I've been tagged by a meme? So I guess this is one of those online things to get the conversation going, so here it goes...
Current reading list:
Organic Community: Creating a Place Where People Naturally Connect by Joseph Myers
The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason by Sam Harris
This Beautiful Mess: Practicing the Presence of the Kingdom of God by Rick McKinley
Eat This Book: A Conversation in the Art of Spiritual Reading by Eugene Peterson
Church Dogmatics, Volume VI, part 1 & 2 by Karl Barth
Total number of books in my library:
I have no idea. I have 2 tall bookcases overflowing with books plus two shorter bookcases and a stack of boxes in my closet. That's all not counting the 3-4 larger boxes that I left in Indiana with my parents.
Last book read:
The Changing Shape of Church History by Justo, L. González
Last book bought:
2020 Vision for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) by Richard Hamm
An aside:
Halo 3, only hours at this point!
Five meaningful books I've read in the last 6 months:
The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations by Ori Brafman and Rod Beckstrom
Atonement and the Incarnation by Vernon White
An Emergent Manifesto of Hope edited by Tony Jones and Doug Pagitt
Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense by N.t. Wright
Obey: Supply & Demand : The Art of Shepard Fairey by Shepard Fairey
Five books you should read:
The Bible by follower of God (ok, ok, I get it)
Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality by Donald Miller
Messy Spirituality by Mike Yaconelli
The Search to Belong: Rethinking Intimacy, Community, and Small Groups by Joseph R. Myers
Contemplative Youth Ministry: Practicing the Presence of Jesus (Youth Specialties) by Mark Yaconelli
A New Kind of Christian: A Tale of Two Friends on a Spiritual Journey by Brian D. McLaren
*Official warning, some of these book may be required readings for classes...but mostly I tried to keep those on the DL...oh yeah, and I really need to get out of seminary so I can read books that are read by real people ;-)
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Theology thoughts...
Following Bruce's lead I'll take part in Heather's game.
This week's topic, The Commitments of Theology.
Finish these sentences. (And explain why you say what you do, if you like giving explanations!)
- Theology exists to ________________.
- If someone reads my theological writing and only remembers one thing afterwards, I want it to be ___________________.
- No matter what topic we're dealing with, theologians must take into account ___________, because we ignore it at our peril.
Here are mine . . .
- Theology exists to help us navigate the world between the finite and the infinite.
- If someone reads my theological writing and only remembers one thing afterwards, I want it to be there are more people in the world that this matters for than them, basically it's not about me it's about God.
- No matter what topic we're dealing with, theologians must take into account our lived experiences and their ability to shape our world, because we ignore it at our peril.
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
What do you do with 5 minutes on the Internet?
Read blogs of course. So you must read this because I couldn't help but laughing about it...It's from Jason Boyett and his new book "The Pocket Guide to the Bible" and at least this quote is seriously worth you time.
Nine Miscellaneous Things You Must Not Do, According to the Law of Moses (from p. 175 of Pocket Guide to the Bible)
So for all you wives out there, If you husband is getting attacked you can grab the balls of the guy who's attacking you, but when you loose your hand for it, we can't be sad about it. The joy's our world was/is filled with.
Nine Miscellaneous Things You Must Not Do, According to the Law of Moses (from p. 175 of Pocket Guide to the Bible)
1. Boil a young goat in its mother’s milk (Exodus 23:19).
2. Eat a bat (Leviticus 11:19).
3. Audibly mock the deaf, or attempt to trip the blind (Leviticus 19:14).
4. Wear a garment that mixes linen and wool (Leviticus 19:19).
5. Disfigure the edges of your beard (Leviticus 19:27).
6. Cut down the trees of a city while you are besieging it (Deuteronomy 20:19).
7. Hide and refuse to help upon seeing your brother’s donkey or ox fall down in the road (Deuteronomy 22:4).
8. Charge interest on a loan, unless it’s a loan to a foreigner (Deuteronomy 23:19-20).
9. Pity a woman who gets her hand cut off because she grabbed the genitals of a man who was attacking her husband (Deuteronomy 25:11).
So for all you wives out there, If you husband is getting attacked you can grab the balls of the guy who's attacking you, but when you loose your hand for it, we can't be sad about it. The joy's our world was/is filled with.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Reconnection Week!
Isn't it great when you can go through a week in your life when you just seem to reconnect with a lot of people from way-back-when? I've loved it. First, Jon Swain a friend of mine who I met through his now wife Emily who knows Julia from sunday school days at Federated. Emily and Jon were also awesome help when we were doing youth ministry together at Federated. I've always really apperciated their help but when you don't connect with someone for a while it makes the heart grow fonder.
Second, I've been trading emails with JC Trombley who is one of those people that I will always have a special place for in my heart. He, Brian, and I used to do literally everything together. Who I am today has so much to do with my relationship with JC over the years. Any sense of self-confidence that I've ever had in my life comes from knowing that no matter what happens or what I do, JC and Brian will always be there for me. Always. JC and I have had a lot harder time staying in touch (no real reason just busyness) so now I've tried to make the extra effort after getting to see JC, Sara, and Luke when I was home for Hannah's wedding it's been cool to regularly trade emails this week.
Third, happened today when I got an IM from Josh McDowell. Who I worked with at Krannert and is a good friend of JC's. He's been working at 3rd Floor Video for Purdue and he does really good work. Josh has always been the guy as far as I'm concerned with the eye for design. Josh's work always impresses me, from the subtle fades and ghosting to bold use of color. Josh and I got a chance to really catch up. It was really nice to catch up and see what he's up to these days. I still can't believe I saw him and his now wife on the letterman show. :)
3 people from the past all in the same week. God is good!
Second, I've been trading emails with JC Trombley who is one of those people that I will always have a special place for in my heart. He, Brian, and I used to do literally everything together. Who I am today has so much to do with my relationship with JC over the years. Any sense of self-confidence that I've ever had in my life comes from knowing that no matter what happens or what I do, JC and Brian will always be there for me. Always. JC and I have had a lot harder time staying in touch (no real reason just busyness) so now I've tried to make the extra effort after getting to see JC, Sara, and Luke when I was home for Hannah's wedding it's been cool to regularly trade emails this week.
Third, happened today when I got an IM from Josh McDowell. Who I worked with at Krannert and is a good friend of JC's. He's been working at 3rd Floor Video for Purdue and he does really good work. Josh has always been the guy as far as I'm concerned with the eye for design. Josh's work always impresses me, from the subtle fades and ghosting to bold use of color. Josh and I got a chance to really catch up. It was really nice to catch up and see what he's up to these days. I still can't believe I saw him and his now wife on the letterman show. :)
3 people from the past all in the same week. God is good!
Friday, July 20, 2007
The Joy's of 17 in Worship
So this past week at MBCC we had only 17 adults in worship (SF AIDS walk week) and while we could have probably all just drag ourselves over to AIDS walk (which raised a record $4.5 mil btw). I got a pleasant surprise which is when there are only 17 of you in worship you get a chance to talk to pretty much everyone of them (and much more at length than an average Sunday).
So I wanted to post something about this because my conversation with Ray, Hannah, Phil, Jee, and Joe about how prophecy came to be and what my own teaching perspective is around the least well known books of the bible (we're currently doing a series on that at MBCC). They encouraged me to write without pulling any punches about how we came to get a lot of the stuff that we have in the OT (and really the NT for that matter too). So I'm writing on the evolutionary themes of prophecy in the OT based out of Amos (a lot of my ideas come straight out of Bob Coote's brilliant book "Amos among the Prophets").
Anyways. That is what most of my thinking has been based around this week and it's really interesting to see how God drops all sorts of supporting evidence and stories in my lap when I get to teach. A friend of mine (Don who I still can't believe just turned 40) and I were out to lunch when we got to talking about this idea. He mentioned to me that Einstein wrote on similar subject around the problem of what space is made out of. He said that Einstein used to have to argue over what the density of space was and if it was made out of ether or a vacuum (I have to warn you I don't know much about science).
Basically the story goes that he got so tired of arguing over which it was made out of he just choose one. He then set about using it (I believe he choose vacuum) to do his other research. When he started to present findings he was met with questions about how he had made an assumption. So he showed how he did the math to include either ether or a vacuum, and he discovered that it ultimately didn't matter, which is really wonderful. He discovered that it didn't matter. He did all his calculations over and over again (using both) and discovered that mathematically speaking it was such an insignificant difference that it didn't really matter (yet remember that many at that time were fixated on it). I think this is what I'm going to close my teaching with on Sunday. That we have all of this textual evidence and can see the process of prophecy (I think that might be better than evolving?) and we are left to decipher what we think is right. That we can spend our days arguing over it or we can raise these sorts of questions and observations and see how they can lead us further down the path.
So many people in religious circles are so focused on which is right that they miss that maybe we can see that their is a step in faith beyond this deconstruction that can take us to new territory of changing the world. All of that to basically say that I think that while all this stuff around the development of scripture over the course of human history is interesting and needs to be taught in church, it is also important not to lose sight of where all of it is pointing. Just look at the book of Amos. Amos A (the oldest part) is about condemnation and inevitable catastrophe, which then progresses into Amos B (the first redaction) becomes more f a warning to do justice or else while Amos C (the last redaction -- although it's probably not a simple 3 times) is about a reversal and justice as hope. But after all this deconstruction of the book of Amos, I'm struck with the simplicity of Einstein which is that it doesn't really matter what was intended, that if Amos was indeed written by one guy one day speaking out a specific moment in time that ultimately it's not as important as being able to move past the details and just start doing calculations.
So all that to say. I loved it that my entire sermon shifted gears based on a short conversation I had with the handful of people who came to worship with us on Sunday. Here's hoping God can use my teaching to speak to the lives of people just as 17 in worship spoke to me.
So I wanted to post something about this because my conversation with Ray, Hannah, Phil, Jee, and Joe about how prophecy came to be and what my own teaching perspective is around the least well known books of the bible (we're currently doing a series on that at MBCC). They encouraged me to write without pulling any punches about how we came to get a lot of the stuff that we have in the OT (and really the NT for that matter too). So I'm writing on the evolutionary themes of prophecy in the OT based out of Amos (a lot of my ideas come straight out of Bob Coote's brilliant book "Amos among the Prophets").
Anyways. That is what most of my thinking has been based around this week and it's really interesting to see how God drops all sorts of supporting evidence and stories in my lap when I get to teach. A friend of mine (Don who I still can't believe just turned 40) and I were out to lunch when we got to talking about this idea. He mentioned to me that Einstein wrote on similar subject around the problem of what space is made out of. He said that Einstein used to have to argue over what the density of space was and if it was made out of ether or a vacuum (I have to warn you I don't know much about science).
Basically the story goes that he got so tired of arguing over which it was made out of he just choose one. He then set about using it (I believe he choose vacuum) to do his other research. When he started to present findings he was met with questions about how he had made an assumption. So he showed how he did the math to include either ether or a vacuum, and he discovered that it ultimately didn't matter, which is really wonderful. He discovered that it didn't matter. He did all his calculations over and over again (using both) and discovered that mathematically speaking it was such an insignificant difference that it didn't really matter (yet remember that many at that time were fixated on it). I think this is what I'm going to close my teaching with on Sunday. That we have all of this textual evidence and can see the process of prophecy (I think that might be better than evolving?) and we are left to decipher what we think is right. That we can spend our days arguing over it or we can raise these sorts of questions and observations and see how they can lead us further down the path.
So many people in religious circles are so focused on which is right that they miss that maybe we can see that their is a step in faith beyond this deconstruction that can take us to new territory of changing the world. All of that to basically say that I think that while all this stuff around the development of scripture over the course of human history is interesting and needs to be taught in church, it is also important not to lose sight of where all of it is pointing. Just look at the book of Amos. Amos A (the oldest part) is about condemnation and inevitable catastrophe, which then progresses into Amos B (the first redaction) becomes more f a warning to do justice or else while Amos C (the last redaction -- although it's probably not a simple 3 times) is about a reversal and justice as hope. But after all this deconstruction of the book of Amos, I'm struck with the simplicity of Einstein which is that it doesn't really matter what was intended, that if Amos was indeed written by one guy one day speaking out a specific moment in time that ultimately it's not as important as being able to move past the details and just start doing calculations.
So all that to say. I loved it that my entire sermon shifted gears based on a short conversation I had with the handful of people who came to worship with us on Sunday. Here's hoping God can use my teaching to speak to the lives of people just as 17 in worship spoke to me.
Monday, July 09, 2007
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Minutes to Midnight
I don't normally think to do this but I have to say that I've been impressed with Linkin Park's new Album "Minutes to Midnight." It's rhythmic drumming and poignant lyrics have really caught my attention and I can't seem to drive anywhere without flipping over to listen to this verbal anthem. So I thought I would post the lyrics and I invite you to go pick up the CD or run over to itunes to get it (a word of warning there is a bit of cussing).
Turn my mic up louder, I got to say something
Lightweights steppin' aside when we come in
Feel it in your chest, the syllables get pumping
People on the street then panic and start running
Words on loose leaf sheet, complete coming
I jump in my mind, I summon the rhyme I'm dumping
Healing the blind, I promise to let the sun in
Sick of the dark ways we march to the drumming
Jump when they tell us that they wanna see jumping
F*** that, I wanna see some fists pumping
List something, take back what's yours
Say something that you know they might attack you for
'Cause I'm sick of being treated like I had before
Like it's stupid standing for what I'm standing for
Like this war's really just a different brand of war
Like it doesn't cater to rich and abandon poor
Like they understand you, in the back of their jet
When you can't put gas in your tank, these f*****s
Are laughing their way to the bank, and cashing their check
Asking you to have the passion and have some respect
For a leader so nervous in an obvious way
Stuttering and mumbling for nightly news to replay
And the rest of the world watching at the end of the day
In the living room, laughing like, "What did he say?"
Amen
In my living room watching it, I am not laughing
'Cause when it gets tense, I know what might happen
The world is cold, the bold men take action
Have to react to get blown into fractions
At 10 years old, it's something to see
Another kid my age drugged under a Jeep
Taken and bound and found later under a tree
I wonder if he had thought 'the next one could be me'
Do you see the soldiers that are out today?
They brush the dust from bulletproof vests away
It's ironic, at times like this you'd pray
But a bomb blew the mosque up yesterday
There's bombs on the buses, bikes, roads
Inside your market, your shops, and your clothes
My dad, he's got a lot of fear, I know
But enough pride inside not to let that show
My brother had a book he would hold with pride
A little red cover with a broken spine on the back
He hand-wrote a quote inside,
"When the rich wage war, it's the poor who die"
Meanwhile, the leader just talks away
Stuttering and mumbling for nightly news to replay
The rest of the world watching at the end of the day
Both scared and angry, like "What did he say?"
Amen
With hands held high into a sky so blue
As the ocean opens up to swallow you.
The only place I found it at length online is on utube (here's one with subtitles). I love the second verse especially, taking on the perspective of a 10 year old who's trying to live out life in the middle of all of this chaos, searching for answers. This song is also just a taste of the album as a whole. It's still got a bit of that classic LP vibe but this is really a step out for them. It's about complex issues and is dealing with a lot of anger and frustration in the world.
Think...but also enjoy.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Is there a day in life that will make sense?
Something about life just makes you stop and think "will there ever be a day in life that just makes sense?" Today is not that day, from discovering how things might go when we're back in IN for this visit to not being able to get back to sleep at 4am. This day has been all over the map. How do you talk to someone who thinks differently than you do (I mean process info not disagree with) and explain to them what's inside your head? Can words convey more than someone is willing to hear? Why is that when people encounter something that they found extremely helpful that they want to improve on it, while the thing they didn't like gets left by the wayside untouched?
Maybe this post won't make sense either, but in this dark hour I'll try just about anything to smooth out the waves my brain. For something actually interesting check out this image I came across this evening. For more check here.
Maybe this post won't make sense either, but in this dark hour I'll try just about anything to smooth out the waves my brain. For something actually interesting check out this image I came across this evening. For more check here.
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Visual Disobedience
Those of you who live SF may have actually seen Shepard Fairey's work (see 6th and Folsom on the left --it's not there anymore). If you seen a giant image of a man's face (actually Andre the giant to be exact) then you've seen the work of this visual artist. Currently there is a half of the giant's face on Lombard st. I recently acquired his book "Obey: Supply and Demand" and I have to say that it's fantastic!
It chronicles Fairey's work since 1989-90 when he began the "giant" campaign based off a sticker of Andre the Giant (yes the professional wrestler) that claims Andre the Giant has a posse. It has formed and melded into many forms over the years but one thing remains the same. Fairey's brilliant eye for creating striking images that grab your attention.
Fairey invokes a true sense of visual disobedience posting his art not in galleries but in public spaces. He talks about his work in terms of Heidegger's "phenomenology" saying people become numb to their environment, and they need certain experiences to snap them out of their trance. Heidegger said "a hammer isn't a hammer b/c it looks like a hammer; it's a hammer because it hammers things." Fairey's obey campaign isn't propaganda because it has a message but because it's everywhere. It's about function not face value. You form a theory to validate experience not find the experience that validates your theory.
Fairey expresses that his sticker/poster campaign that has been raging all these years didn't start with a message, it started with a medium. The medium is the message. If you encounter a large stoic face on the side of a building and it has the word "Obey" printed beneath it, you are left to wonder obey what? In it's own way it's telling you not to obey, after all this medium is illegal street art.
But if your in love with form, function, and the pursuit of great art (or just have a love for stickers like me). I defiantly recommend that you check out Shepard's book or website.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
summer freedom?
I'm not particularly good at posting regularly (see my grand total of posts). But because I've actually managed to do only one major thing this summer (well two if you count preforming my sister's wedding ceremony) coming on full time at Mission Bay Community Church, that leaves me normal amounts of free time. Because of this new found 'focus' I'm going to try to start blogging regularly as a spiritual discipline.
I'm looking forward to this dedicated reflection time to gather my thoughts and see if I can spot God at work in more places than I might normally notice. So I plan on posting some book reviews (some from this semester of classes, some for fun), movie reviews (can't wait for transformers), church musings, and what ever else might be going on in my life.
So that's the plan.
I'm looking forward to this dedicated reflection time to gather my thoughts and see if I can spot God at work in more places than I might normally notice. So I plan on posting some book reviews (some from this semester of classes, some for fun), movie reviews (can't wait for transformers), church musings, and what ever else might be going on in my life.
So that's the plan.
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Funny, aye?
So two posts in the same day, crazy I know.
Anways, 'cause it's stanely cup playoffs (and to continue my hockey theme in honor) and the playoffs are being drowned out by baseball, NBA playoffs, and all other such sports in the US. I thought I would put up my new favorite clip. This is why hockey is the best sport of all time!
Anways, 'cause it's stanely cup playoffs (and to continue my hockey theme in honor) and the playoffs are being drowned out by baseball, NBA playoffs, and all other such sports in the US. I thought I would put up my new favorite clip. This is why hockey is the best sport of all time!
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Does the shirt make the man?
This is the question that you must ask yourself?
Does the shirt make the man or does the man make the shirt? Anyways, this has been a really busy few weeks and I have a lot of posts in beginning stages and not many in finished form so I thought I would just put something up to let you all know that things will come along. This summer the plan is to post 2 posts a week.
That's the goal anyways...
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Blackhawks to draft #1
Maybe I should pledge my loyalty to something else (like winning the lottery). Yesterday the NHL announced that my beloved Chicago Blackhawks will draft #1 overall in this summers draft. A complete first for the team. We've drafted as high as #3 overall before (including last year). So to say the least I'm excited.
Friday, April 06, 2007
Pledge my loyalty
As the regular season for the NHL winds down, I thought I would post something in retrospect. For those of you who don't know I'm a loyal Chicago Blackhawks fan and have been ever since my grandfather introduced me to the game of hockey when I was so young, I don't know how old I was. But the state of the Blackhawks has left something to be desired. We will miss the playoffs again this year and that makes basically a decade out of the postseason (minus the 1st round exit in 01-02 season).So never the less I'm a bit depressed as we've gone 31-40-9 for 71 points (that includes winning these meaning-less last 4 games) and haven't even managed to score 200 goals as a team. It's been a pretty depressing season even though things started out looking up. We acquired Martin Havlat who is a legit 1st line forward we've lacked since the departure of my beloved Tony Amonte. We got Handzus from Philly even though we had to give up Calder. Handzus is the type of player that every team needs, he's a huge, skilled, center who can play against the opponents best line and still manage to score from time to time. But then Handzus went down with a season ending injury (stupid knees) and Havlat got hurt (high ankle sprain) and to make matters worse was Habby followed suit. Anyways a long season, a coaching change, and other things later I feel rather depressed.
Handzus is an unrestricted free agent and we've got gaping holes to fill in our top 6 forwards (we probably truly need 2 more). Our young defense has started to grow together more and that's a plus. I love what I've seen from Seabrook (my new favorite hawk) as he's been physical and played pretty well at both ends of the ice. Plus he's a born leader always sticking up for teammates. Anyways next year with Duncan Keith, Barker, and Seabrook back their we should be ok, even though Aucoin has at best been described as a bust (not the player he used to be on the island). Anyways...
Next year seems bright, Toews seems like a real keeper, Skille's made progress, Bolland's gotten better after getting off to a slow start with Norfolk. Bertram seems to be a gamer (he scored 2 goals tonight for BC in the frozen four). So their does seem to be hope at the end of the tunnel.
Anyways the Chicago Daily Herald is doing a decent series about the state of Hawk Hockey so if your interested check it out...Part one and two are already up...three is still to come...
btw; if you want great hawks hockey commentary and such check out "The 300 Level"
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Where do I belong?
Lately I'm having to start making choices post seminary that will effect largely the circles and arena's in which my ministry will take place and I'm having a heck of a time deciding where I fit in the landscape of Churchianity.
Ok, for those of you who don't know it. I'm kind of a misfit when it comes to Churchianity. I range across the differing range of denominational experience, theological, and praxis issues. I don't know of a denomination that really fits what it is that I want to do in the way that I want to do it (emergent friendly, congregational polity, open theological interpretations, and money for developing new churches). You see I come out a youth ministry background (at a interesting multi-denominational church) that we tried to base it in the contemplative realm (for what I was striving towards check out Mark Yaconelli and The Youth Ministry & Spirituality Project). That along with a bunch of other things lead Julia and I to move to San Francisco for me to attend San Francisco Theological Seminary (SFTS). So even though I'm not Presbyterian, I thought if this school can support this awesome project then I'm interested in learning from these people. It fit fine with my current denominational alignment (Disciples of Christ)...plus I always figured I could figure out the denom thing later (later being now). Once at SFTS I hooked up with some cool fellow postmodern folk, one being Derrick who brought me to a really cool community in MBCC and through a series of interesting twists and turns I'm doing my SFTS necessary internship here currently. Through my exposure with MBCC (which is a PCUSA), I've pretty much figured that the area of growth for me in my leadership of the church is in New Church Development (the presby term) or church planting in the arena of emerging church movement.
So that brings me back to the topic of this post, Where do I belong? Should I continue down the path for ordination in the DOC where I might have to give up time with MBCC to go to a disciples congregation? Should I switch and pursue ordination in the PCUSA (where I'm not sure theologically I fit as well)? The PCUSA does a decent amount of church planting based off of the emerging church philosophy of doing church and probably would be easiest to raise funds to plant a pomo church? Should I stay with DOC but try to integrate some of the things learned at MBCC and through presbymergent ideas to work in their church planting area and goal of a 1000 churches by 2020?
Arg. Where do I belong? Isn't it ironic that this question of identity which is staring me in the face now is so similar to Jesus' question in the gospel accounts (who do you say I am?)?
Ok, for those of you who don't know it. I'm kind of a misfit when it comes to Churchianity. I range across the differing range of denominational experience, theological, and praxis issues. I don't know of a denomination that really fits what it is that I want to do in the way that I want to do it (emergent friendly, congregational polity, open theological interpretations, and money for developing new churches). You see I come out a youth ministry background (at a interesting multi-denominational church) that we tried to base it in the contemplative realm (for what I was striving towards check out Mark Yaconelli and The Youth Ministry & Spirituality Project). That along with a bunch of other things lead Julia and I to move to San Francisco for me to attend San Francisco Theological Seminary (SFTS). So even though I'm not Presbyterian, I thought if this school can support this awesome project then I'm interested in learning from these people. It fit fine with my current denominational alignment (Disciples of Christ)...plus I always figured I could figure out the denom thing later (later being now). Once at SFTS I hooked up with some cool fellow postmodern folk, one being Derrick who brought me to a really cool community in MBCC and through a series of interesting twists and turns I'm doing my SFTS necessary internship here currently. Through my exposure with MBCC (which is a PCUSA), I've pretty much figured that the area of growth for me in my leadership of the church is in New Church Development (the presby term) or church planting in the arena of emerging church movement.
So that brings me back to the topic of this post, Where do I belong? Should I continue down the path for ordination in the DOC where I might have to give up time with MBCC to go to a disciples congregation? Should I switch and pursue ordination in the PCUSA (where I'm not sure theologically I fit as well)? The PCUSA does a decent amount of church planting based off of the emerging church philosophy of doing church and probably would be easiest to raise funds to plant a pomo church? Should I stay with DOC but try to integrate some of the things learned at MBCC and through presbymergent ideas to work in their church planting area and goal of a 1000 churches by 2020?
Arg. Where do I belong? Isn't it ironic that this question of identity which is staring me in the face now is so similar to Jesus' question in the gospel accounts (who do you say I am?)?
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Monday, October 30, 2006
Faith and Politics?
So much news lately has contained our Midwestern senator from Illinois Barack Obama. It seems since he's mentioned the possibility of running for the highest position in the land he seems to be everywhere. But my personal favorite is the article in this months issue of sojourners Magazine written by this man in question.
It's an excellent articulation of faith and politics. It's a really interesting speech/article about how the progressive Christian voice can have good conversation with the Christian right.
So if you haven't read it. Go over to Sojourners or pick a copy up at Borders or wherever and check this article out.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
The Valley of Dry Bones
Ezekiel 37:1-10 - The Valley of Dry Bones
1 The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”3 I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.”
4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord."
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.
9 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.'" 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.
--
If we are honest with ourselves, we live amongst a valley of bones. It is not hard for us to see the downward spiraling direction of our world. Each day as we turn on the TV or pick up a newspaper we am bombarded with each new outrageous event, yesterday I opened CNN.com and the lead story was this bombing in a holiday market in Iraq. Did you see it? This attack was 5 bomb-rigged motorcycles and mortar rounds exploding in a crowded holiday market killing between 18-20 people and injuring many more. These civilians were out in the market buying chocolate, candy, and new clothes to celebrate the end of Ramadan (the holy month of fasting). Imagine that one moment you are shopping, the next moment you are standing next to an exploding motorcycle? I don’t quite know what to make of things. It’s sometimes hard to imagine that we, as humanity, are capable of such wickedness and evil. Ever since this most recent war in the Middle East has erupted it has become increasingly hard to see the end of this conflict, it has been hard to see the good amongst the bad. Each day seems to take us further into the darkness of the night.
But we don’t have to go half way around the world to find messy justice or suffering. What are you supposed to do, when what is happening can’t be explained or rationalized, and the old rules no longer apply?
When I was in high school my grandfather came to live with us because he was in the later stages of Alzheimer’s. You see my dad and his siblings took turns taking care of their father, who had progressed so far into Alzheimer’s that on certain days didn’t even recognize them. Alzheimer’s is bad and then some; and all you can do is watch as someone you love becomes a shadow and fades away.
As a teenager (and even now) I didn’t really understand how and why things like Alzheimer’s happen. It’s really heart wrenching and painful to look your grandpa in the face, and see your grandpa staring back at you, and he doesn’t remember you; or that he used to take me to the swimming pool where he taught me how to do handstands in the water.
Sometimes my brother and I used to laugh about it. We used to laugh at ourselves and at him, about the seemingly hopelessness of it all. There was an afternoon when I came home from school and my grandpa chased me out of my house ‘cause he thought I was the gardener who was stealing from him. Ironically, he never had a gardener.
We sought all sorts of help for my grandpa, we took him to doctors, and we dealt with lawyers, and we prayed about his condition. I remember one night where I prayed that he would die in his sleep. The next morning I was sitting at the kitchen table talking to my mother about all of it. I asked her if we knew what we were doing with grandpa was right. I asked her if she thought we were doing the best thing for him. That’s when my mom said something I will never forget, “We don’t know what’s best anymore, how could we know?” How are we supposed to know what to do about suffering? How are we supposed to know what is true amongst all this violence and pain that is in this world?
So if we are honest, we are like Ezekiel looking over this valley of dry bones, we see the devastation and destruction lying before us. We see conflicts breaking out in more places than we see peace. Instead of countries putting down their weapons, we have added another country to the nuclear family. Instead of learning to mix with those different around us, we see ourselves creating more gated communities. Instead of seeing fewer people living in extreme poverty, we are seeing more. Instead of finding alternatives fuel sources, we are driving bigger SUV’s. Instead of feeding the children in Africa, we buy more Starbucks. Instead of our justice system rehabilitating prisoners, we see more repeat offenders. Instead of learning how to share our resources, we are teaching people to stockpile. Instead of revitalizing inner cities, we move to the suburbs. Instead of extending civil liberties, we are beginning to legislate them out of existence. Instead of helping those who come to this country seeking a new life, we build a $1.2 billion dollar 700 mile long fence! I think it’s pretty clear that when we look around and tell the truth, that we (like Ezekiel) are standing in a valley of dry bones.
God asks Ezekiel a question “Can these bones live?” Ezekiel responses “Lord, You alone know.” I think it’s like my mom telling me how could we know what was best for your grandpa? This is us asking for God’s answer. This is a tipping point. This is the moment when we can pack it in and say that we don’t think things are going to work out in the end; that there is just too much evil in this world. Or this can be the moment when we stand up and proclaim life.
This is where people have a critique of Christian hope, Christian eschatology, the doctrine of the ‘end times’ or ‘last things,’ has often been reduced to escapism, fire insurance, and/or justice in the future. It has been reduced to a heaven away from here, and the Christian’s job is to take as many people along to this good place as possible. We can’t let our hope be reduced to this; we can’t leave hope to deal only with the future. If we leave hope in the future, we lose the impact of hope on the present. God doesn’t call Ezekiel to leave hope in the future; God calls him to speak out now!
God said prophecy to these bones and Ezekiel prophesied. God said tell these bones that there will be life; Ezekiel does and then there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. As Ezekiel stood in this valley of death he watched as tendons and flesh appeared on the skeletons and skin covered them. God is calling us to prophecy today on his behalf to yell out to this valley of dry bones that they too will live and that God will give them the breath of life.
I was reading a book around the Truth and Reconciliation Committee in South Africa the other day. The author, John De Gruchy, talked about a symposium that he went to in 1994 about whether or not the first democratic elections in South Africa could be ‘free and fair.’ Virtually all the participants were social and political scientists, except him (he’s a theologian). Hard nosed statistics and political realism drove the discussion throughout the day, and as the day progressed the mood became more somber and pessimistic. There was so much intimidation and violence in certain parts of the country that everything pointed away from the elections fulfilling the necessary criteria. Having agree with a great deal of what was being said, he began to share the mood, yet there was always something nagging in his consciousness that prevented him from succumbing to the prevailing pessimism. Finally in an act of desperation, he blurted out that no matter what statistics and the wisdom of political science might tell us, they could never have the last word. From a faith perspective nothing could happen to bring about change in South Africa unless people lived and acted in hope. Politics might be the art of the possible, but theology is the art of the impossible and unexpected.
We acting together can participate in developing a common vision for the future and in seeking to make that vision a reality. Judgment day is every day, just as every day can be the day of salvation. How we respond to this possibility and offer determines whether the future opens up in a way that restores justice or not.
“Hope becomes the only realistic way to live because it takes seriously ‘the possibilities with which all reality is fraught’ (Theology of hope - Jurgen Moltmann).” Those who trust in God’s promises will never be prepared to give evil the last word. We the church must be a ‘constant disturbance in human society’ because we refuse to allow things as they are to remain set in concrete. Hope must lead to creative action, for new thinking, new planning. Hope should be distinct from wishful thinking or utopian longing, it should precisely be that which makes us creatively alive to possibilities in the present as well as the future.
Not only does God raise the valley of bones into flesh once more, but God also breaths his spirit into them. “I will put my Spirit in you and you will live.” You see the problem with hope only in the future is that it leaves little room to imagine alternatives; if we look at things only in a rational modern framework we take away the element of surprise. One of the best things about humanity is that even in the darkest of times, even in the most selfish nooks on the planet, we get surprises. We must live in hope. Hope remains powerful and the necessary antidote to despair – despair about crime, violence, illness, and the ongoing struggles of this world. Hope is all about the vision of what God believes our world can be and should be. Hope is a valley of bones becoming an army that knows God’s love.
Hope must be our obsession of life! What else is the Christian gospel of reconciliation about than life lived within Christ’s call to enter the Kingdom of God, the promise of new life, new worlds, and new possibilities breaking down the old?
Let us Pray.
I want to show you a video during our reflection time, which is a prime example of hope as an obsession for life. I want to show you want it looks like to tell the truth and move towards a new relationship. I want you to see what it looks like to live into the vision of hope.
Check out http://www.worldonfire.ca/ for more info on the video and donations made.
1 The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”3 I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.”
4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord."
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.
9 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.'" 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.
--
If we are honest with ourselves, we live amongst a valley of bones. It is not hard for us to see the downward spiraling direction of our world. Each day as we turn on the TV or pick up a newspaper we am bombarded with each new outrageous event, yesterday I opened CNN.com and the lead story was this bombing in a holiday market in Iraq. Did you see it? This attack was 5 bomb-rigged motorcycles and mortar rounds exploding in a crowded holiday market killing between 18-20 people and injuring many more. These civilians were out in the market buying chocolate, candy, and new clothes to celebrate the end of Ramadan (the holy month of fasting). Imagine that one moment you are shopping, the next moment you are standing next to an exploding motorcycle? I don’t quite know what to make of things. It’s sometimes hard to imagine that we, as humanity, are capable of such wickedness and evil. Ever since this most recent war in the Middle East has erupted it has become increasingly hard to see the end of this conflict, it has been hard to see the good amongst the bad. Each day seems to take us further into the darkness of the night.
But we don’t have to go half way around the world to find messy justice or suffering. What are you supposed to do, when what is happening can’t be explained or rationalized, and the old rules no longer apply?
When I was in high school my grandfather came to live with us because he was in the later stages of Alzheimer’s. You see my dad and his siblings took turns taking care of their father, who had progressed so far into Alzheimer’s that on certain days didn’t even recognize them. Alzheimer’s is bad and then some; and all you can do is watch as someone you love becomes a shadow and fades away.
As a teenager (and even now) I didn’t really understand how and why things like Alzheimer’s happen. It’s really heart wrenching and painful to look your grandpa in the face, and see your grandpa staring back at you, and he doesn’t remember you; or that he used to take me to the swimming pool where he taught me how to do handstands in the water.
Sometimes my brother and I used to laugh about it. We used to laugh at ourselves and at him, about the seemingly hopelessness of it all. There was an afternoon when I came home from school and my grandpa chased me out of my house ‘cause he thought I was the gardener who was stealing from him. Ironically, he never had a gardener.
We sought all sorts of help for my grandpa, we took him to doctors, and we dealt with lawyers, and we prayed about his condition. I remember one night where I prayed that he would die in his sleep. The next morning I was sitting at the kitchen table talking to my mother about all of it. I asked her if we knew what we were doing with grandpa was right. I asked her if she thought we were doing the best thing for him. That’s when my mom said something I will never forget, “We don’t know what’s best anymore, how could we know?” How are we supposed to know what to do about suffering? How are we supposed to know what is true amongst all this violence and pain that is in this world?
So if we are honest, we are like Ezekiel looking over this valley of dry bones, we see the devastation and destruction lying before us. We see conflicts breaking out in more places than we see peace. Instead of countries putting down their weapons, we have added another country to the nuclear family. Instead of learning to mix with those different around us, we see ourselves creating more gated communities. Instead of seeing fewer people living in extreme poverty, we are seeing more. Instead of finding alternatives fuel sources, we are driving bigger SUV’s. Instead of feeding the children in Africa, we buy more Starbucks. Instead of our justice system rehabilitating prisoners, we see more repeat offenders. Instead of learning how to share our resources, we are teaching people to stockpile. Instead of revitalizing inner cities, we move to the suburbs. Instead of extending civil liberties, we are beginning to legislate them out of existence. Instead of helping those who come to this country seeking a new life, we build a $1.2 billion dollar 700 mile long fence! I think it’s pretty clear that when we look around and tell the truth, that we (like Ezekiel) are standing in a valley of dry bones.
God asks Ezekiel a question “Can these bones live?” Ezekiel responses “Lord, You alone know.” I think it’s like my mom telling me how could we know what was best for your grandpa? This is us asking for God’s answer. This is a tipping point. This is the moment when we can pack it in and say that we don’t think things are going to work out in the end; that there is just too much evil in this world. Or this can be the moment when we stand up and proclaim life.
This is where people have a critique of Christian hope, Christian eschatology, the doctrine of the ‘end times’ or ‘last things,’ has often been reduced to escapism, fire insurance, and/or justice in the future. It has been reduced to a heaven away from here, and the Christian’s job is to take as many people along to this good place as possible. We can’t let our hope be reduced to this; we can’t leave hope to deal only with the future. If we leave hope in the future, we lose the impact of hope on the present. God doesn’t call Ezekiel to leave hope in the future; God calls him to speak out now!
God said prophecy to these bones and Ezekiel prophesied. God said tell these bones that there will be life; Ezekiel does and then there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. As Ezekiel stood in this valley of death he watched as tendons and flesh appeared on the skeletons and skin covered them. God is calling us to prophecy today on his behalf to yell out to this valley of dry bones that they too will live and that God will give them the breath of life.
I was reading a book around the Truth and Reconciliation Committee in South Africa the other day. The author, John De Gruchy, talked about a symposium that he went to in 1994 about whether or not the first democratic elections in South Africa could be ‘free and fair.’ Virtually all the participants were social and political scientists, except him (he’s a theologian). Hard nosed statistics and political realism drove the discussion throughout the day, and as the day progressed the mood became more somber and pessimistic. There was so much intimidation and violence in certain parts of the country that everything pointed away from the elections fulfilling the necessary criteria. Having agree with a great deal of what was being said, he began to share the mood, yet there was always something nagging in his consciousness that prevented him from succumbing to the prevailing pessimism. Finally in an act of desperation, he blurted out that no matter what statistics and the wisdom of political science might tell us, they could never have the last word. From a faith perspective nothing could happen to bring about change in South Africa unless people lived and acted in hope. Politics might be the art of the possible, but theology is the art of the impossible and unexpected.
We acting together can participate in developing a common vision for the future and in seeking to make that vision a reality. Judgment day is every day, just as every day can be the day of salvation. How we respond to this possibility and offer determines whether the future opens up in a way that restores justice or not.
“Hope becomes the only realistic way to live because it takes seriously ‘the possibilities with which all reality is fraught’ (Theology of hope - Jurgen Moltmann).” Those who trust in God’s promises will never be prepared to give evil the last word. We the church must be a ‘constant disturbance in human society’ because we refuse to allow things as they are to remain set in concrete. Hope must lead to creative action, for new thinking, new planning. Hope should be distinct from wishful thinking or utopian longing, it should precisely be that which makes us creatively alive to possibilities in the present as well as the future.
Not only does God raise the valley of bones into flesh once more, but God also breaths his spirit into them. “I will put my Spirit in you and you will live.” You see the problem with hope only in the future is that it leaves little room to imagine alternatives; if we look at things only in a rational modern framework we take away the element of surprise. One of the best things about humanity is that even in the darkest of times, even in the most selfish nooks on the planet, we get surprises. We must live in hope. Hope remains powerful and the necessary antidote to despair – despair about crime, violence, illness, and the ongoing struggles of this world. Hope is all about the vision of what God believes our world can be and should be. Hope is a valley of bones becoming an army that knows God’s love.
Hope must be our obsession of life! What else is the Christian gospel of reconciliation about than life lived within Christ’s call to enter the Kingdom of God, the promise of new life, new worlds, and new possibilities breaking down the old?
Let us Pray.
I want to show you a video during our reflection time, which is a prime example of hope as an obsession for life. I want to show you want it looks like to tell the truth and move towards a new relationship. I want you to see what it looks like to live into the vision of hope.
Check out http://www.worldonfire.ca/ for more info on the video and donations made.
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Re-imaging a Process
Ok. I have found myself in over a handful of conversations about ordination and call to ministry over the past week and I feel it’s about time I post/talk about it. Being at a Seminary such as SFTS this topic seems to be one that is always present.
This topic is particularly interesting to me for a few reasons. First, recently I have a friend whom is disillusioned about his ordination process with the PCUSA as a denomination. This disillusionment has stemmed out of his Committee for the Preparation of Ministry (CPM). They have not realized that they have a talented, smart, Godly man on their hands and should be looking towards him to help move that denomination forward. They have not shown much support or interest in him as an inquirer or brought him along in the ordination process. They have just left him dangling on a string. If an upstanding individual such as him can slip through the cracks of a system then it needs serious reevaluation. Second, for myself, I need to buckle down and decide about my future process in terms of denominations. Disciples of Christ? American Baptist? (both official denominations of my home church, Federated Church of West Lafayette) or even the option of becoming a Presbyterian? Third is that I think this is an important topic when you talk about community and their role in our lives and ultimately your image of how to live out the way of Jesus. This third point has stemmed from my conversations with a good friend of mine and my mom based around these first two points.
First off I would like to say I am a person on this side of a formal ordination process and on the other side of an informal ordination process. So you can probably guess where my bias is, but here I offer up my opinion humbly, so that we can work toward and hope for something better.
So the question is this, how does one begin to affirm a call from God for Ministry (mostly based around it as a vocation/job)? Is ordination by a denomination or group a required step in this process? What should the process look like?
In the classically Reformed theological tradition we talk about four things that are the basis for understanding theology and this being a theological issue I feel they are appropriate here. The four are scripture, experience, tradition, and reason. These areas are the basis for forming and understanding a person/communities theology. Ideally you can use all of them as a series of checks and balances, such that you can show how a specific theology is an accurate reflection of the will of God.
My experience around this issue is that denominations as a whole are rather inaccurate in figuring out which individuals should be ordained. Let me tell you more about my own context. I was raised in a Christian family and was instilled with many wonderful values (thanks mom) and ideas about how I am loved by my family and my God, but we didn’t really go to church. I started dating my now wife, the lovely Julia, in high school (pause… for the collective awww) and I went with her to Federated Church. I went to paint a youth room and ended up almost 8 years (I think) later at a Seminary studying to become a pastor as a vocation. What a long and strange journey it has been.
Now to say this was an easy or simple process would be very reductionistic, but just the same I want to try to represent the journey I have been on and will continue to be on. I like to begin this story by saying “God dropkicked me into Ministry.” Anyways (big ups Becky Dunham), I went to Federated to paint a youth room. The youth pastor at the time, Tim, spoke with me about life, faith, etc and was convinced that Julia and I would make excellent volunteers for the newly growing youth ministry. Rather sheepishly we accepted, being scared that we didn’t really know what we were doing or how we felt about life, faith and God (looking back we really didn’t). Through my first three years of undergraduate studies I was preparing for a career as a graphic designer at Purdue University and attending youth group helping to facilitate discussion, lead a small group, chase kids around the church, etc.
Now this is kind of a long story and to not get into it all here, lets just suffice it to say that in my last semester of undergrad Tim left the church abruptly. This left the youth group of 30ish kids and a handful of volunteers in shock and horror losing their pastor, friend, and confidant. With wisdom beyond my knowledge, David the senior pastor at Federated (and now I understand God) had a new plan for me. David came to me and asked me to take the reigns of the group and like any logical individual I turned him down. He left telling me to pray and consider it. I tried to ignore this “call” on my life for a while but he kept asking and I kept saying no. It became very obvious to me that these students needed a pastor and I had many meaningful relationships to them, but I felt completely under qualified. I truly loved and still love those students and what I did know is that I didn’t want them to feel that they have been abandoned. I wanted them to understand that God loved them even in the midst of what they were going through.
One Friday night, I went to the church to sit in the balcony (a spot for me that is holy ground) and pray and talk it over with God. I was meditating and praying. From below me I heard a noise, and went to check it out. It was David; he was coming into the office to put the finishing touches on his sermon for Sunday. He asked “What are you doing here? It’s almost midnight.” I told him and he took the moment and asked “So are you going to do it?” and for whatever reason I blurted out “Yes.” Having not really logically reasoned this decision out and hardly believing the words coming out of my mouth, added “at least until we find a more permanent solution.”
Over the next three years I not only cared for these students, but God strengthened my call to ministry. David took me under his wing and taught me many skills and knowledge that continue to guide and direct me. I grew and developed in my call in such a way that God continued to draw me closer, to bring people and issues into my life and ministry to Him/Her. That left me with a clear direction; full time ministry. As Niebuhr would say the void swallowed all other gods and left me standing before God on a path to ministry.
Now to make this clear, I was never formally ordained. I faithfully served what I believe God was calling me to do within that context and place. I operated through the blessing and watch of my mentor and the congregation. I preformed baptisms (at the request of the students), served communion, counseled students, and preached/taught. My call has yet to be affirmed by the Disciples of Christ or American Baptist denominations (the two official denominations of Federated). Is what I did not valid? Do you deny that people had experiences with the risen Christ? How about those students who trusted me to guide, direct and baptize them? Are those all of sudden invalid based on a technicality?
In my experience of 2.5 years of full time ministry I understand ministry (and conversely the call to it) as God calling individuals and it is their choice to answer that call. In my own experience of a call it is something that took discernment of the individual (me), the pastor/mentor (David) and the community in which the person will serve (in this case Federated). This is not to say that affirmation from the larger church community such as a denomination is not valuable because I also believe it is to some and can continue to be. I just don’t view it as a requirement for ministry. If God calls us to be a priesthood of all believers, why would God choose to make a call to one specific ministry more difficult to obtain than others? Do we really need years of institutionalized education to understand the mystery of sacraments or community of God more fully?
Now that I’ve shared with all of you my experience, I also want to share with you a few other places that I understand my experience to be re-affirmed. Within the area of tradition (I can say that my viewpoint is not the dominant point of view) I can think of a few instances where my experience is validated. For me it takes looking no further than the reformation itself. To my understanding, John Calvin’s call was not affirmed by the Catholic Church in fact the Church felt quiet the opposite. I think part of how I understand what happened in the reformation and my experience is part of recognition of apostolic leadership. Where in the current denominational ordination system is that allowed for? When it is one voice crying out against the majority about a specific issue is the single voice rejected because it’s not part of the majority. I am sure most of you would agree that does not suffice. How about how it affirms the movement of the Holy Spirit using whom ever God chooses? How are we set up to respond to the ever shifting winds of God when it takes an individual years (apart from ministry) to affirm their call?
That leads me into the next area, Scripture. “Church” leadership is a debated issue in the Old and New Testament. Paul’s conversion experience shows us an instance of a New Testament “call” that was highly contested by others. People were very weary of Paul because of his sudden 180 degree flip. Where is the formal education and passing of exams there? Wasn’t Paul’s “ordination” affirmed more by the communities over time as he was teaching? Is our best response to an individual to make them wait before working through all issues of faith? How did Paul train others in the ministry? Did he require them to leave the settings of ministry? No, they traveled with him learning and being encouraged by him. I think there is something we can all learn about the process from that of our rabbinic friends. Rob Bell says that a famous rabbinic blessing was “May you be covered in the dust of your Rabbi.” It was a disciple’s duty to follow the rabbi so closely that by the end of the day he was covered in the dust that was kicked up by the rabbi’s sandals.
This is a point of view that I believe is not just New Testament but an Old Testament vantage point as well. Let’s examine the prophets. We learned in our Prophets class last semester that a (if not the) major tipping point about which prophets were “true” prophets and which ones were “false” ones was based on if their “prophecy” came true. Yes, some prophetic individuals had communities that gathered around them and embraced their words, but weren’t also some rejected for the very “truth” they proclaimed? We don’t just have popular prophets; we have one’s whose prophecies came true.
The last area of the four is Reason. I want to make a small disclaimer; I am a member of what I would consider the upper-middle class of white America and definitely the upper class of the world, so please take my words as trying to understand another background and the bigger perspective (maybe other readers can share more on this subject).
Isn’t using a degree system that forces an individual to go to school for 3-4 years for a master’s degree an exclusionary system? Is it fair to put a price tag on your process of ordination? Is it an accessible system for those in the working poor or 3rd world countries? I believe it is not. I look around my seminary and see a large portion of our students to be from similar backgrounds (at least economically and socially) as myself.
Where is the benefit of removing an individual from a context in which they come and wish to do ministry and placing them in an isolated intellectual community for 4 years? If a person wished to become a carpenter or a fisherman what would the best method be? Sitting them into a classroom and teaching them what a saw looks like and what types of woods are the strongest? No, we would send them to a master in their profession and have them learn by using the machines and handling the wood.
Do I believe that a formal educational system has benefits? Sure I do, and I’m choosing to participate in one. Do I believe that what I learn in Seminary will make me a better pastor, of course! Do I believe that it makes me different than others who devote their lives to following the way of Christ, no I don’t. Do I think that if an individual feels God’s presence in their lives demanding of them to take up a specific ministry, it is required to be affirmed by the church, no I don’t.
I understand that ordination from a denomination IS meaningful for some people, Bruce my pastor and mentor at Mission Bay Community Church is one of them (and thank God for him). It is not my intention to demean these people in anyway and I want to say again, I recognize that I stand before an event/ritual that I am somewhat passing judgment upon (and I as always reserve the right to with draw this statement in a few years) but just the same, I make these comments striving for faithfulness in Christ.
** so yeah, I apologize for the long post. But I wanted to write out my point of view. Please, please comment and work on this with me.
This topic is particularly interesting to me for a few reasons. First, recently I have a friend whom is disillusioned about his ordination process with the PCUSA as a denomination. This disillusionment has stemmed out of his Committee for the Preparation of Ministry (CPM). They have not realized that they have a talented, smart, Godly man on their hands and should be looking towards him to help move that denomination forward. They have not shown much support or interest in him as an inquirer or brought him along in the ordination process. They have just left him dangling on a string. If an upstanding individual such as him can slip through the cracks of a system then it needs serious reevaluation. Second, for myself, I need to buckle down and decide about my future process in terms of denominations. Disciples of Christ? American Baptist? (both official denominations of my home church, Federated Church of West Lafayette) or even the option of becoming a Presbyterian? Third is that I think this is an important topic when you talk about community and their role in our lives and ultimately your image of how to live out the way of Jesus. This third point has stemmed from my conversations with a good friend of mine and my mom based around these first two points.
First off I would like to say I am a person on this side of a formal ordination process and on the other side of an informal ordination process. So you can probably guess where my bias is, but here I offer up my opinion humbly, so that we can work toward and hope for something better.
So the question is this, how does one begin to affirm a call from God for Ministry (mostly based around it as a vocation/job)? Is ordination by a denomination or group a required step in this process? What should the process look like?
In the classically Reformed theological tradition we talk about four things that are the basis for understanding theology and this being a theological issue I feel they are appropriate here. The four are scripture, experience, tradition, and reason. These areas are the basis for forming and understanding a person/communities theology. Ideally you can use all of them as a series of checks and balances, such that you can show how a specific theology is an accurate reflection of the will of God.
My experience around this issue is that denominations as a whole are rather inaccurate in figuring out which individuals should be ordained. Let me tell you more about my own context. I was raised in a Christian family and was instilled with many wonderful values (thanks mom) and ideas about how I am loved by my family and my God, but we didn’t really go to church. I started dating my now wife, the lovely Julia, in high school (pause… for the collective awww) and I went with her to Federated Church. I went to paint a youth room and ended up almost 8 years (I think) later at a Seminary studying to become a pastor as a vocation. What a long and strange journey it has been.
Now to say this was an easy or simple process would be very reductionistic, but just the same I want to try to represent the journey I have been on and will continue to be on. I like to begin this story by saying “God dropkicked me into Ministry.” Anyways (big ups Becky Dunham), I went to Federated to paint a youth room. The youth pastor at the time, Tim, spoke with me about life, faith, etc and was convinced that Julia and I would make excellent volunteers for the newly growing youth ministry. Rather sheepishly we accepted, being scared that we didn’t really know what we were doing or how we felt about life, faith and God (looking back we really didn’t). Through my first three years of undergraduate studies I was preparing for a career as a graphic designer at Purdue University and attending youth group helping to facilitate discussion, lead a small group, chase kids around the church, etc.
Now this is kind of a long story and to not get into it all here, lets just suffice it to say that in my last semester of undergrad Tim left the church abruptly. This left the youth group of 30ish kids and a handful of volunteers in shock and horror losing their pastor, friend, and confidant. With wisdom beyond my knowledge, David the senior pastor at Federated (and now I understand God) had a new plan for me. David came to me and asked me to take the reigns of the group and like any logical individual I turned him down. He left telling me to pray and consider it. I tried to ignore this “call” on my life for a while but he kept asking and I kept saying no. It became very obvious to me that these students needed a pastor and I had many meaningful relationships to them, but I felt completely under qualified. I truly loved and still love those students and what I did know is that I didn’t want them to feel that they have been abandoned. I wanted them to understand that God loved them even in the midst of what they were going through.
One Friday night, I went to the church to sit in the balcony (a spot for me that is holy ground) and pray and talk it over with God. I was meditating and praying. From below me I heard a noise, and went to check it out. It was David; he was coming into the office to put the finishing touches on his sermon for Sunday. He asked “What are you doing here? It’s almost midnight.” I told him and he took the moment and asked “So are you going to do it?” and for whatever reason I blurted out “Yes.” Having not really logically reasoned this decision out and hardly believing the words coming out of my mouth, added “at least until we find a more permanent solution.”
Over the next three years I not only cared for these students, but God strengthened my call to ministry. David took me under his wing and taught me many skills and knowledge that continue to guide and direct me. I grew and developed in my call in such a way that God continued to draw me closer, to bring people and issues into my life and ministry to Him/Her. That left me with a clear direction; full time ministry. As Niebuhr would say the void swallowed all other gods and left me standing before God on a path to ministry.
Now to make this clear, I was never formally ordained. I faithfully served what I believe God was calling me to do within that context and place. I operated through the blessing and watch of my mentor and the congregation. I preformed baptisms (at the request of the students), served communion, counseled students, and preached/taught. My call has yet to be affirmed by the Disciples of Christ or American Baptist denominations (the two official denominations of Federated). Is what I did not valid? Do you deny that people had experiences with the risen Christ? How about those students who trusted me to guide, direct and baptize them? Are those all of sudden invalid based on a technicality?
In my experience of 2.5 years of full time ministry I understand ministry (and conversely the call to it) as God calling individuals and it is their choice to answer that call. In my own experience of a call it is something that took discernment of the individual (me), the pastor/mentor (David) and the community in which the person will serve (in this case Federated). This is not to say that affirmation from the larger church community such as a denomination is not valuable because I also believe it is to some and can continue to be. I just don’t view it as a requirement for ministry. If God calls us to be a priesthood of all believers, why would God choose to make a call to one specific ministry more difficult to obtain than others? Do we really need years of institutionalized education to understand the mystery of sacraments or community of God more fully?
Now that I’ve shared with all of you my experience, I also want to share with you a few other places that I understand my experience to be re-affirmed. Within the area of tradition (I can say that my viewpoint is not the dominant point of view) I can think of a few instances where my experience is validated. For me it takes looking no further than the reformation itself. To my understanding, John Calvin’s call was not affirmed by the Catholic Church in fact the Church felt quiet the opposite. I think part of how I understand what happened in the reformation and my experience is part of recognition of apostolic leadership. Where in the current denominational ordination system is that allowed for? When it is one voice crying out against the majority about a specific issue is the single voice rejected because it’s not part of the majority. I am sure most of you would agree that does not suffice. How about how it affirms the movement of the Holy Spirit using whom ever God chooses? How are we set up to respond to the ever shifting winds of God when it takes an individual years (apart from ministry) to affirm their call?
That leads me into the next area, Scripture. “Church” leadership is a debated issue in the Old and New Testament. Paul’s conversion experience shows us an instance of a New Testament “call” that was highly contested by others. People were very weary of Paul because of his sudden 180 degree flip. Where is the formal education and passing of exams there? Wasn’t Paul’s “ordination” affirmed more by the communities over time as he was teaching? Is our best response to an individual to make them wait before working through all issues of faith? How did Paul train others in the ministry? Did he require them to leave the settings of ministry? No, they traveled with him learning and being encouraged by him. I think there is something we can all learn about the process from that of our rabbinic friends. Rob Bell says that a famous rabbinic blessing was “May you be covered in the dust of your Rabbi.” It was a disciple’s duty to follow the rabbi so closely that by the end of the day he was covered in the dust that was kicked up by the rabbi’s sandals.
This is a point of view that I believe is not just New Testament but an Old Testament vantage point as well. Let’s examine the prophets. We learned in our Prophets class last semester that a (if not the) major tipping point about which prophets were “true” prophets and which ones were “false” ones was based on if their “prophecy” came true. Yes, some prophetic individuals had communities that gathered around them and embraced their words, but weren’t also some rejected for the very “truth” they proclaimed? We don’t just have popular prophets; we have one’s whose prophecies came true.
The last area of the four is Reason. I want to make a small disclaimer; I am a member of what I would consider the upper-middle class of white America and definitely the upper class of the world, so please take my words as trying to understand another background and the bigger perspective (maybe other readers can share more on this subject).
Isn’t using a degree system that forces an individual to go to school for 3-4 years for a master’s degree an exclusionary system? Is it fair to put a price tag on your process of ordination? Is it an accessible system for those in the working poor or 3rd world countries? I believe it is not. I look around my seminary and see a large portion of our students to be from similar backgrounds (at least economically and socially) as myself.
Where is the benefit of removing an individual from a context in which they come and wish to do ministry and placing them in an isolated intellectual community for 4 years? If a person wished to become a carpenter or a fisherman what would the best method be? Sitting them into a classroom and teaching them what a saw looks like and what types of woods are the strongest? No, we would send them to a master in their profession and have them learn by using the machines and handling the wood.
Do I believe that a formal educational system has benefits? Sure I do, and I’m choosing to participate in one. Do I believe that what I learn in Seminary will make me a better pastor, of course! Do I believe that it makes me different than others who devote their lives to following the way of Christ, no I don’t. Do I think that if an individual feels God’s presence in their lives demanding of them to take up a specific ministry, it is required to be affirmed by the church, no I don’t.
I understand that ordination from a denomination IS meaningful for some people, Bruce my pastor and mentor at Mission Bay Community Church is one of them (and thank God for him). It is not my intention to demean these people in anyway and I want to say again, I recognize that I stand before an event/ritual that I am somewhat passing judgment upon (and I as always reserve the right to with draw this statement in a few years) but just the same, I make these comments striving for faithfulness in Christ.
** so yeah, I apologize for the long post. But I wanted to write out my point of view. Please, please comment and work on this with me.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
A little help people?
My new intership Church has just launched a
NEW WEBSITE and we are hoping to get some feedback. In this latest version of the online "Face" of Mission Bay Community Church we have tried to capture the faithful, yet quirky nature of our community, blending conviction, humor, authenticity and relevance.
We would appreciate getting your feedback about the site. I think it will take about 10-15 minutes to get through the site. After you do so we would love to get your comments via this post or you can fill out our brief 10 Question Survey.
While we would appreciate everyone's input we are most interested in getting feedback from folks who fit the following characteristics.
* are not attending any church, but might be open to the possibilities;
* live in the san francisco bay area or at least live in an urban/metro context;
We would also be interested in the same kinds of folks who are . . .
* Church Professionals
* Seminary Students
* Current Church Goer's
So for all you folk, lets get to work.
Website
Survey
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