No this isn't a rerun of an old US Army commercial...
I had some visitors a week or two back from Germany (I am still putting together a rumination on their visit) and I got to reminisce about the Church we were sent out from. I had a conversation with Ingo on my front porch that involved me explaining my thankfulness at having been a part of our sending church for the years that we were there. He asked, "Why was it so special?" This was some of my response:
Church is not supposed to be about putting the best person in the best place to do the best job; creating a perfect product for the consumption of those who show up. There are so many problems with this approach to Church (it creates a clergy/laity dichotomy between those who are and those who are not, it promotes comfort over sacrifice, it promotes a 'discriminating palate' instead of an activist lifestyle, etc.) but I would rather discuss the amazing aspects of a different approach to Church.
If we stop trying to get the best person to come and put on the best show, and instead use the various aspects of Church to be the 'training grounds' for the individuals who perform the various functions, then we are begining to live out the meaning of such passages as Ephesians 4:11-16.
Here are some practical examples:
Why do we want the best worship leader leading worship? Wouldn't we rather have someone step into that position who will be grown and developed by their time in that role? Instead of finding the person who knows how to develop and oversee small groups in a church and paying them to come to your church and do that there, why not let someone who is already in the church yet doesn't know what they are doing give it a shot, in the process they will be developing the very attributes that God wants to produce in them?
There are some fundamental assumptions behind such an approach:
1) The Church's primary role is to represent the person of Jesus to the world in attitude and action, word and deed, both corporately and (more importantly) individually.
2) The role of Church leadership is not ministering to the Church 'laity;' it is equipping, educating, and empowering the 'normal' Christian to minister to the world.
(I have heard it speculated that the Apostle Paul would define the role of baptism in an individual's life the way we today view ordination. In other words, the way most people today think of the role of priests or pastors is the way Paul understood the normal Christian life.)
3) Success in spiritual terms has to do with an individual's connection to God's realm of power, not with the number of people connected to our particular organization.
4) Completing a well-defined task is not the same thing as spiritual growth.
5) Being given the answers to your questions is nowhere near as beneficial as the experience that comes from figuring out the answer.
6) If you are lacking in gifted people in your local community you do not have a resource problem you have a training problem.
Some practical ways that I have seen this walked out at the Church we were sent out from:
Consistently placing less qualified people in positions of responsibility; from the managers of the Coffee Shop to the worship leader, to the pastors, to the small group leaders, to the outreach directors, to the Sunday School leaders, etc. our church viewed a willingness to learn and to serve, and a heartfelt love for Jesus and hatred of their own sin, as the sole prerequisites for accepting responsibility in our community.
"Soft Architecture" - An intentional fuzziness in structure that provided enough room for people to struggle with God. Individuals were forced to seek their own answers, their own job descriptions, their own growth into the task at hand. There was some structure, but mostly there was encouraging relationship with other spiritual sojourners.
A willingness to let people 'mess things up' by learning through doing. Just like a parent does more work in letting their three-year-old 'help' cook dinner (but is providing all sorts of wonderful opportunities for maturing and bonding), so it is more work to let someone learn how to lead a ministry after they start leading it.
All this to say: the Church should be doing everything in its power to help every individual connected to it to come to look like Jesus
8.29.2007
8.28.2007
Healthy Community
Some thoughts on community:
Communities are defined by those inside and those outside; the Church is a community that exists for the sake of those outside of it.
The community established by Jesus should accept and welcome everyone on the sole basis of their value as a human being, dearly loved by the Creator.
Jesus' community cares about people so much that it is unwilling to see them destroy themselves, others, or the world around them. His Church will do everything that love demands it to do to prevent that destruction.
Community is not possible without a significant level of personal knowledge and transparency; it is not possible to have community with people who you do not know or do not know you.
Communities are full of people who belong to each other. Despite the personal price (in terms of annoyance, lost energy or time, money, emotional pain, misunderstanding, etc.) people will not abandon the relationships within the community.
The Church contains within itself (this is somewhat misleading as the Divine Wind is also present within the Church) all that it needs to function in power and blessing. The community on the Way of Jesus needs no additional 'ministries' or 'programs,' parachurch organizations or governing bodies, to accomplish the purposes of God for which it has been placed upon the earth. "The local Church is the hope of the world!"
God's community is not divided by economic, racial, gender, sexual, political, social, educational, or any other lines.
Communities are defined by those inside and those outside; the Church is a community that exists for the sake of those outside of it.
The community established by Jesus should accept and welcome everyone on the sole basis of their value as a human being, dearly loved by the Creator.
Jesus' community cares about people so much that it is unwilling to see them destroy themselves, others, or the world around them. His Church will do everything that love demands it to do to prevent that destruction.
Community is not possible without a significant level of personal knowledge and transparency; it is not possible to have community with people who you do not know or do not know you.
Communities are full of people who belong to each other. Despite the personal price (in terms of annoyance, lost energy or time, money, emotional pain, misunderstanding, etc.) people will not abandon the relationships within the community.
The Church contains within itself (this is somewhat misleading as the Divine Wind is also present within the Church) all that it needs to function in power and blessing. The community on the Way of Jesus needs no additional 'ministries' or 'programs,' parachurch organizations or governing bodies, to accomplish the purposes of God for which it has been placed upon the earth. "The local Church is the hope of the world!"
God's community is not divided by economic, racial, gender, sexual, political, social, educational, or any other lines.
8.23.2007
Institutionalization...
I had someone tell me that psychology has taken the place of the elderly in our society. What we used to look to our grandparents for, we now pay someone $100 dollars an hour to do for us (and of course we pay someone to take care of our grandparents in the process as well...), and I don't think we are better of for the 'professionalization' of wisdom at living.
We have taken essential aspects of society and 'trained' people how to 'do it better' and then watched as society is no longer capable of adressing these aspects...
We have schools that don't educate effectively, a criminal justice system that perpetuates criminal behavior, and a social welfare system that creates poverty; this is due to the underlying assumption that professionals are better at doing it than community is, and so undermining community in the process.
No wonder we have seen the atomization of families, the failure of community services, etc. there are professionals to do those things for us...
...do you think we are better off?
We have taken essential aspects of society and 'trained' people how to 'do it better' and then watched as society is no longer capable of adressing these aspects...
We have schools that don't educate effectively, a criminal justice system that perpetuates criminal behavior, and a social welfare system that creates poverty; this is due to the underlying assumption that professionals are better at doing it than community is, and so undermining community in the process.
No wonder we have seen the atomization of families, the failure of community services, etc. there are professionals to do those things for us...
...do you think we are better off?
8.19.2007
Brooke Astor
What is written on the tombstone of a woman who gave away several hundred million dollars?
Would you like to have that written on yours?
Would you like to have that written on yours?
8.17.2007
Basil Rocks!
If you live alone, whose feet will you wash?
- Saint Basil
Not to be confused with the other Saint Basil who was given the title Yurodivy
- Saint Basil
Not to be confused with the other Saint Basil who was given the title Yurodivy
8.16.2007
SEX Part X
These are some closing thoughts on the topic:
Click on the title link to read previous posts.
========================
We are told that we cannot change who we are, and that it would be unwise to try. It is this mentality that leads to arguments in defense of pedophilia. If what I feel is not subject to critique or to change, if my desires are legitimate simply because they exist, then where does morality go? How do we decry the arguments of Mr McClellan?
Certainly our culture is not ready yet for such a position as his, without fundamental change in the way we determine wrong and right, however, where else is it likely to go? I am not trying to yell out, "the sky is falling!" but rather ask the question, "How do we rebut these arguments supporting rampant lawlessness, if we rule out an appeal to some standard of right and wrong that exists irrespective of our feelings toward it?"
It is easy to see the lie if we take it into other realms of human behavior. To say, "I desire to have sex with my girlfriend, therefore I should have sex with her" is no different a statement than, "I desire my neighbor's car, therefore I should take it," or "I don't like my employer, therefore I should punch him."
Simply put, the desire for something does not, in and of itself, legitimize the fulfillment of that desire.
=============================
Having said this, I would like to point out, a large part of the problem is our weak sense of joy, and our unwillingness to pursue true pleasure!
"Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds ours desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."
-C. S. Lewis
Like Esau traded his birthright for a bowl of soup, (Genesis 25) we trade away our God-given sexuality for fleeting pleasures that diminish as they are attained. We trade the joys of marriage (which is much more deeply and naturally sexual) for that of the idolized and romanticized life of the 'porn star.'
The adult film industry is portrayed as a glamorous world of delight...
...why is it then that the porn stars fantasize about a normal life, while they struggle with impotence, and pop pills to keep the genital herpes from breaking out?
It is not the married couple in their monogamy who are 'missing out' on sexual pleasure...
=========================
I have come to this fundamental conclusion about sexuality (it is, of course, about everything, not just sexuality):
The way of the Cross is the way of return to true human-ness...
Our humanity has been corrupted, it must 'reboot' with the 'system disk.' Jesus is that system disk; the early Church called Him the "Second Adam." Jesus is the Son of Man, the quintessential human being, the perfect representation of what it means to be human. He is the 'new' man, the beginning point of the newly reconstituted humanity, the firstborn over all creation. In Jesus we begin to see the true shape of our humanity.
If this is true then we are called to a radical rethinking of our way of life. In fact we are called to a kind of death. Our very selves must be given over, and we must take the self of Jesus. This is the way to become who and what we were meant to be.
Jesus the truly human one defines humanity, and so sexuality is also defined by him, and so our sexuality must also be submited to him (along with everything else) for crucifixion and resurrection.
I am fully aware of the arguements that some will make. The Cross responds to our claims about ourselves by stating, "The way you are defining yourself is not the central problem, the problem is that you are defining yourself in the first place! Come to me and let me set the broken bone, let me start the song in the right key, let me be the foundation for your building, let me suffer the consequences off your actions!"
Click on the title link to read previous posts.
========================
We are told that we cannot change who we are, and that it would be unwise to try. It is this mentality that leads to arguments in defense of pedophilia. If what I feel is not subject to critique or to change, if my desires are legitimate simply because they exist, then where does morality go? How do we decry the arguments of Mr McClellan?
Certainly our culture is not ready yet for such a position as his, without fundamental change in the way we determine wrong and right, however, where else is it likely to go? I am not trying to yell out, "the sky is falling!" but rather ask the question, "How do we rebut these arguments supporting rampant lawlessness, if we rule out an appeal to some standard of right and wrong that exists irrespective of our feelings toward it?"
It is easy to see the lie if we take it into other realms of human behavior. To say, "I desire to have sex with my girlfriend, therefore I should have sex with her" is no different a statement than, "I desire my neighbor's car, therefore I should take it," or "I don't like my employer, therefore I should punch him."
Simply put, the desire for something does not, in and of itself, legitimize the fulfillment of that desire.
=============================
Having said this, I would like to point out, a large part of the problem is our weak sense of joy, and our unwillingness to pursue true pleasure!
"Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds ours desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."
-C. S. Lewis
Like Esau traded his birthright for a bowl of soup, (Genesis 25) we trade away our God-given sexuality for fleeting pleasures that diminish as they are attained. We trade the joys of marriage (which is much more deeply and naturally sexual) for that of the idolized and romanticized life of the 'porn star.'
The adult film industry is portrayed as a glamorous world of delight...
...why is it then that the porn stars fantasize about a normal life, while they struggle with impotence, and pop pills to keep the genital herpes from breaking out?
It is not the married couple in their monogamy who are 'missing out' on sexual pleasure...
=========================
I have come to this fundamental conclusion about sexuality (it is, of course, about everything, not just sexuality):
The way of the Cross is the way of return to true human-ness...
Our humanity has been corrupted, it must 'reboot' with the 'system disk.' Jesus is that system disk; the early Church called Him the "Second Adam." Jesus is the Son of Man, the quintessential human being, the perfect representation of what it means to be human. He is the 'new' man, the beginning point of the newly reconstituted humanity, the firstborn over all creation. In Jesus we begin to see the true shape of our humanity.
If this is true then we are called to a radical rethinking of our way of life. In fact we are called to a kind of death. Our very selves must be given over, and we must take the self of Jesus. This is the way to become who and what we were meant to be.
Jesus the truly human one defines humanity, and so sexuality is also defined by him, and so our sexuality must also be submited to him (along with everything else) for crucifixion and resurrection.
I am fully aware of the arguements that some will make. The Cross responds to our claims about ourselves by stating, "The way you are defining yourself is not the central problem, the problem is that you are defining yourself in the first place! Come to me and let me set the broken bone, let me start the song in the right key, let me be the foundation for your building, let me suffer the consequences off your actions!"
8.13.2007
Jesus' Pizza and the KJV
So I returned to the concert, pizza in hand...
I was able to have a couple of brief conversations about what I was doing and why. But most people were more interested in telling me why the street preachers were wrong, or what they disagreed with about Christianity, or what their own beliefs were. I did get to have a neat conversation with a group of 'travelers' who responded with, "This is the most random f--king blessing ever!" They seemed to be the most genuinely grateful of the bunch.
I guess there was another group of three homeless/hallucinating/street people. They asked me to pray with them. I held the hand of a homeless vet with no legs, and no fingers, and put my hand on the shoulder of young traveler who was high on something, and we prayed for God's blessing on each other and those around us, until the vet starting cussing and yelling at someone who wanted some pizza...
Then I made my mistake...
I engaged one of the 'evangelists' in conversation, "Do you think there might be another way?" I was accused, ignored, preached at, and even insulted for my lack of education (I told the man that I had a hard time understanding the King James Version of the Bible, and felt that it was an improper translation to use given the context). This, of course, led to a history lesson/conspiracy theory on the men who had perverted the Bible into some of the heretical translations we have today.
I was not listened to, cared for, or encouraged. The conversation lasted too long, took too many rabit trails, and ended exactly where it began: with me convinced that these were sincere, and sincerely misguided people, who had an unquestioning aproach to what they had been inculcated into, and the 'evangelist' convinced that I was a wishy-washy Christian who either didn't understand the Bible or didn't want to follow it.
All in all the evening left me with a sense of frustration over my own lack of foresight (why, o why, did I talk to the guy? I guess I'll die!); a sense of the overwhelming love of God for His children, especially His wayward children; and a sense of the inadequacy of what I am doing.
I did have a fleeting, yet profound experience, while walking toward the concert with Jesus' Pizza, I was praying for God's help, "I don't know what I am doing, I am not capable of doing what needs to be done here God! I am incompetent and impotent, I am an inadequate choice to be a messenger of Your Grace." And then it hit me, "THAT IS THE WHOLE POINT!" It was God telling me, "It is not your job to communicate to the heart's of men, speak your words, give away My pizza, and at some point they will hear MY words."
I was able to have a couple of brief conversations about what I was doing and why. But most people were more interested in telling me why the street preachers were wrong, or what they disagreed with about Christianity, or what their own beliefs were. I did get to have a neat conversation with a group of 'travelers' who responded with, "This is the most random f--king blessing ever!" They seemed to be the most genuinely grateful of the bunch.
I guess there was another group of three homeless/hallucinating/street people. They asked me to pray with them. I held the hand of a homeless vet with no legs, and no fingers, and put my hand on the shoulder of young traveler who was high on something, and we prayed for God's blessing on each other and those around us, until the vet starting cussing and yelling at someone who wanted some pizza...
Then I made my mistake...
I engaged one of the 'evangelists' in conversation, "Do you think there might be another way?" I was accused, ignored, preached at, and even insulted for my lack of education (I told the man that I had a hard time understanding the King James Version of the Bible, and felt that it was an improper translation to use given the context). This, of course, led to a history lesson/conspiracy theory on the men who had perverted the Bible into some of the heretical translations we have today.
I was not listened to, cared for, or encouraged. The conversation lasted too long, took too many rabit trails, and ended exactly where it began: with me convinced that these were sincere, and sincerely misguided people, who had an unquestioning aproach to what they had been inculcated into, and the 'evangelist' convinced that I was a wishy-washy Christian who either didn't understand the Bible or didn't want to follow it.
All in all the evening left me with a sense of frustration over my own lack of foresight (why, o why, did I talk to the guy? I guess I'll die!); a sense of the overwhelming love of God for His children, especially His wayward children; and a sense of the inadequacy of what I am doing.
I did have a fleeting, yet profound experience, while walking toward the concert with Jesus' Pizza, I was praying for God's help, "I don't know what I am doing, I am not capable of doing what needs to be done here God! I am incompetent and impotent, I am an inadequate choice to be a messenger of Your Grace." And then it hit me, "THAT IS THE WHOLE POINT!" It was God telling me, "It is not your job to communicate to the heart's of men, speak your words, give away My pizza, and at some point they will hear MY words."
8.08.2007
Poison Pizza and the Love of God
So I decided to add my two cents to the 'Go to Hell' debacle at our local free outdoor concert. (Check the title link if you don't know what I am talking about!)
I went down to the concert, sheet-pizza in hand, and approached the angry group of fifty-plus teens who were surrounding the 'evangelists' with their signs depicting hell. I opened up the box, said "Free pizza, just take one!" and in less than a minute it was devoured! I had three or four young people ask me why I did what I did, I responded, "Because God loves you very much and He wants to be a part of your lives." I was greeted with a cautious round of agreement, and one young man who was a little more enthusiastic about it.
That seemed to be the end of the conversation ...so I thought I would bring another pizza! I called the store, walked over and brought it back. This time I had people gather around and listen before I opened the box, "I want you to know why I am doing this," I said. "Jesus loves you." One of the kids asked, "So what, did you poison it!?" Another asked, "Are you with these guys?" (Indicating the guys with the signs) At this point I think I got a little teary eyed, "No I am not with them, I don't believe those guys are speaking for Jesus. I want you to know that He cares about you very deeply."
With that I opened the box and shared another sheet-pizza, I got a few more thank you's, and one person in particular asked a few pointed questions about who I was and where I was from and then thanked me profusely.
I spent the next thirty minutes fighting back tears, overwhelmed by God's love for these people, and this city, and burdened by a deep need to do more than simply giving pizza to people...
...our world has gone to hell! If we don't do something, who will?
I will let you know how tomorrow goes, I will be going back down to the Thursday concert.
I went down to the concert, sheet-pizza in hand, and approached the angry group of fifty-plus teens who were surrounding the 'evangelists' with their signs depicting hell. I opened up the box, said "Free pizza, just take one!" and in less than a minute it was devoured! I had three or four young people ask me why I did what I did, I responded, "Because God loves you very much and He wants to be a part of your lives." I was greeted with a cautious round of agreement, and one young man who was a little more enthusiastic about it.
That seemed to be the end of the conversation ...so I thought I would bring another pizza! I called the store, walked over and brought it back. This time I had people gather around and listen before I opened the box, "I want you to know why I am doing this," I said. "Jesus loves you." One of the kids asked, "So what, did you poison it!?" Another asked, "Are you with these guys?" (Indicating the guys with the signs) At this point I think I got a little teary eyed, "No I am not with them, I don't believe those guys are speaking for Jesus. I want you to know that He cares about you very deeply."
With that I opened the box and shared another sheet-pizza, I got a few more thank you's, and one person in particular asked a few pointed questions about who I was and where I was from and then thanked me profusely.
I spent the next thirty minutes fighting back tears, overwhelmed by God's love for these people, and this city, and burdened by a deep need to do more than simply giving pizza to people...
...our world has gone to hell! If we don't do something, who will?
I will let you know how tomorrow goes, I will be going back down to the Thursday concert.
8.04.2007
SEX Part IV
This is yet another lengthy installment on the topic of sexuality, click on the title link to read the previous statements...
After having outlined sexuality in its current state, and contrasted it with natural,* healthy sexuality, I thought it would be prudent to discuss some of the causes and rationale behind the unhealthy and unnatural state of sexuality as we find it in our world.
A quick recap: healthy sexuality is designed for the enjoyment and procreation of a man and a woman who are comitted to each other so deeply, spiritually and emotionally that they could be called "one." Unhealthy sexuality then, is any sexual expression or gratification that comes from a source outside of this type of relationship. Unhealthy sexual expression would obviously include sexual contact with anyone other than a spouse, but would also include things like pornography, fantasy, voyeurism, and even flirting. In short: any activity that provides sexual gratification involving sources of gratification other than the spouse is unhealthy for the individual in question.
Unhealthy sexuality would also include sexual gratification and expression with a spouse that contradicts, conflicts with, or otherwise inhibits, the spiritual 'oneness' of the marriage relationship. It would be damaging to both husband and wife for one of them to recieve sexual gratification from the physical pain of the other (as we see in some cases), or to coerce the other into performing sexual acts in ways or at times that they are uncomfortable with, or even to withhold sex (under certain circumstances). Healthy sexuality will function as a natural and integrated aspect of the couples comitted relationship of mutual concern and submission.
Check out this article by Dallas Willard on Marriage
=============================
The above statements are obviously seen by many as 'behind the times' and probably even 'repressive, dangerous, and controlling.' This cannot be helped! So let us take a look at some of the common reasons for our current sexual state (if you can think of more, feel free to comment!)...
"This is who I am, I can't change who I am."
"This is how I define myself."
"This is how I show and receive love."
"I am not capable of controlling this."
I am certain that there are other reasons, but I think these statements get at the twin driving philosophical undercurrents that feed our culture's sexuality. We see a fundamental lack of discipline and delayed gratification (even an inability to see the benefit of discipline and delayed gratification!) coupled with a belief that an individual can and should decide for herself what is right and what is wrong.
=============================
What is moral?
We proclaim that the individual should be allowed to live in whatever way pleases them, and that this is morality. There are many who have addressed the philosophical pitfalls of relativism, I will not get far into them, other than to say, without some reference to an outside source of ethics, there is no logical basis for them. We may look at the lives of moral atheists, but when we do we are looking at fundamentally illogical people. Without some outside standard there is simply no way of deciding that one action is moral and another is not; there is no basis for calling Mother Teresa "good" and Adolf Hitler "bad." Try it yourself and post your responses here ...how would you differentiate between the two without some outside point of reference? (This, incidentally, is the conundrum that Philosophers have found themselves in for many decades, how to determine what is good, without reference to an outside source.)
Over against this stands the Biblical picture of the universe, with God's illumination of right and wrong. God is judge not in the sense, however, of a modern western magistrate determining what the law says and interpreting it accordingly, but rather in the older sense; God is a bringer of justice. God is the source of justice and righteousness, not merely a signpost pointing towards it.
In this sense, then, we can begin to understand morality as more than a set of rules laid down arbitrarily by one who has the power to enforce them, but rather as a description of what is 'good.' God does not prevent us from doing what we want, but rather points us to what is truly beautiful, joyous, powerful, true, and good (what we ultimately want!).
What is sin?
Sin is not (as is commonly thought) merely 'bad deeds.' Sin is the flawed state of the human spirit by which we are fundamentally drawn toward actions that damage ourselves, others, and the world around us. This 'bent-ness' of the human spirit then manifests itself (the bad tree bearing bad fruit) in 'bad deeds.' It is this inward bent that is sin, a desire to take good things and use them in ways for which they were never intended. A doctrine of sin, when properly understood, would not be denied by any observant person; the world is upside-down precisely because of misplaced human desire.
Sin is the perversion of human nature (we were made in the divine image) into something less than human; and no one is immune from that corruption.
...so God does not tell us to avoid certain behaviors out of a sense of cosmic 'bah-humbug' but rather out of a deep reverence and love for His children and the world that He gave them charge over, and a deep hatred toward whatever would damage those children and that world.
The trick, of course, when it comes to sexuality (not just sexuality, but all aspects of humanity are effected as well) is that what God proclaims as 'wrong' is not perceived as such by much of humanity. We say, "how could this be bad when it feels so good?" And, "how could this be wrong when it is such an integral aspect of who I am?" Because we don't look to God as the source of right-ness we doubt His assessment of what constitutes a perversion of human nature.
But an appeal to our nature is inappropriate if our nature has been corrupted; what are we to do without God if, when we look deep within ourselves, we find that we enjoy inflicting pain on others? What if the fundamental core of ourselves is selfish? Without an outside reference point to inform us 'which way is up' we are left only to follow "the needy beast within our chest."
The power to be moral!
The simple answer to those who believe sexual desire is uncontrollable are the millions of personal struggles and victories of humans of all genders, ethnicities and orientations. My sexual behavior has changed drastically over the course of my life as a student of Jesus. The same can be said of promiscuous teens, homosexual women, male prostitutes, porn stars, rape victims, child-abuse victims, adulterers, etc. There are examples of people from literally every sociological category who have experienced a marked change in sexual behavior, and the nature and scope of their sexual desire!
We have been told a lie. We do have the power to alter our sexuality. When we align our spirit with that Spirit which guides the Universe, our sexuality will be altered (along with everything else!). There is no fundamental difference between sexuality and other areas of our person, and yet we would not think of tolerating this type of reasoning from someone who claimed an inability to control their physical violence. Many cultures have demonstrated a remarkable proclivity for chastity; our problem is not that we are incapable of discipline, only that we don't want to be disciplined.
==========================
*I understand that the word natural usually means something like "the state of being of an object that is in accordance with its fundamental nature; without outside interference." We talk about the natural state of a dog in contrast with the 'tamed' state of the same animal. Some would argue that this would mean that 'natural' sexuality then is simply whatever human sexual behavior actually is, without outside cultural, or religious pressure.
However, this ignores the basic Biblical understanding of the state of the universe: God made everything fundamentally good ("very good" in fact!) but then the very heart of man became corrupt, humanity became 'inhuman.' (Romans 1 states, "Refusing to know God, they soon didn't know how to be human either") The natural state of humanity is for us to live according to the way God made us, the way we currently live is just as 'unnatural' as if a stone were to fall upwards, or the sky were to turn yellow with pink polka dots!
After having outlined sexuality in its current state, and contrasted it with natural,* healthy sexuality, I thought it would be prudent to discuss some of the causes and rationale behind the unhealthy and unnatural state of sexuality as we find it in our world.
A quick recap: healthy sexuality is designed for the enjoyment and procreation of a man and a woman who are comitted to each other so deeply, spiritually and emotionally that they could be called "one." Unhealthy sexuality then, is any sexual expression or gratification that comes from a source outside of this type of relationship. Unhealthy sexual expression would obviously include sexual contact with anyone other than a spouse, but would also include things like pornography, fantasy, voyeurism, and even flirting. In short: any activity that provides sexual gratification involving sources of gratification other than the spouse is unhealthy for the individual in question.
Unhealthy sexuality would also include sexual gratification and expression with a spouse that contradicts, conflicts with, or otherwise inhibits, the spiritual 'oneness' of the marriage relationship. It would be damaging to both husband and wife for one of them to recieve sexual gratification from the physical pain of the other (as we see in some cases), or to coerce the other into performing sexual acts in ways or at times that they are uncomfortable with, or even to withhold sex (under certain circumstances). Healthy sexuality will function as a natural and integrated aspect of the couples comitted relationship of mutual concern and submission.
Check out this article by Dallas Willard on Marriage
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The above statements are obviously seen by many as 'behind the times' and probably even 'repressive, dangerous, and controlling.' This cannot be helped! So let us take a look at some of the common reasons for our current sexual state (if you can think of more, feel free to comment!)...
"This is who I am, I can't change who I am."
"This is how I define myself."
"This is how I show and receive love."
"I am not capable of controlling this."
I am certain that there are other reasons, but I think these statements get at the twin driving philosophical undercurrents that feed our culture's sexuality. We see a fundamental lack of discipline and delayed gratification (even an inability to see the benefit of discipline and delayed gratification!) coupled with a belief that an individual can and should decide for herself what is right and what is wrong.
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What is moral?
We proclaim that the individual should be allowed to live in whatever way pleases them, and that this is morality. There are many who have addressed the philosophical pitfalls of relativism, I will not get far into them, other than to say, without some reference to an outside source of ethics, there is no logical basis for them. We may look at the lives of moral atheists, but when we do we are looking at fundamentally illogical people. Without some outside standard there is simply no way of deciding that one action is moral and another is not; there is no basis for calling Mother Teresa "good" and Adolf Hitler "bad." Try it yourself and post your responses here ...how would you differentiate between the two without some outside point of reference? (This, incidentally, is the conundrum that Philosophers have found themselves in for many decades, how to determine what is good, without reference to an outside source.)
Over against this stands the Biblical picture of the universe, with God's illumination of right and wrong. God is judge not in the sense, however, of a modern western magistrate determining what the law says and interpreting it accordingly, but rather in the older sense; God is a bringer of justice. God is the source of justice and righteousness, not merely a signpost pointing towards it.
In this sense, then, we can begin to understand morality as more than a set of rules laid down arbitrarily by one who has the power to enforce them, but rather as a description of what is 'good.' God does not prevent us from doing what we want, but rather points us to what is truly beautiful, joyous, powerful, true, and good (what we ultimately want!).
What is sin?
Sin is not (as is commonly thought) merely 'bad deeds.' Sin is the flawed state of the human spirit by which we are fundamentally drawn toward actions that damage ourselves, others, and the world around us. This 'bent-ness' of the human spirit then manifests itself (the bad tree bearing bad fruit) in 'bad deeds.' It is this inward bent that is sin, a desire to take good things and use them in ways for which they were never intended. A doctrine of sin, when properly understood, would not be denied by any observant person; the world is upside-down precisely because of misplaced human desire.
Sin is the perversion of human nature (we were made in the divine image) into something less than human; and no one is immune from that corruption.
...so God does not tell us to avoid certain behaviors out of a sense of cosmic 'bah-humbug' but rather out of a deep reverence and love for His children and the world that He gave them charge over, and a deep hatred toward whatever would damage those children and that world.
The trick, of course, when it comes to sexuality (not just sexuality, but all aspects of humanity are effected as well) is that what God proclaims as 'wrong' is not perceived as such by much of humanity. We say, "how could this be bad when it feels so good?" And, "how could this be wrong when it is such an integral aspect of who I am?" Because we don't look to God as the source of right-ness we doubt His assessment of what constitutes a perversion of human nature.
But an appeal to our nature is inappropriate if our nature has been corrupted; what are we to do without God if, when we look deep within ourselves, we find that we enjoy inflicting pain on others? What if the fundamental core of ourselves is selfish? Without an outside reference point to inform us 'which way is up' we are left only to follow "the needy beast within our chest."
The power to be moral!
The simple answer to those who believe sexual desire is uncontrollable are the millions of personal struggles and victories of humans of all genders, ethnicities and orientations. My sexual behavior has changed drastically over the course of my life as a student of Jesus. The same can be said of promiscuous teens, homosexual women, male prostitutes, porn stars, rape victims, child-abuse victims, adulterers, etc. There are examples of people from literally every sociological category who have experienced a marked change in sexual behavior, and the nature and scope of their sexual desire!
We have been told a lie. We do have the power to alter our sexuality. When we align our spirit with that Spirit which guides the Universe, our sexuality will be altered (along with everything else!). There is no fundamental difference between sexuality and other areas of our person, and yet we would not think of tolerating this type of reasoning from someone who claimed an inability to control their physical violence. Many cultures have demonstrated a remarkable proclivity for chastity; our problem is not that we are incapable of discipline, only that we don't want to be disciplined.
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*I understand that the word natural usually means something like "the state of being of an object that is in accordance with its fundamental nature; without outside interference." We talk about the natural state of a dog in contrast with the 'tamed' state of the same animal. Some would argue that this would mean that 'natural' sexuality then is simply whatever human sexual behavior actually is, without outside cultural, or religious pressure.
However, this ignores the basic Biblical understanding of the state of the universe: God made everything fundamentally good ("very good" in fact!) but then the very heart of man became corrupt, humanity became 'inhuman.' (Romans 1 states, "Refusing to know God, they soon didn't know how to be human either") The natural state of humanity is for us to live according to the way God made us, the way we currently live is just as 'unnatural' as if a stone were to fall upwards, or the sky were to turn yellow with pink polka dots!
8.03.2007
Quote
"You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can tell whether a
man is wise by his questions.”
man is wise by his questions.”
7.29.2007
The Land of Empty Houses
For those of you who aren't all that familiar with our new home town, there are large areas of abandoned housing, especially on the East side of the city. This is the area of Buffalo that is the most run-down, the poorest, and has problems with both drugs and violence. The West side also has some of these same problems, however, the West side doesn't have anywhere near as many abandoned houses, or empty lots left over from demolition.
We have been having a crazy time here these past months. As many of you now know, Sam and Dre have returned to Redding. We miss them still, but are glad that they are back with family and familiar settings. We also look forward to seeing you all in less than a month; we will be in Redding the end of August and the beginning of September!
We have been diving headlong into the relationships that we have established here and it has been a tremendous blessing. God has gathered a wonderful group of people. There are small business owners, college students, and street people; people of different ethnic groups, sexual orientations, and spiritual backgrounds; it makes for great conversation!
We continue to serve the local retirement home every Sunday morning. We show up and help serve coffee and snacks, spend time talking and listening, sometimes praying, with the residents, and then sing songs with the group. We have been serving in the kitchen at the City Mission monthly. At this point there have been a few people who have come and served along side us at these venues, but it seems that the church at large has yet to take ownership of this. Pray that God would spark people to serve the community and that we would be sensitive to that spark in people's hearts!
We have had some great Wednesday evening church 'services' in our living room. Most recently we tackled the topic of 'sexuality' which has been a hot topic as of late. We have a group that runs the gamit of sexual expression here and sex seems to be one of those topics of which our culture has little tolerance for what God has to say. We seem to have a group of people who are going to keep coming back no matter how many times they are told they must 'die to themselves;' this is very exiting! However, I believe that there is yet much that God wants to do in our community. Please pray that God would be speaking to people, calling them to drop everything and give their lives to Him!
We also have both a men's and a women's group that meet weekly to discuss a book. Both groups are seeing lively conversation, and this last week one of my co-workers showed up to the men's group. I was really encouraged by his response! We are looking into putting together a men's retreat with the Vineyard Church in Niagara Falls (about 20 minutes away), and I would appreciate your prayers toward this end.
I would love to entertain any of the questions you might have about what is going on here, feel free to post them or to email them to me...
...I will leave you with one last comment:
We have a young man who is struggling with what he believes about Jesus. He grew up in a very conservative Christian home but in the past few years has discovered homosexual desires within himself. He now is unsure of what he wants to live for. We have loved him for months now, and he is at our house several times a week (he is regularly at our Sunday morning outreach), but we have also had some very pointed heart-to-heart talks about what God says about healthy sexuality. The other night he told me that he thought we were doing church 'the right way' and that 'even though you don't agree with everything about me, you love me and accept me, you don't try and force me to be like you.' I was encouraged by what he had to say, and thought that you too would be encouraged to know that you have played a part in this young man's life.
I pray that you would have the privilege of helping those around you navigate this world, and that you would discover Jesus helping you as you do...
SEX Part III
Follow the title link to previous thoughts...
We laid out the arguments that our nature is spiritual and we should see it so to properly understand our sexuality, and that our spiritual nature is fundamentally skewed by our separation from God. We also shared how our own inner being (spirit, heart, will) can not be the source of anything good, as that source is twisted; the statement 'this is who I am' is not to be understood as implying 'this is who I should be.'
So now let us attempt to deal with sexuality itself, as we find it in our world, and describe it as it should be.
Our culture has very little to say about sexuality, other than to endorse any fleeting fancy we may have as a valid expression of sexual health. With very few exceptions, there are no restrictions placed upon sexuality by our culture. So long as your sexual expression is not done against the consent of those with whom you are expressing it, that sexual act is considered valid by our culture. Aside from rape, or sex with someone deemed incapable of giving consent (mentally incapacitated and minors) ...anything goes. Multiple partners, heterosexual, homosexual, group sex, premarital sex, pornography, fantasy, voyeurism, etc. No thought is given to the potential consequences of these sexual expressions, they are considered valid simply because they exist.
Standing over against this is the definition of sexuality that God gives us.*
God wants us to enjoy our sexuality! If you doubt this spend a few days browsing through Song of Songs. It is very erotic. The old, Victorian way of thinking about sex may have been 'Christian' in the sense that many Christians held it, but it was not Christian in the sense that it is foreign to the way the Bible speaks of sexuality. God created us as deeply sexual beings (as we have previously stated) but this sexuality has a proper function and a proper context.
Sexual connection between a man and a woman is intended to be part of a larger and deeper connection between them; the Bible speaks of them 'becoming one.' This oneness of a man and a woman in marriage is characterized in the (in)famous 'submission' passage in Ephesians 5. Paul speaks of marriage as a mutual submission of two individuals, each serving the other in a way that seeks their betterment, joy, and fulfillment. It is this context of mutual commitment, service, and deference that is the proper place for sexuality to be expressed.
As we earlier defined it, our spirit is essentially our 'will' or our 'heart' (it is the center of who we are, the non-physical part of us that is the essence of our person, the part that yearns, intends, chooses, and desires). For a husband and a wife to become spiritual 'one' is for the will, the heart, the spirit, of each spouse to permanently align with the others, and in this way we begin to see how sexuality mirrors, expresses, and develops what is essentially a spiritual reality in the life of the married couple.
To conclude, God's design for sexuality is much more holistic than that of the culture at large. Sexuality is not a tool to be used by a person to acheive certain goals, nor is it the whole defining characteristic of an individual, rather it is an interconnected aspect of the true central person (spirit). For this sexuality to be abstracted from it's larger spiritual context is to do damage to the individuals engaged in it. (As Paul says, "sexual sin is sin against your own body.") Sexuality is to be a part of a deeply commited relationship between two people who are continually growing in their physical, emotional, mental, social, and spiritual union. In this sense sex outside of marriage is really not even 'sex,' but only a cheap plastic version of the real thing. (Of course it is entirely possible for marriage to be a cheap plastic version of the reality as well, but that for another day...)
*I also want to briefly adress the issue of celibacy...
...we were created 'incomplete' but this doesn't mean that singleness is inherently wrong or bad, or even somehow inferior (1 Corinthians 7:1) but rather that the natural, healthy, sexual desire is a God-given aspect of humanity. There is nothing wrong with a woman or man remaining single and celibate for the duration of their time on earth; our deep spiritual/sexual union with a spouse does not have to be the only way we connect with humanity; many religious orders include vows of celibacy and those who undertake such vows sometimes speak of 'marrying' all of humanity. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 7:32-35 those who are single are not distracted from the purposes of God in the world.
We laid out the arguments that our nature is spiritual and we should see it so to properly understand our sexuality, and that our spiritual nature is fundamentally skewed by our separation from God. We also shared how our own inner being (spirit, heart, will) can not be the source of anything good, as that source is twisted; the statement 'this is who I am' is not to be understood as implying 'this is who I should be.'
So now let us attempt to deal with sexuality itself, as we find it in our world, and describe it as it should be.
Our culture has very little to say about sexuality, other than to endorse any fleeting fancy we may have as a valid expression of sexual health. With very few exceptions, there are no restrictions placed upon sexuality by our culture. So long as your sexual expression is not done against the consent of those with whom you are expressing it, that sexual act is considered valid by our culture. Aside from rape, or sex with someone deemed incapable of giving consent (mentally incapacitated and minors) ...anything goes. Multiple partners, heterosexual, homosexual, group sex, premarital sex, pornography, fantasy, voyeurism, etc. No thought is given to the potential consequences of these sexual expressions, they are considered valid simply because they exist.
Standing over against this is the definition of sexuality that God gives us.*
God wants us to enjoy our sexuality! If you doubt this spend a few days browsing through Song of Songs. It is very erotic. The old, Victorian way of thinking about sex may have been 'Christian' in the sense that many Christians held it, but it was not Christian in the sense that it is foreign to the way the Bible speaks of sexuality. God created us as deeply sexual beings (as we have previously stated) but this sexuality has a proper function and a proper context.
Sexual connection between a man and a woman is intended to be part of a larger and deeper connection between them; the Bible speaks of them 'becoming one.' This oneness of a man and a woman in marriage is characterized in the (in)famous 'submission' passage in Ephesians 5. Paul speaks of marriage as a mutual submission of two individuals, each serving the other in a way that seeks their betterment, joy, and fulfillment. It is this context of mutual commitment, service, and deference that is the proper place for sexuality to be expressed.
As we earlier defined it, our spirit is essentially our 'will' or our 'heart' (it is the center of who we are, the non-physical part of us that is the essence of our person, the part that yearns, intends, chooses, and desires). For a husband and a wife to become spiritual 'one' is for the will, the heart, the spirit, of each spouse to permanently align with the others, and in this way we begin to see how sexuality mirrors, expresses, and develops what is essentially a spiritual reality in the life of the married couple.
To conclude, God's design for sexuality is much more holistic than that of the culture at large. Sexuality is not a tool to be used by a person to acheive certain goals, nor is it the whole defining characteristic of an individual, rather it is an interconnected aspect of the true central person (spirit). For this sexuality to be abstracted from it's larger spiritual context is to do damage to the individuals engaged in it. (As Paul says, "sexual sin is sin against your own body.") Sexuality is to be a part of a deeply commited relationship between two people who are continually growing in their physical, emotional, mental, social, and spiritual union. In this sense sex outside of marriage is really not even 'sex,' but only a cheap plastic version of the real thing. (Of course it is entirely possible for marriage to be a cheap plastic version of the reality as well, but that for another day...)
*I also want to briefly adress the issue of celibacy...
...we were created 'incomplete' but this doesn't mean that singleness is inherently wrong or bad, or even somehow inferior (1 Corinthians 7:1) but rather that the natural, healthy, sexual desire is a God-given aspect of humanity. There is nothing wrong with a woman or man remaining single and celibate for the duration of their time on earth; our deep spiritual/sexual union with a spouse does not have to be the only way we connect with humanity; many religious orders include vows of celibacy and those who undertake such vows sometimes speak of 'marrying' all of humanity. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 7:32-35 those who are single are not distracted from the purposes of God in the world.
7.28.2007
Submission to Authority
This is attached to some old thoughts ...follow the title link.
Why should we submit?
The first, and simplest, answer is obedience to the command of scripture:
Colossians 3:22-23 gives us a practical example of the difference between obedience and submission; the difference between obeying when the master is watching, and obeying with sincerity of heart.
Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.
Ephesians 5:22-6:9 expands upon, and gives practical examples for, the simple statement of Ephesians 5:21, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Romans 13:1-7 also discusses submission and, in addition to simply commanding us to submit, teaches us that all authority is instituted by God, hence rebellion against authority is sin. This passage also links freedom causally to submission; we ought to submit for our own good! In our sinful, self-focused mindset we have been trained to believe that by submitting to others we are somehow robbed of our ‘Creator-endowed, inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.’ Nothing could be further from the truth!
Why should we submit?
The second answer is …for our own benefit!
The Message paraphrases a famous passage in Galatians 5 that ties in to this causal link between submission and freedom. Self-focused grasping for our desires never produces good fruit. If we puff out our chests, put up our dukes, and fight for our rights, we lose out on the abundance of life in Christ. If instead we submit ourselves to the will of God for our lives we gain freedom; freedom from ego, freedom from fear, freedom from the ever-vigilant paranoia of self-protection. …and even more we gain Christ, His peace of mind, His effortless joy, His fathomless hope, and His otherworldly love.
Richard Foster, in Celebration of Discipline, makes the point that freedom is the result of discipline. Each spiritual discipline has a corresponding freedom; just as the discipline of practicing scales on a musical instrument directly correlates to the freedom to spontaneous musical talent, so the discipline of submission leads to freedom from self-focus and self-gratification. We submit, not for the sake of the one we submit to, but rather for our own sake.
In the beginning our parents were given one simple rule, had they but trusted God enough to submit to His desires, we would still be living in the effortless “cool of the garden;” enjoying God’s unbroken fellowship. God knew that mankind could not have the experiential knowledge of evil, and remain in fellowship with Him; He knew that it would bring us shame, and that it would cause us to hide from Him; submission was for our own good, not God’s.
Why should we submit?
The first, and simplest, answer is obedience to the command of scripture:
Colossians 3:22-23 gives us a practical example of the difference between obedience and submission; the difference between obeying when the master is watching, and obeying with sincerity of heart.
Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.
Ephesians 5:22-6:9 expands upon, and gives practical examples for, the simple statement of Ephesians 5:21, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Romans 13:1-7 also discusses submission and, in addition to simply commanding us to submit, teaches us that all authority is instituted by God, hence rebellion against authority is sin. This passage also links freedom causally to submission; we ought to submit for our own good! In our sinful, self-focused mindset we have been trained to believe that by submitting to others we are somehow robbed of our ‘Creator-endowed, inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.’ Nothing could be further from the truth!
Why should we submit?
The second answer is …for our own benefit!
The Message paraphrases a famous passage in Galatians 5 that ties in to this causal link between submission and freedom. Self-focused grasping for our desires never produces good fruit. If we puff out our chests, put up our dukes, and fight for our rights, we lose out on the abundance of life in Christ. If instead we submit ourselves to the will of God for our lives we gain freedom; freedom from ego, freedom from fear, freedom from the ever-vigilant paranoia of self-protection. …and even more we gain Christ, His peace of mind, His effortless joy, His fathomless hope, and His otherworldly love.
Richard Foster, in Celebration of Discipline, makes the point that freedom is the result of discipline. Each spiritual discipline has a corresponding freedom; just as the discipline of practicing scales on a musical instrument directly correlates to the freedom to spontaneous musical talent, so the discipline of submission leads to freedom from self-focus and self-gratification. We submit, not for the sake of the one we submit to, but rather for our own sake.
In the beginning our parents were given one simple rule, had they but trusted God enough to submit to His desires, we would still be living in the effortless “cool of the garden;” enjoying God’s unbroken fellowship. God knew that mankind could not have the experiential knowledge of evil, and remain in fellowship with Him; He knew that it would bring us shame, and that it would cause us to hide from Him; submission was for our own good, not God’s.
7.26.2007
Temple
This could very easily turn into something so much more than what I have the time to make it...
Jesus 'Attack' on the Temple
Jesus was not trying to reform Temple worship. He wasn't trying to rid spirituality of commercialism (the moneychangers were a requirement for worship, not a distraction from it) nor was he claiming that they were abusing the pilgrims who were coming to the Temple by extorting money from them. Jesus was attacking the Temple itself. He was not purifying worship, He was preventing it from happening (by preventing people from procuring the needed objects with which a devout Jew would worship God). We are blinded to this by the fact that our worship has never been accompanied by the smell of burning animal hair, blood, and the bleating of animals, we think worship is about guitars and drums...
This was not an attack on the 'money-lenders,' this was an attack on the entire system of Jewish redemption; not, as is often supposed, an attack on the system God set up, but rather, on the way in which people were abusing that system. A system that was impeccably trusted without question to make peace between God and men, and yet touched only the outer edge of Jewish lives, never entering the heart.
Jesus attacks it as a 'den of robbers' and for failing to be 'a house of prayer for all nations.'
It had become a source of national pride, a symbol of Jewish piety and spiritual superiority, allowing them to mistreat others, and still view themselves as superior to outsiders. They saw themselves arrogantly as priveledged insiders, instead of fortunate adopted children.
I was going to draw parralels to today's "christian" culture and the body of Christ as the Temple, but since I don't have the energy right now I will let you draw your own conclusions...
Jesus was attacking the mindset that viewed the Temple and the religion associated with it as essentially a short cut to being right, and that it has little to no effect on things that really matter in a persons conduct and character...
Jesus attack on the Pharisees is (in today's Christian worldview) understood as an attack on their spirituality, they were legalists; in reality, Jesus' attack was a political one, they were using their privileged position to oppress others for their own sake. They were not only neglecting their call to be the light of the world, but were using their election as a source of pride and separation from the world that they were supposed to be illuminating! (Does this hit close to home yet!)
Jesus doesn't accept blessing unless it gives away...
(Sorry this is scattered, but I had these thoughts collected here so long that I was forgetting what some of my short-hand meant and I thought I needed to get it somewhat coherent and just post it!)
Jesus 'Attack' on the Temple
Jesus was not trying to reform Temple worship. He wasn't trying to rid spirituality of commercialism (the moneychangers were a requirement for worship, not a distraction from it) nor was he claiming that they were abusing the pilgrims who were coming to the Temple by extorting money from them. Jesus was attacking the Temple itself. He was not purifying worship, He was preventing it from happening (by preventing people from procuring the needed objects with which a devout Jew would worship God). We are blinded to this by the fact that our worship has never been accompanied by the smell of burning animal hair, blood, and the bleating of animals, we think worship is about guitars and drums...
This was not an attack on the 'money-lenders,' this was an attack on the entire system of Jewish redemption; not, as is often supposed, an attack on the system God set up, but rather, on the way in which people were abusing that system. A system that was impeccably trusted without question to make peace between God and men, and yet touched only the outer edge of Jewish lives, never entering the heart.
Jesus attacks it as a 'den of robbers' and for failing to be 'a house of prayer for all nations.'
It had become a source of national pride, a symbol of Jewish piety and spiritual superiority, allowing them to mistreat others, and still view themselves as superior to outsiders. They saw themselves arrogantly as priveledged insiders, instead of fortunate adopted children.
I was going to draw parralels to today's "christian" culture and the body of Christ as the Temple, but since I don't have the energy right now I will let you draw your own conclusions...
Jesus was attacking the mindset that viewed the Temple and the religion associated with it as essentially a short cut to being right, and that it has little to no effect on things that really matter in a persons conduct and character...
Jesus attack on the Pharisees is (in today's Christian worldview) understood as an attack on their spirituality, they were legalists; in reality, Jesus' attack was a political one, they were using their privileged position to oppress others for their own sake. They were not only neglecting their call to be the light of the world, but were using their election as a source of pride and separation from the world that they were supposed to be illuminating! (Does this hit close to home yet!)
Jesus doesn't accept blessing unless it gives away...
(Sorry this is scattered, but I had these thoughts collected here so long that I was forgetting what some of my short-hand meant and I thought I needed to get it somewhat coherent and just post it!)
7.14.2007
More Hellfire and Brimstone
Thursday in the square with our friends was accompanied by an even larger group of sign-toting evangelists (of course that term is supposed to refer to someone who is bringing news of joy!) along with their families. I asked them where they came from. The title link is to their website. They are from a church about 50 minutes drive from here.
It was a little more vehement this time.
I have been reading NT Wright alot lately... he has highlighted for me a particular aspect of Jesus ministry. Shock value. I think we lose this in our familiarity with the text. Jesus was shocking to his contemporaries, especially those in power. I find myself looking for similar ways to 'shock.' Not in the manner of the 'street preachers' who are shocking the public with their displays of 'righteous indignation' and outright rudeness (I observed one sign-weilding man call a woman a vulgar name), but in the manner of Jesus.
It seems that Jesus was not re-enforcing stereotypes but subverting them, not shoring up the status-quo of the religious elite but leveling the playing field, not calling down judgment on the 'sinners' but rather calling down judgment on the saints!
How can we, by our actions, do this? Is there more than simply living as devoutly as we can and through our personal relationships sharing our faith?
It was a little more vehement this time.
I have been reading NT Wright alot lately... he has highlighted for me a particular aspect of Jesus ministry. Shock value. I think we lose this in our familiarity with the text. Jesus was shocking to his contemporaries, especially those in power. I find myself looking for similar ways to 'shock.' Not in the manner of the 'street preachers' who are shocking the public with their displays of 'righteous indignation' and outright rudeness (I observed one sign-weilding man call a woman a vulgar name), but in the manner of Jesus.
It seems that Jesus was not re-enforcing stereotypes but subverting them, not shoring up the status-quo of the religious elite but leveling the playing field, not calling down judgment on the 'sinners' but rather calling down judgment on the saints!
How can we, by our actions, do this? Is there more than simply living as devoutly as we can and through our personal relationships sharing our faith?
Quotes
"When I feed the hungry, people call me a saint; when I ask, 'Why are they hungry?' people call me a Marxist."
- Bishop Oscar Romero
"The defeat of evil in this world depends upon human beings actually stepping forward to use the Kingdom power and authority that is given to them."
- Dallas Willard
- Bishop Oscar Romero
"The defeat of evil in this world depends upon human beings actually stepping forward to use the Kingdom power and authority that is given to them."
- Dallas Willard
7.13.2007
The Audacity of Hope
I just finished Barack Obama's second book. I really enjoyed it. I started in the middle with his chapter entitled "Faith" and was impressed and so I read the whole book. I don't know what I think of his policy ideas (I have been having some interesting personal evolution in the area of politics over the last few years) but I found him to be a remarkably open-minded thinker. He seems to genuinely listen and seek to understand all viewpoints. A rarity in today's politics of soundbites and cosmetically presented politicians.
He admittedly presents himself as an idealist, and even goes so far as to expose some of the weak spots in his idealism. He presents himself as a political reformer (reforming the way of politics itself), but recognizes that he has yet to truly face a real political battle that would test his belief in a 'different way of doing politics.' But I happen to be someone who takes it as a signal of divine approval whenever someone calls me an idealist to my face (albeit in a spiritual context, not a political one)... so I admire the trait in others.
I guess, ultimately, I appreciate the way in which he frames the issues and portrays the various sides of the policy debates. As to what I think of his particular position in those policy debates, I am still pondering.
He admittedly presents himself as an idealist, and even goes so far as to expose some of the weak spots in his idealism. He presents himself as a political reformer (reforming the way of politics itself), but recognizes that he has yet to truly face a real political battle that would test his belief in a 'different way of doing politics.' But I happen to be someone who takes it as a signal of divine approval whenever someone calls me an idealist to my face (albeit in a spiritual context, not a political one)... so I admire the trait in others.
I guess, ultimately, I appreciate the way in which he frames the issues and portrays the various sides of the policy debates. As to what I think of his particular position in those policy debates, I am still pondering.
7.09.2007
7.08.2007
SEX Part II
In our previous post (click the title link) we laid the foundation for a discussion of sexuality upon the nature of human beings and the state of humanity's relationship with God.
We described human beings as deeply sexual, constantly and hauntingly aware of the gender distinction, and yet ultimately humans are not to be defined by their sexuality, but rather by their spirituality. The center of a human being is the unique desires, intentions, emotions, and will, that constitute the human spirit.
We described our relationship with God in terms of separation, isolation and division. This division constitutes a serious perversion of the human spirit; we are separated from reality in ways that deeply distort our humanity into a charicature of itself.
In light of this, we must come to understand that our current sexuality is not good, nor is it natural. God created humanity a certain way, for His glory (of course), but also for our joy! To be separated from Him is to have the central core of our being (our spirit) twisted in such a way as to desire, rather than the deep abiding joys for which we were intended, the fleeting dregs of pleasure that come from drinking the sweet-tasting-poison of all manner of distorted humanity. This is most accute at a spiritual level, but it plays itself out, as the nature of the tree plays itself out in the fruit it produces, in every area of human existence not the least of which is our present discussion.
===========================
Sexuality as it was intended must be distinguished from sexuality as it is. (This of course ignores, for the present moment, that some people, and some cultures, have a sexuality that is much more in line with God's intent, and others much less...) Our present situation sees essentially an overblown sense of sex.
Sex is used by most as a way of self-definition. We have only to look so far as the childhood playground to see this truth. A primary-school insult is likely to take the form of attributing male characteristics to the girl in question, and conversly to take the form of attributing female characteristics to the boy in question. As we move on in age, young men begin to define themselves by their sexual conquests and sexual prowess, as well as their domination over their male peers; young women define themselves by their ability to attract sexual attention. Sexuality continues to play a self-defining role throughout life; homosexual, straight, married, single, etc., these labels are used not as attachments to the central characteristic of the individual, but rather often are the central defining traits of the individual. Even within the spritual community these are defining monikers (ie 'family values' and its self-contrasting over against the 'homosexual agenda').
This belies the fundamental mistake we are making in understanding our sexuality: we see it as central, when it is not. We fail to diagnose diseased humanity, or we misdiagnose it, or (worse yet) we celebrate it, when we mistake the fundamental nature of human beings.
This first problem with our current views on sex can be briefly stated by saying, "We mistakenly believe sexuality to be the center of a human being, and fail to understand human beings in light of their true core which is their spirit."
===========================
The first problem is a failure to undertand that the bone is broken (perhaps because in many cases we are unaware that there even exists such a bone!), the much larger problem is the broken bone itself.
This second and much deeper problem, lies with our disconnect, at a spiritual level, from God. We form our wills largely with disregard for and/or ignorance of the truly beautiful and joyous state for which God has intended our will to be formed. We believe that our desires are to be revered as gods, that our intentions should always be pursued, and that our emotional comfort is the guiding force for ethics in the world. (We in the Western world have even codified this into many of the founding documents of our nations legal systems!)
We largely ignore the desires, emotions, intentions, and will that are consistent with reality, beauty, justice etc. (consistent with God and His spirit, ie His desires, emotions, intentions, and will). Our spirit is the guiding force in our lives (whether we believe in it's existence or not!) and so will govern our sexuality.
Our sexuality has become a thing of surface pleasure. What was, by design, intended to be a deeply personal and radical co-mingling of two human beings (with what takes place in the sex act mirroring what is taking place on a spiritual level) has become instead simply another avenue for an individual to seek his/her own pleasure and ego.
Because our spirit is no longer aligned with God's we have come to the conclusion that whatever we desire is what we should pursue, throwing off any restraint upon behaviors that align with our personal desires over against God's; sexuality has become the testing ground for the total abnegation of such restraint. We are largely encouraged to view sex as the pursuit of 'whatever makes you feel good' with it's sometimes added (and largely underemphasized) correllary 'so long as you don't hurt anyone.' This is a fundamentally flawed view of healthy humanity. (And ignores large amounts of actual harm done in the process) LINK
A basic symptom of our separation from God is that we no longer desire to do that which is good and beautiful, just and true. To claim that what we are doing is good, beautiful, just, or true, simply because it is what we find within us when we search our hearts, is to see the world up-side-down. It is the very heart within us that is the problem with the world, we cannot use it as a guiding impulse in our lives without serious transformation. To see this as true one has only to look in other areas of our person, are we willing to argue that I am justified in taking someone elses car because, when I looked deep within myself, I found that I sincerely wanted it? Is the same true of punching my annoying co-worker in the face?
To Be Continued
We described human beings as deeply sexual, constantly and hauntingly aware of the gender distinction, and yet ultimately humans are not to be defined by their sexuality, but rather by their spirituality. The center of a human being is the unique desires, intentions, emotions, and will, that constitute the human spirit.
We described our relationship with God in terms of separation, isolation and division. This division constitutes a serious perversion of the human spirit; we are separated from reality in ways that deeply distort our humanity into a charicature of itself.
In light of this, we must come to understand that our current sexuality is not good, nor is it natural. God created humanity a certain way, for His glory (of course), but also for our joy! To be separated from Him is to have the central core of our being (our spirit) twisted in such a way as to desire, rather than the deep abiding joys for which we were intended, the fleeting dregs of pleasure that come from drinking the sweet-tasting-poison of all manner of distorted humanity. This is most accute at a spiritual level, but it plays itself out, as the nature of the tree plays itself out in the fruit it produces, in every area of human existence not the least of which is our present discussion.
===========================
Sexuality as it was intended must be distinguished from sexuality as it is. (This of course ignores, for the present moment, that some people, and some cultures, have a sexuality that is much more in line with God's intent, and others much less...) Our present situation sees essentially an overblown sense of sex.
Sex is used by most as a way of self-definition. We have only to look so far as the childhood playground to see this truth. A primary-school insult is likely to take the form of attributing male characteristics to the girl in question, and conversly to take the form of attributing female characteristics to the boy in question. As we move on in age, young men begin to define themselves by their sexual conquests and sexual prowess, as well as their domination over their male peers; young women define themselves by their ability to attract sexual attention. Sexuality continues to play a self-defining role throughout life; homosexual, straight, married, single, etc., these labels are used not as attachments to the central characteristic of the individual, but rather often are the central defining traits of the individual. Even within the spritual community these are defining monikers (ie 'family values' and its self-contrasting over against the 'homosexual agenda').
This belies the fundamental mistake we are making in understanding our sexuality: we see it as central, when it is not. We fail to diagnose diseased humanity, or we misdiagnose it, or (worse yet) we celebrate it, when we mistake the fundamental nature of human beings.
This first problem with our current views on sex can be briefly stated by saying, "We mistakenly believe sexuality to be the center of a human being, and fail to understand human beings in light of their true core which is their spirit."
===========================
The first problem is a failure to undertand that the bone is broken (perhaps because in many cases we are unaware that there even exists such a bone!), the much larger problem is the broken bone itself.
This second and much deeper problem, lies with our disconnect, at a spiritual level, from God. We form our wills largely with disregard for and/or ignorance of the truly beautiful and joyous state for which God has intended our will to be formed. We believe that our desires are to be revered as gods, that our intentions should always be pursued, and that our emotional comfort is the guiding force for ethics in the world. (We in the Western world have even codified this into many of the founding documents of our nations legal systems!)
We largely ignore the desires, emotions, intentions, and will that are consistent with reality, beauty, justice etc. (consistent with God and His spirit, ie His desires, emotions, intentions, and will). Our spirit is the guiding force in our lives (whether we believe in it's existence or not!) and so will govern our sexuality.
Our sexuality has become a thing of surface pleasure. What was, by design, intended to be a deeply personal and radical co-mingling of two human beings (with what takes place in the sex act mirroring what is taking place on a spiritual level) has become instead simply another avenue for an individual to seek his/her own pleasure and ego.
Because our spirit is no longer aligned with God's we have come to the conclusion that whatever we desire is what we should pursue, throwing off any restraint upon behaviors that align with our personal desires over against God's; sexuality has become the testing ground for the total abnegation of such restraint. We are largely encouraged to view sex as the pursuit of 'whatever makes you feel good' with it's sometimes added (and largely underemphasized) correllary 'so long as you don't hurt anyone.' This is a fundamentally flawed view of healthy humanity. (And ignores large amounts of actual harm done in the process) LINK
A basic symptom of our separation from God is that we no longer desire to do that which is good and beautiful, just and true. To claim that what we are doing is good, beautiful, just, or true, simply because it is what we find within us when we search our hearts, is to see the world up-side-down. It is the very heart within us that is the problem with the world, we cannot use it as a guiding impulse in our lives without serious transformation. To see this as true one has only to look in other areas of our person, are we willing to argue that I am justified in taking someone elses car because, when I looked deep within myself, I found that I sincerely wanted it? Is the same true of punching my annoying co-worker in the face?
To Be Continued
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