10 Questions regarding Christianity: # 1

Today is the day after Epiphany.  When I preached on epiphany last Sunday I mentioned that there are two main definitions.  One is theological and that is something divine that breaks through into our ordinary lives.  The second is seeing something in a new way that has been there all along.  As I continue to read Brian McLaren’s new book, I am reminded that even in our faith we can see something new in the way we perceive ordinary tasks.  This can apply even to the way we read the bible.

The first question that McLaren would pose in our need to rethink Christianity is, “is there an overarching theme in the bible?”  He brings out some interesting thoughts that have been an epiphany for me.  One is that we tend to read the bible backwards in time.  That is we read the scriptures based on the lenses of those who have come before us.  For instance, we read through modern theologians, Wesley, Luther, Calvin, Aquinas, Augustine etc. that have led to doctrines that influence the way we read and understand.  An example he uses focuses on original sin and that Plato and Aristotle philosophical ideas influence that doctrine which is not mentioned in scripture at all. In fact if we read about Adam and Eve when they were told that if they ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil they would die.  Yet when they did God did not kill them but instead made clothes for them.  Same was true for Cain and Abel. When Cain murdered his brother, did God demand his life?  No not only did he not but he even protected him from others who might.

I find what McLaren has to say interesting.  What he proposes is that we read the scriptures forward and in that way witness to the narratives and stories that led to Jesus.  I know that I feel that for any Christian to truly understand the gospels and the Christian scriptures they need to understand the Hebrew scriptures which was what informed the writers of the New Testament.  There is value in seeing how the early stories of Israel lead to Jesus.

McLaren also warns about taking scripture piecemeal.  In seminary we called that proof texting.  One needs to be familiar with the whole story not just the parts that support one’s particular belief.  An example he uses is the pro-slavery and abolitionist debates.  Many of those who favored slavery would use scripture to support their beliefs.  It was not until events proved them wrong did people change.  McLaren suggests that debate continues whether dealing with women in ministry, dealing with sexual orientation, torture, war, abortion, we continue to proof text to support whatever side of these debates we want to believe.  His concern is that by doing do we continue to fracture the Christian community.

Whereas he brings up some very interesting points, I feel we need to continue to debate the issues.  At the same time, we need to be careful about how we go about it.  Based on the previous post remember that when we think we know the absolute right answer, we are wrong.  Is there a right way of looking at these?  I believe we need to continue to dialog with one another with respect of others points of view.  Then and only then we will reach a consensus that approximates where scripture leads us.

A New Year

It is always amazing how quick the year goes by.  I haven’t written anything in my blog for quite some time and realize that I need to get back to some sort of discipline in my life.  I have started to do a morning meditation that begins with the Psalms and has a a short reflection.  Today I read Psalm 5.  I also have been reading from the Book of Daily Prayer which has prayers for morning, mid-day, and evening.  I was reading in the reflection that if one would start the day with prayer and/or exercise one is more likely to continue to follow through.  The struggle is not giving into that voice that says, Oh you can do it tomorrow.  So keep me in prayer as I continue to work on this discipline.

I also have started to read a new book by Brian McLaren.  The title of the book is “A New Kind of Christianity,” which focuses on ten questions that he believes that the church needs to respond to.  I have just started but I find that what he has to stay about church and the need we have to examine what we do to be insightful.  I have often questioned why we speak of changes that need to be done and those changes seem to make little effect for many churches.  Yet, I am aware of system theory that states any family, organization, or institution is a system and that all systems tend to develop a balance that allows it to function.  Any changes in that system can result in some imbalance that can create something new.  But the system tends to return to its original balance (or what it is used to) over time unless one continually challenges that status quo.

McLaren starts his book with this quote, “Never accept and be content with unanalyzed assumptions, assumptions about the work, about the people, about the church or Christianity.  Never be afraid to ask questions about the work we have inherited or the work we are doing.  There is no question that should not be asked or that is outlawed.  The day we are completely satisfied with what we have been doing; the day we have found the perfect, unchangeable system of work, the perfect answer, never in need of being corrected again, on that day we will all know that we are wrong, that we have made the greatest mistake of all.—Vincent J. Donovan.”

I will be commenting at different times about some of the reflections I have regarding his ten questions.  Brian states that he is responding to his experiences as a pastor and traveler but that he is not the final answer.  See quote above.  We are on this journey of re-discovery and nothing is above reflecting.

Christmas Lights

Here is an article I wrote for the local newspaper.  I pray that it helps all of us remember this Christmas to reflect the light of Christ to those we meet.

I can tell that it is Christmas by the lights that have appeared in our neighborhood. As I drive at night, the city is bright with outdoor lights as people take time to decorate. Even the city displays and the displays at the courthouse are lit up casting out the darkness of the shortening days. I also enjoy the Christmas decorations at our church and other churches. As the days grow shorter and the nights longer, it is nice to see the many colored lights and displays throughout our community.

As I marvel at the decorations, I am reminded about how often light is used in scripture to symbolize the power and presence of God. From the very first manifestation of God’s creative word separating light from darkness to the stories of God’s appearances to the people of Israel, the images of fire and light have been prevalent. This imagery continues in the New Testament especially in the Gospel of John. In the first chapter, “Life itself was in him [Jesus] and this life gives light to everyone. The light shines through the darkness and the darkness can never extinguish it. (John 1:3-4 NLT).” The image extends beyond the birth of Jesus and includes all Christians who often were referred as children of the light.

Christmas is a time to remember that Jesus is the light of the world and we are called to walk in that light. Isaiah 58:10-11 tells how we can live as bearers of that light. “Feed the hungry and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as day.” Jesus also in Matthew 5:15-16 says, “Don’t hide your light under a basket! Instead put it on a stand and let shine for all. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” Christmas is the time of lights and candles celebrating the coming of the light to us and reminding us as we wait for Christ’s return to reflect that light to others.

Pastor Eldon Davis

Advent

I have been working on my advent series of the ABC’s of Advent.  Last Sunday we discussed waiting and the difficulties we have of waiting especially in our society.  The idea of delayed gratification is often hard to imagine.  Advent is a season of reminding us about gratitude and blessings that God extended to us.  This is the in-between time in our lives.  We celebrate Jesus’ birth and at the same time anticipate his return.  It is a season of preparation and means more than the abject consumerism that is so prevalent. 

As I have had to time to reflect through our Advent bible study and preparation for my sermons, I continue to come back to the idea of being on a journey.  The above image struck me and I realize that indeed I am on the path to Bethlehem.  This journey is the most important journey that I take.  Along the way I find others who are also on the same journey and together we can praise God who came to us to show us the way.

When we tell the story of Jesus’ birth, we need to remember not just the cute manger scene but the circumstances of the time.  Mary and Joseph forced to leave their homes to be registered by the Imperial Rome so that they could collect taxes. Their traveling in the last months of Mary’s pregnancy.  The hardship that they endured forced onto them by a government that was more concerned about what they were able to collect than in the people that they oppressed.

Upon their arrival, there was no where for them to reside.  Homeless and about ready to deliver the child, our Savior.  Can we even imagine the extent of the poverty to which Jesus was born?  Yet, many in the world experience the same poverty, lack of shelter, lack of food, born in environments filthy, crowded, where diseases are rampant.  Not the sterile environment of a hospital.  No wonder so many children died within the first five years of their life.

It is this very world that God came.  Not the palaces, not the temples, not the merchants homes, but in a stable.  This is where we go to worship our Savior.  This Christmas may be a time to remember the story and to reflect on our journey to Bethlehem.  We can celebrate with family and friends, but I pray that we remember the world where too many people experience the same environment that God choose to come to us.

Thanksgiving

I am sitting at me desk as we prepare for our Thanksgiving service and the first Sunday of Advent.  I thought I would share with you from Crazy Talk about thanksgiving.  The editor’s have a way taking common theological ideas and presenting them in such a way that may have one pause of reflect.  Here it is.

“Thanksgiving n.

Any prayer or action that admits you didn’t do it all yourself and , yes, you did need a little help along the way.

Humans say ‘Thanks, God’, in so many ways.  Some are better than others.  In ancient times people would sacrifice animals in gratitude to the gods for a favor received.  How cool is that?  Don’t for a second think our consumption of a bird on the fourth Thursday of every November is a manifestation of this ancient tradition.  That holiday is entirely secular.  In our gluttony we commemorate Pilgrims—good people, to be sure, but not God.  Not into animal sacrifice?  You can always say an I-just-wanna-prayer.

Giving thanks is not something that we should save for single day on the calendar.  Giving thanks is even more than our prayers before meals.  Ideally, our entire lives are an offering of thanksgiving. ‘In everything, give thanks,’ it says in 1 Thessalonians 5.  Easier said than done, that’s for sure.

Maybe it’s a matter of perspective.  When we realize that God is the ultimate source of all things, and when we realize that we are ultimately dependent upon God for daily food and drink, homes, families, good government, peace, loyal friends, lovely neighbors, good weather, and so on, we realize: Dang!  God’s got a pretty Big Job there, whet with taking care of me, everyone else, and all that exists.  Perhaps thanksgiving begins with simple gratitude that God is God (and we’re not).”

Amen.

Harvest is done or almost done for most of the farmers.  This is also a time of hunting season.  Our prayers have been that there would be no major problems or accidents during this season.  This is also a time of year that there are so many activities that it is easy to become so busy that we forget to take time to thank God for the blessings we have received.
As we continue to look at thanksgivings and blessings, we come to the time of wondering how should we respond in our lives to this great outpouring of grace.  I will be looking at what Moses had to say to the people of Israel prior to their entering the promised land found in Deuteronomy 26:1-11.  Moses was concerned that the people once they were in the land of milk and honey would forget that they were there only by the grace of God.  He felt that the people would begin to believe that they accomplished all of this on their own and would not remember their travels in the wilderness.
We also need to remember that God has blessed us.  As the ancient Israelites, we today need to remember that without the blessings God has given us we would not have what we have.  Now how do we approach God and remember? Moses speaks of coming to the altar with the first fruits (the tithes) and offering them to do God’s will.  We are to use our talents and treasures in service.
Jesus constantly spoke of our need to be willing to let go of that which binds us.  For many it can become our possessions.  As in the parable of the foolish farmer, we may not want to continue to build bigger barns  but to use the resources that we have in the ministries in the name of Christ.

Reflections on Thanksgiving

The following are some reflections from Homiletics regarding Thanksgiving.  Thought I would copy this for your reading.

Things proven to change the course of Thanksgiving:
1. During the middle of the meal, turn to Mom and say, “See, Mom, I told you they wouldn’t notice that the turkey was four months past its expiration date. You were worried for nothing.”
2. When everyone goes around to say what they are thankful for, say, “I’m thankful I didn’t get caught” and refuse to say anything more.
3. Load your plate up high, then take it to the kitchen, toss it all in the blender, and take your “shake” back to the table. Announce that it’s the new Thanksgiving Weight Loss Shake.
4. Prepare a several-hour-long speech to give when asked about your thankfulness. If necessary, insist that no one leave or eat until you have finished the speech.

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The first settlers in America landed in December of 1620 in Massachusetts, and within one month 10 out of the 17 fathers and husbands who were on that ship, the Mayflower, died. Within a couple months only four of the mothers and wives were alive out of the first 17 couples. And by Easter almost half of the pilgrims had died. They landed in the middle of winter without provisions, without shelter and that took a toll. It took a huge toll and yet in 1621 they celebrated and they gave thanks to God. It was amazingly difficult, amazingly difficult those first years.
On another continent about 25 years later there was a Lutheran pastor named Martin Rinkart. He lived in Eilenberg in Saxony and it was during the siege of the Thirty Years War. Eilenberg was a walled city that was surrounded by Swedes and there were 800 homes were burned, and the people within suffered from the plague, from starvation, and it got to the point where the pastors within that town, within that village were burying 12 people a day. Pretty soon the pastors themselves started to die and Martin Rinckart was the only pastor left. He was conducting 50 funerals a day, can you imagine? Fifty funerals a day. He buried over 5,000 people that year, including his own wife. When the war ended a year later in 1648 he sat down, and listen to the words that he penned:
Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things has done, in whom this world rejoices;
Who from our mothers’ arms has blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love, and still is ours today.
This was a man who knew horrors beyond all we can think and imagine, getting on his knees and leading people in praise and thanks to our God.
—Deb Kielsmeier, “Thanksgiving,” November 25, 2004, Christ Presbyterian Church Web Site, christpresbyterian.com.

The shelves of the Christian bookstores are full of books arguing over worship styles and methods (churches have been destroyed over these things), and as I have had a chance to peruse these many volumes of drivel I have found one thing lacking in their pages — namely, God. For all the hubbub about traditional vs. contemporary — evangelistic vs. covenantal — liturgical vs. low-church, the one thing that no one seems to care about is the ONE they’re supposed to be worshiping in the first place. They substitute personal preference for God.
The NT is surprisingly indifferent to worship as far as outward ritual goes. We don’t have a worship manual per se. My Bible lacks musical arrangements with harmonies and guidance on what type of instruments should be played. What we find — I think to our amazement — is a focus on an inward experience of the heart as we praise God and receive his Word.
—Brian Thomas, “Make a joyful noise to the Lord,” November 7, 2004, Kaleo Fellowship Web Site, kaleochurch.com.

In his book, The Grand Essentials, Ben Patterson ... tells of a time when the great Jewish rabbi, Abraham Heschel was confronted with a complaint from his congregation:
“Some of the members of the synagogue told him that the liturgy did not express what they felt. Would he please change it? Heschel wisely told them that it was not for the liturgy to express what they felt, it was for them to learn to feel what the liturgy expressed. As Jews they were to learn the drama and say it and ‘play’ it over and over again until it captured their imagination and they assimilated it into the deepest places in their hearts. Then, and only then, would it be possible for them to live their own individual dramas.”
Heschel said: “Praise precedes faith. First we sing, then we believe.”
—Daniel D. Meyer, “A disciplined joy: What should I bring to worship,” September 28, 1997, Christ Church Web Site, cc-ob.org.

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Jesus had a plan for John [Ungureanu]. He travels into Romania twice a year for 6-8 weeks each trip and in the name of Jesus goes into the villages of the poorest of the poor. He finds families in need and meets that need as best he can — all in the name of Jesus.
One large family suffered the loss of the mother at a young age. The entire village felt badly for the situation. In the name of Jesus John carted in a refrigerator and made sure it would be filled up through the winter. As word spread about this amazing gesture many have come to faith in Jesus in that village. When John came across a blind woman in her 80s, he saw that her house was falling down. So, in the name of Jesus John had that home rebuilt and provided for her through the winter. The next time he returned she had turned her life over to Jesus and wanted to be baptized.
On each trip John is able to touch from 150 to 200 families with the love of Jesus, meeting their needs with no strings attached.
—Tim Timmons, “Jesus seen walking around in the villages of Romania and India,” ASSIST News Service, August 23, 2004, across.co.nz.

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But I always think that the best way to know God is to love many things.
—Vincent van Gogh.

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“In worship,” writes Kathleen Norris in Amazing Grace, “we let loose with music, and the words of hymns, the psalms, canticles and prayers. We cast the Word of God out into the world, into each human heart, where, to paraphrase the prophet Isaiah, it needs to go to fulfill God’s purpose. Isaiah uses the metaphor of rain to convey this — rain that disappears into the ground for a time, so that we can’t see it working. And then, it bears abundantly.”

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Jesus is cool; Christians are not.
According to Dan Kimball, in his book, The Emerging Church, California college students think Jesus is cool but Christians are messed up, dogmatic, closed-minded, the wicked ones. See page 80.

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