Dan Carter

Where will you run? Part 2

2012-05-17T17:46:07Z

Last week I shared about my own weariness and how I kept thinking of the words of Peter when Jesus asked his disciples "Will you leave me, too?" Peter's reply begins, "To whom will we go?" I seem to seek out distractions or quick fixes or repress emotions when overwhelming times come. But in the end, where else can I run? I find myself compelled to run to Christ if for no other reason than that there seems to be nowhere else to go with those intense feelings and situations. It is not that God should be our last resort, but that among the many things that daily try to convince me that they will comfort, challenge or fix me, God is the only one powerful enough to truly do the work that is necessary. This world is extremely broken. We need an extreme savior - one powerful, wise and compassionate enough to rescue us.

Jesus is that savior.

And that is why despair can be sin.

Despair? Sin? That seems like a strong statement, so allow me to explain. Christians believe in a fundamental, never-breaking, certain hope. That hope is that God, who created heaven and earth, calls messed-up, sinful human beings and chose for himself a people, Israel. God loved Israel even through its worst moments and sent his Son into the world through them. His Son was a human being, Jesus Christ who lived, died and rose again to redeem. This hope includes the belief that in the future not only will Jesus always hold fast those he calls, but he also will come again to complete the reign of God's Kingdom. A christian's hope includes both the present assurance that God is near and the promise of Jesus' triumphant return.

If a christian's heart rests in the fragrance of this hope then despair is doomed to shrivel and die if it tries to enter. That air is a poisonous fume for despair to breathe. In other words, despair - the beabsence of hope - is unable to survive in the holy presence of God. There is a scene in The Lord of the Rings movies that caused me to reflect on this. Some of the heroes are faced with a coming battle that seems impossible. It is a situation ripe for despair. One of the characters, Legolas, sees the horrible situation for what it is and erupts into an argument with his companion, Aragorn, in which he says "None of them [the 'good guys'] will live out the night. They will die!" In the following scene, which you can watch here, Aragorn, holds on to every last shred of possibility and reminds a frightened young soldier that "There is always hope." What happens immediately after the video clip is what I think is beautiful. Legolas approaches Aragorn and says, "Forgive me. I was wrong to despair."

Those words echo with me during difficult stretches of life when those creeping doubts come in that question whether God will really be there for me, whether I will 'live out the night', whether the whole world will be covered in the chaos or darkness that seems so prevalent. You see, we are too often caught in the trap of viewing the world through what seems to be instead of what will be. We assess the current state of our lives or the world and we draw conclusions. But God challenges us to do something much more challenging and creative: to view the world through what we believe will be (and is in Christ) and not through what seems to be. It is important, therefore, to know that Legolas asks his forgiveness to Aragorn, who is not only his friend, but the promised King who is going to return to his rightful throne. The world as it seems is a hopeless battle on a dark night. But when he looks into the face of the King...

Forgive me. I was wrong to despair.

These are words we could all pray wisely. When 'there is always hope' there is no room for despair. When I say "despair is sin" I am not referring to our garden variety sadness or negativity or even doubts. Yet, that being said, many times we do not realize we have given in to despair. It comes into our hearts hidden, cloaked as cynicism or sadness or fear. Deep despair and doubt are often at the bottom of our cynical worldviews, our melancholy hearts or our common fears. God says dozens of times in scripture, "do not fear!" not because fear is sinful, but because fear reveals a lack of trust - it can be a symptom of despair. Despair is a fierce enemy.

But despair shall be overcome. Hope has the final word. Christ's victory is unstoppable. So God calls us to never let go of the hope that despair itself shall die. The great hymn "This Is My Father's World" says it best.

This is my Father’s world. O let me ne’er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.
This is my Father’s world: the battle is not done:
Jesus Who died shall be satisfied,
And earth and Heav’n be one.

And when we do forget may we have the wisdom, and hope, to pray, "Forgive me. I was wrong to despair."

Where will you run?

2012-05-10T19:06:42Z

I am weary. The reasons are irrelevant. Suffice it to say that it has been one thing after another for a while now. Not all bad things, even. But heavy things. Carrying one box of this size would be a stimulating challenge, carrying two would be a test of strength - but more and more and I begin to wonder, can I continue to stand, let alone move forward with this weight? And I can see no sign of relief, it is beyond my sight.

I share this because I know that you've been here, too. Those times when your emotions have rushed in so quickly and powerfully that they have flooded over. And it's all you can do to keep your head above water let alone look to the horizon or swim toward land. Where do you go when the flood waters rise? To whom can you turn when nothing makes sense? When you are so filled with rage that you don't trust yourself? When you are so filled with cynicism that you feel we cannot trust anyone else? How do you face the darkness when your own light has gone out? Where do we go when all we want to do is to run away? When there seems no more room inside your heart for something as wide and heavy as hope?

Jesus gave some hard teachings. It caused many people to walk away from following him. He turned to his disciples and said, "Are you going to leave, too?" Peter answered, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe you are the Son of God." That question, "Lord, to whom shall we go?" is so striking. Peter recognizes that he has to turn somewhere, he must follow something, he must rely on someone other than himself. He knew if he walked away from Jesus he would walk toward something else to satiate his mind and heart.

To whom shall I go? This Jesus, this suffering servant has bled for me. The man Jesus claims to lift my every burden. He desires to plead my prayers before God. He suffers alongside of me, even suffers ahead of me, giving his life as a sacrifice in my place. Where else can I go, but to the One who promised a kingdom, who healed the sick, who spoke with such passion and mystery. I need not run - for he is available right here in prayer. I need not hide - he knows my every weakness and is a man himself and died for my forgiveness. I need not fear - he is not only man, but God, he calms the waves and the wind.

So come in those moments of heaviness and set down your boxes at the feet of the One who is always listening. Pray for the Kingdom to come and God's will to be done. Bring your emotions, bring your pain and pray through them and pray in them. Pray when you feel too much. Pray when you feel nothing. And do not despair.

God in America Part 2

2012-04-26T18:00:49Z

The ground zero mosque. The wearing of head scarves in France. Religious schools in Europe. Providing birth control in the United States.

We are surrounded by issues of religious liberty.

Last week I wrote about God in America. I gave 10 truths that I believe should be part of the foundation for thinking about God and country, particularly in America. I have a feeling that some of you would like to go a little deeper with this. After all, it's a topic that we cannot get away from. Looking back through the 10 principles from last week and acknowledging a respnose from Cynamon Trokhan on Facebook I have decided that #5 is the one that probably needs the most explanation. Frankly, it is probably the most difficult to discuss because it has so many immediate applications and complications. Here is the principle with a few highlights:

"#5 In our religiously pluralistic society it is vital that Christians fight for the liberties and rights of other religions - for the a) common good and b) our Christian witness. We must protect their liberties just as much, perhaps more than we protect our own. This is for the common good of a flourishing society where the Word of God can be heard and followed in freedom. But it is also a powerful witness to nonbelievers. It is a way in which Christians demonstrate God's love and proclaim that the true God is a God who desires to be worshiped in freedom."

By saying that we should "welcome and defend those of differing beliefs" I do not mean we defend their beliefs. I mean we defend their right to hold and practice those beliefs. We will have many times when, as Christians, we must reject disparate views, for when we say 'yes' to Jesus we are saying 'no' to other worldviews.

The question that I think is at the heart of this is "When do we not protect the liberties of other religions?" Most of us, I hope, can agree that we should support religious freedom. But where do we draw the line? Saying we're for religious freedom doesn't answer the tough situations that arise when religious liberty and the law of the land seem to collide. So first I will share 4 principles that can help us and then look very briefly at a few cases.

Principle 1: Do not punish everyone for the acts of certain people within a religion. The man who committed the atrocity in Norway last year claims Christian roots. So does the Oklahoma City bomber. Christians and Muslims fight in certain parts of Africa. But I do not wish to be held accountable for their actions. Nor should I be. This question has been most prevalent in speaking about Islam - people debate, is Islam a violent religion? Is Sharia law essential to Islamic faith? I think that the organization and prevalence of certain violent sects within Islam make these questions natural. But the reality remains that the vast majority of muslims do not hold to the teachings of violent jihad or sharia law. The rights of a whole religion should not come under question because of the actions of a few.

Principle 2: Do unto others. This is similar to principle 1. How do we want Christians to be treated in countries where they are the minority? Freedom to worship within the law. Freedom to organize. Freedom to proselytize. Freedom to participate in government and culture. A good place to start is to make sure our majority Christian country offers the same to our religious minorities. More than just an 'offer' - they should have a place at the decision-making table in our society. Their voices should be heard.

Principle 3: Work for the common good. Unfortunately our political culture is built only around special interests. I don't just mean lobbyists with big money. I mean that we seem to only ever think of ourselves when we are legislating or voting. Not that it is wrong to make sure your particular concerns are heard and felt, but that we must try to get outside of our own narrow focus to make sure we work for the flourishing of our whole society. We all feel the temptation to say, "well, the rest of you may suffer but at least I've got myself covered." We should all fight against it.

Principle 4: Try to separate constitutionality from disagreement. This has immediate application. We need to separate our discussions of religious doctrine from questions of constitutionality. Note what I am not saying: I am not saying that religious beliefs should not be part of our public discussion or even decision-making. What I am saying is that in many cases the question "do I believe this religion to be true?" is separate from "do I believe this religion's actions are constitutional?"

Principle 5: When in serious doubt - err on the side of granting religious freedom.

Cases

Ground zero mosque: For as much as the discussion about this mosque was not always the best, there was one thing I think we did right as a country. Almost never did I hear someone try to claim that they could not build the mosque. There was robust debate about whether they should build the mosque. This is a demonstration of our country's commitment to Principle 4. The muslims in question had the right to build such a structure in freedom. This didn't stop people from arguing about whether it was the sensitive or prudent thing to do, but those are separate questions. We defend their right to build it, even if we disagree with it.

Head scarves. I think France is flat out wrong to restrict women from wearing the burqa. Their secular culture has badly broken principle 2 in this case. Their intention seems good from a certain angle - their culture believes that it is a crime to force women into that kind of role. They are trying to control the treatment of women in muslim cultures. But where will they draw the line? They have gone from dictating direct treatment of women (rape, abuse, etc.) to something that some women find empowering - the dress of their culture and religion. There are two lines - on one side society restricts religions that make human sacrifices to protect the common good; on the other side government intrudes on religious liberties by dictating what religious clothing women can wear.

A society must make difficult choices. But those situations can look very different. Let's say a religion practices child sacrifice. Should we retrict that religion for the common good and for the individual rights of those children? What about more nuanced questions we face like, 'should a government have the power to demand religious organizations to provide certain kinds of birth control?' (I believe they should not - unless having sex without procreation is an inalienalbe right). These are the difficulties we face and face them we must if we are truly committed to loving our neighbors of different religions.

God in America

2012-04-22T14:55:20Z

Since I devoted the last two months of blogs to reflective material for Lent, I want to go in a completely different direction and perhaps stir things up a bit. So let's talk politics! Specifically, I want to talk about God in America. And I hope to approach some large and sensitive topics - Is America a Christian nation? What do we (Americans) really mean when we say that we believe God should influence our politics? I started thinking about this because I am aware that these questions breed more questions and the issues come up over and over again in the news, in political speeches, in books and more. Just in the past few weeks I have come across an interview with an author who claims that America is a 'nation of heretics', another author that was studying prayer from a non-religious perspective, and a representative of the Southern Baptist Convention about the GOP race. And these were just from one news outlet: NPR.

Americans have always been interested in talking about our nation's relationship to religion and to God. We love to talk about it. We fight about it. In my church setting the questions surrounding America and God have come up in youth group, in adult classes, in committee meetings and in worship and event planning. Right now a significant group of people is working on planning the National Day of Prayer Breakfast for our community. So the issue is everywhere.

Where do we even start in thinking about these questions? I am going to share my top ten conclusions that I believe are critical and foundational to thinking Christianly about God and America. Perhaps in a future post I will show how these could be applied to more specific issues.

1) America has always has to struggle with its religious identity. It should comfort and challenge us that the issue of how God relates (or does not relate) to America is a question that citizens have struggled with from the beginning. The comfort and the challenge both come from leaving behind the illusion that somewhere in a utopian past there was consensus on how Christianity related to government and country. Americans have always wrestled with this, even during the founding years - what political traditions should we adopt? How do we know where God is leading us? What do we really believe about the role of goverment or about human nature? We are living at a particularly difficult time, but it is not totally unique. We have not descended into total anarchy because we argue about these things.

2) America was founded through the use of many Christian principles. Yet one thing that has changed is the rise of secular culture and its powerful influence in political life. This has been felt more strongly in other Western countries, but also here in America. But if we believe #1 then we must recognize that even among our country's founders there was great division on how God was to be seen in the political process. Nonetheless, it would be foolish to ignore that Christian principles were central to the creation of American democracy. Many founders held strong convictions and allowed their faith to guide their pursuit of freedom. The belief about a humanity that is created in God's image, yet fallen profoundly influenced the belief that a society should be free and have a government with numerous checks and balances.

3) America is not 'christian' (at least not in the way we usually mean it). Yet for all this, it is misguided to call America "christian." If I ask the question, is America influenced by Christianity? There are some good reasons to say 'yes'. But I call it 'misguided' to call America a christian nation because what if I ask the question, what is a christian nation? Then it becomes very difficult to answer. Frankly impossible. The Bible does not imagine or even aspire to such a thing. A nation full of Christians? Yes. A nation influenced by Christianity? In profound ways. But uniquely christian as a nation? No. That would imply that it's history, it's actions, it's form, and it's message would have to be distinctly christian in nature. No nation can claim this.

4) America is not the Israel of the Old Testament. It is not enough to argue the last point by looking at Old Testament passages about God's nation. America is not Israel. God does not have a special, covenantal relationship with America. America does not have a particular claim on God's affection. Nor can the fortunes and misfortunes of America be tied to that covenantal relationship that does not exist. Certainly scripture affirms that God is Lord of all nations, but Israel's relationship was unique.

5) In our religiously pluralistic society it is vital that Christians fight for the liberties and rights of other religions - for the a) common good and b) our Christian witness. Our society has people of many faiths. A fundamental truth we believe about the gospel is that it is non-coercive - it is irresistably attractive, but it does not force itself on people. Faith that is mandated by a government is not a faith that flourishes. So instead of creating a society where the Word of God is mandatory we try to create a society in which the Word of God can be heard and followed in freedom. In other words, we don't try to use God when it comes to building culture, but we build a culture in which God can use us. But this means that we must also welcome and defend those of differing beliefs. We must protect their liberties just as much, perhaps more than we protect our own. This is for the common good of a flourishing society where the Word of God can be heard and followed in freedom. But it is also a powerful witness to nonbelievers. It is a way in which Christians demonstrate God's love and proclaim that the true God is a God who desires to be worshiped in freedom.

6) Christians are not a uniform group of citizens. That's just how it sounds. In our actions and in our words, let us stop assuming that all Christians have one political agenda. Or worse, that all Christians should have one political agenda. Genuine believers can differ on many issues relating to God and country.

7) A lot of the societal changes that Christians seek through politics should begin at home, not in government. That goes for the Right and the Left. I saw a phrase last week that said something like, Put prayer back in the home and children will carry it with them to school. The point was that maybe we should begin with our spheres of influence. Too often both sides of our American political spectrum look too quickly to government for solutions to societal problems. The problem is always 'out there' in the policies of our leaders - not starting in our own homes, churches and businesses where our influence is most powerful. I don't have time to go into further detail on this one right now. But think about this when you watch the news and listen to conversations in the coming weeks.

8) Politics do (should) matter to Christians. But numbers 6 and 7 do not mean in any way shape or form that politics do not matter. It is good to have strong convictions and argue with other Christians about these things. The decisions of our leaders do matter and we live in a democracy where we can do something about it. Caring about politics is one way that Christians can love the land where God has placed them.

9) Christians should love their country. Countries are made of people. God loves people. He calls us to love people. Enough said. Love can look different ways and so the type of love we have should be directed toward the flourishing of people. We can say we love someone or something or feel that we do, but take actions that are actually destructive to it. Love does not mean unthinking nationalism or even patriotism. Martin Luther King Jr. loved America and so fought the evil within it. My friends teaching in China where the political structures frustrate and outrage them - they love China. My friends from Egypt have such a deep love for their homeland that they have ridden an emotional rollercoaster with their people over the past year. Let us love.

10) Christians should love their God more. Our allegiance to God is not just important, it is commanded to be primary. It is the first commandment. In other words, while our love of God leads us to love our countries, it is not the same thing. We love our country because countries are made of people and God loves people. We love our countries because we love God. May we never get this backward.

Lent Devotional Week Seven

2012-04-05T15:04:00Z

For the season of Lent (the 40 days before Easter, a tradition observed by many Western churches) I have written a weekly devotional for The Presby. Each Wednesday through Easter week I will be posting a different reflection. Our series is Famous Last Words: The 7 Last Words of Christ. These will be in a slightly different format than my usual blog posts. You may read them all or just one or two individually. Before you begin, please read the introdroduction to the booklet. If you would rather have the whole thing in hardcopy you may download it as a Word document.

Week 7

“It is finished.”

John 19:30

What an amazing declaration, to claim, not that his life is spent, not that his torture is over, not that his anguish is done, but that it is completed. God has been faithful to the very end. But what is it? Christ has completed his work, the work of salvation and forgiveness and rescue. His life is spent, the debt is paid. This part of the story is over. And it is time for you to rejoice in that. It is time for you to embrace the God who has never failed. We do not have to wonder about our salvation. If Jesus has called you to follow, he will guide you to the end. He did not come so that we could continue worrying if we have been good enough. He did not finish his work just so that we could try to do the work of salvation ourselves. As if our efforts at being successful and righteous have ever gotten us anywhere! Christ completed the work so that you can rest and rejoice in a love that is so deep it was willing to endure death for you, a love so strong that it was able to conquer death for you. The story of the world is still dominated by death. But that is just how it appears for now. Amid the metallic clangs of death are the echoes of the sweet, strong song of life. And not just life as we know it, but new creation.

Christ did not finish his work so that we would remain in doubt of his love. He did not crush the chains of death so that we would remain in despair. He did not issue a call to awaken to a new dawn so that we could continue trying to wake ourselves with the distractions of success, security and the pleasures this world tells us we need to be full and free. He has done it. There is nothing left to do. Or rather, there is everything left to do. For the power of the Holy Spirit is available to guide you out of the fear of death and into a new creation, full of the mission of God. The old has gone, the new has come.

“It is finished” means that it is time to follow. It is time to awaken from your slumber. It is time to stop living as if you were chained to the things of this world and begin living as if you were living. And living forever. Christ’s work was to purchase life for you. Your work is to rejoice. Let us begin.

For Further Reflection: Hebrews 9:24-28; Romans 8:31-39; John 15:15-17; Ephesians 2:1-10;

What is keeping you from embracing the life that Jesus offers?

What would be like for your heart to awaken to Christ calling, “Follow me”?

Do you know from experience what Jesus means when he says you must be “born from above (again)”? Why or why not?

Lent Devotional Week Six

2012-02-23T18:54:44Z

Week 6

“Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”

Luke 23:46 (context: Luke 23:44-49)

It is not surprising that Jesus is once again quoting from Psalms, the Jewish prayer book. This time it is from Psalm 31:5. This is the ultimate prayer. In this prayer is all the uncertainty of human life, but all the trust of someone devoted to God. It is a prayer of peace; Jesus hands everything over to the Father. Yet this is a dangerous prayer. It is not the type of peace that happens when things are going well, but the type that happens when we let go of control in a moment of uncertainty. Christ surrenders himself completely to God’s will. In this case that means experiencing anguish unlike anything we have words for. But it also means completing the beautiful work of salvation. It means passing through death into resurrected life, returning to the Father and inaugurating the new creation.

I call this the ultimate prayer because it is a prayer of pure faith. “God, whatever you have for me, whatever you want me to do, whatever I have to endure, I am yours. Use me.” That is what it means to commit your spirit to God. It means to throw every concern away except that of following Christ. It means starting with following Christ as your only concern and rebuilding a new life from that point. Sometimes this means letting go of revenge and trusting in God. Sometimes it means letting go of material things that get in the way. Sometimes it means taking on a great challenge or a ministry that you have been too fearful to do. Many times it means all of these things and more.

What it meant for Jesus is that he would complete his work. Despite torture, suffering and anguish he gave himself for us. He submitted to the Father’s plan. He let go of life and did not claim it for himself, but for God, for the work he came to do. May you take courage in that and find in yourself the trust that brings freedom. May you follow wherever God leads.

For further reflection: Psalm 31:1-5; Mark 14:32-36; Hebrews 12:1-3

What things keep you from trust? What fears do you have in giving your life fully to God?

How can you place more trust to God? What tangible actions would demonstrate that trust?

To what difficult thing might God be calling you right now?

How can you make time to pray and rest in God’s faithfulness today?

Lent Devotional Week Five

2012-03-21T17:39:33Z

Week 5

“I am thirsty.”

John 19:28-29

What a strange request! Amidst all the mystery and profound sayings on the cross here we find that Jesus is simply thirsty. In other passages we have learned what Christ wants us to do and we have discovered what he has done for us. Here we see a glimpse into the nature of God. There are two ways we can see this.

Jesus was totally human. What a strange and wonderful God he must be, to take on the human condition. Both last week’s cry of anguish and this week’s suffering are perfect examples of the tension we find between the two natures of Christ. Christians have concluded throughout the centuries that Jesus is fully divine and fully human, but still just one person – that the divine and human natures were distinct, but not separate. It is hard to imagine his human nature being more on display. After saying such profound things and experiencing such anguish this man, this person who is submitting to the laws of nature, is thirsty. The gospel of John says that Christ knows his work is complete. Knowing this, Jesus tends to his very human needs. And this is all the more amazing because Christians also believe that this is his most divine moment as he suffers for the forgiveness of sins. Yet here he is asking for a drink! God came down to lift humanity up. God becoming incarnate as a human being dignifies the human condition. Nothing is beneath God’s concern; nothing is beneath his experience as a human.

Jesus shows the nature of God. In his willingness to taken on every part of human life, including the most basic and mundane task of hydrating, God demonstrates his desire to be with us and to dignify us. It also demonstrates a characteristic of God - God loves rest. The phrase ‘knowing his work was complete’ makes me think of the way that Genesis says God rested on the seventh day of creation. This is all a great mystery to me. Our minds have always had trouble thinking of how God could possibly take a day off and our culture of productivity and efficiency make this even harder to imagine. But over and over in the Bible God proclaims his love of rest. He stops to take drinks of water, he ‘rests’ after creating the world, and Christ constantly changes plans or goes out of his way to heal someone and to teach. God is surprising.

May you know that your savior suffered for you. He clothed himself in the fullness of humanity so that you could be clothed in divine love. May you rest in that thought.

For Further Reflection: Luke 22:20; Genesis 2:2; Philippians 2:1-11

When you were growing up, did you think of Jesus as really human? Why or why not? What do you think of his humanness now?

How does it change the way you go about your daily routine to know that God shared your humanity?

In what way is God calling you to rest today? In the future?

Lent Devotional Week Four

2012-03-14T16:23:59Z

Week 4

“Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” – which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Matthew 27:46 (context: Matthew 27:45-50)

We have come to the most haunting and mysterious words that the gospels record. If the gospel accounts were to end here we would have a very different story. In fact, we would have just another tragic, but forgotten story in the incomplete tale of human history. Jesus, here, quotes from the beginning of Psalm 22. Like many psalms, Psalm 22 is the honest cry of a despairing person. But the Psalm doesn’t end in despair. Just like the story of Jesus, the tragedy of the psalmist seems final. Yet right in the middle, at the bleakest moment of the psalmist's prayer, there is a turn. The writer remembers he is praying to God, God who is faithful and powerful and he begins to hope. Even when he is bereft of God’s blessings, where else can he turn? Only to God. But there is more than hope. There is also joy. The psalmist is ready to sing when he thinks of how God saves him from the arms of death. The psalm begins in the deepest anguish yet ends in the highest hope.

But this cry still raises a lot of questions for us. It may not be the end of the story, but it is part of it and is full of abandonment and despair. How is it that God has forsaken Jesus? What does it mean that Christ cries these words? Knowing that the story (and the psalm) end with resurrection and not death makes it tempting to minimize this horrible moment. But I agree with the Christians throughout the ages who have said that this true forsakenness is the most terrible thing they can imagine. It is the settling of the monstrous debt with God that Christ paid for us with his blood. GK Chesterton writes about this moment in his book The Everlasting Man,

There were solitudes beyond where none shall follow. There were secrets in the inmost and invisible part of that drama that have no symbol in speech; or in any severance of a man from men. Nor is it easy for any words less stark and single-minded than those of the naked narrative even to hint at the horror of exaltation that lifted itself above the hill. Endless expositions have not come to the end of it, or even to the beginning. And if there be any sound that can produce a silence, we may surely be silent about the end and the extremity; when a cry was driven out of that darkness in words dreadfully distinct and dreadfully unintelligible, which man shall never understand in all the eternity they have purchased for him; and for one annihilating instant an abyss that is not for our thoughts had opened even in the unity of the absolute; and God had been forsaken of God.

If last week’s story about Jesus and Mary was about Christ’s sympathy, this story is about Christ’s empathy. Not only does Christ know every level of human experience, including forsakenness, but he has gone beyond every level of human experience. He has done this so we would not have to. This is the awe-some story of the cross, that God would show his love by giving himself over to the punishment that our sins deserve, a punishment that we can only imagine, the complete absence of the God who gives life. God’s love drove him to the cross, to purchase for us a freedom we could not have bought on our own. May you hear these words and tremble. May you hear these words and rejoice. Love has given himself over to death.

For Further Reflection: Psalm 22; Isaiah 53:4-6; Isaiah 52:13-15; 1 John 4:9-11

What is your experience with feeling forsaken by God? How do you think this compares with Jesus’ experience?

What does it make you feel to know that Jesus was willing to suffer this for you?

How should this make us react to the suffering of others?

Lent Devotional Week Three

2012-02-23T18:45:11Z

Week 3

“Dear woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.”

John 19:25-27

Compassion is at the heart of everything Jesus does. But his work on earth was not full of the fluffy, feel-good compassion that we so often think of and chase after. That kind of compassion is often done selfishly and, therefore, stops short of actually requiring sacrifice or challenging the status quo. The compassion that Jesus exhibited was absolutely sacrificial and totally challenging to everyone who encountered it. He offered help to those the world had rejected, questioned people’s preconceptions about whom God had really blessed and gave of himself to the point of death. Whether we are trying to be his disciples or still deciding what to do with this man Jesus we would do well to consider this type of love to which Christ calls people.

Even the word ‘compassion’ itself is a beautiful reminder of the self-giving love of God. “Passion” means suffering and the prefix “com” means with. This word is at the heart of God’s mission in Jesus Christ: to not only suffer for us, but with us. This suffering-with is what drives his acts of compassion.

In this moment Jesus does a great service for his mother. It would seem by this time that Mary is a widow, a precarious state in ancient times to say the least. The problem for a widow is her future security – who will recognize me as part of their family and protect me, financially and physically? This would naturally fall to the oldest son, Jesus. So Jesus, even as he dies, makes arrangements for her new situation. This is not just an arrangement within her existing family (it is important to remember that Jesus has brothers and sisters), but the creation of a new family. Jesus not only does a great act of compassion, but begins here to show how his followers will create new standards of care and family. His disciples will be family to one another. They shared life and possessions and prayer and suffering together. It was the way of their savior, so it was their way as well.

May you hear Jesus calling you into a new family. May you hear his words of compassion in your life, caring for you in your darkest hours and providing for you in times of great uncertainty. May you also hear his words calling you to care for others with this kind of true compassion.

For Further Reflection: Exodus 22:26-27; Psalm 103:12-14; Mark 6:34; Acts 2:42-47

Can you think of a time of need when God may have taken care of you?

What does it mean for you that Christ has suffered with you?

How does that change the way you look back at your past hardships? How does that change the way you face future ones?

How can you experience God’s new family? How can you be new family to someone else right now?

Lent Devotional Week Two

2012-02-23T18:41:17Z

Week 2

“I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Luke 23:43 (context: Luke 23:32-43)

One thing that many people have noticed when they read through the gospels is that people almost always reacted to Jesus in extreme ways. Strangers rushed to his feet desperate to receive healing while others sought to kill him. Some gave up everything they had in this world, including their lives, for the opportunity to follow him while others mocked him to the very end, believing he was out of his mind. One of the places this is most evident is in this passage. Jesus hangs on the cross between two criminals. One mocks him saying, “Some Messiah you are! Save yourself! Save us!” The other defends Jesus and says “Remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

The first thing I notice about this story is how often we, and our culture, try to remain lukewarm about Jesus. We claim to have faith and believe that Jesus is a great guy, but it doesn’t affect our lives much. Or we don’t really think he is what he claims to be, but he had some good teachings so we tolerate him. How far these responses are from the reality of his life! Jesus lived in such a way that during his last hours two men who are being crucified have a vehement argument over who he is. He evokes such passion from people. One sees that if he is not really the Messiah, he is a crazy man. The other sees that if Jesus is who he claims to be then he requires complete trust.

It is this second criminal who gives him trust. In fact, he exhibits an astounding level of faith. The first criminal does not trust Jesus unless Jesus starts fitting his own expectations – “Save yourself!” But the second thief has a hope that goes beyond his circumstances. He trusts that Jesus is in control even when things could not possibly look more to the contrary. He says, “Remember me when you come into your kingdom.” He doesn’t put a timetable on it or explain what he thinks this kingdom is like. What he knows is that it’s Jesus’ kingdom – and that’s where he wants to place his hope. Jesus could not look farther from kingly. Yet this man places all of his last shreds of hope not in some far off heaven or dream of clouds and harps or even in the ‘legacy’ he leaves behind. He places all of his hope in the man hanging next to him. Incredible.

The most incredible thing, of course, is that Jesus offers this thief more than he even asks for. He says “Today you will be with me in paradise.” Jesus turns the brigand’s hope in the man on the neighboring cross into a hope in a concrete and immediate future. Paradise is near, Jesus says to him. May you be reminded that for those who trust in God, hope is never far and paradise is near. May you trust that the man on the cross is not only your sacrifice, but also your king.

For further reflection: Revelation 3:15-16; Psalm 25:4-6; Revelation 2:7; Isaiah 60:17-22; Psalm 33:16-18

What is your current reaction to Jesus? What parts of your faith are lukewarm?

When was a time you despaired? How did God bring you out of it?

If a stranger were able to see your actions, words, and feelings, where would he say you place your hope? In security? In money or safety? In a relationship? In being liked? In God?

Lent Devotional Week One

2012-02-23T18:40:25Z

Week 1

“Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.”

Luke 23:34 (context: Luke 23:32-43)

I want to start at the end of this famous sentence and to ask a question – what is it that they are doing? They are crucifying a man on a Roman cross. Many are mocking this so-called Messiah because he has not saved himself. Many are simply not paying any attention. They are condemning an innocent man to death.

And Jesus states that they don’t even know they are doing it. This is a very telling phrase and a strange one. Many knew, didn’t they, that Jesus was actually innocent? Many knew they were mocking a well-known teacher and prophet. Many knew that they were following cruel orders. So what was it that they didn’t know? They saw the man Jesus hanging there, yet so few had any idea of what was really happening in that moment. They did not know that they were heaping the weight of humanity’s sin onto the back of the Son of God. They did not know that they were sealing their guilt before the throne of heaven. They did not know that they were fulfilling the turning point of history. To many, it was just another day in Roman-occupied Jerusalem.

For as far removed as we are from this moment, it should sound familiar. It is common in Christian and Jewish tradition to ask forgiveness for the sins we commit knowingly and unknowingly. In our brokenness, despair or pride we fail to see Christ for who he is or we ignore him or reject him when he doesn’t fit our expectations or doesn’t come through for us the way we think he should. We stand at the foot of the cross day by day and say, “I was just following orders” or “God, why didn’t you do something flashy and spectacular so I would’ve known it was you” or “How could I know you were saving me in that moment? I didn’t know I needed saving…” Our sin goes so deep that we spend most of our time completely unaware of who God is or of the wrongs in our lives and hearts.

We've made our way back to the beginning of Jesus’ prayer. This is all just to build up to the great celebration of the moment, the true beauty of these dying words: Forgive them. The reason so many did not recognize him then and now is that the Messiah did not jump off the cross and take the world by force. He came to do something even greater – to die, to conquer death, and, in doing so, to forgive. This is the greatest news we could receive – because they are certainly not just those who heard his voice on Golgotha, but also those who hear his voice today. When Christ utters these words he claims power for himself that is beyond that of any human being. He grants forgiveness that is not of this world. When he utters these words he is offering new eyes to see the world draped in the presence of God and turned upside down by this moment of forgiveness. When he utters these words may you hear them echoing down the centuries into your own heart. And may you pray, “Father, forgive me for I do not know what I am doing.” And may you accept his forgiveness.

For further reflection: Leviticus 5:17; Romans 1:20; Romans 3:22-26; 1 John 1:8-9

What do you need to confess to God? Where do you need forgiveness in your life?

Ask God to reveal things you had not seen in yourself before.

Whom do you need to forgive? To whom can you offer this sort of radical forgiveness?

Ethics: why enough isn't always enough

2012-02-03T00:20:43Z

I was working out at the gym the other week and happened to see a conversation on ESPN that fascinated me. Three sports' journalists were discussing the recent (very recent at that moment) death of longtime Penn State football coach Joe Paterno. One theme dominated their spirited and lengthy conversation - How should Joe Paterno be remembered? What should his legacy be? The debate was mildly interesting. But what really grabbed my attention was the simple fact that they, and so many others around the country, were having that discussion and had framed the question this way. By now most of us have heard of, and may have even forgotten already, the child sexual abuse scandal at Penn State. If you are unclear on the details here is a summary: link. Joe Paterno, the beloved coach and mentor, icon of football and grand vizier of Penn State was fired in the fall. He was fired for doing the bare minimum in reporting the horrific allegations brought forth against Jerry Sandusky.

The journalists were wrestling with difficult issues - what were the ethical demands of the situation? Did Joe Paterno do what was legally necessary? But the deeper question they were touching on was this: How do we measure and judge the legacy of a human being? Now you can see why I found this topic so important. It is a question we all ask, should ask and must ask at various times in our lives as we evaluate people's actions - and not just other people's, but our own.

The problem set before them was, should Joe Paterno's legacy be defined by decades of quality coaching or by one possibly weak response to an issue of justice? One of the reporters seemed reluctant to tear down all of Paterno's accomplishments because of his failure to take more definitive action. One of them was adamant that this proved that the man was not the lord of Happy Valley that many made him out to be. My goal is actually not to claim to have the definitive view on this, though my opinions will be fairly clear. I am not going to try to be comprehensive or to present sympathies with all sides of the arguments. My primary goal is to point out several things about legacy and ethics that we should learn from this discussion. Specifically, I have observed 3 related instincts that surfaced during the societal discussion, instincts that I am glad we still show as human beings.

Instinct for ethics: The fact that we would have this discussion at all as a society demonstrates that deep down we have strong priorities. We worship sports in our culture and the people in them. But something deeper surfaces when a story like this occurs. Suddenly the life work of a man and his sport can seem very insignificant when placed next to something of true consequence. I love Sport and think there is a great deal of value to it. But isn't it striking that decades of being good at a game do not amount to much if you have possibly failed at the most important things? We do this all the time on a much smaller scale - we risk the legacy of truly meaningful things in order to chase after things that may or may not have significance. This is as true for a pastor or stock broker as it is for a football coach. This does not diminish the importance of work and even play in human life, but it does tell us that human nature does not evaluate all decisions equally. Whether you were good at calling blitzes, in the end, pales when compared to such an issue of justice, to that one moment when faced with a decision of dire consequence.

Enough isn't enough: When it comes the the weighty significance of those moral decisions we face, enough is not enough. I have heard a few people say that Paterno was unfairly treated because he did what was necessary, but these folks are in the vast minority. Again, our instincts about legacy tell us that men and women are not remembered well for the times when they did just enough to get by. The great men and women (in Christianity - the servants) are remembered well for going above and beyond the circumstances that threatened them. It bothers us that Paterno did 'just enough' or 'only what was required.' Laws are, of course, related to morality. But deep, robust ethical actions always go above and beyond the mere laws of the land. Occasionally they even break the laws of the land in order to pursue a higher law. Enough isn't enough. We yearn for a higher morality in our heroes.

Speaking of Heroes...: Our truest heroes are still the ones whom we want to admire. We may sympathize with the moral decision of Paterno - we cannot easily judge that we would have done better in his shoes. But we wish we would have. And this says a lot about our natural sense of ethics. We may admire him for many things and we may sympathize with his decision in this case. But most do not admire his decision. We don't strive to emulate him in that moment. Admiration is another level all together. Even in our hollywood and sports idol culture we still yearn for and demand 'real' heroes to follow, people who demonstate courage and boldness in the face of life's biggest questions and opportunities. In this sense, I hope we continue to look beyond Joe Paterno for other people who can give us a legacy of courage to live up to.

Bearded Angels

2012-02-02T18:49:12Z

I want to be the first this year to wish you:

"More than a Merry Christmas!" Or maybe "May your Holidays Be Soul-piercing!" Or "Have a Throne-Crushing Christmas!" Or "Epic Christmas to All!"

A few days ago I was discussing our church's Live Nativity with other church leaders. Every year we put on a nice performance that tells part of the Christmas story and is infused with familiar Christmas hymns and songs. We spend the month leading up to the Nativity recruiting folks to dress up as wise men, an angel, shepherds, Mary and Joseph. We always come to a point when we look at our sign-up sheet and see what spots we still need to fill. This year someone said, "we still need an angel for Sunday night." The conversation then turned to naming the people who might be available to do this. Inwardly, I began to find it very humorous. The only people we brainstormed as qualified candidates were...teenage girls. That may not seem funny to you, but in that moment I was suddenly tempted to start suggesting large, middle-aged men. I eventually shared this and someone else caught the humor and added, "yeah, maybe someone with a beard."

That image makes me laugh every time I think of it. I love the absurdity of an imposing figure booming out in a commanding voice over the quiet manger scene, his tiny, feathered wings shaking on his back and his golden, bedazzled halo swaying on his head.

But why does this seem absurd?

Our idea of the Christmas story is shaped by many things. Perhpas no image shapes our imaginations more than classic nativity scenes, complete with shepherds, stable, cute animals and an angel that usually, more or less, looks like a teenage girl. But when I read the story in the Bible it seems no more absurd to imagine a bearded angel than a teenage girl - it's just that we are used to the latter. Our perception is the result of decades of decisions dictated by our culture. We're so strongly conditioned to it, in fact, that the thought of a man-angel with facial hair makes us giggle or even makes us uncomfortable.

That is why returning to scripture for the birth stories is so essential - to be shaken out of our culturally shaped slumber. Of the approximately 150 verses that comprise Jesus' birth stories there are about 3 (or 2) that are directly about this one moment we try to freeze in time every year. In the Bible the birth itself is almost an afterthought compared to the incredible angel visitations, songs of praise and dangerous conditions that sweep in and out of the story before and after Jesus' birth. And nativities don't even really portray that moment; they portray a conflation of several pieces of the narrative. Nativities have always served a purpose: to teach the elements of the Christmas story in a single image. We speed up the time frame and combine different parts in order to reach this memorable picture. We can recall so much of the tale because we know there are wise men and shepherds and a poor mother and father. Nativities, therefore, have purpose. But that purpose is limited.

The birth story in the Bible is full of twists and turns with crushing moral decisions, narrow escapes from bloodthirsty tyrants and suprising prophesies of a world turned upside down. Our society's version of the nativity is staggeringly ironic because it attempts to instill us with peace. Yet one of the central themes of the Bible stories is that, though the world may look the same on the outside, God is rending the heavens and reshaping history and is coming down to us. It is actually quite difficult to read peace into the stories. Several characters recognize this - Joseph receives disturbing visions and warnings to escape and flee as a refugee to Egypt. Mary sings of a radically changed world where rulers are brought down and the humble are lifted. Zechariah ('who is that?" We ask.) proclaims that the rising sun will come from heaven and shine on those living in the darkness of death. And a random man named Simeon holds the baby Jesus in God's temple, leans over to Mary and whispers an ambivalent portent, "This child will cause the rise and fall of many...and a sword will pierce your own soul, too." These are strange and even frightening events for those who live them. The tranquility of the nativity scene is not necessarily wrong. But it is incomplete. The stories surrounding Jesus' birth are epic and full of danger and mystery and the promise of the rising and falling of kingdoms and souls.

The drama of the universe, the struggles of humankind, the redemption of the world have all converged on one tiny, quiet moment. God is enacting an ultimate plan. The vast sweeps of history and time rush through the earth. Yet, as C.S. Lewis said, "The whole thing narrows and narrows, until at last it comes down to a little point, small as the point of a spear - a Jewish girl at her prayers." May you not only feel the peace of Christmastime, but the excitement, too. May you be overwhelmed as Mary, Joseph and others were at the mysterious and risky nature of God's unfolding plan. May you revisit the birth stories this year and hear them as for the first time. And, as you hear them, may you hear, pulsing beneath the lull of hymns and the soothing firelight of the manger, the rumblings that signal that God is turning the world inside out to rescue the ones he loves.

In other words, I hope your Christmas is more than 'merry.' May it be filled with visions and dreams and the possibility of bearded angels.

O Come, O Come Emmanuel

2011-12-15T14:07:42Z

The Christmas season is here. Think of all the images and events this season brings to your mind. These few weeks leading up to Christmas are about preparing for family events, wishing for soft snow and dancing to familiar holiday songs on the radio while hanging greenery in our homes. This time is about eating wonderful food with other people, finding just the right gifts for loved ones and celebrating the joy of tradition with nativities and fragrant Christmas trees. And, of course, it is about realizing our desperate need and deepest longing for the redemption and restoration of our depraved and tragic lives and world.

Were you with me until that last one? In Christian tradition the word 'advent' describes the weeks leading up to Christmas day. Traditionally, they have been not just a time of celebration, but also of reflection on our human condition - namely, our need for a savior. The word 'advent' means 'coming'. It is all about longing and anticipation. But don't make the mistake at this point of assuming that longing is such a bad thing. Longing can lead us to despair. But it can also lead us to our truest hope. The difference is where we place our faith.

Advent is the great recognition that God sent his Son into the world while it was still a mess. It is also a time to remember that, even though christians know where to place their hope - in Jesus Christ - that hope is still yet to be fulfilled. So we not only remember with anticipation the great story of Christ's coming, but of Christ's coming again. While we do reflect on our need for God - the brokeness of the world, the unfulfilled longings in our hearts, the mistakes and sins we commit - we also reflect on how God has and will fulfill that need. The christian meaning of this season is the anticipation of salvation. The celebration of redemption comes out of our experiences of the darkness into which God has and will come again to shine his light.

I still have not come across a better display of this than a video that my friends made for a seminary course. Take a quiet moment to watch the whole thing. May you see that our greatest hope is not born out of the moments when we dance around the Christmas tree to Jingle Bell Rock. It is born in the moments when, surrounded by deepest darkness, we hear the whisper of a longed for voice - be ready, O sleeper, for though night surrounds us now, it is nearly time for the dawn.

God in the Shadows

2011-11-29T19:04:01Z

We often misunderstand something about the Christian faith - it is sometimes more like a Caravaggio and less like a Baroque.

Wait. What?

Maybe when you have read about the miracles in the Bible you have had this reaction: if only I could see something like that happen, then I would have (more) faith. Have you ever thought that before? I have. We wish for something more, for some more concrete certainty that will banish the doubt from our minds. If you are not sure what I mean or do not think that this happens to most of us, think of it this way. Have you ever said to yourself, if only _______ would happen, then I would be happy? But is this ever really true? Could one thing make the difference between true joy and discontentedness? Almost never. Yet we often live with this view of happiness, thinking that if there were just one more thing in our favor, then we'd be happy. And we often live with a similar outlook on faith. We have this all backwards.

Did you ever think about how many people must have witnessed Jesus' ministry? This would include not only his teaching, but also his public miracles. Yet so many of them walked away from him, were skeptical of him or even worked to kill him. We can only come to one of 3 conclusions about his miracles - 1) The miracles told of in the Bible did not happen. This means that all those who did believe in him and those who wrote about him were delusional. 2) Those who rejected Jesus saw the miracles, but did not perceive any significance in them unless it was to confirm their suspicion of him. 3) The miracles did happen, but faith is required to believe in their meaning - even when they were witnessed firsthand.

This is why if only I could see that happen, then I would believe is tragically backward. Jesus told his listeners in so many words (see John chapter 10 for example) that seeing miracles and wonders is not enough to create faith. Rather it is faith that creates the possibility of seeing miracles for what they are - signs. Signs must be read a certain way and they always point to something other than themselves. Jesus' miracles were not just to instill faith in people - in fact they seemed to instill faith very inconsistently. His miracles were to demonstrate who Jesus is. The types of signs he performed confirmed his mercy, power and harmony with the hopeful visions of the prophets. His miracles also demonstrated the nature of the Kingdom of God. Most of all, they pointed to the fact that he was who he said he was, the Son of the living God. But none of that can be seen simply by being impressed with some kind of marvel. It is understood through eyes of faith.

On the radio yesterday I heard part of an interview with Andrew Graham-Dixon. No, I had never heard of him either. He has just completed a biography about the renowned painter Caravaggio (16th and 17th centuries). You can listen to the interview or read the transcript of it here. A caller asked him if she were right that Caravaggio's works reveal that he had religious 'doubt'. She pointed to the way he paints Christ and saints as very human. He doesn't paint them 'emanating any divine sense', she said. Graham-Dixon's response was amazing. He said, " In a Baroque painting [the style that Caravaggio inherited but from which he broke away], if a miracle takes place, a fricassee of angels will appear stage left, possibly carrying the Madonna aloft in their arms. Caravaggio does not paint miracles like that. But I think you'd be wrong to think that he doesn't paint miracles at all." In my view it is not that the Baroque painters were wrong. They often were trying to paint spiritual realities into a scene, not paint a scene exactly as it would have looked to physical eye. But Caravaggio captured something that is possibly even more true. Graham-Dixon illustrates this by describing a painting to the caller. To get the full effect of what he says first read the Bible story in Luke 24:13-32. Then look at the painting here.

Andrew Graham-Dixon: "Think of "The Supper at Emmaus" in the National Gallery in London. It's a painting about those who see and a painting about those who don't see. Everything looks exactly as a normal supper scene might look. Three men are seated at a table. An innkeeper looks on. The innkeeper has his hat on. Two of the men realize that a miracle is taking place. How do they know? They know because God has arranged things in the form of a shadow play. The innkeeper's head casts a shadow on the wall behind Christ that gives him a halo.

"The light that rakes down from the upper left corner touches the bowl of fruit and deposits a shadow on the table cloth in the shape of a fish. The fish being the ancient mnemonic sign for Jesus Christ. What Caravaggio is saying is if you had been there at that miraculous moment, would you have seen what was happening in the shadows with the light? It's a miracle, but you have to look to see the miracle. It's not that he doesn't believe in the possibility of the miraculous. It's just that he believes if it were to happen, things might look almost exactly as they do right now."

I am not suggesting that miracles do not happen with heavenly choirs and flahses of stars. I believe they sometimes do. But rarely can a miracle increase or secure our faith. Instead, it is faith that gives us eyes to see the miraculous for what it is. Sometimes we find God not in choirs of angels or blazes of light, but in shadows.

Know Yourself

2011-11-03T18:56:50Z

This month's Christianity Today magazine arrived today and as I skimmed through it I came across an article with a fabulous titile:

"Intercultural Fiesta Fail"

The article is not online yet, but will be shortly, I would think. The article has some excellent points and one statement stands out particularly. Leslie Fields writes, "We are one in Christ not because we are one and the same, but because Christ is the same." This is the testimony of the New Testament writers. Paul writes frequently and beautifully about the unity that Christians have (1 Corinthians 12, Philippians 2, Ephesians 2, and Galatians 3 to name a few). But Fields' article reminds me to ask the question, "From where does this unity come?" Too often we believe that it comes from sameness. But unity and sameness are distinct concepts in the Christian life. We have unity not because we look, talk, act or share history or culture with someone. We have unity because there is "one Lord, one faith, one baptism" (Ephesians 4:5). This point should not be overlooked because our tendency is to search for only a superficial unity which can be found in ourselves. But Paul has better news.

The better news is that unity is found outside of ourselves - in Christ who unites us. When we talk about crossing racial, cultural and economic lines it is encouraging to know that there is something beyond us ("above all" Eph. 4:6) that can bring us together, something with power greater than our own. But 'better' news doesn't mean 'easier' news. For just expecting people to mold into copies of ourselves is the easy way out. But even Paul emphasizes later in Ephesians 4 that there are diverse gifts that God gives his people. It is hard work to get past superficial displays of unity into the true and messy relationships of Christian unity. The really good news is that those diverse gifts should all work to bring the Church into "unity of faith" (Eph. 4:13). Our diverse gifts and backgrounds can all work together to serve the same Lord.

One of the reasons this is a difficult lesson for many of us is because many (not all) of us reading this come from culture where we do not reflect very much on our culture. In fact, many white Americans do not feel that they really have a culture. I spoke recently with someone from my churchabout a time when he was given a packet of materials from the company he worked for. The information outlined essential things that business people needed to understand when they worked with their business partner in other countries. He said the learning was fascnating. But the most incredible part was the section about the United States. How strange to see your own country's quirks and nuances on display like that!

This kind of reflection has powerful value when we approach cross-cultural relationships. We need to know where we come from first. We face many dangers when we do not know ourselves and are simply not as effective. In other words, you need to know yourself in order to know deeply others who are different. What is your cultural inheritance? What values were you raised with? What we must not do is demand a false sameness in our relationships. We also must not claim that we do not have a cultural perspective of our own. Instead we must work for a deep unity that comes from above ourselves and know ourselves. How do you know yourself? That is another huge topic. Suffice it to say for now that as John Calvin taught, we know ourselves best when we strive to know our God.

One of the reasons this article jumped out at me was the timing of it. This Sunday, our Urban Entry class will be discussing these very things at 10:00am in the Front Street conference room. Email me if you have questions or would like to join us dan@thepresby.org.

Don't Do It!

2011-10-18T19:51:05Z

I am writing this week to issue you a warning. I plead with you to beware. Over the next few weeks you may be approached by one (or more, heaven forbid!) of our church's youth. They will probably act very polite and even respectful. I urge you, don't buy into their insincerity - they're just trying to get their little speed-texting thumbs on your money. They may call you or email you or text you (kids these days!) or even approach you at your workplace or (the impertinence!) even your private home. The hooligans may even dare to solicit you in our church's sacred sanctuaries, impudently propagating their misdeeds in God's house. They appear innocent enough, but they are manipulating you for their own devious ends.

This is how the scam works: they'll come up to you and say (sweetly - as if they were doing something they were proud of!), "would you like to donate to the 30 Hour Famine?" This is the crucial moment: do not act interested or in any way receptive to them. Because if you do they will latch on to you (sucker!) and launch into their story. They will tell you tear-jerking statistics about how 11,000 children starve around the world every day. And they'll tell you about how preventable much of this is. And they'll tell you (sob, sob) about how they want to be part of the solution. And then when they bring you to your weakest they explain that YOU can join with them in 'fighting hunger' (silly idealists!) by supporting them in their goal of - here comes the hook - going without food for 30 hours in order to help those who go without all the time. "It's so easy!" They'll say so convincingly. As if simply giving them cash or writing a check to World Vision (and sending it to The Presbyterian Church 23 S Front St Hamilton, OH 45011) would 'only' take you "like, 1 minute, duh!" Then they'll explain that your contribution goes to this wonderful (oh puh-lease) organization World Vision and is 100% tax deductible, blah, blah, blah. A teenager willing to not eat to help children they'll never meet? Ha! They should go and make some maple syrup with all that sap. Give me a break.

So don't do it. Don't give in to them.

What?

You think that sounds like a great idea?

Well, I think you're crazy. And I hope you change your mind and choose to boycott these fanatical young people with their pushy idealism and silly ideas.

The author would like to state for the record that his views, opinions and brazen name calling are in no way influenced by the agreement he reached with said teens to shave his head completely bald if they collect $3,000 for World Vision's 30 Hour Famine. The writer is not merely disgusted by the youth's seeming delight in shaming their pastor or their grotesque fascination in wanting to sign his shaved head with a nonpermanent marker.His perspective is not motivated by the subsequent awkwardness and embarrassment of the potential head-shaving and signing, but is driven soley by his disinterested observations as a church leader and youth pastor.

Urban Entry

2011-10-06T17:21:28Z

Our church sits in a fantastic location right in the heart of downtown Hamilton, Ohio. We are near businesses, other churches, and the Great Miami River. We are also close to the less desirable parts of town. Over the years we have chosen to remain here so that we might have an impact on our community. We want to symbolically send the message that we will not abandon Hamilton.

But the people who worship on Sunday morning do not represent the neighborhoods that immediately surround us. Our outreach to the rough parts of town is charitable, but for most of us, it is occasional and distant. Many of us are still not sure if our church is really for 'those people'. My purpose in pointing to this reality is not to evoke guilt (so if you do feel guilty then this would be a good time to ask yourself why and do some soul-searching). But I do want to bring into the light the fact that our desire, as shown in our church's vision, does not yet match the reality of our actions and programs. I know there are people at The Presby who are ready to change this. People want to know how to help those in need. They desire to build up the deserted places and persons in our downtown. But are we ready to ask the hard questions? When we start thinking about how to serve our urban neighbors we are flooded with questions:

Where do I start?

How do we serve without fostering dependency? How do I serve people who are so different from me? What kind of charity is best? What will it mean if we start having 'those people' at our church services? What if they want to change our church? What if I say something offensive? What if people don't appreciate what we do? What if I don't feel safe? What if someone takes advantage of my generosity? What if I'm just not ready for that type of change?

If you want to talk about how we can serve our neighborhood, if you have ever asked some of these questions, if you love Hamilton and love Jesus and never thought how those two things go together - then I have good news. We have a 5 week class starting on October 23rd from 10:00am-11:00am. You can come 1 week or 5 weeks and there is no cost. Just bring a Bible and your honesty. As always, everyone is invited. You don't even have to be part of our church - so pass the word! We will be watching the provocative videos from www.urbanentry.org and discussing how we can impact our neighbors (and be impacted by them). I hope you'll join me in learning to love deeper.

October 23rd - Anything helps?: Charity versus transformation

October 30th - New Neighbors: The changing demographics of the suburbs

November 6th - Race and Culture: How to listen

November 13th - Immigration: How do we talk, think and act about this hot topic

November 20th - The Presby and You: What our church can do / what you can do

Can't make it? I'll be trying to keep the conversation going on this blog. I'll share some of our discussion, arguments and brilliant epiphanies here after each class.

Be Part of Something Special

2011-09-28T19:14:01Z

Right now I am very excited that we have both men’s and women’s group studies going on right now at The Presby. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to be part of a small group. Small groups can function in many different ways – they can do different things, study various topics, worship, serve and live out their Christian vocation in numerous ways. But Christian small groups still have a great many things in common, especially in their broad goals and outcomes. The writer of Hebrews 10:23-25 addresses this. This passage can help us think about the why, what and how of small groups and studies.

Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Three things come to mind in answer to the question, “why should I be part of a Christian small group?”

Insight
Accountability
Obedience

As for insight, there is a time for personal study and reflection. But we need to wrestle through certain issues in community. We gain such richness of thought when we can hear the perspectives of other believers on matters of scripture and faith. So getting that diversity of experience from multiple people is key to spiritual growth. In short, we learn from other people. We gain an advantage not only from the other people in the group, but also the resources of the group. Many women in our Beth Moore Esther study have expressed that they have never had to read the Bible so deeply as they have in the past two weeks of the study. The resource of a professional Bible study has helped them to piece together scriptures they would not have otherwise read or studied. Plus, when we discuss these things we come with more and more questions spurred by our new insights. This cycle of insight-gathering and question-asking is the wheel on which much spiritual maturity travels. Hebrews says, “let us hold fast to the confession”. In order to hold fast, we need to know what it is we’re holding on to – small group study is one of the best ways to do that.

The more serious Bible reading of the women in my congregation speaks to the powerful accountability that groups provide. Peer pressure is not always bad. Verbs in the above passage that jump out to me are ‘hold fast,’ ‘provoke,’ ‘meet together,’ and ‘encourage.’ Accountability is the provoking part of small groups. We can be inspired to more consistent study and holy living when we know that others are provoking us to good deeds and also encouraging us in our faith. The vulnerable part of this is that there will be other people to correct us and to see the 'real us' in all our failings and foibles. But they will also be there to encourage us. When we get to hear the struggles and triumphs that others live through in their relationship with Christ we have the opportunity to be inspiring and inspired, encouraging and encouraged.

But part of the reason we stay connected with other believers is out of obedience to Christ. We do it because Christ has shown us that this is the way. That our worship, confession, study, and ethics are not done in a vacuum, but with other people. I love the phrase in the Hebrews passage that says, “for he who has promised is faithful.” If God has called us, then his faithfulness is always with us. We have nothing to fear in meeting together, in holding fast to faith in Jesus or encouraging one another. We can press forward in our faith knowing that we are measured by the faithfulness of God.

And You gave it to me.

2011-09-13T18:14:28Z

One of the great themes in humanity is the struggle to see familiar things from a new perspective. It is hard to see the beautiful tree in your yard or to hear the melody of a moving song and to know them as if for the first time. You no longer reel from the enormity of the tree or cry from the aching notes. But wonder is necessary for human flourishing. To really live in fullness we need to be caught in awe. Frequently we go about this in two ways. One of our instincts is to change the object of our wonder. We can either increase the frequency or amount of the object or we can just keep trying new things. If we try to obtain that sense of excitement or purpose by only increasing the volume of the thing which once made us feel alive then we can degenerate into addiction, which is the growing need for more of something to obtain the same effect. If we just keep trying new stuff we develop, at best, a risky need for dangerous things that thrill us. Most common, though, is we succumb to our instinct to quietly let the wonder slip from our lives. In the moments we do remember wonder flashing like lightning in our hearts we feebly remind ourselves that those feelings are only meant for the young. And we say it with a sigh. But we do not need to resign ourselves to a life of dull acceptance. And we do not need new thrills.

We need new eyes.

Rabbi Abraham Heschel famously said, "I did not ask for success; I asked for wonder. And You gave it to me." The God of scripture sometimes gives success when we ask for it. But almost always he gives wonder. God grants it to those who see the world through his eyes. GK Chesterton writes beautifully that it is we, not God, who tire of looking at the sunset. He concludes that "we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we." So we need the eyes of the Maker to truly behold what he has made.

If you dare to ask for wonder, be warned: wonder is not the feeling you get at Disney World. Wonder is not always pleasant. How could it be when its principal quality is to open our eyes to the deepest human truths? Remember that you once may have had wonder at the monsters you saw in dreams. As a child I had wonder at the smell of a rose, but also at the cruelty of a venus fly trap. Eyes of wonder allow us to see clearly not only the good in the world, but also the darkeness. Our adult dullness acts like a flourescent, windowless office building. It prevents us from feeling the warm light of day. And it makes us forget the night.

One of my favorite children's authors is Sharon Creech. In her book Heartbeat the main character is given the assignment of drawing the same apple 100 times. At first this baffles her. But through the discipline of this homework she begins to understand the wonder of that simple apple. But we are not called just to examine the ordinary and to find it extraordinary. The story of the gospel is that the extraordinary became ordinary. In others words, we are supposed to stand in awe of the fact that God became human. I am inviting you to come to the story of Jesus with new eyes so that you can see the wildness of his claims. We become numb to the gospel most easily when we simply don't read the gospel. It is not familiarity that creates the numbness, but the illusion of familiarity. So go to your scripture again today. Read about the man Jesus. The portrait there is hardly meek and mild. For that matter it is hardly rational. It shocks us and confounds us. He talked about being not a teacher of truth, but about being Truth itself. He used outrageous images like camels going through needles and men finding pearls and moving mountains. He had children on his lap and made his own whip. He weeps for the city that will crucify him. He made claims and did things and told stories that are wonderfully bizarre. But this sense of wonder is far better than a boring indifference. Sometimes we choose indifference toward God and Christ. It often seems like the easier road. I think we are afraid - because wonder leaves us changed.

GK Chesterton says it much better than I can (and with bigger words, don't be ashamed to reread this). He writes about reading the gospels and hearing Jesus' claims afresh in his book The Everlasting Man, which I just finished. pp. 197-98.

We should have a worse shock if we really imagined the nature of Christ named for the first time. What should we feel at the first whisper of a certain suggestion about a certain man? Certainly it is not for us to blame anybody who should find that first wild whisper merely impious and insane. On the contrary, stumbling on that rock of scandal is the first step. Stark staring incredulity is a far more loyal tribute to that truth than a modernist metaphysic that would make it out merely a matter of degree. It were better to rend our robes with a great cry against blasphemy, like Caiaphas in the judgment, or to lay hold of the man as a maniac possessed of devils like the kinsmen and the crowd, rather than to stand stupidly debating fine shades of pantheism in the presence of so catastrophic a claim. There is more of wisdom that is one with surprise in any simple person, full of the sensitiveness of simplicity, who should expect the grass to wither and the birds to drop dead out of the air, when a strolling carpenter’s apprentice said calmly and almost carelessly, like one looking over his shoulder: ‘Before Abraham was, I am.’

The great CS Lewis owed several of his ideas to GK Chesterton. This Sunday at Youth Group I was talking to the middle schoolers about a well-known CS Lewis quote that says Jesus was either a crazy man or our Savior and that there is no third option. We read the complicated quote and I asked, "Could someone summarize what we just heard?" One student immediately raised his hand and said, "Either we should see that Jesus is the Son of God, or we should get on with our business."

Choose wonder.