Showing posts with label faith. Show all posts

The necessary obligations which we feel we must meet grow overnight, like Jack's beanstalk, and before we know it we are bowed down with burdens, crushed under committees, strained, breathless and hurried, panting through a never-ending program of appointments. We are too busy to be good wives to our husbands, good homemakers, good companions of our children, good friends to our friends, and with no time at all to be friends of the friendless.

But if we withdraw from public engagements and interests, in order to spend quiet hours with the family, the guilty calls of citizenship whisper disquieting claims in our ears. Our children's schools should receive our interest, the civic problems of our community need our attention, the wider issues of the nation and of the world are heavy upon us. Our professional status, our social obligations, our membership in this or that very important organization, puts claims upon us.

We're weary and breathless. And we know and regret that our life is slipping away, with our having tasted so little of the peace and joy and serenity we are persuaded it should yield to a soul of wide caliber. The times for the deeps of the silences of the heart seem so few. And in guilty regret we must postpone till next week that deeper life of unshaken composure in the holy Presence, where we sincerely know our true home is.

from inward\outward

One of the special responsibilities I have at the camp is to tend to God's Mailbox, a mailbox that is in the south woods. It is always stocked with paper and writing utensils, so anyone at any time can write to God.

The letters had accumulated in God's mailbox in the interim between the departure of the previous site manager and my arrival. Tonight I mailed the letters to God by using the pentecostal power of fire. I began by praying a decade's worth of Our Father's, and offering incense. I used a bit of sage at the beginning for cleansing, then frankincense, both for the Biblical connotation and to honor the frankness that I hoped was contained in these letters.

I offered a few words of prayer, then I added cedar and pine to the fire. I would add the letters one by one. Occasionally, I would pray while adding them, or express my well wishes for the author, especially if they signed their name. I was leaving space for the spirit, wondering what prayers and thoughts would come through.

I continued to add more cedar and pine during the course of the burning. The cedar I offered in hope that the faith of those who wrote the letters would become as strong as the cedars of Lebanon. The pine I offered as a reminder of place. These were pine needles from Tower Hill and had been blown down in a recent rain. I was reminded of Ezekiel (?) looking for God and sheltering from a storm in a cave. It wasn't in the storm that he heard God, but in the silence, just as these letters were written and delivered in silence.

It was moving adding the letters one by one to the fire. They were written on all kinds of paper and in all kinds of writing. Some of the letters were sealed in envelopes, others were folded tightly, and others were left exposed for all to read. Some were written on construction paper, others on pages ripped from a spiral notebook. Some were cards, some were sealed in heavy weight legal envelopes. Some were on index cards, and one was written on a used dryer sheet.

Though I resisted the urge to read the letters, there were some phrases that were revealed. Those that I recall covered a broad range of topics, including wishing to have God more present in their day to day lives, and one wishing for cotton candy. Some of the pages would appear blank until I added them to the fire, then the ink would become clear. One paper simply said "Dear Go," as if the writer had been distracted and hadn't come back to finish talking to God, something we've all had happen to us. I found some of the cards most interesting, as the envelope would burn away before the cards did, almost as if God was opening them like a gift. Some of the letters were drawings made for God. At the end, I offered more cedar, pine and frankincense, then extinguished the fire with water, washing the remains of the letters back into the soil.

All in all, I was reminded again and again that we are to all be like children to enter into the kin-dom of God.

I think next time I'll need to write my own letter too.

Do I still want to be a Christian? Do I have a choice?

Lately, I've been thinking more about how I outwardly identify my faith and who that groups me with and who it separates me from. I'm not doubting my faith; I am solid in my beliefs and they haven't significantly changed in some time. But really, what does it mean to assume the label of a Christian?

I'm down with Jesus. Now, even that statement is quite loaded. What I believe about who Jesus was, is, represents and how his life, death, and resurrection influences the way I live my live would be at odds with the belief of many Christians. Really, that's the point. I'm not much for confessions of faith, I prefer to give my personal testimony. But, I believe that Jesus crystallized a renewal of faith that subjugated a blind dogma that separated us from our fellow humans. Our fellow beings are also created in the image of the divine and our alienation from them also separated us from our Creator and from all of creation. Yet, too often it feels that more and more Christians are falling prey to the easy allure of a similar dogma that is more concerned with defining who is in and who is out than if we are loving others as ourselves.

By calling myself a Christian, I associate myself with those who I feel are missing the message of Jesus. Also, and what pains me more, is that those who reject Christians and Christianity because of the bigotry and non-Christ-like actions of many individuals and denominations see no difference between me and those who oppress in the name of Jesus, creating more distance between us. I have tried to associate with those followers of Jesus who are shouting back that Christianity is not bigotry, but it feels like we few are shouting across a larger and larger abyss and there are fewer and fewer of us left to do the shouting.

So, we have three groups, the un-Christlike Christians, the faithfully departed, and the shrinking shouters. Lord knows, I like to shout. But I find myself wondering, is redeeming the word Christian really a fight worth fighting? I find myself thinking of a quote from Pelagius, asking if it is more important that a person professes to be a Christian, or acts like a Christian. My books are not yet unpacked from my move, so I'll have to find the quote later. Essentially, he questioned which is more important, orthodoxy "right belief" or orthopraxy, "right action." Again, another loaded theological question, sure to set my seminary friends at odds. Myself, I tend to lean toward orthopraxy. So did Pelagius, but then he was branded a heretic. Again, I find myself wondering if that isn't the point.

So, I find myself thinking about who I'd be standing with if I keep calling myself a Christian, and who I'd be standing with if I start calling myself something else. By being a Christian, I get a lot of (and pardon the over generalization) right wing conservative whack jobs who wrap Jesus in a red, white, and reluctanly blue American flag and a few Jesus followers who are defensive about our faith, tired of being persecuted by those that say we aren't really Christian because we support homosexual marriage, national healthcare, and dare to bring up the fact that Jesus is the prince of peace. On the other side, I'd be with the many non-believers, a growing fraction of younger America, according to a recent Pew Study. Many may or may not care about faith or spirituality, but some would be exactly the people that I'd want to be with, the spiritually moved who cannot associate themselves with a faith that has such a checkered track record.

So, do I need to call myself a Christian to follow Christ? Is the word Christian worth fighting for? As followers of Christ, we are called upon to be in communion with one another. But if trying to maintain that communion drives others away, what then?

I have more to say, but it is late, and my thoughts are becoming less and less focused, so I'll stop for now and see if any readers have anything to say in response.

I'll leave you with some Bible verses that have been coming to mind as I write this:

Mark 9:38-40
John said to him, "Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us." But Jesus said, "Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us.

Matthew 21:28-32
A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' He answered, 'I will not'; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, 'I go, sir'; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.

1 John 4:1-8
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. And this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming; and now it is already in the world. Little children, you are from God, and have conquered them; for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us, and whoever is not from God does not listen to us. From this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.

Hello Blogger,

I know, it's been a while since we've talked. I'm sorry, I should have written sooner. It's just, well, things are changing between us. It isn't you, it's me. I'm not really sure what it is I hope our relationship is anymore. I thought with this time off, I'd be writing more, but the opposite is just the case. I'm not sure what I want to use this space for anymore. Sometimes I felt that this space was just somewhere I'd post stoff that I found amusing or thought provoking. But then I met Facebook and all that changed. Facebook reaches out to more people than this little blog.

I've been thinking that this might be a place where I do some more writing. I've had some stories bouncing around in my head, some autobiographical, some not. At any rate, I just want you to know that I haven't forgotten about you. I just don't know what our relationship will be. Please be patient.


Ok, enough pseudo-dramatic dear-John blathering. In other news, my seminary was recently featured in a PBS special about Seminaries and Sex. A link to the clip will be at the end of this post. Whatever your beliefs about sexuality and faith, I think it's important to recognize that the two are deeply connected and not in an adversarial sort of way. How you experience your sexuality can speak to how you experience the divine, other people, and the rest of creation.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/episodes/march-27-2009/seminaries-and-sex/2511/

I really like New Years. Not so much as a festive occasion but as a new beginning.* It is one of the reasons why I am adamant about saying Happy Holidays through the month of December. For me, there is more than one "reason for the season," and I think the birth of Jesus and the birth of a new year are related. This blog entry will be some of my thoughts as I get ready to move into a new year as well as some texts that I'm finding useful this new year's season. There may be a follow up to this entry, or not, as the spirit moves.

New years is chance to pause, reflect, and assess where I'm at, how I am, and see who I am becoming. Maybe it's the Catholic in me, but a regular time for self reflection and confession does my soul good. I don't go in much for New Year's Resolutions but use the holiday as a time of reflection and a signpost in the path of my life. Even the weather cooperates with this mindset. The cold keeps me inside more often, and the snow and ice quiet the outside and require me to focus on walking, creating more space for reflection on my walks.

In thinking of the the past year and the year to come, I feel lucky to be able to use this time of year as a transition point. Within the coming year, there will be many new things in my life, a new job, a new degree program, and most likely a new city. In looking back, I look at the job that I left, and I see what I've taken from that experience, both good and not so good. In some ways, my self care skills have improved, but at the expense of others, I fear.

One thing that I've been reflecting on is how I view my overall mindset and sets of skills. I have noticed that I am shifting from the view of me being focused on organization and moving towards a focus of creation. I have also discovered that I've fallen away from something that energized me, teaching, and have found something else, making. Call it arts and crafts, DIY, tinkering, or living more self-sufficiently. I think of it as making. In the coming year, I want to continue making, and if an opportunity to teach presents itself, I will take that as well. The coming year will need to be a year of patience and preperation, as I realize that I am not in a place to have what I want, a clearly defined career path and a long term loving relationship.

So, with all of that in mind, here are four texts that I am finding useful to keep in the back of my mind.

Table by Edip Cansever, translated by Richard Tillinghast



A man filled with the gladness of living
Put his keys on the table,
Put flowers in a copper bowl there.
He put his eggs and milk on the table.
He put there the light that came in through the window,
Sound of a bicycle, sound of a spinning wheel.
The softness of bread and weather he put there.
On the table the man put
Things that happened in his mind.
What he wanted to do in life,
He put that there.
Those he loved, those he didn't love,
The man put them on the table too.
Three time three makes nine;
The man put nine on the table.

He was next to the window next to the sky;
He reached out and placed on the table endlessness.
So many days he had wanted to drink a beer!
He put on the table the pouring of that beer.
He placed there his sleep and his wakefulness;
His hunger and his fullness he placed there.

Now that's what I call a table!
It didn't complain at all about the load.
It wobbled once or twice, then stood firm.
The man kept piling things on.



An excerpt from Seventh Son, by Orson Scott Card. Page 129.

"It came together in Alvin's mind. The whole story that the Taleswapper was trying to tell. Alvin knew all kinds of opposites in the world: good and evil, light and dark, free and slave, love and hate. But deeper than all those opposites was making and unmaking. So deep that hardly anybody noticed that it was the most important opposite of all. But he noticed, and so that made the Unmaker his enemy. That's why the Unmaker came after him in his sleep. After all, Alvin had his knack. His knack for setting things in order, putting things in the shape they ought to be in."



Getting Back To Work, Part 1 from illdoctrine.com






Beating The Little Hater also from illdoctrine.com



That's all for now. I hope your new years is as transformative as I hope mine will be.

* as a party, New Years hasn't always treated me kindly. Rather, New Years has shown why I should stick to beer, because I have almost no ability to limit my alcoholic intake, as the toilets in the childhood house of a certain friend can attest.

This week's worship at the seminary focused on the election and what it meant to those gathered. There were some stirring testimonials, both in celebration and in sorrow. The following Psalm was read as part of that service and I think it's worth reiterating. Pay particular attention to the section where the psalm says why the king is deserving of these prayers (it's the part that starts with "For he delivers..." ). With all the talk about President-Elect Obama's faith, I think it's good to know what standards the Bible sets for leaders.

Psalm 72

Prayer for Guidance and Support for the King

Give the king your justice, O God,
and your righteousness to a king’s son.
May he judge your people with righteousness,
and your poor with justice.
May the mountains yield prosperity for the people,
and the hills, in righteousness.
May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
give deliverance to the needy,
and crush the oppressor.

May he live while the sun endures,
and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,
like showers that water the earth.
In his days may righteousness flourish
and peace abound, until the moon is no more.

May he have dominion from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
May his foes bow down before him,
and his enemies lick the dust.
May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles
render him tribute,
may the kings of Sheba and Seba
bring gifts.
May all kings fall down before him,
all nations give him service.

For he delivers the needy when they call,
the poor and those who have no helper.
He has pity on the weak and the needy,
and saves the lives of the needy.
From oppression and violence he redeems their life;
and precious is their blood in his sight.

Long may he live!
May gold of Sheba be given to him.
May prayer be made for him continually,
and blessings invoked for him all day long.
May there be abundance of grain in the land;
may it wave on the tops of the mountains;
may its fruit be like Lebanon;
and may people blossom in the cities
like the grass of the field.
May his name endure for ever,
his fame continue as long as the sun.
May all nations be blessed in him;
may they pronounce him happy.

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
who alone does wondrous things.
Blessed be his glorious name for ever;
may his glory fill the whole earth.Amen and Amen.

As you already know it's less than one month until the Presidential election. Given how polarized the country is, it does my heart good to see Senators Obama and McCain appear on the same stage and joke around in the interest of contributing to a good cause. Once again, showing that humor and compassion can bridge great divides. And, I have to admit, McCain delivers a joke better than Obama. So he's got that going for him.

If you have a few free minutes, watch this video:

http://www.hulu.com/watch/39636/msnbc-decision-08-mccain-and-obama-joke-around

In California, ballot Proposition 8 is to vote whether to ban same sex marriage. Vote No and protect the rights of all individuals to be with who they love.

I'm very tempted to try to outline the reasons why I feel this way, and refute from a religious perspective how the Bible is being selectively read to justify this issue, while ignoring much greater transgressions in the Bible that affect the "family." Instead, I want to appeal to those Christians who have gotten married, or who are thinking about it. Think about how you felt on your marriage day. Think about what brought you to that day. Hopefully, if you were lucky, it was love that brought you there. Think about your vows and the scripture that was read on your joyous day. Just take a minute and remember how wonderful it felt to be in love. Now, watch this video, and then think about what it would be like to have someone deny your ability to be with the one you love.



If you live in California, vote no on Proposition 8. Whether or not you live in California, donate to help support the struggle against Prop. 8.






big thanks to BL for telling me about the video, and for reminding me to be an ally.

The youtube clip below is an interview of Father Mike Pfleger of St. Sabina's Church in Chicago Illinois by Fox News about his relationship with Rev. Jeremiah Wright. The clip, which had to be slightly edited to fit into 10 minutes, shows Father Pfleger take a Fox News reporter to task on his network's coverage of Rev. Wright, and on the larger issue of the condemnation of any who criticize America. The father's words are beautiful in their truth and direct in their focus.

Amazing.



Obama's ability to tap into popular culture to make a political statement is astounding. Yet, to take it one step further, I find myself wondering if "brushing the dirt off your shoulder," in this context isn't also tapping into a spiritual truth? Isn't it Buddhist non-attachment? Isn't it turning the other cheek? And, to take it one step further, isn't this the type of political leadership we need? The ability to let bygones be bygones? There are very few countries in the world that we have not offended by our policies, or that have offended our current political leadership for not following our policies?

January 20, 2009, we can all brush our shoulders off, and move towards a better future.

Damn, I found a good church. In the last few months, I've joined Church of the Three Crosses, a joint United Church of Christ and United Methodist Church in the Old Town neighborhood. It's a bit of a trek to get to from my apartment, but it is well worth it.

Why do I like it? I'm glad you asked. First and foremost, I like how the church balances being a socially active church and how it maintains a good feeling of community and spiritual focus. One image I won't soon forget is at the beginning of worship one week there were a couple of children sitting on the floor in front of the first row coloring, and it just felt natural. There wasn't a concern from the congregation that those children should behave differently, or a sense that these children aren't a central part of the church. It is also a plus that the church isn't large, as I like knowing or at least recognizing most of the people I see each week.

I have also really enjoyed the messages I hear, especially this Lenten season. There was a clear tying of the Lenten readings with the struggles of the world. Partially this was due to the wonderfully motivated Lenten book group. There was a clear parallel between Jesus' ministry and the modern struggles with corporate and political interests. The phrase, "Jesus died for the sins of the world," which has always given me the willies, was re-evaluated into an understanding that that guy Jesus died because of the sins of the world and was put to death by the powers that be.

It was interesting, and more than a bit coincidental, that the issue with Barack Obama's pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright came to light just as we reached Palm Sunday. Much has been said about this issue, more than I could keep up with at times. The service focused on the two processions that entered Jerusalem, a peasant procession and an imperial procession. We can choose to walk with the people, or with the powers that be. The pastor, Rev. John Hobbs, was clear to point out the dangers and penalties of choosing to not walk the imperial path, the dangers that seemed to be befalling Obama and Rev. Wright. The media, which had been fawning over Obama almost as if he was a savior, now came down upon his pastor with great wrath and vengeance for daring to speak the word that disagreed with the official response to the disasters of 9-11, one that did not let us forget that we were not blameless in the woes of world, and that now we are sharing in those woes. I don't want to spend talking too much about the Wright controversy (another blog, perhaps), but that the worship in the church was able to bring the word to the world we live in today, as well as the spiritual concerns, was wonderful. It's wasn't just a fiery political laden sermon, or a sermon that only focused on what happened 2000 years ago, but sought to bring them together.

Knowing myself, I have tried to hold myself back from getting over-committed, but I have joined the mission and building committees. There's always a lot going on, and there are many hands to do it. The church reminds me of the small town church I went to when I was a child in rural Michigan, a real extended family.

Bring on the Epiphany.

The Internal Revenue Service has launched an investigation into the United Church of Christ. The investigation was launched last month in response to Barack Obama speaking at the General Synod of the U.C.C. in June of 2007. You can read the UCC news release here. This is the first time the IRS has chosen to investigate an entire denomination for alleged infringement of tax-exempt statutes.

I have not yet had a chance to plow through all of the information that is out there regarding this issue, so I reserve the right to be flat out wrong. That being said, I do find it curious that it took 9 months for this complaint to make it's way through the system and hit the wire in the middle of the Democratic primary season, and most likely go into hearings during the Presidential campaigns later this year. I also find it curious that the IRS hadn't even approached the UCC for any information before announcing their investigation, which goes against the way they have run previous investigations. Working for a UCC seminary, this is obviously talked about a good deal, and what I find most amazing is how little the IRS has to go off of.

There is no denying that the UCC is a politically active and astute denomination. They and their predecessor denominations have been active in social and political causes throughout the history of the United States, and have been involved in the end of slavery, women's right to vote, gay rights, and economic justice for all. They know what they are doing. As you read through their press releases, and as I've talked to people that were at the General Synod meeting last year, it was clear how they made it clear that this was not a political event, but a religious one. From their news release, "Before Obama spoke to the national gathering of 10,000 UCC members, Associate General Minister Edith A. Guffey, who serves as administrator of the biennial General Synod, admonished the crowd that Obama's appearance was not to be a campaign-related event and that electioneering would not be tolerated. No political leaflets, signs or placards were allowed, and activity by the Obama campaign was barred from inside the Hartford Civic Center venue." Obama is a 20 year member of the UCC, and he was there, as were 60 other presenters to talk about how his faith has influenced what he does in his career. I don't want to spend my time talking about how biased this investigation is, or how many politicians have made important speeches to religious groups, including Presidents Reagan and Kennedy, and within this campaign cycle Clinton, McCain, Huckabee, and more have all spoken in front of religious groups.

Yet, it is the UCC that is investigated, for having it's own member speak during the national meeting. Many skeptics have said that if the UCC hasn't done anything wrong, they shouldn't fear an investigation. On the face of it, I'd agree with them. But it isn't fear that's the problem. The problem is the intimidation this may cause and the blatant selectiveness of the investigation. The government has not investigated Oral Roberts University after they had McCain give a speech. Seems similar to me, and McCain isn't even affiliated with the university. An investigation like this will take months and will take focus away from the goals and the mission of the UCC. While the UCC started fund raising for a legal defense, luckily the WilmerHale law firm has agreed to represent the UCC pro-bono, and their team will be lead by a former Solicitor General of the US, Seth Waxman. Yet, I can't help but think that it's more than convinient that one of the most progressive Christian denominations, one that can offer an alternative to the pervasive conservative Christian agenda, now has something else to occupy their time.

In a future blog post, I hope to reflect more on why the UCC asked Obama to speak, namely the intersection of faith and politics. Check back soon.