Frederick Buechner, one of my favorite writers, wrote, "Advent means "coming," of course, and the pomise of Advent is that what is coming is an unimaginable invasion. The mythology of our age has to do with flying saucers and invasions of outer space, and that is unimaginable enough. But what is upon us now is even more so---a close encounter not of the third kind but of a different kind altogether. An invasion of holiness. That is what Advent is about."
have you noticed an increase in television dramas dealing with strange encounters---with aliens, the dead, lost survivors...I think the verb that expresses our culture's spiritual hunger is, "to encounter". Making contact with the other through whatever new technology available seems to be the outward sign of the underlying need we all share---to encounter another as fully and transparently as possible, without feeling utterly vulnerable. This, however, is impossible. In the realm of divine encounter, Advent is all about the vulnerability of a direct encounter. Ironically, the encounter with God that people have with Jesus is wholy different than the encounter with God that is recorded in hebrew Scriptures. In Genesis and Exodus the vulnerable one is clearly not the LORD, but Moses or Abraham or Jacob.
But in the Gospel, the human encounter with God is one in which God is the vulnerable party. God is humbled by the flesh.
When we encounter Jesus through faith, we encounter the LORD whose holiness does not destroy us. His holiness, the holiness of the infant savior, is a holiness that embraces us and re-births us a new creation. Advent is the dawning of the new humanity, the enw day, the new way in Christ. No wonder many fear it, ignore it, or reject it. Its life-transforming.
Thursday, December 01, 2005
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
new additions
As you can see, I am busy upgrading my blog. I have added several helpful links and will continue to do so. My two alma maters are added to the list, as well as some helpful Luthrean links. I have added a link to the Lutheran Blog master list site. This will help anyone interested in navigating to other Lutheran blogs to do so. I am enjoying reading some other Lutheran blogs. I hope to respond to some as time allows.
Today we began bible study on the Gospel of Mark. We began with chapter 16 and asked as many questions as the text inspired. We tried to bracket our pevious knowledge, our conflated gospel narrative that mixes the synoptics together, and our own faith convictions. Placing those things aside, we were free to inquire. Who is this Jesus? Why was he crucified? Why were the women so terrified? Who is this young male messenger dressed in white? What does the women's silence say about their terror? What mysteries lie beneath the surface? I repeat the stuidy tonight at 6:00. And we continue next Wednesday...
Today we began bible study on the Gospel of Mark. We began with chapter 16 and asked as many questions as the text inspired. We tried to bracket our pevious knowledge, our conflated gospel narrative that mixes the synoptics together, and our own faith convictions. Placing those things aside, we were free to inquire. Who is this Jesus? Why was he crucified? Why were the women so terrified? Who is this young male messenger dressed in white? What does the women's silence say about their terror? What mysteries lie beneath the surface? I repeat the stuidy tonight at 6:00. And we continue next Wednesday...
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
This week at Zion
On Wednesday I begin a weekly bible reflection on the Gospel of Mark. Meant to be a dialogue between God's Word and those who choose to listen to it, I hope to encourage others to struggle with Mark and encounter the God that is speaking through Him. We will begin at the end. ONe of my favorite parts of one of my favorite movies, "When Harry Met Sally", is when Harry tells Sally about his dark side, his reflective side. He says that he is dark because he always reads the last page of a novel firt, in case he dies in the middle. Not exactly my reasoning for reading the end of Mark's gospel first, but an intersting thought nonetheless.
We begin at the end, where a mysterious cliffhanger leaves us questioning what happens next and what does it all mean for us? The Gospel ends in terror and silence.
So, we will hear the story, from the end to the beginning to the end. We'll take our time, too.
We meet at 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. at Zion, Akron.
We begin at the end, where a mysterious cliffhanger leaves us questioning what happens next and what does it all mean for us? The Gospel ends in terror and silence.
So, we will hear the story, from the end to the beginning to the end. We'll take our time, too.
We meet at 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. at Zion, Akron.
A new Kind of Worship
Are you traditional or contemporary? Do you prefer contemporary Christian music or old hymns? Should we have a band in church? Is the organ old-fashioned? Do 20- year-olds require guitars and drums for church to be relevant and attractive? What should we do to draw younger people, unchurched,or de-churched people?
These questions have been hovering around me for some time now. I have been exploring them with others, both in and outside of Zion. Some of the questions are unanswerable. Others are just bad questions. Here’s what I think—for what it’s worth.
Young people can lead, bring vitality and energy, and change to a faith community. But they are not always stable, committed, or grounded as their elders. Years provide experience and wisdom. So I caution any congregation interested in catering to the young. (PS, I am one of them, since I am 31- years-old.) All people want to be included, to belong in the great journey of the Spirit.
Worship is neither contemporary nor traditional. It is supposed to be personal, corporate, and authentic expression of the divine/human encounter as manifest in the gospel. Those former categories are dead today. They are part of an old fight for power. Congregations have foolishly split over it. Does God think the organ is superior or the praise band is necessary? I doubt it. We need to get over this need to know “the right way” to be Christian. It usually leaves some feeling dejected and lost and others righteous and superior. Jesus said, “Those who find their lives will lose them, and those who lose their lives for me will find them.”
People crave mystery and revelation, the absent presence of the holy. We want to sense that God is engaged with a faithful community of followers, who are willing to live what they believe. They want worship to inspire that life. That happens through Gregorian chant, Bach, African drums, Swahili, guitars, organ, flute, “Amazing Grace”, FFH, U2, Michael W. Smith, and silence! The more eclectic the music, the more engaging worship becomes for people. The need is to broaden and challenge our musical expression in worship. Praise music is not enough. There needs to be room for melancholy, grief, anger, worry, shame, hope, wonder, doubt, serenity, and joy. Much of today’s top 25 praise hits are devoid of this vast array of human emotion. Liturgy that is human needs to be authentically emotional, not just happy.
Providing the big picture, a meaningfully rich, cohesive narrative that makes sense out of the chaos, and a trustworthy way forward in life governed by God’s grace made known in the suffering love of Jesus is the message for today! We don’t want self-help or feel-good pop culture psycho-religiosity anymore. We want the truth of the gospel; in all of its odd tension and simple complexity. We want to dance with God in the midst of our tangled lives.
Starting in January, we will offer a monthly Sunday night worship. The core of it, like all Christian worship, is God’s Word and Sacrament. We will pray the Creed and Lord’s Prayer. Music will be rich and diverse. The Spirit will be invited to engage us and we will be invited to encounter God. Our senses will be filled. It will be ancient and modern, old and new, simple and technical. You will feel like you’re in a Benedictine Monastery, a concert, and your living room at the same time. Stay tuned for more conversation about what’s next. And join in the conversation. What do you hope worship can be?
These questions have been hovering around me for some time now. I have been exploring them with others, both in and outside of Zion. Some of the questions are unanswerable. Others are just bad questions. Here’s what I think—for what it’s worth.
Young people can lead, bring vitality and energy, and change to a faith community. But they are not always stable, committed, or grounded as their elders. Years provide experience and wisdom. So I caution any congregation interested in catering to the young. (PS, I am one of them, since I am 31- years-old.) All people want to be included, to belong in the great journey of the Spirit.
Worship is neither contemporary nor traditional. It is supposed to be personal, corporate, and authentic expression of the divine/human encounter as manifest in the gospel. Those former categories are dead today. They are part of an old fight for power. Congregations have foolishly split over it. Does God think the organ is superior or the praise band is necessary? I doubt it. We need to get over this need to know “the right way” to be Christian. It usually leaves some feeling dejected and lost and others righteous and superior. Jesus said, “Those who find their lives will lose them, and those who lose their lives for me will find them.”
People crave mystery and revelation, the absent presence of the holy. We want to sense that God is engaged with a faithful community of followers, who are willing to live what they believe. They want worship to inspire that life. That happens through Gregorian chant, Bach, African drums, Swahili, guitars, organ, flute, “Amazing Grace”, FFH, U2, Michael W. Smith, and silence! The more eclectic the music, the more engaging worship becomes for people. The need is to broaden and challenge our musical expression in worship. Praise music is not enough. There needs to be room for melancholy, grief, anger, worry, shame, hope, wonder, doubt, serenity, and joy. Much of today’s top 25 praise hits are devoid of this vast array of human emotion. Liturgy that is human needs to be authentically emotional, not just happy.
Providing the big picture, a meaningfully rich, cohesive narrative that makes sense out of the chaos, and a trustworthy way forward in life governed by God’s grace made known in the suffering love of Jesus is the message for today! We don’t want self-help or feel-good pop culture psycho-religiosity anymore. We want the truth of the gospel; in all of its odd tension and simple complexity. We want to dance with God in the midst of our tangled lives.
Starting in January, we will offer a monthly Sunday night worship. The core of it, like all Christian worship, is God’s Word and Sacrament. We will pray the Creed and Lord’s Prayer. Music will be rich and diverse. The Spirit will be invited to engage us and we will be invited to encounter God. Our senses will be filled. It will be ancient and modern, old and new, simple and technical. You will feel like you’re in a Benedictine Monastery, a concert, and your living room at the same time. Stay tuned for more conversation about what’s next. And join in the conversation. What do you hope worship can be?
Monday, November 28, 2005
This is my first blog posting. I welcome the global community to respond to the conversation I intend to begin. I am a Lutheran Pastor in a small ELCA congregation in central PA. I am a husband and a father. What you know now is enough about me to suffice in the beginning.
As a person of faith, I join others in an exploration for truth, wisdom, peace, and hope. Strong convictions do not presuppose narrow-mindedness. I think it's important to respect all people, in fact to love all people with a genuine mutual affection (to quote St. Paul). This is not easy. But it is necesary. We must seek to understand one another, from the perspective of one's religous convictions.
Now, I for one do not believe that Christianity is a religion. At least not in a gospel/Pauline Christological construct from which the ecclesia or church is derived. Most of the New testament, as well as the OT prophets, engaged in a discourse that rose above religion. Christianity, at its core, is a theological anthropology. It is a way of being and becoming human in light of God's creative activity. Christianity is about God's activity, called grace. It is not about human activity called religion. Faith itself is not a religious experience, but an encounter with the divine. Paul talks about becoming right with God, by virtue of grace through faith in Jesus. God freely frees people from the restrictions imposed by finitude.
For the most part, Christianity has become a religion. That is, people have devoted themselves to certain practices that encapsulate what it means to be a believer in the trinitarian God. I wonder if it is possible to extract the faith from the religion in order to encounter God apart from our human prescriptions?
As a person of faith, I join others in an exploration for truth, wisdom, peace, and hope. Strong convictions do not presuppose narrow-mindedness. I think it's important to respect all people, in fact to love all people with a genuine mutual affection (to quote St. Paul). This is not easy. But it is necesary. We must seek to understand one another, from the perspective of one's religous convictions.
Now, I for one do not believe that Christianity is a religion. At least not in a gospel/Pauline Christological construct from which the ecclesia or church is derived. Most of the New testament, as well as the OT prophets, engaged in a discourse that rose above religion. Christianity, at its core, is a theological anthropology. It is a way of being and becoming human in light of God's creative activity. Christianity is about God's activity, called grace. It is not about human activity called religion. Faith itself is not a religious experience, but an encounter with the divine. Paul talks about becoming right with God, by virtue of grace through faith in Jesus. God freely frees people from the restrictions imposed by finitude.
For the most part, Christianity has become a religion. That is, people have devoted themselves to certain practices that encapsulate what it means to be a believer in the trinitarian God. I wonder if it is possible to extract the faith from the religion in order to encounter God apart from our human prescriptions?
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