Colbert gives it to Zimbardo

Stephen Colbert had Dr. Philip Zimbardo on his show last night. He's the professor behind the famed Stanford experiment that had student essentially reenact the guard/prisoner dynamic of concentration camps and showed that even "good" people could quickly let power and privilege overtake them and do horrible things. He's selling his new book that apparently tries to cast Lucifer, or the devil, in a better light. Unfortunately, Zimbardo wasn't aware that Colbert was a Sunday School teacher.

Blogger doesn't like the embed, so here's the link.

Makes for an interesting debate on what evil is, and makes an even better case for going to Sunday School!

On Huckabee's Visit

The following is the text from an email sent by Senior Pastor, Dr. Charles Gattis of Trinity UMC.

We have received some calls of concern that we are endorsing a particular presidential candidate. That is not the case.
You may have heard on the news that Mike Huckabee is speaking at Trinity tomorrow morning. I wanted you to know that this does not indicate that Trinity is supporting him or any other presidential candidate. Mr. Huckabee is coming at the invitation of a Republican Men's group, which has been meeting for a monthly breakfast at Trinity for many years. Many of that group are long time members of our church and they, like other members, use the church facilities for organizations in which they participate.
As a policy, Trinity does not support any political candidates state, federal, or local. If you have any questions, please give me a call and I'll be happy to talk with you about it.
Sincerely,
Charles Gattis
Trinity United Methodist Church

busy

so it's been a while since i've last posted. things have been kind of hectic around here with a lot of changes and all. not that i would have done an end of the year list anyway, but Christmas and the new year have come and gone so fast, it feels like it should be march already. I keep thinking I should be filling out a bracket by now.

so what's been keeping me busy? our new sunday morning change and the mission event associated with it. with less than two months to plan the event and mobilize at least half of our 1000+ worship attenders, getting the structure built has been a real challenge. I am SO grateful for the many "trail bosses" and others who have taken leadership and specific tasks on. if it wasn't for them, I'd be paralyzed with stress right about now (according to Laura, that's a lot of stress for me). It looks as though things are coming together, I placed the order for 600 box lunches today and finished entering the volunteer sign ups which are pretty close to that number. I''m hoping even more will decide to be in mission in some form that day, but hope they don't expect to be fed. Again, though, the work that everyone has done in getting the projects set up has been tremendous. With close to 30 projects and at least a dozen additional sites, we're going to have a huge presence in the community. Trinity really does love the Tennessee Valley.

The other thing that has taken up a bit of my time is trying to become first time homeowners. Laura and I have decided that we've had enough of apartment life and are now in the final stages of closing on a house. It's a really neat home in south huntsville. Freshly redone on the inside, but some minor-major work to be done on the outside. We're waiting to here how the seller will react to the home inspection.

One bit of funny that come out of our inspection today was opening the air return and seeing a pile of what looked like nuts, shells, twigs, and leaves. Telltale signs of a squirrel home. This concerned us more so than any of the other potential problems that we had considering it evoked bad memories for us both of parents being driven to the edge of insanity by the pesky rodents. Fortunately our agent was more observant than us or our inspector and when she saw it, she said, "You know, y'all, that almost looks like potpourri." Well, of course it was. The former homeowner decided to put it in there no telling how long ago to freshen the house. No, squirrel. Needless to say, we were relieved and any of the other problems seemed trivial after that.

Well, my break is just about over and I've got to get back to it. Maybe I'll get to post again when it really is March.

Last Minute Christmas Ideas

For those of you who are like me and have only just started Christmas shopping, consider this:

Why not avoid the long lines and crowded malls this year and stop by UMCOR’s New Gift Catalog? Give a gift that changes the world without having to wait.

UMCOR’s Gift Catalog is filled with alternative gift suggestions that reflect the many programs and projects that UMCOR supports around the world. Consider a gift of education for girls in the Democratic Republic of Congo, or provide medicine for children in Georgia suffering with epilepsy. A ribbon cannot be tied around this type of gift, but it does tie around someone’s heart.

Each dollar amount in the catalog represents what your gifts could buy and determines the approximate cost of each item for that region. 100 percent of donations will go to the designated program.

You can find UMCOR's Gift Catalog here.

California Fires: How to Help

Wildfires fueled by the hot Santa Ana winds continue to consume large portions of Southern California, particularly heavily-populated areas surrounding San Diego and Los Angeles. The United Methodist Committee on Relief is in close contact with Bishop Mary Ann Swenson of the California-Pacific Annual Conference.

“In addition to an emergency grant to support the conference in its initial efforts, disaster response consultants are at the ready to provide the conference with their presence and guidance as needed,” says the Rev. Tom Hazelwood, head of UMCOR’s domestic disaster response.

Cash gifts will help provide for recovery. Checks can be mailed to UMCOR PO Box 9068, New York, NY 10087. Write “UMCOR Advance #901670, Domestic Disaster Response,” on the memo line of your check. One hundred percent of every donation to any appeal, including appeals for California wildfires, goes to support the designated program.

Or, go to the UMCOR website.

Continuing Ed.

Tomorrow, Laura and I attend a conference at our old seminary. The conference is called "Caring in a Violent World." Despite the heavy subject matter, we're looking forward to it. Me in particular, because it ties into our Healing & Wholeness Ministry and because this is one of the few continuing education event that I've actually had a choice in what, where, and when. Up until now, most continuing ed has been dictated by either the Conference or due to ministry roles.

We're looking forward to some time here in Atlanta as well. Particularly around Emory and the in the Decatur are where I lived, there are some great food places and places to unwind. It's a great environment here too. Not many places where you can eat breakfast with people dressed in suits, tattooed and pierced from head to toe, young families, old couples, gay, and international. It's a neat mix where it seems people do more than just tolerate diversity.

Now, it's time to rest up, it's already been a long weekend.

Change a Light Day

About the ENERGY STAR Change a Light Campaign : ENERGY STAR

Saw this from another link and thought it suited for our mission and church & society focus - as well as stewardship.

Over the past year, I've pretty much replaced all our bulbs in the apartment with compact fluorescents. The only ones I haven't gotten to are our spherical bulbs in our bathrooms and a couple of lamps that the shade attaches directly to the bulb.

Because with paying bills, I'm pretty cheap, it's been a bit of a game trying to see how low our power bill can be, even during months with extreme weather. I think that I've about tweaked out as much as I can though, because things have stayed pretty much the same for the last few months. One of the biggest differences has been adjusting the air when we leave.

At our old house, I bought and installed an automated thermostat that would raise and lower the temperature at preset times. The basis of this being that a home thermostat set 5-10 degrees differently for an 8-hour period of a day, uses an extremely less amount of energy. We don't have the automated version in our apartment, but even manually changing when we leave has made huge differences. Our bills have been consistently less than 1/3 of what they were when I was living in a similarly-sized apartment in Atlanta. Sure, cost of kw/hr is probably lower here, but not that much.

There's a whole lot more I could do to shrink my "carbon footprint," and we're working on it. It certainly helps when there is a direct and positive impact in other areas of our lives.

"...that's about right for someone your age"

I heard this (directed at me) for the first time this week. Maybe I've had it said to me before, but certainly not in this context - that I am hitting aging milestones.

I went to the dentist Monday (there's a whole other back story to that), for a regular cleaning and checkup. I've been having problems for a while with a tooth that has been sensitive and occasionally get things caught in the gums. I was a little concerned that it might be a cavity.

Fortunately it wasn't, only that the dentin has become a little worn and chipped, thus prompting the statement, "That's about right for someone your age."

I had figured that phrase would come up sooner than later, but I was thinking a few years, not weeks, after my 30th birthday. I realize it's not THAT big of a deal, but with other things going on in my life and in the church, I do wonder about some of the arbitrary parameters we create based on chronological deficiency.

I go back and forth about the whole "under 35" focus for clergy in the Conference. I appreciate the confidence, but at the same time, resent the assumption that just because someone is under a certain age that means that churches will automatically begin to grow. That's not just a lot of pressure, but also discredits any real gifts and talents for ministry for a person of any age.

Regardless, I'm entering a new stage in life whether I like it or not. I've got a feeling posts may come even more regularly as a result.

If a Conference happens and no one is there...?

This year's Annual conference is over and done. It didn't really seem like it was time for it to happen - this year has flown by.

At least for my responsibilities (being in charge of voting and the tellers), things went much better than I imagined they would. As Sherill came to find out, I don't have much patience for stupidity, rather, stupid decisions and results that can easily be avoided by listening. Fortunately, we only had a few episodes of group stupidity. However, where I had anticipated the laity would need more hand holding and scolding, it was the clergy that apparently left their village an idiot short that weekend. The things were nothing major, but it's mind-boggling how difficult filling in a bubble on a Scantron card is for some people. But I digress...

I will say that a member here at Trinity did almost send me into a panic attack when I mistook the sheets of stickers he was giving out to children for more ballots that needed to be counted.

I was able to reconnect with a few people from college, high school, and camp that I had not seen in a while, which evokes the original purpose of Conference. But many conversations were cut short due to other responsibilities. I need to do better in maintaining those relationships.

Overall, I think I had a good time at Conference. I worked with a great group of people, and despite running around constantly, I wasn't as drained as last year. This doesn't mean though, that I am volunteering to be an assistant to the Conference Secretary again... :-)

Not too surprised

I'm not really surprised at my results, maybe that the top four initially seem almost incompatible. However, as with all of these "quizzes" there is a huge element of the creator's own bias, as well as huge assumptions. But, the variety of categories is not that uncommon I think for many of my generation - whatever that is, since apparently we're pretty hard to classify and label. Maybe that's the problem/challenge with ministry. It can be so scattershot it's hard to feel like you're getting any traction, and, by the time something does sink in, a new need/interest has already passed by. Finding more ways to be supple and malleable will be key in the future life of the church.

You scored as Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan, You are an evangelical in the Wesleyan tradition. You believe that God's grace enables you to choose to believe in him, even though you yourself are totally depraved. The gift of the Holy Spirit gives you assurance of your salvation, and he also enables you to live the life of obedience to which God has called us. You are influenced heavily by John Wesley and the Methodists. Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan 89% Emergent/Postmodern 86% Classical Liberal 57% Roman Catholic 50% Neo orthodox 50% Modern Liberal 46% Reformed Evangelical 32% Charismatic/Pentecostal 32% Fundamentalist 14% What's your theological worldview? created with QuizFarm.com

News - Recent Headlines - UMC.org

News - Recent Headlines - UMC.org: "., Royal Oak, Mich., Huntsville, Ala., Fargo, N.D., and Geneva, Ill., support the efforts of Board of Global Ministries"

I'm excited about Wednesday night and getting to meet Remigijus, pastor of Kybartai UMC, in Lithuania. Remigijus will be giving a presentation Wednesday evening at 6:30 in Wesley Hall about the things that are going on in his church and in Lithuania.

Trinity has partnered with Kybartai UMC to help them build a new church building. Their current space is inadequate for many reasons, not the least of which being the services that are standing room only. Culturally and socially, Kybartai UMC needs a new building due to how the congregation is perceived and given status by the local government. Having a building will allow them to be in greater ministry in so many different ways.

Trinity has pledged part of its budget to Kybartai UMC, but our part only covers a portion of the total cost. They are in need of much more. You can contact Trinity directly with questions on how to give, or use the links in the linked article.

as time goes by

In the immortal words of Keanu Reeves, "Whoa!"

I realize I've been very lax in updating this blog in the past few months, but I didn't realize how long it had been. In the six months I've been gone Sherill, Jeff, Tony, and even Charles have gotten into blogging. I hear there's even competition for comments.

Though I could go either way about comments, I've realized I need to do better about keeping current on posting if only for information dissemination (like that? I've got a few other $5 words for you...). It's going to be a while, if ever, that blogging will be for me the spiritual discipline it is for some people, but as Trinity UMC gets ever more busy the need for more and more efficient information exchange will be necessary. Plus, this is free.

I've updated the links on the side because most of those folks have been gracious enough to link to me, and I think highly of what they have to say. I hope I haven't left anyone out.

One tip for new readers and those new to blogs, use a newsreader of some sort. Personally, I use the Live Bookmarks feature in Mozilla Firefox, but even Internet Explorer can handle RSS feeds now. In the future I'll either add links to the side bar or links to a post of other important news feeds that everyone should check out at least once.

That's all for now. I'll be back sooner than six months.

Boo!

Now, it's not Halloween, but it might as well be with all the scary stories and horror shows on the air (a.k.a. the news). I'm becoming more convinced that we've lost our collective common sense and have lost any ability to step back and see the whole of any problem.

Granted, I'll be the first to admit that there still is the issue of security and terrorism that we must face and address as a global people, but this "security theatre," as Bruce Schneier points out. Rather than confronting the real issues, the major effort (and display) is a reactionary histrionics that for some reason satisfies the masses until the next worry comes around. It's the equivalent of jingling your keys in front of a crying baby - a lot of show, but not much substance.

But matters of national security aren't the only thing at issue. Just about anything that involves large groups of people can fall victim to the theater of reaction. Life in the church is one example. From one crisis of morality to the next heretical book that must be disproven, we waste a lot of time on doing a lot of nothing.

A book that I just finished reading (recommended to me by Mike), "The Missionary Congregation, Leadership, and Liminality," describes how much of what is going on, especially in North American culture, can be attributed to a collective loss of center. Not just that the church finds itself on the outside of culture and losing relevance, but there is no longer much of any communal narrative - or group story. There is no over-arching story that unites people together. Because of this, we grab onto whatever seems like it might provide a way back to center, no matter how much like a rope of sand it really is. We fight to regain a center that was never really there in the first place.

We are in anxious times. The task is to realistically address this anxiety, not with flailing reactionism, but with a clear-minded approach to what's really going on. The opportunity for the church is that we can provide an alternative and an alternative community to what's going on in the world.

With this new outlook, we can then encounter the world around us with a sense of renewed mission and a renewal of the church, not clinging onto failed and obsolete conventions of the past, but remembering the true core of what Christ offers - that there is a better way - and placing that in context with the culture around us.

Catching my breath

Ok, so it's been a while since I posted. I keep thinking about the fact that I needed to put at least a little something up, but time for doing this has just slipped by. With thanks to Gavin for the push, I shall do my best to resume.

I've been here for just short of a month and so much has already gone on. From still settling in to my office, to finding the good places to eat, Laura and I are getting used to life here.

It's been a busy few weeks. We moved in (officially) on the 14th of June, were here for about 9 days and then went to Camp Sumatanga to direct a Jr. High Camp. Laura and I both came back from camp sick, me with a bad case of conjunctivitis in both eyes and a sinus infection. That Sunday I preached all three services and was welcomed with a very nice reception. Then, the next week was the 4th of July, which really breaks up the week, and that gets us to today.

Huntsville and Trinity are definitely different than life in Florence and Weeden Heights. I've gone from a congregation of 35-40 to a church staff that is about that large. I'll be teaching a Sunday School class in a couple of Sundays that is larger than most UMC congregations in North Alabama. It's definitely different here.

I'm loving it though. It's amazing how a change of environment can have such a profound effect. One of the big things that Laura and I have both noticed is that we feel lighter here. A simple fact of life about being a rural church pastor and living across the street from the church that you serve is that you are constantly under observation. I'll never forget the woman who lived two houses down from us in Florence telling me how she enjoyed watching us come and go from our house through her kitchen window.

Here, we're a little bit more anonymous. Don't get me wrong, it's not like Laura and I are trying to sneak around and engage in illicit activities, it's just nice to be able to go somewhere and not feel the heaviness of pastoral voyeurism.

The larger city isn't the only thing that has helped our health. Our apartment is situated next to a lake with a 5k walking path around it. We've made the walk a regular part of our activities. Food is better here too. We can actually find produce that is fresh and doesn't rot after 12 hours. I didn't realize how bright bell peppers could be.

As far as the rest of the things at the church go, it's a mix of getting used to the pace of how much more quickly things go and having more than just myself to rely on when it comes to getting things done. Before leaving for camp I mentioned in the worship meeting about having my scripture text displayed on the screens during the contemporary service. They told me who to contact and we could work it out. However, in my haste to get things ready for camp I didn't get a chance to get anything done about it. I was greatly surprised when I came in on that Sunday morning and was told, "OK, this is when your scripture will pop up."

There are many more things that I could cite as examples of "Wow" here, but that's it for now. I certainly feel at home here. The people are so kind and gracious and the mix of talents, gifts, and personalities make for an amazing worship and work experience. But, I would be remiss if I didn't stress that I'm not trying to say that Trinity is better than Weeden Heights. Weeden is a wonderful church with some very great people, who do some amazing things themselves. I just feel that at this time in my life, and mine and Laura's life, that this is where we need to be.

That's all for now. I hope to give and update on camp next post.

Welcome!

Over the past few weeks I have been getting an increasing number of cards, emails, and phone calls from people at Trinity UMC. Just last week, I attended a cookout at the Senior Pastor's home, welcoming Laura and me to the congregation. Laura and I both have commented on how it was one of the best "church functions" we've ever been to. The conversation and the food was wonderful and there was just a feeling of ease and comfort that made us feel very welcome.

Now, after all the welcoming that the people of Trinity have done, I feel that I should so some welcoming of my own.

It came to my attention during the cookout that many people from Trinity have been coming to this blog and reading some of my posts. In addition, apparently the address to the blog has been published in the Trinity News as well. This somewhat took me aback, especially considering I had recently (with tongue firmly planted in cheek) made a comparison between the devil and district superintendents. Of course, this was only in jest, and was to make a Lent-related joke. Church humor is fun.

Anyway, I do welcome any and all new readers to this blog. I am currently in a process of deciding what to do with this space now, knowing that many people from the congregation I will now be serving are reading what I write.

From my first post, I wanted to use this space as a place to reflect on things and process things that many times there is no space for. I imagined family, friends, and anonymous people browsing the Methodist Blog Roll to view my occasional postings, but it was not intended to be a "Sunday morning sermon supplement."

Until now, I have enjoyed a semblance of anonymity. Though I have made it public on this blog who I am and where I pastor, to my knowledge, my current congregation does not know that I have a blog. For that matter, not many of them would probably know what a blog is anyway. I have not kept this information secret from them so that I could gossip or even talk about issues going on in the church, but has simply been a place where I could look at a few things from a different perspective.

I am glad to know that I am not the only one who is examining this time of transition. A colleague and peer of mine is also going through the same process of moving to not only a new church, but also into a new realm of "observation." (I hope Dave doesn't mind that I just increased his readership that much more.) This certainly is a new time for me and I am curious to see how things may change or stay the same.

It is my hope that whatever comes of this, that my original goal of personal and spiritual development continues. As the name of this blog suggests, my goal is to strive to put in conversation who I am in relationship with Christ and the world and resisting the temptation to be "everything to everyone."

Again, thank you for your welcome, and a very warm welcome to you, reader. Please feel free to comment and comment often.

Peace,
-M

There's a feeling in the air

If only things were as "feeling right this time of year," as Better Than Ezra put it.

The grass is growing again. The birds are chirping. And I am stuck inside, encouraged not to talk about a major transition that is coming up in Laura and my life.

Yes, you guessed it, the first round of appointments have begun. I have come to realize in the last few weeks, that this is one of the most unhealthy processes that could be attached to ministry. Laura chides me for taking this long to realize it, but by growing up Methodist, there were a lot of assumptions that I looked over until now.

One of the few things that I do feel I can safely say is that it is certain that we will be moving this year. The church's membership and attendance has declined (through several deaths and people needing to move into full-time care facilities) so much that they can no longer afford even the minimum salary for an elder in full connection.

Honestly, before I was appointed here, the church was already at this point, and it has been a true testament to the strength and character of these people that they have been able to make it this long. But this dedication to meet the financial requirements for the conference and to cover the staff salaries has taken its toll on them and has also locked up resources that could have been used to encourage growth and outreach. Hopefully, with the church being able to lower its salary and Conference askings, they will be able to have at least a little more funds to put towards more outreach.

But, even though we know for certain that we will be moving, there is no indication of where that may be. I do know of a few possibilities, though, which helps. One of the new practices this year has been for potential Associates to "interview" with senior pastors in churches where they may be sent. Of the places I have gone, I have felt comfortable there and can see great potential for ministry.

But, the reality is, that not even these "possibilities" are guaranteed. Granted, all of this is better than the past two years when all along, we had been told that we were staying and then two weeks before Annual Conference we were told to start packing (both moves fell through due to a communication breakdown between the District Superintendents and the churches).

And so I am stuck. Only being able to say a lot of nothing as we prepare to go somewhere. I may have even said too much even with this, because Laura can't really tell her employers anything.

I'm not angry or bitter, nor am I even surprised at the process. I knew what I was getting into when I answered the call to ministry. The problem that I have is the way in which the covert nature of the Cabinet and the itineracy system contributes so much to a feeling of mistrust and isolation for pastors and churches.

So we have three months. Three months to wonder, wander, and wait. I guess it's fitting that most of this happens during Lent - wandering through the wilderness and waiting on a call from the devil.

I am excited about new opportunity and possibility, and I know that wherever we go, we will have a great ministry. And hey, I've been given a pretty good sign all will work out well.

Redistricting

Last night, Laura and I went to a meeting at Wesley Memorial UMC in Decatur, AL concerning the re-districting of the North Alabama Conference. We went, like many others, hoping to get some details about what this new structure was going to look like. All I knew was that there had been a study committee appointed a couple of years ago to look at what several other committees had looked at over the past 30 years. And, that this committee had made the recommendation to reduce the number of districts from 12 to 8.

I guess you could say that the theme word for the night was "fluff." At several points during the two-hour meeting it felt very much like we were at a political press conference. It almost became humorous the number of times their "talking points" were repeated. "Vision" this, and "challenge" that. "Trust" and "empowering leadership" were also up there.

The whole point is this, the North Alabama Conference has lost over 30,000 members in the past 30 years and the current structure is not cost effective. Though the number of churches have stayed the same or have increased, the number of people in those churches have decreased and financial resources have become increasingly limited. The committee picked the number of new district to be 8, so as to best re-align our existing resources. However, no rationale was given for the choosing of this number, nor what the new District structure would look like. The only information that was given was a new vision for what the role of the District Superintendent (DS) ought to be.

The whole focus of the presentation was about how the new structure would allow DSs to do less administrative work and more coaching and ministry. It sounds good, especially with the challenge to local churches to be more connectional and cluster their resources and ministries. But, the confusion still lay in the apparent paradox that somehow the DSs were going to be able to have more time to do this when the number of churches that they were responsible for increased.

After a while, after an hour of talk in generalities about how clustering and sub-districting would allow DSs to be more efficient in training several churches at once instead of one at a time, the people there were finally beginning to get it. THEN, Dale Cohen (the Director of Connectional Ministries) "mentions" that to help the DSs they would have an assistant to help in the administrative work. This goes over like a lead balloon because we had been talking all night about cutting costs and now they're talking about adding 8 more people (as assistants) to the mix - an overall INCREASE of 4 people! Not many people heard it, but supposedly the assistants won't be paid, or might even be shared among the Districts.

Granted, I get that our current structure is not working and we need a change, but two things have been very frustrating. One, there was very little, if any real information was given. The people just wanted to be able to say, "OK, this is what the new structure is going to look like and this will be what the new role of the DS will be. And, this is where we plug in as a local church." Granted, that's not what the vote will be bout in January at the Called Annual Conference (the conference can only vote on the number of districts, not the structure), but there was nothing that people could sink their teeth into and say, "This new idea might work." There were no ideas, just concepts, and, when you are talking to people in the Decatur and Huntsville Districts, you'd better give those Rocket Scientists something more than just a buzzword to plug into their logic.

The second thing that has bugged me is something that came up during our Order of Elders Meeting: trust and the trust that comes through communication. I could sense a deep feeling of mistrust by many in the auditorium that they were skeptical that reducing the number of districts would solve our Conference's woes. The reality is, is that there are a number of things that need to be addressed before the Conference is doing ministry as efficiently as it could be. There were many, like me, that were thinking, "Why are we focusing our time on this, when there are more pressing needs facing our local church's ability to do ministry?" Things like the skyrocketing cost of the mandatory pastor's insurance, the role of the pastor and the local church, and new ways of looking at itineracy, these affect a local church much more than how many districts we have. I hope that these things will be addressed soon by the Conference. I know that this will probably be one of the many conversations that I will be having with the Bishop as we and several other young clergy go on a mission trip to Panama.

By reducing the number of districts to eight, the conference will save close to $300,000 when all is said and done with salary, insurance, housing, etc. for DSs. but, how that money will be used is the question. It would have been nice to have heard just one program, event, something that these newly re-aligned resources would be able to provide. Just something that was on the books and we could see how it would make a difference in doing ministry in the North Alabama Conference.

Going to eight districts will not fix all of our problems, maybe not any of them, but I do hope and pray that this truly is a start in the right direction. At least serving as a wake up call to the whole Conference that we need to do something different.

Message from Bishop Will Willimon concerning Redistricting

'tis the Season?

John 1:6-8, 19-28

Apparently, unbeknownst to me, there is a war going on. No, not the war in Iraq. No, not the cola wars. But there is a war on Christmas.

I’ve read a lot of articles over the past week and a half, seen loud-mouthed commentators on TV, and even heard people discussing it as they were doing their shopping, over whether or not Christmas was in danger. Frankly, I’ve been quite amused. Of all the holidays in the world, Christmas is not only one of the largest, if not THE largest, but it is also celebrated by more people than any other holiday in the world. I don’t think there’s any danger of losing Christmas, if we did, every major retailer would be put out of business. They wouldn’t make any money.

And really, that’s what’s driving this whole thing that’s going on. Money. Money and publicity – which translates to more money.

Ahh, I remember not too long ago, a simpler time, when Christmas was about preparing our homes and spirits for the Prince of Peace. We retold the stories about how God loved us so much that he sent his son in the form of a baby to teach us how to live and be in relationship with God and each other. We would listen to the hymns about baby Jesus in a manger, the shepherd, the wise men, and how hard it is to find a hotel on Christmas Eve. And we would hear preachers rant about the commercialization of Chrstmas. Now, the stories are about which stores are saying “Happy Holidays” or “Merry Christmas.” And it seems our salvation is based, not on the Resurrected Christ, but on where we decide to shop.

I’ll be honest with you, it doesn’t bother me a lick when I hear someone say, “Happy Holidays.” I say it myself. I don’t mind it for several reasons, one because it’s a sign of tolerance and understanding, and two, for what the word “holiday” really means.

The word “holiday” is a shortening of the words “holy” and “day” – “holy day.” At Christmas time, we are focusing on one particular day, but aren’t all the days leading up to it pretty special? I mean come on, we’re not burning these candles in the wreath for nothing, people! Even the days following Christmas day are pretty special as they lead up to Epiphany. So, when I hear “Happy Holidays,” I’m not only hearing well wishes for people of other faiths as they celebrate their own traditions, I’m hearing a reminder that we are in the midst of a very special time that cannot be contained in just one day. Happy “Holy Days,” indeed.

Our gospel text again turns to John as we are reminded of the holy days that he lived in. I wonder how many others felt it. If there was an energy in the air? A buzz, or a feeling that something amazing was about to happen? I imagine too, that like us, there were some who knew that something special was going on, but they were looking in the wrong place, distracted by all the flashy lights and the people who were trying to yell louder than everyone else.

John was out there in the wilderness, baptizing people, getting them to repent, and helping them come to a new relationship with God. He was reminding people to worship God and not themselves or the Pharisees. But of course, the Pharisees didn’t like that, John was cutting into their profit margin. So, they send out the priests and Levites to do their dirty work and undermine John’s credibility. Rather than question the validity of what he was doing, they attack his character. It seems to be a pretty good indicator that your position is the reasonable one when the only thing the other side can do is attack your character. It’s a sign of them having nothing else to stand on.

So there is John, breath stinking of bugs, beard dripping with honey, and as humbly as a loud-mouthed wooly-booger could be, he says, “I’m doing this to help people recognize the Messiah when he comes. Most of you are too dense to even sense something special is happening, but for those who are ready, they will see something great!” Granted, that’s from the New Reed Version of the Bible (in stores in time for next Christmas), but that’s the essence of what he was saying. “I’m only preparing the way and pointing people in the right direction.”

It hurts me to see people heading in the wrong direction. I’m not just talking about the “Happy Holidays” thing, but headed in the wrong direction in their lives. People who are living without a relationship to God and are wasting it on self-centeredness. You see it in many forms, from addiction and abuse, to greed and power-hunger, to wanting to impose their viewpoint on everyone and eliminate everyone who disagrees, we’re a pretty self-centered bunch.

That’s not what Christ offers. He offers an alternative to focusing on our needs. He offers a relationship that is based on love and hope. A relationship that eliminates the need for mindless indulgence with an invitation to focus on God.

And that’s what Christmas is about. The ultimate form of someone reaching out to be in relationship and love with someone. Christmas should grab our attention, set us on the right path, and remind us that God reached out to us in self-sacrificing love and that we are called to do the same. Christmas reminds us that God loves us so much that he put his life on the line for us.

I saw an article this weekend that gave me hope that the spirit of Christmas is not dead. From Reuters in Indonesia there was a report concerning security for those who were wanting to worship on Christmas day there. With fears of bombings and attacks, that might be repeated from Christmas Eve bombings in 2000, the police said that they were going to step up security.

However, despite these fears and thoughts of dangers in years past, something amazing has happened. A youth wing affiliated with Indonesia’s largest Muslim group, Nahdlatul Ulama, who are 40 million strong, told reporters on Friday that its members would guard churches for the coming Christmas celebrations and it had persuaded youths from other religions to join the project. Can you imagine, Muslim youth and youth from other religions, standing guard outside churches, putting their lives on the line so that their neighbors could worship in safety?

The spirit of Christmas is not dead, it just seems that non-Christians are the ones who have it. Would you be willing to stand guard for someone of a different religion? Would you put your life on the line as Jesus did?

We are in the midst of some very Holy Days, open your eyes and see the path of truth that leads us through the wilderness.

Sermon delivered 12/11/2005

A Peculiar Prophet: Patriotic Thoughts

A Peculiar Prophet: Patriotic Thoughts

The Bishop has posted some interesting thoughts on patriotism in his weekly blog. I agree with him completely, but it is easier said than done.

Of my congregation, I would say that 70% of them have had some type of involvement in one war or another. I have found it a tricky place to try to navigate away from outright nationalism, to moving toward a more appropriate acknowledgement of those who have served and are serving now. My biggest confrontation had to do with a song the choir director wanted do to as an anthem called, "The Bible is my Statue of Liberty." Luckily, I convinced her that a more appropriate song might be "This is my Song," by Lloyd Stone and Georgia Harkness (pg. 437 in the UMC Hymnal) - which is my favorite song of all time.

However, at the same time of not wanting to have a U.S. flag waving ceremony in the church, I am thankful that at least this is not an area where putting up a US flag would be considered a political statement. A pastor was telling me about a former church that he served that the area that he was in was covered in Confederate flags and the culture, stereotypes, and racism was so pre-Civil war, that to put up a US flag would have been radical move.

My hope is that one day I can re-experience what I saw at the 1st Peace Camp in 1992. During worship one evening, we had a parade of flags from just about every nation in the world, with people running with them throughout Hutto Auditorium, and then out of the building. It was amazing, just the sheer beauty of it alone, but also that it symbolized that we had all been brought here from different locations with different flags, but were now here together, not under different flags, but one cross.

An eye for an ...

Romans 12:9-21

We have a lot of angry people in this world. I mean a lot of them. People angry for this reason or that. People angry because they got up on the wrong side of the bed, their favorite cereal had all been eaten, people angry about something that has been done to them, angry about something that has been done to someone they love or know, or people who are angry because they like to be angry.

The main reason we are angry is because we don’t know how to forgive.

I was scrolling through the TV guide the other day and I saw yet another judge show. People’s Court-type thing, not American Kennel club or American Idol. I’m fascinated with how many judge shows there are that are on TV. I still can’t get over that there is one station that runs almost three hours of “judge shows” right in a row. The show in question this week was called “Eye for an Eye.” It was a judge show about getting even with someone who had done them wrong.

I just want to say that if we truly believe that we are a Christian nation, then a show called “An Eye for an Eye” would not be airing on a Christian network. Aside from running a half hour program running down the Top Ten Gods that are better than Yahweh/Jehovah, you can’t get more un-Christian than a show called “An Eye for an Eye.”

Let’s remember what Jesus says in Matthew 5. He says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.”[1]

To me, that’s pretty blatant. I’m not the smartest person in the world by far, but it’s pretty cut and dry that Jesus condemns the practice of getting even.

Why would God do this? Why would God first establish 2,000 years of Mosaic Law that was based on this notion of getting even, only to undo it in one fell swoop through Jesus?

It’s about mercy.

Jesus came to help people understand more about God’s love than what they knew in Scripture and the Law. Under those early laws, God had allowed people to take revenge that was equal to the harm that had been done to them. Thus, “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” But God does away with that. He says, “No more!”

Why? Well, I’ll ask God when I meet him in heaven. I have no idea, but I’ll venture a guess. Human nature is such that when we are hurt, when we are angry, and we are given an opportunity to exact a revenge that was equal to the harm that was done to us, then we usually don’t stop with an equal and opposite reaction. No, we usually take it a step or two further than we should – call it interest.

I remember in elementary and Jr. High when I or one of my buddies would “accidentally” hit the other, the one who got hit would get to take a swing at the one who punched first. But it never failed that whoever got to hit back would always hit harder than he got hit, so the other would hit him, and so on and so on until someone else had to break it up. There would have never been an end to it, because both of the guys wanted to get in the last hit, and they wanted their punch to hurt the worst. An equal repayment of the hurt was never in their minds.

In many ways that’s where Jewish Law stood after 2,000 years of practice. It had been reduced to nothing much more than a bunch of boys on a playground. The Holy Law had been manipulated so that the repayment of hurt was no longer equal, but selective and oppressive. In addition to that, the Romans were oppressing the Jews and treating them unfairly, so therefore, the ones on power would turn and hurt the ones who were under them. The “punching on the playground” began to cycle out of control.

And that’s really what anger and violence is anyway, isn’t it? A continuation of the cycle of someone wanting to pay back the hurt that had been done to them. It’s in our human nature to want to get even. It’s one thing to say that we forgive, but we still feel hurt, we still feel pain. And, in a very real part, forgiveness isn’t really that fair is it?

We prayed earlier this morning that God “forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” We’re not talking about our neighbor who parks his car on our freshly mown grass here, we’re talking about the people who have hurt us – just as we have hurt others.

It’s hard to forgive when we are hurting. When the pain is fresh or when it has festered for years, it’s hard for us to not remember someone who has done us wrong.

In Pastoral Counseling, one of the ideas that we talked about is that most people operate using a ledger system. Essentially we keep a list in our heads of all the bad things that have been done, and at any time we are ready to rattle off all those times that someone has done us wrong. I’m sure you know people who are professionals at that. Men, stop thinking about your wives, because you do it too. We all do it, the instant we get into an argument, all of the things that we have kept stored up in our minds come out and the avalanche begins.

But even then, once we get through with our litany of sins against us, we still hold on to them. We may have gotten them out there on the table, but we still hold on to them – ‘cause we know that we’ll have to use them again. So on and on it goes as we remember all of the bad things that happen to us.

So break the cycle. You have the power to put an end to the cycle of hurt and pain that exists in your own life. You’re tired of hurting, tired of being angry, tired of other people being angry at you? Why don’t you tear up the list? Get rid of it. Put to rest those things that we’re holding on to that we’re waiting to use against someone at any time.

Why? Why should we do this? Why should we be the ones who have to give up our quest for vengeance and blood thirst? Why not the other guy? Because Jesus did it first for us.

Of the many things that Jesus came to do, the most important of his works was to show us that God’s love was so genuine for us that no matter who we are or what we had done – we are forgiven. In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!

Jesus came to break the cycle. That’s the first reason that we forgive. It’s not fair, I know. But if you want a fair religion, try Buddhism or Hinduism, theirs is a theology based on getting even through karma and reincarnation. But the Christian faith isn’t easy. It’s hard. But it’s the best way to break that chain that can go on and on.

We forgive because God has forgiven us first. We forgive because God has forgiven us before we have forgiven ourselves. We forgive because we have been told.

A Sunday School teacher had just concluded her lesson and wanted to make sure she had made her point. She said, “Can anyone tell me what you must do before you can obtain forgiveness of sin?” There was a short pause and then, from the back of the room, a small boy spoke up. “Sin,” he said.

Before I close, I want to make sure that you know I’m not talking about the abuse of the idea of forgiveness. I’m sure Laura will touch on that when she shares with us about domestic violence. But what I am talking about is making those first steps toward finding wholeness in God and in yourself.

I will leave you with this verse from Romans 12:19. Paul is giving a number of commands and instructions on living and at the end he says, “Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s anger, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says God. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

“In the final analysis, forgiveness is an act of faith. It is the belief that God can take care of the fairness problems. It is not fair just to pretend that something doesn’t happen. It did happen. It still hurts. It still stings. Forgiveness is not fair, but forgiveness is a way of taking that burden from us and giving it to God who is fair. “I will avenge,” says the Lord. You forgive. It breaks the cycle of relationships. It breaks the stranglehold on you and on me and it is what God did for us in his Son Jesus on the cross.”[2]

[1] Matthew 5:38-42 NRSV
[2] Phillip Yancey. “Forgiveness: It just ain’t fair” http://www.csec.org/csec/sermon/yancey_3622.htm