Category Archives: Pop Culture

Our Ideal Selves… Transfiguration Sunday

02 Sunday Mar 2014

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This post is based on the text Matthew 17:1-9.

Lupita Nyong’o

Tonight, those of you watching the Academy Awards, or Oscars, will see someone nominated for one of her first roles: Lupita Nyong’o.  For those who may not know, she is a supporting actress in the movie 12 Years a Slave.  Lupita’s parents were from Kenya, and she is of Luo descent.

Recently, Lupita was awarded the Best Breakthrough Performance by Essence magazine.  When receiving the award, she gave a very moving speech on the beaming dark color of her skin.

When we see African American women on television and in movies, we often see women who are extremely light-skinned.  Yet Lupita’s skin is darker than most women we see in the media.  Growing up, she was discouraged by her skin color, praying that God would change that part of her:

“I remember a time when I too felt unbeautiful. I put on the TV and only saw pale skin, I got teased and taunted about my night-shaded skin. And my one prayer to God, the miracle worker, was that I would wake up lighter-skinned. The morning would come and I would be so excited about seeing my new skin that I would refuse to look down at myself until I was in front of a mirror because I wanted to see my fair face first. And every day I experienced the same disappointment of being just as dark as I was the day before. I tried to negotiate with God, I told him I would stop stealing sugar cubes at night if he gave me what I wanted, I would listen to my mother’s every word and never lose my school sweater again if he just made me a little lighter. But I guess God was unimpressed with my bargaining chips because He never listened.”

Eventually, through the slowly changing image on television, Lupita began to see beauty in a very different way.  She said “finally, I realized that beauty was not a thing that I could acquire or consume, it was something that I just had to be… What is fundamentally beautiful is compassion for yourself and for those around you.  That kind of beauty enflames the heart and enchants the soul.”  Lupita radiates as she smiles and presents her authentic self wherever she goes.

If we watch the pre-Oscar Red Carpet tonight, we’ll see people who look like everyone else attending.  Most people will be white.  Overall, women are required to be thin.  The ideal is lighter skin, unless you are a pale white woman, and then you need a spray tan.  Men need to be tall.  They are allowed to age a little more gracefully, whereas women in Hollywood are almost required to cover up the gray.

Undoubtedly, we are in a culture where there is an ideal race, gender, sexual orientation, class level, religion and even marital status.  We hold those standards often forgetting that the image of God abides in those who look and act differently than we do.

Today is Transfiguration Sunday, the day we recall the story of Jesus radiating on the top of a mountain.  It also marks the end of Epiphany, a season which begins with the magi finding the light of Christ and ends on a mountaintop with a beaming Christ.  Epiphany is a season that helps us to recall that the light is among us, whether in an infant child, on the top of a mountain or within us, as we are the light of the world.

The definition of transfigure is to “transform into something more beautiful or elevated.”  Jesus, a seemingly ordinary man, has a face begins to shine before his followers.  The disciples present, Peter, James and John, see this overcoming beauty and want to keep “beaming Jesus” on that pedestal or in an elevated state.  But Jesus knew that’s not where he beamed the most.  It’s not where he was the most beautiful, and that light radiating on the mountain needed to be spread around, not just kept far from others.

He radiated the most as he gave dignity to the marginalized, healed the sick and fed the multitudes.  Jesus was his most ideal self when he was serving the children of God.

However, I believe the Gospels give us a story of a Jesus who wasn’t perfect when it came to his perception of others.  Remember story of the Syrophoenician woman (or, as Matthew’s Gospel refers to her, the Canaanite woman)?   His disciples had such disdain for this woman who was greatly concerned for her daughter.  Even Jesus questioned her background and pretty well referred to her as a dog.  In the face of Jesus, she stood up for herself, her value and dignity.  I believe Jesus’ greatest transfiguration was the moment that he could see the Canaanite woman for the beautiful person she was – even though she wasn’t of Jewish descent like him.  In his transformation, he was a light to the Canaanite woman in front of him.

One of my favorite texts in scripture is 1 Corinthians 13:12: “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face.  Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I am fully known.”

On this side of heaven we can’t see people in the way God sees them.  We can’t see ourselves in the ways God sees us.  So we create much heartache in judging others and ourselves through our human eyes.  In every part of my soul, I believe that on that side of heaven, when we can experience God in our fullest, we will see everyone’s best selves.

Maybe it’s time we stop thinking that one type of race, religion, gender, orientation or class is more beautiful and transfigured than another.  Maybe it’s time to stop judging others because God knows every single cell of their body and feeling in their heart.  Maybe who we think is a sinful or lazy person is the individual who God needs them to be right now.  Maybe it’s time for us to embrace what God was saying about Jesus – – that God is well pleased with all of us.

Sure, we all have growing edges.  We all have ways to improve ourselves.  It’s good to be aware of those ways and work towards correcting them.  But maybe what God is requiring of us is to work on ourselves, give ourselves abundant grace when we fall short and look through the lens of God’s eyes as we love our neighbors.

Because God loves us all so much for who are at this very moment.  God sees our ideal selves.

Our flaws could be some of the most beautiful parts about us.  We should look at ourselves as stunning no matter what size we are or what we’ve accomplished in life.  It’s time to affirm that our neighbors are beautiful no matter what their skin color, who they love, what type of work they do, how they identify with gender, how they celebrate the presence of God or how much money they have in the bank.

And in doing so, we will notice others glowing like the radiating Jesus on a mountaintop.

NFL Cheerleaders, First Ladies, Stay-at-Home Moms and Ethical Pay Scales

14 Friday Feb 2014

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20140214-132924.jpgThis week, I heard of another case where an NFL cheerleader is suing the team for inadequate pay. This time, the cheerleader, Alexa Brenneman brought the suit as an individual as she claims that her pay equals that of $2.85 per hour ($5 less than Ohio’s minimum wage).

Even before this and the suit with the Raiderettes, I was concerned about this practice. When I was in my twenties and in much better shape, I had ever-so-briefly toyed around with the thought of auditioning the Buccaneers cheerleaders. I thought I remember that they made somewhere between $50-$100 per game. But then I read a 2003 article which notes that they receive no monetary compensation for ANY of their work or efforts – except they receive two tickets per game.

I tried to see how much money the cheerleaders make now, but could not find any numbers. But looking at their site now, I see that it even costs $40 to audition for a role of cheerleader. Plus, during the season, they are required to give 50 hours of charity work per season. Furthermore, it doesn’t take into account how much it costs to look the way an NFL cheerleader should look.

The NFL acts like it’s doing women a favor or something…

At the same time, the men are getting paid millions of dollars per season while the women only a couple or few thousand. Or, like the Buccaneer cheerleaders, they may make nothing. Granted, the men are competing in a sport where concussions are expected and life expectancy is short. But when the mascot makes twenty-some thousand per year to sixty-some thousand per year, getting paid a couple of thousand dollars to look good, be athletic and wear barely any clothing sounds entirely and completely off balance.

To hear an individual cheerleader or cheerleading team stands up for themselves is refreshing, especially when their work matters to an organization or corporation. (The Bengals organization makes approximately $1 million off of the work of the Ben-Gals cheerleaders.)

This issue reflects something larger in our society. First Ladies give many hours per week filling ambassador-like roles. Yet they receive no compensation. I often wonder if a First Lady could refuse the role and live a completely private life or work completely in her own position away from the White House. And if a man ever fills the role of “First Lady,” would they reconsider compensation rates?

And then there are many churches where the wife of the pastor is required to fill a role for – once again – no salary. Since stay-at-home parenting is predominantly completed by women, minimal to no thought is given to their compensation package and must rely solely on their spouse’s income.

But stay-at-home moms who are married and have a man taking care of them are heralded as heroes while stay-at-home moms who are single and must live on welfare are called “welfare queens” and “lazy.” I have the utmost respect for anyone who chooses this calling, whether they are married or not.

I clearly remember hearing Gloria Steinem say in one of her speeches that stay-at-home moms should get compensation for their work. And the reason is my next point…

Here’s the big issue: to our society, compensation is equivalent to value. When you make more money, you “matter” more. When you don’t make as much money, you matter less – unless you fill the societal proper role of your gender.

This is the exception: To our society, it’s ok if you make no money as long as you are a woman supporting a man – either his team, his fantasy, his role as leader, his job, etc. Apparently, that is reward in itself.

But what our culture forgets is that women and men are both made in God’s image and all are given gifts to make this world a strong place. When a woman works, her work is just as valuable as a man’s. And while it’s not my calling, even cheerleaders deserve the same respect and validation for their hard work as anyone else.

In reflecting upon this, I remember a story in scriptures that show women standing up for their fair share. Numbers 27 recalls the narrative of Zelophehad’s daughters who want their part of their father’s estate. Moses advocates on behalf of them, and God responds “Zelophehad’s daughters are right in what they are saying.”

And so are the NFL cheerleaders. Keep advocating for your fair share.

Falling

09 Sunday Feb 2014

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smeary fallYesterday, I fell.

Like 99.9999% of the population, I didn’t plan on falling.  I try my hardest to stroll cautiously on the ice.  I though that I was doing pretty well by not falling so far during this treacherous winter season.  But it was only a matter of time until the soles of my boots met a patch of ice in the most inopportune way.

Boom.

Fortunately, having lots of “padding” on my body helped to cushion my fall, although I managed to find a couple of bruises on me this morning.  I didn’t hit my head (thank God), but my face was staring directly into the patch of ice that inhibited my walking.  But after grumbling at the ice for about 45 seconds, I got back up – even though I was a little sore, a little embarrassed and a greatly discouraged.

Like many of you, during the past few days I have been watching some of the Winter Olympics.  It truly amazes me how these women and men on the slopes and rinks can fall down and quickly find themselves back on their feet again.  Even after some traumatic injuries, they return to the ice and snow.  They’ve felt the pain of falling, and yet they aren’t afraid to try once again.

I’m greatly fearful of participating in most of these winter sports.  I would probably fall, and in that fall I would probably gain a concussion or find one of my bones cracked.  I’ve managed to injure myself in one of the three times I’ve been ice skating and still have the scar 22 years later to prove it.  Why would I want to fall, and why would I put myself in any situation where I would?  So I refuse to risk.

But what about the failures that don’t include broken bones?  Our souls are on the slopes even though our bodies are far from them.  I see these spiritual slopes as starting a new business, engaging in a relationship or taking on a new call?  We may not find ourselves with physical bruises, but if we fall or fail, our egos will be bruised.  Our reputations will be scarred.  In many cases, we don’t go back to the slopes of life because the emotional and spiritual pain was way to great the last time we fell.

I remembered when I failed my driver’s test, and when I didn’t get into seminary the first time I applied and when I didn’t fully pass my orals on the first time.  In each of those cases, I thought about quitting.  I thought about laying on the spiritual ground after I had fallen.  But, instead, I got back up.

Whether it was a metaphorical or physical fall, it felt good to get back up.  I was grateful that I was able to rise after all of my falls and fails.

The Bible is full of fails.  Samson failed, and then he got back up before he died.  David failed in his choices with Bathsheba, but then he got back up.  Even Jesus failed in his approach with they Syrophoenician woman.  She corrected him, and he continued with his ministry.  He fell as he was prosecuted by Rome and crucified, but as he rose on the third day, his story spread throughout the land and has lasted 2000 years later.

And our rising back up is sweeter when others give us a hand and we can help others in their healing process.  Rising from failures – physical or emotional – aren’t done in a vacuum.  They are most successful when we can help one another rise from the pits and patches of ice.

So I might not ski down large slopes or attempt the Double Lutz while on ice.  But I’ll continue skiing down many emotional and metaphorical slopes throughout the rest of my life.  Most likely, I’ll fall again, and maybe I’ll experience another powerful resurrection.

Dropping Everything

27 Monday Jan 2014

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This sermon was delivered at St. Paul United Church of Christ, Old Blue Rock Road, Cincinnati on Sunday, January 26, 2014 based on the Matthew 4:18-22 text.

Have you ever just left everything in your life behind, picked up, and started a new life where you believed God was calling you?

In 2007, I did just that.  I resigned from my job in a non-profit to move 1000 miles back up north to complete my Master of Divinity so that I could eventually become an ordained pastor.

Yes, I doubted myself.   Why did 9298846092_9c7edd2af1_bI give up a somewhat decent paying job to enter a full-time degree program?  Will I find that this really isn’t my call?  What happens if I don’t do well as I hadn’t been in a degree program since graduating college 12 years earlier?  Will I make friends in my new location?  But I knew that God said go, and so I went.  It was crazy, or, as they say in 21st century slang “cray-cray.”  Admittedly, I had months to prepare, pack and say goodbye.

And while it was much less risky, in 2011 I moved here to an entirely new area God was calling me.  When you know little about an area and you move by yourself, there’s adventure.  (Let’s face it: there’s always adventure when God calls us.)  When God says move, sometimes there’s nothing else to do but leave what you know behind and move forward.

So as we really think about this text today, we might immediately think that they were also a bit “cray-cray.”  When Jesus walked by Simon Peter and Andrew, then James and John, and stated “follow me, and I will make you fish for people,” they dropped everything without a word.

They just dropped EVERYTHING – the fishing nets and their tasks.  Their homes and ways of life.  Their relationships – James and John just left their father in the boat without even arranging for others to take their place.  The text says “immediately.”  So it wasn’t after hours of deliberation.  It wasn’t after talking with their family or friends.  It wasn’t agonizing whether or not they should do it.  The call of God through Christ was so strong that dropping everything was their only option.  The nets didn’t get mended.  The fish didn’t get caught, but God’s call was answered.

And they didn’t set their affairs in order before accepting God’s call.  For me, at the very least, I would find ways to pack a very large load of things including clothes for every type of weather condition, made sure I had a snack, gum, a couple of bottles of water, maybe a Diet Coke, my cell phone, its charger, my music and enough money on the way. Oh, and probably something to read.  Or three books.  And my iPad.  I would make sure my family knew where to contact me.  And while I’ve left my life in one area to follow the call by God, I still had time to prepare for my experience.  They didn’t have that preparation time.  They just left everything in that very moment and walked with Jesus.

Making sure everything is in place is the way it’s supposed to happen in our world, right?  We’re supposed to have everything figured out before moving on from our secure lives.  But that’s not necessarily the way God works, which makes life extremely scary.

Sometimes, the people we love will drop their rational lives to follow their seemingly absurd dreams.  And in our “logical” thinking we dismiss viewing the situation as God sees it.  In our logical world, following our gut is very much not considered mature.  What we forget is that maybe they are just following the call of God in their hearts.

We think maturity comes with creating six month, one year and five year plans or having arrangements to fall back on.  In that case, Jesus wouldn’t be mature.  He traveled with nothing and spoke things that would make those in power very angry.  In fact, he also encouraged others to give up their planned, thought-out lives just to follow him and the Spirit of God.  His disciples gave up their “normal” lives in order to pursue a higher vocation.  They lived on the generosity of others.  Some may consider the lives of Jesus and his followers irresponsible, but they were being responsible to the only one that mattered: God.

Maybe it’s time for us to stop judging how others our living.  Maybe it’s time for us to just focus on where God is calling us today.

Here’s the thing: it doesn’t matter what your age or ability is.  Jesus didn’t stand around overanalyzing them on their ages, abilities, life or relationship structures.  Instead, on behalf of God, Jesus just called.  Likewise, God’s going to be calling all of us until our dying day – and then our calling may still continue on the other side of heaven.  No matter what our gifts, God will continue to use them, transcending each of our lives past imperfections and mistakes.  It might be a simple call, one that doesn’t require us to change our lives drastically, but maybe change our way of thinking a bit.  And some will be called to make a huge change in our lives – sometimes at 30 or 40 and sometimes at 70 or 80.  Yet when God calls, God is completely present as God asks us to make changes in our live or head in a new direction.  God never leaves us in the midst of anything, let alone our callings.  As I’ve heard along the way “God never calls the equipped, God equips the called.”  Even if you don’t feel like you have all of the answers to where God is calling you or all of the skills, it may be wise and interesting to go, to drive on this unknown road to see where this God nudging.

Right now, I have a friend who is called by God to make a major change in her life.  So in closing, here’s something I wrote not only for them, but hopefully a note that will inspire you to follow God’s crazy call in your life, even if that means dropping everything.

Dear friend,

Through what you tell me, God has been nudging you, calling you to drop everything and make your way to a new location to answer this call.

Soon, you’ll be heading to a new location.  This call may seem like it’s the last minute, but for some reason, you are moving completely across the country to fulfill your dream.  You are brave.  Not all of us can drop everything to see where the voice of God is calling us.  Most of us cling to the familiar in order to keep comfortable, to stay in safe areas.  Sometimes, that’s not a bad thing unless God’s call is truly pursing you.

It’s scary to do this.  Everything you’ve known in your recent location is left behind.  Don’t look back.  Savor those moments and relationships of the past and keep driving.  You’ll see things along the way that will interest you, distract you and inspire you.  Fill your tank with the things that interest you and take mental pictures of the things that inspire you.  And may God erase the images of anything that distracts you from your mind.

Embrace that this is what God wanted you to do.  Accept that nothing is guaranteed in life.  Let your past be something you learn from but not something that will hold you back.  Let your journey be one of picking yourself up after mistakes, turning to God in your fears and loving each and every minute.

Being made in the image of God, you deserve to be called.  You deserve this fresh new start.  Your past does not dictate where God is calling you.  Stop fishing like Peter and Andrew.  Drop your nets like James and John.  Say a brief goodbye and look west towards your future.  For God is with you each step your foot takes, each mile your car drive and each moment that you breathe.

Blessings to all who discern God’s call in their lives.

Between the Mountaintop and the Promised Land

19 Sunday Jan 2014

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IMG_2820One of my favorite genre of movies and literature involves dystopian communities or worlds.  Wikipedia defines dystopia as

“a community or society that is in some important way undesirable or frightening. It is the opposite of a utopia. Such societies appear in many artistic works, particularly in stories set in a future. Dystopias are often characterized by dehumanization, totalitarian governments, environmental disaster, or other characteristics associated with a cataclysmic decline in society. Dystopian societies appear in many sub-genres of fiction and are often used to draw attention to real-world issues regarding society, environment, politics, economics, religion, psychology, ethics, science, and/or technology, which if unaddressed could potentially lead to such a dystopia-like condition.”

I personally love to watch them because, for me, they are a filter, a pair of special lenses which allows all of us to see the gaps in our world.  Dystopian movies are creepy yet challenging.  They force me to analyze where my social status would be in their world and how I can bridge the gaps of injustices.

Last week, I watched the dystopian movie Elysium.  Throughout the story, there are two distinct living places – earth and an orbiting home in space called Elysium.  For those who can afford it, Elysium is a place where the rich live far away from the poor, a place where any disease and most injuries can be healed by a machine.  The humans on earth struggle to stay healthy, and they do not have access to such machines.  The people and corporations on Elysium use the much poorer people on Elysium to make a profit.  The people on earth are kept in check and even treated in a much harsher justice system than on Elysium.

As I watched the movie Elysium I wondered: Would I be on Elysium or on earth?  What would happen if everyone on earth had the same privileges as the humans on Elysium?  What would happen if people on our earth had the same basic privileges?

Another dystopian tale is The Hunger Games trilogy, and some of us went to see The Hunger Games:Catching Fire film in December.  In this story, their country is divided into 12 districts plus the capitol.  The people who live in the Capitol are not required to enter the games; however, the games are entertainment for them.  They live in excess with flowing food, entertainment and drink.  Their clothing and makeup style is surreal while those in the districts live in poverty and must fight to stay alive.

The Hunger Games makes me wonder: Which district would I live in, or would I live in the Capitol?  What would happen if everyone in the districts earth had the same privileges as the humans at the Capitol?

In our society, we think we’re so far ahead of the curve but there are so many “isms” like racism and sexism that keep the playing field far from equal.  I’m still getting to know the racial climate of Cincinnati, so I’m going to speak to my experience in St. Louis.  The areas of north city and north county are predominantly African American while the areas of south county and west county are predominantly white with west county being wealthy white people.  White flight still happens.  People fear when others of another color move into their neighborhood.  Instead of getting to know their neighbors, they only see color.

East St. Louis, just across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, was known for the white flight back in the 60’s and 70’s.  When I’ve driven through parts of East St. Louis in the past few years, it feels like it’s another country – one ravished by war and poverty.

Furthermore, my friends at Eden Seminary felt uncomfortable going off of campus as people of color were often pulled over in Webster Groves.  Even Webster Groves had unofficial segregation: a predominantly white area and predominantly African American area.  As I am white, segregation and discrimination wasn’t something that I experienced, so all seemed fine from my position.  By my seminary friends sharing their experiences and their fears of simply stepping off campus, my eyes opened to the area’s dreadful reality.

As this is the remembrance of Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday, opportunities open up for us to reflect on racial justice issues.  I know this time of year gives me pause to ask myself how I could better stand up against unjust systems.  While I may not be intentionally a racist, I must still ask in what ways do my thoughts and life choices hurt people who are racial and ethnic minorities?  Are there things I could do to stand up against these unfair systems?  How are my sins of neglect and indifference hurting my neighbor with less privilege and the Body of Christ?

I thank God that in every generation, we have people who are willing to be prophets, to teach us how to better treat our neighbors.  They are willing to stand up to the unjust systems even to the point of death.  Of course, we have Jesus the Christ, the one who taught us how to love one another, how to risk when our surroundings are full of injustice and how to give dignity to the expendables in our society.

The prophets of the Hebrew Bible stood up for the poor, widows, orphans and aliens.  Throughout time, we’ve had people risk life and reputation to stand up for what they believe.  Recently, these modern prophets include Mahatma Ghandi, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Martin Luther King, Jr. whose birthday we celebrate this weekend.

Granted, because of the leadership by people like Martin Luther King, Jr., official segregation washed away with the Civil Rights Act.  Separate water fountains and restaurant counters ceased.  Schools were integrated.

But there’s still unofficial segregation as we see when areas are predominantly inhabited by one color or another, or when the poor must choose between medication and food or when women make nearly 30% less than men when working, segregation still happens.

Yet the story is not over.  There is still hope, a hope that Jesus saw in his lifetime and a hope that King preached about right before he died.  King closes his final sermon by saying the following:

“Well, I don’t know what will happen now. We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn’t matter with me now. Because I’ve been to the mountaintop. And I don’t mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I’m happy, tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.”

Deuteronomy 34 is the text in which King’s speech is referring.  The day before he is assassinated, King gives this speech in support of sanitation workers who were striking in Memphis.  The end of the speech is haunting.  King is resonating with Moses at the end of Moses’ life.  Moses never makes it to the promised land, much like King

Instead, it’s Joshua who leads them to the promised land.

Just as King was like Moses, are we called to be like Joshua – leading people to the promised land?  Are we the ones called to be a true prophet and risk our lives to make sure all in our society have equality and dignity?

When I was thinking of a title, I originally decided to go with “Still on the Mountaintop.”  But I was wrong.  We’re so much farther than the mountaintop.  We’re miles past the mountaintop.  But we still have a ways to go to see a true new heaven and new earth, an actual promised land.  And when people will stop being abused or murdered because of their race, ethnicity, religion, gender and sexual orientation, then we’ve gotten to the promise land.  We will have created the Kingdom of God of which Jesus often spoke.

Let’s learn from our history – whether it’s the history of this country or the history of humanity.  Let’s even learn from these crazy fictional dystopian stories by realizing that some people will always try to suppress the rights of others.  Humans often feel like someone needs to lose in order for them to succeed.  Maybe if we try to help all people succeed we will find our own success.  As it says in Jeremiah 29:7 “But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.”

That’s the type of vision King had for us and that’s the type of vision Jesus had for all of God’s children.  There are no segregated neighborhoods.  People aren’t arrested or pulled over based on the color of their skin.

So here’s our challenge today – working together to usher in the new heaven and new earth that’s mentioned in Revelation 21.   We are called to usher in the promised land where all live together in love.  Let us seek the welfare for all of the Body of Christ.

Can you see this promised land?  We’re so close now… Close your eyes and listen to the Spirit of God inside of you… you will find it.

The Good News Is Missing

02 Thursday Jan 2014

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Recently, I’ve been thinking once again about Christianity and grace.

When I attended a church years ago, one or two of the members CONTINUOUSLY criticized the pastor. Each and every time I was in their presence, some comment would be made.

Years ago I’ve seen how a member of the clergy wouldn’t bother to be in dialogue with others because they had all of the right answers and everyone else who disagreed was “wrong.”

Hail church… full of hate…

I see Christians noting in online forums that people who are out of work or disabled should be denied assistance.

I see Christians who refuse to have conversations with others who think differently.

I see Christians who constantly make little judging comments about pastors, their fellow congregants and others they know.

We judge those who get pregnant before they’re married, who are single parents or have abortions. We judge those who are atheists or some other religious minority because they don’t have the “truth.”

I’m not just speaking about the Westboro Baptists or other fundamentalist Christians. We liberal and Mainline Protestants can be just as critical and grace-less as those on the right.

Why do we think our churches and Christianity will grow if we’ve left out grace from the equation?

Christianity was founded on the principles of grace. Some believed Jesus died for their salvation. Other Christians believe that Jesus lived as God’s unconditional love incarnate. Jesus touched the unclean, defended the poor and hung out with outcasts. No matter what your view of salvation, abundant grace is a part of our story as Christians. Except, we’ve forgotten that.

Dear Christians: we lack grace. We ALL lack grace.

Christianity has completely and totally lost it’s core principle. Judgment of non-Christians and other Christians has pushed aside any unconditional love.

Instead of standing up for the unprivileged, Christians defend the words of a duck guy who denigrates gay people and laughs off racism. And the rest of us Christians who didn’t defend the guy get upset when he gets a second chance to return to a television show. (Granted, he didn’t apologize for his insensitive remarks. Maybe I would warm up to the idea of a second chance if he had been slightly more sensitive and grace-filled. But like ALL of you, I judge too.)

I laugh when I hear Christians who say it’s more important to make sure they judge people because it’s “loving” rather than showing them grace through their roughest moments.

And no one really knows the crud that we all go through in life. No one knows how our embedded theology and life experiences influence our choices. We forget that someone else’s shoes fit so very differently. But we’re not willing to try them on. We’re not willing to consider how they feel on someone else’s feet. We just don’t care – because Jesus died for “me.” Jesus cares about “me” and that’s all that matters, right?

It’s attitudes like this that make people turn their backs on God, Jesus and the church. How many people will Christianity lose this year because grace, mercy and unconditional love wasn’t extended to our neighbors? We are engaging in anti-evangelism as we suck the world dry of the good news of grace, mercy and unconditional love.

Friends: it’s time we embrace grace, love and second chances. Very rarely does a mistake cause us to have such a deep riff between ourselves and others or ourselves and God. Yet we want to find every opportunity to make sure grace is never, ever a part of Christianity. Maybe we believe we’re the only ones who deserve grace. Maybe we think people will get used to having it easy.

And by the way – whether you are a Christian or not, you will mess up. We’re all going to make mistakes. We’re all going to live in ways that will make someone else greatly dislike us. So deal with it. Life, health issues, time restraints often push us off of our paths and cause us to make mistakes. That is life. As Christians, it’s our job to try and find ways to relocate people back on the paved road instead of making them struggle in the weeds and ditches off the path.

So next time you’re about to judge, ask these questions: “Why did they act this way? Is there anything I can do to help? If not, how can I better understand them?”

That’s sharing the good news.

A Broken System: Additional Thoughts on Consumerism

28 Thursday Nov 2013

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After writing my last post, I felt the need to clarify: it was not to shame customers but a frustration with the consumerism that corporations have created.

I don’t think having cheap items is necessarily the corporations’ way of being generous to its customers. Rather, it’s their efforts to try to get people into their buildings and purchase other items.

Writing about this is absolutely not to shame those who shop on the day after Thanksgiving (or even the day of Thanksgiving). This may be the only way they can afford gifts for their children or to have what others in society have. People who can’t afford what others have finally are able to find a piece of dignity and grace that everyone has.

But it’s almost like corporations create opportunities to pit one customer against another. It becomes like The Hunger Games: “may the odds be ever in your favor.” Do the corporations care that their customers are being tackled or workers have to skip Thanksgiving dinner? Or is it entertainment for them?

What I’m trying to say is there is a broken system. Corporations are working to get people in the door and create profits at any cost. They do not all care about personal safety or disappointments. They care more about bottom lines rather than customers and employees.

So make sure consumers aren’t facing shame. If we can afford to, let’s not go to stores on the actual day of Thanksgiving. And then let’s write to corporations to tell them that their employees and consumers need to be treated with more dignity.

Losing Our Communal Sabbath This Thanksgiving

28 Thursday Nov 2013

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I’m sickened by the number of corporations forcing their employees to work today.

Now, I understand that places with medication or gas need to be open for those in need. Some physicians, nurses, firefighters, EMTs, police and mechanics need to work for emergencies. I am grateful for their work. However, I’m not sure our society wants to forego rest and fellowship time to see how cheap we can buy TVs, shoes, various appliances and craft supplies.

Wasn’t that the purpose of post-Thanksgiving Friday (a.k.a. Black Friday – although I’m not entirely comfortable using that term)? Sure, it was odd that the day after Thanksgiving honored
the gods of consumerism. Now that day has crept into the time-slot of Thanksgiving itself. Employees on the bottom of the consumerist food chain have to choose between having a job and spending time with their families.

To me, Thanksgiving (and even Christmas) is time of communal Sabbath. No matter what your nationality or belief structures, no matter how lofty your wealth or the color of your skin, we all had these days off together – to relax and enjoy simplicity.

Back in the day, Sundays were communal Sabbaths. Now, Sundays are the beginning of the consumerism week as we hunt through papers to see what great deals we can find at stores.

When I was a child visiting my grandparents in Canada for Christmas, all stores would be closed on December 26 for Boxing Day, an additional Sabbath and time for loved ones. As I grew older, this day turned into the Americanized December 26: filled malls and widespread sales.

To think we are losing any aspect of a communal Sabbath is heartbreaking. On previous Thanksgivings, most of us have the day off. Now, those who are paid the least are forced to work while the more wealthy of us can chose between resting and shopping.

A number of times, I’ve heard theologian Walter Brueggemann speak about Sabbath as a break from consumerism. He quotes the story in Exodus 5 of Moses asking Pharaoh for a day for the Israelites to have a break from their work so they can honor God together. Of course, Pharaoh then gave the Israelites more work and tougher working conditions because of this request.

The Pharaohs of our consumerist culture are requiring more and more workers to give up our communal Sabbaths. Next year, will stores start their sales at 6pm or 3pm on Thanksgiving? Will Thanksgiving become the new Consumerist Day of the Year? And why must these fall on the backs of the non-rich in our society while the wealthy make their money from those sacrificing their Sabbath day?

Let’s skip the stores as much as we can today….

Happy Thanksgiving!

Youth Participation and Grace-Filled Churches

11 Monday Nov 2013

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eccLast week, I came across this 2010 article on how youth ministry is killing the church.  While I still don’t believe youth ministry is a detriment, integrating youth participation into the already-crafted church life is even more imperative.

As a pastor of a small-ish church, I’ve been trying to integrate more youth participation into various parts of our church life.  Excitement is beginning to bubble from our young people contributing their time and talents in our congregation.  For a young person who never read in Sunday worship, they voiced to me how excited and grateful they were to be a part of the service.  Recently, I’ve seen the value of youth taking on different roles in our fundraisers.  They’ve been a hospitable presence to new young people.  One has taken a leadership role as he engaged the younger youth during children’s time.  Just yesterday, I consulted with two of our high school youth to see what they thought of a program I plan on starting in December.

Granted, I understand there’s always concern when we begin something new or have newer people participate:

What if they make mistakes?
How will our church appear?
They won’t do it like we’ve always done it…
This distracts me from worship…

If we want youth and young adults to get excited about our churches and attend our events, it’s necessary for us to assist them in finding their place in our church community.  We are called to help them find God’s calling for their lives.

Besides school, where else would they find a supportive place to try new things and to seek their gifts?  When I was in Junior League, I was told that one of their goals was to help prepare us for the fundraising/philanthropic work we would do in our communities.  After reflecting upon this, I realized it’s essential for church to be a place of preparation for young people (as well as middle-aged congregants and older adults).

Church needs to be that grace-filled safe place where all people, including young people, can search for their gifts and God’s call.

What if church is that place where we can break out our clarinets and trumpets and play on a Sunday morning?  What if church is the place where someone can try a new fellowship activity or fundraiser?  How would they grow?  How would we adults grow as being part of this process?

Undoubtedly, they will make mistakes.  Guess what – so do I.  So do all of you.  Mistakes in worship and other parts of church life are nothing new.  They may fail.  The quality of their work will sometimes be insufficient.  But instead of focusing on these as mistakes or imperfections, let us look at them like opportunities.  Active in our churches are young people excited to be a part of our community.  This is a blessing in our shrinking Mainline Protestant churches!  Their involvement in the various parts of congregational life proves that our churches aren’t dying.

If we feel that they are distracting or making a too many mistakes, there is one great remedy to making them near-perfect: adult participation.  One or two adults can’t fulfill all of the youth development in a church.  We need all levels of participation – from those who mentor confirmands to those who accompany young people on fellowship activities.  As a pastor, I love to be as involved as possible in the spiritual development in our youth.  But having the support and energy of the majority of church members gives our youth more hope, encouragement and motivation to stay involved in churches and become the people God has called them to be.

Are We Helping the “Widows”?

06 Wednesday Nov 2013

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Do we really help the widows and orphans?

Now let me reframe who today’s widows are: single moms/parents.  Any of them.  They could have become a single parent because of the death of spouse, divorce or experiencing a unplanned pregnancy.  Orphans are kids who have lost a parent or both parents, kids who have minimal relationship with or who are minimally provided for by a parent, or kids are estranged from parents.

People of all political perspectives will donate food over and over again to make sure they have food.  I’m just wondering if we need to do more to make sure that the system is fair?  What steps are we missing so that they can have a life of joy?

Today’s widows often feel shame when they have to go on welfare/food stamps/Medicaid.  Many don’t believe that they would face a time when they would need government assistance.  Political pundits keep making them feel “less than.”  Politicians keep voting for them to receive less and less aid.

To some, taking care of the widows and orphans has become an optional faith mandate.

Shame and guilt and cutting programs doesn’t really help the widows and orphans.  Food helps some on a shorter-term basis.  (If someone has a disability, they should receive assistance to live, but that’s another blog for another time.)

When it comes down to taking care of those who struggle, I think there’s something greater: helping them live into God’s call for them.

Single moms often don’t have child care or health care or money to go back to school to strengthen their future and acknowledge God’s call.  When their child gets sick, the child MUST go home from school or daycare.  Who takes care of them?  The widow is forced to miss a day of work or school.  Such circumstances requires them to leave their achievements and God’s call behind.

The Bible says over and over and over again to take care of the widows and orphans.  It’s time we truly take care of them by walking along side of them and helping them grasp God’s dream for their lives.  If you want women to get off welfare: create a system where they can do what’s need to achieve their degrees.  Create daycare options where working moms can drop off their sick child for a day.  Do not have “points” systems at work so that a widow will go on probation if she has to miss a day of work to take care of her child.

As a single woman without children, it’s tough enough to make sure I have the energy and resources to follow God’s call.  I can’t imagine what it would be like for a woman with children.  So maybe it’s time for all of us to work together to make sure this mandate of “caring for the widows and orphans” actually takes place.*

*And please don’t play the blame game and say “having a child out of wedlock was their choice when they had sex.”  Seriously?  Like most people haven’t made those choices at some point?  Some just have the privilege of birth control and great support systems.