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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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.

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)

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 18^th 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?

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.

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.

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)