Humbly Walking

"Among the many possible meanings the word “God” carries, none is more important than..."

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:29:21 -0600

“Among the many possible meanings the word “God” carries, none is more important than “that to which one should give oneself without reservation.” In saying that Jesus was God, one of the things the church was saying was that his life provides the perfect model for that self-giving—in other words, the perfect model for the way human beings should order their lives. Slavish imitation of details is never creative, but insofar as Christ’s love, his freedom, and the daily beauty of his life can find their authentic parallels in our own, we are carried Godward, for these traits are authentically divine.”

- Huston Smith, The Soul of Christianity

Phony Theology?

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:05:41 -0600

Perhaps I am a heretic. Maybe that is simply the easiest solution to the theological debates that run through my head and my near constant consternation with the literal interpreters of the Bible. Perhaps I simply do not get it. Perhaps I am lost and do, indeed, need to be saved. Naw, I don’t buy that for a second.

There are too many internal inconsistency in the biblical text itself for me to believe it is the divine, inerrant Word of God. There are far too many inconsistencies in the positions of the rigid ideologues with whom I am familiar for me to believe they have a lock on the one true faith. So, where does that leave me? To be sure, I am in a constant state of searching and theological inquiry. I believe that is a healthy search — even if it is has the potential to be a daily frustration.

All of this has come to a head of late in the debate over Senator Santorum’s characterization of President Obama’s theology as phony. I have significant difficulty dealing with people who classify the faith/theology of others as anything. I do not share Santorum’s theological bent. I do not, however, challenge his right to that belief or the sincerity of his convictions. I believe his interpretations of the Bible and the literalism associated with them to be wrong. The beliefs underlying his positions, it seems to me, serve to create a biblical worldview focused on the next life — rather than sincere focus on this life in service to others. I disagree with his positions and his interpretations, but I do not call him phony. I judge him to be sincere in his beliefs — however much I disagree with those beliefs.

I agree with Brian McLaren when he writes of this debate: “many of us think it’s time to retire Santorum’s Industrial Era theology of dominion and exchange it for a more ancient understanding…and one with more foresight for the future as well.” (see here)

As the political debate will undoubtedly continue, I am forced to continue to examine my own beliefs in light of the positions expressed by others. I continue to explore and to debate. I do all of this to live more fully and more faithfully in this world. I continue this search and this debate to understand my faith and to honor the faiths of others. I do all of these things in the hope that I can continue to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with my God.

——-

A Prayer: I pray for the strength to continue in my exploration of faith. I ask, Holy One, for the courage to express my faith and my understandings in the light of those who so completely disagree with what I believe. I ask for the continued ability to apply my intellect to the search for the meaning of a faithful life in this world. Allow me to serve those around me by honoring the journey of and to faith. Amen.

Photo

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:24:01 -0600

Huffington Post: Four Good Reasons Not To Read The Bible Literally

Sat, 06 Aug 2011 16:21:09 -0500

Huffington Post: Four Good Reasons Not To Read The Bible Literally

Finding Common Ground?

Sat, 06 Aug 2011 15:43:21 -0500

In book study at church Wednesday, we were asked to name a “churchy word” we have wrestled with. My word was “literalism.” I struggle a great deal more with the application than I do with the word itself. For me, I regularly wonder how a literal reader of the Bible and a metaphorical reader (like myself) can have a meaningful conversation about their faiths.

It has been said that Americans and the English are two people separated by a common language. Surely this is the case with regard to literal and metaphorical Christians as well. So, where do we—if we are committed to dialog and intellectual engagement—go from here? For me, this is an intensely personal question. I want to have these conversations. They are extremely difficult.

The most immediate struggle for me is this: literalists know the Bible’s text inside and out. They can quite literally quote chapter and verse. And the assumption is that it all means exactly what it says—by today’s definitions. I can quote very few passages word-for-word. Even when I can, I don’t see the same things—nor do I want to. So, how do we have a meaningful conversation? How do we engage in any meaningful way?

These are the questions I ask myself as I begin to read Marcus Borg’s Speaking Christian with the book study group. I hope the text (and the conversation) helps me to find some answers. These are my most pressing questions of faith. My central struggle for a long time has been this search for common ground. I worry that the common space within which to have this conversation simply does not exist. I pray I am wrong.

"Central to the Christian experience is the art of questioning God. Not belligerent, arrogant..."

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 22:08:42 -0500

“Central to the Christian experience is the art of questioning God. Not belligerent, arrogant questions that have no respect for our Maker, but naked, honest, vulnerable, raw questions arising out of the awe that comes from engaging with the living God. This type of questioning frees us. Frees us from having it all figured out. Frees us from having answers to everything. Frees us from having to be right. It allows us to have moments when we come to the end of our ability to comprehend. Moments when the silence is enough.”

- Rob Bell (via beyondthesemountains)

Bishop John Shelby Spong on The Call of Jesus. The Christian...

Sat, 02 Jul 2011 02:04:05 -0500

Bishop John Shelby Spong on The Call of Jesus. The Christian message according to Spong is to live fully and love wastefully.

Changing truth

Sat, 02 Jul 2011 01:03:00 -0500

Drawing truth out of a life situation or written text is like pulling on an elastic band. We reach into the text and pull out a truth, as we would pull on an elastic band while the other end remains anchored in the text. We may examine the truth carefully and be guided by it in some very important ways. But when we finish defining and analyzing the truth, we release it back into the text. The next time we reach into that same text, we may be in a different life situation, or we may use different exegetical tools; thus, we may discover a different truth.

—Mary Elizabeth Mullino Moore, Teaching From the Heart (p. 18)

Truth is an interesting concept. We all want it to be singular and capitalized. THE TRUTH. There is only one Truth, and it is easy to find just read the Bible. Read it. Hear it. Know the Truth. It simply isn’t that easy. Peter Gomes tells us that the act of reading is itself an act of interpretation. Nothing is as simple as seeing the words on the page and getting the truth.

It seems that many of those around me want there to be only one truth. Life is so simple in black and white. I live in a world of gray. I struggle with truth, and I believe as Mullino Moore says, “we may discover a different truth.” Each reading brings a different context and the possibility of a different truth.

In my doctoral residency class, the professor and I had an interesting exchange over the “truth” of a chair. He argued that a chair was a chair. Its very nature was to be a chair. I replied that a chair is a chair only because we have collectively agreed that it is a chair. We could just as easily have defined the thing we now call a chair to be a pecan pie. It is the constructed truth of our society that a chair is a chair. This is an example in the extreme, but truth is where we find it. It is dependent on context and influenced by community.

This idea of context dependent and constructed truth helps me come to grips with my relationship with the Bible. I am far from a literal reader of the Bible. In fact, I believe the literal reading of the text of the Bible to be the weakest and least meaningful reading in many instances. Too, the meaning I take from the biblical text often changes with each reading. Mullino Moore’s words at the beginning of this post begin to help me make sense of that reality. I guess, then, that this post must end as a beginning. I feel more comfortable with my changing interpretations, but I think that must not be my end … even though it is the end of this post.

Save Us All by Tracy Chapman (a clip) My God is good in the...

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 11:55:03 -0500

Save Us All by Tracy Chapman (a clip)

My God is good in the kitchen
Make a good meal from bread and fishes
Feed the hungry, pour the wine
Everybody’s welcome to have a good time
Sit at his table enjoy the food

I know Jesus loves me
He says I should love you

Tracy Chapman speaks to me in ways that few artists do. In Save Us All from her Our Bright Future album, Chapman can be said to be establishing a theology. I am reading Just Hospitality by Letty Russell, and Chapman’s lyrics dovetail nicely into Russell’s discussion of hospitality. As Christians, I believe we are a people called to love and to embrace others. In this short piece of a song, Chapman encapsulates that notion for me.

Rev. Peter Gomes describes sharing a meal as the most intimate experience between people. The Bible is full of stories of meals and meal sharing. While Chapman’s lyrics are clearly a reference to the feeding of the multitude, they are also a call to accepting the differences among us. She reminds us that we are required to “love you”—the other. In this time of religious polarity and hostility, it is helpful to remember we are called to love all of God’s creation … not just the part of it that looks and acts most like us.

God, I pray for the strength to remember all are created in your image. Let me remember to accept others as they come and not as I might like them to be. Help me to live a life of hospitality—a life in which I share in the feast of your grace and mercy with all those willing to be a part of the conversation. Amen.

Buy and download Our Bright Future by Tracy Chapman here.

I am intrigued. This is one of the books on my must read list....

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 23:57:11 -0500

I am intrigued. This is one of the books on my must read list. Hopefully I’ll read it soon, and then I imagine there will be much more to share here.

Eulogy: Evelyn (Thomas) Lambert

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 22:39:42 -0500

All my life, I have loved to write. I am constantly putting pen-to-paper. Sometimes just to see what happens, and sometimes with a clear purpose in mind. There has never been a time, though, that I had more purpose to my writing than when I sat down to remember the life of my Nannie: Evelyn Lambert. The words flowed through me like never before. Truly, I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit guiding my hand across the page. Below, is what was written on that night I was truly moved. For the most part, these are the words I shared at Nannie’s funeral service.

Evelyn Lambert

My faith is an intensely personal, deeply introspective faith. I do not lead groups in prayer. I do not belt out hymns. In these last couple of weeks, though, I have felt called to find just the right words to share. Just the right words to describe—to encapsulate—the life and spirit of Evelyn Lambert as I have known her.

A friend suggested Proverbs 31 (KJV) which reads at verse 25: “Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.” The words are powerful and beautiful, but they just simply are not the right words.

And then there is my favorite verse from Scripture. Micah 6:8 (NRSV) asks, “He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” Sgsin, the words fit. They describe the essence of Nannie’s spirit, but these too just are not right. No, to talk about this woman without mentioning children is like describing a Lambert family gathering without mentioning laughter.

So to begin to talk about Nannie, I am compelled to turn to the Gospel of Matthew. In the thirteenth and fourteenth verses of the nineteenth chapter of Matthew (NRSV), we are told, “Then little children were being brought to him in order that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples spoke sternly to those who brought them; but Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.’” With our Nannie, we were these children. In her arms, in her presence, we found our heaven on earth. When we were with this woman, when we are gathered together as the family of Evelyn and DeWitt Lambert, we are surrounded. We are surrounded by the unconditional love of family that actually likes each other. We are surrounded by the nurturing arms of generations that laugh and love together. We are surrounded by the safety of a family that is passionately protective of its own. We are surrounded by the strength that comes from knowing we—this uncompromising family—endure. We are surrounded by the arms of compassion embracing each other in hugs that last forever.

And we are—always—surrounded by laughter. Recently, as some of you know, Natalie finally joined the Internet age and created an account of Facebook. On that first day she had an account, I simply couldn’t help myself. I posted for her to read: “There’s a rose up my nose and…” You see, I recalled a time in Lockhart where many of us were at Nannie and Papa’s. There is no telling exactly what was going on or why we started, but the grand kids began to make up lyrics to a song. And I remembered from that time: “There’s a rose up my nose and I’m wearing panty hose.” (I never said it had number one single potential.) I wanted to find out what Natalie recalled of the lyrics. By the way, she recalled something about taking a dose. But the point is, we have laughed for days—online and by Nannie’s side from this single joyful experience.

Our heaven found in children and families is also illustrated by what our matriarch has taught us about the place of children in our family: They are front and center. I have a friend that tells a story about my sister’s wedding. Aimee was at the wedding with her newborn son who was crying. She happened into Dad on her way into the crying room in the church. As Aimee tells the story, Dad told her that children are part of this family. Children cry. There was no need to separate from everyone. Every time I her Aimee tell the story, it brings a tear to my eyes. Dad must have learned this from Nannie. Yes, children are part of this family; we say, “Let the children come to us.”

And Friday I was reminded how the children came to Nannie. I was reminded by the smile on her face each time a great grandchild entered the room just how much children meant to this woman—to this family. So many children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren came to her room Friday. So many of us sat on the edge of her bed and held her hand, but the absolute, utter joy that came over Nannie’s face when Conner held her hand is nearly impossible to describe. She had been restless—moving to get comfortable. She had been sleeping in fits and starts. When Conner took her hand, though, Nannie’s eyes lit up and her countenance eased. A broad smile spread across her face, and for those few moments all of us where there in Conner as he eased every burden and ache and made Evelyn, Mom, Nannie truly happy.

Yes we are a family of laughter, compassion, strength, safety, nurture, and love. We are a family that knows our strength, our happiness is found in our children. We proclaim with all our hearts and in one voice: “Let the little children come to us, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.” And for us it is a kingdom here and now and forever.

We proclaim these things because we have learned them in the loving arms of our matriarch: Evelyn, Mom, Nannie. And we know that she can easily—without hesitation—borrow the words of the Psalmist when she stands before God. She can say: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139: 23-24).

On my seventh anniversary, I turn to no less an authority than...

Sun, 12 Jun 2011 12:10:42 -0500

On my seventh anniversary, I turn to no less an authority than Grover to define marriage. Marriage is kissing, hugging, and helping your friend. There is something ever so simple about that definition. And yet, it is so appropriate. On this day - as on all days - I walk humbly in the Lord knowing that the paths my wife and I have walked alone have become one. We walk our paths together.

Not Living Right (Or: Thoughts On An Intervening Deity)

Sat, 11 Jun 2011 16:34:00 -0500

I’m not altogether sure how I feel about the the notion of a deity setting the universe into motion, but I am all but certain there is no bearded gentleman in the sky intervening in the daily lives of everyone on the planet. So, I was taken aback when someone told my wife that my family’s recent string of bad luck (our son had a minor accident, he got a stomach bug, and we had two household appliances go out) was because “someone isn’t living right.”

I suppose I was initially angry because someone had the nerve to tell me how to live my life. That lasted a few seconds, because I knew from whence the sentiment came. The notion behind the sentiment is that we are not Christian enough. Somehow, we are not living up to the accepted notion of Christianity. We accept too much, and we don’t go to church on Sunday. But is that what it means to be Christian?

Christianity is about both belief and action. There is a great deal to be said for congregation, but I am unconvinced that attending services each Sunday is the singular mark of a Christian. I prefer to hang my hate on the commandments of Christ:

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:36-40, NIV)

These commandments must be lived. They are the essence of a life of Christian living, and they are not simply lived in the pews.

But for the sake of argument, let’s say the only acceptable Christian world-view is the exclusion of those not like us and regular church attendance (at the “correct” church). Even in that instance, is there a vengeful God on high striking my child with maladies and breaking my household appliances to teach me a lesson? Somehow I very much doubt it! If there is an actual humanoid deity reigning above the clouds does he (it is invariably a he) have his eye on me waiting to break the heating element in my dryer should I step foot on the wrong path? That is patently absurd to my way of thinking. But then, I guess it is my “lack of faith” that could be why my appliances are breaking after all.

"The history of Jesus is not the story of a single figure over his life’s thirty years,..."

Tue, 31 May 2011 23:03:00 -0500

“The history of Jesus is not the story of a single figure over his life’s thirty years, surrounded by just a few friends, crowds, and enemies. His history grew from and was part of the story of his nation as a whole. To understand the terms in which this Jesus spoke is to trace the longings, hopes, and fears whose evolution spanned all Israel’s history.”

- Robin Griffith-Jones, The Four Witnesses (p. 21)

Finding faith...

Sun, 04 Apr 2010 01:58:06 -0500

I have not grown up in a church. In fact, as I grew up (especially in high school) I was highly skeptical of religion. I have always considered myself a Christian, but what that might have meant early in my life I am not exactly sure. I am coming more clearly to know what it means to be Christian. As I figure this out, I find myself more clearly divided from what is the traditional Church.

And here is where my problem begins. I feel as if things must change within the greater Church, but I also feel a little like I am coming late to the game. I am convinced that progressive Christianity, the emergent church, or whatever we call it is both the future of the Church and the most honest expression of Christ’s faith. There remains, too, a small part of me that says, “Yes, but who are you to say these things.”

I suppose there is enough of a follower in me—enough of a need for hierarchy—for me to think I should let things be. But I cannot. The difficulty now is that I challenge the status quo only in my mind. That is not as it should be. That is not an honest way to follow the example of Christ.

"[W]e sense in the gospel a perpetual fountain of youthful newness, an ongoing advent, a constant..."

Fri, 02 Apr 2010 00:45:00 -0500

““[W]e sense in the gospel a perpetual fountain of youthful newness, an ongoing advent, a constant beginning, a continually generative genesis, always fermenting like new wine, a tide that rises, wave by wave.”

—Brian McLaren, A New Kind of Christianity”

"Our faith is vain and self-centered if it only brings blessing for us or to us. It also must result..."

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 23:54:00 -0500

““Our faith is vain and self-centered if it only brings blessing for us or to us. It also must result in blessing that flows through us to the world.”

—Brian McLaren, A New Kind of Christianity”

How long is too long? Or, can you go back again?

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 01:16:04 -0500

I am constantly thinking about my faith. I endeavor to practice my faith. I read about my faith. I long to be a part of a community of faith. There is a little church I love. There is a community that makes me feel welcome, and there is a pastor that is what I believe pastors should be. For any number of reasons, I don’t go to Sunday services there.

I don’t generally feel comfortable in groups. I have a difficult time getting to know people—especially in large settings. Plus, I am conditioned (I suppose that is the right word) to walk in, sit and listen, then get up and leave. The valuable communion time after the service is something I usually miss. By design I suppose. With all of that said, it has been a long time (over a year?) since I have been to Plymouth United Church (UCC). I love it. I believe that I need it. I continue to think of myself as a part of it, but I am not there.

All of that brings me to the title of this post: “How long is too long? Or, can you go back again?” And I have to wonder: Can I go back? Is there a shelf life on being welcomed into a place? For the good and gracious people at Plymouth, I bet the answer to the former is yes and to the later is no. But… In the searching, struggling place that is my faith I am constantly at odds with myself.

I want to be a part! I want to be an active part of a community of faith. I worry constantly that I will not live up to the expectations I set for myself. I struggle with thoughts that I will not be able to give back to Plymouth in kind what I get from it. I continue to search and to pray and to struggle. And yet… I am at home on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights.

Reflection on the Spong Lecture in Houston

Sun, 15 Feb 2009 17:30:55 -0600

I attended Spong’s lecture Friday night at St. Paul’s UMC. (I was going to go Saturday too, but was unable to make it.) Spong was thought provoking and controversial as usual, but I spent a lot of time thinking about who was there to listen to him … and what it might mean for what he is trying to accomplish. The overwhelming majority of the audience was white. Many were clearly very well-off financially. Most were in there seventies or older. I fully realize these are wild generalizations of a single Spong lecture, but I wonder how fully he can engage a New Reformation of Christianity with an audience that looks like this. How fully can Spong affect change within the Church if his following mirrors this audience: older, white, upper middle class? I guess the bottom line of my musings is this: Is Spong simply playing at the margins of the Christian faith? (Originally posted to the Plymouth United Church (UCC) Group discussion board on Facebook.)

Gene Robinson’s Prayer Kicks off Inaugural Events (via...

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 00:29:32 -0600

Gene Robinson’s Prayer Kicks off Inaugural Events (via christianitytodaymag)