As a recovering alcoholic, one of the phrases I love best is "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result." That is what I tried to do to "tame" my addiction. I kept trying the same old things that people who are addicted try thinking I would be different. I got the same result as everyone else did. I needed to completely change my thinking, completely change my route, do something different or I would never be sober. Hence, the 12 steps.
The church is in the same position. The church has been doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. Over the entire existence of the ELCA, some 26 years, leaders have been doing the same thing hoping against hope that a different result will happen. What is even worse, if we look at the churches that make up the ELCA, for 20 years before the ELCA was formed, they were doing the same thing.
Statistics show that for the last 46 years, attendance and giving has declined in the Lutheran church. We have been losing people and money for almost a half of a century. What does the church do? Does it look at what it is doing? Does it think critically about how it works and what it says and the behavior of the people? NO! We simply try the same old thing hoping for a different result. Another stewardship drive with a new tag line. Another confirmation curriculum with fancy slides and a power point ready slick design. Another committee with a new leader. None of these things have solved the problem in the past, why do we think it will all of the sudden solve the problem now?
Now some will say that this is what we get for not following the Bible. They say "the ELCA has thrown the Bible out the window, so they get what they deserve!" or "that is what you get for letting those homosexuals into the church!" What these people don't realize is that is has been going on longer than just a few years and that we in the ELCA have not thrown the Bible out. We take the Bible and the call of God very seriously.
What is the solution? Well, we have to be radical, just like those in 12 step programs do. We have to realize that our church has become too set in its ways, it has become tame when Jesus calls us to step outside out comfort zones in new directions every day. We have to realize that God stills speaks today and sometimes that voice of God leads us down a new path, a new interpretation, a new direction. God's radical, alien grace tries to get us outside of ourselves, outside of the norm, outside of our human-ness into God-ness.
I hope and pray that the church of God active in the world today will stop doing the same old thing and listen because God is calling! Listen, God is calling. Through the WORD inviting. Offering forgiveness, comfort, and Joy.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Saturday, October 2, 2010
I Won't Do It Anymore!`
Well, I am going to make a commitment today. I am not going to do it anymore! Nope, I am going to stop. I am going to quit. I will no longer partake of the argument anymore. Well, I am going to try.
That is my pledge to myself. Bishop Spong has decided the same thing, only his is a commitment not to partake of those who are homophobic. He pledges not to argue with them anymore because the argument leads to no where. Those who try to argue that homosexuality is an abomination, is a SIN, is something that is a choice, Bishop Spong will no longer talk with. I totally agree, but I am going to take it one step further.
I will not argue with those who want to polarize politics or religion. I will not get into a verbal spar with those people who want to turn everything into an us versus them, who want to say they are right and everyone else is wrong, who say God is on their side and not on the other's side. It is a useless endeavor. Anyone who is so certain about their opinion and God's position are the new Pharisees and will only cause hate and discontent.
All the argument does is bring me to their level, and that is a level I don't want to go to anymore. Their negativity is killing me. Their hostility raises my blood pressure. Their belligerence darkens this world, and I used to help them bring the in the darkness. I don't want to anymore. The light of Christ gives me hope, gives me strength, gives me power, power to live, power to love, power to not partake in the garbage anymore. I believe if more people would stop the negativity, the world might become the place where God wants it to be. Wouldn't that be an amazing transformation? If more people would allow the Holy Spirit of God to transform them into the people God desires, then the victory of God might be complete! That would be, well, there is no adjective that would describe it. I might be nieve, a dreamer, but I think that is what God is calling us all to be, a dreamer of God's love.
This is my pledge to myself and to others. I might be hard, in fact, it will be a challenge, but by God's grace, I will be victorious.
That is my pledge to myself. Bishop Spong has decided the same thing, only his is a commitment not to partake of those who are homophobic. He pledges not to argue with them anymore because the argument leads to no where. Those who try to argue that homosexuality is an abomination, is a SIN, is something that is a choice, Bishop Spong will no longer talk with. I totally agree, but I am going to take it one step further.
I will not argue with those who want to polarize politics or religion. I will not get into a verbal spar with those people who want to turn everything into an us versus them, who want to say they are right and everyone else is wrong, who say God is on their side and not on the other's side. It is a useless endeavor. Anyone who is so certain about their opinion and God's position are the new Pharisees and will only cause hate and discontent.
All the argument does is bring me to their level, and that is a level I don't want to go to anymore. Their negativity is killing me. Their hostility raises my blood pressure. Their belligerence darkens this world, and I used to help them bring the in the darkness. I don't want to anymore. The light of Christ gives me hope, gives me strength, gives me power, power to live, power to love, power to not partake in the garbage anymore. I believe if more people would stop the negativity, the world might become the place where God wants it to be. Wouldn't that be an amazing transformation? If more people would allow the Holy Spirit of God to transform them into the people God desires, then the victory of God might be complete! That would be, well, there is no adjective that would describe it. I might be nieve, a dreamer, but I think that is what God is calling us all to be, a dreamer of God's love.
This is my pledge to myself and to others. I might be hard, in fact, it will be a challenge, but by God's grace, I will be victorious.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
A Pipe Dream
I go to a lot of meetings. A week does not go by without at least one meeting! The meetings include pizza and discussion, a weekly gathering at the school with the senior high talking about faith and life, Cooperstown Community Activity Authority board meeting, a group of people trying to make sure there is a fitness center in our small rural town, and synod functions including synod council, bishop's convocation, or synod assembly. It never seems to fail that at all of these meetings, we end up talking about money!
Money is a false god. Humans think that money will bring them peace. Humans think if they have a large enough IRA for their golden years, everything will be OK in life. Humans tend to think that if their bank account is full, then problems will cease and life will be grand. Humans tend to think that with enough money, everything will be OK, but someone, somewhere today will die from a hunger related illness or from a disease that they had no money to get the proper treatment for or from a war because of someone else's desire to have more money or more oil or more land. While we try to fill our IRA or bank accounts, the money monster will continue to rape and pillage people unless we do something soon!
People often think that taking an offering for the less fortunate will suffice, but that is an outright lie! That is feel good liberalism. That is trying to ease our guilt without asking for forgiveness or even repenting of our corporate sin. What needs to happen is a complete change in the human heart and way of life.
What would happen if we all, including all the leftist progressives and the militant neo-orthodox right, decided to change the system? What would the world be like if we all decided to stop using money as our trade system? What would happen if we used love instead of money as the system of compensation for goods? What would happen if everyone, everywhere had what they needed, nothing more, nothing less? What would happened if God's alien righteousness, infused into the heart of everyone, was enough? Wouldn't that be a neat trick?
Money is a false god. Humans think that money will bring them peace. Humans think if they have a large enough IRA for their golden years, everything will be OK in life. Humans tend to think that if their bank account is full, then problems will cease and life will be grand. Humans tend to think that with enough money, everything will be OK, but someone, somewhere today will die from a hunger related illness or from a disease that they had no money to get the proper treatment for or from a war because of someone else's desire to have more money or more oil or more land. While we try to fill our IRA or bank accounts, the money monster will continue to rape and pillage people unless we do something soon!
People often think that taking an offering for the less fortunate will suffice, but that is an outright lie! That is feel good liberalism. That is trying to ease our guilt without asking for forgiveness or even repenting of our corporate sin. What needs to happen is a complete change in the human heart and way of life.
What would happen if we all, including all the leftist progressives and the militant neo-orthodox right, decided to change the system? What would the world be like if we all decided to stop using money as our trade system? What would happen if we used love instead of money as the system of compensation for goods? What would happen if everyone, everywhere had what they needed, nothing more, nothing less? What would happened if God's alien righteousness, infused into the heart of everyone, was enough? Wouldn't that be a neat trick?
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
A New Day
Good Evening all!
It has been a while since I have written anything on this blog. Sometimes I get lazy, sometimes I get busy, and sometimes I just don't remember to do it. I am not too good at writing, but I enjoy reading blogs so I am going to try to write something every week. Don't hold me to that, but I will try.
I just returned from the Eastern North Dakota Synod fall leadership conference. A friend told me at the conference that we here on the plains are embarrassed to admit that we have bishops so we refuse to call the conference a Bishop's Convocation, as other areas of the ELCA do, and I tend to agree.
At the conference, the bishop always gets a chance to tell us about the shape of the synod and the ELCA in general. This time Bishop Rindy spoke of a new day. The Churchwide organization is restructuring and basically cutting programs. They are doing this because people are in chaos. The chaos caused by a recession, more wars than we really understand, a right wing political and theological take over of the airwaves, and a walk out of wallets from some congregations. With all of this, we in the EaND have a choice.
Will we let the programs that were once sponsored and paid for by the Churchwide organization end, or will we do anything about it? Will we let the nay sayers who are angry about everything in the world win, or will we show them the door and do something new, something unheard of, something amazing? We in the EaND will not let the right winger have the last say. We will not let the ministries that are important to us die. We will support them. We will dig down in our own pockets and give what needs to be given so that the ministry of Jesus can go on. We will go the extra mile for ministry.
I hope that as we in the EaND start something new, the entire church will take it as a way to help the ministries that are important to them. Show the right wingers the door and God will pick up the slack through the hearts and hands of those who know the love of God. Amen.
It has been a while since I have written anything on this blog. Sometimes I get lazy, sometimes I get busy, and sometimes I just don't remember to do it. I am not too good at writing, but I enjoy reading blogs so I am going to try to write something every week. Don't hold me to that, but I will try.
I just returned from the Eastern North Dakota Synod fall leadership conference. A friend told me at the conference that we here on the plains are embarrassed to admit that we have bishops so we refuse to call the conference a Bishop's Convocation, as other areas of the ELCA do, and I tend to agree.
At the conference, the bishop always gets a chance to tell us about the shape of the synod and the ELCA in general. This time Bishop Rindy spoke of a new day. The Churchwide organization is restructuring and basically cutting programs. They are doing this because people are in chaos. The chaos caused by a recession, more wars than we really understand, a right wing political and theological take over of the airwaves, and a walk out of wallets from some congregations. With all of this, we in the EaND have a choice.
Will we let the programs that were once sponsored and paid for by the Churchwide organization end, or will we do anything about it? Will we let the nay sayers who are angry about everything in the world win, or will we show them the door and do something new, something unheard of, something amazing? We in the EaND will not let the right winger have the last say. We will not let the ministries that are important to us die. We will support them. We will dig down in our own pockets and give what needs to be given so that the ministry of Jesus can go on. We will go the extra mile for ministry.
I hope that as we in the EaND start something new, the entire church will take it as a way to help the ministries that are important to them. Show the right wingers the door and God will pick up the slack through the hearts and hands of those who know the love of God. Amen.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Revisionist? Not Hardly!
Well, Word Alone is at it again! Bless their hearts!
On its blog, Faithful Transition, Tom Walker has the audacity to think of all those who agree with him and his interpretation of scripture as "orthodox" and everyone else as "revisionist." Walker, in his insane rambling, thinks that Word Alone does not do any of that new fangled, new aged, evil sent from the Devil theology, but he is mistaken once again.
Everyone comes to scripture with preconceived notions. Everyone has baggage that hampers or helps them understand scripture. Everyone, including those so called "orthodox" Lutherans, or even those Bible believing evangelical fundamentalist have ideologies that cloud their interpretations of scripture. NO ONE comes to the scripture as a blank slate. What has happened to us as people, where we have been as a believer in the one true God, our family, our work, and our political ideologies all taint how we look at scripture. There is no way around it.
That is the way it is supposed to be. The Bible is a living entity. The Bible is living and growing in the world today, and we as God's people are a part of that growing. What is happening in the world right now help us understand how God's Word is actively changing the world we know, and changing us too! The Bible is not static. The Bible is not dead. The words written on the page are not God. Those words show us how God has interacted with God's people through out the ages and how God continues to interact with us.
The baggage we bring to the table of God can be transformed by God through our interacting with God's word given us in scripture. This is a good thing! It is not something to be feared as so many fundamentalist do. God is somehow, someway, working through all that baggage showing us a loving and graceful God, showing us how to live a life centered in God, and even showing us how to love those who differ from us.
Live! Laugh! Love! I love Word Alone!
On its blog, Faithful Transition, Tom Walker has the audacity to think of all those who agree with him and his interpretation of scripture as "orthodox" and everyone else as "revisionist." Walker, in his insane rambling, thinks that Word Alone does not do any of that new fangled, new aged, evil sent from the Devil theology, but he is mistaken once again.
Everyone comes to scripture with preconceived notions. Everyone has baggage that hampers or helps them understand scripture. Everyone, including those so called "orthodox" Lutherans, or even those Bible believing evangelical fundamentalist have ideologies that cloud their interpretations of scripture. NO ONE comes to the scripture as a blank slate. What has happened to us as people, where we have been as a believer in the one true God, our family, our work, and our political ideologies all taint how we look at scripture. There is no way around it.
That is the way it is supposed to be. The Bible is a living entity. The Bible is living and growing in the world today, and we as God's people are a part of that growing. What is happening in the world right now help us understand how God's Word is actively changing the world we know, and changing us too! The Bible is not static. The Bible is not dead. The words written on the page are not God. Those words show us how God has interacted with God's people through out the ages and how God continues to interact with us.
The baggage we bring to the table of God can be transformed by God through our interacting with God's word given us in scripture. This is a good thing! It is not something to be feared as so many fundamentalist do. God is somehow, someway, working through all that baggage showing us a loving and graceful God, showing us how to live a life centered in God, and even showing us how to love those who differ from us.
Live! Laugh! Love! I love Word Alone!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Why So Angry?
I try to live my day to day life without getting too angry. I have a history of heart disease in my family and I do not want to die early because of a tirade at something that I basically have no control over. There are some things that I will come unglued over--someone in my house using my socks (both my sons do), my cats trying to sharpen their claws on my wife's new furniture, and someone taking the last piece of dessert pizza at the pizza ranch buffet! Other than that, I try not to get angry.
The Word Alone president, Jaynan Clark, needs to take a chill pill. In her latest diatribe of garbage, she loses her composure over Presiding Bishop Hanson's response to the Nation of Israel's response to the aid shipment. I mean she completely comes off her rocker, as if she was ever on her rocker. I think she has some pent up anger at the world, but that is really not what she is angry about, that is just her jumping off point. She is really angry that the ELCA has taken a different direction than she wanted it to go. Along with all her Word Alone, LCMC, and NALC compadres, she truly doesn't understand the polity of the ELCA. The leadership in Chicago did not force anything down the throats of the people. The people voted. The people sent representatives to the Churchwide assembly. The people have the power, not Higgins Road in Chicago. That is the truth. I just don't understand why she and her minions cannot understand that! But then again, evangelical fundamentalists need help in more ways than I can begin to fathom!
Get a grip! It is sort of like two pastors I used to work with! They both needed therapy and still do, but that is another story. I hope she learns a little anger management. Bless her heart.
The Word Alone president, Jaynan Clark, needs to take a chill pill. In her latest diatribe of garbage, she loses her composure over Presiding Bishop Hanson's response to the Nation of Israel's response to the aid shipment. I mean she completely comes off her rocker, as if she was ever on her rocker. I think she has some pent up anger at the world, but that is really not what she is angry about, that is just her jumping off point. She is really angry that the ELCA has taken a different direction than she wanted it to go. Along with all her Word Alone, LCMC, and NALC compadres, she truly doesn't understand the polity of the ELCA. The leadership in Chicago did not force anything down the throats of the people. The people voted. The people sent representatives to the Churchwide assembly. The people have the power, not Higgins Road in Chicago. That is the truth. I just don't understand why she and her minions cannot understand that! But then again, evangelical fundamentalists need help in more ways than I can begin to fathom!
Get a grip! It is sort of like two pastors I used to work with! They both needed therapy and still do, but that is another story. I hope she learns a little anger management. Bless her heart.
Friday, June 11, 2010
The Creation
I just watched a bird dying on the gulf coast. I am ashamed of the Human Race. We have let our addiction to the easy life ruin our world, the world God created, and the world we are charged to care for. I cannot believe that with all the advances in technology in the world, we cannot cap a well 1 mile deep in the ocean! Is it that we cannot or that we will not? I think it is the latter.
All of creation is our relation! Even the dirty scoundrel the mosquito! I dislike those blood sucking little buggers, but if we did not have them, something would be wrong with the world. How many things are dying in the oil soaked coast line of the Gulf, and how many species are dying that we did not even know existed?
I am guilty. I am guilty of driving when I could have walked. I am guilty of taking the easy way instead of doing things the right way. I am guilty, but that won't change the plight of the Gulf. Will we have the will to change? Will we take this as an educational moment and do the necessary hard work and change our habits? Will we finally see that free market capitalism WILL destroy us and everything we hold dear? I hope so.
All of creation is our relation! Even the dirty scoundrel the mosquito! I dislike those blood sucking little buggers, but if we did not have them, something would be wrong with the world. How many things are dying in the oil soaked coast line of the Gulf, and how many species are dying that we did not even know existed?
I am guilty. I am guilty of driving when I could have walked. I am guilty of taking the easy way instead of doing things the right way. I am guilty, but that won't change the plight of the Gulf. Will we have the will to change? Will we take this as an educational moment and do the necessary hard work and change our habits? Will we finally see that free market capitalism WILL destroy us and everything we hold dear? I hope so.
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