freedom and memory

Note: Currently working of a sermon based on Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20; influenced by Metz (dangerous memory), “Instruction on Christian Freedom and Liberation” by the CDF (Ratzinger), and the upcoming 4th of July

What do we have to lament in our nation today? Is it the just out of reach feeling we have as a church influencing the society? Is it the supposed lack of freedoms we enjoy (although I don’t think I could list any right now… liberal mush). Is it the supposed lack of religious freedoms we enjoy (although I don’t think I could list any of those right now… conservative mush). What do we have to lament in our nation today. For what does the memory of the Fourth of July give us hope? For what does the idea of independence, sacrifice, and nationalism give us courage?

Are we free? If we are held down by any physical illness than we are not free. If we are held down by any mental malaise or spiritual malcontent than we are not free. We walk as if held down by borders, held down by our own inadequacies and misfortunes; we are not free. But can we blame the leaders of our nation for such shackles? Can we blame the politicians for such barriers?

Are we free? If we hold back in questioning and critiquing, than we are not free. If we fear criticism and judgment for our budding beliefs and growing faith than we are not free. If we cannot challenge the government from our foundation of faith, even as others reject our challenge from their foundation of faith than we are not free.

Are we free? If we believe that “I” am important, the be-all, end-all and community is secondary than we are not free. If we believe that the nation serves us, and not us the people of the nation (watch the wording there), than we are not free. We cannot be free as “I”. We cannot be free as individuals. We cannot be free without the support, the demands and the relationships of communities. Alone we are not free.

Where can we look to remember our freedom? Look to our memory. Remember the passion of the English Separatists who desired a higher standard of the government. Remember the typological vision of Roger Williams who say Rhode Island as the Kingdom of God becoming. Remember the passion of Madison and Jefferson who believed that religion, practiced freely, could be a positive and necessary moral influence on government. Remember the Baptists who believe that God’s salvation must be accepted freely. Look to the Lord God who freed the Israelites from the bondage of Israel, who parted the waters and let the shackles of oppression fall into the hardship of Egypt.

Remember Christ who calls us to transcend our malaise, our malcontent, our illness, our shackles of sin and truly live. Remember Christ who calls us, sends us, and directs us to be free. Remember Christ, let the memory of Christ be our future banner, and we will begin to be free.

Thoughts on a Title

The title “theosnob” is a bit pretentious. It is a title that almost begs a fight. Yet it is something that I think is true to who I am as a person. All through college, seminary, and in my doctoral work, I have been someone who would live passionately. In college, my passion was music. I could talk to someone for hours about composers, methods of composition, and the philosophical implications that one could consider in music. I was (and still am to a lesser degree) very passionate about music. My passion was at times annoying. I would call others to a high level of appreciation, of enjoyment. I never liked crap, and would scoff at composers like Susa or John Williams. I was a music snob.
Then I went to seminary, and began to study theology, history, bible and ethics. My passion for thinking about God and speaking about God grew, developed and emerged in a similar, annoying way as my passion for music. I would expect that others would have a high level of theological sophistication, understanding and appreciation. I especially expected this of other pastors (boy was I let down!).
But here is the thing. Not everyone needs to understand the difference between polyphonic modal counterpoint, and harmonic fugues in the style of Bach. Yet people think about God. People ask the infinite questions, struggle with the caverns of the divine and think theologically. Whether we want to or not, we think from time to time theologically.
In those moments of anguish and despair, when one looks for hope and the presence of the divine, if all one has in his or her arsenal of theological thoughts is crap, then the theological understanding is crap. “God has a plan for killing you son” – that’s crap. So I am going to be a snob and call people, especially other pastors, to a higher level of theological competency. Be consistent with your crap if you really need to hold onto it, or take a chance, trust in God, and try to find something that might just deepen your relationship with the Lord.
So hopefully I will be annoying with my theological snobbery, with a large dash of humility, because a lot of the ideas I have are also crap and I have a lot of learning and growing to do. What I will look to and rest upon is a consistent passion to learn and grow with the Lord.