Ever feel like Christmas is a heavy holiday? That the day doesn’t so much arrive as it falls on you like a stack of firewood? I do. Every year, I want to celebrate Christmas with abandon and joy and a deep sense of spiritual renewal. But when I think about it, the anxiety machine in my heart ramps up for heavy production. I worry about worship planning, shopping lists for meals and gifts, the budget, charitable giving, etc. And yet, a sneaking suspicion always lurks in my mind that the point of Christmas is getting drowned out. Retailers call the day after Thanksgiving (i.e. the Holiday Shopping Season’s ‘official’ start) “Black Friday,” a reference to their hope that high sales on that day will turn their ledgers from red to black. But for many, I feel that day marks a transition of their mood from joyful to dark and gloomy, because the Holiday Season is more complicated than it should be.
We talked about that at a recent Worship Team meeting, and decided to fight back! Rather than resign ourselves to another Christmas overly complicated by too much unneeded stuff, we Plymouth Creekers will refocus on the simple stories and meanings of this wonderful season. So the theme for this year’s Advent is “Simply Christmas,” and we’ll explore that theme in multiple ways. Our sanctuary will have fewer decorations than normal. Every week, we’ll sing simple Christmas and Holiday songs, and retell just the basic stories of Christmas through our scriptures and sermons. And to cut through the over-commercialization of Christmas (ponder- How did we let Jesus’ birth become The occasion for stores to pressure folk into irresponsible spending?!?), we’re asking that you plan to give more needed gifts with us every week.
#1- Chana W challenged us recently to bring simple toiletries for families in need, believing that a simple tube of toothpaste can be a great Christmas gift. And beyond that, every week of Advent we’ll have a new opportunity to give a simple needed gift, reflecting that day’s theme. You know how each candle on the Advent Wreath has a unique meaning? Advent 1 is Hope, 2 is Love, 3 Joy, 4 Peace... Well, every Sunday, as we light a new candle and tell another part of the story of Jesus’ birth, we’ll put a simple item in front of the Sanctuary. That item will symbolize the simple theme and story of the week, and will also serve as a chance for you to give to people in need.
Of course, I won’t ruin the surprise, and tell you now what those items will be! But I will tell you what the schedule will be for our various gifts, so you can bring those to church on the corresponding Sunday. Just imagine- as Christmas gets closer and closer, the front of our Sanctuary will fill with the generous gifts of our church for those who need these gifts this season more than we. Pretty cool idea, I think, so we’re trying it out to see how it works. Here’s the schedule:
On November 28, the first Sunday in Advent, please bring a foodshelf donation. Click here for a list of items that are especially helpful.
On December 5, the second Sunday in Advent, please bring a children’s book (or a couple!) that’s new or gently used, and especially, if you can, toddler board books.
On December 12, the third Sunday in Advent, please bring a baby blanket (or a couple!), that’s new or gently used, and/or any other cold weather clothing like hats, jackets, mittens.
On December 19, the fourth Sunday in Advent, please bring money for a special peace offering, which will be explained on that Sunday.
At its most basic, the simple point of Jesus’ birth- and life, death and resurrection- was to transport us beyond ourselves into God’s very presence, and so give us deeper compassion and love for all God’s Creation. Living for something beyond yourself; a simple idea, sure. But it’s a Christmas gift we all need again and again, and a better one than even my deeply coveted Amazon Kindle…
Grace and Peace,
Shane
Read more!
Friday, November 19, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
Last Things…
Prompted by a text message, I wrote a letter recently about the soul. And I so enjoyed writing that, I decided to wash/rinse/repeat. Except I didn’t get a text message this time; it was an email. And it wasn’t about the soul; this one pondered the End Times. I promise this won’t be too scary…
First, a memory. In high school, my youth group once attended a weekend event called, “Choir of the Fire.” It offered loud music, ‘Christian Cool’ t-shirts for purchase and all the fun we could handle. But my strongest memory is of the keynote speaker and his theory about the End of the World, which according to (his interpretation of) Revelation would occur soon. So Revelation’s Ten-Horned Beast was the European Union (which had 10 member states then …coincidence?…he thought not). A resurrected Soviet Union would invade Israel. Armageddon would ensue, literally. In retrospect, I find the idea rather disgusting; gathering hundreds of impressionable youth, exciting them with pleasing sights and sounds, and then, at just the right time, scaring Hell into them so they’d support your ideology. I’m sure he’d describe it differently; that he was encouraging us, telling us important stuff others weren’t. At the time, though, I was freaked out, and years later, I’m deeply skeptical of fear-based theology, and especially anyone claiming to know the future through Biblical Interpretation.
And yet, one of my favorite seminary books was The Writings of Joachim di Fiore. This 12th Century monk/mystic was all the rage in his day, although the Catholic Church hierarchy thought him quite insane. He predicted that in 1260 CE, the Church would cease, because history-as-we-know-it would end. All humans (not just clergy) would connect directly with God. So-called heathens and Christians would reconcile. He even drew sweeping, detailed (and yes, perhaps a bit insane) pictures of dragons and angels and the Trinity, all metaphorical depictions of his theories, based on- you guessed it- interpretations of Revelation. I loved the book’s imagination, inclusive spirit and poetic boldness (not its End Times theology or Biblical interpretation)!
Ever notice how some Christians dream up vast, detailed theories about the End of Days, Heaven and Hell, yet spend almost no energy dreaming about a better life in this life for more people? I find that unfortunate, even contrary to the point of Revelation (and all Biblical Prophecy). Revelation, after all, was written (late 1st/early 2nd Century CE) for small Christian Communities experiencing much pressure and oppression. One of their leaders (the text’s author) was in exile; local authorities had changed from tolerating this weird obsession with a crucified carpenter, to actively targeting and hurting Jesus’ Disciples. So John writes to his oppressed minority communities, imaginatively proclaiming that even if the violent, unjust Roman Empire (aka, the Beast) wants to do them harm, the One Who Really Matters- Christ Triumphant- is on their side. And Jesus will reign at the End, he contends, but mostly he wants to help them live more courageously today.
Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 25 about God’s question for us in the End? It wasn’t, “Did you hold the ‘right’ beliefs- about Me or the End Times?" But rather, "What have you done to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the prisoner?" I.e. Love your neighbor? Basically, I think Paul’s right that, "The Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night." So we shouldn't waste time worrying about when it’ll end, in what ways, etc. God's got that covered. Rather, we all should live our lives now as if (another Jesus quote), "The Kingdom of God is at hand," is alive in our midst already! So we treat neighbors with love and compassion like Jesus were standing next to us. We act humbly, with respect and forgiveness, like the darkness that still permeates life isn't the most important thing. Because it isn't! God's loving presence is, and is always around us, prepared to connect directly with us, and so inspire us to be better and love more than we would otherwise. I guess Joachim got that one right.
Then again, we do live post-1260…eerie…
Grace and Peace,
Shane
Read more!
First, a memory. In high school, my youth group once attended a weekend event called, “Choir of the Fire.” It offered loud music, ‘Christian Cool’ t-shirts for purchase and all the fun we could handle. But my strongest memory is of the keynote speaker and his theory about the End of the World, which according to (his interpretation of) Revelation would occur soon. So Revelation’s Ten-Horned Beast was the European Union (which had 10 member states then …coincidence?…he thought not). A resurrected Soviet Union would invade Israel. Armageddon would ensue, literally. In retrospect, I find the idea rather disgusting; gathering hundreds of impressionable youth, exciting them with pleasing sights and sounds, and then, at just the right time, scaring Hell into them so they’d support your ideology. I’m sure he’d describe it differently; that he was encouraging us, telling us important stuff others weren’t. At the time, though, I was freaked out, and years later, I’m deeply skeptical of fear-based theology, and especially anyone claiming to know the future through Biblical Interpretation.
And yet, one of my favorite seminary books was The Writings of Joachim di Fiore. This 12th Century monk/mystic was all the rage in his day, although the Catholic Church hierarchy thought him quite insane. He predicted that in 1260 CE, the Church would cease, because history-as-we-know-it would end. All humans (not just clergy) would connect directly with God. So-called heathens and Christians would reconcile. He even drew sweeping, detailed (and yes, perhaps a bit insane) pictures of dragons and angels and the Trinity, all metaphorical depictions of his theories, based on- you guessed it- interpretations of Revelation. I loved the book’s imagination, inclusive spirit and poetic boldness (not its End Times theology or Biblical interpretation)!
Ever notice how some Christians dream up vast, detailed theories about the End of Days, Heaven and Hell, yet spend almost no energy dreaming about a better life in this life for more people? I find that unfortunate, even contrary to the point of Revelation (and all Biblical Prophecy). Revelation, after all, was written (late 1st/early 2nd Century CE) for small Christian Communities experiencing much pressure and oppression. One of their leaders (the text’s author) was in exile; local authorities had changed from tolerating this weird obsession with a crucified carpenter, to actively targeting and hurting Jesus’ Disciples. So John writes to his oppressed minority communities, imaginatively proclaiming that even if the violent, unjust Roman Empire (aka, the Beast) wants to do them harm, the One Who Really Matters- Christ Triumphant- is on their side. And Jesus will reign at the End, he contends, but mostly he wants to help them live more courageously today.
Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 25 about God’s question for us in the End? It wasn’t, “Did you hold the ‘right’ beliefs- about Me or the End Times?" But rather, "What have you done to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the prisoner?" I.e. Love your neighbor? Basically, I think Paul’s right that, "The Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night." So we shouldn't waste time worrying about when it’ll end, in what ways, etc. God's got that covered. Rather, we all should live our lives now as if (another Jesus quote), "The Kingdom of God is at hand," is alive in our midst already! So we treat neighbors with love and compassion like Jesus were standing next to us. We act humbly, with respect and forgiveness, like the darkness that still permeates life isn't the most important thing. Because it isn't! God's loving presence is, and is always around us, prepared to connect directly with us, and so inspire us to be better and love more than we would otherwise. I guess Joachim got that one right.
Then again, we do live post-1260…eerie…
Grace and Peace,
Shane
Read more!
Friday, November 5, 2010
Movement for wholeness…
I write these letters weekly, and often deciding what to write is half the challenge. Some weeks, the subject is obvious- something happened, or will happen, that needs addressing. Other weeks, finding an appropriate topic is like pulling teeth. But this week’s subject is one I’ve been sitting on since September. In part, I wasn’t entirely sure what to write. Mostly, though, I didn’t want bad timing to get in the way. I began pondering it after receiving an email from our denomination’s “News Service.” It read, “For Immediate Release,” which sounded important and urgent, so I read on. It turns out that our denomination’s leader, Rev. Dr. Sharon Watkins, had a request for Disciples churches- that we hold conversations, in our churches, about immigration, on or around Columbus Day.
This request surprised me, especially its For Immediate Release format. Last week, I got another such email, announcing major staff reductions at our denominational HQ. That issue seemed more obviously suited For Immediate Release. ‘Immigration Conversations,’ though certainly important for faithful people to undertake, felt to me somehow, well, less urgent…
I was also concerned about the news release’s timing. In case you didn’t notice (of course you did!), it’s an election year, and ‘immigration’ isn’t just a spiritual topic, but a political one. People in both major parties use it to build support, and lash out at opponents. Some attempts work, some don’t, and too many from all sides of this issue (I think) are demagogic and mean. But something that seems true is that, whatever one’s perspective, immigration can stir up deep, deep emotions.
Maybe that reason- its emotional power- is why our denominational leaders want us to broach the topic. Something our church does well (or should) is unite people with differing ideologies and beliefs. And not with the expectation that we’d eventually kowtow to one viewpoint, but that we’d respectfully, honestly listen and respond to each other, even if the topic is one- like immigration- our society has trouble talking about amicably. In that sense, we can be a witness to the broader public about Christ’s love; how it doesn’t demand conformity, but is inclusive of many differences. We are, “a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world.”
But the reason I didn’t mention this before Columbus Day, as requested, is, frankly, I didn’t want elections to get in the way of doing church. I firmly believe we can and should talk about political and social issues at church; exploring together God’s role in our civic participation, without defaming each other or acting partisan. And as a pastor ordained in a congregation full of first/second generation immigrant families, I have interest in this particular topic. Nevertheless, counting as a blessing that our church has folk from different political persuasions (not many places where that happens anymore!), I didn’t think the month leading up to a national election was the right time. Our denominational leaders did; they may know something I don’t. But I figured we’d do the issue better justice, if anyone wanted to discuss it all, once partisan attacks on our radios and TVs ceased, and the environment was better suited for respectful discourse.
And again, I don’t know if y’all even care about this?! We could discuss it in Sunday School, after church 2x a month, in a mid-week forum at a coffee shop/bar. Perhaps you’ll just email me your thoughts, and I’ll compile them in another pastoral letter. Or maybe, despite the invitation, we don’t consider this important. But I think one of my jobs is to help our church connect to the denomination’s wider life. So having received this request from our leaders, I felt I should pass it on.
So what do you think? Do you want to talk- formally or not- with PCCCers about immigration? If not, why not? If so, how, or what would you want to say? They’ve provided resources to get started, or we can go our own way (Us? Shocking!). But mostly, I hope you’ll think about God’s role in your civic participation, and perhaps thank God we can have strong political disagreements at all in this country.
Grace and Peace,
Shane
Read more!
This request surprised me, especially its For Immediate Release format. Last week, I got another such email, announcing major staff reductions at our denominational HQ. That issue seemed more obviously suited For Immediate Release. ‘Immigration Conversations,’ though certainly important for faithful people to undertake, felt to me somehow, well, less urgent…
I was also concerned about the news release’s timing. In case you didn’t notice (of course you did!), it’s an election year, and ‘immigration’ isn’t just a spiritual topic, but a political one. People in both major parties use it to build support, and lash out at opponents. Some attempts work, some don’t, and too many from all sides of this issue (I think) are demagogic and mean. But something that seems true is that, whatever one’s perspective, immigration can stir up deep, deep emotions.
Maybe that reason- its emotional power- is why our denominational leaders want us to broach the topic. Something our church does well (or should) is unite people with differing ideologies and beliefs. And not with the expectation that we’d eventually kowtow to one viewpoint, but that we’d respectfully, honestly listen and respond to each other, even if the topic is one- like immigration- our society has trouble talking about amicably. In that sense, we can be a witness to the broader public about Christ’s love; how it doesn’t demand conformity, but is inclusive of many differences. We are, “a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world.”
But the reason I didn’t mention this before Columbus Day, as requested, is, frankly, I didn’t want elections to get in the way of doing church. I firmly believe we can and should talk about political and social issues at church; exploring together God’s role in our civic participation, without defaming each other or acting partisan. And as a pastor ordained in a congregation full of first/second generation immigrant families, I have interest in this particular topic. Nevertheless, counting as a blessing that our church has folk from different political persuasions (not many places where that happens anymore!), I didn’t think the month leading up to a national election was the right time. Our denominational leaders did; they may know something I don’t. But I figured we’d do the issue better justice, if anyone wanted to discuss it all, once partisan attacks on our radios and TVs ceased, and the environment was better suited for respectful discourse.
And again, I don’t know if y’all even care about this?! We could discuss it in Sunday School, after church 2x a month, in a mid-week forum at a coffee shop/bar. Perhaps you’ll just email me your thoughts, and I’ll compile them in another pastoral letter. Or maybe, despite the invitation, we don’t consider this important. But I think one of my jobs is to help our church connect to the denomination’s wider life. So having received this request from our leaders, I felt I should pass it on.
So what do you think? Do you want to talk- formally or not- with PCCCers about immigration? If not, why not? If so, how, or what would you want to say? They’ve provided resources to get started, or we can go our own way (Us? Shocking!). But mostly, I hope you’ll think about God’s role in your civic participation, and perhaps thank God we can have strong political disagreements at all in this country.
Grace and Peace,
Shane
Read more!
Monday, November 1, 2010
Finding our voice… (November Creeksider)
It’s a mantra in certain educational circles, that the goal of teaching isn’t so much that youth and children memorize certain facts and information, but that they’d ‘find their voices.’ Yes, yes, times tables and basic grammar are crucial to achieving basic educational competency. But beyond that, say in history class, is it absolutely vital that a child remember all 10 amendments in the Bill of Rights? Or learn how to think critically about their understanding of, say, our First Amendment guarantees of free speech and assembly? Some would choose option a), others option b). I side with the latter, basically because information like “What’s in the Bill of Rights” is so easily accessible in this internet/iPhone age, that I’d prefer youth and children learn to think for themselves, rather than memorize a bunch of stuff. But again, I respect the many opinions in that debate.
I bring it up, though, to ask a simple question about our congregation- “Are we finding our voice, as a community of faith?”
Sure, we’re over three decades old, but like most churches, we’ve ebbed and flowed in terms of “Why do we do church,” and I think I was called, over two years ago, to help us rediscover an answer. In short, I think we are definitely ‘finding our voice,’ but I want to y’all to think again about why that even matters. And in order to make this discussion specific, let’s use an object lesson: IOCP.
You probably know that IOCP stands for Interfaith Outreach and Community Partners, and for most of the Northwestern suburbs (including most of Plymouth), they’re the foodshelf/social service agency we rely on to help our most desperate neighbors in need. They don’t meet all the housing/hunger needs of this community, alas, but they get close, and do amazing work. Well, every year, their major fundraiser is called the Sleep Out, and local businesses, churches, scout troops, etc., will sleep outside on various nights to raise funds and awareness for suburban homelessness and affordable housing. Our church will join in Saturday, November 20- sleeping on our lawn in boxes, tents, parked cars, and having a great time for a good cause. Please join us! Or if not, give to a sleeper.
But there’s another way we’re helping the 2010 Sleep Out. For the whole campaign (Nov. 12-Dec. 12), our church sign will track the growing amount of money raised, and what’s still needed to meet our community’s needs. This year, the goal is to help 900 families by raising $1.8 million dollars. And PCCC has committed to informing everyone who drives by our church how we all are doing.
“But couldn’t we use that sign for other things- advertising your sermons, our Thanksgiving service, making cutsy jokes?” Sure, but I think this is more important. After all, one of our church values is joyfully serving our neighbors in need. And if challenging our neighbors to give more for housing assistance will help (and I think it will), then, by golly, let’s do it! But beyond the Sleep Out campaign, I see a growing pattern. Reaching out to neighbors through the Sleep Out and the Blessing of the Animals; organizing groups to learn about the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Maple Grove Hindu Temple; the annual Women’s Tea and an upcoming Wine to Water fundraiser for international water security. Our church is slowly but surely reaching out in greater and louder ways to show people what a cool community this is. One that’s open to new ways of thinking and fresh ways of doing church. One that spends as much, if not more time worrying about helping others as helping ourselves. We can, and should, reach out more, and better, and I urge your help. But let’s be honest folks: We’re finding our voice- a proclamation of Christian faith that is open, service-oriented and ecstatic about serving God and others. Let’s keep it up! And serve more, and speak louder- on the church sign, through exciting new events, in stories we tell to people we meet, because we’re just that happy about what God’s doing with our intimate, wonderful church.
Grace and Peace,
Shane
Read more!
I bring it up, though, to ask a simple question about our congregation- “Are we finding our voice, as a community of faith?”
Sure, we’re over three decades old, but like most churches, we’ve ebbed and flowed in terms of “Why do we do church,” and I think I was called, over two years ago, to help us rediscover an answer. In short, I think we are definitely ‘finding our voice,’ but I want to y’all to think again about why that even matters. And in order to make this discussion specific, let’s use an object lesson: IOCP.
You probably know that IOCP stands for Interfaith Outreach and Community Partners, and for most of the Northwestern suburbs (including most of Plymouth), they’re the foodshelf/social service agency we rely on to help our most desperate neighbors in need. They don’t meet all the housing/hunger needs of this community, alas, but they get close, and do amazing work. Well, every year, their major fundraiser is called the Sleep Out, and local businesses, churches, scout troops, etc., will sleep outside on various nights to raise funds and awareness for suburban homelessness and affordable housing. Our church will join in Saturday, November 20- sleeping on our lawn in boxes, tents, parked cars, and having a great time for a good cause. Please join us! Or if not, give to a sleeper.
But there’s another way we’re helping the 2010 Sleep Out. For the whole campaign (Nov. 12-Dec. 12), our church sign will track the growing amount of money raised, and what’s still needed to meet our community’s needs. This year, the goal is to help 900 families by raising $1.8 million dollars. And PCCC has committed to informing everyone who drives by our church how we all are doing.
“But couldn’t we use that sign for other things- advertising your sermons, our Thanksgiving service, making cutsy jokes?” Sure, but I think this is more important. After all, one of our church values is joyfully serving our neighbors in need. And if challenging our neighbors to give more for housing assistance will help (and I think it will), then, by golly, let’s do it! But beyond the Sleep Out campaign, I see a growing pattern. Reaching out to neighbors through the Sleep Out and the Blessing of the Animals; organizing groups to learn about the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Maple Grove Hindu Temple; the annual Women’s Tea and an upcoming Wine to Water fundraiser for international water security. Our church is slowly but surely reaching out in greater and louder ways to show people what a cool community this is. One that’s open to new ways of thinking and fresh ways of doing church. One that spends as much, if not more time worrying about helping others as helping ourselves. We can, and should, reach out more, and better, and I urge your help. But let’s be honest folks: We’re finding our voice- a proclamation of Christian faith that is open, service-oriented and ecstatic about serving God and others. Let’s keep it up! And serve more, and speak louder- on the church sign, through exciting new events, in stories we tell to people we meet, because we’re just that happy about what God’s doing with our intimate, wonderful church.
Grace and Peace,
Shane
Read more!
Friday, October 29, 2010
Reaching out…
Last Spring, I became an official Board member of the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches. They needed a Disciples of Christ representative; I’m a DoC pastor; someone gave them my name; it worked out. And I’m constantly fighting the urge to find it rather ridiculous.
Not the organization! I mean, it’s the largest Council of Churches in the country (budget and programming-wise). It began and coordinates the MN FoodShare (the March fund and food raising drive that provides over half the resources for all of MN’s foodshelves). They facilitate more volunteers than any other organization in the state (some through direct programs, others indirectly through their many social service partners). And they have an unparalleled record with advocating and resourcing Native people (Minnesota’s most at-risk demographic, besides refugees),
overcoming racism (their recently opened Center for Families provides creative and meaningful support to Minneapolis’ six major West African ethnic groups) and, as their slogan claims, “Uniting people of faith to serve people in need”. As you can tell, I’m impressed; they do what church should do, in the beyond-worship sense. And I’m a Board Member. That’s what seems ridiculous.
Usually, in my view, Board members of such organizations are either a) Influential professionals in the field- so there are bishops and other bigwig preachers on the Board, or b) Wealthy donors who want to get more involved with this non-profit they believe in. I’m 29, less than five years out of Divinity School, and as my wife and the IRS can tell you, nowhere close to ‘wealthy’. But since our denomination helped establish and fund GMCC over the decades, we have a place at the table.
And I was willing, so they brought me in. When talking with the Executive Director, Garry Reierson, about what I could bring to the Board, he quipped, “By your presence, you’ve reduced our average
age substantially.” I said, “Just trying to help!”
Anyway, I bring it up because I tried recently to put that unique quality- my age- to good use. I met with their marketing team about reaching out to Young Adults. GMCC, like many churches and church-related organizations, has an aging volunteer and donor base. Partly that’s natural, reflecting demographic shifts throughout society. But it’s also a function of what I described in the meeting as, “YA’s, broadly, don’t trust institutions, especially religious ones. They want to help their neighbors, do good, but without someone loading them down with ‘God junk’.” And that wasn’t anything this quality team didn’t know, but the point remains- My generation doesn’t trust church, or as is sometimes sneeringly stated, “organized religion.”
Why is that? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I think, in no particular order:
- The institutional church has done some real stupid things in the past- distant and recent- without adequately repenting, or celebrating and accentuating the good things.
- YA’s have grown up accustomed to and excited by pluralism and relativism, and many churches have trouble embracing that.
- When we walk into churches, we’re greeted with, “We really need you; help us out,” rather than, “Tell me about yourself; how we can help you?”
But most of all, I’m coming to wonder, is whether churches are offering what people my age need. Some churches do a good job of guessing what we like- Loud music, top-notch digital programming, services using U2 music. But Jesus wasn’t ever just about feeding peoples desires. He was also, and perhaps primarily, involved with feeding hungry mouths and souls, i.e. giving us what we need. And I doubt that’s changed much as generation has passed onto generation- we need sustenance, forgiveness, intimacy with God and others, a purpose in life. And that’s what church is supposed to deliver. So maybe churches should stop worrying about what YAs like and want, and start talking more honestly, non-judgmentally, compassionately about how Jesus and Church have given us what we, personally, have needed, throughout our lives. That would require serious vulnerability, I know, extra time, and a healthy dose of humble authenticity. But fortunately, that’s something Jesus thought highly of. And they’re values that resonate with my generation…
Grace and Peace,
Shane Read more!
Not the organization! I mean, it’s the largest Council of Churches in the country (budget and programming-wise). It began and coordinates the MN FoodShare (the March fund and food raising drive that provides over half the resources for all of MN’s foodshelves). They facilitate more volunteers than any other organization in the state (some through direct programs, others indirectly through their many social service partners). And they have an unparalleled record with advocating and resourcing Native people (Minnesota’s most at-risk demographic, besides refugees),
overcoming racism (their recently opened Center for Families provides creative and meaningful support to Minneapolis’ six major West African ethnic groups) and, as their slogan claims, “Uniting people of faith to serve people in need”. As you can tell, I’m impressed; they do what church should do, in the beyond-worship sense. And I’m a Board Member. That’s what seems ridiculous.
Usually, in my view, Board members of such organizations are either a) Influential professionals in the field- so there are bishops and other bigwig preachers on the Board, or b) Wealthy donors who want to get more involved with this non-profit they believe in. I’m 29, less than five years out of Divinity School, and as my wife and the IRS can tell you, nowhere close to ‘wealthy’. But since our denomination helped establish and fund GMCC over the decades, we have a place at the table.
And I was willing, so they brought me in. When talking with the Executive Director, Garry Reierson, about what I could bring to the Board, he quipped, “By your presence, you’ve reduced our average
age substantially.” I said, “Just trying to help!”
Anyway, I bring it up because I tried recently to put that unique quality- my age- to good use. I met with their marketing team about reaching out to Young Adults. GMCC, like many churches and church-related organizations, has an aging volunteer and donor base. Partly that’s natural, reflecting demographic shifts throughout society. But it’s also a function of what I described in the meeting as, “YA’s, broadly, don’t trust institutions, especially religious ones. They want to help their neighbors, do good, but without someone loading them down with ‘God junk’.” And that wasn’t anything this quality team didn’t know, but the point remains- My generation doesn’t trust church, or as is sometimes sneeringly stated, “organized religion.”
Why is that? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I think, in no particular order:
- The institutional church has done some real stupid things in the past- distant and recent- without adequately repenting, or celebrating and accentuating the good things.
- YA’s have grown up accustomed to and excited by pluralism and relativism, and many churches have trouble embracing that.
- When we walk into churches, we’re greeted with, “We really need you; help us out,” rather than, “Tell me about yourself; how we can help you?”
But most of all, I’m coming to wonder, is whether churches are offering what people my age need. Some churches do a good job of guessing what we like- Loud music, top-notch digital programming, services using U2 music. But Jesus wasn’t ever just about feeding peoples desires. He was also, and perhaps primarily, involved with feeding hungry mouths and souls, i.e. giving us what we need. And I doubt that’s changed much as generation has passed onto generation- we need sustenance, forgiveness, intimacy with God and others, a purpose in life. And that’s what church is supposed to deliver. So maybe churches should stop worrying about what YAs like and want, and start talking more honestly, non-judgmentally, compassionately about how Jesus and Church have given us what we, personally, have needed, throughout our lives. That would require serious vulnerability, I know, extra time, and a healthy dose of humble authenticity. But fortunately, that’s something Jesus thought highly of. And they’re values that resonate with my generation…
Grace and Peace,
Shane Read more!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Will one will…
One of our youth texted me last week- “I got a deep question, when you have the chance.” So on Sunday we chatted, and the question was deep indeed! “Shane, in your opinion, what’s the soul?” This about five minutes before service started. Certainly time for an adequate answer, right?! Well, I tried, but wanted to say more. So I’m writing about it today; I’ll be curious for your responses.
Here’s my two cents: Like a good preacher, my first instinct is, “Let’s do a word study!” (Insert YAWN here- but please bear with me) The Greek word for ‘soul’ is yuch or psyche (pronounced p-sue-kay), which has a complicated history. Mostly, I think people regard it as an invisible, immortal spirit-person living “inside” the body, who goes onto some afterlife judgment or reward, depending on how good that body acted. Some even consider that spirit-person/soul the only important part about us.
But, the eternal question seems to be, how does the soul affect our lives/bodies? Well, if you believe Plato, it’s through our brains, or as he says, Reason. Always battling the emotions, appetites and will (which Plato doesn’t think highly of), in a perfect world Reason controls things, producing the cardinal virtues- wisdom, courage, temperance, justice. That’s the soul doing its job, for which it should receive eternal reward.
Sound fanciful? Maybe…but consider hymn #254 in our Hymnal, Verse 2- “Breathe on me, Breath of God, until my heart is pure, until with thee I will one will, to do and to endure.” There’s yearning here that our lives (souls?) align with God’s holiness and virtue, and it’s especially interesting that the hymn identifies “breath” as the way that occurs. In Hebrew (the other Biblical language), the word we translate soul, ruach, is also translated as wind and/or breath. So the Breath or Spirit of God is what moved over the waters “in the beginning” to form order and life; it guided the people to liberation and remains the very life-force of life itself.
Think about it- when living things have breath, we live. When breathing stops, life stops. So breath and spirit (or soul) are related, in this way of thinking, as if breath is the outward symbol of our inner life- our very own tidbit of eternity. How does the soul, then, affect our lives/bodies? Imagine a downed electric wire. When electricity moves through it, the wire jumps and sparks- it’s animated by electricity- but when the current’s turned off, the wire lays flat. Such is another idea about our soul; the animating life-force of life.
On one level, these two ideas aren’t very far apart. But I love the emphasis that the Hebrew vision puts on the body as the spirit’s rightful home, not some temporary holding place. There is no unavoidable war between soul and body; it’s all one. Plato, and the many Christians he influenced (especially St. Paul), were wrong, I think, about the emotions and appetites. Yes, they can be dangerous and manipulative. But so can Reason. Besides, as any lover or musician will attest, our emotional life has much greater opportunity for joy and excitement than our intellectual pursuits. If our soul operates primarily through Reason, Heaven will be a boring place! Even for a philosophy major like me…
Rather, think of our passions, desires, hopes and fears as part and parcel to the human adventure; intended by God to be embraced prudently, not treated as obstacles to overcome. Indeed, maybe it’s in suitably integrating our hearts and heads- not suppressing either one with the other- that the soul’s true affect is found. “Breathe on me, Breath of God, fill me with life anew, that I may love what Thou dost love, and do what Thou wouldst do.”
As for the soul and Heaven, well, here’s where I think Paul’s right on- as you can’t see the glory of a tree by looking at its seed, so we can’t see the wonder of paradise by looking at life now. We’re just convinced it’ll be glorious, because the Breath of life will surround us all from everlasting to everlasting. Glory be to God!
Grace and Peace,
Shane
Read more!
Here’s my two cents: Like a good preacher, my first instinct is, “Let’s do a word study!” (Insert YAWN here- but please bear with me) The Greek word for ‘soul’ is yuch or psyche (pronounced p-sue-kay), which has a complicated history. Mostly, I think people regard it as an invisible, immortal spirit-person living “inside” the body, who goes onto some afterlife judgment or reward, depending on how good that body acted. Some even consider that spirit-person/soul the only important part about us.
But, the eternal question seems to be, how does the soul affect our lives/bodies? Well, if you believe Plato, it’s through our brains, or as he says, Reason. Always battling the emotions, appetites and will (which Plato doesn’t think highly of), in a perfect world Reason controls things, producing the cardinal virtues- wisdom, courage, temperance, justice. That’s the soul doing its job, for which it should receive eternal reward.
Sound fanciful? Maybe…but consider hymn #254 in our Hymnal, Verse 2- “Breathe on me, Breath of God, until my heart is pure, until with thee I will one will, to do and to endure.” There’s yearning here that our lives (souls?) align with God’s holiness and virtue, and it’s especially interesting that the hymn identifies “breath” as the way that occurs. In Hebrew (the other Biblical language), the word we translate soul, ruach, is also translated as wind and/or breath. So the Breath or Spirit of God is what moved over the waters “in the beginning” to form order and life; it guided the people to liberation and remains the very life-force of life itself.
Think about it- when living things have breath, we live. When breathing stops, life stops. So breath and spirit (or soul) are related, in this way of thinking, as if breath is the outward symbol of our inner life- our very own tidbit of eternity. How does the soul, then, affect our lives/bodies? Imagine a downed electric wire. When electricity moves through it, the wire jumps and sparks- it’s animated by electricity- but when the current’s turned off, the wire lays flat. Such is another idea about our soul; the animating life-force of life.
On one level, these two ideas aren’t very far apart. But I love the emphasis that the Hebrew vision puts on the body as the spirit’s rightful home, not some temporary holding place. There is no unavoidable war between soul and body; it’s all one. Plato, and the many Christians he influenced (especially St. Paul), were wrong, I think, about the emotions and appetites. Yes, they can be dangerous and manipulative. But so can Reason. Besides, as any lover or musician will attest, our emotional life has much greater opportunity for joy and excitement than our intellectual pursuits. If our soul operates primarily through Reason, Heaven will be a boring place! Even for a philosophy major like me…
Rather, think of our passions, desires, hopes and fears as part and parcel to the human adventure; intended by God to be embraced prudently, not treated as obstacles to overcome. Indeed, maybe it’s in suitably integrating our hearts and heads- not suppressing either one with the other- that the soul’s true affect is found. “Breathe on me, Breath of God, fill me with life anew, that I may love what Thou dost love, and do what Thou wouldst do.”
As for the soul and Heaven, well, here’s where I think Paul’s right on- as you can’t see the glory of a tree by looking at its seed, so we can’t see the wonder of paradise by looking at life now. We’re just convinced it’ll be glorious, because the Breath of life will surround us all from everlasting to everlasting. Glory be to God!
Grace and Peace,
Shane
Read more!
Friday, October 15, 2010
Effective idealism…
Last Saturday was my birthday, and I want to thank you for your birthday cards and well wishes! I received some at the church, others somehow made it to my home, despite the fact they were all addressed to the same wrong address. Which was rather humorous. To clarify, my address is 3711 Joppa Ave. S, not 3771. Unless you’re letter disagrees with my sermons, then send it to…well, I guess I’ll take those too. In any event, it was a fun birthday, especially because of the support of great people like you.
Being now almost 30 (insert disingenuous ‘old man’ joke here), I reflected this week on my current life situation, and how different it is from anything I imagined in my youth. I suspect I’m not the only one. My earliest memories of ‘projecting my ideal future’ involve me playing tight end for the Denver Broncos at age 29, or perhaps small forward for the Denver Nuggets. Alas, despite conventional wisdom to the contrary, those dreams were rather fanciful. But they changed at some point, and I then imagined I’d spend my twenties traveling the world, digging up dinosaur bones. Of course, that was before I knew that, if I’d gone that route, I would’ve likely still been in school at 30!
But again, my idealized future changed, and the older I got, the more realistic my dreams became. Or at least, I began to plan intermediate, measurable steps that would take me there, rather than just hopes and prayers. So I soon decided to become a brain surgeon, which, I admit, was still a reach. But I believed I could do it, and studied hard, and always took more science courses than required, sooner then required (ask me about the funny story of being the only freshman in biology class, when the teacher made a joke about genetics, my blue eyes and the mailman…). And when that ideal future changed, to the ministry path I’m currently on, I made the appropriate change in class schedules, college major and salary expectations. Still, even then, I couldn’t have imagined where I’d be now- married to a wonderful woman, serving a great church and living in Minnesota. Life takes you down unexpected paths, which sometimes exceed expectations.
Anyway, all that is prelude to the point of today’s letter, which is trying to convince you to take a survey for the Worship Team. As you might know, our Worship Team has spent the past year working very hard to help make our church’s fundamental activity as rich and moving as possible. Slowly but surely, we’re discerning an ideal future for our worship culture that is constantly creative, open, multicultural and familiar, all at the same time! That’s quite a task, and will take many months, even years. But we believe worship is so important, it’s worth the patience and devotion these wonderful people are giving it. Be sure to thank them, when you can, and especially our Leader, Martha Francis.
But as I discovered about effective dreaming, the older I became, it works best if you identify intermediate steps in the process, and then regularly assess your progress toward those goals. Which is just a wordy way of saying, “Make sure what you’re doing is worth it.” Hence our survey. We’ve tried some new things in recent months during worship, related to these goals for the future, and we’d like your feedback. After all, effective changes in our worship culture only matter if our fellow worshippers- members and guests- feel closer to God, each other and their neighbors as a result. So we’ll include some printed surveys in our bulletins over the next few Sundays, and have created an internet version which you can complete by clicking this link, if that’s easiest for you. All responses are confidential, so please be honest. And whatever your response, I hope you trust that Plymouth Creek’s worship leadership- the Team members, Jeremae and myself- consider serving you in this fashion, and exploring the power of God’s presence with you, among our greatest gifts. We’ve got a bright future together, I believe, wherever God feels fit to lead us!
Grace and Peace,
Shane
Read more!
Being now almost 30 (insert disingenuous ‘old man’ joke here), I reflected this week on my current life situation, and how different it is from anything I imagined in my youth. I suspect I’m not the only one. My earliest memories of ‘projecting my ideal future’ involve me playing tight end for the Denver Broncos at age 29, or perhaps small forward for the Denver Nuggets. Alas, despite conventional wisdom to the contrary, those dreams were rather fanciful. But they changed at some point, and I then imagined I’d spend my twenties traveling the world, digging up dinosaur bones. Of course, that was before I knew that, if I’d gone that route, I would’ve likely still been in school at 30!
But again, my idealized future changed, and the older I got, the more realistic my dreams became. Or at least, I began to plan intermediate, measurable steps that would take me there, rather than just hopes and prayers. So I soon decided to become a brain surgeon, which, I admit, was still a reach. But I believed I could do it, and studied hard, and always took more science courses than required, sooner then required (ask me about the funny story of being the only freshman in biology class, when the teacher made a joke about genetics, my blue eyes and the mailman…). And when that ideal future changed, to the ministry path I’m currently on, I made the appropriate change in class schedules, college major and salary expectations. Still, even then, I couldn’t have imagined where I’d be now- married to a wonderful woman, serving a great church and living in Minnesota. Life takes you down unexpected paths, which sometimes exceed expectations.
Anyway, all that is prelude to the point of today’s letter, which is trying to convince you to take a survey for the Worship Team. As you might know, our Worship Team has spent the past year working very hard to help make our church’s fundamental activity as rich and moving as possible. Slowly but surely, we’re discerning an ideal future for our worship culture that is constantly creative, open, multicultural and familiar, all at the same time! That’s quite a task, and will take many months, even years. But we believe worship is so important, it’s worth the patience and devotion these wonderful people are giving it. Be sure to thank them, when you can, and especially our Leader, Martha Francis.
But as I discovered about effective dreaming, the older I became, it works best if you identify intermediate steps in the process, and then regularly assess your progress toward those goals. Which is just a wordy way of saying, “Make sure what you’re doing is worth it.” Hence our survey. We’ve tried some new things in recent months during worship, related to these goals for the future, and we’d like your feedback. After all, effective changes in our worship culture only matter if our fellow worshippers- members and guests- feel closer to God, each other and their neighbors as a result. So we’ll include some printed surveys in our bulletins over the next few Sundays, and have created an internet version which you can complete by clicking this link, if that’s easiest for you. All responses are confidential, so please be honest. And whatever your response, I hope you trust that Plymouth Creek’s worship leadership- the Team members, Jeremae and myself- consider serving you in this fashion, and exploring the power of God’s presence with you, among our greatest gifts. We’ve got a bright future together, I believe, wherever God feels fit to lead us!
Grace and Peace,
Shane
Read more!
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