Indonesia 3 - Stop, Look, And Listen, Pay Close Attention, This Is Something That I Got To Mention...

I slept for a solid six hours, woke up at a normal time in the morning and said to myself, “boy, you got this time change thing licked!” Then, about 1:00 this afternoon I started to feel very, very sleepy. I had a difficult time staying awake and didn’t realize what was happening until someone reminded me that back home it was 1:00am. So…. I guess I don’t have the time change licked yet. Maybe I’ll have time to run out to the local CVS and get a 5 Hour Energy Drink. Oh wait, they don’t have 5 Hour Energy Drinks here. Oh wait, they don’t have CVS here.

The day started with worship in an Indonesian Reformed Church. The same band that blasted music last night blasted music in the morning. A great way to wake up and experience the presence of God in the spirit of worship.

Once again we had traditional dancers who sang and danced to open worship. It was nice until I looked at the words they were singing:

Our respect to the brothers and sisters

We convey respect at this time

God in heaven, look at us…

Look at us who ask Thy blessing… oh God

Today, is a great and happy day to all of us.

Let us always unite to follow the right way

How beautiful if we are living in harmony and peace

If there is a problem to be resolved

God in heaven look at us…

Which already there this time.

That was when the dancing and singing went from nice to powerful and moving. It is reassuring to see the way a local culture/tradition can be brought into worship.

The rest of the day was listening. Listening to people talk about the history of the GCF (Global Christian Forum). Listening to people talk about their hopes for the GCF. Listening to people share their faith stories. That last bit of listening was done in small groups of 25, making it much more intimate and personal.

I have been thinking about my crybaby rant yesterday. I am still finding a reticence in many to share, but it is not as strong. What I think is part of it is not just the reticence to share but a fear of sharing. There are people here who would never consider talking to another Christian group. A Syrian Baptist said that he might have to work with the local Catholic priest in order to reach out to Muslims. Yet he admitted that it was a very difficult and scary notion for him and he had not yet brought himself to that place.

There are walls between people, denominational walls that are much higher and stronger than I realized. If this is the case, then the idea of actually sharing with others is a dangerous idea for others. It is a question of trust and vulnerability.

Tomorrow I will try to start to ask people about the particularities of their faith tradition, i.e. what makes them different than others. I will also ask why they are a part of that tradition. These questions are more driving, more personal, but I believe will get more to the point of this event.

The people I met:

A Syrian Baptist

An Indonesian Salvation Army Major

An Indonesian Roman Catholic Priest

A Syrian Orthodox priest from Malaysia

An Independent Christian from South Africa

An Assembly of God (Pentecostal) from Kenya

An Independent Christian from Kenya

A Swedish Pentecostal

A Palestinian Lutheran

A South Korean Methodist

A Burmese Christian

40 More Countries and I get to go to the bonus level!

Indonesia 2 - Dude, You're Harshing My Mellow

I just returned from the Governor’s “home.” A motor cascade led us and the whole time I stuck my head out of the bus window yelling, “woooooo, woooooo!” Now I have a big bruise on my face from a wayward palm tree.

Boy did I feel important – an Indonesia concert band was playing, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” as we entered, and then a dance troupe performed for us followed by a choir, followed by a speaker, another choir, another speaker, another speaker, another choir, and another speaker, and finally the governor. There were only three awake at that time and I was not one of them. Sorry the pictures aren't great, but you get the idea.

The governor spoke eloquently about the love of God and Christ and how that is reflected in this gathering. I am always uplifted to hear a politician speak earnestly and honestly about their faith. You usually can tell when they are doing in – the shibboleth is not only in the words but in the way those words are said. It was and is a moment of vulnerability and honesty.

So on this trip I met:

An Anglican from Hong Kong

A Tazie Monk from France

Someone from New Zealand (I didn’t understand who he was with)

An Anglican (who was first a Baptist and then a Pentecostal) from Australia

An African Episcopal Methodist Bishop from Florida

A Lutheran from Brazil

Here is something that I have been noticing – we are a bunch of introverts! Well, not me, but everyone else. It is like pulling teeth to get people to open up and talk to me and I’m sure it isn’t the way I look. I removed my plastic fangs and fake extra-long fingernail just to be sure. It could be the big palm branch welt on my face.

I have been asking questions, lots of questions. That is how you get to know someone and find something to talk about, by asking lots of questions about that person. It usually makes that person feel pretty good about themselves as well to have all that attention. What I have been finding is that people have not been asking me lots of questions. I ask a question, get a one word answer, and that is it. It is like talking to a room of teenagers. I understand that a lot of it may be the language, but that excuse can only go so far. Some of it is that many of these people already know each other, have relationships from past events, and I can understand the reticence. Why share when you already have friends.

 I don’t have any friends 

---pause---AWWWW---pause---

so for the sake of survival I need to talk to people. But pity-party aside, we are here to break down walls between churches, especially between Pentecostals, Evangelicals, and the more traditional (boring) churches. Everyone will need to work, and that work will be hard for such walls to be broken. Yet once again the sin of complacency becomes a downfall for God’s work.

Ok, that was a little harsh so I’ll soften it up a bit. Until we are all willing to take chances as individuals and as denominations we will continue to spiral in our navel-gazing despair ignoring the movement of the Holy Spirit. Was that softer?

Indonesia 1 - What! No Icebreakers!

Here is part one for real. It counts this time because I finally made it to Indonesia, and I actually talked to other people from other countries and other churches. Let’s see if I can remember everyone I talked to:

The Lutheran(s) from Sweden

The Presbyterian from India

The Salvation Army person from London

The Dominican Nun from Chicago (that’s a foreign country, right?)

The Para-church Evangelical from North Carolina

The Methodist from Connecticut who works in NYC and (no big surprise), knows the Reverend Dr. Donald Anderson.

I also talked to a man in a purple shirt, which I guess means he is a bishop, and two other men dressed all in black. I’m told they are also bishops. All three are from the Middle East (one from Egypt) – I’ll make it a point to get to know them a little better in the week.

Tonight, very soon, we all are going to the Governor of Sulawesi’s home for dinner. It will just be a cozy dinner of the Governor, his family, and about 300 of us. I’ll say “hi” to him from all you Rhode Island fans of Sulawesi.

So far the conversation is fairly superficial, which is to be expected when people are just meeting. Maybe I’ll just start doing what I do and pushing ideas, queries, and wonderings. If you see me running from a bunch of angry bishops, Salvation Army chaps, Lutherans, and others on the news tomorrow night, you’ll know why.

I only got to take a couple of pictures on the ride to the convention center and the hotel. The area reminded me of La Romana in the Dominican Republic – clearly not overwhelmed with riches. Poverty is everywhere, and looks very similar everywhere you see it. The convention center looks nothing like the neighborhood.

I’ll try take more and more pictures, but I don’t want people to freak out and think I am a stalker… at least not yet anyway.

Christians of the World, Start Talking About Uniting and Stuff!

Next week I am going to be in Manado, Indonesia attending the Global Christian Forum. It goes without saying that I am very excited to be going to Indonesia for the first time. For some reason I missed the sixth grade bus trip to Jakarta and have never been able to go to the country made up mostly of islands (over 17,500 of them).

Not only am I excited to be going to Indonesia I’m also excited to participate in this conference. The purpose of this conference is to bring together Pentecostals, Evangelicals, and boring Christians like me and to talk about Christian unity. I have to be honest, for some time I thought the conversation about Christian unity had gotten pretty predictable, tepid, and banal. In my estimation, such efforts consisted of talking about the wonderful diversity we have at the table, how we are all concerned for the least of the world, and ho we can put aside our differences to help out the needy. Usually we end by sing some Phil Collins rip-off praise song, holding hands and looking off to the horizon with a glint in our eyes – isn’t it just great to be a Christian?

Well, apparently there is more to unity than this. Some people don’t like Phil Collins rip-off praise songs (gasp!) and prefer U2 rip-off praise songs. Some people don’t want to focus so much on feeding the least but instead of saving their souls (don’t get me started on the issue of the soul – I don’t want to get into the Hellenistic influence on Christianity leading to a dualistic view of reality, i.e. body vs. spirit thus showing that Tertullian was right – don’t get me started). Us boring Christians would like to respond to the soul-savers and say, “sure, we think that is important, but not on an empty stomach.” The reality is that we really do not do much towards that type of ministry which looks to gain conversions for Christ (and for bragging rights).

So these other Christians who like to jump and yell and get excited for Jesus go and save souls and their churches are growing like mushrooms under my kids’ slide after a rainy day. I’m not saying that numbers are everything, but maybe they are onto something?

I guess there is something more that needs to be said and I am excited to hear what that might be. I will do my best to avoid being boring (too late) and to contribute something to the conversation. I will also be excited to be in Indonesia. I am especially excited to be headed to Indonesia because right now I am sitting in a train headed to New Jersey.  

Keep an eye on this blog (keep the other on the podcast blog), and watch for updates. Maybe they will be interesting, maybe I will share a powerful revelation and epiphany that I have, or maybe I will spend the entire time in the hotel room curled up in a ball trying to recover from food poisoning/malaria/typhoid, or anything else. Regardless, it should make some great writing.

Postscript - The picture is me in the Singapore Airport after 26 hours of flight from Newark, New Jersey to LA, to Tokyo, Japan to Singapore. During that time I have read articles from the Atlantic, Harpers, Newsweek, and Christian Century. I have finished one book and I have watched 8 movies. I still have 5 more hours of waiting until I fly for 3 more hours and finally reach my destination. I haven't had a full night's sleep, I don't even know the difference between day and night. Don't I look like I'm ready to represent American Baptists? (Roy Medley, if you are reading this right now, aren't you wishing you asked someone else?)

A Nice and Comfortable Theology

I just read this interesting article from the World Council of Churches about harmful theology and helpful theology. It is a very good consideration of how destructive some theological ideas can be to those who are suffering. Read it, there will be a test! Just a thought - how does one turn or change theological assumptions of a community? It is like asking a community to change it's value systems, or basic conceptions of reality. I agree with the change in theological direction, yet wonder if it can be done. I think this is an important question because there are many churches and Christian communities here in the United States that practice their faith on what I would describe as harmful and destructive theological presuppositions. I know you want examples, but because this is an off the cuff post and initial reaction to an article, and I am feeling wussy right now I won't give in. Instead you can just think of the things you don't like and assume that is what I am talking about.

New Podcast Episode

For your listening enjoyment, episode 7 of Charley and my podcast is up, we focus on the difference between Sacraments and Ordinances, answer listener mail, and continue with "watcha reading." Check it out at 12enough.libsyn.com or on itunes at 12enough.

Now Everybody Hug and Pretend You Like Each Other

I have finally finished reading MacIntyre's After Virtue, and gosh darn it, I'm pretty proud of myself. I think I mentioned the book on the podcast and did not recommend it for the layperson, or even the unambitious undergraduate student. It is not an easy read. Actually, I am afraid that someone within those two categories will read it and find it very easy and I will feel stupid. So don't read it. It is too hard. It is beyond us all! Run in fear from the dreaded After Virtue.

For some information about MacIntyre's project, see my previous posts. There is to much going on for me to encapsulate in one snide blogpost, so I will pull out one aspect of the book that led me to think. As a community we need to be clear about our values, ideals, and identity.

Again, one of MacIntyre's major points of complaint is of individualism; the individual comes before the society. Thus there is not a sense of a common task or shared goals of a community, rather it is of individuals. "What is best for me?" comes before "What is best for the community?" This will lead to conflict within a community among individuals, or so claims MacIntyre. I tend to agree, because often what is best for me is that you not have that big piece of chocolate cake. Instead I should have it.

If only we had a sense of direction as a group of people, a community.

Might one suggest that the Church could have a sense of direction, a goal, a purpose? Maybe those writings in that Bible thingy and the ideas of that Jesus guy can give us a sense of direction and purpose. Maybe we can say, in light of our understanding of the Gospel as understood through Jesus Christ, what is best for our church community. Ah but it is not as easy as we would think for we in churches would have to actually talk to each other and come to some kind of agreement of our sense of identity and shared values in response to Christ. We would have to agree on things like baptism, mission, preaching, social witness, etc. Yes, we would have a sense of our identity as a community and might be better positioned to grapple with different issues. Yes, as a community we may have a sense of purpose, but what about my own personal, individual needs?

DC Trip part 5

Last Day with the Kids -

On the last day there was water. Lots of clear, chlorinated water. And in the water was one pasty white pastor and a bunch of kids kicking and splashing and bobbing around in life jackets (along with a number of other adults). The kids love swimming! It was an indoor pool but that didn't seem to matter. No sand or beach, but that didn't seem to matter. The kids just loved to swim, and it was a lot of fun.

We also did crafts, storytelling, and music with the kids which went well.

We had our final meal, our closing session where we didn't get to officially say good-bye, and that was the end of our adventure in DC.

Today (Saturday) we are packing to get back on the train and go home. It has been a long week. I think it is to soon to try to sum up what the week was about or like. That and the fact that I am still a little groggy and foggy is keeping me from writing something brilliant and insightful about the week. For now, find comfort in the idea that it was a good week for our group and hopefully for the kids as well.

DC Trip part 4

Day 4 with the kids

This day was another "ordinary" day kids, meaning we didn't have any field trips. Overall it was a good day. We went to a different park - a much older one with fountains, statues, and tall, old trees offering a good amount of shade. No swings, no playground, but still a better park. Just as I saw at the bowling alley, I saw how these kids act much older than they really are until they have an opportunity to be a kid and act their own age. When it came to feeding ducks, or watching water flow, or climbing statues, they are little children all over again. It is almost as if they are forced to repress their age appropriate urges in order to survive.

While at the park I played a game of football. For those who know me, this is a big deal.


The afternoon was rotations of music, arts, and storytelling. From what I heard those all went well. The younger children love crafts and music. The older kids are done with those things, so they were invited to help cook and they jumped right in. They loved working in the kitchen, and helping. One of the really young kids, one who caused trouble multiple times asked if he could was the dishes. Again, it was an opportunity to see them act as kids.

In storytelling I tried over and over to share the different path that Jesus walked. I am shocked at how many of the kids did not know about the story of Jesus or make the connection that he could have resisted his crucification but didn't. They need to hear the story of Christ, but not just the story of his death and resurrection and what that means to them. They need to hear the whole story of the different way Jesus lived, the way of peace, love, and acceptance, because then the cross will have that much more power.

I think that is probably one of the biggest challenges to being a Christian overall - you are called to live a different way than the way the world calls you to live. For those of us in more comfortable environments it is not as obvious, but for those people living in urban, poor, and violent situations, the counter-cultural nature of Christ is a very real path that leads to a very real life of persecution. Yet as I was telling the 10-12 year old kids on this day, the path of Christ leads to life. The other path leads to a very real death. Still, it is not an easy choice to make.

Finally, some of us went to look at some more monuments. The WWII monument is grand and powerful. Viet Nam is quietly powerful and tragic.

enjoy some more pictures:

DC Trip part 3

DC Trip - Day Two with the children.
"That's it, no more mr. nice guy!"
That was the mantra for the beginning of the day. Monday was a lot of chaos and by golly we would not tolerate such an experience on Tuesday. I'm happy to say that we did not have to put up with the crazy chaos, the insanity, or the angry retorts at the same level we experienced on Monday.
The day started with a nice long trip to the park, taking as much time as possible, and then playing standard park games - throwing stones at other kids, soccer in a small grassy area, and taking turns on the swings. There were two swings for about 20 kids so everybody got to take a turn. Isn't sharing fun? Aside from one violent outburst that made people cry, the day went pretty well.
On the way back I got to have a long conversation with one boy on why it is actually good to forgive people and walk away. He was sure that the best thing to do would be to get revenge no matter what. I don't know if I convinced him.
In the afternoon we had our rotations - music, art, and storytelling. For the first time kids sat still and listened to me! Now if I could only find something good to say. Overall the kids were good for everyone and it was a good day. For dinner I enjoyed Ethiopian cuisine with some of the other youth (see picture). At our return we saw a broken door leading us to think that maybe someone broke into the church. Everyone was very nervous except for me. I was so tired that I pretty much slept through the whole thing - not very helpful.

enjoy some pictures

Day three with the children - bowling.
On the third day there was a Metro ride, bowling, and no kids lost or hurt! At the bowling alley we saw the kids acting in a way appropriate for their age for the first time. It was good to see. The field trip made for an easier day over all and that was nice.

Later in the evening, at dinner we made silly faces trying to imitate one person in the group - I wont say who, but it wasn't me. His initials are J.D.C.

Overall it has been a very good two days. We have been trying to let the kids know that God loves them and that we love them. I don't think that is a message they often hear. I have been trying to teach Bible stories and am surprised at how much they do not know. There is a lot of work that needs to be done and I am very realistic and aware that we are only just starching the surface.

DC Trip part 2

Day 2 - started with worship. The music was grand. The preaching was great. A good time was had by all. NBMC is an ethnically mixed congregation with a predominately African-American style of worship. Hence the great music.

Following worship we were oriented. Apparently orientation here is when they tell you about all of the trouble kids, what they do that will push your buttons, and why you need to be a big meanie. Oh, and make sure they don't push each other on the train tracks when taking the subway.

With such lovely thoughts dancing on our minds we went to see some of the Smithsonians. Natural History! Air and Space! THe National Gallery of Art (not actually a Smithsonian, but close enough)! Hooray for free stuff.

The evening ended with Pastor Darin singing some throwback David Lee Roth song about Paradise with the cashier at a 5 Guys and a Burger place.

Day 3 - The adventure really begins.
Today we met the kids. I think they were very smart because they arrived in small spurts; one, two, or three at a time. We had the wonderful opportunity to connect with them via card games, but nothing for money.

Breakfast, circle time, and then…chaos! Normally the kids go to the park in the morning but it was hot. Very, very hot. So we thought it might be better to bring them all into a big room and let them yell and scream and run and use our parachute. So far no fatalities so things were good.

After taking some kids to a different room to play soccer things settled down a bit and we were good until lunch.

Lunch - boxed government food. Need I say more?

Then frustration and an attempt in futility. Some of us were supposed to sing with the kids. Some were doing crafts. I was supposed to lead storytelling. But what happened was a lot of, "are you listening? Sit down. Stop calling her 'ugly.' Sit down. Are you listening?" and so on and so forth. Needless to say it was a little discouraging. But overall all, aside from the throwing of balls at us, the posturing and fighting between 5 year olds, and the random pouring of juice on the floor it was a pretty good day.

We got a wake up call telling us that this is not going to be anything like we thought. We were prepared for difficult, but need to amp up our game.

In the end, we still talked about Jesus. Told the kids that God loves them, and tried to get across the idea that there are other ways to live your life. Today we are going to try even harder to talk about Jesus, God's love, and the way of peace that we are called to walk. Everything else is secondary.

DC Trip part 1

Made it to Washington DC for our youth group mission trip. We are staying at the National Memorial Baptist Church

and will be working with a day camp all week. Right now it is pretty late, so I am not going to write much. I'm waiting for the church motion dictator to go off so I can turn it off. Apparently this is important, and if I miss this dogs will come out full steam, ready to attack and scare me into loving Jesus with all of my -----. So here I sit.

What have I learned so far. Well, seeing as how I just got here I guess I could say that I learned that the train is awesome, that subways are ok, and that it is hot. So hot that… (you fill out the rest).

Oh, and the escalators don't work and we had to climb up the Mt. Everest of escalators. Kinda hurt.

Also the kitchen smells, but that's not so bad. And finally, people are leaving Egypt on UFOs, or at that is what the guy on the corner was shouting.

Less Worship, More Voting!

Reflections on a Biennial

So I realized that the last post wasn’t very funny, and if I’m not funny then no one will want to read this and I’ll lose all of my readers and then I’ll lose my sponsorship, and then my children will have to go work in the factory for a penny a day so that we can continue to eat food (as opposed to eating non-food). I will do my upmost to make my reflections on the ABC Biennial humorous, or at least slightly amusing.

Here is one big take-away: worship services are long. I know my church folks complain about my sermons from time to time and I don’t heed their complaints to much, yet when you have one or two services every day the length starts to get very noticeable. Granted, the sermons, the music, the readings, and many other things were very good, but very long.

Another take-away: Puerto Rico is very hot and very cold. Outside it was muggy and warm. Inside the air conditioning was blasting. Maybe next time we should make sure our Biennial does not happen concurrently with the Penguin Convention.

One more take-away: don’t over-sell your point. Some of you may remember my post from the Biennial two years ago when the by-laws for the denomination did not pass. This year one person, a regional executive minister who is very unassuming, spoke fairly freely about the by-laws, the listening they did in the two years, and the changes that were made. There were statements made for and against and then the vote passed with 44 against around 500 for making 92% in favor of the motion. This is very different from two years ago.

What happened was they (the leadership of the denomination) did not force the sell and listened to representatives from churches. I suppose there is some kind of lesson that can be learned, but I refuse to listen to anyone who my think they know what that lesson might be.

Can Baptists do Theology?

Reflections on a Theology Conference

On July 23 and 24 I attended a Baptist conference on Theology in Puerto Rico. It was specifically for American Baptists.

It was refreshing to be able to talk openly and freely about being American Baptist from a theological perspective. I didn’t have to explain the difference between American Baptists and other kinds of Baptists, I didn’t have to explain terms like “soul freedom,” or “church autonomy,” and I didn’t have to talk in a fluffy, pastoral way about the importance of identity, credentials, or history.

Here is one basic take-away: we need to claim who we are, our identity.

All of the plenary speakers, Townes, Leonard, and Ramirez all spoke to the ideas of sharing stories, claiming history, and claiming a memory that looks to liberate narrative and symbols. So often our idea of what it means to be American Baptist is based on our memory from the past 50 years when we have more than 400 years to pull from.

Here is where I look smart – MacIntyre’s book, After Virtue, talks about the narrative of the community informing the identity and the virtues of the individual. The community has a story about moving towards the good (doing the right thing) and in those stories we find a continuity of virtues guiding actions. The individual has a history in the community and is shaped by his or her personal history as well as the narrative and history of the community.

We are Christians. We are Baptists. We are American Baptists. We have a story, an identity, and it is right to let them shape who we are and how we live.

Fluffy God-Language

It has been six full days that I have now been here in Puerto Rico. One would think that I have been having a great time, but I have been in meetings, bathing in the florescent lights and breathing the conditioned, forced air.

Even now I am sitting in a meeting. This is fun, fun, fun.

In the General Board meetings I am hearing again and again how the denomination has many issues, challenges, and difficulties before it. Churches are shrinking, giving has decreased, passion for the Gospel has diminished, and the denomination is spiraling in what seems to be a destructive cycle.

The conversation has been interesting because we look at the bottom line, the finances, and the structural/institutional challenges before us and things look dim. Yet on the other hand we are a religious organization/creature and we bring theological language into the mix again and again. Here are some of the things have I heard:

“There is a future for what God has promised us…”
“God tells us, do not be afraid…”
“The Holy Spirit is working with us…”
“The grace of Jesus is all we need….”
“God is still walking with us…”

These phrases suggest a sense of hope on the unrealistic. If one where to bring a business model with such phrases as justification for the risks taken as well as assurance that things would go well we would be laughed at. Yet we are a people of faith and we need to have one foot in the grace and faith of God through Christ.

It is not easy to hold onto passion and faith in these meetings. The lighting and the artificial air makes it difficult to hold to a sense of faith and God’s presence. That is the moment when the institution arises and the faith and passion dies.

This is what will kill us so it is important to hold onto our faith and to be unrealistic as best we can. Maybe one of those pie-in-the-sky statements about God holds some truth…
 

Loving the Living with Baptists in Puerto Rico

I have now been at the ABC/USA Biennial for two full days and here are my vitals:
I still have a pulse
I still love Jesus
I still love being a pastor
I still love being a Baptist
Vials are good. Things are going well.

I started by participating with the gathering of Baptist theologians and scholars. I heard a number of very good papers, and had the opportunity to share my own paper. I suppose at some point I am going to have to say something about all that, but not just yet. Overall, that was a very good experience.

The Biennial started in earnest on Friday afternoon with a sermon and presentation about missional church (a catchy term for something that has been happening for a long time), followed by a dinner hosted by the Unity Committee on which I sit, and then evening worship. All were good enough.

The highlight of the evening was the Morehouse College Glee Club. I have to be honest, there are not many times during worship experiences at these that I feel moved or connected, but this time I was. They were powerful, they were sincere in their singing, and they were f*ckin awesome! It was good to have a moment when I could let go of having a “convention” mentality and simply worship.

Today starts another day of Baptist hoopla. I am sure it is going to be just fine. But then again, I woke up with a headache and we are voting on the proposed ABCUSA bylaws. That does not bode well.

New Blog Link

Steve Harmon posted a very nice link about my dissertation on his blog, so in return for the favor I am putting the link to his site on the "blogs I like..." list.

Its a 3-Way!

Pentecost is here. We all know what that means: we get to focus on the Holy Spirit! Hooray! We know what else that means – the following week is Trinity Sunday. Fun, fun, fun!

I find it interesting that the Trinity, something that is held as a central part of Christianity, is something that is seldom taught in Protestant churches (I can’t speak for Catholics). More often than not I find parishioners struggling with the idea of the Trinity, not really understanding the need or necessity of such a convoluted doctrine. I have even had conversations with other pastors who suggest that the doctrine of the Trinity was a historical necessity but is no longer contextually, socially, or theologically relevant .

Every Pentecost I hear the whining and lamenting that we don’t spend enough time teaching the Holy Spirit but I don’t hear the whining that we lack the time and teaching about the Trinity. Yet I don’t think the majority of parishioners understand or appreciate the complex nuances in Trinitarian theology. What good is knowledge of the Holy Spirit without an understanding of the Trinity?

If pushed against the wall about having Jesus be God, then we must be polytheists, or have a hierarchy between God and Jesus taking away from the importance of the cross, or we need to have a Trinity of mutual indwelling. Or we can take away the divinity of Christ and things get very easy to explain except for the role and importance of the cross. The Trinity is important.

Of course I’m not just complaining about the lack of Trinitarian knowledge but theological, Biblical, and historical knowledge over all. We just happen to be coming up on Pentecost and Trinity Sunday so that is where my griping will lead. You will note that I am griping but not explaining the nuances and complexities of Trinitarian theology. Maybe next time.

If You Don't Go to Church Then You are Going To...

Down with church-shopping!

I say this for a couple of reasons. First, it just doesn’t do well for my self-esteem. I feel much better about myself when people visit my church and then stay there. You don’t need to go elsewhere, I have everything you need right here, so why keep looking? I guess it is ok when people leave other churches to check out my church, but otherwise I am against it.

Heh

A more serious reason why we need to be careful with church shopping and poor attendance is that when people jump from church to church they never become a part of a community. If someone is not a consistent part of a community than that person does not learn the values and virtues (and theology) of that community. That individual will not grow.

I have recently been engaged in a “conversation” on Facebook with a whole bunch of Baptist pastors concerning style and aesthetics of worship vs. theology of worship. Obviously a stodgy individual like myself will be for theology over anything fun, beautiful, or moving.

As I have been following the conversation and offering my humble thoughts from time to time I have noticed a theme suggesting the notion that in a well thought-out and crafted service the theology will be implicit. One need not lecture theological doctrine or force people to memorize creeds. The people worshipping will embrace the theology of the community, probably unknowingly, and will live out that theology.

I’m still plowing through MacIntyre’s After Virtue and just read the following statement which is apropos:

…morality is always to some degree tied to the socially local and particular and that the aspiration of the morality of modernity to a universality freed from all particularity is an illusion; and second that there is no way to possess the virtues except as part of a tradition in which we inherit them… (third edition, 126-127)

So here is the kicker. If we are not a consistent part of a local tradition, engaged in the practices on a regular basis, then we will not know or understand the morality/theology of that community. To shop around, or have spotty attendance is a decidedly a-theological move that will lead to an atrophy of faith. Yes, people will enjoy the spectacle of worship from time to time, but the grammar of the community/faith will never be learned.

So go to church, damnit! Preferably mine, but if you must, find some other one, make a commitment, and try to get there on a regular basis. Unless, of course, you are happy with your less then mediocre relationship with Christ.

You're Not Going to Like This

I am sure that there are a million plus blog posts, commentaries, and thoughts on this subject, and I don’t like to be a part of the popular stream. Yet something about the very recent news of Osama Bin Laden’s death has moved me and I feel that I should write something for the three or four of you that read this.

It is more about the reaction than anything else that moves me. So I am writing a reaction to a reaction.

What I would like to offer is a Christian response to this news. This is not a flag-waving-country-loving-yellow-ribbon-patriotic response, but a response that comes out of the life, the crucifixion, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In a word, I grieve. I grieve because with the death of Bin Laden something is lost. It is not that I am lamenting the absence of Bin Laden on this planet. He was someone who was very twisted, who was full of hatred and blind because of his rage. I am lamenting the loss of the possibility of reconciliation.

This is what the cross is about, humanity being reconciled to God through the death and resurrection of Christ. The resurrection is assurance of our reconciliation and such reconciliation should be shared through humanity. We are called to reconcile our hurts, wounds, and pains with each other and with God.

Maybe you say that such a call for reconciliation is only among Christians, but I will look to such parables as the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son as examples of taking the outsider in. If all people are God’s children, and if all are divine in the eyes of God, then there was a potential for grace in Bin Laden. Yes, he is responsible for some of the most heinous actions in current human memory and he needed to be held accountable for such actions but death takes away the potential for reconciliation.

Perhaps some of you feel that such reconciliation was impossible, but so was the resurrection and we have been celebrating that for two weeks now.

I’m not blaming the military – from what it sounds like, they did what they could to capture him and the level of engagement made a live capture impossible. I’m not blaming the government for it is a system that works on a different set of values and morals than we do. I don’t think there is anyone I can or should blame. What I am doing is lamenting the jubilation that many people, people who profess to be Christians, are embracing.

We live in a broken, violent world. 9/11 was a horrific symptom of that brokenness. The violent death of Bin Laden is a symptom of that brokenness. So as a Christian I cannot rejoice or celebrate on this day but grieve the violence, the hatred, and the loss of hope that we all find ourselves apart of.

May God’s kingdom come, and may it come soon.