I’ve told you before about my Master’s Thesis in Seminary- a study of letters written by Military Chaplains during World War II. I focused mainly on one chaplain, Rev. Russell Stroup, who served both combat and non-combat units in the Pacific Theatre. Given that this Sunday is July Fourth, I thought it might be interesting not to write you myself, but instead to share one of my favorite passages from what he wrote, in the midst of terrible violence. FYI, this isn’t one of his letters, but from an essay he’d written from the frontlines, which was printed in The Atlantic (I’ll share with you some of his great letters later…). Nevertheless, I find his perspective on faith profound, challenging and as inspiring as it gets; I hope you feel something similar. At the very least, he makes you think deeper about the fullest meanings of Independence and Liberty.
So here it is, from the book (pages 134-5), Letters from the Pacific: A Combat Chaplain in World War II by Russell Stroup:
In the valley of the shadow of death there are chaplains, God forgive them, preaching the “gospel” of fear. Fortunately, they are few; but some there are, as in the churches back home, who raise the grim specter of death and fan the fires of hell, hoping to compel the men to seek the Father who has assured us that in that dark valley we need not be afraid…
Fear is an evil thing. You do not inspire that which is high and holy by appealing to that which is low and base. Soldiers know that, for they have been afraid. Facing agony and death, they have met the coward that lies hidden in the heart of every (person) and have hated (that coward). Their one noble fear is that they may be afraid. How, then, can they have patience with preaching that is based on an emotion they loathe for its shameful power to degrade a (person)?
Nor are they moved by threats. It is not a question of whether or not they believe in hell. They have lived, many of them, in its borderland. But a threat is no less odious because it is backed by reality… I have known many more men who rejected Christ because they faced death than I have men who accepted him for that reason. Rightly or wrongly, they refused to be moved by the threat of danger to do what they had not done before. Again and again soldiers have said to me, “After I get out of this, I’ll be a Christian; but not now.”…
I heard a lot of tommyrot in the States about men accepting God in foxholes because they were afraid. Someone who knows these men should kill that damnable lie. I have seen many men give themselves to Christ in the combat zone, but they were not driven by fear or compelled by threats. They were sobered by reality, chastened by adversity, challenged by Divinity. Had an attempt been made to frighten or threaten, they would have turned away. The true appeal of Christ is not to men’s craven fears but to their highest courage. He does not speak to the coward that crouches in every man’s heart, but to the hero that lives in every man’s soul… When we say to men, “God needs you and his Kingdom tarries on your coming,” they will leave all and follow him. When we approach them not with threats but a challenge we will be talking their language. When we offer them not security but sacrifice- a sacrifice of themselves for humanity- then they will deny themselves and take up a cross…
They are eager for a faith to live by, but it must be a faith for life and not for death. They know how to die! We must show them how to live…
Next time anyone asks, “Why be Christian?” Just quote that. Happy Independence Day.
Grace and Peace,
Shane
Ps- Thanks to all in our church who served our country, especially those who served in, or cared for those who served in WWII. Untold gratitude is yours.
Read more!
Friday, July 2, 2010
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Moving Day...
I had a college buddy named Patrick, who was as free a soul as I’ve ever met. Hailing from New York City, Patrick invariably infused any conversation he entered with hilarity and unpredictability, whether you wanted him to or not. And let’s be honest- mostly, you wanted him to.
One day, though, I learned something surprising about my chaotic, rambunctious friend. It was nearing winter break. People were preparing to head home, and I found Patrick outside his car in the parking lot near our house, smiling his triumphant smile we all knew so well. Assuming he’d successfully caused mischief (again), I said something like, “Hey Patrick! You didn’t just get us in trouble, did you?” He looked over, confused, “Shane, I’m not sure what you’re talking about, and probably wouldn’t like it if I did.” “Fair Enough. But what’s with the stupid grin?”
And he waved his hands at his open car trunk, showcasing what he obviously considered a great achievement. “Look!! Beautiful, isn’t it?” I looked, saw lots of stuff neatly stuffed into his vehicle, but…“Patrick, help me understand what I’m seeing.” “Are you kidding?!” he screamed, “This is a masterpiece! Can’t you see just how much I fit into this trunk!?” He then explained his unifying theory of trunkpacking- how learning to pack your own trunk well is a crucial step in the development from adolescence into manhood. So I looked again, and yes, it was impressive. Though I admit, I was more surprised that Patrick could be organized about anything, trunkpacking included. Which I decided not share with him. I simply said, “Good work, man.”
(I have since become Patrick; ask my wife. I get inordinate pleasure from seeing how much I can cram, without breaking stuff, into one space- trunks, backseats, closets. We all need hobbies, right?)
Well, soon enough Plymouth Creek will need to put its organizing skills to the test again (and not just for another re-re-reorganizing of the Storage Closet). On Saturday, July 24, we’re having an All-Church Workday to flip-flop the Library/Adult SS Room/YBR Office and the Children’s Sunday School Space; start time, 9:30 AM. I’ve mentioned this change before, but the time to act is now upon us. What’s happening is that Yellow Brick Road Childcare needed to lease more space to keep their operations going in our facility, and thus, provide more kids the impressively loving, educational style of childcare that they do. So we offered to open our doors wider to these partners in mission, and switch the function of a couple rooms in the process. Room 2 (Children’s Sunday School, currently) will become the Library/Adult SS/YBR Office, while the current Library will become Children’s Sunday School and the new YBR Toddler Room. Youth and Choir Rooms are unaffected. YBR will use their ‘new’ space Mon-Fri, packing things up on the weekends, like they already do in Fellowship Hall (a packing job to make Patrick and me jealous!). Then, we’ll have space to love on and teach faith to children during weekends. Got that?
I’m beginning to think of our building like a trunk. With two major building partners, and the occasional Brownie Troop or special function, things can get tight in the hallways and storage spaces. Fitting these all together without breaking or doing damage to things is challenging, to be sure, and I hope we’ll all work harder to support the organizational efforts of our members and leaders (i.e. pick up after ourselves and others, don’t dump old stuff into random rooms, keep spaces looking inviting and uncluttered). But just as the mission of a car trunk is to help get as much as possible from one place to another, so the mission of our church building is to help us provide others with God’s love as much as possible. Which means we need people and stuff in it, using the facilities! And as stewards of the building’s mission, we all need to help it stay organized and effective. For then more love will be shared.
So see you July 24 (if not sooner)! And until then, may your lives be as full of grace and love as our church!
Grace and Peace,
Shane
Read more!
One day, though, I learned something surprising about my chaotic, rambunctious friend. It was nearing winter break. People were preparing to head home, and I found Patrick outside his car in the parking lot near our house, smiling his triumphant smile we all knew so well. Assuming he’d successfully caused mischief (again), I said something like, “Hey Patrick! You didn’t just get us in trouble, did you?” He looked over, confused, “Shane, I’m not sure what you’re talking about, and probably wouldn’t like it if I did.” “Fair Enough. But what’s with the stupid grin?”
And he waved his hands at his open car trunk, showcasing what he obviously considered a great achievement. “Look!! Beautiful, isn’t it?” I looked, saw lots of stuff neatly stuffed into his vehicle, but…“Patrick, help me understand what I’m seeing.” “Are you kidding?!” he screamed, “This is a masterpiece! Can’t you see just how much I fit into this trunk!?” He then explained his unifying theory of trunkpacking- how learning to pack your own trunk well is a crucial step in the development from adolescence into manhood. So I looked again, and yes, it was impressive. Though I admit, I was more surprised that Patrick could be organized about anything, trunkpacking included. Which I decided not share with him. I simply said, “Good work, man.”
(I have since become Patrick; ask my wife. I get inordinate pleasure from seeing how much I can cram, without breaking stuff, into one space- trunks, backseats, closets. We all need hobbies, right?)
Well, soon enough Plymouth Creek will need to put its organizing skills to the test again (and not just for another re-re-reorganizing of the Storage Closet). On Saturday, July 24, we’re having an All-Church Workday to flip-flop the Library/Adult SS Room/YBR Office and the Children’s Sunday School Space; start time, 9:30 AM. I’ve mentioned this change before, but the time to act is now upon us. What’s happening is that Yellow Brick Road Childcare needed to lease more space to keep their operations going in our facility, and thus, provide more kids the impressively loving, educational style of childcare that they do. So we offered to open our doors wider to these partners in mission, and switch the function of a couple rooms in the process. Room 2 (Children’s Sunday School, currently) will become the Library/Adult SS/YBR Office, while the current Library will become Children’s Sunday School and the new YBR Toddler Room. Youth and Choir Rooms are unaffected. YBR will use their ‘new’ space Mon-Fri, packing things up on the weekends, like they already do in Fellowship Hall (a packing job to make Patrick and me jealous!). Then, we’ll have space to love on and teach faith to children during weekends. Got that?
I’m beginning to think of our building like a trunk. With two major building partners, and the occasional Brownie Troop or special function, things can get tight in the hallways and storage spaces. Fitting these all together without breaking or doing damage to things is challenging, to be sure, and I hope we’ll all work harder to support the organizational efforts of our members and leaders (i.e. pick up after ourselves and others, don’t dump old stuff into random rooms, keep spaces looking inviting and uncluttered). But just as the mission of a car trunk is to help get as much as possible from one place to another, so the mission of our church building is to help us provide others with God’s love as much as possible. Which means we need people and stuff in it, using the facilities! And as stewards of the building’s mission, we all need to help it stay organized and effective. For then more love will be shared.
So see you July 24 (if not sooner)! And until then, may your lives be as full of grace and love as our church!
Grace and Peace,
Shane
Read more!
Friday, June 25, 2010
Seeking perfection…
Forgive me, please. I’m about to regale y’all with another summer camp story (that makes three in one week- 1 sermon, 2 letters). But I think you’ll find this interesting, and besides, those who’ve been to summer camp know that it sticks with you after you leave; if you had a good time at camp, at least, it’s hard to get off the mind. Which is another reason we do camp.
Anyway, on Wednesday of last week, the camp I was directing explored the question, “How do I see God in nature?” We did this throughout the day in many ways, but my favorite was that evening’s nature walk. Our instructions were simple- Walk together through the woods and fields surrounding camp, and search for things that help you see God in Nature. We, then, collected those items, and thanks to the artistic talents of a few campers, created a quite beautiful collage.
To be honest, I’m not sure the campers had nearly as much fun on this as I did! Not that they didn’t enjoy themselves, but nature walks combined with theological thinking plays quite naturally to my strengths and interests (fyi, I didn’t plan the event...no really, I promise). So while it was neat and relaxing to these young women and man, to me it was beyond wonderful. And since my counselor led most of this event, I just floated in back of the group, looking at rocks and trees, dreaming up as much about God-in-nature as possible. Serene.
At one point, we wandered near some rocks. I bent over, looking more closely, and noticed a small, fragile green bud of some sort. It struck me as something God would endorse- Vulnerability in the midst of power. Remember 2 Corinthians 12:10? St. Paul claims of Christ’s presence in his life, “When I am weak, then I am strong.” Another discovery was a yellow flower, also tiny and delicate, seemingly destined for immediate destruction. But the subtlety of its stem and elegance of its minute petals helped me remember God. It reminded me that God locates beauty not only in the grandness and grace of rolling thunderclouds, the dynamic brilliance of lightning flashes, or the majestic strength of mountain ranges. God also pays close attention to the details of life, the simplest places- a glance of support when you see another struggling with packages at the store, the simple kindness of holding open a door, the unseen love of picking up a piece of trash left behind by someone else. Notice that Jesus didn’t say, “Whatsoever you did this to the greatest among you…” Jesus said, “Whatsoever you did unto my children, even the least, you did so unto me.”
My favorite insight on this nature walk, though, happened near the beginning. Nearly ten minutes in, and I hadn’t yet collected anything for our collage. I wasn’t yet willing, you see, to choose one leaf or flower over another, because I wanted to find the perfect leaf. Not any-ol’ leaf, with caterpillar bites leaving strange-shaped holes, or stunted growth due to high winds. Most of the leaves were that way, so I walked on, waiting. “After all,” I told myself, “I’m looking for God in nature, so I can’t choose any of these imperfect options.”
Until it struck me- Since when is God in nature, or anywhere else, about perfection?! Yes, in Matthew 5:48, Jesus says, “Be perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect.” But no one, not even Jesus, thought that was more than an ideal- worth striving for, but impossible to achieve. Otherwise, why would forgiveness matter? Instead, God has always excelled at putting imperfect people in the perfect situation (Moses, Esther, Abraham, Deborah, Paul, Mary Magdalene, Peter); helping God’s children turn their limitations into limitless magnificence and love. Why look for God in nature by searching for the perfect leaf, when that’s not how God searches for us? So I picked a broken leaf, with caterpillar holes and a stunted stem. And I thanked God for always being present in my imperfect life. God’s design in nature, indeed!
What about you? Where do you see God in nature?
Grace and Peace,
Shane
Read more!
Anyway, on Wednesday of last week, the camp I was directing explored the question, “How do I see God in nature?” We did this throughout the day in many ways, but my favorite was that evening’s nature walk. Our instructions were simple- Walk together through the woods and fields surrounding camp, and search for things that help you see God in Nature. We, then, collected those items, and thanks to the artistic talents of a few campers, created a quite beautiful collage.
To be honest, I’m not sure the campers had nearly as much fun on this as I did! Not that they didn’t enjoy themselves, but nature walks combined with theological thinking plays quite naturally to my strengths and interests (fyi, I didn’t plan the event...no really, I promise). So while it was neat and relaxing to these young women and man, to me it was beyond wonderful. And since my counselor led most of this event, I just floated in back of the group, looking at rocks and trees, dreaming up as much about God-in-nature as possible. Serene.
At one point, we wandered near some rocks. I bent over, looking more closely, and noticed a small, fragile green bud of some sort. It struck me as something God would endorse- Vulnerability in the midst of power. Remember 2 Corinthians 12:10? St. Paul claims of Christ’s presence in his life, “When I am weak, then I am strong.” Another discovery was a yellow flower, also tiny and delicate, seemingly destined for immediate destruction. But the subtlety of its stem and elegance of its minute petals helped me remember God. It reminded me that God locates beauty not only in the grandness and grace of rolling thunderclouds, the dynamic brilliance of lightning flashes, or the majestic strength of mountain ranges. God also pays close attention to the details of life, the simplest places- a glance of support when you see another struggling with packages at the store, the simple kindness of holding open a door, the unseen love of picking up a piece of trash left behind by someone else. Notice that Jesus didn’t say, “Whatsoever you did this to the greatest among you…” Jesus said, “Whatsoever you did unto my children, even the least, you did so unto me.”
My favorite insight on this nature walk, though, happened near the beginning. Nearly ten minutes in, and I hadn’t yet collected anything for our collage. I wasn’t yet willing, you see, to choose one leaf or flower over another, because I wanted to find the perfect leaf. Not any-ol’ leaf, with caterpillar bites leaving strange-shaped holes, or stunted growth due to high winds. Most of the leaves were that way, so I walked on, waiting. “After all,” I told myself, “I’m looking for God in nature, so I can’t choose any of these imperfect options.”
Until it struck me- Since when is God in nature, or anywhere else, about perfection?! Yes, in Matthew 5:48, Jesus says, “Be perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect.” But no one, not even Jesus, thought that was more than an ideal- worth striving for, but impossible to achieve. Otherwise, why would forgiveness matter? Instead, God has always excelled at putting imperfect people in the perfect situation (Moses, Esther, Abraham, Deborah, Paul, Mary Magdalene, Peter); helping God’s children turn their limitations into limitless magnificence and love. Why look for God in nature by searching for the perfect leaf, when that’s not how God searches for us? So I picked a broken leaf, with caterpillar holes and a stunted stem. And I thanked God for always being present in my imperfect life. God’s design in nature, indeed!
What about you? Where do you see God in nature?
Grace and Peace,
Shane
Read more!
Friday, June 18, 2010
God is bigger…
I’m writing this at summer camp, which is both exhilarating and exhausting. As you may know, our church’s Regional Camp Ministry asked me to direct this week’s Equestrian Camp- my first ‘directing’ experience (I’ve counseled and camped before, but never been the head honcho). Before you ask, no, I know next to nothing about horses. But I’m learning…
In fact, that’s what I want to write about this week- learning; more particularly, learning about God. It is, after all, the theme of our Camp- God! We began on Monday by talking about who we already imagine God to be, and for the remaining days will explore what more we can learn about God through certain unique, important area of life: ourselves, nature, those different then us, and our neighbors. It promises to be a broad, deep and hopefully life-impacting experience. And these young women and man have some incredible, profound things to say. As expected.
And it’s got me remembering how I’ve learned about God in my life. For example, like many, I think my first tutorials in “who God is” came from my parents. Because God is often (too often?) called Father, in both Scripture and church teaching, I learned a LOT about God’s character and love by watching my dad. He was a remarkable tutor in this subject. Pops was patient in loving me, always wanting what was best for me. He went out of his way, repeatedly, to show up for events I found important, simply showing me that he wanted to be involved in my life. I think that describes some important things about who God is.
And while we don’t often call God Mother (we could do that more- it’s in the Bible, after all), I learned LOTS about God from her too. Mom has this incredible ability to love people, all people, and I do mean all. When we hung out with millionaires, Mom loved earnestly. When people we knew were in trouble- kicked out of their home, dealing with an unplanned pregnancy, recovering from addiction- Mom opened our home to help them out. My mother was always my strongest defender, and challenged me constantly to be better than I thought I was, because she believed in me that much. I think that, too, describes some of who God is. Long story short, I have parents who exquisitely modeled God’s character to me. Thanks Mom and Pops!
But, of course, we can’t learn everything we might about God from just one or two sources. For instance, Mom and Dad weren’t always perfect, which they readily admit, and I learned from that too. Likewise, I had friends, mentors, pastors, and teachers who did things differently, but they were important things that reflected what the Bible’s best stories communicate about God’s character.
I remember a classmate in Middle School- Mike- who, for two years, was my enemy. Real jerk, so I thought. He thought the same of me. We’d go out of our way to insult one another, or just be pests to each other. Then, one summer, we attended the same summer camp. And while, at first, we continued our rivalry, after a few days of singing, playing, and learning about God, a thawing of tensions seemed possible.
He reached out first. I don’t recall the exact situation, but I remember walking with a group of guys, Mike included, when he reached his arm out, and put it around my shoulders. I took a double-take, but I saw in his eyes that he meant it. It wasn’t a fake gesture, meant to please the counselors. He was offering to be my friend. Suddenly, I realized that Mike thought I was a good guy, and it changed how I saw him too. I think God works that way for some people, and would love to do so for many, many more.
And that’s just a small sampling. I’ve learned about God in more ways that I could write. Probably more than I could ever know. And hopefully, after this week, I’ll have a few more stories to tell. But what about you? How have you learned about God?
Grace and Peace,
Shane Read more!
In fact, that’s what I want to write about this week- learning; more particularly, learning about God. It is, after all, the theme of our Camp- God! We began on Monday by talking about who we already imagine God to be, and for the remaining days will explore what more we can learn about God through certain unique, important area of life: ourselves, nature, those different then us, and our neighbors. It promises to be a broad, deep and hopefully life-impacting experience. And these young women and man have some incredible, profound things to say. As expected.
And it’s got me remembering how I’ve learned about God in my life. For example, like many, I think my first tutorials in “who God is” came from my parents. Because God is often (too often?) called Father, in both Scripture and church teaching, I learned a LOT about God’s character and love by watching my dad. He was a remarkable tutor in this subject. Pops was patient in loving me, always wanting what was best for me. He went out of his way, repeatedly, to show up for events I found important, simply showing me that he wanted to be involved in my life. I think that describes some important things about who God is.
And while we don’t often call God Mother (we could do that more- it’s in the Bible, after all), I learned LOTS about God from her too. Mom has this incredible ability to love people, all people, and I do mean all. When we hung out with millionaires, Mom loved earnestly. When people we knew were in trouble- kicked out of their home, dealing with an unplanned pregnancy, recovering from addiction- Mom opened our home to help them out. My mother was always my strongest defender, and challenged me constantly to be better than I thought I was, because she believed in me that much. I think that, too, describes some of who God is. Long story short, I have parents who exquisitely modeled God’s character to me. Thanks Mom and Pops!
But, of course, we can’t learn everything we might about God from just one or two sources. For instance, Mom and Dad weren’t always perfect, which they readily admit, and I learned from that too. Likewise, I had friends, mentors, pastors, and teachers who did things differently, but they were important things that reflected what the Bible’s best stories communicate about God’s character.
I remember a classmate in Middle School- Mike- who, for two years, was my enemy. Real jerk, so I thought. He thought the same of me. We’d go out of our way to insult one another, or just be pests to each other. Then, one summer, we attended the same summer camp. And while, at first, we continued our rivalry, after a few days of singing, playing, and learning about God, a thawing of tensions seemed possible.
He reached out first. I don’t recall the exact situation, but I remember walking with a group of guys, Mike included, when he reached his arm out, and put it around my shoulders. I took a double-take, but I saw in his eyes that he meant it. It wasn’t a fake gesture, meant to please the counselors. He was offering to be my friend. Suddenly, I realized that Mike thought I was a good guy, and it changed how I saw him too. I think God works that way for some people, and would love to do so for many, many more.
And that’s just a small sampling. I’ve learned about God in more ways that I could write. Probably more than I could ever know. And hopefully, after this week, I’ll have a few more stories to tell. But what about you? How have you learned about God?
Grace and Peace,
Shane Read more!
Friday, June 11, 2010
The olden days…
Last Sunday, a sizable group of Plymouth Creekers saw an exhibit on the Dead Sea Scrolls. First impression: Wow, the term ‘scrolls’ is rather generous. I’d have gone with “Dead Sea Puzzle Pieces”…
But before I go further, some context. In the 1940’s, some Bedouin teenagers were goofing around cliffs along the Dead Sea’s coast, in what’s currently known as the West Bank (or Judea, Israel, or the Occupied Territories- depending on your political/ethnic heritage; life is less than simple in that geographic locale nowadays…as ever). Soon, they found caves in these cliffs, and as you might expect when goofing-around-teenagers discover caves, someone fell in, landing on ancient clay pots.
Things got very interesting. It took awhile for folk to grasp fully the impact of the boys’ discovery, but we soon learned many of these ancient pots held scrolls of Jewish Scripture, written in Hebrew. There were other artifacts, testifying to a once-significant community on that Dead Sea Shore. But the scrolls are what stood out. Because once analyzed and dated- 150 BCE-70 CE- it turns out these scrolls were the oldest written (Hebrew) copies of the Hebrew Bible in existence. By over 1000 years.
Now they’re in Minnesota, at the Science Museum. Well, some are. They didn’t bring any actual ‘scrolls,’ simply 6-7 pieces of ancient parchment/papyrus (with tiny text) that had once been part of larger scrolls (other artifacts found in the caves- pots, utensils, fabrics- made the journey). The Dead Sea caves did contain full scrolls, of course, but those don’t travel. Such ancient, important, delicate documents must be handled carefully in sensitive environments. Still, I’d hoped they’d bring at least one section of scroll bigger than pieces of paper you get at the DMV when asked to ‘take a number’.
Enough whining, though, because I enjoyed the trip. In fact, it was an honor to see such an important discovery up close. Sure, they’re not as captivating as, say, if a professor discovered a living descendant of Jesus’ love affair with Mary Magdalene. Nevertheless, these scrolls and many artifacts have given us crucial, unexpected insights into Jesus’ cultural milieu, and the varieties of religious conviction he dealt with. The basic lesson- Jesus’ world was very different than ours.
For instance, one scroll fragment was from Deuteronomy. Now, most texts from the Dead Sea Scrolls match word-for-word with other ancient sources (indeed, that’s one of the remarkable parts of this discovery- textual consistency in Scripture across time), but sometimes they differ. In significant ways. Like in this Deuteronomy passage, the author refers to the gods. Plural. In our Bible, the same passage, based on writings from the 900s, talks about God. Singular. Seems there were editorial changes made to the Bible over the years, and that this scripture’s original writer didn’t believe in only One God.
That might seem shocking to some, but Bible teachers have long claimed that Biblical and non-Biblical sources show that monotheism- the awareness of One God- developed slowly, over centuries. In Jesus’ day, this idea wasn’t fully accepted, among Romans, of course, and as we now know, among some Jewish leaders. But doesn’t that mean the Bible’s untrustworthy? No! Rather, I believe it shows that God knows us well enough to reveal Godself slowly, according the limitations of our time and culture. That some Biblical authors didn’t know God as One God, but rather one god among many, doesn’t prove their religious impotence. It proves God’s patience- i.e. they did their faithful best. Hopefully, after millennia, we’ve come to know God better, but that process hasn’t ended. We’ll never know God fully, this side of paradise, even though “we’re fully known (1 Cor. 13).” As our sisters and brothers in the United Church of Christ put it, “God is still speaking.”
Amen! God didn’t stop revealing Godself before Jesus came. God didn’t stop with Jesus. And hopefully, when our faith descendants look back on our time and the artifacts they find (Dead Sea iPod?), they’ll- a) know God better than we do, but b) believe we did our faithful best when we had the chance. I think that’s a Dead Sea Scrolls Legacy worth promoting.
Grace and Peace,
Shane Read more!
But before I go further, some context. In the 1940’s, some Bedouin teenagers were goofing around cliffs along the Dead Sea’s coast, in what’s currently known as the West Bank (or Judea, Israel, or the Occupied Territories- depending on your political/ethnic heritage; life is less than simple in that geographic locale nowadays…as ever). Soon, they found caves in these cliffs, and as you might expect when goofing-around-teenagers discover caves, someone fell in, landing on ancient clay pots.
Things got very interesting. It took awhile for folk to grasp fully the impact of the boys’ discovery, but we soon learned many of these ancient pots held scrolls of Jewish Scripture, written in Hebrew. There were other artifacts, testifying to a once-significant community on that Dead Sea Shore. But the scrolls are what stood out. Because once analyzed and dated- 150 BCE-70 CE- it turns out these scrolls were the oldest written (Hebrew) copies of the Hebrew Bible in existence. By over 1000 years.
Now they’re in Minnesota, at the Science Museum. Well, some are. They didn’t bring any actual ‘scrolls,’ simply 6-7 pieces of ancient parchment/papyrus (with tiny text) that had once been part of larger scrolls (other artifacts found in the caves- pots, utensils, fabrics- made the journey). The Dead Sea caves did contain full scrolls, of course, but those don’t travel. Such ancient, important, delicate documents must be handled carefully in sensitive environments. Still, I’d hoped they’d bring at least one section of scroll bigger than pieces of paper you get at the DMV when asked to ‘take a number’.
Enough whining, though, because I enjoyed the trip. In fact, it was an honor to see such an important discovery up close. Sure, they’re not as captivating as, say, if a professor discovered a living descendant of Jesus’ love affair with Mary Magdalene. Nevertheless, these scrolls and many artifacts have given us crucial, unexpected insights into Jesus’ cultural milieu, and the varieties of religious conviction he dealt with. The basic lesson- Jesus’ world was very different than ours.
For instance, one scroll fragment was from Deuteronomy. Now, most texts from the Dead Sea Scrolls match word-for-word with other ancient sources (indeed, that’s one of the remarkable parts of this discovery- textual consistency in Scripture across time), but sometimes they differ. In significant ways. Like in this Deuteronomy passage, the author refers to the gods. Plural. In our Bible, the same passage, based on writings from the 900s, talks about God. Singular. Seems there were editorial changes made to the Bible over the years, and that this scripture’s original writer didn’t believe in only One God.
That might seem shocking to some, but Bible teachers have long claimed that Biblical and non-Biblical sources show that monotheism- the awareness of One God- developed slowly, over centuries. In Jesus’ day, this idea wasn’t fully accepted, among Romans, of course, and as we now know, among some Jewish leaders. But doesn’t that mean the Bible’s untrustworthy? No! Rather, I believe it shows that God knows us well enough to reveal Godself slowly, according the limitations of our time and culture. That some Biblical authors didn’t know God as One God, but rather one god among many, doesn’t prove their religious impotence. It proves God’s patience- i.e. they did their faithful best. Hopefully, after millennia, we’ve come to know God better, but that process hasn’t ended. We’ll never know God fully, this side of paradise, even though “we’re fully known (1 Cor. 13).” As our sisters and brothers in the United Church of Christ put it, “God is still speaking.”
Amen! God didn’t stop revealing Godself before Jesus came. God didn’t stop with Jesus. And hopefully, when our faith descendants look back on our time and the artifacts they find (Dead Sea iPod?), they’ll- a) know God better than we do, but b) believe we did our faithful best when we had the chance. I think that’s a Dead Sea Scrolls Legacy worth promoting.
Grace and Peace,
Shane Read more!
Friday, June 4, 2010
Slippery when wet…
Those who know me know about my strong attachment to our environment. I’ve talked with y’all about this some before. But I try not to talk about it too much. Perhaps I’m somewhat turned off with some fellow “Greenies” who wear their love for the earth like a badge of moral superiority. Not every out-spoken environmentalist does so, of course, but the last thing I want is to be judgmental with my values. Still, it’s an important part of my life, and my relationship with God. I know few things more awe-inspiring than the interconnectivity of all living things through God’s creative love.
I mention it now, however, as prelude to a confession: I’ve spent the last month managing an internal inferno, attempting not to explode with anger and frustration. I suspect I’m not alone. You needn’t be a card-carrying eco-nut to find the Oil Spill in the Gulf devastating. I’ve followed this story like some watch horror movies- Anxiety-ridden, eyes occasionally closed for fear of seeing too much carnage, and yet all the while, riveted with concern about what comes next. One of you once asked me, “Shane, you don’t seem to get angry very often. What makes you angry?” This.
One of my great privileges this past year has been leading Youth Sunday School. If you don’t spend much time with our youth, you should change that. They’re insightful, witty, and full of promise. For curriculum, most weeks we’ve watched this series of 15-minute video sermonettes that explore a spiritual topic and its impact in daily life. A couple weeks back, the video was about anger. It made a great point. Jesus got angry. In fact, sometimes Jesus got downright livid, like when he overturned tables in the temple. But the video’s point that was that while anger is a natural emotion that needn’t be feared, it can also all too easily distract us from faithful living. After all, anger is powerful, and power can be enjoyable. In fact, the power of anger is sometimes so enticing, we can dwell in it, become defined by it. At which point, anger is dangerous.
But Jesus modeled something different. His anger motivated him to seek first God’s Reign. And from his experience, and what I’ve noticed in some people passionately motivated to better our world, it seems that when anger leads a person to pursue a greater good beyond her/himself, amazing things can happen. Indeed, eventually, the anger dissipates.
Which returns me to the Oil Spill. Something that’s furthered my frustration about this event is how so many are allowing anger to define, rather than motivate them. Business executives, politicians of all stripes, commentators, everyday Americans, all treating anger, and its less-worthy companion Blame, like the best and final response. Perhaps for those living on the Gulf Coast, watching dreams for the future get tarnished, maybe for them this hits too close to home to expect anything more. For those poor communities, I have nothing but sympathy.
But for the rest of us, we might remember that anger, properly understood, is a motivator, not an end-in-itself. From Jesus’ perspective, anger at injustice and tragedy is a vehicle to actions more holy than the Blame Game. Have you heard anything, since this began, about forgiveness? I haven’t. What about compassion? There’s been some talk of that, but too little for my tastes. Perhaps we’re still too focused on screaming, “When will this end!,” to attain such perspective. But if we aren’t treating others with respect before the Spill is contained, can we expect to flip a switch and start acting well when that blessed day finally comes?
I wish I had room to develop this more fully. It’s very complicated, and I don’t mean to diminish anyone’s raw emotions, or belittle our collective frustrations at something so beyond our control. But I do believe, with all my heart, that Jesus’ message is that the power of love is the most powerful force in Creation. Greater than gushing oil. More powerful still than anger, however closely related at times. And certainly more holy than blame and derision. We should expect more of ourselves. God does.
Grace and Peace,
Shane Read more!
I mention it now, however, as prelude to a confession: I’ve spent the last month managing an internal inferno, attempting not to explode with anger and frustration. I suspect I’m not alone. You needn’t be a card-carrying eco-nut to find the Oil Spill in the Gulf devastating. I’ve followed this story like some watch horror movies- Anxiety-ridden, eyes occasionally closed for fear of seeing too much carnage, and yet all the while, riveted with concern about what comes next. One of you once asked me, “Shane, you don’t seem to get angry very often. What makes you angry?” This.
One of my great privileges this past year has been leading Youth Sunday School. If you don’t spend much time with our youth, you should change that. They’re insightful, witty, and full of promise. For curriculum, most weeks we’ve watched this series of 15-minute video sermonettes that explore a spiritual topic and its impact in daily life. A couple weeks back, the video was about anger. It made a great point. Jesus got angry. In fact, sometimes Jesus got downright livid, like when he overturned tables in the temple. But the video’s point that was that while anger is a natural emotion that needn’t be feared, it can also all too easily distract us from faithful living. After all, anger is powerful, and power can be enjoyable. In fact, the power of anger is sometimes so enticing, we can dwell in it, become defined by it. At which point, anger is dangerous.
But Jesus modeled something different. His anger motivated him to seek first God’s Reign. And from his experience, and what I’ve noticed in some people passionately motivated to better our world, it seems that when anger leads a person to pursue a greater good beyond her/himself, amazing things can happen. Indeed, eventually, the anger dissipates.
Which returns me to the Oil Spill. Something that’s furthered my frustration about this event is how so many are allowing anger to define, rather than motivate them. Business executives, politicians of all stripes, commentators, everyday Americans, all treating anger, and its less-worthy companion Blame, like the best and final response. Perhaps for those living on the Gulf Coast, watching dreams for the future get tarnished, maybe for them this hits too close to home to expect anything more. For those poor communities, I have nothing but sympathy.
But for the rest of us, we might remember that anger, properly understood, is a motivator, not an end-in-itself. From Jesus’ perspective, anger at injustice and tragedy is a vehicle to actions more holy than the Blame Game. Have you heard anything, since this began, about forgiveness? I haven’t. What about compassion? There’s been some talk of that, but too little for my tastes. Perhaps we’re still too focused on screaming, “When will this end!,” to attain such perspective. But if we aren’t treating others with respect before the Spill is contained, can we expect to flip a switch and start acting well when that blessed day finally comes?
I wish I had room to develop this more fully. It’s very complicated, and I don’t mean to diminish anyone’s raw emotions, or belittle our collective frustrations at something so beyond our control. But I do believe, with all my heart, that Jesus’ message is that the power of love is the most powerful force in Creation. Greater than gushing oil. More powerful still than anger, however closely related at times. And certainly more holy than blame and derision. We should expect more of ourselves. God does.
Grace and Peace,
Shane Read more!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
New ways to love…
Maybe you’ve heard by now…The Isners have a new puppy! Her name is Fawkes (pronounced Fox- a Harry Potter reference, not the Gunpowder Plot), and she’s a certified mutt. The Humane Society suggested one mix of breeds; the vet debated another; i.e. no one knows! But who cares? She’s beautiful, and we’ve grown attached quickly!
Thus, our sadness when May 22, our vet said she’d contracted Parvo Virus, and had a 50/50 shot at living. So we took her to the hospital, and spent that afternoon/evening very anxious. But the next morning, while at church alone preparing for Sunday’s service, the vet called me. She said Fawkes made it through the night remarkably well, was on the road to recovery and we could take her home! Needless to say, the Isners were ecstatic, though just five days earlier, Fawkes wasn’t part of our family.
In fact, that’s been something surprising about my first week as a Pet Owner. We really love our puppy. It’s not a child, but... Personally, I’m not one for anthropomorphizing animals, but I’ve fallen for this dog, and so has my wife. And what’s more is how much I’ve enjoyed watching my wife’s response to this new source of love in our lives. I knew Tabitha loved dogs, and was really looking forward to adopting one. But her ‘puppy glow’ is stronger than I’d anticipated, and that stirs my heart as much as the new puppy (vice versa, she says). But we’re relative newlyweds, right?! We shouldn’t be susceptible to intensified feelings of love so soon! Does the human heart have a saturation point, when it can’t love any more?
No, it seems. And that’s part of the design. Genesis 1 claims humans were created in God’s image. From a Christian perspective, that means we were created to love- just like the Creator, Son and Spirit love into eternity and beyond. Indeed, that what’s so profound about the idea of the Trinity, that the essence of ‘who God is’ boils down to intimate relationship, or as 1 John puts it, “God is love.” And notice that relationship is larger than two. Apparently, in the divine sense, ‘love’ is strongest and best when a ‘third party’ enters the picture.
I’m learning something unique about that from my new dog. I presume parents can tell me more besides. Love between two people is wonderful and real. But when that love incorporates another- a child, dog, aging parent, some injustice you want to help rectify- something…more…happens. And presuming you don’t lose your individuality in that third party, your love for each other even grows.
Obviously, that’s but a rough sketch of something still new to me, but it reminds me of how church works when church works best. People have asked me, “Shane, what does a church need to do to be a strong, growing church?” Simple- Love. Which seems cliché and easy, but think of it as I just described. No church is attractive if the people don’t love each other, right? Especially an intimate community like ours. But how does a church deepen its intimacy and love for each another? Spend time together…Have fun together…all things we do well! But how about this? Love others. Indeed, every strong church I’ve ever seen- regardless of size, location, ideology- does one thing well: They’ve found others outside of themselves to actively love, and engage in ministry.
And that’s different for every church, right?! For some, it’s families with small children. Others engage older adults in retirement communities. Some minister to people wounded by the Church, or homeless veterans, or… The possibilities are endless! But the common factor is this Trinity Factor- Church works best when God, self and neighbor are loved. It’s never just about us.
I’ve said that before, of course. I’ll say it again! But my new dog is bringing it home to my home in a whole new way. And so I’m excited to see how our church, throughout 2010, will find new people to love and engage in ministry. As that continues to happen, I’m betting our intimacy as a community will only increase as well.
Grace and Peace,
Shane
Read more!
Thus, our sadness when May 22, our vet said she’d contracted Parvo Virus, and had a 50/50 shot at living. So we took her to the hospital, and spent that afternoon/evening very anxious. But the next morning, while at church alone preparing for Sunday’s service, the vet called me. She said Fawkes made it through the night remarkably well, was on the road to recovery and we could take her home! Needless to say, the Isners were ecstatic, though just five days earlier, Fawkes wasn’t part of our family.
In fact, that’s been something surprising about my first week as a Pet Owner. We really love our puppy. It’s not a child, but... Personally, I’m not one for anthropomorphizing animals, but I’ve fallen for this dog, and so has my wife. And what’s more is how much I’ve enjoyed watching my wife’s response to this new source of love in our lives. I knew Tabitha loved dogs, and was really looking forward to adopting one. But her ‘puppy glow’ is stronger than I’d anticipated, and that stirs my heart as much as the new puppy (vice versa, she says). But we’re relative newlyweds, right?! We shouldn’t be susceptible to intensified feelings of love so soon! Does the human heart have a saturation point, when it can’t love any more?
No, it seems. And that’s part of the design. Genesis 1 claims humans were created in God’s image. From a Christian perspective, that means we were created to love- just like the Creator, Son and Spirit love into eternity and beyond. Indeed, that what’s so profound about the idea of the Trinity, that the essence of ‘who God is’ boils down to intimate relationship, or as 1 John puts it, “God is love.” And notice that relationship is larger than two. Apparently, in the divine sense, ‘love’ is strongest and best when a ‘third party’ enters the picture.
I’m learning something unique about that from my new dog. I presume parents can tell me more besides. Love between two people is wonderful and real. But when that love incorporates another- a child, dog, aging parent, some injustice you want to help rectify- something…more…happens. And presuming you don’t lose your individuality in that third party, your love for each other even grows.
Obviously, that’s but a rough sketch of something still new to me, but it reminds me of how church works when church works best. People have asked me, “Shane, what does a church need to do to be a strong, growing church?” Simple- Love. Which seems cliché and easy, but think of it as I just described. No church is attractive if the people don’t love each other, right? Especially an intimate community like ours. But how does a church deepen its intimacy and love for each another? Spend time together…Have fun together…all things we do well! But how about this? Love others. Indeed, every strong church I’ve ever seen- regardless of size, location, ideology- does one thing well: They’ve found others outside of themselves to actively love, and engage in ministry.
And that’s different for every church, right?! For some, it’s families with small children. Others engage older adults in retirement communities. Some minister to people wounded by the Church, or homeless veterans, or… The possibilities are endless! But the common factor is this Trinity Factor- Church works best when God, self and neighbor are loved. It’s never just about us.
I’ve said that before, of course. I’ll say it again! But my new dog is bringing it home to my home in a whole new way. And so I’m excited to see how our church, throughout 2010, will find new people to love and engage in ministry. As that continues to happen, I’m betting our intimacy as a community will only increase as well.
Grace and Peace,
Shane
Read more!
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