TheoCenTriC

Flunking Sainthood

2012-01-27T20:26:54Z

It has been said that the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. Jana Riess' new book Flunking Sainthood is an encouraging word to those of us who have approached traditional spiritual disciplines with good intentions, only to end up frustrated by failure.]]>

Flunking Sainthood

A Great Resource for Wannabe Mystics

It has been said that the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. If this is true, then I've left my fair share of parched pavement on Interstate 666 in my well-intended but poorly-executed interest in traditional Christian spiritual practices.

For me, the spiritual disciplines always sound great in theory. It is the practice of these disciplines - moreover, the consistent practice - that I find difficult. I can talk well about the spiritual disciplines, but my execution is often, at best, spotty and uninspired. It is for this reason that I am a self-described "wannabe" mystic. I wannabe a mystic (it sounds like a great idea!) but I don't necessarily consider myself one because of my poor performance.

It is encouraging then to read that I am not alone in my frustrations.

Jana Riess' book, Flunking Sainthood: A Year of Breaking the Sabbath, Forgetting to Pray, and Still Loving My Neighbor, is an encouraging word to those of us who have approached traditional spiritual disciplines with good intentions, only to end up frustrated by failure.

Over the course of one year, Jana Riess committed to one new spiritual discipline a month, including fasting, fixed-hour prayer, gratitude, Sabbath-keeping, the Jesus Prayer, and generosity. What initially seemed like a simple task quickly turned out to be quite a challenge: Fasting can make one cranky rather than compassionate; Sabbath-keeping can turn into just one more performance; Fixed-hour prayers can really disrupt one's day; And the list goes on.

Honestly seeking spiritual growth, Jana approached each discipline with good intentions. But she ended up failing at every one.

However, she discovered that failing the disciplines brings its own lessons. For example, through her attempts at lectio divina (reading the scriptures slowly, reflectively, personally, and prayerfully) she discovered how easy it is to read the scriptures superficially. She writes, "lectio divina...has shown me how I tend to skim the surface, not only of the Bible but of the Christian faith itself... It is easy to believe that our lives are inspired by the Gospels if we keep the Gospels at a distance" (50).

In spite of the difficulty of fixed-hour prayer, Jana learned that "Prayer should order my daily life, not by ordered around by it. Part of the problem I've had with a regular prayer routine in my years as a Christian is that I try to squash it in each day between all of those other 'important' things on my list, and of course half the time it doesn't happen at all" (145).

At the end of the year, Jana makes a few observations. She recognizes she made a few mistakes in her approach. She realizes the impossibility of mastering any spiritual practice in just thirty days. More time is needed. Also, she frankly admits "I was... an idiot for trying so much of this by myself rather than in community" (170).

In spite of her repeated failures, Jana ends up more spiritual enriched by the end of her journey. She may be a failed saint but "A failed saint is still a saint" (171).

Jana's style of writing is humorous and engaging. She is playfully self-deprecating and pulls no punches when it comes to the saints. My favorite line in the book is when she compares St. Therese of Lisieux (one of my favorite saints) to a drama queen. She's not far-off in this assessment, but in my opinion, this is further evidence of how diverse and crazy God's saints may be.

Quotes excerpted from Flunking Sainthood: A Year of Breaking the Sabbath, Forgetting to Pray, and Still Loving My Neighbor by Jana Riess

Here and Now

2012-01-27T18:15:17Z

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Here and Now: Living int the Spirit - Henri J. M. Nouwen

This is a personal book for Nouwen. It is "an extended personal statement of faith" (11) and covers "things that really matter to me" (12). In this book, Nouwen reflects on basic spiritual themes. His chapters on joy, compassion, family, and death are profound and inspiring. In the end, he invites us to continue our faith journey. This may be the best introduction to Nouwen's spirituality available. Great spiritual reading for those who seek a deeper faith!

THE Last Question

2011-06-06T15:47:53Z

Like Tevye pestering his wife in "Fiddler of the Roof" Jesus pesters us as well: "Do you love me?" He persistently needles us into action by confronting us with the most important question, for our answer to "Do you love me?" matters more than anything else.]]>

THE Last Question

"Do You Love Me?" (John 21)

The three most powerful words in the human language are "I love you." These words speak of the deepest kind of connection between two people. Between "I" and "you" is "love" - uniting two people in a bond of mutual affection.[1]

"I love you" is a phrase that is so powerful that it should not be used lightly. We should not say it to just anybody. (And if we do, it certainly can't mean much.) I remember that when I dated, I hesitated to say these words until I was confident that I could say them and really mean them.

In our culture, we have to be even more careful. Most of the time the word "love" doesn't mean much in our culture. Most song lyrics that use the words "I love you" usually are not intended to mean, "I am united to you in a mutual bond of affection" but rather "I'm infatuated with you... I lust after you... I want you regardless of whether it is beneficial to you or not."

To add to the confusion, our word "love" can be distorted and twisted to mean a lot of things that have little to do with the virtue of love. In The Gospel and the American Dream, Bruce Shelley describes the source of our confusion:

Loving Dutch apple pie means I want to eat it. I want to devour it. To be honest, I want to feel good--as it ceases to exist. That isn't love; that is exploitation.
Loving a sports car means I want to own one. I want to drive it, to feel the surge of power and turn a few heads. That isn't love; that is possession.
Loving pro football means I like to watch it. I enjoy getting the thrills without the bruises. But that isn't love either; that is gratification.[2]

We must not cheapen the three most powerful words. "I love you" should mean more than "I lust you," "I want you," "I want to enjoy you," "I want to exploit you," or "I want to possess you."

If the words "I love you" are the three most powerful words then the most important question must be, "Do you love me?"

These are the final words of the risen Lord Jesus in The Gospel according to John.

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs." A second time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Tend my sheep." He said to him the third time, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" And he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep." (John 21:15-17)

Like Tevye pestering his wife in "Fiddler of the Roof" Jesus pesters his Simon Peter as well: "Do you love me?"

Our answer to this question matters more than anything else. Indeed, all religion must lead to this question or it descends to mere ritual. For this reason, Jesus will not let us go until we give an answer. As he did with Peter, he comes to us in the ordinary routines of life, ever pestering us with the question, "Do you love me?"

Our story takes place after Easter. Like Peter, the excitement of Easter is over for us. We now have to move on with our lives. After the great celebration of the Easter Season, life moves on, the buzz dies down, and things continue on... same as before.

This experience is common. Very quickly, the extraordinary becomes the ordinary. The romantic candlelight dinners in a restaurant with great atmosphere quickly become microwave meals in front of the television's light. The trophies we worked so hard to achieve eventually gather dust and are forgotten. The Communion Table becomes routine - a monthly duty for the faithful few.

Whether we like it or not, this necessarily happens. We can't live off the fumes of our conversion forever. Our confirmation vows eventually recede into the past. Indeed, any spiritual experience - no matter how extraordinary or intense - eventually fades. We settle into our ordinary routines.

But it is right here - in the ordinary routines of life - that Jesus arrives. Like Peter, the risen Jesus comes into our ordinary experiences and perpetually asks, "Do you love me?"

After the excitement of Easter, the disciples find themselves back home again in Galilee. All the surprising and wonderful events are in the past. Things have calmed down again. The disciples once again find themselves caught up in the ordinary rhythms of simple, daily living. They've "gone fishing!" Back to what they know best - to the comfort of "real life."

But they cannot escape the risen Lord. Jesus is present in the ordinary, whether they initially sense him or not. In the experience of an ordinary meal on the beach, Jesus comes to them. And it is after the simple meal that he harps, "Do you love me?"

Initially, he seems to be pestering Peter. He asks him no less than three times, "Do you love me?" Though on the surface this may seem to be overkill, it is really an act of grace. Jesus is giving Peter - who had denied him three times - the opportunity to make up for his past mistakes and confess his love for Jesus once again. Through the unremitting barrage of questions, the forgiving love of Jesus is on display. And Peter takes Jesus up on his offer by responding in the affirmative to each round of questioning.

Like the first disciples, the risen Lord continues to walk among us - not just in the excitement of the Easter Season, but in the ordinary course of our lives (like fishing!) calling us to a fresh, new beginning. Like Tevye, his constant interrogation invites us to reflect on our relationship with him.

And he chooses to pester us with the most important question of all: "Do you love me?"

This is where all true religion must lead. As Israel confessed in the shema the priority of loving God with our whole being, so we are invited to consider where we stand in our love for Jesus.

The simple meal of the Lord's Supper both represents and reminds us of Jesus' love for us and invites us to respond in return. It is as if Jesus says to us, "I love you. I demonstrated that by giving everything for you. I withheld nothing to reveal my love for you. Now... Do you love me? If so, receive my love and take it with you into the world. Yes, you've certainly failed, fallen short, perhaps even forgotten about my love. But I remain faithful, true, and committed to you. Put simply: I love you. Do you love me?"

And if our answer is "Yes" then a further challenge remains. We must seriously reflect on how it is we will show our love to Jesus. Thankfully, Jesus gives us guidance in this. If we want to show Jesus our love, we will "Feed his sheep."

To feed Jesus' sheep is to enter into a life of loving service to others. Love for God necessarily leads to love for others - for the church family in particular and for the human family in general.

Jesus is the "Good Shepherd" who laid down his life for his sheep. This is certainly the primary meaning of Jesus' command. We must seek the welfare of God's faithful ones. No doubt this includes providing "spiritual food" in the form of preaching, teaching, fellowship, and worship. Jesus is "the bread of life." We cannot live "by bread alone." We need to "feed" deeply on the words and life of Jesus.

But this certainly also includes providing "physical" food - caring for the needs of those in the faith community. We show our love for Jesus by feeding his sheep - spiritually and physically.

But this "feeding" also extends to those outside the walls of this church - those in our community, nation, and world. Those who love Jesus must show the love of Jesus to the world.

Last week, I had lunch with two friends from Indianapolis. During our discussion, Ana made this comment: "One way to evaluate whether a church is doing its job or not is to ask the question: If the church were gone, how would it impact the lives of those outside the church - those in the community and in the world?"

Though we don't get everything right, I do think we at Immanuel UCC can answer this question with great pride. Our "Circle of Friends" shop which provides essential goods for families in need, our orphanage and school in India, our consistent benevolence toward those in our community in urgent need are all examples of "feeding" Christ's sheep. If Immanuel UCC did not exist, there are many people who would feel the impact. And for that, we thank God!

Love is the proper goal of all true religion. Don't overcomplicate things. The final words of Jesus in John's Gospel bring to the forefront what matters most, for the most important question Jesus ever asked is, "Do you love me?"

This is the reason Jesus will not stop asking this question. Like Tevye pestering his wife, he continues to needle us into action by confronting us with the most important question, for our answer to "Do you love me?" matters more than anything else.

There is a reason that the three most powerful words in the human language are "I love you." We have been made in the image of the Triune God. We have been created "to love and to be loved." This is our deepest need and our greatest joy. Jesus will not let us forget that our fundamental identity is that we are "the Beloved of God" and our primary responsibility is to love others as God in Christ has loved us.

And if we don't get it the first time, don't worry, Jesus is persistent! He will continue to ask, "Do you love me? Do you love me? Do you love me?" He doesn't ask, "Do you love liturgy? Do you love philosophy? Do you love morals and ethics? Do you love good teaching? Do you love religion? Do you love your denomination? etc." No, the question is far more personal than that: "Do you love me?"

Why is Jesus so persistent? Because he truly loves us. And true love desires only one thing in return: Love. Love's greatest demand is to have love returned!

The risen Lord Jesus comes into our ordinary lives today and asks, "Do you love me?" How will you respond to that question? And if you respond in the affirmative, how then will you show your love to Jesus? How will you feed his sheep?

[1] Years ago, the Jewish philosopher Martin Buber spoke of the significance of this "I / Thou" relationship by contrasting it with our "I / It" relationship with most of the world. The "I / It" relationship is a relationship of control. I observe, examine, and use the things of this world as mere objects. This is fine in the realm of things, but destructive in the realm of human relationships. People are not objects to be used - mere data for examination.

[2] (Bruce Shelley, Gospel & The American Dream, 64f)

From Wild Man to Wise Man

2011-04-06T16:01:06Z

Richard Rohr's deep and profound Christian reflection on the distinct nature of male spirituality points us to the God who is free and wild - the God we cannot control or manipulate. This is difficult for men to receive. This language makes men feel useless, impotent, and ineffective. ]]>

From Wild Man to Wise Man

Reflections on Male Spirituality by Richard Rohr

Richard Rohr's book From Wild Man to Wise Man is a deep and profound Christian reflection on the distinct nature of male spirituality. He walks a fine line between two popular extremes. On one end, he rejects those who embrace a unisex universe where all gender distinctions are culturally and artificially created. He argues that the distinctions are important, but as one progresses in life one learns to be "masculine in a womanly way and to be feminine in a manly way" (18). On the other end (as evidenced in the quote above), he does not advocate a hyper-masculine spirituality that capitulates to the stereotypical cultural extremes of reducing masculinity to achievement-obsessed entrepreneurs, violence-loving barbarians, or steroid-addled sports nuts.

Instead, Rohr points us to the God who is free and wild - the God we cannot control or manipulate. This wildness of God "leaves us powerless, and changes the language [of relationship with God] from any language of performance or achievement to that of surrender, trust and vulnerability. This is not the preferred language of men!" (2) This is not preferred because God's love is beyond our control. God's wild and reckless love pursues us, not because we are good, but because God is good. This is difficult for men to receive. This language makes men feel useless, impotent, and ineffective.

Rohr calls men to reflect on male spirituality. "The full male journey is a risky journey where you can only trust God and not your own worthiness or rightness. It is a journey into the outer world, into the world of risk, uncertainty and almost certain failure" (4). But failure is not the end, for as the liturgy states: "Christ has died, Christ is risen and Christ will come again." "Life will be death, failure and absurdity, which can lead to renewal, joy and beauty. This pattern is inevitable, universal and transformative (37)." To participate in this journey, men must leave the safe world of ideas and opinions and roles of esteem and status.

The male spiritual journey begins with initiation rites. "The very word initiation reveals the necessary bias. The concern was about getting the beginning right, and then life and eternity would take care of themselves. We have been preoccupied with getting the end right, for some reason" (104). Rohr laments the lack of initiation rites in modern culture and argues for the return of defining moments of decision.

These defining moments should then lead to the risk of acting out our faith in the "real" world.

It is the risk of "acting" like Jesus acted that reconfigures your soul. We are converted by new circumstances much more than by new ideas. Or as I like to say, we do not think ourselves into new ways of living, we live ourselves into new ways of thinking. To know and not to act is not to know. Reality and circumstances, unavoidable circumstances, are normally what convert us. Reality is the greatest ally of God. It is the things you cannot do anything with--the useless things--and the things you cannot do anything about--the necessary things--that tend to do something with you! (114-115)

Initiation and heroic risk lead to ascent:

The language of the first half of the male life journey is the language of ascent, the earnest and necessary idealism that characterizes all healthy young men. It is a heroic language of winning. Succeeding, triumphing over ego and obstacles. Without such vision and effort, men remain cowering in a small and powerless world. The man has to climb in the beginning, or he cannot test his metal, find his best self, say no to his false self or triumph over egocentricity. (159)

"By the second half of life, the language changes from a language of ascending, achieving and attaining to a humble language of descent" (161). It has to do more with being than doing.

The language of descent is either learned by midlife (normally through suffering and the experience of powerlessness), or we inevitably move into a long day's journey of accusing, resentment and negativity, circling our wagons as the hurts and disappointments of life gather around us: "I am right and others are wrong. I have a right to my judgments and I will continue to use valuable energy to justify them." I have visited too many old men and retired priests in nursing homes to doubt this common pattern. When midlife no longer allowed them to ascend or to deny their dark side, far too many men either shut down or kept running. The price is a world of men who do not age well, who are emotionally, spiritually, intellectually unavailable--or just eccentric. These are the dads, priests and leaders that we all laugh about but seldom take seriously. (163)

Initiation, Ascent, and Descent lead to the ability to become a wise, spiritual grandfather.

When we can trust others like that--when we can trust God and trust life even when we do not fully understand--we too can be grand fathers. When we can let go of our need for everything to be as we want it, and our own need to succeed, we can then encourage the independent journey and the success of others. When we can let go of our fear of failure and our fear of pain, we are free to trust life just as it comes. We are able to affirm that, if God allows it, there must be something OK about it. That sounds like passivity or fatalism, but that is not what I mean at all. There is a letting go that is passivity, but there is a letting go that is egolessness, trust and surrender. The first is dangerous; the second is sanctity. The grand father is able to relinquish center stage and to stand on the sidelines, and thus be in solidarity with those who need his support. (171)

Spiritual disciplines and regular repentance are necessary all along the way in this journey, for the goal is greater than simply the achievement of a task:

If you read spiritual stories closely, you will see that there is always a task within the task, a struggle alongside the struggle. It is not enough to kill the dragon, save the maiden or even die on the cross. The real hero's task is to keep love, to find humor, to maintain freedom, to discover joy, to expand vision in the process of killing dragons! There is no room for pettiness or petulance or self-pity, or one is not, by definition, a hero. The sour saint is no saint at all. Our real demons are interior, quiet and disguised and often show themselves as the "noonday devil," which is that pride, negativity or self-absorption that reveals itself in midlife and spoils the seeming good fruit of early accomplishments. Without spiritual disciplines and regular repentance, far too many of us win many battles but finally lose the war. How utterly sad it has been in my work to meet retired, bitter bishops; sad but "successful" priests; and angry old widowers blaming the world for their loneliness... They did the task, but not the real task. (40-41)

Rohr's book is, quite simply, one of the best books on a distinctly male spirituality I have ever read. Both men and women would benefit from reading it.

Quotes excerpted from From Wild Man to Wise Man: Reflections on Male Spirituality by Richard Rohr with Joseph Martos

To Change the World

2010-12-28T20:18:58Z

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To Change the World: The Irony, Tragedy, and Possibility of Christianity in the Late Modern World - James Davison Hunter

Hunter argues that the church's dominant ways of thinking about cultural change are wrong, naïve, and misguided. In contrast to two popular Christian proposals, culture cannot be reduced to ideas (and the values that arise from these ideas) or artifacts. Culture is more complex than this. "[C]ulture is a system of truth claims and moral obligations... embedded within narratives... [and] grounded in the social world... in concrete institutional form" (33-34). Though popular preachers argue for change from the grassroots up, this is not how culture works: "Even where the impetus for change draws from popular agitation, it does not gain traction until it is embraced and propagated by elites" (41). Thus, it is naïve to think that any culture can be changed in five years or even the space of a generation. "Culture is endlessly complex and difficult, and it is highly resistant to our passion to change it, however well intentioned and heroic our efforts may be" (47).

In contrast to "changing culture" Hunter calls us to be a "faithful presence" within culture. Christians must reject the culture's understanding of power as domination over others and use power for the good of others. Both progressive and conservatives are guilty of desiring "their religious agenda to be enforced through the power of the state" (147). Christians must seek to conceive of power in way that does not lead to political domination.

Likewise, Christians must reject the conflation of public life to politics. When "identity becomes so tightly linked with ideology that partisan commitment becomes a measure of their moral significance; of whether a person is judged good or bad" we have identity politics at its worst (105). "This turn toward politics means that we find it difficult to think of a way to address public (by which I mean collective, common, or shared) problems or issues in any way that is not political. Politics subsumes the public so much so that they become conflated. And so instead of the political realm being seen as one part of public life, all of public life tends to be reduced to the political" (106). There are problems people care about that cannot be solved by politics. Indeed, we know we have conflated public with politics when fairness, equity, justice, and liberty "have come to have little or no meaning outside the realm of politics" (172).

Hunter concludes: "Over against the [Fundamentalist's] 'Defensive Against [the culture],' [Progressive's] 'Relevance To [the culture]' and [Ana-Baptist's] 'Purity From [the culture]' paradigms, I would offer an alternative: 'Faithful Presence Within'" (237). Each perspective captures something important, but at the expense of something else: "The concern to be 'relevant to' the world, 'defensive against' the world, and 'pure from' the world all, in certain ways, speaks to authentic biblical concerns. Yet the desire to be 'relevant to' the world has come at the cost of abandoning distinctiveness. The desire to be 'defensive against' the world is rooted in a desire to retain distinctiveness, but this has been manifested in ways that are, on the one hand, aggressive and confrontational and, on the other, culturally trivial and inconsequential. Finally, the desire to be 'pure from' the world has entailed a disengagement and withdrawal from active presence in huge areas of social life" (223).

As the prophet Jeremiah taught Israel in exile, we should seek the welfare of the city of Babylon (see Jeremiah 29:4-7). Israel could have withdrawn, been hostile, or simply assimilated with the alien culture, but instead, they were to be God's faithful people in the midst of hostile territory. The book of Acts is proof that the church can be a faithful presence even when it lacks "financial, intellectual, and cultural resources" and has "few defenders among elite classes" (49). Anyone interested in engaging with the culture in distinctively Christian fashion, must read this provocative book!

Saving and Secular Faith

2010-12-28T20:15:09Z

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Saving and Secular Faith: An Invitation to Systematic Theology - B. A. Gerrish

Gerrish argues that faith is not an exclusively religious word, but "the perception of meaning and purpose in one's life through commitment to an object of ultimate loyalty in which one finds security" (33). Whether one is religious or not, "a faith of sorts underlies the whole of human existence" (43). The belief in an external, meaningful world; the belief that our senses accurately receive information from this world - "these are the presuppositions of every scientific experiment and every scientific generalization" (43).

Whether one buys his argument or not, Gerrish provides an insightful summary on faith. New Testament faith (Greek: pistis) is a two-sided concept that corresponds to the English words "belief" and "trust." To believe is to accept something as true. To trust denotes a disposition of the will. One trusts in something or someone. Trust underscores the reliance, confidence and commitment the believer exercises toward the object of faith. Thus, there is a difference between faith as propositional assent and faith as personal trust. Both are aspects of saving faith: "In short: Saving faith is both (1) perceiving one's experience under the image of divine benevolence (fides) and (2) a consequent living of one's life out of an attitude of confidence or trust (fiducia)" (14).

Faith as propositional assent is not assent to knowledge in the strict scientific sense. The intellect is not compelled to believe. The intellect must be moved to assent by a deliberate choice of the will. There is for the Christian, however, only one object of faith - God - but the believer apprehends the one object through a multitude of propositions. One of the main beliefs is in God's benevolence or goodwill as disclosed in the gospel.

A Very Brief History of Eternity

2010-12-28T20:07:30Z

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A Very Brief History of Eternity - Carlos Eire

Yale scholar Carlos Eire laments the loss of the concept of eternity that was an essential component of the history of Western civilization. This is tragic for "when we lose eternity as a horizon we can end up with totalitarian, materialistic nightmares" (xiv).

His book opens with a bang as he considers the possible end-time scenarios that await our universe - either the Big Freeze, the Big Whimper, or the Big Crunch. As far as we can tell, the universe is transcient and impermanent, and we human beings are insignificant in the seemingly endless expanse which engulfs us from all sides. Why then do we dream of forever? Of permanence and endurance? We ponder the unimaginable. This is not a "hiccup of gross irrationality" as some materialists like to argue.

Eire surveys human conceptions of eternity from the ancient Hebrews and Greeks all the way to contemporary postmoderns. He argues that, at its heart, the Protestant Reformation was about the rejection of the dead and their relationship to the living as expressed in Catholic indulgences: "The false point of Luther's attack on Tetzel was the doctrine of purgatory and the custom of performing certain rituals to alleviate the suffering of the dead in the afterlife" (109). Hence, by rejecting the medieval Catholic conception of the afterlife, Protestants may be to blame (at least, partially) for the secularization of the Enlightenment.

Eire also challenges Enlightenment elites and their postmodern children with the conceit of replacing one belief system (the notion of revealed truth) with another (that of the power of human reason) and rejecting - with certainty - that which is beyond reason, that is, the concept of eternity.

Not all who believe in eternity are terrorists. "But what shocks and disturbs Westerners about these self-professed martyrs [suicide bombers] is not their belief in the afterlife, but their belief in the righteousness of killing and maiming civilians at random" (201). Belief in eternity is a blessing, but like all blessings, it is a mixed blessing: "Men who do not expect to cavort forever in some eternal paradise with eternal virgins in exchange for some horrific self-immolation that kills thousands in the name of the Almighty tend not to fly aircraft filled with passengers into tall, crowded buildings. But then, again, men who believe that they will suffer eternal torment for failing to love their neighbor usually shy away from doing that sort of thing too. Normally they also avoid building extermination camps where human beings can be turned into ashes and soap very quickly, by the hundreds of thousands, or millions, with industrial efficiency" (222).

Patience with God

2010-12-28T20:00:39Z

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Patience with God: Faith for People Who Don't Like Religion (or Atheism) - Frank Schaeffer

Religious fundamentalists and the New Atheists have much in common. They express truth claims that reek of false certainties, they seek to convert others to their opinions with evangelistic zeal, and they view outsiders to their "enlightened" perspective as enemies. The madness of extremism is not about religion, but about our distortions of religion.

Likewise, the removal of all religion will not lead to utopia: "If only making ourselves happy, kind, and tolerant were as simple as giving up religious faith. If that's all it took, the Soviet Union under Stalin and China under Mao would have been such nice places to live, and for that matter, our secularized Ivy League universities would be filled with saints, instead of back-stabbing intellectuals ready to destroy each other over who gets tenure" (3-4).

Religion exists because "moral/metaphysical/spiritual/aesthetic experiences are part of our lives" (65).

In the second half of the book, Schaeffer offers some personal reflections on his own faith. His thoughts on how many great part of our lives comes from the unplanned parts (and even mistakes) is profound. Sometimes he takes cheap potshots, but overall his writing is witty and inspiring. This is the follow-up to his outstanding memoir, Crazy for God.

The Word of Life: The Plot Twist that Changes Everything

2010-11-29T16:12:03Z

Plot twists force us to rethink everything in light of what's been true from the beginning. This is what makes plot twists so interesting. In the prologue of John's Gospel, Jesus is the "Word" that changes everything. He is the new twist to the plot that redefines everything. ]]>

The Word of Life: "In Him was Life..."

The Twist in the Plot that Changes Everything (John 1:1-5)
Words of Advent, Part 1

Plot twists force us to rethink everything in light of what's been true from the beginning. This is what makes plot twists so interesting.

In the late 60s and early 70s, Charleston Heston starred in two movies that feature two of the greatest plot twists ever. (I've purposefully chosen older movies here in order to keep from spoiling the viewing experience of more current films.) In the 1968 movie Planet of the Apes four American astronauts are in deep hibernation when their spaceship crash lands on a strange world where apes speak and rule over enslaved humans. At the end of the film, the last surviving astronaut (played by Charleston Heston) escapes the treacherous primate civilization. While traveling on a desolate beach he discovers the Statue of Liberty washed up on the shore. This revelation triggers the terrible realization that the horrible planet run by beasts actually arose from the ruins of his own world: earth.

The whole movie must be rethought in light of the plot twist. Heston is not on another world, but in America of the future. The planet is actually earth. The space ship has traveled in time instead of space. (By the way, we should not be surprised by such a dramatic turn, when we realize that the first draft of the script for Planet of the Apes was written by twist-loving Twilight Zone creator, Rod Serling.)

Five years later, Charleston Heston made another movie with a shocking plot twist: Soylent Green. The movie takes place in the year 2022. New York City has become overpopulated with 40 million residents. Pollution has brought global warming. All natural resources have been destroyed, leaving 40 million people desperate for food. To alleviate the hunger, the Soylent Company has created a new food product: Soylent Green. While investigating the brutal murder of a corporate official of the Soylent Company, police detective Ty Thorn (played by Heston), uncovers a horrifying conspiracy. The movie ends with Thorn, seriously wounded and nearly hysterical, shouting the truth about Soylent Green to anyone that will listen: "It's people. Soylent Green is made out of people! Listen to me... You've got to tell them! Soylent Green is people!"

This "word" changes everything. Everything that precedes it must be rethought in light of this new revelation. New York City has become a culture of cannibals eating the remains of the dead. Though it was true the entire time, it is only revealed by the twist.

At heart, John's Gospel is about a new word - the Word, the Logos - that changes everything: The "Word" that was with God, and yet, is God "has become flesh" (John 1:1, 14). This is the ultimate plot twist in the story of God and God's creation. Now, everything that precedes the revelation of this "Word" must be reexamined and redefined.

What has always been true is now revealed. It was true the entire time, but the twist changes everything we assume. Everything we think about God, creation, life, and love is radically redefined in light of the coming of the Christ.

John, amazed by the Word, goes all the way back to the beginning - to Genesis 1:1 itself: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" - in order to retell the human story in view of Christ. Much like watching a movie again, this new "Word" fills out the story and provides added depth and meaning.

The Divine Life

The twist that changes everything takes us back to a time before time - to eternity past:

"In the beginning was the Word (Greek: Logos), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. This one was in the beginning with God" (John 1:1-2).

Before all things - before creation itself - we find the Logos in relationship with God. The expression "In the beginning"

does not refer to the beginning of some particular process, a definite localized point of time, but rather to the indefinite eternity which preceded all time, the immeasurable past. The Logos cannot be said to have come into being at any given moment; He always was.[1]

From eternity, the Logos has been with God (stated twice in verses 1 and 2). The Greek phrase translated "with" is pros ton theon and literally means "turned toward God." The Logos is in a face-to-face relationship and yet, paradoxically, the Logos is God (1). What (or Who) is the Logos?

John is a Jew but he writes for a global audience, so it is not surprising that he uses the Greek word logos to stir interest in both Greek and Jewish readers. Logos resonates with Jewish traditions about the power, wisdom, and word of God. It also resonates with Greek philosophical teachings concerning the energy that shapes the universe.

In the ancient Greek language, logos was originally a word meaning "word," "speech," "account," or "reason." Beginning with Heraclitus (c. 535-475 BC) it became a technical term in philosophy for the principle of order and knowledge. However, ancient philosophers used the term in different ways. Aristotle and the Sophists used the term to mean "reasoned discourse." The Stoic philosophers beginning with Zeno of Citium (334-262 BC) identified the term with the divine animating principle pervading the universe - the animating life force or "world soul."

Though this background provides for some provocative connections, the dominant connection arises from the Hebrew tradition. For the Jews, logos primarily referred to God's spoken word - a word that creates, reveals, and delivers. God's word called Abraham to be a blessing to the nations, delivered Israel from Egyptian oppression, revealed the torah to Moses, and provoked prophetic pronouncements.

The God of Israel is a God who speaks - a God who reveals Godself through actions and language. In the Hebrew tradition, sin has its origin in denying God as a speaking and revealing God. The Serpent's temptation began with, "Has God really said?"

Why does God speak? God speaks because God desires a relationship with people. It is through words that we address and engage with others. Communication is essential to establish and maintain a healthy, growing relationship.

In John 1:1, we encounter the paradox that the "Word" (logos) is differentiated from and yet identified with God. This is in accordance with our basic use of language. To hear a person's word is to hear the person. However, a person's word can be differentiated and yet identified with the one who speaks it. In the same way, the Logos is differentiated from and yet identified with God.

The grand twist of John's prologue is that Jesus is God's word to the world. He is differentiated, yet identified with God. In Jesus, God communicates in a form we can receive.

The good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (the plot twist that changes everything) is that the eternal Word - the Logos that is with God and is God - has entered our world to speak God's truth to our human situation. Jesus, the Word made flesh, is God's word to the world: "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us... the only begotten God/Son who is in the bosom of the Father, has made God known" (John 1:14, 18).

The one thing we all share is flesh. The eternal Word of God is embodied in our human fragility and immersed in the human experience. God's revelation is communicated in a way we can all understand and relate to - in the person of Jesus Christ. God's Logos - active in Israel's salvation, proclaimed in Israel's scriptures - is now embodied in Jesus.

This is the heart of the Gospel. There are many human beings who say things about God, but in Jesus the Word comes from God in human form. God speaks to the world through the words Jesus utters, the actions he performs, and the death that he dies. In Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, people not only receive information about God, but are granted an encounter with God. And the prologue prepares readers to see the whole story of Jesus as God's act of communicating through his embodied Word.[2]

In Jesus, God's divine life has come to us. This is the "life" that pre-exists life on earth - indeed, that pre-exists all creation, even existence itself. This "life" has been called many names: the divine life, the uncreated life, the heavenly life. It is the life of perfect union and communion between the Logos and God (or as we will later discover, between Son and Father).[3] Though this divine life of perfect love goes by many names, John's favorite term for this is "eternal life."

The "eternal life" of God is a life that precedes all things. It is the source, meaning, and goal of all biological life. It is not biological life, for it is a life that exists before creation - a relationship that precedes creation (John 1:3-4).

This loving communion between God and the Logos - between Father and Son - precedes all creation. It is the truth behind and before "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). The revelation of the Word in Jesus is the plot twist that forces us to rethink everything, starting with life itself.

Rethinking Life

The divine life is the reason for all life - both biological and spiritual. All created life springs from the divine life and love: "All things came into being through him, and apart from him nothing came into being that has come into being" (John 1:3).

Contrary to conventional thinking, God did not create in order to display the unparalleled magnificence of divine power. Nor did God create out of any sense of loneliness of need. Rather, it was from the fullness of the divine life shared between God and the Logos that God created. Divine Love is the source of creation. God's desire is that all creation share in the fullness of divine life and love.

All biological life (John 1:3) finds its origin, meaning, and goal in the divine life (John 1:1-2). The world is not self-generated or ultimate. The world owes its existence to God who called it into being. God is the source and goal of all things: "not one thing came into being" apart from God (John 1:3). Nothing and no one is fully independent of God. Everything owes its existence to the Word of God.

No matter what your cosmogony - from Big Bang and evolution theory to creationism - the truth remains the same: All biological life depends on the divine life.

One might argue that "It all starts with the Big Bang!" That may be true of biological life, but not the divine life. The divine life precedes all things. (And even those who embrace this theory rarely deal with the fact that the Big Bang is not the true beginning of all things. What is the origin of the small, hot, dense singularity that birthed the universe? Where did it come from? What actually "triggered" it? And why? What does it mean?)

Since we've mapped the human genome, cloned sheep, and are beginning to master Artificial Intelligence, others might argue that since we can now "create life" God is irrelevant. This reminds me of a joke: A group of scientists once said to God, "We don't need you God. We can take dirt and create life." God replied, "Ok. Let's make this even. Get your own dirt." God is the source of life. We create only because God first creates.

Two types of life are presented in John's opening verses: the eternal divine life of God (John 1:1-2) and the biological life that arises from God's creative word (John 1:3). Physically, all people receive biological life from God, but this does not mean that everyone possesses the eternal life that comes through faith. All people are related to God as God's creatures, but not all are reconciled to God by faith, participating in the divine life of God. Put simply, you can be alive physically (which is a gift from God), but dying spiritually.

Thus, the question that constantly arises in John's Gospel is this: Do you have this life - true life, the eternal life of God that comes by faith? This eternal life is not merely a quantity of life, but a quality of life. Quantitatively, eternal life extends beyond the present. A relationship with God is not terminated by death. God does not abandon believers but gives them a future through Christ's resurrection. Qualitatively, eternal life begins now through a relationship with God in Christ.

According to Jesus' high priestly prayer in John 17, the very reason for the revelation of the divine life in Jesus is that we (biological life) might share in the divine life of God: "And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent" (John 17:3).

Indeed, John writes this gospel with one goal in mind: "so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name" (John 20:31). This verse makes no sense if it is simply referring to biological life. We've all already got life (otherwise, you wouldn't be reading this!). But not everyone possesses "life in his name" - the eternal, divine life of God. This life can be known by trusting God's Logos - God's Word revealed in Christ.

The Twist that Changes Everything

Jesus is the "Word" that changes everything. He is the new twist to the plot that redefines everything. All that precedes his coming must be rethought in light of this new revelation: The eternal Word - whose being is "turned towards" the Father in love and intimacy - became fragile flesh in order to lead us into the very life of God. This eternal life precedes all biological life and is its source, reason, and goal.

Though the eternal loving communion of Logos and God - Son and Father - was true the entire time, it is only fully revealed in the coming of Christ. But it is revealed for the purpose that we might receive this life and, in doing so, rethink everything!

We must rethink our view of God and creation. God is not a solitary monad exercising sovereign power for God's own selfish ends, but rather, God is love - the eternal loving personal communion of Father, Son, and Spirit. Creation finds its source, meaning, and goal in the love of God revealed in Christ. All creation arises from the Divine love and exists to know this love.

We must also rethink our understanding of life. There is more to life (true life) than biological life. The ultimate meaning to life is not just the existential meaning we make ourselves, as if there were no transcendent, true, or ultimate meaning to the world. No, the meaning of life is the mystery of love. We live because of God's love and true life is found by dwelling in God's love. This is true whether we recognize it or not... just like the twists in a story.

[1] Merrill C. Tenny, John, The Gospel of Belief: An Analytic Study of the Text (Grand Rapids, Eerdmans, 1987), 64.

[2] Craig R. Koester, The Word of Life: A Theology of John's Gospel (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2008), 27.

[3] Though John does not expand upon the experience of the divine life here, Jesus will later shed light on the nature of this life in his high priestly prayer recorded in John 17. It is a life of shared glory (17:5) and eternal love (17:24,26)

When Less is More, More is Less, and More is More

2010-10-04T20:35:29Z

More is not always better. Therefore treasures, riches, and wealth should not be solely defined in material categories. Will you choose the better way of simple faith, love, and gratitude? Or will you stumble through life, grasping at all the stuff? Don't make the mistake of getting everything you want but nothing you really need!]]>

When Less is More, More is Less, and More is More

The Good Life is the Simple Life (Proverbs)

In his break-out comedy film, The Jerk, Steve Martin plays Navin R. Johnson who stumbles into fortune and fame through his invention of the Opti-grab, a combination handle and nose-brace for eyeglasses that makes them easier to put on and remove. He is eventually sued because the Opti-grab makes its wearers cross-eyed. And just as quickly as he gained his fortune, he loses it.

Navin Johnson leaves his mansion a broken man, desperately clinging to the remnants of his wealth, grabbing bits of stuff, and proudly declaring, "I don't need anything... except this ashtray. All I need is this ashtray. That's all I need... And this chair. All I need is this chair and this ashtray. That's all I need. And this..."

If, like Navin, you lost everything, what would you grab on the way out? How would you fill in the blank: "All I need is ________"?

The film raises an important question: If you shave away all the extras in your life, what do you truly need in order to live a peaceful and contented life?

When viewed from this perspective we may find we need a lot less than we think.

We all know that it is possible to amass lots of material possessions and still be empty. Simply watch an episode of VH1's popular Behind the Music series which chronicles the rise and fall of many popular musicians. A running theme is that material possessions don't necessarily bring happiness. Or look at the waning years of billionaire Howard Hughes. Or watch an episode of Hoarders. If personal peace and contentment could be attained through the accumulation of wealth, these examples would not exist. And yet the illusion persists in our culture, perpetuated by the bombardment of endless advertisements that attempt to convince us of our inferiority if we fail to keep up with the Joneses.

But there is a better way.

And that way is repeatedly proclaimed throughout the ancient book of Proverbs - a collection of Hebrew wisdom sayings that shed light on ways to practically apply the truths of God in the routines of daily living.

Each one of the simplicity proverbs are "better than" proverbs. They draw a comparison between two ways to live. One way is markedly inferior and the alternative - the better way - is, well, better. (Superior would be saying too much.)

The simplicity proverbs clearly point to a better way. In order to recognize the better way, we must think carefully about our current way of living. In order to keep from pride, we must recognize that the better way is not always the "best" way. It is simply better. Wisdom does not conclude that there is only one "best" option, but rather, that there are markedly better ways to live. We must discern, not what is best, but what we truly need. And then choose to live peaceful and godly lives of contentment, not simply for ourselves, but for the well-being of our neighbor.

The Simplicity Proverbs

No matter what our lot in life, we all have dreams of a better life - and this sometimes hinders our ability to enjoy our present blessings. We imagine the family down the street (or further away in the better neighborhood) and assume that life must be better for those with more material possessions. But without condemning material possessions, Proverbs 15:16-17 and 17:1 expose this for the illusion that it is:

Better is a little with the fear of the Lord
than great treasure and trouble with it. (15:16)

Better is a dinner of vegetables where love is
than a fatted ox and hatred with it. (15:17)

Better is a dry morsel with quiet
than a house full of feasting with strife. (17:1)

In these proverbs, two extremes are contrasted - that between humble poverty and pampered luxury: A few sparse possessions are set over against great riches (15:6) and a simple meal is set over against luxurious provisions (15:17; 17:1).[1]

Without condemning material possessions, these proverbs reveal that having more is not necessarily better than having less. Sometimes less is more. Especially when the "more" lacks priceless items like "the fear of the Lord" (16), "love" (17), and "peace and quiet" (18).

The "fear of the Lord" is a major theme in Proverbs (and in the Bible, for that matter). "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom" (Proverbs 1:7; 9:10). There is no wisdom without reference to one's relationship with God. And that relationship is not one between equals (God is God and you are not) but between covenant partners. Since God is God and we are God's creatures who've entered into covenant with God by God's grace, we are to live all of our lives in the presence of God - thanking, praising, and following God's will. The result should be "love" and "peace" with our neighbor.

One could summarize these three proverbs in this way: A simple meal that is eaten in peace with people you love and that love you is to be preferred over a luxurious meal that is accompanied with conflict, hatred, and strife. Without God, the goods of this world may become disordered. They may become more important than they should be - more important than people. But love and gratitude sweetens our meals, no matter how simple they are. Love is a much better seasoning than hate. The greatest meal of all - the Lord's Supper - is not an elaborate meal of fine delicacies but a simple meal of bread and wine shared among friends and in the presence of incarnate love.

A second batch of simplicity proverbs highlights the value of integrity:

Better is a little with righteousness
than large income with injustice. (Proverbs 16:8)

Better to be poor and walk in integrity
than to be crooked in one's ways even though rich. (Proverbs 28:6)

Clearly, preserving one's integrity is more important than amassing one's possessions. Obeying God's commands to do justice to others may require one to lead a very simple life. A just person may only own a little, but that is to be preferred to the wealth of those who profit from injustice and oppression. It is important to note: The proverbs do not condemn wealth and riches. Instead they argue that wealth and riches must not take priority in one's life. Justice matters more than wealth.

Reflections

Taken as a whole, these proverbs demonstrate what is at the heart of the good life - what it is that we truly need in life. If we desire to walk in wisdom, we must reflect upon their significance to us in the modern world.

One dominant narrative of modern culture is "More is better." The good life is often defined by how full, busy, and complicated our lives are. One could simplistically define modern life as the incessant need to always be adding one more thing to our lives as we strive to have it all, surrounded by the constant bombardment of advertisements to create and fuel our desires into dissatisfied frenzy. The end result is that we are possessed by our possessions: "The more we have, the more we want; and the more we want, the more we are possessed by our possessions."[2]

In our secular culture, success is often defined by secular goals. The successful are those who have accumulated the most wealth and therefore are the most affluent, comfortable, and secure. When we allow this to be the measure of our success, we are increasingly dissatisfied with what we own, have, and have achieved. It is tragic when our minds are preoccupied more with what we don't have, than on what we do.

But the simplicity proverbs offer ancient wisdom: More is not always better. More is sometimes simply more and nothing else. More stuff does not necessarily translate into more love, peace, contentment, or gratitude. Therefore treasures, riches, and wealth should not be solely defined in material categories. The treasures of knowing God in Christ, the riches of loving others, and the wealth of gratitude that wells in our hearts are all - as the MasterCard commercial tries to convey - priceless. As long as I have my faith I have a great treasure. As long as I love others, my life is enriched. As long as I remember God is the giver of all good gifts, both great and small, I possess great wealth. You can be rich without money! And you can have money and not be rich in that which matters most.

More is not always better. And better is sometimes less. Anthony de Mello tells a story that communicates this well. It is called The Story of the Contented Fisherman:

The rich industrialist from the North was horrified to find the Southern fisherman lying lazily beside his boat, smoking a pipe.

"Why aren't you out fishing?" said the industrialist.

"Because I have caught enough fish for the day," said the fisherman.

"Why don't you catch more?"

"What would I do with it?"

"You can earn more money" was the reply. "With that you can have a motor fixed to your boat and go into deeper waters and catch more fish. Then you would make enough to buy nylon nets. These would bring you more fish and more money. Soon you would have enough money to own two boats... maybe even a fleet of boats. Then you would be a rich man like me."

"What would I do then?"

"Then you can really enjoy life."

"What do you think I'm doing right now?"[3]

More is not always better. And better is sometimes less. How has the "more is better" mentality shaped you? When have you downsized? What was it like for you? If you don't learn the discipline of simplicity now, you will most likely have to one day. As in most things, aging forces us to face spiritual issues we may have neglected at a younger age. Aging demands that we simplify our possessions, learn to let go, and hold on to what really matters.

The One Time More is Always Better

More is not always better (less is more). And better is sometimes less (more is less). But sometimes more is always better (more is more). In Paul's very first epistle to a church, he recognizes that the believers in Thessalonica "love all the brothers and sisters throughout Macedonia" (1 Thessalonians 4:10a). Paul recognizes that this is evidence that they are listening to the voice of God (4:9). But he does not settle for this. He continues, "But we urge you, beloved, to do so more and more" (4:10b).

How are they to practically do this? By aspiring to live a simple life! Paul continues: "Aspire to live quietly, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we directed you, so that you may behave properly toward outsiders and be dependent on no one" (4:11-12). Everyone has ambition (here translated "aspire"). The ironic twist Paul places on ambition is that he says, "Make it your ambition to live a quiet, simple life. How is one to be ambitious but at the same time to seek a quiet life? Our culture has a hard time processing this. But Paul sees this focus on "the simple life" as a better way.

This ambition is not only good for its practitioners, but also for the welfare of others. The goal of Paul's command for self-sufficiency is that believers may "behave properly toward outsiders" (4:12). That is, that believers may learn to be generous to others. We strive to be self-sufficient, not only for our own welfare, but also to express love to others. One of the ways we do this is by giving. The Beatles were right: We can't buy love. But money can express love.

Mother Theresa once said, "Live simply, that others may simply live." Living simply is not only good for the soul, but it is good for the world. It touches on social issues of equity, conservation, and justice. Those of us who are wealthy have obligations to the poor. One of the fruits of living simply is a conscious commitment to helping the poor. When we find our greatest wealth in our relationship with God, we no longer need to make every effort to protect ourselves from being vulnerable through amassing possessions. "A conscious commitment to trusting in God will almost always lead to a life of greater simplicity."[4]

Conclusion

Remember Navin Johnson. Broken and desperate he loses everything. Unable to see beyond his possessions, he clings to fragments of his lost wealth, saying "All I need is..." Its often in times of crisis that we discover our true needs - what really matters - because we often don't know what riches we truly possess until they are gone. In Navin's time of crisis, he could not see beyond a few petty items. But for most of us, the time of crisis has not yet come.

Will you choose the wide path of being caught up in the spiraling cycle of satisfying our insatiable desires? Or will you choose the better way of simple faith, love, and gratitude? Will you stumble through life, grasping at all the stuff? Or will you walk purposefully through life, seeking those things which are priceless?

If you shave away all the extras in our lives, what do you truly need in order to live a peaceful and contented life?

And as you answer these questions, don't forget Jesus' haunting words based on the simplicity proverbs, "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16:26)

Don't make the mistake of getting everything you want but nothing you really need!

[1] Unlike moderns, ancient Israelites rarely ate meat. Livestock was more important for work, wool, and milk than for meat. To kill one's livestock was unthrifty, and thus, it was only done for good reasons. The most common reason was the act of sacrificing livestock to God as an act of worship, often followed by eating the sacrificed animal together as a family.

[2] Ernest Kurtz and Katherine Ketcham, The Spirituality of Imperfection: Storytelling and the Search for Meaning (New York: Bantam Books, 1992), 33.

[3] Anthony de Mello, The Song of the Bird (New York: Image Books, 1982), 132-133.

[4] John D. Roth.

Making Sense of Scripture

2010-10-02T23:29:53Z

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Just Read...

Making Sense of Scripture: Big Questions About the Book of Faith - David J. Lose

David Lose believes the Bible is a powerful book through which God continues to speak.

This book is written in the form of a dialogue in order to help Christians read the Bible better and (hopefully) learn to hear God's voice in it in order to make sense of their lives and also contribute to the well-being of their neighbor and the world (7).

In contrast to viewing the Bible as an encyclopedia of facts, he invites us to see it as a scrapbook, a family album, that tells the story of the people of God (19). It is "the story of God and God's unyielding, tenacious, and indefatigable desire to love, bless, and save the whole world." These are good adjectives to describe God because "in the biblical story, God will do just about anything to tell the world and everyone in it that they are loved, that they have value, that they are special to God, and that God has a place and purpose for them" (26). It is not a book of facts, but a book of faith, and that is to be preferred, for how often do we pull down the encyclopedia. In short, the truth is so much bigger than facts.

David ably guides the reader to reflect on the the Bible's truth, origin, and authority. He also provides helpful guidance to personal interpretation.

I give this book my highest recommendation. I can't think of a single Christian who wouldn't be helped by this material!

This Odd and Wondrous Calling

2010-10-02T23:24:36Z

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Just Read...

This Odd and Wondrous Calling: The Public and Private Lives of Two Ministers - Lillian Daniel and Martin B. Copenhaver

In this book, two UCC ministers share the highs and lows, the benefits and quirks, and the privileges and challenges of professional ministry.

They write in order to counter the glut of books out there that complain, denounce, and denigrate professional ministry. Yes, ministry is difficult - and certainly there are some bad ministers - but most of us really enjoy ministry and do the best we can with what we've got.

The pastors deal with all matters of church life, both mundane and profound. The spirituality of hand-shaking, the trappings of living in a glass house, and the unique challenge of being a "preacher's kid" are all dealt with in enlightening ways.

Lillian concludes by saying, "So, much of the time, I feel like an invited guest to special places where wondrous things happen. I am not invited because I am a special person, or because I have a particular set of skills, or because I have greater faith than anyone else does. Nevertheless, I am invited to those places in people's lives because I have accepted God's call to do this holy work" (234).

This is a fantastic book for all seeking to understand more clearly the inner workings of church life, and even more particularly, of a pastor's heart.

Death and Afterlife

2010-10-02T23:13:05Z

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Just Read...

Death and Afterlife: A Theological Introduction - Terence Nichols

There is a connection between a deep uncertainty about the afterlife and the fear of death. But why are people so uncertain about the afterlife? Almost all world religions teach that one's personal spirit or soul survives bodily death.

Unfortunately, we've allowed philosophical naturalism to silence our witness to the afterlife.

In this book, Nichols argues "that while scientific and philosophical challenges force us to rethink our conceptions of the soul, resurrection, and heaven and hell, we can still make a credible case for life after death with God, for a soul that survives bodily death, for bodily resurrection, and for heaven and hell" (13). Nichols then provides a helpful overview of death and the afterlife in Ancient Judaism, the New Testament, and early Christian Tradition. He then tackles scientific challenges to the afterlife and wrestles with the evidence from Near Death Experiences. He concludes with biblical studies of the soul, resurrection, judgment, heaven, purgatory, and hell.

This is a fine introduction to a very important (perhaps, the most important) topic.

Paul Among the People

2010-10-02T22:18:13Z

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Paul Among the People: The Apostle Reinterpreted and Reimagined in His Own Time - Sarah Ruden

Paul was a Jew. He regularly boasted of his extreme commitment to his Jewish heritage. Therefore, the more we learn about first-century Judaism, the better we will understand Paul.

Recapturing both Paul (and Jesus') Jewishness has had many advocates - and for good reason. However, Paul's Judaism was formed in the midst of Greco-Roman culture. Unlike Jesus, Paul was a "city boy." Tarsus, his hometown, was a major cosmopolitan center. As an educated young man, Paul would have been very familiar with Greco-Roman culture. Therefore, if we fully desire to understand Paul and his teachings, we must not only view them from the perspective of his Jewish heritage, but also from the perspective of his Greco-Roman setting. When we do this, we discover that many of the passages that moderns react against as narrow and intolerant are really, in Paul's Greco-Roman setting, progressive and revolutionary.

Sarah Ruden argues for this powerfully and persuasively in her book. She incorporates many "hot button" Pauline texts to prove her point.

For my extended analysis, click HERE.

Sidetracked

2010-08-24T15:24:41Z

We believe what we do not completely understand or feel. Because of this, we are tempted to establish more "certain" criteria to evaluate our spiritual state. Through a preoccupation with legalism, mysticism, or ascetism, we lose focus on Christ... and become proud, self-centered, and exclusive.]]>

Sidetracked

Three Common Detours that Sideline Christ (Colossians 2:16-3:4)

It's easy to get sidetracked in the Christian life.

The word "sidetracked" comes from the world of trains and locomotives. To be sidetracked is to switch from a main railway to a side rail. In contemporary language, the metaphor is used to describe an experience where one's focus diverted is from a central course or purpose. This results in delaying or blocking one's progress in pursuing matters of importance.

Examples of being sidetracked abound: How many times have you got on the internet to research one thing and ended up somewhere completely different, wondering what you originally were pursuing? How many times have you entered a room for a singular purpose and one glance at the television causes you to forget what you were originally looking for? How many times have you gone to a store to purchase one thing and ended up leaving with everything except what you originally set out to buy?

We are easily diverted from our purposes. It does not take much for us to lose our way.

The Apostle Paul was aware of our proneness to wander and warns us of three common detours to our primary pursuit of divine life in Christ: Legalism (salvation by law), mysticism (salvation by experience), and asceticism (salvation by negation or self-denial). When these detours are made central they sideline Christ.

Why are these detours such significant temptations for us? We are called to the high purpose of dwelling in the mystery of Christ. Christ, who is the "image of the invisible God" (Colossians 1:15), "in whom the fullness of God dwells bodily" (Colossians 1:19; 2:9). Christ, "in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:3). Christ "in whom our life is hidden" (Colossians 3:4). Christ, who has united all things in heaven and earth through his incarnation, death, and resurrection (Colossians 1:15-20). Because of this union are sins are forgiven, never to be held against us (Colossians 2:14-15) for our union with God in Christ is full and complete - never to be broken.

It's all about Christ: "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27) and "your life hidden in Christ" (Colossians 3:4). Because of this, your task is to simply dwell in the mystery of Christ: to make Christ central and preeminent; to find the fullness of God in Christ; to become what you already are and one day will be.

But dwelling in the mystery of Christ is not easy. It is not easy to set our minds on uncovering the hidden treasures found in Christ. We are prone to wander - to lose our way. We are easily sidetracked. We become anxious that the gospel just too good to be true. We long for certainty instead of faithfulness.

And the sidetracks provide certainty - but at the cost of losing the centrality of Christ. Legalism, mysticism, and asceticism place boundaries on the boundless love of God in Christ. They put the focus on the self and its accomplishments rather than on Christ and his grace. This is the danger that Paul warns against - the danger of religion without Christ, a "sidetracked" religion that "sidelines" Christ "in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:3), and "in whom our lives are hidden" (Colossians 3:4).

Legalism

"Therefore do not let anyone condemn you in matters of food and drink or of observing festivals, new moons, or sabbaths. These are only a shadow of what is to come, but the substance belongs to Christ." (Colossians 2:16-17)

Legalism defines who is "in" and "out" based on obedience to a legal code. In his cultural setting, Paul warns against those who would use the Mosaic Law to exclude people from God's grace. Paul focuses on the "kosher" laws pertaining to food and drink and also on the "ceremonial" laws which refer to attendance to the Jewish holy days - the annual festivals, monthly celebrations, and weekly Sabbaths. By putting laws at the center rather than Christ, one can pass judgment on others who do not hold to one's moral code.

The same problem remains in our cultural setting. We devise laws and codes that others must adhere to. If they do not, we pass judgment on them. Like the Pharisees we create our own moral bubble and our message to people outside the bubble is: "Become like us (translated: believe like us, dress like us, vote like us, act like us, like what we like, don't like what we don't like). If you become like us (jump through culture hoops and adopt ours), we will consider you for club membership."[1] We may not think we are perfect, but we certainly aren't like "those" people who disregard the rules. Consequently, we "become judges of good and evil rather than lovers of people regardless of whether they are good or evil."[2]

Removing Christ from the center, we take the easy way out. After all, "Rules are safe; relationships are tricky."[3]

But the Christian life is not about rules; it is about Christ. The laws are only shadows, but Christ is the substance - the reality to which the laws point. In regard to the Mosaic Law, Paul cannot imagine why people would want to revert to shadows when the reality is readily available in Christ. To Paul, the massive amount of laws

are like the shadows cast by a solid object, and the solid object is what matters, not the shadows. The solid object, the 'substance', is of course the Messiah himself, the king. The celebrations of the Jewish law look forward to him. Now that he's here they simply aren't needed any more.[4]

It is important to recognize that Paul does not reject the mosaic law outright, for the law is holy, righteous, and good. Instead, he views the Mosaic Law in light of Christ. It is "only a shadow of what is to come" (Colossians 2:17). Christ is the "substance" - the reality to which the law can only point.

Because of Christ, the "people of God" are not defined by the kosher and ceremonial laws of the Mosaic Economy. All people are now "the people of God." Why? Christ! Only Christ! Wright puts it succinctly: "The regulations of Judaism were designed for the period when the people of God consisted of one racial, cultural and geographical unit, and are simply put out of date now that this people is becoming a world-wide family."[5]

Christ is the fulfillment of the law. The law is a means to communion with God, but not an end itself. It finds its goal in Christ. The law is good when it leads to this end. When divorced from Christ, it sidetracks people from the grace of God in Christ. Even worse, it sidelines Christ.

Mysticism

"Do not let anyone disqualify you, insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels, dwelling on visions, puffed up without cause by a human way of thinking, and not holding fast to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows with a growth that is from God." (Colossians 2:18-19)

Mysticism defines who is "in" and "out" based on one's ecstatic experiences. In his cultural setting, Paul warns against those who exclude others who have not shared the same heavenly visions. Their emphasis was on fasting that would lead to heavenly visions - visions that allowed them to claim to be caught up in heavenly angelic worship.[6] They asserted their spiritual superiority on the grounds of these heightened experiences. After all, who can argue with an experience? By putting experiences at the center rather than Christ, one can pass judgment on others who have not shared one's experiences.

But Paul sees the danger of mystical experiences divorced from Christ. This "super-spirituality" is not the product of Christian maturity, but rather, evidence of a deeply unspiritual mind, because these experiences result in being "puffed up," that is, arrogant. Those with heavenly visions say they are acquainted with the "fullness" of God, but Paul states that they are only full of pride! Proud of their attainments, they despise others, which is the antithesis of true humility (see Colossians 3:12).

Just as the law is good but legalism is bad, so the Christian life has a mystic element even though mysticism itself can sidetrack us from keeping Christ at the center. You have been "raised with Christ who is seated at the right hand of God" and your "life is hidden with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:1-4). This mystical union with God in Christ through the Spirit is true for you apart from your current experience. Your goal is to realize what is already true for you - to dwell in the mystery of Christ, and certainly this has a mystic quality to it, for you belong to Messiah's new order:

The new age has dawned, and Christians already belong to it. The old age, however, is not yet wound up, and until they die (or until the Lord 'appears' again in his second coming) their new life will be a secret truth, 'hidden' from view (from others, much of the time: often enough, from themselves too).[7]

The good news is that because of Christ this mystical union with God is true for you whether you realize it or not. This is the challenge of dwelling in the mystery: "Learning to believe what doesn't at the moment feel true is an essential part of being a Christian."[8] This involves a continuous ongoing effort to "seek the things that are above" (Colossians 3:1). Why? That's where Christ is. And this is where your life is hidden! Christ is your hope of glory (Colossians 3:3-4). The day of the revelation of the Son of God is the day of the revelation of the sons and daughters of God. Believing this to be true, in spite of all experiences to the contrary, is at the heart of covenant faithfulness.

The danger of putting a priority on spiritual experiences is that one loses hold on the centrality of Christ in all experiences - the mundane as well as the ecstatic. For this reason, Paul challenges us to "hold fast to the head" (Colossians 2:19) who is Christ Jesus.

Hold fast to him and you'll have all you need. He is the head of the 'body', as Paul said already in 1.18. The body gets its life from the head, through what it thinks, sees, smells, hears, eats and drinks. In the same way, the body which is the church is nourished and sustained, in all its joints, muscles and ligaments, not by embracing this or that new teaching, but by holding fast to the Head.

Can you sense the sigh of relief the Colossians may have experienced on being reassured that they were already complete in Christ and didn't need anything else, just more of what they already had?[9]

Asceticism

"If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the universe, why do you live as if you still belonged to the world? Why do you submit to regulations, 'Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch'? All these regulations refer to things that perish with use; they are simply human commands and teachings. These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-imposed piety, humility, and severe treatment of the body, but they are of no value in checking self-indulgence." (Colossians 2:20-23)

Asceticism is the reduction of religion to what we don't do. It is spirituality through negation. It defines who is "in" and "out" based on a checklist of prohibited behaviors. This makes it easy to exclude others. By putting a list of "don'ts" at the center rather than Christ, one can pass judgment on anyone who fails to conform to the list. And there is no end to the list Christians can create:

At one time or another saints forbade or strongly discouraged (in alphabetical order), bands, baseball, boating, bowling, [card playing,] circuses, fireworks, football, loitering, parades, skating, valentines, and zoos. They also denounced amusement parks, beach parties, big dinners, chatting on the telephone, Christmas trees, crossword puzzles, home movies, ice cream socials, kissing bees, scenic railroad trips, and visiting relatives and going on automobile joyrides on Sundays.[10]

The problem with ascetism is that it fails to deal with what really matters. Transformation is more than abstaining from certain external behaviors. Transformation must come from within. A rock can keep the commands, "Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch," but it has no life.

This detour is a great temptation because it appears so spiritual. Paul admits it has "the appearance of wisdom" (Colossians 2:23). But ultimately, it results in an anemic, self-centered, and arrogant spirituality. "What looks like rigorous discipline is in fact a subtle form of self-indulgence."[11] Detailed regulations and severe self-discipline give the illusion of spiritual maturity, but Paul knows that is only an illusion. He essentially says, "Go that way, and the street will soon come to a dead end. These are simply regulations that function at a worldly level. You will merely be giving up a worldly self-indulgence of a sensual kind for a worldly self-indulgence of a spiritual kind."[12] Self-mortification can become twisted into perverse self-exaltation.

The fullness of God is not found in earthly taboos or rigorous self-discipline. Conformity to a list of forbidden activities may have some value, but it may just as easily puff up a person with false humility ("We are proud of our humble accomplishments!"). The reason: It puts self, rather than Christ, at the center:

A do-it-yourself religion puts "self" at the center and consequently is doomed to failure. If we set as our goals self-discipline, self-awareness, self-fulfillment, self-esteem, self-actualization, or self-help, we usually wind up with a worship of the self.[13]

Conclusion

It's easy to get sidetracked in the Christian life. We are easily diverted from our purposes. It does not take much for us to lose our way. We long for certainty instead of faithfulness. And the sidetracks provide certainty - but at the cost of losing the centrality of Christ.

This is the reason we need to heed Paul's warnings. Christ must remain at the center or everything falls apart - our faith collapses under its own weight. For if we remove Christ, it really is all about us! Our rules, our experiences, our taboos. And these rules, experiences, and taboos - when viewed as an end rather than a means to an end - can strangle grace and the humble christlikeness it produces and, even worse, become means to exclude others. They, rather than Christ, become our touchstone for spiritual maturity. Keeping commandments, ecstatic experiences, and refraining from forbidden activities are all good - except when they become the core of our spirituality and a means for exclusion. Then they deny the grace they are meant to convey.

No matter how deeply we are immersed in God's love, we never reach the bottom, since that does not exist. God's love has no limit, no end. Trying to imagine this we become dizzy. Our imagination is too limited. We cannot conceive of something without boundaries. A border always appears somewhere in our imagination. Perhaps there is still something beyond that border, but we cannot imagine it without the border.[14]

We must dwell in the mystery of Christ. Christ is our inexhaustible source of all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. We dwell in him and our lives are hidden in him. We must hold onto the head. This doesn't happen automatically. We must commit to it. And we must refuse to be sidetracked.

Man is literally "dis-tracted" - pulled apart - by an almost infinite number of awarenesses. He is conscious of everything trivial, remembers everything except what is most necessary, feels everything that he should not feel, yields to demands that he should never even hear, looks everywhere, pays attention to every creaking board and rattling shutter in his haunted house. For his soul and body, created to be a temple of God, cannot help but seem a haunted place after the desecration that has evicted its only rightful dweller.[15]

[1] Reggie McNeal, The Present Future: Six Tough Questions for the Church (New York: Jossey-Bass Publishing, 2003), 28.

[2] Gregory A. Boyd, Repenting of Religion: Turning from Judgment to the Love of God (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 2004), 66.

[3] James J. Gettel, God's Love, Human Freedom, & Christian Faith (St. Louis, Missouri: Chalice Press, 2003), 97.

[4] Tom Wright, Paul for Everyone: The Prison Letters (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2002), 171.

[5] Wright, Paul for Everyone, 120.

[6] Paul may also be referring to those who sought access God through various degrees of spiritual beings rather than through Christ.

[7] N. T. Wright, Colossians and Philemon (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1986), 132.

[8] Wright, Paul for Everyone, 175.

[9] Wright, Paul for Everyone, 172.

[10] Alan Wolfe, The Transformation of American Religion: How We Actually Live Our Faith (New York: Free Press, 2003), 155.

[11] Wright, Colossians and Philemon, 127.

[12] Wright, Paul for Everyone, 174.

[13] David E. Garland, Colossians/Philemon: The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998), 191.

[14] Peter van Breemen, The God Who Won't Let Go (Notre Dame: Ave Maria Press, 2001), 29.

[15] Thomas Merton, The New Man (Union Square West, New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1961), 117.