We will also have our own blog for our group while travelling:
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
peace in the middle east!
Hello friends. Tomorrow, I take off on a journey to the middle east with my seminary: union-psce! We're flying into Cairo, will spend some time in Egypt, then make our way up the coast to Jordan and Israel. I'll be gone for about 3 weeks. I hope to have some internet use over there, so look out for updates on by blog here about our travels!
Sunday, March 16, 2008
The Gunman's Letter: A modern day lament
Shivati is how you pronounce "cry out for help" in Hebrew. We find this word all over the Old Testament; in laments, poems, prophetic oracles, etc.. This prevalence tells us that lamenting is a normal, human response. Trusting that the Lord will bring good amidst this horrible terror filled world we live in is extremely difficult!
I was really
blown away reading this "church gunman's" letter. Instead of giving a well-thought out manifesto of why these Christians must die, Matthew Murray spent a page and half lamenting before going out to shoot some church members and then commit suicide. The parallels to the Old Testament just jump out at you:
"Why didn't you ever answer my cries for help? Why do I have to be hurt by so many Christians?"
"Why couldn't you write your damn book more clearly?"
"Am I too lost to be saved? My soul cries for deliverance. I'm dieing (sp), praying, bleeding and screaming. Will I be denied???"
What we see in this letter is simply a loss of faith. This is the pain and torment we see when the light of hope gets extinguished in someone's life. When you desperately need answers, yet none arrive, what's left but death?
What do we do with this letter? Was he right? Is there no way we
will ever get answers to the questions we seek? Is God causing us pain and anguish? Are all Christians hypocritical to the point of driving people to these extremes? To quote the letter, "WHAT IS THE TRUTH?!"
The shocking reality of Christianity is that it is not based on objective truths. I am of the opinion that the Bible is not a completely literal and infallible truth. We can't throw Matthew a Bible verse, tell him this is truth, and all will be ok. We MUST let our faith be the focal point of our lives. God grants us faith and through this faith we can interpret Scripture and how God is working in this world.
Thus, based in this faith, I would say we have ultimate Christian ideals that should be guiding our every action. These ideals are rooted in love and lived out in our relationships. Christianity is not a rulebook by which we can tell people what they should and shouldn't do. Christianity is a living relationship through which we enact our grateful lives of loving obedience.
Therein lies our problem in America. Our Christianity is teaching people to do certain things and they will get certain results. Its the consumerism Christianity. I am afraid that Matthew was a victim of this consumerism Christianity. What happens to those people whom we tell will get rewards for doing good things? When these rewards and answers don't come they begin to question if they are really living right. Questions turn into blame. Blame turns into hate. It's an ugly thing.
Prophetically, I read this news article about Matthew's letter as I was writing a Hebrew exegesis paper on Micah 6:3-8. I found the parallels to be shocking. Here's my translation:
3 My people, what have I done to you and how have I made you weary ? Testify against me ! 4 For I have brought you up from the land of Egypt and the house of slavery . I have ransomed you and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. 5 My people, please remember what advised Balak, King of Moab, what Balaam son of Beor answered him, and your passage from Shittim unto Gilgal, in order that you would know the righteous acts of the LORD . 6 With what shall I come in front of the Lord? Shall I bow myself to God on high ? Shall I come in front of him with burnt offerings or with calves a year old ? 7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams; with ten thousand streams of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgressions; the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8 He has declared to you, oh mortal, what is good and what the LORD demands of you; only to do justice, love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.
The last verse, the most common one, is the kicker. The author of this passage, speaking for a humanity that was losing hope in God, begs God to give him truth and answers to how to live right. Matthew Murray was in this position: weary with God and begging for truth...
God's answer is one that stands beyond and above time. The answer is one that all humans everywhere ascribe to in some form or another. The answer is not a list of 'do this and get that.' Despite the authors attempts in verses 6 and 7, there is no hint of consumerist Christianity in this answer. The answer is prefaced by the word that God loves and saves his children - we have no room or place to question God's sovereign plan.
The answer is threefold: do justice, love kindness, walk humbly with your God. Justice means fighting for the life and dignity of all people. Kindness (hesed in Hebrew) refers to the essence of living in loving relationships with other humans. Walking humbly is self explanatory. Going back to what faith means, we must simply trust in God's will and that he loves us no matter what. Martin Luther struggled to attain answers and favor from God and it nearly drove him crazy. He came to a similar conclusion, that there is nothing but faith and grace alone to save us.
God does not wish this pain on Matthew, I am certain of that. The world as it is now, painful and seemingly hopeless, can bring down the best of us. We have no response but what we know as humans and profess as Christians.
We must preach this love and embody this relational God instead of this consumer God that is destroying the essence of our faith. I truly with Matthew could have experienced this relational God more fully. I wish he could have kept faith and hope in God's unfailing love.
I was really
blown away reading this "church gunman's" letter. Instead of giving a well-thought out manifesto of why these Christians must die, Matthew Murray spent a page and half lamenting before going out to shoot some church members and then commit suicide. The parallels to the Old Testament just jump out at you:"Why didn't you ever answer my cries for help? Why do I have to be hurt by so many Christians?"
"Why couldn't you write your damn book more clearly?"
"Am I too lost to be saved? My soul cries for deliverance. I'm dieing (sp), praying, bleeding and screaming. Will I be denied???"
What we see in this letter is simply a loss of faith. This is the pain and torment we see when the light of hope gets extinguished in someone's life. When you desperately need answers, yet none arrive, what's left but death?
What do we do with this letter? Was he right? Is there no way we
will ever get answers to the questions we seek? Is God causing us pain and anguish? Are all Christians hypocritical to the point of driving people to these extremes? To quote the letter, "WHAT IS THE TRUTH?!"The shocking reality of Christianity is that it is not based on objective truths. I am of the opinion that the Bible is not a completely literal and infallible truth. We can't throw Matthew a Bible verse, tell him this is truth, and all will be ok. We MUST let our faith be the focal point of our lives. God grants us faith and through this faith we can interpret Scripture and how God is working in this world.
Thus, based in this faith, I would say we have ultimate Christian ideals that should be guiding our every action. These ideals are rooted in love and lived out in our relationships. Christianity is not a rulebook by which we can tell people what they should and shouldn't do. Christianity is a living relationship through which we enact our grateful lives of loving obedience.
Therein lies our problem in America. Our Christianity is teaching people to do certain things and they will get certain results. Its the consumerism Christianity. I am afraid that Matthew was a victim of this consumerism Christianity. What happens to those people whom we tell will get rewards for doing good things? When these rewards and answers don't come they begin to question if they are really living right. Questions turn into blame. Blame turns into hate. It's an ugly thing.
Prophetically, I read this news article about Matthew's letter as I was writing a Hebrew exegesis paper on Micah 6:3-8. I found the parallels to be shocking. Here's my translation:
3 My people, what have I done to you and how have I made you weary ? Testify against me ! 4 For I have brought you up from the land of Egypt and the house of slavery . I have ransomed you and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. 5 My people, please remember what advised Balak, King of Moab, what Balaam son of Beor answered him, and your passage from Shittim unto Gilgal, in order that you would know the righteous acts of the LORD . 6 With what shall I come in front of the Lord? Shall I bow myself to God on high ? Shall I come in front of him with burnt offerings or with calves a year old ? 7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams; with ten thousand streams of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgressions; the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8 He has declared to you, oh mortal, what is good and what the LORD demands of you; only to do justice, love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.
The last verse, the most common one, is the kicker. The author of this passage, speaking for a humanity that was losing hope in God, begs God to give him truth and answers to how to live right. Matthew Murray was in this position: weary with God and begging for truth...
God's answer is one that stands beyond and above time. The answer is one that all humans everywhere ascribe to in some form or another. The answer is not a list of 'do this and get that.' Despite the authors attempts in verses 6 and 7, there is no hint of consumerist Christianity in this answer. The answer is prefaced by the word that God loves and saves his children - we have no room or place to question God's sovereign plan.
The answer is threefold: do justice, love kindness, walk humbly with your God. Justice means fighting for the life and dignity of all people. Kindness (hesed in Hebrew) refers to the essence of living in loving relationships with other humans. Walking humbly is self explanatory. Going back to what faith means, we must simply trust in God's will and that he loves us no matter what. Martin Luther struggled to attain answers and favor from God and it nearly drove him crazy. He came to a similar conclusion, that there is nothing but faith and grace alone to save us.
God does not wish this pain on Matthew, I am certain of that. The world as it is now, painful and seemingly hopeless, can bring down the best of us. We have no response but what we know as humans and profess as Christians.
We must preach this love and embody this relational God instead of this consumer God that is destroying the essence of our faith. I truly with Matthew could have experienced this relational God more fully. I wish he could have kept faith and hope in God's unfailing love.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
A Lenten sermon from last year
This is a sermon I gave last year about this time during the Lenten season. I share it not out of any ego, but just because these lenten themes have been on my mind, specifically how we can move from legalism into more simple joy. Anyway, here's the sermon in its entirety:
___________________
Sermon at Presbyterian College, April 10, 2007
John 9: 1-34
What does a blind man see the moment he is healed? This miracle would make a good movie trailer: Seth the blind beggar played by Brad Pitt was just a normal boy growing up in the streets of Jerusalem except for one thing, he was blind from birth. Little did he know one day everything would change forever. Jack Bauer plays as Jesus in this amazing story of a miraculous healing. What does Jonny see and do the moment he is healed? Find out this summer when the “Passion II: The Pharisees Strike Back” hits theaters. OK...yeah maybe not.
The moment of realization is both surprising and powerful. A man who has been blind from birth suddenly gains the ability to see. What was it like? Was he overwhelmed by light or did blackness slowly fade into vision. Did he see in color or black and white? Was he scared and overwhelmed as if he was watching Jim Henson’s Muppet Vision 3D at Disney world? One thing is certain: His life was changed. He was left speechless after this miracle. As the Pharisees continue to inquire about this man who violated the laws of the sabbath, the blind man simply knows one thing: “he is a prophet.” He also exclaims the phrase we know from “Amazing Grace”: “that though I was blind, now I see”. The blind beggar is in utter awe and knows nothing more but to express the wonderful life changing power of Christ. He can now see things he couldn’t see before, well in his case this meant everything. Unfortunately for him the Pharisees would hear nothing of it as they were still so outraged at Jesus’ action. The blind beggar is like your friend who just returned from studying abroad and won’t SHUT UP about their trip. JACK, enough about New Zealand already. DREW Ok whatever you went to Africa, thats great! TINA, I’m sick and tired of all of your stories from the border! I don’t care about anyone’s life changing experiences. I’m perfectly content with how life revolves around my comfortable life down here in rural South Carolina and nothing you all say can move me. Somehow we tend to play the role of the Pharisees, missing all that God is teaching us. We remain blinded and hard hearted to how God is trying to move us and move others.
Being a senior, I am constantly on the lookout for my moment of realization. We as seniors are constantly asking the question, “what am I doing with my life?” We all eagerly wish for a moment when suddenly we are able to see into the crystal ball of our future. Could it be that sometimes we are so caught up in the mess of everyday life that we are blinded to what God is showing us? Perhaps we need a new perspective?
We are nearing the end of the lenten season and into Holy Week when we celebrate the death and resurrection of Christ. Most of us are probably about ready to get back to drinking Coke again, using facebook again, or eating sweets after midnight again. Many of us have probably cheated somewhere along the way and felt guilty for not practicing self-discipline during the lenten season. I can’t believe I just ate that M&M from Dr. Hobbie’s office!! Others of us are probably extremely proud of the fact that we are able to give up something we love doing for forty days. Have we gotten too legalistic? Perhaps Lent has become more about doing something right for 40 days rather than eagerly anticipating the celebration of Easter with eyes that have been opened by God to see his miracles all around us. The Lenten season is for preparing the way for Holy Week through prayer, fasting, and spiritual preparation. I want to encourage that we take to this season as the man who was just healed of his blindness rather than as the legalistic Pharisees. Let us with new eyes be continually open to how God is working miracles in our lives. Let us with new eyes look forward to the celebration of Christ’s death and resurrection. Let us with new eyes treat every new day like the moment of realization had by the blind beggar, so excited that God is working in our lives that we are not held down by legalism.
There is a popular song out now by the band Snow Patrol called “hands open.” This song is about a guy knowing how much he loves a girl and wishes she would just let down her walls to let him in. The theme of opening ourselves to love and be loved emerges in this song. The chorus of the song says: Hands open and my eyes open / I just keep hoping / that your heart opens. I get the image here of God standing there with his arms outstretched, OPENED eyes looking at us in loving anticipation that our eyes, our hearts will also open up. The song finishes with the words: It's not as easy as willing it all to be right / Gotta be more than hoping it's right / I wanna hear you laugh like you really mean it / Collapse into me, tired with joy . Again I hear this as God’s words to us, wishing us to open up to him with a deep desire, not held back by the rules and little details. He is calling us to collapse into him, TIRED with JOY. As soon as the blind beggar is healed he reacts in utter awe, trusting God completely and wholeheartedly. In a similar manner God is working through us that we might confidently desire his will. May our eyes be opened so that we may approach God as the blind man did, Tired with Joy.
___________________
Sermon at Presbyterian College, April 10, 2007
John 9: 1-34
What does a blind man see the moment he is healed? This miracle would make a good movie trailer: Seth the blind beggar played by Brad Pitt was just a normal boy growing up in the streets of Jerusalem except for one thing, he was blind from birth. Little did he know one day everything would change forever. Jack Bauer plays as Jesus in this amazing story of a miraculous healing. What does Jonny see and do the moment he is healed? Find out this summer when the “Passion II: The Pharisees Strike Back” hits theaters. OK...yeah maybe not.
The moment of realization is both surprising and powerful. A man who has been blind from birth suddenly gains the ability to see. What was it like? Was he overwhelmed by light or did blackness slowly fade into vision. Did he see in color or black and white? Was he scared and overwhelmed as if he was watching Jim Henson’s Muppet Vision 3D at Disney world? One thing is certain: His life was changed. He was left speechless after this miracle. As the Pharisees continue to inquire about this man who violated the laws of the sabbath, the blind man simply knows one thing: “he is a prophet.” He also exclaims the phrase we know from “Amazing Grace”: “that though I was blind, now I see”. The blind beggar is in utter awe and knows nothing more but to express the wonderful life changing power of Christ. He can now see things he couldn’t see before, well in his case this meant everything. Unfortunately for him the Pharisees would hear nothing of it as they were still so outraged at Jesus’ action. The blind beggar is like your friend who just returned from studying abroad and won’t SHUT UP about their trip. JACK, enough about New Zealand already. DREW Ok whatever you went to Africa, thats great! TINA, I’m sick and tired of all of your stories from the border! I don’t care about anyone’s life changing experiences. I’m perfectly content with how life revolves around my comfortable life down here in rural South Carolina and nothing you all say can move me. Somehow we tend to play the role of the Pharisees, missing all that God is teaching us. We remain blinded and hard hearted to how God is trying to move us and move others.
Being a senior, I am constantly on the lookout for my moment of realization. We as seniors are constantly asking the question, “what am I doing with my life?” We all eagerly wish for a moment when suddenly we are able to see into the crystal ball of our future. Could it be that sometimes we are so caught up in the mess of everyday life that we are blinded to what God is showing us? Perhaps we need a new perspective?
We are nearing the end of the lenten season and into Holy Week when we celebrate the death and resurrection of Christ. Most of us are probably about ready to get back to drinking Coke again, using facebook again, or eating sweets after midnight again. Many of us have probably cheated somewhere along the way and felt guilty for not practicing self-discipline during the lenten season. I can’t believe I just ate that M&M from Dr. Hobbie’s office!! Others of us are probably extremely proud of the fact that we are able to give up something we love doing for forty days. Have we gotten too legalistic? Perhaps Lent has become more about doing something right for 40 days rather than eagerly anticipating the celebration of Easter with eyes that have been opened by God to see his miracles all around us. The Lenten season is for preparing the way for Holy Week through prayer, fasting, and spiritual preparation. I want to encourage that we take to this season as the man who was just healed of his blindness rather than as the legalistic Pharisees. Let us with new eyes be continually open to how God is working miracles in our lives. Let us with new eyes look forward to the celebration of Christ’s death and resurrection. Let us with new eyes treat every new day like the moment of realization had by the blind beggar, so excited that God is working in our lives that we are not held down by legalism.
There is a popular song out now by the band Snow Patrol called “hands open.” This song is about a guy knowing how much he loves a girl and wishes she would just let down her walls to let him in. The theme of opening ourselves to love and be loved emerges in this song. The chorus of the song says: Hands open and my eyes open / I just keep hoping / that your heart opens. I get the image here of God standing there with his arms outstretched, OPENED eyes looking at us in loving anticipation that our eyes, our hearts will also open up. The song finishes with the words: It's not as easy as willing it all to be right / Gotta be more than hoping it's right / I wanna hear you laugh like you really mean it / Collapse into me, tired with joy . Again I hear this as God’s words to us, wishing us to open up to him with a deep desire, not held back by the rules and little details. He is calling us to collapse into him, TIRED with JOY. As soon as the blind beggar is healed he reacts in utter awe, trusting God completely and wholeheartedly. In a similar manner God is working through us that we might confidently desire his will. May our eyes be opened so that we may approach God as the blind man did, Tired with Joy.
Monday, February 11, 2008
I'm an aspiring idealist
This was an email response I had sent to someone a few days ago. I realized a lot of these things have been weighing heavily on me the past few years of my life and writing this email finally gave me a chance to make those thoughts more concrete. So here are some of my views regarding the relationship between faith and politics:
*****
I continue to read and delve into the world of religion and politics. In Old Testament II we are studying how prophets were calling judgements on Israel and Judah for their treatment of the poor (more than any other issue). I have read books by Jim Wallis and Shane Claiborne, prophets in our own day for how religion should relate to politics. Believe me, I have been torn on this issue the past few years of my life. And I must say, I find it harder and harder to separate the worlds of religion and politics.
We are Christians first. This means our values as Christians should shape how we live our lives in this world. We have the unique ability as Christians to not only show how God has impacted our lives through actions of love, but to actively work to promote this love in the world we live in. How in the hell can we see injustice and things that are blatantly against the rule of Christian love and not say/do anything. Obviously there are no concrete answers to these issues, but still we live as Christians in the coming kingdom of God, and thus our actions should always reflect what Christ would have us do.
I am not saying our religion should stand behind a specific candidate, subscribing to all that they stand for. Rather, our politics should stand behind our religious beliefs, which shape every aspect of our lives. George Bush did this, although I would disagree with a lot of his theology. Evangelicals radically stand behind Bush and other candidates for promoting religious pro-life and anti-gay agendas. This is fundamentally wrong. However, supporting a candidate because their policies are most in line with your personal views regarding the truly inclusive love of God is a different issue altogether.
As Christians, if we see children of God being oppressed or subdued by the governing authority, we have every right to make a statement, as it is not only affecting the world we live in, but our religious system of beliefs. The prophets of the Old Testament spoke out in the same way at the oppression going on in their day. Read some Amos.
There are no concrete answers to what our religion says about how we should live in this world, but that doesn't mean we should remain silent. We should be actively discussing these matters.
For example, I believe that war is an extremely unfortunate and inevitable part of life. But instinctively militarily invading a country in order to oust a dictator, no matter how bad he was, and for reasons unclear, is simply not the Christian action to do. Hell, if we were following Christ literally, what ever happened to turning the other cheek? Denying two males the right to visit each other in the hospital or get tax breaks due to their love for each other, based on religious reasons, is simply discrimination. Giving tax breaks to the most wealthy of Americans, continuing to spend millions on the military, and ignoring the plights of poverty and education in our country are frightening examples of what the prophets were speaking out against in their day. How can we be active Christians to stand up and say these things are simply not how Christ calls us to be?
I'll also be honest to say that my faith was losing energy through college. I was sick of this comfort Christianity. Christianity that is socially active is not only completely Biblical, but extremely important for our "faith with action." I have found a REFRESHING new way to energize and use my faith.
I am not calling people to be democrat. I am not calling people to be republican. As a minister, I will call people to search for injustice in the world and learn to speak out against it as a Christian. I fully recognize the importance of NEVER alienating your congregation. And don't worry, a gift of mine is bringing people together (like obama!). I fully believe I can love people and develop relationships with them, despite my beliefs. The ministry should not be about constantly walking around on eggshells that would "close minds to Christianity." You honestly can not please everyone, and I recognize this. But if you are forced to minister to a congregation in fear of being yourself, of having to constantly appease without challenging anyone, then what's the point?! There is a loving approach to this issue and it resides in loving conversation without coersion towards a specific platform.
Yeah so maybe I'm just a crazy idealist now. But hey, wasn't Christ?
I recognize boundaries of being a minister. Boundaries that mean we should not promote any political agenda in order to not aleinate or turn off parishoners. But for now, as I am still a student, I have no shame in encouraging my close friends and family to make any decision I feel is most in line with my religious faith and political activism.
*****
I continue to read and delve into the world of religion and politics. In Old Testament II we are studying how prophets were calling judgements on Israel and Judah for their treatment of the poor (more than any other issue). I have read books by Jim Wallis and Shane Claiborne, prophets in our own day for how religion should relate to politics. Believe me, I have been torn on this issue the past few years of my life. And I must say, I find it harder and harder to separate the worlds of religion and politics.
We are Christians first. This means our values as Christians should shape how we live our lives in this world. We have the unique ability as Christians to not only show how God has impacted our lives through actions of love, but to actively work to promote this love in the world we live in. How in the hell can we see injustice and things that are blatantly against the rule of Christian love and not say/do anything. Obviously there are no concrete answers to these issues, but still we live as Christians in the coming kingdom of God, and thus our actions should always reflect what Christ would have us do.
I am not saying our religion should stand behind a specific candidate, subscribing to all that they stand for. Rather, our politics should stand behind our religious beliefs, which shape every aspect of our lives. George Bush did this, although I would disagree with a lot of his theology. Evangelicals radically stand behind Bush and other candidates for promoting religious pro-life and anti-gay agendas. This is fundamentally wrong. However, supporting a candidate because their policies are most in line with your personal views regarding the truly inclusive love of God is a different issue altogether.
As Christians, if we see children of God being oppressed or subdued by the governing authority, we have every right to make a statement, as it is not only affecting the world we live in, but our religious system of beliefs. The prophets of the Old Testament spoke out in the same way at the oppression going on in their day. Read some Amos.
There are no concrete answers to what our religion says about how we should live in this world, but that doesn't mean we should remain silent. We should be actively discussing these matters.
For example, I believe that war is an extremely unfortunate and inevitable part of life. But instinctively militarily invading a country in order to oust a dictator, no matter how bad he was, and for reasons unclear, is simply not the Christian action to do. Hell, if we were following Christ literally, what ever happened to turning the other cheek? Denying two males the right to visit each other in the hospital or get tax breaks due to their love for each other, based on religious reasons, is simply discrimination. Giving tax breaks to the most wealthy of Americans, continuing to spend millions on the military, and ignoring the plights of poverty and education in our country are frightening examples of what the prophets were speaking out against in their day. How can we be active Christians to stand up and say these things are simply not how Christ calls us to be?
I'll also be honest to say that my faith was losing energy through college. I was sick of this comfort Christianity. Christianity that is socially active is not only completely Biblical, but extremely important for our "faith with action." I have found a REFRESHING new way to energize and use my faith.
I am not calling people to be democrat. I am not calling people to be republican. As a minister, I will call people to search for injustice in the world and learn to speak out against it as a Christian. I fully recognize the importance of NEVER alienating your congregation. And don't worry, a gift of mine is bringing people together (like obama!). I fully believe I can love people and develop relationships with them, despite my beliefs. The ministry should not be about constantly walking around on eggshells that would "close minds to Christianity." You honestly can not please everyone, and I recognize this. But if you are forced to minister to a congregation in fear of being yourself, of having to constantly appease without challenging anyone, then what's the point?! There is a loving approach to this issue and it resides in loving conversation without coersion towards a specific platform.
Yeah so maybe I'm just a crazy idealist now. But hey, wasn't Christ?
I recognize boundaries of being a minister. Boundaries that mean we should not promote any political agenda in order to not aleinate or turn off parishoners. But for now, as I am still a student, I have no shame in encouraging my close friends and family to make any decision I feel is most in line with my religious faith and political activism.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Hope has a voice...YOU
After a week out of the conference and plenty of time to reflect on the experience, I have decided to write a reflection.
The 2008 College Conference at Montreat was held January 3-6. This is the second year the conference has been this weekend instead of late May. And not only has it grown in number, but the energy and enthusiasm has grown tremendously as well. My first and second years attending, they struggled to get 100 students to attend. Last year there were 500 students, largely due to the date change, Donald Miller as a speaker, and much more promotion. This year, 800 students plus some of the most amazing worship/speaker experiences possible made for a life-changing and groundbreaking experience for young adults involved with the Presbyterian Church and beyond.
The theme was "Hope has a voice," and I couldn't help but continually think about how in itself, this weekend was in itself, hope. It was hope for individuals who came looking for answers and peace to troubles in their own lives. It was hope for a church complaining about young adults leaving the church and begging for answers to where they are going. It was hope for the world, desperately in need of people who truly love and care for one another. Finally it was hope for the future.
The weekend began with worship led by Virginia Tech students and pastor Alex Evans, who was deeply involved with the shooting back in April. The students were very honest and open to talking about the day of the shooting, and the horrors they experienced. However, all of them couldn't finish speaking without mentioning the hope they found in their situations. One of the girls had been shot in the leg 3 times, an incident that would crush the hopes of most people. However, her stories of recovery and one in particular of a war veteran tearing up as he related with her pain, gave a true sense of the hope we can give one another. What made this night truly special was that we 800 college students were listening to about 9 other college students tell heartwrenching, seemingly hopeless stories which many of us could hardly realte to, and turn them into powerful messages of hope that we could relate to.
Friday's keynoter was Shane Claiborne, author of The Irrisistible Revolution. Shane could be described as a neo-hippie. I'm sure many describe him as crazy for giving up all he does. However, I, like many were blown away by his humble depiction of what a Christ-like life should truly entail. One of the most powerful quotes I remember was one Shane quoted his friend on, "That Jesus guy, he'll mess you up!" Shane quoted this to speak of the radical work of Jesus, standing up for and living with the poor. Shane told stories of his own, of the community he helped start in Philadelphia, where people pool their resources to live together and pay for each other's needs. He spoke of his travels to Iraq, where amidst bombs going off, he was able to experience the joy of an Iraqi child's birthday. He spoke of how he, and many others, were arrested and taken to court for sleeping publicly in one of the few places available for he and his friends. Upon hearing one of the homeless men speak for the group in court about how wrong the laws were, the judge freed them of all charges, agreeing with what he said. In his stories, Shane presented raw humanity and a raw gospel that has us embrace one another despite what laws and ruling authorities have in place. I think this was really expressed when Shane described how during one of the times he was arrested, they took his Bible away, telling him with a smirk, "it's a dangerous weapon." Shane showed us the hope in the gospel of Christ, how Christ gave and continues to give hope to all of humanity. Hope for a better world where we can love each other more.
Saturday's speaker was Ishmael Beah, author of Long Way Gone. Ishmael grew up in Sierra Leone during the war, and was drafted as a child soldier. His book tells his story, of loss, of chaos and utter destruction, and finally of redemption. It was strange watching a 27 year old speak, the whole while realizing that he had done numerous drugs and killed numerous people as a child soldier. One would think that his experience would destroy his hope in humanity and make him vengeful for all he had experienced. But no, Ishmael was the complete opposite. Ishmael gave us the greatest example of hope by saying all humans have the capacity for good, no matter how far away they have gone. He spoke of his personal experience of finding his humanity again, during the long process of recovery from being brainwashed as a child soldier. As much as he would fight and resist their aid, they would just continue to treat him, care for him, and love him. They would continue to tell him, "it's not your fault." It was these radical actions that helped him to believe that no human can be completely lost. We all have the capacity for good if we just make the effort. Hearing Ishmael say these things, and then plead that we avoid all sorts of violence was incredible. There was no way we could relate with his story, but somehow his story of redemption drew us in and made us consider how we live out our humanity.
One of the most powerful experiences for me personally was my small group. My group of around 25 students had some extremely lively, deep, and personal times of sharing. All were deeply attuned to the messages of hope being expressed. This all came out in the last session as we began to share our own messages of hope. I realized that college students, and young adults in general, carry a LOT of baggage with them, all the time. One of the best things we can give one another is a listening ear to one another's stories. I won't share details of the discussions in my group, but suffice it to say that people were extremely passionate about their times of desperation when they did or didn't find hope. It went both ways. But however, the community of our group, plus the community of the 800 students gathered at the conference was evidence that we were there for one another. Multiply this by a lot and this feeling of hope within the community can be spread to our homes, our churches, the nation, and the entire world. This is not an impossible task. Every time I go to Montreat, I bask in relationships. Being able to communicate with good friends I haven't seen in a long time truly warms my heart and gives me hope. This is the epitomy of the Christian faith and the message of Christ. The fact that 800 college students understood this, or were at least attempting to, was the voice of hope.
And I truly hope the church and the world can start listening.
The 2008 College Conference at Montreat was held January 3-6. This is the second year the conference has been this weekend instead of late May. And not only has it grown in number, but the energy and enthusiasm has grown tremendously as well. My first and second years attending, they struggled to get 100 students to attend. Last year there were 500 students, largely due to the date change, Donald Miller as a speaker, and much more promotion. This year, 800 students plus some of the most amazing worship/speaker experiences possible made for a life-changing and groundbreaking experience for young adults involved with the Presbyterian Church and beyond.
The theme was "Hope has a voice," and I couldn't help but continually think about how in itself, this weekend was in itself, hope. It was hope for individuals who came looking for answers and peace to troubles in their own lives. It was hope for a church complaining about young adults leaving the church and begging for answers to where they are going. It was hope for the world, desperately in need of people who truly love and care for one another. Finally it was hope for the future.
The weekend began with worship led by Virginia Tech students and pastor Alex Evans, who was deeply involved with the shooting back in April. The students were very honest and open to talking about the day of the shooting, and the horrors they experienced. However, all of them couldn't finish speaking without mentioning the hope they found in their situations. One of the girls had been shot in the leg 3 times, an incident that would crush the hopes of most people. However, her stories of recovery and one in particular of a war veteran tearing up as he related with her pain, gave a true sense of the hope we can give one another. What made this night truly special was that we 800 college students were listening to about 9 other college students tell heartwrenching, seemingly hopeless stories which many of us could hardly realte to, and turn them into powerful messages of hope that we could relate to.
Friday's keynoter was Shane Claiborne, author of The Irrisistible Revolution. Shane could be described as a neo-hippie. I'm sure many describe him as crazy for giving up all he does. However, I, like many were blown away by his humble depiction of what a Christ-like life should truly entail. One of the most powerful quotes I remember was one Shane quoted his friend on, "That Jesus guy, he'll mess you up!" Shane quoted this to speak of the radical work of Jesus, standing up for and living with the poor. Shane told stories of his own, of the community he helped start in Philadelphia, where people pool their resources to live together and pay for each other's needs. He spoke of his travels to Iraq, where amidst bombs going off, he was able to experience the joy of an Iraqi child's birthday. He spoke of how he, and many others, were arrested and taken to court for sleeping publicly in one of the few places available for he and his friends. Upon hearing one of the homeless men speak for the group in court about how wrong the laws were, the judge freed them of all charges, agreeing with what he said. In his stories, Shane presented raw humanity and a raw gospel that has us embrace one another despite what laws and ruling authorities have in place. I think this was really expressed when Shane described how during one of the times he was arrested, they took his Bible away, telling him with a smirk, "it's a dangerous weapon." Shane showed us the hope in the gospel of Christ, how Christ gave and continues to give hope to all of humanity. Hope for a better world where we can love each other more.
Saturday's speaker was Ishmael Beah, author of Long Way Gone. Ishmael grew up in Sierra Leone during the war, and was drafted as a child soldier. His book tells his story, of loss, of chaos and utter destruction, and finally of redemption. It was strange watching a 27 year old speak, the whole while realizing that he had done numerous drugs and killed numerous people as a child soldier. One would think that his experience would destroy his hope in humanity and make him vengeful for all he had experienced. But no, Ishmael was the complete opposite. Ishmael gave us the greatest example of hope by saying all humans have the capacity for good, no matter how far away they have gone. He spoke of his personal experience of finding his humanity again, during the long process of recovery from being brainwashed as a child soldier. As much as he would fight and resist their aid, they would just continue to treat him, care for him, and love him. They would continue to tell him, "it's not your fault." It was these radical actions that helped him to believe that no human can be completely lost. We all have the capacity for good if we just make the effort. Hearing Ishmael say these things, and then plead that we avoid all sorts of violence was incredible. There was no way we could relate with his story, but somehow his story of redemption drew us in and made us consider how we live out our humanity.
One of the most powerful experiences for me personally was my small group. My group of around 25 students had some extremely lively, deep, and personal times of sharing. All were deeply attuned to the messages of hope being expressed. This all came out in the last session as we began to share our own messages of hope. I realized that college students, and young adults in general, carry a LOT of baggage with them, all the time. One of the best things we can give one another is a listening ear to one another's stories. I won't share details of the discussions in my group, but suffice it to say that people were extremely passionate about their times of desperation when they did or didn't find hope. It went both ways. But however, the community of our group, plus the community of the 800 students gathered at the conference was evidence that we were there for one another. Multiply this by a lot and this feeling of hope within the community can be spread to our homes, our churches, the nation, and the entire world. This is not an impossible task. Every time I go to Montreat, I bask in relationships. Being able to communicate with good friends I haven't seen in a long time truly warms my heart and gives me hope. This is the epitomy of the Christian faith and the message of Christ. The fact that 800 college students understood this, or were at least attempting to, was the voice of hope.
And I truly hope the church and the world can start listening.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
The Golden Compass
Greetings. I'm sure we've all been hit by the forwarded email before about The Golden Compass movie coming out soon. I've blogged my thoughts, please enjoy:
The Email
>> Do not see the movie, "The Golden Compass."
>>
>> The movie "The Golden Compass" starring Nicole Kidman is coming to
>> theaters December 7th. It is based on the trilogy of books by atheist
>> Phillip Pullman, of England , and is geared towards kids. He wants
>> kids to denounce God and Heaven but he does it in a very subtle way
>> that parents may not pick up on what his true intentions are. In a
>> 2003 interview, Pullman said, "My books are about killing God."
>>
>> Please don't take your kids to see this movie!! Send this to EVERYONE
>> you know!!! We need to get the word out about this movie and make sure
>> that no one supports it!!!
>>
>> This link gives more information about the movie and Pullman .
>> http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/compass.asp You'll be
>> shocked, I'm sure.
>>
>> His beliefs are "dumbed-down" in such a way that even adults might not
>> realize the deception before them. Pullman has said that he wrote his
>> trilogy as an antithesis to C.S. Lewis' "Chronicles of Narnia."
>> Pullman has been called the most dangerous author in Britain .
>>
>> Please give this email wide distribution.
>>
My response:
ARE WE SERIOUS HERE?!?
I've seen this "protest bandwagon" all over the place and frankly I think it is ridiculous.
1. We are so quick to jump on anything promoting Christianity in the media according to our beliefs in freedom of speech. Yet when an author attempts to express his opposing views in an artistic manner, we are just as quick to jump to attack him, as if freedom of speech did not exist for him. That's pretty hypocritical if you ask me. Have we become a Theocracy? Did I miss something?
2. Have we lost our hope in humanity?
"His beliefs are "dumbed-down" in such a way that even adults might not realize the deception before them."
are you serious here? So in a sense, we should treat this movie like the parental block features on cable televisions. Because it might corrupt us we should avoid it at all costs. If we actually had any faith in humanity at all we would be able to trust that people would have the basic knowledge to understand and decide for themselves!
The same goes for kids! Have we lost our trust in parents to teach their kids what is out there and help them understand what this book series/movie is trying to say? I get the feeling this guy isn't out there to destroy homes and destroy religion and churches as we know it. Like any artist/author, he is presenting his work as it is his objective truth, and he hopes that we will read/watch with our MINDS. He's not trying to brainwash anyone, I guarantee it.
3. This source, are you kidding me? "Urban Legend Reference Pages?" Our valid sources have become Urband Legend websites?!? Question the source my friends. Find the truth yourself.
4. Think of all the people that will actually read these books or watch the movie, then decide what they believe regarding it. Does this not make them stronger? Why is our first instinct to run from things that are controversial? Heck, I'm a seminary student here and I'm actually kind of intrigued by this movie and think it'll be worth watching!
If anything, this movie, like many before it (DaVinci Code, Dogma, The Last Temptation of Christ) has gotten us talking about important issues. Therefore I praise Pullman for getting us out of our comfort zones to talk about these things.
The Email
>> Do not see the movie, "The Golden Compass."
>>
>> The movie "The Golden Compass" starring Nicole Kidman is coming to
>> theaters December 7th. It is based on the trilogy of books by atheist
>> Phillip Pullman, of England , and is geared towards kids. He wants
>> kids to denounce God and Heaven but he does it in a very subtle way
>> that parents may not pick up on what his true intentions are. In a
>> 2003 interview, Pullman said, "My books are about killing God."
>>
>> Please don't take your kids to see this movie!! Send this to EVERYONE
>> you know!!! We need to get the word out about this movie and make sure
>> that no one supports it!!!
>>
>> This link gives more information about the movie and Pullman .
>> http://www.snopes.com/politics
>> shocked, I'm sure.
>>
>> His beliefs are "dumbed-down" in such a way that even adults might not
>> realize the deception before them. Pullman has said that he wrote his
>> trilogy as an antithesis to C.S. Lewis' "Chronicles of Narnia."
>> Pullman has been called the most dangerous author in Britain .
>>
>> Please give this email wide distribution.
>>
My response:
ARE WE SERIOUS HERE?!?
I've seen this "protest bandwagon" all over the place and frankly I think it is ridiculous.
1. We are so quick to jump on anything promoting Christianity in the media according to our beliefs in freedom of speech. Yet when an author attempts to express his opposing views in an artistic manner, we are just as quick to jump to attack him, as if freedom of speech did not exist for him. That's pretty hypocritical if you ask me. Have we become a Theocracy? Did I miss something?
2. Have we lost our hope in humanity?
"His beliefs are "dumbed-down" in such a way that even adults might not realize the deception before them."
are you serious here? So in a sense, we should treat this movie like the parental block features on cable televisions. Because it might corrupt us we should avoid it at all costs. If we actually had any faith in humanity at all we would be able to trust that people would have the basic knowledge to understand and decide for themselves!
The same goes for kids! Have we lost our trust in parents to teach their kids what is out there and help them understand what this book series/movie is trying to say? I get the feeling this guy isn't out there to destroy homes and destroy religion and churches as we know it. Like any artist/author, he is presenting his work as it is his objective truth, and he hopes that we will read/watch with our MINDS. He's not trying to brainwash anyone, I guarantee it.
3. This source, are you kidding me? "Urban Legend Reference Pages?" Our valid sources have become Urband Legend websites?!? Question the source my friends. Find the truth yourself.
4. Think of all the people that will actually read these books or watch the movie, then decide what they believe regarding it. Does this not make them stronger? Why is our first instinct to run from things that are controversial? Heck, I'm a seminary student here and I'm actually kind of intrigued by this movie and think it'll be worth watching!
If anything, this movie, like many before it (DaVinci Code, Dogma, The Last Temptation of Christ) has gotten us talking about important issues. Therefore I praise Pullman for getting us out of our comfort zones to talk about these things.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
God is dead
*this is cross-posted in www.ruachretreat.com, a blog between a few of us PC friends*
While preparing for teaching high school sunday school using the revered "Christian Doctrine" book by Shirley Guthrie, I stumbled across a section reminding me of our 'God is Dead' discussions. This quote is on pages 97-98 for those of you who have the book, in the section about the attributes of God. We talked about the world after God dies in the novel we read (God is dead by Ron Currie, Jr.) and how there are still small instances of hope and love in the broken world. Perhaps one could go along with Guthrie's view that perhaps God didn't die, but rather, our misled human conceptions of God died.
He states, "The church may talk about a God who is at work in our individual lives and in the world around us. But many people experience only the distance, silence, and absence of God--like Jesus himself who cried, 'My God my God, why have you forsaken me?' Why does God seem so far away, even dead, in our time? Is it because we live in a scientific and technological age that no longer needs 'God' to explain everything--or anything--that happens to us? It is because God seems to do nothing about all the misery, suffering, and injustice in the world? Perhaps these are partial explanations. But could it be that instead of blaming science or God, we ought to ask if the fault is not in ourselves? Could it be that we have some wrong ideas about who God is and that they must die if we are to know and experience the reality of God in our lives? Could it be that we ought to welcome the announcement that 'God' is dead, because only as our false conceptions of God die can we learn to know what the living and true God is really like?" (97-98)
Again I know this might be a stretch from the book, but it seems for the most part, was it not these general perceptions of God that "died" in this book? More than likely it may have been the opposite. Perhaps the "loving and preserving" picture of God died in this book, giving way for people to live like they are described in this book.
Although I keep coming back to one of the middle chapters, "Grace," when a drunk pastor is found with a sign saying, "God is alive." This must be a significant point.
I'll conclude with more from Guthrie:
"Which god is dead? All the gods that were really nothing but a projection of our own fears, wishes, insecurity, greed, or speculation. All the gods made in our own image. If talk about the death of God in our own time exposes our idols and their inadequacy, we may welcome it. The quicker we bury and forget the gods we make for ourselves, the quicker we can learn who God really is." (98)
Regardless of if this fits with the God is dead book or not, I still really liked this quote. Especially after hearing more news about Fred Phelps
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/10/31/funeral.protest/index.html?iref=newssearch
the video interviews they have with him are purely frightening. I think this truly speaks to a conception of God we make that must "die." The man who won the lawsuit said it best at one point when he described how the God he knows is a loving God. In the message Phelps and company are promoting, there is nothing "good" about it. It is completely a message of hate. I know there's a lot more to this story regarding freedom of speech and the fact that we're just giving him the attention he wants, but I think this is what we need to do to "kill" these bad misconceptions of God!
Ok went on a rant there.
back to planning for sunday school.
Feel free to comment!
-Mike Watson
While preparing for teaching high school sunday school using the revered "Christian Doctrine" book by Shirley Guthrie, I stumbled across a section reminding me of our 'God is Dead' discussions. This quote is on pages 97-98 for those of you who have the book, in the section about the attributes of God. We talked about the world after God dies in the novel we read (God is dead by Ron Currie, Jr.) and how there are still small instances of hope and love in the broken world. Perhaps one could go along with Guthrie's view that perhaps God didn't die, but rather, our misled human conceptions of God died.
He states, "The church may talk about a God who is at work in our individual lives and in the world around us. But many people experience only the distance, silence, and absence of God--like Jesus himself who cried, 'My God my God, why have you forsaken me?' Why does God seem so far away, even dead, in our time? Is it because we live in a scientific and technological age that no longer needs 'God' to explain everything--or anything--that happens to us? It is because God seems to do nothing about all the misery, suffering, and injustice in the world? Perhaps these are partial explanations. But could it be that instead of blaming science or God, we ought to ask if the fault is not in ourselves? Could it be that we have some wrong ideas about who God is and that they must die if we are to know and experience the reality of God in our lives? Could it be that we ought to welcome the announcement that 'God' is dead, because only as our false conceptions of God die can we learn to know what the living and true God is really like?" (97-98)
Again I know this might be a stretch from the book, but it seems for the most part, was it not these general perceptions of God that "died" in this book? More than likely it may have been the opposite. Perhaps the "loving and preserving" picture of God died in this book, giving way for people to live like they are described in this book.
Although I keep coming back to one of the middle chapters, "Grace," when a drunk pastor is found with a sign saying, "God is alive." This must be a significant point.
I'll conclude with more from Guthrie:
"Which god is dead? All the gods that were really nothing but a projection of our own fears, wishes, insecurity, greed, or speculation. All the gods made in our own image. If talk about the death of God in our own time exposes our idols and their inadequacy, we may welcome it. The quicker we bury and forget the gods we make for ourselves, the quicker we can learn who God really is." (98)
Regardless of if this fits with the God is dead book or not, I still really liked this quote. Especially after hearing more news about Fred Phelps
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/10/31/funeral.protest/index.html?iref=newssearch
the video interviews they have with him are purely frightening. I think this truly speaks to a conception of God we make that must "die." The man who won the lawsuit said it best at one point when he described how the God he knows is a loving God. In the message Phelps and company are promoting, there is nothing "good" about it. It is completely a message of hate. I know there's a lot more to this story regarding freedom of speech and the fact that we're just giving him the attention he wants, but I think this is what we need to do to "kill" these bad misconceptions of God!
Ok went on a rant there.
back to planning for sunday school.
Feel free to comment!
-Mike Watson
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