Each year, the Pentecost special offering, which is collected by the Disciples Mission Fund, goes entirely to support new churches which have been established in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). This year's theme, "Share the Chalice," is intended to remind all of us that when we reach out and share some of our resources, we share love and hope with these Christians determined to establish new churches in their communities.
I have classmates and friends who are involved in such new churches. It is a challenge to try to establish a new church -- it takes investments of time, effort, and money; it takes an enormous spirit of dedication and long-sufferingness; it takes a willingness to listen, both to the spirit of God and the people of the community in which the congregation might be established. These pastors and members are doing exciting new things -- experimenting with different leadership styles and structures, imagining different worship locations and schedules.
On the whole, this newness is a very good thing for the church. As with all things, sometimes newness is a cover for brokenness that we choose not to name and not to deal with directly. (There is certainly some of this in our New Church Ministry.) But it is also good to see the gospel lived out in new ways, in new situations, and in places where no one can stake the claim "But we've never done it that way before."
Click here to read some more about the 2008 Pentecost offering.
Click here to visit the website describing the New Church Ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
More Regional Assembly Reflections
Some other people have posted some items regarding the recent Regional Assembly.
Here is a link to some pictures from the Assembly.
Here are some comments from our Regional Minister reflecting on the Assembly. And here are some other relevant comments from the regional staff.
You may notice that the last two items come from the Regional Office's own blog, the WVDisciples Newswire. A link has been added to the right side of this blog.
Here is a link to some pictures from the Assembly.
Here are some comments from our Regional Minister reflecting on the Assembly. And here are some other relevant comments from the regional staff.
You may notice that the last two items come from the Regional Office's own blog, the WVDisciples Newswire. A link has been added to the right side of this blog.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Notes on The 120th Regional Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in West Virginia (whew!)
Sitting down to type, I must say that I find it daunting to try to recap the Regional Assembly for you. In a nutshell, let me say that it was a Spirit-filled time, which has a way of rejuvenating all who are present. I was excited to meet a number of people, both from West Virginia and from the larger church.
Betty and I left early Thursday morning (yes, I was awake on time for you nay-sayers out there) to travel to Huntington. I attended an "Elders Workshop" led by Dr. Peter Morgan (former President of the Disciples of Christ Historical Society). Often when I attend church meetings, there are only clergy-types. It was exciting to be among non-clergy-types, who took time to grow in their own faith. The discussions were helpful, and I've brought back a few ideas for our elders to try out in the future.
The Assembly opened officially with worship on Thursday night, featuring a sermon by Rev. Gloria Hernandez, who was ordained at Central Christian some years ago and is now Program Associate and Quadrennial Assembly Coordinator for Office of Disciples Women. She preached on spiritual gifts and recalled how friends in Fairmont had invited her to church several times before she attended and how she had grown in this congregation.
There were many speakers over the weekend (too many for me to mention all of them), but I should mention that I attended a workshop led by the current President of the Disciples of Christ Historical Society, Dr. Glenn Carson. He led a nice discussion fusing our history with some current challenges facing churches, especially the changing demographics of church members across denominations. And he and I had a chance to chat after the session, which was encouraging to me (I imagine that I will make a trip to visit the Historical Society sometime in the future for research purposes). There will be more about the Disciples of Christ Historical Society on this blog later this week or next, focused on their new website (a post I had been planning even before I met Dr. Carson).
The highlight of the Regional Assembly was the Installation of Rev. Thaddaeus Allen as the new Regional Minister and Rev. David Chafin as the new Deputy Regional Minister. The service was a great celebration of the promise of the church, featuring a wonderful mass choir (including Betty), the pomp of a clergy procession (in all our liturgical fineness -- which made for a rather warm evening), and a sermon by the General Minister and President Rev. Sharon Watkins. Much as I was excited by my installation service last week, I believe that Thad and his family felt the love for them. I had heard good things about Thad even before I moved to West Virginia (from people who've known him from long ago, such as one of his high school youth leaders), and I was excited to celebrate with him.
The business portion of the Assembly was reserved mostly for Saturday morning, when we received a series of reports from various church groups (Disciples Historical Society, Cane Ridge, Christmount, lots of others I've forgotten). We also received written (though not spoken) reports from the regional staff (which I haven't finished reading yet). Thad listed 24 goals for the upcoming year, both personal and professional -- I was excited that he wanted to foster clergy spirituality (#14), visit regional churches (#5), and "golf more" (#18), though I imagine his wife Jennifer was more concerned than excited that "become a better husband" rounded at the list at #24.
The only business item, as I mentioned in worship on Sunday morning, was the election of the new Regional Board. I was excited to hear from others that there were lots of new people elected to the Board, including myself as Chair-Elect of the Christian Formation Department. As a historian, I value tradition and the lessons and wisdom that our elders and those experienced among us can provide; but as a Christian (and this was true long before I was a pastor, or even thought about becoming a pastor) I celebrate that all among us have gifts and experiences which can benefit all of us if they are shared and if they are accepted. In this sense, I think that the election of a recently arrived, recently ordained, 31-year-old pastor is an excellent sign -- for my money, the only thing better would be a recently arrived, non-ordained, 31-year-old (or even younger) person. But progress is progress.
In a nutshell (a rather big nutshell), these are my thoughts and memories of the recent Regional Assembly. I was happy for the chance to attend and represent Central Christian. I'm sure that some of the lessons are still stewing in my mind and will randomly appear in the future.
Betty and I left early Thursday morning (yes, I was awake on time for you nay-sayers out there) to travel to Huntington. I attended an "Elders Workshop" led by Dr. Peter Morgan (former President of the Disciples of Christ Historical Society). Often when I attend church meetings, there are only clergy-types. It was exciting to be among non-clergy-types, who took time to grow in their own faith. The discussions were helpful, and I've brought back a few ideas for our elders to try out in the future.
The Assembly opened officially with worship on Thursday night, featuring a sermon by Rev. Gloria Hernandez, who was ordained at Central Christian some years ago and is now Program Associate and Quadrennial Assembly Coordinator for Office of Disciples Women. She preached on spiritual gifts and recalled how friends in Fairmont had invited her to church several times before she attended and how she had grown in this congregation.
There were many speakers over the weekend (too many for me to mention all of them), but I should mention that I attended a workshop led by the current President of the Disciples of Christ Historical Society, Dr. Glenn Carson. He led a nice discussion fusing our history with some current challenges facing churches, especially the changing demographics of church members across denominations. And he and I had a chance to chat after the session, which was encouraging to me (I imagine that I will make a trip to visit the Historical Society sometime in the future for research purposes). There will be more about the Disciples of Christ Historical Society on this blog later this week or next, focused on their new website (a post I had been planning even before I met Dr. Carson).
The highlight of the Regional Assembly was the Installation of Rev. Thaddaeus Allen as the new Regional Minister and Rev. David Chafin as the new Deputy Regional Minister. The service was a great celebration of the promise of the church, featuring a wonderful mass choir (including Betty), the pomp of a clergy procession (in all our liturgical fineness -- which made for a rather warm evening), and a sermon by the General Minister and President Rev. Sharon Watkins. Much as I was excited by my installation service last week, I believe that Thad and his family felt the love for them. I had heard good things about Thad even before I moved to West Virginia (from people who've known him from long ago, such as one of his high school youth leaders), and I was excited to celebrate with him.
The business portion of the Assembly was reserved mostly for Saturday morning, when we received a series of reports from various church groups (Disciples Historical Society, Cane Ridge, Christmount, lots of others I've forgotten). We also received written (though not spoken) reports from the regional staff (which I haven't finished reading yet). Thad listed 24 goals for the upcoming year, both personal and professional -- I was excited that he wanted to foster clergy spirituality (#14), visit regional churches (#5), and "golf more" (#18), though I imagine his wife Jennifer was more concerned than excited that "become a better husband" rounded at the list at #24.
The only business item, as I mentioned in worship on Sunday morning, was the election of the new Regional Board. I was excited to hear from others that there were lots of new people elected to the Board, including myself as Chair-Elect of the Christian Formation Department. As a historian, I value tradition and the lessons and wisdom that our elders and those experienced among us can provide; but as a Christian (and this was true long before I was a pastor, or even thought about becoming a pastor) I celebrate that all among us have gifts and experiences which can benefit all of us if they are shared and if they are accepted. In this sense, I think that the election of a recently arrived, recently ordained, 31-year-old pastor is an excellent sign -- for my money, the only thing better would be a recently arrived, non-ordained, 31-year-old (or even younger) person. But progress is progress.
In a nutshell (a rather big nutshell), these are my thoughts and memories of the recent Regional Assembly. I was happy for the chance to attend and represent Central Christian. I'm sure that some of the lessons are still stewing in my mind and will randomly appear in the future.
Reflections on Worship, April 27
Sunday's service felt a little flat to me. Perhaps I was just tired (and I'm discovering exactly how tired I must have been). Or perhaps it just seemed quieter than last Sunday's joyous celebration.
Listening to Sunday's sermon, I cannot help but feel that it was a little "preachy." And I do not mean "preachy" in a good way. It seemed heavy-handed. It also, frankly, seemed like I wandered a bit in the middle of it and probably inserted part of another sermon.
On the other hand, I do very much like the overall analogy of the sermon comparing Christian faith to a football game. (I should confess that I once attended a Billy Graham crusade in Indianapolis where he developed nine(!) points in an extended faith and sports analogy; if pushed, I cannot remember any of the specific points, sadly.) We are called to be "fourth-quarter Christians," just like a championship football team is called to be a "fourth-quarter team." Champions play their best when the clock is running down and they have to make plays (see the most recent Super Bowl for a dramatic example of this).
It seems to me that we as Christians are also called to play our best faith plays at this point in our lives -- to minimize our mistakes, to protect the ball, to keep an eye on the clock, to keep moving the ball forward at a healthy clip, etc. In faithful terms, we are called to not sit on the sidelines but to get out on the field of life, to strive to bring healing and comfort, encouragement and teaching, a faithful example and service to those we meet. We are called to make our days count.
This is not to be confused with the century-old "Muscular Christianity" movement. While I believe that it is healthier for us -- both physically and spiritually -- to see to our physical fitness (to eat better and to exercise), I think that God is not calling us to be health nuts as an evangelism tool. Instead we are to exercise our spiritual bodies, to ensure the fitness of our muscles of faith, hope, and love, and in our spiritual health to be an example to others.
To my mind, this is an intriguing way to think about faith. Perhaps it is for you as well. It certainly gives new meaning to the term spiritual exercise.
Listening to Sunday's sermon, I cannot help but feel that it was a little "preachy." And I do not mean "preachy" in a good way. It seemed heavy-handed. It also, frankly, seemed like I wandered a bit in the middle of it and probably inserted part of another sermon.
On the other hand, I do very much like the overall analogy of the sermon comparing Christian faith to a football game. (I should confess that I once attended a Billy Graham crusade in Indianapolis where he developed nine(!) points in an extended faith and sports analogy; if pushed, I cannot remember any of the specific points, sadly.) We are called to be "fourth-quarter Christians," just like a championship football team is called to be a "fourth-quarter team." Champions play their best when the clock is running down and they have to make plays (see the most recent Super Bowl for a dramatic example of this).
It seems to me that we as Christians are also called to play our best faith plays at this point in our lives -- to minimize our mistakes, to protect the ball, to keep an eye on the clock, to keep moving the ball forward at a healthy clip, etc. In faithful terms, we are called to not sit on the sidelines but to get out on the field of life, to strive to bring healing and comfort, encouragement and teaching, a faithful example and service to those we meet. We are called to make our days count.
This is not to be confused with the century-old "Muscular Christianity" movement. While I believe that it is healthier for us -- both physically and spiritually -- to see to our physical fitness (to eat better and to exercise), I think that God is not calling us to be health nuts as an evangelism tool. Instead we are to exercise our spiritual bodies, to ensure the fitness of our muscles of faith, hope, and love, and in our spiritual health to be an example to others.
To my mind, this is an intriguing way to think about faith. Perhaps it is for you as well. It certainly gives new meaning to the term spiritual exercise.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Book Group: Father Joe
In May, June, and July, the Central Christian Book Group will read and discuss Father Joe: The Man Who Saved My Soul by Tony Hendra (Random House, 2005). This is an excellent spiritual autobiography by a professional comic writer -- for years, Hendra was the editor of National Lampoon magazine and before that, he was a classmate and co-performer with John Cleese and Graham Chapman (of Monty Python fame). It is funny, very well-written, and surprisingly candid and sincere.
Anyone interested should obtain a copy of the book for themselves (it's in paperback, so it shouldn't be too expensive). Here are links to a couple of on-line bookstores: amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.
It is my expectation that this book will be enjoyable and thought-provoking. It is not heavy (like I said, it is very readable -- you may not want to put it down), but Hendra discovers some interesting religious depth in his faith journey.
Anyone who wants to participate in this book should email suggestions of a meeting time for the weekend of May 16-18 -- and remember that we have Board Meeting scheduled after worship that weekend. The first discussion will focus on pp. 1-59. In the meantime, I may start an online discussion page for people who cannot wait for mid-May once they start reading.
Anyone interested should obtain a copy of the book for themselves (it's in paperback, so it shouldn't be too expensive). Here are links to a couple of on-line bookstores: amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.
It is my expectation that this book will be enjoyable and thought-provoking. It is not heavy (like I said, it is very readable -- you may not want to put it down), but Hendra discovers some interesting religious depth in his faith journey.
Anyone who wants to participate in this book should email suggestions of a meeting time for the weekend of May 16-18 -- and remember that we have Board Meeting scheduled after worship that weekend. The first discussion will focus on pp. 1-59. In the meantime, I may start an online discussion page for people who cannot wait for mid-May once they start reading.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Reflections on Worship, April 20
I have few words to describe my emotions about this Sunday's service. My heart is full -- full of joy, full of the spirit of love, full of gratitude, full of hope. It would be wrong of me to wait until I find the perfect words; by the time they come, I'm sure they'll be others things to write about. So I'll try.
I was surprised by the effort surrounding the weekend. There were groups of people who worked outside the church building to clear brush, and landscape, and plant new flowers. I guess I should have had an inkling of the effort going on behind the scenes (and slightly outside of my earshot) from that.
And then I heard that there would be a reception after the service. I guess I imagined that it would be a small affair. But then I heard that Randy was doing extra work preparing the multi-purpose room. And then I heard about some of the food preparation. Saturday night I was showing some of the visitors around the building (knowing I probably wouldn't have time on Sunday). When we reached the multi-purpose room I was speechless to see its transformation, and I was quite moved.
It was an exciting and busy weekend for me with so many people visiting from out of town. I was able to spend a great deal of time with John and with Howard and Doris, which was wonderful. And it was wonderful to see Doris and Sandy and Jenny. I am so glad that you were able to meet all of them and that they were able to meet you. (FYI: I know that the church in Country Club Hills will receive a full report from various sources.)
I have heard and received many wonderful comments about the service. Many of you have shared that you thought it was wonderful -- one of you said, "I can't imagine how it could have been any better." I agree -- it was a powerful service for me too. The music was wonderful, and yes, I was happy to share in that. Just now I've listened to the sermon again, and I think it was fitting and solid. I was thrilled with Thad's contribution -- his kind words and presence.
Mostly, I was thrilled with you and for you. It was a celebration of our shared hopes and dreams. It was a reaffirmation of our intention to work together in Christ's name. It was a reaffirmation of our many gifts (not just mine, but all of our gifts). It was a chance to celebrate together, to welcome friends, to fellowship together, to worship together.
I'm sure I'm leaving out many things. To end, I would simply offer my thanks for your efforts. I know that there will be other thanks given in the newsletter and in worship next Sunday, but I want to add mine here. Thank you to all those who worked so hard to make it a special day for me, and for our guests, and for all of us. It was beautiful.
I was surprised by the effort surrounding the weekend. There were groups of people who worked outside the church building to clear brush, and landscape, and plant new flowers. I guess I should have had an inkling of the effort going on behind the scenes (and slightly outside of my earshot) from that.
And then I heard that there would be a reception after the service. I guess I imagined that it would be a small affair. But then I heard that Randy was doing extra work preparing the multi-purpose room. And then I heard about some of the food preparation. Saturday night I was showing some of the visitors around the building (knowing I probably wouldn't have time on Sunday). When we reached the multi-purpose room I was speechless to see its transformation, and I was quite moved.
It was an exciting and busy weekend for me with so many people visiting from out of town. I was able to spend a great deal of time with John and with Howard and Doris, which was wonderful. And it was wonderful to see Doris and Sandy and Jenny. I am so glad that you were able to meet all of them and that they were able to meet you. (FYI: I know that the church in Country Club Hills will receive a full report from various sources.)
I have heard and received many wonderful comments about the service. Many of you have shared that you thought it was wonderful -- one of you said, "I can't imagine how it could have been any better." I agree -- it was a powerful service for me too. The music was wonderful, and yes, I was happy to share in that. Just now I've listened to the sermon again, and I think it was fitting and solid. I was thrilled with Thad's contribution -- his kind words and presence.
Mostly, I was thrilled with you and for you. It was a celebration of our shared hopes and dreams. It was a reaffirmation of our intention to work together in Christ's name. It was a reaffirmation of our many gifts (not just mine, but all of our gifts). It was a chance to celebrate together, to welcome friends, to fellowship together, to worship together.
I'm sure I'm leaving out many things. To end, I would simply offer my thanks for your efforts. I know that there will be other thanks given in the newsletter and in worship next Sunday, but I want to add mine here. Thank you to all those who worked so hard to make it a special day for me, and for our guests, and for all of us. It was beautiful.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Coming Up Sunday, April 20
This Sunday will feature an installation service for me as the pastor of Central Christian Church. The purpose of this service is to remind one another of the covenants that we have made to one another in Christ’s service. As an ordained minister who has agreed to serve as a pastor, I have made promises to the Central Christian congregation and to the larger community and church. As a congregation who has called a minister to serve as a pastor, you have made promises to me and to each other. These promises are different from an employment contract, and it is important and beneficial for us to share them publicly and to celebrate them.
Several people have traveled to share this weekend with me and with us. Our regional minister, Thad Allen, who himself will be installed in his new position next weekend at the Regional Assembly, will lead the formal installation service. It is a happy thing to have him join us this day. Howard Kennon, the senior pastor of United Christian Church in Country Club Hills, Illinois, will lead the service at the Lord’s Table. Howard, aside from being a friend and mentor, was my pastor and then my colleague before I moved to West Virginia (given that I joined the church and then a few months later was hired to serve as the Youth Minister). Howard’s lovely wife Doris will also be with us.
Rev. John Sowers, who was my fraternity brother and roommate in college, and who is the single largest influence on my having joined the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), will also be with us and lead a portion of the service. He has traveled from his position as the pastor of First Christian Church, Rushville, Illinois, to visit this weekend. I am thrilled to be able to spend time with him and with the others.
The sermon this week, which I think will be appropriate to the occasion, will be a consideration of the Great Commission, found in Matthew 28. We will build from last Sunday, where we talked about the context of the commission, and how it gives all Christians authority to receive and act upon the commission to “make disciples.”
I believe that Sunday’s service will be a great celebration of our ministry together. Certainly I will be the focus of parts of the service, which comes with the job, but as much as this is a celebration of “Josh’s ministry” (whatever that specifically is), it is equally, if not more so, a celebration of Central Christian’s ministry and a celebration of the ministry of the church universal.
Several people have traveled to share this weekend with me and with us. Our regional minister, Thad Allen, who himself will be installed in his new position next weekend at the Regional Assembly, will lead the formal installation service. It is a happy thing to have him join us this day. Howard Kennon, the senior pastor of United Christian Church in Country Club Hills, Illinois, will lead the service at the Lord’s Table. Howard, aside from being a friend and mentor, was my pastor and then my colleague before I moved to West Virginia (given that I joined the church and then a few months later was hired to serve as the Youth Minister). Howard’s lovely wife Doris will also be with us.
Rev. John Sowers, who was my fraternity brother and roommate in college, and who is the single largest influence on my having joined the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), will also be with us and lead a portion of the service. He has traveled from his position as the pastor of First Christian Church, Rushville, Illinois, to visit this weekend. I am thrilled to be able to spend time with him and with the others.
The sermon this week, which I think will be appropriate to the occasion, will be a consideration of the Great Commission, found in Matthew 28. We will build from last Sunday, where we talked about the context of the commission, and how it gives all Christians authority to receive and act upon the commission to “make disciples.”
I believe that Sunday’s service will be a great celebration of our ministry together. Certainly I will be the focus of parts of the service, which comes with the job, but as much as this is a celebration of “Josh’s ministry” (whatever that specifically is), it is equally, if not more so, a celebration of Central Christian’s ministry and a celebration of the ministry of the church universal.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Reflections on Worship, April 13
I received more than one comment yesterday about how nice the entire service was. That was my experience as well; worship seemed quite comforting for such a cool, gray day. There was a quietness of spirit, and there seemed to be a number of concerns that were weighing heavily on hearts and minds.
The sermon was okay, though I felt like I was wondering a bit during it. As often happens, sometimes good ideas come after I preach -- I do wish that I had incorporated "We don't need a chaperon to talk to God" into the sermon, but it only came to me later in the service. It seems like another way to really demonstrate the dramatic change in human/God relations that is demonstrated by the story of The Great Commission in Matthew.
Now every Christian, every faithful believer, is a VIP, welcome in God's presence. We don't need to earn that status -- we can't do anything to earn it. And it is important to recognize that, as Christians joining together in community, we are each called to be a leader and a follower in the name of Christ. Some of us will hold various offices at various times; others of us are called to support those in office. Sometimes we will teach; sometimes we will learn from others.
This is a very important lesson. Sometimes we each need to be reminded that we don't have all the answers and we need to listen to other people. Sometimes we each need to be reminded that, even though we don't have the experience/education/etc. someone else may have, sometimes our ideas are better for a specific situation.
The sermon was okay, though I felt like I was wondering a bit during it. As often happens, sometimes good ideas come after I preach -- I do wish that I had incorporated "We don't need a chaperon to talk to God" into the sermon, but it only came to me later in the service. It seems like another way to really demonstrate the dramatic change in human/God relations that is demonstrated by the story of The Great Commission in Matthew.
Now every Christian, every faithful believer, is a VIP, welcome in God's presence. We don't need to earn that status -- we can't do anything to earn it. And it is important to recognize that, as Christians joining together in community, we are each called to be a leader and a follower in the name of Christ. Some of us will hold various offices at various times; others of us are called to support those in office. Sometimes we will teach; sometimes we will learn from others.
This is a very important lesson. Sometimes we each need to be reminded that we don't have all the answers and we need to listen to other people. Sometimes we each need to be reminded that, even though we don't have the experience/education/etc. someone else may have, sometimes our ideas are better for a specific situation.
Movie: "Places in the Heart"
I was very excited by the number of people who gathered Friday night to watch and discuss Places in the Heart (1983). Aside from a couple of technical issues (which we will work on more diligently for next time), I thought that everybody enjoyed the movie. And I was pleased that several of you shared your impressions and comments.
As I shared on Friday, I find the religious themes of the film very interesting. The exploration of religious community -- as family, church, and as geographic community -- is very interesting. The contrasting of the consequences of our personal actions and of those actions that are thrust upon us (either by the actions of other people, or by things completely outside anyone's control like the weather) is an important issue for everyone of us personally, and it has importance in any congregation.
The final scene of the film is powerful. It is incredibly optimistic. It is also, surprisingly, subtle -- if you do not have a lot of church experience (in specific types of churches), you might not even realize what is going on. It is a powerful vision of what a Christian community can look like and how it can act ideally. It is not the only such vision, of course, but it is one vision.
I hope that we will have other films in our "Faith and Film" series soon. If you have any that you would like to suggest, please share them with me. Someone suggested that a film more appropriate for the kids would be a good idea; or maybe we could show a couple of movies at the same time (one for the kids and one for the adults). I am open to your suggestions. I promise you, there is no shortage of films we could watch together and discuss.
In fact, I hope that this series encourages you to see issues of faith in unexpected places. For all of the bashing of "Hollywood values" over the years, there are surprising displays and subtexts of religious themes in popular movies (the "Star Wars" series is as much an allegory of Christianity as is C. S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia). American popular culture draws on our shared heritage, and religion is a part of that heritage.
Also, remember that you can share your comments about Friday's movie with each other by making a comment to this post. And if you hesitate to comment, thinking that no one cares, I should tell you that there are certain people (other than me) anxiously waiting for such a conversation to develop.
As I shared on Friday, I find the religious themes of the film very interesting. The exploration of religious community -- as family, church, and as geographic community -- is very interesting. The contrasting of the consequences of our personal actions and of those actions that are thrust upon us (either by the actions of other people, or by things completely outside anyone's control like the weather) is an important issue for everyone of us personally, and it has importance in any congregation.
The final scene of the film is powerful. It is incredibly optimistic. It is also, surprisingly, subtle -- if you do not have a lot of church experience (in specific types of churches), you might not even realize what is going on. It is a powerful vision of what a Christian community can look like and how it can act ideally. It is not the only such vision, of course, but it is one vision.
I hope that we will have other films in our "Faith and Film" series soon. If you have any that you would like to suggest, please share them with me. Someone suggested that a film more appropriate for the kids would be a good idea; or maybe we could show a couple of movies at the same time (one for the kids and one for the adults). I am open to your suggestions. I promise you, there is no shortage of films we could watch together and discuss.
In fact, I hope that this series encourages you to see issues of faith in unexpected places. For all of the bashing of "Hollywood values" over the years, there are surprising displays and subtexts of religious themes in popular movies (the "Star Wars" series is as much an allegory of Christianity as is C. S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia). American popular culture draws on our shared heritage, and religion is a part of that heritage.
Also, remember that you can share your comments about Friday's movie with each other by making a comment to this post. And if you hesitate to comment, thinking that no one cares, I should tell you that there are certain people (other than me) anxiously waiting for such a conversation to develop.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Self-Identity and the Disciples of Christ
Jesus asked his disciple, "Who do you say that I am?"
This in a nutshell, is the question of faith. Each follower of Jesus must figure out how to answer this question for themselves.
But in our fractured world, this is not the only question of faith that Christians must answer. We must also answer a follow-up question related to Jesus' question: "Who do you say that you are?" If the first question is challenging (and it is after a certain point, depending on how much detail you provide), the second is fraught with peril. Whenever we seek words to define ourselves, we will, by definition, give a description of people who are not "us." Trying to balance "us" and "not us" is a precarious balancing act, especially for the Christian church. (And we've done a bang-up job over the years too, which is why there are so many different Christian identities (denominations) in the world.)
If this description seems too abstract, let me offer a couple of practical reasons why we need to learn to answer this question "Who are we?" 1) If we think we have an organization/congregation that we think other people might want to join, we need to know how to describe ourselves to these potential new members. 2) If we think we have the potential to lose our way on our Christian journey and focus on the unimportant things instead of the important (which we do), we can keep our focus by reminding ourselves "who we are."
To meet these goals (and many others, I'm sure), the Rev. Sharon Watkins, the General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is leading the general church through a process of answering the question: "Who are we, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)?" A group of church members has developed an identity statement and a series of principles that attempt to answer this question generally.
Over the past several months, the statement and principles were openly considered by members throughout the church in the form of an online survey. The results of the survey have been posted (sort of -- at least the results of support have been posted) at disciples.org, as well as the new drafts of the identity statement and principles (which have been slightly amended to reflect the survey responses).
And the visioning team has invited a continued discussion of the identity statement and principles through an on-line discussion forum. So far, I see that I am the 40 registered participant in the forum (the general announcement of it was last week), but I imagine the number will grow. Evidently, there were about 1450 completed surveys, so there is some interest in this topic.
To read about the 21st Century Vision Team, the members, and their goals, click here.
To read the draft of the Disciples of Christ Identity Statement and Principles, click here.
If you have opinions, please join the online forum and share them. The Vision Team needs our support and our input.
This in a nutshell, is the question of faith. Each follower of Jesus must figure out how to answer this question for themselves.
But in our fractured world, this is not the only question of faith that Christians must answer. We must also answer a follow-up question related to Jesus' question: "Who do you say that you are?" If the first question is challenging (and it is after a certain point, depending on how much detail you provide), the second is fraught with peril. Whenever we seek words to define ourselves, we will, by definition, give a description of people who are not "us." Trying to balance "us" and "not us" is a precarious balancing act, especially for the Christian church. (And we've done a bang-up job over the years too, which is why there are so many different Christian identities (denominations) in the world.)
If this description seems too abstract, let me offer a couple of practical reasons why we need to learn to answer this question "Who are we?" 1) If we think we have an organization/congregation that we think other people might want to join, we need to know how to describe ourselves to these potential new members. 2) If we think we have the potential to lose our way on our Christian journey and focus on the unimportant things instead of the important (which we do), we can keep our focus by reminding ourselves "who we are."
To meet these goals (and many others, I'm sure), the Rev. Sharon Watkins, the General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is leading the general church through a process of answering the question: "Who are we, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)?" A group of church members has developed an identity statement and a series of principles that attempt to answer this question generally.
Over the past several months, the statement and principles were openly considered by members throughout the church in the form of an online survey. The results of the survey have been posted (sort of -- at least the results of support have been posted) at disciples.org, as well as the new drafts of the identity statement and principles (which have been slightly amended to reflect the survey responses).
And the visioning team has invited a continued discussion of the identity statement and principles through an on-line discussion forum. So far, I see that I am the 40 registered participant in the forum (the general announcement of it was last week), but I imagine the number will grow. Evidently, there were about 1450 completed surveys, so there is some interest in this topic.
To read about the 21st Century Vision Team, the members, and their goals, click here.
To read the draft of the Disciples of Christ Identity Statement and Principles, click here.
If you have opinions, please join the online forum and share them. The Vision Team needs our support and our input.
Coming Up Sunday, April 13
In worship this Sunday we will continue looking at the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus detailed in the Gospel of Matthew. This week and next week we will consider the final verses of Matthew, famous for Jesus' ascension and "The Great Commission."
Our focus this week will be on the peculiar setting of this story, on top of a mountain, which quite consciously parallels the end of Moses' life, where he sees the Promised Land from the top of Mount Nebo (detailed in Deuteronomy 34). The similarities between Jesus and Moses (at least in this story) draw attention to the comparison; the differences between the two stories is the point.
Following worship, we will have a soup sale in the Narthex to raise money for Relay for Life. Quarts of soup may be purchased for $6 (cash or check); rumor is there may be cookies as well. Please stay for a little while to support this worthy cause.
In the newsletter, I mentioned that I was gauging interest in beginning a book group to meet occasionally. Some people have expressed interest, but others have expressed concern about signing up for yet another time consuming activity. To try to be clear -- I imagine that a book group would meet at most once a month, and the amount of reading would be determined by the group. The goal is not for it to be time-consuming, but rather to offer another way to approach God and to think about faith. So if you are interested, please let me know by this weekend, so that I can add you to the list and we can make arrangements accordingly.
Our focus this week will be on the peculiar setting of this story, on top of a mountain, which quite consciously parallels the end of Moses' life, where he sees the Promised Land from the top of Mount Nebo (detailed in Deuteronomy 34). The similarities between Jesus and Moses (at least in this story) draw attention to the comparison; the differences between the two stories is the point.
Following worship, we will have a soup sale in the Narthex to raise money for Relay for Life. Quarts of soup may be purchased for $6 (cash or check); rumor is there may be cookies as well. Please stay for a little while to support this worthy cause.
In the newsletter, I mentioned that I was gauging interest in beginning a book group to meet occasionally. Some people have expressed interest, but others have expressed concern about signing up for yet another time consuming activity. To try to be clear -- I imagine that a book group would meet at most once a month, and the amount of reading would be determined by the group. The goal is not for it to be time-consuming, but rather to offer another way to approach God and to think about faith. So if you are interested, please let me know by this weekend, so that I can add you to the list and we can make arrangements accordingly.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Springtime in Cyberspace (aka New Things for the Blog)
As the season continues to brighten (what a lovely day today has been), I have made a couple of changes to my blog.
First, I have begun posting audio files of my sermons along the side of the page. You may listen to them simply by scrolling to the desired sermon and clicking on it. By clicking on the sermon link, you will open a streaming audio file (into a media player of your choice, probably Windows Media Player) that will play as it downloads. If you prefer to download the audio file for later use (or to transfer it to an .mp3 player), you should click elsewhere in the box, which will open another page from which you may simply download the entire audio file in .mp3 format. Be forewarned, these files are large (several megabytes) and take a while to download.
This is an exciting resource. If for some unfortunate reason you have to miss a worship service, you can still listen to the sermon later that week. Of course, this should not be an excuse to miss church.
Second, I have created RSS feeds for the sermons and the blog as a whole, which means that you may subscribe to the feeds and get automatic notices when there are new updates. This is a time-saving option for those who want to read the blog but don't want either to have to remember to check the blog or don't want to check the blog unless there's been a new post. To subscribe to the sermon RSS feed, you can click the RSS icon and follow the instructions. Personally, I recommend either MyYahoo! or Google Reader to manage your RSS feeds.
If all of this confuses you (and some of it confuses me), you may join me after service on Sunday, April 13 for a "blog tutorial," where I will answer any and all questions about how to use the blog, including posting comments and subscribing to RSS feeds, and demonstrate these things on my computer.
First, I have begun posting audio files of my sermons along the side of the page. You may listen to them simply by scrolling to the desired sermon and clicking on it. By clicking on the sermon link, you will open a streaming audio file (into a media player of your choice, probably Windows Media Player) that will play as it downloads. If you prefer to download the audio file for later use (or to transfer it to an .mp3 player), you should click elsewhere in the box, which will open another page from which you may simply download the entire audio file in .mp3 format. Be forewarned, these files are large (several megabytes) and take a while to download.
This is an exciting resource. If for some unfortunate reason you have to miss a worship service, you can still listen to the sermon later that week. Of course, this should not be an excuse to miss church.
Second, I have created RSS feeds for the sermons and the blog as a whole, which means that you may subscribe to the feeds and get automatic notices when there are new updates. This is a time-saving option for those who want to read the blog but don't want either to have to remember to check the blog or don't want to check the blog unless there's been a new post. To subscribe to the sermon RSS feed, you can click the RSS icon and follow the instructions. Personally, I recommend either MyYahoo! or Google Reader to manage your RSS feeds.
If all of this confuses you (and some of it confuses me), you may join me after service on Sunday, April 13 for a "blog tutorial," where I will answer any and all questions about how to use the blog, including posting comments and subscribing to RSS feeds, and demonstrate these things on my computer.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Coming Up Sunday, April 6
This Sunday we'll continue our celebration of the Easter season by considering the aftermath of the resurrection, as recorded in the gospel of Matthew. This Sunday, we will focus on Matthew 28:11-15, in which the resurrection is challenged by a rumor that Jesus' body was simply stolen by the disciples.
The sermon, "Psst! Did You Hear What Really Happened?" will look at this minority report, which admits that there were early rumors that Jesus was not really resurrected, but was instead buried secretly. Is the resurrection of Jesus simply the a 2000 year hoax? What can Christians learn from the question, Was Jesus really resurrected?
This is the first of three sermons focusing on Matthew 28. The next two will focus on Jesus' "Great Commission" to all of the disciples (including us), a magnificent and important story, and one well worth a couple weeks of attention.
The sermon, "Psst! Did You Hear What Really Happened?" will look at this minority report, which admits that there were early rumors that Jesus was not really resurrected, but was instead buried secretly. Is the resurrection of Jesus simply the a 2000 year hoax? What can Christians learn from the question, Was Jesus really resurrected?
This is the first of three sermons focusing on Matthew 28. The next two will focus on Jesus' "Great Commission" to all of the disciples (including us), a magnificent and important story, and one well worth a couple weeks of attention.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Rediscovering Lost Gospels of Jesus
I have returned from the 2008 Oreon E. Scott Lectures at Bethany College, where I enjoyed a thought-provoking foray into rediscovered lost gospels, led by Marvin Meyer, who teaches at Chapman University (a DoC college in Orange, California). Marvin Meyer has actively studied non-canonical gospels of the early church, publishing a translation of the Gospel of Thomas, and participating in the translation of the more recently available Gospel of Judas.
It was mostly a very enjoyable experience, filled with an eclectic group in attendance (various ministers, faculty members, lay persons). Prof. Meyer was a very engaging speaker, who clearly had a broad knowledge of these sources and a passion for delving into these ancient texts. I greatly appreciated his passion and his obvious linguistic expertise for his work.
In his presentations, Meyer presented overviews of several texts discovered around the 20th century: the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Mary, and the Gospel of Judas. The Gospel of Thomas was found with documents today known as the Nag Hammadi Library in 1945. Evidently complete, the gospel is not a narrative, but a collection of 114 sayings of Jesus -- some of which roughly correspond to certain sayings recorded in the canonical gospels, but others which do not appear anywhere else. The Gospel of Mary, found in 1896, is a partial narrative gospel that presents Mary (possibly Mary Magdalene, though the woman is simply called "Mary" in the text) as a seemingly full-fledged disciple of Jesus.
The Gospel of Judas was discovered in the mid-1970s, and was recently acquired by an owner that allowed careful reconstruction of the codex manuscript (it was in fragments). It relates a story in which Judas Iscariot is the only disciple around Jesus who is allowed to know the truth about God and the universe. You have probably read about this "new gospel" in the newspaper or seen programs about it on television. It is a very hot topic, and also very controversial.
The stories of the rediscovery of these texts are fascinating (think a slower-paced Raiders of the Lost Ark with less violence), complete with discovering buried treasure in the sands of Egypt, black market deals, attempts to verify the 'authenticity' of the documents, etc. Such stories remind us, I think, of how amazed we should be to hold copies of the Bible in our hands -- how these texts were copied and preserved through the centuries -- and how precious ancient texts are.
But they raise serious questions. How do we incorporate these new stories into our faiths? Should we even try? Should we trust them? How much context do we need to study them? And that's just the tip of the iceberg.
I find such texts fascinating. The historian in me, and the student of Scripture, thinks that they are valuable and worthwhile. I do not equate any of them with scripture -- most of them should be dated to the mid-2nd century, much later than all of the other writings in the New Testament. This makes them valuable to help understand the development of theology and the early contexts in which the New Testament writings were read, but it does not make them "Scripture" for me.
That said, however, I should mention that I think there are reasons to date the Gospel of Thomas in the 1st century, which means that it was written at the same time as the four canonical gospels. If this is the case, should it be given more weight and value? Should I perhaps even consider preaching from the Gospel of Thomas? I frankly do not know, but this conference has reminded me that I need to study these texts much more, especially Thomas, and that I should consider its usefulness for the church as a whole.
Perhaps some of you would be interested in learning more about such early extra-canonical Christian writings (that is, Christian writings from the 1st and 2nd centuries that are not included in the New Testament). If so, we could consider doing a study of a few of them sometime in the future (with adequate time for me to select and prepare some good texts).
Otherwise, who knows when such texts might come up. Occasionally I mention such writings (like the 2nd century letters of Ignatius, which consciously echo the letters of Paul) in Bible study or similar settings; they don't usually come up in sermons (though one time I did include a passage from the Infancy Gospel of Thomas -- which is separate from the Gospel of Thomas -- in a sermon considering the circumstances of Jesus cursing the fig tree), but who knows. At the very least, I am grateful for people to start imagining an ancient world in which there was theological excitement, complete with several stories and texts being written and shared, including some that we are not familiar with.
It was mostly a very enjoyable experience, filled with an eclectic group in attendance (various ministers, faculty members, lay persons). Prof. Meyer was a very engaging speaker, who clearly had a broad knowledge of these sources and a passion for delving into these ancient texts. I greatly appreciated his passion and his obvious linguistic expertise for his work.
In his presentations, Meyer presented overviews of several texts discovered around the 20th century: the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Mary, and the Gospel of Judas. The Gospel of Thomas was found with documents today known as the Nag Hammadi Library in 1945. Evidently complete, the gospel is not a narrative, but a collection of 114 sayings of Jesus -- some of which roughly correspond to certain sayings recorded in the canonical gospels, but others which do not appear anywhere else. The Gospel of Mary, found in 1896, is a partial narrative gospel that presents Mary (possibly Mary Magdalene, though the woman is simply called "Mary" in the text) as a seemingly full-fledged disciple of Jesus.
The Gospel of Judas was discovered in the mid-1970s, and was recently acquired by an owner that allowed careful reconstruction of the codex manuscript (it was in fragments). It relates a story in which Judas Iscariot is the only disciple around Jesus who is allowed to know the truth about God and the universe. You have probably read about this "new gospel" in the newspaper or seen programs about it on television. It is a very hot topic, and also very controversial.
The stories of the rediscovery of these texts are fascinating (think a slower-paced Raiders of the Lost Ark with less violence), complete with discovering buried treasure in the sands of Egypt, black market deals, attempts to verify the 'authenticity' of the documents, etc. Such stories remind us, I think, of how amazed we should be to hold copies of the Bible in our hands -- how these texts were copied and preserved through the centuries -- and how precious ancient texts are.
But they raise serious questions. How do we incorporate these new stories into our faiths? Should we even try? Should we trust them? How much context do we need to study them? And that's just the tip of the iceberg.
I find such texts fascinating. The historian in me, and the student of Scripture, thinks that they are valuable and worthwhile. I do not equate any of them with scripture -- most of them should be dated to the mid-2nd century, much later than all of the other writings in the New Testament. This makes them valuable to help understand the development of theology and the early contexts in which the New Testament writings were read, but it does not make them "Scripture" for me.
That said, however, I should mention that I think there are reasons to date the Gospel of Thomas in the 1st century, which means that it was written at the same time as the four canonical gospels. If this is the case, should it be given more weight and value? Should I perhaps even consider preaching from the Gospel of Thomas? I frankly do not know, but this conference has reminded me that I need to study these texts much more, especially Thomas, and that I should consider its usefulness for the church as a whole.
Perhaps some of you would be interested in learning more about such early extra-canonical Christian writings (that is, Christian writings from the 1st and 2nd centuries that are not included in the New Testament). If so, we could consider doing a study of a few of them sometime in the future (with adequate time for me to select and prepare some good texts).
Otherwise, who knows when such texts might come up. Occasionally I mention such writings (like the 2nd century letters of Ignatius, which consciously echo the letters of Paul) in Bible study or similar settings; they don't usually come up in sermons (though one time I did include a passage from the Infancy Gospel of Thomas -- which is separate from the Gospel of Thomas -- in a sermon considering the circumstances of Jesus cursing the fig tree), but who knows. At the very least, I am grateful for people to start imagining an ancient world in which there was theological excitement, complete with several stories and texts being written and shared, including some that we are not familiar with.
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