Hope...Cheezburger Style

From www.icanhascheezburger.com

Need Help Preaching the Death of Jesus?

Need help preaching or understanding the death of Jesus? Try reading "Biblical Preaching of the Death of Jesus" edited by David Lull and William Beardslee. Contributors include John Cobb, Russell Pregeant, Theodore Weeden Sr, Barry Woodbridge, and the forward by Fred Craddock. Not a new book - it was originally published in 1989 - it puts forward a complex and rich understanding on preaching and how preaching steeped in disciplined exegesis can shed new light on Jesus' crucifixion.

For these scholars it isn't enough to get a good handle on the death of Jesus (as if that weren't difficult enough!). They also believe that it is the preacher's task to interpret this core Christian story in ways that transform the lives of worshipers by "[discerning] what the Spirit is seeking to do and to provide words that will serve the Spirit in that work." Therefore, all that the preacher does should support the ongoing work of the Spirit in the community.

The death of Jesus is not only a central theme in the New Testament, it is also one of the most hotly contested and debated themes. Since the beginning of Christianity people have differed in their interpretations and understandings of Jesus' death. Even the Church's establishment of orthodoxy leaves room for multiple understandings and interpretations of Jesus' death. Preaching on this subject is both primary to a preacher's work and tricky to do.

In the second section of the book, the authors turn to the stories of Jesus' death as put forth by the Gospel according to Mark and the letters of Paul. Their goal is to provide preachers with sound exegesis on the texts by opening people "both to the strangeness of the biblical texts and to their potential for transforming our visions of the world."

As someone who struggles with Paul and his letters, I bought this book hoping for a renewed appreciation for the author of the earliest preserved texts in the New Testament. After finishing the section on Paul, I was disappointed to learn that the ways that I already understand Paul seem to be correct (I had hoped for new revelations). However, David Lull provided a wonderful interpretation of Paul for preaching. In the section called "Rediscovering Our Interrelatedness: The Death of Jesus in Jesus' Story," he writes, "In the Christian tradition, Jesus' death decisively brings into view the inescapable confrontation with our interconnectedness, both with one another and with God. All of the theologies of atonement presuppose this dimension of the church's memory of Jesus' death...We need to be reminded of our interaction with God in order to be open to the possibilities of forgiveness and of new life, for at the heart of the story of Jesus' death is the image of God receiving the brokenness of the world into God's own self, suffering with the world and transforming the consequences of the world's brokenness so that new possibilities emerge" (pp 175-176).

I highly recommend this book and its use of process thought to explore the texts related to Jesus' death and to offer preachable interpretations of it. 5 Stars!

Wear a Sweater for Mister Rogers

Fred Rogers, known to us as Mister. Rogers, would have turned 80 years old in March. In honor of his life and his work, people in the Pittsburgh area are invited to wear sweaters March 15-20. But why stop there? If you, like me, grew up with the wisdom and gentle presence of Mister Rogers and the crazy puppets and characters of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, you might participate in "Sweater Days" even though you live far from Pittsburgh - I think I will.

My only pseudo-encounter with Fred Rogers occurred in the late 1990s when Jonathan Kozol was speaking at my church. They were good friends. In celebration of Jonathan Kozol's dog's birthday, Fred Rogers send a happy birthday fax to my church. I faxed him back a hearty thank you from his friend.

It seems that dire news is all that we hear. From the environment to school shootings to the election, it is rare to hear about goodness. Fred Rogers was a piece of goodness. I want to remember that.

A Short Confessional Moment - A Little Pensive

I took this picture in Kenya. It depicts my Lenten experience quite well. I feel like that tree under that big sky, so full of promise, so full of uncertainty. What will happen?

I haven't written on this blog for a little while. It just seems that every time an idea comes to mind, I'm not in a place to write. And, when I'm in a location with the time to write there is nothing to say. As Lent progresses, I have found myself increasingly pensive, contemplative, and at a loss for words. I've been wondering if this loss of words (and if you knew me you would know how unusual a loss of words is...I am clergy after all) might serve me well during this time of wilderness and wandering. Perhaps the journey through Lent can be better experienced without the trappings of the mind hurtling from one thought to the next, without the mouth speaking one more banal statement, without the clutter that arises from the overuse of words. How ironic that I'm using words to communicate a time of wordlessness.

Today I was walking in my church's neighborhood. It's a residential area populated by small bungalows, lots of folks in their early 30s, and Priuses on every corner. The sun was out and the blue sky was dappled with full and plump clouds drifting by on their way to...where? I stopped beside a house with a rusty iron bench in its front yard and wanted to wander over and sit. Thankfully I resisted, but throughout the walk I thought very little while feeling quite a lot. Most of the feelings included a sense of longing, almost melancholy but not quite. That bench seemed a perfect place to bring a rusty spirit, a lonely heart, a wishful hope. Or perhaps the bench itself needed company. I'm not sure.

One thing is becoming more clear this Lent. Regardless of the Lenten disciplines I established at the beginning of the season, my spiritual journey is taking its own course - one not established or controlled by me. And it is a course that is much more emotional than intellectual. So, I am realizing that I am along for whatever current is pulling me along. Sorry for the quietness of the blog, but I have clearly entered a time of quiet in the soul.

I hope you are having a meaningful Lent. I certainly am.

Sanctuary Appointments and Lent

Sanctuaries have a way of reflecting the personality of the congregation. Often times the best way to get to know a congregation is to walk into the sanctuary and look around. Where is the baptismal font? Is there a Christ candle? Are there pews? If so, are they straight, padded, curved, or angled? Are there kneelers? Is there a chancel proper? Where does the choir stand? Are they using multimedia? How integrated are the video components? The sanctuary says a great deal about a congregation's understanding of community, sacrament, Christology, and mission. How is your sanctuary decorated for Lent?

I currently serve a small neighborhood church in North Seattle. You can tell right away when you enter the sanctuary that they value intimate relationship. Often there are quilts on the pews; they are made by church members and then given or auctioned for chairty. Liturgical banners and frontals are also created within the congregation. They are not satin or silk; they are not mass produced or particularly formal. They reflect the communal understandings of this local congregation.

This Lent we are using a set of sanctuary art pieces that are quite interesting. They are quilted pieces that depict a pathway surrounded by wilderness. In keeping with the tradition of Lent the main color is purple. The main decoration is the full frontal of the fixed altar on the chancel wall. Each week during Lent a new part of the journey is added until a big sunrise completes the picture on Easter Sunday. I like the idea of adding a rock, a tree, a mountain as a way of visually moving this community through Lent to Easter. There are complementary paraments for the lectern and the pulpit.

Last year we made the image more compelling by furthering the image of the path. We added plants and rocks - real ones - in the chancel to extend the path on the frontal. We even added cairns. That was a particularly interesting addition since cairns are used to show hikers the pathway. These decorations reminded us that even though we are in the wilderness, there are markers to help us find our way to Easter, to resurrection.

One challenge with these decorations is that the full frontal is obscured when we serve communion from a communion table set up in front of the main altar. This challenge reflects the marginalization of Holy Communion in many United Methodist congregations. There was a time not so long ago when Holy Communion was celebrated only quarterly; now most congregations participate in the sacrament monthly. However, as we move toward a weekly celebration of Holy Communion, the decorations that we currently use will no longer serve their function.

The visuals used in the sanctuary are important, whether we are in the midst of penitential seasons or in the middle of Ordinary Time. How we appoint the sanctuary speaks volumes to us and to our visitors about what we think about God, community, and worship.

Is your church decorated in a way that helps worshipers understand what is happening in the service? In the season? Do you have a theme? Nonverbal messages are at least as important as the verbal ones. What we say, sing, and pray will be undermined if what we do and display don't play a supporting role.

An aside: You can find a lot of horrible, HORRIBLE sanctuary art (my opinion, of course). If you are interested in how sanctuaries and altars "should" look and what the names of the appointments are that you find in sanctuaries, there are a number of good guides. I recommend "The Altar Guild" by Lee Maxwell. For helps in keying in on important themes that will help in decorating your sanctuary, I recommend "Sundays and Seasons" as well as "Living Liturgy". For a look at what good liturgical art looks like, check out the artist Nancy Chinn.

Do Ash Wednesday and Lent Have to Be Such Downers?

"Do Ash Wednesday and Lent have to be such downers?" I hear this question - and others like it - every year. More accurately, I hear statements such as, "I don't participate in Lent; it's a downer, it's too hard, I never make it through with my commitments. Why try?" As you might have guessed, I'm a big supporter of Ash Wednesday and Lent and I'm going to tell you why. Maybe, if you're like those who are shy about the season, you'll find a new perspective that will feel more invitational.

Yes, it can be a bit stark to walk into a sanctuary to see black, gray, and purple cloths on Ash Wednesday. Usually the bright decorations that have been lingering since Christmas have been put away and everyting feels a bit bare. That's all true. Ash Wednesday is stark, but I find that this emptying out of the sanctuary helps remind me that it's time to empty out the spiritual garbage that I've been collecting for the past year. I have to ask myself what baubles, decorations, and clutter have I been hanging onto and whether I need them. Do they actually contribute to the quality of my life? Often times I find on Ash Wednesday that I've slipped back into emotional and spiritual patterns that aren't healthy or helpful. The starkness of the room helps me examine the cluttered and rushed areas of my life.

The words "Remember, you come from dust and to dust you shall return" can really frighten some people. What are Christians trying to do? Scare the crap out of me? Well, some might be but I'm not. These words remind me that, like the rest of creation, I have been lovingly made by God. I am a part of a great web of creation. I am connected to all of life, all of the dust in the solar system, all of the dust bunnies with which I am at war most of the time. I am part of something much, much larger than myself. I have a place - humans have a place - in this order of creation. We are a special part of God's holy and sacred creation. And yet I am not the crowning achievement of God's handiwork. I have a place, one out of which I often step. I move through the world as though I were in charge, in control - God. The words we say on Ash Wednesday remind me that I am not the Creator. They humble me. I am only on this earth for a short period of time. How can I be more alive in Christ? How can I live more fully aware of God's grace at work in the world and in me? One day I will leave this place, what experiences do I need to have, what effects do I want to leave behind? These words call me to account for how I live while I am here.

Ash Wednesday is the kick off day of Lent. The symbols can be a bit stark, but they invite us in to a sizing down of the overstuffed, overpacked, overcrowded ways in which most Americans live. Lent is a journey into the heart of God. What is so bad about that? Of course, it does lift up to us the reality that in following the God of Jesus, like him we may face trials and tribulations because of our commitment to God's realm. To follow Jesus is to follow his program of kingdom proclamation and kingdom building. We are, after all, proclaiming that God is the ruler of this world not the powers and principalities all around us that exert themselves with great might. We stand in opposition to oppression, injustice, and apathy. We are called to level the plane, extend compassion to the outcast, and rejoice with sinners (that's good because I am one). This way of living is often counter to the ways in which this world would want us to live. This way of living clearly and unashamedly declares that the world and all that is in it belongs to God and to no other - not to me or to you, not to corporations, and not to the state. To follow Jesus is highly political and overtly challenging of the norms of our world. So, it is dangerous. Lent reminds us just how dangerous. It also, however, invites us into the heart of the God of joy, peace, and laughter. The same God that created still creates. This God wants us to celebrate every time we gather as though we were at a wedding. This God wants us to drink deeply of life and love with abandon. Lent invites us on to this path as well.

Ash Wednesday and Lent are not downers, but they are an invitation to right our relationships, especially our relationship with God, remembering that we belong to God (God does not belong to us). They call us into lives of humility. They send us down dangerous paths on behalf of the kingdom. And they also pull us into the great party that always seems to be happening in the midst of this kingdom.

I hope that you walk into Lent ready to examine your life with honesty and integrity, to make changes that you need to make, and to remember that you are a beloved child of God who - whether you know it or not - is basking in the delight of God's grace.

For more about the tradition of Ash Wednesday, go my my post from last year.

My Trip to Mars Hill Church

A friend of mine and I attended worship at the 8:30 PM service at the Ballard campus of Mars Hill church this Sunday. I've been a couple of times to worship just to see what all the hoopla is about. In Seattle, the most unchurched city in the country, Mars Hill is growing rapidly with a membership reaching 10,000 people in its ten year history. They've grown to five campuses and are adding another one in the downtown region. While I don't have the statistic to prove it, I would bet that it's the fastest growing church in the area. So, last Sunday we went and yet again I was surprised at my reaction to the worship service. What surprises me, you might wonder? Every time I go, I am bored. And every time I go, I am reminded that Mars Hill takes theology very seriously, unlike many of our mainline churches that are afraid to delve into theology out of fear that they will offend someone or run someone off.

Why does Mars Hill bore me? I don't know; it just seemed...boring. Not much happened. I didn't experience prayer. Mark talked too long. I was bored.


The worship service is liturgically very similar to what happens in mainline churches except it is light on liturgy and community. However, I give them props for including Holy Communion (of a sort) at each worship service. United Methodists sure don't do this. I am very glad that we are moving toward weekly communion, but I would bet that most churches still serve it monthly. Here is my run down on worship at Mars Hill - the good, the bad, and the ugly (just a phrase, folks):

You enter the lobby, which is well appointed, clean, spacious, and occupied by well marked kiosks and information centers. No one greets you or comes up to you. I happen to like this. I like anonymity when trying something new. There is also an interactive station where you can learn about the church, home (community) groups, ministries, and its mission. I like that this, too, is an anonymous activity. You - I - don't have to feel new or out of place or awkward.

Next you move through the lobby into the worship space, which is appointed like a concert venue. There are no bulletins, greeters, or ushers. I like the dark atmosphere. Again, it allows for anonymity. This Sunday the venue never quite filled up, but it was the fifth service of the day. Still there were several hundred people present, all of whom were younger than I! Chairs are arranged in sections like a concert is. They are linked together to make straight rows - no scooting your chair for room or to see around the posts! Understandable, but a bit constricting. Well, less constricting than pews, I suppose. There are multiple screens scattered around - two big ones flanking the stage (and it is a stage, not a chancel), one smaller one actually on the stage, and two more mounted up high for those seated in the back sections. I find that many screens distracting. The room is big, but it isn't cavernous. How many Mark Driscolls does one person need to see at any given time? The stage has a cross, a band set up, a podium, and one screen.

The best part about the service? The lighting and the sound system. They are top notch. Lighting changes across the stage and along the side walls to create a wonderful atmosphere, especially since we're worshiping in a warehouse. The lights add a sense of "specialness" to the service.

Okay, time for the service to begin. A worship leader welcomes the crowd and lists a few announcements. Every time I've been there finances have been clearly and specifically mentioned. I like this; they seem to do a better job than most local churches in being clear about their needs and expectations. On the other hand, it was announced that they were averaging $1.50 per person in giving. That's pretty low. Next the band plays a couple of songs; it's a tight band, but not my idea of worship. I'm an old fogey. There was a time in my life that I appreciated hearing in worship the sounds I listen to on the radio, but that time has mostly passed me by. I prefer worship that feels different from the rest of my life. I find the songs of my tradition important and meaningful. A mix of the two would be fine. I won't get into the theology of the songs. Let's just leave it at, "It's not my theology." Then Mark Driscoll comes on the stage and talks for an hour and fifteen minutes. This week his topic covered fourteen kinds of grace. Some of his kinds of grace I've never heard of, but mostly it was an overview of grace. Again, most of what he said is theologically far from me. I don't believe in the elect or in predestination. As a good Methodist, I believe that I have free will. Driscoll doesn't. After his talk, he responded to some questions that were texted to him during his talk. Then the worship leader returns and announces Holy Communion, except that it wasn't communion. There was no liturgy or words of institution. There was no loaf. No one broke the bread or presided over the elements. Instead we were asked to remember Christ's sacrifice for us (and via Mark we've already been told how awful we are and how we are enemies of God so we knew how big that sacrifice was) and to come for Holy Communion if we're Christian; communion is reserved for Christians. I like that they offered wine and juice, both clearly marked. Then the band played a few songs while people came to the various stations for communion where there was wine, juice, and bowls of cubed bread waiting for you. The band played about six songs in a row. Then we were offered a blessing and a dismissal with another reminder of announcements. That's the whole service. It was about an hour and forty-five minutes long.

Several times during announcements and in the talk people were asked to make a decision to become Christian. They were invited into a process to become Christian. We are rarely so audacious in the mainline church anymore. However, growing up I recall that the last hymn of every service was the "Hymn of Invitation" during which anyone could come forward for prayer. It was our version of an altar call. Being fully bourgeois, though, no one ever came forward unless it was a planned transfer of membership or something quite like it.

Other than the theology, which I find not only faulty but harmful in many ways (that's another topic), I didn't experience a worship grounded in prayer. I always expect a more evangelical worship when I'm at Mars Hill and I'm always surprised at how "bam, bam, bam" it is. It's logistically flawless but feels a little spirit-less. Clearly I'm in the minority on this point; thousands of people worship there weekly. But I just don't experience a deep pull to prayer in their service. It really is primarily a lecture from Mark Driscoll bookended by songs and some juice.

How does its emphasis on theology surprise me? There are no gimmicks, just a long talk about theology. Every time that I've been to Mars Hill the sermon/lecture barely includes any anecdotes or other stories that make the points concrete. They are in there, of course, but they are short and exist solely for the purpose of illustrating a theological point. The theology in the music is completely commensurate with that which is preached. The invitations to Christian life falls clearly within a clearly stated theological mission. It is strongly theological.

While I could never worship at Mars Hill, I believe that we could learn a few things from it. Worship is worship and only worship. It has been my experience that too many mainline churches try to do everything community related during its worship because we don't see each other outside of worship. Mars Hill strongly emphasizes its small group ministry which frees worship to be one thing. Perhaps our worship services would be better if we just let them be worship and created community through other means. Second, music is important. While I don't like the music at Mars Hill, it is expertly done. I don't sit anxiously wondering if they will miss any notes. I can (at least I could if I weren't busy cringing at the words) just float into it because I'm not concerned about it. Too many of our local churches suffer from mediocre to bad music. Music should glorify God, not torture God (or those in the congregation). Third, anonymity is a good thing. Churches have had it beaten into them that welcoming the stranger is important (and it is). In consequence, a lot of churches threaten newcomers with their "love bombs." Let people find there way into community in a non-threatening way; just make sure there is a clearly identified and welcoming way for them to enter when they decide to do so. Fourth, atmosphere counts. There is a performance aspect to worship. What does your worship atmosphere say about God and community? How does it reflect the overall personality of your church? Fifth, liturgy is important. Ancient practices tie us to a long tradition. Even Mars Hill, as bereft of liturgy as it is, turned to icons on the screen. Know your liturgy and know why you use it. And last, prayer is important. I didn't find real prayer at Mars Hill and I learned that I need it, absolutely need it. I may be entertained, intrigued, and even enlightened by an event that doesn't include prayer, but I only worship when prayer - authentic, deep, and real - is emphasized.

So this is my long report on "My Trip to Mars Hill - by Katie Ladd."

Invitational or Predatory?

I've just come from a conference during which people shared a bit about their work in inviting others to church. Some of what I heard was creative and exciting. Some of what I heard was a bit troubling. In the wake of that conference, I am wondering, "When does the drive to be invitational become predatory?"

The United Methodist Church has done a terrible job in the area of evangelism. The word itself conjures all kinds of preconceived notions. For some people evangelism begins and ends with enticing or coercing another into praying a "sinner's prayer." Other people can't even talk about evangelism because they have had bad experiences with it in their own lives. Despite these different understandings of and approaches to evangelism, I think it is critical for the spiritual health of the church for Methodists to embrace again our evangelistic roots. After all, how will anyone come to experience the loving grace of God without someone inviting them into church, into a small group, on a retreat, or to go to camp. Faith begins somewhere, and for an increasing number of unchurched people, that place isn't in one's childhood home. It begins with an invitation, but it should never be predatory.

Let me tell you a little story. I went to college in Lynchburg, Virginia. While there I joined and attended a gym. A number of students from Liberty University also worked out in that gym. I eventually had to withdraw membership because I was inundated with questions about my soul from people in the locker room, on the stationary bike, and in the juice bar. It all started when a student from Liberty saw me reading my Bible; I was studying for a test in Introduction to the New Testament (I was a religion magjor). She came up to me in the locker room while I was waiting on a friend to complete her workout and we struck up a conversation. It didn't take long until she asked about the Bible and inquired about what small group I belonged to. When I told her that I didn't attend Liberty she expressed some surprise that I would be reading a Bible. That annoyed me a little bit - as though only students from Liberty could have an interest in the Bible! She then asked the dreaded question, "Have you been saved?" I answered in a smart-ass way: "From what," I asked. I shouldn't have answered in such a manner, but I was minding my own business and I felt trapped, invaded, and annoyed. From that time onward Liberty students sought me out wherever I was; they were filled with a fervor to save my soul. Eventually I withdrew my membership and worked out in my college's gym. What I'm sure to them felt like persistent invitation was experienced by me as predatory behavior. Regardless of what I said or how I acted they wouldn't leave me alone.

When does a church move from invitational to predatory? How we engage in evangelism is critical to how or even whether we are able to reach people for Christ and lead them into a life-long journey with God. Talking to people in malls, handing out tracts, and engaging in unsolicited dialogue with strangers are not behaviors that I will do, not because I don't believe in evangelism, but because I do believe in evangelism. Even if the person I corner isn't offended by my behavior(which I believe would be a significant majority of those approached), what effect does such a conversation have? What lasting effect can there be? I am not interested in someone praying the sinner's prayer; I am interested in building a relationship with someone that will lead to a life-long walk with God, a walk that goes deeper and deeper into faith and discipleship. Such a walk isn't concluded with a prayer after which a person is left to his or her own devices.

The question about invitation v predatory behavior isn't theoretical. I am finding more and more Methodists engaged in what, in my opinion, is annoying and even hurtful evangelism. I believe the only thing worse than no evangelism is off-putting/harmful evangelism. It's vital for us to tell our story of faith in such a way that others are attracted to a life lived in the heart of the Creating God, alive in the grace and power of the risen Christ, and invigorated and sustained by the power of the Holy Spirit. We don't have to strong arm people to this message. It is compelling and life transforming if we tell is simply and honestly, and, perhaps more importantly, live it gracefully every day.

Grey's Anatomy Struggles with Faith

Last night ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" took a shot at exploring faith - why we need it, what it is, and what it does for us. While the primary story line was Chief Resident Amanda Bailey, her son, and her husband, each of the characters revealed something about their journey with faith.

Izzie Stevens wants faith in her skill - the same faith that she thinks Cristina Yang possesses. Alex Karev's lack of faith is challenged by a faith healer who recognizes how the pain of his childhood has robbed him of belief in goodness. Derek Shepherd loses faith in Meredith Grey but gains faith in himself which frees him to look for new possibilities in life. George O'Malley is confronted with the faith of his religious tradition and how his actions have fallen short of its expectations. Cristina Yang moves beyond her blind belief in skill and extends emotional and spiritual care to Bailey's injured child. Callie Torres speaks to her belief in love even though she has lost faith in many of her traditional religious beliefs. Other characters also muddled in the faith story this week as well.

Faith as belief that we belong to a larger story is a fundamental part of Christianity. It is also what seems to characterize most religions. We belong to a story that neither begins nor ends with us - a story that pulls us through the singularity of any moment into a future as yet unwritten. As Christians our story tells us that life is stronger than death and that love is stronger than despair and hate. I am surprised that a soap opera like "Grey's Anatomy" didn't' reduce faith to a list of dogmatic professions or supernatural events.

Last night's episode was called "Lay Your Hands on Me." You can watch it streaming online or via iTunes.

No Such Thing as "The Christian Vote"

Now that the new year has come (Happy New Year, everyone), we will be hearing even more about the presidential race. As part of that conversation, it has become clear that most of the candidates are courting "the Christian" vote. And yet, what does that mean? Christians vote across the political spectrum, influenced in a variety of ways by their faith in God as revealed in and through Jesus Christ. Even the word "Christian" is pluralistic in nature. What it means to be a Christian differs from person to person, from denomination to denomination, from culture to culture.

Christianity has always been pluralistic. When we turn to the earliest writings of our faith, we find that they exist primarily to deal with conflict arising from different understandings of what it means to be a Christian and to live inside of the Christian identity. There were Ebionites, Marcionites, gnostics of many forms and shades, adoptionists, Montanists, docetists, and others. Paul and Matthew radically disagree on what is called of one who iidentifies as a Christian. Diversity continued to be found in Christianity even after the rise of othodoxy. There are Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Anglicans, Reformationists, Wesleyans, and other church movements. Within major religious movements one can find mystics, monastics, adherents to the social gospel, proponents of liberation theology, people who emphasize the teachings of Jesus, people who emphasize the atoning death of Jesus, those who emphasize the Cosmic Christ. There are panentheists, process Christians, and evangelicals. And many of us would use an array of modifiers to explain what kind of Christian that we are. To believe that there is "the Christian vote" radically over-simplifies the diverse and wonderful nature of Christianity.

For a look at what candidates believe, check out the Christian Science Monitor's "Faith and Values" overview.

CBS' "In God's Name" Video Online

A few posts ago I recommended a special on CBS called "In God's Name." If you missed it, CBS has now put the entire video online. To watch it, go here and click on "new."

As I celebrate these twelve days of Christmas (yes, believe it or not, Christmas just began!), I intend to celebrate the power of God's Light that splinters our darkness, God's Word that proclaims peace and justice, God's Incarnation found in the weak and vulnerable, God's Love that explodes my preconceptions and prejudices, and God's Grace which is beyond my understanding.

Terrible things are done in God's name. No better time than Christmas can call Christians to re-examine our actions and to correct them. We are, after all, followers of the Prince of Peace.

UPDATE: CBS appears to have removed this video from their playlist. It can be watched on YouTube. Here is the first part...follow YouTube links for the rest.


You can still read about the film at CBS.

The documentary has been put into book form and is available.

Beyond that, I do no know where you can purchase the vide.

Merry Christmas.

"Ring Out, Wild Bells" - Alfred, Lord Tennyson

This was written in 1850, the same year Tennyson was named Poet Laureate.

Ring Out, Wild Bells

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light;
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind,
For those that here we see no more,
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,
And ancient forms of party strife;
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care the sin,
The faithless coldness of the times;
Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes,
But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease,
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.

Go here to read more Christmas poems.

When God Comes during Prayer

All too often, people pray expecting something miraculous to happen and so they are disappointed when God's voice doesn't speak to them or God's will open before them. Most of us move through life without experiencing a burning bush, supernatural dreams, or visions given to us from the Divine. And yet, we often believe that the devout, the faithful, the true will have these experiences. "What's wrong with us?" we wonder. After all, our scriptures are rife with stories of direct encounters with the Divine. Story after story, we read about God's angels speaking to ordinary people and the prophets talking on a hotline to God. There was a time in my life that I, like many others, wondered what was wrong with my prayer life. It seemed that I prayed and prayed and never heard anything back. At some point I stopped thinking of prayer as a transaction with God or even a conversation with God; I came to experience prayer as time spent with God. This has been one of the most rewarding transitions in my spiritual life. No longer to I expect to leave prayer with any preconceived outcome. I don't pray to get something; I pray to sit with God.

That means that on those rare occasions when something comes to me in prayer, it feels especially sacred. That happened this evening during our Contemplative Advent Service. Each Thursday during Advent, people have been invited to gather together in a time of extended silence and Holy Communion. Our meditations have focused on God's peaceable kingdom. Tonight in the midst of silence and in the flicker of candles, I prayed, "Let me have hope. Let me know peace." Those two lines just came - over and over they came. And the plea itself served as its own answer for me. In uttering (albeit silently) those words simply and without caveats, I named a deeply important yearning. I felt heard and encouraged, almost as if God were saying, "Yearn for these more. You can't need them enough. The world needs this prayer."

Prayer is not a transaction with God. We will be sorely disappointed if we go to God in prayer with a laundry list of to-dos and I wants. God is not the invisible Santa. I know that there are those who say that faithful prayer expects God to act in the world. Yes, that is so, but God may not act according to my agenda and certainly not in response to my demands. Contemplation is the most rewarding kind of prayer that I've experienced. It puts me in the deep silence that comes with communion with God. This silence strips away the words and excuses that function as barriers between the Holy One and me. The silence brings me back to place of deep honesty. And, occasionally, like this evening it leaves me more truly who I am - hurts and yearnings and all - and, surprisingly more whole. Thanks be to God.

"Let me have hope. Let me know peace. Amen."

Advent Candle #4 - Peace

We light this candle in a spirit of peace. Our world, torn apart by war and violence, cries out for a savior to bring us into God's holy kingdom. And so we await the birth of the Prince of Peace, the little child who lead us along your paths. Christ is coming. God’s kingdom is coming. Let there be peace on earth and goodwill among all people.

In God's Name Airs This Sunday

French filmmakers and brothers Jules and Gedeon Naudet ("9/11") have teamed up with CBS to "explore the complex questions of our time through the intimate thoughts and beliefs of 12 of the world's most influential spiritual leaders. It will be broadcast Sunday, Dec. 23 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT)."

Congo in Pictures and a Prayer in Advent

The New York Times is reporting on the conflict in The Democratic Republic of Congo and its attending humanitarian crisis. For a good overview of the problem and for compelling pictures, please read the article.

It's easy to get caught up in the chaos of the pre-Christmas season, especially, I would add, for Americans. I know that stating the problem over and over can feel overwhelming, but clearly most of the world is still unaware of the tangle of complex issues in Africa and in the Democratic Republic of Congo. I am actually more aware of the poignancy of Advent in light of the humanitarian crisis in the DRC, its difficulty in establishing peace, and the plight of the mountain gorillas caught in the middle. I wait for God to come among us, for a child to lead us, and for God's light to finally break through the tribalism (of all kinds), the greed, the violence, and the ignorance that holds our world captive. Come, thou long-expected Jesus. Come and set your people free.

Mountain Gorillas in the Democratic Republic of Congo

As anyone who reads this blogs knows, I have a particular interest in the Democratic Republic of Congo, especially the welfare of the mountain gorillas. Anderson Cooper has done a couple of stories on the DRC and the gorillas in recent months. I followed the interview process via blogs at Wildlife Direct. Here is part of a story for CBS that recently aired. For the whole story, go to CBS 60 Minutes:




And here is a part of a story that was aired earlier this year:


Part of my Christmas wish list includes a request for donations for Wildlife Direct, headed by Richard Leakey, that, among many other things, helps fund the work of park rangers in protecting the mountain gorillas. Wildlife Direct is an incredible, forward thinking, solutions oriented organization. If you're looking for a good way to give this Christmas, please keep them in mind.

Advent Candle #3 - Joy

We joyfully light this candle as we await the birth of the Christ-child. Like Mary, we receive the news of the coming miracle filled with awe and wonder. Like her we sing: My soul gives glory to my God, My heart pours out its praise; God lifts up the lowliest in many marvelous ways. God moves in the world to bring justice for the poor and weak, and God humbles the rich and the haughty. Something new comes with the light of the Lord. Christ is coming. God's kingdom is coming. With this candle we rejoice that God breaks into our world in surprising and life-changing ways.

Contemplative Advent Service Liturgy

Each Thursday of Advent, our church is hosting a moment of silence and Holy Communion to help people quiet their minds and settle their hearts in preparation for the coming of the Christ child. Here is the liturgy for the first service; all those following will be similar. The prayers have been inspired by Henri Nouwen and by Brother Roger of the Taize community. The service itself relies heavily upon Taize; both congregational songs are from the Taize service:

Meditations on the Peaceable Kingdom

During this series of Advent services, we will pray for God’s Peaceable Kingdom. Each week will highlight a different theme: Hope, Love, Joy, Peace. We know that you bring your own hurts and hopes to these services, however, and you are invited to pray to God in any way that is most meaningful for you.

Week 1 - Hope

Prelude
Please enter in an attitude of prayer.
Messiah Hwv 56 (Complete)
Panis Angelicus
Missa Papae Marcelli: Benedictus - Hosanna
Requiem in D Minor, K 626: VI Benedictus

Welcome

First Bible Reading – Isaiah 11:1-9
The Branch From Jesse
1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of power,
the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD -
3 and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears;
4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
5 Righteousness will be his belt
and faithfulness the sash around his waist.
6 The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling [a] together;
and a little child will lead them.
7 The cow will feed with the bear,
their young will lie down together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
8 The infant will play near the hole of the cobra,
and the young child put his hand into the viper's nest.
9 They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD
as the waters cover the sea.
Song – Wait for the Lord
Wait for the Lord,
Whose day is near.
Wait for the Lord:
Be strong, take heart!

Second Bible Reading – Matthew 6:25-34
Matthew 6:25-34 (NRSV)
25 ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? 28 And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you--you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” 32 For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 ‘So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today.

Meditation

Prayer
"We welcome you, small child of Bethlehem, whose coming we await with quiet attention. ...[E]ncourage us to turn our hopes to your coming. We know that the promise is hidden in the stable in Bethlehem and rooted in the offspring of Jesse; let us look for our salvation there." (Advent and Christmas Wisdom from Henri JM Nouwen, Compilation, Prayer, and Action by Judith A. Bauer, Liguori Publications, 2004).

Silence

The Great Thanksgiving

The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed by thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory,
forever. Amen.

Sharing of the Bread and Cup

Bringing the Light
You may light candles as an act of prayer.

Song of Light - Our Darkness
Our darkness is never darkness in your sight:
The deepest night is clear as the daylight.

Silence

Concluding Prayer
Light of all lights and Life of all life, you move among us in the lowliest stations and bring life and justice to those who most need. In the depths of this winter, let us find the offspring of the root of Jesse in such a way that our world becomes a vibrant green even amid the gray of the skies and dark of the early evenings. Raise us up in this growing tree of life to have hope that your kingdom will one day come, perhaps even this day. Amen. (Katie M Ladd)

Postlude
You may remain in prayer and leave at your own bidding.
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
O Magnum Mysterium
In Dulci Jubilo
Lift Up Your Heads

Advent Candle #2 - Love

I received an email asking me to post all of the Advent candle readings that we will be using this year. In respose, I am posting this week's reading for the second candle, which will focus on love. Our overall theme for the season is "God's Peaceable Kingdom."

Advent Candle #2 - Love

We light this candle in the love of God. During Advent God pierces the darkness of the world with Divine light and love. We wait for Christmas Day when the Christ child - God's love for us - will born into the world. The holy infant will grow into God's promised Anointed One proclaiming God's peaceable kingdom in which love will overwhelm the limits of our world. Christ is coming. God’s kingdom is coming. And we are God’s children who are invited to walk in the light of the Lord as we wait in love for that glorious day.