Let's Talk Politics...

The other night, my wife Cherith and I were watching the results of the Iowa caucus. As usual, there were roaring crowds, enthusiastic candidates, and media pundits ready with their fast analysis of the results (which usually changes from day to day).

Obama, the Democratic victor, gave what was by far the most inspiring speech, focusing on the historic moment of the first African-American to win a presidential caucus/primary, and on the hope that he will bring as a candidate of change (although change to what, I haven't yet gotten from him).

The speech that caught my attention was Huckabee's, the Republican winner who seems to be championed by many Evangelical Christians. Certainly more "folksy" and less polished than Obama's, he made reference to a quote by G. K. Chesterton...one of my favorite writers and a major influence on all of the Inklings.

The quote was: "A true warrior fights not because he hates those in front of him, but because he loves those behind him." A great quote, which Huckabee proceeded to take totally out of context and misapply to his point.

However, Huckabee's use of Chesterton in a political speech made me think of another quote from Chesterton in his book, The Everlasting Man: "A despotism may almost be defined as a tired democracy. As fatigue falls on a community, the citizens are less inclined for that eternal vigilance which has truly been called the price of liberty; and they prefer to arm only one single sentinel to watch the city while they sleep."

A despotism is a tired democracy. What a statement.

I look around the US, and in many respects, a tired democracy is exactly what I see, even among faithful Christians.

I see religious conservatives wanting government to legislate their moral principles and allow Christian orthodoxy to intrude into the public sphere...rather than doing the hard task of building relationships, loving, evangelizing, and discipling those who are lost.

I see liberal-thinking Christians wanting government to demonstrate the compassion and justice of Scripture through government entitlement programs and universal health care, all the while using most of their budgets on congregational programs and structures that are often more culture-bound than biblically mandated.

I see the majority of Americans believing that government owes them something beyond being a source of impartial law, an enforcer of contracts among people, and a protector from criminals and foreign enemies...which was implicitly the vision of our Founding Fathers.

Government has gotten so large and has taken on so many functions, we would hardly recognize the very frugal and simple government that existed for the first 100 years of our nation. Ironically, when our national government was small and had limited functions, it was then that our local communities were strong and vibrant, because those local communities were empowered to do things for themselves rather than immediately relying on Washington, D.C.

Is America slowly on the road to becoming a despotism? Are American citizens really more interested in being "cared for" by the government, rather than trusting in God and relying on their own ingenuity and the willing generosity of family, friends, and churches in their communities? Is it even possible to return to the vision of a national government so eloquently stated by Thomas Jefferson: "...a wise and frugal government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, which shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned"? Or has government become yet another idol in which we choose to put our unquestioning faith?

In conclusion, a brief lesson of history: In 1933, Adolf Hitler, perhaps the greatest despot of the 20th century, was elected into office. He did not seize power; it was given to him by the people of Germany, and as he usurped more and more authority while silencing his critics, the majority of Germans (including the church) chose to do nothing.

I pray to God that never happens here, but something tells me He might feel like teaching us the hard way.....

Intersect with God

Many of you know that my home church, Bakerstown UMC, is located at an intersection on Route 8. For the past couple years, our leadership has been using the concept of "intersection" in the conversation of our church.

For example, last year, Pastor Mark preached a whole series of sermons on our new motto: Meet us at the Intersection.

Similarly, our newly-formed preschool ministry, which serves as an outreach to our community has the following tagline: Where Learning and Values Intersect.

I even refer to the youth ministry here as the "X-Factor" - with "X" serving as a dual image: the Greek letter chi in "Christ," and an "X" as a symbol for crossroads or intersections.

Our latest addition to this image is a new worship service, to which we are simply referring as "Intersect." We are hoping to target teens, college age, and young adults with a worship service that has a distinctly contemporary flavor. The service will include a large segment of time for praise and worship songs, but will also include reading and meditating on Scripture, and spontaneous prayer. We will also have an area set up in our balcony with prayer stations and leaders who are willing to do intercessory and healing prayer.

Our ultimate hope is that with this worship service, people of any age, but especially the younger folks of our community, will come to the only place where they can truly intersect with God: the Cross of Jesus Christ.

Please keep this new ministry in your prayers. It was Mark's daughter Lara who provided the initial vision for this ministry, and much of the work is being done by younger folks in our congregation who are really taking ownership of it. I support it enthusiastically and I believe that the Holy Spirit is working in it already.

I pray that the Lord blesses your ministries as well, and as we head into this holiday season, may you all sense the presence and power of the Ultimate Intersection between God and Humanity: Jesus Christ himself.

Preaching to the Choir

For my personal devotions, I'm reading a book by Brennan Manning entitled A Glimpse of Jesus. Just today I came across a sentence that totally resonated deep within me...I felt like Brennan was personally describing me when he wrote that sentence. Does this sound like any of you? "In preaching the Gospel I have been graced to speak fearlessly in the knowledge and conviction that the Word of God must not be fettered, compromised, or watered down; but in my personal life, my fears and insecurities continue to lead me voraciously to seek the approval of others, to assume a defensive posture when I'm unjustly accused, to feel guilty over refusing any request, to doggedly live up to others' expectations, to be all things to all people in a way that would make St. Paul shudder." Thank God for men like Brennan Manning who have the insight to discern the destructive motives that often undergird much of our ministry work, and who challenge us to just "get over it" and live in the reality of God's grace.

Praying our Theology

Austin Farrer (1904-1968) was Doctor of Divinity and fellow of Trinity College, Oxford. He was good friends with C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien, and a member of their discussion group, "The Inklings." Although not nearly as famous as his friends, he was a published and highly respected theologian.

Recently I read a quote of his that deserves attention: "No doctrine deserves its place unless it is prayable, and no Christian deserves his doctrines if he does not pray them."

A remarkable insight, which reminded me of another quote by Saint Augustine: "The theologian is a person whose prayers are true."

Isn't it amazing how often in our personal lives, in our churches, and perhaps especially in seminary, we separate these two disciplines?

We often treat (and present) theology as a boring, cerebral enterprise in which only the "learned" can engage. We often use it as a means of confirming our own presuppositions, drawing distinct boundaries beyond which no "true believer" may go. And we certainly do not present it to our congregations as something that has any practical value for everyday life.

Conversely, how frequently are our prayers little more than sentimental "gift lists" offered up to a benign Deity Who (we think) should give us whatever we ask for? Does the language of our prayers ever represent a real recognition of Who it is we are talking to? Do our prayers express our hope in God's will, or are they mere expressions of our will?

After reading Farrer's quote and remembering Augustine's, I decided to share a couple examples of what my prayer life has included lately. I hope it'll inspire you to make your prayers good theology, and to make your theology a prayerful longing for intimacy with God.

INCARNATION: "Lord Jesus, at a specific moment in history, You poured Yourself out of the glorious heavenly realms and entered into the world of humans. Not just a generic humanity. You had a specific appointment among a specific people, with real hopes and aspirations, as well as real needs and hurts. You fully identified with those people, walking among the most desperately in need of help, You touched them, You visited them, You wept with them. I am Your disciple, Jesus, so help me to do what You did in this very specific appointment that I have among a very specific people. Take away my desire to remain in my comfort zones. May I so enter their world and identify with them that they may know, without me saying a word, that I love them unconditionally, and through me, may they come to know You as well."

THE TRINITY: "Almighty God, You who are not only One but Three, You have much to say to my culture that is so overcome with a mentality of individualism. If even You, the Ultimate Reality, exist in comunity, how much more important is it for us humans to exist in community? To draw strength and wisdom from our brothers and sisters? To exist in common purpose with others, even though we might have different personalities, functions, and distinctive gifts? Grant me the wisdom to know that in life, and in ministry especially, I can not pridefully act as a Lone Ranger, but must humbly recognize the need to depend on others."

Thanks for the Memory...

This fall, Bakerstown United Methodist Church has been celebrating 175 years of ministry to our community! From our humble beginnings back in 1832, BUMC has had a constant vision and attitude of expanding God's Kingdom. Recently, our senior pastor Mark Stewart reminded us all of that vision and attitude, and we are moving forward with more exciting programs and ministries.

Last night, we celebrated our "Thanksgiving Eve" service as the final portion of our anniversary celebration, and it was absolutely incredible. Pastor Mark, our choir and new praise team led us in some incredible worship, DS Don Scandrol was in attendance, and Bishop Tom Bickerton gave a great sermon about the importance of constantly giving thanks. It was truly an incredible worship experience.

I'm a history buff, so I love learning about past events, whether they are the past events of a local congregation in Western Pennsylvania, or of the first European colonists in what has become the United States. Our past is riveting story. But especially as I have gotten older, I realize that studying and celebrating our past is mainly important for one reason: it can motivate us to look to the future. It can remind us of the faith, dedication, and ingenuity of our forebears, and it can challenge us to utilize those same qualities to be proactive in expanding God's kingdom today.

Think about the courage of those first pilgrims, who braved a rough Atlantic passing and set foot on a new continent, all so that they could worship God freely.

Think about the faithful men and women of the past who planted the seeds of faith that have germinated into the communities that you are now serving.

Then ask, how can WE make the same impact today?

Let us be thankful for our past... but let us also challenge ourselves to move towards a compelling future.

Eucatastrophe

Strange word, huh?

It's a word that was invented by J. R. R. Tolkien, while he was creating the fantasy world of Middle Earth. Tolkien noted that the English language had the word "catastrophe," which Webster defines as "the final event of a tragedy" or "a momentous tragic event ranging from extreme misfortune to utter overthrow and ruin." As a Christian, however, he felt the need for an antonym to catastrophe, and so he got out his old Greek lexicon and found the prefix eu- ("good" or "well"). A "eucatastrophe" is a good catastrophe...or "a momentous joyous event ranging from extreme good fortune to utter victory.

There are many illustrations of eucatastrophe in Tolkien's books (and the movies), but two particularly stand out in my mind (and you can see the photos above):

1. At the end of the movie version of The Two Towers, defeat is at hand for the King of Rohan as he failed to defend Helm's Deep. Yet right when the small band of heroes seem totally overrun, they look up to the mountain and see Gandalf, the White Rider, bringing an army of soldiers (not to mention a great Sunrise!!!) and they totally annihilate the forces of evil.

2. When Frodo and Sam finally reach Mount Doom, Frodo is unable to part with the One Ring. When Gollum wrestles Frodo and finally gets his "precious" all to himself, it looks as though evil has triumphed. Yet at that very moment, the unexpected happens, when Gollum himself falls into the fires of doom, unwittingly dealing the final death blow to evil.

So why am I writing a whole blog about one invented word? Because as Christians, we need to believe in the "eucatastrophe." It is so easy to get caught up in the negativity, fatalism, cynicism and despair of the culture around us. Rather than standing FOR something, the majority of people in the world are content merely to be perpetual critics, finding something wrong with everything but offering no positive solutions.

But we Christians believe that a eucatastrophe actually happened in history! Just when it seemed as though the forces of evil had triumphed, on that Good Friday afternoon, it was at that very moment that they were being defeated by the foolishnees and weakness of a God Who can not be defeated even by human wisdom and strength. We Christians have a resurrection faith! We Christians have GOOD NEWS to preach!

And you know what? I still see eucatastrophes happening all the time! In my own life, there were times when I thought things were going pretty bad, and all of a sudden an unexpected blessing would come in, reminding me that God is still sovereign and that Christ is victor over all the powers of the Enemy. God is always surprising me with joy, even in the midst of a culture of despair and death.

What are some eucatastrophes in your life? How has God brought unexpected joy and victory into your life?

"The Birth of Christ is the eucatastrophe of human history. The Resurrection is the eucatastrophe of the Incarnation. This story begins and ends in joy." - J. R. R. Tolkien

Amen!

What Are You Reading?

As one of my seminary profs likes to say, "Leaders are learners." Over the years I've tried to live by that and intentionally schedule some one-on-one time with a good book. Still, it is often much easier, after an arduous evening committee meeting or youth event, to simply plop myself in front of the TV next to my wife and view one of the latest installments of House, The Office, or Seinfeld reruns.

Still, I believe there is no substitute for reading a good book and, at least for me, it is one of the chief ways that God forms and challenges me for ministry. Here's a selection of some of the stuff into which I've delved over the past year.

MINISTRY-RELATED:

Tim Conder, The Church in Transition: The Journey of Existing Churches into the Emerging Culture. I really enjoyed this book because it avoids two pitfalls: It's not simply a how-to book ("Do these five things and your church will be postmodern"). It's also not simply a book glorifying churches that were started as postmodern. Rather, it challenges existing churches to reframe the conversation that takes place among their members so that creative transformation can happen.

Avery Dulles, Models of the Church. This is written by a Catholic theologian, and is filled with references to a plethora of other Catholic theologians I've never heard of and never intend to read. Still, I absolutely loved it. In presenting six distinct models of the nature of the Christian church, I believe this book will challenge pastors to rethink some of their own biased ecclesiological practices, and also to think outside the box about how they can "do" church even more effectively.

Norm Wakefield, Between the Words: The Art of Perceptive Listening. As pastors, we love to talk...whether it's in sermons, lessons, prayers, or at meetings. We are often esteemed as the voices of authority and wisdom in our congregations. But we are often poor listeners, and we do not present ourselves simply as people willing to listen to others. This book gives some great practical suggestions and techniques for improving our listening skills.

Brian J. Walsh and Sylvia Keesmaat, Colossians Remixed: Subverting the Empire. This book is an exposition of Colossians, looking at the practical relevance of its theology for the political, economic, and social realities of today. While I take issue with some (not all) of their methodologies and conclusions, I am glad to have read it, and I believe that Walsh and Keesmaat have added some valuable thoughts to an ongoing conversation.

JUST FOR FUN:

Dan Brown, Angels and Demons. This one has been sitting on my shelves for a couple years now. His theology (if you can call it that) aside, I think Brown is an exceptional writer and have enjoyed every one of his books. This one challenged me to really think about the relationship between faith and reason, religion and science.

Bernard Goldberg, Arrogance. First, a disclaimer: This book does not argue that there is a liberal "conspiracy" within the mainstream media. What it does try to prove is that the media elite of this country are so removed from the views, beliefs, and realities of people outside their own circles, they are simply incapable of having an objective, balanced perspective in reporting and editorializing the news, despite their own assertions to the contrary. This book is extremely helpful for ordinary Americans to interpret the content of their news sources....whether it's the New York Times or FOX News.

Scott Turow, Limitations. This is the latest book from a great writer of legal thrillers. While the plot is not as well-crafted and integrated as some of his past books, especially Presumed Innocent, I thought it was overall intelligent and enjoyable. I think it's a good illustration of Christ's precept that one must deal with the log in one's own eye, before one attempts to deal with the speck in someone else's. Overall, it addresses the "limitations" of human justice.