Today, another pastor, a supporter of Obama and speaking in Obama's Chicago congregation, was outed on Youtube. (I tried linking to two different sites with no luck. Go to Youtube and search for Michael Pfleger.) He said some extremely nasty (to say the least) things about Hillary Clinton to the cheers of the congregation.
Pastors making "political" speeches dressed up as sermons is nothing new. For the last 20 years or so it's been the religious right causing the most controversy from the pulpit. But the progressive left hasn't been out of the loop at all, just under the radar.
But this stuff, on the heals of the often profound and at the same time unbelievably bombastic comments of Rev. Jeremiah Wright, leaves me as a pastor shaking my head in frustration, sorrow, and a bit of anger. Where in the Gospel does Jesus ever call us to make racist, hate-filled comments about another, be that person male, female, white, black, olive, or purple? Where in the Gospel does Jesus ever call us, as preachers, to arrogantly suggest that we have it right and the world has it wrong? Where in the Gospel does Jesus ever call us to applaud the racist, bombastic speeches of some of our preachers? Why do we sit there and take it? Jesus calls us to love our enemies, even our oppressors, not to ridicule them and resort to their tactics.
Yes, the Gospel has profound implications for politics, the environment, life, work, suffering, and so on. But the Gospel is about a subversive Kingdom that transforms society and life by the power of grace, not through racial mudslinging. The Gospel doesn't endorse one candidate over another. The Gospel does not endorse riling up the crowd around bigoted rhetoric. The Gospel calls us to go back into the world as servants of grace--empowering us with grace to free the oppressed, point the sinner to a forgiving Christ, to accept the unacceptable, to pray for our candidates, even those with whom we disagree, and to vote for the person whom we feel most represents what we believe will make a great leader.
The Gospel is about Jesus and his kingdom. It's not about Clinton, or Obama or McCain. The Gospel will certainly inform my voting decisions. But the pulpit is no place for candidate bashing or even candidate endorsing. The pulpit is a place for people to hear the call of Jesus to live by grace.
(It's never a good idea for the church to get into bed with a particular candidate. In the end it leaves us naked and ashamed. It's one thing for an individual Christian to support a candidate. It's another for a congregation or denomination to publicly endorse someone. It robs us of the opportunity to speak grace when the candidate moves into un-graceful policies, actions, etc.)
One political observer suggests it may be time for all the candidates to distance themselves from the church and get on with the election. If the church is sidelined, it's not the fault of the "world." We are doing it to ourselves through pastors and congregations who have mixed-up political rhetoric for the Gospel.
And--by the way--Barak Obama is not responsible for the comments of this latest pastor. I appreciate the fact that he and John McCain stepped up and condemned such non-Christian remarks.
Pastors--it's time we get wild about Jesus again!
Friday, May 30, 2008
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Groaning for Grace
This past Sunday we did something different (at least for us) during worship. Rather than having a sermon, we interspersed worship songs with times of prayer--focused specifically on five areas: The natural disasters of the last few weeks (tornadoes, cyclones, earthquakes, fires); Violence/War/Oppression; Poverty/hunger/homelessness; Racial tension; and our own day to day stuff.
It was a powerful reminder of a world that, as Paul puts it in Romans 8, groans for grace. So often we think only of individual suffering, but all of creation groans and sighs under the weight of brokenness, waiting for the day when God will resurrect and recreate not only our bodies but this world he still loves.
It's also a reminder that grace isn't simply about saving souls. It's about bringing hope and healing to all facets of creation, whether through fighting against unjust systems, teaching people new skills to care for themselves, practicing environmentally-friendly living, or through forgiving our enemies.
Grace is for all who groan under the weight of suffering. It is global and personal.
It's always been there in the Bible, from Romans 8 to Genesis 1 to John 3:16, but speaking for myself, for much of my life, I've missed the global perspective of grace. Thank God his grace patiently opened my eyes. By his grace I'm honored to be a part of a congregation that personally cares about the global groans and wants to respond with grace.
It was a powerful reminder of a world that, as Paul puts it in Romans 8, groans for grace. So often we think only of individual suffering, but all of creation groans and sighs under the weight of brokenness, waiting for the day when God will resurrect and recreate not only our bodies but this world he still loves.
It's also a reminder that grace isn't simply about saving souls. It's about bringing hope and healing to all facets of creation, whether through fighting against unjust systems, teaching people new skills to care for themselves, practicing environmentally-friendly living, or through forgiving our enemies.
Grace is for all who groan under the weight of suffering. It is global and personal.
It's always been there in the Bible, from Romans 8 to Genesis 1 to John 3:16, but speaking for myself, for much of my life, I've missed the global perspective of grace. Thank God his grace patiently opened my eyes. By his grace I'm honored to be a part of a congregation that personally cares about the global groans and wants to respond with grace.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Mid-Life Blues Revisited
Back in January I wrote that I had started my old-man/turning 50 physical. At that time I discovered that my cholesterol was a bit high, as was my blood sugar. So I immediately put myself on a low-glycemic diet.
Today I met with the doctor after another round of blood tests. The results: Cholesterol--in January--206. Today--173! (That oatmeal stuff works wonders!) Blood sugar--in January--109. Today--99.
I think I'll go out and get a Big Mac and a Dairy Queen Triple Chocolate Utopia with Chocolate ice cream to celebrate!
Today I met with the doctor after another round of blood tests. The results: Cholesterol--in January--206. Today--173! (That oatmeal stuff works wonders!) Blood sugar--in January--109. Today--99.
I think I'll go out and get a Big Mac and a Dairy Queen Triple Chocolate Utopia with Chocolate ice cream to celebrate!
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Return to Narnia
Jan and I saw the new Narnia film yesterday--Prince Caspian. The movie was awesome. Well worth seeing. Visually beautiful. Well-paced. A good story-line. And, for those with eyes to see (a theme in the movie), great connections with the story of Jesus. I highly recommend it.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Musings on the Wright, the Left, and the Right
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.
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.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
