Saturday, November 29, 2003

Coming Posts
Monday I will have the story on the Thanksgiving Meal posted from my sermon tomorrow.

Tuesday or Wednesday I should have the final post on the Jewish-Christian thoughts.

Between now and then, I have to get some stuff ready for the PMJournal. I will be looking at the Sunday lessons for Advent in a devotional way in the week following their being used in worship.

I will also be finishing up some devotions that Pen at Gutless Pacifist asked for help with at his Peace Connections Lectionary site. I have Christmas. (Did I cheat and take the easy one?)

Anyway, that may be all the major posts for this weekend- unless I come across something interesting as I leap-blog around the world in my evening spare time.

Have a great rest of the weekend!

Friday, November 28, 2003

Photos Posted



Got the pictures of the Bald Eagle mentioned earlier today posted. The thumbnail here is a combination of two of the pictures. Go to my Photoblog for the pix.




Also have some pictures from the Thanksgiving Dinner posted.

Go to that Fotopage for all of them.

This Is What It's About
The following from Phil over at Signposts: I like it a lot!

I have had this quote by Keith Rayner in my Palm organiser for some time. I can't remember where I read it but it sure is good.

"I envisage a church in which everything will be tested by the principle: does it advance the cause of the kingdom of God? That is the only justification for a parish, hospital chaplaincy, industrial mission, a church welfare agency, a national church. Is the gospel being proclaimed? Is the faith of the people being deepened? Are lives being nourished and transformed? Are the downcast finding hope? Are human dignity and justice being furthered? Is God being glorified? These are the criteria by which we must restructure the church."

Darryl Dash at both DashHouse and The Dying Church has been busy finding some great quotes that fit this theme:


The image of much contemporary christianity could be summarized as holy people coming regularly to a holy place on a holy day at a holy hour to participate in a holy ritual led by a holy man dressed in holy clothes for a holy fee. Since this regular performance-oriented enterprise called 'worship service' requires a lot of organizational talent and administrative bureaucracy, formalized and institutionalized patterns developed quickly into rigid traditions. Statistically, a traditional one or two hour 'worship service' is very resource hungry but produces very little fruit in terms of discipling people, i.e. in changing their lives. Economically, it is a 'high input, low output' structure. Traditionally, the desire to worship 'in the right way' has led to much deominationalism, confessionalism and nominalism. This not only ignores the fact that Christians are called to worship 'in spirit and in truth', rather than in cathedrals holding songbooks. It also ignores the fact that most of life is informal, and so too is Christianity as 'the Way of Life'. Do we need to change from being powerful actors and start acting powerfully? (Wolfgang Simson, Houses that Change the World) [Linked from The Living Room.]

[And then again:]

I love this quote by "liquidthinking" in Making Sense of the Church about churches that embody the Gospel:

The gospel turns lives upside down. People quit their jobs in business and volunteer with homeless people. A church where the gospel is known is quirky, unpredictable, uncontrollable, uncool, seemingly unstable, and in every way alive. People are loved and the kingdom is built.

[And then his own thoughts:]

If the church stops putting all its energy into the big gatherings that feature the pastor as the main event, what good is a pastor?

I think this is a great question. The dominant story for me this past year has been the one in which Jesus told a couple of brothers, fishermen, to follow him. They dropped their nets (their livelihood) and followed him. Jesus did the same with a tax collector, who no doubt was making pretty good money. What if Jesus turned to a pastor like me and said, "Leave the paycheck and the church and follow me"? Would I? I hope that question answers itself.

How much better off would we be if every pastor got off the professional track and stopped worrying about the paycheck.



More Eagle Sightings
Standing this morning at the local Super Target ringing the bell for the Salvation Army, I looked up and there to the south was a Bald Eagle gliding and soaring. That's two sightings this week since I saw one over the Minnesota River on Wednesday. I managed to get a picture of that one which I will be posting as soon as I get it downloaded from the camera. Yes, we are soaring on wings like eagles. I believe God speaks to us in ways that are not hard to understand. As I have said, Eagles are, for me, a symbol of the ways the Spirit lets us take flight, an affirmation that we are doing what God wants us to do. (My interpretation of Isaiah 40.) Hence, when I see an Eagle I am reminded of that, and can find new or renewed directions. Serving others, whether through a free Thanksgiving meal or ringing the Salvation Army bell on a cold Friday morning, will allow us to soar in the wind (Heb. ruach; Gk. pneuma; Eng. wind or spirit) of God.

What are We Praying For?
In Marc van der Woude's weekly Joel-News-International Newsletter (Subscribe directly by sending
an empty e-mail to: subscribe-joel-news-international@xc.org, he reported this:

Many Christians pray selfish, trivial and even manipulative prayers. According to research the top three prayer subjects are meals, personal and family safety, and personal blessings. But there is a more fulfilling and God-honouring kind of prayer: pivotal praying, which means we learn to pray at higher levels. Both the intimacy we share with God and the subject matter of our prayers deepen. Our prayers become more progressive, rather than merely accomplishing damage control. Our prayer becomes mission driven, not maintenance driven.

He then links to a resource on Pivotal Prayer from the National Pastors' Prayer Network. That is how we learn to soar with wings like Eagles!

Thursday, November 27, 2003

A Prayer of Thanks
Thanks to Blogs4God I just discovered The Akathist for Thanksgiving- a prayer in the Orthodox tradition. Here is what Jim at Paradosis had to say about it:

It is a jaw dropping song of praise to God for all His goodness bestowed upon us...made even more astounding by the person who wrote it and under what conditions he did so. In 1942, while incarcerated in a Soviet prison camp, Father Gregory Petroff penned this wonderful hymn of thanksgiving. He would die a martyrs death there in 1942.

It is jaw-dropping and beautiful. Go here to Life's Cocktails for the prayer -or- here for a Word document of it.

I'm Impressed
I am impressed by the surprise visit of President Bush to Iraq. Was it political? Of course it was. Absolutely anything a President does is political by its very nature. Was it a crazy act of bravado? Possibly. Anytime a President goes into a war zone like Baghdad it can be dangerous. But, as Jeff Jarvis says in reaction to a Ryan Pitts post:

: Ryan Pitts says he doesn't much care how much Bush's team calculated the political benefits of the trip.
Right. This is above politics. This is presidential. This shows the support for the troops that they need and deserve.

I agree. Yes, war is awful and needs to be avoided. But when it is waged, we must not forget the men and women who are involved. When the war itself becomes more politically controversial as this one is becoming, those in the Armed Forces need to know that it is not about them and that they are not forgotten, especially on a special holiday.

Interesting
From Atrios, this interesting article:

Number of `Nones,' Those Who Claim No Religion, Swells in U.S. BY MARK O'KEEFE c.2003 Newhouse News Service
Their numbers have more than doubled in a decade, to nearly 30 million. Organized as a religious denomination, they would trail only Catholics and Baptists in members.

They are the "nones," named for their response to a question in public opinion polls: "What is your religion, if any?"

Some nones are atheists, others agnostics, still others self-styled dabblers in a variety of faiths and philosophies. Despite their discomfort with organized religion, many consider themselves quite spiritual.

Young people are more likely to profess no religion. One in three nones is less than 30 years old compared with one in five of all survey respondents. More are single (29 percent) than the adult population as a whole (20 percent). Fifty-nine percent are male. Their education level (23 percent college graduates) is virtually the same as the national average for adults. Seventeen percent are Republicans, 30 percent are Democrats, and 43 percent are independents.

Many nones believe in God. Nearly half "agreed strongly" that God exists. "It is more accurate to describe them as unaffiliated than as non-believers," said Ariela Keysar, study director of the American Religious Identification Survey.

If we are to be witnesses and disciples, that means that we need to be more aware of reaching out in different ways, not expecting the "old-time religion" approach to be the way to reach people who have decided that they are "none of the above." It is not an issue of religion, it is an issue of institutionalized organizations, spirituality, and a post-modern culture that has rejected what used to be.

Still Sorting It Through
The free Thanksgiving meal at our church went well. It was not what any of us expected. In other words, God was at work in ways we never looked for or thought about. I guess that means we were doing God's will. Suffice it to say, as one of our workers commented at the end of the day: "God is smiling!" More tomorrow.

Correcting the Myths
Thanks to The Evangelical Outpost bragging about how Thanksgiving started in Texas, I found a site with the Top 10 Myths about Thanksgiving. I knew some of them- and not others. An eye-opener about how we make myths to fit our circumstances. Here are the Top 10, but you have to go to the site to read about them.

Top 10 Myths About Thanksgiving By Rick Shenkman
~~ MYTH # 1
The Pilgrims Held the First Thanksgiving

~~ MYTH # 2
Thanksgiving Was About Family

~~ MYTH # 3
Thanksgiving Was About Religion

~~ MYTH # 4
The Pilgrims Ate Turkey

~~ MYTH # 5
The Pilgrims Landed on Plymouth Rock

~~ MYTH # 6
Pilgrims Lived in Log Cabins

~~ MYTH # 7
Pilgrims Dressed in Black

~~ MYTH # 8
Pilgrims, Puritans -- Same Thing

~~ MYTH # 9
Puritans Hated Sex

~~ MYTH # 10
Puritans Hated Fun

Wednesday, November 26, 2003

Getting Ready for Giving Thanks
It is late on the evening before Thanksgiving. I sit here with a turkey baking a few feet away. My wife has hit her bottom and has gone to bed. The church is all set up and ready for whoever shows up tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. The smell of the baking has me more excited than ever about the opportunity we have with this first free community Thanksgiving meal.

It is all about giving. Thanksgiving is not about what I get or about what I will eat. True gratitude always reaches out to others. The attitude of gratitude is to humbly realize that I have been blessed and as a result I give back. The world owes me nothing. I owe my creator and my God everything. Will let you know tomorrow what happens.

Waiting at the Door
Went to the airport this evening to pick up some people coming to town for Thanksgiving. As you may have heard on a newscast, this is the busiest travel day of the year. I would affirm that. I have never seen the Twin Cities airport that busy. Cars lined up. People by the scores waiting by the baggage claims for that loved one they are picking up.

With Sunday being the first Sunday of Advent, my sermon-machine mind went to the promise of Advent. It is a time of waiting, of course. But it is also the time to remember what is going to be in the return of our Lord. No matter how we may interpret the various theologies, it all boils down to waiting. Like the people at the airport. There is this barrier- the secure area that you Do Not Enter! You watch and wait for the glimpse of the person you are waiting for. You check and re-check the arrivals and baggage claims. You look around knowing you are not alone.

A cry goes up- there, I see him. A family moves toward the door as the son from the Army, the daughter from college, the first grandchild comes through.

Our lives are like standing at a door like that. There is this barrier between the now and the forever. We watch and wait expectantly for the coming of the Loved One who loves us more than we can ever know. We look for the signs, check the information we have and still have to wait. We know it will happen. We know that sooner or later the door will open and down the escalator of the Second Coming Jesus will appear. We know that. But we can so easily forget that it is going to be as joyous and exciting and wonderful as that hug the mom receives from the son she hasn's seen in months, or the embrace of two sisters reunited.

May we not forget that this is the final story of Advent- and it is truly what we are waiting for.


cover
Christmas CD of the Day
I don't promise to do this everyday, but will try to update you on what I am listening to for the Christmas season. I love Christmas music and own far more Christmas CDs than I need to. One of my all-time favorites is:
La Fiesta de la Posada by Dave Brubeck. I first heard this on a jazz show on public radio 20 years ago. I love the music- it is eclectic: choral, mariachi, Mexican, Brubeck piano jazz and just plain wonderful.

The Fiesta de la Posada (the Festival of the Inn) is, I understand, a Mexican tradition. People go through the streets re-enacting the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem. Brubeck has taken the story and turned it into a wonderful musical celebration.

It was first recorded in 1976 and released on CD in 1997. I am not sure that it is still in print, but if you like Dave Brubeck, this is worth finding!

Tuesday, November 25, 2003

Whoa!
I am not one of those rabid put Christ back into Christmas people. I find it better to take Christ out of Christmas and put him into the other 364 days of the year. That's what being a disciple is all about.

I also am not one of those who criticize the Christmas and Easter Christians for only showing up twice a year. I am glad that there is still enough pull and desire to bring them then. Very few adults go to church on Christmas because someone is making them. It is my experience that they go because they have a deep sense of longing that is touched, if only momentarily at Christmas.

I am a person who loves the Advent and Christmas season. I start reviewing the Christmas CDs around November 1 and am always looking forward to new ones (of just about any style) to add to my collection.

Having said all that, I received the following from a friend in an e-mail this morning. I normally ignore these but this one hit me.

This morning I heard a story on the radio of a woman who was out Christmas shopping with her two children. After many hours of looking at row after row of toys and everything else imaginable, and after hours of hearing both her children asking for everything they saw on those many shelves, she finally made it to the elevator with her two kids.

She was feeling what so many of us feel during the holiday season time of the year. Overwhelming pressure to go to every party, every housewarming,taste all the holiday food and treats, getting that perfect gift for every single person on our shopping list, making sure we don't forget anyone on our card list, and the pressure of making sure we respond to everyone who sent us a card.

Finally the elevator doors opened and there was already a crowd in the car. She pushed her way into the car and dragged her two kids in with her and all the bags of stuff. When the doors closed she couldn't take it anymore and stated, "Whoever started this whole Christmas thing should be found, strung up and shot."

From the back of the car everyone heard a quiet calm voice respond, "Don't worry, we already crucified him."

For the rest of the trip down the elevator it was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.

In the Christmas narrative itself we find more than a few hints of the coming crucifixion. It is not an entirely joyous season in the scriptures or even in many of the traditional carols. It is a bittersweet quality to Christmas. It is what makes it so powerful to Christians. He is being born to die- for us.

No, this is not a Scrooge-type downer. This is also the source of the promise of the angels in that darkened sky. It is the promise of the Wise Men (who are really not a part of the Christmas story but the broader birth narrative) to the whole world.

Which is why, more than before, I am deciding that somehow or another this Advent season will be one of some type of fasting. I found some good links to some stuff that Bill Bright did on fasting. Your Personal Guide to Fasting and Prayer.

Just some thoughts as we move closer to Advent.

Monday, November 24, 2003

A Scary Trend
From The Guardian comes a story about what appears to be a scary trend in Europe- a rising anti-Semitism.

Sixty years after the Holocaust, European Jews and Israelis are increasingly wondering if Europe is being sucked into the worst wave of anti-semitism since the second world war.

In the past few weeks, a German MP was forced to resign after saying that Jews were responsible for Soviet atrocities, and the commander of the German army's special forces was sacked for agreeing with him.

Then came the observation by the Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis that Jews are at the root of all evil, and the firebombing of a Jewish school in Paris.

"Anti-semitism has become politically correct in Europe," said Natan Sharansky, the former Soviet dissident and minister in Ariel Sharon's government.
Link thanks to Jeff Jarvis.

Back to the Trade Center by Train
And speaking of Jeff Jarvis... He was on the last PATH train to the Trade Center on 9/11 and has now been on a train back. Go here for his reflections.

Bald Eagles
Over the past few weeks I have been humbled to see a number of Bald Eagles. The most recent was this morning driving south through the Minnesota Valley Wildlife Refuge. This one was flying, no doubt having recently taken off from a tree branch. Saw two in the trees a couple weeks ago. Never have my camera along when I see them, but will start carrying it when I know I am heading that direction.

They are a majestic bird. I know that Ben Franklin didn't want them to be the national symbol. They are carrion eaters- scavengers. He wanted the turkey. But when you think about, aren't most "wild" animals scavengers? Don't most of them have to go someplace other than the supermarket or local restaurant for their food? In any case, I have been a fan of birds of prey for over 30 years since I started going to a place called Hawk Mountain in Pennsylvania. The effortless soaring of hawks and eagles, the incredible power in their flight. God made a gem in these birds.

They are also more than the symbol of the US. Isaiah lifted the hearts of his listeners with their image. Chapter 40 of Isaiah begins with the great words: Comfort, comfort my people. It ends with even more awesome words:

28 Do you not know? Have you not heard?
   The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.
   He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.
   They will soar on wings like eagles;
   they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
--NIV

As I watch the Eagle I am reminded that each day I too can soar in the power and love of God. I am reminded that I need not be bound, even now, by the limitations of weariness or tiredness that causes me to stumble and fall. With God, the power of the creator of all is with me. Thank you, Lord, for the witness of the Eagle you have created. May I always be reminded when I see one soaring- or even resting- that you have as much and more for me that no one can ever take away. Thank you, my Lord and my God. Amen.

Sunday, November 23, 2003

Four Things Necessary About Being a Witness
In church this morning we had a friend of mine come and speak on mission. He has been a youth minister and worked in mission in Mexico. He is one of the new breed of mission workers who believes first and foremost in relational evangelism. He used 1 Thessalonians 1 & 2 to talk about the ways of being a witness- which all Christians are called to be.

He talked about:

~~ Work in a Team. Don't ever go it alone. Paul always had others with him and picked up more people on the way.

~~ Live with the people. In the old mission days the missionaries lived in the Big House or the special place, locked and gated, a refuge from the heathen world they were trying to convert. Today we all need to live with the people to learn their language and culture and needs, not what we impose on them.

~~ Share both the Gospel and your life. In other words, don't be aloof, but be a servant with the people.

~~ Set an example- in other words- disciple others. We all do it. We are always setting an example, so what is it you are going to share? Do you live like you believe- truly believe what you are saying is true?

In all of this never forget that God is present at all times in words, the Word, and Power.

Great stuff. He did say that this seems to be more difficult in the urban, American environment than it was in the small mountain cities of Mexico, but he is working on it. It sounded like the ways of the emerging church as we all seek to find ways to connect with all those who are outside instead of just playing membership shuffle.

Members - or Disciples?
A thought came to me during the sermon this morning as Owen was talking about making disciples and the place of disciples is to be taught how to be a follower of Jesus in the world. I realized that the difference between recruiting members and recruiting disciples is this:
   ~~ When you recruit members you are trying to bring people in.
   ~~ When you recruit disciples you are trying to send people out.
   ~~ Members are for us and our survival.
   ~~ Disciples are for others and for God's Kingdom.

Finally, A Photoblog
Set up- at last- my photoblog. For my first pix I posted some of the wimpy snowstorm pictures from this afternoon. More stuff coming.

OK, Maybe It Wasn't That Wimpy
Officially at the weather service office only 4 miles from where I live, there was 6" of snow- which is more than in any storm last winter. In portions of the state there was a major storm of up to 12". The forecast was right- but for a different part of the state than where I live. And with that, the end of the discussion on this storm.

Barry's Postulates - or Something Like That
a) The further ahead the storm looks like The Big One the less likely it will be.
b) The News Media needs to make every storm look like The Big One.
c) Computers know less than your average forecaster about The Big One so it is better to trust your intuition.

In short, we didn't get an old-fashioned snow storm. It just snowed. Oh well.

Saturday, November 22, 2003

Snow begins
The snow has begun slowly. It is still predicted to be a biggie by Monday morning. We'll see.

Just Getting Ready
Found an interesting article at Christian History Institute on Tolkein's Christian symbolism. The Return of the King is coming soon!

Some Football
Michigan over Ohio State, 35-21, heads to the Rose Bowl!
Wisconsin lost to Iowa, 21-27, in a real heartbreaker. Yeah!
USC romped over UCLA, 47-15, looking like a "contendah".
Oklahoma crushed Texas Tech, 56-25- the other Big Game possibility.
Michigan State over Penn State, 41-10, leaving PSU with a 3-9 record, JoePa's and PSU's worst season ever. Happy Valley- isn't.
and in the Big One...
Lehigh over Lafayette, 30-10, in the 139th meeting of college football’s most played rivalry. All's well in the world.

On This Date...
Pen at The Gutless Pacifist reminds us that on this date 40 years ago a truly great man died. He posts the op-ed article, A Mind That Grasped Both Heaven and Hell, from today's New York Times on the death of C. S. Lewis.

Christian and Left-Wing?
Richard Hall of Connexions posting over at Blogs4God reminds readers in reaction to a review at First Things:

And -- though I'm getting as tired of saying this as some of you are to listening to me say it -- the reviewer needs to be reminded that it is not unknown for real God-fearing Bible-believing Christians to be left wing. Get used to it.

Way to go, Richard. Like Richard I get tired of saying that conservative political positions are not necessarily co-existent (or even co-existable) with the Christian faith. Jesus was not a political conservative. He was out to establish more fully the presence of the Kingdom of God in the world. The Kingdoms of this world are not that and never will be.

Still Snowing
Not to bore you or anything, but in the hour and a half since I started working on this the snow has continued and has increased. Perhaps the weather forecast is right. It has been a while since we have had a big snow like this. Last winter our biggest snow was around 5 inches. Now, mind you, if this becomes a habit I will start whining and wondering why I live in the cold and forzen northland. But this first storm is always fun.

The question I have is why do the Big Ones always seem to happen when Big Things are to happen at church. Tomorrow is to be Mission Festival with my friend, Owen, talking about his year in mission. Then the community Thanksgiving Service is to be tomorrow evening. Oh well!

Forty Years Later

We in this country, in this generation, are--by destiny rather than choice--the watchmen on the walls of world freedom. We ask, therefore, that we may be worthy of our power and responsibility, that we may exercise our strength with wisdom and restraint, and that we may achieve in our time and for all time the ancient vision of "peace on earth, good will toward men." That must always be our goal, and the righteousness of our cause must always underlie our strength. For as was written long ago: 'except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.'
Link to Blithering Idiot

No, these are not the words of any contemporary person. They are from the speech that John Kennedy was to deliver in Dallas, TX, 40 years ago today. They are posted by the JFK Library. Reading them reminded me of the excellent way Kennedy had with words. He could be both extremely challenging and highly motivating (thanks to some very high quality writers and his own ability at public speaking) . Today, after many years of political cynicism, we forget how powerful the words of the Inaugural Address were at the time: to "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." Or the words at the United Nations on Nuclear Disarmament September 25, 1961:

But however close we sometimes seem to that dark and final abyss, let no man of peace and freedom despair. For he does not stand alone. If we all can persevere, if we can in every land and office look beyond our own shores and ambitions, then surely the age will dawn in which the strong are just and the weak secure and the peace preserved.

Ladies and gentlemen of this Assembly, the decision is ours. Never have the nations of the world had so much to lose, or so much to gain. Together we shall save our planet, or together we shall perish in its flames. Save it we can--and save it we must--and then shall we earn the eternal thanks of mankind and, as peacemakers, the eternal blessing of God.


Following his assassination we had 10 years of war in Vietnam and the streets of our cities, 10 years of deepening uncertainty and division, 10 years that ended in Watergate and a divided political cynicism that still flourishes today. For a few years we had hope. Yes, we know looking back with realism that such hope would never have been as idealistic as we wanted. We know that Kennedy was not the superman or super-president that we wanted him to be. We know that there were as many skeletons in his closet as anyone elses.

But we had hope and we were inspired.

Back then I was an aspiring politician-type. I was an avid political junkie for an early teenager. I even had the inaugural address memorized. (No, I didn't have a life.) The dark days of November, 1963, which came only 6 days after my grandfather died, were haunting and fearful and lonely.

Less than five years later, on an April evening, my second hero- Martin Luther King died. Two months after that, Robert Kennedy.

I became a pacifist as I saw violence and hatred killing all hopes of peace. For me that may be the greatest result of the assassinations of the 60s. My world changed- make no mistake about it. Not because I idolized JFK. By the time of his brother's death I had a more realistic view of JFK. But the promise of lasting change, of youthful optimism were replaced by the nagging sense that in the end nothing makes any difference in the political realm. The status quo always wins.

Would the world have gone through the same hell if JFK had lived? No. It would have been a different hell. We probably would have seen Kennedy's clay feet or hawkish tendencies or personal shortcomings get in the way. No- because the Civil Rights act would probably not have been passed- Johnson used the sympathy for JFK to get it into law. No- because the world was changing and changing rapidly, even as early as 1963. The Baby Boomers were just beginning to come into their own. In 1963 the oldest Boomers were just turning 20. We would have had our tantrums no matter who was president.

So today, 40 years later, I see this anniversary being as much a memorial to a way of life that was dying already but we didn't know how much it was about to change. I see it as a way of remembering one of the reasons for the cynicism that became the political ways of a generation. I see it as a reminder that there can be hope, but if we put all that hope into a simple mortal, we will always be disappointed. I am a recovering politician.

I also hope we look back at JFK's words and realize how far we have strayed from his liberal conservatism-
   a sense of giving to our nation and not just taking-
   a sense of pride in where we have been and what we can do if we put our mind to it-
   a sense that because we have been given much, much is also required of us nationally and globally-
   a sense that idealism, tempered with realism and infused with hope can be a rallying cry.

Above all else, today, as I remember JFK, I also remember to love and support my country, asking not what I can get out of it for me, but how I can work together with all in our nation to make it even more fully a nation of peace and freedom and opportunity and a witness to the world of what can happen when people work together.

Friday, November 21, 2003

What is Wrong With This Picture
A young lady on the news tonight said that Michael Jackson was an angel sent by God to bring love.

A young man I heard on the radio today said that George Bush is the chief terrorist in the world.

I am speechless, so I will let Lileks speak for me. (Language usage Warning: He is really on a roll.)

Will It or Won't It?
The Weather Service is predicting a great old-fashioned snow storm of 6 - 12" (which is a lot for us in central/southern Minnesota, believe it or not) with wind and blowing and drifting. Should be fun- if the worst holds off until after church on Sunday morning.

Now the bad news- I procrastinated too long in getting the snow blower serviced. I hope it starts- and runs right.

Getting Excited for Thanksgiving
Next Thursday is Thanksgiving here in the USA. As I have said before, we are doing a first-time ever free community Thanksgiving meal from 11:00 - 1:00 that day. For a church of only 170 members it appears as a big undertaking. But you know what? The community has gotten even more excited than we are. We have around 40 people volunteering who aren't even connected to the church. Wow! Even the mayor is coming to serve.

Since it is our first, some people are saying we will have so much left over. While others are saying what are we going to do when we run out? To both groups (and I lean to the latter group) I say- Let's not forget 5 loaves and 2 fish that fed alot more than we are planning on feeding. Will keep you posted.

And the Winners are...
Ganns has announced his Blogger Awards.... and the winner of Blog of the Year is...
What in Tarnation?!?!? Good choice!

Another Snow Post
John Adams has seen his first snow that he remembers. He said they were like in the words of a Sixpence song, "like a million parachutes, tiny men on a mission." It is interesting to get a reflection on something that I take for granted from a whole new perspective.

Less Than Half
Less than half of all Americans were alive when John Kennedy went to Dallas. Let's put this into perspective. Less than half. Yes, I was one of them- a sophomore in high school. But let's not make that day more than it was- or less. It has made JFK into a folk-hero that he wasn't. It did change a generation's view of the world. But it is also ancient history. A majority of people weren't even alive then, but they have been affected. Perhaps I'll succumb to the temptation and blog about it tomorrow. If I don't, well, then I had nothing interesting to say. After all I still have another post on Jewish and Christian that hasn't been finished yet.

But if we get that snowstorm..... Hmmmm!

Thursday, November 20, 2003

Too Long to Tell
The long-story-made-short version of the past three days- Roller Coaster. Blogging has been minimal since that early post on Wednesday morning. Will fill you in as soon as possible. But in my leap-blogging I have found some stuff that caught my attention.

An Interesting Site
Thanks to Marc at Marc's Messages for leading to the Sheep Comics. I particularly got into this one on worship music.

So Few Apostles
Marc also has a report of a recent trip to Switzerland. It includes these reasons from Wolfgang Simpson on possible reasons why there are so few real apostles being raised today.

1. Many Christians are demonized and thus blocked (not yet released) in their God-given calling and ministry.
2. Many who are called as apostles, are not able or willing to break out of their existing church or ministry bubble.
3. We've lowered our standard compared to what God wants to do. Our mindset is formed by what is humanly possible instead of what is divinely possible.


All About Belonging
Jordon Cooper has posted an excellent summary article on a new book: The Search to Belong: Rethinking Intimacy, Community, and Small Groups by Joseph R. Myers. It has some summaries as well as a good collection of quotes that sure tweaked my curiosity.

In the end Search to Belong blows away conventional thinking about small groups and places where discipleship happens in many churches. It isn't about coming up with better icebreakers, different approaches to coax out answers to quiet people, and how to have small groups divide. It is about better understanding how other people and ourselves interact with each other and what we are looking for.


True Worship
And a thanks to Len at NextReformation.com for this inspired paraphrase of John 4:

"But hey.. I thought you had to worship in church to be a good Christian?"

"No Ma'am. I know that's a popular religious position.. but honestly, here's the truth. In these days it's not important where you worship, or even if you have an order of service.

"In fact a time is coming.. [chuckle] it's already here.. when everyone will worship, whether punks, retros, goths, skaters, baptists, charismatics .. the label won't matter... but who you are and the way you live are what count. Worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth and justice. That's the kind of people the Father is looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before Him in their worship. God is sheer being itself.. Spirit. Those who worship Him must have that same integrity in their spirits and bring all that they are to worship Him."

John 4


A Need for Prayers!
It seems like prayer is an essential element again in the world beyond ourselves. Terrorist attacks in Turkey and the increasing number of deaths and attacks in Iraq have really hit me this past week. As Karl Barth was often quoted as saying- Study (and preach and pray) with the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other.

But one of the real sadnesses of the whole week is that the American press (and no doubt public) is far more interested in Michael Jackson than in the people dying at the hands of terrorists. Or there are those who want to equate President Bush with Saddam or bin Laden. Whether we agree with Bush or not (and I tend to be a fairly strong Democrat) he is not in the same league.

So I will be praying. Not much else to do. But that is a lot!

Wednesday, November 19, 2003

A Personal Reflection
Excuse me for today if I get personal. Today, November 19, would be my father's 98th birthday. 1905 is a long time ago. To think that in some small way I have a direct connection with someone who was born then is incredible. The world is so much different today. (How's that for stating the obvious!)

But my father died 39 years ago December 4. He was 59 at the time, just four years older than I am today. Memories are of course clouded by many, many things- time, apocryphal stories, wishful thinking, personal experiences. There are pictures, of course, but they capture but a small piece of Red's life that I can only guess about.

He played on his high school's greatest undefeated football team ever in 1922. He was the first and only of his family to go to college. His dad was a trainman for the New York Central. He went to the big city- Philadelphia- to become a pharmacist. He graduated and returned to his hometown to buy and run a local pharmacy.

He decided to leave home and responsibility at age 34 and got drafted in the pre-World War II era, which unfortunately led to him being recalled in 1944 at age 38. It was then he met my mother. The Gentile from rural Pennsylvania meeting the Jewish girl from Brooklyn 8 years younger than he, while stationed in Georgia. In another of his acts of rebellion he married her. He was shipped overseas with the 10th Armored Division and saw action in the Battle of the Bulge.

He and his wife returned to his highly Gentile town and had two children. I was the older, born when he was almost 43. My brother came along three years later.

On my 10th birthday he had surgery for a benign brain tumor which left him partially paralyzed and unable to continue working. Three years later his wife was diagnosed with cancer and died within three months. He spent his last year in a Veteran's Administration hospital as the tumor slowly regrew until it took his life.

In many ways I grew up like him. Good and bad. There was a moment in my early recovery from my alcoholism that I realized that I was indeed Red's son. I could then, in whatever ways were possible, have some small understanding of his life. He was a rebel, the one who caused his family the most heartache, but was also the favorite son. His mother's diary showed that. He was a compassionate community person, always willing to get out of bed in the middle of the night to open the pharmacy for an emergency called in by his friend and my God-father the local doctor. When he sold the pharmacy he wrote off a goodly number of debts from people who had needed medicines but were unable to pay for them. He had a temper which may have been affected by alcohol or pain drugs or who knows what else.

I learned a lot of things about not being a father in those 16 years I knew him. I have a hunch, though, that I must also have learned some things right as well.

Today, 39 years later, I remember Red - my dad - with warmness and love. He did what he could do with what he had. He lived as best he could and truly did love his family and his community. The pharmacy still has our family name on it. I drove by it a few weeks ago when I was back there for the first time in 19 years. I smiled. It may not always be there, but it is today. A memory of an imperfect human being who also happened to be my dad. Happy birthday.

Tuesday, November 18, 2003

Okay. I'll Take the Chance
Finally saw this posted on a blog. I hated to be the first one.

Sean at Pundit Ex Machina posted it last week. I received it in an email from a friend as well. More after the quote: Warning- someone may be offended by the following....

"The actions taken by the New Hampshire Episcopalians are an affront to Christians everywhere. I am just thankful that the church's founder, Henry VIII and his wife Catherine of Aragon, his wife Anne Boleyn, his wife Jane Seymour, his wife Anne of Cleves, his wife Katherine Howard, and his wife Catherine Parr are no longer here to suffer through this assault on traditional Christian marriage."


I gather that this was originally written in an OpEd piece in the L.A. Times by Bishop Robinson. I thought it hit the issue from a different perspective that I had not seen anywhere else.

Now I have to admit that I used to get a big kick out of harrassing an Episcopalian priest frind of mine on this very issue long ago (20 years). I would over-simplify the issue and nag him about the traditions that started the Anglican Church alluded to in the quote above. He would always go into a "Yes, but you don't understand the whole issue." Well, yes, I did, but the issue was not religious or spiritual, it was political and personal. Like so many other decisions that churches have made over the millenia, there are often far more than the "pure" motives involved in the final outcomes. John Hus lost his battle with the Church because he was in the wrong political place at the wrong time... Martin Luther had more political clout behind him. And, well, you can't have much more clout than a King who wants to get divorced.

What I hope can be seen by the quote is that no one of us, no- not a single one of us on either side of the issue of the election of Bishop Robinson- can claim to be completely pure. At least from the historic point of view. Jesus was much clearer in his teaching about divorce than he was about homosexuality. Yet the Anglican Church came out of that breach of scriptural interpretation. That doesn't mean that those opposed to the consecration are wrong. They have a number of things on their side. But they also have said and done things that their own history belies. (And vice-versa as well.)

As an outsider, of course, I am well aware that my own tribe has its own problems with maintaining the integrity of our history - or even overcoming the problems of our history. One of these days we will have to face the same issue as the Anglican/ECUSA controversy. I want to remember when that time comes that we all are sinners, and we all have lots of reasons why none of us should be elected bishop (or anything else.) None of us is worthy. We are all culturally bound individuals seeking to go deep into the heart of God and God's Word as it applies today. Yes, Scripture seems to be crystal clear about this issue. But it also seems to be crystal clear about a lot of things we selectively ignore.

Yet, there is also an ethic and ethos to scripture that should not be denied, regardless of past transgressions. In a comment to my post on this on Saturday, it was pointed out that just because Jesus didn't spend a lot of time on this issue and sexual issues in general, doesn't mean that we should ignore what the commenter said is one of the biggest issues of our day. "Sexual indulgence leads to destruction." I agree. At the heart of the issue is always self-indulgence whether it be sexual or otherwise. And Jesus is very clear that it does lead to destruction.

Our goal then should be to find the Biblically-based ethic that addresses the issue. It is not about whether Gene Robinson divorced his wife to have a male-partner. It is not about whether Gene Robinson is gay, celibate or whatever. It is about the "sexualization" of society and its overwhelming presence as a yardstick for which side of the religious or spiritual fence you are on. The deeper issue is that we are allowing the sexual issues to define us and our faith-positions and political agenda when it should be our faith position that defines the sexual and political.

I have to admit also that I have absolutely no idea how all this will work itself out. I am saddened by the rhetoric, name-calling and anger. I am saddened by finger-pointing and human-made divisions in our communities. I am afraid for the ability of the church to move beyond culture to the basic calling we have- to introduce people to our Savior, Jesus Christ.

So I keep praying. That's about all I can do at this point. I realize that to the activist side of me that is not enough. I should take an active part. I should be on the ramparts fighting. But I can't do that. At least not on this issue. But as I pray I listen and read and look for the path through the fight. For me, at this point, it is to simply follow my Lord and go and make disciples.

P.S. I realize that there is more rambling than systematic thinking in this post. I think things through by writing- and rambling. One of the neat things about a blog is that I can ramble, throw it out for you to read and for you to give me feedback. Above all else on this blog, I want to at least wander through and around the issues, if not to a final answer in how, what, when, or where. The why is always clear- for the Glory of God.

Monday, November 17, 2003

Being Jewish and Christian-- part 2

In part one last week I outlined the problem and controversy facing a Messianic Jewish Presbyterian Church plant congregation in Philadelphia. Today I want to look at the issues raised by the controversy.

First, a disclaimer. I am the son of a Jewish mother and Gentile father. That makes me technically Jewish as far as the Law of Return is concerned. (My grandchildren, at least, would still be Jewish as far as Hitler was concerned.) I became a Christian at the age of 15, two years after my Bar Mitzvah and the subsequent death of my mother to cancer. I was always in many ways a cultural Gentile. I lived in a rural town where there were only two or three 100% Jewish families. It was my father's family's hometown. My mother was from Brooklyn. I learned more about Judaism after I became a minister than I knew from my childhood. I do not consider myself a Messianic Jew. I am culturally Gentile with a deep appreciation of my Jewish heritage. I am a Christian.

Second, I have never been a big supporter of the Messianic Jewish movement within Christianity. I have understood its roots and desires and theology. I can see why there would be a desire to worship in more traditional Jewish style as a Jew becoming Christian. I just never liked the approach of groups like Jews for Jesus.

So, then, what are the issues?
    - - Anti-Semitism. Anti-Semitism is a deadly virus that is impossible to get rid of. It has been twisted into and out of the Gospels. It has been the scourge of Western Civilization. It is the grand-daddy of prejudices having been around in one form or another in the Church since at least the Fourth Century. Many of us in the church, Jewish heritage or not, are rightly afraid of its continuing existence. I hear it often. I have been the recipient of its anger, ignorance, and fear. As Christians we are rightly afraid of being seen as anti-Semitic, hence the controversy over Mel Gibson's movie. When the Jewish faith is challenged, as it is in any traditional Christian evangelism, we rush to make sure that we are not being seen as intolerant, anti-Semites. Hence we deny the possibility of outreach and evangelism to anyone Jewish who might be even the slightest bit interested in Christianity. Evangelism - in and of itself - is not anti-Semitic. The Gospels, written in a time and place far different from ours are not anti-Semitic. Sadly, they have been twisted and misapplied as such.

The root of Christian anti-Semitism is the mistaken understanding that someone had to be guilty of the crime of killing Jesus. By the words of Scripture, it would appear that the Jews are the ones. It becomes the crime of deicide- killing God. How easily and quickly we forget that what was done was done for the purpose of salvation- not condemnation. It was my sin, your sin- all our sins that killed Jesus. It is not a crime of the Jews. It was the will of God. I have a hunch that it has been easier for people to blame this on someone else so as not to have to face the fact that if anyone killed Jesus, it's each one of us.

    - - Tolerance and Acceptance of Diversity. We have come to feel that in order to be tolerant and accepting of diversity we have to water down our own faith to an innocuous pablum so as not to say or do anything that might be interpreted as offensive. The sad thing is that such an approach also forces the other religion to be watered down into innocuous pablum- or a dangerous enemy. True tolerance and acceptance will see the differences and accept them as normal without judging whether one is better or worse. It does not deny the uniqueness of anyone.

    - - Evangelism. It is often seen as triumphalistic or arrogant. It has been handled just that way far too often. There is the attitude that "my God is bigger and better than your God- and I'm going to show you how." Many want to stay away from that image- and again- rightly so. There are still groups of Christians around whom I can't use the term "evangelism." It strikes them of intolerance. It is time to stop the word games and share the Good News in our lives. Let us not be afraid to say who we are and what we are about. To evangelize is to allow people to meet the Lord and Savior of our lives. It is not to enter into a debating society.

    - - Culture and Tradition. We forget too easily that our faith is always wrapped in a cultural cloak. I am impressed that some people have taken the time and energy to develop a Jewish Christian worship. It is, I would hope, culturally relevant to the people in attendance. It is a connection with their roots. But it is different. When someone or something is different, we are afraid. Very simply, a Messianic Jewish congregation doesn't look Christian. There must be something wrong with it.

These are some of the issues that I see in the controversy. The questions becomes, how can we truly be evangelistic while upholding the personal integrity of those we are talking to and having tolerance for them and their faith positions? Do we have to "put-down" or even openly "deny" other religions in order to share the Good News of Jesus Christ? Or is just the act of sharing in and of itself an act of violence against other cultures, religions, and peoples, as some have claimed? More later.

Saturday, November 15, 2003

Grace at Work
Bene Diction will blog on for another year! What a wonderful gift to the blogosphere. Here is a quote from Frederick Buechner that he posted today:

The grace of God means something like: Here is your life. You might never have been, but you are because the party wouldn't have been complete without you. Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don't be afraid. I am with you. Nothing can ever separate us. It's for you I created the universe. I love you. There's only one catch. Like any other gift, the gift of grace can be yours only if you'll reach out and take it. Maybe being able to reach out and take it is a gift too.
- Frederick Buechner


I Like Jesus Better Every Day
Reynolds Price (Professor of English, Duke University) on Charlie Rose Friday evening quoted Jesus as saying that the tax collectors and prostitutes would get into heaven before the High Priest. It was an intriquing moment. Charlie reacted as if he had never heard that line before. His comment is the title line about liking Jesus better as a result of knowing that he had said that.

Which I think is one of the problems we face when sharing the Way of Jesus- people have more mis-conceptions about him than the truth. People have been blinded to the real Jesus and his Way by too many of us who claim to be his followers who keep messing it up. Price took some liberties in his discussion about Jesus, but he was right in some of his insights that Jesus doesn't seem to have cared all that much about sex and sexual relations- moral or immoral. What little there is seems to be right in line with what one would expect.

But then again he certainly broke many stereotypes- hanging around the prostitutes, allowing a woman to touch him with her hair, being alone at the Well with the Samaritan woman, having women travelling with he and the disciples- women who appear to be a major source of resources for his ministry. It would appear that Jesus - and the early communities out of which the Gospels grew - had little concern about sexual conduct and laws about it.

Now the last time I blogged on sex like this, I got a big jump in hits to my site. (SO, here's another not so subtle attempt at increased hits.) And I got some insights from some about why just saying that Jesus had nothing to say about it isn't a good enough reason to ignore the problems. Yes, I agree with that. But I don't want us to lose the fact that sex was not the issue that he thought needed the strongest teaching. It had to do with justice and treatment of the poor and the use of financial resources. It had to do with leading people away from God by making God hard to get to. It had to do with forgiveness (even 70 times 7).

WE are the ones who are absorbed in sex. We live in a sex-drenched world. Yes, that may be why it is important to face these issues and come to a God-directed way of seeing them. But let us NOT ignore the things that Jesus saw as important essential! Where is our treasure? Where is our heart? Where do we put our energies? (Yes, some of that DOES apply to the sexual morals!) How do we treat the poor and homeless and prisoners and orphans and widows and naked and hungry and Samaritan outcasts and ...

No, none of us can take the high road, I know that. We all have the areas where Jesus can turn to us as the rooster crows. So, with a little bit of honesty and compassion and non-judgmentalism, may we all look more closely at ourselves and bow in humble confession of our own shortcomings and realize that as caught Charlie Rose's attention, the righteous, good-religious-people may find themselves stading in line at the gates of Heaven behind the prostitutes and sinners.

Friday, November 14, 2003

To Fast?
Reading through the news blog at Christianity Today, came across an article through the LATimes about what our Orthodox brothers and sisters call the Nativity Feast, and the rest of us refer to as Advent. It was about the ancient practices of this season before Christmas as a time of getting ready for the Birth of the Savior, not for Santa and Wal-Mart and the economy. Here's a bit of it:

Regardless of when it begins, whether it's called the Nativity Fast or Advent and whether it lasts 40 or 30 days, the season is prescribed by the Church for the same reason, to improve the condition of the soul.

The fasting is a means to that end. It gives us more time for prayer and self-examination because we spend less time shopping for food, preparing food and eating. With stomachs less sated, we are less lethargic, better able to pray.

We fast not just from food but also from all the distractions, including entertainment, which tend to so easily clutter of lives. This leaves room for us to consider how we spend the 24 hours God gives us each day, how much we spend praying, reading Scripture, reading the Church Fathers and doing charitable work.

The way a good diet and workouts at the gym strengthen our bodies, a good fast strengthens our soul.

It seems that I am discovering different ways of looking at fasting. It was recently suggested to me in a conversation with a House Church developer who says that 40 Days of Fasting and Prayer is essential before beginning a house church (or just about any major faith step.) It is a non-negotiable, he told me, to make sure that what you are doing is in touch with the direction and will of God.

I have often thought of fasting- and not been able to do it very well at all. I have found the ability to abstain from food and consumption a difficult task. Not a surprise since, as a recovering alcoholic, abstinence was never one of my strengths by myself. Which of course would be a good reason to do it- to come closer to the God who has called me into a relationship with Him and to realize more deeply that there are lots of things I can't do on my own and need his help for.

The article has spurred me to consider fasting for the upcoming Season of Over-Stimulation and Indulgence. No. I am not a "Bah, Humbug!" person. I love the Advent and Christmas season, its music, its spirit, its life-affirming message. It is life-changing and a reminder that the God of the Universe is willing to come to be with us in Jesus. What fasting can do, the article reminds me, is to find a new depth, a new insight for my life and the calling I have from God in the midst of this season. We have "Buy Nothing Day" and "Alternative Christmas Celebrations" again this year. But there seems to be one of those ancient-future ideas in this idea of fasting.

I am not thinking of a 40-day fast. The suggestions in the article seem far to difficult to try. Or maybe not. I know I am scared by the idea. Why scared? Because I might fail. I might be inconvenienced. I might have hunger pangs. I might have to deal with myself and not hide behind shopping or food or noise or too much TV. I'm not promising anything, and if I do decide on some special spiritual discipline for the Advent season, I'm not sure I should post it here. I remember someone saying something about going into your closet and doing it secretly. In that, for me, may be the greatest discipline.

If anyone has any significant experiences with fasting, feel free to use the comments. I would be interested.

Post-Modern as Heresy
Over at Youthworker, Gareth Brandt has an interesting article. Here's an excerpt:

The truth of the Bible is embodied in an alternative community, not in a ruling society. ...The early church was called to be an alternative witnessing community, open to all peoples but standing in stark and prophetic contrast to the Roman power structures.

Christian theology in a postmodern time needs to be radical, dynamic, and relational. Radical theology doesn't necessarily follow the mainstream; it listens to the voices from the margins, just as Jesus did. It's not afraid to be heretical in the sense of a religious opinion that differs from the accepted dogma of the establishment.


Wisdom from Lileks

Life is good. Even when you feel like you're chewing tinfoil all day, it's a reminder: you're alive. Zombies chew tinfoil, they feel nothing. And don't think it doesn't bother them. Link


A Rant Worth Reading
"Way-to-go, Pen" over at The Gutless Pacifist. He picks up on some of the comments made at The Right Christians about whether America is more (or less) Christian than ever. A sample of his excellent rant:

Until the church quits looking like a bunch of bumbling country club hypocrites - the world won't give a crap about our stand on abortion. What is that stupid cliche we learned in junior high Sunday School class -- "Until they know you care - they won't care what you know."



Awesome Pix
Journeys with Tim led me to this site. Don't try it without High-Speed Internet. It is a great way to remember the Creator and the awe-filled world universe that He has created.

Thursday, November 13, 2003

Moravian History and Heritage
On this day in 1741, an announcement was made around the Moravian world. After an inability to elect a leader for the world-wide Moravian Unity at a Synod in September, Jesus was chosen as the Chief Elder. (See Sept. 16 post.) It was decided to hold the announcement until it could be made simultaneously around the world. The date chosen for the announcement was November 13.

The decision can be seen as simply a theological statement that had little practical impact. Or it can be seen as a theological statement of a core value of the mission-oriented group's life and vision. In its time, it was truly a core value. They had already begun a 24/7 prayer watch that would last 100 years. They had already sent the first Protestant missionaries to many areas of the world, starting in the West Indies. They were about to make a permanent settlement in Pennsylvania that, on Christmas Eve, they would name Bethlehem. They were already writing hymns and music as good as any of their day. They had already had a significant impact on John Wesley, aiding the development of the Methodist movement. They had developed the small group movement in their hometown of Herrnhut that they called Bands from which Wesley would develop his movement.

At the heart of their community was the Savior and his love for all. In fact, they saw what they had as a religion of the heart, not the head alone. They changed the world, starting from a group of refugees and pietistic-leaning Germans in an out of the way part of the world. They didn't seek to be a new denomination, but rather to be a yeast in the whole loaf of Christianity. Political and religious circumstances worked against them and they became a separate denomination, referred to variously as the Unitas Fratrum (Unity of the Brethren), Herrnhutters (no, not Hutterites), the Brudergemiende, Iglesia Morava, the Moravian Church.

The Moravian Church has never been a big church. There are probably nearly 1,000,000 Moravians in the whole world... 800,000 of those are probably in Tanzania. We strugle today in our "western" lands- Germany, Europe in general, US and Canada like our sister mainline denominations. We struggle with the traditional/contemporary; the liberal/conservative; established/renewal.

But we have a rich heritage that is still having impact. Not because of anything we are doing, but because of what God is doing. The 24/7 Prayer Movement, Boiler Rooms, etc in Britain openly trace their heritage to Zinzendorf and the Moravians. The movement Connect Europe met in 2002 in Herrnhut because of the heritage or prayer and mission. World-Wide-Prayer holds to the vision.

I am humbled by being part of a group that has such a deep and powerful heritage. I pray on this day, as we remember that is it all about Jesus, our Savior, that our witness may remain as strong as our heritage and that our history may move us into an expanded witness to Jesus and him crucified.

Help Bene Blog On
Bene Diction needs $150 to keep blogging. He has a PayPal account there thanks to the assistance of Cre8d Design. Go on over and help him keep blogging. We need his words!

Wednesday, November 12, 2003

Don't Miss This One
Denominational people.... don't read this post from Real Live Preacher... unless, of course, you're open to being challenged. Here's an excerpt:

"Let us take care of things for you, sweethearts. Don’t worry your pretty little heads, but do keep sending your money because we did 125,247 good things for Jesus last year, the highlights of which can be seen on our 16 minute video promo. With your help, next year will be even better, praise the Lord. Next year we might do over 150,000 good things for Jesus.”

And that, my friends, is what we in the business call a denomination.

Now, I am a denominational person. I serve on our district's executive board. I see the place of denominations in issues like accountability and doing things together that none of us could do alone. (Unless we were a mega-church, which is just a mini-denomination.)

Yes. I have often felt like RLP at my denominational meetings. We too often get caught up in too many structural, legislative, housekeeping, survival issues. Too often we can be doing the denominational equivalent of rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
Who has the right to vote? Who should be allowed to vote? What makes an official congregation? How much do we need to maintain our offices? These items too often take up far too much time. That and a combination of
    ~~ Wringing our hands over the decline of our denomination's witness and the lack of denominational loyalty, and
    ~~ Patting ourselves on the back at our accomplishments and unique attributes.

Yes, structure is needed in some ways from the local small group to the denominational level. A church planter friend gave me the illustration that fits that.

He spoke about the jellyfish which, in essence has not structure. That works fine in the ocean. But on land- there is nothing to support the jellyfish. It needs a structure. So it is with the church. Yes, the danger is too often that we become too structured, too rigid in our definitions and systems which is just as bad as no structure. It is, I feel, the denomination's place to give us an overall structure within which we can work together.

We must never forget that in the end is not about the denominational identity (a thing of Christendom) or even about the denomination's survival (a human fear of death). It is about the Kingdom and sharing the love of Jesus Christ in the many diverse and creative and compassionate and caring ways we can.

Sweat and then Brrrrr
Okay, maybe sixty degrees isn't sweating weather, but the wonders of Minnesota weather went from a bright, sunny 60 degree day on Tuesday followed by wind chills in the single digits after a snow blew through this morning.

Even a Boy Named Sue Sounds Good Now
From today's Star-Tribune:(free registration may be required.)

Meet my son, the car. Or hiking boot. Or can of peas.

According to Social Security Administration research, out of the 4 million babies born nationwide in 2000, 55 Chevys, six Timberlands and seven DelMontes are about to enter preschool.

And that's just the boys. Let's not forget the girls. Consider the 25 Infinitis, five Celicas, 164 Nauticas, 298 Armanis and 21 L'Oreals who turn 3 this year.


Being Jewish and Christian

There is a controversy in Philadelphia over a new church plant. It so happens that it is a "Messianic Jewish" congregation. What that means in practice is that it is "culturally" Jewish, using a traditional Jewish worship style, to worship Jesus as the Messiah. Congregation Avodat Yisrael is a new church start for the Presbyterian Church, USA. According to a press release from the PCUSA,

The Avodat Yisrael proposal was controversial from the beginning, and
won approval in a lengthy, start-and-stop process that only began in January 2002 when it was endorsed by a majority vote of Philadelphia Presbytery, which pledged $145,000 to the new church. Two subsequent attempts to rescind the approval, in February and May of 2002, were narrowly defeated.
    When a grant application from Avodat Yisrael reached the Synod of the Trinity, "our committee was divided," said the Rev. Bruce Stevens, a member of the synod staff at the time. "We wondered about the effect of this congregation on Jewish-Christian relations in Philadelphia - Is this proselytizing? Presbyterians have had a unique relationship with the Jewish community, and we didn't want to mess that up."
    The synod returned the proposal to the presbytery with "numerous" questions attached, Stevens said, and it came back to the synod that summer "with all our questions answered."
    Avodat Yisrael sought $75,000 from the synod, which approved a grant of $40,000; and asked the MDRC for $125,000 and got $75,000.


Here is a little of what they say about themselves:

A Messianic Congregation is a place where Jewish people and those who support them can experience Jewish community life. Without losing Jewish identity or giving up cherished and meaningful traditions, members seek maturity in their knowledge of G-d. Children are raised as Jews, with an understanding of their heritage and an appreciation for the Messiah. The community also seeks to be open, welcoming, and traditional, so that everyone who comes feels comfortable to explore spiritual life.

    Worship is structured around Jewish traditions, prayer and holidays. The service contains a wide range of worship practice, from ancient chants to contemporary music to choral psalm settings to Hebrew and English prayer. The celebration of the festivals punctuates the life of the congregation, contributing to a sense of heritage and generational continuity.

    The congregation's name, Avodat Yisrael, means 'the service of Israel' and conveys the importance of community service as a way of life. Avodat is also related to the Hebrew word for servant (eved) which is used for the Messianic title, My Servant. Congregation Avodat Yisrael seeks to reflect closely the life of the Messiah who "came not to be served, but to serve."


So, what's the problem?

Jewish leaders in Philadelphia and Jewish newspapers around the country have criticized the move as disrespectful at best, and at worst "a deceptive attempt to lure Jews into the Christian fold."

    "Of course the Jewish community is upset," said Gehres, who has convened several meetings between Philadelphia rabbis and PC(USA) pastors. "The rabbis say you can't have it both ways - to be a Christian by religion and Jewish by ethnicity. And we Presbyterians haven't explored in enough depth the religious and ethnic issues and the interplay between them."

    The Rev. Cynthia Jarvis, the pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill in Philadelphia, is leading a group of ministers who oppose church support of Avodat Yisrael and evangelization efforts directed at Jews.

    Jarvis collected 150 signatures endorsing a statement that Avodat Yisrael's promotion of "messianic Judaism" is "misleading both to the Jews and to the Christians and ... contrary to our own theological tradition." "The denomination in its new-church development efforts is treating Jews the same as Koreans or Ethiopians," she said. "It turns out that the Presbyterian Church, the one theologically thoughtful denomination above all others, is now just one of the crowd. ... "She says it is irresponsible for the PC(USA) to be spending money for such a purpose "when the church is in major deficit" financially.

    The Rev. Chuck Denison, coordinator of the PC(USA)'s new-church development program, said congregations such as Avodat Yisrael are not trying to undermine Jewish religious traditions. "Our support of Avodat Yisrael involves no judgment of Jewish religion or tradition," he said. "We're talking about people who are ethnically Jewish but who have either accepted Christ, or who are seeking. In the case of mixed marriages, the question is how to respect the Jewish ethnic and cultural traditions while growing in Christian faith, or in the understanding of Christian faith."


Okay. That's the basic story. It is one that is rich in many of the great issues facing the church when it comes to outreach and evangelism. It is, I believe, a case study of the 2000 years of Jewish-Christian enmity, of anti-Semitism abusing and misappropriating the Gospel, of how does one evangelize in a "pluralist" culture, and what is Christianity anyway. I will pick up on these themes in a couple more posts later in the week.

Monday, November 10, 2003

from Off The Map

Out ---vs --- In
Lost --- Missing
Conferences --- Ideas
Evangelism --- Connecting
Speeches --- Conversations
Nagging --- Nudging
Escaping the ordinary --- Exploit the ordinary

Some Insights
Age is All in the Body
Why is it that the body slows down before the mind? I spent this past weekend at a youth retreat. I have been doing youth retreats, camps, convos, events, etc. for over 30 years as a staffer. This is the first one where I noticed that I didn't seem to have the physical energy to keep going for the weekend. I found myself sitting down and watching more often. My back was hurting more on the uncomfortable cots. The unseasonably cold weather seemed to take more out of me. I hated going to another building to shower and go to the bathroom.

My mind enjoyed the weekend. I don't think I have lost my thinking like a youth worker. The body just isn't as willing as it used to be. Of course there are a few things I should (and really need to) do. Lose some weight (since I am nearing that unhealthy level). Do some exercise. Take care of my body. I long ago gave up drinking and smoking, so have a start on it. It's either that or give up on youth events.

Thinking About Yaconelli
That of course is natural on a youth retreat. I was especially thinking about the changes in youth ministry that Mike was talking and writing about. He was challenging youth ministry to become dangerous. He wanted youth leaders to see their task as making disciples. He wanted youth pastors to challenge the fun-n-games, safe-place where the world and other things never get in. In short, he wanted us to make disciples.

So perhaps it is time to give up on youth events like we have done them. I thought of that the other evening as we had to lay down rules and then think about enforcing them. At times youth retreats and camps become games of stealth to see who can get away with sneaking out, etc. I sat there and wondered how many more times I wanted to play cop. I wondered what all that had to do with being Christian and helping young people discover their mission and call.

A Neat Quote
The leader at our church planters' retreat last week reminded us that we need to be careful that we "never allow our vision to shrink to the level of reality."

Bummer!
A good football game, but the wrong team won.
Eagles 17 Packers 14

Sunday, November 09, 2003

Back and Getting Updated
Gee, I go away for a few days and...

Pen (and Mrs. Pen) at The Gutless Pacifist welcome Grace Lynn. Congratulations!

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Richard Hall has some theories about the real life of some well-known bloggers.

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McDonalds is not happy with the dictionary adding "McJob" to the definitions.

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There was an eclipse of the moon which I did see, even in the frozen northland of Minnesota. (Actually it was a beautiful eclipse on a crisp, cold night that made it a wonderful sight!)

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MeanDean has done a mean (very good) job of finding posts on The Purpose-Driven Life and its fans and critics at Blogs4God. Good links and reading there!

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And, as an update to the Lunar Eclipse, ScrappleFace "reports" that the Democrats have blamed George W. for the eclipse, hiding behind the earth's shadow.

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It's good to be home!

Friday, November 07, 2003

Brief Pause
Heading out to a youth retreat for the night and day tomorrow. Back on Sunday.

Some Thoughts on Prayer

Two stories from Anthony de Mello's book, Taking Flight:

A Rabbi once asked a pupil what was bothering him.
   "My poverty," was the reply. "So wretched is my condition that I can hardly study and pray."
   "In this day and age," said the Rabbi, "the finest prayer and the finest study lie in accepting life exactly as you find it."

On a bitterly cold day a Rabbi and his disciples were huddled around a fire.
   One of the disciples, echoing his master's teachings, said, "On a freezing day like this I know exactly what to do!"
   "What?" asked the others.
   "Keep warm! And if that isn't possible, I still know what to do."
   "What?"
   "Freeze."
     -- p. 32 Taking Flight- A Book of Story Meditations by Anthony de Mello, S.J.

Or, as I have often quoted, probably from another de Mello story- The secret to prayer is never to pray for rain in the dry season.

There is a reality to prayer that often escapes us. It is to accept the situation as it is and not look to God as if he were a gift-granter. Just because we want something, doesn't mean it is what we are supposed to have. True prayer is to put oneself into the great flow of the will of God and then discover the power to live that will.

There is also no such thing as "unanswered" prayer. There is always an answer- it may just not be the one we are looking for. God, like any parent, says "No," or "Not yet!" I am afraid that our understanding of prayer is more like a spoiled child who wants what he wants when he wants it and will throw a tantrum if he doesn't receive it. That will not produce the serenity, acceptance and power that God wants us to have. That will only produce resentments.

What God wants for us is the best that we can have. Whatever that means in God's timing and God's planning. To bow in humble adoration of a God who wants to give that to us is the true beginning of prayer.

Wednesday, November 05, 2003

All At One Time Prayer
At the close of our church planters' retreat this morning we did something that most of us had never done before. We had a prayer time for each person -- where everybody prayed at the same time.

The person being prayed for sat in the middle. The other five stood around him, with a laying on of hands, and everyone prayed their own prayer for the person.

Wooohh.

It was a truly powerful prayer moment for each of us each time.

As a person praying it was interesting at first when you realized that you had to concentrate on what you were praying about and not try to listen to the other prayers. I found that I had to put my focus on God and what I wanted to say to God about the brother sitting in the chair. You would pick up a piece here and there of what the others were saying, which could lead you to add a bit to your prayer. But there was a real sense of intentionally connecting with the person, God, and the Spirit. I also found myself being less concerned with how I was saying what I was saying. I didn't have to be profond, deep, or worry about saying something that didn't make sense.

But to sit in the middle and be prayed for was also a unique experience. I have had people pray for me through laying on of hands many times. It is always a humbling and exciting and spiritually empowering experience. This was different. I could not listen to all the prayers being said so I stopped trying to. I stopped wondering what the other thought about me. I couldn't get the ego strokes of hearing others talk to God about me. I just sat there and picked up a word or a phrase and felt the power flowing in, around, and through me. I had to give up, turn it over, and just allow God to be there.

When we had all been prayed for we just stood there for a moment, laughing and enjoying the moment of company and community that the Lord had brought together around us for those two and a half days. It was the best way I know of to bring it all together.

Two Sites Updated
November updates and changes are in place at Next-Wave and emergingchurch.info. Good stuff as usual.

Tuesday, November 04, 2003

Sometimes I Don't Want To Turn It Over
We did one of those experiential worship experiences together as church planters tonight. It was one of the ones that we've often done at camp, retreats, etc. It is always meaningful. Write down something you want to give up, turn over to God... you know the type of service.

We started it tonight. I knew what we were going to do. There was a nice fire in the fireplace for us to throw the issues into. As the leader gave us the instructions, the issue/concern came right to mind and I wrote it down, fully aware of what I was about to be asked to do.

After a time of silence and prayer, the leader told us to now get up and put it in the fireplace and let God have it.

I didn't want to. I wanted to hold on. If I turn it over, I will lose control and have to at least stop worrying about it.

If I did that, what would I have to worry about?

But I reluctantly got up and did it.

It is amazing how I can be reluctant about things I don't want, but am unwilling to give up. Sometimes I feel I make this being a human being is more more complicated than it needs to be be.

Unchecked Strength
During one of the sessions we had today, a leader made the following comment:

A strength unchecked is a double weakness.

That is one of the important reasons for accountability partners, sponsors, coaches, mentors, even spouses. When we allow the things we do well to go without oversight by others, we become self-centered and the center of attention. It is easy to forget that we are doing this for God or others if we think we are able to do it ourselves. Which is probably why God turns our best sermons into "just okay" when they are delivered, and our last-minute ones into "great sermon today!"

Back Tomorrow
Haven't had much time to get on here and post or surf. Will probably get a chance tomorrow evening.

Sunday, November 02, 2003

Way to Go, Packers!
After the loss on the first game of the season to the Vikings in Green Bay, tonight's game was a welcome change. Brett Favre is a truly remarkable ball player. Tonight was the 181st start in a row- and with a broken thumb. He loves to play the game and is a joy to watch.

Did I mention the Packers beat the Vikings 30 - 27 in Minneapolis?

[Yes, I know I live in Minnesota. Yes, I root for all the other Minnesota pro teams and even the Gophers when they're not playing Wisconsin. But Green and Gold of Green Bay is not just a passion. It's far too important for that. But even at that I have to admit that, answering my post from yesterday, I don't think that God cares too much about what happened in the Metrodome tonight. But I hope he enjoyed the game. I did.]

A Church Planters' Retreat
I'm heading to a Church Planters' Retreat tomorrow for a couple of days of hanging out with some really neat guys who are working hard to start new churches. I'm in a different, but similar situation, but am involved in the church planting work. My ministry is to be in the community, discovering the needs and concerns of the community and the ways the church and specifically the church I serve through can address those needs. In many, many ways I am trying to do church planting from an existing church in a community where this congregation has been for nearly 150 years. It has been a tough, uphill struggle. As can be seen in many of the discussions around the emerging church blogosphere, the world is changing and the church is having to wrestle with things we haven't wrestled with for centuries in the western and northern hemispheres.

I look at the need for mission projects like our free Thanksgiving meal which will be almost entirely a ministry beyond our walls and membership. I look at the young people of differing ethnic or class or opportunity and wonder how we can even begin to reach them with the developing youth center. I think of the people I see in my hours at the local Caribou Coffee and wonder what we can do in ministry with them. I consider the possibility of small groups, of cutting-edge worship, of house churches, of servant evangelism.

Then I get down and pray. It seems to be the only thing I am able to do most days. But then again, perhaps that is why some days are so difficult or uncertain or frustrating. It is God's way of reminding me that it is not my power but His and it is not about me it is about Him and about the others outside the church.

I am excited about these next few days on retreat with the other planters. I should get at least one small post a day although it will be over a land-line/modem link. Will let you know- and we could use your prayers, too.

Purpose-Driven on the Front Page
The Sunday Star-Tribune had a front page feature article on Rick Warren and the publishing phenomenon that is The Purpose Driven Life. (link- free registration may be required.) A number of people in church this morning thought it was neat since we are in the midst of reading it now. Too bad it wasn't before we started. Have had a great response, though, to it. I think I am seeing some signs of the Spirit working in new ways.

Welcome Back to Blogging, Doug
Doug Pagitt is back blogging. His book on postmodern spiritual disciplines in the life of his church (Solomon's Porch) is now scheduled for release in January. Stop by and scan down the pages for some new and interesting insights. (Not including the wonderful "family picture" in the unfinished kitchen.)
   It's good to have Doug back blogging!

Saturday, November 01, 2003

Sharing the Gospel
This from John Adams...

"Can you present the Sermon on the Mount orally, keeping true to Jesus' original emphases and meaning?"

A bit uncomfortable now, I admitted that I couldn't.

"Neither could I. But that's the problem with Christian evangelism today. So many Christians profess to believe Christ's words, but they couldn't tell you what He said."

This struck me deeply. If I am to be an effective witness, I must commit the essentials of the Gospel and Christ's message to memory. When I've hidden them away in my heart, I will be much more capable of sharing them with others.

This past summer in an evangelism course at church I talked about the need to have the faith so close to the tongue, so natural a part of who we are, that when people ask us about our faith, we can speak naturally and easily. This post reminded me that we need to be able to speak scripturally the same way. I am terrible at memorization myself. Most of what I have memorized has come from use. But to read and know the Bible that well is essential for us as Christians. Even at older ages (like mid-50s) it is never too late to get that deeply into the Bible.
(It's good to see John Adams blogging from time to time. A freshman in college has a lot of studying and adapting to do. I always look forward to his insights. Thanks, John)

Early Judgements
Instapundit has a post that includes a cover shot of The Saturday Evening Post from Jan. 1946. He links with a post on Jessica's Well in advance of Sunday's NYTimes Magazine headline: "Who Botched the Occupation?" In the upper corner of the 57-year-old cover: "How We Botched the German Occupation."

One thing about the media (and actually any of us in the blogosphere can be guilty, too) is the rush to make insights and judgements as quickly as we can. Nine months after the end of WW II was far too early to determine how we could have botched the occupation. At least with any amount of real insight. While we all know that things are not going as well in Iraq as we would like, only time (and history) will be able to tell us what this all means. Let's not forget history where we as a nation have helped our former enemies become economically stable and advanced. May we maintain our ethics and vision in Iraq so that they, too, may one day be allies in democracy.

Free? Yes, Free!
Had a conversation yesterday about the upcoming free Thanksgiving Meal for the community at our church?

Her: Nothing's free.

Me: This is.

Her: No. There's no such thing as free.

Me: What about grace?

Her: Nothing's free. What's the catch.

Me: It's free. No catch.

Her: Come on. Are you going to ask for donations?

Me: Nope! It's all free. Like grace.

Her: Don't get theological on me. There has to be a catch.

Me: Nope.

Her: Well, maybe.....

Nothing Serious

Went over to the Yahoo! News section titled Oddly Enough. Just a couple of the stories there:

Commuter Gets Arm Stuck in Train Toilet Fri Oct 31,11:33 AM ET
   NEW YORK (AP) - A man riding a Metro-North train dropped his cell phone in a toilet and got his arm stuck trying to retrieve it Thursday, forcing the train to stop and delaying the evening commute for thousands of people.

"When this moron's arm went down the crapper, so did our evening commute," Metro-North spokesman Dan Brucker said.

Undertaker Smuggles Cigarettes in Hearse Fri Oct 31,10:32 AM ET
   WARSAW (Reuters) - A Polish undertaker was caught with his hearse packed with illegal cigarettes on Friday, Polish customs officers said.

"This attempt was a bit morbid. Even on Halloween," said Krystyna Mielnicka, spokeswoman for the customs office in the eastern city of Przemysl.

Rumsfeld Doesn't Know if He's Lost His Mojo Fri Oct 31,10:30 AM ET
   WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said he does not know whether or not he has lost his mojo, as a leading news magazine suggested, because he doesn't really know what mojo is.