Ok, just one more:
on pg. 17, in "Fleshly Love" by Desmond Tutu, "If your worship does not make you see and fee like God, then it is an abomination, however elaborate it might be."
!!
Wednesday, June 30, 2004
Tuesday, June 29, 2004
Food for Though from The Other Side
Finally getting around to reading my July/August issue of The Other Side magazine.
On page 8 under "Short Takes":
"Americans spend $250 per month on fast food and $5 on helping poor people." Ouch! I'm afraid I must locate myself in that statement. I'd like to think I spend less than the first number and more than the second number on average, but I know that my first number (food for me) is still more, much more, than my second number (food for others.)
On page 9, in "Yeast of the Pharisees," Shane Claiborne writes about Luke 18, where the prayers of the tax collector and the Pharisee are recounted. Shane writes, "...if our commitments are not born out of relationship, if they are not liberating for both oppressed and oppressor, and if they are not marked by raw, passionate love, then we do little more than flaunt our own purity by showing everyone else how dirty they are."
That hits directly on a longtime struggle of mine - for whom am I working? For whom am I passionate and compassionate? In my work for the earth, for example, being vegetarian, buying organic, etc., I do help people, but not directly. When do I work with my neighbor? In particular, when do I work with my less-well-off-than-me outside-my-daily-spheres-of-activity neighbors? What relationships are at the base, the foundations, of my actions? Or is it just me?
On page 8 under "Short Takes":
"Americans spend $250 per month on fast food and $5 on helping poor people." Ouch! I'm afraid I must locate myself in that statement. I'd like to think I spend less than the first number and more than the second number on average, but I know that my first number (food for me) is still more, much more, than my second number (food for others.)
On page 9, in "Yeast of the Pharisees," Shane Claiborne writes about Luke 18, where the prayers of the tax collector and the Pharisee are recounted. Shane writes, "...if our commitments are not born out of relationship, if they are not liberating for both oppressed and oppressor, and if they are not marked by raw, passionate love, then we do little more than flaunt our own purity by showing everyone else how dirty they are."
That hits directly on a longtime struggle of mine - for whom am I working? For whom am I passionate and compassionate? In my work for the earth, for example, being vegetarian, buying organic, etc., I do help people, but not directly. When do I work with my neighbor? In particular, when do I work with my less-well-off-than-me outside-my-daily-spheres-of-activity neighbors? What relationships are at the base, the foundations, of my actions? Or is it just me?
Sunday, June 27, 2004
John Cobb's Response to Prisoner Abuse in Iraq
Check out John Cobb's Response to Prisoner Abuse in Iraq
John Cobb, a favorite theologian of mine, writes an excellent article on the Center for Process Studie's website
A quote: "But the deeper moral issue is that of basic national policy. If we want to pursue American economic and political empire, the price will be the creation of a global system in which American atrocities will multiply exponentially. Indeed, in many places we will find that we, like Saddam, can only prevent popular terrorism by using state terrorism." - This makes me think of a communion liturgy sometimes used by one of my professors at Drew, Rev. Dr. Traci West. She would speak of how "on the night [Jesus] was given up" and crucified as an act of "state-sponsored terrorism."
Who defines terrorism? The terrorists or the terrorized?
Cobb also addresses the issue of culpability, and suggests fault must be found much higher up than with individual soldiers...
John Cobb, a favorite theologian of mine, writes an excellent article on the Center for Process Studie's website
A quote: "But the deeper moral issue is that of basic national policy. If we want to pursue American economic and political empire, the price will be the creation of a global system in which American atrocities will multiply exponentially. Indeed, in many places we will find that we, like Saddam, can only prevent popular terrorism by using state terrorism." - This makes me think of a communion liturgy sometimes used by one of my professors at Drew, Rev. Dr. Traci West. She would speak of how "on the night [Jesus] was given up" and crucified as an act of "state-sponsored terrorism."
Who defines terrorism? The terrorists or the terrorized?
Cobb also addresses the issue of culpability, and suggests fault must be found much higher up than with individual soldiers...
Thursday, June 24, 2004
Marva Dawn - Unfettered Hope - A Call to Faithful Living in an Affluent Society
I've been reading: Unfettered Hope - A Call to Faithful Living in an Affluent Society by Marva Dawn.
At first I was a little skeptical about the book - all this talk about 'focal concerns' and 'fettering' or 'unfettering' our hopes, and my disagreements with her views on technology in some aspects. But I have to admit, thought I'm not done with the book yet, Dawn's theories are really growing on me.
Here's an excerpt, which starts with a quote from Madeleine L'Engle's Walking on Water:
"'It is a criterion of love. In moments of decision, we are to try to make what seems to be the most loving, the most creative decision. We are not to play safe, to draw back out of fear. Love may well lead us into danger. It may lead us to die for our friend. In a day when we are taught to look for easy solutions, it is not always easy to hold on to that most difficult one of all, love.'
What are our foremost loves by which everything else is judged? In what do we place our hopes?" (pg. 62) She then continues, "It is my primary thesis in this book that Christianity provides focal concerns worthy of our creation as human beings and efficacious for dealing with the encroachments and fetterings of our technologized, commodified milieu. I believe that the focal concerns of Christianity . . . are these two: the love of God and the love of neighbor." (pg. 76)
She argues that our lives as Christians ought to be centered on our focal concerns: loving God, and loving neighbor. Everything, yes, pretty much everything we do ought to make us ask - is this in line with my focal concerns?
A challenge...
At first I was a little skeptical about the book - all this talk about 'focal concerns' and 'fettering' or 'unfettering' our hopes, and my disagreements with her views on technology in some aspects. But I have to admit, thought I'm not done with the book yet, Dawn's theories are really growing on me.
Here's an excerpt, which starts with a quote from Madeleine L'Engle's Walking on Water:
"'It is a criterion of love. In moments of decision, we are to try to make what seems to be the most loving, the most creative decision. We are not to play safe, to draw back out of fear. Love may well lead us into danger. It may lead us to die for our friend. In a day when we are taught to look for easy solutions, it is not always easy to hold on to that most difficult one of all, love.'
What are our foremost loves by which everything else is judged? In what do we place our hopes?" (pg. 62) She then continues, "It is my primary thesis in this book that Christianity provides focal concerns worthy of our creation as human beings and efficacious for dealing with the encroachments and fetterings of our technologized, commodified milieu. I believe that the focal concerns of Christianity . . . are these two: the love of God and the love of neighbor." (pg. 76)
She argues that our lives as Christians ought to be centered on our focal concerns: loving God, and loving neighbor. Everything, yes, pretty much everything we do ought to make us ask - is this in line with my focal concerns?
A challenge...
Luke 9:51-62 - Reflections
I finished my sermon already for Sunday. But I can't get this week's gospel lesson out of my head. I feel like sometimes my sermons alternate - one week emphasizing the "we have to get to work NOW!" part of the Good News, and the next week epmahsizing "God loves you, God's grace is boundless." This week is a "we have to get to work" week. I guess, really, that is the double message of the gospel - we've got some much we could so easily be doing to show God's kingdom all around us. We fail to do even some most basic things to love our neighbors. We MUST get to work. And yet, and yet...Christ welcomes the disciples who never understand what he's getting at no matter how many times he shows them. God loves us no matter how many times we screw up. Christ redeems us no matter how unworthy. Grace and Responsibility (incidentally, the title of a John Cobb book that I love,) I guess that's about right.
Anyway, I don't normally edit my sermons once they're done, but I keep wondering - is there enough grace in it? Still - sometimes I think we need to hear the equal truth - we say we want to follow Jesus, but we only mean it half-heartedly, and Jesus wants nothing less than our whole hearts.
Anyway, I don't normally edit my sermons once they're done, but I keep wondering - is there enough grace in it? Still - sometimes I think we need to hear the equal truth - we say we want to follow Jesus, but we only mean it half-heartedly, and Jesus wants nothing less than our whole hearts.
Wednesday, June 23, 2004
Luke 9:51-62 - Wesley White
Came across this post in my sermon prep from Wesley White of KairosComotion.
He writes:
"Reversal upon reversal. Hospitality turned on its head. How do we welcome a commitment to G*O*D that doesn't go astray for this reason or that?
"Presumably the messengers smoothing the way for Jesus told some little not-quite-trues. Folks were ready to welcome Jesus until they saw that he wasn't stopping by their wood on a snowy or any other night - just passing through when he should be gracing them with bread or healing or a story.
"So the messengers blame the villagers before the villagers could blame the messenger. And Jesus catches their cover up and says, 'Nope, we are not getting rid of the evidence.'
"And others preemptively welcome themselves in, only to be turned away. And others are welcomed before they are ready to climb aboard. And others set conditions upon being welcomed into the family...
"If you were to use the villagers and the three along the road as measuring rods, how would you evaluate your current life? Are you feeling had or naive or tradition-bound or realistic? Are you feeling so committed that you are willing to misunderstand, impetuously volunteer, honor covenants in the face of greater opportunities, or be wonderfully inconsistent with a generous offer and a built-in excuse to not follow through?
"Each is a learning about hospitality. Each contains both sides of hospitality in its freedom and constraints. This is a great place to pause and reflect on how basic hospitality is on the journey toward suffering, death and being raised is. How are you doing? We?" --Wesley White , 6/21/2004 6:59:13 AM
-This post reminds me of one of those books of questions - ice-breaker/conversation-starter types. And one asks something like, "If God told you to go be a fisherman in the middle of nowhere, would you go?" And my honest answer: Nope. I'd make up any reason I could why I could do lots of good things for God instead, but not that, not something so drastic, isolating, sacrificing things I want/enjoy/possess/etc.
This week Jesus puts us on the spot: Do you really really want to follow me? Prove it!
He writes:
"Reversal upon reversal. Hospitality turned on its head. How do we welcome a commitment to G*O*D that doesn't go astray for this reason or that?
"Presumably the messengers smoothing the way for Jesus told some little not-quite-trues. Folks were ready to welcome Jesus until they saw that he wasn't stopping by their wood on a snowy or any other night - just passing through when he should be gracing them with bread or healing or a story.
"So the messengers blame the villagers before the villagers could blame the messenger. And Jesus catches their cover up and says, 'Nope, we are not getting rid of the evidence.'
"And others preemptively welcome themselves in, only to be turned away. And others are welcomed before they are ready to climb aboard. And others set conditions upon being welcomed into the family...
"If you were to use the villagers and the three along the road as measuring rods, how would you evaluate your current life? Are you feeling had or naive or tradition-bound or realistic? Are you feeling so committed that you are willing to misunderstand, impetuously volunteer, honor covenants in the face of greater opportunities, or be wonderfully inconsistent with a generous offer and a built-in excuse to not follow through?
"Each is a learning about hospitality. Each contains both sides of hospitality in its freedom and constraints. This is a great place to pause and reflect on how basic hospitality is on the journey toward suffering, death and being raised is. How are you doing? We?" --Wesley White , 6/21/2004 6:59:13 AM
-This post reminds me of one of those books of questions - ice-breaker/conversation-starter types. And one asks something like, "If God told you to go be a fisherman in the middle of nowhere, would you go?" And my honest answer: Nope. I'd make up any reason I could why I could do lots of good things for God instead, but not that, not something so drastic, isolating, sacrificing things I want/enjoy/possess/etc.
This week Jesus puts us on the spot: Do you really really want to follow me? Prove it!
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