At the ordination of our new associate pastor Audrey today, one of the comments that really stuck out for me was something to the effect of "we don't make ourselves." It got spun a few ways, and my mind started trolling on this statement, so I don't have the authors straight, but preacher Christy and pastor Audrey both contributed to these thoughts.
The reality that others make us, we don't make ourselves, is absolutely contradictory to the great American claim to self-sufficiency, "boot-strap" success, and individualism. We're instructed from our infancy that we can make ourselves into anything we want. Well, that's just not true. We can certainly obstruct growth into full grown, creative, loving humans, but we can't make ourselves into these things all by ourselves. It does take a community of teachers, mentors, friends, antagonists, and people experiences to become who we are, for better or for worse.
Pastor Audrey also observed that we pastors can't decide that we're going to be a pastor. We're only pastors by virtue of the call of the community that we serve. We do not engage others with deep spiritual matters unless the other invites us into their life or places themself voluntarily in a situation where they hear from us, engage with us, consider what it is we have to offer.
Finally, these thoughts took me to what I think is the bottom line. We don't make ourselves because it is God who has made us. Psalm 100:3 says it succinctly: Know that the Lord is God. It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Thanks for the reminder Audrey. And congratulations on your ordination, pastor!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Scheming swindlers
Quote that my colleague Lowell loves, and so do I. It meant something a little different when I worked for the seminary, but it still has a point, meaning I feel the prick when I consider it:
"The matter is quite simple. The Bible is very easy to understand. But we Christians are a bunch of scheming swindlers. We pretend to be unable to understand it because we know very well that the minute we understand we are obliged to act accordingly. Take any words in the New Testament and forget everything except pledging yourself to act accordingly. My God, you will say, if I do that my whole life will be ruined. How would I ever get on in the world? Herein lies the real place of Christian scholarship. Christian scholarship is the Church's prodigious invention to defend itself against the Bible, to ensure that we can continue to be good Christians without the Bible coming too close. Oh, priceless scholarship, what would we do without you? Dreadful it is to fall into the hands of the living God. Yes, it is even dreadful to be alone with the New Testament."
-Soren Kierkegaard
I think we could substitute lots of alternatives of "religious" pursuit for "scholarship." Think of all the "prodigious invention[s]" that serve as a protection from the gospel. The church itself. Busyness. Good works. Religious practice. Doctrine. Name the ones for you.
The point is not that any one of these disciplines or activities is inherently wrong or anti-biblical. What I hear Kierkegaard warning against, though, is the trap of these things taking the place of the biblical mandate, the Word itself.
It is far from easy to be a biblical people. Just ask us brethren. When asked what's at the core of our faith we often start with peace, or simplicity, or service. These are all important elements of biblical faith, but if we were to be true to our founders it is really the bible and the Jesus of the bible that are at the core of our faith and our practice. In order to be connected to that core, we are required to purge our defenses and live like the gospel: radically.
Being biblical is far from simple, and certainly not easy. My own life is challenged by nearly every step. I fail miserably stride after stride, and I know it. But I try to be aware of the defenses that I erect between me and the bible, and pray that God will treat them like the walls of Jericho. Then we might be free for scholarship, service, faithful practice, and full lives of activity as people of the Word, rather than as a bunch of scheming swindlers!
"The matter is quite simple. The Bible is very easy to understand. But we Christians are a bunch of scheming swindlers. We pretend to be unable to understand it because we know very well that the minute we understand we are obliged to act accordingly. Take any words in the New Testament and forget everything except pledging yourself to act accordingly. My God, you will say, if I do that my whole life will be ruined. How would I ever get on in the world? Herein lies the real place of Christian scholarship. Christian scholarship is the Church's prodigious invention to defend itself against the Bible, to ensure that we can continue to be good Christians without the Bible coming too close. Oh, priceless scholarship, what would we do without you? Dreadful it is to fall into the hands of the living God. Yes, it is even dreadful to be alone with the New Testament."
-Soren Kierkegaard
I think we could substitute lots of alternatives of "religious" pursuit for "scholarship." Think of all the "prodigious invention[s]" that serve as a protection from the gospel. The church itself. Busyness. Good works. Religious practice. Doctrine. Name the ones for you.
The point is not that any one of these disciplines or activities is inherently wrong or anti-biblical. What I hear Kierkegaard warning against, though, is the trap of these things taking the place of the biblical mandate, the Word itself.
It is far from easy to be a biblical people. Just ask us brethren. When asked what's at the core of our faith we often start with peace, or simplicity, or service. These are all important elements of biblical faith, but if we were to be true to our founders it is really the bible and the Jesus of the bible that are at the core of our faith and our practice. In order to be connected to that core, we are required to purge our defenses and live like the gospel: radically.
Being biblical is far from simple, and certainly not easy. My own life is challenged by nearly every step. I fail miserably stride after stride, and I know it. But I try to be aware of the defenses that I erect between me and the bible, and pray that God will treat them like the walls of Jericho. Then we might be free for scholarship, service, faithful practice, and full lives of activity as people of the Word, rather than as a bunch of scheming swindlers!
Monday, May 11, 2009
On the "e" word
Lots of Christians have a deep ambivalence toward the "e" word, evangelism that is. The following is an open letter that I sent recently to some fellow disciples:
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:
If you were given five minutes to tell your story right now about how Jesus’ love has impacted your life, could you do it? If I were to spend the next five minutes telling you about the love of Jesus in my life, would you recognize God’s work and could you be patient enough to listen? If we encountered one another on the street or in the store or over the phone today, would you be ready to express Jesus’ love for you, and for me, in meaningful ways?
Evangelism is not a program or a project. Evangelism is a way of moving about in the world. In my humble understanding the word evangelism means that as we join in God’s work in the world we help others recognize the power and presence of God. We want to be equipped with eyes to see, ears to hear, lips to tell, hands to serve, and hearts to compel us into such loving relationships with the world. We want to recognize God’s reconciling and redeeming work, made flesh in Jesus Christ, in our daily lives!
Sharing in the Good News is risky business because it means not only that the lives of others might be changed, but also that our lives might be transformed. God’s witness may show up in us to impact others, or in others to impact us. We can never be sure, but we endeavor to be ready.
I wish to encourage you to enhance your skills and enrich your passion for sharing in the good news of the Gospel with your family, friends, acquaintances, coworkers, neighbors, strangers, and even enemies throughout your local communities and social networks! Don't know how?? No excuses: ask your pastor, talk to someone that you know who easily shares their faith, visit http://www.evangelismconnections.org/, practice sharing with your friends, take small steps to share the love of God.
Begin today!
Friday, May 8, 2009
Bricks without straw
The fifth chapter of the book of Exodus from the Old Testament of the Bible is part of the story of the Israelites in captivity to the Egyptians. In this fifth chapter the prophet Moses, through his mouthpiece brother Aaron, has told the slaveholding Pharaoh to let the Israelites go into the desert so that they might worship God. God has proposed a three day journey and festival. Pharoah predictably is having none of it! No vacation days for his laborers!
Instead Pharaoh decides to make the Israelite slaves' work even more difficult. He takes away their supply of straw used in the making of bricks and insists that the slaves find the straw on their own, without reducing the output of bricks. Essentially Pharaoh has given them an impossible task: scrounge for your straw, but keep massive quantities of bricks flowing to my warehouses.
I don't intend to push the metaphor too far, but reading this passage pulled me up short and caused me to wonder about the way life and work is progressing these days, especially for those of us who count ourselves among the community of Christians.
Our resources seemingly diminish day by day, in spite of God's abundance. Our "supply chain" has huge gaps in it, and yet we insist on the same results we've enjoyed before. What we probably need most is a festival in the desert, but it's the last thing to climb to the top of our priority list. We beat each other up, but in reality we are our own source of angst. Like the Israelite foremen we look around and realize we are in trouble here!
The promise comes in the next chapter. "I am the Lord and will bring you out from under the yoke," says God. For the Israelites this promise was difficult to hear and trust. Under great duress they resisted Moses, Aaron and God. Even with signs, miracles, plagues and trials, God's message was slow to sink in for both the Israelites and the Egyptians. But as the story progresses, God continues to demonstrate faithfulness.
Two key thoughts for today: Stop insisting that others keep making bricks without an abundant supply of straw. And trust that when God speaks there is power and promise.
Instead Pharaoh decides to make the Israelite slaves' work even more difficult. He takes away their supply of straw used in the making of bricks and insists that the slaves find the straw on their own, without reducing the output of bricks. Essentially Pharaoh has given them an impossible task: scrounge for your straw, but keep massive quantities of bricks flowing to my warehouses.
I don't intend to push the metaphor too far, but reading this passage pulled me up short and caused me to wonder about the way life and work is progressing these days, especially for those of us who count ourselves among the community of Christians.
Our resources seemingly diminish day by day, in spite of God's abundance. Our "supply chain" has huge gaps in it, and yet we insist on the same results we've enjoyed before. What we probably need most is a festival in the desert, but it's the last thing to climb to the top of our priority list. We beat each other up, but in reality we are our own source of angst. Like the Israelite foremen we look around and realize we are in trouble here!
The promise comes in the next chapter. "I am the Lord and will bring you out from under the yoke," says God. For the Israelites this promise was difficult to hear and trust. Under great duress they resisted Moses, Aaron and God. Even with signs, miracles, plagues and trials, God's message was slow to sink in for both the Israelites and the Egyptians. But as the story progresses, God continues to demonstrate faithfulness.
Two key thoughts for today: Stop insisting that others keep making bricks without an abundant supply of straw. And trust that when God speaks there is power and promise.
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