I wonder how many more reality show angles are possible. I've never been much of a fan of that particular genre. I tried to get into Survivor, but it didn't do much for me, although I do like Survivor Man. Even that show is losing its appeal, as is its counterpart Man vs. Wild. There are only so many times you can really get into watching a man eat a frog or swim through an icy river or drink water squeezed from cow dung.
Every now and then when I'm channel surfing I will come across a reality show with an intervention theme. If you're not familiar with those shows, you probably at least know the concept. Someone is ruining his or her life, usually because of an addiction, and the cameras follow the person and loved ones as they go through the process of an intervention. I wonder how sincere it all can be when it happens before a TV camera. (A friend and I once tried something of an intervention with another friend who was struggling with anger. It didn't go well. He got angry.)
I was thinking the other day of the interventions I have been through on the other end, as the one on the receiving end of the intervention. Would that make me the interventee? It's actually happened quite a bit.
At one point, although I wasn't a bad husband compared to a lot of others, I was on a path that would have led me to miss out on the real joy of marriage. I was becoming increasingly distant and withdrawn.
Another time I was on a course that would have led me to treat Jesus as if he were little more than a fire insurance policy for the afterlife. I knew I didn't want to go to hell and he was my ticket out, but that was about all I really wanted from him.
In fact, there was another time where I didn't even want that. Talk about self destructive behavior. Actually, it was self-centered behavior, and that was the problem. God had been moved to the periphery, and barely there.
I'm thankful that I have experienced intervention in all of these situations, and so many more. I'm glad that the One doing the intervening cared enough that he wouldn't be deterred. I'm also thankful for how he stayed right beside me and led me to a much better place. And most of all, I'm thankful that he provided the resources for me to change where it's most needed, in my heart.
I wonder if any of this was captured on film?
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Big Prayers
Some of us at our church have been praying that God will work in and through us in ways so big that everyone will know it is God who is at work.
So recently a guy who had been an agnostic most of his life was flying somewhere. He was seated next to a lady who was reading her Bible. They talked, he became interested, and started reading the Bible himself. He hooked up with a friend from Houston who also shared with him. On Monday, he called our church office wanting someone to baptize him. He was at our worship assembly this morning with his wife and four children.
I wonder when God is going to start answering our prayer?
So recently a guy who had been an agnostic most of his life was flying somewhere. He was seated next to a lady who was reading her Bible. They talked, he became interested, and started reading the Bible himself. He hooked up with a friend from Houston who also shared with him. On Monday, he called our church office wanting someone to baptize him. He was at our worship assembly this morning with his wife and four children.
I wonder when God is going to start answering our prayer?
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Should Doctrine Change?
John Mark Hicks is writing a 3 part series on the history of the "women and silence" issue in Churches of Christ. Click here to reach his website. At the time of this writing he has posted two parts.
Isn't it interesting how doctrinal truths that we frequently attach a "thus sayeth the Lord" to have a way of changing? I've been thinking of some of the shifts I have seen in my lifetime. Issues like instrumental music, attitudes toward other religious groups, the use of alcohol, praise teams, how to treat those divorced and remarried, are a few that come to mind. Most churches with whom I feel an affinity of perspective have changed a great deal in attitude toward these issues; some have even changed in practice.
I find it interesting that underlying these changes has been another shift in how people interpret the Bible, but not a lessening of its authority. In fact, it can be said that the shifts have more closely aligned us with Scripture and away from our own traditions, but I know not everyone feels that way.
In my own case, my spiritual ancestors encouraged me to heed the voice of Scripture even over their own voices. We were frequently admonished in sermons, "Don't take my word for it, read the Bible yourself." I don't think those who encouraged this realized that we might reach different conclusions, but they were setting the stage for where so many of us are now.
It troubles me that there are those within my circle of fellowship who are troubled by me and others who have interpretations that sometimes are radically different than their own. I wish it were not that way, but honestly, when have any of us ever totally agreed? Admittedly, though, the shifts of late are much closer to what many consider to be doctrinal truths.
I hope they will be at least somewhat comforted with the realization that more often than not, the changes that have occurred have been fueled not by a desire to compromise or to become like others, which is often asserted, but by a desire to more closely align ourselves to the will of God as expressed in the Bible. That is a spirit we inherited from them, and I think it is a blessing.
Isn't it interesting how doctrinal truths that we frequently attach a "thus sayeth the Lord" to have a way of changing? I've been thinking of some of the shifts I have seen in my lifetime. Issues like instrumental music, attitudes toward other religious groups, the use of alcohol, praise teams, how to treat those divorced and remarried, are a few that come to mind. Most churches with whom I feel an affinity of perspective have changed a great deal in attitude toward these issues; some have even changed in practice.
I find it interesting that underlying these changes has been another shift in how people interpret the Bible, but not a lessening of its authority. In fact, it can be said that the shifts have more closely aligned us with Scripture and away from our own traditions, but I know not everyone feels that way.
In my own case, my spiritual ancestors encouraged me to heed the voice of Scripture even over their own voices. We were frequently admonished in sermons, "Don't take my word for it, read the Bible yourself." I don't think those who encouraged this realized that we might reach different conclusions, but they were setting the stage for where so many of us are now.
It troubles me that there are those within my circle of fellowship who are troubled by me and others who have interpretations that sometimes are radically different than their own. I wish it were not that way, but honestly, when have any of us ever totally agreed? Admittedly, though, the shifts of late are much closer to what many consider to be doctrinal truths.
I hope they will be at least somewhat comforted with the realization that more often than not, the changes that have occurred have been fueled not by a desire to compromise or to become like others, which is often asserted, but by a desire to more closely align ourselves to the will of God as expressed in the Bible. That is a spirit we inherited from them, and I think it is a blessing.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
More on the President
I was able to watch a replay of the inauguration this afternoon. Very stirring speech. At first, being disillusioned with politics as I am, I was pretty cynical. But the more the President talked, the more optimistic I became of how our nation might change.
I voted for Barack Obama. There, I said it. Feels great to come out of the closet. Although, as I said on my earlier post, I don't agree with all of his policies, I am of the opinion that our country needs reform on a level that I did not feel McCain would or could achieve. The changes he talked about today give me hope that America will more responsibly fulfill our place in this world. I was especially encouraged by his call to reach out to the rest of the world and his promises related to environmental stewardship.
I'm thankful that God calls all of us, regardless of who we voted for, to pray for our leaders. I offer those prayers with more hope than I have felt in a long time. I'm also thankful that God calls us to remember that our citizenship lies in another kingdom.
Just imagine what that "inauguration" is going to be like!
I voted for Barack Obama. There, I said it. Feels great to come out of the closet. Although, as I said on my earlier post, I don't agree with all of his policies, I am of the opinion that our country needs reform on a level that I did not feel McCain would or could achieve. The changes he talked about today give me hope that America will more responsibly fulfill our place in this world. I was especially encouraged by his call to reach out to the rest of the world and his promises related to environmental stewardship.
I'm thankful that God calls all of us, regardless of who we voted for, to pray for our leaders. I offer those prayers with more hope than I have felt in a long time. I'm also thankful that God calls us to remember that our citizenship lies in another kingdom.
Just imagine what that "inauguration" is going to be like!
A New Day
I grew up in the segregated South. In the town where we lived during my childhood, there literally was a train track that separated white from black. I grew up in a racist environment and those seeds were planted.
In the 90's, I preached for a racially diverse church in Tallahassee, FL. It was about 70% white, 30% black. Although most of the racism had previously been extracted from my heart by several years of walking with Jesus, it was at that church that I first began to have deeper relationships with people whose skin was a different color than my own. What a blessing it was.
So on this historic day, I join with so many others in our nation in celebrating how far we have come toward being one as a nation. I don't agree with everything that our president wants to do (honestly, I have even more disagreements with the one who is leaving), but I support him as our nations leader.
In the 90's, I preached for a racially diverse church in Tallahassee, FL. It was about 70% white, 30% black. Although most of the racism had previously been extracted from my heart by several years of walking with Jesus, it was at that church that I first began to have deeper relationships with people whose skin was a different color than my own. What a blessing it was.
So on this historic day, I join with so many others in our nation in celebrating how far we have come toward being one as a nation. I don't agree with everything that our president wants to do (honestly, I have even more disagreements with the one who is leaving), but I support him as our nations leader.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Blame it on Texas
Dr. John Mark Hicks, one of my profs at Harding Graduate School, has 2 excellent posts on his blog about the struggle over the direction of Churches of Christ in the 1930s, a struggle that still influences us today. You can read it here.
Want to know why so many churches are so messed up? Blame it on Texas!
Want to know why so many churches are so messed up? Blame it on Texas!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Hide It Under a Basket?
Yesterday at the meeting of the Georgetown Ministerial Alliance, the manager of a local bowling alley shared plans for a Christian, family bowling league. It sounds like a lot of fun, but it led me to wonder how many opportunities there are for us (Christians) to do things that isolate us from them (non-Christians). I can appreciate the rationale, but I just wonder...
It's possible to complete one's entire education, preschool through doctorate (in some fields) in a Christian environment.
Our children can participate in sports through church sports ministries like Upwards. They can go to Christian camps, Christian concerts, even Christian movies.
As adults, besides Christian bowling leagues, we too can participate with other Christians in sports leagues like softball and basketball.
Much of our time can be spent in Christian worship and Bible study assemblies, and in Christian homes through a small group ministry. Sometimes our free time is spent in Christian service and ministry that keeps us in the church building.
And then there are people like me, who work in a Christian environment. For those of us who work in ministries or Christian schools, our day is pretty much surrounded by Christians.
All good things, but I wonder if there is a point where we can be so involved with other Christians that we have isolated ourselves from those who are away from God. I think of what Jesus taught, don't hide your light under a basket, and what he practiced,"He's a friend of 'sinners.'"
Later this year I will be addressing this very issue in a series of sermons from 1 Peter called "Resident Aliens." Of course, we all fully anticipate that these sermons will resolve every question and concern we might have, but what do we do in the meantime? How do we strike a balance between the need to have Christian influences with the need to be Christian influences?
One of the ways I have dealt with this in my own life is to be intentional about finding ways that I can be involved in something that will help me form relationships with people who aren't Christians, or with people whose faith doesn't have much of an impact in their lives. I guess I run the risk that those friends will pull me in their direction, but so far that hasn't been the case. In fact, I find those relationships to be spiritually invigorating.
So here's something to think about, and if we are really serious, to pray about: How can we intentionally place ourselves in positions where God might connect us with people who are away from him?
"Hide it under a basket? No!
I'm going to let it shine....
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine."
It's possible to complete one's entire education, preschool through doctorate (in some fields) in a Christian environment.
Our children can participate in sports through church sports ministries like Upwards. They can go to Christian camps, Christian concerts, even Christian movies.
As adults, besides Christian bowling leagues, we too can participate with other Christians in sports leagues like softball and basketball.
Much of our time can be spent in Christian worship and Bible study assemblies, and in Christian homes through a small group ministry. Sometimes our free time is spent in Christian service and ministry that keeps us in the church building.
And then there are people like me, who work in a Christian environment. For those of us who work in ministries or Christian schools, our day is pretty much surrounded by Christians.
All good things, but I wonder if there is a point where we can be so involved with other Christians that we have isolated ourselves from those who are away from God. I think of what Jesus taught, don't hide your light under a basket, and what he practiced,"He's a friend of 'sinners.'"
Later this year I will be addressing this very issue in a series of sermons from 1 Peter called "Resident Aliens." Of course, we all fully anticipate that these sermons will resolve every question and concern we might have, but what do we do in the meantime? How do we strike a balance between the need to have Christian influences with the need to be Christian influences?
One of the ways I have dealt with this in my own life is to be intentional about finding ways that I can be involved in something that will help me form relationships with people who aren't Christians, or with people whose faith doesn't have much of an impact in their lives. I guess I run the risk that those friends will pull me in their direction, but so far that hasn't been the case. In fact, I find those relationships to be spiritually invigorating.
So here's something to think about, and if we are really serious, to pray about: How can we intentionally place ourselves in positions where God might connect us with people who are away from him?
"Hide it under a basket? No!
I'm going to let it shine....
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine."
Monday, January 12, 2009
New Season of 24
I thought the first two hours of day seven of 24 were pretty good. Looking forward to the next two hours tonight. I hope they can keep the same storyline for the entire 24 hours. Last year I felt they switched stories on us after about 18 hours.
I'm betting the engineer who is helping the terrorists gets knocked off. What is it with those characters? They always think if they help the terrorists they will be allowed to live, but that never happens. Don't they watch these kinds of shows?
* * * *
I want to recommend the Jan 10 post on my friend Steve Holt's blog. You can find it here. I think this particular post will resonate with many, especially those of us who have backgrounds in conservative churches of Christ. To be fair, I believe, and I think Steve would agree, that there are some positive contributions from our heritage, but there was also a lot of baggage. I'm thankful that for many of us, we are leaving a different legacy for our children.
Steve and I were on staff together at the White Station Church in Memphis for a short time, but before that we met weekly for breakfast and encouragement for about two years, along with John Redden.
I would encourage you to become a regular reader. When I read many of Steve's posts I think of the words of Rod Tidwell, played by Cuba Gooding, to his radical younger brother in Jerry McGuire: "You're militant my brother..., but I got nothin' but love for you!"
I'm betting the engineer who is helping the terrorists gets knocked off. What is it with those characters? They always think if they help the terrorists they will be allowed to live, but that never happens. Don't they watch these kinds of shows?
* * * *
I want to recommend the Jan 10 post on my friend Steve Holt's blog. You can find it here. I think this particular post will resonate with many, especially those of us who have backgrounds in conservative churches of Christ. To be fair, I believe, and I think Steve would agree, that there are some positive contributions from our heritage, but there was also a lot of baggage. I'm thankful that for many of us, we are leaving a different legacy for our children.
Steve and I were on staff together at the White Station Church in Memphis for a short time, but before that we met weekly for breakfast and encouragement for about two years, along with John Redden.
I would encourage you to become a regular reader. When I read many of Steve's posts I think of the words of Rod Tidwell, played by Cuba Gooding, to his radical younger brother in Jerry McGuire: "You're militant my brother..., but I got nothin' but love for you!"
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Food Fairness
I hope I get to meet Venecia Lonis someday. She has saved me in more ways than one.
A while back I read an article about children in the mountainous regions of Haiti who are suffering and even dying from malnutrition. The problem is especially severe right now because of the multiple hurricanes that hit the region this past year, wiping out crops and killing livestock. You can read the article and see a picture of Venecia here.
At the same time, I was preaching a series on giving from 2 Cor. 8 & 9. In that lengthy section, Paul is encouraging the Christians in Corinth to honor the commitment they had earlier made to help out famine victims in Judea. One of the passages that got my attention was this: "Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, as it is written: 'He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little" (2 Co. 8:13-15).
To make matters better (not worse!), I was very frustrated with something going on in my life. Since I had to give up running about 3 years ago after a foot injury, I have slowly been gaining weight. Then, when we moved to TX and people FORCED me to eat so much of the great food in this region, what was a slow journey of putting on pounds has made the jump to hyperspace. Presently I weigh more than I ever have in my life; about 40 pounds heavier than I weighed at the time of my last marathon, which was in October of 2005.
So, here is how all three of these seemingly unrelated forces have come together. When I saw the picture of Venecia and thought about my own experience with food, I was ashamed. Let me stress that I do not apply this to anyone other than myself, but I felt it was morally wrong for me to eat in such excess while there are people in this world like Venecia. That had to change.
But in my mind it wasn't enough for me to just lose weight. I wondered if there might be some way to take the food I was eating and literally give it to those who do not have enough. Here's what Belinda and I have come up with.
I keep three envelopes on our kitchen table. The first envelope has the passage above written on it. Every month I put 30 $1 bills in that envelope. We are good Dave Ramsey-ites, so we already have a cash envelope we use for buying food. The $30 comes directly from it.
The other two envelopes have pictures on them; one has a picture of Venecia from the above article, and one has a picture of me--side view, in a tight T-shirt, close up. It's not a pretty sight. I thought about posting it but I thought Blogger might nail me for putting up an obscene picture.
At the end of every day, I evaluate how I did. Belinda and I are both using First Place as our guide for how we want to eat. I'm trying to eat well, but the part of that which concerns the envelopes is how much I ate. If I overate during the day, I take $1 out of the cash envelope and put it in the envelope with my picture. At the end of the month it goes back into our food envelope so that we can buy more food for me. If I ate in proportion to what I should be eating, I put $1 in Venecia's envelope.
Now here's the good part. The money that goes into Venecia's envelope will eventually be given to a great organization, Heifer International. Heifer doesn't just give food to people, they give them a means to feed themselves. The way it works is that Heifer takes the money donated and uses it to buy animals that will be given to those in need. $500 buys a heifer, $120 buys a goat, $20 buys a flock of chicks, etc. Those are now resources for milk, meat, money, etc. You really ought to look through their online catalog on the website. It's a really neat concept.
I've been at it about a week so far and I am pleased with the impact it is making. Sometimes I still overeat. It really bothers me to take money that otherwise would go to feed a starving child and to put it in the envelope with the picture of the fat guy. My overeating is literally taking food out of the mouth of someone who is starving. And I don't break the rules and put an extra $1 in Venecia's envelope just to soothe my guilty conscience. I want to continue to be reminded of what's at stake. But when I do get to put that $1 where it belongs, there is that great feeling of satisfaction that comes from knowing that you are doing the right thing.
So to Venecia and all of the others like her, I want to say that I am sorry I have been so selfish. I have hoarded too much food for myself and have turned away from you. I don't think that is what Jesus wants me to do, and with his help I will change. And in his name, I am happy to now begin to share with you.
BTW: For $5000 Heifer will provide what they call an "ark," a whole lot of animals going to a community. If you are interested in doing something like this yourself, let me know and maybe we can pool our resources. I'm not sure how that would work but I think we could find a way. I think it would be a great thing to do with kids too. Comment or e-mail me if you're interested.
A while back I read an article about children in the mountainous regions of Haiti who are suffering and even dying from malnutrition. The problem is especially severe right now because of the multiple hurricanes that hit the region this past year, wiping out crops and killing livestock. You can read the article and see a picture of Venecia here.
At the same time, I was preaching a series on giving from 2 Cor. 8 & 9. In that lengthy section, Paul is encouraging the Christians in Corinth to honor the commitment they had earlier made to help out famine victims in Judea. One of the passages that got my attention was this: "Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, as it is written: 'He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little" (2 Co. 8:13-15).
To make matters better (not worse!), I was very frustrated with something going on in my life. Since I had to give up running about 3 years ago after a foot injury, I have slowly been gaining weight. Then, when we moved to TX and people FORCED me to eat so much of the great food in this region, what was a slow journey of putting on pounds has made the jump to hyperspace. Presently I weigh more than I ever have in my life; about 40 pounds heavier than I weighed at the time of my last marathon, which was in October of 2005.
So, here is how all three of these seemingly unrelated forces have come together. When I saw the picture of Venecia and thought about my own experience with food, I was ashamed. Let me stress that I do not apply this to anyone other than myself, but I felt it was morally wrong for me to eat in such excess while there are people in this world like Venecia. That had to change.
But in my mind it wasn't enough for me to just lose weight. I wondered if there might be some way to take the food I was eating and literally give it to those who do not have enough. Here's what Belinda and I have come up with.
I keep three envelopes on our kitchen table. The first envelope has the passage above written on it. Every month I put 30 $1 bills in that envelope. We are good Dave Ramsey-ites, so we already have a cash envelope we use for buying food. The $30 comes directly from it.
The other two envelopes have pictures on them; one has a picture of Venecia from the above article, and one has a picture of me--side view, in a tight T-shirt, close up. It's not a pretty sight. I thought about posting it but I thought Blogger might nail me for putting up an obscene picture.
At the end of every day, I evaluate how I did. Belinda and I are both using First Place as our guide for how we want to eat. I'm trying to eat well, but the part of that which concerns the envelopes is how much I ate. If I overate during the day, I take $1 out of the cash envelope and put it in the envelope with my picture. At the end of the month it goes back into our food envelope so that we can buy more food for me. If I ate in proportion to what I should be eating, I put $1 in Venecia's envelope.
Now here's the good part. The money that goes into Venecia's envelope will eventually be given to a great organization, Heifer International. Heifer doesn't just give food to people, they give them a means to feed themselves. The way it works is that Heifer takes the money donated and uses it to buy animals that will be given to those in need. $500 buys a heifer, $120 buys a goat, $20 buys a flock of chicks, etc. Those are now resources for milk, meat, money, etc. You really ought to look through their online catalog on the website. It's a really neat concept.
I've been at it about a week so far and I am pleased with the impact it is making. Sometimes I still overeat. It really bothers me to take money that otherwise would go to feed a starving child and to put it in the envelope with the picture of the fat guy. My overeating is literally taking food out of the mouth of someone who is starving. And I don't break the rules and put an extra $1 in Venecia's envelope just to soothe my guilty conscience. I want to continue to be reminded of what's at stake. But when I do get to put that $1 where it belongs, there is that great feeling of satisfaction that comes from knowing that you are doing the right thing.
So to Venecia and all of the others like her, I want to say that I am sorry I have been so selfish. I have hoarded too much food for myself and have turned away from you. I don't think that is what Jesus wants me to do, and with his help I will change. And in his name, I am happy to now begin to share with you.
BTW: For $5000 Heifer will provide what they call an "ark," a whole lot of animals going to a community. If you are interested in doing something like this yourself, let me know and maybe we can pool our resources. I'm not sure how that would work but I think we could find a way. I think it would be a great thing to do with kids too. Comment or e-mail me if you're interested.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Dangerous Women
Saw this quote on my friend Vicki Kinder's facebook page: "Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the floor each morning the Devil says, 'Oh crap, she's up!'"
Love it!
Love it!
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Two Funerals, continued
Another thought about the funeral for Zac Thomas, which I began in my last post:
Zac's parents are members of Redeemer Presbyterian Church, but the funeral was held at St. David's Episcopal, a historic church in downtown Austin. (I have the impression that Redeemer is currently meeting in temporary facilities). Going in, I wasn't sure if this would be a formal, highly liturgical church or one that is more contemporary. As with so many other denominations, there are radically different stripes of Presbyterians. I was hoping for the latter; turned out to be the former. There was a big pipe organ, clergy wearing robes, very formal structure, and a lot of thee's and thou's. Certainly, St David's Episcopal was an appropriate location for their style of service.
I have to confess that I tend to be somewhat condescending toward this sort of thing. I have often wondered how people find meaning in such ritualistic and antiquated practices. It seems to lack a personal and intimate connection with God. But at some point early in the service, I was convicted of how wrong that opinion is. I found the funeral to be very meaningful and the people there to have a deep faith in God.
One of the dominant thoughts I had throughout the hour long service was how ecclesiastical it was. The whole thing seemed scripted by centuries of church tradition, yet I found a lot of power and even reassurance in that. The church, in their perspective, has a long history of speaking authoritatively for God. Whereas I am part of a group that has a greater awareness of "being" the church, I had the impression they view the church as being "over" them, more of a hierarchical force that guides them. That view served them well, and, surprisingly, I found it to be meaningful too.
During this most difficult hour, it was the voice of that tradition that seemed to take hold of those of us who were there and say, "We know this is hard, but as we have for a very long time, we are going to point you to the one who is able to sustain you." Although the minister shared a very personal and appropriate homily, it was the voice of the church that I heard most clearly. That voice stood above us and forcefully directed us to find strength in God. The voice of the church refused to allow us to go where we might otherwise go during such a confusing time. As I told the minister afterwards, the service was very orienting.
I hope I will remember this lesson. I don't think I will ever be in agreement with the doctrine and practices of this church, but neither do I want to be so judgmental; to feel that those who approach God in a different way than I do are limited in their ability to know and depend upon him. I don't agree with all that they might believe, but for that matter, neither do I agree with everything taught by people in the same fellowship of which I am a part. On this day, I am thankful for the faith in God that was manifested by the Christians at Redeemer Presbyterian Chruch. God was honored.
Zac's parents are members of Redeemer Presbyterian Church, but the funeral was held at St. David's Episcopal, a historic church in downtown Austin. (I have the impression that Redeemer is currently meeting in temporary facilities). Going in, I wasn't sure if this would be a formal, highly liturgical church or one that is more contemporary. As with so many other denominations, there are radically different stripes of Presbyterians. I was hoping for the latter; turned out to be the former. There was a big pipe organ, clergy wearing robes, very formal structure, and a lot of thee's and thou's. Certainly, St David's Episcopal was an appropriate location for their style of service.
I have to confess that I tend to be somewhat condescending toward this sort of thing. I have often wondered how people find meaning in such ritualistic and antiquated practices. It seems to lack a personal and intimate connection with God. But at some point early in the service, I was convicted of how wrong that opinion is. I found the funeral to be very meaningful and the people there to have a deep faith in God.
One of the dominant thoughts I had throughout the hour long service was how ecclesiastical it was. The whole thing seemed scripted by centuries of church tradition, yet I found a lot of power and even reassurance in that. The church, in their perspective, has a long history of speaking authoritatively for God. Whereas I am part of a group that has a greater awareness of "being" the church, I had the impression they view the church as being "over" them, more of a hierarchical force that guides them. That view served them well, and, surprisingly, I found it to be meaningful too.
During this most difficult hour, it was the voice of that tradition that seemed to take hold of those of us who were there and say, "We know this is hard, but as we have for a very long time, we are going to point you to the one who is able to sustain you." Although the minister shared a very personal and appropriate homily, it was the voice of the church that I heard most clearly. That voice stood above us and forcefully directed us to find strength in God. The voice of the church refused to allow us to go where we might otherwise go during such a confusing time. As I told the minister afterwards, the service was very orienting.
I hope I will remember this lesson. I don't think I will ever be in agreement with the doctrine and practices of this church, but neither do I want to be so judgmental; to feel that those who approach God in a different way than I do are limited in their ability to know and depend upon him. I don't agree with all that they might believe, but for that matter, neither do I agree with everything taught by people in the same fellowship of which I am a part. On this day, I am thankful for the faith in God that was manifested by the Christians at Redeemer Presbyterian Chruch. God was honored.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Two Funerals
On each of the last 2 days of 2008 Belinda and I attended funerals. In some ways the funerals represented opposite ends of a continuum.
One funeral was for Zela Holle, a member of our congregation who was in her late 70's. I'm sure I had met Zela, but one of the problems with being so new in this community is that I really didn't know her. Zela died on Christmas morning following complications from surgery.
The other funeral was for Zac Thomas, the infant grandson of Ray & Marilyn Thomas, also members of our church. Zac, the male half of a set of twins born just twelve weeks ago, died of SIDS just three days after Christmas. Although we have not yet met Zac's parents, we went to that funeral just to stand along side our friends Ray & Marilyn.
I suppose grief itself is the same wherever it casts its dark shadow. Grief is grief, no matter where it is felt or how it is caused; it is the hole left in our lives by the absence of someone we will not see again in this life. But what is mixed in with that grief impacts the toll it takes on us. I saw that in these two funerals.
Zela had led a full life. She left behind an extended family that honored her and cherished her in life. Not surprisingly, her funeral was a time of celebration over a life that was well-lived. Grief was there, but its impact was lessened by the realization that Zela left behind a legacy of love. Although she might have lived for several more years, there was a sense in which it was OK for her to go, because her life had been completed.
Even though I never laid eyes on Zac, the sense of grief I felt as I sat in the church that day was overwhelming. It was the same emotion--grief is grief--but the grief experienced over Zac's death was intensified by the loss of a life that will not be lived. We felt in our hearts a tiny measure of the sense of unfairness and tragedy that caused such agony for Zac's family. It just wasn't right for such innocence to be taken away.
Which makes the sense of peace and even joy that found their way into Zac's funeral even more remarkable. I want to share more about this in my next post, but for now, I will tell you that I am amazed at the hope and confidence that come from people who put their trust in God; the God who raised his Son from the grave and promises to not abandon us there either. When that trust was tested in a way that I can't begin to fathom, faith won out. I know the battle will forever be fought to some degree in the hearts of Zac's family, at least in this life, but the outcome is certain. With this family, God is their champion and his victory is theirs.
That certainty was stated by a hymn sung by a soloist from Zac's church. The words of the hymn are attributed originally to St. Patrick as a prayer when he feared attack on a dangerous but vital journey. They were later composed into a hymn. It is titled, "I bind unto Myself Today." The version sung at Zac's funeral was composed by Charles Villiers Stanford.
the power of God to hold and lead,
his eye to watch, his might to stay,
his ear to hearken to my need;
the wisdom of my God to teach,
his hand to guide, his shield to ward;
the word of God to give me speech,
his heav'nly host to be my guard.
the strong name of the Trinity,
by invocation of the same,
the Three in One and One in Three;
of whom all nature has creation,
eternal Maker, Spirit, Word;
praise to the God of our salvation,
salvation is of Christ the Lord.
One funeral was for Zela Holle, a member of our congregation who was in her late 70's. I'm sure I had met Zela, but one of the problems with being so new in this community is that I really didn't know her. Zela died on Christmas morning following complications from surgery.
The other funeral was for Zac Thomas, the infant grandson of Ray & Marilyn Thomas, also members of our church. Zac, the male half of a set of twins born just twelve weeks ago, died of SIDS just three days after Christmas. Although we have not yet met Zac's parents, we went to that funeral just to stand along side our friends Ray & Marilyn.
I suppose grief itself is the same wherever it casts its dark shadow. Grief is grief, no matter where it is felt or how it is caused; it is the hole left in our lives by the absence of someone we will not see again in this life. But what is mixed in with that grief impacts the toll it takes on us. I saw that in these two funerals.
Zela had led a full life. She left behind an extended family that honored her and cherished her in life. Not surprisingly, her funeral was a time of celebration over a life that was well-lived. Grief was there, but its impact was lessened by the realization that Zela left behind a legacy of love. Although she might have lived for several more years, there was a sense in which it was OK for her to go, because her life had been completed.
Even though I never laid eyes on Zac, the sense of grief I felt as I sat in the church that day was overwhelming. It was the same emotion--grief is grief--but the grief experienced over Zac's death was intensified by the loss of a life that will not be lived. We felt in our hearts a tiny measure of the sense of unfairness and tragedy that caused such agony for Zac's family. It just wasn't right for such innocence to be taken away.
Which makes the sense of peace and even joy that found their way into Zac's funeral even more remarkable. I want to share more about this in my next post, but for now, I will tell you that I am amazed at the hope and confidence that come from people who put their trust in God; the God who raised his Son from the grave and promises to not abandon us there either. When that trust was tested in a way that I can't begin to fathom, faith won out. I know the battle will forever be fought to some degree in the hearts of Zac's family, at least in this life, but the outcome is certain. With this family, God is their champion and his victory is theirs.
That certainty was stated by a hymn sung by a soloist from Zac's church. The words of the hymn are attributed originally to St. Patrick as a prayer when he feared attack on a dangerous but vital journey. They were later composed into a hymn. It is titled, "I bind unto Myself Today." The version sung at Zac's funeral was composed by Charles Villiers Stanford.
What rich imagery! To bind ourselves to something is to anchor oureslves to it, to hold on for dear life. The words of this song are not to be taken lightly. They have sustained Christians in their darkest hours. May the conviction stated by these words encourage and strengthen us.
I bind unto myself this day
the strong Name of the Trinity,
by invocation of the same the
Three in One and One in Three.
I bind this day to me for ever,
by pow'r of faith, Christ's incarnation;
his baptism in the Jordan river;
his death on the cross for my salvation;
his bursting from the spic-ed tomb;
his riding up the heav'nly way;
his coming at the day of doom:
I bind unto myself today.
the power of God to hold and lead,
his eye to watch, his might to stay,
his ear to hearken to my need;
the wisdom of my God to teach,
his hand to guide, his shield to ward;
the word of God to give me speech,
his heav'nly host to be my guard.
Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.
the strong name of the Trinity,
by invocation of the same,
the Three in One and One in Three;
of whom all nature has creation,
eternal Maker, Spirit, Word;
praise to the God of our salvation,
salvation is of Christ the Lord.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
A New Year
Happy New Year! It's been several years since I've seen the new year in, and this one was no exception. Only made it until 11:00. Why ruin the first day of a perfectly good year by being sleepy all day?
I'm a big believer in New Year's Resolutions. Undoubtedly we should make changes whenever we see the need, but I like the idea of a fresh start. It's remarkable, really. Not much has changed in the past 24 hours; it's only new on the calendar, but there is something about the FIRST day of a year that makes me hopeful I can intentionally make some positive changes.
It can be a downer though, when we fail to reach those resolutions. So this year I am aiming low: My goal is to become more impatient and to gain 20 lbs. It's going to be a great year!
****
Here are my BCS predictions:
Rose: USC over Penn State
Sugar: Alabama over Utah
Fiesta: Texas over Ohio State
Orange: Who cares. Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech?? Bet the Orange Bowl folks are excited about this one.
And the big one: Oklahoma over Florida. Two high octane offenses, but I think OU's defense will fare better than UF's. Plus being an FSU man, I just can't bring myself to pick the Gators.
I'm a big believer in New Year's Resolutions. Undoubtedly we should make changes whenever we see the need, but I like the idea of a fresh start. It's remarkable, really. Not much has changed in the past 24 hours; it's only new on the calendar, but there is something about the FIRST day of a year that makes me hopeful I can intentionally make some positive changes.
It can be a downer though, when we fail to reach those resolutions. So this year I am aiming low: My goal is to become more impatient and to gain 20 lbs. It's going to be a great year!
****
Here are my BCS predictions:
Rose: USC over Penn State
Sugar: Alabama over Utah
Fiesta: Texas over Ohio State
Orange: Who cares. Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech?? Bet the Orange Bowl folks are excited about this one.
And the big one: Oklahoma over Florida. Two high octane offenses, but I think OU's defense will fare better than UF's. Plus being an FSU man, I just can't bring myself to pick the Gators.
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