Guest Blogging- Sunday Sermon

This week I've been invited to guest blog on GoodPreacher.com's Homiletical Hot Tub.

If you're not a member of GoodPreacher.com (and if you're a pastor, you should be- it's full of great resources), you can read what I wrote below.

This is the sermon I preached on the final Sunday of our Capital Campaign, "Bethlehem on the Rise". The title is "Sun Rising", and it is based on Genesis 1:3-5 and Matthew 5:14-16.


We just read from the first of two creation stories in the Book of Genesis. The one we just read from was probably composed in the form we have it about five centuries before the time of Jesus, and it is this beautiful liturgical song of praise about how God took the primal chaos and shaped it into the amazing created order that we see in the world today. This story has been around for at least twenty five hundred years, and it still takes our breath away.

Unfortunately, in our time, some of the beauty of this story has been clouded over because, for a couple centuries, Christians of different stripes have kept trying to turn the creation stories of Genesis into something they’re not, and we’ve done some damage to ourselves in the process. The generations of folks who passed down this story verbally from generation to generation, and eventually wrote it down had what we now call a “pre-scientific” understanding of the universe. For all they knew, the earth was flat and everything in the sky revolved around the earth. They weren’t dumb by any stretch of the imagination. They talked about who God is and how God works using of their best understanding of the shape of the universe and our place in it.

But over time that understanding began to evolve. In the sixteenth century we see a Polish priest named Nicholas Copernicus who also happens to dabble in mathematics and astronomy realizes that it isn’t the sun that revolved around the earth, the earth actually revolves around the Sun! About a generation later, an Italian guy named Galileo Galilei, who is also a faithful Catholic, says the same stuff and a lot of people start to think that there’s something to this.

Sadly, these brilliant men and their ideas didn’t exactly get a positive reception. They were called heretics and Galileo was actually dragged to Rome and tried by the Inquisition as a heretic. The church (and I’m talking about all churches: Catholic, Methodist, everyone) is and always has been a human institution, and in many of these critical moments we have succumbed to that most basic of human flaws: fear. Fear of change. Fear of new knowledge that might threaten the established order and our power in it. Fear of the unknown. Too often we reject new ideas and understandings because we are afraid and we only see the negative possibilities, and we miss out on the potential they bring.

Today’s theme in our worship is the “Sun Rising”, and the evolution in our understanding of what the Sun is, and in turn, what our place in the universe is, serves to remind us who we are and who God is. The very phrase, “watching the Sun rise” implies that we are standing still and that everything revolves around us. But if you’ve ever been on a beach or on top of a mountain and watched the Sun rise, you’ve probably been struck by how big this world is, and how small we are in comparison. As scientific discovery has shown us that the Earth revolves around the Sun, and that even the Sun revolves around the center of our galaxy that is just one of billions in the universe, we’ve seen that truth again. We are not the center of the universe! We’re actually quite small in the grand scheme of things! We are not ultimate: God is. And the God who is ultimate, the God who is the center of the universe, cares deeply about each and every one of us. Little ‘ol you, and little ‘ol me are of sacred worth because we are created in the image of our great big God.

Perhaps this lesson about humanity’s place in the universe is also a word to our community today. We’re raising money right now to build a new church home. We’re in the midst of doing something really important, and any time we’re doing something important we can easily get stressed and blow things out of proportion and succumb to fear. So when that stress hits, when that fear is right in our face threatening to swallow us whole, let us remember our place in the created order. That amazingly beautiful, sacred piece of property on Gholson Road is but a speck on this Earth, this planet that revolves around the Sun, which is one of billions of stars in the Milky Way Galaxy, which is but one of billions, or more likely, trillions of galaxies in this universe.

We don’t have to worry, because the fate of the cosmos does not hang on what we do here! We are important, but we are not ultimate. God is the center of the universe. God is ultimate.

Jesus tells us we are the light of the world, and to let our light shine. Just as we are not at the center of the created order, neither are we the source of that light. We are not the light of the world because of some innate goodness on our part. We are the light of the world because we are created by God, the God who actually spoke light into existence! We are not the source, we merely reflect the source of this light. So all we have to do is be what we are. Jesus tells us to let our light shine before people so that they may see it and praise the God who is ultimate, the God who is the center of the universe, the God who is the source of the light we shine.

So let us build our new church home, and let us attract some attention as we do it. Not for the purpose of being satisfied with the works of our hands, but to direct attention to the source of that light that is within us, so that all may see and praise the God who said “let there be light”. Saints of Bethlehem, let it shine.

In the name of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Some Hope on a Sad Day

Forty seven years ago today, one of the greatest preachers of all time gave perhaps the greatest sermon in the English language. The best part is that the last, most famous section of "I Have a Dream" was unscripted. King had used the phrase before, but it took on a life of its own on this day.

Sadly, today on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Glen Beck, Sarah Palin and others are holding a blasphemous rally in an attempt to hijack the legacy of Dr. King. I'm not watching it, because as you can probably tell, I already have too much fuel for the judgmental spirit that too often takes over me.

Intstead, I'm feeding my soul with something more positive today. I hope you'll join me in turning off the cable news and spend a few minutes soaking in the words of a true prophet.

It doesn't matter if you've never seen this before or if you've seen it hundreds of times. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s words never fail to inspire.



Amen, Dr. King. Amen.

Mayor Bloomberg on Islamaphobia and Hypocrisy in America

"This whole issue will go away after the next election. This is people trying to stir up things, to get publicity, and trying to polarize people so they can get some votes"

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Michael Bloomberg
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Well said, sir.

Guest Blogging- Wednesday

I'm guest blogging this week over at GoodPreacher.com's "Homiletical Hot Tub", sharing about my weekly sermon preparation process.

If you're not a subscriber to GoodPreacher.com (and if you're a pastor, you should be), you can read what I wrote below.

On Tuesday night our church holds our Roundtable Pulpit gathering at a local Starbucks to discuss the passages and themes for the coming Sunday. You can read more about our collaborative preaching process here.

It would be difficult if not impossible to replicate the entire conversation. And any attempt to do so would violate the “safe space” spirit we’ve cultivated for these gatherings, so what I will share is a slightly expanded form of the notes I took during last night’s conversation.

As a side note, my exegetical work and notes from the Roundtable conversation usually stay in handwritten bullet points in my notebook. This is the first time I’ve ever tried to make coherent paragraphs out of them. I’m not sure what kind of difference this new experience will make in the final product, but I’ll let you know at the end of the week.

Without further ado, here are some highlights of last night’s Roundtable Pulpit conversation on Genesis 1:3-5 and Matthew 5:14-16, and the theme of the “Sun Rising”.

We are supposed to be the light of the world, but what if our light is somehow dimmed or tainted? God is the source of the light, and any marring of that comes from us or those around us, life circumstances, etc.

Light illuminates other things, but also draws your attention to its source. We are to be like a mirror, reflecting the light of Christ, but ultimately calling attention away from ourselves and giving the glory to God. Drawing attention to our deeds but effectively giving God the glory is very hard do to, and this kind of humility is never perfected.

Physics has taught us that we can’t see anything without light bouncing off of it, and the way we perceive things like colors is due to how things filter and refract light. What do we filter out and what do we let through? What kind of a prism are we?

There’s something significant about the light and dark being separated at the beginning of creation. The idea that “we all start off in darkness” can be taken in multiple ways. Theologically, some people believe that one only “sees the light” at a specific moment, at which time they become “saved”. We can also understand it in terms of being in the womb, and when a baby comes out there are bright lights, so it shuts its eyes and screams because it has no idea what is going on.

Regarding sources of light, why are we drawn to them? When we have a campfire, why do we sit there and watch it dance, as if transfixed? We don’t usually build a fire unless it is dark, but a fire takes on a life of its own and we don’t know which way it will go next. Fire also purifies. It is how we separate elements like silver and gold to make jewelry.

When our new church building is being constructed, it will literally rise (gradually) from the ground up. It will attract lots of attention, and there will probably be a number of visitors who come because they are curious and want to see what we’ve built. Our challenge will be to direct their attention toward the glory of God and not to be too proud of what we have made with our hands.

Our understanding of the sun has evolved over the centuries. For a long time we thought the earth was the center of the universe. Then we learned that the earth revolved around the sun, and later that even the sun wasn’t stationary, but revolved around the center of a galaxy that is merely one of billions in the universe. Even though it took the church a few centuries to catch up to this evolving scientific knowledge (in many ways we’re still catching up), we have a better understanding of our place in creation and how we are not the center of it all.

We could easily have carried on this conversation for much longer, but at the end of the designated hour we closed with prayer. Over the rest of the week I will be distilling all of this into one core idea, and build the sermon around that. Friday is designated as “sermon writing day”, and hopefully I’ll share some kind of outline by then.

Until then, thanks for reading. Blessings to all you pastors out there crafting your messages for Sunday!

Seven Years Ago Today

I went to orientation for Vanderbilt Divinity School, and while playing a "People Bingo" game, I met a very attractive fellow first year student.

I tried to be smooth, but she saw right thorough me. A few days later, for reasons unknown, she agreed to go out on a date with me. The rest is history.

We've been "Dancing in the Minefields" ever since, and there's no one I'd rather spend my life with. I love you!

Homiletical Hot Tub- Monday

I'm guest blogging this week over at GoodPreacher.com's "Homiletical Hot Tub", sharing my weekly process of composing a sermon for each Sunday

If you're a subscriber to GoodPreacher.com (and you really should be, it's full of great preaching resources), you can read the first post here.

For those who aren't subscribers, here's what I wrote (hopefully I won't get in trouble for sharing subscriber content on my site)

Hello, friends. My name is Matt Kelley, and I’ve been asked to blog about my sermon writing process this week here in the Homiletical Hot Tub.

I practice a model of collaborative preaching that is partially based on the work of one of my seminary professors (more about that in a minute), so I follow a weekly schedule for the whole process to work properly along with all the other demands of parish ministry.

First thing’s first. I’m the pastor of Bethlehem United Methodist Church in Clarksville, Tennessee. Last year we lost our historic church building when a bolt of lightning hit our steeple and burned the building down. During the last year we’ve been engaged in a process of revisioning and planning for the rebuilding, and during the month of August we’re conducting our capital campaign to raise funds for a new church building.

The theme of our campaign is “Bethlehem on the Rise”, and each of the worship services this month has had a theme of something rising. For August 29, the theme is “The Sun Rising”, and the scriptures, sermon, music, etc. are all chosen to fit this theme. So the two passages our capital campaign team picked for this Sunday are Genesis 1:3-5 and Matthew 5:14-16.

On Monday I do my exegetical work. I always use the, a set of which I have at home. I also consult other resources, depending on the passages and themes for the week. This week I also consulted the Word Biblical Commentary, Vol. 1: Genesis 1-15  and Detrich Bonhoeffer’s The Cost of Discipleship, since it contains and extended meditation on the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew, and David N. Mosser’s The Stewardship Companion: Lectionary Resources for Preaching.New Interpreter’s Bible Commentary

I usually also consult a variety of online resources. There’s a wealth of good stuff here on GoodPreacher.com, as you probably already know. It’s all divided up according to the Revised Common Lectionary, but if you’re preaching from different texts, go to Vanderbilt’s Lectionary Website, type in the passage(s) you’re using in the search bar, and it will tell you when and where it occurs in the RCL. If you are following the lectionary (as I usually do), Journey with Jesus is another great site.

Using the resources mentioned above, and knowing I’ll need to incorporate the themes of Sun and light, and somehow tie that into giving money for our new building, here is my Monday exegesis.

Genesis 1 is part of the first of two creation stories that begin the Bible. The first creation story is generally credited to the Priestly source (read more on the 4 source theory for Genesis here), and may have been composed in its present form as late as the time of Ezra and Nehemiah (5th century BCE). It’s important to remember that this text represents a pre-scientific world view, so it should not be judged by post-Enlightenment standards of fact. God creates the light on day 1, and the Sun on day 2, suggesting that the ancients saw light as having a divine origin, the Sun being one of many luminaries placed in the sky. The sun goes away at night and returns in the morning, making each day a new creation, filled with possibility.

Jesus also talks about the concept of light in the Sermon on the Mount. He talks about it in two contrasting ways. Calling his followers “the light of the world”, Jesus may be highlighting that the purpose of light is not for itself, but for other things to be illuminated. Light points to something beyond itself. However, in the very next breath Jesus calls his followers “a city on a hill”, which certainly does draw attention to itself! The idea that the works of disciples of Jesus are to be seen stands in tension with other sayings about doing things “in secret” (ex- Matthew 6:3). These tensions should not be seen as “contradictions”, but as illustrative of the very real tension that followers of Christ experience in striving to live in such a way that points beyond themselves to the greatness of God.

Bohoeffer points out that disciples are not told to “become” or “strive to be” light for the world. Jesus makes the statement in the present tense: “you are the light”. Jesus is telling his followers to be what they already are. The light is a gift of which we are stewards, meant to be shared with everyone and not just those we want to let in. This passage occurs in the context of a teaching to a large group of people, most of whom are curious about Jesus but not yet committed followers. This is not a private teaching to the twelve. The very setting indicates the inclusiveness of Jesus’ gospel and reminds the church that it is not a closed society of the elect, but an ad hoc committee dedicated to the redemption of the entire world.

I have these exegetical insights in a notebook, which I will have with me on Tuesday night at our congregation’s weekly Roundtable Pulpit. We meet at a local Starbucks, and anyone (church members, friends, and complete strangers) is welcome to come and reflect on the texts and themes for the week. I take notes in the same notebook, and have it with me the rest of the week while I’m composing my Sunday sermon.

The title Roundtable Pulpit is unashamedly ripped off from a book of the same name written by John McClure, with whom I had the pleasure of studying at Vanderbilt Divinity School.

A while back I wrote an article on Worship Connection about the collaborative preaching process, and you can read that if you want to know more.

I’ll post again on Wednesday with a summary of our Tuesday night conversation, and again later in the week as I try to put it all together for Sunday.

Belated Thanks

...to all the women who endured scorn and worse to gain the right to vote in this country. Eighty years ago this week, your hard work paid off, and my daughter gets to grow up in a better world because of it.

When Kate votes in her first Presidential election in 2028, her mom and I will make sure she knows who to thank.

Next Week

Next week I'll be guest blogging over at GoodPreacher.com's "Homiletical Hot Tub" (I'll give an honorable mention to whomever comes up with the best "Hot Tub Time Machine" reference for a preaching site).

The texts I'll be working on next week will be Genesis 1:3-5, and Matthew 5:14-16. We're in the midst of our Bethlehem on the Rise capital campaign, and the overall theme will be "Sunrise" for that Sunday.

I'll post the link when it's up.

Addendum

In the last episode of our podcast, we talked about the idea of an evolution in humanity's understanding of God being traceable in the texts of the Bible.

There are two really interesting books by Jack Miles that tackle this subject from a literary standpoint. God: A Biography and Christ: A Crisis in the Life of God treat God as a literary character (much like Tom Sawyer or Jack Ryan) and trace his evolution within the biblical text.

A word of caution about these books: Miles is making no attempt at any kind of theological statement. I kept having to push aside my own reactions to some of the things he says about the character named God, who often times seems at odds with the God of the universe that I worship. The assumption that the Bible is one single, coherent narrative is also problematic, but only from a theological standpoint. Setting those issues aside will enable you to really enjoy Miles literary analysis.

These aren't devotional books by any means, but they do give great insight into the many varying, and sometimes conflicting roles the Bible plays to different people.

Big Tent Christianity: Easy to Say, Hard to Do

This post is part of the Big Tent Christianity Synchroblog. All the bloggers involved in this project are answering a very simple prompt: "what is 'big tent' Christianity?"

In a word: hard.

Most of my life I have been called an idealist. Guilty as charged. One of my ideals is that all of God’s children really can find a way to live together in peace. We simply have to choose to do so. Easier said than done, of course. I’m not foolish enough to assume that everyone will actually choose that path, but I believe that they are capable of doing so. That’s the Arminian side of my theological heritage.

It is in the midst this tension between ideals and the tragic reality of human choices that I can’t find anything to say about what “Big Tent Christianity” means to me except “hard”.

It’s hard to make Christianity a big tent when there are so many groups of folks who don’t want to coexist. It’s very hard to keep everybody under the tent when we actively invite our GLBT brothers and sisters to openly claim their sexuality as part of their imago Dei bearing goodness while Fred Phelps and his crew are standing there under the same tent screaming and holding signs proclaiming who is and is not welcome under the tent.

It’s hard to maintain a tent that’s big enough for everyone when people whose passion outweighs their experience are dismissed by others for being too young and/or inexperienced, or for not having the right education or credentials, and are told that they’re second class citizens, if they’re welcome under the tent at all.

I could go on citing examples all day, but I think you get the point.

It’s not a matter of conservative vs. liberal, evangelical vs. emergent, or whatever other labels we attach to people. The real issue is the tendency we all have to stick with those that are like us, and to justify our own existence by putting down and excluding those that are different, whether we have an honest disagreement with them or not.

Practicing Big Tent Christianity means not only welcoming others that are different than us, others whose beliefs or practices might be offensive to us, but opening ourselves up to the possibility of being converted, in some sense, by our interaction and fellowship with them. It means Fred Phelps might have to learn something from the Gay Street Preacher. It means I might have to learn something from Pat Robertson. (that last sentence made me vomit in my mouth a little bit)

Big Tent Christianity is easy to talk about, but very, very hard to practice. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen it happen outside of brief, isolated events. Have you ever seen Christianity truly be a big tent over sustained periods of time? If so, please share!

Hard, yes. But not impossible. There I go being an idealist again.

Podcast Episode 11- The God Question

We're continuing our series podcasting our way through Brian McLaren's A New Kind of Christianity: Ten Questions That Are Transforming the Faith.

We tackle such weighty subjects as the question of whether God is violent, supersessionism and anti-Judaism, natural theology, and the relationship between Quaker scholar Elton Trueblood and the HBO show, "Trueblood".

You can listen to and/or download this episode on Podbean (whose allegedly embeddable player won't work on Blogger for some reason), or subscribe to us on iTunes.

As always, comments and other feedback are always welcome.

Moonlighting

No, not the show from the 80s with Bruce Willis pre- "Die Hard"!

I wrote a guest post over on emergingumc about some recent articles in the New York Times about issues facing clergy and congregations.

Comments are always welcome!

Thought on Anne

Continuing on yesterday's theme of not commenting on a news story until I've had time to think about it:

Anne Rice recently announced that she was "quitting Christianity" due to all the hatred and hypocrisy she sees in the church. She remains committed to Christ, and even argues that this commitment is why she is leaving Christianity.

She's certainly in good company. Ghandi once said, "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians." You might be doing something right anytime you can put yourself in that kind of company.

The blogosphere has, predictably, had a variety of reactions. Doug Pagitt is empathetic. Thomas McKenzie challenges Anne to become more mature in her faith. Matthew Paul Turner brings the wonderful dose of snark for which we love him.

I can see where Anne Rice is at. I certainly find the hatred, divisiveness, insecurity, arrogance, and whoring ourselves out to political parties to be very unattractive aspects of the Christian-media-industrial-complex. If that group was the chief spokesman (and they are very male-centric) for Christianity, I'd be wary of staying within the ranks, too.

This is where I'm supposed to make the argument that the Christian faith is also full of wonderful people who are loving and accepting. And that's absolutely true. I even like to think that I'm one of those people! But making that argument tends to descend into the same "us vs. them" camp that makes my skin crawl. The unfortunate truth is that when I use that argument to defend Christianity I'm as bad as the ones that Anne Rice and I reject.

The real situation is that the church is full of people. And people are capable of as much good as they are bad. We wouldn't be able to perform gracious, loving acts if we were not equally able to reject, condemn when it's none of our business, and destroy with no regard for the consequences of our actions. In other words, we bring all of who we are to church. At our best we manifest all the fantastic potential of humanity that Jesus demonstrated. At our worst we embody all the things that Jesus spoke against and died to redeem. Our best and worst exists on individual and collective levels.

The truth is that the church is full of people. The synagogue is full of people, too. So is the mosque, the monasteries of various faiths, and every other gathering of any type of religion. For that matter, the local YMCA, community center, and moose lodge is also full of people. And people bring all of who they are with them. Good, bad, ugly, indifferent.

United Methodist Bishop Will Willamon often says that loving Jesus is easy, but loving those whom Jesus loves is hard. So to reject any group of people, religious or otherwise, is to reject those whom Jesus loves. I don't know if Anne Rice is rejecting Christians (saying she doesn't love them), or simply choosing not to associate with them/us. That's between her and God.

All I know is that God has not given up on humanity. And as much as I want to sometimes, I can't either.

Thoughts on Ted

I'm a bit of a late-comer when it comes to trends in the blogosphere. I tend to want to sit back and let my thoughts marinate for a bit, because when I speak first and think second I usually end up with my foot in my mouth (anyone who knows me will confirm this). I also enjoy hanging back and watching how the conversation unfolds.

Here's a thought that's been cooking for a while:

A lot of folks have been jumping all over Ted Haggard for starting a new church just a few years of getting booted from his mega-pulpit for trysts with a gay prostitute. I actually felt a bit sorry for Ted. I argued then, as I do now, that he was eaten a live by a monster that he helped create: the cult of personality around a charismatic leader. Living in that place for so long causes anyone to start to believe the hype and become someone else.

Case in point:


(methinks the pastor doth protest too much)

I understand people's reasons for bashing Haggard. His words and actions have been incredibly harmful to people in the GLBTQ community. If someone had constantly been attacking me for who I am I would feel no small amount of shadenfreude when they got a taste of their own medicine. And I understand why people are skeptical of him even now, since he still courts media attention, and since may even do a reality series. I get all of that.

And yet something inside me still thinks that he's changed. You can see it in the way he talks about how people need God's grace. It's no longer "them" language. He includes himself. Nowhere was this more on display when he appeared on Larry King talking about Jennifer Knapp coming out of the closet.

Yes, he was all too happy to be on TV again. I imagine a psychological evaluation would reveal that he still has a pretty large narcissistic streak. But as a mentor once told me, "you don't get humility without a lot of humiliation". Ted Haggard has been humiliated, abandoned by people he thought were his friends, and generally kicked in the rear end. Did he deserve much of it? Sure. But I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and keep watching to see how different he is.

Poor Terry Jones

A lot of people are criticizing Terry Jones (myself included, more than once), the pastor of Dove World Outreach Center in Florida who plans an "International Burn the Koran Day" on September 11. The latest round of criticism comes due to his recent less than stellar (or coherent) performance on CNN.



Other bloggers are pondering what has Terry Jones so bent out of shape. To be fair, Terry Jones has had a lot to deal with over the past 2,000 years, what with his son's messiah complex and whatnot.



(For those that don't get the joke, the Terry Jones in the second video is the Oxford educated comedian, director of Monty Python's Life Of Brian - The Immaculate Edition, and has absolutely nothing to do with the ignorant bigot planning this blasphemous act on September 11)

Podcast Episode 10- The Authority Question

The latest episode of The Truth As Best I Know It Podcast is up.

Jessica and I are continuing with our discussion of Brian McLaren's A New Kind of Christianity: Ten Questions That Are Transforming the Faith. Here we focus on question 2- the Authority Question.

You can listen or download the episode from Podbean, subscribe on iTunes, or listen on the player below.

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As always, comments and questions are always welcome. If you're reading through the book right now and have specific issues or questions you'd like us to address, please let us know!

More Ways to Speak Up

In yesterday's post I encouraged folks to speak out against all forms of hatred and bigotry, specifically when it is against our Islamic brothers and sisters, and I mentioned a church in Florida that is planning a "Burn a Koran" day on September 11. My dear friend and colleague Dave McIntyre shared with me some ways that you can speak out on this particular issue:

To whom it may concern, to all people of faith:


On Sept. 11, Terry Jones’ Dove World Outreach Center plans to hold the first “International Burn a Koran Day” ceremony on the steps of his church in Gainesville, Fla. (cf. the announcement from the church’s website above). We must not “silently consent” to Pastor (Associate Pastor) Wayne Sapp’s call.


This vicious call to desecrate and burn a revered book of scripture is tantamount to a hate crime and should be vigorously opposed by all legal means possible. Below are some steps you can take:


1. Reporting his Facebook page to the page administrators:


a. Visit http://www.facebook.com/pages/International-Burn-A-Koran-Day/134718123226530#!/pages/International-Burn-A-Koran-Day/134718123226530?v=info and press the “REPORT PAGE” link at the bottom left corner of the page; followed by ‘Racist / Hate Speech’ Reason.


2. Report his You Tube video to the page administrators by ‘flagging it as inappropriate:


a. Visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Tf9M9HRMWk
b. Please click the "Flag" link under the video
c. Select “Hateful or Abusive Comment”
d. Select “Promotes Hatred of Violence”


3. Call or write to the FBI/Hate Crime Division nearest office to call their attention and to report this matter:


E-Mail: info@doveworld.org
Postal Address: 5805 NW 37th St.; Gainesville, FL 32653
Phone Number: 352-371-2487
Fax Number: 352-371-6511


** NOTE: Please remember to always be polite and respectful in conveying any message you may choose to convey.

Let me second that last point. Be polite. Don't let this kind of hatred, as disgusting as it is, make you hate in return. If we do that, then they win. Let's speak the truth in love. That means we have to speak. Make your voice heard.

... then the terrorists win

If Americans continue in their fear and hatred of Islam, then the terrorists win.

I realize this might be a provocative statement. Hear me out.

I realize using "then the terrorists win" as the predicate to any statement makes it quite logically suspect since it's highly pejorative and almost entirely devoid of context. So let me explain what I mean.

Americans who have lived through the past decade generally associate the term "terrorists" with Osama bin Laden, al Qeda, and others who advocate and practice indiscriminate violence against others in the name of Islam. For the moment, this is what I mean as well.

The thing is, though, that "the terrorists" do not truly represent Islam. As one of the three great monotheistic religions that follow the God of Abraham, true Islam is a beautiful, peaceful religion that has been twisted and used as a front by those whose core values have nothing to do with the God they claim to worship. "The terrorists" are a very small minority, and it is a tragedy that people who should know better group all Muslims in with them.

In fact, the real tragedy is that most of those who judge Islam by its worst examples claim to be Christians. And it's not like Christianity hasn't had more than its share of worst examples. We have a Christian terrorist group that started in my home state of Tennessee: it's called the Ku Klux Klan. Christianity has its own shameful history of indiscriminate violence that blasphemes everything that Jesus stood for and died for: the Crusades.

The essential message of "the terrorists", people like Osama bin Laden, is this: this world isn't big enough for the both of us. We can't all live together in peace. One of us has to go. It's either you or us.

That's what "the terrorists" believe. And sadly, it's what a growing number of Americans believe. Our country is beginning to come to the same conclusion as those for whom death for their enemies is the only justice. Those who believe this ignore the teachings of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity, which tell us that to love our enemies and to live in peace with all of God's children is the true will of God.

With all that said, I'll say it again: if Americans continue in their fear and hatred of Islam, then the terrorists win.

If communities in New York City and Middle Tennessee reject the building of mosques for no reason other than fear and misunderstanding, then the terrorists win.

If a church in Florida holds an "International Burn the Koran Day" on September 11, then the terrorists win.

I don't want "the terrorists" to win. I don't want to live in a world where we believe that we can't all live together as one great human family. I don't want to live in a world where hatred gets the last word, and someone has to lose for us to "win". Do you?

If you don't, please take a stand with me. One way you can take a stand is to sign this petition saying that you support freedom for all religions in the USA. America is a country for whom freedom of religion is a core value, and at this moment we stand in very real danger of tossing this value out the window.

Take a stand. Speak up. Don't let "the terrorists" win.

Parenting Changes Everything

While I don't usually blog about family stuff (Jessica's blog is the usual destination for that, which, incidentally, is why she gets more readers than I do), I had an experience today that reminded me that being a parent changes everything.

I rarely go to movies in theaters. It's too expensive, and ever since I spent a summer working in a movie theater and saw the horrors that go on there, I can't go near the concession stand without having flashbacks. (The upside was free movies and getting to work with my best friend, Lisa.)

I made an exception today to go see Inception. I love Christopher Nolan's movies, plus I'd promised my friend Will that I'd write a movie study for YMToday.

A little more than halfway through the movie, when the crew is just starting the "big job" that drives the plot, I got a phone call. I ignored it at first because I didn't recognize the number, and let it go to voicemail, but when the same number called me a few minutes later, I knew it must be urgent.

It turned out that Kate was being sent home from daycare, along with half her class, with a very high fever. I had to walk away from the film I'd paid $8 to see so I could go sit in the waiting room at the pediatrician.

Sounds annoying, right? Two years ago I would have thought so. But since Kate had a fever and was feeling sleepy, she clung to me the whole time and pretty much just buried her head in my shoulder, even as other kids were screaming and running around.

It's going to cost me $8 more to find out how Inception ends, but those kind of tender moments with my little girl are priceless.

"I've Been There"

Anyone who knows my dad knows he's a golf nut. For his 60th birthday, his present to himself was a trip to St. Andrew's, Scotland, to play where the game was invented. This week the (British) Open Championship is being played at the Old Course at St. Andrew's, and my dad has been getting up before dawn to watch every moment.

Talking to him today, he remarked that although St. Andrew's is one of the courses that the Open rotates around every few years, his experience of watching the tournament is completely different because he's been there. He knows how hard it is to alter one's tee shot based on the strong, shifting winds. He knows how awful some of the bunkers are. He's been in awe of the history and tradition of the place. In some ways, having played at St. Andrew's makes him an active participant in watching the Open.
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Something about having physically experienced a certain place deepens our appreciation of it. You notice more things in friends' vacation photos if you've been to the same place. If you hear a story about something that happened there, you can imagine the scene much more vividly. You realize how little pictures, even amazingly high-resolution digital photos, really can capture the beauty of actually being there.

I hear many people of faith say the same thing about going to the Holy Land. A friend of mine and her husband are leading a trip there in December. People who have been there describe reading and experiencing the stories of the Bible in a whole new way after they get back. I hope to get to go someday.

In an age where we have more access to information and images than ever before, there is still not substitute for having physically been somewhere.

Great Event You Should Check Out

Later this month in Pacific Grove, California, the Alliance of Baptists will be having their annual convocation, focusing on being "Born of Wind and Water". The event goes from July 29 to August 1.

This promises to be a great gathering for Christians of all stripes, particularly for progressive evangelicals that find themselves agreeing with many of the stands the Alliance takes (I find myself in this camp).

One of the highlights of the convocation will be presentations by Mark Yaconelli, an amazing thinker and speaker whose book, Contemplative Youth Ministry, is a must read. In fact, if you use the word "yacpack" in the comments section of the registration page, you'll receive a copy of Mark's newest book.

Also, if you happen to register for the event after learning of it through my blog, I'd appreciate a shout-out in the comments section on the registration page.

The Continuing Adventures of Shameless Self Promotion

I wrote the current round of Sermon Starters for Circuit Rider magazine. If you're a lectionary preacher, these may help jump-start your thinking as you sermonize.

You can view a PDF of them here.

Also, The Truth As Best I Know It Podcast will return later this week, as our technical difficulties have been resolved.

As always, any comments or questions are always appreciated.

An Apt Metaphor for the Church

I've been on vacation this past week, and I've had quite a bit of time to reflect on a lot of things. One thing I've bee pondering is what we're really devoting our energy to in the church. I'm talking about local churches, regional and denominational bodies, and the whole church universal.

Sometimes I think we're no better than the members of a society portrayed in my favorite Monty Python sketch:



I sometimes wonder if we're so focused on pandering to the values of our society so we can pad our numbers by getting some shallow "decisions" that we've lost sight of the lifelong journey of discipleship. We're too busy trying to cram people into one mold or another to embrace the possibility of God doing just about anything. In other words, we're too obsessed with the tangibility of "putting one thing on top of another thing" to realize that the whole thing is rather silly!

A Much Needed Word

I read a story today about a pastor named Matt Chandler, of whom I have unfortunately been unaware until today, giving an address at the Southern Baptist Pastor's Convention a few days ago. In his talk, he didn't hold back on calling out the hypocracy he sees in many clergy.

One quote literally made me stand up and cheer, causing my toddler to give me a strange look. "I, unfortunately, with a great deal of sorrow have walked away from the idea that all of you are men and women of the Word. I've just come to find that a lot of you are really good at cliches and really bad a tying in the Word."

Chandler articulates well my own frustration with many of my fellow clergy, and often times, myself.

While I probably have some significant hermenutical differences with Chandler (for example, I'd couch the issue in terms of the Kingdom of God rather than "The Word", but ultimately that's not that big of a deal), his critique of clergy is spot on. We often pretend that we have everything figured out and are afraid to admit that we are human beings on a journey like everyone else.

What makes us do this? Part of it is pressure we put on ourselves that is rooted in a genuine desire to please God, but it's twisted by a lack of real trust in God's grace. Part of it is the (either real or presumed) pressure that comes from the people in our congregations. On some level they want a "perfect" (whatever that means) person to lead them. Or it might just be the result of their experiences with other clergy who do a darn good job pretending they don't have any flaws. If folks are buying what they're selling, then they expect us to sell them the same bill of goods, too.

While Chandler's talk was directed at Southern Baptist pastors, his challenge transcends denominational and, dare I say it, lay/clerical divides. We all need the kind of reality check Matt Chandler is offering. I for one am thankful he had the courage to say it.

The Best Father's Day Present Ever...

... is the love of these two beatiful women.

Books and other trinkets are nice, but it's the relationships that make me a dad that make Father's Day so special.

I love you girls!

Podcast Episode 9- A New Kind of Christianity Part 2

The latest episode of The Truth As Best I Know It Podcast is up! Well, actually, it's been out there for almost a week. Less than 24 hours after recording and publishing the episode, the hard drive on my computer crashed, and it is currently in the shop. The good news is that sometime in the middle of next week everything will be fixed and we'll be able to record a new episode.

In this episode, we continue our look at Brian McLaren's A New Kind of Christianity: Ten Questions that are Transforming the Faith. Jessica and I discuss the first question, "The Narrative Question".

You can listen on Podbean, or download the episode on iTunes.

We invite you to read along with us and interact with us in the comments section. You can pick up a copy of the book at your local book store or by clicking on the link above.

Podcast Episode 8- A New Kind of Christianity part 1

The Truth As Best I Know It podcast is back!

After nearly a year, we're relaunching the podcast, and Jessica and I are spending the summer podcasting our way through Brian McLaren's A New Kind of Christianity: Ten Questions that are Transforming the Faith.

In this episode, Jessica and I discuss the opening chapters of the book and preview the sections we'll be reading through this summer.

You can listen to this episode on the player below, on Podbean (the fine folks who host our show), or you can download it on iTunes.

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We invite you to read along with us. You can pick up a copy of the book at your local bookstore or click on the link above.

McLaren recently teamed up with Spencer Burke of theooze.com and TheOozeTV, making videos where they discuss each of the ten questions. Jessica and I are intentionally avoiding these videos for the time being so we don't just parrot what they say, but you should check them out if you're interested in further interaction with the material.

Thanks for listening! Your comments and questions are always welcome. Look for the next episode, where we discuss "The Narrative Question" in about a week.

Guaranteed Appointments

Lately there has been a lot of talk about ending guaranteed appointments for ordained elders in the United Methodist Church.

I haven't yet decided where I stand or how I would (theoretically) vote on the issue. I can see both sides of the argument. There's no question that there are lots of ineffective elders who get shuffled around from church to church, creating chaos wherever they go. These are people who, if they were part of a congregational polity, wouldn't be able to find a job. In theory, the system would naturally weed them out.

On the other hand, I share the concern of many female and ethnic minority clergy who already have a hard enough time being accepted by many churches. A lot of good has come from bishops appointing a female or a person of an ethnic group that the congregation might not necessarily feel "ready" for.

I am currently a Provisional Elder, so while I have not yet been fully ordained in full connection with my conference, in practice I fulfill the same function as a Full Elder. I agree to serve where I am sent. Three years ago the Clarksville District Superintendent called me up and said that the Bishop was appointing me to Bethlehem UMC, and I said OK.

In an article I read recently, the Commission on the Study of Ministry has recommended that the Book of Discipline be changed to to remove the guarantee of employment for Ordained Elders, but that bishops would still have the power of appointment.

I'm not sure how you can have one without the other. Elders make the sacrifice of going where sent because they have the assurance of a steady job with a minimum salary. The article claims that "iteneracy was never meant as a bartering system", but the guarantee is crucial in light of the sacrifices pastors make.

What happens when an Elder gets on the Bishop's bad side and the bishop decides to punish them? (and don't think it doesn't already happen)

If this person has been faithfully serving where they have been sent for a long time, and if each of these appointments has included a parsonage, what happens when the bishop decides not to appoint them anywhere? They haven't built up any equity to buy a home. They might have a spouse who has made a lot of sacrifices or even given up on their career to support them in ministry, to say nothing of their children!

I'll be very interested to see the final report of the Commission, because it seems like there are a lot of crucial questions that need to be addressed before such a drastic change is made. I agree that some fundamental changes need to be made in our system, but I'm not sure this recommendation as it currently exists is the way to go.

Seeing the Floods Firsthand

We've all seen a lot in the last week. Some of it on TV and the internet, and some in person. Here's a sampling of what I and some of my friends and family have witnessed.

Saturday afternoon: up until this point we were annoyed that the weather coverage was pre-empting the Kentucky Derby (as a Louisville native, the Derby is a high-holy day for Jessica) and preventing all but one of our guests from attending our Derby Party. Once we saw these images on our TV, we realized that the rain was no mere annoyance.

You can't see it here, but the lowest point of Dunbar Cave Rd. (very close to our house) was under several feet of water.

Here are several photos Jessica took on Tuesday when she took a brief walk from her office on 8th Avenue in downtown Nashville:

A submerged SUV on 2nd avenue.

A view from the Shelby Street pedestrian bridge of LP Field, where the Tennessee Titans play. The thing that looks like roller coaster track is allegedly a work of art.

Joe's Crab Shack.

On Thursday I went to a house in Hendersonville with my friend, Gavin Richardson, to do some cleanup work.

This woman hadn't thrown anything away in decades. The smells gave new meaning to gross.

One corner of her garage.

Just a few of the literally thousands of people who have some from all over the region and all over the country to help. The three people in the foreground were all from different states!

Please keep praying for our state. There are many areas that were hit very hard and will take a long time to recover. If you're so inclined, you can donate to the Red Cross or UMCOR, and if you live near Nashville and want to volunteer, you can connect with needs at Hands on Nashville.

Middle TN Flooding

OK, the last post was obviously a joke. But there is serious suffering going on in the Nashville area right now. Here are some ways you can help.

You can donate money to the Red Cross, the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), or the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. These are all very reputable organizations, and you can be sure every cent of your donation will go to relief.

If you live in the area and can volunteer some time and energy, Hands on Nashville is doing a great job of coordinating volunteers.

If your church group or family can spare an hour or so, you can put together a Cleaning Bucket to help those whose homes have been flooded begin the recovery process. The page contains all the necessary items, and your local United Methodist congregation can help get it to the right place.

If nothing else, please take a moment to pray for all those who have been affected by the floods. If you're not the praying sort, radiate some good thoughts. Those are appreciated, too. We're in for a very long road to recovery here, one that will keep going long after the national media spotlight has moved on.

Who is Pat going to blame?

As the flood waters begin to recede here in the Middle TN area, we are beginning to survey the damage, asses how we did in the response, and what sort of things we can do differently next time so much rain comes in a short amount of time.

For help on this last question, we can always ask our old buddy Pat Robertson. Pat always helps us understand how the victims are to blame in any tragedy, whether it be Haitians after the earthquake, American society after 9/11, or Ariel Sharon after he had a massive stroke.

Who exactly will Pat Robertson blame for angering God so badly that He (remember, Pat's god is an abusive, insecure male deity with a very short fuse) would drown the city of Nashville, a place that is often referred to as "the buckle of the Bible belt".

I posed this question to my Facebook friends earlier today, and they had a couple of ideas. One culprit could be that enclave of theological liberalism, Vanderbilt Divinity School. Did you know they let a Jewish person teach New Testament there? For shame...

Another person suggested that God is angry with the Southern Baptist Convention, headquartered in Nashville, for not allowing missionaries to pray or speak in "angelic tongues".

Still another suggested that the Christian Music industry is to blame, since one of its biggest stars, Jennifer Knapp, recently came out of the closet as a lesbian.

A friend who is also a Methodist pastor suggested that I am to blame. Draw your own conclusions on that one!

What do you think, dear readers? Who will Pat Robertson point his finger of judgment at? Best submission (judged by Jessica and myself) gets an honorable mention on the blog and the respect of your peers.

Fox News on Mr. Rogers

I'm part of the generation that was "ruined" by Mr. Rogers, and I'm proud of it.



According to the fine folks at Fox News, "this evil man" has messed up a generation of kids by telling them that they are special for being just who they are, instead of telling them they have to work hard to be special.

First of all, I think Fox is playing with fire here. Many of their core audience are hardcore Calvinists, and Mr. Rogers was a Presbyterian minister. Don't bite the hand that feeds you, guys.

Second, Mr. Rogers was right. You and I and every single individual on this earth are special and wonderful for being exactly who we are. As someone trained in theology, Fred Rogers understood that this message wasn't just a cute saying on a poster, it is one of the core truths that the whole narrative of scripture is based on.

Genesis 1:26 says that God created human beings in God's image. If we are God's image bearers, then we are very special indeed. In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:26, to be specific), Jesus tells his hearers that God takes good care of the flowers in the field and the birds in the air, and since we are much more valuable to God, we should not worry (easier said than done, of course). Mr. Rogers was right: we are very special.

This doesn't mean we deserve an "A" on every test, as the Fox News anchors claim. That's silly, and Mr. Rogers, Big Bird, and all the other characters I loved as a child never told me that. American kids who have a gross sense of entitlement can't blame that on children's TV. Come to think of it, isn't blaming our problems on others one of the things conservatives rail against? Hmmm...

Mr. Rogers was right. And I am proud to be part of the generation that he "ruined".

Jennifer Knapp on Larry King

Larry King had Jennifer Knapp on his show recently to talk about the interaction of her faith and her sexuality (I'm imbedding Part 1, there are 3 more parts you should check out)



Here are some of Jennifer's best quotes from the interview:

"I've had experience with denominations that openly accept the rich diversity of the types of believers     within their communities"

"We are somewhat at the handicap of our interpretations of a sacred text"

"Any time we read a book or we read any kind of word that it becomes the interpretation of our life's experience"

"It doesn't make the truth any less truth or love any less love"

"I recognize that love is a choice; my sexuality I'm not so sure about"

"I feel blessed to be able to be fully who I am"

"Do not use my name as a substitute for the word 'homosexuality'"

At one point, when conversing with pastor Bob Botsford, who (not maliciously, but very smugly) condemns Knapp to her face, she asks why, if her being gay is a sin, and no sin is worse than any other, are they sitting there having this conversation? Why is she not in the other chair condemning him for some "equal" sin? (Jennifer was so gracious and respectful, and yet didn't back off in telling him to leave her alone. We could all learn a lot from her reaction.)

Larry ended by having Ted Haggard on, and I was really blown away at how gracious Haggard was toward both Jennifer Knapp and Bob Botsford. Haggard is clearly still steeped in the Evangelical community, but his perspective seems so much broader than when he was the pastor of a mega-church. He seems much more comfortable with the messiness of life while following Jesus.

In the split screen, Botsford seemed extremely uncomfortable with what Haggard said. The depth of God's grace often makes us uncomfortable, and Botsford seems to be very uncomfortable with people who are OK with not knowing the answer to every question because they trust in grace.

Many thanks to Larry King for providing such an engaging and insightful hour of conversation!

Restoring Stephen Baldwin

There's been a lot of buzz in the blogosphere regarding the Restore Stephen Baldwin website, with folks disagreeing over whether it is real or an elaborate hoax. Bloggers have used the site's mention on South Park as proof for both sides of the argument.

I think this is for real. Without going into too much detail (because I don't want to be mean), I got to know Stephen a bit when he was in a music video that was shot at our church in September of 2008. He seems like the sort of person who would believe that he needs millions of dollars so that he can effectively witness to the Hollywood community.

I won't offer much commentary (again, I don't want to kick a guy when he's down), but let me say that this sort of get-rich-quick scheme was much funnier back when it was done on In Living Color.

What Liberty University Really Stands For

Liberty University, the evangelical Christian college in Virginia founded by Jerry Falwell (and currently run by his son, Jerry Jr.), has invited Glen Beck to give this year's commencement address.

This is more than a little ironic, because as a Mormon, Beck would normally be shunned by most Evangelicals. Jerry Falwell called Mormonism a "cult" on numerous occasions during his lifetime. Beck was even dis-invited to an interview by Focus on the Family after people protested them having a "non-Christian" on their program.

So why would Liberty invite someone to practices what they believe to be a "false religion" to give such a prestigious address to their students?

Clearly Beck has been invited because he hates the same people Liberty hates: namely President Obama. Falwell Jr. claims that inviting Beck is part of "Liberty's long tradition of commencement speakers who are making a positive impact on society in all walks of life."

Don't equate "positive impact on society" with "social justice", though. Beck has told people to leave their churches if they preach social justice, since it's apparently a code word for socialism.

By inviting Glen Beck, Liberty University is proving once again that they value their identity as Americans (at least, their definition of what a "real" American is) more than their identity as Christians. The fact that Beck shares their political orientation trumps the fact that they think he is going to hell because of his religion. But this orientation is probably what led Falwell to name the school "Liberty" in the first place, rather than something more distinctly Christian like "Grace" or "Something Bible College".

Say what you want about them, but at least they're being clear on what is most important to them. The neo-conservative vision of America comes first. Evangelical Christianity comes second.

If You're on Facebook

Then you've no doubt seen the dust up over a group that prays for President Obama's death, and claims that it's a joke. Just when you thought we'd reached the bottom of the barrel in our national discourse, someone created a new low.

The really sad part is that lots of well meaning people (including friends that I hold in very high regard) joined the group. Have we been so bombarded by the Glen Becks and Keith Olbermans of the world that we're desensitized enough to think that praying for someone's death can be funny?

I'm taking a stand, and I hope you'll join me. Tomorrow from 8am to 8pm (local time wherever you are), don't log on to Facebook. The drop in participation will show the administrators of Facebook that people won't tolerate hate speech disguised as humor. If you're so inclined, RSVP to the Logout for Civility event page.

It's a small gesture (well, maybe a big one if you're a Facebook addict), but if enough people participate it will have a huge impact.

Merton on Change

I've been on a Thomas Merton binge of late. The biggest reason for this is that he lays bare his soul and says what he is actually going through, not just what he is "supposed" to say. More specifically, he really speaks to me because he always struggled with how his vocation as a writer and a priest could be an adequate expression of his calling as a child of God. He also struggled to live faithfully within a hierarchical institution that was very slow to change, even when those changes would enable them to more effectively minister to the world.

This one passage from The Sign of Jonas (a collection of his journals from 1946-1952, essentially the sequel to The Seven Storey Mountain) keeps coming back to me. Even though he was a Cistercian monk in the mid-twentieth century, and I'm a Methodist minister in the early twenty-first, I think at the core I'm struggling with the same issue he was in December of 1947.

"We cannot reproduce what they (twelfth-century Cistercian architects) did because we approach the problem in a way that makes it impossible for us to find a solution. We ask ourselves a question that they never considered. How shall we build a beautiful monastery according to the rules of a dead tradition? This we make the problem not only infinitely complicated but the reason why it is dead is that the motives and the circumstances that once gave it life have ceased to exist. They have given place to a situation that demands another style. If we were intent on loving God rather than upon getting a Gothic church out of a small budget we would soon put up something that would give glory to God and would be very simple and would also be in the tradition of our fathers. That is why the best looking buildings around Gethsemani are the barns. Nobody stopped to plan a Gothic barn, so they turned out all right. If they had build the gatehouse on the same principles as the hog-house it would have been beautiful. Actually it is hideous. 
... One of the big problems for an architect in our time is that for a hundred and fifty years men have been building churches as if a church could not belong to our time. A church has to look as if it were left over from some other age. I think that such an assumption is based on an implicit confession of atheism- as if God did not belong to all ages and as if religion were really only a pleasant, necessary social formality, preserved from past times in order to give our society an air of respectability."*

In that last paragraph Merton really convicts the American mainline Protestant church of our day, even though he was talking about his own Catholic order. Do we simply build memorials to some idealized earlier era and call it a church? Or should we instead try to ask the questions people in those earlier eras asked about how to most effectively communicate the love of God to the people of their own time and place?

I'm worried that we're focused on the former because it's easy, rather than taking the risk that God might actually be working in our own time. We can control how a memorial to the past will look, but if God is really in charge, we don't get to control it. That's a scary proposition, but as Merton shows us, it's not a new problem.

*This passage is found on pgs. 86-87 of the Harcourt paperback edition, right at the end of the "Solemn Profession" chapter.