Wednesday, August 5, 2015

This Week's "Summer Blockbuster" Sermon

On Sunday, I will continue this year's "Summer Blockbuster Sermon Series" by considering theological lessons in Aloha.  This is a flop -- a movie from a well-known writer-director, Cameron Crowe (who wrote and directed Jerry Maguire) with an all-star cast that has fallen flat at the box office.

This, sadly, is deserved.  The movie is a mess.  It feels like it was a 3 hour movie that has been drastically edited into the released form.  Often scenes appear from nowhere and make little sense.  (On the other hand, the movie is extremely well-acted, so it's not a total loss.  Just a mess.)

Still, the theme of secrets, which undergirds the movie, offers an interesting way to consider the way that secrets are presented in the Bible, particularly in the life of Jesus.  You can catch a glimpse of this (at least in the form of a love triangle) in the official movie trailer for Aloha:


Tuesday, April 7, 2015

"The Nature of Love"

While we continued our journey along Godsway 66 with the Jewish wisdom literature during Lent, we also considered "The Nature of Love" during Wednesday evening services and Holy Week.  (Happily, this is also a theme in some of the wisdom literature, especially the Song of Solomon and many Psalms.)

Here, in one place, you can listen to all of the meditations from this series, lasting from Ash Wednesday through Easter Sunday.

The titles were all inspired by the description of love written by Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8:
Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude.  It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in truth.  It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love never ends.

Monday, March 16, 2015

Book Review: "Roger Williams and the Creation of the American Soul"

Roger Williams and the Creation of the American Soul by John M. Barry (Viking, 2012), hardcover, 480 pages

The relationship between religion and the political state in the United States is a complex issue.  While some cite a line from a Thomas Jefferson letter advocating a 'wall between church and state' as a guiding (and amusingly, sacred) text, the issues consistently overlap in American life.  However, the legal protection for freedom of religion that developed in the United States was a radical departure from the government control of religion in Europe over the preceding centuries.

So, how did the idea of religious liberty become so influential in the United States?  Many probably imagine that it came with the Puritans, who saw the ways that both government and the church could become corrupted and emigrated to New England in search of freedom.  Less well known, however, is that they wanted the freedom to create a similar system where the government could legally uphold the orthodox church -- political ways to preserve the purity of their envisioned "City on a Hill."  Instead, it was dissidents to these Puritans, including Baptists, Presbyterians, and Quakers, who sought legal protections for religious liberty so they could practice their faith without fear of punishment.

Ironically, a few Puritans themselves sought religious liberty too when their ideas were deemed unorthodox -- and thus illegal -- by officials in the Massachusetts colony.  The most famous of these was Roger Williams, a Puritan theologian who, after refusing to recant some of his teaching, was banished from Massachusetts and ended up founding Rhode Island.  Throughout his life, he would not only practically seek religious liberty for himself, but he would provide the theoretical and theological argument endorsing such liberty.

The ways that life, education, experience, and a confluence of significant historical events shaped Williams and his thinking about religious liberty is the subject of John M. Barry's Roger Williams and the Creation of the American Soul: Church, State, and the Birth of Liberty.  Barry, a historian who has written well regarded accounts of the 1917 influenza outbreak and the 1927 Mississippi River flood, argues that Williams is the central character in shaping America's unique relationship of church and state, with its protection of religious freedom.  While such an argument is an oversimplification of a very complex story that has evolved over four centuries, the biography of Williams certainly highlights almost all of the main parts of that larger story.

In some ways, Williams is a tragic and inspiring figure.  Despite his influence, he sacrificed an easy life to live out his beliefs about government and religion, and he passed opportunities for financial gain for the sake of the larger good.  Through his connections in British government, he was able to attain British protection of the nascent Rhode Island colony and its unique religious liberty; through his careful leadership in Rhode Island, he turned a rather rag-tag group of inhabitants into a group who, by majority rule, would uphold religious liberty even in trying circumstances.

Barry writes the story of how Williams came to espouse such beliefs and how he lived them out in his life in an overlapping account.  The early sections detail his education -- both formal and informal education -- in his native England, making particular note of the influence of Edward Coke on Williams' thinking.  Roger Williams was a stenographer for the brilliant jurist who famously opposed Francis Bacon.  Coke's arguments about the importance of the law itself, as opposed to the whims of the rulers, greatly shaped Williams ideas not only about the limits of rulers and the authority of laws properly enacted, enforced, and adjudicated but also about the nature and limits of religious authority.

In time, Williams would trade on his influence with such leaders in Oliver Cromwell's era to gain British sanction for his experimental government in Rhode Island.  He also would write letters, pamphlets, and books espousing his ideas on such matters, which likely influenced the key political philosopher just coming of age during that period, John Locke (who in turn would greatly influence the key generation of America's founders, especially Thomas Jefferson).

More exciting, though, was Williams life in New England, first through his efforts to be part of the Massachusetts colony and then, after his banishment, through his formation and protection of the Rhode Island settlements.  Barry details episode after episode where Massachusetts leaders try to undercut Williams, force him to change, and then, after he established Rhode Island, try to wrest control of the land away from him.  Barry also recounts some of the key internal challenges that the nascent colony faced, including the influence of some people more interested in personal profit than religious liberty or any of Williams' other ideas about government and law.

Occasionally, Barry is repetitive, and some might tire from his sometimes lengthy explorations of the philosophical and legal strands of Williams' thought (though I certainly did not), but otherwise this is a fine volume in which a single biography becomes the means for teaching about a larger historical narrative.  Williams was an influential figure who lived in a tumultuous time, shaping life around him and leaving an outsize legacy.  Most readers will be amazed at how eventful Williams' life was and how meaningful it was for the United States.

Friday, February 27, 2015

Lenten Prayer, Wednesday, February 25

During Lent, we are having special prayer services on Wednesday evenings.  The scriptures and music for these prayer services follows the theme "The Nature of Love," which is also the theme of this year's Holy Week services.  The titles of each service are taken from the phrases of Paul's famous description of love in 1 Corinthians.

This week's focus was "Love Is Kind," which I briefly reflected on in the Communion meditation, drawing on some words of Jesus recorded in Luke.

Click here to listen to the meditation.

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

February 22 Worship - "Job - Born to Suffer?"

After a pause for Lincoln Sunday, we resumed the journey along Godsway 66 this week.  We also celebrated the ongoing ministry of Week of Compassion through the collection of an annual special offering.

We turned our attention to the wisdom literature of the Hebrew Bible, beginning with the challenging book of Job.  In its exploration of suffering, it raises the significant question of whether all human beings are "Born to Suffer?"  Through a dramatic exchange of speeches and questions, it also explores issues of justice.  Surprisingly, it also has deep themes that defend the purity of human faith and share a deep sense in ultimate salvation.  Still, it is a thorny book that offers few definitive or easy answers (unfortunately for those of us who would like answers to the questions about human suffering).

If you missed Sunday's sermon, if you'd like to listen to it again, or if you'd like to share it with others, you can find an audio recording here.

You can also listen to Sunday's Communion meditation.

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Lincoln Sunday, February 15 - "To Lay Down One's Life: The Martyrdom of Abraham Lincoln"

This past weekend, we again celebrated Lincoln Sunday at Eastgate.  The service featured music that could have been heard in the era, readings from the King James Version of the Bible, and some prayers taken from prayer books of the time, including some printed for soldiers to carry in the field.

I also preached my annual Lincoln Sermon.  This year is the 150th anniversary of the end of the American Civil War and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.  As such, I considered the meaning of Lincoln's death, especially the almost immediate determination by many that he was a martyr.  I placed this within the context of Jesus' famous statement about martyrdom: "greater love has no one than this -- to lay down one's life for another."

In the sermon, I considered what we should learn, through history and faith, about what is worth dying for -- and what is worth living for.

If you missed the sermon, if you'd like to listen to it again, or if you'd like to share it with others, you can find an audio recording of the sermon here.

Monday, January 26, 2015

January 25 Worship - "Ezra - A Zealous Restoration"

On a rainy Sunday, we gathered for worship.  While we still shared many prayer concerns, particularly about peoples' health, we were also able to celebrate several people who are recovering from recent illnesses and surgical procedures.  This brightened our spirits as we came together in God's presence.

We continued our journey along Godsway 66, turning our attention to the Jews who returned from exile.  When the Persians defeated the Babylonians, the emperor Cyrus allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem and supported them in rebuilding the Temple.  (This would become known as the Second Jewish Temple.)  Ezra, a priest who returned with a group after the Temple was rebuilt, took religious leadership in Jerusalem.  He was troubled that a number of men returning from exile had married "foreign women" (that is, non-Jews who were living in and around Jerusalem when the Jews returned).  Ezra was convinced that the influence of foreigners (non-Jews) and their gods had led to the previous defeat of Judah and insisted that it not happen again.  So he prevented such marriages from taking place and those who had already married shunned their wives (and any children born to them) and sent them away.

The zeal for keeping the faith, so that they would take full advantage of the "second chance" God was giving them, is understandable.  However, it seems like Ezra was "fighting the last war," so to speak.  He was so desperate to not make the mistakes of history that he didn't see how the circumstances had changed.  After all, without the support of foreign leaders and foreign money, the Jews could never had returned to Jerusalem or rebuilt the Temple so quickly.  How much to deal with non-Jews and how much to separate from them had been a long complex issue, especially during the exile.  It would remain so, even to Jesus' day and beyond.

If you missed Sunday's sermon, if you'd like to listen to it again, or if you'd like to share it with others, you can find an audio recording here.

You can also listen to the related Communion meditation and closing benediction.

Saturday, January 17, 2015

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Tomorrow, many congregations will join together and participate in a Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.  This annual observance, sponsored by the World Council of Churches and several Protestant, Orthodox, and Catholic communions, invites Christians around the world to explicitly pray for the divisions and separation in the wider church to be healed.  This week, at least in the northern hemisphere, occurs from January 18 through January 25 (the feast days of St. Peter and St. Paul, respectively).

This year's theme, "Jesus said to her: Give me to drink" is drawn from John 4, where Jesus asks a Samaritan woman drawing water from a well to give him a drink.  An ecumenical group of Christian leaders in Brazil have prepared this year's resources for the 2015 week of prayer, complete with devotional materials for the week.  Click here to download a .pdf copy of these materials -- note, the devotional resources begin begin on page 21.

I hope that you will take this opportunity to join with Christians around the world in praying for unity in Christ's church.  We will have a couple of special moments in worship on Sunday as part of this week of prayer.

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

January 11 Worship - "2 Chronicles - Those Who Set Their Hearts to Seek God"

This Sunday, we gathered on another cold and cloudy winter morning -- though it was not so slick and cold as last Sunday.  There were lots of prayer concerns for people who are sick or in the hospital (a reminder of how difficult this flu season has been so far, among other things).

We also continued the Godsway 66 series into 2 Chronicles, which focuses on the Jerusalem kings from Solomon until the exile in Babylon.  While some of this book repeats 1 Kings and 2 Kings, there is a different emphasis on how the kings support the Temple and the priests -- to the extent that they do support the Temple and the priests.  Unfortunately, external influences cause the kings to lose focus on worshiping the one true God, which allows the worship of foreign gods to enter the kingdom.  Eventually, King Hezekiah tries to root all all of the foreign god worship, leading an effort to reestablish proper faith in God and worship in the Temple.

As part of this, the Passover celebration is held (evidently for the first time in generations).  Hezekiah, eager to encourage proper worship, issues a broad invitation to participate, even to some people in the northern kingdom.  During the Passover, some of these people attend, but they are not ritually clean -- which creates a problem in the celebration.  Hezekiah urges patience, though, recognizing that all of the people had made mistakes, but praying that God would forgive them and claim them again as God's chosen people.

This created a precedent in which not all of the rules of Torah had to be followed by people of faith.  Perhaps it was the attitude that allowed for the flexibility necessary to preserve the Jewish faith through the tough times of the defeat of Jerusalem, the exile and captivity in Babylon, and the return to the devastated Promised Land 70 years later (not to mention all of the challenges of the 25 centuries from then until now).  It is an open question we face as Christians always -- how many of the rules must we follow, and how much should we rely on God's grace and mercy to forgive our oversights?

If you missed Sunday's sermon, if you'd like to listen to it again, or if you'd like to share it with others, you can find an audio recording here

You can also listen to the related Communion meditation and closing benediction.

Saturday, January 10, 2015

Prayer for Mission in Laos

This week we pray for Xuyen Dangers, our missionary to Laos.  Xuyen is a social work supervisor who trains university social work interns.

You can read more about the mission to Laos here, including a reminder of how one person, working patiently, can make big changes in a community.

There are Christian missionaries serving on our behalf in many countries around the world.  Each week, Global Missions highlights the work in one of these countries and asks the wider church to pray for its continued vitality in spreading the Gospel.

Monday, January 5, 2015

January 4 Worship - "The Man with the Plan (1 Chronicles)"

A few stalwart people gathered on Sunday, given the frigid temperatures and overnight snowfall which made some roads slick in the morning.  God was still praised, if in a slightly more informal way than some weeks.

We continued our Godsway 66 series in the new year, turning our attention to the history of the Jewish monarchy and Temple presented in 1 Chronicles.  Here, King David seems to be the most important figure in Jewish history, due to faithfulness and his preparations to build God's Temple in Jerusalem.  In fact, he seems to have micromanaged that process; after God told David he would not build the Temple, David created elaborate plans to ensure that it would be built after his death, which he gave to Solomon shortly before he died.

Of course, we know the rest of the story.  The Temple was built, but succeeding generations had trouble keeping worship of God at the center of their lives -- in they worshiped God at all.  Eventually, they were defeated, the Temple was destroyed, and the leadership was carried into exile in Babylon.  However, the legacy of the Temple was so important that it was a beacon for those exiles, who dreamed of returning to Jerusalem and rebuilding the Temple.  It became a way for them to preserve and, in some ways, reclaim their identity as God's people.

If you missed Sunday's sermon, if you'd like to listen to it again, or if you'd like to share it with others, you can listen to an audio recording here.

You can also listen to the Communion meditation and the closing benediction.

Saturday, January 3, 2015

December 28 Worship: "New Year, New Vision"

We gathered on the Sunday after Christmas to continue the celebration of Jesus' birth and to look ahead into a new year.  As part of our celebration, I encouraged us to consider the prophecy of Ezekiel seeing the plans for the second Temple to be built in Jerusalem (after the Jews returned from exile in Babylon).  This vision seems to be a combination of Ezekiel's desire for people to return to Jerusalem and build a Temple and God's desire for the people to demonstrate their faithfulness.

Too often, we assume that God wants to replace our desires completely.  Time and time again in the Bible, though, God seems to meld human desires with divine wisdom.  This is an important lesson for us at the start of a new year, when we feel the urge to completely change different parts of our lives.  Instead of always insisting on u-turns, perhaps we should consider some of the better desires of our nature.  This might be the best way to improve our lives.

If you missed Sunday's sermon, if you'd like to listen to it again, or if you'd like to share it with others, you can find an audio recording here.

You can also listen to the Communion meditation and the closing benediction.