Tending to the Holy -- Review

TENDING TO THE HOLY: The Practice of the Presence of God in Ministry. By Bruce G. Epperly and Katherine Gould Epperly. Foreword by Kent Ira Goff. Herndon, VA: Alban Institute, 2009. xii + 196 pp.

Busy pastors often take little time to attend to their physical, emotional, or spiritual life. They also often compartmentalize parts of their ministry – assuming that some parts are spiritual (preaching and praying) and others not so spiritual (administration). Bruce and Kate Epperly pick up on Brother Lawrence’s imagery of “practicing the presence of God” and share their understanding of how all aspects of ministry are spiritual and need to be undertaken in prayer – whether that prayer is a breath prayer or time spent in contemplation and meditation. For those of us, who are not by nature contemplative, who find it difficult not just to take time but to feel comfortable in prayer, this book is a godsend.

The Epperlys co-pastor a Disciples/UCC federated church in Pennsylvania, while Bruce serves as Director of Continuing Education and Professor of Practical Theology at Lancaster Theological Seminary. This book is very personal, drawing on their experiences of ministry and spirituality. They write with passion about ways in which renewed and energized pastors can help energize mainline churches – not by turning to conservative theology, but by fully engaging a progressive understanding of Christianity. But, this is not rationalistic approach – they understand the need for the mystical, for letting the Spirit move in the life of the pastor and the church. This is an expression of the idea of Christian Practices that Diana Butler Bass, among others, have been lifting up these past several years, calling on us to a practice of awareness of God’s presence in every moment of our lives.

What is important to note here is that the Epperlys are strongly grounded in theology. They write:

While we recognize a good deal of truth in the postmodern critique of any attempt to frame global and all-inclusive theological worldviews, we nevertheless affirm the value of articulating a coherent, yet tentative and flexible, theological vision of God’s activity in the world as a means of orienting our lives and daily spiritual practices. (P. 11).

They acknowledge up front that they have been influenced by process theology, along with Jungian psychology and system theory, among others. These foundations are evident throughout, but they point us not to the systems and perspectives, but to practices that are deeply grounded and empower ministry. Perhaps most importantly, and this view they take from process theology, is the affirmation that God is always present. This a view that is continually reinforced. With that in mind, then we can integrate all aspects of life, and understand everything we do in ministry is rooted in God’s active presence in the world. They speak often, as well, of the principle of abundance – not in a prosperity gospel way – that allows us to see the world in a new light, one that is not rooted in scarcity and fear.

The book takes up all facets of ministry, beginning with preaching, teaching and worship – and they define these aspects of ministry in terms of spiritual formation. They encourage taking time for study and prayer, so that in our teaching and preaching and worship leadership, we have a vision of God’s presence and a recognition that we are vessels through which God is speaking. One way of moving in this direction is to reclaim the use of study for the pastor’s office. They write that the use of office reflects a change from the ministerial vocation as that of “rabbi, teacher, and spirit person,” and has moved it into more corporate senses as “administrator, program manager, professional counselor, and functional CEO.” It’s not these functions aren’t part of ministry, but rather the problem of these images defining what a pastor is doing (pp. 36-37).

Moving from what would seem to be the most visible aspects of ministry, they move onto ministries of spiritual guidance, pastoral care, leadership and administration, and finally prophetic hospitality. In each area of ministry, they urge pastors to engage themselves spiritually and prayerfully, even when engaging in work that doesn’t seem all that spiritual. For clergy who resist the administrative tasks, they Epperlys remind us that we can’t get away from them, they’re part of what we do, but we can reenvision these tasks spiritually. The question they ask of us is this:

Will your administrative leadership deepen the spirituality of your congregation and your own spirituality, or will it be a source of conflict, fatigue, and frustration both for yourself and for the congregation? We believe that the form and style of your leadership and administration as a pastor cannot be separated from your theological beliefs and spiritual practices. (p. 127).

The kind of leadership they envision is one that is “creative, appreciative, affirmative, and imaginative.” It is a form of ministry that is rooted in a spiritual practice, which they borrow from Gerald May, of “pausing, opening, noticing, stretching and yielding, followed by responding to God’s presence.” This form of prayerfulness or mindfulness is described and applied throughout the book – reminding us how we might recognize God’s presence and engage that presence in all aspects of ministry.

The penultimate chapter is called “prophetic hospitality,” and this chapter needs to be internalized by mainline progressive pastors – many of whom pastor churches that are at a different place than they are when it comes to political, theological, social, and cultural issues. Clergy tend to either hide their views or lashing out angrily. The Epperlys offer another way, one that allows both for expressing prophetic understandings while respecting and loving those with whom we differ. The key is staying in relationship with those who differ, while continuing to hold true to one’s own beliefs.

Prophetic hospitality is grounded in a visionary reconciliation in which pastors see and appreciate Christ’s presence in all their congregants as the foundation of common ground amid great diversity. (p. 170)

Indeed, one cannot preach God’s love while disrespecting one’s opponents – a word that is difficult for us, as human beings, to get a hold of and internalize, and yet it’s an important one. Once again, however, in order to accomplish this, one must engage the other prayerfully. This conversation helpfully deals with the reality that is most troubling for us as pastors – dealing with our own anger. They offer a possible way for this anger to be transformed into love. In all of this, the point is that we seek a balance where we can live out our dual callings to be prophets and shepherds, challengers and comforters.

This is not only an excellent book, I would suggest that it is essential reading for clergy, especially those who are progressive in their theology. It is thoroughly grounded in theology, because the authors insist that what we believe matters -- especially regarding the presence of God in every aspect of life. They also take into account other sources of revelation – such as tradition and psychology It is challenging and comforting. The point is, our ability to live out our calling without becoming burned out and beaten up, requires that we stay grounded in our relationship with God, and that means practicing the presence of God in all places and at all times. Such a word breathes grace into our ministries.

The Velvet Prophet: Vaclav Havel and his Message of Responsibility -- Sightings

Twenty years ago the so-called Iron Curtain began to rust away. First the Berlin Wall was breached, and then in place after place totalitarian regimes gave way to new forces. These past 20 years have not been easy ones for Eastern Europe, and the process of transformation is still underway.

In this piece from yesterday's Sightings posting, the role of Vaclav Havel in what was then Czechoslovakia (remember when this was one country?) is highlighted. The author, Lubomir Martin Ondrasek, is a Ph.D. student at the University of Chicago and a participant in the Velvet Revolution.

These stories remind us just how difficult it is to change, and the visionary leadership it takes to do this effectively.

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Sightings 11/19/09

Editor’s Note: Sightings will take a short break for Thanksgiving and will return after the holiday on Thursday, December 3rd.

The Velvet Prophet: Václav Havel and his Message of Responsibility

-- Lubomir Martin Ondrasek

This week marks the twenty-year anniversary of the beginning of the “Velvet Revolution” (or the “Gentle Revolution” as referred to by the Slovaks), which led to the rapid demise of the totalitarian regime in Czechoslovakia. On November 17, 1989 in Prague, a heavily armed riot police squad harshly suppressed a peaceful student demonstration that commemorated the fiftieth anniversary of the killing of the Czech medical student Ján Opletal by the occupying Nazi forces. This event supplied the needed spark that lit the flames of courage and hope for non-violent political protests across the country. Ten days later, hundreds of thousands of Czech and Slovak citizens gathered in city squares to participate in a two-hour nationwide general strike that called for the abolishment of the leading role of the Czechoslovak Communist Party. Before the year was over, the Communist leaders relinquished their grip on power, and Czechoslovakia has embarked on a challenging journey towards a democratic future.

Václav Havel will always remain the principal symbol of this important European revolution, which has joined the annals of history as one of the few that contained no bloodshed. Havel is an enchanting but elusive figure who has been interpreted in a variety of ways – depending on whom you ask, you will find that Havel wears a different suit: prison garb or uniform, toga or tux, hand cuffs or cuff links, cap or crown. My intent here is to add yet another accessory to Havel’s already bulging wardrobe. Along with everything else, Havel wears the mantle of a prophet whose salient message, communicated through essays, speeches, letters, and early plays, is not abstruse: Our world is in a state of crisis, and we must not remain indifferent to both its symptoms and its causes. In Havel’s understanding, it was the “arrogant anthropocentrism of modern man, who is convinced he can know everything and bring everything under his control,” which plunged humanity into its present condition. As a playwright, dissident, president, and now as a citizen, Havel has seized whatever opportunity he could to speak about what happens when human beings are not “grounded in humble respect for the order of Being.”

Although Havel does not preach any ideological panacea and has always been hesitant in prescribing definite solutions for making the world a better place, or at least keeping it from getting worse, there is one ubiquitous theme that can be detected whether he addresses audiences in New York or New Delhi: “If humanity has any hope of a decent future, it lies in the awakening of a universal sense of responsibility, the kind of responsibility rooted far more deeply than in the world of transient and temporary earthly interests.” Significantly influenced by the Czech phenomenologist and human rights activist Ján Patočka, Havel’s unsystematized moral theory seems to resemble most closely the dialogical ethics of responsibility. If it is true that the salvation of our world lies in human beings embracing individual and collective responsibility, perhaps the most critical question to ask of Václav Havel is how a person can attain this responsibility. Based on his fundamental presupposition that the origin and grounding of moral responsibility is metaphysical, Havel surprisingly points to “God,” who can awaken and sustain in human beings a deeper sense of responsibility.

People interested in the ethical and religious dimensions of Havel’s thought are often unsure about exactly what he means when speaking so frequently about the “absolute horizon,” the “miracle of Being,” or the “memory of God.” While Havel has been reluctant to confess faith in a theistic God and he is not committed to any particular set of religious dogmas, nevertheless he staunchly adheres to universal metaphysical principles that he sees as undergirding all religious traditions and to the “order of Being” that he sees as transcending all religious traditions. Havel’s religion is mainly characterized by recognition of his own finitude, humility toward transcendent reality and openness to the unknown. It is antithetical to the religion a “fanatic” clings to, who as Havel once so compellingly put, “without realizing it, replaces the love of God with the love for his own religion; the love of truth, freedom and justice with love of an ideology, doctrine or sect; love of people with love of a project.”

Whatever one might think of the basic assumptions that shape Havel’s message of responsibility, we can be grateful on this special occasion that his prophetic voice and witness have been present in our world.

References:

Havel, Václav. Spisy, zv. 1-7 [Writings, vol. 1-7]. Praha, ČR: Torst, 1999.

Havel, Václav. Letters to Olga: June 1979-September 1982. Translated by Paul Wilson. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1988.

Havel, Václav. Disturbing the Peace: A Conversation with Karel Hvížďala. Translated by Paul Wilson. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1990.

Havel, Václav. Open Letters: Selected Writings 1965-1990. Translated by Paul Wilson. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1991.

Havel, Václav. The Art of the Impossible: Politics as Morality in Practice. Translated by Paul Wilson. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1997.

Lubomir Martin Ondrasek is a PhD student in Religious Ethics at the University of Chicago Divinity School, and participated in the Velvet Revolution as a young adult in Czechoslovakia. He is cofounder of Acta Sanctorum, a Chicago-based non-profit that works for the positive transformation of countries that are or once were under totalitarian regimes.

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In the November 2009 edition of the Religion and Culture Web Forum, Mark Scott of Concordia University strives to develop a paradigm that frames "new trajectories for research in theodicy in religious studies." He develops an analogy--"Theodicy as Navigation"--"a ship caught in a violent storm at sea"--for the function of theodicy within religious experience. In this way, according to Scott, the conversation may diverge "beyond the 'what' of theodicy . . . to the 'how,'" thus moving to a level of analysis that illuminates "the personal experience of suffering and the effort to render it meaningful." With formal responses from Charles Long (UCSB, emeritus), Sally Stamper (University of Chicago Divinity School), Kevin Taylor (Boston University), and Bryan L. Wagoner (Harvard University). http://divinity.uchicago.edu/martycenter/publications/webforum/index.shtml

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Sightings comes from the Martin Marty Center at the University of Chicago Divinity School.

The December Dilemma -- A reposting

Several Years ago, while writing an op-ed column for the Lompoc Record, I wrote about the dilemma that faces so many in December, as Christmas dominated the horizon. It's a dilemma because many are not Christmas, and the month is experienced as one of exclusion. So, because the issues don't seem to go away, I re-share this piece for another season, so that our experience might be one of inclusion, rather than exclusion. I share this now, so we can have this in our minds as we enter this month.

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Faith in the Public Square
Lompoc Record
December 4, 2005

December poses a dilemma for some, though this may come as a surprise to many. I find December to be a joyous and blessed season. I may complain occasionally about the commercialization of Christmas, but I still enjoy the lights, the trees, and the music, especially the carols. I really have no complaints.

Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus and it reminds me that God has drawn near to us in a baby born in a far off corner of the world. It is a festival that carries a message of peace and good will, of angel's songs and divine visits. Yes, for me, “Jesus is the reason for the season.”

As joyous as December may be for me, I know that Jesus is not the reason for the season for all. There are those in our community whose history includes stories of persecution and even death at the hands of those who claim the name of Jesus. There are memories of exclusion and marginalization, especially among those who went through public schools in an earlier age. For Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Baha'is, and people of no religion, December isn't necessarily a moment of joy. Simply throwing a Hanukkah song into a mix of explicitly religious Christmas carols only seems to make the discomfort more obvious. Putting Rudolph in the crèche on the court house lawn does not make the crèche any less religious and therefore appropriate for a public square shared by all.

My Jewish friends have helped me understand how painful December can be. Yes, Jews celebrate Hanukkah during December, but this festival does not receive the same attention as Christmas, nor does it play the role in Judaism as Christmas does in Christianity. It is difficult to put on the shoes of the other person, but we who comprise the “majority” religious culture need to recognize the possibilities for exclusion. It is easy to say, well that's the way it is, so get over it. Such sentiment is neither compassionate nor in keeping with the message of peace and good will that Christmas is supposed to represent.

I have no intention of abandoning my celebration of Christmas - it is too important to my faith. I draw comfort from its promise that God came to dwell among us in the person of Jesus. I believe I am a better person because of the ways of God that are revealed in the person and teachings of Jesus. But then I am a Christian and that is how it should be.

Christianity remains the dominant religious movement in the United States and so it will be nigh impossible for Christmas, including its religious foundations, not to impact the month of December. That being said, it is possible for Christians to be sensitive to those who do not share this religion. We who are Christians can also take the opportunity to learn about the celebrations and festivals of our neighbors - from Yom Kippur to Ramadan, to Kwanzaa and beyond. By doing this we not only show sensitivity, we offer respect to those who are different.

If we who are Christian have allowed Jesus to be crowded out of Christmas, then we should make every effort to reclaim him as the reason for our celebration. We can make it a point to attend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services. There we will sing the great carols of Christmas and we will celebrate the wondrous message of salvation and grace that is present in Christmas. At the same time, as a Christian, I hope that I will show my neighbor the respect I would want shown to me. If Christmas is about peace and good will (Luke 2:14), then it is incumbent on we who are Christians to live accordingly. If the greeting is happy holiday instead of merry Christmas, I know what is meant, and by showing respect and honor to those who do not share my religious faith I can offer a worthy gift to our community. The public square need not be naked, but it needs to be shared by all.

Dr. Bob Cornwall is pastor of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Lompoc.

December 4, 2005

It's almost time for Good Christians to say: "HAPPY HOLIDAYS"

It's almost time for the Holiday rush to begin. It's just a week until Thanksgiving and then, it's Black Friday, and the good Christian folk will start raising a big stink if clerks and greeters say "Happy Holidays." A college mate recently shared an excellent article by Ruth Ann Dailey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. It's entitled: "Be a Good Christian: Say "Happy Holidays."

What we're about to see is the most bizarre display of uncivil behavior by Christians, who will demand, as they have been doing these past several years, that they be greeted with "Merry Christmas." They do this because they believe that if Walmart Clerks (and apparently now the target is Gap) say Merry Christmas this some how puts "Christ back into Christmas," as if Jesus is somehow honored by our consumerism!

Here is a slice from the article:

News flash for the "religious right" from this column-writing Jesus freak: Christmas is not the only religious observance taking place at this time of year, and millions of Americans do not recognize Jesus as "the One" nor give gifts to honor him.

Is recognizing this reality "political correctness," or is it simple respect?

And why wouldn't Christians want to respect the religious freedom exercised by their fellow citizens? After all, obnoxious pouting -- "It's our holiday!" -- isn't exactly a persuasive evangelistic technique.

That final sentence is key -- demanding that our holiday be honored above all others isn't a great evangelistic tool. Indeed, it is just another negative mark against the faith. Dailey starts by asking the question: "What would Jesus say?" And I think he'd say: Happy Holidays! And, so will I!

A spirituality of management?

When I went into pastoral ministry, probably the one area I least looked forward to was the task of administering/managing the program. I saw myself as leader yes, but administrative tasks seemed so mundane. Well, 25 years (almost) after being ordained and heading into my 12th year as congregational pastor, I am faced with the fact that administration and management are part of my portfolio. Today, for instance, between leading my two sessions of Theology 101, I will meet with a lighting consultant. I'm also in the midst of working with a task force revising the constitution and developing a new website. It's easy to ask -- where is the spirituality in this? Or shouldn't I be doing something else? You could answer, well administration isn't my calling and if things don't get done, well I guess they weren't that important -- I've had those thoughts -- but I've also discovered that if I don't attend to the management areas of ministry, the other areas simply fall flat.

Reading Bruce and Kate Epperly's Tending to the Holy: The Practice of the Presence of God in Ministry (Alban, 2009), has been extremely helpful in this regard. They help us, as pastors, look at what we're doing, including administration, as a place of prayer and contemplation, knowing that God is present even in these activities. They write this about a spirituality of management:

A spirituality of management, grounded in appreciative and affirmative reflection, is essential for today's pastors, given that congregational change is inevitable and failure to see God in the details, relationships, and decision processes of managing a church can only result in chaos. The two of us believe that spirit-centered and affirmative managers are (1) contemplative in their managerial style, (2) recognize that we are part of a dynamic body of Christ that holds many gifts and visions beyond our own, (3) place a high priority on encouragement and affirmation in their managerial relationships, and (4) expect and look forward to surprises and opportunities for creative transformation for themselves and their congregations. To those who ask, What's management got to do with ministry? prayerful pastors understand that their approach to management and administration is essential to their spiritual growth and the spiritual growth of their congregations. (pp. 138-139).

The key, it would seem, is to be alert to God's presence even in the tasks of administering and managing a church!

Moving Forward on Health Care

As an observer of the political process as regards health care reform, I'm beginning to see why it's been on the table for so long and hasn't gotten anywhere. Everyone has their pet peeves and issues, which they must interject into the system.

No bill is going to be perfect, and while many of us might want a single payer plan, such a plan isn't going to pass at this time. The majority of Americans want health care reform, they're just not all on the same page as to what that looks like. And thus, whatever legislation that gets passed (assuming that it will pass), must take this into consideration.

Now abortion has gotten into the mix. Perhaps it's because I'm ambivalent about abortion, but I would be upset with liberal Democrats who torpedoed the totality of health care reform over this. To pass this, you have to have conservative/moderate Democrats on board. That means, restrictions on abortion are going to be present. But note, nothing in this prevents abortion, it simply removes it from coverage -- both private/public.

I'm in agreement with E.J. Dionne:

What happens now? Democratic supporters of abortion rights need to accept that their House majority depends on a large cadre of antiabortion colleagues. They can denounce that reality or they can learn to live with it.

There is also a challenge for abortion's foes, above all the Catholic bishops who have a long history of supporting universal coverage but devoted most of their recent energy to the abortion battle. How much muscle will the bishops put behind the broader effort to pass health-care reform? Their credibility as advocates for social justice hangs in the balance.

Democrats have a choice here -- they can follow the path of the Republicans and insist on ideological purity -- if they do this, they will follow them into obscurity. The reason why there are so many independents out there is that moderate Republicans have fled the party. To get anything done, you have to appeal to this body -- which is centrist.

Health care reform is to important to let abortion be the cause of its failure. If that means pleasing Bart Stupak, then that's what will have to be done. Somehow a compromise has to be found. The Catholic Bishops will also have to decide, which is more important -- saving lives through better and more affordable health care or preventing an already declining number of abortions.

Let us, therefore, move forward.

Penitents Compete and the Future of Turkish Secularism

Turkey is an interesting country -- religiously. It is a secular Muslim country. Religion is tightly controlled by the state. There have been rumbles lately, in part from those who not only want the controls to be loosened, but who want Islam to have a greater role in society. At the very least there are those who wish to have the freedom to wear religiously defined clothing/accessories. The Eastern Orthodox Church, would like some freedom to train priests, etc.

Into this mix comes a new reality show, the title roughly translated as Penitents Compete, on one of the nation's TV stations that invites representatives of 4 religions to try to convert an atheist. Although controversial and highly criticized, Joseph Laycock offers a different perspective in today's edition of Sightings. Martin Marty is traveling, so his usual spot is being covered by other people. It's an interesting piece -- so offer your thoughts.

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Sightings 11/16/09

Penitents Compete and the Future of Turkish Secularism

-- Joseph Laycock

Recently Turkish television station Kanal T announced a new game show in which representatives from four different world religions will try to convert atheists. The show’s title Tövbekarlar Yarisiyor translates roughly as Penitents Compete. Each episode features ten atheists who have been screened to ensure they are not secretly faithful. Audiences can then watch a Muslim imam, a Jewish rabbi, a Greek Orthodox priest, and a Buddhist monk attempt to bring them into the respective fold. Any atheist who experiences a conversion wins an all-expense-paid pilgrimage to a holy site of the new found faith: Mecca, Jerusalem, or Tibet. (Producers follow new converts to ensure the pilgrimage does not become a free holiday.) Penitents Compete is the brainchild of Seyhan Soylu, a transsexual pop figure who goes by the nickname "Sisi.” Soylu has said of the show, “We are giving the biggest prize in the world, the gift of belief in God.” Needless to say, Penitents Compete has aroused ire as well as curiosity from both atheists and believers around the world. Many see the show as disrespectful to religion while others see it as an indictment of atheism. However, the motivation for Penitents Compete may simply be a curiosity about religion, conversion, and pluralism.

While ninety-nine percent of Turkey’s population identifies as Muslim, the government is highly secular. Religion is carefully regulated by the state: Religious affiliation must be listed on national identity cards and places of worship are designated by the state. For over fifty years there has been a ban on religious head coverings in universities or by civil servants in public buildings. Religious proselytizing in particular is regarded with suspicion. Police frequently charge proselytizers with disturbing the peace or similar charges that are eventually dismissed in court. However, some Turks believe that proselytizing itself is illegal.

If not illegal, many Turks regard the show as inappropriate. Hamza Aktan, the chairman of Turkey's High Board of Religious Affairs, has called the show a ratings ploy that is disrespectful to all religions. He added, “Religion should not be a subject for entertainment programs.” But in a society where so much of religious life is at the discretion of the state, is it reasonable to expect a popular consensus about what constitutes a “respectful” attitude towards religion?

Critics in the West have raised a different concern about Penitents Compete: While the premise of the show seems to embrace religious pluralism, it frames atheism as an unacceptable, even a tragic, philosophy. Although producers recognize that many atheists will not convert, there is no prize offered for retaining one’s philosophical convictions. Politically, the show frames four religious traditions as a “belief constituency” in opposition to atheism. This discourse ties into an ongoing culture war in Turkey that parallels battles in the United States and other Western nations. In 2006, copies of a book entitled Atlas of Creation by Harun Yahya were sent unsolicited to schools throughout Turkey. Yahya’s book claimed that “The root of the terrorism that plagues our planet is not any of the divine religions, but atheism, and the expression of atheism in our times (is) Darwinism and materialism.” While Soylu is far less polemical, she commented, “We don't approve of anyone being an atheist. God is great and it doesn't matter which religion you believe in. The important thing is to believe.”

Nilüfer Narlı, a sociologist from Istanbul Bahçesehir University, commented that Turkey has experienced rising “curiosity” about religion for the last ten years. While Penitents Compete may strike some as gauche, it appears to be an honest exploration, if perhaps a naïve one, of topics that have traditionally been mysterious and taboo. And in a culture where religion has been a controversial subject, Penitents Compete may be the beginning of an important public conversation about pluralism. The format of an unscripted reality show has the potential to challenge assumptions about other religions. For example, the producers do not seem to have considered that Buddhism may be far more palatable to atheists than the Abrahamic religions. Similarly, by putting a human face on Turkey’s atheists, Penitents Compete may ultimately lead towards extending tolerance to non-religious philosophies. If the open discussion of religion remains civil (unlike most American reality shows), the show could even tip the scales in Turkey’s ongoing political battles over head coverings and other forms of religious expression.

References:

“Salvation at the end of a television show,” Asli Saglam, Hurriyet Daily News.com, 16 July 2009. <http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/domestic/11952462.asp?scr=1>.

“Turks: Atheism is the root of terrorism,” Reuters, 22 November, 2006.

<http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2006/11/22/115532.shtml>.

Religious Freedom in the Near East, North Africa, and the Former Soviet States. Edward P. Lipton, ed. (Nova Science Publishers, 2002).

Joseph Laycock is a PhD student in religion and society at Boston University, and the author of Vampires Today: The Truth About Modern Vampires (Praeger Publishers, 2009).

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In this month’s edition of the Religion and Culture Web Forum, Andre C. Willis of Yale Divinity School explores recent work by three major thinkers who both find inspiration in the pragmatic tradition and take religion seriously in their investigations of democracy—Jeffrey Stout, Roberto Unger, and Cornel West. He seeks to develop a conceptual grounding for his own move toward a pragmatism, rooted in social practice, which also bears a theological sensibility suitable for addressing those contingencies that are, in fact, the existential consequences of political realities. With invited responses from Eddie Glaude (Princeton University), Corey D. B. Walker (Brown University), and others. http://divinity.uchicago.edu/martycenter/publications/webforum/index.shtml

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Sightings comes from the Martin Marty Center at the University of Chicago Divinity School.

Living in a Covenant Community

In the Disciples we speak of the relationship between congregation and the regional and general manifestations of church (we use the term general instead of national since we have a small Canadian presence in the North American expression of our denomination) in terms of covenant. We know that covenant language has deep biblical roots -- God made covenants with Noah, Abraham and Sarah, and Moses. Jesus initiated a new covenant, one that is celebrated at the Lord's Table.

But covenant not only binds different manifestations of our institutions together, it binds us together as a community. As Ronald Osborn puts it, when we enter into a congregational relationship, we enter a covenant. That is, "they have pledged themselves to Christ and to one another, sworn to conduct their common life as a true church of Christ, and be guided by the Scriptures." (Ronald Osborn, The Faith We Affirm, St. Louis: Chalice Press, 1979, p. 63.) I'm wondering what this means for us?

I ask this question in light of one of today's lectionary texts -- the one I happened to focus upon in my sermon -- Hebrews 10:19-25. In this text, we hear the biblical author speak of our call to "provoke one another to love and good deeds." There is an assumption here that one cannot truly hope to live faithfully in isolation, that we need one another. The passage reads:

Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful (do you hear in this covenant language?). And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:23-25).

Osborn speaks of our responsibility under the covenant is to respond faithfully and with sincerity to the will of God, expecting that God "is there to meet us in our good intentions." For, "God stands ready to make up out of divine goodness whatever is lacking in our performance" (Faith We Affirm, p. 64.) There is an expectation in covenant language that even as God initiates the relationship, there is need for our response.

And the question then is this -- how do we enter this covenant relationship? And the answer is by way of the sacrament -- baptism.

Viewed as an act of covenant-making, baptism becomes a covenant-sacrament which occurs within a community. Not only is it intensely personal in its assurance to and claims on the person being baptized. It is also intensely corporate, binding us into the life of the company of Christians. (Faith We Affirm, p. 60-61).

Baptism is not simply an individualistic act, by which we make a pledge of allegiance to God, it is also a sign of mutual relationship as one enters a community of faith. Now, Disciples believe that baptism initiates us into the whole body of Christ, so that we needn't do this every time we join a new church and we affirm the baptisms of other traditions, seeing in them a sacramental act of covenant making, but baptism shouldn't be entered into willy -nilly. That's because, as Osborn suggests, in baptism we are binding ourselves to the Christian community. We are entering into a community relationship.

And how do we reaffirm and renew this covenant relationship? At the table, of course, for it is the other sacramental marker of the covenant community. Because we gather weekly at the Table (as Disciples), we renew this covenant at least on a weekly basis -- another reason not to absent ourselves from the covenant-community.

Provoked to Love -- A sermon

Reposted from Word of Welcome

Hebrews 10:19-25

Imagine for a moment that you’re watching two men talking. You can’t hear what they’re saying – they could be talking about football, politics, the best place to get burgers, and maybe even religion. At first the discussion seems fairly congenial, but then it gets a bit heated, and you see one man put his finger into the chest of the other, and shouts: “Don’t provoke me!”

It would seem that this word -- “provoke” – carries a lot of negative baggage. When we hear it, we hear argument, heated discussion, or even a fight. Wars start with provocations, and in Ephesians parents are told not to “provoke [their] children to anger” (Eph. 6:4). Now, I wish the message had been -- children, don’t provoke your fathers to anger, but that’s not what it says. Oh, by the way, if you turn to 1 Corinthians 13, you’ll find Paul saying that love isn’t “irritable,” which is the same word in Greek as provoke. And, who wants to be irritable?

So, from what I can tell, it’s safe to say that it’s not polite, indeed, it could be irritating, to provoke people! And yet, here we have the author of Hebrews telling us to provoke our neighbors –not to anger -- but to “love and good works.” So, maybe being provocative isn’t always a bad thing!

I. Stir Things Up

But, since the word “provoke” has so much baggage, we could try using a different word or phrase – something like “stirring things up” – and, in the context of our passage this might make sense. The author of Hebrews tells us that because Jesus has purified us, we can enter God’s sanctuary with confidence and boldness. Jesus has opened the way for us to enter God’s presence by taking down the curtain that separates us from the Holy of Holies.

With that kind of wind at the back, we needn’t be timid in our praise of God or in our relationships with each other. Now that Jesus has washed us clean, we are in a position where the Spirit of God can push us beyond our comfort zones and open our eyes to the needs of the world. The Spirit also stirs things up by making us aware of our neighbor’s gifts, talents, and abilities, and so we can encourage them to take up the good works God that has already prepared for them (Eph. 2:10), so that they might use these gifts and talents for the glory of God and for the benefit of their neighbors.

II. With a Word of Encouragement

There is another side of being spiritually provocative, besides stirring things up. It also involves offering words of encouragement. If we’re going to be a true community, then the ministry of encouragement must stand at the heart of who we are as a congregation. We’re not just a group of unrelated individuals, filling pews for an hour on Sunday morning. Instead, we’re a community of people living in relationship with each other, or as the speaker made clear last week at the Stephen Ministry retreat – the flip side of me is we.

Peter Gomes, suggests that a word of encouragement provides “that positive, affirming force that is so often missing in the routine of life.” A word of encouragement says to a person: you are important; you have purpose, you are loved and needed! Without these words of encouragement we will perish, maybe not physically, but certainly spiritually and emotionally. Although there are plenty of self-help books for sale, Gomes reminds us that we can’t “encourage ourselves.” Therefore, it is, “our spiritual obligation to encourage one another” (Christian Century, Nov. 5, 1997). And that only happens in community, which is why the author of Hebrews chides those who are “neglecting to meet together.”

Church people aren’t perfect. We may grate on each others nerves, say things we shouldn’t, but in the course of the relationships we build in the church – if we allow the Spirit room to move – we lift each other up. So, if our provocations are to be positive – not negative – then the focus has to be on we and not me.


III. Provocative Steps

How, then, do we get from this word of encouragement to a word that provokes? I think we can start by recognizing that our text doesn’t give us permission to manipulate people to “do the right thing.” It does, however, tell us to live our lives in such a way that people will be enticed, that is, provoked, to live their lives in love and service to others. As Paul tells the Thessalonians -- you have become such good examples of what the gospel is, that wherever I go, people know of your witness, and therefore, I have “no need to speak about it.” Of course, that didn’t keep Paul from speaking about the gospel, but their lives made his job a whole lot easier.

But, if we’re going to get to the point where our lives entice people to enter the kingdom of God, then our work must start with prayer. That’s because, if you pray for someone, you will put that person’s welfare front and center in your mind. Then you’ll be in a position to more clearly recognize that person’s needs, gifts, and talents. At the same time, when we pray, we will discover the words that encourage.

Then, as bearers of this word of encouragement, we can come alongside people who are struggling and speak words that give hope. As we get to know a person, we will also begin to recognize their gifts and talents, and then we can encourage them to make use of these gifts -- whether that means picking up a musical instrument or singing a song, painting or sculpting, speaking or dancing. It might involve stirring up a sense of compassion for the poor or the homeless. Whatever it is, this word of encouragement is deeply rooted in a relationship with the one who has broken down the wall that separates us from the presence of God.

As we consider this ministry of provocation and encouragement, we need to again hear the admonition: don’t forsake the gathering together as some do. I understand why some people stay away from church. Many have been hurt and don’t find the church to be a safe place to live or explore their faith. Some find it irrelevant. I’ve been asked on more than one occasion if going to church is necessary – to be a Christian. While I always say – it’s not absolutely necessary, in the end it’s very difficult to grow in faith and understanding, to learn to love and share in good works, if we’re not involved in a community of faith. And again, as the Stephen Ministry presenter made so clear, relationships are based on a movement from me to we – and so as we gather in community – not always agreeing on every thing, often provoking each other to something other than love – we put ourselves in a position to be provoked to love and good works. And this is our calling as God’s people. This is especially true, since the Day of the Lord is fast approaching!

Preached by:
Dr. Robert D. Cornwall
Pastor, Central Woodward Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Troy, MI
November 15, 2009

Charter for Compassion

I encourage you to consider signing the Charter for Compassion
and commit yourself to the following principles. Although I'm an individual signatory, Troy Interfaith Group, of which I am a member of the steering committee, is a partner organization:

The principle of compassion lies at the heart of all religious, ethical and spiritual traditions, calling us always to treat all others as we wish to be treated ourselves. Compassion impels us to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures, to dethrone ourselves from the centre of our world and put another there, and to honour the inviolable sanctity of every single human being, treating everybody, without exception, with absolute justice, equity and respect.

It is also necessary in both public and private life to refrain consistently and empathically from inflicting pain. To act or speak violently out of spite, chauvinism, or self-interest, to impoverish, exploit or deny basic rights to anybody, and to incite hatred by denigrating others—even our enemies—is a denial of our common humanity. We acknowledge that we have failed to live compassionately and that some have even increased the sum of human misery in the name of religion.

We therefore call upon all men and women ~ to restore compassion to the centre of morality and religion ~ to return to the ancient principle that any interpretation of scripture that breeds violence, hatred or disdain is illegitimate ~ to ensure that youth are given accurate and respectful information about other traditions, religions and cultures ~ to encourage a positive appreciation of cultural and religious diversity ~ to cultivate an informed empathy with the suffering of all human beings—even those regarded as enemies.

We urgently need to make compassion a clear, luminous and dynamic force in our polarized world. Rooted in a principled determination to transcend selfishness, compassion can break down political, dogmatic, ideological and religious boundaries. Born of our deep interdependence, compassion is essential to human relationships and to a fulfilled humanity. It is the path to enlightenment, and indispensable to the creation of a just economy and a peaceful global community.

God's New Word -- Rooted in the Word

The United Church of Christ has this great slogan -- "God is still speaking." It's a good reminder, whether we'd like to hear it or not, that God didn't just leave instructions and then take off. God is still present and active in the world, often doing new things. But, that new thing has roots, and those roots can be found in the biblical story.

As a more progressive Christian pastor, I'm grateful for the freedom that I have in interpreting the biblical text. I'm not tied to an ancient world view. I can embrace the witness of science, for example. I can recognize that on issues such as women, slavery, and I would add homosexuality, our understandings of the world and the way it works have changed. That being said, we should not, as Christians neglect our roots. Mainline churches have a tendency to discount the biblical story, and thus our people don't know the story. We can spend so much time wrestling with whether this or that story is true or not that we fail to hear the story itself.

With this in mind, I find helpful these words by Bruce and Kate Epperly -- progressive mainline pastors/educators:

God is speaking a new word and doing a new thing in our place and time, but this new and lively word remains grounded in God's uniquely revealing presence in Jesus of Nazareth and the texts of Scripture. Thus, whenever we pick up the Scriptures to prepare for a sermon, we are not only experiencing Forrrest Gump's sense of expectancy at the surprise of scriptural chocolates that awaits us but also opening our lives to the ongoing revelation of the living God in our specific time and place. (Bruce and Kate Epperly, Tending to the Holy, Alban, 2009, p. 31)

My comment on this is simply this: unless we know the arc of the story we will find it difficult to hear God's voice in the word.