There is a joke that I came across a few years ago about a pastor who walked into a bar. The guy was wearing his clerical collar and everything, so when he entered, all the patrons grew deathly quiet. They stopped talking, cussing, and drinking when they saw the reverend enter.
The pastor went up to the bartender and said, "Excuse me, sir. Where are your restrooms?"
The bartender paused and moment and said, "They’re over there, but you might want to think about going someplace else to use the restroom."
The reverend said, "No. I’ve got to go, and this was the nearest place."
The bartender once again said, "Well, reverend, the reason I say that is we have a statue of a nearly naked woman in there. She’s only wearing a fig leaf."
The reverend replied, "I think I can handle such a thing."
The reverend departed, and when he returned from the restroom, the bar was back to normal. Folks were cussing, discussing and drinking rowdily.
The reverend was confused by this turn of events, so he went up to the bartender once again. "Excuse me, sir. When I went into the restroom, this bar was as silent as a church mouse. Now, when I get back, everyone is partying and carrying on. What happened?"
The bartender grinned. "Well, reverend," he explained, "that statue is rigged up to the lights in here. If anyone picks up the fig leaf, the lights blink on and off out here. No one else was in the restroom, so we figure you’re one of us now. Have a beer on the house!"
I hope that joke made you chuckle a moment, because now I’m going to ask you a serious question based upon our first lesson from the Book of Acts. In this lesson, we see Jesus ascending into heaven. I personally believe what is most important about this text is not Jesus’ ascension as much as His final instructions to His disciples. He tells them in verse 8, "8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Shorten that down to just a few words, and Jesus tells his followers, both then and now, "You will be my witnesses." Shorten that into a command, and you have Jesus telling you and me, "Be my witnesses."
Now, here’s the question: when would that reverend be a more effective witness, before or after he picked up that fig leaf on the statue in the men’s room? Let’s pause just a moment to let that sink in. Would that reverend be more effective to that silent room of men who stopped because they saw the collar around his neck or would he be more effective with that room that was rowdy, carrying on, and buying him a beer? Isn’t that a bit sticky?
I mean, there seems to be three trains of thought when it comes to Christian witnessing. One train is to hold oneself above what everyone else is doing and set an example of righteousness by refusing to do anything or associate with anyone that might be considered sinful. There is precedent in Scripture for such a position. If you carefully snip certain verses, you can build a case for never associating with anyone who is sinful.
For instance, snipping 1 Corinthians 5 verse 11 out of context gives you a start, "11But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother or sister who is sexually immoral or greedy, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or robber. Do not even eat with such a one."
Now snip Ephesians 5:5-7, "5Be sure of this, that no fornicator or impure person, or one who is greedy (that is, an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes on those who are disobedient. 7Therefore do not be associated with them."
Separate yourself from evil, from sin, and anything that might lead you into temptation. Associate with folks who are just like you, who do the things you do, who believe the things you believe. By doing so, you are showing what it means to live a moral, upright life–a life that God calls us to live.
But does it work in the witness arena? That’s a little harder to judge. Oftentimes, a person simply comes off looking holier than thou. And believe me, if you come across as a holier than thou, you aren’t going to be an effective witness with most people.
So, let’s look at another train of thought within Christianity–this is the train of thought which suggests: I’m just like everyone else. I don’t really want anyone to think that there is anything different about me. I can be a Christian and separate my church life from my private life. Therefore, I can drink with my friends, and cuss with the best of them, and act out sexually and cheat my neighbor. And if anyone confronts me, I can retort, "Hey, I’m forgiven. Jesus loves me. I believe in Him. Plus, I have to do these things so that I can witness to others. If I stopped doing all this stuff, I’d lose all my friends and never get a chance to witness to them in the first place.
This position I think is best summed up by a joke that I heard about three brothers who while growing up would head to the bar once a week and enjoy a beer together. They made a pledge that if they should become separated, then once a week, they would gather at the local pub and drink three beers to stay connected to the relationship.
One brother moved to the deep South of the U.S. and continued this custom. He explained this to the locals at the bar, and they resonated because of their deep loyalty to family. However, one day, the looks of the patrons of the bar became grave as the brother entered the bar and only ordered two beers.
The bartender approached him and said, "I’m sorry for your loss."
The brother stopped for a moment, and then grinned. "Oh, you’ve got it wrong. Both of my brothers are fine. This weekend, I got saved at the Baptist church, and my wife made me give up drinking."
I’m not sure this qualifies as being an effective witness. There is a lack of integrity.
So, therefore, let’s move onto the third train of thought–the train of thought that I am most associated with. It links imitating Jesus with a profound understanding of God’s grace, and a huge dose of humility.
First, imitating Jesus means we do not disassociate ourselves from folks who we consider sinners. If you look at Jesus’ life, you will see that He simply just didn’t do that. In fact, Jesus was most often found with people society considered sinners: tax collectors, prostitutes, lepers, and others. He freely moved among them, ate with them, drank with them, and shared with them a good word from God.
Jesus didn’t hold himself aloof from these folks, yet He also didn’t do the things they were doing. He held himself to a different standard of living. Well, of course, He was the Son of God, so He could. Most of the time, we’re not that lucky. Even though, we try to do as Jesus did, we fall short. We know we cannot walk perfectly, so we are driven to the grace of God to experience His forgiveness. We know we are both saint and sinner and totally dependent upon God’s forgiveness.
Which leads us to humility. Instead of walking around with our heads held high and our noses in the air, we see others eye to eye and heart to heart. We seek to live differently, knowing we can and do slip all the time. As such, we regard ourselves as all too human, all too imperfect, and dare I say, all too real.
To be an effective witness to Jesus Christ, we must allow our humanness to show. We must allow others to know we have clay feet. We must allow others to know we are no better than anyone else. The only difference is we know we are forgiven, and we aren’t trying to rub anyone else’s nose in this. Instead, we are striving to live a holy and upright life out of respect and love of the one who has forgiven us. A life full of humility, because even though we are witnesses, we too still will pick up a few fig leaves. Amen.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Following in the Footsteps
No, this time I'm not talking about Jesus. I'm talking about family.
When my wife hears stories about all of my family members in previous generations who became clergy, she jokingly says, "The Force runs strong in your family."
It's always good for a few chuckles, but she is right. My family tree is littered with pastor types from Baptist to Lutheran. My only living grandfather celebrates over sixty years as a pastor, and I have found it quite the honor to follow in his footsteps.
I will forever remember the day of my ordination when Grandpa stood in the midst of the congregation and placed the stole (the colored piece of cloth draped over a pastor's shoulders that hangs over his or her robe) around my neck. It was a proverbial "passing of the torch", at least I see it that way. Grandpa even topped it off by giving me his set of stoles. Whenever I am feeling a bit traditional, I break one of them out and wear it proudly--especially since they have a history behind them. Grandpa also left me his home communion kit. Talk about a keepsake! It has a chalice that screws together so someone can partake of the wine! Today's stuff has plastic cups which are discarded. It was a different time.
But onto something that remains the same. Perhaps it is in my family's DNA...at least when it comes to service in the church.
I am a country pastor. I'm not sure I could enjoy working in the city or suburbs. I could probably be pretty effective in what I do, but I'm not sure I would have a sense of fulfillment in my call. I like the peace and quiet of few cars and few neighbors. I like looking up and seeking sky instead of skyscrapers. At night, I see stars instead of street lights. There is peace. There is room to move around. I don't feel crowded by myriads of others scurrying from place to place. The pace is slower--even if the pace in my congregation has quickened considerably in the last seven years.
And I need a place to garden and grow things. It's my therapy. I told the folks of my congregation that I needed a spot to garden or they would have to pay for counseling. One of those options was much cheaper, so they found a place for me to put in a crop. It's a little strange that I would do such a thing since most of my childhood I griped and complained about picking green beans, silting corn, and chopping weeds. But I do no such thing now. I work to grow those same crops along with squash, cucumbers, grapes, strawberries, jalapenos, bell peppers, tomatoes, watermelon, and in the near future blackberries. There is nothing better than eating your own vegetables, canning them to eat throughout the year, and making your own home made jellies.
I'm not as big a gardener as my dad or my grandfather, but perhaps one day I will get there. Particularly if I continue to walk in their footsteps.
For you see, my father and my grandfather not only provided for their families through their gardens, but they gave more than a few vegetables away. I understand why. I am trying to do the same thing.
Yesterday, I loaded up several grocery bags with fresh corn, and I visited four widows in my congregation. I came bearing those gifts.
There are more than a few passages of scripture which tell us to care for the widow and the orphan, and while most widows around here have plenty of family members to look after them, it doesn't hurt the pastor of the church to put such things into practice as well.
Now, I don't quite produce enough to give everyone a sack of corn or green beans or squash at this time, perhaps one day my garden will be big enough to do just that. It's what neighbors should do for one another. It's what my dad did. And my grandfather. And now me, as I follow in their footsteps.
When my wife hears stories about all of my family members in previous generations who became clergy, she jokingly says, "The Force runs strong in your family."
It's always good for a few chuckles, but she is right. My family tree is littered with pastor types from Baptist to Lutheran. My only living grandfather celebrates over sixty years as a pastor, and I have found it quite the honor to follow in his footsteps.
I will forever remember the day of my ordination when Grandpa stood in the midst of the congregation and placed the stole (the colored piece of cloth draped over a pastor's shoulders that hangs over his or her robe) around my neck. It was a proverbial "passing of the torch", at least I see it that way. Grandpa even topped it off by giving me his set of stoles. Whenever I am feeling a bit traditional, I break one of them out and wear it proudly--especially since they have a history behind them. Grandpa also left me his home communion kit. Talk about a keepsake! It has a chalice that screws together so someone can partake of the wine! Today's stuff has plastic cups which are discarded. It was a different time.
But onto something that remains the same. Perhaps it is in my family's DNA...at least when it comes to service in the church.
I am a country pastor. I'm not sure I could enjoy working in the city or suburbs. I could probably be pretty effective in what I do, but I'm not sure I would have a sense of fulfillment in my call. I like the peace and quiet of few cars and few neighbors. I like looking up and seeking sky instead of skyscrapers. At night, I see stars instead of street lights. There is peace. There is room to move around. I don't feel crowded by myriads of others scurrying from place to place. The pace is slower--even if the pace in my congregation has quickened considerably in the last seven years.
And I need a place to garden and grow things. It's my therapy. I told the folks of my congregation that I needed a spot to garden or they would have to pay for counseling. One of those options was much cheaper, so they found a place for me to put in a crop. It's a little strange that I would do such a thing since most of my childhood I griped and complained about picking green beans, silting corn, and chopping weeds. But I do no such thing now. I work to grow those same crops along with squash, cucumbers, grapes, strawberries, jalapenos, bell peppers, tomatoes, watermelon, and in the near future blackberries. There is nothing better than eating your own vegetables, canning them to eat throughout the year, and making your own home made jellies.
I'm not as big a gardener as my dad or my grandfather, but perhaps one day I will get there. Particularly if I continue to walk in their footsteps.
For you see, my father and my grandfather not only provided for their families through their gardens, but they gave more than a few vegetables away. I understand why. I am trying to do the same thing.
Yesterday, I loaded up several grocery bags with fresh corn, and I visited four widows in my congregation. I came bearing those gifts.
There are more than a few passages of scripture which tell us to care for the widow and the orphan, and while most widows around here have plenty of family members to look after them, it doesn't hurt the pastor of the church to put such things into practice as well.
Now, I don't quite produce enough to give everyone a sack of corn or green beans or squash at this time, perhaps one day my garden will be big enough to do just that. It's what neighbors should do for one another. It's what my dad did. And my grandfather. And now me, as I follow in their footsteps.
Monday, June 6, 2011
A Lesson in Self-Control and Humility
Survived the rough weekend and learned a bit of a lesson in it as well.
After finishing up the LYO retreat and attending the graduation party, I hurridly got my stuff together for the wedding service I was to officiate at. I arrived at the hall about 15 minutes before the start of the wedding, and I proceeded to wait.
And wait.
And wait.
The groomsmen and groom arrived roughly 10 minutes before the scheduled start of the service.
But the bride and bridal party were nowhere to be found.
And so we waited.
And waited.
And waited.
I finally called my wife who was to bring our kids to the reception at around 4:30. "Honey, the bride's not here, and we haven't even started. I'll call you when (and if, I thought) everything is done."
We continued to wait.
The groomsmen were having a time debating whether or not the bride would even show.
The groom was unfazed. He meandered over to me and started laying it out. "After the week we just had, nothing's going to faze us."
He went onto explain. Their week culminated with him winning full custody of his son in a dispute with his first wife. Apparently, she was in jail awaiting charges that she had tried to stick a knife through her current husband's head. (Do you know that you hear all types of interesting stories about life as a clergy?) He went to battle to remove his son from that situation.
What complicated matters was his own checkered past. "I'm no saint," he said. In fact, he informed me he served some time because of substance abuse. "I never tried to hurt anyone but myself." However, they did try to use that past against him in court. Luckily, he had a very good lawyer to side him, and the groom made a very courageous statement in my opinion. "I'll go back to jail before I see my son in that situation again," he spoke.
Amazing story.
Worth listening too as a man wrestled with his past and planned for a future based more in responsibility.
Never would have heard it if the bride wouldn't have been late.
But, I was still pissed.
I was tired.
My kids were pissed that dad hadn't been home all weekend--the first weekend they were all home from school together.
I could have been spending time with them. I could have been resting from the retreat and allowing myself to get ready for services the next day.
Don't folks respect my time?
That's something that's been drilled into me since my youth. If you say you are going to do something at a certain time, do it. Time is valuable.
And it is. To a certain extent. But I was overvaluing it at the time. I didn't realize it until later.
As it was, I was growing more and more angry. I knew I needed to settle down and confront this rising beast within me, so I went off alone. I grabbed a chair. I sat and began to meditate.
I focused on my breathing and told myself over and over, "Breathe in God's Spirit, breathe out anger and frustration." It's a technique I learned long ago.
For 10 straight minutes, I sat with eyes closed, praying and breathing. The anger began to subside.
I had a wedding to do. I had God's Word to proclaim at that wedding. Anger must not show through me--the love of God and His Word for this couple and gathered assembly is primary.
The bride and her party finally arrived, and the service was conducted. I preached one of my stronger wedding sermons completely off the cuff. Even took a shot at the lateness of the bride that drew rolls of laughter without allowing any condemnation. Celebration ensued.
During the reception, the bride and groom sat down with me for about five minutes. Generally, I don't get that courtesy. They are busy elsewhere greeting all the other folks. I'm an afterthought because my job is done. But not for them. Their thankfulness was palatable. I could not only see it and hear it in their manner, but I could feel their genuinness as we spoke together. They compensated me handily for the time I spent with them that day, and it was the icing on the cake. A cake I almost missed because I almost allowed my anger to control me instead of vice versa. I was humbled at the end of the day, and it was a good lesson learned.
After finishing up the LYO retreat and attending the graduation party, I hurridly got my stuff together for the wedding service I was to officiate at. I arrived at the hall about 15 minutes before the start of the wedding, and I proceeded to wait.
And wait.
And wait.
The groomsmen and groom arrived roughly 10 minutes before the scheduled start of the service.
But the bride and bridal party were nowhere to be found.
And so we waited.
And waited.
And waited.
I finally called my wife who was to bring our kids to the reception at around 4:30. "Honey, the bride's not here, and we haven't even started. I'll call you when (and if, I thought) everything is done."
We continued to wait.
The groomsmen were having a time debating whether or not the bride would even show.
The groom was unfazed. He meandered over to me and started laying it out. "After the week we just had, nothing's going to faze us."
He went onto explain. Their week culminated with him winning full custody of his son in a dispute with his first wife. Apparently, she was in jail awaiting charges that she had tried to stick a knife through her current husband's head. (Do you know that you hear all types of interesting stories about life as a clergy?) He went to battle to remove his son from that situation.
What complicated matters was his own checkered past. "I'm no saint," he said. In fact, he informed me he served some time because of substance abuse. "I never tried to hurt anyone but myself." However, they did try to use that past against him in court. Luckily, he had a very good lawyer to side him, and the groom made a very courageous statement in my opinion. "I'll go back to jail before I see my son in that situation again," he spoke.
Amazing story.
Worth listening too as a man wrestled with his past and planned for a future based more in responsibility.
Never would have heard it if the bride wouldn't have been late.
But, I was still pissed.
I was tired.
My kids were pissed that dad hadn't been home all weekend--the first weekend they were all home from school together.
I could have been spending time with them. I could have been resting from the retreat and allowing myself to get ready for services the next day.
Don't folks respect my time?
That's something that's been drilled into me since my youth. If you say you are going to do something at a certain time, do it. Time is valuable.
And it is. To a certain extent. But I was overvaluing it at the time. I didn't realize it until later.
As it was, I was growing more and more angry. I knew I needed to settle down and confront this rising beast within me, so I went off alone. I grabbed a chair. I sat and began to meditate.
I focused on my breathing and told myself over and over, "Breathe in God's Spirit, breathe out anger and frustration." It's a technique I learned long ago.
For 10 straight minutes, I sat with eyes closed, praying and breathing. The anger began to subside.
I had a wedding to do. I had God's Word to proclaim at that wedding. Anger must not show through me--the love of God and His Word for this couple and gathered assembly is primary.
The bride and her party finally arrived, and the service was conducted. I preached one of my stronger wedding sermons completely off the cuff. Even took a shot at the lateness of the bride that drew rolls of laughter without allowing any condemnation. Celebration ensued.
During the reception, the bride and groom sat down with me for about five minutes. Generally, I don't get that courtesy. They are busy elsewhere greeting all the other folks. I'm an afterthought because my job is done. But not for them. Their thankfulness was palatable. I could not only see it and hear it in their manner, but I could feel their genuinness as we spoke together. They compensated me handily for the time I spent with them that day, and it was the icing on the cake. A cake I almost missed because I almost allowed my anger to control me instead of vice versa. I was humbled at the end of the day, and it was a good lesson learned.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Pastors Only Work on Sundays
I love it when people (jokingly?) say that pastors only work on Sundays.
Oh, how lovely that would be.
Here's this weekend's itinerary. Mind you, Friday is usually my day off:
3:00 Friday, begin Youth Retreat.
Leave retreat at 6:30 and head to wedding rehearsal.
Hopefully get back by 8:30 to continue scheduled Bible Study.
Try to get some sleep with HS youth making all kinds of noise.
Finish up retreat at 11:30 a.m.
Head to graduation party.
Leave party to get back home to prepare for wedding.
Do wedding at 4. Stay for reception and beer!!!
Up for service at 8:00 a.m.
Sunday school at 9:00 a.m.
Worship again at 10:00 a.m.
Head out to Junefeast-- our local agricultural society's main fundraiser where approximately 1/3 of my congregation will be working and the other 2/3 will be attending.
Mind you, none of the above lists the prep time it took to plan all the stuff: 3 retreat Bible studies, 3 retreat worship services, games, Wedding sermon, Sunday Sermon, and Adult Bible study.
Anyone think we pastors don't put in our time just like everyone else?
Oh, how lovely that would be.
Here's this weekend's itinerary. Mind you, Friday is usually my day off:
3:00 Friday, begin Youth Retreat.
Leave retreat at 6:30 and head to wedding rehearsal.
Hopefully get back by 8:30 to continue scheduled Bible Study.
Try to get some sleep with HS youth making all kinds of noise.
Finish up retreat at 11:30 a.m.
Head to graduation party.
Leave party to get back home to prepare for wedding.
Do wedding at 4. Stay for reception and beer!!!
Up for service at 8:00 a.m.
Sunday school at 9:00 a.m.
Worship again at 10:00 a.m.
Head out to Junefeast-- our local agricultural society's main fundraiser where approximately 1/3 of my congregation will be working and the other 2/3 will be attending.
Mind you, none of the above lists the prep time it took to plan all the stuff: 3 retreat Bible studies, 3 retreat worship services, games, Wedding sermon, Sunday Sermon, and Adult Bible study.
Anyone think we pastors don't put in our time just like everyone else?
Thursday, June 2, 2011
A Firm Grip that Doesn't Want to Let Go
I stood by the bedside to say my farewell.
Conversation has dwindled over the few months since one of my congregation members was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer which had spread into his brain. Doctors gave him 2 to 3 months. That was 4 months ago.
He's lasted longer than expected, but things are catching up...and fast.
In one week, he has lost significant amounts of weight; his appetite has dwindled to almost nothing; he's seeing people and things as the tumor presses against his brain; and he's lost so much strength, he can only whisper.
I brought him Holy Communion, but there was little conversation between us. Both of us know the end is coming, and there are no words to say.
I bid him farewell until next week.
He reaches up to grasp my hand. There is still strength there.
And he doesn't let go. For what seems like an eternity, he grasps my hand in a firm grip that doesn't want to let go.
He knows.
He knows it could be the last.
He knows his time on earth is ending.
He knows I represent God as one of His messengers on earth.
He grasps my hand for what seems like an eternity.
A few more precious moments for him. Maybe I represent the presence of God at that moment.
It's a thought I'm not altogether comfortable with, but know is true.
Unfortunately, I have to go.
Fortunately, God is still there.
"Until next time, Buddy," I say, and I walk out the door.
Conversation has dwindled over the few months since one of my congregation members was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer which had spread into his brain. Doctors gave him 2 to 3 months. That was 4 months ago.
He's lasted longer than expected, but things are catching up...and fast.
In one week, he has lost significant amounts of weight; his appetite has dwindled to almost nothing; he's seeing people and things as the tumor presses against his brain; and he's lost so much strength, he can only whisper.
I brought him Holy Communion, but there was little conversation between us. Both of us know the end is coming, and there are no words to say.
I bid him farewell until next week.
He reaches up to grasp my hand. There is still strength there.
And he doesn't let go. For what seems like an eternity, he grasps my hand in a firm grip that doesn't want to let go.
He knows.
He knows it could be the last.
He knows his time on earth is ending.
He knows I represent God as one of His messengers on earth.
He grasps my hand for what seems like an eternity.
A few more precious moments for him. Maybe I represent the presence of God at that moment.
It's a thought I'm not altogether comfortable with, but know is true.
Unfortunately, I have to go.
Fortunately, God is still there.
"Until next time, Buddy," I say, and I walk out the door.
What are My Fundamentals?
If Timothy Keller is correct in his assessment that I blogged about the other day, and we are indeed all fundamentalists in some fashion; I thought I might attempt to dig down and see what my baseline assumptions are regarding my own faith as a Lutheran pastor.
What are my fundamentals? What are the statements of belief that I hold which are foundational and which I am uncompromising about? Time for some major self reflection.
1. First, I believe in the triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This automatically makes me Christian.
2. I believe in and am a follower of Jesus Christ as the only Son of God.
3. I believe we live in a world that God created to be good, but it has become warped beyond repair. There's still plenty of good to go around, but there is more than enough bad and evil as well.
4. I believe this dichotomy has entered into humanity in that all folks have both good and bad within them as well. As a Lutheran, I live with the tradition that I and others are both saint and sinner at the same time.
5. I believe I can't personally rectify this situation and drive out all my badness no matter how hard I might try.
6. I believe God demands perfection out of me as a perfect Being Himself.
7. Since I can't live up to that perfection, I stand condemned before Him. However, I believe God forgives me through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
8. Therefore, I strive to live a holy and upright life because of what Christ has done for me.
9. God also sent a message through the death and resurrection of Jesus: evil, death, injustice, et.al. do not have the last word. God does, and it is always good. God will right the wrongs of this world even though we have a hard time perceiving it.
10. Such acts by God lead me towards a life of humility and humble service toward others. I cannot judge another knowing I'm in the same boat as him/her; rather, I will serve, help and love my neighbor (with both tough love and mercy) as Christ first loved me.
11. I believe this Christian message is for everyone, no exceptions.
12. I believe such humility demands we do not simply seek out those who agree with us, but we intentionally also work, play, worship, and engage those whom we disagree with. The early church astounded non-believers because they saw people who society said shouldn't eat together actually eating together.
13. I believe I am called to spread the news of Jesus to others. I cannot wait for them to come to me, I'm called to go out.
14. I believe practicing my faith brings true joy and meaning to my life. Without it, I would not be fulfilled.
15. I believe I cannot compel anyone to believe as I do. I can only point the way.
16. I believe the Bible is the source and norm of faith and life. I do not believe it is inerrant. I do believe it is infallible.
I think I'll stop there for a moment. I may have to do some editing in the future as I may need to make additions.
Unfortunately, such self reflection is difficult. Oftentimes, we cannot fully see ourselves because there are parts which we cannot, do not, or flat out refuse to see. If anyone out there sees anything I've missed, ding me. Let me know something that comes across as "fundamentalist" to you. I'll add it to the list.
What are my fundamentals? What are the statements of belief that I hold which are foundational and which I am uncompromising about? Time for some major self reflection.
1. First, I believe in the triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This automatically makes me Christian.
2. I believe in and am a follower of Jesus Christ as the only Son of God.
3. I believe we live in a world that God created to be good, but it has become warped beyond repair. There's still plenty of good to go around, but there is more than enough bad and evil as well.
4. I believe this dichotomy has entered into humanity in that all folks have both good and bad within them as well. As a Lutheran, I live with the tradition that I and others are both saint and sinner at the same time.
5. I believe I can't personally rectify this situation and drive out all my badness no matter how hard I might try.
6. I believe God demands perfection out of me as a perfect Being Himself.
7. Since I can't live up to that perfection, I stand condemned before Him. However, I believe God forgives me through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
8. Therefore, I strive to live a holy and upright life because of what Christ has done for me.
9. God also sent a message through the death and resurrection of Jesus: evil, death, injustice, et.al. do not have the last word. God does, and it is always good. God will right the wrongs of this world even though we have a hard time perceiving it.
10. Such acts by God lead me towards a life of humility and humble service toward others. I cannot judge another knowing I'm in the same boat as him/her; rather, I will serve, help and love my neighbor (with both tough love and mercy) as Christ first loved me.
11. I believe this Christian message is for everyone, no exceptions.
12. I believe such humility demands we do not simply seek out those who agree with us, but we intentionally also work, play, worship, and engage those whom we disagree with. The early church astounded non-believers because they saw people who society said shouldn't eat together actually eating together.
13. I believe I am called to spread the news of Jesus to others. I cannot wait for them to come to me, I'm called to go out.
14. I believe practicing my faith brings true joy and meaning to my life. Without it, I would not be fulfilled.
15. I believe I cannot compel anyone to believe as I do. I can only point the way.
16. I believe the Bible is the source and norm of faith and life. I do not believe it is inerrant. I do believe it is infallible.
I think I'll stop there for a moment. I may have to do some editing in the future as I may need to make additions.
Unfortunately, such self reflection is difficult. Oftentimes, we cannot fully see ourselves because there are parts which we cannot, do not, or flat out refuse to see. If anyone out there sees anything I've missed, ding me. Let me know something that comes across as "fundamentalist" to you. I'll add it to the list.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
The Authority of Scripture
For about a month, I have been part of a group on Facebook which consists solely of ELCA clergy.
I'm beginning to wonder about the value of belonging to such a group. On the one hand, I have found a few gems worth gleaning; however, it seems like the more I read, the more I become depressed.
In a very, real way, I tend to see many of my colleagues trying to separate fly $h!t from pepper--an extremely tedious task if you have ever tried it. :-) And it always seems like someone is ready to bash someone else because they aren't quite theologically correct enough, liturgically correct enough, or what have you.
Sometimes, it's a tough place to be.
For instance, in several threads the topic of the authority of Scripture has arisen. We Lutherans have quite the interesting catch phrase when it comes to how we believe we are called to use the Bible: it is our "source and norm" for theology and faith.
In other words, it is our source. It is the primary revelation of God to humankind. Within its pages, we see how God has interacted with humanity, particularly through the people of Israel, culminating with the advent of Jesus Christ and the growth of the early church.
It is also our norm or our measuring stick to see what God is about. For instance, if someone comes up to us and says, "God has demanded that I kill all redheads.", we can look at the words of Scripture and see if this person is on the level. Just for a note, based on the fifth commandment as well as Jesus' words to that anger is the equivalent of murder, I'd hazard just a slight guess, that the person in the above example is not following the norm of Scripture.
Of course, this is usually not enough for Lutherans. We tend to enjoy a good argument and debate; for even though we might agree on this point, we still haven't gotten into separating the fly $h!t from the pepper. For instance, now the argument begins as to what parts of scripture we must follow and what parts we do not. There are several laws and teachings we frankly don't, and believe me, that's a good thing.
I'd not be to thrilled about stoning my children when they become disobedient. Neither will I try to force any women who attend worship to cover their heads. I live in a good German community, and I will not preach against the evils of eating blood sausage. By the way, each of these things is admonished or condemned in Scripture. A couple of them are New Testament teachings.
Of course, while separating the fly $h!t from pepper, insults start getting thrown. There are those who decry some as playing fast and loose with Scripture. They don't take the Bible seriously and pick and choose the parts of the Bible they want to follow. This is usually followed by the retort that everyone picks and chooses, and "we/I worship the God revealed in Scripture and not Scripture itself."
The second part of this argument, I have decided I have a problem with. "As if," I would reply. "As if most folks don't actually worship the God revealed in the Bible and not the Bible itself. However, there is a matter of the authority of Scripture."
I have begun to believe that those who use the second part of the above argument are presenting a "strawman" argument to keep from facing a very serious matter in Biblical interpretation and authority. Why do I say such a thing? Please let me explain.
First, I must ask, how do we come to know the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? How do we come to know Jesus Christ?
Answer: the Source, Scripture, the Bible.
So, without the Bible, we would not know Jesus?
Yes.
Therefore, the Bible must be True, and I use the capital intentionally.
Rebuttal: But it's written by humans. It is flawed.
Answer: Yes, it is written by humans but inspired by God. That inspiration must be True, or we don't truly come to know Jesus from the Word of Scripture.
Rebuttal: But the Holy Spirit is the one who brings us to belief.
Answer: Yes, agreed; the Spirit brings us to belief, but belief in what. We are called to test the spirits. How do we know the Spirit has brought us to the faith in Jesus Christ?
Answer #2: Scripture gives us the norm of how God operates. If it does not, then Scripture cannot be True. If God is indeed revealed in the Bible's pages through the writing of humans, Scripture must contain the Truth.
In a very real way, I am arguing for a very high respect of Biblical authority; a respect I find the initial argument lacking.
I have come to believe that many within the larger church have a problem with absolute Truth. More and more, I think that influence has spread, and I'm not comfortable with it. I think it's time for folks like myself to be more diligent in standing up and defending the Truth. Perhaps this is a start.
I'm beginning to wonder about the value of belonging to such a group. On the one hand, I have found a few gems worth gleaning; however, it seems like the more I read, the more I become depressed.
In a very, real way, I tend to see many of my colleagues trying to separate fly $h!t from pepper--an extremely tedious task if you have ever tried it. :-) And it always seems like someone is ready to bash someone else because they aren't quite theologically correct enough, liturgically correct enough, or what have you.
Sometimes, it's a tough place to be.
For instance, in several threads the topic of the authority of Scripture has arisen. We Lutherans have quite the interesting catch phrase when it comes to how we believe we are called to use the Bible: it is our "source and norm" for theology and faith.
In other words, it is our source. It is the primary revelation of God to humankind. Within its pages, we see how God has interacted with humanity, particularly through the people of Israel, culminating with the advent of Jesus Christ and the growth of the early church.
It is also our norm or our measuring stick to see what God is about. For instance, if someone comes up to us and says, "God has demanded that I kill all redheads.", we can look at the words of Scripture and see if this person is on the level. Just for a note, based on the fifth commandment as well as Jesus' words to that anger is the equivalent of murder, I'd hazard just a slight guess, that the person in the above example is not following the norm of Scripture.
Of course, this is usually not enough for Lutherans. We tend to enjoy a good argument and debate; for even though we might agree on this point, we still haven't gotten into separating the fly $h!t from the pepper. For instance, now the argument begins as to what parts of scripture we must follow and what parts we do not. There are several laws and teachings we frankly don't, and believe me, that's a good thing.
I'd not be to thrilled about stoning my children when they become disobedient. Neither will I try to force any women who attend worship to cover their heads. I live in a good German community, and I will not preach against the evils of eating blood sausage. By the way, each of these things is admonished or condemned in Scripture. A couple of them are New Testament teachings.
Of course, while separating the fly $h!t from pepper, insults start getting thrown. There are those who decry some as playing fast and loose with Scripture. They don't take the Bible seriously and pick and choose the parts of the Bible they want to follow. This is usually followed by the retort that everyone picks and chooses, and "we/I worship the God revealed in Scripture and not Scripture itself."
The second part of this argument, I have decided I have a problem with. "As if," I would reply. "As if most folks don't actually worship the God revealed in the Bible and not the Bible itself. However, there is a matter of the authority of Scripture."
I have begun to believe that those who use the second part of the above argument are presenting a "strawman" argument to keep from facing a very serious matter in Biblical interpretation and authority. Why do I say such a thing? Please let me explain.
First, I must ask, how do we come to know the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? How do we come to know Jesus Christ?
Answer: the Source, Scripture, the Bible.
So, without the Bible, we would not know Jesus?
Yes.
Therefore, the Bible must be True, and I use the capital intentionally.
Rebuttal: But it's written by humans. It is flawed.
Answer: Yes, it is written by humans but inspired by God. That inspiration must be True, or we don't truly come to know Jesus from the Word of Scripture.
Rebuttal: But the Holy Spirit is the one who brings us to belief.
Answer: Yes, agreed; the Spirit brings us to belief, but belief in what. We are called to test the spirits. How do we know the Spirit has brought us to the faith in Jesus Christ?
Answer #2: Scripture gives us the norm of how God operates. If it does not, then Scripture cannot be True. If God is indeed revealed in the Bible's pages through the writing of humans, Scripture must contain the Truth.
In a very real way, I am arguing for a very high respect of Biblical authority; a respect I find the initial argument lacking.
I have come to believe that many within the larger church have a problem with absolute Truth. More and more, I think that influence has spread, and I'm not comfortable with it. I think it's time for folks like myself to be more diligent in standing up and defending the Truth. Perhaps this is a start.
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