Anyone who’s read these letters semi-frequently knows of my deep, deep love for the Denver Broncos. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of the family gathered around our TV, cheering wildly as John Elway quarterbacked one of his patented come-from-behind victories. Alas, my Mile High Heroes haven’t been great in recent years, culminating in an awful 2010-11 campaign. And this year began badly too. We lost four of our first five games, our quarterback got benched, the collective emotional state of Broncos Nation plummeted to irrational levels of despair.
Until a miracle happened- a new quarterback named Tim Tebow took over, and suddenly we’re winning again. A lot. Like, seven of the next eight, often in dramatic fashion. It was euphoric. I might even say, heavenly. The only problem being that Tebow’s play was erratic. Indeed, for most of these victories, he played lousy, until the game’s final moments when he’d morph into Elway Re-Incarnate.
Naturally, those who professionally comment on sports were dumbfounded, and endless debate ensued. But what really sparked controversy was Tebow’s personality. He’s an out-spoken Evangelical Christian, you might already know, born to a missionary family in the Philippines, attends church regularly, begins most interviews with, “I want to thank my personal Lord and Savior Jesus,” and ends with, “God bless you.” In a sports world that’s grown religiously cynical because of Jesus-thanking athletes kneeling in prayer after scoring touchdowns, one day, then sniffing cocaine in a strip club the next, Tebow’s seemingly stand-up character and public professions of faith became, to some, a breath of fresh air, while to others, a baffling annoyance.
I, too, have struggled with how to feel about Tebow. And I don’t just mean his hot-and-cold throwing abilities. I mean, especially, the non-stop, albeit genuinely nice, religious language. Some Christian churches, of course, teach that to their congregants. They believe the Church’s number one mission is to convert non-believers, and thereby save their damned souls from Hell. Thus, every conversation outside of church ought try to steer itself toward religion, hopefully “winning” the other person “for God.” As best I can tell, this is the Christianity Tebow endorses, as the ‘what we believe’ section of his father’s ministry’s website makes clear.
The Christianity I preach and practice, however, is different. Sure, I believe that if more people faithfully followed Christ’s teachings and examples, the better off we’d all be. And that’s especially true for already self-describing Christians. But I don’t believe that the only way to avoid Hell is to become Christian. Indeed, I’m skeptical that God would send any of God’s beloved children to eternal pain and torture. I put my faith, rather, in love and God’s abundantly amazing grace.
So normally, I find aggressive evangelism awkward, and in some cases, profoundly judgmental. Which puts me in a strange position vis a vis the new leader of my favorite team. Were he to ask me for spiritual counsel, I’d invite him to embrace a more open Christianity, one that’s respectful of religious differences. He could still evangelize; indeed, we all should “be and share” the Good News. It’s just he, and we, should also recognize that God’s much bigger than anything we could ever put in words.
But I also believe that you and I and Tebow can disagree about God, and still be good Christians all. For a better test of faithfulness than what you believe is what you do. And in that category, I’ve come to (mostly) respect the man. For one, it’s clear his religion’s authentic, not contrived. He’s not just trying to look good so he can sign richer endorsement deals. Plus, his own foundation, though saturated with Evangelical language, builds orphanages in the Philippines and sends disabled children to Disneyland. Sure, other things he’s supported- Focus on the Family, for instance- I don’t. But in every interview I’ve seen, he goes out of his way to be respectful and kind. Not a fire-breathing, Bible-beating Evangelical, but decent, good-hearted, even humble. And because I consider humility as good a religious value as any- regardless your faith tradition- he’s got me cheering for him. On the field, and off.
Grace and Peace,
Shane
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Thursday, January 5, 2012
Sunday, January 1, 2012
God’s Abundant Family and…You!...
How big is God’s family? Perhaps you’ll say, “It’s huge! Abundantly, gargantuanly, ginormously HUGE.” And that’s about right. The basic claim of Christian belief, I think, is that the God of Creation, our Divine Parent, is best defined with one word: Love. Which applies eternally. To all.
So the family table at God’s house doesn’t lack for people! The question for Christian churches, then, can appear simple, deceptively so- Does God’s eternally abundant grace and love set the places at our tables? Or are we limiting the invite list, removing chairs for people we don’t deem…acceptable?
The honest answer for most churches is no and yes, respectively. Even if we wish otherwise. Part of that’s our human penchant for sin and fear. But another part is that we’re human, i.e. limited. We simply don’t have God’s eternal stores of compassion and forgiveness. In God’s world, there’s “no Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free, male nor female” (Galatians 3:28), for Christ opened his arms wide to all, reconciling the world to God. In our worlds, however, we’ve doctor’s appointments, family matters, differences of opinion and values, all of which sap our energy for including everyone into our family of faith, or estrange us from folk who don’t like us.
Nevertheless, Plymouth Creek decided last January to become “a beacon of Christian openness and service in the Northwestern Suburbs”; to shine bright the light of eternal love Christ offers to everyone. And a year into making that vision a reality, the results are exciting! A community garden. New ministries to one another (the bus) and with the community (IOCP Service Night). Higher worship attendance. What a year 2011 was! What a year 2012 will be!! Yet there’s only so much we can do, only so wide we can open our hearts and arms. Not because we want less. It’s just we’re limited; we’re human. So while God’s family may be HUGE, our task is to focus our efforts, to decide what “open” and “service” means for us.
Because it could look different in different places, right? I’ve been to church-sponsored homeless dinners where, before eating, everyone had to listen to a sermon. It was service, sure, but felt needlessly underhanded. I’ve also been to churches who opened their communion table for people to receive God’s bounty, but only if you recited their preferred Creed, voted for their designated candidate, married the right person their designated number of times, or received baptism in their sanctioned way. I couldn’t stomach the elements of Christ’s body and blood in those churches, though I’m sure they’re included in God’s family. It’s just, I wanted something different from where I worship and serve God.
So as your pastor, I wonder what ‘Christian openness and service’ means to you? All year, in fact, I’ll ask that question in a variety of ways. Which may not always be comfortable, alas. After all, we’re not the same; we think differently about some things. But what makes the Disciples branch of the Christian Family Tree so powerful is our commitment to unity, while honoring differences. Nevertheless, to focus our limited resources for ministry, our church should decide what ‘openness’ and ‘service’ means to us. And, therefore, what we’ll teach to families and children we welcome to our church.
But it won’t only be uncomfortable. Indeed, it should be spiritually enriching, even fun! And to begin, we’re doing another Cinema Sermon Series. Starting January 15, and for the following three Sundays, my morning message will pair scripture with a movie. First up- The Help, then On the Water Front, Babette’s Feast and finally, How To Train Your Dragon. And I chose these movies because each speaks about family. Particularly, they’ll challenge our understandings of the boundaries and blessings of God’s Abundant Family. Then, hopefully, help us better define our personal roles in making that family a good one. So please join me for the series, and in more urgently extending God’s love to all. For many beyond our walls don’t know how great that love is, how deep and wide, open and eternal. But they can- will- if we do our part, and shine!
Grace and Peace,
Shane
Read more!
So the family table at God’s house doesn’t lack for people! The question for Christian churches, then, can appear simple, deceptively so- Does God’s eternally abundant grace and love set the places at our tables? Or are we limiting the invite list, removing chairs for people we don’t deem…acceptable?
The honest answer for most churches is no and yes, respectively. Even if we wish otherwise. Part of that’s our human penchant for sin and fear. But another part is that we’re human, i.e. limited. We simply don’t have God’s eternal stores of compassion and forgiveness. In God’s world, there’s “no Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free, male nor female” (Galatians 3:28), for Christ opened his arms wide to all, reconciling the world to God. In our worlds, however, we’ve doctor’s appointments, family matters, differences of opinion and values, all of which sap our energy for including everyone into our family of faith, or estrange us from folk who don’t like us.
Nevertheless, Plymouth Creek decided last January to become “a beacon of Christian openness and service in the Northwestern Suburbs”; to shine bright the light of eternal love Christ offers to everyone. And a year into making that vision a reality, the results are exciting! A community garden. New ministries to one another (the bus) and with the community (IOCP Service Night). Higher worship attendance. What a year 2011 was! What a year 2012 will be!! Yet there’s only so much we can do, only so wide we can open our hearts and arms. Not because we want less. It’s just we’re limited; we’re human. So while God’s family may be HUGE, our task is to focus our efforts, to decide what “open” and “service” means for us.
Because it could look different in different places, right? I’ve been to church-sponsored homeless dinners where, before eating, everyone had to listen to a sermon. It was service, sure, but felt needlessly underhanded. I’ve also been to churches who opened their communion table for people to receive God’s bounty, but only if you recited their preferred Creed, voted for their designated candidate, married the right person their designated number of times, or received baptism in their sanctioned way. I couldn’t stomach the elements of Christ’s body and blood in those churches, though I’m sure they’re included in God’s family. It’s just, I wanted something different from where I worship and serve God.
So as your pastor, I wonder what ‘Christian openness and service’ means to you? All year, in fact, I’ll ask that question in a variety of ways. Which may not always be comfortable, alas. After all, we’re not the same; we think differently about some things. But what makes the Disciples branch of the Christian Family Tree so powerful is our commitment to unity, while honoring differences. Nevertheless, to focus our limited resources for ministry, our church should decide what ‘openness’ and ‘service’ means to us. And, therefore, what we’ll teach to families and children we welcome to our church.
But it won’t only be uncomfortable. Indeed, it should be spiritually enriching, even fun! And to begin, we’re doing another Cinema Sermon Series. Starting January 15, and for the following three Sundays, my morning message will pair scripture with a movie. First up- The Help, then On the Water Front, Babette’s Feast and finally, How To Train Your Dragon. And I chose these movies because each speaks about family. Particularly, they’ll challenge our understandings of the boundaries and blessings of God’s Abundant Family. Then, hopefully, help us better define our personal roles in making that family a good one. So please join me for the series, and in more urgently extending God’s love to all. For many beyond our walls don’t know how great that love is, how deep and wide, open and eternal. But they can- will- if we do our part, and shine!
Grace and Peace,
Shane
Read more!
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