First, let me apologize for being lax on blog postings. It was part my fault, and part technical difficulty -- our Blogger site insisted for several days that they were "unable to upload new posts at this time."
Now, onto the question at hand. Today's question is this: When have you experienced the conflict between the different ways that people read and interpret the Bible?
If you were in church a couple of weeks ago for my first sermon in this series, then you've heard this story. But it bears repeating because it addresses this question so completely.
When I first discerned my call to ministry at age 17, excitedly, I shared my revelation with my friends. Everyone was positive, except for one friend who said the following to me:
"It's really great that you've figured out that God has placed a call on your life. But I doubt God would be calling you to be a pastor because, you know, in the Bible it says "women should not speak in church"...so maybe, God is calling you to be a Christian Educator, or maybe..."
...he said the following with great enthusiasm...
"...a Pastor's Wife."
So, if you ask me whether or not I have experienced conflict in the different ways people read the Bible, undoubtedly, my answer is, "YES, yes, I have!" It took me a long time, a lot of prayer, conversation, and learning to get past this one.
What became critical for me and my relationship to the Bible was to learn about the history an context of Biblical texts as I read them. Take the passage my friend referred to, for instance. In context, this text doesn't say anything about women preaching. It's referring to women who were interrupting worship with their questions. Without understanding the history related to and context of the passage, it would be easy to misinterpret.
You should know that I am still friends with the person who said that to me. That may seem unfathomable to you. But, I really believe in the Unity of the Body of Christ. Maintaining relationship with people who are different from me expands my worldview and enables me to better understand what I, personally, believe. It also allows me to experience the grace of God in profound ways. There's a lot of grace involved when you are in relationship with people who are diametrically opposed to who you are. That grace is real and so is the relationship that follows even if we disagree on how we read our Bibles.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
It's Complicated
Our summer sermon series draws from the Marcus Borg book Reading the Bible Again for the First Time. Throughout the summer, I'll be blogging about the issues raised by the book. My friend and colleague Rev. Tom Ott, Sr. Pastor of the church I served in Battle Creek, developed the questions I'll be blogging about. Join in the conversation!
Here's today's question: How would you describe your own relationship with scripture? What feelings, experiences, or reactions does it evoke in you?
My relationship to scripture has been...complicated. Even though I was raised in your average, middle of the road UCC church, I went though a literalistic phase. That didn't last long. Then, when I went to college and took a bunch of theology classes, I had a crisis of faith. I could not reconcile all the things I was leaning in college with my Sunday School education. How could no one have ever taught me about the canonization process, the way in which the Bible came to be? How could no one have ever told me there were feminine references to God contained in scripture? I felt lied to and I was angry. Now, in all fairness, knowing my pastors, it could be that someone did teach me these things. I just wasn't paying attention at the time. Regardless, at that point in my life, I had very mixed emotions about my faith. I loved my theology classes, but they became a substitute for my own experiences of worship and personal devotions.
I think that's when I stopped reading my Bible. When I moved to Florida, I started going to St. Luke's United Methodist Church. Bill Barnes' preaching was revelatory to me. I started picking up my Bible again. Throughout my time in Florida and Seminary in Chicago, I finally felt like I was able to reclaim scripture as important in my life. I figured our how to believe in the truth of the Word even when the words were not factual. I also figured out how to argue with the text. I began to understand that I could disagree with the text. But, I also, finally, understood that I could dig deeper into the text, discovering its historical and cultural context. When I did that, I would always come away with a fresh perspective on the text.
These days, I go to scripture for insight when I need help figuring life out. I also go to it for comfort when I feel as if the whole world is falling apart. Mostly, though, I read the Bible because I can. It informs my faith journey. So, most days, I read the Bible devotionally, not looking for anything in particular. That's when I find the most wonderful things.
Here's today's question: How would you describe your own relationship with scripture? What feelings, experiences, or reactions does it evoke in you?
My relationship to scripture has been...complicated. Even though I was raised in your average, middle of the road UCC church, I went though a literalistic phase. That didn't last long. Then, when I went to college and took a bunch of theology classes, I had a crisis of faith. I could not reconcile all the things I was leaning in college with my Sunday School education. How could no one have ever taught me about the canonization process, the way in which the Bible came to be? How could no one have ever told me there were feminine references to God contained in scripture? I felt lied to and I was angry. Now, in all fairness, knowing my pastors, it could be that someone did teach me these things. I just wasn't paying attention at the time. Regardless, at that point in my life, I had very mixed emotions about my faith. I loved my theology classes, but they became a substitute for my own experiences of worship and personal devotions.
I think that's when I stopped reading my Bible. When I moved to Florida, I started going to St. Luke's United Methodist Church. Bill Barnes' preaching was revelatory to me. I started picking up my Bible again. Throughout my time in Florida and Seminary in Chicago, I finally felt like I was able to reclaim scripture as important in my life. I figured our how to believe in the truth of the Word even when the words were not factual. I also figured out how to argue with the text. I began to understand that I could disagree with the text. But, I also, finally, understood that I could dig deeper into the text, discovering its historical and cultural context. When I did that, I would always come away with a fresh perspective on the text.
These days, I go to scripture for insight when I need help figuring life out. I also go to it for comfort when I feel as if the whole world is falling apart. Mostly, though, I read the Bible because I can. It informs my faith journey. So, most days, I read the Bible devotionally, not looking for anything in particular. That's when I find the most wonderful things.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Taking a Clue from Jesus Mission Statement
This week, we're playing around with the notion of personal mission statements. Do you have one?
We get a taste of Jesus' mission statement in in Luke 4:16-21. Mission statements are not job descriptions. They are not to do lists. Instead of Jesus unrolling the scroll and saying, "I have been anointed to be an itinerant preacher and teacher in Galilee...and here's my job outline in bullet-point form" he says "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Sure, there are some specifics in this proclamation, but mostly it's a list of outcomes. And that's different than a task list.
So, I was wondering about mission statements. What's my mission in life? As any good post-modern person would do, I took my question to Google. Up popped a personal mission statement generator from the folks at Franklin Covey. (www.franklincovey.com/msb/missions/login)
I tried it and guess what -- it was fun and very revealing. As you consider what your mission is in the world, give it a try. Maybe re post your results here. Let's inspire each other!
My mission statement (as generated by the Franklin Covey Personal Mission Statement Builder):
I am at my best when I am creative, rested, inspired, surrounded by beauty and joyous people, filled with purpose, and feeling like I am accomplishing something. I will try to prevent times when I am not focused, tired, torn, in ugly places with negative people, and unclear about my purpose. I will enjoy my work by finding employment where I can be at the center of synergy, making big things happen. I will find enjoyment in my personal life through play with my daughter, be in love with my husband, laugh with friends, cooking, writing, walking and smelling fresh air. I will find opportunities to use my natural talents and gifts such as cooking, making art, singing, being there for people, creating beautiful, interesting space, writing, speaking.
I can do anything I set my mind to. I will be a writer and inspirational speaker.
My life's journey is to be at home no matter where the journey takes me, opening up my home and life to friends and family, strangers and sojourners.I will be a person who my children, their children, and people who think of me as their teacher, will give me the greatest tribute by telling me the story of "Us" and how I changed their life. They will tell me about the moment when I mattered to them...
My most important future contribution to others will be to let them know that they are loved beyond their wildest imaginations and that they have purpose in this world. Our job is to discern that purpose and have at it with reckless abandon...
We get a taste of Jesus' mission statement in in Luke 4:16-21. Mission statements are not job descriptions. They are not to do lists. Instead of Jesus unrolling the scroll and saying, "I have been anointed to be an itinerant preacher and teacher in Galilee...and here's my job outline in bullet-point form" he says "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Sure, there are some specifics in this proclamation, but mostly it's a list of outcomes. And that's different than a task list.
So, I was wondering about mission statements. What's my mission in life? As any good post-modern person would do, I took my question to Google. Up popped a personal mission statement generator from the folks at Franklin Covey. (www.franklincovey.com/msb/missions/login)
I tried it and guess what -- it was fun and very revealing. As you consider what your mission is in the world, give it a try. Maybe re post your results here. Let's inspire each other!
My mission statement (as generated by the Franklin Covey Personal Mission Statement Builder):
I am at my best when I am creative, rested, inspired, surrounded by beauty and joyous people, filled with purpose, and feeling like I am accomplishing something. I will try to prevent times when I am not focused, tired, torn, in ugly places with negative people, and unclear about my purpose. I will enjoy my work by finding employment where I can be at the center of synergy, making big things happen. I will find enjoyment in my personal life through play with my daughter, be in love with my husband, laugh with friends, cooking, writing, walking and smelling fresh air. I will find opportunities to use my natural talents and gifts such as cooking, making art, singing, being there for people, creating beautiful, interesting space, writing, speaking.
I can do anything I set my mind to. I will be a writer and inspirational speaker.
My life's journey is to be at home no matter where the journey takes me, opening up my home and life to friends and family, strangers and sojourners.I will be a person who my children, their children, and people who think of me as their teacher, will give me the greatest tribute by telling me the story of "Us" and how I changed their life. They will tell me about the moment when I mattered to them...
My most important future contribution to others will be to let them know that they are loved beyond their wildest imaginations and that they have purpose in this world. Our job is to discern that purpose and have at it with reckless abandon...
I will stop procrastinating and start working on:
- Being more centered: have an everyday, all day connection to God.
- Remembering "it's not about me" and know that I am only one piece of an infinite puzzle.
- Tending to my own body and being healthy.
I will strive to incorporate the following attributes into my life:
-Be smart like Jesus
-Be in love with Jesus
-Love people like Jesus
I will constantly renew myself by focusing on the four dimensions of my life:
-walk and do tai chi every day. breathe, move, stretch, breathe, move, stretch.
-read poetry every day. see beauty every day. pray every day.
-check in about your baggage everyday. seek out people who keep you in check and keep you balanced and healthy
-make new friends. go out. have fun. have date nights with your husband. touch, be touched. give kisses and hugs. tell the people I love that i love them.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Why do you do it?
Every body's doing it.
They are -- haven't you noticed? There are TV commercials about it. Schools are teaching about it. Even Disney is in on the act. Everybody is doing it.
Everyone is doing good works these days. There's a series of TV commercials showing one person doing a random act of kindness followed by the person who received the good will following suit and so on. Schools are making "service hours" a requirement for graduation. And, now, Disney is offering free admission to people who log hours with particular non-profit organizations. Every body is doing good works these days.
And I'm all for it. This wave of service that's sweeping the nation is good for us. It can only make the world better. With that in mind, I hope you don't misunderstand the question that all this do-gooding raises in me: why do you do good works? As a person of faith, why do you do good works?
For me, I don't really care that I could get a free day at Disney. Being a person of faith in God, I do good works because that's what God calls me to do.
Being a person who tries to follow in the footsteps of Jesus the Christ, I do good works because I want to create the kind of community around me that Christ created around him.
Being a person who knows the presence of the Holy Spirit, I do good works because then, in those moments when I'm uncomfortable with the sights, smells and experiences of the poor, lonely, sick and marginalized, I know that I am not alone. The Holy Spirit will carry me through.
I do it because, in the words of The Message, "Isn't it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?"
Why do you do it?
They are -- haven't you noticed? There are TV commercials about it. Schools are teaching about it. Even Disney is in on the act. Everybody is doing it.
Everyone is doing good works these days. There's a series of TV commercials showing one person doing a random act of kindness followed by the person who received the good will following suit and so on. Schools are making "service hours" a requirement for graduation. And, now, Disney is offering free admission to people who log hours with particular non-profit organizations. Every body is doing good works these days.
And I'm all for it. This wave of service that's sweeping the nation is good for us. It can only make the world better. With that in mind, I hope you don't misunderstand the question that all this do-gooding raises in me: why do you do good works? As a person of faith, why do you do good works?
For me, I don't really care that I could get a free day at Disney. Being a person of faith in God, I do good works because that's what God calls me to do.
Being a person who tries to follow in the footsteps of Jesus the Christ, I do good works because I want to create the kind of community around me that Christ created around him.
Being a person who knows the presence of the Holy Spirit, I do good works because then, in those moments when I'm uncomfortable with the sights, smells and experiences of the poor, lonely, sick and marginalized, I know that I am not alone. The Holy Spirit will carry me through.
I do it because, in the words of The Message, "Isn't it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?"
Why do you do it?
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
The Requirements
When my friend Angie, who preached my installation, teaches Confirmation she always asks the kids if there is anything they must do in order to be faithful.
Usually, they respond, "No". The go on -- we should all try to be nice, good people. "But, there are no requirements."
"What if I told you there were requirements?" she asks. They usually sit there stunned. That's when she whips out Micah 6:8 -- What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Most church -going adults I have met seem just as befuddled by the contents of Micah 6:8 as the youth do. Sure, we all condone humility and value kindness, but when it comes to justice, in another story entirely. How many times have I heard critiques of social-justice oriented themes as being "too political" or "not spiritual enough"? How many times? Many, many times.
But we're fooling ourselves if we think God doesn't care about social justice. The books of the Prophets found in scripture continually call attention to the way nations treated the most vulnerable members of their societies. Jesus was perpetually concerned with the marginalized of society. The Epistles call communities into right relation with one another. True, many of the Epistles address small scale relationships. But the principles that govern being in right relationship in interpersonal relationships apply to systems as well.
Social justice isn't an afterthought for God. So it shouldn't be an afterthought for us either. Social justice is part and parcel of what faithful living and kin-dom building is all about.
Usually, they respond, "No". The go on -- we should all try to be nice, good people. "But, there are no requirements."
"What if I told you there were requirements?" she asks. They usually sit there stunned. That's when she whips out Micah 6:8 -- What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Most church -going adults I have met seem just as befuddled by the contents of Micah 6:8 as the youth do. Sure, we all condone humility and value kindness, but when it comes to justice, in another story entirely. How many times have I heard critiques of social-justice oriented themes as being "too political" or "not spiritual enough"? How many times? Many, many times.
But we're fooling ourselves if we think God doesn't care about social justice. The books of the Prophets found in scripture continually call attention to the way nations treated the most vulnerable members of their societies. Jesus was perpetually concerned with the marginalized of society. The Epistles call communities into right relation with one another. True, many of the Epistles address small scale relationships. But the principles that govern being in right relationship in interpersonal relationships apply to systems as well.
Social justice isn't an afterthought for God. So it shouldn't be an afterthought for us either. Social justice is part and parcel of what faithful living and kin-dom building is all about.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Woe, woe is me!
When Jesus preached to the folks hanging out on a hillside, he said things like, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth." When Jesus preached to the folks out on the plains, he changed it up a bit. "Blessed are the poor in spirit" becomes "Blessed are the poor". In addition, there is a whole list of "woes" added on. "...Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep."
I must admit -- I am much more fond of the the former rather than the latter. When I read, "Blessed are the poor in spirit," I think, Yeah, that's right -- I'm blessed -- I'm having a bad day -- I've got problems. God bless me! But it's harder to find my place in the latter where the "poor in spirit" are replaced with "the poor". I'm not poor. In fact, since almost half the world — over three billion people — live on less than $2.50 a day and 80% of humanity lives on less than $10 a day I am anything but poor. I am quite rich in comparison to the rest of the world.
That would put me, not in Jesus' blessed category, but firmly in his woe category. When I only take this teaching on face value, that's when I start longing again for the warm fuzzies of the sermon on the mount. When I go deeper into this passage, that's when I start to understand how to truly be blessed. When I am rich, I have resources to give. When I am full, I am able to give of myself because. When I am laughing, I have joy to share. When Jesus is holding us accountable, we ought not run in the other direction, but embrace his tough teaching, his tough love. It's through making that love a reality in this world that we are all blessed.
I must admit -- I am much more fond of the the former rather than the latter. When I read, "Blessed are the poor in spirit," I think, Yeah, that's right -- I'm blessed -- I'm having a bad day -- I've got problems. God bless me! But it's harder to find my place in the latter where the "poor in spirit" are replaced with "the poor". I'm not poor. In fact, since almost half the world — over three billion people — live on less than $2.50 a day and 80% of humanity lives on less than $10 a day I am anything but poor. I am quite rich in comparison to the rest of the world.
That would put me, not in Jesus' blessed category, but firmly in his woe category. When I only take this teaching on face value, that's when I start longing again for the warm fuzzies of the sermon on the mount. When I go deeper into this passage, that's when I start to understand how to truly be blessed. When I am rich, I have resources to give. When I am full, I am able to give of myself because. When I am laughing, I have joy to share. When Jesus is holding us accountable, we ought not run in the other direction, but embrace his tough teaching, his tough love. It's through making that love a reality in this world that we are all blessed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)