"The Ends and the Means - part 2"

So why all of this cryptic commentary on the ends and the means? I am sure that most people understand that groups like the Hutaree are fringe elements and do not represent the mainstream of anything. This is true. However, there is one important point. While the Hutaree's actions are probably (hopefully) reprehensible to most people, I would submit that their actions differ from the actions of ordinary people only by degree, not by the nature of the actions. There may be a huge, gaping gap along the continuum between some of the political discourse that characterizes our nation and home-grown terrorism. But, let's be clear. When we engage in hate language against people whose opinions differ from our own, and we have the hubris to claim that God is on our side, we are treading on very dangerous ground. I have heard Christians on both sides of the health care debate speak in violent ways about people on the other side of the issue. And I am amazed at how we will invoke Jesus' name in our attacks. Remember this, Jesus himself did not use this kind of language - unless, of course, he was talking to religious hypocrites ("those who have ears, let them here"). So, who do we think that we are to feel totally empowered to denigrate others because they have opinions and priorities that differ from our own. During the crazy times that we are living in, the world needs leaders who can step up and show us the way. We do not need leaders that will have the right opinions. We need leaders that will show us a higher road to walk. Is it no wonder that most people in our country see Christians as judgmental jerks. That is how we behave. But, history has given us an opportunity to show a better way - to disagree with one another in a spirit of love. Christians can model the way of Christ not by giving people all the right answers (News flash! You don't have the right answers. Neither do I. We have faith!), but instead by modeling Jesus sacrificial love to others. And by this they will come to know God's love.

"The Ends and the Means - part 1"

A question has come up in our Lenten study. Why did Jesus have to die on a cross? Why that kind of death? There are many theories of specifically how God was reconciling himself to the world through the crucifixion of Jesus. However, the means (brutal crucifixion) by which God achieved this desired ends (reconciliation, or "at-one-ment")  cannot be separated from one another. The ends and the means go together. This is important to Christians because Jesus outpouring of sacrificial love serves not only a source of redemption, it is a model for how we are to behave in the world. Too often Christians, and other religious zealots, get the means and the ends confused. They think that if their ends are  righteous (which is always a question for debate), than whatever means they use to achieve those ends are justified. Adam Hamilton, in his book 24 Hours That Changed the World, said it this way. "Ordinary people can be persuaded to do extraordinary and awful things. Given the right combination of ideology, authority, and gradual desensitization, all of us can become monsters, capable of destroying others with weapons ranging from words to gas chambers. It is a reality we must face and guard against, looking instead to God and trying to understand who he has called us to be (page 86)." I read that the FBI recently raided a Christian militia (which I personally find to be an oxymoron) called the Hutaree. These folks were preparing for battle with the Antichrist, and for some reason they felt that killing law enforcement officials was a way to achieve that.  That seems a little strange. One of the group's statements, according to their own web site was, "Jesus wanted us to be ready to defend ourselves using the sword and stay alive using equipment." Which I find fascinating because the Jesus I read about invites followers to pick up their cross (not their uzi), to love their neighbor (even their sworn enemy), and when his disciple Peter sought to defend Jesus using the sword, Jesus specifically said, "Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword" (Matthew 26:52). The ends do not justify the means. The ends are defined by the means used to achieve them.

Easter Egg Hunt

So many more pics, and a video, as well. You have to check these out. This was a great event. Staff of the church and volunteers worked very hard to show hospitality to the community in which we serve. If you see a bunch of bright yellow shirts in the pictures (and if you don't, it is time to contact your optometrist), those are staff and volunteers. This was a great event.

The Hunt is On!

We had a great time this afternoon at our annual Easter Egg Hunt/Picnic at Toyon Park. The In 'n' Out truck was there with burgers and chips for everyone. The easter bunny was there. And 6178 eggs full of candy were plucked up by happy children. It was a wonderful day. Follow this link to find more photos.

Grace Wins

I am still reflecting on my (mis)adventures on the trail today. What fun. Anyway, one other thought crossed my mind (one that I could grab hold of anyway). At our church, we have been working through Adam Hamilton's Lenten study "24 Hours That Changed the World." It explores Jesus' last day of life. Jesus experienced a lot of bad stuff on his last day - betrayal, abandonment, trials, scourging, public humiliation, and having one of his closest friends denying that he even knew Jesus. On the face of it, there is not a lot to celebrate. However, Jesus endured - all the way to the cross. Jesus took it all. In spite of all of the bad things happening to him and around him, Jesus' love gave him the strength to take it all. And because he did, grace wins. Even in the darkest hour, that is worth celebrating.

Lessons from the Trail

I hiked out at Santiago Oaks today. A short little hike, mainly because I haven't been out much lately and I was out of gas. As I traveled the trail, I approached a rather short, but steep hill. It was a warm spring afternoon. That little voice in my head said, "just turn around and head home. It's all good." But, for some reason, I kept going. I learned a few things on the trail today...

1) There are always hills in life. It will not always be comfortable. That is not even one of the promises of God (in fact, we have an invitation to "pick up our cross," a.k.a. suck it up and climb a hill, or two).

2) As I approached the top of the first peak (notice the subtle inclusion of the word "first"), I realized that a second peak was right behind it. I didn't see the second peak from the bottom of the hill. There are always surprises in life. Rarely does anything go as planned. As the great Scottish poet Robert Burns wrote (paraphrased into modern English), "the best laid plans of mice and men have often gone awry." We will always have to learn to adjust.

3) After I reached the second peak, the remainder of the hike was pretty much downhill. My first instinct (as usual) was, "kick back, enjoy the ride." However, as I have learned from experience, even on the downhill things can often "go awry" (e.g. tripping over a tree root and plummeting face down into the trail). You must be careful on the downhill, as well. When life is good, sit back and enjoy the ride. But, pay attention.

Finally, after picking up trash that was left on the trail I learned something else. Let's call this a bonus lesson. Sometimes, love means carrying other people's garbage (I am think of that one as our church reflects on the last 24 hours of Jesus' life.

There you go. Lessons from the trail for today.

Hope

Nestled among the headlines this morning about health care reform in the United States (and how "united" does not seem to truly reflect the "state" of our union right now), conflict between Israel and Palestine, sanctions against Iran, problems in Iraq, etc., etc. (I think you see where I am going with this), I found this little gem. A high school student in one community developed a tutoring program for people in another community that want to pass the high school equivalency exam. Change in this world will not come from the top down (it rarely does). Change occurs when we simply take responsibility for one another and care for one another. Consider this, after the conversion of Emperor Constantine in the early 300's, the church has sought to convert people to Christianity by conquering them or by converting their king, who in turn would force his people to convert. In the best case scenario, that led to a lukewarm faith. But, others in the church - Celtic missionaries in the 5th and 6th centuries as an example - would go into a community, minister to the people, care for them and tend to their needs, and then they would tell them about Christ. That model has had a far more meaningful impact. Change happens in small doses at first. But, when it is real, it always catches on. What small thing can you do today to change someone's life.

"Who Framed Jesus?"

Last night I sat in front of the TV, eager to watch the Discovery Channel special "Who Framed Jesus?" I am a sucker for the criminal procedural and I am a Christian minister, so I was pretty sure this show was right up my alley. The show was on for two hours and it explored the "suspects" in the crucifixion of Jesus. It mentioned Judas Iscariot, the high priest Caiphas, the "crowd", Pontius Pilate, Herod Antipas, and even Jesus himself as suspects. No conclusions were drawn. In fact, the closing line of the show summed up the whole two hours, "the answer to the question who is responsible for Jesus' crucifixion is anything but an open and shut case." I guess that is true in a forensic sense. But, all of the "suspects" that were profiled in the show had a hand in Jesus crucifixion (including Jesus himself). The problem with the show (as is the case with any program that attempts to take a purely "scientific" view of Jesus) is that it missed the most obvious answer to the question of who killed Jesus - and that is the theological answer. And the answer to that question is...you did it. That's right. You did it. And so did I. We all had a hand in Jesus' death. And that is why God's grace is so doggone beautiful, because it is the free and loving act of a gracious God.

Tribes

I am reading a great book right now. It is called "Tribes" and it is by "the most popular business blogger in the world" (according to the book jacket), Seth Godin.The book is about leadership, boldness, faith - some good stuff. He writes, "the only thing holding you back from becoming the kind of person who changes things is this: lack of faith. Faith that you can do it. Faith that it's worth doing. Faith that failure won't destroy you." That's awesome. That is worth the price of the book right there. We (a.k.a. "me", I just hope you are with me) are so afraid of failure. We think that it means something personal about us. I fail, therefore I stink. However, the fear of failure actually does more harm to the state of our souls than failure. I want to be less afraid to mess up. That is my prayer for myself, and for you too. I think I am going to go screw something up right now.

"I Have Seen the Future And It Is Messy - part 3"

I want to share some final thoughts on the Theology After Google conference (then I will move on to something else, I promise). At every conference that I have ever attended, it is very clear who is leading and who is following, who is their to teach and who is their to learn. At TAG, I noticed immediately that, even though many of the presenters were super-geniuses, there seemed to me no distance between the presenters and the people. I very much got the sense that we were all in this together. I think this relates to the egalitarian ethos (how is that for big words?) that is prevalent on the web. All of these presenters approached their work from a non-hierarchical, cooperative point of view. It just seems like the church today can learn a lot from the church that these folks are envisioning.

"I Have Seen the Future, and It Is Messy - part 2"

More thoughts about the Theology After Google Conference. It appears that the post-modern mind is not as linear or precise as I have grown up experiencing. But, the good news is that life is not as linear and precise as any of us would like it to be. At least the church is beginning to wrap its head around where people are really at. We want the world (and by extension, our faith) to be neat and tidy. We want everything to make sense. But, it doesn't. And the beauty of post-modernism is that, rather than run from this truth, it embraces it. And still manages to find a way to proclaim the good news of the love of God in Jesus Christ while doing it. It is truly an amazing thing. The chaos that I found so personally unsettling was actually guided by a deeper awareness that God truly is in charge. Post-modernism is refreshing...and energetic. And best of all, it is not attempting to develop a dogmatic formula that will bind the church for at least two millenia. The Theology After Google conference left me with hope for the future, as messy as it will probably be. I am hopeful because Jesus Christ is alive and well and on the move in the hearts of many young theologians. Thanks be to God.

"I Have Seen the Future, and It Is Messy - part 1"

One of the fun things about being a pastor is continuing education. I get (nay - I am required) to go to conferences to learn about theology, the church, etc. It is great because there is a lot of creative people out there and they are willing to teach the rest of us. This week, I was at a conference at Claremont School of Theology (of which I am a proud member of the class of '02). The conference was called "Theology After Google." It was designed to be a post-modern approach to being the church. I have been to a number of these conferences, many claiming to examine the "post-modern" ethos (if you are reading this blog and are not a pastor or theologian, you probably don't care two cents about what is post-modern and what isn't - but, believe me, this is huge in some of the circles I run [which only means that we are kind of nerdy and silly, but I digress]), but this is the first conference that I have been to that truly embodied what it means to be post-modern. Assuming, like many people do (and other people fear) that this is the future direction, at least, of mainline Christianity, I can say without a doubt that I have seen the future and it is messy. One of the knocks against post-modern thinkers is that they are "de-constructionist" (man, I am really using the old thesaurus today). That is to say that they are most interested in tearing down the traditions of the past. While this is marginally true (and mostly not), there are things about post-modernism that are frightening. First, it makes me feel old. These folks are comfortable with much more ambiguity than I am used to. Second, there is a lot going on. This is the generation of multi-taskers. I am listening to a speaker, watching a PowerPoint, and all the while people are streaming comments in real time that are being broadcast during the presentation. Third, the post-modern church appears (note the use of the word "appears" as opposed to the more definitive "is) to be a tad disorganized. And to my linear brain, that can be unsettling.  With all of that having been said, there is much to celebrate about where the church is heading (or, at least, where I hope it is heading). I have seen the future, and it is messy. But, it is really cool. Stay tuned for part 2.

Try and Try Again

Remember the old adage, if at first you don't succeed, try and try again? I think that people might have had Lent in mind when they made that up. I gave up candy for Lent this year. That may not sound like a big thing, but I am discovering that it is very difficult. It is not necessarily that I crave candy. I am pretty cool with not eating any. I can resist when I have to. However, I am running into the problem of "habitual" candy eating. There have been times when I have simply popped a few M & Ms in my mouth, just because they were available. I didn't even think. I just ate. I have done that several times and we are only two weeks into Lent. The good news is that I do not quit my commitment simply because I have forgotten. I just get right back on the wagon and try and try again to resist the seductive allure of sweets. However (and this is in no way meant to seek to justify my behavior), I have learned a very important lesson. There are so many things in our lives that are not good for us that we do without even thinking. There are patterns of relationships that we get involved in, there are temperaments that are destructive, and the list goes on and on. The point is, we have a wonderful opportunity to do self-examination during this season, and we should really put that time to good use. Maybe we might learn just how much power our habit have over us. Maybe, with God's help, we will make some changes in our lives. What have you given up for Lent?