direct you there - my apologies. Easton Wesleyean Church is a great little community. It is growing by leaps and bounds and that growth has recently been natural - as in - through conversions. The senior pastor is Rev. Matthew Maxwell and he has an assistant - Pastor Vaughn Martin. Both guys are great and have their gifts engaged in their ministries.

Perhaps most remarkable of all is the men's group that meets once a week at Pastor Matt's house. It is a small group study intended to help mature men (in one of 20 areas) help those who are less mature. As it happens there are five or six of us guys and the conversations so far have been very productive.

One sad note - I have had to move yet again. Can't go into details here, but drop me a line and we can talk about it.

All for now - the bell is about to ring!

Moving

2006-12-04T22:33:00.000-05:00

Growing up (unlike some friends) my family only moved one time, and the distance was hardly measurable in miles. Just down the road from Dad's house is the location of our first home - a humble little trailer.

Since moving back home from school in 2003 I have moved once a year, and this will be my third. Once a year isn't so frequent to be astonishing - but the fact that I find things I can toss as I prepare for each move does astonish me. I am much less a packrat now than I was as a child, but I still must have lots of that tendency in me.

My inspiration - one who took this journey just this fall. Katie E. packed her whole life into one car - or at least that was her intent when she began trimming her worldly posessions to move from the DC area a hundred miles or so to Seminary. I think a friend did end up helping her, but it is still an admirable goal. "If I can't take it to Kentucky, why bring it to Easton will be my test."

Oh - and to add to the pressure of this lovely Advent season (which Sunday I thought I might be able to enjoy like never before) my landlord has a chance to rent my apartment to a woman who will be evicted from her location on the 20th. So - I have just over two weeks to pack and relocate my life - and still get to travel an hour to work each way for a little more than a week once I am settled in.

Oh Lord - I need a job once I am moved. Help me see where/what it is when I should!

The End of the Beginning

2006-12-03T13:41:00.000-05:00

For the last five weeks I have been teaching one of the adult Sunday School classes and I can't say just how much fun I have had. True - this responsibility is daunting - but this is a burden each of us should have at all times. This is perhaps the biggest blessing. Each day we live our lives should be with the sober realization that we are Christ to those around us.

And just what does that mean? I have lived until this year thinking I was supposed to live Christian values. People who see me living this way each day would then ask me about my source of grace and strength. Certainly God can work this way - but what must our lives look like before someone asks for our secret? We can't look just like the people we are surrounded by - that is for sure! I encourage anyone reading this post to read through the Sermon on the Mount (as it is called) and see just how radical our Christian ethic is.

Not only must we look different to the world, but it is imperative that we sound differently. I had lunch today with a father and son pair - the latter of whom is attending my Alma Mater begining in January. The father told today of one particular coworker who attends a well-respected evangelical church in town but can't keep his mouth quiet at work describing all the lascivious things he would do to this and that beautiful woman. "He should just stay home and watch cartoons or something on Sunday morning as go to church and act that way during the week" says the dad. Amen!

Among all this appropriate talk should be our Christian confession. How can someone believe unless they hear, and how can they hear unless they are told? I might spend some time talking about how or when to share this confession, but we would do well just to share at all!

This is the end of my tenure as a Sunday School teacher, but it is just the beginning. The toe has tested the water so-to-speak and I am just thrilled to continue on this journey.

Eeek!!!

2006-11-09T17:17:00.000-05:00

So tonight I found out that my job has been given to someone else.

It is amazing that this surprises me. I guess by now I had figured I would have gotten rid of my car and "trimmed" the fat of the other unnecessary bills and expenditures in my life. I haven't really begun...

It would be amazing if anyone who reads this would say a prayer that I would find a job to keep me for 10 months or so - and that I would be able to take care of my bills, replace my rediculously over-the-top car, figure out how to get to Kentucky, where to live in Kentucky, how to pay for Asbury, etc.

Put that way it sounds like I don't know what is going on...

Gender in Society, Romance

2006-10-17T18:33:00.000-04:00

So I just finished a book on men's purity called every man's battle. The book has become a staple for men's groups, men's pastors, and really any man who is struggling with purity issues. Aside from its practical content on this subject, the authors also touch on something I have been thinking about lately.

Chapter 17 (Yes, there are seventeen chapters in this 200-page book) is titled "Cherishing Your One and Only." The term "cherish" is explored a bit. To the authors, a wife is a blessing to a husband and should be treated as such. As a picture of the opposite of cherishing, we are told of Nathan's confrontation of King David after he has killed Uriah, Bathsheba's husband. A poor man's precious ewe lamb was taken from him by a rich man who didn't want to slaughter one of his own lambs for to feed a traveler. (2 Samuel 12.1-4) The poor man thought of this lamb as if it were his own daughter, and although the rich man had plenty of livestock, he still took it. The authors say of this story "The rich man in the story represented David, who saw Bathsheba only as someone he could devour to satisfy his sexual longings, but Uriah, "the poor man," saw his "lamb" as the joy of his life, his pet to cherish, to sleep in his arms. Uriah had only one wife; a faithful man like him could have only one. His ewe lamb, Bathsheba, bounced and pranced and frolicked and laughed with him, bringing him great joy."

Now, men and women are not the same. Otherwise, we would be just "humans" and we would all go about our lives much differently. I also realize that egalitarianism, feminism, and the like are recent movements, although proponents cite even Jesus' incredible elevation of the status of women in the first century AD. What I am aware of in the feminist debate mostly is the use of language, since that is the place most of us in the dark on this subject are introduced to it. In my case, of the gender neutral language in the greek texts and how it differs from the english versions of the Bible we have today. Of the Bible scholars who are now rendering "people" or "persons" in translations instead of "all men" in order to capture the neutrality of the universal nature of the original meaning. Of the objection of some feminists to be refered to as "lady" as the term was used originally to refer to the trophy-wife of aristocrats.

I can respect these things, although I understand not all women are to this extreme in their feminist thought. What confuses me is whether wives expect to be treated as they are in their marriage the same way their fathers treated them. Nathan speaks of the poor man's relationship to his ewe lamb - it delighted him as it pranced and played, and he loved it like a daughter. The authors of the book go on to talk about how men should cherish their wives as the poor man, faithful as he was, cherished his ewe lamb. Is this truly how women want to be treated? In my observation of father-daughter relationships I can honestly say I don't see fathers respecting their daughters the way I anticipate my wife will want to be respected - for her creativity, her passion, her intelligence and wit - her captivation of my passion.

Maybe I ponder this (apparent) dichotomy because I am not married. Men - is it all much easier than I imagine? Women - how is it you expect your husbands to love and cherish you?

Thanks Sally Field

2006-10-15T16:40:00.000-04:00

What kind of love has a man if he gives nothing up for it?

From Sally Field's Character, Nora, on Brothers and Sisters

Random Ramblings

2006-10-06T21:28:00.000-04:00

I find myself in a funk. Time to type myself out!

I have been out of a relationship for five years. This came to my attention in the last few days. Five years is a LONG time. It comprises almost 20% of my life to this point. The funny thing is I haven't cared to be in a relationship since. The first few years (yes, I said YEARS) I was still healing over the breakup. Then my friend Jeff took a liking to a certain girl...

Jeff met his future bride in June. She was invited to pick rocks on his farm so he could get to know her better. We all should have known there was something wrong with her when she agreed. They were inseparable for the summer. If they weren't picking rocks or cleaning the farm shop on rainy days, they were together in his tractor hoeing until the wee hours of the morning. Soon the summer was over and she needed to go back for her fifth year at school to try and finish her associates degree. Before she left there was a ring on her finger and they had set a date for 12 months from then to be married.

Twelve months turned to four and by January they were married. By February they were separated and he had a restraining order against him. In October they had their first child and Jeff has hardly seen the baby since. The child is now a year old and it is officially from a broken home.

Pain. Pain is something we share with others. It is inflicted on others or borne by good friends. I still can feel the pain caused by my parents divorce. A story will bring it back or maybe a walk down memory lane. The story that brought me back to my pain was shared by a new friend tonight.

Her parents were married happily for 35 years when he turned his back on the church and left his wife and their family. I related my own story - parents divorced when I was in grade school. Our stories are similar, but the freshness of her experience was very startling. She didn't say much about it, but I could feel it. I could feel it when she guardedly made her platonic intentions known when I first contacted her. I could feel it when she matter-of-factly told me she did not care where her father was.

Living alone keeps a person in a bubble. (OK everyone - I am finally getting to my point) Until I finally got ahold of my new friend it had been five years since I went somewhere with a relatively new friend to do something fun. It was refreshing. What I hadn't anticipated was a sort of depression to follow our very funny movie (we saw Open Season - have to recommend it) that haunts me as I plan to head out tomorrow to a friend's wedding in NH.

My bubble is a cocoon of my own design. I like things easy. I hate drama and those who stir it up. I have effectively created a little world where I can escape the petty family fights, the stress of work and most of all, the pain of relationships gone bad. While I am often able to throw off depression with sheer will (in High School I found that doing happy things makes a person happy eventually - whistling, singing, etc.), one cannot throw off a person's burden for them. My new friend is in the early stages of recovering from this life altering episode. A true friend experiences that pain and agony alongside the afflicted one. Goodbye, bubble!

Funny my last post was about sharing one another's burdens. Funny also how if my new friend had shared that burden with a person who had no experience with divorce would have not been nearly as affected. Her burden has now become mine to wrestle with as well.

This funk is very similar to those I first experienced in Houghton. I could be having a perfectly good evening and then - like a light switch - I needed to remove myself from others because I couldn't handle the crowds, the chaos - the others. Although not a frequent occurrence, it was startling. The funk I am in now is similar, but more severe. I feel overwhelming pain, but not my own. I haven't felt badly about my family situation for almost fifteen years.

My only comfort is that these funks didn't usually last until morning. Hopefully this is the case again today, because I have to drive to NH and help friends celebrate their holy union.

Lord - help me be ever mindful of the ways I alter the lives of others. May I bring healing and never destruction or pain. May I bear burdens without creating them. May I depend on Jesus for strength, and see clearly who God uses to bring comfort when I need it.

Rejoice with Those Who Rejoice

2006-10-05T17:26:00.000-04:00

Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes. Broadway (and high school pops concerts) heard this number more times than it can count. The basic premise of this song was that life should be lived in meaningful moments, not just by the ticks of the clock.

Lately I have been improving, but so much of life has been living from one high point to another. In some seasons, the landmarks aren't so much high points as low, but in either case the mundane, every-day was ignored. Having a boring life, as I do, tends to either encourage or discourage this phenomenon. I think it has been a blessing in my case.

What do we miss when we look forward to the weekend, dread an examination (or its results),and close big deals? We miss the blessings that are around us all the time. We miss the blessing of a quiet evening in. We miss the cold drink after a long work out. We miss talking to coworkers or colleagues to learn something new about their lives. We miss the carefully worded lyric that touches you in a special way. I don't mean to say we don't experience these things when we are "landmark living," but we certainly do tend to notice them less.

One very serious command came to the fore in my mind last week. Friends of mine were going through some serious highs and lows. One was resigning his job because there was insufficient work to keep him busy, even though his supervisor was quite satisfied with the quality and quantity of his work. Another ended a 5-year journey in his life by passing the Conneticut Bar exam. In each case I am not sure whether the subject of these events was living for the "landmarks" or not, but because I had been so long without landmarks in my own life (the last would have been in May when I was given affirmation of my call - five months ago!) that I was more able to identify them in the lives of others. There is a selflessness required for a person to notice and genuinely engage in the landmark moments in the lives of those around us.

In Romans 12 we are told how to display love in very specific ways:

9Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
14Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.[c] Do not be conceited.

Along with the direct command to "rejoice with those who rejoice; and mourn with those who mourn" is the exhortation to live in harmony with one another. As a musician, harmony means more to me than simply "getting along" with others. You see, each tone that is sounded sets off a series of higher tones, or overtones. These overtones are in intervals we musicians call fourths - each successive tone is a fourth above the one below it. When two tones are sounded at the same time, those tones are said to be in harmony if their respective overtones don't clash. Certainly some tones aren't meant to get along - tones that are adjacent to one another never harmonize and they sound like confusion when played together. And tones that otherwise would harmonize won't if either is even slightly out of tune.

So to live in harmony is a much more active thing than just getting along. We are responsible to know the tone of the one we are to get along with and be in tune with them - in the good and the bad.

Prosperity Gospel

2006-09-14T13:19:00.000-04:00

I am still chewing over a comment to post on lukemiddleton.com (Post here) regarding the prosperity gospel, but I have found that CT has composed a dialog between Osteen (a prosperity gospel proponent) and Warren (a prosperity gospel critic). Visit the article here.

Father to the Fatherless

2006-09-11T19:42:00.000-04:00

Today's theme has been fatherlessness.

Our speakers today at Rotary were representatives of Stepping Stones, a private, non-profit organization with a mission to teach young people with children how to be families. Teenage or young adult women and their children are housed for 18 months while they learn to budget, cook, and complete their GEDs. Stepping Stones has a 52% succcess rate, which we were told is very commendable for such a program.

The question was raised: what services are available to young Dads? The gentleman who asked was concerned that such services be available not only to women but also men. The sad reply - a statistic. One out of every forty women referred to Stepping Stones still has the father of her child involved in the life of the family. Where are all the Dads? Why is it that the woman, who cannot escape being a parent, is the one who is most generally left alone with a child when it is conceived out-of-wedlock?

Nine-year-old Hasani Houston knows where his Dad is. He was abandoned, but not in the way I have been writing about. Hasani's father was a port authority cop was in a WTC tower on 9/11, five years ago. After 9/11 Hasani's mother moved his family from Northern New Jersey to Manhattan. There the family receives good support from organizations formed for just such a purpose - to help families of 9/11 victims.

Psalms 68.4-6
4 Sing to God, sing praise to his name,
extol him who rides on the clouds [a]—
his name is the LORD—
and rejoice before him.

5 A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
is God in his holy dwelling.

6 God sets the lonely in families, [b]
he leads forth the prisoners with singing;
but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

Darlene Zschech' "Glory to the King" was playing as I headed home from work tonight. These are the lyrics to the chorus:

You're a Father
To the fatherless,
The answer to my dreams.
I see You crowned
In righteousness.
We cry glory to the King.
Comforter to the lonely,
The lifter of my head.
I see You veiled in majesty,
We cry glory, glory,
We cry glory to the King.

What beautiful thoughts. My God is the one who is "a father to the fatherless, a defender of widows" and "sets the lonely in families."

Hasani Houston was greatly blessed by a mentor he found through Tuesday's Children (TC) - the aforementioned outreach program. TC paired Hasani with a 30-year-old banker living in Manahattan. For a year and a half their lives have become irreversibly linked. They shoot hoops, go to sports events and just hang out together. One day not long ago it became evident to David Herzoff that the friendship he and Hasani share is very special. It was a colder day, much like today. It was a little too cold to be outside, but Hasani wanted to learn how to ride a bike. David came in shorts and a t-shirts so was trying to sell Hasani on an indoor activity when Hasani disappeared for a few minutes. He reemerged with a windbreaker for David to wear. It was Hasani's father's windbreaker. David asked whether Hasani minded if he wore the shirt and Hasani insisted he did not mind. So they left for the street. David held Hasani's seat while walking beside the bike but couldn't help but think the two of them weren't the only ones there. Katie Couric (yes, hooked on the new Evening News) asked Hasani whether having David helped, even if just a little, to fill the void left by his Dad's death. "Having David helps a lot!" Hasani said. See the full story here.

Thank God for keeping God's promises.

I will have my news with pantyhose, please

2006-09-06T19:33:00.000-04:00

I tivoed Katie Couric's second broadcast as the first woman anchorperson for a network evening newscast. Robin & Company, my morning news source, had clips and background information about Katie's first day on the job, which reminded me to not miss tonight's show.

I am often criticized for claiming to be a feminist. Most of these critics, not surprisingly, are female. And why wouldn't they be upset? Afterall, I have had no experience being marginalized myself. I am the very definition of a WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant for those unfamiliar with the acronym).

Still, I must say that I am for equal rights on the basis of gender, race, abilities, (the new disabilities), religion, and even sexual preference. [Note I am speaking of social inequalities here and not discussing any religious implications of these attributes, chosen or otherwise - that is a topic for another blog, another time] I don't know what titles are often associated with most of these, and perhaps, like feminism, I am unable to claim any of them since I don't belong to the group marginalized in each case.

So here I am. Working for equality but truly unable to know the stakes in the battle. My loss is another's gain.

For now, I will patiently wait to hear what I can call myself and enjoy my evening news presented by a woman named Katie.

"Unfortunately, Father, you don't answer to me"

2006-08-29T20:02:00.000-04:00

...said Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson to a priest whose zeal for social justice passed on to one of his civics students. This student, wooed by the apparent faith in God and assumed injustice of an inmate the class was following, was manipulated into orchestrating the death of an innocent classmate.

Today at work we spent eight hours training to learn to use a brand new pricing model. Such a program assumes and considers the cost of packaging and originating a loan (time spent by personnel, resources expended, systems utilized, etc), the pricing of relationship's deposits, and shows you how to make a profitable loan to customers. Such a model, like all formulas, shows some loans, especially at community banks, are simply not profitable-we actually sustain a loss on some. Does this mean such loans are not worth our time? Not in all cases. Small business, our own Maine Senator Olympia Snowe (who is the current Chairwoman of the Senate committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship) says, is the backbone of the American economy. By national standards some of the loans we do are to "small business", but most of our clients are ultra small businesses. Without these entrepreneurs how would "small business" ever grow or get its start? Where we are a small Bank such dilemmas are well addressed - some small loans will never be profitable but that will not prevent us from offering stellar service to our customers, whatever their loan or asset size.

Accountability.

The priest, whose claim, "I had not idea Kendall was involved in this way!", prompted the quote that is the title for this blog. He was trying to regain the respect of the Deputy Chief, who had been skeptical of his zeal. Brenda's observation of the priest's chain of command is a sobering one. It is true that the priest did not committ any crimes. His conscience still prompted his vocal claim of innocence. Why is this? I think our conscience is a very helpful tool. If we are bothered by something, chances are we should take notice.

I am in the middle of the Divine Conspiracy (essential reading for any thinking Christian) and Dallas is discussing the Sermon on the Mount. Ok - let me be more specific. Dallas is describing the evidence and attributes of a Kingdom heart in one of Christ's followers. Whereas the Jews were blessed with the law and prophets, Christ has played one-upsmanship with the law in his Sermon on the Mount. The Christian is meant to be transformed from within - "the law will be written on their hearts" he says. This is essential to our faith. Certainly the priest is sobered by the truth of the situation wherein one of his parishoners was murdered - and perhaps he ought to be. He has not broken any law per se - certainly not any civil laws. His conscience, however, informs him that he had some reponsibility.

Business people are warned to not "give away the bank." This was the thrust of our seminar today. Senior management is responsible to the board and stockholders for the profitability of the bank. If we are giving away the bank there is something wrong. Let me rephrase - if we are giving away the bank indiscriminately (without good reason) then there are some loan officers who shouldn't be officers anymore. The first step, however, is KNOWING whether our loans are priced to return a profit - hence the model.

If, as Christ says, we have the "law written upon our hearts," why is society not experiencing revival? Ok, lets be more narrow - why is the Church not experiencing revival? If the bank had the model but paid no attention to it, what would happen? It may succeed, it may not (after all - the bank is nearing its hundredth anniversary, so it hasn't "sufferred" without it). Even if we did put the model into use, what if Managment has not properly maintained the assumptions the model uses? What if our cost of putting together a loan increases and they don't update the model? We will be thinking our loans are more profitable than they really are.

The same is true of us. Our inner compass (if you will allow me to mix metaphors -the inner compass=model) is not helpful if we don't know what to call the direction the needle is pointing. We have similar results if we do not consult our inner compass.

Food for thought anyway. Thanks to TNT's "The Closer" for prompting my deep thought for the day.

Possible blog comment topics:

Evangelism
Missions
Psychological/Sociological reflections on the conscience
and many others

Maybe I will do some more blogging on this course, but I still have to get to Katie's question of another metaphor. I recommend you visit her site (insert hyperlink here - oops, don't know how. Darn it. https://beta.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=18246136&postID=640658842780183733 is the url) to read about that fascinating topic.

Yay!

2006-08-21T20:11:00.000-04:00

Turns out I didn't give my notice for nothing! Asbury thinks they want me to come next fall. I think I will accept!

Off somewhere else at the moment...

2006-08-15T20:19:00.000-04:00

Come visit my friend's blog here. We are discussing signs of a healthy church. Great topic, intelligent comments/commenters - what could be better?

For God and Country

2006-08-04T18:15:00.001-04:00

This blog post is a comment from another blog that got carried away. Refer to this page for the blog titled "greg boyd"

I am on board with Mr. Boyd. The "God and Country" sentiment was manufactured by perhaps well-meaning politicians who needed to gain support for war (although I am not vain enough to say which way, although I would dare say it was in the last century since it was the only era with mass media).

I immediately think of the apostles' reactions to Jesus' announcement at the last supper that he would be betrayed and killed. Still at this point Jesus was thought of as a political liberator. How would Jesus liberate his people by allowing himself to be killed? The answer is just as Greg Boyd claims - the Kingdom Jesus brought was not of this world.

Why should we, then, claim our position as Christian, be we liberals or conservatives? It is almost like swearing an oath. I am known to be a Christian by my family and friends and therefore do not need to swear I will perform any certain act. "I swear I will bring a tuna noodle casserole to our next game night." Such an assertion is not necessary.

If we are claiming our position is the only Christian position we have just seated ourselves on the throne of Biblical interpretation. And the very nature of a throne is that only one may occupy it. Quite a vain thing to assert.

Furthermore, the link to the video supplement on the NY Times link clandestening gives us shows an interview of a former parishoner at Boyd's church. He left in protest to the sermon series Boyd preached on the Cross and the Sword. This parishoner says he left because he could not participate in a church where his beliefs were being taught against. This fellow heard, from Boyd's sermons, a call to disengage from politics - to stop voting and seclude himself.

Such a reaction merely validates Boyd's point. We are so indocrinated, especially in evangelical circles, to value God and Country (the USA exclusively) that we are offended when we hear someone claiming to be a Christian who disagrees with us politically. Boyd, I believe, would not encourage his parishoners to disengage from public life. He would say "get to the Kingdom work" by joining with other sensible people of like mind (no matter their religious or political affiliation). Do NOT, however, claim you are representing Christianity in your particular circle of influence.

Judging Erik

2006-08-04T18:15:00.000-04:00

I have been Tivoing Judging Amy for a few months now. There are two episodes on each day on TNT (We Know Drama). I have really enjoyed listening to the liberal (yet well meaning) writers address issues they see in society.

Today's first episode was the series finale. Amy has had six years on the bench working her magic with creative sentences for "delinquent" juveniles. Creative sentences based on the assumption that children who have gone wrong so early deserve a second chance to prove their potential. In recent episodes Amy has been working directly with a fifteen year old gang girl abandoned by her mother. Amy has been supervising Graciella's rehabilitation and encouraged by her progress. Graciella was betrayed, however, by a witness to a crime she was implicated in and later sent to adult detention where she was killed by an opposing gang member. This death was the last straw for Amy, who has become disillusioned with the lack of public support for programs to rehabilitate juvenile offenders. A political strategist hired to find a crusader for juvenile justice reform has been courting Amy and with the Graciella incident, Amy is ready to fight for change. Amy marches up to Capitol Hill and delivers the speech that will set her on the national stage and pave the way for a Senate seat race.

I am acutely aware of symbolism the past few weeks. Here we have a woman embarking on a crusade for a cause she knows well and can see the weaknesses in. Certain life events (open doors, if you will) have her questioning her degree of change effectiveness in her current role and finding mounting affirmation of her potential to effect change to a greater degree in a new role.

I asked a trusted pastor friend whether a pastor should have pet issues, a chip on his or her shoulder. I had been under the impression that a minister of the gospel should not have an axe to grind in order to be the most effective minister he or she could be. This pastor friend said that the crusading pastors were the most effective. They are motivated. They have been burdened with a specific ill within the church. No one can effect change like the person who has been exposed first hand to the destructive power of a warped relation to God.

Something is on the horizon.

God has been using situations this week to prepare me for a change and I can sense the precipice below. Uncharted, demanding territory is ahead.

Simple Gifts

2006-08-04T18:13:00.000-04:00

Simple Gifts was written by Shaker Elder Joseph Brackett, Jr. in 1848. It was first published in The Gift to be Simple: Shaker Rituals and Songs. Simple Gifts was a work song sung by the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing (more commonly called the Shakers, an offshoot of the Quakers).

'Tis the gift to be simple,
'tis the gift to be free,
'tis the gift to come down where you ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
It will be in the valley of love and delight.

SATISFIED
Author: Clara T. Williams, 1858-1937
Musician: Ralph E. Hudson, 1843-1901

All my life long I had panted
For a draught, from some clear spring,
That I hoped would quench the burning
Of the thirst I felt within.

Refrain:
Hallelujah! I have found Him
Whom my soul so long has craved!
Jesus satisfies my longings,
Thro' His blood I now am saved.

Feeding on the husks around me,
Till my strength was almost gone,
Longed my soul for something better,
Only still to hunger on.

Poor I was, and sought for riches,
Something that would satisfy,
But the dust I gathered round me
Only mocked my soul's sad cry.

Well of water, ever springing,
Bread of life so rich and free,
Untold wealth that never faileth,
My Redeemer is to me.

My boss called me into his office yesterday. I told him a few weeks ago that I intended to leave my position to attend Seminary next fall and that some "irons were in the fire" with regard to other ministry related jobs I was pursuing. He has been a commercial lender all of his adult life, my boss, so he likes to call shots and control risk. He told me to give it a month - look into these other "irons" and consider whether this is a clear calling or a passing conviction.

Yesterday, though, he wanted to fast track. Word had reached him (for some strange reason the umpteen people I have told I am leaving the Bank were unable to keep their little mouths shut - can you believe? ) With the rumor mill churning about us, we reset the month to expire this friday. This friday my boss will tell his boss and then there would be no turning back. At this point lots of wheels are in motion which make it hard to turn back, but once the boss's boss knows it would be very hard to turn around.

The conversation went something like this: "In a solid, growing bank like we have there are very good possibilities for people like you. I have a healthy portfolio to leave to my successor and it is reasonable to assume that the person who manages this portfolio could go on to be very valuable to the bank. A six figure income is not out of the question - and that is without considering the senior management possibilities. Good Christians find themselves in jobs working for a living and still being ministers. They can also, in that circumstance, provide well for a growing family and secure a healthy nest egg for retirement. Think this over and we'll talk again Friday."

My boss, as is evident, is a really good Christian fellow. He means well. We are, after all, instructed to:

26"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sistersyes, even his own lifehe cannot be my disciple. 27And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

28"Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?

Luke 14:26-28 (New International Version)

New International Version (NIV)
Copyright ¬© 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

My boss means well and perhaps is taking a paternal role in his delays, but he is instructing me to do something all Christians are commanded to do. Being a Christian on this earth has its costs. And if being a Christian has its costs then I am sure a vocational minister has costs to count as well.

My life has been torn between being comfortable and treating myself to luxuries (queen size bed for one, Lincoln in the driveway, already bought and sold a house, etc.) but where does that get a person? They are things which are not evil of themselves, but I have a way with my compulsive personality to pervert things which are of themselves perfectly harmless. It is about time my life centered around my impact for God's Kingdom while on earth rather than making sure my stay here is comfortable and easy.

There are some people whose gifts make them best suited for particular vocations. To me, I will have been the best little Kindgom worker if I put myself to work doing that which no one else could ever do quite the same way I could. And I may be a perfectly suitable commercial banker, I may even excell at lending, but it is not going to employ my spiritual gifts.

People with burdens (and all Christians have them) need to count the cost, bear up under the load and walk.

I have been more than satisified with my relationship with the creator. I aim to help the Church find that satisfaction and the freedom Kingdom-living gives.

It IS a gift to "come down where we ought to be" but there is also a gift in the dissatisfaction that spurs you on to the next place God leads you.

Quit 'yer bellyaching

2006-08-04T18:11:00.000-04:00

Below I am going to paste most of my seminary application essay. This essay was the bane of my existence for some weeks until I actually sat down to write it. How relieving to have it completed! I have talked with some of you out there about this essay so I thought I would post it here. I found some things out about myself while writing it, so I would say the exercise was worth the torture.

I recently began working with the pastor at the United Methodist Church where I have been attending on a Lay Speaking ministry program. This program is forcing me to wrestle with questions I have pondered for quite a few years now. Similar to the Wesleyan Churchs guide to preparing for ministry, this program begins with a discussion of the call on a persons life. The CALL. The words almost haunt me.

I was raised in a wonderful Christian family in an independent Baptist church and have always felt a responsibility to the Lord with my life, conduct and values. I was saved as a four or five year old child at my bedside with my mother and have felt, like many people saved at an early age, both that I was too young or that my testimony was somehow less valuable because I wasnt saved from out of the gutter of sin. A few rededications at campmeetings and good counseling sessions from various pastors later, I found my faith firmly rooted. My senior year of High School, in the thick of college plans and applications, I found myself at an Aaron Jeoffrey concert at a church in my hometown. The music was fine, but the part that sticks with me was the attitude and testimony of the two men who comprise the group. A loving, dynamic relationship with the Lord could exist without making a person irrelevant to society, which I found my Baptist church often was. With this experience I knew I was searching for a Christian College that would give me a solid musical training.

At Houghton College I found many fantastic things: serious academic scholarship, a pursuit of holiness, a dynamic Christian community and a conservatory quality musical program. My second year I was so taken by my theology professors and the richness of faith that I found with this study that I changed my B.Mus. major to double BAs one in Music and the other in Religion. Four years were up all to fast and, because I was so far in to my B.Mus. degree, I needed to complete some two or three courses. I returned home to Northern Maine to finish these courses because the hundreds of resumes I had sent all over the country had not produced any posts where I could minister while attending school to complete my degree.

I completed these courses and in 2003 I was a graduate of Houghton College. Another batch of resumes was dispatched with the same result-no leads. The door was considered closed and so I began searching for other means of employment. I soon found myself in a bank performing credit analysis on commercial borrowers and then took a job at a different bank as a Commercial Loan Officer.

It is at this point in my life that I find myself trying to discern a call, my call, and whether it exists. My current employment is challenging but not rewarding in the way I had hoped my life-long vocation would be. I have entertained all sorts of positions in banks and in many other business environments and found each would be the same. Some sort of social work perhaps would provide me with a better sense of lasting vocational value, but I wonder if that would even fulfill my desire that my vocation would have some special sort of impact.

At a wedding in February of this year I met up with an old Houghton professor. He was actually the professor whose class had convinced me to change my major. He asked what I was doing and, when I told him I was working in a bank, said, You arent a teller, are you? His subsequent encouragement regarding my past performance in school and gifts and talents he had observed shook open the door of doubt that had been closed by a life of relative ease and comfort; was I on the best path I could be?

And so here I am. A professor and countless friends telling me my discomfort and dis-ease with my current vocation must be related to an impending change of direction. Open and closed doors have brought me to this place of uncertainty and the next step, it would seem, is a seminary education. Having come from a Baptist upbringing to a Wesleyan College and recently a UMC congregation, Asbury seems a good fit and I am in full agreement with the Ethos statement, statement of Educational mission and statement of Faith.

The specific context of my call, if I have one, is one of discipleship. Although I have a gift for and educational background in music, it is not itself an end but a means. I have found that most churches I have been blessed to be part of do not have a way of ensuring believers are matured through mentorship, worship and academic pursuit. My own experience lacked this, in fact, and perhaps this is why I feel a particular mission in discipleship. I believe corporate worship, tradition, rituals, service and learning are all beautiful things, but we are not as Christians called to any of these things specifically, rather, we are all charged to reach the nations with the gospel not a gospel of cheap grace or a gospel of an end-times insurance policy, but a gospel of the good news of Christs reign over sin, our deliverance from sin, and our freedom to realize the Kingdom of God on earth through our communities of faith.

Perhaps, to myself, even, I have just solidified my calls existence.

Houghtons motto or mission statement is to provide an academically challenging, Christ-centered education in the liberal arts and sciences to students from diverse traditions and economic backgrounds and equip them to lead and labor as scholar-servants in a changing world. I think this is a wonderful statement. to lead and labor as scholar-servants in a changing world. While at Houghton I certainly did find I was becoming a scholar-servant, or, at least, I was introduced to and came to admire those who were further along this path. I think this is precisely what Christ wants from us all. Perhaps we arent all called to be scholar-servants but we are all called to be servants. There is, after all, no higher calling than that of a servant.