tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85314772024-03-23T13:13:52.142-05:00The Truth As Best I Know ItThoughts, reflections, and other ramblings of one exploring the spiritual road less traveled.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725829998119648772noreply@blogger.comBlogger469125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531477.post-76263701772753312552017-01-26T16:44:00.000-06:002017-01-26T16:44:47.832-06:00Shameless Self Promotion- Post Inaugural Sermon EditionI preached at <a href="http://www.christumcfranklin.org/" target="_blank">Christ United Methodist Church</a> this past Sunday (January 22, 2017), which was the first Sunday after President Trump's inauguration and the Women's Marches that occurred all over the world the following day. The lectionary epistle (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+corinthians+1&version=NRSV" target="_blank">1 Corinthians 1:10-18</a>) sees Paul calling out the Corinthian church for letting their disagreements divide them instead of letting their unity in Christ be the most important thing about them. I felt that God was speaking to our society in this very tense political moment through this 2,000 year old pastoral letter, and this sermon was the result.<br />
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You can listen to the audio on <a href="http://www.christumcfranklin.org/worship/sermons/?sermonsite_action=view_sermon&sermonsite_sermonid=74706" target="_blank">Christ UMC's sermon page</a>.<br />
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Feedback, whether positive or constructive, is always welcome. Just keep it respectful and no attacking one another. After all, we're all God's children.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725829998119648772noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531477.post-2122207867928077692016-11-09T07:41:00.000-06:002016-11-09T07:41:33.434-06:00Thoughts on the Morning AfterWow. Just, wow…
I never really believed this would happen. I could go on for a while listing all the reasons that I thought would prevent Donald Trump from becoming President of the United States of America, but there are many are doing that better than I could ever hope to.<br />
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I will not engage in apocalyptic rhetoric, although I do fear what President Trump might do as Commander in Chief of our military. Nor will I lament the state of gender or race relations in our society, although our new President’s rhetoric speaks for itself.<br />
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Let me preface this by admitting that, yes, I speak from ridiculously unfair privilege as a white, heterosexual, cisgender, Christian male who has little to fear in the America that Trump and many of his supporters imagine. But I am also a father of daughters, one who knows and loves people in the LGBTQAI community, and others of different ethnicities and religions. I have genuine concerns for how they will be treated by our society and our government over the coming years, and I will stand with them no matter what.<br />
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All that being said, I speak first and foremost as a follower of Jesus Christ, and one who worships the God who is revealed in him. I believe that God became incarnate in the person of Jesus of Nazareth and “moved into the neighborhood” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john+1&version=MSG">John 1:14, The Message</a>). I believe that Jesus lived our life, died our death, and rose again to proclaim in no uncertain terms that while the violence and suffering, that death itself, may have its day, in the end, God wins. Life, eternal life, wins.<br />
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Jesus lived, died, and rose again under the reign of the Roman Caesar, who demanded ultimate obedience and loyalty. The earliest Christian confession was “Jesus is Lord!”, the implication being “Caesar is not!”- a statement which amounted to treason and led many to a death sentence. While Jesus-followers in twenty-first century America do not face such drastic choices, we must remember that our ancestors in faith clearly understood the choice between being a citizen of God’s Kin(g)dom and the kingdoms of humanity.<br />
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We who claim that citizenship don’t need anyone’s permission to love and serve others, because God first loved us (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+John+4&version=NRSV">1John 4:19</a>). So I choose to keep working on doing that, because that call transcends our political choices, lasts longer than any human kingdom ever will, and will be all that remains when all is said and done.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725829998119648772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531477.post-80631049921568468082015-11-18T16:14:00.000-06:002015-11-18T16:14:58.151-06:00Refugees Will Know We Are Christians by Our Compassion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoCHSJbu6pZOgG9sspEHmP9oGLGqqokgKyjIPpICELNwxuhO1qv4xRTy-ihG3y5zQ-hrElQrQn-AflyljgwFvnBATAiSW60zZO7W3PS_Sg-Bq9BG94vojpJhe-1SOlzcHjM1yr9A/s1600/Bible-school-primer-for-governors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoCHSJbu6pZOgG9sspEHmP9oGLGqqokgKyjIPpICELNwxuhO1qv4xRTy-ihG3y5zQ-hrElQrQn-AflyljgwFvnBATAiSW60zZO7W3PS_Sg-Bq9BG94vojpJhe-1SOlzcHjM1yr9A/s400/Bible-school-primer-for-governors.jpg" width="290" /></a></div>
(<i>Image courtesy of <a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/exploringourmatrix/">Butler professor James McGrath</a></i>)<br />
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In the days since the attacks in Paris, the conversation in the United States has taken a strange turn. Political leaders from <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/17/politics/chris-christie-paris-attacks-refugee-orphans/">Presidential Candidates</a>, <a href="http://www.vox.com/2015/11/16/9746456/map-syrian-refugees-governors">Governors</a>, <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/calls-allowing-syrian-refugees-grow-article-1.2437617">House Speaker Paul Ryan</a>, and even <a href="http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2015/11/17/tennessee-gop-leader-round-up-syrian-refugees-remove-state/75936660/">a Tennessee State Legislator</a> want to ban all refugees from Syria from entering the United States on the off chance that one of them might be a terrorist. (Our local official wants to do more than not let people in)<br />
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Others have weighed in on the <a href="http://www.npr.org/2015/11/17/456395388/paris-attacks-ignite-debate-over-u-s-refugee-policy">process of vetting refugees</a>, addressed the (still being investigated) <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/11/17/were-syrian-refugees-involved-in-the-paris-attacks-what-we-know-and-dont-know/">rumor</a> that one of the Paris attackers cross the border posing as a refugee, and compared leaders' responses to this crisis with their responses to mass shootings, so I won't rehash all that.<br />
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Instead I'll simply offer up a message I preached a few weeks back as part of a series at Christ called "They Will Know We Are Christians by Our ___". That week's theme was "Compassion".<br />
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I think it's particularly relevant in light of Rep. Ryan's statement- "we can't allow the terrorists to take advantage of our compassion", as if compassion is some kind of weakness. The word "compassion comes from the Latin <i>compati</i>, which literally means "to suffer with". My contention in the sermon is that compassion necessarily leads us to action because we allow the things that break God's heart break our heart. Failing to act is then, by definition, not "compassion".<br />
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<a href="http://www.christumcfranklin.org/worship/sermons/?sermonsite_action=view_sermon&sermonsite_sermonid=70441">You can listen to the audio on Christ UMC's site</a>, or read the manuscript below. The primary biblical text is the Parable of the Good Samaritan in <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke+10&version=NRSV">Luke 10:25-37</a>.<br />
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(<i>Quick note on the audio- after the scripture readers, the next thing you hear is one of our church members presenting a modern parable called "Information Please" that is part of the message. I come in at about 10:30 in the recording</i>)<br />
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<u>They Will Know We Are Christians by Our Compassion</u><br />
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A few weeks ago I came into the church office in the morning, grabbed my coffee, had a quiet few moments to center myself, and I opened my laptop to get started with the work day. At some point I opened up my Facebook page just to see what people were up to, and I saw a picture that I instantly knew I didn’t want to see. It was the image of a small child lying face down on a beach. I knew about the growing refugee crisis in Syria, and I guessed that it had something to do with that, but as I said, I instantly knew I didn’t want to see it, so I kept scrolling down so I could see a picture of someone’s dog or something else pleasant to focus on.<br />
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<a href="http://www.msnbc.com/sites/msnbc/files/h_52184435.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.msnbc.com/sites/msnbc/files/h_52184435.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a>Over the next few days it seemed like everyone I followed on social media was reposting articles that contained this picture of the child lying face down on the beach, and every time I saw it, I clicked away as fast as I could. I don’t need to look at it. After all, I’m a pastor, I deal with depressing stuff every day, why go seek out more things that will bring me down. And this conflict is halfway around the world, there’s nothing I could actually do about it, so I avoided it.<br />
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After a few more days, this picture wasn’t going away and I was running out of excuses. Clicking a different web page is one thing, but when I’m watching the news and suddenly changing the channel to avoid it, something’s not right with this picture. So I took a deep breath, clicked on the article one of my friends had shared, and I promptly burst into tears.<br />
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The boy in the picture’s name was Aylan Kurdi. He was three years old. Aylan's father was trying to get his family away from the conflict in Syria to Turkey, so he bought a motorboat from a man who dishonestly claimed it was sea worthy, and by the time they found out it wasn’t it was too late. Aylan’s father, Abdullah Kurdi did everything he could to save his wife and two sons, but he was the only one who made it.<br />
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After a while when I had stopped crying and could think straight, I began to realize why I avoided looking at that picture, why I avoided hearing their story and learning their names. It wasn’t because I had more important things to focus on, and it wasn’t just because I feel like there’s nothing I can do. I didn’t want to look at this story because I don’t want to face that the only difference between three year old Aylan Kurdi and three year old Claire Kelley is what part of the world they were born into, which they did not choose. I didn’t want to face that the truth that, had our unchosen, unearned circumstances of birth been reversed, I would be the unwelcome, grief stricken refugee in a foreign country, and Abdullah Kurdi would be the guy sitting on the couch with his family griping that the pizza guy was taking too long to get to their house.<br />
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I didn’t want to know that family’s story, because deep down I knew that if I did, it would break my heart. I know these things break God’s heart, but while I spent a few days avoiding it and making excuses, I wasn’t practicing compassion. I felt bad, sure, it’s not that I didn’t care. But compassion is more than just seeing someone in pain, feeling bad for a moment, maybe offering up a quick prayer and moving on, glad that’s not me. For followers of Jesus, compassion happens when we let the things that break God’s heart break our heart, and our heartbreak moves us to act.<br />
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This morning we read about compassion in Luke’s gospel. Jesus tells a parable we’ve come to call the “Good Samaritan”. This is a complex story told in relatively few words. There are a lot of things Jesus doesn’t tell us, so we have to fill in the blanks, use our imaginations a bit if we want to understand what it’s really about. I think Jesus does that on purpose.<br />
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Here we have a guy, presumably a Judean like Jesus and all his people, traveling by himself along a dangerous road (not the smartest thing to do), when he gets mugged, beaten up, and left for dead. Then we see three other people- a priest, a Levite, and a Samaritan. We’re told that the first two guys see the injured man and cross over to the other side of the road, while the Samaritan saves the man’s life. That’s it. Pretty simple story. So we start to wonder, “Why did the first two men ignore one of their own, while a foreigner did something?” What made the difference?”<br />
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Well, we could decide that the priest and the Levite were just plain jerks who didn’t care about anybody but themselves. That’s possible, but it’s not a very interesting story if they’re one dimensional bad guys. We could reason that since the priest and the Levite have important religious roles, and since they’re going toward Jerusalem where the Temple is, that their chief concern is maintaining their ritual purity. If they go over to check on the guy and find out he’s dead, they become unclean and can’t serve the people who are counting on them, so it’s a theological issue. That’s also possible, but the rabbis who interpret the law make exceptions for acts of mercy, so that doesn’t really work, either.<br />
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We’re told that the priest and the Levite both see the man, and they cross over to the other side of the road. It may be that they see the man, feel bad for him, sure, they care. But what can they do? They might say a quick prayer and keep on going, glad it’s not them. We’re not told anything about what’s going on inside the priest or the Levite, but we do get a glimpse inside the Samaritan’s head. He sees the man and is moved with compassion. He doesn’t simply feel bad, he sees another human being who could have easily been him if he’d started his journey an hour earlier.<br />
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The Samaritan sees something that breaks God’s heart, and he lets it break his heart, and it moves him to act. Instead of saying “what can I do?” as an excuse, he asks, “what can I do? I can tend his wounds, I can get him to a safe place, and I can put his hospital bill on my credit card. I don’t know if it will make any difference, but if it was me there in that ditch I’d certainly want someone to try.” The Samaritan’s heartbreak moves him to act. He’s the hero of the story because he practices compassion.<br />
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Now the good news is that most of the opportunities you and I have every day to practice compassion aren’t quite that extreme. Jesus tells a story about a drastic situation so his point is very clear. And I shared about my experience avoiding the picture of Aylan Kurdi because that’s what has broken my heart recently. But most of the time it’s not so drastic or gut-wrenching. Our daily opportunities to practice compassion usually look more like the parable Mark shared with us, where the woman working the information line could have simply felt bad for the little boy, but decided there was nothing she could do. Instead, she saw something that broke God’s heart, and she let it break her heart just enough to see what she could do to make it better.<br />
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When we see how God’s heart breaks for someone without a home, we can pause long enough to buy a Contributor, look them in the eye, ask their name, and show them they matter. When we see God’s heart break over refugees on the other side of the world, we may not be able to do much, but we can donate money to UMCOR, and we can encourage our legislators to make space for more refugees. That’s what I did. When we see God’s heart breaking because someone we know is clearly having a rough day, we can stop for a few minutes to ask how they’re doing, to offer to pray with them, to let them know that they matter to us because they matter to God.<br />
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Whatever opportunities we may come across, big or small, may our eyes be open to see what breaks God’s heart. May we let God’s heartbreak become our heartbreak, and may it move us to act. For then they will know we are Christians by our compassion.<br />
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Amen? Amen.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725829998119648772noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531477.post-65946442457743915232015-08-08T09:57:00.000-05:002015-08-08T09:57:40.335-05:00Admitting I am powerless- Lectionary Readings for August 9This post is late because I've been finishing my "statement of problem" for my DMin program. It's not a full blown proposal, but it goes a long way toward matching me with the right faculty mentor for the project. Once I find out if what I turned in is remotely coherent, I'll share it here and invite feedback.<br />
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This week's lectionary readings are 2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33; Psalm 130; Ephesians 4:25-5:2; and John 6:35, 41-51. They can be found at <a href="http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts.php?id=214">Vanderbilt's lectionary page</a>.<br />
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This week's psalter begins with "out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord". In the 2 Samuel reading, David is crying out from the depths as he realizes that he is in the middle of a mess he can't fix, cover up, or ignore. His son, Absalom, has died in a rebellion against him, even though David told his soldiers to deal gently with him. Even though David's side has "won" the battle, he has lost.<br />
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David wishes he had died instead of his son, because that is the natural order of things. Losing a child is every parent's worst nightmare. The very thought of one of my children dying before me makes my stomach clench up, and in my experience as a pastor, it is the hardest situation to walk with somebody through, because there's nothing you can say to make it any better. There are a lot of things that people can and do say that make it worse ("this was God's plan", "God needed another angel in heaven"). For David, knowing that it is precisely all his wealth and power that caused this situation that cost him his son makes his grief that much greater.<br />
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Not everyone goes through the pain of losing a child, but we all have horrible moments in our lives when we would give anything to make the pain go away, and realizing that there is nothing we can do only makes it worse. Friends in recovery from substance abuse call it their "rock bottom" moment, when they can't get healthy on their own. Admitting you are helpless to solve the problem and have to call upon a higher power is the first step in AA and other twelve step recovery programs.<br />
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The psalmist does the same thing, ending with "it is (the Lord) who will redeem Israel from all its iniquities". When we've really hit rock bottom, when we can no longer hide behind our see how powerless we are the only way to get through it is to let God work.<br />
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In the gospel reading, Jesus tells us how our grief, our pain, our hunger can't be satisfied by anything we can do, but only by the "bread from heaven" who happens to be Jesus himself. Some of his hearers don't like it because they're quite comfortable with the illusion of their own agency. But at the end of the day, following Jesus isn't all that different from getting sober. We recognize that we are in the depths, that we can't pull ourselves out, and look to God to meet the need we have to finally admit we can't meet on our own.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725829998119648772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531477.post-43603403285126522942015-07-30T16:01:00.001-05:002015-07-30T16:01:36.043-05:00Getting Over Ourselves- Lectionary Readings for August 2This week's readings are Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15; Psalm 78:23-29; Ephesians 4:1-16; and John 6:24-35. They can be found at <a href="http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts.php?id=213">Vanderbilt's Lectionary Page</a>.<br />
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There is a pattern that runs throughout the narratives of scripture, both Old and New Testaments. God does something incredible, people are amazed and praise God for about five minutes, then they forget and either go their own way or ask for another neat trick.<br />
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That's what happens in the Exodus reading. The liberated slaves' feet are barely dry from crossing the seabed that God had opened up for them when they start complaining that there's no food out here in the desert. Instead of smiting a bunch of people because they griped (there's plenty of that later), God gives them the gift of manna, from which they make bread and are able to survive during the coming decades in the wilderness. The Psalter celebrates that story in a song about God's goodness.<br />
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The same thing happens in the gospel reading. Jesus calls out the people trying to find him because they were looking for another neat trick. Instead, Jesus asks them to see the signs he is performing not as cool things in and of themselves, but as pointing beyond themselves to the God who is engaged in the work of healing and restoration.<br />
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Read the rest of <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john+6&version=CEB">John 6</a> and you see Jesus "thin out the herd" by dropping some hard teaching on them about his flesh and blood being food and drink. If you want a sense of how crazy this sounded to first century people, <a href="http://southpark.cc.com/clips/152220/jesus-is-crackers">our friends at South Park have recaptured it for us</a>. Lots of Jesus' hearers really heard him and split. When Jesus asked those who remained why they were there, Peter replies, "where else are we going to go?" They didn't necessarily like what they were hearing either, but they were all in with Jesus.<br />
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Perhaps we gravitate toward neat tricks because they're easy to wrap our minds around. It's safer if those things are isolated happenings rather than signs of God's reign taking over our world. If God is in charge, we aren't, and that's scary!<br />
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A huge part of discipleship is getting over ourselves and letting God set the agenda for as long as we can before we start yanking control back. We're only human, after all. When we realize we've been pulling it back toward ourselves, we own up to it and trust that God will help us do a little bit better each time.<br />
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That's what Paul is talking about in Ephesians when he says we should strive to "lead a life worthy of the calling to which (we) have been called". I used to be uneasy with this passage because I thought it was about never messing up, which is an unrealistic standard to hold ourselves to.<br />
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We can spend all our time beating ourselves up over all the ways we fall short, or we can read Paul's exhortation as an aspirational statement. "Strive to do better every time, because that demonstrates your gratitude for the incredible gift of forgiveness you've been given."<br />
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If I can get over myself, my need to be at the center of things and exercise control, then I'll stop looking for neat tricks from God. I'll really be able to respond to this invitation to a journey where things more amazing than I ever thought possible will happen, because someone a whole lot smarter than me is in charge.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725829998119648772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531477.post-4081033133503958652015-07-21T10:36:00.000-05:002015-07-21T10:36:15.040-05:00What Kind of God? Lectionary Readings for July 26For those who have asked the audio from this past Sunday's message on the 2 Samuel and Mark 6 readings is available on <a href="http://www.christumcfranklin.org/worship/sermons/">Christ UMC's website</a>.<br />
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This week's lectionary readings are 2 Samuel 11:1-15; Psalm 14; Ephesians 3:14-21; and John 6:1-21. They can be found at <a href="http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/">Vanderbilt's lectionary page</a>.<br />
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The psalter begins, "fools say in their hearts 'there is no God'". In college I remember my evangelical friends quoting this verse as a way of scoffing at people who didn't share their theological convictions. I thought that was a strange attitude to have if your stated goal is to get everyone to believe the same things you do. I can't begin to count the number of times I've heard people in Bible study groups say things like, "I'd be a horrible person if I didn't have God in my life, I just don't know how other people make it!" Really? If your doctrinal beliefs are the only thing holding you back from harming other human beings, you may have bigger problems.<br />
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I've encountered many people who are professed atheists or agnostics who are wonderful, loving, morally grounded people. And some of the worst behavior I've ever seen human beings engage in has been in church. Belief in God can't be the deciding factor as to whether one is a moral or immoral person.<br />
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Actually, maybe we should make the distinction between belief in the idea of a divine being and commitment to the God who is made known to us in Jesus Christ.<br />
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Let's take King David's story as an example. David certainly believes in God. God chose him to be king and was with him every step of the way on a very long journey to the throne. Right before this week's reading, David got the notion to build a Temple for God. The man was no atheist!<br />
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David's actions don't suggest that he stopped believing in the idea of God, but that he has a functional change in who he believes God is. He acts on a very base impulse, and does everything he can to cover it up when other people might find out what he's done. In other words, David acts like no one is watching. Or at the very least, that God doesn't care what David does once he's in power.<br />
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David may be operating with a belief system that today we call <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moralistic_therapeutic_deism">Moralistic Therapeutic Deism</a>, or MTD. In this way of thinking, God is primarily there to solve our problems, to help make us "nicer" people, and generally to help us feel good, but isn't really all that concerned about how we live our lives. David may not have yelled out "there is no God!" in bed with Bathsheba (that would be creepy), but he's acting as if the God of his ancestors doesn't exist, preferring the god of MTD.<br />
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The God who is described in the Old and New Testaments wants much more for us than to simply feel good and be nice. God cares deeply not only about what actions we take, but how we feel in our hearts, how we view every other human being around us. When David looked over to the rooftop, he didn't see Bathsheba as a whole person created in God's image, he saw an attractive body and nothing more.<br />
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In contrast, when Jesus sees a large group of people who followed him out into the wilderness, he doesn't simply see a bunch of dummies who weren't smart enough to pack a lunch. Following the god of MTD allows us to shrug our shoulders at people without food and say, "not my problem". MTD god even gives us bonus points if we give someone a dollar or a PBJ!<br />
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The God who is made known to us in Jesus leads us to view every single person as our brother or sister, for our hearts to break when we see them suffering. Following the God of Jesus means feeling bad sometimes! Jesus sees people who are so hungry for God that they just went, not bothering to prepare for the journey. So he invites them to a miraculous meal instead of letting them go hungry as a lesson to "be prepared next time". Caring for those who don't have access to the basic means of life is a baseline requirement of the God of Jesus, not a nice extra.<br />
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Choosing the God of Jesus over the god of MTD or countless other ideas of God out there is a constant, intentional choice, and it's extremely easy to adopt other gods without even realizing it. We're not strong enough by ourselves to get it right, so we pray with Paul that we "may be strengthened in our inner being through the power of the Spirit" so we can choose to follow the God of Jesus, even when it doesn't make us feel very good.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725829998119648772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531477.post-90706899999867486592015-07-14T16:20:00.000-05:002015-07-14T16:20:57.547-05:00Remembering Who We Are- Lectionary Readings for July 19This week's lectionary readings- 2 Samuel 7:1-14a; Psalm 89:20-37; Ephesians 2:11-22; and Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 can be found at <a href="http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/">Vanderbilt's lectionary page</a>.<br />
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I'll be preaching on the 2 Samuel and Mark texts this week, so if you're in the greater Nashville area, come worship with us at <a href="http://www.christumcfranklin.org/">Christ United Methodist Church</a> in Franklin at 8:30 or 11am. Or you can listen to the message the next day on the website.<br />
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I am really drawn to David's story this week. He's entered Jerusalem as a conquering hero, the undisputed king of Israel, and now that he's on the throne, his mind starts to wander. It hasn't wandered across the street to a loyal soldier's wife just yet, though that one is coming.<br />
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David gets the notion to build a Temple for the Ark of God, because he feels guilty that he lives in a palace while God dwells in a tent. David's heart is in the right place, but God says "no, this isn't your job. I've got someone else in mind."<br />
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I can't help but wonder if this was tough for David to hear. After all, David is used to being the man, the guy who gets things done. David may have started to think that he was the only person God wanted to use to do great things. He may have started to forget that while he had done great things for God, it was God doing them through him. Jr. High kids don't slay giants on their own.<br />
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We human beings are a pretty self centered bunch. Even when our intentions are good, we find a way to make it about us. Maybe David's desire to build God a Temple came with the unspoken expectation that David's name appear on the masthead, too. His intentions are good, but as a human he finds a way to make it about him.<br />
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Paul is reminding the Ephesians that there was a time when they were far away from God, and to remember that it was God that fixed the situation, not them. They're part of this great redeeming work that God is doing, but they can't forget that God is at the center of it, not them.<br />
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In Mark's gospel, the twelve disciples Jesus sent out to preach and heal come back with stories about people being healed, demons being cast out, and all kinds of other things. "Great work, guys!" Jesus says. "Now come away and rest for a while."<br />
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The disciples, in the midst of their excitement, would have quickly found a way to make it all about them. They'd decide they were pretty awesome, and the world needed them so badly that they had to head back out there right away! Jesus tells them to rest. They're in this for the long haul, so they have to pace themselves. And if they're worried about what will happen while they're resting, they need to remember that they're not the only people God is going to use.<br />
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They get to be part of the work of God's Kingdom, but they're not the center. That's an easy thing to forget. David needed to be reminded. Jesus' disciples needed to be reminded. So do we.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725829998119648772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531477.post-11888967459381476492015-07-06T21:10:00.000-05:002015-07-06T21:10:07.964-05:00The Confoundingly Messy Mixture of Bad and Good- Lectionary Readings for July 12This week's readings from the Revised Common Lectionary (2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19 and Psalm 24 <i>or </i>Amos 7:7-15 and Psalm 85:8-13; Ephesians 1:3-14; Mark 6:14-29) can be found at <a href="http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts.php?id=210" target="_blank">Vanderbilt's Lectionary page</a>.<br />
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We like things to be neat, to easily fit into categories. We want good news to be all wonderful, no "buts" anywhere. We want bad news to be total, as well. We might hope for a "but" in the midst of bad news, but if we're honest, it's easier to wrap our minds around something totally awful.<br />
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Scripture keeps confounding that desire by giving us a mixture of both. Sometimes the good and the bad balance each other out, but most of the time they sit side by side, somehow coexisting with no attempt to reconcile themselves. Only the most robust theological gymnastics can get us to a place where a passage fits our desired "all or nothing" mold.<br />
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In <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+samuel+6&version=CEB" target="_blank">2 Samuel 6</a>, David is bringing the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem. This victory parade marks his full ascension to the throne, the end of years of conflict where it looked like the end for him too many times to count. Yet in the midst of the victory parade, his wife, Michal, the daughter of the recently deceased former King Saul, looks at the parade and despises David "with all of her heart". And we know that David quickly gets complacent and bored on the throne, leading to misery for nearly everyone in his life. Good news and bad sit side by side.<br />
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In <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=amos+7&version=CEB" target="_blank">Amos 7</a>, the news is mostly bad. Israel has been getting it so wrong for so many generations that it seems as if God has finally run out of patience with them (if that idea doesn't sit well theologically, it bears mentioning that like many other Old Testament texts, Amos was compiled and redacted during and after the time of exile being foreshadowed- we simply have to consider the bias in the source). But we know that in time the people will return, that the walls of Jerusalem will be rebuilt, that Temple worship will happen again, for a time. Good news and bad sit side by side.<br />
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The New Testament texts are similarly messy. Paul waxes poetic at <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ephesians+1&version=CEB" target="_blank">the beginning of his letter to the Church at Ephesus</a> about how what happened in the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth is the culmination of what God has been up to all along, how this beautiful cosmic symmetry is good news for you and I, and how it all makes sense in the end. But the means by which we get there, particularly the suffering and death of Jesus of Nazareth, and to a lesser extent the trials that the early church is facing and their need for this kind of encouragement from Paul make a hard road toward the happy ending. Good news and bad sit side by side.<br />
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It's pretty much the same story in <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=mark+6&version=CEB" target="_blank">Mark's gospel</a>. We're told in a flashback how Herod Antipas is freaked out by Jesus because of his lingering guilt over what he did to John the Baptist. His insecurity and itchy trigger finger overcame what tiny shred of decency he had. His very opportunistic wife/sister-in-law and stepdaughter/niece (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AKELlAAN3w">ewww...</a>) manipulated him into showing how weak he really was. But John's exit from the stage makes room for Jesus. In another telling of the story, John himself says, "He must increase and I must decrease" (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+3%3A30&version=CEB" target="_blank">John 3:30</a>). John's martyrdom is a piece of cake compared to what Jesus endures, so part of being the lesser of the two ends up being the better option.<br />
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Sometimes the good and bad news that come to us in these readings balance each other out in a Zen-like way. But most of the time, just like in real life, they exist side by side, sometimes having very little to do with one another other than proximity.<br />
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That's why the Bible is so frustrating. That's why the Bible is so wonderful.<br />
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The Bible is so human and so divine at the same time. All these things that seem like they couldn't possibly coexist do, just like you and me. And mysteriously, unexpectedly, God is somehow in the midst of it all, somehow making sense of this giant mess we have made. It doesn't fit neatly into our preferred artificial categories.<br />
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It's confounding. It's messy. It's real. This is our story.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725829998119648772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531477.post-71603693761983331482015-06-29T13:51:00.001-05:002015-06-29T13:55:57.069-05:00A Different Kind of Greatness- Lectionary readings for July 5I'm going to try blogging again. I never made the decision to stop, but for about the last two years I've been so stressed and overwhelmed I just never had enough energy to flesh thoughts out enough to post. But now I'm in a new ministry context, part of a great staff team, and I don't have to solve every single problem that comes up!<br />
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The Staff-Parish Chair here at <a href="http://www.christumcfranklin.org/" target="_blank">Christ UMC</a> (who, incidentally I went to seminary with) asked me what was I "worried about" going from a Lead Pastor role to being on a staff. Nothing really "worries" me per say but the biggest change at the outset is not preaching every single week. So to get back in the swing of blogging, each Monday I'll post thoughts on the lectionary texts for the coming Sunday.</div>
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The readings for Sunday, July 5 can be found at <a href="http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts.php?id=209" target="_blank">Vanderbilt's Lectionary site</a>.</div>
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In 2 Samuel 5, David takes his place as Israel's king after Saul's death, and as verse 10 tells us, "David became greater and greater, for the LORD, the God of hosts, was with him." God's favor and David's greatness seems intertwined. But what did this greatness get him once he was on the throne? He murdered one of his most loyal soldiers to cover up a fling with the soldier's wife, his children fought him and each other constantly, and he died alone and miserable.</div>
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Contrast that concept of "greatness" with what Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 12, and how Jesus' hometown neighbors react to his teaching in Mark 6. Paul keeps asking God to remove his "thorn in the flesh", never elaborating on what it is, but God replies, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." Paul is not impressing anybody on his own. Anything great that comes from him is clearly from God. It may be that Paul is the one who needs that reminder more than anyone else.<br />
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The same counter-intuitive definition of "greatness" shows up in this week's gospel reading. Jesus is astounding everyone with his teaching, but the people in his hometown can't get past the fact that he used to play baseball with their little brother, or that Jesus took their cousin to the prom (he brought her home before curfew, of course). In their minds a great rabbi should have his seminary degree from Jerusalem and wear fancy robes. The t-shirt and jeans guy I used to wrestle with on the playground can't possibly be a great teacher.<br />
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God's definition of greatness looks a whole lot different than ours. Great things from God come through the means we don't expect. It has to work that way because we human beings are so thick-headed we'll come up with any reason to explain why something happened. "That guy's just really smart." "Wow, what a crazy coincidence. You sure got lucky!" It's easier that way, because if it's all up to us, if our definition of "greatness" really is true, then we have some measure of control.<br />
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The scariest thing, perhaps the most faithful thing that we can do when something unexpected happens is not rush to explain it away, but to sit back, look around, and say "huh, maybe God's up to something here..."Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725829998119648772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531477.post-54319251665126834822014-08-12T10:34:00.004-05:002014-08-12T10:34:59.839-05:00A Prayer for Those with Mental IllnessI came across a prayer this morning in Laurence Hull Stookey's <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/This-Day-Regular-Wesleyan-Prayer/dp/068707486X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1407857130&sr=1-1&keywords=this+day+a+wesleyan+way+of+prayer" target="_blank">This Day: A Wesleyan Way of Prayer</a> </i>(a daily prayer guide I'd highly recommend). In light of Robin Williams' tragic death and the resulting conversations around mental illness, I thought this would be appropriate to share today:<br />
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<i>You, O God, are the author of peace, </i><br />
<i>and in you is neither confusion nor disorder.</i><br />
<i>In Jesus you showed your compassion </i><br />
<i>to all who suffered with troubled spirits.</i><br />
<i>Therefore look mercifully upon those whose minds are confused, </i><br />
<i>to whom this world seems a jumble, </i><br />
<i>or who live in a world that does not exist.</i><br />
<i>In their times of agitation and anguish, calm their spirits.</i><br />
<i>In their times of clarity, grant them happy memories </i><br />
<i>and joy to their present lives.</i><br />
<i>Give wisdom and gentleness to those who take care of them, </i><br />
<i>especially to those who knew them in better times </i><br />
<i>and now feel helpless and anguished.</i><br />
<i>Grant them all the promise that in the end </i><br />
<i>you will restore order and peace within your eternal home.</i><br />
<i>Through Jesus, the Healer</i><br />
<i>Amen.</i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725829998119648772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531477.post-86449167359047196942014-05-18T23:48:00.000-05:002014-05-18T23:48:45.577-05:00An Emotionally Exhausting Day (the good kind)Today was simultaneously a great day and a tough day at <a href="http://www.arlingtonum.org/" target="_blank">Arlington</a>.<br />
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This morning at 10am we had five new people join the church. Four of them were baptized, and the other reaffirmed his baptismal vows. Each one of these new brothers and sisters have had negative experiences with church in the past, feeling unwelcome, judged, etc. Each of them said that Arlington was the first place they felt loved and accepted for who they were.<br />
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Their new commitments to Christ today are a testament to the love of God made known through the people of our church, who welcomed in people who were taking a big step by even walking into a building with a steeple on top. They showed their love over the weeks and months in ways both big and small, helping these people grow comfortable enough to enter into the communal journey of discipleship. Today was one of those days where the church was living into what God believes we can be, and I am very proud to serve as their pastor.<br />
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Today was also tough because tonight was the last service of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/theroadarlington" target="_blank">The Road</a>, at least for a little while. We're taking a summer hiatus, with the goal of returning in the Fall in some form.<br />
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The Road was our project almost from day 1 at Arlington. When I was first projected here and had my first meeting with the congregational leaders, they mentioned that they had had energy around an alternative worship gathering for a number of years. I replied that I had had experience birthing such a service at <a href="http://crievewoodumc.org/" target="_blank">Crievewood</a>, so very early on such a new service became our goal. A team of folks spent the better part of a year studying and visioning what it would look like together, and the first Sunday after Easter in 2012, we launched The Road.<br />
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Since then we've had good times and hard times. We've had big crowds and done worship just for the team that makes the service happen every week. Lately it's been more of the latter, which is why we're taking the break for the summer.<br />
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Having invested so much of my time, energy, and passion into The Road, it's very hard not to take the reality that the service is not effective in its current format personally. Intellectually I know that's not the case, of course, but my humanness keeps pulling me back into a frame of mind where it's all about me.<br />
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As we worshipped tonight, there was a good energy, and yet a strange sense of finality, like it was all over. I'm simultaneously relieved because I'm exhausted and need the break, and yet I'm also very sad because part of me feels like we failed. I know that's not the case, of course. We can tell stories of many people who have been blessed by what God has been doing through The Road, but that's my lesser self creeping in again.<br />
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So the great joy of the baptisms this morning and the disappointment of the hiatus beginning this evening sit side by side. Neither cancels the other out (which I suppose is a sign of progress, because my tendency is to let the negative win the day), but the end result is that all my emotional energy is spent, and I'm turning to blogging- a form of expression I haven't utilized much lately-to express it as best I can.<br />
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Today is perhaps a microcosm of what the totality of life and ministry are all about. Tomorrow's sabbath rest is sorely needed, then it's back unto the breach once more...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725829998119648772noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531477.post-25108452042808633092014-04-09T10:00:00.000-05:002014-04-09T10:00:07.900-05:00Shameless Self Promotion- Chuck Knows Church editionEaster is right around the corner, and our friends at <a href="http://www.chuckknowschurch.com/" target="_blank">Chuck Knows Church</a> have produced an amazing short film, Resurrection, that would be a great addition to your worship service if it includes video, or just to share with your family, friends, and congregation.<br />
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It shows how Christians get so hung up on Jesus' death and forget that the core of our faith is Jesus' Resurrection, and that it brings us joy! WE ARE EASTER PEOPLE!!!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/tF6_ANb54ps" width="560"></iframe><br />
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OK, yes, the first and last parts of this film were filmed in <a href="http://www.arlingtonum.org/home.cfm" target="_blank">my church</a>, and got to I play the pastor (I've never had to stretch more as an actor), but my obvious bias aside, this is pretty darn good.<br />
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If you're not familiar with Chuck Knows Church, it's a web series where the main character, Chuck (an actor named Josh Childs who is as friendly as he seems on camera), talks to the camera and explains quirky things we do in church like liturgical colors, different holidays, the funny stuff clergy wear, etc.<br />
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Happy Easter, Easter people.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725829998119648772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531477.post-80400437607549027612014-04-07T21:35:00.000-05:002014-04-07T21:35:18.877-05:00Return of the RoundtableThe Sermon Roundtable is returning.<br />
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For four years in Clarksville, every Tuesday night was a time when you could come and discuss the scripture passage(s) we would be reading at Bethlehem UMC the following Sunday. Those that participated ended up being much more engaged in the sermon on Sunday, since they had been part of the preparation process. Those who came on a regular basis really became theologians in their own right, growing in their ability to read the Bible critically in conversation with others who brought very different life experiences to the table.<br />
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I wrote an article about this gathering a few years back in <a href="http://www.ministrymatters.com/circuit_rider" target="_blank">Circuit Rider</a> magazine, <a href="http://www.ministrymatters.com/all/article/entry/630/collaborative-preaching-and-holy-conversation" target="_blank">Collaborative Preaching and Holy Conversation</a>, which you can read on <a href="http://www.ministrymatters.com/" target="_blank">Ministry Matters</a>.<br />
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I have wanted to bring this method of collaborative preaching to <a href="http://www.arlingtonum.org/home.cfm" target="_blank">Arlington</a>, but I could never really find a time to do it with all the other things I did each week. We're starting this now because over the last three years, all the mid-week Bible study formats we've tried have not worked, so we're trying something new outside of the church walls.<br />
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Arlington's Sermon Roundtable be meeting on Wednesdays at 6pm at the Starbucks in Nashboro Village (<a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Starbucks/@36.085916,-86.647515,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x31e70ad151b8290d" target="_blank">2308 Murfessboro Pike, Nashville</a>).<br />
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We'll be discussing the text(s) that we'll be reading at Arlington 10 days later. This week we'll be reading <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john+20&version=CEB" target="_blank">John 20:1-20</a>, which is the Resurrection story in John's gospel that we'll be reading on Easter Sunday, April 20.<br />
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There are no rules at this Bible study other than to respect one another. There are no dumb questions, no bad ideas, even if we disagree. This is a fun format where we can explore in a more relaxed environment than we usually experience inside the walls of a church building.<br />
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The title "Sermon Roundtable" is taken from the title of a book called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Roundtable-Pulpit-Leadership-Preaching/dp/0687011426/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396923883&sr=8-1&keywords=roundtable+pulpit" target="_blank">The Roundtable Pulpit</a> one of my seminary professors, <a href="http://johnsmcclure.com/" target="_blank">John McClure</a>, wrote, describing the theory of incorporating multiple voices in proclamation.<br />
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For those that may be wondering, I haven't given up blogging altogether. I've had lots of thoughts and feelings in the last few months, I just didn't think that this was the best medium to share them as I am thinking through issues of church, faith, and my own understanding of how God is calling me in ministry.<br />
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I'll try to post on a semi-regular basis, but I don't know when or if I'll ever be a regular blogger again.<br />
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In the meantime, if you're in Nashville and inclined to engage in some free form spiritual conversation, come join us on Wednesdays at 6pm.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725829998119648772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531477.post-59477876610143160152013-12-25T19:23:00.000-06:002013-12-25T19:23:32.132-06:00Shameless Self Promotion: Christmas in the UK EditionWant proof that the internet has made the world a whole lot smaller?<br />
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About a month ago, I got a Facebook message from Richard Corrie, the Faith Producer for <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/radiocumbria">BBC Radio Cumbria</a> (Cumbria is in Northern England. Yeah, I had to Google it, too), asking if he could use some material I wrote for their Christmas Eve broadcast.</div>
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They used some monologues that I wrote for a chapel service a number of years ago at <a href="http://divinity.vanderbilt.edu/">Vanderbilt Divinity School</a>, imagining what it would be like for Mary, Joseph and one of the shepherds, respectively, to tell about their experience of the Nativity story.<br />
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I published these monologues on Ministry Matters a couple years ago, along with some thoughts on how churches could produce their own such material, in an article called <a href="http://www.ministrymatters.com/all/article/entry/1479/the-christmas-story-in-first-person">The Christmas Story in First Person</a>. (The folks at the BBC only used Mary and Joseph. The Shepherd was my personal favorite, but oh well.)<br />
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If you're so inclined, you can go to <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01n3dvz">the BBC's website to listen to the Christmas Eve Service</a> from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Andrew's_Church,_Penrith">St. Andrew's Church in Penrith</a>. The service is an hour long and the whole thing is worth the listen, but if you just want to hear the monologues, Mary starts at 18:57, and Joseph at 32:50.<br />
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I hope everyone had a blessed and peaceful Christmas, however you chose to spend it. Thanks for reading, and as always, any feedback is greatly appreciated.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725829998119648772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531477.post-70175655117376509952013-12-10T07:13:00.000-06:002013-12-10T07:13:15.277-06:00Thomas Merton Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwaAKg1-D3W7MUPFeoycEp2cQiesbuJFgX5Kki3duGeORArOypvkKndhpA2HXiHB-VjkomdseNN65SvjUhEwq-vqLa7hQtBhY6SRiGGKJ-jOZd2GgYDU21bpOMJNlDcTPNBxyhtQ/s1600/father-bill-thomas-merton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwaAKg1-D3W7MUPFeoycEp2cQiesbuJFgX5Kki3duGeORArOypvkKndhpA2HXiHB-VjkomdseNN65SvjUhEwq-vqLa7hQtBhY6SRiGGKJ-jOZd2GgYDU21bpOMJNlDcTPNBxyhtQ/s1600/father-bill-thomas-merton.jpg" height="640" width="510" /></a></div>
72 years ago today Thomas Merton entered the Abbey of Gethsemani<br />
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45 years ago today he entered the church triumphant after being accidentally electrocuted at a conference in Bangkok<br />
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While not officially recognized by any denomination, he is a saint for writers, people who consistently wrestle with their calling, and to all those who crave honesty and authenticity in their spiritual quest<br />
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Happy Thomas Merton Day to all<br />
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(<a href="http://www.hopesingssobeautiful.org/index.php/2013/11/05/icon-of-holy-world-evangelist-thomas-merton/">Icon by William Hart McNichols</a>)<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725829998119648772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531477.post-72635107383259349632013-09-24T14:06:00.001-05:002013-09-24T14:06:57.052-05:00Shameless Self Promotion- Prop EditionI have a new article up on <a href="http://www.ministrymatters.com/">Ministry Matters</a>- <a href="http://www.ministrymatters.com/all/article/entry/4238/youre-a-prop-and-thats-okay">You're a Prop, and that's OK</a>.<br />
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I'm responding to <a href="http://homebrewedchristianity.com/2013/08/02/10-dirty-secrets-about-being-a-minister-w-greg-horton/">a recent episode of the Homebrewed Christianity podcast</a> in which a former pastor says that one of the downsides of this vocation is that "you are a prop" in many events like weddings and funerals that are supposed to be sacred and worshipful.<br />
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My contention is that even if people are requesting the presence of a clergy-person for the "wrong" reasons, it still gives the pastor the opportunity to have significant interaction with people they would not normally get to relate to. A pastor may start off as a prop, but they can make the most of the opportunity with the right attitude.<br />
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I wrote the article a few weeks ago. It just posted today, but given a recent video of a priest who went off on a wedding photographer (the editor thankfully did a last minute link to the video in the article), the timing works out great!<br />
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Read the article and comment here or on Ministry Matters if you're so inclined. If you like it, please share it with others who might be interested. Thanks for reading!<br />
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<i>Regarding the pastor in this video, the time to have such conversations with the photographer and or/ videographer is before the ceremony, but for all we know he may have and they didn't respect his request, or he may not have had the chance to. I've never had this problem, and I like to think I might have handled it a little bit differently, but I applaud him for pushing back and claiming his authority!</i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725829998119648772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531477.post-89951369233109454672013-09-11T11:08:00.002-05:002013-09-11T11:08:54.831-05:00Remembering September 11Anyone alive and old enough to be conscious of what was happening remembers where they were on September 11, 2001, when they heard that we were being attacked. For Generation X the Millennial Generation (I am a member of both since 1980 is the overlap), 9/11 is what Pearl Harbor was for the Greatest Generation and JFK's assassination was for the Baby Boomers.<br />
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I was a junior in college, eating cereal in a bedroom I shared with two other guys in my fraternity house. I was a couple years into my first youth ministry job, so I spent quite a bit of time processing the events with middle and high schoolers as well as my college peers.<br />
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Preachers have to come up with ten to fifteen minutes of new material every single week, so how I process and reflect on many issues usually ends up in sermons in one way or another. How I have reflected on 9/11 and the many issues it brings up is no exception, so instead of writing a lengthy post, I will simply share two messages where I share some of these reflections.<br />
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The first one, "The Renewed Creation" was part of a series on Romans. The tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks happened to be on a Sunday, and the events were at the forefront of everyone's mind that morning. We reflected how God's sanctifying grace draws us out of being primarily self centered into reflecting on God's other-centered love.
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The second message, "Terror and Resurrection", was shared the Sunday following the Boston Marathon bombings. That week also saw the manhunt that killed one of the bombers playing out on live TV, and a huge chemical plant explosion in Texas. The senselessness of violence and death was very much on everyone's minds, much like on 9/11. We reflected on how, in the face of terror and senseless violence, followers of Jesus witness to the God who enters into our suffering and breaks the power of death, claiming "Resurrection" as the last word.
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How do you remember the events of twelve years ago today? Where were you that day? How have your memories changed over time?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725829998119648772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531477.post-29754749867403093232013-09-02T20:31:00.001-05:002013-09-02T20:31:24.261-05:00got questions? The BibleWe've begun a new series of messages at <a href="http://www.arlingtonum.org/">Arlington</a> called "got questions?"<br />
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Over the summer, people submitted questions they have about God, church, faith, etc. Each week, we're taking one question (or a group of closely related questions) and addressing it. Most of the questions people submitted are of such depth that we can't claim to <i>answer</i> them, but we hope that in our reflecting together, we'll be challenged to grow and hopefully come away with better questions than we started with.<br />
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We got a lot of good questions about the Bible. What is it? How did this collection of books come to be? What do we make of it? What is this whole "taking it literally" thing about and is that the only faithful way to read it? (spoiler alert- NO!!!)<br />
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The audio of the message is below. You can listen here, <a href="http://www.arlingtonum.org/Sermon%5FPodcast/">on our website</a>, or<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/arlington-united-methodist/id446988855"> subscribe in iTunes</a>.<br />
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A few minutes in, we reference a video whose audio had to be cut out because of copyright restrictions. "Our friend, Chuck" is <a href="http://www.chuckknowschurch.com/">Chuck Knows Church</a>, and the episode about the Bible is below, as well.
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As always, questions and comments are welcome as long as they are respectful and on topic.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725829998119648772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531477.post-42777439512862447132013-08-28T09:00:00.000-05:002013-08-28T09:00:03.620-05:00#dreamdayToday is the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where Martin Luther King, Jr. gave a speech that provided a snapshot for an important era in history.<br />
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Known as the "I Have a Dream" speech, the most famous part of the address, <a href="http://news.nytco.com/2013/08/28/opinion/mahalia-jackson-and-kings-rhetorical-improvisation.html?smid=tw-nytimes">the ending, was unscripted</a>. It was a version of a set-peice that King had done a number of times in other venues. Preachers do tend to go down rabbit trails, and occasionally something good happens. :)<br />
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<i>If you want to read more about this, and about how King's vocation as a preacher was integral to who he was and what he did, read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Preacher-King-Martin-America/dp/019511132X">The Preacher King</a> by Richard Lescher. It's a fantastic perspective on the man and the era and culture that shaped him.</i><br />
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While lots of words are being said about the speech, its importance, and how it may or may not have changed the world (insofar as one single speech is capable of doing, which is probably a good subject for another post, perhaps the best way to honor this anniversary is to simply let the man speak for himself:<br />
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What is your contribution to this refrain? What is the dream today? Finish the sentence by tweeting "I have a dream that..." with the hashtag #dreamday. I'll be doing that throughout the day, and posting about it later this evening.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725829998119648772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531477.post-26262691672628511912013-08-02T14:16:00.000-05:002013-08-02T14:16:01.347-05:00Fantasy Football for PreachersThe NFL returns tonight with the Hall of Fame game. Fans can either spend the next month watching pre-season games to cheer for their favorite players for a couple of series running a small portion of their actual playbook, and the rest of the game for guys who won't even make the practice squad, or they can invest way too much time and energy into preparing for their fantasy draft.<br />
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Which one do you think I'm doing?<br />
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<a href="http://games.espn.go.com/ffl/tools/join?leagueId=413074">Workin on Sundays</a> is a Fantasy Football league for pastors, lay staffers, or anyone else who might be guilty of glancing at their phone to see how their matchup is going during the sermon. Bonus points if you're doing it while you're preaching!<br />
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<a href="mailto:matthewlloydkelley@gmail.com">Shoot me an email</a> or message me on Facebook for the password. This league is for entertainment purposes only. No money or prizes will be exchanged. Only lovingly brutal Christian smack-talk and bragging rights.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725829998119648772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531477.post-17829567540020795832013-07-27T09:35:00.000-05:002013-07-27T09:35:43.465-05:00got questions?- an upcoming sermon seriesAt <a href="http://www.arlingtonum.org/home.cfm">Arlington</a> we'll be starting a series of messages called "got questions?"<br />
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We've invited the congregation to submit questions they have about God, the Bible, church, and anything else faith related. We'll pick the most popular/interesting ones and address one each week in worship from August 18 through September.<br />
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I want to emphasize <b>address</b>, not answer. We might be able to provide satisfactory answers to why we use particular colors during different liturgical seasons, but we're setting ourselves up for failure if we assume we can answer the problem of evil or the existence of God once and for all. Hopefully we'll all come away from these messages with more insight and better questions than we came in with.<br />
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Because we <a href="http://www.sermon.net/arlington">podcast our messages</a>, I want to give the same opportunity to those who aren't with us physically on Sunday mornings. What questions do you have? Or, what questions do you think would be interesting to others? Leave them in the comments below or send them to <a href="mailto:matt@arlingtonum.org">this address</a>, then tune in to see what we do with your questions.<br />
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Speaking of podcasts, here is our latest message on "Rejoicing for the Right Reasons"<br />
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<img border="0" height="0" src="http://c.gigcount.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bT*xJmx*PTEzNzQ5MzU*MjkyODAmcHQ9MTM3NDkzNTQzNzQwOSZwPTEzNjgyMSZkPSZnPTEmbz*xM2ViZmFlZjkyYzY*MDBhYmVj/NzA5NzEyOGE1ZGI5ZSZvZj*w.gif" style="height: 0px; visibility: hidden; width: 0px;" width="0" /><embed align="middle" allowscriptaccess="always" flashvars="poid=1200068583&d=http://www.sermon.net/" height="65" name="mpp" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" quality="high" src="http://sermon.net/swf/ma.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="290" wmode="transparent"></embed>
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You can listen in the player here, on <a href="http://www.arlingtonum.org/Sermon%5FPodcast/">our website</a>, or <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/arlington-united-methodist/id446988855">subscribe to us on iTunes</a>. If you choose the latter option, please take a moment to rate and review us. Thanks!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725829998119648772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531477.post-82445442817288259962013-05-30T10:45:00.000-05:002013-05-30T10:45:10.510-05:00Two InvitationsThis summer at <a href="http://www.arlingtonum.org/home.cfm">Arlington</a>, we're reading the New Testament together using a reading plan from the <a href="http://orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/cellrule.aspx">Optina Community in Russia</a>, courtesy of our friends at <a href="https://www.youversion.com/search?q=cell+rule+of+optina">YouVersion</a>. The plan involves reading one chapter from the gospels every day, then two from the rest of the New Testament, beginning with Acts. At the end of 89 days (which takes us from Memorial Day up to a few days before Labor Day), we'll have read the entire New Testament together.<br />
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<i>Click on the links to learn more and participate with us if you're so inclined.</i><br />
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I'm going to occasionally blog about the day's readings if I find something interesting, as I did today.<br />
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I'm on day 4 of the plan, which involved reading <a href="https://www.youversion.com/users/matthewlloydkelley/reading-plans/150-the-cell-rull-of-optina-new-testament">Matthew 4</a>.<br />
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I'm kind of embarrassed to admit this, because I love both of these stories and I've preached on them numerous times, but it occurred to me this morning that these two stories are in the same chapter, and their proximity brings out an interesting contrast.<br />
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In the first story, Matthew 4:1-11, John has just baptized Jesus in the Jordan, and Jesus heads out for a long retreat in the desert that culminates in a proof-texting joust with <i>ha-Satan</i>. The absolute best meditation on this story I've ever seen is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Name-Jesus-Reflections-Christian-Leadership/dp/0824512596">Henri Nouwen's <i>In the Name of Jesus</i></a>. In the second story, Matthew 4:18-22, Jesus calls some fishermen as his first disciples.<br />
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As I was reading the chapter as a whole this morning, it occurred to me that both of these stories involve one person inviting another to do something significant, and the contrast in these invitations spoke to me about the crossroads we find ourselves at in the church today.<br />
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Jesus' verbal sparring match with the devil involved three challenges that either implied or outright promised a specific reward: "You've been fasting for 40 days. Hungry? Make some food out of these rocks. Heck, with that kind of power, you could solve the world hunger problem!" "Want people to listen to you? Do a cool trick so they'll know you're for real!" "Swear allegiance to me and I'll give you the keys to this whole place. Think of all the good you can do!"<br />
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Jesus' call to those first disciples simply invited them to act. "Follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people".<br />
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In a consumer oriented society, where you can't go anywhere without being bombarded by advertisements, one has to do something pretty special to rise above the din and get people's attention. We in the church spend lots of time and money figuring out how to most effectively answer the "what's in it for me?" question. We say things like "we will strengthen your family", "we'll show you how to find true happiness and fulfillment", or "you can punch your ticket to Heaven here".<br />
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None of these things are inherently bad, of course, but the message is fundamentally self-centered. "Here is what this will do for YOU."<br />
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Setting aside for a moment that the temptations were from the devil, none of the things Jesus were being challenged to were inherently bad, either. They would have allowed him to accomplish his mission in a much more efficient manner. The problem is that he would have been glorifying himself, instead of letting God work and provide the ultimate glory of the Resurrection.<br />
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Jesus' invitation to his first followers, on the other hand, has little to do with their own personal gain. He only invites them to follow with some vague metaphor that helps them understand that their new mission will be at least a little bit like what they already do: fish.<br />
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Perhaps the correct response to a consumer driven, ME oriented culture is not to make our message a barely Christianized version of an ad for a washing machine, but to offer a real alternative to all these other things that may promise ultimate fulfillment, but ultimately leave us feeling more empty and more alone.<br />
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This is a terrible marketing strategy, of course. We won't promise a stronger family, greater financial security, or certainty about anything, really. We can't promise bigger churches with more people in the pews and more dollars in the plates, who pay their full year's apportionments on January 1 (my apologies to Bishops and District Superintendents).<br />
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All we really have to offer is the promise of being part of something bigger than ourselves. We have the opportunity to the never-ending ME addiction of our consumer society and make a difference in the world that lasts after machines break down and clothes wear out.<br />
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In the process, we just might find a stronger family, more fulfillment, and all that other stuff, but it's one of the perks along the way rather than the end goal.<br />
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Maybe we should drop all the ME oriented marketing. Maybe our logos should say, "Let's get over ourselves and go do something meaningful". That's probably a bad marketing strategy, but it did work for Jesus. It's worth a shot.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725829998119648772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531477.post-61320462607754993112013-05-24T12:08:00.000-05:002013-05-24T13:44:23.768-05:00What Warms Your Heart? (Strangely or otherwise)Today is a special holiday for Methodists. Some call it Aldersgate Day, others Heart-warming Day, others simply Wesley Day. We celebrate the anniversary of John Wesley's "heart-warming" experience, which in some ways is unfair because his brother, Charles, had a similar experience three days earlier.<br />
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275 years ago, on May 24, 1738, John Wesley had an experience of his heart being "strangely warmed" at a prayer meeting on Aldersgate Street in London. It was not a "conversion" experience in the sense that he became a follower of Jesus in that moment. He had been a deeply committed Christian all his life. But Wesley had just arrived back in England after a missionary stint in the American colonies that was a complete and total disaster.<br />
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Wesley had grown up in a very pious home, and his type-A personality led him to try to control everything. As a result, he was always trying to earn God's love, and he had finally hit a wall and realized he couldn't be good enough and work hard enough to be worthy (however he defined that) in God's eyes. At this prayer meeting, he was hearing someone read from <a href="http://www.ccel.org/l/luther/romans/pref_romans.html">Martin Luther's Preface to Romans</a>, expounding on Paul's theme of how grace and nothing else connects us to God and makes us whole.<br />
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While none of Luther's works, particularly this one, are the most heart-warming things one can read, it spoke to the point of crisis that Wesley found himself in. He finally let go and made room for the Holy Spirit to assure him that he was right with God.<br />
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On this Aldersgate Day, I see the church wrestling with itself over how to "get it right". We assume that if we get our theology or ethics correct, if we have the proper stance on human sexuality, if we worship better or make better appointments, or generally achieve any kind of "better" performance (again, however you define that), that God will approve of us and shower us with blessings of more people in the pews and dollars in the plate.<br />
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So today, let's "let go", even just for a moment. Let's set aside all these things that we argue about, important though they are, and simply celebrate what we already see God doing amongst us. What warms your heart today?<br />
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It warms my heart to see the people in Oklahoma who are helping their neighbors dig through the rubble of their houses, even though their own house was destroyed, too.<br />
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It warms my heart to see the people in my church who are the most materially needy be the first to volunteer to serve others who are in need.<br />
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It warms my heart to see people reconcile with one another and let go of old grudges when they realize that life is too short to stay mad at one another.<br />
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<i>Update: </i>it warms my heart to see <a href="http://jezebel.com/5946643/reddit-users-attempt-to-shame-sikh-woman-get-righteously-schooled">this! A Sikh woman's gracious response</a> to a rude post on Reddit actually caused the poster to reconsider his actions, open his mind, and apologize! (there are some 4 letter words, but the heart-warming awesomeness is worth it)<br />
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Those are some of the things that warm my heart on this Day. What warms your heart? Leave a comment and let's bless each other today.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725829998119648772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531477.post-20585142382749003002013-05-21T16:17:00.000-05:002013-05-21T16:17:52.343-05:00Star Trek: Into Darkness and Theological AnthropologyWarning 1: SPOILERS to follow. If you haven't seen <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1408101/">Star Trek: Into Darkness</a></i> (you really should, and it's worth the extra few bucks to see it in IMAX 3D) and you don't want to know what happens, bookmark this post and read it later.<br />
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Warning 2: major geekiness follows, of both the sci-fi and theology varieties.<br />
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You have been warned.<br />
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Before seeing the new Star Trek movie, I read a number of reviews that had wildly different takes on it. Some said that it was amazing and the reason you go to the movies in the summer. Others couldn't get over the massive leaps in logic and the rather <i><a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DeusExMachina">deux ex machina</a></i> nature of the ending. Still others fixated on all the references to other Star Trek stories. I figured that someone had to be wrong and someone had to be right.<br />
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Well, it turns out that they're all right, in their own way. The effects are incredible, if somewhat overbearing. And there are lots of references not only to other Star Trek stories, but to other movies, as well. A fight scene near the end makes one think of the Mustafar battle between Obi-wan and Anakin in Star Wars episode III. A scene near the beginning where "John Harrison" wipes out many of Starfleet's top officers seems very similar to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Td8eEM9KDig">a scene in Godfather III</a>. I kept waiting for an admiral to protest leaving his lucky coat.<br />
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I think this latter aspect of the movie says a lot about the cultural moment we find ourselves in, where we're obsessed with irony and seem to award cool-points for one's ability to make as many clever pop culture references as possible. <i>Family Guy</i> and the <i>Scary Movie</i> franchise are prime examples.<br />
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The frequent references to other Trek stories struck some as lazy storytelling. After all, the JJ Abrams reboot found the best of both worlds, blending the established universe and characters with a clean slate/alternate reality thanks to some time traveling Romulans. The photo above appeared in the very first trailers, and I figured that's as far as the reference to the final scene in <i>Wrath of Kahn </i>would go. It turns out I was wrong.<br />
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Why not take advantage of the clean slate? Why not introduce new characters and new stories? After all, the alternate timeline leaves them un-beholden to the Trek cannon. Why tempt fate by risking the new Kahn not measuring up to Ricardo Montalban? (no worries there- Benedict Cumberbatch owns it)<br />
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We don't know if the filmmakers are making any kind of explicitly theological or philosophical statement. Probably not, as JJ Abrams has said he initially preferred Star Wars over Star Trek because the latter was "too philisophical". Nevertheless, he has created shows like <i>Lost</i> that have all sorts of latent theology, whether intended or not.<br />
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But, narrative choices aside, simply looking at all the similarities between the "old" timeline and the "new" raises questions of theological anthropology: how we understand humanity overall and individual personhood in relationship to the divine.<br />
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The similarities between <i>Into Darkness</i> and <i>Wrath of Kahn</i> go far beyond the presence of the titular character. A core idea explicitly stated by Spock in both movies is that "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few", both spoken at times when he was prepared to sacrifice himself for the good of a larger group.<br />
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Both films feature a main character entering a lethal radiation zone to fix a mechanical problem that would allow the ship to warp out of danger, saving the crew, but killing the person in the process. In <i>Darkness</i>, Kirk even tells Spock that his self sacrifice is "what you would have done".<br />
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Both death scenes feature a conversation between Kirk and Spock through the glass, the person on the outside having to be held back from trying to rescue their friend (again, see the photo above). And, of course, both characters are resurrected sooner or later so the adventures can continue.<br />
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Again, putting aside the question of what the screen writers were thinking, how is it that such similar things would happen in two different timelines? The alternate realities were created by time travelers who altered Kirk's life in a major way by ensuring that he grew up without a father. The butterfly effect resulted in Kirk and Spock meeting and forming their friendship under extremely different circumstances.<br />
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From these differences, one might conclude that such formative events might have led Kirk to become a fundamentally different person, one with whom Spock would have never developed a friendship. In fact, the first movie heavily suggests that their friendship would never have happened if not for the intervention of Spock Prime (the Spock from the original timeline who ends up in the alternate). But neither of these conclusions turns out to be right.<br />
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So clearly, there is the latent idea in the story that one's circumstances only have a superficial influence on who one is at the core of their being- that there is some kind of fundamental created personhood that cannot be undone no matter what happens to us. In other words, nature is more powerful than nurture.<br />
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The Arminian aspect of my theological heritage doesn't like the implications here. If Kirk and Spock are fundamentally wired to be a certain way, are they really free to choose these actions that come from their gut? Is their choice to sacrifice themselves to save others really heroic if it's not really a choice?<br />
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Then again, there is something appealing about a story where nature trumps nurture. The fundamental goodness in each of these characters, particularly the way they make one another better, can't be changed by those external circumstances. Perhaps that says something about the perseverance of grace in the face of all obstacles.<br />
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That would, of course, also suggest that Khan was going to be evil no matter what. But he's genetically engineered to be a megalomaniac, so perhaps the bad hands he's dealt in each respective timeline override the fleeting glimpses of altruism and genuine human emotion he displays at certain moments.<br />
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So, do you agree with the theological anthropology inherent in <i>Into Darkness</i>? Are we who we were created to be, regardless of things that happen to us that are out of our control? Or does nurture have a much bigger influence than Abrams and company give it credit for?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725829998119648772noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531477.post-24088141416068439902013-05-02T15:38:00.000-05:002013-05-02T15:38:43.384-05:00Thoughts on the National Day of PrayerToday, May 2, is designated as the National Day of Prayer and has been officially observed every year since 1952. There are massive public prayer gatherings all over the nation today, which is great.<br />
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Two thoughts as I ponder this day and what it says about our culture:<br />
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1. Participate in these gatherings for the right reasons, not just to make a show. <a href="http://www.matthewpaulturner.com/">Matthew Paul Turner</a> put it perfectly, borrowing the form of <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%206&version=CEB">Matthew 6:5-6</a>:<br />
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<i>And when you pray on National Day of Prayer, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to post about their praying on Facebook and Twitter and take pictures of themselves kneeling beside flags and in groups so they can be seen by others on Instagram. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.</i><br />
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2. Let your prayer motivate you to action. If you attend a downtown prayer rally but ignore half a dozen homeless people as you walk back to your car, then you've wasted your time. Let your prayer open your heart to see the person at your job or in your school who is lonely and excluded. As the apostle James wrote (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James%202&version=CEB">James 2:14-17</a>), your faith isn't alive unless it leads you to action.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725829998119648772noreply@blogger.com0