Category Archives: Theology

Spam

18 Friday Aug 2017

Posted by in Society, Theology

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,

When I look at my e-mails I am sure to have some spam.  Every time.  I didn’t ask for any of it.  I don’t care which shampoos can supposedly cause cancer.  If these people actually knew me, they’d know I shave my head and that shampoo is just not that important to me.

I didn’t ask to receive spam e-mail for dating Russian women and other things unsuitable for this blog.  How in the world did they even get my e-mail.  If they knew me, they’d know I was happily married.

I didn’t ask to receive spam e-mails that is going to show me shocking footage of Hillary Clinton screaming at someone.  Seriously?  Isn’t she old news by now?  Who needs that when you can easily be distracted by the President’s tweets or speeches.  If they knew me, they’d know that I’m registered non-partisan and find both parties to be seriously lacking, stale, and flawed – and certainly not placing any hope of salvation in either party or any politician.  Certainly not the current crop of politicians that claim to be leaders.

I don’t ask for any of these e-mails, yet they show up.  And every day when I get them, I unsubscribe from every single one of them.  But they keep coming.  It never ends.

Often times, life is like spam e-mails.  Things just show up that we never asked for.  Often these are annoyances, sometimes they are worse.  And sometimes they are down right offensive (like the second set of spam I receive – Seriously, how did they get my e-mail and don’t they get the message that I don’t want anything they have to offer?).

Often we are bombarded with what I call spam messages – you could call them spam gospel messages.  These are message that tell you that if only believe this, you’ll be great.  If you buy our product, then you’ll be in much better shape.  If you do this, you’ll make a fortune.  Then then there are literal spam gospel messages – messages that are theological based, but are just as baseless as any ad that tries to separate you from your money.  These are the Rapture theologies, the Prosperity gospel, and the televangelist “send in your money to receive a reward or healing” – often they call it seed money.  Who’s seeds are you planting though?

We get inundated with lots of spam.  We don’t ask for it.  We don’t even want to hear it or see it.  Yet it shows up – in our e-mails, on our TV’s, in the ads we see, on social media, in conversations we overhear in the grocery store, in political campaigns, and in sporting events.

But then we also receive some actual good news too.  Sometimes the message of good news gets lost because we are so upset or distracted by the spam.  But the good news will never go away.  It’s there, just waiting to be celebrated.  That’s the role of the church – to share Good News with people.  Church, I’m speaking directly to you – people want to hear good news.  They welcome it.  Let’s stop apologizing for talking about the Good News.  The rest of the news is spam frankly.  There really is no comparison here.  We have the best news in the history of creation.  It’s time to proclaim Good News to people.

Radical Christians

17 Thursday Aug 2017

Posted by in Church, Theology

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

,

I saw several articles people posted on Facebook over the last couple of weeks that caught my attention – and not in a good way.  I made a note for myself to revisit the articles after I had a chance to let them settle in a bit.

One article I saw was from someone who was saying that radical Muslims get off the hook, but radical Christians are persecuted.  That we are more afraid to sit with a radical Christian than we are with a radical Muslim.  That’s a bit simplistic, but that was the essence of the argument from the person who posted it.  I’m guessing the author of these words thought he was a victim because of his beliefs.

He claimed that “a so-called radical Christian is likely to refuse to bake a dessert for a gay wedding. A radical Muslim is likely to shoot up a gay club or throw gays off of roofs.”

(This was commentary on social media so I can’t point you to a specific web address for this).

There is a problem in definitions though, among other things.  A Christian who refuses to bake a dessert for a gay wedding isn’t a radical.  They may fit into several other categories and labels, but radical isn’t one of them.  As far as I know, there hasn’t been a cake maker who has gone and killed people because they were so upset about backing a cake for someone they didn’t like.  There isn’t a comparison of this with someone who shoots people and destroys lives – regardless of their religion.

Secondly, this is dismissive of real radical Christians – the people who have no problem driving a car into a crown and killing a woman in Charlottesville, VA recently for example.  These groups exist and yes, they are just as bad as any radical Muslim, or radical Hindu, or radical anything.  (Check out a simple list of radical Christian groups here)  These groups are real and are dangerous and have nothing to do with what Christianity is about but still steal the label for themselves.  While that statement might not sound controversial – substitute Muslim for Christian and I wonder how it changes for some people.

Then again, I’m not sure what baking a cake has to do with Christianity either, but that’s besides the point.

I don’t understand this quest to become victims that has captured so many people’s attention and conduct.  Everyone wants to be a victim.  Especially from people who really aren’t victims at all.  “They’re tearing down my statue of Robert E Lee – we’re a victim of historical theft.”  BS.

A cake baker who doesn’t bake a cake isn’t a victim.  It’s just someone who makes a bad business decision based on a bad interpretation of Scripture.  In one sense, they are a victim I guess – A victim of bad scriptural interpretation.

But here’s the point.  What is a radical Christian?  Here’s a radical answer to the question – someone who actually lives out what Jesus taught.  No, not the Old Testament laws that can be taken out of context and used as a bludgeon.  How about this instead – A radical Christian is someone who lives out the Sermon on the Mount.  (Read it – it’s in Matthew 5-7).  A radical Christian is someone whose loyalty is to the kingdom of God first and foremost and in advancing God’s kingdom through radical inclusiveness and love.  A radical Christian is someone who seeks to be a peacemaker in the midst of violence.  A radical Christian is someone who practices forgiveness.  A radical Christian is someone who doesn’t wait for someone else to change and do the right thing, they start.  A radical Christian gives voice to the voiceless.  A radical Christian feeds the hungry, clothes those who need clothing, houses the homeless, visits prisoners and the sick, and cares for orphans and widows.

A radical Christian in this sense isn’t really radical at all.  They are just living out what they claim to believe.  Yet, this way of living and believing is radical – it is far different from the radicalness we see around us.  It is a radicalness that is polar opposite to the radicalness that believes in fighting and might makes right and control and separation and violence and fear and hatred.

That kind of radicalness is becoming more prevalent and easier.

It’s much more radical to pray for someone – even someone who is our enemy – than it is to shout that person down or cause harm to them.  Causing harm to someone else isn’t radical – it’s just plain evil.

Maybe we need a new name for these type of Christians – ones who aren’t really radical at all.

 

LWF banners

17 Thursday Aug 2017

Posted by in Church, Theology, Travel

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, ,

In the main hall of the LWF assembly there were several banners showcasing the history of past LWF assemblies.

DSCN2122

The images were neat to see and to see how life has evolved within the LWF – moving from a German-centric focus to other places.

DSCN2123

I, of course, had to get a picture of the LWF banner depicting 1963 in Helsinki, Finland.  It was a great reminder for me of my time in Finland.  And to walk in the same footsteps of Lutherans in the past is a special memory for me.

Solving “problems”

16 Wednesday Aug 2017

Posted by in Society, Theology

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , ,

How do we solve problems?  It depends on what the problem is.  How do you solve the problem of some homeless guys who the church is helping?  How do you solve the problem of people learning to hate other people because of skin color, or nationality, or language, or sexuality, or…?  How do you solve the problem of North Korea?  How do you solve the problem of drugs?  How do you solve the problem of ______?

I don’t think there is an easy answer.  That’s because all of these “problems” involve people and people are messy.  They aren’t black and white.  They aren’t either us vs. them.

There are people who try to classify the world this way.  But the problem with this way of thinking is that people themselves become the problem – another thing to be fixed, another box to be checked off.  People lose their humanity that way.  When people lose their humanity then it becomes acceptable to dehumanize others in terms of words, physical violence, killing, and extremists belief systems.  When we dehumanize people – we no longer see people as people – but rather as things.

How do we change this?  You can’t force others to change for one thing.  We can only model a different way to live.  One change is identifying names and using people’s names.  It might seem small and pointless, but we know that a person’s name is the most important word they know.  Further, when a name is attached to a person, they are no longer seen as the problem, but in a problem situation.

It’s really difficult to judge someone when you know them by name and you have met them face to face and you see their humanity.  Not impossible obviously, but a lot harder.

The crappy part about this is actually doing it.  As much as I just want to give the one finger salute to the white supremacists and yell at them and call them evil to their face (boy, wouldn’t that feel good and I get to feel all self-righteous), that is not modeling a better way to live.  It’s dehumanizing someone who I frankly abhor and makes no sense to me.

For those of us that are Christians, Jesus calls us to live differently.  It’s not easy, by any means.  I’m not saying that I’m going to go and make a friend with a white supremacist just so I can better understand him.  I’m not inviting a white supremacist over for dinner either.  But I am a bit more aware of how I respond to white supremacy.  First, by not adopting the tactics, language, or attitude of extremists.  Jesus calls us to live differently.  Sometimes that really sucks.  Sometimes I’d rather just let my real feelings rip out and let someone have it.  Sometimes I’d rather dehumanize because it would be easier, feel better, and show my obvious opposition.  But opposition to evil doesn’t mean we adopt evil ways.  We change the message and show a different way of living – an alternative way of living.  A better way of living.  And we pray for those who are blinded by fear and hatred because that’s about the only thing I know how to do right now.

Purpose and Meaning

15 Tuesday Aug 2017

Posted by in Church, Humanity, Theology

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

Have you ever driven through sections of town that raise questions?  When you look around, you can’t help but wonder what happened?  Have you driven through a city to a section where you can literally see a lack of hope and future in the faces of the people and the properties and the landscaping?  The entire area just looks and feels empty of life.  There is survival, but that’s about it.  And often it gets summed up as this – Why am I still here?

So often we look to government to provide for people who are poor – and government does to some degree.  But government is limited – it can only touch on people’s material needs.  It can’t touch the intangibles.

These are intangibles like community, spiritual needs, existential needs.  I don’t care who you are, we all have these needs and often these needs are going unmet.

This is an opportunity for the church.  This is one area that the church has a unique opportunity and role in the lives of people – to do something that no one else can do.  To help people answer the question of why they are still here.

There are many people who seek purpose and meaning.  It’s as if they are waiting for an answer to just show up.  They don’t know where to search for the answer to the age-old question – and so they just exist.  And after you have done that for a long time, you forget that you were searching.  And instead, you bide your time, you distract yourself, and you find ways to fill the void in life.  Too many turn to unhealthy distractions of drugs, alcohol, sex, and entertainment.  Others turn to work and materialism.

But none of these can offer the answer to these deep questions about life.  And this is where the church can step in and help people with these questions.  It’s what makes the church unique.  But it requires a long-term commitment.  It requires an outward focus.  It requires trust and a willingness to ask difficult questions and sit with uncomfortable questions.  It takes time.

Purpose and meaning – even people who we think don’t care about these things really do.  Purpose and meaning are the difference between existing today and having direction.

Jesus walks on water…you can too!!!

11 Friday Aug 2017

Posted by in Church, Theology

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

This Sunday is the Gospel reading about Jesus walking on water and Peter giving it a try, only to realize he isn’t God and starts to sink.  I’ve always found the reading a bit odd to be perfectly honest. I never really liked the passage.

I don’t the words from Jesus – “Oh you of little faith.”  Often I don’t like it because what I hear in my head when I hear this is a voice that is condescending – As in “Oh Peter, you have got to be kidding me, try harder home boy. That was pathetic.”  Heard that way, this passage of Gospel is really disheartening and can just be a really killer for people.  That’s the danger of it anyway.  It’s a message of “try harder or else you’ll sink.”  That’s not gospel – that’s the message of the world.

Yet here we are – a statement by Jesus that sounds just like the world.

But wouldn’t you know it, Jesus doesn’t let Peter drown. He doesn’t give Peter what he deserves.  Instead, Jesus reaches out his hand and pulls Peter to safety.  Jesus embodies grace and does the exact opposite of this world and its gospel message.  How great is that.

But really, what’s the deal with Jesus walking on water?  Maybe it’s the message that Jesus can not be controlled by the chaos of the sea.

Imagine if this story were told today.  You’d see News Team 21 going to the scene to interview the guys on the ship and report what they experienced.  Then there would the viral selfies of James and John showing Jesus in the background, but it wouldn’t be too clear – it was stormy you know.  And finally, we can’t for get about the tweets.  Thomas: Jesus walks on water.  You’d think he was God or something. #doubting, #gottogetmeapairofthoseshoes

Then the 30 seconds of fame would die off because one of the Kardashians would have walked across something and tried to outdo Jesus.  And then Jesus walking on water would be so last week.

At any rate, what does this mean for us today?  Good question.  I don’t think it’s God’s call for us to try crazy things that might get us killed.  And I don’t think it’s God’s call to do publicity stunts either.  I think it’s about this.  We get sent out into a messy world that tosses us and turns us all over the place.  And it’s scary and messy and we feel like we’re going to get thrown out of the boat. And just when we think it can’t get any worse, Jesus shows up in unexpected ways – ways we have trouble believing.  And bam, grace happens.  And boy do we need that.  And when grace comes, all the chaos doesn’t matter any more.

Sound like modern life?  based on some recent conversations, it sounds exactly like what the passage about walking on water is all about.

Love is…

08 Tuesday Aug 2017

Posted by in Theology

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

,

I recently read an article that defined love as the absence of power.  The fascinating thing about this definition is that it was in relation to an article about politics. Given that information, I’m not surprised that the author defined love that way.

But I think the author was way off.  Love isn’t the absence of power at all.  In fact, love is very powerful.  Maybe part of the difference here as to do with definitions – specifically for love and for power.

I think love is the presence of power.  But it is not power that is held over someone or used to force someone into something.  That isn’t love at all, but rather coercion, or manipulation.

Love, however, is powerful.  Love is the power behind forgiveness.  Love is the power behind grace.  Love is the power behind freedom.  Love is the power behind mercy.  Love is the power behind peace.  Without love, why would we live any of these things out?

Being fed and feeding

07 Monday Aug 2017

Posted by in Sermon Prep, Theology

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

Yesterday’s reading in the Revised Common Lectionary were all about feeding.  Isaiah 55 spoke of coming to the water, and asked why spend money on that which is not food.  Our Gospel story was from Matthew 14 and told of the miracle of Jesus feeding the 5000+ in a desolate place.

There is a great deal debate over this reading – did Jesus do a real miracle by multiplying the loaves and fishes, or was the real miracle that people saw Jesus sharing what little there was and they began to share.  I don’t think it matters – regardless of the how, thousands were fed – that’s a miracle.

Instead, I would rather focus on the fact that this was a desolate place – that’s the terminology we are given.  Desolate, deserted, empty – they all mean the same thing ultimately.  These terms signify that there is no life, nothing of value.  And this is where Jesus goes.

The people go to where Jesus is.  I think it’s quite fitting that the crowd would search out Jesus in a desolate place.  Desolation isn’t just a physical place – it’s a state of being for some people, maybe for many people.  So many people are empty, exhausted, and their state of being is desolate.  There is no life where they are.  Yet, if they are searching, they are hungry.  They are hungry for food, for love, for attention, for care, for mercy, for forgiveness.

But where there is desolation, Jesus shows up and amazing things happen.  Jesus shows up and people are fed.  Not just enough to kill the hunger pains, but we are told to their fill.  But it doesn’t stop there – the disciples collected the leftovers and found 12 baskets full.  That’s because when Jesus shows up, there is overflowing abundance – never to run out.

Jesus shows up and amazing things happen.  People are fed love – in overwhelming ways.  Where they had only received conditional love, Jesus gives unconditional love – to the point of death.  We are overwhelmed by God’s love and have more than enough to give to others.

Jesus shows up and we receive forgiveness.  Forgiveness that we don’t deserve and can’t possibly do enough to earn.  Yet, it is given – in overflowing abundance.  So much so that we take the extra and give it our to others who need forgiveness.

Jesus shows up and we receive mercy and grace and so much more.  And we receive these things in overwhelming abundance.  So much so that we give it away.

The miracle isn’t that God is this good.  The miracle is that we are invited to participate in handing out God’s overwhelming abundance to others.  The miracle is that it doesn’t run out – ever.  When Jesus shows up to places where there is desolation – to lives where desolation runs rampant – lives change in overwhelming and abundant ways.  Thanks be to God!

All or nothing

04 Friday Aug 2017

Posted by in Humanity, Society, Theology

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

, , , ,

It’s either all true or it’s a lie…

It’s either my way or the highway…

It’s either (my political party) or else it’s the spawn of Satan…

You either agree with me 100% (and therefore you are right) or any disagreement means you are wrong and heading to hell in a hand basket.  Did I mention that you are going to hell, you heretic!  (Doesn’t that make you want to give up your beliefs and adopt mine)

It’s either this or it’s that…(And that is presented as a terrible option, if you want to call it that)

This is the logic that many people operate with today.  Then again, it’s not new.  It’s the logic that argues that either the Bible is inerrant (meaning incapable of any errors) or it’s a book of lies.  There’s no middle ground.  There can’t be.  It’s all or nothing.  Remarkably, fundamentalists and atheists use the same argument here.  Go ahead and tell me God doesn’t have a sense of humor or irony now.

At any rate, all or nothing arguments are weak at best.  Yes, you heard me – weak.  If your faith in God can’t handle some questions, doubts, and some science that disproves some portions of the bible, then I have to wonder about your faith.

If you can’t accept that creation wasn’t made in 7 literal days, then I have to wonder if your faith is a house of cards – one card taken out and the whole things falls apart.  Are you convinced that you are going to become an atheist if you don’t buy something as it is literally stated.  What happened to faith being a gift from God?  Sounds like your faith is based on how right you are in your belief.  Which isn’t faith at all, by the way.

I also have to wonder why you pit science against religion and faith.  They don’t have to be in a mortal battle for Truth.  They could be seen different – like both helping to move us towards truth, but in different ways.  There isn’t anything wrong with that.  Accepting what science has found doesn’t diminish our faith.  At least it doesn’t have to anyway.

We can actually believe that evolution is pretty good science and still believe that God created human being in God’s own image.  (Gasp!)  We can believe that science has some pretty good ideas of how the universe was formed and still believe in the creation story (Oh the horror!).  We can believe that science compliments religion and faith.

Understanding evolutionary science has allowed doctors to better treat cancer.  That makes pastoral care much better.  Understanding the science also helps pastors deal with really bad theological statements like: “God doesn’t give us more than can handle.”  If we understand the science of cancer, we can understand that it’s not God doing this, and that cancer is random and sporadic and sometimes there really isn’t a reason for something to happen.  It’s not a test from God.  It’s not God’s fault. It’s not something designed to make you stronger.   It just is and it sucks.

But that means we have to broaden our horizons and see past the binary, A or B only, way of thinking.  We have to get out of our American, Republican or Democrat are the only options thank you very much, way of thinking the world works.

In most cases, there is a third option – and often a fourth, fifth, or sixth option.  And the amazing thing is that these options are not in opposition to one another – but they are other options.  The world isn’t about either/or only.  That would be really boring.  There would be no freedom.  Frankly, either/or sucks.  It doesn’t give us room for options.  It makes no room for freedom or love.  It kills peace and sets us on a path of division and war.  It squashes grace and forgiveness.  It ignores the reality that life is messy and rarely are the choices that clear anyway.  It isn’t based in reality.

It is great for an argument on the internet or if you are only concerned with being right though.  I’m having trouble thinking of another good use for this way of thinking though.

If you force me to pick in an all or nothing situation – I’m most likely going to poke holes in the assumption that there are only two options.  I don’t accept the premise.  I don’t think it’s based in reality, and I don’t think it’s being honest.  Which means the choices presented are themselves false.

Unfortunately, I see this way of thinking gaining a great deal of attention in recent years.  That’s unfortunate.  I hope we choose a different path in the future.  There are plenty of people who have been hurt by either/or ways of structuring society.  We owe them an alternative.  One that considers other options.  It’s time to leave either/or thinking to the dust bin of history, or else! (come on, you know you’re laughing at the ending here.  I just couldn’t help myself.)  Peace.

Headlines…or click bait?

02 Wednesday Aug 2017

Posted by in Church, Theology

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

Don’t read this post if you like click bait headlines.  This isn’t one of those articles.

I read an article that talked about ways to catch people’s attention with a headline.  I hated the article.  You can read it yourself here:  https://medium.com/the-mission/this-new-data-will-make-you-rethink-how-you-write-headlines-751358f6639a.

I hated it because I can’t believe people click on headlines like this.  The “10 things that…”  Really?  That draws people’s attention.  I usually skip articles like that.  I have found that the 10 things are usually not that helpful.

“You’ll never guess what happened next…”  That’s a headline that screams click bait.  It usually causes me to scream also.  Sure I can guess what – not much, but you still got people to click on your article.

I guess that’s the whole point.  But what if there is more.  What if just getting people to pay attention is really just shallow?

Are people just looking for the shortest way to a specific answer without having to think about it?  Have we become lazy?  Why don’t we want to think?  Are we too busy?

Considering I am a pastor, I think about these things in relation to church.  Sure, I could use all sorts of click bait-like headlines and phrases to catch people’s attention.  But then what?  If there is no substance, people leave.  Easy come, easy go.  Easy in, easy out.

Church isn’t a business.  It’s more like a relationship.  Relationships aren’t built on quick catch phrases – one night stands are.

It’s my hope that churches don’t follow this trend of quick and easy solutions for life’s problems.  Mostly because most problems aren’t quick and easy – but long and difficult.  Most problems involve people and things that are intangible.  I have found that there aren’t 10 easy steps to salvation.  There aren’t 10 things that you need to do to get the most out of church.  There aren’t 10 things that churches can do to stop hunger in their community.  That’s because there are not simple steps when it comes to faith.

I’m not in a denomination that has the nice and neat sinners prayer that is supposed to change your life in a moment.  I’m not part of a denomination that believes that all the answers to life’s problems and questions are in the bible.  (Try asking the bible who won the 1942 World Series and see what you come up with.)

I am part of denomination that believes that life is messy, that mystery is normal, that we don’t have all the answers, and that questions are welcome.  I’m part of a denomination that doesn’t take the bible literally, but certainly tries to take it seriously.

We don’t have 10 easy things that you should do.  But we do have grace and forgiveness.  We don’t have all the answers, but we will listen to your story.  You don’t have to guess what will happen next, I can tell you – we’ll have a conversation, listen to each other, pray with each other, and then start to walk together on life’s journey.  It’s a long walk (I hope), but well worth it.

Leave the click bait behind – there’s just too many important things in life for that.