WHO ARE THESE GUYS?

Here they come out of the sand dunes, Magi or wise men from the east. I get a mental picture of, while watching a compelling video drama of the birth of the Savior... Mary, Joseph, angels, swaddling clothes, a manger..., out of nowhere this camel caravan showing up, blocking the view as it briefly crosses the screen. They just show up, drop off their gifts, worship the Christ child, and ride off the screen into obscurity (See Matthew 2:1-9). Who are these guys?

The scriptures tell us almost nothing about them. Tradition speculates they were Persian astrologers and possibly even Zoroastrians. Zoroastrians! By every Judeo-Christian biblical standard Zoroastrianism-- a weird concoction of biblically forbidden astrology, pagan mysticism, and reincarnation-- was a false religion. So what's going on here? How is it that these guys were spiritually in tune enough to recognize in the stars the birth of the "king of the Jews" (Messiah), while the custodians of the Bible seemed to be oblivious to this momentous occasion? Why do our Nativity scenes honor practitioners of a false religion to this day while not a single ordained religious leader of the "true" faith of that time is memorialized? Shouldn't the keepers of God's law, the priests, Bible scholars and preachers of the day at least have a partnership with the Magi in welcoming the "Savior, who is Christ the Lord?" Shouldn't our manger scenes and Christmas pageants feature at least one official of the "true" religion?

There are two obvious lessons here. First, the story of the Magi wonderfully symbolizes the great news that the birth of the Savior was for everyone. The birth of Jesus was declared by the angel to be "good tidings of great joy which will be to all people." (Luke 2:10 NKJV). The gospel is great news for everyone near and far; a point Jesus reiterated in his Sermon on the Mount when he declared, "Matthew 5:44-48 (NIV) But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. In other words, God does not limit the bestowal of his favor and goodness to only those who claim to be his friends, or have the more biblically informed perspective. God loves his friends and his enemies alike, as should we.

The second lesson of the story of the Magi is very well stated by Roger E. Olson in an article entitled “A Wind that Swirls Everywhere”, Christianity Today, March 2006, pp. 53-54. Olson quotes Pentecostal scholar Amos Yong whose “central thesis is that, because the Spirit of God is universally active in creation and new creation, ‘the religions of the world, like everything else that exists, are providentially sustained by the Spirit of God for divine purposes’… that means Christians should be open to learning from and being enriched by the Spirit’s work in world religions.”

Neither Olson, Yong, nor I wish to be understood to be saying that all religions are equally true. I do, however, agree that, as the story of the Magi clearly indicates, the Spirit of truth can and does operate outside the boundaries of our rigid orthodoxies. And, as was the case at the time of Christ's birth, sometimes those with the most biblical literacy and doctinal certainty are way behind the learning curve when it comes to realizing what God is up to. If we want to be considered wise, we need to look up from our vision-narrowing Bible interpretations and religious customs in order to see the spiritually illuminating "stars" that could be shining on the horizon.

What the Comedians Are Telling Us

If you've been watching any comedy routines on the Comedy Channel lately, or have noticed some of the headlines about intolerant and racist comedy acts, or noted the popularity of the movie Borat, which I am told sets new lows in offensive speech and attitudes, you may be wondering what ever happened to "political correctness"? It seems that our cultural jesters are in a competition to see who can be the most degrading, offensive, racist, vulgar and insulting toward others--the most politically incorrect.

Of course, much of this material is satire that is intended to poke fun at the hypocrisy created by the politically correct rules. We may be offended by the courseness of much of this material, but we still laugh at it. And the reason we laugh is because we know the joke is on us. The comics are just holding up the mirror to our culture and saying, "Take a good look at ourselves. Don't we feel silly? We're not fooling anyone. We might as well admit it. We're all guilty of bigoted, critical, excluding, intolerant attitudes toward others we view as unappealingly different than us." In other words, they are telling us that it's ridiculous to think such man made codes of conduct make us better people.

If Jesus were on the scene today, he very well might be one of those showing up in a comedy club with a routine that would incorporate lines like, "You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You're like manicured grave plots, grass clipped and the flowers bright, but six feet down it's all rotting bones and worm eaten flesh. People look at you and think you're saints, but beneath the skin you're total frauds" (See Matthew 23:15-33, The Message). Or, I can imagine Saint Paul standing on stage holding a microphone and with perfect timing pointing his finger at us and taunting, "...Their throats are gaping graves, their tongues slick as mudslides. Every word they speak is tinged with poison. They open their mouths and pollute the air. They race for the honor of sinner-of-the-year, litter the land with heartbreak and ruin, don't know the first thing about living with others..." (Romans 3;13ff, The Message).

At first we might chuckle, but pretty soon we'd begin squirming. That's hitting a little too close to home. When our self protective and hypocritical outer shell is cracked open by penetrating truth zingers, light shines into those shadowy corners of our sinful hearts. Truth can be funny, sometimes the truth hurts, but as Jesus said, "The truth will set you free." The comedians of our day hope to make a living by getting us to laugh. God, on the other hand, hopes to get us living by showing us the truth that will free us from our old intolerant ways. Realizing we need God's help to pull us out of the ugliness of hateful attitudes toward others is a good place to start.

SIMPLIFY!

This morning I heard a few stanzas from the old Christmas hymn Go Tell it on the Mountain. As I reflected upon that well known refrain, it occurred to me how very simple Christ's message and mission really is: "Go tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born..." The angelic pronouncment to the Bethlehem shepherds encapsulated it in these familiar words, "... Peace, goodwill [from God] toward men!" (Luke 2:14). When commissioning his disciples to carry on the work he had started, Jesus instructed them to just go and proclaim the "good news" everywhere (Acts 1:8). Summarizing the gospel to the Corinthians, St. Paul put it this way, "Become friends with God; he's already friends with you" (2 Corinthians 5:20, The Message).

Unfortunately that simple truth has been buried under an avalanche of religious supplementation and tradition. As it stands today, the mountain we have to climb to tell the great news is the mountain of man made improvisation and tinkering that has made the Christian religion (not to be confused with humble Christ following spirituality) the divided, quarreling, complicated, expensive, institutionalized obstacle to the dissemination of the gospel it has become.

Here's a little exercise you might want to try. Next time you are in attendance at a church service make a list of everything that you see--the order of service, the arrangement of the furniture, the number of times you are expected to stand up or sit down, the volume of the music and preaching, the style of music and preaching, how the collection was done, the attire of those on stage and in the congregation, the musical instruments used, the length of the service, who conducts the various facets of the service and etc. Be as thorough and observant as you can be of all the little nuances and traditions you normally wouldn't give a passing thought.

Afterward sit down with your Bible and see how many of the things you wrote down are required biblically. Does the Bible say we should have a specific order of service? Does the Bible say who must speak in a Christian gathering? Did your church follow biblical guidelines on when to stand or sit? How about the programs for children, are they biblically mandated? Ask yourself what Bible the first Christians read from. Better still, (trick question) did the first Christians even read the Bible? How did Jesus teach his followers to conduct church services? How are church buildings to be designed according to the Bible? What does the Bible have to say about ushers, greeters, Sunday School teachers, elders, deacons, the choir, special music and video announcments? What has the Bible to say about how long a service should be? Where did we get the phrase "church service"?

Of course, just because something isn't specifically mentioned in the scriptures doesn't mean it's wrong to do it. In fact, we only get into trouble when we try to force the scriptures to be the last word on matters they never address. On the other hand, if it can be demonstrated that our accumulated traditions and practices are unnessary distractions and hindrances to our primary purpose of proclaiming Chirst's good news, perhaps it is time to go back to the basics. As you might have guessed, my own assessment is we have way overdone the church service thing. It has gotten to the point that I'm encountering more and more people who have given up going to church altogether while eagerly claiming Jesus as their beloved Savior. A common sentiment is, "I love Jesus but I hate going to church."

Humble simplicity is a central theme of the Nativity. "Light" and "easy" were terms Jesus used to describe what he was asking of his followers. Certainly there is nothing in the teachings of Jesus that would indicate he expected us to organize our lives around elaborately planned religious services conducted by religious professionals on specified religious days in dedicated religious buildings week after week year in and year out. In fact, he got into big trouble for predicting the central religious edifice of his day, the Temple in Jerusalem, would shortly be destroyed. Not a problem for his mission since he would ask his followers to head out from Jerusalem with the good news into places where no such sanctuary was present or needed anyway.

That Christ came to earth and lived among us for a while so he could remedy and remove everything that stood in the way of God's expressed love for us is truly awesome great news! And there is nothing complicated about telling it to others. If one's religious duties and activities are getting in the way, then I urge you to SIMPLIFY!

Gallivanting Toward the Future

In his challenging book, The Importance of Being Foolish: How to Think Like Jesus (Harper San Francisco), Brennan Manning offers this provacative commentary:

" Why are so many Christians mummified by middle age? Why do we stop growing in the spiritual dimensions of our lives? Why do our liturgies become so stagnant...? Why have creativity and flexibility given way to repitition and rigidity? Where is the life lived as new creations?

We trot out once more what worked in the past. The breath of God is bottled and the gallivanting Spirit (my emphasis) is stymied. The new, the creative, the fresh is looked on with suspicion, not with fascination. 'To live is to change,' wrote John Henry Newman, 'and to have lived well is to have changed often.' ... In the lives of many Christians, apprehension about making mistakes stunts growth, stifles the Spirit, and ensures the progressive narrowing of their personalities.

The church of Jesus Christ is a place of promise and possibility, of adventure and discovery, a community of love on the move, ... But the security seekers are the enemies of openness. Their insistence on preserving the status quo thwarts innovation and spontaneity and discourages the exploration of new roads into the mind of Christ Jesus; wanting to keep things the way they are automatically introduces a new insecurity with more cautions, threats, and nervous tension" (pp. 67-68).


Manning has hit the nail on the head. Sizeable segments of established, insitutional Christianity are floundering because so much of their structure and policy is devoted to preservation not exploration--revival (of the past) not discovery. Hobbled by fear-based doctrines into which they have retreated to avoid tainting by this big bad world until their exegetically contrived escape from it takes place, many Christian groups now find themselves fighting with everything they have to preserve and justify their existence. The language of return--to the faith of our fathers, to "holiness", to the old time religion, to the Bible (as it was taught "back in the day")-- flavors the sermons and enclaves of such Christian entities. Some are making genuine efforts to regain effectiveness (usually defined by numerical and monetary growth), but usually only end up trying to do what they used to do only better. New marketing strategies and reconfigured flow charts will never accomplish what a ready to change pursuit of the "gallivanting Spirit" will. In my opinion, nothing short of a radical break from the past (see my blog on "Abraham Momemts") will result in the vital Christianity we long to see in the 21st Century.

Among the things of the past I think we should leave behind are clergy dominated churches, building centered entertainment oriented church services, fear-based doctrinal schemes that lead to isolation and exclusion, the cerebral-biblicism-supercedes-humble-spirituality approach to the faith, and all the pitfalls of routinization and institutionalization that have been characteristic of "mainstream" Chrisitianity. Unencumbered by all this baggage, who knows what Christ's church might look like? No one does and that's the point! It's time we go gallivanting into our future and find out.

ABRAHAM MOMENTS

Abraham is revered by three religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It would be difficult to name any other single individual who has had a more far reaching impact on the human race. Christians familiar with the writings of St. Paul think of Abraham as "the father of the faithful." Unfortunately, our familiarity with Abraham sometimes gets in the way of fully appreciating what exactly he did.

To review: "The Lord had said to Abram, 'Leave your country, your people, and your father's household and go to the land I will show you...' So Abram left as the Lord had told him... Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out..." (Genesis 12:1-4).

To those of us who are accustomed to having family scattered far and wide, or disconnected by the hectic pace of life today, it is easy to overlook the significance of what God was asking of Abram (later known as Abraham). He lived in a time of tribes and clans wherein one found identity, significance, security and inheritance. One rarely, if ever, ventured outside the confines of family and community. To be separated from one's heritage was a fate dreaded by all. So when the Lord asked Abram to leave it all-- the familiar faces, the local customs, the family religion, his inheritance, the familiar landmarks, his established identity, and his tribal traditions-- it was an unimaginably huge sacrifice Abram would have to make to obey the Lord's call. Especially when we realize that at first Abram had no clue where he was being asked to go. His departure had to preceed knowledge of his destination. That required audacious faith and thus the revered title "the father of the faithful."

Throughout history God has led people into what I call "Abraham moments"-- radical departures from the familiar in order to venture hopefully toward an uncertain future. Moses did it when he gave up the "treasures of Egypt" to 40 years later become the deliverer of the Hebrew slaves. Joshua and Caleb did it when they went against popular opinion and said Israel could possess the Promised Land. Jesus' Apostles did it when they abandoned their various vocations and followed him. Martin Luther did it when he defied Rome and started an history altering Reformation. The founding Fathers of the United States did it when they conceived the radical notion that government was to be in the hands of the people not a monarchy. Mohandas Ghandi did it when he non-violently confronted British imperialism. Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu did it when they ceased to conform to Apartheid in South Africa. Martin Luther King did it when he prophetically called America to accounts for our racism and the ills of segregation.

As a churchman, I believe the Christian religion is right now facing an Abraham moment. Followers of Jesus Christ are being asked to leave behind a host of things that have been familiar to us. Many of our traditions, organizational structures, liturgies and defining and excluding doctrines will go by the wayside as the "faithful" venture forward. Since I, personally, set out on my own quest of obedience a year and a half ago, I have encountered numerous others who are similarly responding to a "call" toward a yet to be known destination. Like tributaries that converge to form a river, the many who are responding to the Voice that is demanding change are becoming a strong current that is carving out new channels and altering the spiritual landscape.

Every Abraham moment has its naysayers-- those fear ridden souls who instinctively see every change as a direct threat to all they hold dear and cling to the past with everything they have. The fact is it is a threat. Unless we are willing to walk away from our defining past as did Abraham, we can never get to our destiny of promise. As Robert Schuller said, "It takes guts to get out of the ruts." And, it takes nothing less than a complete disruption of the status quo prompted by radical faith and obedience to successfully navigate through Abraham moments.

In future blogs I intend to unpack this with specifics and practical applications. If you wish to get a head start, pick up the A New Kind of Christian Trilogy by Brian McLaren, or go to http://www.emergentvillage.org/ and take advantage of the many resources they offer, or check out http://www.theooze.com/blog/index.cfm. These resources will help you look beyond what is only familiar to you and get a taste of what can be. Must be. Will be.

NON-VIOLENCE: THE GREATEST DISPLAY OF POWER

I, like you, was horrified by the recent news of the mentally disturbed man who targeted a humble and serene Amish country school in Pennsylvania to carry out his perverted and suicidal assault. To imagine the terror that must have gripped those children as the murderer carried out his diabolical plan exhausts the resources of my imagination.

The media descended upon the scene like jackals to a wounded gazelle, hoping to stimulate their ratings by reporting the prurient and bloody details to their voyeuristic audiences. In response, a facinating drama unfolded before our eyes as the Amish sidestepped the media and carried out their humble, non-violent ways. The viewing public were very much left out of the inside story as news helicopters could only hover overhead to capture footage of berieved family members and community elders hand digging graves for the deceased victims. It was from a distance that the horse drawn buggies were shown enroute to the funeral. Unpretentiously it became known that the Amish community prayed for the forgiveness of the depraved terrorist who had violated their peace and tranquility, and expressed compassionate and merciful concern to his family. Within days, the little country schoolhouse was torn down and the entire scene of that grizzly crime was returned to pastureland--never to be considered a tourist attraction or perpetual memorial--but rather, a setting for life and beauty.

While I am certain that the families who suffered such a tragic loss are grieving; it will not be a grieving process complicated by hatred and thoughts of retribution. With hope in the resurrection and the power of forgiveness released in their hearts, there can be no place for bitterness or vengence. They will press on and, I suspect, arrive much quicker at a place of comfort and strength from God than many of us would in similar circumstances.

Juxtaposed against this story on the nightly news was the news from Iraq where we are sacrificing daily the lives of young men and women who have bravely volunteered to serve in our military. Standing upon the rubble pile and eerie devastation of 9-11 our president vowed he would hunt down and "bring to justice" the people who knocked down those buildings. With a "bring it on" swagger and a "peace through strength" philosophy, the United States military went to war in Afghanistan and Iraq. What has ensued has been 5 years of bombing and warfare that has devasted large portions of two countries, resulted in the killing and maiming of tens of thousands of non-combatants, 3000 of our own troops have been killed in defense of the cause, and many thousands more have suffered life altering injuries. The war zone today is a seething cauldron of hatred and destruction-- a literal hell on earth. While we as a nation have been so engaged, "rogue" states like Iran and North Korea have seen it as an opportunity to develop their own weapons of mass destruction making the world an even more dangerous place.

The contrast between the non-violent response of the Amish and its aftermath with the war-mongering, violent response of our nation and its aftermath ought to give us pause. The Amish have made great progress toward the restoration of their tranquil lives while, as a nation, we are torn by political bickering, divided over the war, and daily calling for body bags. The Amish earned universal respect in how they handled the terrorist that hit them. We, the United States, are despised across the globe for the manner we chose to respond to terrorism.

I can't help seeing this contrast as clear proof that Jesus knew what he was talking about. Consider his words in view of all this:

"Here's what I propose: Don't hit back at all. If someone strikes you, stand there and take it. ...You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out your true selves, your God-created selves." (Matthew 5:43-45, The Message).

Lame Duck Breakfast

Today George W. Bush became an official lame duck. The power he had when his party controlled both houses of congress during the first 6 years of his administration has been dramatically curtailed. Meanwhile, the hot button morality issues such as stem cell research and abortion that the Republicans said they wanted to champion have received lip service in emotional campaign ads but remain unresolved. They said they were going to "fix" things like this that were wrong with America if they were in power, but they didn't.

From where I sit it looks like George W. Bush and his neo-con pals have squandered a golden opportunity. They wasted their political largesse on a dubious and probably immoral war in Iraq, ran up a huge deficit, presided over the deepening of the hostiltiy between already divided political camps, and, as the election results reveal, alienated many who had previously voted for them.

And so the political pendulum begins its inevitable swing in the other direction. God bless America.

Ted Haggard

I know Ted Haggard. I've known him since 1997--ten years. I've read three of his books, visited the church he founded, heard him speak to groups of thousands and groups less than 100, I have shaken his hand and had brief conversation with him.

I don't know Ted Haggard. I know nothing of his personal life. I've never been in his home, never met his family, never been in a car with him, never talked with him on the telephone, never socialized with him. I couldn't tell you what his favorite music is, what periodicals he reads, or how he feels about the war in Iraq. The Ted Haggard of current headlines who was just fired from his church, who admits to unspecified sexual misconduct and buying illegal drugs is someone I do not know.

So what am I to think about these revelations? First, I feel profound sadness for his family. How hurtful this must be for them. Next, I feel for his congregation in which I have relatives. The shock of realizing their pastor wasn't all he appeared to be will be a trying thing to work through. Nobody enjoys feeling like they have been had. It will take some time to recover from the sense of betrayal and violation of trust.

Strangely, I don't feel betrayed. I guess I've been around the block enough times that nothing surprises me anymore. I know what Jesus knew when he dealt with the woman caught in adultery. There ain't nobody without sin. We're all broken and struggling with some issue in our lives. I expect everyone to fail at some personal level sooner or later. The greater one's personal celebrity and sphere of influence, the more far reaching will be the consequences of one's failure. This understanding of our human condition makes forgiveness (and tolerance) easier for me. Not always easy, mind you, but easier than it would be otherwise.

Today I am happy for Ted Haggard. The crushing burden of a secret life he was trying to keep secret is being lifted off his shoulders. The healing grace that comes from confessing our faults to each other is within his grasp. He will soon discover who his true friends are--the ones who will stick close and help him in his time of need. These will be the people with whom he will be able to create authentic accountability. I wish Ted Haggard well and pray that he will find God to be an ever present help in time of trouble.

I also pray that more of us will learn what a disservice we do to each other when we create relational dynamics that encourage secret lives. People live secret lives out of shame and fear--fear of rejection, fear of judgement. When we do not have people close to us with whom we can safely share our struggles, weaknesses and dark times, we are much more susceptible to opt for hypocrisy and a double life. We will develop a public and private persona. As the former President of the National Association of Evangelicals, Ted Haggard knows that relational safety is a rare thing in those circles. Evangelicals, who have politically postured themselves as the cultural morality police, are, for many, the last group someone might look to for a forgiving, welcoming embrace. That's why we continue to watch the list grow of prominent evangelical "spokespersons" and political crusaders whose secret lives hit the headlines.

Here's one of the strangest recorded conversations between Jesus and his disciples: "Then Jesus asked them, 'When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?' 'Nothing,' they answered. He said to them, 'But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one...' The disciples said, 'See, Lord here are two swords.' 'That is enough,' he replied" (Luke 22:35-38). TWO SWORDS! ENOUGH! FOR WHAT? The context indicates Jesus said this shortly before what Matthew described as "a large crowd armed with swords and clubs" showed up in Gethsemene with Judas to arrest Jesus--an event that Jesus had clearly warned his followers was about to take place. Then, when one of his disciples drew one of those swords and took a swipe at one in the armed crowd cutting off an ear, Jesus sternly told the preemptive striker to put that sword away uttering those now famous words, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword" (Matthew 26:32). Here's how I see all this. Jesus told his followers that they were about to have a confrontation with the Roman military and some really upset religious leaders who were bent on killing him. Tongue in cheek he said they should arm themselves. Yup. Two swords ought to do it, two swords against the super power of the day armed to the hilt with swords and clubs? What a joke! Considered in light of everything else Jesus had said about peacemaking and loving one's enemies, it should have been obvious to his disciples he had no intention that they resort to violence. Luke's account of these events quotes Jesus saying to the preemptive striker among his followers, "NO MORE OF THIS!" (Luke 21:51), clearly demonstrating Jesus' opposition to such preemptive violence. Will we ever learn the lesson? Preemptive armed aggression against one's foes only promotes more violence and is not to be the behavior of anyone identifying themselves as a follower of Jesus. I wish world leaders today would get this through their "stay the course" heads. NO MORE OF THIS!

Here it is--my virgin voyage in the blogosphere. All who get on board with me will discover plenty of food for thought, a good bit of cynicism, very practical theology, some political observations, and healthy challenges to the status quo. For starters: Has anyone failed to notice that the preservation of power (or the gaining of it) is the number one political goal in every election cycle and in institutional ecclesiastical structures? Politicians use issues as a smokescreen to hide their real agenda--occupying the seats of power. Even the rare principled public servant, once elected, will be forced to play the power preservation game by his/her party of affiliation. Voters vote for those they feel will best represent the issues they care about, but once the election is passed, the energies of the elected officials are put into power consolidation--not isues! As a civic duty (and to be able to speak as a participant in the process) I plan to vote. But I do not have any misgivings about the politicians being able to produce the societal transformation I hope to see. That only comes through the undefined and often unnoticed ranks of those who love their enemies, actively care about the disadvantaged, let mercy crowd out revenge in those secret places of their hearts they don't talk about at parties, and meekly serve others without any power agenda. This is the "narrow way" that few discover.