Sunday Sermon Notes 1.10.10

What's the difference between a male and a female?

And no, it's not the opening line of a bad joke. It's an honest question. What if we could do some digging and discover more of the real differences between male and female?

What if what we discovered not only explained what made the relationships so difficult but also so enjoyable? And what if we discovered that most of the differences that we attributed to maleness and femaleness was mostly personality styles, fight/flight styles of dealing with conflict, and traits inherited from family and other life experiences?

Here's the text we're starting with, the Scripture that is shaping this whole conversation. It's important.

So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline.

Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.

Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness.

Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God!

Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.

What's it take to be in tune with someone of the other gender? What's it take to stay in step with your spouse, with your kids, your folks, your family and friends of the other gender? Knowledge and understanding go a long way towards being in tune, being in step.

Without being too simplistic, but trying to avoid too-much data, here are three differences between male and female that directly affect the kind of relationship they can have.
* physical anatomy
* brain usage
* hormones

For the sake of this message, we'll focus on the differences of brain usage to help explain some common situations that can often be "unhealthy" between males and females in a family.

Here's a little quiz for you to see how well you know gender differences and brain influence:
Who is more logical, men or women?
Who is more emotional, men or women?
Who is more creative, men or women?
Who is more intuitive, men or women?
Who is more analytical, men or women?
Who is more objective, men or women?
Who is more subjective, men or women?

What's unique about women is that they have so many connections between both sides of the brain compared to a man. Both genders use both sides of their brains, and both genders tend to have one side of the brain dominate over the other. But since women can access both sides of the brain almost simultaneously is worth considering when it comes to interactions with men.

Left Brain		Right Brain
Logical Sequential Rational Analytical Objective Looks at parts		Random Intuitive Holistic Synthesizing Subjective Looks at wholes

Click here for more info. And here.

How does this play out in a day to day scenario? A woman can more easily multi-task than a man. Especially when it comes to verbal and spatial tasks. A woman can cook dinner using a recipe while talking on the phone and take in the news program. The man can cook dinner, or talk on the phone, or watch the news-program. A woman can think about her emotions easily, a man has great difficulty analyzing how he feels. Either he analyzes, or he feels. Women tend to be detailed oriented, but they can also easily keep the big picture in mind. Men have a very difficult time doing that, it's either the forest or the trees while in a conversation. You're not ignoring your wife talking to you, it's just that you're reading the newspaper and you can't discern words from the noise coming from her mouth. You're not saying "I don't know" because you are trying to avoid answering the question, but it's very difficult to analyze an intuitive decision.

Why is it worth knowing this information? It helps when a woman knows that a man doesn't communicate like other woman, and that what seem to be to her normal relationship questions aren't to the man. And it helps for men to understand why their experiences are often misunderstood by women, and why they don't intuitively understand women like they do other men.

Did you know that the hormone testosterone affects the connections between the brain. The testosterone decreases the connections between the two-halves of the male brain, thus a man uses just one side at a time, whereas a women can go back and forth easily since she has so little of that hormone in her bloodstream in comparison to a man. 

All of this to say, the differences between male and female are to be celebrated and understood. According to Genesis 1, males and females are essential to each other to accomplish in this world what God intended. Neither difference makes one better than the other, and the emphasis isn't on equality either, but about male and female fitting together to accomplish something more beautiful than if alone.

My hope is that this basic research will prompt you to do some of your own, to do some reconsidering, to make some changes in your attitudes or stereotypes of the other gender. And may it lead you to celebrate the great gift of male and female. We're made in the image of God to bless the world. And whatever our differences are, no matter how well we understand them, we're still called to love, to be in tune, to stay in step.

Faster, Richer, Amazinger

Starting my twelfth full year at Anchor prompts a lot of reflection. Well, the start of any year is a good time to think back and think ahead. And this year also starts a new decade. The start of my next decade at Anchor. That's weird to write.

When I sit back in my office chair, put my hands behind my head and look around, and look back, remembering all the people and events of the past many years... I'm overwhelmed by how fast it has all seemed to go by. And it only seems to be getting faster (which is what everyone who is older than me says happens...). How quickly the time went. I think back over the times spent with so many great people, wonderful families, all the friends that have come and gone over the past twelve years. It's with regret that there is no pause button; instead the time just goes by faster and faster.

But the accumulation of all those experiences and memories only serves to make today richer. It's layer and layers of conversations and crisis' that have flown by, that have made these days full of a new and fresh richness. It's like dipping my hands deep into a bowl of rememberings, and pulling them up letting the reflections dribble out of my fingers. So many to try and hold onto, but not all of them can be clung to at any one time. So many are forgotten, until something flys across my radar and reminds me of something funny or grateful or painful.

This all adds up to a life that gets amazinger and amazinger. Life is becoming more unexplainable and yet more predictable. The mystery deepens and yet the learning is ceaseless. The capacity of hearts to change is amazing, and the stubbornness of pride is still annoying. And it all cycles around faster and faster, and yet it moves forward somehow making life richer. Life is amazing. Ministry has been amazing. And hard. And confusing. And rewarding.

I'm thankful and overwhelmed because of Anchor. Thankful and overwhelmed for the faster, richer, amazinger life that has been given to me.

Fall Concerts and Family Races

Some neat stuff happened in September. For example, Emma continued her toothless phase.  She's always a little nervous when a tooth gets wiggly, but she's always happy at the prospect of money appearing beneath her pillow!


The boys began their second year of preschool. Though they were a bit concerned about getting new teachers and new classmates, they were ready to give it a try. Levi and Isaac didn't talk a whole lot the first couple of weeks, but they had fun playing at the different activity centers.

A highlight of the month was the U2 concert in Chicago! Tara and I traveled up to the show with our neighbors Phil and Reena. Click here for more about the weekend!

Another highlight of the month was the Fort for Fitness Run.

Tara did the four-mile last year, and she trained to run the thirteen mile this year. She also roped me into running the race this year. Not only me but Amy also ran the four mile this year.

A neat feature was the Kid Marathon. During the summer kids logged how many miles they ran, totaling it up to 25.2, and then on Friday night they run the last mile through the city and end up crossing home plate! I got to run the last mile with her - there were hundreds of kids participating - which made it a lot of fun.

Here's the all the fans who came to cheer Emma while she finished her marathon!

Emma crossing the finish line!

Toothless, tired, and happy!

After Amy and I finished our four mile, Karen and Rozal brought the kids to the stadium so we could all watch Tara complete her mini-marathon. We had a good time hanging out, cheering for all the different people we knew crossing the finish line. Papa Jim walked/ran the four mile, so he joined up with us afterwards, so did Aunt Loretta and cousins Michael and Julie. Jen Johnson and her friend hung out with us a bit. So did HU President Blair Dowden! Our neighbors Phil and Reena (who placed second for women in the four mile!) stopped by too.



Tara and her running partner Jen cross the line together! What an achievement!


A happy Tara with four relived children (can we go home yet?)!

The racing sisters Amy and Tara!

Tara inspired me to attempt the thirteen mile next year. She, of course, is determined to run it again - and faster! We enjoyed preparing for the race together, and we look forward to many more years of running. Surprise, surprise, now Tara's talking about a full marathon in Chicago!

Brit Hume, Tiger Woods, Jesus and Buddha

If not for Tara, I may have totally missed the controversy swirling around Brit Hume's advice to Tiger Woods. Here it is:



What's controversial about what Brit Hume said to Tiger Woods?

It seems that Brit is genuinely concerned for Tiger, his life, his family, his future. According to Hume's understanding of Christianity and Buddhism, both provide a path to peace, but one offers atonement and redemption, the other something insufficient. It's obvious that Hume, who is a practicing Christian, considers his religion to be superior to Buddhism, thus his advice to Tiger. In his compassion towards Woods, Hume extends what he believes to be a better path to restoration of Woods soul, family, and future contribution not only to golf but humanity.

Apparently, though, there are lots of people who think that all religions are equal. Even very smart people believe this. But it is a naive position to hold. It denigrates all religions. Judaism, Christianity and Islam all insist that their way is the only way. They can't all be right. And thus Hinduism and Buddhism are not right, or any other religion. Is it possible for a Christian to love a Jew or a Muslim or a Buddhist, but still think that their religion is incorrect. Of course.

And of course there are people that mock Brit Hume, not because he advises Tiger Woods to seek restoration through Christ, but because Hume recommends religion as an option. Many secularists who are anti-religion (not all secularists are anti-religion, though they consider religion unnecessary) are either misconstruing Hume's attempt to help Woods, or just plain making fun of him.

Jon Stewart uses humor (which made me laugh) to mock Brit Hume and his suggestion.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
The Best F**king News Team Ever - Tiger Woods' Faith
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Crisis

It's obvious that Stewart and friends do not allow for religions to be different - they must all be equal, despite what each religion actually asserts. Sorry Stewart - you are funny, and you make some valid points, but you miss the point.

Tom Shales (never heard of him) of the Washington Post (which I read once in awhile) lashed out cruelly at Hume. It seems that Shales disdains religion as a whole, and is appalled that a fellow journalist is reaching out with compassion through religion to a celebrity. Which reveals the shamefulness of Shales' perspective and his attitude (and understanding of religion).

Huffington Post and NPR provide a fairly neutral report of the situation. USA Today online trends towards disagreeing with what Hume did. They also provide links to reactions by Buddhists who are offended by what Hume suggested.

First Things, a Catholic site, gives a rundown of all sorts of reactions to Hume, and then gives an interesting response.

So what do you think is the issue here?

Are all religions equal, thus no proselytizing of any kind?

Should journalists stay completely neutral on religion - one of the most powerful forces in the world?

Should Christians refrain from using public forums to comment on other religions?

Is Brit Hume being misunderstood? Is Christianity misunderstood? Is Buddhism misunderstood? Is the role of religion in public misunderstood?

Sunday Sermon Notes 12.27.09

What's the last word for Anchor in 2009? As the pastor, if there was anything I could say that would capture what is most pressing and vital for our congregation, for our lives, for our hearts, it would be this: Love Always Hopes All Things.

My Mum got me hooked on quotes, always been a collector of them. In high-school and college I'd regularly skim through Readers Digest, ripping out the quotes page and putting them in a file or on my wall. Good quotes stop me, make me reconsider, help me sort out a new perspective, give permission to go the right way.

A quote I discovered over a decade ago as a young minister shaped the rest of my life: People are not dying of starvation around the world for lack of food, but because they have no hope. Bob Seiple spoke those words as President of World Vision - a Christian organization committed to getting empty bellies full of food and hope. He knows what he is talking about - and it inspired me to do ministry that gives hope.

And so today, as we end one decade and begin another, as we end one year and begin another, as I reflect on the stories of the lives of Anchor, and the stuff that is going on in our homes - I need to remember - and you need to remember: Love Always Hopes All Things. This is a quote from Soren Kierkegaard, and he gets his quote from a deep and thorough reflection on 1Corinthians. Earlier in the month I posted some quotes from Kierkegaard on this topic - you can click here to find them. They're good, thoughtful ideas.

And it's worth meditating, chewing on what Paul writes about love and hope:

If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love,
I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate.
If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries
and making everything plain as day,
and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps,
but I don't love, I'm nothing.
If I give everything I own to the poor
and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr,
but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere.
So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do,
I'm bankrupt without love.

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
Love doesn't strut,
Doesn't have a swelled head,
Doesn't force itself on others,
Isn't always "me first,"
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn't revel when others grovel,
[Love] Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
[Love] Puts up with anything,
[Love] Trusts God always,
[Love] Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.
Love never dies.

Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end;
understanding will reach its limit.
We know only a portion of the truth,
and what we say about God is always incomplete.
But when the Complete arrives,
our incompletes will be canceled.

When I was an infant at my mother's breast,
I gurgled and cooed like any infant.
When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good.

We don't yet see things clearly.
We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist.
But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright!
We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us,
knowing him directly just as he knows us!

But for right now, until that completeness,
we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation:
Trust steadily in God,
hope unswervingly,
love extravagantly.
And the best of the three is love.
[The Message]

When it comes to the people in your life, we know there is a real need for more love to be taking root in our life. We need to be capable of giving more love more often, we need to tap into something more powerful than our own soul to find the strength to say and do what love would prompt in the difficult situations we get into.

What is the parameters of the kind of love God has already been pouring into us? What is the kind of love we are able to pour out because of the Spirit within us? This is what Paul is so eloquently writing out for us: an inspiring vision of what kind of love we could bless our world with - if we let God continually love through us.

And out of all the different ways that love shapes the world, the one I'm focusing on for the past year and the one coming up is Hope. It's interesting that the church community we are connected with is named Anchor. We get that name from a piece of Scripture that goes like this: We have this Hope as an Anchor for the Soul, Firm and Secure. What does this mean? We are a people who are honest about our need for hope, and who are inspired to be a source of hope for the people connected to our lives. If you have eyes in your head and a heart that beats, how can you not notice all the people who are connected to you that are dying of starvation from lack of hope?

Marriages end for lack of hope. Parents and kids drift apart for lack of hope. Co-workers embitter each other for lack of hope. Students and teachers increase the chasm through lack of hope. Hope for what? The Possibility of the Good. Hope is the possibility of the good. When we say that love always hopes all things, we are saying that love always believes in the possibility of the good in all things. In every person in every situation in every moment there is always the possibility of the good.

How is this possible? Because God is always good and with Him everything good is possible. In our world full of suffering and pain and blunders and brokenness, the only kind of good we will be experiencing is what comes out of our sins or the sins of others.

It's sin - ours or someone else's - that causes the disintegration and corrosion of a relationship. It is sin that erodes hope. But it is God's love that undoes sin. It is God's love that we hope in, and it is through God's love that we love others - and look and be part of the possibility of the good in every person in every situation. Because of God's work in the world through Jesus, we can keep hoping, keep being part of the possibility of the good.

Don't you want to be part of a movement of people who are known for their hope-full love? Aren't you tired of seeing people die because they quit hoping? Wouldn't you like to discover the capacity to give a love that always hopes all things?

That is what Christmas is all about... my friend.

Today is Matt's Day

Later today our family will make a pilgrimage to Huntington to visit the grave of my brother Matt. And my brother Ben. They are buried in Pilgrim's Rest Cemetery. We make a point to gather there every year on the anniversary of his death. It seems unbelievable that Matt was killed eight years ago on this day - a Sunday morning then. So much life has happened since, and it's happened without Matt. Or Ben.

Now that Jerm and I have kids, we think of Matt and Ben everytime one the six little Hallman's says or does something just like their uncles. Which always causes a big smile and usually a bigger laugh. And then we like to wonder who Matt and Ben would have married, what their kids would have been like...what Christmas' with everyone would have been like.

After our pilgrimage this afternoon we'll get together at our home for a feast and Wii games. And we'll tell stories about Matt and Ben, look at pictures, and watch their legacy live on in their nephews and nieces. For example, Eli rarely will look "normal" when it comes time to take a picture, just like Matt (it was very annoying then, and still annoying now!). Emma has Ben's big booming voice. Lydia and Levi have Matt's mischievious grin and stubborn will. Eva can sing countless songs, much like Ben did (he would usually serenade us with commercial jingles...). And watching Isaac and Levi play together is like watching Ben and Matt play together.

I remember one August when Matt and Ben took their old Halloween candy (years worth...) and had a little porch sale, making deals with the little kids in the neighborhood! Or when the two of them would race through the house with Zeener-dog, letting that disgusting little beast of a dog lick them and lay on them. Ugh! And I remember the van rides when we'd all get laughing so hard... good times, good times.

The Art of Dealing with People...

Every once in awhile I need to read through some aphorisms (short, pithy sayings that capture a truth in a memorable and insightful way). Here's some that struck me as timely and relevant.

Appreciation is a wonderful thing: it makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.

~ Voltaire

We should ever conduct ourselves towards our enemies as if he were one day to be our friend.

~ Cardinal Newman

People are not motivated by failure; they are motivated by achievement and recognition.

~ F.F. Fournies

You can impress people from a distance. You can impact people only from up close.

~ Will Richert

You get more of the behavior you reward. You don't get what you hope for, ask for, wish for, or beg for. You get what you reward.

~ Michel Le Boeuf

I will pay more for the ability to deal with people than any other ability under the sun.

~ John D. Rockefeller

Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.

~ George S. Patton

I hold it more important to have the player's confidence than their affection.

~ Vince Lombardi

Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them.

~ John C. Maxwell

The art of dealing with people is the foremost secret of successful men. A man's success in handling people is the very yardstick by which the outcome of his whole life's work is measured.

~ Paul C. Packer

I'll yet to find the man, however exalted his station, who did not do better work and put forth greater effort under a spirit of approval than under the spirit of criticism.

~ Charles Schwab

There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to an ordinary mortal.... It is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit - immortal horrors or everlasting splendors.... Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses.

~ C.S. Lewis

*all quotes taken from Never Scratch a Tiger with a Short Stick by Gordon S. Jackson

Sunday Sermon Notes 12.20.09

"That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown."

Linus does a masterful job of quoting from the Gospel According to Luke. Through his recitation we are reminded that "unto us is born this day, in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord." It's a great answer - but what does that mean?

Paul gives it a shot, he attempts (what I think is a really good) answer:

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him,

and through him to reconcile to himself all things,

whether things on earth or things in heaven,

by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Once you were alienated from God

and were enemies in your minds

because of your evil behavior.

But now he has reconciled you

by Christ's physical body through death

to present you holy in his sight,

without blemish and free from accusation—

if you continue in your faith, established and firm,

and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel.

Christ the Lord has come, according to Linus and Paul, to be a Saviour who makes peace amongst us. To what lengths will God go to in order to make peace with humanity and amongst humanity? God is willing to have all his fullness dwell within Jesus of Nazareth, He's willing to let humanity do it's worst to Him, and then to forgive them. That's how far God is willing to go to make peace. And that is what Christmas is all about.

Not only is Christmas all about Christ coming to make peace amongst us, but its also about Christ working through us to make more peace on earth. To use one of Paul's metaphors, if Christ is the Head and We are the Body, then we are to be part of the ongoing work in the world to make peace, to do work of reconciliation, to be part of the restoring work that is much needed.

Humans have proven themselves to be creatively inventive, brilliant, diligent, and capable of enormous good, even greatness. And, of course, of terrible evil. What's one thing that humans have not figured out yet? Lots, but one of them is how to make lasting peace between family members, neighbors, and nations. And Christ keeps insisting that he wants to be known for one thing on the earth - and he wants his people to be known for one thing: making peace, for reconciling.

What if these people who follow Jesus applied all their ingenuity and determination and passion into making more peace wherever they live?

Imagine... it's easy if you try.

The Dangerous Book for Boys

What a joy it is to have my Mother-in-Law intuitively know what is the perfect Christmas gift! She asked for a wishlist, and I gladly submitted one (a bit late, though). Much to her glee, she had already purchased for me the book at the top of my list! What is that book?

The Dangerous Book for Boys, written by Conn Iggulden and Hal Iggulden, two British brothers who discovered the wonder and marvel of long Sunday afternoons and imagination. I wanted this tome of danger for me and my boys - a book to spark ideas for adventure and long-marches of discovery.

What makes this book so dangerous? It unleashes a boys sense of wonder - and helps potentially helpful skills like: how to skin a rabbit, how to tan a hide, how to navigate by the stars, how to build a tree-fort, how to make a cipher, how to speak Navajo code-talk, and more! It also includes histories of famous battles, the basics of artillery, and stories of daring adventurers. Not to mention short articles on proper grammar and how to be polite to girls.

The book is designed for boys who are eight through eighty. Hopefully in the next three years I can master some of the dangerous skills, enough to whet the appetite of my three boys, two of whom will be five soon.

Love Always Hopes All Things

It's a snowy-sky morning, driving to my Starbucks, when my mind begins to scroll through the tasks and crisis', the relationships and opportunities that are part of my life. A certain kind of confusion and bewilderment ebbs and flows through my brain as I ponder what to do next. Unwanted uncertainty can quickly descend into fearfulness and anxiety. My morning commute is becoming a moment of angst and frustration.

When I left my office Sunday afternoon, I grabbed Kierkegaard's Works of Love - I intended then to read it Tuesday morning (now). A brilliantly insightful book that requires many hours to read a couple dozen pages (I got in about seven pages this morning...). But the work required to digest the writings of Kierkegaard are always well-rewarded. Particularly when what I ingest is connected with what I was obsessing about. What was it I needed to remember?

Love Always Hopes All Things.

But to hope all things in love is the opposite of despairingly hoping nothing at all, either for oneself or for others.

To hope all things, or which is the same, to hope always. Hoping is composed of the eternal and the temporal; the task of hope in the form of the eternal is to hope all things and in the form of the temporal to hope always.

Through the decision to choose hope, one thereby chooses infinitely more than is apparent, for it is an eternal decision (one that dwells in the future, and thus full of possibility).

It is again quite in order to observe that for most men and women possibility and hope, or the sense of the possible, dwindle away with the years.

Hope depends on the possibility of the good.

...everyone who lives without possibility is in despair; he breaks with the eternal; he arbitrarily closes off possibility and without the assent of eternity makes an end where the end is not...

In possibility the eternal is continually near enough to be at hand and yet far enough away to keep man and woman advancing towards the eternal, on the way, in forward movement. In this way the eternal lures and draws a person, in the possible, from cradle to grave, if he just chooses to hope.

To lure means constantly to be just as near as distant, whereby the one hoping is always kept hoping, hoping all things, kept in hope for the eternal, which in time is the possible.

This is what it means to hope all things. But in love to hope all things signifies the lovers' relationship to other men and women, that in relationship to them, hoping for them, he continually keeps possibility open with infinite partiality for his possibility of the good.

Consequently he hopes in love that possibility is present at every moment, that the possibility of the good is present for the other person, and that the possibility of the good means more and more glorious advancement in the good from perfection to perfection or resurrection from downfall or salvation from lostness and thus beyond.

The despairing person also knows what lies in possibility, and yet he or she dismisses possibility (for to dismiss possibility is precisely what despair means), or even more accurately, he or she rashly presumes to suppose the impossibility of the good.

Here again it is shown that the possibility of the good is more than possibility, for when one presumes to suppose the impossibility of the good, the possible dies completely for him.

The fearful person does not suppose the impossibility of the good; he or she fears the possibility of evil, but he does not conclude, he does not presume to suppose, the impossibility of the good.

"It is possible," says despair, "it is possible that even the most sincere enthusiast nevertheless becomes weary, gives up the struggle, and sinks into the service of the second-rate; it is possible that even the deepest believer nevertheless at some time abandons faith and chooses disbelief; it is possible that even the most burning love at some time cools off, chilled; it is possible that even the most upright man comes to a detour and is lost; it is possible that even the best friend can become changed into an enemy, even the most faithful wife into a perjurer - it is possible: therefore despair, give up hope, henceforth do not hope all things in any man or for any woman!" - Yes, indeed, this certainly is possible, but the opposite is also possible.

"Therefore never in unlovingness give up a person or give up hope for him, for it is possible that even the most prodigal son can still be saved, that the most embittered enemy, alas, he who was your friend, it is still possible that he can again become your friend; it is possible that he who has sunk the deepest, alas, because he stood so high, it is still possible that he can be raised up again; it is still possible that the love which has turned cold can burn again - therefore never give up any man or woman, not even at the last moment; do not despair. No, hope all things!"

Sunday Sermon Notes 12.13.09

What kind of Christ do you worship at Christmas? Since we want to keep Christ in Christmas, what kind of Christ are we keeping? The shepherds were invited to go and worship the newborn King. These days we celebrate the brilliant arrival of God as a vulnerable baby. The incarnation - God taking on flesh - is pretty important to our understanding of Christmas. But is it enough for us to just focus on Baby Jesus at Christmas time?

How big is your Christ? The Christ you worship at Christmas - what is he capable of? Does the Christ you worship inspire you or is he pretty easy to ignore? Is Jesus just a newborn baby or is he really a Savior able to rescue? Charlie Brown cries out: Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about? And what does Linus provide for an answer? He quotes Scripture. The emphasis is on a Savior who is Christ the Lord.

Paul crafts a poem to capture the vast capabilities of this Savior:
The Son is the appearance of the unseen God,

the firstborn over all creation.

For in him all things were created:

things in the heavens and on the earth, seen and unseen,
whether seen thrones or unseen powers or seen rulers or unseen authorities;
all things have been created through him and for him.

He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

And he is the head of the body, the church;
he is the beginning, the firstborn from out of the dead,
so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

What kind of Christ does Paul worship? One that inspires confidence and prompts hope. This is the kind of Christ that is worth trusting. This is a Christ that is way bigger than any problem you could ever face. You know how big your problems have been, how big they could get. And Christ is bigger.

This Christmas - with whatever problem you are facing, with whatever fears you are harboring, give them back to Christ the Lord who comes as a humble yet very effective Savior. If Christ holds all things together - he can hold your heart together, he can hold your life together. Whatever is breaking or cracking or drifting or ebbing away in your life, Christ can restore and renew and reconcile.

This is what Christmas is all about - trusting Christ the Lord born as a Savior to us. Let him save you; let him use you to save others. Our world - your world, still needs a Savior. Let Jesus be the Savior, you be his hands and feet. Let Christ be the Lord, you be the Anchor.

Where Did Christmas Come From? (Part 2)

Why do we do what we do at Christmas time? None of it traces back to the first Christians - who would have been the ones to celebrate the birth of Christ. Thankfully the Catholic church honored the saints and scheduled feast days, which is why one was chosen for Jesus.

By now you've probably heard why December 25th was chosen? According to the Roman calendar, 12/25 was the winter solstice, the shortest day of year, the longest night, the least light. But that meant it was also the harbringer of longer days, that the nights to follow wouldn't be as long. Thus this day took on festive (feasts and celebrations) of the victory of the sun over the conquests of the night. Apt metaphor in connection with the accomplishment of Christ on the cross.

All that to say, December 25th was a feast day for the birth of Christ, but for hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of years it was just another feast day and a day of worship, alongside all the other dozens and dozens and dozens of saints. Even with the feast day of Saint Nicholas on December 6th, there was no concept of gift giving as we know it, there was no traveling to spend time with family, there was no exchange of cards, no shopping for loved ones.

In fact, the one fact that made December such a wonderful time of the year was that the harvest was collected and it was the one time of the year when you slaughtered the cattle and pigs (it would keep a lot better during the winter...). December was the one month in the year when there was mounds of food to consume, it was a time of leisure for serfs and barons and farmers and slaves. The weather was usually mild enough to not prohibit public gatherings in the village, and it was thus a great time to make merry. Thus some fantastic feasts took place in December. Oh, did you know that December 26th is St. Stephen's Day? Just another day to feast!

But here is what is interesting about the feasts in December. Many of the peasants and serfs would "wassail" through the village to the homes of the rich(er), enter in, sit down at the table, and sing for some food. The "wassail" is our precursor to caroling throughout the neighborhood. But the "wassail" had much more of a dangerous edge: it was a song with a threat. If the "hosts" didn't provide the best cakes and ale in the house, the waissailers might have to get rough. As long as the hosts played along with a smile and generosity, everything stayed merry.

Why would the rich allow this sort of disgraceful intrusion, you ask. It seems it was one of the few times during the year when their was a flip-flop in the social order, when the peasants could tell the land-lords/barons what to do. And the rich allowed it as a way for the peasants to blow-off steam; a hard winter was on its way, and this little "game" of waissaling helped create some good-will.

This scenario led to an interesting development: during December it was expected that you would throw inhibitions out the window, and you would eat and drink as much as you could for as long as you could. It was also a time to make merry, blow off steam, be rowdy, harrass the rich and powerful, frolic and flirt. St. Nicholas Day and Christmas Day were just two days that happened to fall during this December decadence.

The Puritans opposed all this stuff for two reasons: first because the merry-making was tinged with gluttony and lust and drunkeness - too much unholiness! And the Puritans resisted the observation of Catholic feast days; and they led the charge in insisting that nobody knows the day of the birth of Christ (they argued that if God had wanted us to celebrate it, he would have told us when it happened).

In New England, as the Industrial Revolution increased the wealth and eased the hardships of many Bostonians, New Yorkers, Philadelphians and others, the season of December came under scrutiny. The working poor of the factories were demanding time off of work to feast, they were breaking into the homes of the patrician-wealthy to wassail for food, they were getting pregnant out of wedlock, getting stone-drunk, and putting whole cities in uproars with riots. The rich were getting tired of the December decadence. It was time to do something about it.

The result: Instead of the rich focusing on the poor - giving gifts of food and drink, they created a Christmas where adults give gifts of books and simple toys to children. Instead of public festivities that the working poor often turned into riots, a Christmas was created where families spend time together at home in a quiet dinner. Instead of encouraging the decadence of the working poor in December - their gluttony and carousing and ribald waissaling, a Christmas was created where people over-indulged in commercial exchanges, going overboard in their special gifts to children and women.

If you find any of this interesting, be sure to visit your local library and read The Battle for Christmas by historian Stephen Nissenbaum. A fascinating insight into the development of our society - the powerful forces that shaped our concept of the family, of the holidays, of the relationships between the rich and poor, the fusion of civic duty and commercial-capitalism, the tension between religion and pagan festivities.

Where Did Christmas Come From?

I'm curious to know where our modern version of Christmas comes from. Aren't you? Where did the name of Santa Claus come from? How about Kris Kringle? Why does he come down the chimney? Why does he give gifts to only good boys and girls? What possible connection is there between a Santa-centered and a Christ-centered Christmas? Does it matter?

A fascinating book, The Battle for Christmas, by historian Stephen Nissenbaum, starts with the Puritans of New England who outlawed Christmas festivities due to their rowdy revelry, disorderly drunkeness, and obnoxious waissailing.

Back in those days there was no gift-giving, no Christmas carols, no Santa with reindeer, no Nativity scenes, no exchange of cookies. December 25 was just another day at work - mostly only Catholics marked it as the day of the Birth of Christ (but to which Puritan Protestants protested...). St. Nicholas' day of veneration was December 6th, but again only Catholics did much with the day. Actually New Year's Day garnered more attention and festivities.

Without giving too much of the book away (I'm only in the third chapter), Nissenbaum discovered that our modern version of Christmas is tied to the famous (and apparently subversive) poem: "A Visit from St. Nicholas" written by Clement Clarke Moore in 1822. Moore, in collaboration with a wealthy New York merchant named John Pintard, set about to create a myth about Christmas as a way to alter the social landscape. What they did (to summarize vast amounts of detail...) was create Christmas as a commercialized event meant to domesticate the family and create childhood. Whoa!

So what? Well, for the curious-minded folks like myself, the details and implications are thought-provoking. Our American Christmas is domesticating, it perpetuates an invented form of childhood, and it is purposefully commercialized. It is completely incompatible with the Nativity Story. And Santa Claus was invented to perpetuate this paradox. Fascinating indeed!

Sunday Sermon Notes 12.06.09

"Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?"

It can be easy to get a cynical around Christmastime. The commercialism and the schedule can get overwhelming. And there's the fretting over purchasing just the right gift - both for those you love and for those you're obligated to be kind to; purchasing with either money you don't have, or money you shouldn't be spending, or spending more than you ought. And then there's the nostalgic whiff of Christmas you are hoping to capture at some random moment during the holidays, a moment that is almost grasped, and then its gone. Oh, and don't forget the painful memories that regularly emerge in your mind during this season...

Is there a better alternative than becoming cynical or overwhelmed at Christmastime? Yes. It's way better to keep choosing joy and gratitude. Obviously. Yet, strangely, too many of us don't...

When Paul writes his friends in Colosse - families and neighbors who knew what it meant to be overwhelmed, to be cynical, to be grasping... - Paul writes out his prayer for them: that they would have great joy and much gratitude. Here, read it for yourself:

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you... giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Colossians 1v9, 12-14 [TNIV]

We may not identify too well with talk about kingdoms and kings, but we can relate to the ideas of light and darkness, or rescue and redemption, of love and forgiveness. We may not think much about it, but we do sing about a newborn King quite often. Interestingly, it may help to recall the Jesus we sing about at Christmastime. Maybe you didn't know this: Jesus came as the Jewish King, Israel’s Chosen One, God’s Anointed to deliver His People from the Dominion of Darkness. He did. And He still does.

Jesus came as the newborn King of Israel at a very dark hour in world history. And though the night sky was briefly alight with angel-glory, Jesus through the long decades was just one tiny light of love and rescue in his world. But then, one by one, more lives became lit by the same kind of forgiveness and peace, and the vision expanded for what people could see and become.

One light at a time... you may not think it makes that big of a difference whether you choose joy or gratitude. But you may also have no idea how many people NEED you or desperately WANT you to make that choice. Once you make that radical choice, once your life is lit up, you begin to see the other lives lit up by the Spirit of Christ, masses of individuals who, when gathered together, illuminate the world in a new and beautiful way.

"That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown."

Linus quotes Luke, who quotes the angel-army: peace on earth, goodwill to men; Christ the Lord, our Saviour is born in a barn. Do you need rescued? Is it dark in that hole you're stuck in? Do you know anybody who needs rescued? Do you fear to forgive? Do you recoil from redeeming others, of setting them free from what enslaves them? Do you want to live in the Spirit of Christ? Masses of people are in need of Christ-ones to come be light, come and rescue, come and bring peace. Let it start with you, in your heart, in your home, in your world, in your Christmas.

When is your Christmas tree the most beautiful? When is it best to drive through the neighborhood gazing at the decorated homes and trees? At night, when it is dark. When is the best time to choose joy and gratitude? Yeah... you guessed it: when it is darkest. The choice to give thanks and be joy-full when you feel crushed or confused, exhausted or in a hole - that is what fuels the light of Christmas, it's what other people need to see. Too many people are only thankful when the going is good. Too many people will only be happy at Christmas when everything goes their way. Good luck with that.

Choose joy instead of cynicism, choose being grateful instead of being overwhelmed. It'll make you stand out like a Charlie Brown Christmas tree. It's what the world needs now...

The Western Way of War

"War is a human experience that will always be with us."

So says Victor Davis Hanson, quoted in Imprimis 11/09. To his point, war has been a constant companion of civilizations and tribes throughout the past many millenia. If past is prelude, we can expect war to be with us for many generations to come. Hanson doesn't delve into why war is always with us, but goes on to argue why the Western way of war is superior. And under girding his argument is the assumption our way is morally-superior. And under girding that is the obvious: if there is going to be war, the West had better find a way to always win.

What is the Western way of war? Davis summarizes: Superior fighting and defense capability because of our prosperity in times of peace. He lists five factors: Constitutional government was conducive to civilian input when it came to war; it gave birth to a new definition of courage; usage of advanced technology; impatience for victory as well as tradition for dissent within the ranks.

Hanson fails to mention a very very obvious factor of the Western way of war: it is predatory.

Alexander the Great was predatory. The Caesars were predatory. European kings and princes were predatory. Empires of Spain and Portugal, France and Britain, Denmark and Germany were all predatory. The United States of America has inherited a Western way of war that is inherently predatory, whatever else it may be. If war is going to be a constant within our culture, then the key factor will be to limit or subvert the predatory nature of our way of war.

I totally understand the need for armed guards and trained soldiers to protect and defend from other peoples who would steal what is not theirs, to destroy what they envy and cannot attain. And I understand the theory of "preemptive strikes" as a way to deter the "enemy" before they make their intended and otherwise undeterred attack. However, when military and civilian leaders remain blind to the predatory nature of Western war, and when they intend to grow the economy through warfare upon others, their dismissiveness towards those who are anti-war is unconscionable. It's obvious that war is good business for capitalism. The Industrial Revolution and Empire Expansion are at the heart of our modern way of war in the West.

And now the Western way of life is threatened by non-Western peoples who would like to be as powerful as the West. Who are we in the West to deny for others what we have killed to attain for ourselves? Free-market capitalism, constitutional democracy, a Bill of Rights, embrace of reason have all been a blessing to civilizations, especially ours. But we corrupt them when we assume our way of war is always justifiable; our way of war rooted in the expansionism of Greece, the crucifixions of Rome, the genocides by the European knights, the enslavement of Africa by the Empires of the West.

If there is to be war, then the United States of America has an opportunity now in World History to reconfigure how we are to do war. With all the investments being done now to alleviate poverty and hunger in the world, with all the efforts being put forth to raise standards of living and educational levels, with all the global sacrifices being made to end diseases and heal the crippled, now is the time for our nation to revise our way of war. Especially for Christians, now is the time to creatively and realistically reshape the Western way of war. I suppose it could be a way of making amends for all the times the Church has used the sword.

Lastly, there might be elements to our way of life that need correcting - so much so that without a severe adjustment we will provoke non-Western nations to attack us. It might be that America is reaching an age where our way of life is unsustainable apart from war. If this unsustainability is now the way of the West, then our way will descend into the valley of the shadow of death. And there will be no One to comfort us.

Sunday Sermon Notes 11.29.09

"Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?"

That's the famous cry of Charlie Brown, on stage, after his directing debut goes awry. But it's not just the frustration of haggling with the trials of pulling off a Christmas play. It's a question we all ask ourselves at some point during the holiday season, especially when it starts off with a big push to buy stuff. When we start to feel like Christmas has become commercialized, there's a certain part of us that winces. We want the nostalgic Christmas to prevail... But is even that what Christmas is all about?

How to think about what Christmas is all about? Here's a question to consider:

What if Christmas was not just about the gift giving of stuff, but also about you becoming the gift of Christ to others?

There is no escaping the fact that Christmas as we know it centers around the giving and receiving of gifts. And for Christians, this includes at some point inserting the Nativity Story into the traditional activities. But when we pause from being so busy, we ought to remember that Christmas is not about stuff, is not about giving and receiving, it's about God becoming Human. Which means that people, not stuff, are the most important part of our Christmas celebrations. If we are going to keep Christ in the center of Christmas, then we ought to consider how we can become the gift - the best gift - the one gift that "stuff" can't replace.

There is a fascinating letter that Paul sent to his friends, and in one part of it he encourages them to become the kind of person that is a gift to others in their life. Here's what he writes:

For this reason, since the day we heard about you,
we have not stopped praying for you.
We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will
through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,
so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way:
*bearing fruit in every good work,
*growing in the knowledge of God,
*being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience
[Colossians 1v9-11 TNIV]

Paul wants his friends to imagine a life where - now get this.. - EVERY good work bears fruit. Think about that - what an inspiring and beautiful vision of how life could unfold for you and your family and friends and... Every good work you do bears fruit. Amazing. What an incentive to keep on doing the good work you know you ought to do, the good work you want to do, the good work you need to do. Imagine a Christmas where you knew that every good work you did in the Holidays would bear fruit... what a joy and delight you would be to others.

Of course we're not talking about microwave results - more like apple tree results. From the time an apple falls to the ground, its seeds imbed in the dirt, a sprout emerges, and a blossoming apple tree graces the garden - well we're talking years and years. But if that is how life works, and if we want to live with the promise that good fruit WILL come from our good work... what a way to move forward in life, bolstered by the promise of long-term fruit.

Paul also wants his friends to imagine a life where they know God. Not just know about God, or know people who act like they know God. Imagine a life where you know God. How encouraging. Think about your family and friends that you like for how this works: the better you know someone, the better you know what they want (and need) from you and what they want for you. At some point you know them so well you can finish their sentences for them, you know what to get for them before they ask, they join you in finishing a task without a request for help because they just know.... Now imagine that kind of relationship with God. What assurance for your place in this world, what confidence for making decisions about tomorrow and the years to come, peace about who you are and what you can contribute to the community.

Paul then wants his friends to imagine a life where they are strengthened by God's Spirit so that they have all the energy and ability they need to accomplish all the tasks they are given. I know (and you do too...) what it's like to be exhausted from the daily routines of running a household, of having a job, of being a friend, etc. Imagine a life where God's Spirit sustains us, guides us, empowers us to become the kind of person the world needs, that God made us to be.

Linus answers Charlie Browns question by quoting Scripture, by retelling a story about Jesus of Nazareth. Here's a link to the clip.

Here's a quote of what he recites:

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

"That's what Christmas is all about Charlie Brown."

What will you make Christmas be all about? Will it be about stuff again? Or will you help it become about a gift - about the kind of gift Christ can help you become? Become the gift of peace to your friends and families, to your neighbors and coworkers, and even to your enemies.

Get to Know Your Neighbor Up North (that's Canada... in case you were wondering)

Here's a simple overview of the Canadian provinces, some helpful insights for which region you may want to visit or relocate to in the coming years. My Ontario friend Brian Magnus sent me this fascinating summary, therefore it must be true.

TOP REASONS TO LIVE IN BRITISH COLUMBIA
1. Vancouver : 1.5 million people and two bridges. You do the math.
2. Your $400,000 Vancouver home is just 5 hours from downtown.
3. You can throw a rock and hit three Starbucks locations.
4. There's always some sort of deforestation protest going on.
5. Weed.

TOP REASONS TO LIVE IN ALBERTA
1. Big rock between you and B.C..
2. Ottawa who?
3. Tax is 5% instead ofthe approximately 200% it is for the rest of the country.
4. You can exploit almost any natural resource you can think of.
5. You live in the only province that could actually afford to be its own country.
6. The Americans below you are all in anti-government militia groups.

TOP REASONS TO LIVE IN SASKATCHEWAN
1. You never run out of wheat.
2. Your province is really easy to draw.
3. You can watch the dog run away from home for hours.
4. People will assume you live on a farm.
5. Daylight savings time? Who the hell needs that!

TOP REASONS TO LIVE IN MANITOBA
1. You wake up one morning to find that you suddenly have a beachfront property.
2. Hundreds of huge, horribly frigid lakes.
3. Nothing compares to a wicked Winnipeg winter.
4. You can be an Easterner or a Westerner depending on your mood.
5. You can pass the time watching trucks and barns float by.

TOP REASONS TO LIVE IN ONTARIO
1. You live in the centre of the universe.
2. Your $400,000 Toronto home is actually a dump.
3. You and you alone decide who will win the federal election.
4. The only province with hard-core American-style crime.

TOP REASONS TO LIVE IN QUEBEC
1. Racism is socially acceptable.
2. You can take bets with your friends on which English neighbour will move out next.
3. Other provinces basically bribe you to stay in Canada .
4. You can blame all your problems on the "Anglo A*#!%!"

TOP REASONS TO LIVE IN NEW BRUNSWICK
1. One way or another, the government gets 98% of your income.
2. You're poor, but not as poor as the Newfies.
3. No one ever blames anything on New Brunswick .
4. Everybody has a grandfather who runs a lighthouse..

TOP REASONS TO LIVE IN NOVA SCOTIA
1. Everyone can play the fiddle. The ones who can't, think they can.
2. You can pretend to have Scottish heritage as an excuse to get drunk and wear a kilt.
3. You are the only reason Anne Murray makes money.

TOP REASONS TO LIVE IN PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
1. Even though more people live on Vancouver Island , you still got the big, new bridge.
2. You can walk across the province in half an hour.
3. You can drive across the province in two minutes.
4. Everyone has been an extra on "Road to Avonlea."
5. This is where all those tiny, red potatoes come from.
6. You can confuse ships by turning your porch lights on and off at night.

TOP REASONS TO LIVE IN NEWFOUNDLAND
1. If Quebec separates, you will float off to sea.
2. If you do something stupid, you have a built-in excuse.
3. The workday is about two hours long.
4. It is socially acceptable to wear your hip waders to your wedding.

What if Christianity is a Farce?

This morning I had an invigorating conversation with a friend of mine about the origins of Christianity. He's done some intense research on the transition from Jewish Christianity/James the Brother of Jesus to the Gentile Christianity/Paul the Apostle. There are scholars out there who have proposed alternative ways of reading the New Testament, using the writings of Josephus and fragments from the Dead Sea Scrolls (and other documents). When other ancient texts are brought to bear on the New Testament characters and events, new interpretations emerge of how history may have unfolded. What if everything we have been taught is wrong?

For those of us secure in our faith, we dismiss this question easily. We believe what we have been taught is true, it is reliable and thus we have plenty of assurance. But there are obviously lots of people who aren't sure about the reliability of what they have been taught. And when investigations begin into ancient history, timelines get messy, stories contradict, and alternative perspectives emerge. How do you know what is the truth?

What happened in the centuries following Jesus prior to the ascension of Constantine to the throne of the Roman Empire and his endorsement of Christianity as it's official religion? How did Christianity change following that co-option by the Emperor? What do Protestants do with the "Catholic" and "Orthodox" centuries of church history? What do Evangelicals do with our fascination with the First Century church - what if the book of Acts and the Epistles aren't the only sources of reliable information?

Do any of these questions really matter in light of the real-life issues we all have to endure as the weeks swiftly accumulate into years? Don't we have better things to do with our lives than probe into archaic issues? Granted, these questions aren't for everybody to delve into. But they interest me. My friend has prompted some good questions, provoked a quest of sorts to dig and discover more about the origins of Christianity. What is the connection between Jesus and his brother James (the bishop of the Jerusalem Church)? What is the connection between James & Peter and Paul? What about the Church Fathers of the second and third century (100AD thru 300AD) - what were the variant views in existence and how is it that we decided what was "orthodox/correct" and what was heresy? Still today there are many, many, many divergent views of everything within Christianity (thus the existence of THOUSANDS of denominations, sects, and branches). This is not going to fade away anytime soon.

Maybe there is a new Christianity that is emerging; it is post-Evangelical, post-Anabaptist, post-Protestant, post-Catholic, post-Orthodox. It is a Christianity that is unfettered by the whims of Empire, it is able to hold together a mosaic of theologies, it is again the religion of the poor and working-class, it is refocused on a Jesus of Nazareth that is a Prophet (according to the Gospels) and the Christ (according to the Epistles). As we rediscover more details about the emergence of Christianity two-thousand years ago, we may be able to embrace what Christianity will become in the millenias ahead of us.

Thank You Starbucks

This past Tuesday I made my regular stop at my Starbucks. Every once in awhile the manager will rearrange the layout of the tables, chairs and display stuff. I like change, so I don't ever mind it. Except one time, last year. For whatever reason the four round tables were all replaced with square tables. Ugh! I did not like that change at all. Not that sharing my opinion mattered much. Despite my protest, the square tables stayed. For a little bit. Much to my joy, the square tables kept falling apart (and no, I did not sabotage any of them...). So back out came the beloved round tables. I just think that the round tables are more welcoming and relaxing. The square tables come across as serious and boring.

Thus it was with much angst I entered my Starbucks this past Tuesday and the square tables had returned. No round tables in sight anywhere. I went to a table, set my bookbag down, went through my little routine of getting my studyspace ready, and then went up to order my drink. Erin the manager asked how I liked the new square tables. I then made my displeasure known, and expressed my fondness for the round tables. And then the gloriously surprising question from Erin: do you want the tables? What? You can give them to me? Erin said that if the church wanted them, we could have them. And wouldn't you know I just happened to have the minivan with me that afternoon. It's like I was destined to receive those rejected round tables. I tried not to smile too big - what a delightful gift. I also tried not to be too obnoxious in my gratitude. What luck!

Later that afternoon, after Erin and I loaded up the four round tables into the van, I got a little too nostalgic about all the memories I have with these tables. I know that in the past five years many other people have sat at these tables. But in those years that I have been coming to my Starbucks to read and study and write and pray and think and reflect and learn and make friends - a lot has happened in my life while sitting at those round coffee tables. I've always looked forward to walking into my Starbucks, shouting out a hello to the baristas working, catching up on how a weekend went, how the day is going, or getting into longer conversations about life. I've also always looked forward to settling down at one of those round coffeetables by a window, a cup of steaming Americano underneath my nose, a book, and a pen. And then the thoughts, the pondering, the wondering, the floundering, the finding. And then seeing a friend, or making a new friend.

Now that some of the round coffeetables are in my office, they seem out of place. I look at those tables and I remember the books I read, the decisions I made, the moments when something made sense in a new way, when I caught onto an idea that had been floating around in my soul, when I admitted something to be true, when I accepted reality on God's terms. The tables seem out of place in my office, but they are round reminders of my friends at Starbucks, of my many many many hours spent there, of my spot by the window.

So, thank you Erin for the gift. Thank you to all the baristas at my Starbucks for your kindness, your friendliness, your warm-heartedness, your generosity, your skill, and your diligence. You work hard, and you've created a great store with a great atmosphere. Thanks.

FYI: My wife likes to talk about the different times she has called my Starbucks to ask if I'm there. It's nice to be known on a first name basis with a coffeeshop. We also like to remember the time my Starbucks called my house to make sure I was coming in that day in order for them to give me some free product. That, my friends, is some of what makes my Starbucks so great!

Kierkegaard & Doubt, Faith and Character,

It's come to my attention that I make life more difficult than it ought to be. I can be harder on myself than is necessary. And I guess this means I can be harder than I need to be on the people in my life (sooo... "Sorry" to Tara, Emma, Levi, Isaac, Eli, Dad, Mum, etc.). What are all the factors that drive me to be so hard on myself and others? That, my friends, is the kind of question which fuels my problem. I seek to understand to the point that I suck the fun out of the search. It's like I'm driven by a paranoia, a fear, an insatiable curiosity that requires boundaries.

This is where Kierkegaard comes in. You know how you find some writers/thinkers out there that can put into words what is churning within your depths? That's what Soren does for me.

Here's some stuff I read this morning that helped me, maybe it will help you too.

Faith's conflict with the world is not a battle of thought with doubt, thought with thought. It is a battle of character. The person of faith is a person of character who does not insist upon comprehending everything.

Now comes the conflict. The world insists that to believe what you cannot comprehend is not only blind obeisance but obscurantism, stupidity, and so on. The world wants to alarm the believer against such foolishness. This is precisely why faith is a task for the person of such a character. p258

Teach me, Lord, that the fight of faith is not a fight with doubt, thought against though, but a fight for character. Enable me to see that human vanity consists in having to understand. Save me from the vanity of not being willing to obey like a child, and of wanting to be like a grown man who has to understand.

Help me to realize that he who will not obey when he cannot understand does not, in any essential sense, obey you at all. Make me a believer, a "character man," who, unreservedly obedient, sees it as necessary for his character's sake that he must not always understand. Make me willing to believe even when I cannot understand. p258

If you suffer because you do good, because you are in the right, because you are loving; if it is because you are for a good cause that you live despised, persecuted, ridiculed, in poverty, then you will find that you do not doubt Christ's resurrection.

Why? Because you need it. pg 256

~ Soren Kierkegaard, Provocations

Digging Deeper

I suppose one of the key reasons why I'm a pastor is due to the enjoyment I get out of studying the Scriptures. Call me a geek or a religious nut, but I've always had a knack for remembering the Bible stories I learned as a kid. My dad was a pastor, so we were always in church on Sundays. They weren't mega-churches with crazy awesome kids programs. They were smallish churches with devoted folks who took time to teach Bible stories to a handful of squirrely kids. And I liked it.

And as I grew up I kept on reading the Bible in order to be more familiar with the stories. And the older I got, the more questions I had about what I was reading. The more I was able to link ideas and stories together, the more questions came up in my head - not only about what the stuff meant, but also about who wrote this stuff, why did they write it, what's the history and culture behind it.

This is one of the reasons why I went back to school in 2003 - to dig even deeper into the original languages of the Scriptures (in college my Greek professor said that you could get 20% more out of the text if you read it in the original language); to dig deeper into the culture of the original stories - what was ancient Israel like, what was the Roman Empire like, what was the Mediterranean culture like in the first century. I also wanted to dig deeper into church history - how did the 21st century church get here, what was the road we traveled, and what does that mean for where we are headed. All of this to help me improve my ability to read and understand what was written in the Scriptures.

Here's a problem that many pastors face though, after they've finished all this schooling. Where do you find the time to "use" this knowledge? At school I learned to read the Scriptures in Greek and Hebrew - a totally enlightening experience. Except in order for it to have long term effect, I have to keep working to develop my skill in these languages otherwise I will lose them. And since I'm not very apt at the languages, it takes extra energy and time to stay up on it. And I really liked the experience, paid a bunch of money for the experience, and have seen good things come from it. But the pace of a pastor's life and ministry quickly rules out even a couple of hours a week working on Greek and Hebrew texts.

One of my classes I chose at TEDS, having completed my Greek language courses, was to study the book of Romans; this included translating the whole thing from Greek to English. A very time consuming task but very very rewarding. So a year or two later I shared with my Greek language professor that I had appreciated his class, that he had been very helpful to me, and that I had gone on to translate the book of Romans. Without missing a step (he always walked briskly wherever he was going...) he told me that I should translate the book of Acts next.

Since then, I've been thinking about the challenge. It's about the only way I can really stay in the original texts. I've tried to just do random verses for translation work, but it's too hard to stay with that kind of plan. Since I'm going to be preaching through the book of Acts later in 2010, I'm going to start working on translation now and see how far I can get. Whenever I do some Greek translation work for my sermon prep, it is always rewarding. So now my plan is to spend one very early morning a week to translate at least one chapter every two weeks or so. Though I'll have to go faster than that if I really want to get it done by the time I start my series. We'll see...

Kierkegaard & Gospel for the Poor

Christ was not making a historical observation when he declared: The gospel is preached to the poor. The accent is on the gospel, that the gospel is for the poor. Here the word "poor" does not simply mean poverty but all who suffer, are unfortunate, wretched, wronged, oppressed, crippled, lame, leprous, demonic.

The gospel is preached to them, that is, the gospel is for them. The gospel is good news for them. What good news? Not: money, health, status, and so on - no, this is not Christianity.

No, for the poor the gospel is the good news because to be unfortunate in this world is a sign of God's nearness. So it was originally; this is the gospel of the New Testament. It is preached for the "poor," and it is preached by the poor who, if they in other respects were not suffering, would eventually suffer by proclaiming the gospel; since suffering is inseparable from following Christ, from telling the truth.

But soon there came a change. When preaching the gospel became a livelihood, even a lush livelihood, then the gospel became good news for the rich and for the mighty. For how else was the preacher to acquire and secure rank and dignity unless Christianity secured the best for all? Christianity thus ceased to be glad tidings for those who suffer, a message of hope that transfigures suffering into joy, but a guarantee for the enjoyment of life intensified and secured by the hope of eternity.

The gospel no longer benefits the poor essentially. In fact, Christianity has now even become a downright injustice to those who suffer (although we are not always conscious of this, and certainly unwilling to admit it). Today the gospel is preached to the rich, the powerful, who have discovered it to be advantageous. We are right back again to the very state original Christianity wanted to oppose!

The rich and powerful not only get to keep everything, but their success becomes the mark of their piety, the sign of their relationship with God. And this prompts the old atrocity again - namely, the idea that the unfortunate, the poor are to blame for their condition; that it is because they are not pious enough, are not true Christians, that they are poor, whereas the rich have not only pleasure but piety as well. This is supposed to be Christianity. Compare it with the New Testament, and you will see that this is as far from that as possible.

~ Soren Kierkegaard, Provocations, ed. by C. Moore

Note: Kierkegaard was a Christian in Denmark, writing and railing against the entrenched national religion of Christianity during the 1840's and 50's. He was (is) a brilliant thinker, theologian, philosopher, and agitator. Here we are in America an ocean and a century and a half away, and yet the provocations are still convicting.