iHOPE

What Are "The Seven Last Words of Christ?"

That's a question I have heard a few times since we announced it as our theme for the Prayer Walk during Holy Week. Instead of a Good Friday service, the Prayer TEEEM decided to use the whole week before Easter (March 24-30) to focus on the crucifixion of Jesus. We put out a call for artwork, photos, poems, etc that revolve around the theme of The Seven Last Words of Christ. So far there have been two general responses:

1.  That sounds great!
2.  What are the Seven Last Words of Christ?

Glad you asked!

The Seven Last Words refer to the compilation of sayings of Jesus on the cross. They have been the inspiration for many a choral work. Josef Haydn's was one of the first and most famous.They have also been the source of meditation and reflection for many during Holy Week, and especially Good Friday. That was the idea behind asking people for artwork that helps people reflect on the sacrifice of Christ in the Prayer Walk throughout Holy Week.

Can You Honor Veterans and Worship the Prince of Peace at the Same Time?

 

  It wasn't always called, "Veteran's Day". For a long time it was known as "Armistice Day" and it commemorated the end of the "Great War"- the "War to End All Wars".  The reason it is now called, "World War I" is because it wasn't the end of all wars. Not even close.

  This Sunday is Veteran's Day and as we have done in past years, we will take some time to honor those who have served in the military. We asked for pictures and they have been pouring in. You will see more than 50 faces onscreen and we are going to have a unique time of recognition.

  Beyond pictures are the individual stories.  Some are particularly gripping. One of those is the story of Marine Darren Baldwin (nephew of Patti French). If you watch the clip above, you'll get to know Darren and the sacrifices that are sometimes (too many times) required by those who serve. This clip was posted about a year ago. Patti tells me that Darren isn't getting better. He is now bedridden, is on feeding tubes and needs care around the clock. I wish Darren's story was unique, but it is not. I'll bet you know others who have sacrificed much on our behalf.

  Veteran's Day can be a tricky thing in a church. Honoring those who fight in war as we worship the Prince of Peace can seem awkward. That is why some churches steer away from this and other military commemorations altogether. I think they are wrong to do so.

Battling Over the Bible

The Bible is the most read, most cherished book of all time.  It is also the source of great argument and division. For some, it is the meeting place with God. For others, it is the obstacle.  “Conflict about the Bible is the single most divisive issue among Christians in North America today” says Marcus Borg, and it would be hard to argue with him. Is there a way forward?  Is there a way we can stop battling about the Bible and truly read it? 

I'm continuing our series, "Losing My Religion...Discovering God" and this Sunday I am addressing the use and abuse of the Bible.

If there is one issue that stands out above all others when it comes to people becoming disenchanted with religion, faith and God, it is the Bible:  how it is used and abused. How is it tha the same Bible that inspires love, promotes justice and calls out the best in people, can also inspire hate, justify oppression and bring out the worst in people, too?

More to the point, how can we read, and know we are readiong, the Bible well?

See you Sunday.

Is Science or Religion, the Problem?

There are some big questions that everyone asks at one time or another:

Does God exist?
Is there life after death or do we just extinguish when we die?
Is the universe an accident, or was it created with a reason?
If there is a God, why do my prayers go unanswered?
Can the Bible be trusted when it comes to the Big Questions?
Does Faith make sense, or do we need it now that science is filling in more and more of the gaps in our knowledge?

  Granted, these are not the questions that some feel they can ask in Church. Too many times, the Church has seemed to favor only affirmations of the 'right answer' and frowned on doubt or tough questions.

What Happened in Orlando- and Why I Wasn't There.

This past week, more than 2,000 Presbyterians met in Orlando for gathering to discuss the future of the Presbyterian Church (USA)- or rather, the lack it. Beginning last year with a letter from a group of (mostly large church) pastors that declared our denomination was "deathly ill", an organization called the Fellowship of Presbyterians (FOP) was formed and culminated in the unveiling of a new denominational entity called, The Evangelical Covenant Order of Presbyterians (ECOP- their new logo is displayed above). You can read more about it here. While it claims that this split was not simply over the issue of homosexuality and ordination, it is also no secret that this has been the lightning-rod that spurred this movement. At this point, it is a new denomination that allows others to affiliate with it, even if they choose to stay in the PCUSA.

If you click on the links above and read through the materials, you will find some exciting materials about what the Church is called to be- and could be in the future. I love the passion, admire many of the leaders and embrace their stated values.

So why wasn't I part of the launch of this "new reformed body"?  I will answer that question more fully in the week to come, but I'll answer it briefly here with another question:

Pastor's Class: Faithing the Issues

Are you tired of hearing people talk (argue) about the serious issues of life as if there were only two alternatives (right v. left)?

Do you wish you could have a place to discuss and explore the issues in a way that wasn't so confrontational?

Would you like to see how we can apply our faith to the issues of the day- even if we don't all come up with the same answers?

Then this year's Pastor's Class may be for you!

Beginning the first week of October, I will be leading the class, "Faithing the Issues". It will look at how we apply the Bible and our Faith to the some of the toughest questions of our day (Abortion, Euthanasia, Evolution, Homosexuality, Heaven/Hell,- that should be a good start!). We will be using the book, Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White:  Thoughts on Religion, Morality, and Politics by Adam Hamilton as a 'source book' (that means we aren't doing a study of his book as much as using his material for our study).  You can pick up a copy at church for $15.

As in the past, the class will be held on Wednesday nights (6:45- 8:00) and Thursday mornings (10:15- 11:30), with the same content presented at each time. Participants are welcome to move between class times as their schedules allow. What will be different from past years is that while the first 5-6 classes will be "content" oriented (with me presenting some basic concepts and principles, a large part of this class will be built on class discussion.

This is a topic that is critically needed in the Church today and I have been wanting to get at this for a long time. Anyone who has been a part of my last classes knows that we will not suffer from 'group-think'!- we always have a wide spectrum of opinion and beliefs that are represented. I'm looking forward to this  class and invite you to participate. Let's "Faith" the Issues!

We'll start on Wednedsday/Thursday (October 5th/6th). We'll meet weekly with a break for Christmas/New Years and conclude about the middle of February (I'm going to do a different class for Lent).

The Hardest Question

  This summer we introduced a "Question & Answer" time at the end of each service. For about 15-20 minutes, I stick around and address questions that people have submitted on their Communication Card or simply ask on the spot.  It is part of the "This Is Us" series about who we are when we find ourselves in the midst of controversy.  It has been a great experience and I may make it a regular time- maybe once or twice a month.

  The questions covered a lot of different topics (everything from Heaven & Hell, to changes in the Book of Order about sexuality and ordination, to what I'm going to teach in my class next Fall). There is one question that always comes up in times like this.  It is the hardest question I ever get. It has several variations, but it comes down to something like,

Ordination Standards and the Presbyterian Church

   If you haven't already, you'll soon be hearing that the Presbyterian Church (USA) has changed its ordination standards for Deacons Elders and Ministers- specifically allowing people in same sex realationships to be ordained. At least, that is what you'll hear.

  Others will say that nothing has really changed and that what was approved is nothing more than de-centralizing the authority over who gets to make decisions about ordination of officers.

  Both of those statements have some truth- and both leave some key pieces out.

Fan Club Fringe

  A particularly memorable bumper sticker proclaims, "I like Jesus, but his Fan Club scares me!'

  I thought about that bumper sticker this week after hearing about the pastor in Florida who declared his congregation's intention to burn the Koran this weekend. People like that scare me, too. I was a little less grieved when I heard that the church only had about 50 members and wasn't part of some large campaign. Don't get me wrong, it is still a bonehead thing to say, but I could probably find 50 people who still advocate for a flat earth. If the press hadn't made this an international story, no one would have paid attention to it- or him.

  Nonetheless, it is an international story and several people have asked me what I thought. Mostly, I think the less we mention it, the better. At the same time,I know that silence is sometimes interpreted as tacit agreement, and that wouldn't be good.

Worship: What's the Question?

 

I LOVE the changes in worship!

I don’t like the changes in worship!

I like some of the changes, but don’t care for …(fill in the blank)

Keep going! We want more

Stop! We don’t like this

I’ve been away for a few weeks. What’s going on?

 

  Do you recognize any of those statements?  I have been hearing them throughout the month of July with regards to our worship services. That’s why I wanted to follow-up on last month’s article on worship.

 

  There have been some significant differences in worship the last few weeks. Most people assume that since Nick Rossi came on as our Interim Director of Worship & Music about the same time,  that he must be the one responsible (aka, ‘the One to Blame’).   Actually, many of the changes in July were in the works before Nick arrived. They came in response to some questions about worship that I wanted to address over the summer.  In order to understand the answers Nick helped us come up with, it might be good to understand the questions that inspired them. Here are a few: