Pulpit Hack

Herding Cats

2011-10-27T22:49:00.000-07:00

Well, today it happened. I actually watched a woman trying to herd cats. I was standing at my front gate staring off into space and thinking deep thoughts when I noticed this woman across the street waving a long stick in front of her. And then, I saw three or four cats walking in front of her. I take that back. They weren't really walking in front of her. They were hopping this way and that--up on the wall, over into the bushes, under her feet. One kept doubling back on her, and she had to reverse her course over and over to pick it up while the others scampered in different directions. I watched her for about ten minutes, and I swear that she didn't make more than about ten feet of progress moving her herd along. She kept at it, though. As you can tell from my ramblings, it is a difficult scene to describe. But, I suppose that is par for the course when it comes to herding cats. It defies description.

Lately, I feel as if I am trying to herd cats. And no, I don't mean the members of the church I serve! I am talking about my own thoughts and ideas. I am going through a time of intellectual challenge. My interpretations of life, the world, and God are hanging out there whipping around in the breezes of contemporary cultural change. I am struggling for order and coherence with regards to my theological and social perspectives. The context within which we live today seems to defy orderly interpretation. Like the woman across the street, I keep finding myself retracing my steps to reclaim some ideas while others scamper out of reach. But like her, I am not yet willing to give up the struggle. I am going to keep at it for awhile. Who knows? Maybe things will start to come together at some point. If they don't come together, then perhaps I will learn how to live with the ambiguity and chaos. Either way, I imagine that I will have grown in the process, and that is always valuable.

If any of you are trying to herd your own cats, drop me a line. I would love hear how it is going. Who knows? Maybe we can help each other, along the way.

Creating Knowledge of God

2011-10-18T23:44:00.000-07:00

Lately, I have been reading several books on social constructivism. Those who work out of this perspective believe that knowledge is created within our relationships with one another. This happens at all levels of human interaction: individual, group, and community. I have been thinking about this in terms of religious life. For many of us, our relationships with others are those points in life where we are most aware of the presence of God. From a social constructivist perspective, we could say that within our relationships we may be doing more than gaining an awareness of God. We may actually be creating (or constructing) knowledge of the Divine. In coming together, we create the space for God to be made manifest. We also construct new meanings for ourselves with regards to the Sacred. All of this brings to mind the scripture from Matthew 18:20 which says: For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them. Think about this the next time you stay home from church. Just imagine what you might be missing.

Creativity in Common with God

2011-10-17T23:34:00.000-07:00

The word "creative" is very popular among liberal and progressive Christians, these days. I find myself tossing it around right and left in sermons, essays, newsletter articles, and daily conversation. It is easy to forget, however, that this is a powerful word. Think of it this way: "create-ive," as in the power or ability to create. In the Christian tradition, this is what we imagine God doing. God creates. And here we are talking all the time about being creative, ourselves. Perhaps this is where we find our deepest connection with the Divine. In the beginning of the Bible, it isn't long before we see God creating humanity. The scriptures say that in some way, we are made in the image of God. Theologians have debated for centuries and centuries over what this might mean. As I read the story, the only thing God has really done up until the point that humanity is brought into existence is CREATE. This is who God is in those opening chapters of Genesis, the Creator. Perhaps the image of God in us is creativity. If so, then perhaps we should think very seriously and responsibly about the things we are creating, the situations we help make, and the relationships we forge. After all, this is the sort of thing that God does.

Spirituality as Biophilia

2011-04-21T13:33:00.000-07:00

For several years, I have been interested in a term I first discovered in the writings of Erich Fromm and later in those of E.O. Wilson and Stephen Kellert. The term is biophilia which literally means love of life or friendship with life. It refers to the hypothesis that humanity has a natural desire or inclination to connect with the wider life of the world.

I am becoming more and more convinced that spirituality is best understood as biophilia. Discussions of Spirit very often connect it with life and the power that makes for life which I would call GOD (along with theologians like Mordecai Kaplan). Therefore, spirituality can be seen as an orientation towards life, an appreciation of life, and a promotion of life. To be a spiritual person is to be involved in the give and take of life in such a way as to make a difference for the better. It is to realize and celebrate the connections that form the matrix or wider web of living existence. Seen in this way, spirituality ceases to be only a retreat into oneself or into some shady supernatural world, but instead it becomes an adventure of participation in the everyday, real life world. Seen from the perspective of biophilia, spirituality is utterly practical. It is also a way of appreciating the larger work of God, the nurture and support of all that lives.

Courage and Faith

2011-04-04T00:40:00.000-07:00

D.H. Lawrence once wrote, The greatest virtue in life is real courage that knows how to face facts and live beyond them. These words strike me as being full of wisdom. The great enemy of human faith and accomplishment is fear. It seems obvious to me that the most effective way to address such fear is by developing a sense of courage. Often, however, this is more easily said than done.

Last Sunday, Bryan Stanlow spoke of his tendency to worry about everything. He drew a big laugh when he mentioned “worrying about worrying too much.” I think the reason so many laughed was because everyone in the church service understood exactly what Bryan was talking about. We have all felt paralyzed by our worries and our fears. It is all too apparent to most of us that fear breeds worry, worry wastes time, and wasted time unravels future possibilities and opportunities. This state of affairs scares us even as it holds us back from moving with confidence into the future.

Courage, of course, does not necessarily mean that all fear and worry vanish from our lives. Rather, courage is most effective perhaps when it arises in the midst of our fears and bears witness to our lives transcending these traps of despair. Courage that is most valuable is that which lives through and beyond our worries and fears. It is that aspect of our existence that refuses to be held back, beaten down, or scared away.

Notice that Lawrence spoke of courage as facing facts. The truth is that many of our deepest fears grow out of the facts of life. Lack of resources, shaky relationships, precarious job situations, scary world events – all of these things are very real for many of us. They are not imaginary or “make believe,” rather they represent our reality. Whatever fears that we may experience in relation to these things most certainly are rooted in reality rather than illusion. Courage, however, describes our determination not to be held back by these fact-based fears. Courage bears witness to a deeper faith at work in our lives – faith that present situations can be transcended and perhaps even transformed into something better. This is what we usually mean by living through and beyond our fears.

Where does such faith have its source? Of course, as a Christian minister, I believe the source for faith is in the indwelling Spirit of God. For me, God represents the power of creative change and possibility constantly at work in all things and at all times. As a believer in this God, I have reason to live out of a strong sense of courage. No matter how desperate things may seem or how hopeless situations may appear, faith in a power greater than myself and greater than the world around me is enough to ignite sparks of courage.

As we draw near to Holy Week and Easter, I am struck by how much Jesus embodies this sort of courage. In the story of Jesus' death, we see him facing up to the facts of arrest, rejection and execution. Nowhere, however, does he seem to let fear and worry paralyze him. Rather, he moves through these events buoyed by a deep and profound faith in God. In the end, we see the story of Jesus moving through death to a new place of resurrection. To me, this is a serious picture of how faith engenders courage, courage defies fear as it moves forward, and the move forward realizes a new possibility for a transformed existence. This is the sort of faith I want in my life. This is the sort of courage I need as I strive to step into a brighter tomorrow. And, this is the sort of courageous faith that I pray will flow forth from your life, as well. Amen.

On Not Blaming God for Earthquakes

2011-03-16T00:14:00.000-07:00

Following the news with regards to the earthquake devastation in Japan raises questions about God and faith. Too often, natural disasters such as that which occurred in Japan are referred to as “acts of God.” The implication is that God caused the disaster. I know that when many people speak of “acts of God,” they are not really talking about GOD. Rather, they are using the phrase to refer to those events that are beyond human control or blame. Still, every time I hear someone call a tornado or earthquake an “act of God,” I cringe.

Actually, I think there are quite a few people who honestly think that God DOES cause things such as the Japan earthquake to happen. When asked why God would do such a thing, these folks reply with pious platitudes. “Well, God must have had a good reason,” they say. Or, they answer the question with reference to the mystery of God and how mere mortals like ourselves could never understand divine purposes. Both of these responses make certain claims about God. Perhaps the most difficult is that they assert that God cultivates death and destruction for some higher or mysterious purpose. In other words, they are saying that for God, the “ends justify the means.”

And then, there are those really strident folks who claim that God not only caused the natural disaster, but that God did it as an act of judgment and punishment. You hear this sort of thing quite often from fundamentalist Christians. For some reason, they are very comfortable with a God who acts this way. To say that God would inflict death and destruction upon millions of innocent people in order to punish a few guilty individuals or groups raises even more questions about the nature of God than those raised by appealing to divine mystery, as mentioned above.

Hurting and/or killing innocent millions to punish a few who are guilty paints a picture of God as vindictive. It robs God of grace and redemptive purpose. This particular approach to God's will and actions takes the notion of the “ends justifying the means” to an extreme. Such a view of God makes it hard to affirm the phrase, “God is love.”

Even the notion that God “allows” these things to happen raises sticky problems for people of faith. As a society, we look down upon those who passively stand by while others are hurt or killed. To be able to relieve suffering while at the same time refusing to do so seems reprehensible to most of us. Why, then, would we feel OK ascribing to God such behavior?

When it comes to natural disasters, I subscribe to the view that sometimes “stuff happens.” In a world like ours, there are many things that come to pass which are not CAUSED by anyone or anything, in particular (including God). These events occur because of the interaction of vast and nameless natural forces that are beyond human morality or decision-making. They are just part of the way nature works. An earthquake is not morally evil or the result of conscious choice. It can be tragic, of course. But tragedy is a much different state-of-affairs than moral evil.

God does not determine everything that happens. In spite of the poetic ways we may speak of God numbering every hair upon our heads or determining the number of grains of sand on a beach, it seems counter-intuitive to say that God really does control every minute detail of existence. Rather, I believe that God works through calling a world of novelty and free-will toward something better, finer, and more beautiful. I also believe that God is active in the world as a SAVING PRESENCE. That is, God is constantly at work saving the world from itself, striving to bring something good out of all the bad that happens. This is not to say that God's saving and redeeming efforts justify the bad stuff. Instead, it says that the God who is “love” is also the God who “saves” and “redeems.” WITHOUT God our lives and our world would deteriorate very quickly into a vast chaos of conflict and death. WITH God, we are often able to live through tragedy and focus upon making hopes for a better future into actual possibilities.

As I watch news programs centering upon the Japan earthquake, I am not wracked by questions as to “why God would do this" or "allow this.” Instead, I am comforted by my faith that no matter how bad the disaster is, there is always hope that God is there, doing the absolute best that God can to guide the rescue efforts, comfort those have been hurt, heal the hearts of those who have suffered loss, and open the eyes of an entire nation to avenues for rebuilding and recreating life together as a people. God's greatness does not flow from God's ability to DO everything and CONTROL everything. God's greatness arises from God's power to LOVE everything with a completeness that defies human understanding. I don't blame God for what happens, instead I am thankful that God is there WHEN stuff happens.

Worship Makes a Statement

2010-11-20T20:00:00.000-08:00

An elderly saint had lost the bulk of his hearing and his eyes had grown dim with age. Even though he could not experience the worship as he once had, he never stopped attending church. One intrigued individual finally asked the obvious, "Why do you continue attending church when you cannot hear or see what's going on?" The old man replied, "I want to show everybody whose side I'm on!"

I came across this little story in a book of sermon illustrations, sometime ago. It reminds me that there is more to attending church than simply being fed spiritually or having a fun and uplifting time. Participation in church and worship is a statement. When you attend church regularly, you are saying, "I am on the side of God." You are saying, "I serve the power of goodness and love."

At Church of the Valley, we are blessed with worship services that are interesting, uplifting, exciting and fun. Believe me when I say that I am as pleased as punch about this. At the same time, however, I know that church participation and worship is about so much more than the "show" on Sunday. It is about people banding together to make a statement to ourselves and to our world. It is about a group of people saying, "We are people of faith, and we serve the Creative Power of the Universe," that reality we call "God."

As long as we remember this, we will escape the traps of pride, selfishness, jealousy, and conceit which often snare churches. Those that fall prey to these traps are usually those churches that focus so much on the "show" that they forget why they worship. By concentrating on the reason for our worship, we can avoid these traps and enjoy the satisfaction that comes from knowing we are serving God above all else.

Having said this, I hope you will join others in making a statement through participation in worship at the church of your choice.

Community as Fellowship

2010-11-19T08:00:00.000-08:00

In Christian circles, we speak often of being in community with one another. Although there are many different kinds of communities of which we can be a part, I like the notion of community as a "fellowship." The dictionary defines a "fellowship" as a community of interest, activity, feeling, or experience. Let's break down this definition:

Community describes our connections to one another. We are not a collection of separate individuals each working at cross purposes to one another. Rather, we are a people bound together by a common purpose, the realization of God in our lives and world. In particular, we seek this realization through devotion to the way of Jesus, recognizing the power of God in his story and actions. This common purpose provides the foundation upon which we can build a fellowship of faith.

Interest is concern. The interest that shapes a group into a fellowship is a shared concern for one another and the world. Along with concern comes appreciation. The more time we spend together, the more we appreciate each other. Out of appreciation comes a deeper concern for the welfare, happiness, and development of others.

Activity defines fellowship for most of us. When we do things together, the bonds between us grow stronger. When we sit at table together or work side-by-side, we forge strong ties of trust and friendship. Because actions often speak louder than words, shared activity helps us know one another better than we might have, otherwise.

Feeling is vital for true fellowship. We must not only be interested in one another and spend time doing things together, but we must learn to feel for one another, as well. We feel love and compassion. We feel each others' hurts and sadness. We feel the joys that make life worth living. Through our fellowship, we give ourselves space to laugh and cry together. Without sincere feelings for one another, we cannot be an effective community.

Experience sums up just about everything that has been said, so far. Our lives are defined by experiences built upon other experiences. Experience is the pulling together of interests, activities, and feelings in a way that makes us who we are. Without the sharing of experience, we have nothing between us.

Fellowship is both "what we do" and "who we are." In the sharing of our lives, we discover riches of strength, support, vision, hope, and faith that we would never find, otherwise. To live in fellowship is to live life to its fullest.

Take a Stand

2010-11-18T08:00:00.000-08:00

Upon receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986, Elie Wiesel encouraged listeners to "Take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented." We, too, must be willing to take a stand.

At Church of the Valley (COV) and The Little Brown Church (LBC), we celebrate a welcoming and inclusive fatih. We value our diversity and see our differences as gifts from God. At the same time, however, we also realize that our openness and diversity may drive some people away. For those who pursue an exclusionary, closed-minded faith, COV will never be a comfortable place to worship. Most who feel this way will simply find another place to worship. There are others, however, who may believe that they have a duty to change COV with regard to these issues. Obviously, our love of diversity does not require us to accommodate such people and their actions. If we did, then we would be abandoning the very inclusive spirit that defines us as a church. Like Elie Wiesel, we know that our welcoming spirit and openness to all people sometimes requires us to take a stand against closed-mindedness, bigotry, prejudice, and repressive forms of religion.

The truth is that COV is not neutral when it comes to those who are included in the life of our congregation. Just a cursory glance at our congregation makes it clear that we have already staked out our territory on this topic. Our members, friends, leaders, and staff represent a wide array of human experience. We are a congregation made up of people from diverse ethnic backgrounds, nationalities, socio-economic levels, and sexual orientations. We do not merely "tolerate" our differences, but we rejoice in them. By existing as we do, therefore, COV automatically operates in opposition to those other groups that take hard-line stances against such diversity and acceptance.

We do not take such a stand as a matter of pride. Rather, it is a matter of faith. We operate the way we do because we believe in a God who not only participates in the diversity of human experience but who also affirms that diversity as something good and wonderful. By remaining open, inclusive, and welcoming to all, we are putting our faith into action in an important way. And, we stand as a living example of the love and acceptance that God wants the entire world to experience.

Thinking About the Future

2010-11-17T08:00:00.000-08:00

We talk about the future all the time, but what do we really mean? The future exists as a shifting range of possibilities, potentialities, options, and opportunities. Unless we understand this, we risk disappointment in our efforts to create a better life for ourselves and our world. Disappointment grows out of the belief that the future owes us something. Instead of seeing the future as an open-ended invitation to hard work and adventure, many of us view it as a "done deal." We simply take the future for granted. According to this simplistic view, the future is not something we plan for or worry about because it is going to work out in a certain way for us, regardless of what we do. Such a deterministic perspective makes it easy to become lazy or shortsighted because we expect tomorrow to be handed to us on a silver platter. Problems arise, however when the future fails to live up to our expectations (as it almost always does!). As a result, disappointment takes over and robs us of the power and inspiration we need to go forward.

A much more healthy and productive understanding of the future interprets it as a work in progress. It is under construction, and we are among its many architects and builders. Together, we are creators of a new reality. Of course, to do this we will need insight, wisdom, and knowledge. We will also need to accept the great responsibility that comes with creating something new and different.

As I said at the top of this blog post, the future is a range of possibilities, potentialities, options, and opportunities. This needs some unpacking:
1) Possibility refers to what can happen. When thinking about the future, it is important to have a realistic understanding of what IS possible and what IS NOT possible.

2) Potential has to do with potency and power. Some possibilities have greater power to change things for the better than others might have. Just because something is possible, that doesn't mean it has the greatest potential for realizing our dreams and visions for the future. In creating our future, we must keep our eyes open for possibilities with potential.

3) Options are choices. It is all well and good to consider possibilities and potentialities for the future. If something is actually going to happen, however, we must be willing to make a choice. Too many individuals, groups and communities fail in their planning efforts for the future because they shy away from decision making. Decision is part of the creative process.

4) Opportunity is the convergence of these other elements (possibility, potential, and option). By looking for possibilities, identifying those with the greatest potential, and considering our choices, we create opportunities for success. Opportunities, therefore, represent the future ready to be made real.

In all of this, the Spirit of the Divine is at work, calling us to move forward with courage toward a new and better day. May we all envision possibilities, realize our potential, exercise our options, and make the most of every good and honorable opportunity. In this way, I believe we will be responsible partners with the Divine in creating a beautiful tomorrow.

Mythic Proportions

2010-11-16T08:00:00.001-08:00

I am one of those people who place a high value on the notion of "myth." Whereas some think the word primarily refers to something that is "untrue" or "false," I happen to know that the notion of myth has a much richer meaning in human culture. In serious discussions of myth, issues of truth or falsity rarely arise. Instead, myths are stories which draw our attention to questions of human existence. Myths are stories that talk about creation and chaos, righteousness and sin, life and death, love and hate, and salvation and judgment. Myths are stories that try to get behind or beneath the obvious events of life to uncover themes to which mere history or science cannot speak.

When reading a myth, it is never enough to approach it as entertainment or simply as an interesting tale from the past. Neither is it enough to treat myths as flat restatements of past historical events. Rather, readers should expect more. Mythical stories are best understood as vehicles for transporting us beyond our usual way of looking at things. The most useful myths are those that challenge our understandings or ourselves and our place in the world. The best myths point us in spiritual directions and nudge us to look in the direction of divinity.

Because Christianity is a tradition that relies upon stories to mediate images of God, the world, and humanity to the modern mind, I believe that myth has an important role to play in our exercise of faith. When we read the stories of the Bible, sometimes we are dealing with myths. When I make such an assertion, I am saying nothing about the "historical" nature or "factual" aspect of the stories, themselves. For me, what is important is the usefulness of the stories in helping me to grow spiritually. It doesn't matter to me if the story is obviously fantastical or suggests a hint of history. What matters is whether or not the story challenges me to reconsider who I am and where I am going with my life.

I am thankful for the mythic elements of Christianity. As far as I am concerned, a faith without myth is small and impoverished. As Christians seeking a faith of "mythic proportions," our stories help us to grow beyond ourselves and our small, private perspectives. And in the process, they help us stretch out toward the Spirit of God.

Awareness, Appreciation, and Thanksgiving

2010-11-15T08:01:00.001-08:00

November is "thanksgiving" time. Before the month is out, many of us will be sharing thoughts about that for which we are thankful as we sit together at food-laden tables with relatives and/or friends. Even though someone invariably will try to joke off the whole "being thankful" thing by saying, "I'm thankful for the turkey, now let's eat!" others around the table will realize more wisely that thankfulness cannot be reduced simply to feeling good about having stuff. True thankfulness is an important expression of an awareness of life and an appreciation of its rich fullness.

The theologian Bernard Meland argues that religious perspectives are rooted in an "appreciative awareness" of the connection that each of us has to the "whole" of reality. He reminds us that we are part of a vast web of interconnections and relationships which form the universe. To realize our place within this pulsing, vibrant existence is a spiritual awakening that pushes us to speak of "God," "Spirit," and "Love" in the biggest sense imaginable.

By itself, awareness of our place in the universe is not enough to qualify as spiritual insight or experience. Awareness must be accompanied by an "appreciation" of what we have come to feel and know about ourselves and our world. Appreciation involves grasping the true nature, worth, quality, and significance of whatever it is that we are experiencing. At its most spiritual, appreciation is synonymous with "awe and wonder at the glory of God."

Appreciation is more than a spectator sport, however. It calls for a contribution from us. Appreciation includes the giving of ourselves over to what we are experiencing in such a way as to add to its value or quality. Because appreciation is at the root of thankfulness, we are reminded that being genuinely thankful is the beginning of a life of action which makes a difference for the better in the world around us. It is never enough merely to sit around a holiday table and say, "I am thankful for this or that," while reaching for more pumpkin pie. When our hearts are filled with authentic emotions of appreciation and thankfulness, we cannot help but feel the hand of God tugging us out of our seats and pushing us into the world as faithful agents of love and change.

A thankful heart is a precursor to the building of a beautiful life. Beauty flows from an appreciation of the wide variety of elements, experiences, and possibilities that make up our world. Through appreciative awareness of this whirl and swirl of diversity, we bring it all together into a moment of harmony within ourselves. We become living experiences of the beauty of the whole of reality, seen and appreciated from our own unique perspective. I believe that it is in these special moments of insight and acceptance that we are viewed with appreciation by God. For whatever else we may say about God, I believe we are justified in saying this: "God delights in beauty."

I hope this little discussion of thanksgiving helps us to be more "appreciatively aware" of the spiritual possibilities available in the upcoming holiday season. Very often, it is when we are surrounded by those closest to us that we are opened to the presence of the Spirit in our world. There is something about the power of love flowing through our relationships with other human beings that is able to awaken within us deeper feelings of awareness and appreciation that, in turn, reveal to us glimpses into the very heart of God. Amen.

Church and State Separate

2010-10-21T15:36:00.000-07:00

I am a strong supporter of the separation of church and state. I have no desire for the government to favor one form of faith over another. At the same time, I do not wish for a particular religious tradition, church, or denomination to determine the decisions and actions of government. Historically, bad things have happened when religions take over government. This is as true for Christianity as it is for other world religions. When a religion is given too much power, heads inevitably start to roll.

I also want government to be restricted in its power to regulate the expression of religion. Religious traditions should be free to speak out against injustice, oppression, and inequality. Government should be limited in its power to squelch such speech. Our society is stronger because there are many different voices sounding forth, keeping discussions alive, and requiring us all to think about what we believe and do. Religion should be one of those voices.

For me, the separation of church and state is all about balance. When one religious group takes over the state, then there is a dangerous imbalance. Likewise, when the state exercises too much control over religion, the balance shifts too far the other way. It is in the balance of state and church that we find the "sweet spot" where the excesses of both are held in check and the healthy contributions of both are allowed to make their best impact.

Don't Ignore Hurtful Stories

2010-10-15T14:40:00.000-07:00

I have a friend who is HIV positive. After getting to know him over the past year, I finally heard him tell the story of how he contracted HIV from his father. The pain and tragedy revealed in his confession caught me by surprise. For the past year, I have talked and laughed with him while never realizing the true depths of sorrow and anguish which have defined a large portion of his life.

My friend's father got him started shooting heroin with him. Much later, my friend learned that his father was HIV positive. Upon learning this, my friend had himself tested and found out that he, too, was positive. Evidently, his father had known of his own infection for over a year but had kept it secret. With full knowledge of what he was doing, he continued to put people around him at risk, including his own son.

What lessons can I glean from my friend's story? The obvious one, of course, is that parents have a responsibility to lead their kids in healthy, positive directions. But this lesson is the easy one to see in this situation.

A different lesson is that there are many, many people in this world who are carrying around a truckload of pain. We are surrounded everyday by friends, neighbors, co-workers, and strangers simply passing by. I imagine that each one has some story to share which would bring tears to our eyes and pain to our hearts. These folks need us to listen with compassion, reach out to them with understanding, and touch them with the power of love.

I get so very tired of hearing preachers and other "gurus" telling us to ignore the painful and bad things in life and only "focus on the healthy and positive." If we do this, then we are robbing ourselves of the opportunity to hear the hurts of others. As people of faith, our job is not to ignore the suffering of the world. Our job is to see it, listen to it, try to understand it, and join with the power of God in trying to transform it.

What Kind Are We?

2010-09-22T20:57:00.000-07:00

Church of the Valley is home to a wonderful developmental preschool. The other day, I was helping a prospective parent find her way to the preschool office. As I was unlocking the gate for her, she asked, "What sort of church is this? Is it non-dimensional, uh..I mean, non-demotional...no, that isn't what I mean. Is it demolitional?" I knew what she was asking, but I loved how she was struggling to say the right words.

After getting her to the correct office, I quickly jotted down her words so I would remember them. I think she was on to something. Are we a "non-dimensional" church? Are we without dimension? The usual way to speak of dimension is to talk about length, width, and depth. Are we a church without depth? Do our ideas or teachings lack structure or definite shape? Do we have anything important to say?

There are other ways to think of this particular remark, as well. Perhaps we are a "non-dimensional" church in that we don't require people to fit into a predetermined set of spiritual coordinates or a rigid structure of belief. Is this who we are?

Or, are we a "non-demotional" church? To demote someone is to relegate that person to a lesser place or rank. It is to remove honor or reduce in importance. Are we a church that demotes people by the way we treat them? Or are we a "non-demotional" church, refusing to engage in such belittling behavior?

Or yet again, are we a "demolitional" church? Demolition involves blowing up, destroying or tearing down something. Are we a church that tears people down or destroys when we should be building up? Or are we a church that refuses to blast away, instead choosing the path of compassionate and gracious creation?

These are all good questions for us to consider. Before I took my leave of the parent, however, she asked me one more thing. After her flustered attempt to ask if we were a non-denominational church (which we aren't), she asked, "Or are you just an overall Christianity church?"

At this I heartily nodded my head. "We try to be," I said. "We try to be."

Looking and Listening is Spiritual

2010-06-04T01:16:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, I think I do my best theological and spiritual reflecting while driving. For example, I am amazed at the degree and quality of faith that it takes to venture out on the road with a car. You have to trust that the other drivers are watching out for you. You have to believe that they will follow the rules of the road. You must have faith that pedestrians will not step out in front of you as you drive through a green-light intersection at 50 miles per hour. It takes a lot of faith to drive. I always think of this when I hear some self-professed atheist talking about the foolishness of relying upon "faith" instead of "facts." It makes me wonder if they ever drive!

There are other things to learn while driving, as well. Today, I found myself sitting behind a car at an intersection waiting for the light to turn green. I think the driver wasn't paying attention because when the turning lane arrow changed to green, she drove straight ahead into oncoming traffic even though her light was still red. Of course, the cross traffic autos began honking and swerving to miss her.

While all of this was happening, the guy in the car behind me began honking HIS horn. I looked around to see what had upset him when it dawned upon me that this guy was trying to get me to follow the car that had mistakenly pulled out into traffic. Evidently, he was oblivious to all of the chaos taking place in the intersection. The only thing he was paying attention to was the fact that a car had moved, and he was still sitting still. I suppose he was afraid he was missing out on something, so he was trying to push me into the chaos.

This is how many of us live our lives. Our attention is so narrowly focused on our own desires to move forward that we fail to see what is really happening around us. As a result, we put ourselves and others in danger through our impatience, arrogance, selfishness, or ignorance (very often the same things!).

I believe that paying attention can be very spiritual. It is important to notice what is happening in our world. We need to look and listen instead of just bulldozing forward without regard for others. It is hard to care for others if you don't notice them in the first place. It is difficult to engage the world or make a difference for the good if you have no idea what is actually going on. It is impossible to really help other people if you are carelessly pushing them forward of shoving them out of your way. There is no telling what you are getting them into as you blunder through life. You might be like that guy who was behind me in his car selfishly honking, trying to force me out into the chaotic intersection with its swerving cars and inherent danger.

As Christians, we believe God is ALWAYS paying attention to us. God always knows what is going on in the world. When we set aside our own impatience and selfish interests in order to look and listen, we are following God's example. Instead of blindly pushing our way through life and following our own narrow interests to the detriment of others, we should care enough about God's world to pay attention to what is happening there. In this way, we can better cooperate with God's efforts to make the world a better place.

Conversations with Everyday Folks

2010-05-31T19:53:00.000-07:00

I like my doctor. He treats me as if I am as smart as he is (which I am not). He always asks for my interpretation of my health and what I think I should be doing to feel better. He knows I have a vested interest in my own health, and he doesn't belittle my lack of technical knowledge of medicine. Instead, he taps into my natural interest in the welfare of my body and uses it to engage me in my own healing. I haven't had that many doctors in the past who worked so hard to make me feel involved in the practice of medicine.

As a minister with extra training in philosophy and theology, I need to be more like my doctor. I need to learn to really talk with people who may not have the same training as me but who have vested interests in spirituality, religion, and experiences with God. By engaging others in meaningful conversations that value who they are and where they have been in life, I might find myself in a better position to contribute from what I have worked hard to learn with regards to spirituality and religion. More importantly, however, I will become more grounded in the issues and concerns of real life, honest-to-goodness people (something that is hard to get from a book!).

Professional religious thinkers are always in danger of forgetting that spirituality and religion are "human" undertakings. They are things that people DO. People ARE spiritual, and they PRACTICE religion. Even though I spend a lot of time thinking and reading about these things, I need to spend more time talking with all of those non-professionals who are actually living their faith. And, it wouldn't hurt me to talk appreciatively and intelligently to those who AREN'T religious or spiritual, as well. From all of these smart, insightful, everyday folks, I might learn a few things not found in all of my books. I might even become a better minister.

Right to Dissent

2010-05-30T15:40:00.000-07:00

I often hear leaders say something like this, "If you don't have a better plan, then you don't have a right to criticize." On the surface, this sounds reasonable. Think how many times you've wanted to tell someone, "If you don't have a better idea, then just keep your mouth shut and go with the flow." Professional or perpetual critics can drive us crazy.

The claim that the right to question or criticize is tied to one's ability to offer a better solution is a dangerous one, however. It says that unless you are in a position to formulate a better plan, then you cannot be part of the discussion. This leaves out a whole lot of folks. For example, most people living in poverty are not in a position to formulate a plan for dealing with our nation's economic woes. They often do not have access to the education needed, the facts and figures required, or the big picture perspective that must be taken into account. Therefore, because they cannot possibly come up with a better, more workable plan for our nation's economy, they are told that they have no right to complain about their situation. They must buckle down and simply endure while keeping their mouths shut.

Those who say, "You can't criticize unless you have a better plan," are elitists at best and oppressors at worst. Either way, the notion holds great danger for society. It is one of the ways that people in power quell dissent and keep people in line. It shuts down discussion and promotes apathy. It also virtually guarantees that the will of those in power will remain unchecked.

Whenever I hear someone say that I can't criticize what is happening unless I have a better plan, I wonder, "What is this guy hiding?" It makes me suspicious. At the same time, however, I have to remind myself that criticism is not something to toss around needlessly. If we are going to critique the work of others, then we need to offer the most reasonable response that we can. Letting ourselves get carried away with emotion or allowing ourselves to be picked up by someone else' bandwagon doesn't really help the situation. If we are going to dissent, then we need to take our dissent seriously. We don't want to be complainers and obstructionists. Rather, we should simply seek to have our voices heard so that those in power can have a better view of the big picture -- one that includes all of us.

Mixed Messages

2010-05-28T09:11:00.000-07:00

We live in a world filled with "mixed messages." I was driving from my house to the church and found myself behind a police car. The back of the car had several bumper stickers touting things like the D.A.R.E program and information about domestic violence. And then, there was a sticker that said, "Watch the Road." As I followed this message-laden police car, I couldn't help but chuckle at the mixed message it sent. On the one hand, there were the bumper stickers meant to capture our attention and make us think about drug prevention and domestic violence. On the other hand, there was this sticker that basically said I shouldn't be reading the bumper stickers and should be watching the road, instead.

Mixed messages are such a part of our culture that we don't even notice them, for the most part. For example, we are taught that greed is a bad thing, and yet we build our society upon an economic system that is totally dedicated to the acquisition of wealth. When was the last time you wondered about that? And don't even get me started on all the mixed messages that hit us through commercial advertisements.

Churches are not innocent when it comes to sending out mixed messages, either. On the one hand, words like "grace," "love," and "peace" are preached with fervor. On the other hand, many churches celebrate when our nation goes to war, cry out in hatred against others who are different, and generally act in the most ungracious of ways. Some churches go to great lengths to argue that God created this world, and at the same time they ridicule anyone who works to save the planet. And still others give lip service to helping the poor while at the same time demonizing activists and politicians working on behalf of those same people in poverty. It is mixed messages such as these (and many others that we are guilty of, ourselves) that confuse the world around us. Mixed messages make us susceptible to the charge of "hypocrisy" and "ignorance." Mixed messages make churches appear confused and irrelevant.

I want to be part of a church that takes seriously the core values that it professes to follow. I want to be part of a community of faith that makes love central, grace foundational, and the quest for peace programmatic in all that it does. I want to be part of a church that makes room for all who want to be accepted and included, regardless of race, sexual orientation, national origin, language, socio-economic status, education level, disability, age, or ideology. The only boundary that I want us to make for ourselves is one that says, "You can't be part of us if you can't accept others." We can make room for everyone except those who want it all to themselves. This is because we want our message to be clear. We cannot waste anymore time and energy on mixed messages.

Honest Thoughts About Prayer

2010-05-20T22:41:00.000-07:00

I had a great theological discussion with two smart church members, today. We were talking about why we pray, and what we expect it to accomplish. We agreed that prayer is an act of faith and humility. It is a recognition that we are not in control of the world or all of the details of our own lives. At the same time, prayer is our way of reaching out to something more than ourselves that we believe pulls us out of the limited possibilities of the present and into the more expansive and unknown possibilities of the future. As Christians, we like to refer to this "something more" as God.

Of course, there are many people both inside and outside the church that see prayer as a way of coercing God into doing things for us. You often hear these folks saying things like, "Hey, if we just get more people praying, God is sure to do such and such." The implication is that prayers are currency with which we can buy off God (if we can muster enough of them, of course!). I call this the "vending machine" view of God. God is a cosmic vending machine filled with the good things we need or want. Our prayers are the quarters that we insert into the machine. If we put in the right amount, then God dispenses what we want or need.

The problem with this perspective is that if it is true, then God is nothing but a broken down and unreliable vending machine. There are people all over the place inserting their quarters (i.e., prayers) but when they push the button, nothing comes out. I myself have been cheated by that machine on numerous occasions. We have all prayed and prayed for things that haven't come to pass.

And then there are others out there who insist on using prayer as a referendum on the reality of God. These are the folks who say, "Wow! We prayed and such and such happened. That really PROVES that God is still at work in our world!" I cringe when I hear this. Why? Because it begs the question of ineffective prayers. Do prayers that fail to bring about change prove that God DOESN'T exist? Of course, those who love to tout answered prayers would never assert this! They want proof to be found only in the few successes they experience. They are content to explain away the failures without allowing them to have the same veridical force as they did the successes. To me, this is intellectually dishonest. (Isn't honesty supposed to be a virtue?)

And then there are those who say that seemingly answered prayers "prove the power of prayer," itself. I find it interesting how often this is said in a church service, eliciting "Amens" and ooh and aahs from the congregation. Again, I cringe. What such people do not realize is that they are assigning the power to change life's situations to the prayers, themselves. The prayers, they say, have the power. What seems forgotten is that our prayers are directed TOWARD God. If we are going to affirm anything in all of this, we should be affirming the transformational power of God rather than the quality or efficacy of our own prayer ability. To me, affirming the "power of prayer" smacks of idolatry. I would rather learn to appreciate better the power of God.

So where does that leave us? I think we must be content with prayer as an act of faith and humility, as I said at the beginning of this post. Prayer is our way of bearing witness to our weakness and helplessness to determine life and the world. It is also our way of crying out to the unknown and unforeseeable possibilities of the future, asking for something extraordinary to happen. In the midst of all this humility, and crying out for impossible possibilities, we find ourselves opening up to transformation. And when we witness situations and lives changing around us, the fact that we have prayed helps us appreciate the power of God that is ALWAYS at work in the world, seeking to save all that can be saved and heal what can be healed.

I know that none of this will be very satisfying to those people who want prayer to be simple and easy to understand. Unfortunately, thoughtful faith is rarely simplistic or easily understood. It requires mental and spiritual struggle. And it requires us to be honest with ourselves about the consequences of what we claim to believe. If we believe that prayer makes God do things, then we have to admit that either God is very often unwilling or unable to uphold the divine side of the bargain. Or, we must admit that prayer, itself, is an extremely unreliable and often useless way to try to change the world.

I believe that we are at our most spiritual when we treat our faith as honestly as possible, regardless of how difficult it may be. (Honesty is the best policy!) With this in mind, let me end this post by saying that there is so much more to think and say about prayer than has been said in this post. I leave it up to you to carry on the work.

Pentecost Is Coming

2010-05-19T23:40:00.000-07:00

In the summer or 1988, I participated in a seminary study class in Germany. I knew just enough of the language to find my way around and order food. That was about it. I remember feeling very isolated as I walked the streets of Berlin, looking at the sites and traveling between classes. People were chatting and visiting with one another all around me, but I couldn't make heads or tails out of most of their words. I felt like a bubble surrounded me, cutting me off from everyone else. Of course, the bubble was my own inability to communicate.

Language connects us to one another. Without the ability to understand or be understood, we are isolated and alone. This is true not only of the literal languages we speak such as English, Spanish, or German, but it is also true of the other "language games" (to borrow from Ludwig Wittgenstein) in which we engage. We all belong to various groups or professions that all have their particular "lingo." To understand physicists, for example, it helps to understand the specialized terms and concepts that they use on a regular basis. Ditto for doctors, lawyers, or any other specialized professionals. We see the same thing at work in religion, as well.

As Christians, we often play our own private "language games," oblivious to the fact that most people outside of the church understand little of what we are saying. We talk about God, Spirit, Sin, Creation, Redemption, and Salvation without bothering to explain what we mean. Or, we explain ourselves in a way that does not translate well to those on the outside of our faith. Of course, this then makes it easy for those who are not part of our tradition to claim that we are confused, misguided or ignorant.

This Sunday is Pentecost. This is the day we celebrate the story from the second chapter of the Book of Acts where the Holy Spirit comes upon the followers of Jesus with a sound like rushing winds and "divided tongues, as of fire." The end result of this outpouring of Spirit is that each follower of Jesus begins to speak in different languages. Making their way out into the streets of Jerusalem, they are able to tell their story to anyone and everyone, regardless of the language spoken.

This story is so very important for today's people of faith because it reminds us that the church cannot spend all of its time talking to itself. It needs to get out in the world and talk to others in a language that can be understood. For example, instead of saying "God" and just assuming everyone knows what we mean, let's do a little translating. In doing so, we may find ourselves questioning our own "lingo" and how we use it. We may also discover that some of our most cherished ideas and concepts are in need of makeovers. And finally, as we strive to make ourselves understood outside of the church, we may also experience the quality of our own faith changing and maturing.

To communicate is to make a real connection with others. In that connection, a sharing takes place that changes both participants. The more the church communicates meaningfully with the world outside its walls, the more it will become something new and different.

Something Beyond Tolerance and Inclusion

2010-05-16T21:11:00.000-07:00

When I was growing up, liberal-minded folks preached tolerance for people who were different than the perceived norm. For a long time, I thought tolerance was the best that that things could get with regards to the growing pluralism of society. This was probably because I grew up in an atmosphere of prejudice, bigotry, and closed-mindedness. To be tolerant in that climate was a fairly progressive undertaking. Back then, most people were struggling to be tolerant of people who were tolerant, let alone tolerant of those who were different due to race, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, or ideology.

Today, I cringe when I hear people say, "I am a tolerant person." Or, "We're a tolerant community." To tolerate someone means "to put up with" or "endure" that person. I can't imagine any of us would feel too flattered if we learned that others merely tolerated our presence. Toleration may be a small step up from rejection or segregation, but it falls far short of the goal we should be setting for ourselves as individuals and communities. Of course, there are those folks that we tolerate because it is the best we can do in the moment. But even then, we should be looking for some way to move beyond merely enduring their presence so that we can actually engage them in more meaningful ways. Toleration is no endgame. It is the first baby step toward building a better life with others.

At Church of the Valley and The Little Brown Church, we don't speak too often of toleration. We are more interested in being "inclusive" in our connections to others. We strive to be a faith community where people from many walks of life can find a place to belong, serve, and even lead. Still, I feel that we have a long way to go. Just as we have questioned the effectiveness of toleration, perhaps it is time to examine the notion of "inclusiveness." It is a commendable improvement over toleration, but it is still simply a further step down the road to better communal life.

But if inclusiveness is not enough, what is? Where do we go from here? I think the answer is suggested by examining the word "inclusion." To include something is to "enclose" it or "take it in." An inclusive community seems to be one that says, "If you find your way to us, we will let you belong to our group." This conjures an image of a well-meaning and loving (but settled and stationary) community waiting to be discovered by those who are wandering through life looking for a place to be accepted and appreciated.

To be more than inclusive would require that a community not be content to sit around waiting for others to come along so they can be "taken into" the life of the group. It would call for a community to seek out those who are longing to be accepted and valued for who they are. I am not sure what we would call this move that goes beyond inclusiveness. Perhaps we could call it being "expansive." I like this term. As a transitive verb, it means to "open up" or "unfold." Perhaps this is the next step in living creatively and lovingly with others -- finding ways to open ourselves up and unfold ourselves out into the world rather than waiting for them to come to us for inclusion.

Inclusiveness is inward-oriented. Expansiveness, however, has an outward movement that may be what we need in our time. It also suggests that we ourselves are changing and growing as we build new relationships with others. We are not a static community that is willing to include others. Rather, an expansive approach to life means that we would become a growing, moving, and changing group -- not only in our membership but in our thought and behavior, as well. It would mean giving up a little stability and security for the sake of experiment, adventure, and excitement as we step outside of our self-imposed boundaries and embrace new people and new ideas.

I am proud to be part of an inclusive church. I am excited, however, to imagine ways we can become something more.

Go to Church on Easter

2010-03-31T12:09:00.000-07:00

Every year at Easter, I remember April 18, 1981, a stormy and rainy day in South Texas. On that day, I was 19 years old and working as a small town newspaper reporter and photographer when I heard a call come through the police scanner that a single-engine, private aircraft had crashed outside of town. It was Saturday, and I was at home at the time, enjoying the early morning cool of Spring. Quickly, I threw on some clothes and hurried to the crash site. I arrived almost at the same time as the police. Together, we scanned the wreckage, looking for anything that would make sense of the scene. One of the officers told us that the plane had belonged to a family of four. Evidently, the father (who was the pilot) had been informed of the dangerous weather conditions but had decided to fly, anyway. The result of his decision could be seen strewn across the rural pasture where we stood. After an hour, a local doctor arrived to help us in our search of the scene. We had already located what we thought to be a body from the crash. The doctor quickly informed us that it was two bodies. One was the mother, and the other was the daughter who had probably been sitting on her mom's lap when the plane went down. Their bodies had fused together by the force of impact. Later, we found the body of the father. Still, the body of a young daughter was missing.

I remember the rain falling as I left the group of older men and started walking out into the wider pasture. I had seen some pieces of the plane way out in the field and thought I would walk out and investigate. Truthfully, I just wanted to get away from the stench of fuel and death that pervaded the main crash site. As I walked toward a white piece of metal far out in the field, I almost fell over the fourth body, the young daughter. In her hand was an Easter basket that still had the plastic green grass and a candy egg in it. I stood there for a moment staring at her before calling the other investigators to come over.

Finally, I had all of the information that I needed for the newspaper and all of the crash scene that I could stomach. I went home and spent the rest of the day pondering what it all meant. Why had I been called to the crash site on the day before Easter? Why had I seen the girl with the Easter basket in her hand sprawled out there by herself in the empty pasture?

The next morning, I woke up early. I put on my dress clothes, and I went to church -- for the first time in about eight months. I needed to hear someone talking about life because I had already seen more death than I could bear. I recall coming home after church feeling a little more centered. I didn't really feel better, but I felt that my existential feet were on a firmer foundation than they were the day before. Easter was not about the disappearance of death. It was about the power of God that comes to us in the midst of death, helping us to keep moving forward.

This Saturday, I know I will be remembering that dead little girl in the field with the basket in her hand. I also know that I will be thinking about the profound power of God to lift us up and carry us beyond the despair of death to place us upon new ground. For me, this is the miracle of the resurrection -- that death does not have the last word. In the end, the power of God is still there to offer new hope, new possibilities, and a new day for all who face the reality of death.

If you are feeling overwhelmed by all of the conflict and destruction evident in our world, I advise that you get up early on Easter Sunday, dress in your best clothes, and go to church. You might find there the kernel of hope that you need to keep going.

In the Middle of the Street

2010-03-24T21:30:00.000-07:00

If you have ever been to The Little Brown Church in Studio City, California, you have noticed that the front of the church property sticks out into Coldwater Canyon Avenue. It can be disconcerting standing outside of the chapel with cars whizzing by so close that you can see the vacant looks on the drivers' faces. When we hold services in the chapel, the noise from the street is often so loud as to cause us to pause until the commotion passes by. This is especially true when a firetruck or ambulance rushes by, sirens blaring.

If I was building The Little Brown Church today, I would have to set it back much further from the street, of course. The reason it sits the way it does is that it was built there so many years ago that the street sort of grew around it. Fortunately, the city did not require that the chapel be moved or dismantled. Instead, it just pokes out into the shoulder of the road right up next to car lane.

Thinking about how close the street is to The Little Brown Church reminds me of how the church should be out in the middle of the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Just as the cars, firetrucks, and ambulances seem as if they are driving through the front of the church, so the church should be out traveling in the middle of the street. As followers of Christ, we belong in the middle of things, not cloistered away behind church walls.

The Gospel of Christ is the good news that God is involved in our world in a loving and redemptive fashion. God shares in every single life experience of every single person in our world. And because of this, God is able to offer each of us possibilities for hope and transformation that fit our own particular situations. At the same time, God is doing all of this as part of larger Divine purposes for the world, as a whole. The fact that God can work our own individual redemption into the larger redemption of Creation is a sign of God's truly miraculous power.

Next time you are sitting in church and hear some noise filtering in from outside, don't let it bother you. It is simply an invitation from God to go out into the world and do something good in the name of Christ.

Be Creative

2010-03-16T22:55:00.000-07:00

I love to cook. It relaxes me to putter around the kitchen for a couple of hours. I can't say that everything I create is as tasty as I would like, but I have fun. And, sometimes I actually come up with something that is worth eating.

I began cooking by reading recipes and trying to follow the steps as best I could. I took a cooking class in high school (long story), and the teacher encouraged us to always look for good recipes. Somewhere along the way, however, I have stopped following recipes and started creating my own concoctions. Hence the hit and miss nature of my cooking! Still, I experience a deep sense of satisfaction when I come up with something on my own.

Being creative and taking chances by trying new things is what makes life worth living. It is ingrained in us to be creative. This is because we we were created in the image of God, as the Bible says in the Book of Genesis. Theologians and scholars have argued for centuries about the meaning of that phrase, "the image of God." In my opinion, it refers to the creative ability inherent in human existence because in the Genesis story where the "image of God" phrase occurs, God has been doing only one thing up to that point -- Creating. It stands to reason, therefore, that the image of God in humanity involves being creative.

The philosopher A.N. Whitehead says that creativity is one of the great ultimate aspects of existence. It is the engine that drives all of reality, and God is its greatest practitioner. I think Whitehead is right. Creativity empowers us to shape our present out of the past, and it propels us forward into a new and open future. It is that aspect of reality that makes change and difference possible.

As servants of God, our creative efforts should take on certain qualities. Just as God creates out of love, compassion, grace, and justice, so should we strive to embody those qualities in our actions. Simply being creative is never enough for us. Rather, we should use our creativity to serve the needs of the world, even as we work to transform it for the better. The goal of our lives should be to become more faithful "junior partners" to God in the ongoing work of creation. In this, we may find true satisfaction for living.

Longing for Inspiration

2010-01-10T16:26:00.000-08:00

I am having trouble with inspiration, these days. I love to write, but I haven't had much to say. This is usually a sign that I am tired, preoccupied, frustrated, worried, or all of the above. Given how difficult life can be at times, I guess I can be forgiven my lack of inspiration. There seems to be so much else to occupy my mind that it is hard to get around to the business of creative living. Still, I long for inspiration. And not just when it comes to writing a blog or sermon. I long for inspiration in all areas of life.

I need a jolt of spiritual energy to shake me out of my malaise. This is what inspiration is, after all. It is to be "in-spirited," filled with the Spirit. Such a notion reminds me of the opening chapters of Genesis where God creates by speaking to the chaos. Speech is an act of controlled breathing. This means that God creates by breathing upon the world in a purposeful, self-communicating fashion. Later in those chapters of scripture, God gives life to humanity by breathing the divine breath into the human body. In this way, humans became living creatures. The image is one of God bringing us to life by filling us with the same creative power which brought order out of the chaos. And, this creative power is the very life of God.

Just as "expiration" is used refer to the ending of one's life, so "inspiration" should point us toward life fully-realized. We are most alive when we are filled with the Spirit of creativity, love, and hope. I believe that this is how we embody the power of God in our world. By embracing our "alive-ness" and making the most of it even as we seek new sources of insight, wisdom, and creativity, we are living an inspired existence.

Funny Isn't Always Good

2009-12-09T14:57:00.000-08:00

Tiger Woods jokes are everywhere. Some are sort of funny. Most are silly or even ignorant. And some are nothing short of racist. A friend shared one of these "Tiger" jokes with me, and I pointed out that it sounded mean-spirited at best and racist at worst. He looked at me incredulously and said, "Hey! It's only a joke." I asked him if saying something as a joke always made it OK. He just shrugged his shoulders, and we let the matter drop. I left the encounter hoping he wouldn't share that joke with anyone else. Unfortunately, he probably did.

If something is said as a "joke," does that rob it of its hurtfulness? That is a question that all of us should ask ourselves. Personally, I love jokes. At the same time, I STRONGLY DISLIKE jokes that promote prejudice and foment racism (or any other "-isms," for that matter). Being funny cannot be an excuse for being mean and hateful.

When otherwise enlightened and goodhearted people fall into the trap of telling racist or hurtful jokes, they are scratching the surface of their own credibility. They are allowing those jokes to chip away at the integrity that they have worked hard to develop on issues such as equality and justice for all. And once you start chipping and scratching away at your character and integrity, you weaken yourself, morally. You create openings where even darker and more insidious forms of racism and prejudice can gain a foothold and do greater damage in the future.

I spent most of today at the veterinarian with my dog, Flip. He has a hurt eye that finally required surgery. Last week, I took him to the vet for the first time with the problem, and she said he had a scratched cornea. We put the "cone of shame" on him and doctored his eye with painkillers and antibiotics for the next seven days. Unfortunately, his eye condition grew worse. Today, our vet sent me to a specialist who said that because Flip's eye had a scratch, dangerous bacteria had been able to establish a foothold. From there, the germs had commenced to eating away at his eye tissue. All-in-all, it was a pretty terrible experience for Flip.

The lesson from Flip's eye experience is obvious. If you allow small things to scratch away, you risk a bigger and much more dangerous infection. I hope that you will think twice about the jokes and other things you pass along to one another online and in person. Ask yourself, "Is this racist, homophobic or otherwise hurtful to some person or group?" If you find yourself entertaining such jokes, I hope you will toss them aside and refuse to be a party to the degradation of our society. Just because it is funny doesn't mean it is helpful, positive, or right.

Keep Moving Forward

2009-11-20T16:44:00.000-08:00

In 1 Corinthians 16:13, the Apostle Paul says, Keep alert, stand firm in your faith, be courageous and strong. Paul knew what it meant to stand firm in the face of opposition. For example in the book of Acts, chapter 15, we read how Paul and Barnabus parted ways after participating together in many important missionary endeavors. The split was due to John Mark who had deserted them on a past missionary effort. His retreat became a source of frustration and dissension in the ranks of God's messengers.

This story reminds me of catching crayfish as a child. My father took me to the creek where we waded into the shoals looking for the creatures. I learned that crayfish quickly back away from threats such as young boys with buckets. I also learned that the best way to catch them is to get one hand behind them and one in front. As the crayfish backs away from the front hand, it runs into the one in back. Retreat is its undoing.

Some of us live retreating lives. We back away from work opportunities, friendships, or commitments to family and church. Such retreat, however, brings frustration, lost opportunity, and lost relationships. Also, it makes it hard to relate to those who are going forward in life, when we are going backwards. Even our relationship with God suffers, since God never retreats. God is an adventurous creator, always going forward with love and hope. As Christians, let us aim our lives in the same direction.

Laziness and Fear Create Outsiders

2009-11-17T20:28:00.000-08:00

Fifty years ago, the longshoreman-philosopher Eric Hoffer observed, "To become and remain an outsider there is a need for a degree of laziness and also of cowardice." I came across this quote by accident as I was flipping through his book, Working and Thinking on the Waterfront. It caught my eye because it seemed so obviously true, especially with regards to life in the church. I routinely hear people say things like: "I am an outsider. I will never be part of the in group. I don't fit in." All of this reminds me that many people attend church but never really "belong."

Why is that? Why don't these folks find a way to fit in? The obvious answer is that some churches are closed communities. They make it hard for new people to be integrated into the life of the congregation. I know this happens because I have been the pastor of a church that was like this. I didn't like it, but I couldn't figure out how to change the church culture.

There is another reason people have a hard time fitting in, however. I think Hoffer's quote is a good explanation. Many people do not become part of the community of faith because of laziness or fear (or both). With regards to laziness, it is hard work building new relationships with others. Even if a church is a very welcoming and inclusive place, the new person has to make an effort to connect. For some, this effort is too taxing, so they give up before trying.

With regards to fear, for many the thought of making friends in a new church is way too frightening for them to make the effort. To open yourself up to others means that you must risk letting others see who you really are. It also means taking the risk that the relationship may not work out the way you want it to or that you may be changed in the process. Either way, fear keeps many from finding a home in a new church.

I believe that people need to be part of a spiritual community. Without this context for our lives, we are bereft of nurturing and supportive relationships that encourage us to become better tomorrow than we are today. A spiritual community helps us live a little deeper and wider. It challenges us to see our lives as part of a bigger purpose at work in the world. It is such a shame that so many people let laziness or fear rob them of such wonderful experiences.

Why I Like to Be Called a Liberal

2009-11-08T17:47:00.000-08:00

A week ago, I was at the Little Brown Church picking up some things I had left there after morning worship. While I was puttering around in the Chapel, a young woman walked in to pray. I introduced myself to her as the pastor, and she began to tell me how she came into the church to pray nearly every week. I was in the middle of inviting her to join us for worship when she interrupted with the question, "So, you are a non-denominational church?" I explained that we were part of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), a progressive and welcoming denomination. She then began telling me how she thought that churches should be careful about who they let in. She shared with me her convictions that there were some groups that should definitely not be welcomed into the Christian family because of who they are and what they do. It didn't take me long to figure out who she was talking about.

I told her that both of our places of worship (The Church of the Valley and The Little Brown Church) were open to people from every walk of life, racial and ethnic background, social status, sexual orientation, etc. She seemed nonplussed by my response. I went on to explain that I used to be a minister in a very conservative religious body where we defined our faith more by what we were against than what we were for. I told her that because I had grown tired of constantly dealing with this limited view of faith, I had switched to the Disciples of Christ. I did this because I wanted to celebrate the freedom we have in Christ: 1) the freedom FROM having to judge who should be IN and OUT of the community of faith, and 2)the freedom TO welcome all who profess faith in God as their central commitment in life.

She seemed to be confused by what I was saying, so I tried a different approach. I said this: I am a fallible person. I make many, many mistakes in life. This includes mistakes about how I live out my faith in God in Christ. Because of this, I have decided to be as open and loving as I can, welcoming all to the family of God. I figure that if I am going to make mistakes, I would rather err on the side of being TOO LOVING and ACCEPTING than being TOO RESTRICTIVE and TOO PREJUDICIAL. In the end, I trust that God is able to work it all out. As for me, I find it hard to believe that God will be too harsh on me for being TOO LOVING.

As I spoke these words, I could see the lights going on in her mind. She began to nod, and she said, "Yeah, I guess I can see your point." As I once again tried to invite her to worship with us on Sunday morning, she cut me off by saying, "Well, I guess if you are going to mess up in life, you might as well mess up by caring too much rather than not enough." At that point, I left her to her prayers and made my way home.

Looking back, my conversation with her was good for me. It allowed me to put some important elements of my own faith into specific words. I call myself a LIBERAL because I am committed to living out the freedom that I believe comes from faith in God in Christ. The word LIBERAL comes from the root word meaning "freedom." I am happy to be free from the constraints of having to judge the fitness of others to be part of God's family. I am also happy to be free to include and welcome all people into the Kingdom of God.

All of this brings to mind the Apostle Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 3:17, Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. Because I celebrate this freedom, I happily call myself a Liberal.

People Aren't "Things"

2009-11-02T17:32:00.000-08:00

By now, many of you have read or heard about the assault on the 15-year old girl at Richmond High School in Richmond, California. The attack took place on the school's campus while a Homecoming dance was taking place. She was beaten, robbed and sexually assaulted for over two hours by as many as ten students and men. All the while, a crowd stood and watched. Nobody called the police until someone in the dance heard of what was going on. It seems that most in the crowd cheered and called their friends, telling them about the "fun."

I am not sure what to say about such a horrific crime. It is a tragic example of one person being dehumanized by a group to such a degree that she was simply something to beat and use at will. It is also an amazing example of how willing a crowd is to cheer and support such dehumanization and brutality. I like to think that someone in that crowd was actually sickened and distressed by what was being witnessed. But even if such a person existed, the fact remains that he or she did nothing to help.

I believe that if the perpetrators and onlookers had seen this girl as a real person, they would have had a more difficult time doing what they did to her. But because she was simply something to be used and abused, they could subject her to over two hours of torture without worrying about how she was suffering. It didn't matter. She was nobody to them.

This is how abuse and torture works. You rob a person of his or her humanity and then feel justified in treating that person as a mere "thing." And as we all know, things don't have rights, feelings, or a need for respect and compassion. Therefore, you can do whatever you want to them without any twinge of conscience.

We dehumanize people in many ways. We turn them into sex objects, for example. Or, we reduce their humanity to mere categories such as gay, lesbian, black, poor, consumer, immigrant, terrorist, or foreigner. We turn living, breathing individuals into dry statistics. And in all of this, we take the human face off of people and turn them into things to be used, abused, or otherwise manipulated for our own purposes.

I think the antidote to such dehumanization is a healthy dose of compassion. As people of faith and spiritual virtue, we must never forget that people are to be loved rather than used and abused. Also, we must help our neighbors remember that each person is a living, feeling being worthy of respect and care. If we can get this idea across to more people, perhaps we will hear fewer stories like the one from Richmond High.

Eating Together at the Same Pan

2009-10-25T16:30:00.000-07:00

A few years ago, I traveled to Haiti. During my visit, I stayed in a Methodist Missionary Guest House. The house had an ill-tempered black lab mix of some sort as a guard dog. The surly beast was kept tied up in the driveway where he would bark and growl at passersby. One morning I was up early to catch a ride into Port-au-Prince, and I walked out to where the dog was eating from his nasty-looking food pan. I was surprised to see not only the dog eating from the pan but a cat and chicken, as well. It was the craziest thing I had ever seen.

To this day, I can't figure out why that mean-acting guard dog didn't just eat the cat and chicken. He looked like he could do with an extra meal or two. As skinny as he was, nobody would have blamed him for helping himself to an order of cat with a side of chicken. Instead, he was sharing his food pan with them. Looking back on that experience, I am reminded of a similar picture described for us in the eleventh chapter of Isaiah where the prophet looks forward to a new day of divine healing and reconciliation:

The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

The prophet goes on to say, They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

Those three animals in Haiti gave me hope about the wider world in which we live. When people tell me that enemies can't be transformed into friends, I remember that dog sharing his food with the cat and chicken. When cynics insist that our world can never become a peaceful place where different kinds of people live together in harmony, I recall that dog chomping away with the cat and chicken huddled up close by. When other Christians claim that there is no room in their churches for people with diverse values, beliefs, and lifestyles, I remind myself that there was room enough around that food pan for three very different animals to eat together without once taking a chunk out of each other.

If I was in charge of writing a new scripture passage for the Bible, I think I would describe the Kingdom of God as a hungry dog, a scroungy cat, and a bony chicken all eating together at the same pan . . . in peace.

Church of Inclusion

2009-09-29T21:07:00.000-07:00

For the last three years, I have had the good fortune to serve as pastor for Church of the Valley in Van Nuys, California. Upon first arriving at the church, it didn't take me long to see that COV (as it is known around here) was an honest-to-goodness community of inclusion. Among our members and friends are people from many different races, ethnic backgrounds, socioeconomic levels, nationalities, sexual preferences, age groups, and gender identities. And not only are all of these different folks welcome at the church, but they are actually included in our life and leadership at all levels.

Our radical inclusiveness is not a new thing. Its roots go back to at least 1939 when our chapel, The Little Brown Church, was built in Studio City, California. From the very beginning, LBC (as it is known around here) was a place where everyone had a place to belong. It was founded to be a chapel where the doors would always be open, no matter the time of day or night. And this has been the tradition, ever since. To this day, the doors are never locked. Heck...the chapel doors don't even HAVE locks, except the front door which only locks open!

For the last 70 years, The Little Brown Church has provided spiritual sanctuary to the widest variety of people that you can imagine. I entered the chapel at 3:00 a.m. one morning to pick up some things and was surprised to see a homeless person sitting in there along with what looked to be an executive in a business suit. Both were praying, pouring out their souls to God in a way that transcended their very different circumstances. On my way out, the business suit guy actually followed me, wanting to talk for a moment. He told me he was going to court the next day to face charges for some troubles he had gotten into at work. I prayed with him, and he left with tears in his eyes. The experience left me convinced that no matter the variety of differences that set us apart from one another, many of us are desperate to know that we are included in the loving concern of God. It is not enough to believe that God welcomes us into the divine presence; rather, we want to know that we are INCLUDED in God's infinite love for the world. This is true is you are homeless person living on the street or a business person working in a glassed-in office.

The open doors of The Little Brown Church welcome everyone to enter and sit awhile. More than that, the open doors are invitations to inclusion -- inclusion in the loving grace of God. The open doors bear witness to the profound spirit of inclusion that helped build the place and keep it operating for the last 70 years. Also, as these open doors symbolize the radically inclusive nature of our church, they remind our neighborhood that there are churches out there that aren't working overtime to be judgmental and dictatorial with regards to issues of faith. The open doors of The Little Brown Church are declarations to the world that here is a church where difference is not a disqualification from participation in the community of faith or ministry in the Kingdom of God.

If you happen to be in the Los Angeles area, you should drop by and check out The Little Brown Church. Many people come to the chapel because it is the place where President Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy were married many years ago. Hopefully, many more come to the chapel because it is the place where God's grace is poured out in the most inclusive way, each and every day. So, don't worry about getting there too early or too late, the doors are always open. And, you are always welcome. Even better, you are included.

Salvation Through Diversity

2009-09-25T15:45:00.000-07:00

You should take time to read the Tower of Babel story in the eleventh chapter of Genesis. As a kid, I remember the preacher using this story to teach us not to attempt to "play god" in our world. He warned us of the sin of pride that brought low the great tower which humanity tried to erect into the heavens. The preacher used to story to remind us that it was sinful human pride that broke apart the perfect unity of human existence. Because of sin, in other words, we were doomed to be different from each other.

As an adult serving a congregation where diversity and differences are celebrated, I now read this story a little differently. In the story of the Tower of Babel, I see God saving humanity by injecting diversity into the equation. Unity or conformity for its own sake is dangerous, according to the story. It can lead to all sorts of problems, including prideful abuses of power. It also closes off the human community from the wider world and the wealth of possibilities that exist there for the growth of wisdom, beauty, and spirit.

I am convinced that unity for unity's sake is a dangerous goal to pursue. Such a goal closes us off to many aspects of our lives that define us as "human." For example, absolute unity is devoid of creativity and beauty, both of which require a certain degree of difference and contrast. Also, a group or organization obsessed with unity for its own sake is unable to affirm any purpose other than that which preserves unity and enjoins conformity. Additionally, because the desire for unity usually grows out of fear and insecurity, it can easily devolve into abuses of power designed to force others to toe a party line or risk alienation, expulsion or even destruction.

At the same time, however, notice in the Tower of Babel story that God did not change each person into a different species when God diversified the languages. No, God maintained the underlying connection that each person had with others as members of the human family. The changes that God brought about were meant to save us from the stagnation, pride, and self-destruction that accompanies social conformity. They were not meant to disconnect us completely from one another. The story never says that people were forbidden to be a community, ever again. Indeed, some of the most memorable stories following the Tower of Babel involve God creating a new community through Abraham and others.

Rather than destroying community, God's efforts at Babel redirected human energy away from works of pride and toward the goal of learning from the variety of lifestyles, customs, languages, and traditions that have grown up among us as a diverse people. It is because of these and other differences that our communities have the potential to be richer, more vivid, more creative, and much more interesting than they would be, otherwise. As a result, I have come to appreciate the phrase, "a community of diversity," as a description of human connections at their most promising. Far from being the result of sin, diversity is a gracious and redeeming gift from God to the human family.

I am sure there is more to be said, but this is enough for now.

What's with the name?

2009-09-22T22:00:00.000-07:00

What does "Pulpit Hack" mean? If you ask my church members, they might tell you that it's a description of my preaching efforts on Sunday mornings. Of course they would be wrong to call me a "pulpit hack" because I don't actually stand in a pulpit when delivering sermons (we don't even have a pulpit!). So even though I may be a regular sort of hack, I am no "pulpit hack."

For some readers, the name of the blog may conjure images of a person with a hatchet, hacking away at a big, wooden pulpit. Metaphorically speaking, this might indicate that my blog will be "hacking away" at the pretentious, pompous, and pitiful phrases that pour forth periodically from other people's pulpits. (Notice all the "P" words? Could a hack do that?) But that isn't what the name is about, either. Truth is, I really don't want to attack my own kind.

In naming the blog, I was thinking more in terms of computer hackers who try to break into secure places. In my own way, I want to "hack" the pulpit. I want to discuss religion and spirituality in such a way as to open closed doors, challenge hubris, and generally pester those who think everything is so safe and secure.

So there you have it, my first blog post. Now I have to think of something for the next one.