This week, we'll continue our "Summer Blockbuster Sermon Series" with a sermon discussing the new animated film, "Brave." The latest feature from Pixar and Disney features a new fairy tale set in historic Scotland. Here is the trailer:
The princess, Merida, is a headstrong young woman, determined to find her own way in the world instead of following tradition. However, in trying to "change her fate," she discovers that there could be awful consequences to her independence.
This reminds me of the description of Christian believers found in the book of Hebrews. After we are described as belonging to the "royal priesthood," the author details the many ancestors of faith, linking our faith to theirs. What, as Christian believers, do we owe those who came before us? What new paths can we take? These are two questions of both "Brave" and the letter to the Hebrews, which we will consider Sunday.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Someone Changing the Church That You've Never Heard Of
Each week, I spend a half hour enjoying Religion and Ethics Newsweekly, a PBS show that offers news and features on issues of religion. That program has long been supported by grants from the Lilly Endowment, based in my hometown of Indianapolis, Indiana.
In Indiana, gifts from the Endowment are noticeable in many places, particularly at colleges around the state, many of which, like my alma mater Wabash College, have a Lilly Library. Less known, though, is that one of the main focuses of the Lilly Endowment is on strengthening religion, religious education, and religious institutions. Each year, the Endowment gives away millions of dollars in grants to support these efforts to various groups.
A couple of weeks ago, Religion and Ethics Newsweekly ran a story about Craig Dykstra, who has served as the head of the Endowment's religion division for 15 years and will return to teaching full-time. You can watch the story or read a transcript of it here.
From the story, you may not get a full understanding of the impact that Dykstra has had on the church, through his direction of Endowment grants. (My instinct is that Dykstra would have been uncomfortable with a laundry list of programs supported or, more importantly, begun by the religion division during his tenure at the Lilly Endowment.)
However, I believe that the Lilly Endowment is on the front lines of trying to address some of the key challenges facing American churches now and in the near future. In particular, they searched for inventive ways to address some of the decline of churches in the United States. Their solution, which has been supported well beyond $1 billion, has been to invest in pastors who will lead congregations (and beyond) in facing these challenges.
In particular, they have invested heavily in programs to sustain and transform seminary education; they have created fellowships for beginning clergy to work as full-time associates under the direction of skilled senior ministers after they graduate seminary (so that they are better able to face the challenges they will likely face when they become the sole ministers of small congregations -- which is where most recent seminary graduates find their first calling); and they have worked to develop ways to sustain healthy pastoral leadership -- or, if you prefer, to fight against clergy burnout -- through programs that encourage pastoral sabbaticals, create clergy support groups around educational opportunities, and train ministers to be better stewards of their own time, health, and financial resources. (I'm sure the work extends beyond these programs, but these are some that I have interacted with in the last ten years.)
The full fruit of these efforts will only begin to appear in the next ten to twenty years, but I know that they will dramatically change the church. It may not forestall the membership and attendance decline, but it certainly will improve the leadership of congregations -- and likely regions, presbyteries, conferences, and maybe even entire denominations. And I know that the Lilly Endowment will continue to be on the front lines trying to invest in the future of Christian congregations when Dykstra's successor begins his tenure.
These are people that you'll probably never meet; they may even be names you'll never remember. But they carry a big financial stick -- WISELY -- and they are shaping the future of the church. So this is an opportunity to tip our hats and say thank you to someone who has done such service on our behalf, and wish Dr. Dykstra well as he returns to the classroom, where he will continue shaping the future of the church through his students.
In Indiana, gifts from the Endowment are noticeable in many places, particularly at colleges around the state, many of which, like my alma mater Wabash College, have a Lilly Library. Less known, though, is that one of the main focuses of the Lilly Endowment is on strengthening religion, religious education, and religious institutions. Each year, the Endowment gives away millions of dollars in grants to support these efforts to various groups.
A couple of weeks ago, Religion and Ethics Newsweekly ran a story about Craig Dykstra, who has served as the head of the Endowment's religion division for 15 years and will return to teaching full-time. You can watch the story or read a transcript of it here.
From the story, you may not get a full understanding of the impact that Dykstra has had on the church, through his direction of Endowment grants. (My instinct is that Dykstra would have been uncomfortable with a laundry list of programs supported or, more importantly, begun by the religion division during his tenure at the Lilly Endowment.)
However, I believe that the Lilly Endowment is on the front lines of trying to address some of the key challenges facing American churches now and in the near future. In particular, they searched for inventive ways to address some of the decline of churches in the United States. Their solution, which has been supported well beyond $1 billion, has been to invest in pastors who will lead congregations (and beyond) in facing these challenges.
In particular, they have invested heavily in programs to sustain and transform seminary education; they have created fellowships for beginning clergy to work as full-time associates under the direction of skilled senior ministers after they graduate seminary (so that they are better able to face the challenges they will likely face when they become the sole ministers of small congregations -- which is where most recent seminary graduates find their first calling); and they have worked to develop ways to sustain healthy pastoral leadership -- or, if you prefer, to fight against clergy burnout -- through programs that encourage pastoral sabbaticals, create clergy support groups around educational opportunities, and train ministers to be better stewards of their own time, health, and financial resources. (I'm sure the work extends beyond these programs, but these are some that I have interacted with in the last ten years.)
The full fruit of these efforts will only begin to appear in the next ten to twenty years, but I know that they will dramatically change the church. It may not forestall the membership and attendance decline, but it certainly will improve the leadership of congregations -- and likely regions, presbyteries, conferences, and maybe even entire denominations. And I know that the Lilly Endowment will continue to be on the front lines trying to invest in the future of Christian congregations when Dykstra's successor begins his tenure.
These are people that you'll probably never meet; they may even be names you'll never remember. But they carry a big financial stick -- WISELY -- and they are shaping the future of the church. So this is an opportunity to tip our hats and say thank you to someone who has done such service on our behalf, and wish Dr. Dykstra well as he returns to the classroom, where he will continue shaping the future of the church through his students.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
July 8 Worship: "Dark Shadows"
On Sunday we gathered for worship, at the end of a rather ridiculously warm holiday week. Despite the weather, our worship was joyous and faithful. We were blessed by a wonderful solo from Tom Rebecchi, among other things.
The sermon was the first of this year's "Summer Blockbuster Sermon Series," exploring some of the religious themes in some of this summer's big movie releases. We considered the time-bending aspects of Tim Burton's comic vampire story, "Dark Shadows." We looked at the central figure, Barnabas Collins (Johnny Depp), who tries to bring his 18th century sensibility to his dysfunctional descendants. This attempt to take the lessons of the past and apply them to the (then) present of the 1970s is similar to religious reform movements, including the first one described in the Bible, King Josiah's reform. Such things are especially interesting for Disciples given our denomination's/movement's birth as part of the reform movement known as Restorationism in the early 1800s.
If you missed the sermon, if you'd like to listen to it again, or if you'd like to share it with someone (perhaps a Johnny Depp fan or a Tim Burton nut), you can find the audio recording here.
The sermon was the first of this year's "Summer Blockbuster Sermon Series," exploring some of the religious themes in some of this summer's big movie releases. We considered the time-bending aspects of Tim Burton's comic vampire story, "Dark Shadows." We looked at the central figure, Barnabas Collins (Johnny Depp), who tries to bring his 18th century sensibility to his dysfunctional descendants. This attempt to take the lessons of the past and apply them to the (then) present of the 1970s is similar to religious reform movements, including the first one described in the Bible, King Josiah's reform. Such things are especially interesting for Disciples given our denomination's/movement's birth as part of the reform movement known as Restorationism in the early 1800s.
If you missed the sermon, if you'd like to listen to it again, or if you'd like to share it with someone (perhaps a Johnny Depp fan or a Tim Burton nut), you can find the audio recording here.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Prayer for Mission in Chile
This week we pray for Elena Huegel, our missionary to Chile. She serves as a environmental, peace, and Christian education specialist at the Shalom Center.
You can read more about the mission to Chile here, including a description of an unusual woman, Tatiana, who is finding hope and purpose through the work of the Shalom Center.
There are Christian missionaries serving around the world on our behalf in 70 countries. Each week, Global Missions highlights one of these missions and asks the church to pray for its continued vitality in spreading the gospel.
You can read more about the mission to Chile here, including a description of an unusual woman, Tatiana, who is finding hope and purpose through the work of the Shalom Center.
There are Christian missionaries serving around the world on our behalf in 70 countries. Each week, Global Missions highlights one of these missions and asks the church to pray for its continued vitality in spreading the gospel.
Friday, July 6, 2012
Coming Up Sunday, July 8
This Sunday, we begin the Summer Blockbuster Sermon Series, which look at religious themes in some of this summer's movies. I cannot lie -- this began as a lark one summer, but has grown into an annual tradition that I greatly enjoy. It is a challenge, for many reasons, but it is also fruitful because it often reminds us that the themes of the Bible are not ancient artifacts, but are alive -- if sometimes hidden -- in the stories that entertain us.
First up is Tim Burton's movie version of a 1970s syndicated soap opera, "Dark Shadows." The movie features the story of a man cursed to be a vampire, Barnabas Collins, who is unearthed after almost 200 years and returns to his family home, where he discovers his very dysfunctional descendants. Here is the trailer:
Rest assured, I will not claim that there are vampires in the Bible on Sunday. However, the undying character of vampires allows them to be time travelers. In this case, Barnabas brings an 18th Century sensibility to the 20th Century, which impacts his heirs in mostly positive ways. This, then, is a story, in a costume drama, of a reform or a revival. As such, we will compare it to a key religious reform movement in the Bible, led by King Josiah and described in 1 Kings.
First up is Tim Burton's movie version of a 1970s syndicated soap opera, "Dark Shadows." The movie features the story of a man cursed to be a vampire, Barnabas Collins, who is unearthed after almost 200 years and returns to his family home, where he discovers his very dysfunctional descendants. Here is the trailer:
Rest assured, I will not claim that there are vampires in the Bible on Sunday. However, the undying character of vampires allows them to be time travelers. In this case, Barnabas brings an 18th Century sensibility to the 20th Century, which impacts his heirs in mostly positive ways. This, then, is a story, in a costume drama, of a reform or a revival. As such, we will compare it to a key religious reform movement in the Bible, led by King Josiah and described in 1 Kings.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Book Review: The Messiah of Morris Avenue
For some time, I have been posting reviews of many books I read online in various places. I have decided to start posting religious-related book reviews here. The first is a novel that offers a modern retelling of the gospel.
The Messiah of Morris Avenue: A Novel by Tony Hendra (Henry Holt, 2006), hardcover, 256 pages
A few years ago a popular song asked, "What if God was one of us?" For many Christians, the question causes us to imagine how the Gospel stories would be different if Jesus were to be born in our lifetime, into a world of air travel, microwave cooking, and electronic communication so different from ancient Judea. Tony Hendra accepts this challenge in "The Messiah of Morris Avenue," retelling the story of Jesus if he were to be born in the United States sometime in the near future.
Told from the perspective of a jaded journalist -- in a future where newspapers have been replaced with online sources that pursue tabloid, TMZ-style stories at the local level -- the novel focuses on the investigation of nebulous miracles attributed to a young Hispanic man named Jay. In search of this man described as wearing a hooded sweatshirt, the cynical reporter Johnny Greco encounters the small group closest to the purported wonderworker, a collection of unemployed outcasts, most who had served time in prison — drug addicts, prostitutes, and petty thieves.
Although skeptical, Greco is intrigued by the mysterious teacher, eventually meeting with Jay. While not convinced that he is Jesus reborn, the reporter believes him to be sincere, something quite unusual in the context of cynical and cutthroat reporting that has come to define Jay's industry. As might be expected, the growing notoriety of the Hispanic wonderworker attracts the attention of the religious powers that be, including the dominant televangelist James Sabbath. The resulting conflict parallels the narrative arc of the Gospels, if with slightly more attention and empathy given to the religious elites.
Hendra generally stays close to the contours of the original stories about Jesus, using wonderful ingenuity to create a modern equivalent to the story filled with marvelous details, such as the federal lethal injection facility he imagines. As might be expected of an author who previously edited humor magazines, there are many laughs, including several witty barbs against the Religious Right bogeyman that serve as the novel's high priest. However Hendra, sensitively and rightly, is more interested in a search for true faith wherever it might be found; this marvelous book is one such fruitful search.
The Messiah of Morris Avenue: A Novel by Tony Hendra (Henry Holt, 2006), hardcover, 256 pages
A few years ago a popular song asked, "What if God was one of us?" For many Christians, the question causes us to imagine how the Gospel stories would be different if Jesus were to be born in our lifetime, into a world of air travel, microwave cooking, and electronic communication so different from ancient Judea. Tony Hendra accepts this challenge in "The Messiah of Morris Avenue," retelling the story of Jesus if he were to be born in the United States sometime in the near future.
Told from the perspective of a jaded journalist -- in a future where newspapers have been replaced with online sources that pursue tabloid, TMZ-style stories at the local level -- the novel focuses on the investigation of nebulous miracles attributed to a young Hispanic man named Jay. In search of this man described as wearing a hooded sweatshirt, the cynical reporter Johnny Greco encounters the small group closest to the purported wonderworker, a collection of unemployed outcasts, most who had served time in prison — drug addicts, prostitutes, and petty thieves.
Although skeptical, Greco is intrigued by the mysterious teacher, eventually meeting with Jay. While not convinced that he is Jesus reborn, the reporter believes him to be sincere, something quite unusual in the context of cynical and cutthroat reporting that has come to define Jay's industry. As might be expected, the growing notoriety of the Hispanic wonderworker attracts the attention of the religious powers that be, including the dominant televangelist James Sabbath. The resulting conflict parallels the narrative arc of the Gospels, if with slightly more attention and empathy given to the religious elites.
Hendra generally stays close to the contours of the original stories about Jesus, using wonderful ingenuity to create a modern equivalent to the story filled with marvelous details, such as the federal lethal injection facility he imagines. As might be expected of an author who previously edited humor magazines, there are many laughs, including several witty barbs against the Religious Right bogeyman that serve as the novel's high priest. However Hendra, sensitively and rightly, is more interested in a search for true faith wherever it might be found; this marvelous book is one such fruitful search.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
July 1 Worship: "Honor: The Reward of Abraham's Faith"
On Sunday, we gathered for another Spirit-filled worship service, celebrating a special birthday and our very successful Vacation Bible School last week.
The sermon completed our five week series on the patriarch Abraham and his example of faith. In "Honor: The Reward of Abraham's Faith," we considered how Abraham was blessed at the end of his life by the Hittites in the surrounding land and by his sons Isaac and Ishmael. These stories remind us of how people can unexpectedly pay tribute to our faithful living if we live with humility and focus on God similar to Abraham.
If you missed the sermon, if you'd like to listen to it again, or if you'd like to share it with someone, you can find an audio recording here.
The sermon completed our five week series on the patriarch Abraham and his example of faith. In "Honor: The Reward of Abraham's Faith," we considered how Abraham was blessed at the end of his life by the Hittites in the surrounding land and by his sons Isaac and Ishmael. These stories remind us of how people can unexpectedly pay tribute to our faithful living if we live with humility and focus on God similar to Abraham.
If you missed the sermon, if you'd like to listen to it again, or if you'd like to share it with someone, you can find an audio recording here.
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