Monday, September 29, 2008

Forest...Forrest


Here's a bit of useless Biblical trivia... According the Jewish rabbinical tradition, the middle letter of the Book of Psalms (in the Hebrew Bible) is always written a little above the line. In an English Bible it is found in Psalm 80.13, the English word "forest" (boar from the forest). The middle letter of that Hebrew word is raised above the line to show it is the middle letter of the Book of Psalms. I'm normally good at finding a sermon in anything, but I can't find one there. Maybe I can't see the forest for the trees.

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I like to look at the classified sections of religious journals such as Christian Century, Christianity Today, and The Presbyterian Outlook. And I've noticed that most ads from churches looking for pastors are looking for energy. Here are recent examples:
"seeks a dynamic pastor..."
"the ideal candidate will bring energy and vision..."
"seeking a dynamic growth-oriented minister..."
"seeking an energetic senior minister..."
"candidates are expected to have a vibrant commitment..."
I've yet to see an ad that says anything like: "seeking a prayerful pastor" or "seeking a gentle, meek pastor..." or "seeking a contemplative minister" or "looking for a tired-but-effective pastor" or "the candidate must seek solitude like Jesus did..."

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I read that the Unitarian minister Forrest Church is dying. He has written a book entitled Love and Death: My Journey Through the VAlley of the Shadow. One year when I went to Chautauqua he was the chaplain/preacher for the week. I had read a couple of his books before then and appreciated his wisdom. A reviewer selected this quote from Church's new book:  "Do what you can, want what you have, and be who you are."

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Saturday, September 27, 2008

Fides



I was reading an Encyclical of Pope John Paul II recently, entitled Fides et Ratio (Faith and Reason). It was published in 1998. It has some wonderful formulations about the relationship of faith and reason--and the meaning of divine revelation. For example: "Revelation disrupts our usual thinking. Every human philosophy is challenged by Jesus' death on the cross. To reduce the Father's saving plan to human logic is doomed to fail." And this: "Reason without faith risks losing sight of its final aim. Faith without reason risks ending up in myth and superstition." And this: "The sacred text rejects all forms of relativism, materialism, and pantheism." And this: "To believe in a universally valid truth does not mean intolerance; it is the essential condition for a sincere dialogue." And here is a wonderful statement about the mystery of God: "Revelation remains charged with mystery! Jesus revealed the face of the Father, but our vision of God remains impaired by the limits of our understanding. Faith is the obedience we must render God's self-revelation. Entrusting oneself in this way to God is a moment of fundamental decision."

Catholic theology has a wonderful way of holding together Faith and Reason. God calls us to belief, but not  to absurdity. God calls us to think, but not to refuse Mystery.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

The circles of prayer


There are lots of different ways to pray. My way of praying each morning is like concentric circles. I start at the center and move outward. I pray in this order: for my wife... mother... daughter/son-in-law & granddaughter... extended family (sometimes mentioning one or two people by name)... my friends... my Clergy Support Group... my pastoral colleagues in the presbytery... my congregation (naming names of special needs and staff)... the church worldwide... our leaders... world situations... peace in the world... myself.

It doesn't seem so much like going down a list, as it does moving out from my heart. When others pray for me, I feel encircled with love.

You can look at a cross and see the loving arms of God reaching out to hug you. A hug is a circle of love. Our prayers are hugs from God. When we pray for others, we wrap God's arms around them.

"Never stop praying, especially for others. Always pray
by the power of the Spirit. Stay alert and keep praying
for God's people." (Eph 6.18, CEV)



Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Human Rights

Professor Harvey Cox, writing in the Harvard Divinity Bulletin (Autumn 2008) writes about 'human rights.' At the end of his article he raises this question:

Can you really have a just society which is not in some way positioned within the transcendental framework that guarantees human dignity and human rights? do we really need to rely so heavily on pragmatic or utilitarian thinking, or does there need to be some other kind of basis to human rights?

In other words, is there such a thing as human dignity if there isn't a God?

Earlier in his article Cox points out that in our American experience we say that the equality and the rights of human beings are "self-evident" truths. Our documents also say that the source of these rights is our "Creator." Therefore, in the American understanding of human rights, there is a transcendent source of our responsibility for one another. Both the Old Testament and the New Testament affirm this transcendent character of Love. The basic statement is, "God is love."

If there is no God, there is no such thing as 'human rights.' But in a secular society our terminology may differ about this transcendent source. As Christians we name this source "the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." Or more correctly, we believe the Source has named himself. In the Public Square, Christians may offer their terminology or accept someone else's for the benefit of discussion. But we cannot deny the Holy Mystery that undergirds any discussion of human dignity, equality and worth.

Now, this raises another question for me. I remember reading John Locke's treatise On Tolerance from the 18th century. His treatise highly influenced our Founding Fathers. Locke said that there shouldn't be a 'religious test' for public officials. A person's religion shouldn't keep them from being elected to office. But, he also said that an atheist should NOT be eligible for public office—for this very reason; namely, that society depends on a belief in Divinity.

So I raise the question to myself: Should professed atheists be eligible for public office in the United States? There seems to be a reason to say No. How can one stand up for human rights if he/she doesn't have any belief that gives human rights a true foundation?

This sounds logical. But it also sounds wrong to me. What do you think?

Monday, September 22, 2008

wedding

This morning's Scripture reading was really interesting to me. (I'm using the daily readings from The Liturgy of Hours.) It is from Ezekiel 16. God is talking to Israel… "You were thrown out on the ground as something loathsome, the day you were born… I passed by and saw you…You grew old enough for love…I entered into a covenant with you, you became mine [the Lord married Israel – this is the central idea in the Bible]…I bathed you with water…anointed you with oil…I clothed you with an embroidered gown…I gave you sandals, bracelets, a necklace, a ring in your nose, pendants in your ears [body piercing is an old custom]…You were exceedingly beautiful….but you were captivated by your own beauty…you became a prostitute…I will bring down judgment on you…Yet [oh, the wonderful 'yets' in the Bible], I will remember the covenant I made with you…I will re-establish my covenant with you…I will pardon you, says the Lord God."


I have paraphrased this long passage. It's a wonderful reminder of what God intends for us all—to be bound to him in a covenant relationship—to be "married" to him; to belong to him.



In Jesus, that covenant with Israel is universalized and made new. Baptism is the marriage ring. The Lord's Supper is a renewal of the vows. To be in union with the Holy One—that's what it's all about.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

betting on God



The True North Community Church in Port Jefferson Station, N.Y., could hold only about 200 of its 650 members. "Unless God drops a couple million dollars on us," Pastor Bert Crabbe said, "we're going to have to rent somewhere else." Soon thereafter, a church member gave Crabbe a winning $3 million lottery ticket, which he had bought shortly before, but had not yet cashed in. "When someone gives away $3 million," said the pastor, "that's a miracle." (source: The Week, Sept. 12, 2008)

Is it right to gamble? To play the lottery? Well, it's not very smart. It's basically throwing away your money; and some say lotteries discourage a good work ethic. Some see it as a form of entertainment. After all, people pay money to go to concerts or ball games or car races or the fair. But the lottery usually baits lower income people who see some hope for 'a way out' in that lucky ticket or those lucky numbers.

I won't say if I've ever played the lottery or not. And I'm not going to pass judgment on people who buy lottery tickets. I'm certainly not going to say they're going to hell. But I heard one minister say that if a church member buys a lottery ticket and it is the winning number and they don't offer their winnings (or a big part of it) to the church for the Lord's work—well, they probably will go to hell.

I can't say whether that minister is right or not, but I wouldn't take a chance if I were you.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

The Joy of Insects

Another lesson God gave me during the Darkness of Ike was about bugs. As Pat and I sat outside after dark just to break the boredom of sitting inside, we noticed the sound of insects. When the electricity is working I hardly ever just sit outside with no noise. But as we listened we heard a beautiful symphony of insects. There was the constant buzzzzzzzz of one type of bug, the intermittent zit-zit of another, the chic-a-chock of another, all coming in at different rhythms. It was orchestra of little creatures making music that we seldom stop to hear.

We could pick out different sections of the orchestra playing a variety of tones, melodies, harmonies, and styles--yet, with no discord. How these little bugs do it, I don't know. My friend Dick who has a Ph.D. in 'bugs' could explain it to me, but I don't have a clue. I do think God has orchestrated this world so that music is a sign of his presence. Music and mathematics are closely related, and there are many musicians and mathematicians who feel that their fields of endeavor are divinely inspired.

The acoustic evening gave me another experience of the Great Composer.

("Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one anothe with psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit." -- Eph 5.18-19, TNIV)

darkness sheds light

We were lucky I guess because we just spent two nights in darkness after the huffing and puffing of Ike's anger.

I pray for those in Texas and other places who have suffered so much more devastation.Our little inconvenience of non-electric existence was a learning experience. Sitting in the dark, I realized how our artificial light hides the real darkness at night and blots out the brightness of the stars and the reality of night.

I've been helped by the writing of the psychoanalyst Carl Jung who talks about our Shadow Side. Each of us has that 'darkness' in us that we don't want to encounter or deal with. We're afraid of our Shadow Self. But wholeness comes only as we embrace this personal darkness without judgment. The 'shadow' or darkness that Jung writes about is not 'evil' or some sort of sinfulness that is anti-God. Rather, it is part and parcel of our humanness. It is the crack in the Liberty Bell. It is the shadow that proves the Sun is shining. It is our incompleteness that wrinkles our smooth, logical minds.

I forget who wrote this, but someone said, "It is better to be whole than to be good." To me that means it is more healthy to have an integrated self, a unified self, than to be a perfectionistic, over-scrupulous person. To be able to accept ourselves even though we are unacceptable is an experience of divine grace. My spiritual/psychological journey has brought me to the place where on my good days I can accept the fact that I will never accept myself fully, and that's okay. The human experience of Acceptance comes ultimately from God, whether we realize it or not.

I found the darkness boring. I am not a contemplative. Just sitting and praying bores me after a while. Pat and I did have more time to talk. It was sort of like camping. Total darkness sheds light on life.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

The Limb

A photo of my parking place at church.
At 2:00 pm on Sunday my car was parked there.
I was in my study working.
I heard a loud scraping-like noise outside.
Nothing hit my car but leaves.
The large limb had cracked, hit the lights
on the light pole in the picture,
and slid down to the ground.
The weather monitor in the main office
had gone off and said: High Wind Alert.
Okay, I thought, strong winds--so what?
But in Xenia you don't say So What? when high winds come.
It took me over an hour to get home.
It usually takes about 25 minutes.
All manner of things were flying across the highway.
The traffic lights were out and were swinging in wild arcs.
I was lucky.
Or did an angel push that limb
a little to the west
to miss my car?
Or does God cause luck?
Would it be arrogant for me to think God
was doing something special for me
that he didn't do for someone else?
Or is it faith to say such a thing?
We're all out on a limb.

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Friday, September 12, 2008

between

From Martha Beck's Expecting Adam... Martha has been reading philosophers and is talking to a friend on the phone:

Martha: "None of those philosophers get the point."
Judy: "Oh?"
Martha: "No, Because they were always focusing on what happens to people. The meaning of life is not what happens to people."
Judy: "It's not?"
Martha: "No, it's not. The meaning of life is what happens between people."

My comment: I think Martha's statement has profundity. One of my mentor's used to say, The truth is not in you or me; it's between us.
It seems to me that life's meaning is found in relationships.
Life is for communion.
My relationship to God and to other people--and even to non-human parts of the creation--is where meaning is found.
Isn't that why Jesus said the Big 2 are: Love God and love others.
It's love that brings meaning to us.
That love was incarnate in Jesus.
But it's not confined to Jesus.
It's in the 'between-ness' where the Spirit works.
One of the functions of the Spirit in the New Testament is to
create new relationships.
The whole Book of Acts is a history of the Spirit breaking through
barriers to real relationships.
It's no accident that Paul calls the church the Body of Christ.
A body will not work or live unless the many parts/members are
rightly related.
The organic nature of the church--and life itself--is part of the truth
of abundant life.
This is another reason I think dialogue is so important.
Dialogue enables the 'between-ness' to come about.
The idea that I have the truth or you have the truth
is more of a philosophical idea than a Biblical principle.
Jesus said, "I am the truth," because in him right relationship with God
and others was manifest.
As the mediator between God and humanity, Jesus is the
authentic 'between-ness' that brings life.

I suppose you could say that Jesus is the Dialogue between God and humans.
Christians call Jesus the Communication of God (well, we say he is the Word of God
made flesh).
As the Mediator--or Between-ness--Jesus connects God and humans.
He sneaks in between us and sets up a connection--a communion--that gives life.

Even non-Christians seem to experience this divine Betweenness.
You don't have to know how electricity works in order to flip the switch and get light.
Nor do you have to know who Jesus is in order to be connected with God.

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Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Adam

I few weeks ago I read an excellent book, Expecting Adam (Berkley Books). The author, Martha Beck, is sort of a liberal mystic (she has out-of-body experiences and hears angels talking to her). The book is written in a hilarious style--lots of humor, sarcasm and irony. Yet, it's about a very serious subject. Martha and her husband have a Down syndrome baby. They chose to have the baby even after knowing in advance about their son's disability. His name is Adam.

A funny, serious, well-written memoir that examines spirituality, the meaning of life, the challenges of parenting a special child--this is a book I would recommend for anyone.

Martha and her husband are Harvard graduates. Her descriptions of the elitist hypocrisies of her fellow students and professors during her pregnancy and after Adam was born are truly enlightening and provoked enormous laughter from this reader.

Martha became a career counselor several years after Adam was born, and here is what she said: "I'm always surprised by the way my clients react to the suggestion that they structure their lives around richness of experience rather than security. These are educated people, I think to myself. During their many years of training, hasn't anyone ever told them that life is pretty much a crapshoot but one full of unexpected wonders? Hasn't anyone given them permission to live for their hearts' desires?"

This is a great story of faith, love, nausea and courage.

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Monday, September 8, 2008

preaching politics


It's a dilemma for every thoughtful preacher: how to deal with politics from the pulpit (and other official church settings).
The law is: a pastor cannot legally support any political candidate from the pulpit because of church's tax status.
I believe it's a reasonable law.
Nor do I want to go to jail.

Personally, I don't think it's my 'job' to tell church members how to vote--that is, which person to vote for.
Obviously every preacher talks about moral and ethical matters; that's part of the purpose of the church (to be the salt and light).

And I am not (like some pastors) a one-issue or two-issue preacher.
I almost never agree completely with any politician.
Are some issues more important to me than others? Yes, of course.
But I try not to be moralistic about politics.
In the world of international relationships and legislative sausage-making I want my representative or leader to be a little crafty.
I wouldn't trust a pacifist for a President.

My job as preacher is to declare and interpret Scripture to the best of my ability;
to help people grasp general Biblical principles of decision-making; and to trust that the
Holy Spirit is somehow moving and guiding individuals who are trying to be faithful to Christ.
(Of course everyone who claims to believe in Christ also claims to be guided by the Spirit, which on the surface is hard to believe.)

So, I hope no one expects me to tell them how to vote.
Reasonable people--and people of faith--can and do disagree about politics.
And about theology.
That's the way it is.
I think it has something to do with total depravity.

[I took the photograph in front of the Masonic Temple in Dayton]




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Sunday, September 7, 2008

ground water

As I read the book Cleaving, I got interested in the art of drilling wells. So I've just read the book The Hidden Sea: Ground Water, Springs, and Wells (National Ground Water Association, 2000) by Francis Chapelle, a research hydrogeologist with the the U.S. Geological Survey in Columbia, S.C. I learned a great deal about wells and springs and aquifers. There was also much that I didn't grasp.

Chapelle writes not only about current issues of contamination and conservation, but also about ancient myths and religious beliefs in regard to wells, springs, etc.The Romans gave offerings to the gods at lakes and rivers. In Scotland in the 19th century there was the "Cheese Well." People dropped pieces of cheese into it for good luck.

I was interested in the author's explanation of the Biblical Abraham's power and wealth that came as the result of Abraham's skill at digging wells. Genesis 21 and 26 are particularly about power struggles over wells involving Abraham, Abimelech, Isaac, and the Philistines.

Water is certainly a major theme and metaphor in the Bible.

I didn't know that 98% of the water in the U.S. is underground.

I didn't know that Martin Luther in 1518 condemned the use of the 'divining rods' to find water as a violation of the First Commandment.

So, I immersed myself in some new knowledge, though some of it was over my head.

I do know the Scripture says that "baptism now saves you" (1 Peter 3.21).

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Saturday, September 6, 2008

Cleaving

I finished reading a book entitled Cleaving, with chapters written alternately by a husband-wife team: Dennis and Vicky Covington (North Point Press, 1999). It's a strange book because it is so painfully truthful.


I had never thought about the fact that the word "cleave" has opposite meanings. To "cleave" can mean to cling to. It can also mean to split. In Genesis two it says, "A man shall leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." As any marriage counselor will tell you, "You have to leave before you can cleave." Yet the 'leaving' itself is a 'cleaving' (splitting apart).


I wonder if there are other words in the English language that have opposite meanings at once?


Anyway, the whole story of the Bible can be summed up in that one word: Cleaving. Genesis one shows us the cleaving of God and humanity (communion…oneness). In Genesis 3 a cleavage takes place—a split in the communion because of the sin of humans. The gospels tell the story of the re-union made possible through Jesus the Messiah—the restoration of the original cleaving.


We are now living in that ambiguous period of overlap between the old Age and the new Age. The Kingdom has come in Jesus; but it will not be complete until he comes again. Our communion with God through Christ is real, but not complete. We live in the midst of cleaving (clinging) and cleaving (separateness). This is the 'amazing gray' of life. As Paul said: "To live is Christ; to die is gain."


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Thursday, September 4, 2008

River


There are two ways to live life.
One way is like pushing the river.
The other way is like letting the river flow.

Every day I wake up and promise myself
that today I am not going to try to push the river.
But I don't always keep my promise to myself.
Oh well.

Monday, September 1, 2008

Pig skin


After worship on Sunday, Pat and I hopped into our Saturn Ion and sped to LVL. My mother had invited us down to celebrate Pat's birthday (which was Saturday). Mom fixed a chocolate pie for Pat. (A friend had already made a huge chocolate cake.) We had a wonderful dinner Sunday evening, then went to my mother's church for an evening of fellowship and singing of Old Songs--followed by desserts made by each choir member. I stuffed myself. No self-control. We stayed overnight. We're now back home. It's hard to decide what to do when you have both chocolate cake and chocolate pie in the house at the same time.

While we were in LVL, there was a rivalry going on: the UK and UL football teams were playing each other. My family is largely made up of UK fans. But since I have a degree from UL, I tend to lean that way. But UL got crushed.

Our daughter and son-in-law were watching the Alabama/Clemson game. Surprisingly Alabama won, and won big. But coach Nick Saban played down the win.

I have a UK-fan-cousin who lives in Ohio, who went to the OSU game. Tickets are $62. A bottle of water cost $4; and a hot dog was $4. I guess when you're OSU you can ask people to shell out. (And I can hear some of those folks being offended when their church asks them to give $50 for a special offering.)

I'm really not a big college football fan. I watch Pro ball. I'm still rootin' for the Bengals, but not holding my breath. I really didn't understand what my hero Brett Favre was trying to prove in pre-season. But I guess he can do pretty much what he wants to.

The "controlled violence" of football is good violence. Athletic competition is hard on the body (and the mind). Non-violent purists live with their heads in the clouds. Life contains violence. That doesn't mean we have to create unnecessary violence. But life at all levels is a violent struggle. Animals eat other animals. It's part of God's plan. So is football.

**

Is the pastor the quarterback of the church, or the coach?

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On the way to Louisville I saw a bumper sticker that said: "Jesus loves you, and I'm trying real hard."

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