Only a few weeks left until--Lord willing--we will see the sign for Brno for the fourth time.
Monday, February 28, 2005
Friday, February 25, 2005
Czeching on Unity
“I believe deeply that Christians must seriously be concerned about everything that threatens the lives of people created in the image of God. Abortion is important; war and economic justice are also important. “
Jim Wallis
"An open letter to Chuck Colson"
A recent BreakPoint commentary by Chuck Colson criticized the message of Jim Wallis of Sojourners. Check out Colson’s assertions and read Jim Wallis's Open Letter to Chuck Colson. This conversation goes to heart of a Christian dialogue about politics in America. This is a time to join Jesus in his prayer for the unity of believers.
We live in the privilege of this unity, but have a ways to go to fully realize it. One reason we need to realize it lies in the big picture. We have a story beyond politics. We want that Story to reflect the essence of the message of Christ to world. We want to become one with the image of God. To that end, we must continue to examine, to search, to find, and to express this reality. This Story is a story of love, grace, and justice. We, in a free society, must continue to discern the policy implications of this message because that is part of how we express his will.
This all comes home to me as Ken and I lead a group from Greater Atlanta Christian School in a trip to Brno, Czech Republic. Our students will be participating in a cultural exchange with 19 students from a local “gymnasium” --a college preparatory secondary school. The students have been emailing each other for weeks now, and will meet when we arrive in early April. This will be our fourth time to make the trip. Of course, a major part of our culture is our life in Christ. Please pray for our group. Pray for our spiritual formation as individuals. Pray for our group spirit. Pray that we will plant seeds of the kingdom of God.
As you do, consider today's New York Times review of a Jan Hrebejk's "Up and Down," an academy award nominated film emerging this spring from the Czech Republic. The headline of the review, "Czechs So Divided That Bad News Is Rarely All Bad" speaks of disillusionment and fragmentation.
Of course, I cautioned my students that films from Prague have their limitations in expressing the nature of life in the Czech Republic as do Hollywood's films in picturing our collective life.
Are we all "Dazed and Confused," "Rambo,"Rocky," or "American Beauty"? No, but are we all a little of these? Maybe.
May it be that we are united in the essence of Christ Himself. May we, participating in the simplicity of His love and in the purity of The Story be bearers of good, good news.
“I believe deeply that Christians must seriously be concerned about everything that threatens the lives of people created in the image of God. Abortion is important; war and economic justice are also important. “
Jim Wallis
"An open letter to Chuck Colson"
A recent BreakPoint commentary by Chuck Colson criticized the message of Jim Wallis of Sojourners. Check out Colson’s assertions and read Jim Wallis's Open Letter to Chuck Colson. This conversation goes to heart of a Christian dialogue about politics in America. This is a time to join Jesus in his prayer for the unity of believers.
We live in the privilege of this unity, but have a ways to go to fully realize it. One reason we need to realize it lies in the big picture. We have a story beyond politics. We want that Story to reflect the essence of the message of Christ to world. We want to become one with the image of God. To that end, we must continue to examine, to search, to find, and to express this reality. This Story is a story of love, grace, and justice. We, in a free society, must continue to discern the policy implications of this message because that is part of how we express his will.
This all comes home to me as Ken and I lead a group from Greater Atlanta Christian School in a trip to Brno, Czech Republic. Our students will be participating in a cultural exchange with 19 students from a local “gymnasium” --a college preparatory secondary school. The students have been emailing each other for weeks now, and will meet when we arrive in early April. This will be our fourth time to make the trip. Of course, a major part of our culture is our life in Christ. Please pray for our group. Pray for our spiritual formation as individuals. Pray for our group spirit. Pray that we will plant seeds of the kingdom of God.
As you do, consider today's New York Times review of a Jan Hrebejk's "Up and Down," an academy award nominated film emerging this spring from the Czech Republic. The headline of the review, "Czechs So Divided That Bad News Is Rarely All Bad" speaks of disillusionment and fragmentation.
Of course, I cautioned my students that films from Prague have their limitations in expressing the nature of life in the Czech Republic as do Hollywood's films in picturing our collective life.
Are we all "Dazed and Confused," "Rambo,"Rocky," or "American Beauty"? No, but are we all a little of these? Maybe.
May it be that we are united in the essence of Christ Himself. May we, participating in the simplicity of His love and in the purity of The Story be bearers of good, good news.
Thursday, February 10, 2005
Heaven goes wild
I opened the alumni section of a Christian university magazine. My eye went right to it. An alumnus from the 70s shares an update on her life:
“Divorced after 31 years and filed for bankruptcy…”
Success is sweet. We share our advanced degrees and our promotions. We sometimes subtly announce our new addresses in the gated community. And we do rightly rejoice with those who are rejoicing. Hard work and dedication in our free economy often provide the diplomas, the positions, and the deeds of our dreams.
But for some, the certificates read painfully of divorce, death, and debt. Blame can go around and around, but we’ve been around long enough to know that every divorce, every bankruptcy, and many accumulations of debt accrue through the actions not of a duo, but of one. At the same time, some such debacles result from the collaborative effort of two or more weak, sinful people.
Who among us can’t say that we are not in one way or another bona fide, certified among the weak and the sinful?
Most of us keep the pain in marriage, the burden of debt, and the certainty of our failures our deep, dark secrets waiting for success before we share.
Wonder why?
It may have to do with our lack of compassion for the failing of others. When our judgment visits us, it’s a tough companion. Maybe we hear our friends mock the poor. Maybe our view of God is such that we believe he only blesses the successful. Maybe we buy into the media images of winners and losers. Americans gets such a kick out of watching someone else hear the words, “You’re fired.” We laugh at the weakest link.
Recently I read a story from Larry James’ Urban Daily blog. Reportedly, Rich Little, comedian, did an impersonation of Ronald Reagan at inaugural party,
"'You know, somebody asked me, 'Do you think the war on poverty is over?'
I said, 'Yes, the poor lost.'
The crowd went wild. "
The crowd went wild. When we are broken from life, at times the victims of the sin and failure of others, and more often the owners of our own sins and failures, we need to remember that at the point we turn to God in our brokenness, HEAVEN GOES WILD.
The alumnus, divorced and bankrupt, ends her update with a note of grace, “…in spite of a rough year, she is still praising God.”
2 Corinthians 12 from The Message
God told Paul, "My grace is enough; it's all you need.
My strength comes to you in weakness."
I opened the alumni section of a Christian university magazine. My eye went right to it. An alumnus from the 70s shares an update on her life:
“Divorced after 31 years and filed for bankruptcy…”
Success is sweet. We share our advanced degrees and our promotions. We sometimes subtly announce our new addresses in the gated community. And we do rightly rejoice with those who are rejoicing. Hard work and dedication in our free economy often provide the diplomas, the positions, and the deeds of our dreams.
But for some, the certificates read painfully of divorce, death, and debt. Blame can go around and around, but we’ve been around long enough to know that every divorce, every bankruptcy, and many accumulations of debt accrue through the actions not of a duo, but of one. At the same time, some such debacles result from the collaborative effort of two or more weak, sinful people.
Who among us can’t say that we are not in one way or another bona fide, certified among the weak and the sinful?
Most of us keep the pain in marriage, the burden of debt, and the certainty of our failures our deep, dark secrets waiting for success before we share.
Wonder why?
It may have to do with our lack of compassion for the failing of others. When our judgment visits us, it’s a tough companion. Maybe we hear our friends mock the poor. Maybe our view of God is such that we believe he only blesses the successful. Maybe we buy into the media images of winners and losers. Americans gets such a kick out of watching someone else hear the words, “You’re fired.” We laugh at the weakest link.
Recently I read a story from Larry James’ Urban Daily blog. Reportedly, Rich Little, comedian, did an impersonation of Ronald Reagan at inaugural party,
"'You know, somebody asked me, 'Do you think the war on poverty is over?'
I said, 'Yes, the poor lost.'
The crowd went wild. "
The crowd went wild. When we are broken from life, at times the victims of the sin and failure of others, and more often the owners of our own sins and failures, we need to remember that at the point we turn to God in our brokenness, HEAVEN GOES WILD.
The alumnus, divorced and bankrupt, ends her update with a note of grace, “…in spite of a rough year, she is still praising God.”
2 Corinthians 12 from The Message
God told Paul, "My grace is enough; it's all you need.
My strength comes to you in weakness."
Luke 15 from The Message
Jesus assured his followers of heaven's joy.
"Count on it---there's more joy in heaven over one sinner's rescued life than over ninety-nine good people in no need of rescue."
"Count on it--that's the kind of celebration God's angels throw every time one lost soul turns to God."
Saturday, February 05, 2005
Profiles in purging--finding the strength to ban the bothersome
According to the Washington Post, Dennis Hastert has purged the House Ethics Committee of those bothersome folks who investigated Tom DeLay and resisted weakening ethics rules.
In reference to the ousting of Rep. Joel Hefley, (R-Co.), the chairman of the committee, Hastert’s spokesman reportedly said, "It wasn't really removing him. It was more like relieving him of his duty. The speaker doesn't like to have people who are such talented legislators like him have to spend so much time on ethics."
But don’t worry. The speaker didn’t just get rid of Hefley, he also replaced two other bothersome Republican committee members, Reps. Kenny Hulshof (R-Mo.) and Steven C. LaTourette (R-Ohio), with Reps. Lamar S. Smith (R-Tex.) and Tom Cole (R-Okla.). The Post editorial states that both of these men contributed generously to Mr. DeLay's legal defense fund.
The immoral of the story is: Don't waste your time and talent on ethics.
According to the Washington Post, Dennis Hastert has purged the House Ethics Committee of those bothersome folks who investigated Tom DeLay and resisted weakening ethics rules.
In reference to the ousting of Rep. Joel Hefley, (R-Co.), the chairman of the committee, Hastert’s spokesman reportedly said, "It wasn't really removing him. It was more like relieving him of his duty. The speaker doesn't like to have people who are such talented legislators like him have to spend so much time on ethics."
But don’t worry. The speaker didn’t just get rid of Hefley, he also replaced two other bothersome Republican committee members, Reps. Kenny Hulshof (R-Mo.) and Steven C. LaTourette (R-Ohio), with Reps. Lamar S. Smith (R-Tex.) and Tom Cole (R-Okla.). The Post editorial states that both of these men contributed generously to Mr. DeLay's legal defense fund.
The immoral of the story is: Don't waste your time and talent on ethics.
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
Stone, Campbell, & Company in Detroit
In times past, when I told people I was from the Detroit area, Church of Christ folks from other regions sometimes said, “I guess the church is pretty weak up there.”
That startled me because there were about 60 congregations of the Church of Christ when I was growing up there. Why Rochester College (the nascent MCC back then) brought us Otis and Alma Gatewood and Lucien Palmer.
Times and places all around Detroit, Michigan brought Jesus into my heart.
Summers at Michigan Christian Youth Camp.
School years with the Metropolitan Detroit Youth Chorus.
Sunday mornings at the Van Dyke Church of Christ.
Sunday nights at the Troy Church of Christ and other congregations.
With my teen Church of Christ friends--Beverly Birdwell Blair, Jan Palmer Van Horn (before Jon), Jan’s brother Ron and Linda Brown Palmer, and (no relation, except Christ) Joel Palmer, Jeff and Karen Schlender and others, the Jesus factor was so big we did things like have communion together when the clock struck midnight and Sunday began. We lit candles at our church buildings on many a New Years Eve praying in the New Year.
Lots of being together. Sort of Acts 2:42ish.
In Hearing God's Voice: My Life with Scripture in the Churches of Christ, Thomas Olbright, mentions the progressive Christians in Michigan. These non-sectarian believers provided powerful teaching and writing about Christ and discipleship. Like my friends who published the journal Integrity.
Detroiters got to hear Joseph Jones, Wayne Baker, Jerry Rushford, and Larry Bridgesmith.
One fellow, who would like to remain unnamed, read aloud to us at church camp from a book called Voices of Concern, a collection of letters from folks who had left the fold of the Church of Christ due to their objections to sectarianism. I didn’t know what to call it back then, but I remember being in 8th grade, bewildered and challenged. He probably wouldn't read such a thing in the same a setting today, but the wrestling with hard questions about church and fellowship at a young age served me well.
Dowell Flatt preached excellent expository sermons at Van Dyke for 10 years engendering a great deal of harmony and growth. He left us to attend seminary in New Orleans then on to chair the Bible Department at Freed-Hardeman University. I regret he has left us for good now, but a rich legacy remains in my heart.
Pat Boone provided our star power. He came to Detroit in 1968 and did a benefit show for us at Cobo Arena in Detroit to help MDYC raise money for our European trip.I think it was later that year, a friend named Averill Allen played a tape of Pat Boone in which Pat shared his new experiences in the Holy Spirit. We were all pretty curious about that New Song.
Up to that point, we thought maybe the Holy Spirit was a pen and ink.
We were not very Acts 2:43ish.
Once an area congregation hosted David Wilkinson of The Cross and Switchblade at a youth rally. In case you are too young to know, he was a nationally known Pentecostal in urban ministry. Afterwards, I recall hearing an elderly gentleman lead a closing prayer saying something like “please forgive us for exposing our young people to this mourner’s bench religion.”
Not everyone valued the nonsectarian thing.
Hearing John Allen Chalk at the Roseville Church of Christ inspired me beyond words. Finding me beyond words? Doesn’t happen often enough.
I’d list the women speakers, but well—let’s just say I heard pretty powerful stuff at home. My mom, Jo Choate, referred to scripture so often, so naturally when we discussed the vicissitudes of teen life that I sometimes accused her of trying to make a religious issue out of everything in life. My sisters, Deborah Choate Shepherd and Kimberly Choate Thames spoke of and served Jesus with passion and grace.
Mom remains guilty as charged.
But a church weak in Detroit? Those folks just guessed wrong.
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