Some further musings on Jeremiah Wright and the sermon I preached on Sunday (See the Power of the Revolutionary. Follow the links starting at listen.)
1) Jeremiah Wright. I watched his remarks during the press gathering on Monday. I continued to be very impressed with his passion for the Gospel and how it brings liberation, transformation, and reconciliation. His perspective as one who comes from an oppressed people gives a fresh view to the Bible--written by oppressed people.
However, I did find some of his answers during the q and a a bit harsh and sometimes, at least from my perspective, a bit off-base. Part of the problem is that he roots many of his answers in a particular theological perspective that most lay-people will misunderstand or misinterpret no matter what he says. At the same time, like all of us, Wright has a filter through which he views life and faith (he actually talked about how we all have this) and filters both illuminate and restrict life. Same for him. But I hope we can hear what God is saying to and through him even though we may not always agree with his conclusions. (I'm not sure I always agree with my own conclusions!)
2) Sunday's message. On Sunday we wrapped up the first part of our new series, Simply Jesus. I used the message to look at the two main filters that have shaped our view of Jesus over the last 100 years (speaking in very broad terms). I looked at the pluses and minuses of both views. (You may want to listen to the message for the following comments to make sense.)
The first was the Social Gospel movement (often considered liberal or the left)--a movement that takes very seriously the social/global aspects of Jesus' mission--caring for the poor, standing against oppression, being a voice for the voiceless, etc. Many good things were done in the name of the Social Gospel movement but broadly speaking, the weakness of the movement was a lack of connecting Jesus to the acts of grace being done at the time. The Social Gospel movement--speaking stereotypically--often forgot to invite people to live under the Lordship of Jesus, the one who transforms us to transform society.
The second movement, in some ways a response to the Social Gospel movement is Fundamentalism and it's very popular cousin, Evangelical Christianity (what many consider conservative or the right). The Evangelical Christian movement is the primary shaper of the Christian viewpoint in our culture at this time. Stereotypically, the movement focuses on the Spiritual aspect of Jesus' mission--saving our souls, forgiving our sins so that we can go to heaven. The plus is that the movement reminds us that it's all about Jesus. The minus--often a disregard or at the least, lack of a commitment to the social/global mission of Jesus. The focus tend to be on personal spirituality rather than on world/societal transformation at every level (God so loved the world...).
My point Sunday is that Jesus is about both--He invites us into a relationship with himself where forgiveness and grace and mercy transform us. But he also calls us to follow him back into the world to invite others to follow him--and to take that grace in tangible ways to a hurting world--not just spiritually hurting, but hurting in the areas of water, food, justice, etc. Jesus is Lord of the entire world and right now is ruling by slowing recreating the world with grace--a re-creation that will be fulfilled when Jesus returns.
3) What I did not have time to talk about on Sunday...
I belong to a denomination shaped by the Social Gospel Movement (Lutheran). Ours is a denomination that takes seriously not just personal moral issues but global moral issues like hunger, oppression, violence, and so on, at times, at least from the viewpoint of critics, to the lack of any "evangelical message" or invitation to experience Jesus.
As I look at the story of our Lutheran denomination over the last few years, I see an increasing evangelical spirit that is both passionate about Jesus and inviting people to follow him and passionate about following Jesus to do what he did--feed the hungry, heal the sick, and free the oppressed (oppressed by whatever system--sin, addictions, economics, political, religious, etc.)
I was also raised on the more evangelical side of the Lutheran Church. My grandfather was a part of a Lutheran movement that preached a personal relationship with Jesus and had altar calls (like Billy Graham. Lutherans, by the way, do altar calls--they are called Baptism and Communion!). Most of my preaching for 25 years has been more "Evangelical," talking about how Jesus can change our lives--with very little attention to the more global call to bring that grace to all areas of life, including the environment, political structures, etc.
Interestingly, a renewed focus on the impact of Jesus on global issues is being lead by those in the Evangelical Movement--among them Brian McClaren and Rick Warren.
Also interestingly, this passion for bringing grace to a global context is being seen in people who have no personal connection to Jesus--people like Madonna, Brad and Angelina, Oprah, and so on--what I believe is a God movement of God's Spirit working even in those who haven't yet connected with Jesus as Lord who sense the world needs hope and grace.
Also also interestingly, we see this in the campaign of Obama. And, for those with ears to hear it, in the prophetic words of Jeremiah Wright.
God is up to something in his world. He cares not only about our souls, but about all of creation. And through Jesus' followers he wants to bring his grace to every level of society.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Sunday, April 27, 2008
The Wright Context
Last night I watched the Bill Moyers interview with Jeremiah Wright, Obama's "controversial" pastor. He's controversial thanks in part to a few soundbyte clips from his sermons. One of the clips seems to suggest that Wright is blaming America for the September 11 attacks--that they were the result of our own sins. The other clip shows him saying, "Not God bless America but God damn America." Pretty damning stuff. In fact, those soundbytes continue to chase after Obama no matter what he says.
As a pastor I had a couple of responses to the whole thing. 1) Not outrage, but certainly a "What were you thinking?" response. That's pretty bold stuff to say God damn America from the pulpit.
2) The more prominent response was a certain sympathy or understanding. I took the time to talk with some African American friends to get their take and learned some things about African American culture that is foreign to my life experience. As Obama said, Wright speaks for an oppressed people. Wright himself said it best last night--The people on the top of the deck who believed that God condoned slavery were praying to a very different God from the God those slaves on the bottom of the boat were praying to. The Bible is written by and in the context of an oppressed people. Some very very "damning" things were said/written by them, too (see some of the Psalms!). As one African American friend put it--Wright was having a behind closed doors, so to speak, conversation with his people. In that context they use a certain kind of language to talk about the issues that they face in life. White congregations do the same thing using a different kind of language.
I also thought about the kind of monster someone could make me out to be if they took selected soundbytes of my sermons, out of context, and threw them up on Youtube.
But it still didn't calm my dis-ease about the clips. Until last night. During the interview I got to hear the heart of Jeremiah Wright. This is a man passionate about Jesus and about connecting Jesus to real life stuff--not just soul stuff, but life stuff--hunger, oppression, genocide, gangbangers, HIV/AIDS, and so on. I couldn't help but really like the guy and his understanding of Jesus. He further challenged me about my total lack of understanding of the African American experience. Some of us white folk are quick to say get over it. But being an oppressed people, who even in the 60's had very few civil rights, and who to this day still live under the cloud of oppression, doesn't heal quickly. It shapes a person's world-view much as affluence shapes mine.
But then I saw the sounbyte clips in their context and found out he was not saying what the clips made him out to say. In the context he was not blaming American for the 9/11 attacks, he was talking about how vengeance begets vengeance and how easily we can begin to take revenge not just on the professional killers or soldiers who attack us, but on the innocents (and he pointed out times in our history when we have done that.) When he talked about God damning America he was using prophetic language to say that God does not bless everything we do but curses/damns anyone or any country that oppresses or kills the innocent or uses power for evil purposes (and we have not been immune to that in our country either.) Like the Old Testament prophets who loved their country Israel and out of love used tough language to challenge their anti-God behavior, Jeremiah Wright is, at times, doing the same from his pulpit. The context changes everything about what he said, what he meant, and how he said it.
No doubt the political "enemies" of Obama are using these soundbytes to try to say something Jeremiah Wright did not say to bring Obama down.
It is so easy for us to buy into the prevailing media hype without understanding the context. It is so easy for us to condemn or write off someone based on soundbytes rather than taking the time to get to the real truth. It's so easy to write off someone whose cultural or life context is so very different from our own, wondering why they simply can't be like us!
The Jeremiah Wright soundbytes are a great reminder to us to step back and ask serious questions--to seek the truth for the truth really does set us free.
As a pastor I had a couple of responses to the whole thing. 1) Not outrage, but certainly a "What were you thinking?" response. That's pretty bold stuff to say God damn America from the pulpit.
2) The more prominent response was a certain sympathy or understanding. I took the time to talk with some African American friends to get their take and learned some things about African American culture that is foreign to my life experience. As Obama said, Wright speaks for an oppressed people. Wright himself said it best last night--The people on the top of the deck who believed that God condoned slavery were praying to a very different God from the God those slaves on the bottom of the boat were praying to. The Bible is written by and in the context of an oppressed people. Some very very "damning" things were said/written by them, too (see some of the Psalms!). As one African American friend put it--Wright was having a behind closed doors, so to speak, conversation with his people. In that context they use a certain kind of language to talk about the issues that they face in life. White congregations do the same thing using a different kind of language.
I also thought about the kind of monster someone could make me out to be if they took selected soundbytes of my sermons, out of context, and threw them up on Youtube.
But it still didn't calm my dis-ease about the clips. Until last night. During the interview I got to hear the heart of Jeremiah Wright. This is a man passionate about Jesus and about connecting Jesus to real life stuff--not just soul stuff, but life stuff--hunger, oppression, genocide, gangbangers, HIV/AIDS, and so on. I couldn't help but really like the guy and his understanding of Jesus. He further challenged me about my total lack of understanding of the African American experience. Some of us white folk are quick to say get over it. But being an oppressed people, who even in the 60's had very few civil rights, and who to this day still live under the cloud of oppression, doesn't heal quickly. It shapes a person's world-view much as affluence shapes mine.
But then I saw the sounbyte clips in their context and found out he was not saying what the clips made him out to say. In the context he was not blaming American for the 9/11 attacks, he was talking about how vengeance begets vengeance and how easily we can begin to take revenge not just on the professional killers or soldiers who attack us, but on the innocents (and he pointed out times in our history when we have done that.) When he talked about God damning America he was using prophetic language to say that God does not bless everything we do but curses/damns anyone or any country that oppresses or kills the innocent or uses power for evil purposes (and we have not been immune to that in our country either.) Like the Old Testament prophets who loved their country Israel and out of love used tough language to challenge their anti-God behavior, Jeremiah Wright is, at times, doing the same from his pulpit. The context changes everything about what he said, what he meant, and how he said it.
No doubt the political "enemies" of Obama are using these soundbytes to try to say something Jeremiah Wright did not say to bring Obama down.
It is so easy for us to buy into the prevailing media hype without understanding the context. It is so easy for us to condemn or write off someone based on soundbytes rather than taking the time to get to the real truth. It's so easy to write off someone whose cultural or life context is so very different from our own, wondering why they simply can't be like us!
The Jeremiah Wright soundbytes are a great reminder to us to step back and ask serious questions--to seek the truth for the truth really does set us free.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Oprah and the New Earth
I have been asked by several people recently about Oprah and the increasingly spiritual/religious bent of her life/program and whether it is compatible with Christianity.
This post is not an answer to that question. I'm not prepared to comment at this point. I do, however, want to direct you to a very helpful review of the book she's promoting right now, Eckhart Tolle's A New Earth. I think you will find this helpful.
This post is not an answer to that question. I'm not prepared to comment at this point. I do, however, want to direct you to a very helpful review of the book she's promoting right now, Eckhart Tolle's A New Earth. I think you will find this helpful.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Wrapping Up Rwanda--Part 4--Video of Pastor John and the Medical Clinic
If you are interested in more about the medical clinic that Grace is helping to support, check out this video. The rest of the website looks great, too.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Suffering--A Call to Action
Sunday night I caught a few minutes of the Compassion Forum on CNN. Senators Clinton and Obama were each interviewed separately on the issues of the day and asked to respond from their faith perspective. One of the questions lobbed at Senator Clinton was this: Why does a loving God allow innocent people to suffer?
(This question raises all sorts of interesting challenges. It suggests that God controls our lives--that we are God's puppets. On the one hand, we independent Americans don't want God telling us what to do. When we want what we want, we don't want God butting in. But when things don't go our way, then it's God's fault. We don't often credit God for the good that happens in life--we take that credit ourselves. But when it goes wrong, God gets the blame.
(The better question in my mind is this: Why do we, created in the image of God, commissioned to be his care-takers of each other and creation, why do we allow innocent people to suffer? Why, for example, doesn't the free world use its power, influence, and affluence to end once and for all the genocide in Darfur? Why do we in affluent countries, including the US, continue to allow and even support systems that keep food from hungry people? We currently produce enough food in the world to feed every person on the planet 2000-3000 calories of food a day. God has provided for the hungry. Why do we continue to allow that food to be hoarded? Why do we Americans continue to drive gas hogging--carbon emitting cars? God has given us the wisdom to care for this planet. Why do some of us continue to choose to exploit, oppress, hoard, and hurt the innocent? The Judeo-Christian answer to that, by the way, is sin.)
Anyway--Senator Clinton is not a trained theologian. Being a person of faith, however, like all people of faith, she is a theologian in the sense that we all have thoughts and ideas and opinions about God.
Her answer was actually brilliant! First she said she had no idea why innocent people suffer and would certainly ask God that question some day (and since the Bible never fully answers the question she's on solid footing). But then she said something like this: Suffering is a call to action. It's a call to all of us, people of faith and people with no religious affiliation, to do something about it.
Suffering is a call to action. It is a call to roll up our sleeves and make a difference. As a Christian, I'm compelled to respond because the Gospel proclaims that God entered into our suffering on a cross. He is not uninvolved. And he defeated all the forces that cause suffering through the resurrection of Jesus--bringing heaven to earth right now--not in its completeness or fulness, but it is here, pushing back the forces that hurt innocent people. And as his followers, he we have opportunity and privilege of bringing tastes of the future to people right now as we work for justice, hope, peace, and healing.
(This question raises all sorts of interesting challenges. It suggests that God controls our lives--that we are God's puppets. On the one hand, we independent Americans don't want God telling us what to do. When we want what we want, we don't want God butting in. But when things don't go our way, then it's God's fault. We don't often credit God for the good that happens in life--we take that credit ourselves. But when it goes wrong, God gets the blame.
(The better question in my mind is this: Why do we, created in the image of God, commissioned to be his care-takers of each other and creation, why do we allow innocent people to suffer? Why, for example, doesn't the free world use its power, influence, and affluence to end once and for all the genocide in Darfur? Why do we in affluent countries, including the US, continue to allow and even support systems that keep food from hungry people? We currently produce enough food in the world to feed every person on the planet 2000-3000 calories of food a day. God has provided for the hungry. Why do we continue to allow that food to be hoarded? Why do we Americans continue to drive gas hogging--carbon emitting cars? God has given us the wisdom to care for this planet. Why do some of us continue to choose to exploit, oppress, hoard, and hurt the innocent? The Judeo-Christian answer to that, by the way, is sin.)
Anyway--Senator Clinton is not a trained theologian. Being a person of faith, however, like all people of faith, she is a theologian in the sense that we all have thoughts and ideas and opinions about God.
Her answer was actually brilliant! First she said she had no idea why innocent people suffer and would certainly ask God that question some day (and since the Bible never fully answers the question she's on solid footing). But then she said something like this: Suffering is a call to action. It's a call to all of us, people of faith and people with no religious affiliation, to do something about it.
Suffering is a call to action. It is a call to roll up our sleeves and make a difference. As a Christian, I'm compelled to respond because the Gospel proclaims that God entered into our suffering on a cross. He is not uninvolved. And he defeated all the forces that cause suffering through the resurrection of Jesus--bringing heaven to earth right now--not in its completeness or fulness, but it is here, pushing back the forces that hurt innocent people. And as his followers, he we have opportunity and privilege of bringing tastes of the future to people right now as we work for justice, hope, peace, and healing.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Wrapping Up Rwanda--Part 3--The Medical Clinic
One of the exiting projects Grace has the privilege of supporting is the building of a 45 bed medical clinic in Rwanda. The project is lead by Pastor John. What makes this project unique is that is is driven by the local community. They are building it. It creates jobs for the local people. The government is helping financially (as are other organizations like ours) but the community is holding the government accountable on this project vs the other way around. Rather than us Americans imposing our projects on the Rwandans, they are taking the initiative and ownership on this and we are simply partnering with them to make it happen. Here are a couple of pics of the work so far:
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Wrapping Up Rwanda--Part 2--Pics from Nyamata
Here is a slide show of pics from our Rwanda trip. The first several slides are from the conference Alycia attended (photos taken by the students). The rest are from my visit to Nyamata Lutheran Church--our partner church in Rwanda (about a 20 minute drive from the capital city of Kigali). Muzigura is the pastor. One of the pics shows me standing in the doorway of a small building. That's the outhouse we helped build! (Pics taken by our cab driver--Anicet.)
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Wrapping Up Rwanda--Part 1 (Alycia's surprise pics)
Here are some of the pics of Corey's surprise asking of Alycia to marry him when we arrived in Phoenix Terminal 4 after our trip to Rwanda: (Photo's by Amber Wright)
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Home from Rwanda--with a Surprise!
It was a very long journey home. The final flight was about 12 hours plus we sat on the plane an extra hour because they couldn't get the jetway away from the plane! So glad to be home.
As we made our way from customs into the main terminal 4 at Sky Harbor Alycia had a surprise waiting for her. Her boyfriend, Corey, had flown into Phoenix to surprise her at the airport and officially propose to her! (Photo's to come.)
It was a bit touch and go for awhile. Jan, Corey, and I had been planning this for months. On Monday, while we were on our 7 hour layover in Nairobi, Alycia called Corey and found out he was "puking his guts out." I called Jan and cryptically filled her in. A few hours later, before we hopped on the flight to London, I found out from Jan that Minneapolis (where Corey lives) was in the midst of a blizzard and flights were being cancelled.
When we landed in London Alycia called Corey. He's now at the airport but he tells her he's at work--at 6 in the morning. She couldn't believe it--after he had been so sick to be at work so early in the morning.
But, all in all, it worked out and was a great surprise. We all headed over to the Stockyards Restaurant for a dinner celebration.
Finally got to sleep about 10 pm. Woke up at 3:30. Oh well.
Again, pics of Rwanda and Alycia's big proposal to come in the next few days.
As we made our way from customs into the main terminal 4 at Sky Harbor Alycia had a surprise waiting for her. Her boyfriend, Corey, had flown into Phoenix to surprise her at the airport and officially propose to her! (Photo's to come.)
It was a bit touch and go for awhile. Jan, Corey, and I had been planning this for months. On Monday, while we were on our 7 hour layover in Nairobi, Alycia called Corey and found out he was "puking his guts out." I called Jan and cryptically filled her in. A few hours later, before we hopped on the flight to London, I found out from Jan that Minneapolis (where Corey lives) was in the midst of a blizzard and flights were being cancelled.
When we landed in London Alycia called Corey. He's now at the airport but he tells her he's at work--at 6 in the morning. She couldn't believe it--after he had been so sick to be at work so early in the morning.
But, all in all, it worked out and was a great surprise. We all headed over to the Stockyards Restaurant for a dinner celebration.
Finally got to sleep about 10 pm. Woke up at 3:30. Oh well.
Again, pics of Rwanda and Alycia's big proposal to come in the next few days.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Tuesday morning in London--Reflections on Rwanda
We flew out of Rwanda on Monday afternoon. We took a jumbo 767 jammed packed with people with more seats crammed into a plane than I thought possible. My daughter's knees hit the seat in front of her so imagine my knees. My table tray actually hit me in the stomach, and I have virtually no stomach left at this point! Thankfully it was only an hour flight!
After 6 hours in the Nairobi airport we flew 8 hours to London. We arrived about 6 am local time. Alycia needed to close out a bank account from her school days so we headed into cold, rainy London for a few hours. I finally ate! Two fried eggs, toast, orange juice and hot chocolate. Then off to a coffee shop for more hot chocolate and a chocolate muffin. It will be good to get back to some real food tomorrow. :)
We have a few more hours here in London and then home.
Some reflections on this trip to Rwanda:
1) My reasons for going were both personal and missional:
a) After giving in to anxiety and not going to Rwanda last summer I have been praying for the chance to get back on the horse and try it again. This was a chance for me to practice my "overcoming anxiety" skills and conquer my "imagined" fears. I decided, when I turned 50, that I didn't want anxiety to control me anymore. So this was a big deal for me personally. Considering I was sick the week before, arrived in Rwanda with no voice, I'm feeling pretty good about the trip.
b) I wanted to spend some time with Alycia before she got married. We had a really good trip together. Sometimes, both being strong-headed control types, we can butt heads. But we really got along well. A great support for each other. And she continues to amaze me with her understanding of and passion for making a difference in the world.
c) I wanted to let God set the agenda for the trip. While initially I thought I would be more involved in the conference, the periods of down time to do some church work and hang out and up time to do the things mentioned in previous posts, was a good balance. It was a spiritually fulfilling trip and a good chance to get caught up on the missions we support. It's one thing to read about them via emails. It's another to personally see it and talk with those with whom we are partnering.
2) I'd been feeling a bit disconnected from Rwanda as of late. So many different missions have come into the country and I felt like perhaps we should go somewhere else. But after being in Nyamata, and particularly after meeting with John and seeing/hearing of this work in community development, my passion for our involvement with the Lutheran church was re-ignited. I'm hoping John and his wife Robin can join us in August for a weekend so Grace'rs can see/hear of the work being done, sponsored in part by Grace.
3) While I often wrestle with the cost of going to a place like Rwanda vs. simply sending the money over, there really is no substitute for going. And I think it makes me a better pastor. Certainly some of the missional things stirring in my soul that I referred to a few posts ago would not happen without a trip like this. I appreciate the chance to represent Grace in Rwanda.
In the next few days, once the dust settles, I'll get the Nyamata pics up for you to see.
Thanks for your prayers, support, comments, and interest during my trip. It was fun being able to keep you in the loop each day.
After 6 hours in the Nairobi airport we flew 8 hours to London. We arrived about 6 am local time. Alycia needed to close out a bank account from her school days so we headed into cold, rainy London for a few hours. I finally ate! Two fried eggs, toast, orange juice and hot chocolate. Then off to a coffee shop for more hot chocolate and a chocolate muffin. It will be good to get back to some real food tomorrow. :)
We have a few more hours here in London and then home.
Some reflections on this trip to Rwanda:
1) My reasons for going were both personal and missional:
a) After giving in to anxiety and not going to Rwanda last summer I have been praying for the chance to get back on the horse and try it again. This was a chance for me to practice my "overcoming anxiety" skills and conquer my "imagined" fears. I decided, when I turned 50, that I didn't want anxiety to control me anymore. So this was a big deal for me personally. Considering I was sick the week before, arrived in Rwanda with no voice, I'm feeling pretty good about the trip.
b) I wanted to spend some time with Alycia before she got married. We had a really good trip together. Sometimes, both being strong-headed control types, we can butt heads. But we really got along well. A great support for each other. And she continues to amaze me with her understanding of and passion for making a difference in the world.
c) I wanted to let God set the agenda for the trip. While initially I thought I would be more involved in the conference, the periods of down time to do some church work and hang out and up time to do the things mentioned in previous posts, was a good balance. It was a spiritually fulfilling trip and a good chance to get caught up on the missions we support. It's one thing to read about them via emails. It's another to personally see it and talk with those with whom we are partnering.
2) I'd been feeling a bit disconnected from Rwanda as of late. So many different missions have come into the country and I felt like perhaps we should go somewhere else. But after being in Nyamata, and particularly after meeting with John and seeing/hearing of this work in community development, my passion for our involvement with the Lutheran church was re-ignited. I'm hoping John and his wife Robin can join us in August for a weekend so Grace'rs can see/hear of the work being done, sponsored in part by Grace.
3) While I often wrestle with the cost of going to a place like Rwanda vs. simply sending the money over, there really is no substitute for going. And I think it makes me a better pastor. Certainly some of the missional things stirring in my soul that I referred to a few posts ago would not happen without a trip like this. I appreciate the chance to represent Grace in Rwanda.
In the next few days, once the dust settles, I'll get the Nyamata pics up for you to see.
Thanks for your prayers, support, comments, and interest during my trip. It was fun being able to keep you in the loop each day.
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