weak on sanctification

Rest in Peace, My Friend Michael Spencer, 1956-2010

2010-04-07T23:46:00.000-04:00

update on my friend, michael spencer

2010-03-09T22:18:00.001-05:00

I received this update from Denise Spencer about her husband and my friend Michael (the Internet Monk):

It is with a heavy heart that I bring my latest update on Michael. We have learned that his cancer is too advanced and too aggressive to expect any sort of remission. Our oncologist estimates that with continued treatment Michael most likely has somewhere between six months and a year to live. This is not really a surprise to us, though it is certainly horrible news. From the very beginning, both of us have suspected that this would prove to be an extremely bad situation. I don't know why; perhaps God was preparing us for the worst all along by giving us that intuition.

The combination of the cancer and the chemotherapy is keeping Michael in a very weakened state. He is in bed all day, getting up once or twice only to eat a "meal." His meals consist mostly of Ensure, with occasional mugs of soup, dishes of ice cream and milkshakes. He's still taking fluids well, currently preferring Sprite and ginger ale. His tastes do change slightly from time to time, and I try to be ready to jump in whatever direction they seem to be moving. He is in no pain at all, for which I am unspeakably grateful.

Michael went through a period of depression, as I'm sure you would expect. He seems to have come through that now, for the most part. He knows he is dying, and he says he is at peace. Though he will still say with unashamed honesty, "I don't want it to all be over at age 53!" he has the confidence of knowing that he has run the race God set out for him. He believes he has done the work our Lord intended for him to do, and if the last task God has for him in this life is dying, then he will do that to the best of his ability.

Through all of this, in every phase of illness, diagnosis and treatment, Michael's faith has not wavered. I know most readers love Michael for, among other things, the transparency of his writings. If I may be allowed such honesty for just a moment, I will confess that I have been amazed at how strong Michael has been spiritually and emotionally from the very beginning of this ghastly journey. Day by day I continue to see the Holy Spirit at work in him, molding him, softening him, giving him a more childlike faith than I believe he has ever known. When the moment comes, I am assured Michael will be ready. I am the one who doesn't want to let go.

Words can never express our gratitude for every thought, every gift, every note, every prayer you have blessed us with. Please pray for continued peace and strength for Michael, for me, and for Noel and Clay. This is the most difficult thing we have ever been through, and only with God's help can we make it.

michael has been a unique and extraordinary voice for the christian community for many years now. if you have not read his writings, i encourage you to go to internet monk and peruse the archives. you will be encouraged.

and as god brings him to mind, pray for peace for michael and his family.

today's van gogh
the end of the day (after millet)
november, 1889

choose joy

2010-02-11T18:45:00.002-05:00

i continue to concentrate my blogging efforts these days on michael spencer's site, to help him while he undergoes treatments for cancer.

i know he would appreciate your continued prayers.

thank you for understanding my relative neglect of this site. i encourage you to check out internet monk to keep up with what i'm thinking and writing about these days, as well as the contributions of others.

you're especially invited to join the new discussion on a post i put up today, entitled, "choose joy."

saints!

2010-02-07T22:22:00.000-05:00

A Prayer of Martin Luther

2010-02-07T11:56:00.001-05:00

Behold, Lord, an empty vessel that needs to be filled. My Lord, fill it.

I am weak in the faith; strengthen me.

I am cold in love; warm me and make me fervent, that my love may go out to my neighbor.

I do not have a strong and firm faith; at times I doubt and am unable to trust you altogether. O Lord, help me. Strengthen my faith and trust in you.

In you I have sealed the treasure of all I have.

I am poor; you are rich and came to be merciful to the poor.

I am a sinner; you are upright.

With me, there is an abundance of sin; in you is the fullness of righteousness.

Therefore I will will remain with you, of whom I can receive, but to whom I may not give.

Amen.

Join the Conversation at Internet Monk

2010-02-06T15:31:00.001-05:00

I am hosting an ongoing conversation on Eugene Peterson's new book, Practice Resurrection: A Conversation on Growing Up in Christ, over at Internet Monk.

Please join us!

Farewell to a Faithful Friend

2010-02-01T09:43:00.003-05:00

we tearfully said goodbye to our family dog, terra nova, today. she has been with us for nearly 15 years,

our children grew up with her, and she has been a faithful friend and companion.

i will be posting pictures of terra throughout the years on this shutterfly share page.

available now for pre-order

2010-01-30T17:01:00.017-05:00

michael spencer, aka "imonk," has written a book, and now the publisher and amazon.com has posted it for pre-sale.

it will be available to purchase in september, 2010.

i am convinced this will be one of the best books of the year, filled with insightful commentary on the impoverished state of american evangelicalism and wise counsel for better ways forward.

i encourage you to pre-order it today!

something special...

2010-01-24T23:35:00.004-05:00

AFC Championship: Colts vs. Jets game action - More The Indianapolis Star Galleries

I am first of all a chicago bears fan. secondly, I am a fan of football in general. I am not an indy "homer."

but i have never seen a team like the colts that is so businesslike, so precise, so able to adapt within the game to what the other team is bringing, so able to execute when it matters. and this year, you can say that about the defense as well as the offense.

this is something special to behold.

winter's light

2010-01-11T00:34:00.002-05:00

a joyful epiphany!

2010-01-06T21:42:00.005-05:00

today is epiphany. the epiphany, called "theophany" in the eastern churches, celebrates the manifestation of christ to the gentiles and the visit of the wise men to the christ child.

o god, on this day you revealed your son to the nations by the leading of a star. lead us now by faith to know your presence in our lives, and bring us at last to the full vision of your glory, through your son, jesus christ our lord, who lives and reigns with you and the holy spirit, one god, now and forever.

one of the great pieces of music celebrating epiphany is bach's christmas oratorio, part VI. enjoy these excerpts as you join the Magi and believers all over the world in worshiping christ today.

I stand here at your crib

O Little Jesus, my life;

I come, bring and give you

What you have given to me.

Take it! It is my spirit and mind,

Heart, soul and courage, take it all

And may it be pleasing to you!

Chorale, J.S. Bach, Christmas Oratorio VI

praying for the imonk...

2010-01-05T08:02:00.009-05:00

good friend michael spencer begins radiation treatments today at the markey cancer center in lexington, ky.

michael, aka "the internet monk," was diagnosed with colorectal cancer recently and had a brain tumor removed. today he returns to the cancer center to begin follow-up treatments.

you can read michael's latest update on his condition here.

please pray for michael and denise and their children at this time. and lift up all who feel the burden of his illness—friends, co-workers at their ministry, and those who have come to appreciate michael's "voice of sanity in the midst of the evangelical wilderness".

o god,
the strength of the weak and the comfort of sufferers:

mercifully accept our prayers,
and grant to your servant michael
the help of your power,
that his sickness may be turned into health,
and our sorrow into joy;

through jesus christ our lord. amen. (bcp)

today's van gogh
old man in sorrow (on the threshold of eternity), 1890

happy new year!

2010-01-01T18:00:00.013-05:00

Note: this post also appears at Internet Monk, where I continue to serve as guest blogger.

Happy New Year.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places… (Eph 1:3)

On the calendar, today is the beginning of a new year and a new decade. I can’t think of a better text of Scripture upon which to meditate than this one from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.

In Eph. 1:3, Paul tells us that every person who is in Christ is immeasurably rich, a multi-billionaire when it comes to “spiritual blessings”—God’s favor and gifts. We lack nothing. Nothing. You can’t get any more from God than you have right now in Christ. He has given you the keys to the whole store.

These blessings are a pure gift from God. The text says God has blessed us. Period. It was his idea, his initiative, his undertaking. He planned it and performed it on our behalf. He came to us and laid this gift on our doorstep. God’s favor and gifts are entirely of grace.

These blessings are ours in Christ. It is in union with Jesus the Messiah that we come to own these blessings. In salvation, we have been personally united to him, a connection that has been established by God’s grace working through faith (2:8-10). Since we belong to Christ and are citizens of his realm, all the benefits thereof accrue to us. And this is true of everyone who is united to Christ, no matter how weak or immature their faith.

These blessings are operative in “the heavenly places”. This phrase is one way Paul described “the kingdom of God,” the realm where God rules, invisible to us now but nevertheless real and present. The heavenly places are not “way out there,” far away. Nor is this domain reserved only for the future. In Christ, God invaded this world and right now, through the Spirit, his kingdom is nearer to us than ever before. There is much more to life than meets the eye—the spiritual realm where Christ reigns is as real as the ground beneath our feet.

Now as we go into this new year, those who hold pietistic views or promote a prosperity gospel will try to tell us that the challenge for 2010 is that we must do something for our lives to be more blessed. It’s time to step up our game as Christians so that God can work. They will challenge us to pray more, read our Bibles more, serve more in order to have a barn heaping full of God’s blessings. They will goad us to be more spiritually disciplined so that God can transform our lives. They will encourage us to plant seeds of faith in order to bring forth a harvest of blessings. They will try to sell us their books containing the secrets or principles that will lead the skilled practitioner to a place of blessing.
In their view, “faith” is the key. But it is faith as a technique, a tool, a key that opens the way for God to work. It’s spiritual technology. To them, it’s also what we display to show God we’re serious. Then he will act. Exercise faith (in whatever specific form being promoted), and God will be impressed and give us the blessing.

They have it exactly backwards. More accurately, God has blessed us, therefore we believe.

The true and living God does not wait for the likes of you and me to act. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has already blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. And as we face 2010, we can be sure that he has already moved ahead of us into this new year. He knows everything that is coming and he has already given us every resource we need in Christ to face what is coming. We need not ask God for more. We need only have him and his immeasurable wealth. Through the simple means of Word and sacrament which he himself ordained for us, he is with us each day and communicates to us the blessings we need from his inexhaustible storehouse.

In response to God’s incalculable blessings in Christ, we face this New Year with this as our bold confession:

So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God’s chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture:

They kill us in cold blood because they hate you.
We’re sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one.

None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us. (Romans 8:31-39, MSG)

today's church art: giotto di bondone, the celebration of christmas at greccio. 1295-1300.

merry christmas!

2009-12-25T15:59:00.011-05:00

Of the Father’s love begotten,
Ere the worlds began to be,
He is Alpha and Omega,
He the source, the ending He,
Of the things that are, that have been,
And that future years shall see,
Evermore and evermore!

i am thankful for all of you, family and friends and readers i have not yet had the pleasure of meeting. may god bless you with his very best gift—himself—during this Christmas season.

merry christmas.

today's church year art
giotto di bondone, nativity, 1310s, san francesco, assisi

advent IV—dec 20, 2009

2009-12-20T12:41:00.018-05:00

fourth sunday in advent (year c)

resources for this day

today's readings
Micah 5:2-5a
Luke 1:46b-55
Hebrews 10:5-10
Luke 1:39-45

today's bach cantatas
bwv 132, "prepare the course, prepare the way"
bwv 147a, "heart and mind and deed and life"
bach's magnificat

collect for the day (bcp)
we beseech thee, almighty god, to purify our consciences by thy daily visitation,
that when thy son jesus christ cometh he may find in us a mansion prepared for himself;
through the same jesus christ our lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee,
in the unity of the holy spirit, one god, now and for ever. amen.

journey to the cradle, IV

there is something about mary.

though evangelicals tend to ignore or downplay jesus' mother, in reaction to what they perceive as overemphasis or even heretical devotion to her by the roman church and other traditions, the gospel of luke portrays her as the true and ultimate matriarch of our faith, who joined and surpassed sarah, rebekah, rachel and leah, ruth, and hannah to become the mother through whom God brought his redemption promises to pass.

her canticle, the magnificat, which is recorded in luke 1.46-55, draws from the song of hannah, who gave birth to the great prophet samuel (1samuel 2.1-10). hannah praised god for the gift of a son and the promise of a king for israel, a promise that was eventually fulfilled in david. mary's song repeats these same themes, as she praises god for giving his son, the greater son of david, who will reign as king over all the earth.

in her song, mary expresses joy in god that he has chosen her, a simple girl, for the unprecedented task of giving birth to the messiah.

mary was probably a young teenager at the time, marked by those around her as an immoral, unwed mother-to-be.
when the time came, she was forced from her home to travel to bethlehem by an unfeeling government that cared only about keeping its records straight.
away from her home and family, she could not even obtain a comfortable place to bear her child.
a short time later, according to matthew's gospel, she and the rest of the holy family hit the road again, this time as refugees to egypt, running for their lives.
all her life, she struggled to grasp the magnitude of what had happened to her and the significance of the one she bore, and yet she continued in faith to the end.

many times throughout her life, the powers of the world overshadowed, pressured, and threatened this young girl. yet in her song she expresses what people of faith in all generations have learned—god is not with those who wield earthly power. his heart is with those who look to him in simple faith and entrust their destiny to him.

may god grant us grace to honor and follow the example of mary, the mother of god, this christmas and every season throughout the year.

today's church year art
madonna and child
giotto di bondone, 1320-30

advent III—dec 13, 2009

2009-12-12T14:21:00.021-05:00

third sunday in advent (year c)

resources for this day

today's readings
zephaniah 3:14-20
Isaiah 12:2-6
philippians 4:4-7
luke 3:7-18

today's bach cantatas
bwv 186a, "fret not, o soul"
bwv 141, "this is now the gospel truth"

collect for the day (bcp)
stir up thy power, o lord, and with great might come among us;
and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins,
let thy bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us;
through jesus christ our lord, to whom,
with thee and the holy ghost, be honor and glory,
world without end. amen.

journey to the cradle, III
question: why is the third candle on the advent wreath pink or rose-colored?

answer: in the liturgical tradition, today is known as "gaudete sunday". gaudete is a latin word that means rejoice, and the third candle on the advent wreath is rose to mark this sunday as a special day of rejoicing.

like lent, the 40 days of fasting and preparation for holy week and easter, advent is primarily a penitential season of readying the heart through repentance and self-denial. midway through lent is a day known as "laetare sunday" (o be joyful) or "refreshment sunday". worship on this day provides a respite from the somber, penitential character of lenten discipline, giving a sense of hope to god's people that the day of celebration is coming. likewise, midway through advent gaudete sunday encourages us that god's coming is near, and calls us to shout for joy in glad anticipation.

the three texts from zephaniah, isaiah, and philippians proclaim this theme exuberantly.

the gospel passage (luke 3:7-18), describing john the baptizer's preaching, is not so transparently about joy. it begins by describing john's preaching and giving an example of what some might call a "fire and brimstone" sermon of judgment and repentance. however, even this strong message seems to awaken a desire for god in the hearts of his hearers, and they eagerly ask john how they can conform their lives to what he is calling them to do.

then, this word: "...the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the messiah..." (luke 3.15). john points them to jesus, and luke's narrative ends with the baptizer faithfully continuing his proclamation of the good news.

gaudete sunday is designed to heighten our sense of expectation, and thus increase our joy. like children who find it hard to sleep on christmas eve, we yearn with exquisite longing for the coming of our savior, the revealing of his eternal gifts, and the satisfaction of an endless holy day with god's forever family.

today's church year art
birth and naming of john the baptist
giotto di bondone, Peruzzi Chapel, Church of Santa Croce. 1313/14

advent prayers for our families

2009-12-10T22:22:00.010-05:00

during the holiday season "family" is especially on our mind. since advent is the season of lamenting our darkness and asking god to shine his light on us, we pray that he will cast out the shadows of sin that hinder our dearest relationships and fill our hearts and homes with the light of his holy love.

we pray three things for our children and grandchildren regularly—

#1: that they will get established in life with good healthy family relationships and meaningful vocations that provide for their needs and make the world a better place.

#2: that they will become established in their faith so that trust in God will be the true foundation for their perspectives and choices.

#3: that they will love what is good and find joy and pleasure in things that will not only bring genuine satisfaction in this life, but also eternal rewards.

how are you praying for your family these days?

today's van gogh
cluster of old houses with the new church in the hague, 1882

for awhile...visit internet monk

2009-12-06T20:13:00.002-05:00

i'm trying to help my friend, michael spencer, aka the internet monk, as he goes through some health problems and consequent adjustments in his work.

so, i won't be posting as much here on "weak on sanctification" for awhile.

i will continue the sunday posts so that we can all keep up with the church year together, but will not add much more until it becomes clear that michael is back for good.

thanks for your interest in the blog. you can still read what i write...you'll just have to go to the internet monk site to find it.

see you there!

advent II—dec 6, 2009

2009-12-05T20:46:00.021-05:00

second sunday in advent (year c)

resources for this day

today's readings
Malachi 3:1-4
Luke 1:68-79
Philippians 1:3-11
Luke 3:1-6

today's bach cantatas
bwv 70a, "watch! pray! pray! watch!"

collect for the day (bcp)
merciful god, who sent thy messengers the prophets to
preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation:
give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins,
that we may greet with joy the coming of jesus christ our
redeemer; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the holy
spirit, one god, now and for ever. amen.

journey to the cradle, II
zechariah's benedictus is one of the great songs of scripture. its themes are captured by two lines, one at its beginning and the other at the end. both speak of god "visiting his people" to provide redemption and peace for them (luke 1:68, 78). (unfortunately, the nrsv translation misses this key word, substituting other terms.)

god visits us. he does not wait for us to come to him. he does not require that we meet him on his ground, rather, he knocks on our door and comes personally to see us. he enters our world—the word becomes flesh and dwells among us" (john 1:18). jesus does not remain far off in heaven but humbles himself, and takes the form of a servant in human flesh (philippians 2:5-11).

the first appropriate response to the initiative he has taken in coming to us is to offer him hospitality, to welcome him, to embrace him and invite him into our lives. "o come to us, abide with us, our lord emmanuel." receive the good news! god has come to visit us!

the second appropriate response is to go with him as he visits others. this is an especially apt word on this day, which marks the feast of st. nicholas. nicholas, the bishop of myra in the fourth century, was noted for his generosity to the poor and needy, and especially to children. like st. nicholas, god calls all of his people in christ to visit our neighbors and bless them with humble, loving acts of service. share the good news! join jesus in his mission to visit the world!

In his seventeenth century manual on pastoral ministry, george herbert said that the true minister of christ does not "disdain to enter into the poorest cottage, though he even creep into it, and though it smell ever so loathsomely. For both God is there, and also those for whom God died."

during this holy season, may we both receive the divine visitation and, in turn, visit those in need to share the love he has given us.

today's church year art
annunciation to zacharias
giotto di bondone, Peruzzi Chapel, Church of Santa Croce. 1313/14

an airline you might want to check out...

2009-12-03T20:18:00.007-05:00

you betcha...

saw this on scot mcknight's jesus creed blog today and just had to share it.

praying for friends who are sick...

2009-12-02T16:28:00.006-05:00

for those of you who might be interested...

i am guest-blogging at internetmonk while my friend michael spencer deals with some personal health concerns.

i know he and his loved ones would appreciate it if you would mention his name in prayer to our lord for help in his time of need.

here is a wonderful petition from the book of common prayer that we can pray for those who are suffering sickness:

O God of heavenly powers, by the might of your command you drive away from our bodies all sickness and all infirmity: Be present in your goodness with your servant ______ , that his weakness may be banished and his strength restored; and that, his health being renewed, he may bless your holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(Book of Common Prayer)

today's van gogh
the garden of saint-paul hospital, 1889

have a culture-war christmas!

2009-12-02T01:00:00.003-05:00

ponder anew has a post worth reading, called, "a season of wonder, a season of silliness". here's an excerpt:

The whole Advent season leading to Christmas is all gospel, tinged with wonder.
For the past few years, the beginning of the Advent season has also marked the beginning of the battle cry from Christian culture warriors.

You know the drill. Somebody gets all in a lather over store clerks wishing people “happy holidays” or as in Kentucky, calling a Christmas tree a “holiday tree.” Buttons are worn and bumper stickers are placed and “sign this and pass it on if you believe in Christmas” petitions are circulated on the internet.

And now, Focus on the Family has actually developed a web site called Stand for Christmas. The basic idea is that costumers can log on and rank various businesses as “Christmas-friendly”, Christmas-negligent” or “Christmas-offensive”. There’s a constantly updated percentage for each category listed for dozens of businesses, and as soon as someone sends their comments, an e-mail is automatically generated to the business itself.
...OK. But…really? Is this the primary thing that those of us who have received the gospel gift want to broadcast during this season?

count me out. how about you?

today's van gogh
half figure of an angel (after rembrandt), 1889

the weekly discussion--november 30, 2009

2009-11-30T15:25:00.007-05:00

in my 35 years as a christian, i have watched (and participated) as more and more evangelicals and non-liturgical communities have discovered how marking special days on the church calendar can be helpful in celebrating and forming our faith. since the christian year tells the story of jesus, it is a great way to become more "jesus-shaped" in our approach to life, worship, and mission in the world.

as eugene peterson said,

when we submit our lives to what we read in scripture, we find that we are not being led to see god in our stories, but our stories in god's. god is the larger context and plot in which our stories find themselves.

most are introduced to the christian year via advent, the period of preparation before christmas.

today's discussion question is simple:

how have you, your family, and your church practiced advent?

it is hoped that we can be of encouragement to one another as we seek to inhabit the story of god and let it form our lives in jesus.

today's van gogh
shepherd with a flock of sheep, 1884

advent I—nov 29, 2009

2009-11-27T10:36:00.018-05:00

first sunday in advent (year c)

resources for this day

today's readings
Jeremiah 33:14-16
Psalm 25:1-10
1 Thessalonians 3:9-13
Luke 21:25-36

today's bach cantatas
bwv 61, "come now, savior of the gentiles"
bwv 62, "come now, savior of the gentiles II"
bwv 36, "raise yourself up joyfully"

collect for the day (bcp)
almighty god, give us grace that we may cast away the
works of darkness, and put upon us the armor of light, now
in the time of this mortal life in which thy son jesus christ
came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when
he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the
quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through
him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the holy ghost,
one god, now and for ever. Amen.

journey to the cradle, I
happy new year! some of you may think this premature. however, there is more than one calendar by which to mark the years of our lives. on the church calendar, today marks the beginning of liturgical time for the year to come. today, we begin again to hear the story of jesus.

the texts chosen for this first sunday set our course for the journey...

the story of jesus begins with god's promises, spoken to a world that needs saving. "the days are coming," says the lord, "when i will fulfill the promise i made to the house of israel and the house of judah" (jeremiah 33:14). the promise involves a kingly person who will put the world to rights again, who will save those who trust in him and cause them to live in his safety forever. his name will be called, "the lord is our righteousness," and he will spring up like a branch from the tree that is king david's line.

the story of jesus encourages us to look for god's promises with expectation. in the words of david himself, we pray, "lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the god of my salvation; for you i wait all day long" (psalm 25:5).

the story of jesus instructs us to use the time of waiting as a time to share his holy love. the time of waiting is not meant to be a time of inactivity or selfish preoccupation. paul prayed for his friends in thessalonica, "and may the lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. and may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our god and father at the coming of our lord jesus with all his saints" (1thessalonians 3:12-13).

the story of jesus reminds us that the days of his coming will be tumultuous, and we must stay alert and ready. life in this broken world involves constant upheaval. some days, it seems the very stars may fall from the skies. "be alert at all times," jesus says to us, "praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the son of man" (luke 21:36).

this is god's advent agenda. this is what the journey to the cradle involves—hope, expectation, love, endurance. day by day throughout this first season of the church year, we learn to walk and wait like this for the coming of our king.

today's church year art
the visitation
giotto di bondone, scrovegni chapel, 1302-05

mark galli on "transformation"

2009-11-21T23:37:00.017-05:00

a wonderful interview with mark galli, senior managing editor of christianity today, has been posted over at the ever-interesting mockingbird blog.

a couple of paragraphs caught my attention as appropriate to share here, because they deal directly with the subject of being "weak on sanctification."

preach it, mark!

The other thing is the whole business of “transformation.” I notice how often that word comes up—our lives can be transformed, our churches can be transformed, our culture can be transformed. We imagine if we do everything right according to what the New Testament teaches us, that things will be completely changed. And if they aren’t completely changed, I’ve either bet my life on something that’s not true, or the Gospel itself is not true.

I just keep on coming back to Luther’s truth that we are simultaneously justified and sinners. I keep on looking at my own life, and at church history, and I realize that when the Gospel talks about transformation, it can’t possibly mean an actual, literal change in this life of a dramatic nature, except in a few instances. It must be primarily eschatological; it must be referring to the fact that we will in fact be changed. The essential thing to make change possible has occurred—Christ died and rose again. (And in this life we will see flashes of that, just like in Jesus’ ministry there were moments when the Kingdom broke in and we see a miracle. And these moments tell us there is something better awaiting for us and God is gracious enough at times to allow a person or a church or a community to experience transformation at some level.) But we can’t get into the habit of thinking that this dramatic change is normal, this side of the Kingdom. What’s normal this side of the Kingdom is falling into sin (in big or small ways), and then appropriating the grace of God and looking forward to the transformation to come.

click on the following link to read galli's article, "the scandal of the public evangelical," in which he expounds further on "the long-standing evangelical myth that there should be something different about the christian."

today's van gogh
field with poppies, 1889

group seeks genesis ban

2009-11-21T13:51:00.009-05:00

a christian group, concerned about the moral breakdown in american society, is pushing for a ban on the book of genesis.

a spokesperson for people involved in saving, securing, and defending the old-fashioned family (p.i.s.s.d.o.f.f.), says that decent citizens have come together to protest that enough is enough, that our culture cannot go on promoting materials like genesis to our children.

jonathan fussminder, a parent and activist for the group said, "this book [genesis] is a classic case of the devil's bait and switch. it opens with an outstanding scientific depiction of how god created the universe, but then you turn the page and you have two people running around naked in a garden. that's satan's way. he draws you in with something that sounds good, and pretty soon, he has you looking at pornography. "they were naked and not ashamed" is the way the author puts it, and that's all you need to know about this book. i wouldn't want my boys reading that for anything."

when asked if that passage was the only one to which he and the other members of p.i.s.s.d.o.f.f. objected, fussminder rolled his eyes and said, "oh my, no. genesis is filled with r-rated material at best. you've got violent killings, parents having sex with their own children, men giving their wives away to harems to save their own skin, lies, deceit, polygamy, child-slavery, seduction, and so many explicit sexual scenes and references that i'm embarrassed to even talk about them."

when this reporter asked about the fact that some people consider genesis to be "god's word," fussminder became animated. "god's word? god's word? that just shows how far into decadence we've fallen. can you imagine a good and holy god inspiring a book like this? can you imagine god asking parents to tell these stories to their children? they'd be warped for life!

"no, this most certainly is NOT god's word. how it got into the bible we don't know, but the fact that it is in there may point to one of the most insidious acts in history. we are pushing hard for publishers to delete genesis from future bibles, and we also say that if genesis got snuck in there, who knows what might be in some of the other books? as we speak, p.i.s.s.d.o.f.f. has teams of investigators reading the other books in the bible so that we can root out this kind of immoral and corrupting material. just recently, i heard rumors that the very next book, exodus, may contain scenes of infanticide, murder, nightmarish and gory plagues straight from the latest horror movies, idol-worship, immoral partying, and more sexual perversion."

so it's possible that your work will not end with genesis? fussminder was asked.

"no way," he replied. "we're p.i.s.s.d.o.f.f., and we are here to protect the children of america from harmful influences. we won't stop until we've cleaned it all up, from genesis to revelation."

today's van gogh
the schoolboy (camille roulin), 1888

the lord's day—nov 22, 2009

2009-11-21T10:49:00.018-05:00

25th sunday after pentecost
christ the king

today's lectionary readings
Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14
Psalm 93
Revelation 1:4b-8
John 18:33-37

today's bach cantatas
bwv 60, "o eternity, you word of thunder "
bwv 26, "ah how fleeting, ah how long"

today's van gogh
the church at auvers, 1890

today's good news
today is "christ the king sunday," the final sunday in the church year.

this feast of worship is not some relic from medieval times, when kings ruled the earth. no, "christ the king sunday" is one of most recent additions to the church calendar. it was introduced in 1925 by pope pius XI as an antidote to the rising secularism that he saw in the world. europe was reeling from world war I, facing economic uncertainty, and witnessing the rise of dictators who were promising to make everything right. the pope saw people of faith being taken in by the earthly philosophies and false promises of such leaders. respect for jesus as lord and ruler of life was waning, and so pope pius instituted this feast with three hopes:

that nations would see that the church is ruled by christ, and thus has freedom and is immune from the state;
that leaders and nations would see that they are bound to give respect to christ;
that the faithful would gain strength and courage as we allow christ to reign fully in our hearts, minds, wills, and bodies.

today's gospel reading from john 18 underscores this tension between christ, king and ruler of all, and the political and military rulers of this world. we may make the following observations from the conversation between jesus and the roman governor pilate—

pilate represents many who have power in this world. he shows little interest in religion; his life is taken up with practical matters of ruling. jesus doesn't fit into pilate's paradigm of what is important in the world. pilate wants as little bother as possible when it comes to religious matters, he seems only interested in solving problems and moving on.

jesus represents a realm quite different from earthly kingdoms. his kingdom is "not from this world." it is not protected by military might. it is characterized by devotion to "truth," by adherence to the realities of the true and living god who made this world, who rules over it, and who will bring the history that he is guiding by an unseen hand to its consummation when jesus returns to judge and reign over a new creation.

though jesus opens the door for pilate to respond by saying, "everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice..." pilate misses his opportunity and ends the conversation with a classic question common to skeptics—"what is truth?" in pilate's mind, the subject jesus has brought up is just part of a religious mind game; it has nothing to do with the practical realities of taking care of business the world.

you and i, however, know that is not true. though the world may scoff at groups of people coming together on a day like today, to hear a word from god about jesus our king and to partake in his royal sacrament, we know it is here in worship that we taste of another kingdom. we proclaim our loyalty to christ our king, and remember that he alone has the power to deliver us from our sins and make our world right. we also remember that the nature of his kingdom is not to rule over others from above but to serve them from beneath, and so we go out into the world and represent his kingdom as we share the good news of his love with our neighbors.

weekly discussion—nov 20

2009-11-20T23:13:00.005-05:00

what do you think of this tactic?

imonk interview

2009-11-17T15:32:00.015-05:00

our friend, michael spencer, aka the "internet monk," was kind enough to ask to do an interview about my work as well as my perspectives on evangelical pastoral care for the dying.

of course, since he asked me to speak on a subject about which i am passionate, i couldn't stop talking. you can read the interview in all its verbose glory at the imonk website.

thanks, michael, for the opportunity to share.

my prayer is that many will be encouraged and helped as they think through how to minister to those who are in the final season of life. and may we be ever mindful of those who are mourning in our midst.

today's van gogh

the garden of st. paul's hospital, 1889

let them eat cake...

2009-11-16T10:33:00.021-05:00

reporter: hello, today i'm with william sola, great, great, great grandson of jack sola, founder of the sola bakery company. thanks for joining us today, mr. sola.

sola: my pleasure.

reporter: you are the latest in a long line of solas to have inherited the sola bakery business. if i understand correctly, your company is now being run in quite a different way than it was in the past. can you tell us about that?

sola: that's right. we operate strictly on a kind of franchise basis now. you tell us you want to run a sola bakery, we verify that you're a true believer in the sola name, and boom! there you go, you can run your own sola bakery.

reporter: how do you go about helping these franchise owners get started in business?

sola: we give them the book.

reporter: the book?

sola: that's right, the sola bakery book.

reporter: i assume that this book contains all the directions one would need to get a bakery going—specific steps for setting up a business, company policies, the unique sola recipes, all of that?

sola: no, not really. the book is more of a history of jack sola. it lays out the background of why he started the bakery, and then tells about his life, his sayings, and the sacrifices he made to start the first sola bakery. it also contains stories about the early growth of the business, and several letters that early company managers wrote to bakeries around the area to help them with their specific problems. oh, you can find bits and pieces of various recipes in there, and fragments of policies and procedures. but mostly, it's the story of jack sola.

reporter: it doesn't contain specific company policies and the actual recipes for baking sola products? how then do you maintain quality control? how do you make sure one sola cake is like another sola cake?

sola: we don't care too much about quality control. we pretty much just give a new guy the book and let him go. he's on his own then. we think the book contains enough principles to keep him straight and faithful to the spirit of our founder, but he's free to develop his own recipes and run the business any way he wants. this has led to a whole new, exciting era in sola bakery history, and we are celebrating it with our new slogan.

reporter: and what is that?

sola: "sola bakeries: a surprise in every box."

reporter: but, doesn't that confuse people? doesn't it bother you that people don't really know what to expect when they buy a product from a sola bakery? and what if they get something really bad, or even harmful?

sola: actually, we like it that people don't know what to expect. it adds an air of spontanaeity and excitement that we think is great! here at headquarters, we just say, "let them eat cake!" and then wait to hear all the thrilling reports from the field. if a customer isn't satisfied with her local sola bakery, we figure that there are enough other franchises in the area that she can try them all until she's satisfied.

reporter: so, the sola name really doesn't indicate what kind of a product you're going to get.

sola: yes, that's right. what we can guarantee is that it will be a "sola" cake, no more, no less. beyond that, it's up for grabs.

reporter: and there you have it—william sola, president of sola bakeries, telling us that, when it comes to sola cakes, it's a surprise in every box. good night, and GOOD LUCK.

today's van gogh

interior of a restaurant, 1887

the lord's day—nov 15, 2009

2009-11-14T22:20:00.038-05:00

24th sunday after pentecost

today's lectionary readings
Daniel 12:1-3
Psalm 16
Hebrews 10:11-14 [15-18] 19-25
Mark 13:1-8

today's bach cantatas
bwv 163, "only to each his due!"
bwv 139, "happy is the man, who to his god"
bwv 5 2, "false world, i do not trust you!"

today's van gogh
the church at auvers, 1890

today's good news
it has been announced that best selling author tim lahaye, who gave us the fictional "left behind" series of books, has agreed to write another series called, "edge of the apocalypse". the press release called the new effort, "an apocalyptic epic infused with political intrigue ripped from today's headlines." on lahaye's "left behind" website, you can join the "prophecy club" which gives you access to more articles, and the link to join it asks this: "can you connect headlines with end times?"

people have always been fascinated by the future. we love to speculate about the days to come and imagine what they will be like. popular movies have often been made about various doomsday scenarios, including one that just opened, called, "2012." it is purportedly based on predictions from the mayan calendar about a coming apocalypse that will occur during that year.

in addition to popular culture, the christian subculture is filled with prophecy teachers who claim to have special insight into things to come. some folks get caught up in the enthusiasm about these kinds of predictions and fall prey to those who make a career out of drawing connections between today's headlines and tomorrow's end times. i know one thing, some people out there are making a lot of money on all of this!

let's take a little run through some history together, shall we?

historically, christian groups who have focused on an apocalyptic "end of the world" outlook have been known as "millennialist" movements, since they look for christ to return at a time of great turmoil to set up a kingdom here on earth before the actual end of history. many of these movements have been marked by charismatic leaders who attracted enthusiastic followers, taught them that their dreams and visions along with prophetic passages in the bible were about their own times, and that they would soon be fulfilled literally. And they did so in ways that were often separatist, extremist, and alarmist.

during the tumultuous days of the reformation, many radical groups began espousing apocalyptic doomsday scenarios. the lutheran augsburg confession of 1530 took a clear stand against such teachings, saying, "Our churches also condemn those who are spreading certain jewish opinions, that before the resurrection of the dead the godly shall take possession of the kingdom of the world, the ungodly being everywhere suppressed" (article xvii).

in american history the most famous prognosticator of end-time events was william miller, a baptist farmer in new york and amateur bible student who became convinced by his calculations that he knew the approximate date of jesus' return. miller said it would happen in or around 1843-44. as word spread about miller's views, a publisher in boston got hold of this, and soon "millerism" became a national phenomena. at one time there were 48 periodicals devoted to advancing this teaching and over 5 million tracts published with his second advent predictions. believers in great britain, australia, and other places around the world also became adherents of miller's prophetic speculations.

eventually, william miller and his followers pinpointed the date for christ's return as october 12, 1844. it is said that 100,000 followers of miller's teaching gathered on hillsides and in fields that day looking to the skies, watching for jesus to descend from heaven. do you know what that day is known as now?—"the great disappointment."

however, failures of fulfillment like this did not stem the tide of end times movements. in fact, shortly after "the great disappointment," a young woman named ellen g. white, who had been a millerite, began to have visions of her own, and adherents of the adventist movement were soon following her teachings, claiming that she was a true prophetess.

the 20th century saw an explosion of this kind of teaching, popularized through the scofield reference bible and the rise of a fundamentalist form of bible interpretation known as "dispensationalism". the subject of prophecy gained momentum after israel became a state in 1948, because many of the doctrines end-times teachers promote have to do with the restoration of israel and the establishment of a messianic kingdom here on earth. an evangelist named hal lindsey popularized this teaching in his book, the late great planet earth, and writers like lahaye are the carriers of this approach to readers today.

what are we to make of all this? the simple teaching of jesus in today's gospel lesson should be enough to dispel most of the nonsense that has been taught about the end of the world, but it seems we haven't heard it. when jesus' disciples asked him about the end of the age and the consummation of history, his answer was clear. he told them that the events people normally look for as "signs" of the end—wars, famines, earthquakes, false messiahs, and so on—are absolutely NOT signals that the end is near. these kinds of troubles are normal characteristics of every age in this fallen world. as bearers of the cross, we are not looking for an escape from these realities of life, but for endurance to persevere in faith no matter what happens, through christ who strengthens us.

the christian's calling is not to sync today's headlines with the bible's teachings on the end times. nowhere does god tell us to do that. leave forecasting to the meteorologists. the good news is that you can save your money and forget about buying half the books in the christian bookstore. you can avoid the great disappointment, unlike so many over the centuries.

sorry, tim lahaye, we won't be needing your latest fictional contribution to the cacophany of alarmists out there.

the good news is that you can go on living your life and trusting in the presence and providence of god for every day, whether or not it is the last or just another along the way. the good news is that jesus is ruling right now, and bringing to pass his final chapter to the story. and it ends well, because it all culminates in him.

the weekly discussion—november 8

2009-11-10T18:40:00.006-05:00

theology class time, friends. time to do your best "how many angels on the head of a pin" thinking. today's subject: the man christ jesus.

an interesting discussion is taking place on a site where i am a member. it involves christ's two natures, and particularly his humanity. in the athanasian creed christians confess:

For this is the true faith that we believe and confess: That our Lord Jesus Christ, God's Son, is both God and man.

He is God, begotten before all worlds from the being of the Father, and he is man, born in the world from the being of his mother -- existing fully as God, and fully as man with a rational soul and a human body; equal to the Father in divinity, subordinate to the Father in humanity.

Although he is God and man, he is not divided, but is one Christ.

in summary, jesus is both truly divine and truly human. one of the earliest heresies about jesus was the denial of his humanity (docetism). we still struggle today with grasping how god could "empty himself" (philippians 2.5-11), take on human flesh, and live among us as a full human being while at the same time remaining fully divine.

here are a few questions that michael spencer asked the group today to consider. how would you answer them? how do you conceive of jesus' human nature?

How did Jesus’ brain develop? Did the development of his brain impact his understanding of himself and his world?
Jesus lived in the social thought-world of the ancient near east. Did he transcend that thought world or did his incarnation place him completely in the boundaries of that thought world?
Did Jesus miss any questions on the test? Did he have to study?
Did Jesus use tools to measure in his carpentry work? Or did he just know what to do?
Did Jesus, in his incarnation, know things about biology, astronomy and cosmology that were completely ahead of his time? For instance, did Jesus know that the sun did not orbit the earth?
Did Jesus understand diseases and conditions from within the understanding of a first century man or did he know the actual medical/biological nature of diseases and conditions that were commonly blamed on demons or God’s punishment?
Did Jesus know about viruses and contagious disease? Did he know the nature of mental illnesses like schizophrenia? Did he understand brain tumors, etc? If so, did he explain these things or did he respond to them within a first century understanding?
Were Jesus questions real questions? Or were they all rhetorical?
If Jesus did not have exhaustive divine knowledge as a human being, does this impact our view of him as God incarnate?
If the Father reveals to Jesus some things that other men did not know, does this mean that Jesus had, available at any time, exhaustive knowledge of the future, science, geography, etc?

makes you think, doesn't it?

i'd love to hear your contribution. you don't have to be a theologian to participate. just talk to us how you think about jesus as the god-man, fully human and fully divine, and what that meant for how he thought, grew, and lived while among us.

today's van gogh
ward in the hospital in arles, 1889

what a weekend...

2009-11-09T23:33:00.009-05:00

it was a weekend of...

tracing memories that elicit smiles,

enjoying much good and edifying family togetherness and interaction,

gorging ourselves on loads of great food,

relishing the most perfect november weather one could wish for,

living and dying with all the ups and downs of an amazing football game,

wiping away the tears of realizing that this is the last time we'll attend a sporting event on a home field for one of our children,

swelling up with pride for all that our son is becoming, and continuing to pray that he and our other children will find themselves, through christ, established in life, established in faith, and filled with love for what is good,

being grateful for family and friends that have supported and encouraged us throughout the years,

worshiping with gratitude on sunday and praising the true and living god, who created all things good and gave them to us to enjoy with thanksgiving.

"For what God gives I thank indeed;
What He withholds I do not need."
(Martin Luther)

why you should be very scared...

2009-11-06T20:01:00.006-05:00

some folks think i'm too hard on the evangelical church at times, but i was referred to something recently that sent me into a funk of untold depths.

i will not mention the name of the author or where i found what he wrote. suffice it to say that these are the words of a "pastor," who from all appearances is a fairly typical contemporary evangelical church-planting leader. for reasons i don't know, he is no longer on his church staff or involved in vocational ministry. i'm not interested in besmirching his name or criticizing his church or anything like that. but i have to confess that when i read his list, my mouth dropped open in unbelieving amazement.

the title of his article refers to the move from being in church leadership to having to function in the "real world". in his piece he lists some of the lessons he has learned in this transition. i paraphrase some of his reflections...

he testifies that, until he left the pastorate, he had absolutely no idea about the financial, job, and family pressures most of the people in the church were facing in their lives.

he realized after leaving the ministry that getting up and preaching what people should do is easy, but living it out is not.

he realized after no longer being in the pulpit that he will never preach a lot of his sermons because he sees now that it is not possible to actually live any of it out in real life.

he apparently had no idea that he was asking too much of people to do all the volunteering he was asking for after they had worked long hours at work. by comparison, he realized how little he himself had been working while on a church staff.

he testifies that, when he was a pastor, he truly had no idea how many hurting people there are in the world.

as a pastor, he really didn't know that a lot of people actually hate the church.

now he realizes that as a pastor, he completely shielded himself from criticism, something he cannot do now that he's in the real world.

he confesses how much he really looked down on women and was sexually inappropriate in his thoughts, words, and perspectives.

he has now learned the value of the apology. as a pastor, he would never have said, "i'm sorry," because he thought he always had to be right.

he had a lot of fake friendships when he was a pastor.

now he's thinking that it will take a different kind of church to reach a community. when he finds out what it is, he will get back into trying to start one.

i'm practically speechless. this guy called himself a "pastor"? for heaven's sake, i think i would have known more than this as a new christian fresh out of paganism 35 years ago!

where did this guy get his training? who affirmed his calling and authorized him to stand in front of people and open the bible? did anyone ever check his theology? his ideas about what it means to minister to people?

it's obvious he never visited a parishioner at home—never even considered people who attended his church parishioners in the first place! probably never darkened the door of a hospital room. surely he never prayed at the bedside of the dying. did he ever pray with anyone? about any real life issue? did he ever stop planning cool church events long enough to listen to any real person? it's obvious to me that this guy was doing his own thing from the start and was as clueless as homer simpson about what it means to be a church leader, especially a pastor.

if this is the state of the "pastorate" today, may god have mercy on us all.

today's van gogh
two thistles, 1888

the cruelest month...

2009-11-04T16:14:00.012-05:00

t. s. eliot was wrong—it is not april, but november.

it is november that sucks the color out of the world.

it is november that brutally strips the brilliant textured sweater off the tree and leaves it naked, shivering against the gray, cold wind.
it is november, when sky becomes steel, earth becomes stone, grass a wire brush, breath fog, each day a more rapidly drawn shade.

it is november, when time changes, and daytime suddenly drops into darkness before our supper is prepared.

it is november, when baseball ends, gloves are oiled, grass is covered, and stadiums sit silent and empty, too bleak even for ghosts to want to have a catch.
it is november, when the porch is stripped of furniture, the hose and bird bath put up lest they crack, the gutters emptied of fallen sky, a stretch of street with yards forsaken like the dormitory hall at lights out.
it is november, all gray and brown.
it is november, hangover after the harvest party, period of mourning after autumn's exquisite expiration.
it is november, the time between—between the joy of ingathering and the wonder of incarnation—when darkness gathers, unwilling yet to be dispelled.

the month, of course, has its joys but they are humble—smell of wood smoke rising, tears for the young gone off to war, college football's rivalry games and the beginning of basketball, a homely and heartwarming feast of thanksgiving, the quiet inauguration of advent and a new year to live within god's story.

three of the most wonderful women in my life have birthdays in november—my mother, my wife, and my oldest daughter. this november will mark the final season of watching my children play on sporting fields, as my oldest son completes his college football career. life will move more and more inside closed walls. we'll begin rehearsing our annual worries about how to keep the heating bill down and what we're going to do for the holidays. the shivering begins.

november is the cruelest month. between time, gray and brown, it sucks the color out of the world.

Yea, I have looked, and seen November there;
The changeless seal of change it seemed to be,
Fair death of things that, living once, were fair;
Bright sign of loneliness too great for me,
Strange image of the dread eternity,
In whose void patience how can these have part,
These outstretched feverish hands, this restless heart?

William Morris, "November"

today's van gogh
lane in autumn, 1884

the weekly discussion—november 1

2009-11-02T19:22:00.004-05:00

feeling "left behind"? yesterday we had a stimulating discussion in our adult class about eschatology, the teaching of the end times. it was all saints day, and the subject fitting. i have had a long and winding journey through the eschatological landscape.

my early christian training through bible college was of the dispensational, "left behind" variety; you know—first the pretrib rapture, then the tribulation, rule of the antichrist, the second coming, 1000-year reign of christ (millennium), loosing of satan, white throne judgment, lake of fire, new heavens and new earth.

in seminary i moved more toward a "classic premillennial" position. christians go through the tribulation. some of the other stuff perhaps not so clear.

now i embrace amillennialism. christ is reigning now, in the heavens and in his people, inaugurating the Kingdom in this world here and now. when he returns at the end of the age, he will judge the living and the dead and put all things to rights in a new heavens and new earth.

what has your journey been as you have considered what the bible says about the future? and where are you now? how have the churches of which you've been a part handled this area of doctrine?

today's van gogh
starry night over the rhone, 1888

the lord's day—november 1

2009-11-01T14:15:00.012-05:00

22nd sunday after pentecost
all saints

today's lectionary readings
(readings for all saints)
Isaiah 25:6-9
Psalm 24
Revelation 21:1-6a
John 11:32-44

today's bach cantatas
bwv 109, "i believe, lord, help my unbelief!"
bwv 38, "out of the depths i cry to thee"
bwv 98, "what god does, that is done well"
bwv 188, "i have put my trust"

today's van gogh
the church at auvers, 1890

today's good news
i wait all year for this sunday, so that i can join in singing one of my favorite hymns:

For all the saints, who from their labors rest,
Who Thee by faith before the world confessed,
Thy Name, O Jesus, be forever blessed.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

Thou wast their Rock, their Fortress and their Might;
Thou, Lord, their Captain in the well fought fight;
Thou, in the darkness drear, their one true Light.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

For the Apostles’ glorious company,
Who bearing forth the Cross o’er land and sea,
Shook all the mighty world, we sing to Thee:
Alleluia, Alleluia!

For the Evangelists, by whose blest word,
Like fourfold streams, the garden of the Lord,
Is fair and fruitful, be Thy Name adored.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

For Martyrs, who with rapture kindled eye,
Saw the bright crown descending from the sky,
And seeing, grasped it, Thee we glorify.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

O blest communion, fellowship divine!
We feebly struggle, they in glory shine;
All are one in Thee, for all are Thine.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

O may Thy soldiers, faithful, true and bold,
Fight as the saints who nobly fought of old,
And win with them the victor’s crown of gold.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

And when the strife is fierce, the warfare long,
Steals on the ear the distant triumph song,
And hearts are brave, again, and arms are strong.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

The golden evening brightens in the west;
Soon, soon to faithful warriors comes their rest;
Sweet is the calm of paradise the blessed.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

But lo! there breaks a yet more glorious day;
The saints triumphant rise in bright array;
The King of glory passes on His way.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

From earth’s wide bounds, from ocean’s farthest coast,
Through gates of pearl streams in the countless host,
And singing to Father, Son and Holy Ghost:
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Words by William W. How, 1864; Music by Ralph Vaughn-Williams, 1906

these words remind me that i walk with christ in living communion, and not only with him, but also with his immense family of "faithful witnesses"—those who have gone before in time (hebrews 12.1), as well as those who dwell in all places around the world (1corinthians 1.2).

autumn in central indiana...

2009-10-30T20:10:00.010-04:00

for more pix, visit my share site.

my "suburbs" rant

2009-10-22T15:23:00.024-04:00

death by suburb: how to keep the suburbs from killing your soul, by dave goetz. harperone, 2007.

i'll start this by cutting to the chase—this book ticks me off. not because i strongly disagree with it, but because i find it to be so devastatingly accurate and ugly. furthermore, it describes a great deal of my own life and character, and that just plain stinks.

dave goetz's death by suburb vividly portrays the world we have fashioned with our american prosperity. to use his term, it is a "thin" world—superficial, insipid, and unsubstantial.

as goetz sees it, the suburbs are...

a world where i must be in control

in a world that i will into being, there's not much room for mystery, for the sacred, for that which is outside my control. everything happens for a reason, right? if i want a better marriage, i attend the church's small group on marriage. if i want more knowledge of church history, i take a class at the local christian college. if i want to protect my kids from bad music, i play in the minivan the christian radio station that brands itself, "safe for the whole family." if halloween scares me, my kids and i can attend a fall festival, an alternative halloween event at a large church in our area...i live in a neighborhood so safe that the only way christians "stand up for christ" is by not serving alcohol at the block party. (it's a family neighborhood, after all!) even the construction workers working on the $1 million home next door listen only to nice Christian radio. how nice for our kids!

immersed in a context that values things done right or not at all, i inevitably conclude, most subconsciously, that i can control my life. (25f)

a world of "competitive parenting"

i absorbed quickly that my children's education needed to be approached like an nba championship. no detail was too small and no standardized test too insignificant. education was not really about learning but about winning. (p.8)

a world that's all about collecting "immortality symbols"

the meaning of children and their accomplishments is only one suburban immortality symbol. there is the sprawling five-thousand square foot house with the gorgeous sun porch. there is the "ken and barbie" appearance that some couples exude—eternal youth packaged in fresh cleavage and low body fat. for clergy, it's the three-thousand-member mega-church....

there is, frankly, no one more uninteresting than a person with no immortality symbols: the suburban family with no smart or athletic kids that lives in a relatively small house; the poor; the single mom left to raise three kids under twelve after the divorce; the elderly with no winter condo in florida; the midlife pastor with a small congregation. none of these folks is asked to speak at the college alumni banquet. (42f)

a world that feeds the deadly sins of envy, coveting, and gluttony

the 'burbs are all about striving to be unique, but we all end up competing for the same symbols—the four-bedroom home with the pottery barn colors, the l.l. bean underwear and outerwear, the fuel-guzzling truck, the purebred dog, the family pilgrimage to disney world, and the athletic and scholarship-bedecked college-bound freshman. my wife says she doesn't really covet her neighbor's husband but only the figure of his size 6 wife.... (p.65)

a world in which "church" is about my consumer preferences

within my protestant family, many churchgoing folk change churches as if they were changing drycleaners. if they come across a coupon for a dime less per laundered shirt, they're off to another store. actually, i think it may be less like shopping and more like casual sex.

it's certainly not about ongoing relationships. it's about the immediate experience, the brief sensation of feeling like i have found a home, a place where i deeply resonate with the worship and theology (at least for a time).

it's one year here and two years there, back to the first church to patch things up, and then on to the cool church with the AUTHENTIC charismatic liturgy where you can find inner healing. few, except for frustrated clergy, admit that local church loyalty is this thin; the reasons offered by church migrants (when someone bothers to ask) always seem reasonable. often the reason goes back to the kids: "there's no youth program for our kids, and we know that over at first church, they have a large youth program. and we really want our kids to make good friends."

parents will lay down their lives if their kids' spirituality and social needs appear to be at stake. it would be better to slap the cub of a she-grizzly than to suggest to any suburban parent that perhaps there are considerations other than the immediate welfare of kids for making decisions.... (127f)

a world where serving others is primarily about my own significance

i often find myself serving mostly in safe or comfortable programs, where no relationship with someone in deep need forms. there doesn't appear to be any conspiracy to preclude relationships with the poor and broken. it just sort of happens, or, rather, doesn't happen. it's easier not to befriend a single mom who at forty-two with a newborn and only $6-an-hour job skills fears telling the father that he has a son because he might sue for custody because she's in such poverty. why get involved in THAT? there's no upside. (p. 109)

this stuff really hurts. the "american dream" life, the life of prosperity, comfort, safety, efficiency and productivity may be one of the most inhospitable soils in which to grow true disciples of christ that the world has ever known.

moses, who had seen it all, who'd been through slavery and exile and persecution and the wilderness, warned the second generation of israelites who were soon to enter the promised land that they were about to face one of the most severe trials of their lives—the trial of prosperity:

Take care that you do not forget the Lord your God, by failing to keep his commandments, his ordinances, and his statutes, which I am commanding you today. When you have eaten your fill and have built fine houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks have multiplied, and your silver and gold is multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied, then do not exalt yourself, forgetting the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, an arid waste-land with poisonous snakes and scorpions. He made water flow for you from flint rock, and fed you in the wilderness with manna that your ancestors did not know, to humble you and to test you, and in the end to do you good. Do not say to yourself, ‘My power and the might of my own hand have gained me this wealth.’ But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, so that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your ancestors, as he is doing today. If you do forget the Lord your God and follow other gods to serve and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish. Like the nations that the Lord is destroying before you, so shall you perish, because you would not obey the voice of the Lord your God. (Deut 8.11-20)
¹²¹³¹⁴¹⁵¹⁶¹⁷¹⁸¹⁹²⁰

dave goetz puts it this way:

i think my suburb, as safe and religiously coated as it is, keeps me from jesus. or at least, my suburb (and the religion of the suburbs) obscures the real jesus. the living patterns of the good life affect me more than i know.

i guess what bothers me most is that so few see this. we accept our cultural surroundings like a fish takes water for granted. we don't see anything spiritually harmful in "the patterns of the good life." we don't recognize how they play to the flesh and anesthetize the spirit.

to aid us in battling "the world" as it surrounds us in affluent society, goetz recommends several spiritual practices gleaned from the history of the church and monastery. frankly, i'm not sure they are enough.

individual transformation through such practices is a key, but only a start.
at some point we are going to need to talk about what church is all about;
and living among and walking with the poor;
and perhaps participating in a movement out of the affluent suburbs and into the cities and needy neighborhoods;
and forsaking the mindset of "whites only" privilege that continues to predominate in the suburbs so that we can relate and learn with our brothers and sisters from other cultures.

thus ends the rant. thus begins deep heart searching on the part of this so-called "disciple."

thank you for the wake-up call, dave goetz.

today's van gogh

house s in auvers, 1890

"wild things" i cannot control

2009-10-20T09:13:00.011-04:00

david brooks writes an insightful column in today's New York Times about the new film, "where the wild things are." from my perspective, brooks sheds some very helpful light on what it means to be "weak on sanctification."

when describing some insights that the film sheds on the subject of character, brooks contrasts the "philosopher's view" of character with the "psychologist's view."

the first perspective asserts that individuals have certain ingrained character traits that shape who we are and how we act. i am basically a dishonest person or an honest one. i am either compassionate or unsympathetic. one of the life's great tasks is to develop a deep-rooted character of virtue. then, i can be the "hero" who will always do the right thing and win the day.

in contrast, the psychologist's view suggests that our actual behavior is not driven by specific permanent character traits that consistently apply across contexts. i may be honest in one situation while dishonest in another. i have many different tendencies that may be activated by various circumstances and moods. i am made up of what Paul Bloom calls, "a community of competing selves."

the film "where the wild things are" portrays that, even in childhood, we are torn by warring impulses that are difficult to understand and control. the main character, max, is a boy who adores his mother, yet rages against her; who looks up to his older sister, yet trashes her room when he cannot enjoy her in his life as he would like.

in the midst of this turmoil, max makes a fantastical journey to an island where wild things live. each of the monsters he meets represents a member of his own "community of selves." brooks comments on what the lad discovers on the island:

in the movie, max wants to control the wild things. the wild things in turn
want to be controlled. they want him to build a utopia for them where they won't
feel pain. but in the movie max fails as king. he lacks the power to control his
wild things. the wild things come to recognize that he isn't really a king, and
maybe there are no such things as kings.

the philosophers teach that once we achieve virtue, we do virtuous things. However, the view represented here shows that...

...people have only vague intuitions about the instincts and impulses that
have been implanted in them by evolution, culture and upbringing [and, I would
specify, our sinful nature]. there is no easy way to command all the wild things jostling inside.

that may be one of the clearest statements of the christian's spiritual struggle that i've read—"there is no easy way to command all the wild things jostling inside." i want to think that if i can only be king and rule over them, all will be at peace and there will be no more sadness. but i am not really a king, indeed, there really are no such thing as kings among ordinary humans. the answer is not within us.

however, there is a king outside of us who has overcome the wild beasts (mark 1.12-13), whom god rescued from the mouths of the menacing monsters and raised up in victory over them (psalm 22.6-24).

each and every moment, i look to this one, king jesus, to tame the wild beasts within.

today's van gogh
self-portrait with bandaged ear and pipe

the weekly discussion—october 18

2009-10-18T22:28:00.005-04:00

recently, i listed some of the books that i have been reading lately. for this week's discussion, it would be great to have a conversation about what books have been feeding your mind and spirit.

i'm particularly interested in hearing about books that have given you formative insights in the following areas:

the spiritual life with christ
the church: its history, life, and ministry
loving your neighbor and serving your community
truths about life, the world, and/or human nature
important people, events, and/or movements in history
the relationship between religion and science

it doesn't matter whether the books you recommend are non-fiction, fiction, or poetry, classic or contemporary. i'm just always interested in hearing about good books!

"let the wild rumpus begin!"

today's van gogh
green ears of wheat, 1888

the lord's day—oct 18, 2009

2009-10-16T22:08:00.012-04:00

20th sunday after pentecost

today's lectionary readings
Isaiah 53:4-12
Psalm 91:9-16
Hebrews 5:1-10
Mark 10:35-45

today's bach cantatas
bwv 48, "o wretched man that i am"
bwv 5, "whither shall i flee?"
bvw 56, "gladly shall i bear the cross"

today's van gogh
the church at auvers, 1890

today's good news
one of the great leaders of europe over the past quarter century has been václav havel, who emerged at the end of the cold war and became president of czechoslovakia. havel, a writer and playwright, had fought for peace and freedom many years before the Soviet Union fell, suffering constant government harassment and multiple imprisonments because of his writings and work as a political dissident. ironically, this man who had been under the power of a repressive regime, ultimately was voted into a place of power, where during the 1990s he helped lead czechoslovakia into life as a free nation.

upon receiving one of his many awards as a significant force for peace and freedom, havel made a speech about the temptations that come with holding a position of political power. here is part of what he said that day:

Why is it that people long for political power, and why, when they have achieved it, are they so reluctant to give it up?
In the first place, people are driven into politics by ideas about a better way to organize society, by faith in certain values or ideals, be they impeccable or dubious, and the irresistible desire to fight for those ideas and turn them into reality.
In the second place, they are probably motivated by the natural longing every human being has for self-affirmation. Is it possible to imagine a more attractive way to affirm your own existence and its importance than that offered by political power? In essence, it gives you a tremendous opportunity to leave your mark, in the broadest sense, on your surroundings, to shape the world around you in your own image, to enjoy the respect that every political office almost automatically bestows upon the one who holds it.
In the third place, many people long for political power and are so reluctant to part with it because of the wide range of perks that are a necessary part of political life -- even under the most democratic of conditions.

power, said václav havel, is pursued by those with high ideals, who want to make a difference in the world. they are also driven by the natural need to be affirmed and feel important. and third, they seek power because it offers attractive and comfortable side-benefits.

in today's gospel lesson, two of jesus' disciples ask if they might be granted positions of power in his coming kingdom. i'm sure they had many good motivations in asking him this.

first, they were right in understanding what was happening through jesus. god's glorious kingdom was dawning! jesus was the messiah, the promised one who would restore the splendor of david's reign over israel and the world. the long-awaited messianic era of righteousness and peace was about to be revealed, and jesus would be at the center of it all, on the throne.

second, they wanted to serve and represent him in this kingdom. when something so wonderful is about to take place, who wouldn't want to be an important part of it?

but certainly, there must have been some other motives as well. after all, sitting at jesus' right hand, just next to the throne, would be heady stuff. can you imagine how satisfying and fulfilling that would be? and you know the perks would be great too! no more of this "nowhere to lay our heads" kind of existence. a place in the palace must have sounded pretty nice to them after three years on the road.

václav havel went on to say this about our motivations in seeking power:

I have never met a politician who could admit to the world, or even to himself, that he was running for office only because he wanted to affirm his own importance, or because he wanted to enjoy the perks that come with political power. On the contrary, we all repeat over and over that we care not about power as such but about certain general values. We say it is only our sense of responsibility to the community that compels us to take upon ourselves the burden of public office. At times, only God Himself knows whether that is true, or simply a more palatable way of justifying to the world and ourselves our longing for power, and our need to affirm, through our power and its reach, that we exist in a truly valid and respectable way.

the desire for power may be, for christians, the most misunderstood temptation.

i have watched pastors function as dictators over their congregations, without a clue that their original ideals have become so corrupted that they now brazenly lord it over people. i've seen lay people seize power and hold congregations hostage to their opinions and preferences. i've watched as national evangelical leaders get sucked into the "culture war" mentality and learn to play the game with all the spin and manipulation of the most hard shell, hardball politicians. i've seen brothers and sisters bully one another over the most insignificant issues.

and most of all, i know how much i myself want to be in control, to feel important, to get the cushy assignments, to be seen with the right people, to have others do the grunt work while i enjoy the banquet.

most of the time, we can somehow rationalize what we're doing, claiming it's necessary to achieve a higher purpose. however, i believe that it is the rare person who can successfully navigate the rapids of power.

jesus did, because his modus operandi was sacrifice. from cradle to cross, he laid down his life for us. he came not to be served but to serve. to give his life. to provide a ransom by his own death for those enslaved and imprisoned.

our glory only comes as we die with him. doing so will teach us to treat even the smallest forms of power with extreme caution.

book thoughts: what i've been reading

2009-10-13T23:20:00.007-04:00

it has been awhile since i've posted updates on what i've been reading, so here's a look at a few of the good books that have come my way in recent months.

the list reflects the fact that my reading for some time now has been heavy on non-fiction, christianity and theology. i've been especially interested in writings on worship, ecclesiology (the church), lutheranism, church history, christianity and culture, and the spiritual life.

An Altar in the World, by Barbara Brown Taylor

a luminous book about encountering god in the common, everyday practices of life. taylor, a former episcopal priest, understands the sacramental nature of ordinary living as well as anyone i've read. her prose shimmers, and has caused me often to feel a bit of the "joy" about which c.s. lewis testified—that strange and sweet sensation that another world is present in mine.

The Lost World of Genesis One, by John H. Walton
walton, a professor at wheaton college, offers this "literal" interpretation of genesis one—and here's the catch—in the context of what we know about ancient near eastern thought. his main point is that a truly literal reading of genesis in its ancient context shows that it is not so much interested in the material origins of the universe (our modern concern) as in how god organized the already-existing materials to function as a cosmic temple from which he reigns as king.

Acedia & Me, by Kathleen Norris

finally, someone has written about my besetting sin! this book is an insightful, sometimes unwieldy combination of personal memoir and spiritual and psychological reflection, laced with long walks through history, literature and theology, with one consistent theme: the deadly sin of acedia (commonly known as sloth). a remarkable book on a sorely neglected aspect of the spiritual life.

Knowing Christ Today, by Dallas Willard
one of our best spiritual writers offers this well-reasoned defense of the legitimacy of moral and spiritual knowledge over against the contemporary notion that religious faith is based only on emotion and preferences. not only is such knowledge legitimate, it is indispensable—"A life of steadfast discipleship to Jesus Christ can be supported only upon assured knowledge of how things are, of the realities in terms of which that life is lived."

Christless Christianity, by Michael Horton
subtitled, "The Alternative Gospel of the American Church," professor horton launches a full-scale attack on "moralistic, therapeutic deism," which he claims is the true religion of american evangelicalism. like luther, he laments the (american) captivity of the church and calls us to reformation. his claim is, that aside from the religious packaging, the church offers little that can't be found in any number of self-help groups available in our culture.

Life among the Lutherans, by Garrison Keillor
being a newbie lutheran myself, i thought i should read this to see what i've gotten myself in for. this collection of "news from lake wobegon" talks paints a pretty good picture of folks who are "merciless in their goodness," "ordinary people doing their best to be good and walk straight in a world that seems to reward the crooked and mock the righteous." oh, and you don't want to miss the service with the gospel birds or the report from the national usher's convention.

today's van gogh
the novel reader, 1888

the weekly discussion—october 11

2009-10-11T22:23:00.006-04:00

should a follower of christ...

watch fox news?
listen to keith olbermann?
listen to glenn beck?
watch michael moore movies?
listen to rush limbaugh?
be a fan of jon stewart and the daily show?

what do you think about the state of discourse and "news" in the u.s. today?

what do you think christians should do in order to be wise and discerning about the opinions and information we receive through the media in these days?

today's van gogh
old man in sorrow (on the threshold of eternity), 1890

the lord's day—oct 11, 2009

2009-10-09T22:18:00.012-04:00

19th sunday after pentecost

today's lectionary readings
Amos 5:6-7, 10-15
Psalm 90:12-17
Hebrews 4:12-16
Mark 10:17-31

today's bach cantatas
bwv 96, "lord christ, the only son of god"
bwv 169, "god alone shall have my heart"

today's van gogh
the church at auvers, 1890

today's good news
i have good news for you today...

you don't need to be rich for God to accept you into his heavenly kingdom.
nor do you have to be young and attractive.
nor do you have to have your act together.

the fellow who came to jesus in today's Gospel lesson had all those things. we call him the "rich young ruler"—he had wealth. he had youthful vitality. he had authority and seemed to be in control of his life. however, he somehow knew he didn't have it all, because he approached jesus with a question: "good teacher, what must i do to inherit eternal life?" the text indicates he may have been truly eager to find out the answer, because it says he "ran up and knelt before" jesus to ask his counsel.

to be honest, jesus' disciples were probably shocked at that. quite likely it took them by surprise. of all the people in the world, a man like this would be the last one they expected should have doubts that god accepted and favored him. didn't his life bear all the marks of god's blessing? surely if ever there was a righteous man, it would be someone like this! this is just the kind of guy every pastor loves to have in his church, every neighborhood loves to have as a resident, every community loves to have in its midst.

folks like you and me look at a fellow like this and we are humbled. why can't i be like him? why didn't i get all of his gifts and talents? straight-A student. president of his class. most likely to succeed. it all seems to come to him so easily. he gets all the breaks. he knows the right people. whatever he touches turns to gold. oh yes, and he is also a model religious person. (from my mouth to god's ear, i have a daughter who should meet this one!)

and yet...

he doesn't seem to have what jesus is talking about—a place in the kingdom of heaven. he has recognized something different in jesus' teaching, a call to something beyond his culture's idea of success. his heart has been awakened to another reality, and suddenly, he wants more.

so he asks jesus, "what must i do to inherit eternal life?" in common fashion, jesus answers with questions of his own—"why are you asking me? you know god's commandments, don't you—the ones moses gave?" well, that was like asking a college graduate to recite his ABCs. he might have been insulted. surely, there must be something more, he might have thought. after all, i'm rich. young and vibrant. well-positioned in life. devout and faithful in my religion. what's left? there must be something more to it than that!

"ok, one thing." said jesus. "give it all up, and come, follow me."

there it was—the one option that was totally out of the question. this young man had been taught since infancy to be the right kind of person, to do the right thing, to pursue excellence in all the various areas of his life, to be wise with his choices so as to avoid the pitfalls of life, to diversify his investments, to build a solid life of integrity, diligence, and righteousness. and now jesus says to him, "do you really want to know what the life of the kingdom is all about? here's how you'll find out: leave your rich, young, in control life behind. throw it all away. turn your back on the whole endeavor and come with me; join my small band of disciples. oh, and by the way, we don't even have a place where we can lay our heads."

of course, the young man said no.

and the text tells us that with love, jesus watched him as he walked away. oh, i can hear some of us now. some of us are tempted to say, "that is just too bad. god could have really done something with a man like that!" and that statement shows that we still don't get it.

the fact is, nobody brings anything to the table when it comes to being accepted by god. if we want to be part of his new creation, his heavenly kingdom, we must get this straight—he is not looking for anything at all from us. a good portfolio and full bank account doesn't mean anything to him. he doesn't care if we're young and healthy and attractive and strong, or if we come to him all weak and broken-down. as for having our act together, being in control, having a good position in life—forget it. none of that matters. it's simply a matter of responding to jesus.

that's good news for most of us, for folks like you and me who would never be described as "rich young rulers". all i have to be is plain ol' me. all i have to do is receive jesus' invitation. all i have to do is give it all away. all i have to do is die.

you see, jesus is not in the business of recruiting the best and the brightest. he's in the business of raising the dead.

music for grownups

2009-10-06T14:55:00.012-04:00

nobody explores the wrinkles around a common man's eyes better than mark knopfler. the former leader of the 80's band dire straits has matured over the years into one of our finest songwriters and musicians. he paints intimate musical portraits, mostly of ordinary people, their work, their loves and losses.

his new album, get lucky, is a masterpiece of genius, poetry, and restraint. knopfler's prodigious skills are never put on display for attention or effect, but always in service of the song and story he is telling, and these stories are profoundly grounded in real life: a truck driver "knocking out a living wage in 1969," the handyman broken down on the shoulder of the road as a metaphor for losing love, day workers sitting around the fire and passing a guitar, the cynical old battle-scarred vet cleaning his gun, mates on the cricket pitch who went to war and never came back.

this earthy and satisfying album will never get the attention received by a host of shooting stars. that is too bad, because this is just the kind of rooted, mature, reflective balladry that a culture caught up in adolescent spectacle needs. this is music for grownups.

highest recommendation. best music i've heard this year, and in a long time.

today's van gogh
head of a peasant with cap, 1884

the weekly discussion—october 4

2009-10-04T13:35:00.009-04:00

i am going to ask you to do a little homework before you respond to this one.

read tim stafford's blog post, "evangelicals and science"

read michael spencer's post at internetmonk, "niki made her choice and, apparently, so did we"

both articles tell stories from the personal side of the creationism vs. evolution debate.

stafford gives two accounts of christians with vocations in science, and the troubles this caused them with their christian communities. both became increasingly detached from their christian friends and the life of the church because of the disapproval they felt from fellow believers in light of their work as scientists.

imonk tells about niki, a brilliant student from japan exposed thoroughly to christianity while pursuing her education here in the states. yet, she returned to japan an atheist. why? here is her explanation: “when people here explained to me what they must believe as christians, I always ask them about evolution, and they say 'you cannot be a christian and believe in evolution.' so i cannot be a Christian, because I believe that evolution is true.”

what would you tell her? can a person be a christian and accept evolution? can a bible-believing follower of christ affirm that evolution and other scientific paradigms, at this point in our understanding, present a legitimate portrayal of the origins and development of the universe and life?

in my opinion, the church needs to talk. now. this is serious.

today's van gogh
starry night, 1889

the lord's day—october 4, 2009

2009-10-03T09:36:00.031-04:00

18th sunday after pentecost

today's lectionary readings
genesis 2:18-24
psalm 8
hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12
mark 10:2-16

today's bach cantatas
bwv 114, "ah, dear christians, be consoled"
bwv 148, "give unto the lord the glory due his name"
bwv 47, "whoever exalts himself will be humbled"

today's van gogh
the church at auvers, 1890

today's good news
despite the text from mark for this sunday, today's message won't be about divorce.

actually, if you read the text closely, you can see that the pharisees who came to jesus that day and questioned him didn't really want to hear about that subject either. the gospel says they were testing him, which means this was all about theological one-upmanship. people like the pharisees loved to take controversial subjects and debate them, just so that they could prove they were right and you were wrong. it wasn't like they were really concerned about the actual human suffering of husbands and wives and children who had been through divorce. it wasn't like they were looking for answers so that they could help real people, like their neighbors, who were struggling in their marriages. nah, this was culture war stuff. they just wanted to win an argument, maybe get jesus in trouble with the media. happens a lot, even today.

but jesus wouldn't have it. i love what he did here—he just looked them in the eye and said, "why are you asking me about this? why don't you just go back to the beginning; see what god wants?" i think that's a great idea, don't you? rather than wrangling about all the ins and outs of what's permitted and not permitted now that the situation has gotten out of hand, why don't we just go back and take a look at what god intended in the first place? let's go back to the beginning.

in a couple of months, gail and i will have been married 31 years. we've known each other for 34. we met in bible college, on a saturday morning when a roommate dragged me out of bed to go try out for a singing group in the music building. there was this cute little pig-tailed girl everyone called "gig" playing the piano. i immediately found her interesting. when i passed the audition and started being around her more often, my interest grew.

we took walks, served side by side in music ministry, studied together, laid in the grass, looked up at the stars, and talked long into the nights. we fell in love over the course of those years in college. we got to know each other's families, we sensed a common calling, we decided to get married. i guess we did it all in a pretty old-fashioned way, considering it was the 1970's, when the talk was about free love and a sexual revolution. we fought off temptation and waited to have sex until we married. we asked permission and the blessing of our parents to wed. we planned our wedding in a church at christmas time, during which we called on jesus to be lord and savior of our marriage. we asked our families and friends to support us as we set off to build a life and family.

it was all pretty simple to us back then—we just thought that's what the bible said we should do. you know, like god made the first man and then the first woman, each in his image and likeness, each perfectly complementing the other. then he brought them together and gave each to the other as his own wonderful gift, and they were no longer alone. naked before one another and not ashamed, they became one, and life in the world began.

now, i am fully aware that some of you may never marry. some of you young people have seen a lot of crazy stuff when it comes to this subject, and you have no idea what you even think about marriage. some of you have been married and it didn't work. some of you are in marriages that are, frankly, disasters, and you have no idea what to do about it. today, please let me say to you that there is all kinds of good news for you in jesus—for any of us—no matter how bad and broken your love life is, no matter how dysfunctional your family has become, no matter how many times you have fallen in sexual sin, no matter what has happened to you in the realm of relationships or marriage. jesus welcomes you today with open arms and offers you grace, forgiveness, healing, and peace.

please hear that, and believe it. but, after hearing that, i want to ask us all to do something together with our imaginations. for a moment today, can we block all of that bad, painful stuff out of our minds? can we set the mess we've made out of love and marriage and family off to the side, just for a short time? and then can we, instead, take a walk back to the beginning, back to the garden, back to when everything was new and fresh? back to when god was there, and we were there, and there was a man and there was a woman, and they had everything they needed, and they were naked and not ashamed? back to when you can hear the man say, "finally! bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh! name her woman for she was made from man. therefore a man leaves his father and mother and embraces his wife. they become one flesh" (gen 2.24, the message).

stay there for a bit. mull that over. get the picture. hear the music.

after awhile, if you want to join the pharisees, you can debate about things like divorce all you want.

but i think i might just want to stay where jesus suggested we go. back to the beginning.

my thoughts: follow-up to weekly discussion

2009-10-02T22:47:00.013-04:00

update: i have added one point to my thoughts below...

i thought there might be an avalanche of response to this week's discussion on the decisions in the ELCA regarding homosexuality, but few responded. wonder why? i'm thinking many folks probably weren't interested in discussing an issue that affects a mainline Protestant denominational situation that has little to do with their daily reality. i thought the mere mention of homosexuality would raise evangelical hackles enough to get people talking. guess not.

to wrap up the subject, in this post i thought i'd give a few of my reflections on some of the issues related to this discussion, in a way that is broader than the ELCA conflict. as a christian living in these times, what is my thinking with relation to homosexuality, christianity, the church, and living as christ's people in this culture?

(1) i believe the bible teaches that homosexuality is not congruent with god's design for creation. i don't say this as the result of merely reading a few verses that speak against gay practices. the whole story of the bible, beginning in genesis, presents a view of creation in which the sexual union of male and female in marriage with the potential of creating life is the pattern the creator intended. further development of how this pictures the relationship between christ and his bride solidifies god's intention. nowhere in scripture is the same-sex relationship endowed with this meaning and significance. rather, it is specifically set forth as contrary to nature, a distortion of the original design.

(2) furthermore, homosexual practices, especially those identified with idolatrous or pagan and abusive practices are specifically called sinful and condemned in the Biblical worldview. Some scholars try to say that these are the only gay practices that the Bible condemns, and they do a lot of exegetical and hermeneutical gymnastics to prove that Scripture is not speaking of the kinds of homosexual partnerships we see today, but are only talking about things like Canaanite rituals and Greek pederasty. However, in the light of point one (the overall biblical story) even if culture-specific practices are highlighted in certain texts, they are set forth as extreme instances of an overall unacceptable lifestyle.

(3) i don't believe that profound same-sex attraction which leads to homosexuality is something anyone chooses or practices solely on the basis of their life experiences. it is a matter of nature, not nurture. am i saying that, "god made them that way"? no, i am saying that we live in a fallen creation, and that a predisposition toward homosexuality is part of our brokenness as sinful human beings that some experience and must deal with.

(4) sexual identity is something that probably won't change. though some homosexuals who become christians may find "change" to one degree or another with regard to the power of same-sex attraction, i think it probable that for most, ssa will remain a struggle for them their whole lives, a part of what it means for them to be "sinner-saints."

(5) christians should not oppose giving legitimate civil rights and the normal benefits of citizens to homosexuals. this might include recognizing some legal status (civil unions?) for gay couples. in my view, no christian should be against a neighbor having access to the benefits of living in a free society on the basis of something like sexual orientation.

(6) we as christians must humbly practice repentance and confess our own part in creating and sustaining the cultural atmosphere regarding relationships that is present today. christians may not have bought into homosexuality, but we have bought into the present cultural ethos that marriage and sexual relationships should be rooted in romantic feelings and that personal fulfillment should be the primary focus. all data shows that we have not behaved differently from non-christians in this regard. when it comes to pre-marital sexual activity, adultery, divorce, and the general adoption of cultural values about love and marriage, we look pretty much the same as everyone else. if by our actions we are saying that these relationships are primarily about personal fulfillment, what right do we have to say to gays that they should not seek the same? we owe the world an apology.

(7) it is not enough for christians to say, "sinful!" when dealing with gays. for the life of me, i don't see how those who follow christ can ignore an entire population of people simply because we don't agree with their lifestyle. yet that is exactly what we are doing in most of evangelicalism. in my experience as a minister for 30+ years, i can count on one hand the times i've been involved in a conversation about gay folks in our community, and how jesus cares for them, and how we might befriend and be good neighbors to them, and how we might try to understand them, serve them, and show them jesus' love. not acceptable! Jesus' way is not the culture war, but the way of the basin and the towel, the way of eating and drinking with sinners, the way of touching those others deem untouchable.

(8) we must think through the issues related to "church," and find ways of supporting gay brothers and sisters who believe in jesus. we are all sexual sinners. not one of us is counted righteous in christ by cleaning up his or her sexual act (or any other act for that matter). furthermore, as sinner-saints walking with jesus, none of us find true change or christian growth simply through exhortation, command, and instruction. we grow as we patiently learn, live, love, and suffer in community with one another and in mission to the world. are we willing to live this way with our brothers and sisters who deal with same-sex attraction?

(9) though i disagree with the ELCA decisions, it is not likely that we will leave our ELCA church. i believe strongly that all spiritual formation is local, and we are in a good local congregation right now. the decision made by the national body won't likely have much effect on us in that setting.

today's van gogh
still life: vase with twelve sunflowers, 1889

"his story"—big picture of the torah

2009-10-02T22:03:00.003-04:00

the third study has been posted on my bible study blog, "his story."

this is another "big picture" look at the torah (the first five books of the bible) and how, by standing back and looking at some of its overall characteristics, we can gain insight into its meaning.

take some time and check it out!

today's van gogh
still life with bible, 1885

the weekly discussion—sept 27

2009-09-28T23:06:00.015-04:00

those of you who keep up with religion news know that the ELCA (evangelical lutheran church of america) recently had their 2009 annual churchwide assembly and made some controversial decisions. let me summarize a few of those decisions before opening up a discussion.

the ELCA adopted full communion with the united methodist church. controversial to many lutherans, but overshadowed in most coverage by the other decisions made at the cwa.

the ELCA adopted the social statement, “human sexuality—gift and trust.” although this social statement deals with many different aspects of human relationships and sexuality, the most controversial part speaks about homosexuality. here is an excerpt from the executive summary of the resolution:

It is only within the last decades that this church has begun to understand in new ways the need of same-gender oriented individuals to seek relationships of lifelong companionship and commitment as well as public accountability and legal support for those commitments. This has led to differing understandings about the place of such relationships within the Christian community. Disagreements exist in this church and in the larger Christian community about whether marriage is also the appropriate term to use to describe similar benefits, protection, and support for same-gender couples entering into lifelong, monogamous relationships.

Although at this time this church lacks consensus on this matter, it encourages all people to live out their faith in the local and global community of the baptized with profound respect for the conscience-bound belief of the neighbor. This church calls for mutual respect and for guidance that seeks the good of all. As we live together with disagreement, the people in this church will continue to accompany one another in study, prayer, discernment, pastoral care, and mutual respect.

the church recognized four different views of this matter within the denomination, and the practical effect is that local churches may deal with this issue as they see fit.

the ELCA adopted ministry resolutions allowing the church to recognize homosexual relationships and for the denomination to have homosexuals serve in ministry. Here is an explanation from the ELCA website:

The assembly adopted four resolutions that commit the ELCA to bear one another’s burdens and respect bound consciences in these matters; to allow congregations that choose to do so to find ways to recognize and support lifelong, monogamous, same gender relationships and hold them publicly accountable; and to find a way for people in such relationships to serve as rostered leaders in the ELCA. The fourth resolution points toward a specific way to allow rostering while respecting bound consciences.

needless to say, these decisions have raised an uproar. one group of conservative lutherans met in indianapolis last weekend and laid the groundwork for separating from the denomination and realigning lutheranism in america. one of the largest lutheran churches in the u.s. voted this past weekend to leave and join a more conservative lutheran group. even the united methodist church, with whom the ELCA just joined in full communion, has said they will not welcome any homosexual pastors as they share in ministry together.

on the other hand, i spoke with my pastor sunday and he said we most definitely will not be leaving the ELCA. in his view, the decision is a social policy statement and does not go to the heart of the gospel or affect our doctrine of salvation in christ. furthermore, our church did not participate in the entire process of studying the social statement, we have a rather distant relationship with the larger denomination, and the decision has little or no effect on our life and ministry as a local congregation.

in fact, one of the redeeming characteristics of the ELCA decision is that it clearly recognized the differences of opinion that exist in our churches regarding homosexuality and how to deal with it. and it called people on all sides to respect the "bound consciences" of others as we go into the future together.

gail and i have been members of an ELCA congregation for about a year now. we love our local church, its worship and emphasis. it is a very different experience for us, having been in mostly non-denominational evangelical churches for 30+ years. the evangelical churches of which we were part were more compatible with our beliefs in some areas of doctrine, moral convictions, and worldwide mission emphasis. this includes our understanding that the bible does not set forth homosexual behavior as congruent with god's design for creation. however, as i wrote last year on my other blog, we also saw significant weaknesses and failures in the evangelical church in worship, pastoral theology, missional living among our neighbors, culture war emphases, and many other areas.

frankly, i don't consider myself a part of "american evangelicalism" anymore. i am what michael spencer calls a "post-evangelical". i long for the wisdom of good theology and the lessons of history and tradition to inform my faith. i'm no longer into the next christian fad and i have moved out of the christian ghetto. i love luther as well as lutheran theology and worship, consider myself a reformation, confessional christian, and feel connected to the catholic (universal, historical) church in ways that i never have before.

however... in the mainline churches of today (heirs of the social gospel, higher-critical thinking, and liberal theology), one must come to grips with an entirely different perspective on theological, social, political, and moral issues. the bible is sometimes understood and treated differently. it's a "big tent" approach that forces me to consider many challenging concepts and relationships.

so, i guess i don't really have one question today. can we just have a conversation about all this? i'd like to get feedback from people in mainline churches, evangelical churches, folks who don't go to church at all, etc., about how you would view the situation in the ELCA if you were in our shoes.

don't be shy. let it out. keep it civil, but don't be afraid to express strong opinions strongly.

today's van gogh
path in the woods, 1887

his story—bible study blog up and running

2009-09-28T22:00:00.005-04:00

my bible study blog is now up and running. the first two posts give an overview of the bible's structure and story, and a lesson on reading the torah.

hope you'll read along and bring your questions and comments with you.

today's van gogh
still life with bible, 1885

the lord's day—sept 27, 2009

2009-09-26T11:03:00.027-04:00

17th sunday after pentecost

today's lectionary readings
Numbers 11:4-6, 10-16, 24-29
Psalm 19:7-14
James 5:13-20
Mark 9:38-50

today's bach cantatas
bwv 161, "come, sweet hour of death"
bwv 95, "christ is my life"
bwv 8, "dearest god, when will i die?"
bwv 27, "who knows how near my end is to me?"

today's van gogh
the church at auvers, 1890

today's good news
in their book, adventures in missing the point, brian maclaren and tony campolo tell a story called the parable of the race. here's my version of this tale...

there was once a land of incredible boredom and drudgery, and one day an announcement came that there was going to be a race that would cure all that. the promise was that anyone who participated in the race would grow strong and never be unhappy again. many of course, were skeptical, so they just showed up to see what would happen. others came dressed and ready to run.

the runners lined up and the gun went off. then curious things began to happen. one runner took two or three steps and then fell on his knees, crying out, "i've crossed the starting line! this is the happiest day of my life!" he even sang a song of praise thanking god for his grace in letting him take the first step. another racer started running around to the other participants, hugging them and giving them high fives, shouting, "we're in the race! we're in the race! isn't it wonderful, we're in the race!" some of the runners stepped off the track and gathered in a circle to pray, thanking god that they had been considered worthy of being in the race, and praying with deep concern for those who had doubted that the race was real. at one point, one of them took out the race manual that had been written to help the runners, read a portion of it, and they all expressed their agreement with the rules of the race before returning to prayer. the various runners did lots of silly things like this. none of them actually ran the race!

spectators in the stands watched these goings on with bemusement. some muttered their disapproval. some laughed. some decided this whole race thing was a bunch of bunk and went home.

in last week's passage from mark, we watched as jesus' disciples missed the point for a second time when he repeated his announcement that he was going to die on the cross. in fact, they not only missed the point, it scared them silly and they decided it would be best if they just didn't talk about it anymore. instead, they decided to talk about things that interested them, like who was going to get the best seat at the table when jesus set up his kingdom. they completely missed the point.

in today's passage, their adventures in missing the point continue. here we see them concerned about another group who is using jesus' name to cast out evil powers and help people. now you might think that would be something they could support, but instead the disciples get all parochial about it. "hey jesus, they're not in our club. they don't know the secret password, they can't give the secret handshake. tell 'em to stop doing good in your name!" again, missed the point.

so, once more, jesus confronts them in their cluelessness. "you're missing the point!" he tells them. "those folks may seem funny to you, but they at least grasp that my mission is about getting out there and overcoming evil. they are not against us. even if they were just passing out cups of cold water in my name, they would be showing that they get it more than you do!

"you guys just don't realize how important my mission and this journey to the cross is, do you? it's so important that you need to be willing to cut off a hand or a foot to be part of it. you should be willing to pluck out an eye if it will help you see its significance more clearly! you're supposed to be the salt that penetrates the world with my good news and grace. get salty again! stop missing the point and let's start running this race together."

from one clueless disciple who regularly misses the point—thank you, jesus. now, where did i put those running shoes?

coming soon...

2009-09-24T23:58:00.003-04:00

i have begun working on a new site where i will post bible studies. it will be called, "his story," and i hope to announce the address and first posts in the next week or so.

it is my intention that these will be serious, though brief, studies of the entire bible. posts will include "big picture" studies of larger portions of the bible as well as closer looks at individual passages and chapters.

as always, i will welcome your involvement and responses to these studies. i realize that there are many resources out there, but perhaps you will find a friend here to guide and interact with you as you walk through the pages of god's book.

it's my prayer that our lives will be shaped by his story as we take this journey together.

today's van gogh
still life with bible, 1885

you must read...

2009-09-22T23:19:00.003-04:00

the article i'm recommending for you to read today represents "weak on sanctification 101". if you want to know what the title of this blog means, or go deeper into the meaning of simul iustus et peccator, here is a great place to begin.

michael spencer, aka "the internet monk," is a favorite blogger of mine, and every once in awhile, i go beyond the current posts, dive in to some of his archives, and find words that are even more remarkably profound and helpful. tonight i found his piece called, "when i am weak: why we must embrace our brokenness and never be good christians," in which michael lays out the lies we tell ourselves and others about sanctification. here's a sampling:

It's remarkable, considering the tone of so many Christian sermons and messages, that any church has honest people show up at all. I can't imagine that any religion in the history of humanity has made as many clearly false claims and promises as evangelical Christians in their quest to say that Jesus makes us better people right now. With their constant promises of joy, power, contentment, healing, prosperity, purpose, better relationships, successful parenting and freedom from every kind of oppression and affliction, I wonder why more Christians aren't either being sued by the rest of humanity for lying or hauled off to a psych ward to be examined for serious delusions.

Evangelicals love a testimony of how screwed up I USED to be. They aren't interested in how screwed up I am NOW. But the fact is, that we are screwed up. Then. Now. All the time in between and, it's a safe bet to assume, the rest of the time we're alive. But we will pay $400 to go hear a "Bible teacher" tell us how we are only a few verses, prayers and cds away from being a lot better. And we will set quietly, or applaud loudly, when the story is retold. I'm really better now. I'm a good Christian. I'm not a mess anymore. I'm different from other people.

What a crock. Please. Call this off. It's making me sick. I mean that. It's affecting me. I'm seeing, in my life and the lives of others, a commitment to lying about our condition that is absolutely pathological. Evangelicals call Bill Clinton a big-time liar about sex? Come on. How many nodding "good Christians" have so much garbage sitting in the middle of their lives that the odor makes it impossible to breathe without gagging. How many of us are addicted to food, porn and shopping? How many of us are depressed, angry, unforgiving and just plain mean? How many of us are a walking, talking course on basic hypocrisy, because we just can't look at ourselves in the mirror and admit what we a collection of brokenness we've become WHILE we called ourselves "good Christians" who want to "witness" to others. Gack. I'm choking just writing this.

You people with your Bibles. Look something up for me? Isn't almost everyone in that book screwed up? I mean, don't the screwed up people- like Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David, Hosea- outnumber the "good Christians" by about ten to one? And isn't it true that the more we get to look at a Biblical character close up, the more likely it will be that we'll see a whole nasty collection of things that Christians say they no longer have to deal with because, praise God! I'm fixed? Not just a few temper tantrums or ordinary lies, but stuff like violence. Sex addictions. Abuse. Racism. Depression. It's all there, yet we still flop our Bibles open on the pulpit and talk about "Ten Ways To Have Joy That Never Goes Away!" Where is the laugh track?

What was that I heard? "Well....we're getting better. That's sanctification. I've been delivered!" I suppose some of us are getting better. For instance, my psycho scary temper is better than it used to be. Of course, the reason my temper is better, is that in the process of cleaning up the mess I've made of my family with my temper, I've discovered about twenty other major character flaws that were growing, unchecked, in my personality. I've inventoried the havoc I've caused in this short life of mine, and it turns out "temper problem" is way too simple to describe the mess that is me. Sanctification? Yes, I no longer have the arrogant ignorance to believe that I'm always right about everything, and I'm too embarrassed by the general sucktitude of my life to mount an angry fit every time something doesn't go my way. Getting better? Quite true. I'm getting better at knowing what a wretched wreck I really amount to, and it's shut me up and sat me down.

folks, i have been convinced for a long time now that we simply claim too much for "christianity" and know far too little of the actual good news. god displays his mercy in and through broken clay pots, not fine porcelain vases.

read michael's article. clink the link above, read it carefully, and think upon these things.

and may god forgive our triumphalism and pride.

today's van gogh
the novel reader, 1888

the weekly discussion—sept 20

2009-09-21T18:18:00.010-04:00

note...
each week I will set forth a topic to promote discussion about some aspect of Christianity, the church, or the spiritual life. please join the conversation!

this week's discussion:
"do we need another 'cool' church?"

two postcards came in the mail the other day, advertising the "grand opening" of a new church in town. on the front of one was the word "religion," and it was crossed out, and on the other was a picture of a guy in jeans and sneakers along with the words, "these are my church clothes." the church has a cool, spiritual name—"the journey church," and here is the list of what they say they offer:

casual, relaxed atmosphere
a community of authentic, caring people
great live music (singing is optional)
practical, meaningful teaching from the bible
a safe, FUN environment for kids
church that lasts an hour or less
free [local establishment] coffee & doughnuts

along with their contact information, they make this claim about our town: "franklin will never be the same!"

now, i have several questions about this, and i would love to get your feedback. my questions are:

do we really need another church like this? in our town of franklin alone, there are at least 9-10 similar small church start-ups or groups, most of which have this same vibe—cool, casual, non-religious christianity. why another?

is this list of offerings really what people are looking for in a church and in their faith? and even if they like some of these characteristics, do these things truly represent what a church should be offering? what kind of christianity is being presented here?

what does this advertisement say about what the leaders of this church think of the established, more "traditional" churches in town? isn't their self-description a pretty explicit condemnation of the traditional church? where's the christian love and belief in the "catholic" faith with an approach like that?

doesn't the very method of marketing imply a "competition" model of church growth that pits them against the other ministries in the area? and isn't their style and aggressive advertising more likely to draw unhappy church people looking for something fresh rather than non-churched people?

is it really possible that people won't see through the hype here? "franklin will never be the same!"—really? "authentic, caring people"—really? (have you ever been in a church?). faith without religion—really? isn't this all a bit triumphalistic? can they truly deliver?

come on, folks, have at it. i'm very interested in what you have to say.

today's van gogh
the sower, 1888

a week away...

2009-09-20T22:48:00.006-04:00

thanks to tom and joyce pickard, and their ministry of providing "christian pastor retreat" cabins, so that those in ministry can have some "sabbath" rest at a reasonable cost, gail and i traveled to northern tennessee last week to enjoy several days of relaxation and hiking. We had quite a bit of rain, which cut our activities down a little, but we were still able to enjoy many of the wonderful sights in the Tennessee and nearby Kentucky hills. the trip was extra special for gail and i, since it was our first "empty nest" trip together.

if you would like to see some of our pictures from the trip, you can see them at our tenn trip 2009 shutterfly share site. enjoy!

today's van gogh
at the foot of the mountains, 1889

view from sunset overlook
big south fork national river and rec area

the lord's day—sept 20, 2009

2009-09-20T18:43:00.015-04:00

16th sunday after pentecost

today's lectionary readings
jeremiah 11:18-20
psalm 54
james 3:13 – 4:3, 7-8a
mark 9:30-37

today's bach cantatas
bwv 138, "why are you troubled, my heart?"
bwv 99, "what god does, that is done well"
bwv 51, "rejoice unto god in all lands!"
bwv 100, "what god does, that is done well" (III)

today's van gogh
the church at auvers, 1890

today's good news
the darkness can be scary.

recently gail and i had the wonderful opportunity of going to a cabin in the woods of northern tennessee. a couple with a heart for people in vocational ministry offer the gift of a week away for a small donation and the promise that you'll clean up after yourselves. so we went. it was amazingly quiet in those woods at night, and dark. one night, in the wee hours, we heard a loud sound like a knock or something hitting the cabin. it startled us awake. lying there in the quiet, we listened to the sound of our own breath and peered across the dark room and waited. nothing. still nothing. then, bang! something hit again. being the courageous guy i am, i pulled the covers up a little higher and decided to wait some more.

all kinds of thoughts, crazy thoughts, went through my head. i quickly retraced every horror movie i had ever seen. had i broken any of the moral rules that make it certain you're gonna get whacked before the credits roll? my chest tightened and it was harder to breathe. did we lock the door? i looked around for a baseball bat or something that i could grab to stun an intruder.

the quiet continued and as we lay in the dark, gail fell back asleep, and mr. courageous finally got up the nerve to get out of bed and take a look around. i never did see anything, nor did the sound ever reappear. probably just a large acorn falling from a tree on the roof, or some other creak that naturally occurs as the cabin settles during the cool night hours.

we dread the darkness and sounds we don't understand, and fears that arise as we face an uncertain situation, especially in the middle of the night. today's gospel reading portrays the disciples in this kind of setting. for a second time, jesus tells them about his upcoming death. however on this occasion, rather than speak up and possibly face jesus' rebuke as peter had, they decide to just lie there and pull the covers up a little tighter. the text says, "they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him."

apparently, with the morning light their courage returned, for mark indicates that they put their night fears behind them and began talking about brighter subjects. together they dreamed about the glory they anticipated upon their soon arrival in jerusalem (no matter what jesus was saying). the question of the day was: "which one of us do you think will get the best position of power and prestige in jesus' new administration?" why talk about gloomy, frightening things like suffering and crosses and dying? let's think happy thoughts! let's talk about the great things in store for us with jesus!

of course, the lord heard it all. so, when they came to a house in their hometown, he sat them down and said, "ok. what were you talking about?" did your mom ever ask you that question? do you remember the fear you felt then? that "hands in the cookie jar" feeling of being caught with no excuse or escape possible? they couldn't even find the words to 'fess up. look at them there—staring down at the ground, kicking at the dirt, tips of their ears red, lips sealed tight.

in the business, we call this a "teachable moment." this time, jesus doesn't rebuke them. doesn't say, "get behind me, satan." just says, "guys, you must realize what this cross-thing means for you. if i'm going to be the kind of savior god promised, it means humbling myself to do whatever it takes to save people. it means dying. it means the cross. it means taking the servant role. so, if you want to be identified with me, that's what you will have to do too. nobody gets a good seat if he doesn't wash feet first."

as they shuffled uncomfortably at this gentle rebuke, jesus decided they needed some encouragement to go along with their medicine. so he asked a child to come over to them. he embraced the child, and said, "you see this little one? nobody in our society thinks she's worth very much. she has no power, no influence, no standing. people either ignore her or make sure she stays in her place. she's like the 'servant' i was just talking to you about, a nobody in the eyes of the world.

"but i want you to know something. if you will take this 'servant' thing seriously, and go out into the world with my cross-shaped spirit characterizing you, it will be hard, but you will have a great reward—those your lives touch, those who welcome you even though you are like a servant or a little child, will be part of my kingdom forever, for in welcoming you they will welcome me."

and that is how jesus turned on a night-light to help his disciples face the darkest of nights.

blog friend in the flesh

2009-09-17T18:20:00.016-04:00

on our week away, gail and i had the privilege of meeting and sharing a meal with michael and denise spencer. michael, also known as "the internet monk," is one of the blogosphere's most read christian bloggers. denise also has a fine blog of her own, at denisedayspencer.

we had a nice dinner together and learned more about them, their family, and their ministry at oneida baptist institute in southeastern Kentucky, as well as discussing various issues addressed on the imonk blog and getting an update on michael's first book, which is in the final stages of revision.

above all, i wanted to thank michael for providing a safe place to discuss my thoughts and work through several theological issues with fellow pilgrims, especially after the transitions in ministry i have experienced in recent years.

i hope you will check out the imonk blog and denise's blog, listen to the internetmonk podcast (available at the blog and at itunes), and look for michael's book later this year. their writings have my highest recommendation, and i'm happy to say that they are just as delightful in person as they are in their internet presentations.

denise & michael spencer with gail & me
september, 2009

today's van gogh
congregation leaving the reformed church at nuenen, c.1885

a friend and partner goes to heaven

2009-09-16T11:37:00.007-04:00

prabhakaran george, director of india youth for christ, a man of deep faith, love for his family, and concern for the salvation of his people, died on sunday, september 13, in bangalore, india.

below, you will find a tribute to prabha, written by jenny collins from taylor university, who partnered with iyfc for the past fifteen years in mission projects. our family has participated in these and other projects with prabha as well, and we consider him to be god's channel for some of our most formative experiences in christ and the missio dei.

I am deeply saddened at the loss of Prabha George and very sorry that I am unable to attend his funeral and memorial service. Prabha was a remarkable example of humility and godly leadership. I met Prabha in January 1995 when he hosted a Taylor University Lighthouse mission team I led. I was deeply impacted by Prabha’s unwavering faith, sincere prayer life, contagious joy, absolute dependence on God, kindness, gentleness, and amazing wisdom. He was especially patient and gracious with our group of loud and uninformed Americans. Today I am involved in directing an international mission program for university students largely due to things God taught me through Prabha and my experiences of working alongside him, his family, and the India YFC staff.

Prabha has been one of Taylor University’s most faithful international partners for 15 years. He hosted 11 Taylor mission teams and several other Taylor graduates who visited for longer terms. He helped create and lead powerful three-week learning and ministry experiences for more than 190 Taylor students and faculty/staff leaders. Many of them have shared with me in the past four days how greatly their life was impacted by Prabha’s leadership and example. We have seen Prabha’s ministry and the work of India YFC first-hand and have met many whose lives have been transformed by God through it. We at Taylor are part of that spiritual fruit and we are very grateful.

Prabha was honored as a Distinguished Friend of the University at Taylor’s Homecoming Celebration in October 2007; he visited campus often and shared in chapel services and classes numerous times. Many students who were not able to visit India were also greatly touched by Prabha’s teaching and sharing on Taylor’s campus. I can think of several young people who are in full-time missions work because of Prabha’s influence. Prabha has left a God-honoring, gospel-centered legacy at Taylor and he will be greatly missed by many.

Personally, my husband J.D. and I have considered our friendship with Prabha and his wonderful family one of God’s greatest blessings in our lives. As an educator, I value learning. Today our hearts are heavy because we have lost a great friend and mentor who taught us many things about missions, cultures, following the Lord, servant leadership and friendship. We are thankful to God for the opportunity to know Prabha and experience his passion for Christ and the ministry of the gospel. As hard as it is to accept right now, Psalm 116:15 reminds us that “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints” and Prabha is definitely one of the Lord’s saints.

To Nilo, Andy and Dipti, Joanna, and all of the YFC family, we pray that in time your memories of Prabha will bring joy that will ease the sadness you are feeling now. May the Lord’s comfort, hope and peace surround and sustain you. May the ministry of YFC continue to be blessed and flourish. May we all strive to honor Christ as Prabha did, so that like him, we may be welcomed into our Father’s presence as good and faithful servants.

i "amen" jenny's words and join her in her prayers.

today, the world should weep, for a great man in christ is gone from our midst.

Prabha and Nilo George
Son Andy, Dtr in law Dipti, Dtr Joanna

today's van gogh
evening landscape with rising moon, 1889

the lord's day—sept 13, 2009

2009-09-11T20:30:00.023-04:00

15th sunday after pentecost

today's lectionary readings
isaiah 50:4-9a
psalm 116:1-9
james 3:1-12
mark 8:27-38

today's bach cantatas
bwv 25, "there is nothing healthy in my body"
bwv 78, "jesus, by whom my soul"
bwv 17, "who gives thanks praises me"

today's van gogh
the church at auvers, 1890

today's good news
measure twice, cut once. righty-tighty, lefty-loosey. handy people have a thousand sayings to remind themselves how to do things right.

i am fairly incompetent when it comes to handyman work. i just don't have the patience. rather than reading the directions or taking the time to adequately analyze the situation, i tend to dive right in. this usually results in a dozen trips to the hardware store, words escaping my lips that cause paint to peel, my family and the dog running for cover when they see me with steam coming out of my ears, and a whole lot of repenting after the job finally gets done.

when jesus said, "i am the way, the truth, and the life," we sometimes skip right over the first claim and jump to the other two. we focus on the truth he told us about his father, and the eternal life that awaits his friends. to grasp the truth and receive the life, however, we must take the way. today's good news from mark tells us something counter-intuitive: the way is to die.

how many times, in the middle of a home repair or practical project have i said, "this just is not right! i don't see how it can work that way! who designed this thing anyway?" (insert your own visuals—red face, clenched fists, large man about to explode...) now picture peter in today's story—same frustrated exclamations. same incredulous look on his face. same inability to grasp how this thing is supposed to work.

i'm afraid a good number of us have settled into an agreeable amnesia about how shocking jesus' words really are. we think this christianity thing is all about a comfortable, productive life for our families and us. all victory and well-being and unceasing joy.

it's not. jesus told us plainly that it's about the cross. it's about dying. it's about forsaking this world. the sayings we remember to help us do it right are about dying to sin and rising to walk in new life, about being last and not first, about being everybody else's servant, about giving up all we own, about god's power being displayed in our weaknesses and suffering.

i'm not very good at that either, how about you?

but then again, that's why jesus bore his cross for you and me.