Your Thoughts are Requested

I am working on a paper/presentation/ideas on the theme:

Pastoral Ministry and Practical Theology in the 21st Century.

    >> What will the "pastoral ministry" look like as we move further into the 21st Century and the postModern world?
    >> What are the varied ways that Christian Education will happen?
    >> What will be the effective means of youth ministry?
    >> How will preaching change?
    >> What will mission be?
    >> How will we do evangelism?
    >> How will we keep the church from disintegrating?

I'm look for some feedback and discussion from the blogosphere whether you are in the "emerging" church, the traditional church, house church, whatever. Post a comment or send me an email if you want to go deeper than a post might be able to. Take a shot at any or all of the list above. Will keep you posted here as I move along.

And thanks for your thinking about it.

Add Another Movie

Rented Spirited Away this evening. A truly beautiful movie. The animation and art work is stunning. It does run a little long, but you know from the start this isn't your average American animated film. The movie is originally from Japan and Disney imported it with a dubbed English soundtrack. Didn't lose a thing in beauty. It has a lot of your standard mythic fare- dragons and monsters and true love overcomes evil. Except there are a lot of Japanese mythic characters and spirits. The tone of the film seems to take those spirits seriously and while making jokes with some, the seriousness is not a whole lot less than you might find in a PG version of the Lord of the Rings. I would guess that some would be wary of the film because of the Eastern spirituality, but it is a beautiful movie worth seeing for the craft if not the story.

Slow Weekend

Not doing a lot of serious thinking this weekend. It is non-Labor Day for me. Well, I did have to do some work around the house and run some errands. But I am not thinking too deeply at the moment. Will probably have one more post in a little while looking for opinions. Sunday I am doing a 600-plus mile round-trip for the funeral of the mentor I mentioned earlier. Am helping a couple drive down and we just felt like we should do it in one day. Oh well. Then on Monday will finaly get to see Matrix Reloaded. But we will be seeing it at the bargain theater instead of Imax as previously mentioned. Hey, $12/ticket is a lot, even for the gazillion foot tall Keanu Reeves.

Sex, MTV, and the Video Music Awards

I didn't watch the Video Music Awards Thursday on MTV. But Walt Mueller of Center for Parent Youth Understanding did. He is the editor of a bi-weekly e-Update on youth and popular culture. (If you want to subscribe, click here.) After watching last evening he sent out a special edition of his musings on the VMA and what we can learn from it about youth and culture. I didn't find any link on the web site yet, but will probably be there. He starts out:

The VMA's - like all popular entertainment - function in our culture as both a map and a mirror. As a map, the VMA's direct and shape the developing worldview of vulnerable children and teens who look to the music industry for guidance and direction. In that sense, viewing the three-plus hour broadcast puts me in the same "classroom" as our kids. For those of us who want to know what the kids we know and love are learning from these teachers, the VMA's give us a front row seat in the classroom. It's imperative that we know what our kids are learning. That way, we can affirm or correct where necessary. As a mirror, the VMA's allow us to gaze at ourselves to see what we look like and what we've become. The show is an accurate reflection - although many of us won't admit or believe it - of how we've changed, what we think, how we live, and who we are as a culture. Granted, the reflection I saw tonight was not something I liked. Nor was it an accurate reflection of me as an individual. But collectively. . . . I can't argue with the fact that what I saw is a reflection of what our youth culture has become.

He then talks about thirteen different observations. In light of the issues of sexuality and homosexuality that have been flying around the blogosphere these past months, I found two particularly appropriate.

First was his reflections on the overtly sexual and homosexual opening five minutes with "Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera singing Madonna's Like A Virgin" while dressed in white wedding 'dresses'." They were joined then by Madonna and the gay cast from Bravo's hit show Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. Mueller says:

...homosexuality and lesbianism are no longer stigmatized or seen as sinful. In fact, they are celebrated in the mainstream...Remember, 'map' and 'mirror.' We've got to be addressing issues of sexuality with our kids.
[As if to highlight what I just wrote from Walt, Channel 4 just showed the kiss between the three singers as the closing item on the 10:00 news.]

In a later insight Walt says:

When it comes to sex, there are no rules. If you were an alien sent to watch this year's VMA's from a sociological/anthropological perspective, what would you scribble on your notepad? What kept running through my mind is that the sex act and all things sexual are the reason for living, boundary-less, and sacramental. Our kids are growing up in a world where the hedonistic and unbridled pursuit of pleasure is integral to life. Fornication, adultery, and homosexuality aren't even seen as naughty enough to be pursued in a sneaky way. Again, we've got to do a better job of teaching our kids about issues related to modesty and a Godly sexual ethic.

A lot is said between the words and lines of Walt's brief musings. When I was younger, I always thought that it was the conservatives who got upset about all the sex on TV and the liberals who got upset about all the violence. I have the sinking feeling that, as in so many things, both sides were right. Watching Bowling for Columbine reminded me of the violence that is just beneath the surface of so much of American life. Then you turn on the news and see the latest list of killings and things that we are to fear even if they are unfounded. Reading Walt Mueller reminds me of the easy and free sex that now seems to be everybody's right and privilege and don't tell me how I should behave is the ethic of the day. Putting the two issues together there is a sudden awareness of talking about the same things. NRA says it is my right to own and use guns. No one should be able to stop me. The videos and movies and TV shows say it is my right to have sex when I want and with whoevery I want. No one should be able to stop me.

Now, I am not a prude or censor who wants all these things to be taken off TV and movies so that we go back to the Leave it to Beaver days which were no more realistic than today's shows. Violence in movies may be important to the story as in Saving Private Ryan, The Godfather, Taxi Driver,or even Sling Blade. Sexuality, stated or unstated may be important to a storyline as in The Crying Game, Midnight Cowboy, Sex, Lies, and Videotape, or Young Frankenstein. My point is that we need to be talking to our kids-- and each other-- about the healthy and unhealthy aspects of all of these. We need to be talking in our communities about the impact of violence and the many different causes that bring it forth. We need to be discussing with our teenagers the benefits to them, to us, and to the community of living disciplined and healthy lives.

We can't do that unless we first have a healthy and disciplined view of these issues. Extremes are very seldom healthy or disciplined. Extremes, by nature, are in fact undisciplined in the area they are extreme. We are celebrating the extremes in society today- extremes of sexuality and of violence. We are experimenting with the extremes of both in our society and world. Indiscriminate sex is as personally deadly and potentially as physically deadly as indiscriminate killing.

I am not sure that all the screaming we do, whether liberal or conservative ever really gets heard beyond those who already agree with us. Perhaps it is time to scale down the rhetoric and scale up the compassionate approach of speaking in love with logic and hope and grace. We must not ignore what is happening around us, but be astute observers, like Walt Mueller was while watching the VMAs on Thursday. We must not recoil in angry horror, but with a caring awareness that these issues are deep and people have deep, intense emotions about them. Like Walt said about the VMAs, TV, movies, the News are both a map and a mirror for us of our culture. It may not always reflect what any of us as individuals may be, but it sure lets us know what is around us so we may be better informed observers and builders of a healthier and, I would add, God-affirming, life-affirming world.

<>< PS-While surfing the Rotten Tomatoes web site of the "best" all time movies, I was amazed how many, relatively, were violent, or war related and how few were sex related. I was also happy to see how many were life-affirming! ><>

Another Mentor Passes On

Earlier this summer I said goodbye to a well-loved bishop who taught me a few things about ministry and tenacity. Today I must say goodbye to another mentor.

Thirty-two years ago when I entered seminary, new to the Moravian Church, positively certain that I was never going to be a parish pastor, I met a District President who never minced words, let you know what he thought, and cared deeply about the people he worked with and around. My wife worked in his office for a year after I was done with seminary and he was my immediate "boss" as District President and I was serving as a parish pastor. He kept on caring. And letting you know what he thought. He told me what to look for- and look out for- in parish ministry. Some thought he was too honest, not political enough (meaning not a political schmoozer). He had been a mission worker among the Yupik in Alaska, pastored several churches, and then moved into the administrative side.

When I was ready to move to a new call a few years later, he made sure I knew where he stood. "You do what needs to be done there, or I'll come out and personally kick you in the rear." I moved, he retired.

Then, eight years or so later I was serving in my next congregation, one where I would stay as pastor for 15 years. He had been one of my predecessors, and the one everyone still talked about even though he had left 20 years before. One Sunday he came to visit and worship in the church he still loved. As I walked into the sanctuary before worship, he saw me across the room. He stopped the conversation he was in and made a beeline for me. Knowing that everyone was watching, with a huge grin, he gave me a big bear hug. His stamp of approval. And more. Letting the congregation know that I was their pastor.

I spent some time with him through some difficulties when his son died. I didn't stay in close contact as he lived across the country. But I always knew that his home congregation was the one I was serving and that one day he would return there to go home.

I left that congregation four years ago with the same sense of its being home that he had. Much of that was thanks to him.

He died on Thursday just a few short weeks after moving back to that same town that he loved and who loved him. We pastors don't often have a place we can truly call home. We move, we make friends in many different places. But I learned from this wise and wonderful man that you can have a home. All you have to do is love and let yourself be loved. Then, when it is done and we go to the other home, we can know what home is all about.

Well done, good and faithful servant. God's blessings, my friend!

Another Movie or Three

Finally. I rented (and watched) Signs this week. I can see why some of my friends said it was a must see for its spiritual themes. The scene where Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix discuss miracles and signs is a classic. Too bad the acting left a lot to be desired. There was never a moment when I felt scared- and I was watching at night, home alone.

I actually jumped more a few times watching Skins, an independent gem about two brothers on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Pine Ridge is the poorest county in the United States. And is loaded with alcoholism and no sense of hope. Graham Greene won a number of awards for his portrayal of the alcholic older brother and it is great. The acting was better than Signs and the story was engaging and sad and humorous. Yes, it was schmaltzy and understated at times, but it was worth the evening. Caution: The R rating is well deserved for language.

Tonight watched Bowling for Columbine. Finally. (Yes, I am behind!) Also well worth the rental. Michael Moore's passion for his subject was evident and his understated documentary style kept me intrigued. Why is is that there are so many Americans killing other Americans? Why? (For a review that points out the reasons for disagreeing with Moore's approach, check out Scandal of Particularity. I agree with her thoughts about the movie and some of Moore's cheap shots. I also agree with her closing thoughts:)

What kind of a society is this, when a child can be shot standing on his own front porch? This happened to my colleague's son last year. Darius was fourteen, shot in a drive-by, and he was not in a gang or involved in anything that would have brought this upon himself, in case you're wondering. You might say he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but how can your own home be the wrong place?

Don't tell me "guns don't kill people, people kill people." Sure, people strangle each other or stab each other or drown each other. But there are too many bullets whizzing around our streets killing our children. Maybe we disagree on gun control, but can't we do something to make our society safer?

Looking ahead: Hope to get to see Matrix Reloaded on Monday. Finally. The neat thing is that my daughter and I are planning on seeing it at the Imax at the Minnesota Zoo. I can't imagine seeing a gazillion foot tall Keanu Reeves with bullets running through four walls of speakers!

Living Up to One's Reviews

Bene Diction blogged about this pmPilgrim today. Now I have to live up to posting eloquently. Thanks for the link, BD.

House of the Spirits
A Critical Message

Just finished the truly incredible book by Isabel Allende, The House of the Spirits. It is without a doubt one of the most remarkable books I have ever read. It is the saga of Esteban Trueba's family and the women who are its soul- Rosa- the first love; Clara- the clairvoyant; Blanca- the rebellious daughter; Alba- the granddaughter who brings his redemption; Transito Soto- the prostitute who seems to always be there. It is a saga over the ninety years of Esteban's tumultuous, violent, anger-riddled life. He is this roaring lion, going through the 20th Century maintaining the conservative values and aristocratic outlook that he knew, he just knew, was the foundation of his country.

There are also the men. His sons- Nicholas and Jaime. His foreman- Pedro Segundo Garcia and Pedro's son, Pedro Tercero Garcia. His daughter's suitor- Jean de Satigny and her lover- Miguel. His unclaimed, illegitimate son- Esteban Garcia. They are all real, passionate people. Fiery in their own ways.

The writing is rich, fluid, alive, even in English translation. It is the genre of magical realism at its Latin American best populated as much with the spirits as with the people, some of whom may also be of the world of spirits. It is a romantic saga, it is an historical saga, it is great literature that is moving to read. Did I say that I liked it?

But it is far more than any of that. It is also the saga of the nation of Chile through the 20th Century ending in the years after the coup that ousted socialist president Salvador Allende, Isabel's uncle. Esteban is himself the embodiment of Chile. In truly well-crafted allegory and metaphor (I never remember which is which, but this is both) Allende has encapsulated the nation in this one man. As he seeks to maintain what he sees as the foundations of the nation, he is mean-spirited and romantic, autocratic and caring, repressive and searching for acceptance. The softer, gentler side never seems to be able to come through when needed.

In the end he sells his soul to maintain the tradition. The military is brought into the picture in order to save the country from the communists and ends up stealing the country from Esteban. It doesn't turn out the way he hopes. It never does if we lose our soul.

Which is the truly important cautionary part of the tale. Early on in the story the church, in the form of the traditional Roman Catholic Church is marginalized. Esteban never cares about the spiritual dabblings and powers of Clara. The compassion of charitable spirituality shown by Blanca is dismissed. The secular spiritual view of Marxism is defeated. The soul is gone, eliminated in order to preserve values instead of living them. It is then that the nation is open to being invaded from within by the very powers the tradition calls in to save itself. It is a pact with destruction, if not the devil. Neither law, nor the rule of law can ever substitute for the real soul that is alive and allowed to practice.

The lessons are many and those on either side of the political spectrum can certainly use the images I have listed to their own understanding. Sometimes it is the force of change that brings the counter reaction. Sometimes it is the establishment of values themselves as ends in themselves that bring pressures. Sometimes it is just the pace of life and change around us that make us want to push back. But when the act of the upholding of values begins to become an end in itself, when we worship the values instead of living them, when we ignore the soul of life we are in great danger.

The book ends. The saga doesn't. I say that pointedly. Often when reading a great saga like this you wonder what happens next to the people or circumstances. I did not wonder that or want to go on in my reading of the story. It is an ongoing saga. Circular with new characters and new circumstances, but the same underlying message. At the end, the House of the Spirits is still there. What will we do with it and how will we maintain the soul-gifts we have been given.

Probably Just Another Baby Monitor

Watching the movie Signs I came across this one scene when they are picking up signals with the baby monitor. It's a joke in the midst of the tension. But don't underestimate the power of a baby monitor.

We had one in our daughter's room twenty-some years ago. Actually, it was just a Radio Shack two-way intercom radio that we put in her room and turned it on so we could hear here in the other parts of the house. It worked really well.

One evening, just at supper time, the doorbell rang. A couple of very informally official men were at the door. The one showed his badge or card or something official.

"Do you have a little child?"

    "Uh, yes we do."

"Do you sing to the child once in a while?"

    "Well, yes."

"Do you have a monitor of some kind in the baby's room?"

    "Yes."

"Could we see it, please?"

Well, the story was that we had recently rearranged the room and moved the broadcasting monitor to a new place. A little higher on a different shelf.

Right up the road from us, on the hill that happened to be one of the highest spots in the county, was an emergency radio repeater. Each evening, after we moved the monitor, as I would sing Jesus Loves You to our daughter, I was also jamming the local emergency radio system of the county. This had been going on for about a week and was driving everyone in the emergency system crazy.

It's a good thing, considering the way I sang, that this was long before the movie came out.

The Missional Church
Just started re-reading portions of what may be one of the most important books of the last ten years, The Missional Church by Darrel Guder, et. al. Watch for some posts here as I work on this book as a primer for some thoughts I am working on about the church in the 21st Century and the pastoral and practical implications of all that. Will be tying some of that together with material from Robert Webber's excellent book, The Younger Evangelicals.

Get Rid of the Crosses
Came across this link at Country Keepers.

Tear Down Those Crosses (From The Great Separation)
The American Clergy Leadership Conference, founded by the Unification Church is calling for churches across America and the world to tear down their crosses.

Here's why:

"'Jews, Christians and Muslims must come together to heal divisions of the past, to stand together in a moment of repentance and reconciliation, and thus, tear down the walls that separate us as people of faith,' said Archbishop George Augustus Stallings, Jr., of the independent Imani Temple African American Catholic congregation in Washington, D.C."

Here's what The Great Separation had to say…

The claim is that the cross of Christ stands in the way of reconciling all these differing religions. And you know what, that claim is true.

Read the whole post. It's worth it.

Left Brained::Right Brained
Well, not really brained, just a thought. Why is it that we so often have to come up with labels for ourselves or others? For me alot of this has to do with how I'm feeling on any given day. I like to think of myself as a Right-Wing Liberal... or was that a Left-Wing Conservative... or since I am left-brained does that mean I am in my right mind? Perhaps we need a whole-brain politics that reminds us that it is all in God's hands anyway and that what counts- on either side of the political spectrum- is how faithful we are truly being. No resolution here, just a thought late on a Monday night.

More on Moravian History

    A couple weeks ago I talked a little about the Moravian Pentecost experience of August 13, 1727. One of the human channels that The Holy Spirit used to get the people prepared was Count Nicholas Ludwig von Zinzendorf. Zinzendorf was a young Lutheran Pietist. He was born in 1700 and died in 1760. From the earliest days he was surrounded by the pietistic thinking of the Europe of his day. Nicholas was not your average young man. He had been raised in a deeply devoted Christian home, sent to deeply devoted Christian teachers, been taught and enriched through some of the greatest Christians of his day. When Nicholas was not quite 19 he graduated from our equivalent of High School and was on a trip around Europe.
    One day in these travels he was wandering through an art museum and came across a painting that he couldn't get away from. It was titled- Behold the Man and was a depiction of Jesus wearing the crown of thorns. Nicholas was stunned. He stared at the picture, then read the caption below it.

    This I have done for you; what have you done for me?

    Tears came to his eyes. He later remembered his thoughts at that moment, his answer to that world shattering question: "I have loved him for a long time," Nicholas thought, "but I have never actually done anything for him. From now on I will do whatever He leads me to do."

    Eight years after Nicholas made his pledge to Jesus in the art museum, God used him in powerful ways.
*** At age 27 his faith and understanding of God's love and grace led him into spiritual leadership of a group of immigrants from Bohemia and Moravia who had built a town on his land.
*** He began a prayer meeting that went 24/7/365 for 100 years.
*** Nearly 300 years later his early action of choosing a daily "watchword" from scripture for the community has inspired millions with a Daily Devotional book called the Daily Texts.
*** At age 27 his discernment and insight helped bring together a group of these Moravian refugees on an August morning for prayer, confession, and communion.
*** At age 27 he was there as the Holy Spirit came upon the disagreeing and disconnected pilgrims and taught them how to love.

    He was there 5 years later when they sent the first protestant missionaries to the West Indies.

    This I have done, what about you?

    As I reflected on this history in church around August 13, I realized that Zinzendorf did not allow this to make him feel guilty. Instead it opened him to the possibility of being a disciple.
    So today, instead of giving us a guilt trip, it should propel us forward. Instead of making us turn inward, it should push us out the door of our churches and homes and places of work or recreation as people with purpose. Not to get to heaven, but to be disciples. Not to feel guilty about what we haven't done- because God knows there's always more to be done than we have time to do and often the good is the enemy of the best. In grace, depending on grace, following Jesus in grace, we turn to him, asking the presence of the Holy Spirit. We then look back at Jesus and say-

Lord thank you for what you have done. What, now, can I do for you?

Letting the Imagination Work

    Just finished reading a book on writing by Terry Brooks, author of the Sword of Shanara series, among others. One of the chapters in this book was on the importance of imagination. Brooks had been playing with his grandson who wanted to put animals together in a make-believe zoo that would kill each other in real life. Brooks kept trying to tell his grandson that you didn't do that. Finally the boy got fed up and said in his sternest grandson's voice, "Papa! We're pretending!" Brooks goes on:

    I was telling Hunter that he shouldn't do things if they weren't already accepted as feasible. I was closing off the faucet of his imagination so that he would conform to what everybody else believes.

    One constant in life is change. But change does not happen without imagination. Progress occurs not because we remain satisfied with what is, but because we hunger for what might be.

    I must encourage, not discourage, his use of imagination. I must remember that not only must I not close off the possibilities he chooses to explore- whether I believe them realistic or not- but I must encourage him to find a way to open the locked doors that bar his way.

    Using the imagination can stir up trouble. Challenging the status quo of things sometimes evokes unnecessary concerns about what we've always accepted as true…. It is so much easier just to let things be. - Sometimes the Magic Works: Lessons from a Writing Life by Terry Brooks. pp 152-154.

    As a preacher and non-fiction writer most of the time, I would still give a hearty Amen! to that. To crush the imagination is to lose hope in the many possibilities of what life with God can be. To say, "That isn't the way we do it around here" or "That's not possible here" or "Get real!" is to close off the work of God. The church, and we who call ourselves Jesus' Followers must not lose the imagination that God has placed within us to be living, acting disciples.
    After all, if things were possible, if we could do them ourselves, we wouldn't need God!

Here and There on a Saturday Night

::.:: Joshua Claybourn reflects on the recent issue with the Ten Commandments in Alabama. He rightly says that the removal of the monument does not need to be a sign of the fabric of our nation coming apart. He ends:

Rise up and disperse among everyone, demonstrating on a personal level the love and grace of God. That, more than a stone slab, will leave a lasting impact.

::.:: (CNN) -- John Geoghan, a defrocked Roman Catholic priest and convicted child molester, died Saturday after he was assaulted in prison, a spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Department of Corrections told CNN This is not a surprise. It is sad, but the whole issue is sad and hurtful to everyone concerned.

It was forty years ago today.
     JFK was still president. There was an air of hope throughout the country even as the civil rights marches continued and a little known place called Vietnam was barely a household world.
     Thousands upon thousands gathered in Washington to make their presence and dream known.
     I was an idealistic young man just having turned 15. I was about to enter High School (which began in 10th grade then in my school) I knew three African-American families in my small town in rural northern Pennsylvania. I do not remember hearing the words of Dr. King that day. I probably did since watching the news and reading newsmagazines was one of my favorite hobbies. But I know that the words soon became implanted in the depths of my social and religious psyche. They ring out today with as much passion and hope and promise as they did then. I wish they didn't need to, but they need to be heard. We have not gotten as far as we could. We have found new groups to stigmatize. We have managed to keep racism an issue.
     On this 40th Anniversary may the words ring out again. May our dreams be lifted to the heavens and the work of God on earth not be confined to simply feeling good about getting to heaven someday. The making of disciples is for this world as much as the next. The making of disciples will send forth the words of hope that Dr. King so profoundly spoke for all of us that August day.

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair. I say to you today, my friends, that even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow. I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed. We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and every mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plains and the crooked places will be made straight and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.

And when this happens, when we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every tenement and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old spiritual, "Free at last, free at last. Thank God Almighty, we are free at last."

Click here for complete text.

Strong Words These Be
As I commented earlier in the week Andrew Careaga is back and blogging again. For the moment he has changed his style:

You probably won't be seeing much talk about Christianity, church and religion for awhile. Frankly, I'm tired of blogging about it. Tired of the factions, the petty debates, the inchoate chorus of "God-bloggers" who bully and belittle one another, the church, the faith, and the faith of others. The telegraphic posts. The flotsam of links. The attempts at wit and irony. The caustic, know-it-all, soapbox speeches. I'm tired of being a part of that crowd. I wish to wash my hands of it all. For the time being, anyway. Of course, as soon as I say this, no doubt I'll read a posting somewhere, or a news article, that intrigues me or angers me, and off I'll go, into the fray, arms flailing like nobody's business, adding to the confusion and muddle of the blogging hoard.

Andrew, we'll hardly know ye.

Bits and Pieces At the End of a Week

::.:: It has been a "vacation" week at home and none of the writing I wanted to do has happened. I did take some time goofing off and taking a few naps more than normal. The back porch has been a great place to do some extra crossword puzzles. I have gotten back to my reading of The House of the Spirits by Isabell Allende and am even more amazed as I get further into the book. It is truly a remarkable work of literature- and I'm reading a translation.

::.:: Went to a Twins game tonight with some friends and had a wonderful time together- even though the Twins lost. :>( Haven't been to any games for years and now two this summer in far flung parts of the country. Yes, baseball is a summer game.

::.:: I continue to watch the unfolding story of the Ten Commandments in Alabama wondering why the religious group trying to save them are the Christians who follow another section of the Book that says that the Law (of which the Ten Commandments are just 10 of 613 commands) has been fulfilled and is not what we need to be following. Anyway, the headline is now: Ala. Judge Relents on Monument - Chief Justice Is Suspended for Defying Federal Order Go here for an update.

::.:: Then there's the headline that Clean Air Rules will be relaxed:

The Bush administration has decided to allow thousands of the nation's dirtiest coal-fired power plants and refineries to upgrade their facilities without installing costly anti-pollution equipment, as they now must do.

::.:: Scientists are also telling us that Mars has always been cold and frozen.

The idea that Mars was once a warm place, awash with oceans that could harboured early life has taken a knock - new data suggests it was always cold, frozen and probably lifeless.

Which is of course different than Minnesota which once did have oceans.

::.:: And something to remember and perhaps blog on this weekend:

Groups Gather to Commemorate March on Washington (By LYNETTE CLEMETSON)
WASHINGTON, Aug. 22 — Under a thematic banner of jobs and justice, a coalition of groups dedicated to civil, human and economic rights have converged here this weekend to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the March on Washington, the mass protest that helped bring about some of the most critical social legislation in the nation's history. (more)

To Further Debate
A previous post I did had a link to Alan Brill's summary and response to a series of "outdated" gods as James Fowler explained them.

Someone who has been reading my blog felt that I shouldn't have done that and had a post on his blog which is also one I read and appreciate.

One of the main reasons I blog what I do and at times link to what I link to is to further the type of debate that this one managed to bring. Whether we like it or not we are living in the midst of a great deal of postModern thought. Such thought is neither good nor bad in and of itself. What does it tell us about the world we are living in? What does it tell us about the medium for our message? What is at the heart of who we are? How much of what we have is culture and how much is Gospel? These are critical issues in our world today for the church. These are issues that will bring more people to Christ- or turn more people off- depending on how we face and handle them.

A look at the list of blogs on my blogroll will show some quite liberal and some quite conservative blogs. If you wander into this pmPilgrim's site you will have the opportunity to see what is happening around us in our culture and even within the church. I feel it is essential that we learn to speak to the culture where they are. Not where we want them to be. Paul did not quote the Bible on Mars Hill. He quoted their own Greek poets.

Yes, perhaps too many "Greek poets" are being quoted in some churches today- and perhaps not enough in others.

Yes, perhaps James Fowler and Alan Brill have gone to an extreme- and others of us, myself very much included, get stuck in not being able to speak to those issues. What Brill and Fowler have done is to raise issues. As I said then, it is a good thought provoking post.

To my former readers from the other blog, I hope they return and will continue the debate. I know that they are thinkers with an important point of view- not all of which I would agree with, but all of which I need to continue to hear and be in dialogue with.

Above all and in all, I pray that whoever comes to this site will find a vision of Jesus and of a God who loves us so much that he sacrificed his most beloved Son so that we could be forgiven and have life and hope for this life and the next. All the rest is commentary on that. Some of that commentary is essential, some is non-essential. But it all is given here in love of Him who has loved me and given himself for me.

Strategies for Soldiers of Shalom
This came with today's SoJo Mail from Sojourner's Magazine. It is from the book "Transformed by Love: The Vernon Grounds Story," by Bruce L. Shelley. Discovery House Publishers. Thirteen strategies for Soldiers of Shalom:

1. Pray daily!

2. Keep informed regarding the development of international and national affairs: Be concerned about the world, not just the church.

3. Unambiguously denounce and renounce war.

4. Study and ponder biblical ethics.

5. Critically examine traditional and prevalent viewpoints and doctrines with respect to military policy - e.g., the just war theory, pre-emptive strike, the pacifist and non-resistant options.

6. Recognize that Christians, while grateful citizens of a particular country, belong to a kingdom that is global. Refuse to be an uncritical nationalist or an idolatrous American.

7. Support the historic right to dissent.

8. Take seriously the New Testament demand for Christian nonconformity.

9. Recognize that obedience to our Lord Jesus is the master-criterion of discipleship, not political effectiveness nor pragmatic success.

10. Use whatever political and propaganda resources are available to oppose those forces, ideologies, and institutions that foster an anti-peace mindset and a pro-war mentality.

11. Stress the interconnectedness of justice and peace. Battle injustice insofar as that is possible.

12. Collaborate with all peace-lovers in peacemaking regardless of theological and ideological differences but within the limits imposed by conscience.

13. Seek to be an agent of shalom in all personal relationships.

Alan Brill's blog, The Right Christians as also mentioned.

Andrew's Back Blogging
Good to have Andrew Careaga back blogging over at Bloggedy Blog. He was on a self-imposed exile from blogging.

Deep Sea Preacher
Real Live Preacher is one of my regular reads. He has a way with words and faith that is remarkable. Here is the beginning of a recent post.

There is a deep vent on the ocean floor of humanity, a place of creation between belief and unbelief. On this living ridge is the sacred spot where faith takes its first deep breath. This is the womb of grace.

Go read and be grateful for one who can write this well and is willing to share it.

Huh?

Just spent 15 minutes typing a truly profound thought and

one wrong move with

one misplaced finger

and it's gone.

Just like life at times, I guess. Maybe I'll get it back into my thoughts later.

A Lazy Guest Blogger

Pen at The Gutless Pacifist has invited me to join a distinguished group of bloggers in his guest house. Our task is simply to blog- and not mess up the place too badly. Would seem like a fairly easy thing to do. But I seem to get Blogger's Block when I go to write something for him. Fortunately my guest house blogmates are keeping up their end of the blog. Alan Brill of The Right Christians has a post with a list of the gods that modernism worshiped that are now being moved aside. It is a list from James Folwer of Stages of Faith fame. Alan ends with a question:

Are we ready to let go of all these "gods"? Even if we are, what about the Christians who sit next to us in the pew on Sunday or to whom we preach the Gospel?

Good thought provoking stuff!

Sacrifice in a Non-Sacrificial World

I had a huge "A-Ha" in church the other day. My wife was preaching away about covenant and the importance it has for our relationship with God. She talked about those old standard comments that a covenant is between two parties and that both sides make a commitment. You know- Be my people and you will be as countless as the stars in the sky and all people we be blessed through you. Or- Follow me and I will make you fishers of people. Both sides have a commitment to make.

Then she said it. The key that I have been struggling to find for years. Nothing new, you see, but it was how it was said. She said, "Covenant always includes a sacrifice."

If you never had one of those biblical classes that explain all this ancient stuff, the act of a covenant was a bloody one. (Graphic example coming--->) Animals often lost their lives over it. You didn't "make" a covenant; you "cut" a covenant. You might slaughter an animal and then the two parties would walk between the cut halves. (I warned you it was a bloody process.)

But sacrifice also came to symbolize the act of repentance for sins. A sacrifice was needed when you no longer sacrificed people to some distant angry diety. So the Passover Lamb was slain. It became a powerful image of the freedom from the Angel of Death and of the forgiveness of sins. It was so powerful that a phrase used only twice in the Gospels (John 1:29, 36) became one of the most prominent descriptions of Jesus- The Lamb of God.

But we did away with sacrifices for sins a couple thousand years ago. What we know of it is found in the Bible or books of anthropology. The concept is beyond our experience and therefore our understanding. "So, tell me again," a pre-Christian might say, "Jesus had to be sacrificed because a sacrifice was needed for sin and nothing else would do. That makes no sense."

Unless you also look at it from the view of covenant.

Covenant always involves a sacrifice. The covenant of marriage involved (biblically) the husband leaving his family and being joined with the wife, for example. A sacrifice on his part and perhaps on the part of the parents.

A covenant always involves a sacrifice. Both sides making a commitment and that means a sacrifice of some personal choice, perhaps, or personal autonomy, or of time and energy and love.

A covenant always involves a sacrifice on both sides.

But in this great covenant between human beings and the creator of the universe, what is it that God could even think of sacrificing. God cannot sacrifice his place on the Throne of Heaven. God cannot sacrifice a planet or a star or a galaxy. The God who has everything, made everything, and watches over everything could only sacrifice one thing.

Himself.

So he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became a man.

So he took on himself the form of a servant.

So he humbled himself to death on the cross in the form of Jesus.

If the Trinity is more than some intellectual mind-game (as I believe it is far more than that) and is in reality a poor, human attempt to explain the Father-ness, Son-ness, and Holy Spirit-ness of One Eternal God, then we see what God sacrificed for his part of the covenant just to show us how serious he really is.

And I argue about giving a dime out of each dollar.

Anyway, this was- and is- a great revelation to me. As I said, there is nothing new anywhere in it. But it is a new way for me to put it all together in a way that may open up some doors for the witness I may have to those with a postModern mindset or who have long ago left behind even a hint of human memory of the need for the sacrifice for sin. God sacrificed to show, among other things, how serious he really is about his love for you and me. I am truly humbled!

Thank you, God. Thank you!

Seabiscuit

Went to see Seabiscuit this evening. Wonderful movie, wonderful theme, well done all around. The amazing thing as you watch it is that it is a true story. You don't have to have made-up stories to have the feel-good ending. They are all around us- as are the stories that make us feel bad and afraid. These are all the stories of being human. It is neat when anyone of them is made into a good movie. I was amazed at how Chris Cooper could be Tom Smith here and that bizarre orchid thief in Adaptation. Quite an actor.

Now my daughter thought it went on too long. It had too many times when you expected it to end. She said it felt like a Robert Redford movie. I guess that isn't a bad thing since she mentioned one of my all-time Top Ten movies- A River Runs Through It as another example. But perhaps that also what life is like. Just when you think you've reached the end, you get more and hopefully better.

Seabiscuit, Red Pollard, Tom Smith, Charles Howard are us in many ways. Seeking redemption from the worries and pains and broken legs and souls that we have suffered. "Maybe," as Red says at the end, "we help heal each other."

Promise Keepers Note 3

Mentioning to several people about being at Promise Keepers yesterday, they all mentioned the protesters that were there. They saw it on the news. Now I wasn't watching the TV the past few days so I don't know what they showed. But my comment was "Protesters? I didn't see them." Which is true. Now on Saturday I came in by the parking ramp and across a skywalk. But I never saw the protesters. I have at previous conferences. At one it was those who felt that PK was trying to take away all the advances women have made in society and the church. Sometimes it has been gay activists. Last time it was the atheists association who were protesting the Christian orientation of the conference saying they don't need power from anyone other than themselves.

Now I don't agree with everything that was said at the conference. I especially didn't like the angry tone of some of the comments. But I could set that aside and see the hope of faith that was under it all. As people in 12-Step groups sometimes say, "Take what you need; leave the rest." I cannot take with me the anger and judgmentalism that sometimes comes across from some of the speakers. I would rather take Erwin McManus's call to compassion. There is power in both, but in anger it is not a healthy power or one that can help people see Jesus as one to follow.

Another Serial Sniper?
High in Terrorism?

Just saw a brief report from West Virginia that there may be another serial sniper at work there. Not good. It was followed by a story that the US ranks fourth highest in the threat of terrorism.

The Headline

Friday's headline on the St. Paul Pioneer Press atrracted the attention of many of the recovering alcoholics leaving their meeting at a local restaurant. It was a simple, one word headline that expressed what had happened on the east coast. For the alcoholics it was a word of hope:
Powerless!

That is always and forever the First Step to finding hope-
as an alcoholic- the personal powerlessness over alcohol...
as a human- the personal powerlessness over people, places, things....
as a sinner- the personal powerlessness over sin.

Promise Keepers Part 2
Was not disappointed with Promise Keepers today. The envelope they are pushing seems now to have moved from being men of integrity and doing the right things at home, being a good husband, father, etc. to evangelism. There seems to be a direction toward being the church in mission, picking up on the church as what we are instead of the place we go to. They are still strong on accountability, being the role model of righteousness for one's family, getting free from porn and other addictions. They certainly gave the Gospel message many, many times over the two days in ways I didn't remember from last time I went two years ago.

There also seems to be a movement toward the GenX/Millenial generations. The closing talks were by Greg Stier of Dare 2 Share Ministries and Erwin McManus of Mosaic Church in LA. They both brought a newer and younger face to the stage. Stier had a wonderful method of sharing called 2.6.2 Evangelism. He even talked about working in a local coffee shop for hours. McManus was exciting, challenging, and just plain wonderful! His closing challenge was a call to be global Christians. The friend I was with noticed the differences between McManus and most of the other speakers.

Overall, and I will be blogging more from my notes over the next few days, PK this time was a good and growing experience. They said that over 1850 decisions were made Friday evening of the 8000+ that were there. I can see movement being made into the Gen X/Millenial worlds both from the stage and in the audience. There is still a lot of the "modern world" styles, but they seem to be working on bridging the worlds. My guess is that we will see more emphasis on evangelism and mission as the obvious outgrowth of becoming men of integrity in the world.

A Night at Promise Keepers

Went to Promise Keepers here in the Twin Cities this evening. They seem to have turned up the heat a little since the last time I was at a PK event two years ago. I remembered what a friend of mine said five or six years ago after attending an event. He didn't like being yelled at. I felt like that part of this evening. Not that it was bad. It was good stuff. Real challenging. The first evening of a PK event is always that way- presenting the Gospel and a call to turn from sin.

They started with a dramatic representation of the three crosses at Calvary with the preacher acting out the two thieves and Jesus words as he put the crosses together. Powerful.

He used the cross on either side of Jesus' cross as symbolic of the ways we can respond or not respond to God. His repeated line was:

When it all comes down, the most important thing will be what side of the cross are you on.

The second speaker took us into the fact that church is not a "go-to" place. It is something to be. He challenged us to turn from sin, leave the Devil behind and become the church that the Devil is afraid of us becoming.

But it does seem that they have begun to push the envelope some. They are really making the message stronger than I remember- and it has always been strong!

It was a powerful evening in St. Paul.

More tomorrow. It looks like St. Paul is the only PK event where Erwin McManus is speaking. He's scheduled for Saturday afternoon. Will post more thoughts later.

(Note: I know that I promised more on the Moravian Pentecost, history, and Power from on High. I haven't forgotten. Will get to that next week. I am on vacation at home next week and hope to do some more writing.)

What Would Jesus Drink?

Starting with a post at Signposts and a link to Christian Counterculture Newsletter the question of alcoholic beverages was discussed.

Now, a disclaimer before I go any further:
:: I am a recovering alcoholic and have been so for 15 years.
:: I come from an alcoholic family.
:: I am a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor.
:: My earliest faith experience was as a non-practicing Jew and the appropriate use of wine at meals and rituals like a Seder.
:: My faith experience when I became a Christian was in a non-drinking fundamentalist faith.

I see nothing wrong with the idea of using wine in worship settings where appropriate.
I see nothing wrong with people gathering at places where alcohol is served for religious groups, small groups, discussions, etc.
I whole-heartedly agree that too much of what has been seen and used and done in relation to alcohol use is un-biblical. It is cultural.

But so was Jesus' use of wine. Wine was a major and important part of the culture.

So let us not make the same mistake in the opposite direction. Let us not make wine anything more than it was or is- an alcoholic beverage of great antiquity. Let us not elevate the use of alcoholic wine to a requirement.

Be careful that alcohol (or any beverage) not become a central tenet of the faith.

Yes, I agree that Jesus would probably drink wine. Yet, he would probably also be at the bar inviting the alcoholics into new life without alcohol. Yes, we should not allow the cultural taboos to set our agendas, but neither should we allow our cultural desires to set them either.

And please, remember that alcohol abuse and addiction is a very serious issue around the world. Remember that there are many who are alcoholic and who have a great spiritual yearning. Remember that alcohol is a powerful drug that can be a harsh mistress and take one into depths that any who are not alcoholic cannot even begin to comprehend. It is a disease, not a matter of will power.

Why Start a New Church?

Leighton Tebay has a good post on why he will be involved in a new church. He ends with this excellent reason:

Ultimately we want to start something new because we have hope that we can become part of something much bigger and more powerful than ourselves. Our convictions about the scriptures lead us in the direction we’ve taken. We find accountability, strength and encouragement by opening ourselves up to a number of different relationships.