Commencement

Trey Standifer

Today I looked at several photos sent to us by relatives.  Trey’s photo was enclosed in his high school graduation announcement. The other is of Matt as he was headed to a dance with his best friends.  They were celebrating graduating from the eighth grade.  It is a wonderful thing to be reminded that though I sometimes get cornered into thinking this is a tired old world, new generations filed with hope and promise are invigorating the planet.  Do I envy them their youth?  Not at all.  But their youth does bring back fond memories.  I wish them well, and sincerely hope that they meet with success and happiness.  I know only too well that the tapestry of life is not without imperfections.  But most things worthwhile do not require perfection, only doing our best as God gives us light at the time to see it.  I would rather new generations follow their divine leadings and land somewhere short of traveling a perfectly straight path than perfectly fulfilling a conceptual goal not true to themselves.  Heaven makes a way for earnest and truthful players, this I adamantly believe. 

Print Page

No Serene Nazarene

Today I read the first 147 pages of an interesting book, The Politics of Jesus: Rediscovering the True Revolutionary Nature of Jesus’ Teachings and How They Have Been Corrupted by Obery Hendricks, Jr.  I admit I have too often accepted at face value the world Jesus was born into picturing it too blithely as in the Christmas favorite: “Silent night, holy night!/All is calm, all is bright…/Sleep in heavenly peace/Sleep in heavenly peace.”  Assuming that “Your kingdom come/Your will be done/On earth as it is in heaven” was already a fully accomplished fact that required no further faith or effort.  The book pointed out several stark facts about the world Jesus was born into:  The Romans were ruthless in “keeping the peace” in one instance in a town a half-day’s journey from where Jesus lived as a child crucifying 2,000 insurgents; the psychological impact of oppression was evident in various physical and mental disorders; poverty was everywhere; crimes such as banditry were widespread; taxation was oppressive and entirely unrewarding for the taxed; there was widespread indebtedness with literal enslavement a common result; the religious institutions in Jerusalem had become under the protection and influence of the Roman authorities and the religious elite were a privileged class with exceptionally high income and property holdings; 95% of the country was poor so that “give us this day our daily bread” was an earnest prayer; the people from the country—the Galileans—were looked down on with prejudice by city folk who disparaged their accent, manner of livelihood, and poverty; Jesus (unlike Paul) was not a Roman citizen and so did not have resort to this appeal should he run into conflict with authorities.  With all this and much more to consider, the high profile ministry of Jesus had serious political implications on all fronts.  His movement was seen as quite distinct from the establishment and the status quo until several factors intervened—in a somewhat small way by some of the teachings of Paul, and in a much greater way in the partially successful attempt by Constantine to co-opt the Christian religion in 312 AD and thereafter make it hierarchical rank and status centered rather than as it had been in the past a hierarchy of roles and function with all followers being equal servants under God.

When the reading is done I will report on Part Two which explores “seven of Jesus’ discourses and deeds as political strategies.”

Print Page

Today in Church

Today’s sermon was on the last words of the Apostles’ Creed—“the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting.”  Pastor David Miller pointed out the “the resurrection of the body” is an important part of the creed for by its inclusion we are guided not to discount our physical world.  Since our bodies will be raised, we must not think that only the spiritual is important; but so also is the physical, and we are guided to respect the material as well as the spiritual.  Bad things have happened historically, such as torture in an attempt to save souls, when this was forgotten.  We are to be concerned not only about souls, but also about the quality of physical life.    

Print Page

Unassailable Hope

Today a confluence of factors including a movie and scripture readings bring me to the theme of man’s need for a sense of significance.  As in the movie City Slickers, we find it especially arising in midlife crises.  At a certain point a sense of mortality combines with a sense that whatever we have done or are doing does not amount to a hill of beans.  Our attempts to build up our daily jobs and lives into something of significance gives way to quiet desperation. Hope is lost that we will ever amount to much.  And this quiet despair goes for everyone, even those with high status jobs or social positions.  Vanity, all is vanity becomes the feeling on all fronts.  This is where religion rides to the rescue.  We each have a life-long role to play that is pervasive and supersedes all other accomplishments and tasks.  It is a fundamental task open to those of all social and marital statuses, occupations, incomes, races, sexes, ages, and mental and physical abilities.  We are to fulfill our individual callings to become ambassadors of Christ in our own way using our best gifts.  Nothing is more important and more accessible to all.  Nothing puts us more on an equal footing while imbuing each of us with eternal significance. Nothing depends less on external conditions or advantages.  We can be ambassadors no matter what jobs we hold or don’t hold, where we live or don’t live, how many our resources or how little.  Is there any wonder that religion has outlived thousands of years of skepticism and unbelief?  We cannot prevail without an unassailable hope, and that comes only from a spiritual rather than a material perspective.

Print Page

Life Is a Gift Card

This week I printed barcodes on the backs of gift cards for the City golf courses.  The front sides of the plastic cards (the size of a credit card) are printed by the manufacturer and have a colored background and the logos of the City’s three golf courses.  There are several editions of the cards—a happy holiday edition, a merchandise only edition, and standard edition.  The standard edition allows the purchase of merchandise and rounds of golf.  The merchandise only card is restricted to the purchase of merchandise, and the holiday card is used at Christmastime for the special purpose of holiday gift giving—this card like the standard edition allows the purchase of merchandise and rounds of golf.  None of the cards can be redeemed for cash.

In my view life is much like a gift card.  There is a standard edition that comes with few restrictions.  We are encouraged to range freely and strive without limits for happiness and fulfillment.  The more limited edition reminds of us that not all is possible.  We have limitations built in as does the universe itself; there are laws to conform to physically and behaviorally.  Finally there is a Christmas gift card that invites us to be generous with our resources and to spread hope and joy to others.  When receiving gifts, we are reminded that we are the constant recipient of many gifts and blessings. Finally redemption cannot be made in cash—in the exact manner obtained.  We are required to transform the gift with the stamp of our own personality.  We cannot go backwards to common tender, but are forced to buy something thoughtful and unique to which we may not otherwise have treated ourselves.  Cherish your gift cards, they are precious.  The establishment is not responsible for cards lost or stolen.   

Print Page

Eternally Gray – A Memorial Day Remembrance

Untimely remembrances of untimely deaths,

Giving expression in the end,

To hallowed causes self-determined

And the tragedy of inescapable human conflict

And the spiritual demons that divided us,

In the parlors and on the battlefields—

Is there any doubt that in death

Victory is not denied to anyone

So long as memories obligate the living

To the voices of the fallen.

Print Page

My Position on the Bible

As a lay Christian without credentials, I will nevertheless be honest with you where I stand on the authority of the Bible.  Even though I am in no way a Bible scholar, I think it is a reasonable expectation that as a professing Christian I should have an opinion—even if largely uninformed—about a book that continues to play a huge role in my life.  My earliest memories as a child include learning Bible stories, and my latest activity this weekend was reading extensively in the Bible.  No other book, nor no other influence, can be compared to it—its impact being so fundamental and pervasive.

I refuse to be tangled into knots about technicalities.  There is no doubt a zillion “problem verses” that I would be totally ignorant about in terms of historical scholarship.  To be honest, if today I were offered free tutelage at the most prestigious divinity schools so I could learn exhaustedly about all the lively issues in exegesis, I would quickly turn the opportunity down for what is riveting to others I am well aware I would likely find excruciating, exasperating, and dry as dust.  For me, the Bible has never been an opportunity for argumentation and debate. When I turn to the Bible, I always want to skip to “the good stuff” that has significant implications in my daily life.

Of course, what is often the question that everyone wants to know is does one consider the Bible factually true in all its parts.  Was the earth created in a few days along with everything that dwells within it; and then, what about a long list of miracles, stringent laws, and cruel acts of God?  Is the Bible best understood as mythology—not in the sense that it’s not true, but in the sense that it superbly captures truth as life confronts mankind on the levels of meaning and significance?  Does the Bible successfully enunciate spiritual reality and eternity as it impacts the faithful?  Is it experientially authentic and accurate, if on a starker more superficial level incorrect?

Of course, my faithful readers know me by now, and know that it is not my nature to sow dissention and discord.  I truly think it displeases God for us to become fixated on the speck that divides us while ignoring the spanning skies that unite us.  My position is clear, I will discuss any Bible truth one wants to discuss, but I will not play the devil’s tool and eviscerate love on a cross of intellectual pride. 

Print Page