Sacred Scarred

Jesus, Sin, John 8:1-11, and How are We the Church?

This report aired on NPR on March 29th (listen to it, it's worth pondering).  It's the story of a committed sex offender asking a congregation to love him as their own (though he had no legal obligation to tell them about his past) and the congregations reaction and ongoing debate.  My friend Ben brought it up yesterday at lunch and my cell group talked about it a lot last night with the idea of safety and Jesus' interaction with the woman caught in adultery as our back drop (John 8:1-11).

What say you?  If Jesus doesn't condemn the condemnable and yet encourages her to "leave her life of sin", what should the role of the church be in the life of this man?

If you were the guy in the story - looking for a place to be safe and made whole - would you stick around long enough for a committee to decide if you could stay or not?

Anabaptist and Emergent - A Circle of Hope

There are are three things about me that influence my current theological understandings and leanings...

1)  For a lot of years I was a part of the evangelical church (and a youth pastor for close to 10 all said and done).

2)  Since early 2000 I have been pretty up to date in the emergent/emerging church conversation.

3)  I am now a covenant member at Circle of Hope (a Brethren in Christ, historically Anabaptist/Mennonite Church) in Philadelphia.

In light of these three things, I've found the recent chatter about Anabaptist and Emergent ecclesiastical similarities interesting.

Here are the conversation primers:

TallSkinnyKiwi: Anabaptism and the Emerging Church
Jesus Creed: What is the Emerging Church?  Pro-Aplenty
Jarrod McKenna: Emerging Peach Church Movement & the "Open Anabaptist Impulse"
C. Wess Daniels: Open Anabaptism and a Community of (In)Outsiders

I think there is some value to the comparison. Simple living, non-violence, authentic community, Kingdom awareness - each of these are common bonds between anabaptism and emergent (though the degree to which the Emergent Church is pacifistic can be debated).

My concern is that the Emergent Church, though it provides a viable and authentic option for many people disillusioned in the evangelical system, seems to be trying way too hard to be cool.  Jesus wasn't trying to be cool - he was just Jesus.  I think Anabaptist/Mennonite Churches seem to get this right.  They're not too concerned with being cool, but they are very concerned with Jesus. 

My bet is that as Emergent folks get to know Jesus better, they'll end up as Anabaptists (not vice-versa...after all, we have history on our side - the "emergent thing" isn't that new).  Makes a book like A Circle of Hope a worthwhile read.

The 200 barrier...hmmm...

The Brother Maynard blog has a very lengthy post today (read post here) about social networks, church size, and the 200 barrier...like I said, it's lengthy...but, boy oh boy it's worth reading (especially if you're connected to Circle of Hope).

When it comes to multiplying cells, hiving congregations, and the overall networking of people in our (the Circle of Hope) network - maybe, just maybe we're on to something (as if I didn't totally believe that already). 

The post is worth the read, so go read and tell me your thoughts (even if you're not connected to Circle of Hope).

Solomon's Porch

I first became familiar with Solomon's Porch (the Minneapolis faith community, not the location in the Herod's Temple) through Doug Pagitt's book Reimagining Spiritual Formation (and subsequently through additional books).  Reimagining Spiritual Formation is kind of an oddly sized book and is the book my 15 month old daughter Riley pulls off the shelf most often (thus it looks as if it has been read many, many times - though the reality is only twice).  This video on Solomon's Porch floated to the surface today and is very powerful...it reflects a lot of what is going on with our faith community at Circle of Hope.

Thoughts about the video?  What does it stir up in you (both good and bad)?

Pondering

Last night I began a conversation that is set to last 6 weeks with 2 guys who are 6 or 7 years younger than me.  After 6 weeks, we'll evaluate where we are and decide if we want to proceed for another 6 weeks, and this cycle will continue until either the coversation is over or we decide to end it.  I guess this is all part of my figuring out how to pastor outside of the church context.  Basically, I approached these 2 guys and said, "Hey, let's talk."  They both have questions about Jesus, Christianity, books they read, and life in general, and have over the course of the last few years expressed interest in getting together with me to talk through some of their questions.  They both come from a larger evangelical church and know that some things just don't sit right with them, but they both don't want to throw the baby out with the bathwater so to speak.  But though interest has been expressed, neither of them have ever really followed through and the ball has always died in their court.

And so I approached them with a thought.  My thought was that we'd meet for a short, set period of time (6 weeks) and try to create a space where the questions they have can be expressed.  Once they're on the table, we'll do our best to talk them through (each of us comes at it from a different angle) - it will likely lead to more questions than answers (but I like that, and they'll learn to like it too).

Last night we took a walk and talked (the weather is supposed to catch up to the calendar tonight and it might not be an option again in the near future).  We laid some ground rules and then opened the floor.  Our conversation strangely (or maybe not) landed on the modern/evangelical, post-modern/emerging divide.  The question was asked...why is it that a modern/evangelical can't walk into a post-modern/emerging context without feeling ostricized?

Hmmm...

So here's what I'm pondering...is this even a fair question?  Do modern/evangelicals feel ostricized in post-modern/emerging contexts?  If they do, is this legitimate?  Is it ok - should they feel ostricized?  Where's the love?  Why is there a divide and what can each side do to bridge the apparent gap?  Thoughts would be greatly appreciated...

The Neighborhood

The Word became flesh and blood,
and moved into the neighborhood. 
We saw the glory with our own eyes,
the one-of-a-kind glory,
like Father, like Son,
Generous inside and out,
true from start to finish.

John 1:14 (The Message)

I didn't get a single minute of sleep last night.  I can blame it on caffeine, I can blame it on getting too much rest on Wednesday while I was sick, but the truth is...I was up because I couldn't get the image of Jesus moving into the neighborhood (the incarnation) out of my head.  I was shook up by these words...

The cross of Christ is both the symbol of our atonement and the pattern of our discipleship.  Today, many who name the name of Christ have removed themselves from human hurt and suffering to places of relative comfort and safety.  Many have sought to protect themselves and their families from the poor masses for whom Christ showed primary concern.  In affluent societies, our approach to social problems is to decrease their visibility.  The migration patters of Christians and their churches have again reflected the dominant social practice.  The church’s compassionless inactivity stems from being removed and out of touch with the suffering of the poor and exploited.  This modern isolation from human hurt is a major obstacle to being faithful to biblical mandates.  How can we open our hearts and lives to those whom we have hardly ever see, let alone ever known?

The biblical idea of love carries with it the deliberate extension of ourselves to others.  The incarnation, the supreme act of God’s love, required the intentional plunge of the Lord of Glory into the chaotic, violent, and rebellious human situation at tremendous cost (Phil. 2:6-11).  But this act brought the salvation of the world.  We cannot profess the name of Jesus without seeking to incarnate his pattern of self-emptying love and servanthood.  Again, this is not only an individual effort but a corporate one undertaken by a body of people who have given themselves over to Christ and his kingdom, to each other, and to serving in the midst of the broken world for which he died…

…The Gospel knows nothing of what sociologists call “upward mobility.”  In fact, the gospel of Jesus Christ call us to the reverse; the gospel calls us to a downward pilgrimage.  Former attachments and securities in the false values of wealth and power are left behind as we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to seek first the kingdom.  From an obscure birth in a dirty animal stable to the crucifixion of a poor suffering servant who never had a place to lay his head, the gospel witnesses to God’s identification with the poor and powerless.  Such a life of identification will bring rejection from the world, and if one becomes too prominent, one might even be crucified.  We may measure our obedience to the gospel by the degree of tension and conflict with the world that is present in our lives.  If our lives are secure, comfortable, and at home with wealth and power, we belong to the world rather than to Christ.

Our downward pilgrimage will drive us to community and is meant to take place in the context of a common shared life.  The life of the early Christian fellowships, as seen in the Book of Acts and elsewhere in Scripture, presents the Christian life as a common life, the life of a people more than the life of individuals.  Here were the ones who had known Jesus, had walked with him, talked with him, listened to him, and lived with him for three years.  They had seen him live and die and rise again from the dead.  They were eyewitnesses to the gospel.  They had both followed him and forsaken him.  Their lives had been decisively and irrevocably changed by him. He had set their feet upon a new path, and they would never be the same again…

If I'm going to follow Jesus, I'm never going to be the same again.  Let the downward pilgrimage begin - for the sake of the kingdom and broken world for which Christ died.

Amature Pastoring

I spent nearly 6 years as a pastor of youth ministries at an evangelical church in New Jersey (10 if you count the full-time position I held while at college in Indiana).  When I left, I did so for a wide range of reasons (stage of life, philosophy of ministry, vision for my family, etc, whatever, amen) but when they all get boiled down it really came down to the fact that God was calling me to something else.

And so, without the traditional American value of "a plan" in place, I resigned my ministry position and followed that call.  I stepped out and crossed a bridge over a river that I couldn't swim by myself.  Since then, God has proivded for me and for my family in amazing ways (and we trusted He would - that's the kind of God He is).  We have a temporary house to live in for relatively cheap, I have a job than I'm good at in a place that I believe in for a boss that likes me, we've connected with a circle of Christ-followers that are truly life-giving.  Admittedly, I still don't know what God is calling me to next (maybe this is it, but I have a feeling there's probably more).

But time and again, I field the same basic questions (from former students, my parents, friends)... "What are you going to do with the rest of your life?  You're a gifted pastor, are you ever going to pastor again?  What's your plan?"

And so I've been wrestling with that.  I still don't have a plan (thank God).  I know that I have pastoral gifts (I have administrative gifts as well and boy do they help in my new job), but I'm not sure I desire to be a pastor in the traditional sense right at this moment (or ever).  But what does one do with pastoral gifts when they are not "the pastor"? 

What does amature pastoring look like?

I'm figuring that out right now - shepherding people, thinking, praying, teaching, listening for the Spirit - I still do all these pastoral things.  I'm not sure the point of the pastoral gifts is a pay check.  That's good...good plan, God...where did we go wrong?

What does amature pastoring look like?

I have a feeling that what God is calling me to next has to do with the answer to this question.  I have a feeling that it's not going to look like anything anyone expects.  That's good...good plan, God...keep me headed in the right direction.

The New Humanity

From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once regarded Christ from a human point of view, we regard him thus no longer.  Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold the new has come.  All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.  So we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us.  We beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.  For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Cor. 5:16-21)

Yesterday at our public meeting, we celebrated New Humanity Day - focusing on the work of Jesus in making all people one in himself.  We talked about reconciliation, diversity, and allegiance to Jesus.  It was a beautiful time of struggling and strengthening.

In Agenda for Biblical People, (book 2, week 2), Jim Wallis writes:

The proclamation of the gospel today must provide a meaningful call to repentance.  The New Testament call to repentance was sounded in a situation of political oppression and revolutionary upheaval, of human suffering and spiritual blindness.  The call to repentance today cannot be meaningful in a social and political vacuum.  Rather, it must be addressed to the concrete situations of our society.  Where violence and force have become the means to ends, the call to repentance must proclaim the gospel that came "to guide our feet into the way of peace" (Luke 1:79).  Where races, class, and sex are used to oppress and divide, the gospel message must speak of the meaning of the cross and resurrection of Christ in abolishing former divisions and barriers and creating a new humanity where all men and women are reconciled.  When the wealth of the affluent imprisons so many in poverty and the rich nations consume more and more at the expense of the Third World, the gospel must be preached as a social and economic revolution and the church called to be the servant of the oppressed.  In a political environment where power is its own justification and where manipulation and self-perpetuation are the dominant style of leadership, the evangel must testify to a messiah who "came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many" (Matt. 20:28).

Question for myself (and maybe you) today: What radical commitments can I make to promote peace, abolish barriers, serve the oppressed, and give my life for many?

Who's In? Who's Out? Who Cares?

My first read this year is Spencer Burke's A Heretic's Guide to Eternity.  I agree with some (maybe most) of where he's going so far, but more than anything, I appreciate that Spencer is willing to push the envelope in order to get the discussion going (he seems to be the type to say something controversial in order to then step back and watch the chaos ensue).

He writes about Matthew 13:24-30,

Determining who is in and who is out is the primary way that the church as institution tries to control grace.

Jesus told a story about this in the gospel of Matthew.  It concerned a wheat farmer who had spent a hard day planting.  While he was sleeping, his enemy crept onto his land and sowed weeds among the wheat.  When the wheat began to sprout, the laborers noticed the weeds growing, so they went to the landowner and asked him if they should pull up the weeds.  "No," he answered, because while you are pulling up the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them.  Let both grow together until the harvest.  At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and time them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.'"

This story reflects the tendency humans have to want to do God's business.  Institutional religion usually aspires to do the landowner's job- God's job.  They want to determine who is wheat and who is weed.

Churches assume their role is about eternity when in fact eternity is God's business.  The landowner in Jesus' story is very clear that his workers cannot separate the wheat from the weeds, for they might pull up perfectly good wheat in their zeal to remove the wayward weeks.  When explaining this story to his followers, Jesus makes it clear that the task of determining who is in our out is not the responsibility of humans, no matter how qualified they believe they are.  I would likewise argue that the church should not be so focused on eternity.  The church's task is to help people follow Jesus here on earth.

Seems to play into a pretty solid Kingdom of God theology.  Thoughts?

I Have Some Idea of What Life is About

I've been thinking today about the division I see in God's church.  How did the people of God get so far away from God that they've almost stopped being his people?  At times I feel like we exist in exile.  The end of exile was indeed the beauty of the first advent.  The end of exile remains the the beauty of the advent yet to come.  This has been speaking to me today...

Some Things the Trappist Monk Said in His Talk

Linford Detweiler

We're immortal
We're hungry for the eternal love of God
We don't take this life too seriously
There is more to come

I can't substitute things for God
Fame, money, power, human love
She's divine, angelic
The hell she is

We don't understand suffering
And we shouldn't probe too deeply
We link our suffering to Christ's
We know it has something to do with salvation

That's how Christ accomplished what he did
Through suffering
We know there is something deep there, mysterious
We shouldn't speak of suffering as if we have it all figured out

We say we live for God with candor
For without us God doesn't exist
We give witness to his existence
We were created in his image

We accept the fact that we're not perfect
And the people we came from are not perfect
But they gave us the gift of life
There is no greater gift

And if they gave us the Faith
Well that's something
Once God has his mark on us
He pursues us always

God envisioned one Church
We're so divided and fractured
We go to foreign countries as missionaries
There are so many different voices clamoring

Go back to where you came from
Talk amongst yourselves
Come back
After you've gotten your story straight

I know I'm not perfect
But if you give me a little grace
Maybe I'll do better
I have some idea of what life is about