conjectural navel gazing; jesus in lint form

say it isn't so...

You scored as Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan. You are an evangelical in the Wesleyan tradition. You believe that God's grace enables you to choose to believe in him, even though you yourself are totally depraved. The gift of the Holy Spirit gives you assurance of your salvation, and he also enables you to live the life of obedience to which God has called us. You are influenced heavly by John Wesley and the Methodists. Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan 93% Roman Catholic 71% Emergent/Postmodern 64% Modern Liberal 54% Neo orthodox 54% Charismatic/Pentecostal 43% Reformed Evangelical 36% Classical Liberal 36% Fundamentalist 14% What's your theological worldview? created with QuizFarm.com

Well, Larry, there you have it. I should have answered that Pope question differently. Ha!

boo!

sermon: continuing the reformation

Follow the extended link to read the sermon. Let me know what you think about it if you have a moment. I have my own opinions, but I would like to hear yours.

Yes, that means you too.

It was on October 31, 1517, that Martin Luther posted his 95 theses on the door of the church in Wittenberg. Many of us may know a little of the history. The church in the West (This is an important distinction, for there never was a reformation in the East.) was practicing some disciplines that Martin Luther found suspect…like the famed selling of indulgences to get into heaven…gifts to the church that purchased your own salvation or that of a loved one. Luther was making an in-house protest, expressing a desire to reform the existing institution. As you can likely imagine, this was met with some disagreement.

Other Reformers followed Luther’s lead…Ulrich Zwingli and John Calvin are two you may have heard of. The generations that followed quickly gave up the notion of reforming the existing institution and began competing institutions that became the loci for political and ecclesial power in a variety of countries and city states. The stories of England’s Henry VII and his children, Mary and Elizabeth, are perfect examples of how national identity was tied up in theological debate. New countries were born. Denominations were born.

It has been almost five hundred years and we have to ask ourselves if the Reformation has actually been successful. Some have been asking this question for a while. Has the Church actually been reformed? With over 20,000 denominations, splinter groups, and para-churches in the world, I believe one could successfully argue that the Reformation has been a colossal failure. The desire of Martin Luther, John Calvin, Ulrich Zwingli and others to reform the One Church in Western Europe has instead led us down a road to the creation of distinct institutions and communities. Some are in communion with one another through bodies like the World Council of Churches. Others claim to be the one true church to the exception of all others. Interestingly, there are several of these bodies as well.

What a mess.

I must confess that I have never been a part of a worshiping community that has celebrated Reformation Sunday. And I have to say that it has been quite a puzzle for me.

What is it that we are celebrating?
What has been reformed?
And if we are a sign of a Reformed church, then what about everyone else?

Lordy, but my head spins with the very idea of it.

Can we, as an ecumenical (and yet Baptist) congregation that allows people to maintain their original denominational identity while still becoming a member of this congregation, celebrate Reformation Sunday?

And yet, here we are.

Wow.

You know. That is the best news I have heard in a long time.

10:46 They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside.

How often have any of us felt this way…blind? And how often have we prayed for or even begged someone to restore our sight somehow…our actual physical sight or some kind of inward vision, an intuition or for wisdom?

Have you felt harried, overworked, preyed upon somehow?

Have you ever wondered how you were going to keep up in this world?

Have you simply needed some kind of rescue or perhaps a spiritual renewal?

I know I certainly have.

10:47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

The cry of Bartimaeus has been my cry. In times of darkness and deep sadness his cry has been my own. When I have felt burdened, his cry has been my own. And thanks be to God, there have been answers to my cry.

Have your cries been answered?

C.S. Lewis, in his Narnia series, tells a story of a boy named Eustace. If you have not had the chance to read these tales I would encourage you to do so. Listen to this word from C.S. Lewis.

(paraphrase up to Eustace’s telling of his Baptism)

Now I am still getting to know many of you, but it is my sincere prayer that none of you are really like Eustace Clarence Scrubb, collector of beetles…especially dead ones pinned on cards. It is also my hope, however, that you can remember for yourself a time when God has given you such grace as C.S. Lewis’ Aslan gave Eustace. Whether it was through the challenging kindness of a friend, within a community, or that still small voice in the midst of a storm, I pray that you have been touched so by God.

So, are we celebrating the nailing of Luther’s theses upon that Wittenberg door or are we celebrating something else this morning (I know that some of you may be celebrating the work of Martin Luther and his contemporaries. We’re a diverse body.)? I think we are actually celebrating something else this morning.

I believe that we are celebrating the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit, the continuing ministry of Jesus to the blind, those in need of grace, and we are celebrating the graceful work of God in the world…the continual transformation and reconciliation of all our hearts and lives.

At its most general and most generous, the Reformation is about the community’s journey toward God.

31:8 See, I am going to bring them from the land of the north, and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth, among them the blind and the lame, those with child and those in labor, together; a great company, they shall return here.

31:9 With weeping they shall come, and with consolations I will lead them back, I will let them walk by brooks of water, in a straight path in which they shall not stumble; for I have become a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.

God calls us together. God calls us to one another and into God’s own presence. This is what makes the work of the Reformation so difficult. It is by its very nature communal as well as individual. And all of it takes place within the presence of the divine in the world. To neglect one aspect is to neglect the other.

Specifically the Reformation was and is about…
liturgical reform,
theological reform,
ecclesial reform,
communal reform
and personal or individual reform.

I pray that there are ways to do this without splintering the church, without crafting factions opposed to one another. But it is arduous work.

Father John Breck, an Orthodox priest, says this:

Because pious traditions – even erroneous ones – can have such a hold on the popular mind, it requires courage, patience and a great deal of prayerful discernment in order to make this continual reassessment of our various theological interpretations. Nevertheless, we should not fear the process. We should accept it as a function of the Church’s Living Tradition, given and sustained by the Spirit of Truth.

Though he is speaking specifically to the issue of theological expression and reform, the discipline can hold true across the spectrum of practices within the Church.

All of these reforms (liturgical, theological, ecclesial) are to be intentional, an exercise of deepening faith and belief. Like our friend Eustace, a Reformation is to take us closer to God so that we, members of the One Church, can better express this divine membership, receive grace, and reveal God to the world.

31:7 For thus says the LORD: Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob, and raise shouts for the chief of the nations; proclaim, give praise, and say, "Save, O LORD, your people, the remnant of Israel."

A friend commented on my blog that at St Olaf College, that great Lutheran center of higher education and our own Molly Wingader’s alma mater, you can get a “Luther on a Stick,” the Luther bobble head doll, and a surfing Luther bumper sticker. Perhaps this kind of joy and humor is what is called for as we celebrate such a strange holiday.

In the midst of such humor, however, I would call us to something more…

Let us gather together like the remnant of Israel…in praise and proclamation. Let us cast off our cloaks like Bartimaeus, our sight restored, and follow God. Do we have such strength? Do we dare proclaim to the world that we were blind but now we see?

Can we cry out for mercy?

Do we have the courage to continue the reformation in our heats our families and our communities? Dare we allow God to touch us as he did Eustace Clarence Scrubb?

"Take heart; get up, he is calling you."

10:50 So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus.

Amen.

saturday sermon linkage

The joy of the internet is that there is all this information at the tips of my fingers. The frustrating thing about the internet is that there is all this information at the tips of my fingers.

For your enjoyment:

Limbo lower now! Theological reform is part and parcel in the church. Thanks be to God!
The 11th hour preacher party is moving along nicely.
W said it.
PoMo Evangelical Sacramental what?!!? This is fabulous. If you want to bring the church back together from its prevailing and competeing corners, then this is one way to do it. Thanks be to God.

Well, that's what I have for you today. Enjoy the links. Engage in the conversations. I am going to type all day. Really.

friday...really?

When mystery hides Thee from the sight of faith and hope; when pain turns even love to dust; when life is bitter to the taste and our song of joy dies down in silence; then, Father, do for us that which is past our power to do for ouselves.
Break through the darkness with Thy light.
Show us Thyself in Jesus suffering on a Tree, rising from the grave, reigning from a throne with all power and love for us unchanging.
So shall our fear be gone and our feet set upon a radiant path.

I have to admit that this does not feel like the end of the week to me. Usually, I can get some sense of things coming to a close somehow. Whether it is a sermon that is coming together or something else, my week usually slows down. Not so with the past couple of weeks. I remember this feeling. Life was once like this...and I had to build sabbath into every day. I was kind of hoping that I would not have to return to this lifestyle when I became a pastor. And perhaps I still do not. There are ways that I can take action to prevent the steady errosion of free time.

Please understand that my time is being consumed by things I enjoy. Leading three-day retreat is wondrous. A conference on creating vital and intentional Christian communities is a great thing. So too are the moments when I have to stop over by the church to attend a meeting or catch up with the church secretary. These are all good things. Shows and visits and the list goes on and on..."Sleep is for the weak."

But somewhere in there I must find the stillpoint, the brief restorative flash of attentivenes to God's mystery. But it is ellusive lately. I am either too busy or too tired. I know that I am not alone in this. I know that many of my congregation(s) suffer with this. Family and work and play all demand something of us. But for myself at least, unless I can ground myself in that stillpoint, in the mystery that is God, then the events of my life have no context. They appear to careen about, directionless.

And I am too tired to find God where God would be most evident. "Like as the hart..."

Wayne Muller's, Sabbath book sits on my bedside table. I have yet to open it. I have commentaries strewn about the dining room table. They are open. When I was ordained, the prayer offered over me during the laying on of hands warned of moments like this. "Let him never substitute preaching and teaching for his own life of prayer." And it is so easy to do.

May we find God in the stillpoint. Teach us to pray without ceasing, O Lord...that we may find you in the midst of storm and hear your voice in the whirlwind. Grant traveling mercies to our loved ones. And bring peace unto this world that it may reveal the next.

They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside.

off to see the show...again

Friends in town for the conference are joining me this evening to see Caged Dames at 8pm at the Bailiwick, 1229 W. Belmont. Come one! Come all! And tonight is Industry Night. Bring a headshot and the ticket is cheaper.

Here is a review!

again with the baptist press

Labels mask diverse opinions on faith issues, researchers say
By Hannah Elliott

The stereotypical images of “liberals” and “evangelicals” create a distorted picture of what issues are important to each group and how each will vote in November, according to new research.

A recent survey by researchers at Baylor University reveals much more diverse opinions than politicians have assumed. For instance, 76 percent of evangelicals believe the government should do more to protect the environment. And 74 percent of evangelicals believe it is “very important” to seek social and economic justice, according to the survey.

What’s more, half of the nation’s evangelicals think the government should not fund faith-based organizations, and half think the government should more evenly distribute wealth in this country.

Paul Froese, an assistant professor of sociology who helped conduct the survey, said the data shows that even though evangelical Protestants will likely vote Republican, certain policy issues make them a difficult group to lump together.

According to his report, released Oct. 25, 40 percent of evangelicals who support George W. Bush actually emerged as “liberal” on economic issues, specifically in beliefs about wealth distribution and economic justice.

Of course, Froese reiterated, evangelicals remain conservative on social issues like gay marriage and abortion. They also, as usually assumed, support the Iraq War and the Patriot Act.

“Regardless of these specific liberal tendencies, evangelical Protestants currently do not appear moved towards the Democratic Party,” he said in a statement about the report. “However, heading into the midterm elections, Democratic strategists should take note of the fact that a substantial portion of evangelicals express what have long been believed as liberal views on certain social issues.”

Conversely, some voters not classified as evangelicals revealed surprising opinions on some traditionally “liberal” causes. According to Baylor researchers, 61 percent of “nonevangelicals” think religious groups should be allowed to display religious symbols in public spaces. And a whopping 64 percent of nonevangelicals think the government should allow prayer in public schools.

Politicos nationwide would do well to take note of the twist in voter consciousness, Byron Johnson, co-director of the Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion, said in the report. “Such findings should not go unnoticed by Republican officials,” he said.

Researchers also stressed that when 39 percent of nonevangelicals think the government should “advocate” Christian values and 52 percent of them want the feds to “defend” Christian values, it could throw unexpected twists into upcoming elections, especially in the 2008 presidential race.

Released in September, the initial findings from the Baylor Religion Survey were released in a report called American Piety in the 21st Century. Funded by the John Templeton Foundation and conducted by Baylor’s Institute for Studies of Religion, the report used a national random sampling of 1,721 respondents. The more than 350 questions on the report covered spirituality issues from reasons for prayer and beliefs about God to supernatural experiences and the paranormal.

reformation sunday

This Sunday, if I have kept my dates straight in my head, is Reformation Sunday at Community Church. I'll double check when I arrive at the office this morning. The lectionary text for this Sunday is here. I will likely focus on the Jeremiah passage and the Gospel. Jeremiah is fabulous, per usual. And Mark continues his drive toward the cross unabated by any exposition or color commentary. For a Reformation Sunday, what do these passages say to us? I think that they say that God wants to save a community...drawing us in from east and west...and each of us individually, curing our blindness and hearing us when we call. But if we want to think of this as Reformation, we have to decide what it is that is being reformed. Is it an institution or is it our hearts and lives? Dunno. That is worth pondering this morning.

Oh, and then there is that noodly Hebrews passage about the high priest...Christ. We are the Body of the High Priest. What can a Baptist say about that? Are we ready to be teachers, and healers and devout worshipers of God as Christ is? Really? Again, the Reformation abounds.

Try not to listen to the news today. Not only were more innocent people killed in Iraq and Afghanistan (I include our military in that tally.), but the World Series game was rained out. There is very little good news...a Reformation may be needed after all.

___________________________________

Yesterday's seminar was good. Diana Butler Bass hit a homerun again. I did not stay for the afternoon session. I had a meeting. Sadly, the guy who presented is the chair of the diocese congregations committee. He is the one person we have been trying to get to Reconciler lo these many years. We need him to begin to understand what Reconciler is about in hopes that the diocese will support us and grant us some mission/ministry status. The ABC has asked us to get everyone else in line before they act. They are fairly well ready to run with it. The Covenant is waiting to see what ECUSA will do. Ah, a Reformation indeed. Heh.

Okay, enough of the Reformation stuff. Right.

clerical haberdashery

It bodes well for the AngloBaptist when his friends arrive and speak of rabats and Canterbury caps...clerical haberdashery it is called. Be not afraid. I am curious now if I can get a Baptist appropriate Canterbury cap. Perhaps a Louisville cap that has nothing to do with Sluggers (pacifist, you know) or a Providence (Rhode Island being the ecclesial hideout of yore.) cap would be worthwhile. What do you think?

SWTS people sharing pizza and clerical foolery. Wondrous keen.
____________________________________________

victory over self...

When I was in college, I went on an Inter-Religious retreat with several other students and some faculty from the university I attended. The group was comprised of Christian, Jewish and Moslem believers. It was my first visit to Richmond Hill...that place I prattle on about at length where Tradition and Justice meet. You now, pray three times a day, read the scriptures, be obedient to one another, and picket the state captial building when the need arrises...the usual. Loved it. Anyway, as a guest of the retreat center I was assigned a room to stay in. Each room was assigned a particular saint. I was assigned to the St Francis Xavier room...and the corresponding virtue was "victory over self."

Today's reading from Celtic Daily Prayer is from the Hebridean Altars:

Deliver me from self-trustfulness.
In the frequent days in which I must do battle with
my self for foe,
arm me with a constant trust in Thee.

There have been many ways in which I have encountered this struggle within myself of late. In attempting to be obedient to a tradition that is thousands of years old, I have struggled with this. In my marriage, my friendships, my study, my work...it is all the same struggle. How do I get out of my own way, or how do I allow the Holy Spirit to transform me as God is want to do? This is what I think Paul was speaking of when he said "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." So often I can get hung up on how systems or other people are in the way of my coming closer to God. And that may be true from time to time. But what is more likely is that I am in my own way. I am shielding myself from God's reconciling grace.

Let me not harden my own heart, O Lord. Take not thy Holy Spirit from me. You be my rock and my salvation.
____________________________________________________________

The conference is wondrous. It is good to see old friends and make some new ones. Diana Butler Bass is tremendous. I am a dork. I own two of her books and had her sign them for me. I may have to pick up a couple of extra copies for some of the leaders at Community Church. I think that they speak may speak to us specifically.

Today I will go to morning prayers at SWTS and then the second lecture by Professor Butler Bass. There is lunch and a jazz mass and then AKMA will be signing copies of his own books that were recently published. Happy postmodernist moments both. This afternoon I have a meeting with Larry to talk Reconciler stuff. And this evening people are coming over for dinner. It should be a good time.

Here are a couple of pics from Trish's show...

the ladies of the cell block





the cast with Tippi and Veronica

bread for the journey

Friends are coming into town for the conference at Seabury this week. Nutjob+ arrived yesterday jetlagged and spent from schlepping all that pineapple over several thousand miles. I am glad that he's here. And I am glad he brought pineapple with him. Q+ arrives this afternoon sometime. Her room is ready. And the cats are awaiting their opportunity to tourture her. It's an arrangement that they have. Rev Ref+ and Calamity Jane+ are due in as well. Sadly, they are staying in some hotel and not here at Chateau Ouilmette.

Bread for the Journey, features Diana Butler Bass as the keynote and featured speaker. She's supposed to be great. I still need to get her most recent book and glean from it what I can. I assume I'll be able to get a copy at the conferene. We'll see.

At some point this week I'll download some photos from the retreat. Green Lake is lovely. The place where we stayed is great. And some of us actually got in a few holes of golf in the sleeting weather. Insane? Certainly. Fun? Absolutely.

Trish played hooky yesterday. That was perhaps the best thing to happen in a long while. We lingered in bed for a bit and then went to a local diner for good eats. Some of the day was spent cleaning up the Chateau for our guests. Our schedule has not exactly left much room for chores. I hope to not have to scrub the refrigerator again any time soon. Urgh.

home again...

I was away in Wisconsin for a retreat. I am home now. A movie with the wife now calls.

See you on the morrow, Nutjob+. Huzzah!

so out of the loop...

You know, Trish teases me for being out of the loop when it comes to anything theater or cinema. Last night is perhaps the best example of that phenom ever.

Tippi Hedren and Veronica Cartwright were at the performance of Caged Dames. I had heard of Tippi because David won't stop talking about her. Anyway, he and Tippi have become friendly and when she is in town, he invites her to a show so she can promote Shambala Preserve. I've never seen The Birds. I know. I am a heathen.

Now, Veronica seemed familiar somehow. But I could not put my finger on it. Trish yelled at me. She reminded me that I read too much of the wrong things. This happens with less a catalyst as well. But not knowing who the heck Veronica was just about put me in the doghouse. Well, now I know. I have seen most of her movies. And, suitably, now I am impressed. I repent of my pop culture vagueries.

I have met Tippi and Veronica. They both seem to be very nice people.

caedmon

The Celtic prayer book that I use from time to time tells today the story of Caedmon's death. Essentially, the poet took ill and unlike the usual drawn out and dramtic death that is so often communicated within the genre, he dies quickly. He asked if there was any wound between himself and the community. Assured that there was none, he received Communion and quietly passed away.

Here is a snippet of a poem...

Nu scylun hergan hefaenricaes uard
metudæs maecti end his modgidanc
uerc uuldurfadur— sue he uundra gihuaes
eci dryctin or astelidæ
he aerist scop aelda barnum
heben til hrofe haleg scepen
tha middungeard moncynnæs uard
eci dryctin æfter tiadæ
firum foldu frea allmectig

Now [we] must honour the guardian of heaven,
the might of the architect, and his purpose,
the work of the father of glory[36]
— as he, the eternal lord, established the beginning of wonders.
He, the holy creator,
first created heaven as a roof for the children of men.[37]
Then the guardian of mankind, the eternal lord,
the lord almighty, afterwards appointed the middle earth,
the lands, for men.[38]

The lectionary readings that follow are a collection of relational passages...about personal and relational holiness.

How do you understand personal holiness. Yes, even I get hung up on that language. To some that may be a surprise. But it's true. Holiness and righteousness are not relational in how I think about it. It's like not touching a menstruating woman because it might sully us. I don't mean to offend the Orthodox Jew among us, but that is a kind of holiness that I cannot wrap my mind around. However...

Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
Happy are those to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

This makes more sense to me. This suggests that sin exists...that we make mistakes and that life is messy. It also suggests that we have been honest with God in the process...confessed our sins if you will. It's about relational honesty and not fact sharing. God is a person, a being, and we are in relationship with God. Even though God knows our "inmost thoughts," resting on that knowledge is not enough. There is still a relationship to care for and preserve. The Golden Rule, as well, is about relational honesty and not mere fact sharing. Caedmon would not have received communion, one might argue, until he was right with his fellow monks.

To me, the relational aspect of Christian faith is what makes it work, that keeps it from becoming a list of rules and regulatons, of do's and don't's. If God is not a person, a being, an entity, then this is not possible. All we are left with are rules or guiding concerns. Holiness and righteousness are about relational honesty. Take time to be holy.

they all agree on something...

This is something special. All of these people are calling the current administration to step up and put an end to genocide in Darfur. I'll be interested to see what if anything comes of this.

Rob Bell, founding pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church in Grand Rapids, Mich., author of Velvet Elvis
Charles Blake, pastor of West Angeles Church of God in Christ, founder of Save Africa's Children
Tony Campolo, Baptist evangelist and international speaker
Rich Cizik, vice president for government affairs of the National Association of Evangelicals
Luis Cortés, Jr., president of Esperanza USA
Wes Granberg-Michaelson, general secretary of Reformed Church in America
Ted Haggard, president of National Association of Evangelicals
Roberta Hestenes, former president, Eastern University
Joel Hunter, president of Christian Coalition of America
Bill Hybels, pastor of Willow Creek Church, leader of Willow Creek Association
Harry Jackson, president of High Impact Leadership Coalition
Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission
Brian McLaren, author, leader in the emerging church
David Neff, editor and vice president of Christianity Today
Glenn Palmberg, president of Evangelical Covenant Church
Bob Roberts, Jr., founding pastor of NorthWood Church, Keller, Texas
Samuel Rodriguez, Jr., president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference
William Shaw, president of the National Baptist Convention, USA
Ron Sider, founder and president of Evangelicals for Social Action
Geoff Tunnicliffe, international director for the World Evangelical Alliance
Jim Wallis, president of Sojourners/Call to Renewal, author of God's Politics (His blog, too.)
Gloria White-Hammond, co-founder of My Sister's Keeper
Barbara Williams-Skinner, president of the Skinner Leadership Institute
Lauren Winner, author and visiting professor at Duke Divinity School

caged dames is better than cats...

Trish's show opened last night. The house was full to o'er flowing. They had to bring in extra chairs for people to sit down. Incredible. It is a bawdy sometimes raunchy romp through the film noir stage. Everyone should see it. Not that I am biased in any way, but it is really funny. The performances are strong. So, take the time to go see it if you are in the neighborhood.

Really.

In other news, I have another day of meeting and visiting and preparing for the weekend retreat. It's been a very full week. Trish and I have been out until after midnight for the show and up early for work. And yesterday we discovered that someone in Mexico spent over $1,500 in some Walmart or something using my credit card number. Our bank is very understanding and acted quickly. We should get our money back in a week or so. Joy. That was fun.

So, has anyone thought about the lectionary readings for this Sunday? Care to share your deep insights into God's word?

benevolent?

Really?

Nice.

My Personal Dna Report

what bliss

Jesus sent out his disciples saying:
Whenever you go into a town where they make you welcome,
eat what is set before you;
cure the sick who are there and say,
“The kingdom of God is very near you.”
Lk 10:1-9

Today is the feast of St. Luke (or here)...or so I am told by an e-mail I received. I'm not sure what to say about it. Somewhere you will likely find a troparion espousing the salvific grace of the good doctor. I have been reading Acts again. I think that it is an interesting piece of literature. I also think that it reveals the saving nature of a Christian community...the essential locus of God's work in the world. I know we go back and forth about this on the blog, but in reading through Acts (sharing, people, its all about sharing) I am more and more convinced that this is a communal faith.

I watched it occur around a table last night at Reconciler's Bible study...I watched the Spirit move, encouraging people to listen to one another, to uphold one another in prayer. I am stil kind of buzzed from it. It was lovely. Thanks to all.

The Guatemala bean is keeping me company this morning. A little soy milk makes it cozy. It compensates for the continued sleep deprivation. Trish's preview was nice...but the notes and the reworking of some transitions lasted until almost midnight. Tonight Caged Dames opens. Come one! Come all!

Ever wake up in the morning hoping that you will have something worthwhile to say and all you get is "mmmmm coffee?"

Mmmmmmm coffee

Luke’s Gospel ends with the account of the disciples bowing low with their foreheads to the ground (Luke 24:52). In this way, they take up a prayer posture that perhaps goes back to the remotest origins of humanity. It expresses the silent offering of one’s life. - Brother Roger of Taize

tuesday postage

Good day, all. It looks like I am sliding back into the habit of not posting on Mondays. It is just nice to get away from all e-life that day (And a monk directed me to take a sabbath...obedience is a bear.). Of course, this means that I have a thousand of things that I want to share on Tuesday. What is one to do?

I feel like the sermon went well. At Reconciler it sparked a lively conversation about confusion. Jorge continues it here.It's a confusing passage, you know. It is a difficult teaching and not part of the Christianity 101 syllabus. And yet it is essential to what it means to be Christian. Wild. Fun. Community Church had a similar response...it pushed people around in a helpful way, I think. People approached me after the service to speak about it. Some of the comments were the typical "Thank you, Pastor" comments. Lovely. Thank you. But a few people have asked some good questions and are trying to figure their way through it. I can ask no more from a sermon than that. Fabulous.

tuesday links

On marriage and our country...good news?
Three articles about Kuo's book: 1, 2, 3

"Some, like James Dobson, argue that we need more Christian political engagement. Our lack of success simply shows that we need to be more passionate, strategic, and engaged. Others, such as the prominent and respected theologian and pastor John MacArthur, believe Christians need to do exactly the opposite; Christians need to flee the political arena and focus instead on telling people the truth about Jesus, that he alone is the way, the truth, and the life, and that he is the only way to God.

"Both Dobson and MacArthur are good men who obviously love Jesus, and they have dedicated their lives to following him. But maybe there is another option.

"Maybe Christians need to begin a fast – from politics….

"We need to eschew politics to focus more on practicing compassion. We need to spend more time studying Jesus and less time trying to get people elected. Instead of spending hundreds of millions of dollars every year in support of conservative Christian advocacy groups such as the Family Research Council, Eagle Forum, and the panoply of similar groups, let's give that money to charities and groups that are arguably closer to Jesus' heart. And we Christians should spend less time arguing with those on the other side and more time communing with them." (pp. 261-263)

The prosperity gospel...not all good?

And that is all for now. I am not preaching at Community Church this weekend. We have a retreat in Wisconsin, so I will be preparing for that all week. The retreat focus is on music and spirituality. It should be a nice trip. I am told that there will be time for golf. So, I will bring my clubs. Saturday's golf outing was great fun...not too cold in the sun. I did not win any of the myriad prizes, but that's okay with me. I was able to meet a couple of people connected with the church that I had not yet encountered. This was a great thing.

Musings this week will be about faith, music, and spirituality. I am looking forward to it.

god doesn't want our money - the sermon from this morning

Sermon: Community Church of Wilmette
Proper 23 (28) Year B, 2006
Job 23:1-9, 16-17
Psalm 22:1-15
Hebrews 4:12-16
Mark 10:17-31

God Doesn't Want Our Money

One of the well-known interpretations of today's scripture passage usually relies upon the notion that the Needle's Eye was a passageway into Jerusalem. "It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle…" We even spoke of it in our Bible study this past Tuesday. And I sat there and said, "You know, I have heard that too. That's one possible interpretation."

Now, however, I want to step back from that.

No archaeologist has been able to confirm such a gateway ever existed. And no scriptural interpreter has ever made that idea stick…well, that's not entirely true now is it? Suffice it to say that the idea is not consistent with the reaction of the disciples. Why were the disciples upset? Why would they say "But how is this possible?!" if all they need to do is unload a camel a little bit in order to get into the holy city of Jerusalem? That's not too hard now is it?

Unless of course there is no passage called "The Needle's Eye." Unless there is no simple unloading of a little extra from a camel's back. There is no easy way in…or out…of this quandary as the case may be.

This is one of those times when Jesus means a literal needle and a literal camel. Brothers and sisters…Jesus is suggesting that we all have to unload everything otherwise entering the Kingdom is impossible. Even our riches must be given up…given to the poor.

But I want to push things around a little today,

and say that God doesn't want our money.

A wealthy man walks up to Jesus and says, "You know. I am a pretty good guy. I follow the rules and pay my taxes. I don't speed. I keep my nose clean. I follow the commandments. What is next?"

We've heard the answer already this morning. We know where this goes. Jesus says, "That's all well and good, but there is one thing more that you must do. Give all your money, all your riches, to the poor...and follow me."

This is such a hard saying that someone seemingly willing to follow Jesus, someone upright and good and moral, turns around and walks away. He cannot even begin to do what Jesus asks.

What, specifically, is so hard about this? Why is it that the disciples, upon hearing this themselves say "Holy cow! You must be kidding, right?"

And if that were not enough, Jesus goes on. "Not only do you have to give up your riches, but your family...your friends, where you live...all of it…And follow me."

"With this the disciples were not comforted."

God does not want our money. No. God wants more than that.

10:20 He said to him, "Teacher, I have kept all these [commandments] since my youth."

10:21 Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, "You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me."

In Matthew's telling of this story, the dialogue focuses upon what it takes to be perfect. "If you wish to be perfect…sell what you own." But in Mark's Gospel, there is something that the rich man lacks. The man is lacking. This is an interesting understanding of having too much. In this case, what the man possesses is symptomatic of a lacking of something else.

What if the man did not go away because he was upset about giving up his stuff? What if he really wanted to give it all up and follow an itinerant preacher around the countryside but his obligations to family and friendships, to business partners and property were all so great that he simply could not abandon ship and follow Jesus? I think that it is possible to read the scripture this way. His attachment is not about greed. No. It is about obligation and the burdens that we all bear…

the things that possess us, good or ill.

Whether he knew it or not, the rich man was being invited to let go of his burden…that thing that would keep him from God.

He lacked freedom.

Is it possible that our wealth, individual or shared, is a burden to us? Some of us have debts…and expectations, things we must have tremendous income in order to achieve…like a good education or topnotch medical care. Perhaps it is a nation's need for more and more resources to sustain its infrastructure. Maybe this is what we are being asked to give up, to change about our lives, and within ourselves.

I keep thinking of this in terms of the realigning of our social institutions that keep systems of "purchase power status" alive. No one escapes this system. The disciples recognize this, I think. And thus they proclaim the impossibility of it all.

And that is why we must pray for an act of God. But are we ready for that act of God to come through us?

God knows that we are stuck. God knows that we have an increasingly expensive educational system. Those of you who are sending your children to college know this. Those of us who will be paying college loans until we are in our fifties know this.

God also knows we have an increasingly burdensome health care system.

God knows about our dependence upon foreign oil…and everything else.

God knows about systems of wealth and poverty and how our political systems manage and manifest these economics.

God knows that wealth greases the wheels of the world. This is not some secret we keep from God.

But it is impossible. "Then who can be saved?" ask the disciples.

God does not want our money. As impossible as that is on its own, in some ways, that would be too easy. God wants our lives. So, those of you who thought you might escape this judgment earlier because you think you are not particularly wealthy are not off the hook. The same call rests upon all of us. No one escapes the difficulty of today's gospel lesson.

Your children are guests in your home.

Your parents belong to God.

Your spouse is not your own…but Christ's.

Your house is God's.

Your land is God's.

All you are and all you have is God's.

I met a pastor at Richmond Hill names Jim. He was angry at God.

He had recently discovered that his wife did not belong to him. Not in the classic sense of a man's property, but in the sense of vocation. Jim knew God had a plan for him, was leading him somewhere in particular…in this case, into a doctoral program. And the competing responsibilities of family and his vocation were an incredible burden.

But one day it occurred to him that God had such a call upon his wife as well. Perhaps it is easy to see for us, but in that moment Jim realized that his wife was God's first and foremost. That she was on loan to Jim…as a gift. And God had a plan for her life as well.

At first Jim was angry. He was afraid and could not trust God to care for his wife. But eventually Jim was glad…more grateful than he could express because this knowledge lifted a burden. God was taking care of his wife, his family.

But like the rich man, this does not mean that Jim can sit back and let God do whatever is necessary and neglect his marriage. No. Like the rich man, Jim must become an active part of God's work in the world. This is what it means to follow Jesus.

But can we see that this is very good news? By giving up all we are and all we have to God…God will return it one hundred fold.

To seek perfection (the idea from Matthew) is to overcome the inability to follow God completely - which is salvation – that thing the rich man is lacking.

Joan Chittister, a Benedictine nun explains it in her book about the Benedictine Rule in this way:

"Be honest about what you are and you will come to know God." [The Rule] says, "If you recognize the presence of God in life, you will soon become more and more perfect." But this perfection is not the twentieth-century sense of impeccability. This perfection is in the Biblical sense of having matured, ripened, and become whole. (p. 74 The Rule of Benedict)

This is Matthews's perfection and it is Mark's salvation.

You see, salvation is a journey. But it is a no holds barred rigorous journey that demands humility, obedience to God's call to follow and compassion. In the end, it is only God that can save us. We cannot do it ourselves. And we are all in that same bind…some ready to hear and follow, and some not yet ready to let go of our burdens…to "let go and let God" as the saying goes.

And God does want to save us from our burdens…from the things that would keep us from following Christ. God wants to shoulder these burdens for us and to turn the world around.

Jesus, looking at [the man], loved him…

Jesus looked at them and said, "For mortals it is impossible,

but not for God; for God all things are possible."

God looks on us with love. God desires nothing else but our salvation. All the things that are burdensome in life…even our wealth, can be turned over to Christ. God is able to anything. And all things God does are for our benefit…to the end purpose of bringing about wholeness for all…to release us from our burdens.

God does not leave us comfortless...No. We have a hundredfold promise. But God does not leave us to our own comforts either.

Our actions, our goodness cannot save us. There is nothing that we have that can save us. Nothing that we have belongs to us...not our friend, or our family…not our wealth or our influence. It is God who will bring us to perfection. It is God who will work miracles with our hearts to open us up to the world so we too can give all we have like the disciples.

The passage is incredibly challenging. It is impolite. I find it frightening and even a little cruel.

It is, well, impossible.

Except through God, all things are possible...the care of our families and our obligations in a godly way, a generous way, a compassionate way that purposes who we are and what we have to the word of God's Kingdom in this world. This is possible. And we can have faith in this promise.

Just like God wanted to free Jim from the burden of his marriage and allow him to receive his marriage as a gift.

This is freedom.

But that freedom (of perfection...salvation) does not come without our willingness to turn all things over to God, to follow Christ by giving away our family, our friends, our worldly assurances and our riches. We do not sit and wait for God to do the impossible. An incarnational faith recognizes that we are instruments of this Godly desire.

In many ways we are already about this work. Through our ministries here we are engaged in this saving work…this ongoing perfecting of ourselves and the world.

(Here you need to list the things that we already do to overcome this lack...Include worship!)

But all this, as great as it is, according to Mark this morning, is only the tip of the iceberg.

We are never done being saved…seeking perfection, or receiving what we lack from God. It is a journey after all.

The work of the Kingdom is an ever-present comfort and challenge.

God doesn't want our money. God wants our salvation.

May God bless us as we try to live into this hard word. May he return to us blessings one hundred fold. And may we find the freedom to follow Christ…this day and every day.

Amen.

from sarah...

This is powerful stuff...

Jesus wasn't kidding when he said what he did about wealth any more than he was kidding when he said what he did about relationships. God's kingdom, God's rule, God's way of using power are entirely incompatible with our way of using power to maintain our wealth and shut the rest of the world out of it. "Charity" -- the practice of doling out money from our considerable wealth to those who are poor in a way that in no way changes the recipient's lack of access to wealth and power -- is a seductive trap that consolidates our power, adding to it even the power of doling out life and death around our choices of how much to give and to whom, and yet lets us feel particularly generous and self-righteous in the process. Jesus is not calling us to make some minor tweaks in our relationship to wealth. He's calling us to something far more radical and far more transforming; he's calling us to reconciliation, with one another and with God.

I like what she said in her exegesis of the Mark passage for this Sunday. The passage is more challenging than any of us can bear. It is impolite. It is, well, impossible. Thus, through God, all things are possible...including the realligning of our social institutions that keep systems of "purchase power status" alive. No one escapes this system. And that is why we must pray for an act of God. But are we ready for that act of God to come through us?

This is what I am pondering through with my sermon. God knows that we are stuck. God knows that we have an increasingly expensive educational system. God knows we have an increasingly burdensome health system. God knows that wealth greases the wheels of the world. This is not some secret we keep from God. And Christ recognises that it is impossible for us to overcome it, to perfect ourselves in the midst of it. Forutnately, God desires it...and thus it is (all things are) possible through God. God wishes to free us from this burden.

But that freedom (of perfection...salvation) does not come without our willingness to turn all things over to God, to follow Christ by giving away our riches. We do not sit and wait.
__________________________________

In other news, today is the Men's Golf Outing. Community Church has been doing this for a good long while. The temperature is currently in the 30's. It may get into the 50's. We have a noon tee time. This is going to be painfull.

So, I need to get my sermon completed this morning. Trish is still asleep. She needs it. Caged Dames opens Wednesday. They have been working very hard all week long. They rehearse today and again tomorrow...from 9-5. Oy. Veh. She and I are supposed to go out for dinner tonight. It is a date to clelebrate our wedding anniversary...which was in September. Ah well. We'll get there. I believe we are going out for tapas. I so love those little plates of Spanish goodness.

okay...this is the last one...

I laughed until I cried.
link

a new show...

Trish is in this one. Go see it.

quotations and links...

From AKMA -

The fact that people are haggling over how many tens of thousands of Iraqis have died in a war that has not brought a higher degree of peace and security, that has evidently increased the amount of terrorist activity in Iraq, illustrates how the policymakers in the U.S. government have gone off their hinges.

From Young Fogey -

Every Christian heart must be saddened in view of this separation... which exists between the Oriental Catholic Church and the Roman Catholic Church, which has subsisted for so many centuries between churches which have alike an apostolic origin; which have, save one word, the same creed; which have the same sacraments, the same priesthood, the same ethics, the same worship.

From Real Live Preacher -

Ministers can feel dehumanized at times. This happens in part because we court our righteous image and in part because the people in the pews want to see nothing but our image. Taylor describes a church party where people were pushing each other into a pool. No one would push the minister in, of course, so there she stood watching everyone else in the water. But then someone gave her a shove and she found herself in the water with all the rest of us. I found myself struggling with tears as I thought about my own life and how many times I have wished I could be “a regular person.”

From Mike Clawson -

The emerging church definitely evidences the passion for mission, the penchant for methodological innovation, and the respect for Scripture characteristic of evangelicalism. But there is also the intellectual depth and openness to theological innovation often found in mainline circles. Emergents are also very eager to learn from the depth of spiritual practices found in liturgical churches while combining these with the charismatic passion of the pentecostal movement.

a curious story

I know nothing about this. But the article is interesting. I do not find it at all surprising that a politician would use a special interest group to benefit themselves. This is often what politicians do. Party affiliation is not a barrier here. Why this is scandalous I am still unclear about, but I'll keep my eyes open.

Kuo, a self-described conservative evangelical, has criticized the administration in recent years for its handling of the faith-based issue. However, his previous criticisms -- in congressional testimony and op-ed columns for the religious news website Beliefnet -- have been neither as dramatic nor as specific as those contained in the book.

thursday musings about stuff...

It has been hard to blog much of anything lately. As unbelievable as it may sound to some of you, I simply have not had the energy. My mind has been occupied with all sorts of things about church and life in general. But so little of it can be shared in such a public venue. It is not that I would be failing to keep certain confidences. But sometimes a person wants to keep things close. Do you know what I mean? Anyway, do me a favor. Keep me in your prayers if you don't already. I could use the extra boost.

As a change of subject, I would like to suggest two books as worthy of your attention. First, Robert F Taft, SJ has written Through Their Own Eyes, Liturgy as the Byzantines Saw It. It is from InterOrthodox Press. Taft is well respected in the academic liturgy circles...yes, even by us baptists. This book is a fascinating romp about what "really" happened at church. You think the 1960's pushed people around? Ha! Anyway, here's the link.

The other book is not about liturgy per se, The Story of Chicago May by Nuala O'Faolain is great! It is my most recent "nonchurchy" read. Have any of you read anything else by this author? This is my first from her. Are the others any good? Let me know if you have read through anything. Anyway, this is a story about the infamous Chicago May...an Irish immigrant at the turn of the last century. She was a prostitute, flim flam girl and general facinating person. Not nice. Not good. But so interesting...and O'Faolain does a great job of expressing her own excitement and giving you a sense of May at the same time. It's a real page turner. Here's the link.

And for your internet reading pleasure, head on over to the Reconciler blog to read Larry's sermon from Sunday. It is long. Be ye warned. But it is an interesting exegesis of the divorce passage from Mark's gospel last Sunday. I encouage you to take the time. Jeff Reich also posted his sermon about it...as did Todd Young. Sarah also posted her thoughts. By no means are they least in this little list.

Jorge has been posting on the Rule of Benedict as well. Give him a read.

And that is what I have today. I have two or three meetings this morning. It's actually a potentially exciting day. I am meeting some fellow preachers for food in the morning, the leader from the local Boy Scout Troop for lunch and the guy from a local theater company and I should begin hammering out the details of getting their show in our sanctuary this Christmas.

snow?!

Yes, Chicago, it is that time of year again. Fall is here. This means that the leaves can stay on the trees a little longer than expcted and snow can fall from the sky at the same time. Green oak leaves and pretty snowflakes. Lovely combination.

Oy.

I will rely upon the roasted Guatemala coffee bean to keep me warm, thank you very much.

joan speaks

Joan Chittister wrote the book on the Benedictine Rule we have been reading at Reconciler as part of a Bible study. A friend e-mailed this article to me. I hope you all enjoy it.

What kind of people are these?

By Joan Chittister
ncr.cafe.org
Created Oct 9 2006 - 12:51

From Where I Stand by Joan Chittister, OSB October 9, 2006
Vol. 4, No. 23

The country that went through the rabid slaughter of children at Columbine
high school several years ago once again stood stunned at the rampage in a
tiny Amish school this month.

We were, in fact, more than unusually saddened by this particular display of
viciousness. It was, of course, an attack on 10 little girls. Amish. Five
dead. Five wounded. Most people called it "tragic." After all, the Amish
represent no threat to society, provide no excuse for the rationalization of
the violence so easily practiced by the world around them.

Nevertheless, in a nation steeped in violence -- from its video games to its
military history, in foreign policy and on its streets -- the question
remains: Why did this particular disaster affect us like it did? You'd think
we'd be accustomed to mayhem by now.

But there was something different about this one. What was it?

Make no mistake about it: the Amish are not strangers to violence.

The kind of ferocity experienced by the Amish as they buried the five
girl-children murdered by a crazed gunmen two weeks ago has not really been
foreign to Amish life and the history of this peaceful people.

This is a people born out of opposition to violence -- and, at the same
time, persecuted by both Catholics and Protestants in the era before
religious tolerance. Having failed to adhere to the orthodoxy of one or the
other of the controlling theocracies of their home territories, they were
banished, executed, imprisoned, drowned or burned at the stake by both
groups.

But for over 300 years, they have persisted in their intention to be who and
what they said they were.

Founded by a once-Catholic priest in the late 17century, as part of the
reformist movements of the time, the Mennonites -- from which the Amish
later sprung -- were, from the beginning, a simple movement. They believe in
adult baptism, pacifism, religious tolerance, separation of church and
state, opposition to capital punishment, and opposition to oaths and civil
office.

They organize themselves into local house churches. They separate from the
"evil" of the world around them. They live simple lives opposed to the
technological devices -- and even the changing clothing styles -- which, in
their view, encourage the individualism, the pride, that erodes community,
family, a righteous society. They work hard. They're self-sufficient; they
refuse both Medicare and Social Security monies from the state. And though
the community has suffered its own internal violence from time to time, they
have inflicted none on anyone around them.

Without doubt, to see such a peaceful people brutally attacked would surely
leave any decent human being appalled.

But it was not the violence suffered by the Amish community last week that
surprised people. Our newspapers are full of brutal and barbarian violence
day after day after day -- both national and personal.

No, what really stunned the country about the attack on the small Amish
schoolhouse in Pennsylvania was that the Amish community itself simply
refused to hate what had hurt them.

"Do not think evil of this man," the Amish grandfather told his children at
the mouth of one little girl's grave.

"Do not leave this area. Stay in your home here." the Amish delegation told
the family of the murderer. "We forgive this man."

No, it was not the murders, not the violence, that shocked us; it was the
forgiveness that followed it for which we were not prepared. It was the lack
of recrimination, the dearth of vindictiveness that left us amazed. Baffled.
Confounded.

It was the Christianity we all profess but which they practiced that
left us stunned. Never had we seen such a thing.

Here they were, those whom our Christian ancestors called "heretics," who
were modeling Christianity for all the world to see. The whole lot of them.
The entire community of them. Thousands of them at one time.

The real problem with the whole situation is that down deep we know that we
had the chance to do the same. After the fall of the Twin Towers we had the
sympathy, the concern, the support of the entire world.

You can't help but wonder, when you see something like this, what the
world would be like today if, instead of using the fall of the Twin Towers
as an excuse to invade a nation, we had simply gone to every Muslim country
on earth and said, "Don't be afraid. We won't hurt you. We know that this is
coming from only a fringe of society, and we ask your help in saving others
from this same kind of violence."

"Too idealistic," you say. Maybe. But since we didn't try, we'll never know,
will we?

Instead, we have sparked fear of violence in the rest of the world
ourselves. So much so, that they are now making nuclear bombs to save
themselves. From whom? From us, of course.

The record is clear. Instead of exercising more vigilance at our borders,
listening to our allies and becoming more of what we say we are, we are
becoming who they said we are.

For the 3,000 dead in the fall of the Twin Towers at the hands of 19
religious fanatics, we have more than 2,700 U.S. soldiers now killed in
military action, more than 20,600 wounded, more than 10,000 permanently
disabled. We have thousands of widows and orphans, a constitution at risk, a
president that asked for and a Congress that just voted to allow torture,
and a national infrastructure in jeopardy for want of future funding.

And nobody's even sure how many thousand innocent Iraqis are dead now, too.

Indeed, we have done exactly what the terrorists wanted us to do. We have
proven that we are the oppressors, the exploiters, the demons they now fear
we are. And -- read the international press -- few people are saying
otherwise around the world.

From where I stand, it seems to me that we ourselves are no longer so sure
just exactly what kind of people we have now apparently become.

Interestingly enough, we do know what kind of people the Amish are -- and,
like the early Romans, we, too, are astounded at it. "Christian" they call
it.

a store?

Good day. I hope all is well. I have had a busy couple of days. So, blogging has been slow.

Several months ago I opened a cafepress store. I have all the prices set so that I make no money at all. If you are feeling wacky and want an anglobaptist.org coffee mug, jump on in. And if you would like an "I *heart* Assyrians" tee shirt, now is your chance. I own the golf shirt.

Be ye warned.
Cafepress is dangerous.
Right. That's all I have today. See you around.

and they are really good, too...

Da Bears...and a nap. This makes a good Sunday.

sunday sermon: christ was around me everywhere

Follow the extended link for the sermon.

Villanelle

Love, Love was incarnate there
In childhood's glow and mystery,
Christ was around me everywhere.

On my knees I learned a bedside prayer,
Mother and father leading me.
Love, Love was incarnate there.

In his rough hug, in her girlish hair
About my face, in our revelry,
Christ was around me everywhere.

In grandparents' kisses, in the care
Of aunts and uncles, in family,
Love, Love was incarnate there.

Daily I met His doting stare
From a cross on a wall or rosary.
Christ was around me everywhere.

In the clang of church bells in the air
I heard His call - my destiny!
Love, Love was incarnate there.
Christ was around me everywhere.

- Villanelle by Joseph Awad, Shenandoah Long Ago

Joseph Awad is one of my favorite poets. I first encountered him shortly after I graduated college. It was one of those times in my life when family and friendship seemed scarce. You may know those times...when loneliness somehow keeps us from connecting with even our family...or our friends. There is some rift, some misspoken word or deep injury that cannot even now be reconciled. One of the most difficult things to do is to learn to live with this reality, that our relationships are demanding and no longer simple, reliable, and perfectly supportive as perhaps we imagined they were when we were children.

I needed something to help overcome that loneliness. And this poem by Joseph Awad was part of that. The way he shapes the images of childhood, of the deep trust that a child has for family, into images of God and Christ are entrancing. He makes almost startling connections...brave connections founded on trust in God. That was a lesson I had to learn and Joseph helped to teach me. There are many other poems in the same volume. Some are not as promising, so full of hope and gentleness. His childhood was far from perfect. But it is this one that I always gravitate toward when I return to his work. There is a profound innocence here. And in that innocence is a divine love proclaimed.

For me, this particular kind of love has always been reassuring. It is deeper than sentimentality. It is far more than whimsy. And during times in my life when I feel burdened and that deep loneliness creeps back in, I return to Awad's divine love. It restores me to a right sense of place in the universe. It reminds me who and whose I am.

It shows me what connections exist between myself and others...a glimpse or two of God's intention and desire.

The passage from Hebrews this morning has the same quality as Awad's poem. It is a mystical passage proclaiming the nature of our relationship with God, our place in the universe and the responsibilities demanded of us here in this life.

1:1 Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets,

1:2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds.

1:3 He is the reflection of God's glory and the exact imprint of God's very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

1:4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

2:5 Now God did not subject the coming world, about which we are speaking, to angels.

2:6 But someone has testified somewhere, "What are human beings that you are mindful of them, or mortals, that you care for them?

2:7 You have made them for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned them with glory and honor,

2:8 subjecting all things under their feet." Now in subjecting all things to them, God left nothing outside their control.

Maybe we find the language about angels and celestial throne rooms strange and confusing. But looking into the poetic language of this passage reveals much. There is a relationship with God that we have through Christ. It involves how the very universe itself was created...God's originating intention and desire in Genesis and its reiteration in the saving work of Jesus. The author of Hebrews has a very strong sense of place...of who they are and to whom they belong. This sense of place is founded upon this mystical understanding of the celestial order and humanity's place within it. There is awe: "What are human beings that you are mindful of them?" There is responsibility: "you have crowned them with glory and honor, subjecting all things under their feet." There is redemption: " He, [Christ] is the reflection of God's glory and the exact imprint of God's very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word."

This vision from Hebrews is an attempt to grasp what right relationship in God is like...and how it might be understood in our human relationships...during times of joy and in times of suffering.

The passage from Mark has a similar line of thought.

10:13 People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them.

10:14 But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, "Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.

10:15 Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it."

10:16 And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.

Jesus' indignation is focused upon the disciples once again simply because they are trying to keep people from bothering him...trying to keep grasping little hands away from the hem of his robes. There is a joy, an innocence in the way the children are perceived here. And there is a hopefulness expressed by those who bring their children to Christ. Sure, there is a certain lack of decorum perhaps, but what many commentators suggest is that the words of Christ, "receive the Kingdom of God as a little child," reflect a certain necessary dependence upon others...a child's need for guidance and assistance. Our need of blessing. This is the kind of innocence that is invited in the Kingdom, encouraged by God.

Love, Love was incarnate there
In childhood's glow and mystery,
Christ was around me everywhere.

The sense of place expounded upon by the author of Hebrews and by Joseph Awad is the adult expression of what dependence and faith may look like...may be understood. It is a generous impression, kind and gentle. Childlike innocence is honored and valued. But what do we do when the world is not so kind? How do we honor this relationship when life is destructive and cruel.

Faith is always about relationship...community. But, as we all know, it is not always sunshine and roses. Sometimes loneliness won't go away. Sometimes horrors occur. Chaos and mayhem come and reap destruction upon community and families and love appears silenced.

Early last week a man walked into a school in an Amish community in Pennsylvania. He ordered teachers and children out of the school house and, according to news reports, forced eleven young girls to line up against the wall. He shot each one execution style, killing five before ending his own life as police stormed the building.

This is unimaginable terror and violence. This is horror beyond comprehension. So, as sad as we may be in hearing this word through the media, it is newsworthy. It is something we must all know about. This is a burden that is shared...But in my opinion, there is something just as newsworthy in this story. Now, now that we know the horrible details, we should all pay close attention to how the Amish respond.

Yes, they are sectarian.
Yes, they shun much of what we deem necessary and good for civilization. How they live without the Internet, I will never understand. But they have much to teach us about knowing one's place in the world. Like the author of Hebrews, Jesus in Mark's gospel and the poet Joseph Awad, they know their place in God's universe and can name it. And perhaps more importantly, they can act from within this understanding.

They stick together and draw the suffering of all into their embrace.

NY Times article by Laurie Goodstein (October 4th)

In one sign of their approach to tragedy, Amish residents started a charity fund yesterday not only to help the victims’ families but also to help the gunman’s widow...

...The Amish surmount hardship through mutual aid. When a barn burns, they do not call the insurance company. They have a barn raising, said Kimberly D. Schmidt, associate professor of history at Eastern Mennonite University, in Harrisonburg, Va., who has studied Amish women.

“For the families who lost children, there will be a tremendous community outpouring of love and support,” Ms. Schmidt said. “They will not suffer alone in their grief at all. People will bring in meals for weeks. As devastating as this is, there’s so much strength they can draw from their community.”

They do not shun the widow of the gunman...She too is to be loved and pitied. She will receive their compassion.

LA Times article By Ellen Barry and Stephanie Simon, Times Staff Writers October 3, 2006

But [Charles] Roberts’ brutality evoked very little anger among the community Monday. Men in broad-brimmed hats and suspenders and women in bonnets and long dark dresses expressed grief and shock, but in hushed, muted tones. “It’s a sad day,” Jacob King, a 31-year-old stonemason[,] said. He could think of nothing else to add, just repeated that one word, “sad.”

Rather than dwell on the victims — though this is a close-knit community, where few are strangers — Amish residents spoke of their concern for Roberts’ family; their sorrow that a man could become so unhinged, so alienated from the Lord.

“I wish someone could have helped him out, poor soul. It’s obvious that something was troubling him,” said Steve, a 54-year-old carpenter who, like many here, would not give his full name.

That is the understatement of the year. Mr. Roberts was crushed. He had been destroyed by something...mental illness? Bitterness? Shame? All we can do is speculate. The Amish are crushed. Do not be mistaken. How could they not be? But they take the time to spare kind words for the man who killed their children. Is it possible that they can look beyond the events of the day? Is it possible that they can see and feel beyond the outrage? They name sadness...and it extends beyond their sadness about their children to the man broken enough to commit such an atrocity.

By TERRY MATTINGLY Scripps Howard News Service 04-OCT-06

The gunman's stunned wife released a media statement that showed her understanding of her Amish neighbors and their beliefs. She knew she could appeal for prayers and forgiveness, even though outsiders might find her words hard to fathom.

"Our hearts are broken, our lives are shattered and we grieve for the innocence and lives that were lost today," said Marie Roberts. "Above all, please, pray for the families who lost children and, please, pray, too, for our family and children."

Some of the Amish went even further. One woman told the Los Angeles Times: "I am very thankful that I was raised to believe you don't fight back. You should forgive."

...[The] Amish believe that God knows all and that God, and only God, can judge. What the Amish emphasize...is that forgiveness is the only way that humans can break a cycle of violence and sin.

I have been thinking about the Awad poem all week...thinking about parents and children and the crushing burden, the grief that the parents of those little girls must be experiencing. I have been thinking of the children whose father committed such violence. The ramifications of this tragedy will be felt in the Amish community and the Roberts' family perhaps for generations.

Children can die. Some of us here may know this too well. Violence can and will happen. The Amish are not naive. They know violence and yet they have chosen non-violence. Actually, because they know that violence and cruelty will arise they have chosen non-violence.

I will admit that their lifestyle is extreme. No electricity. No Internet! No zippers! But that they make such a strong connection between the virtue of forgiveness, an expression of their understanding of their life in and with God, and their day-to-day life is a lesson for us. There is no room for vengeance or cruelty in a time like this.

Everything they do, how they live, what they choose to avoid in hyper-technological America is a response to how they understand their place in God's creation. In their compassion they speak of the awe of being created. In their love, simplicity and community bonds, they speak of the incredible responsibility charged to all of us. Creation is in submission to us. Simplicity may be demanded of us in this relationship.

Christ wants to call us brothers and sisters. He wants to receive us as little children. God created us a little lower than the angels.

May God uphold us in this. May God continue to bless us as we seek innocence. And may we, like Joseph Awad proclaim...

I heard His call - my destiny!
Love, Love was incarnate there.
Christ was around me everywhere.

Amen.

thinking...

Lovely.

Never let us be discouraged with ourselves; it is not when
we are conscious of our faults that we are the most wicked: on
the contrary, we are less so. We see by a brighter light. And
let us remember, for our consolation, that we never perceive
our sins till He begin to cure them.
... Francois Fenelon (1651-1715)

tabacos, cafe y chiles rellenos

Last Monday a friend came over and we enjoyed good strong Cuban coffee and cigars on the back porch. We spoke of Brother Gerry and Franciscans who work for Jesuits. We spoke of our families and food and God. It was a lovely afternoon. I hope it is the first of many.

Last night some other friends came over for dinner and conversation. We reworked health care in America. You can all relax now. We figured it out. We also enjoyed homemade chiles rellenos. It was the first time I have made them, but I think they turned out well. The tomato sauce that comes with them is wondrous spicy. I'll have to make them again soon. I need to practice them a bit.

I like meeting with friends and enjoy ing food and good conversation. Makes me happy it does.

more humility

I am off to get some java with a student from a local seminary. I want to get this online before I leave, however, because I think it may prove to be interesting conversation fodder.

The eighth step of humility is that we do only what is endorsed by the common rule of the monastery and the example set by the prioress or abbot.

"It is better to ask the way ten times than to take the wrong road once," a Jewish proverb reads, The eighth degree of humility tells us to stay in the stream of life, to learn what has been learned before us, to value the truths taught by others, to seek out wisdom and enshrine it in our hearts. The eighth degree of humility tells us to attach ourselves to teachers so that we do not make the mistake of becoming our blind guides...

...Our living communities have a great deal to teach us. All we need is respect for experience and the comforting kind of faith that it takes to do what we cannot now see to be valuable, but presume to be holy because we see the holiness that it has produced in those gone before us in the family and the church.

Sister Joan Chittister is at it again today. I find the humility line to be the most intriguing in the Benedictine compendium. It is a virtue that I likely lack...and as described here today is one that I have never been encouraged to practice. In fact, I can think of only a few times that I have listened to my teachers obediently. People were always surprised when it happened...because I can be such a contrary putz. But also, as I was told, it is less and less common for anyone to do so.

Do you all think this is the case? Do we no longer listen to our teachers? If you have, tell us something about that teacher. Who was he or she? Mentor? Parent? Teacher? Guide? And what did they teach you?

The more I think about it, the longer the list gets.

a movable feast?

Yesterday was the Feast of St Francis in many of the western forms of Christianity. Perhaps some of you brought your pet to church for a blessing. Perhaps you will bring your pet to church this Sunday. Every now and again, a feast is moved. I confess that I simply was too busy yesterday to blog about St. Frank. Fortunately others did. Go ye therefore to Jorge's blog and read what he posted. It is lovely...and challenging.

This is from The Rule of Benedict:

The seventh step of humility is that we not only admit withour tongues bout are also convinced in our hearts that we are inferior to all and of less value, humbling ourselves and saying with the prophet: "I am truly a worm, not even human, scorned and despised by all" (Ps. 22:7). "I was exalted, then I was humbled and overwhelmed with confusion" (Ps. 88:16). And again, "It is a blessing that you have humbled me so that I can learn your commandments."

Joan Chittister trys to explain this difficult passage by saying that we must accept our essential smallness in the world. God is that large. The universe is that large. This is not self-hatred, but it is the shocking realization of how temporary we all are..."Aware of our own meager virtues, conscious of our own massive failures, despite all our great efforts, all our fine desires, we have in this degree of humility, this acceptance of ourselves, the chance to understand the failure of others. We have here the opportunity to be kind."

Kindness, at least as I have understood it, is based on a positive sense of worth of all. So, this logic, this reversal, is an interesting one. And if I am honest, probably how I try to live most of the time...but for darker reasons...more cynical reasons. Benedict is not proposing "holy cynicism," however. That is my own crap.

It is also important to remember that this practice is for the monastics and perhaps not for your everyday Christian. But the virtue can inform the rest of us. What if human value were understood by knowing and expressing a sense of place in the universe. Are we loved? Of course...John 3:16. We know that Christ is in solidarity with the suffering...We know that God created the world and called it good. But there it is also true that we are incomprehensibly small..."What are human beings that you are mindful of them, or mortals that you care for them?" When we know our place, that the earth is not the center of all things, and that on it we are one of billions...in spite of our charge to be in stewardship of Creation (and the misplaced pride that may engender), we may encounter compassion and kindness. Sometimes the world is impossibly large and cruel. And sometimes we can be ground into dust by that cruelty. But God calls us no less. God loves us no less. God has placed this same cruel globe in our care...in gentle, compassionate care.

Perhaps Benedict and Chittister are right. Knowing how small we are breeds kindness. Why? Because it becomes a greater miracle to know that we are loved by God.

Il Poverello would have said the same.

"I have been all things unholy. If God can work through me, he can work through anyone." - St. Francis

follow the link...

ministerial conference

Today is a meeting day for me...and I think I need to reschedule a couple. But in God's great wisdom, we have been given coffee.

Thanks be to God.

BTW, I have no idea who these guys are, but it's a great picture!

what kind of salvation is it

"G
od does not come on hoofbeats of mercury through streets of gold. God is in the dregs of our lives. That's why it takes humility to find God where God is not expected to be." Joan Chittister

I have been reading through the Hebrews passage from the coming lectionary. And, as usual, I am coming up with tons of connections to everything. Today it is the Rule of Benedict and the notion of humility. There are multiple steps to humility. Reverencing God, turning from desire, submitting to the prioress or abbot, obedience under difficult situations, transparency...these are the five qualities or aspects of monastic humility for Benedict.

Anyway, like the passage from Hebrews suggest, there are relationships within the cosmos...mystical relationships, natures and spiritual kinship between God and angels and humanity...and Christ...It occurs to me that humility is the articulation of our right understanding of spiritual kinship...relationship. Knowing the great gift of being a little lower than the angels is humbling. The great responsibility of having creation under submission to us is humbling...It should be nigh unto crushing. But we soon forget that our place is graced by God's creative will and Christ's sanctifying action. And thus we forget our place. We misuse creation. We abuse one another. We become cruel or murderous. We can lose our minds and destroy the lives of others.

So, Chittister suggests we often think that God will come and craft a uytopian vision or give us power or something else grandiose...taking us out of our place...out of relationship with God. Perhaps we desire humility to be unnecessary. Instead, God actually meets us where we are, the chariot "swinging low," and meeting us where we are. And then we are slowly, gradually made holy by submitting to God's generous ordering of the universe.

Sanctified - made holy. "For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters..."