I apologize for interrupting our discussion of liberation theology. We will get back to it soon. My health has precluded me from sitting at the computer for any length of time so I have not been able to devote my time to it as I had planned.
With that said, I do want to speak briefly about something that has been bugging me. I've been in allot of physical pain lately. Today, in an episode of excruciating pain, I went and sat in our van, listening to some Christian music my wife had in the CD player. Usually, I am not much of a music fan; I am an NPR junkie, to be honest. But, as I sat there listening, there was a song playing by Casting Crowns that was talking about being forgiven, needing help to get through the night, feeling as if you were one mistake away from being the man you used to be.... that song soothed my soul. I felt God in that moment of despair.
I am liberal, there is no doubt about that. But, regardless of what I may or may not believe anymore, I do believe in a transcendent God who is active and involved in the world that I live in. I see her everyday. It grieves me that in this day and age, to be religiously "liberal", essentially means that you have to somehow be religious without believing in the reality of God. I read blogs everyday that may have the tone of being religious, but deny, by their very words, any possibility that God exist. As if God is a crutch for weak people who can't think for themselves.
My family has been going through a financial crisis because of my recent disability and being unable to work. We've had people, who had no idea what we were going through, buy school supplies for our children. Just a few days ago, a man I have not seen in a very long time showed up on our doorstep with two checks totalling 500 dollars. I don't care who you say did all that... it could of been Jesus, Buddha, Mohammad, etc, but from where I am sitting, it was God. It was a manifestation of the divine, the ultimate principle, if you will, in our lives. A reminder that we are not in this thing alone.
So, no matter what you may think of me or what I write from time to time, let there be no mistaking that I believe in an active, living, and sovereign God. A God who can change our lives and make his presence known in the simplest of things!
Showing posts with label spiritual journey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spiritual journey. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
A Brief Interruption: What is simple faith?
My wife and I are often at odds over theological issues. I'm liberal, whatever that means; she's theologically conservative. Over the past ten years, these opposite poles have led to some interesting discussions, and few heated arguments.
This evening, we were discussing a recent post by John Shuck, a fellow CC blogger, regarding life after death. While I did not agree with John's ideas, some of my own less than conventional thoughts found their way into our conversation. The great theological divide between my wife and I once again became apparent.
Upon thinking of this, my mind turned to a proclamation we make at the Eucharist table. We are United Methodist, so I take this from the hymnal, Word and Service 1 [p. 10].
My faith has undergone some serious challenges over the years. To say I've experienced a "crisis of faith" would be putting it mildly. I've laid so many things aside, only to pick them back up again. Others, I've discarded altogether: virgin birth, the inerrancy of scripture, hell, etc, to name a few. People who know me, especially my wife, find great difficulty in accepting these things. So, I struggle at times to find common ground, not just with people I love and care about, but with sincere believers who genuinely do not feel the same way. I used to think it was my job to change them; if its reasonable for me to feel or think a certain way, surely I should pass it on, right?
Well, no, it really isn't. It's not necessary for us to change everyone, make them think the way we do. It is incumbent upon us to find some common ground for love and fellowship. Tonight, as I pondered my wife's words, those three affirmations above come to mind and while I acknowledge that we have a philosophical/theological divide, there is also an unbreakable unity in those three, unambiguous statements.
Christ has died. He was a human being, lived in a specific place at a particular time and is forever a fabric of world history. There is no negating that Jesus was an extraordinary man who lived in first century Palestine, who identified with the outcast and oppressed, because he was one himself. His life meant something then; it means something extraordinary now.
Christ has risen. My library is filled with hundreds of volumes written about this man, most of which were penned within the last century. Churches have been erected all over the world in testament to his ongoing presence and impact upon humanity. I don't care if you believe in a bodily resurrection, it really does not matter to me. But he lives on, and his influence upon life and culture, whether for good or bad, is of the such that the Western world has never seen or duplicated.
Christ is coming again. This affirmation may be a bit more difficult. But, in the end, what we are saying is that his influence has no end. I believe in a consummation of this age. I believe that things will not always be as they are. Thus, the blessed hope that Paul talked about.
So, for all the contention and discussion, these three affirmations are for me, what it means to posses a Christian world view. Sure, there will be many who disagree. But these are three simple affirmations that I believe all Christians should be able to gather around the table for discussion. And, yes, the discussion should start here.
This evening, we were discussing a recent post by John Shuck, a fellow CC blogger, regarding life after death. While I did not agree with John's ideas, some of my own less than conventional thoughts found their way into our conversation. The great theological divide between my wife and I once again became apparent.
Upon thinking of this, my mind turned to a proclamation we make at the Eucharist table. We are United Methodist, so I take this from the hymnal, Word and Service 1 [p. 10].
Christ has died; Christ has risen; Christ will come again.Us theological types enjoy pushing the envelope. I enjoy challenging those around me to think about their faith, often to their demise, I must admit. Being right can have its disadvantages: such as sleeping on the couch, getting the silent treatment, or watching someone you love grapple with ideas that they would of never willingly been exposed too had you not been pompous enough to enlighten them.
My faith has undergone some serious challenges over the years. To say I've experienced a "crisis of faith" would be putting it mildly. I've laid so many things aside, only to pick them back up again. Others, I've discarded altogether: virgin birth, the inerrancy of scripture, hell, etc, to name a few. People who know me, especially my wife, find great difficulty in accepting these things. So, I struggle at times to find common ground, not just with people I love and care about, but with sincere believers who genuinely do not feel the same way. I used to think it was my job to change them; if its reasonable for me to feel or think a certain way, surely I should pass it on, right?
Well, no, it really isn't. It's not necessary for us to change everyone, make them think the way we do. It is incumbent upon us to find some common ground for love and fellowship. Tonight, as I pondered my wife's words, those three affirmations above come to mind and while I acknowledge that we have a philosophical/theological divide, there is also an unbreakable unity in those three, unambiguous statements.
Christ has died. He was a human being, lived in a specific place at a particular time and is forever a fabric of world history. There is no negating that Jesus was an extraordinary man who lived in first century Palestine, who identified with the outcast and oppressed, because he was one himself. His life meant something then; it means something extraordinary now.
Christ has risen. My library is filled with hundreds of volumes written about this man, most of which were penned within the last century. Churches have been erected all over the world in testament to his ongoing presence and impact upon humanity. I don't care if you believe in a bodily resurrection, it really does not matter to me. But he lives on, and his influence upon life and culture, whether for good or bad, is of the such that the Western world has never seen or duplicated.
Christ is coming again. This affirmation may be a bit more difficult. But, in the end, what we are saying is that his influence has no end. I believe in a consummation of this age. I believe that things will not always be as they are. Thus, the blessed hope that Paul talked about.
So, for all the contention and discussion, these three affirmations are for me, what it means to posses a Christian world view. Sure, there will be many who disagree. But these are three simple affirmations that I believe all Christians should be able to gather around the table for discussion. And, yes, the discussion should start here.
Friday, June 25, 2010
You can't have my Bible!
My recent post have been very biblical, mainly because I love scripture. The narrative speaks to me and gives credence to my faith. As it relates to my faith, I could care less if you can prove that Jesus actually did this or said that, or if an Old Testament story is a product of years of revision, pieced together from multiple sources making its historical reliability dubious at best, etc. While these endeavors have their place in responsible scholarship, my faith abides in a completely different realm. I am mythed by those who absolutely have to believe that the dots and lines of what we have today as scripture is inerrant and infallible and all those catch words that apply to the logic. If Jesus did not walk water then the bible is a fraud and God is dead....
To me, the bible is a narrative, a collection of stories that come to us as the products of a sacred community who have held these stories in the highest regard-- to tell us what God means to them. In this, I find a sense of belonging as I find my place within this very sacred community of people who believe that God is and that this God is intimately involved in human affairs.
To me, the bible is a narrative, a collection of stories that come to us as the products of a sacred community who have held these stories in the highest regard-- to tell us what God means to them. In this, I find a sense of belonging as I find my place within this very sacred community of people who believe that God is and that this God is intimately involved in human affairs.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Crisis in Bethany
The following is based John 11:1-45 Click here to read this in the New Revised Standard Version.
(After writing this, I realized that it is extremely LONG! I would suggest reading it in several sessions.)
On May 14, 1988, a school bus full of children, teens, and chaperons was traveling down interstate 71 en route to Radcliff, Kentucky. They were on the way home from a church outing at a Cincinnati amusement park.
As the bus was nearing Carrollton, Kentucky, a drunk driver in a pickup truck was heading the wrong way down the highway and slammed into the bus head on. The bus burst into flames, killing 24 young people and three adults. Thirty other people were injured in the crash. The pickup driver, Larry Mahoney, was a repeat drunk driving offender. He survived, sustaining only minor injuries. His blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was 0.024), substantially higher than the legal limit in Kentucky.
In just a few terrible moments more than 57 families were shattered and an entire community was in shock. Some lost sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, parents and others lost friends friends. Many had to help surviving loved ones recover from injuries and trauma.
Many of the survivors and families of victims traumatized by this senseless crash have spent the last 22 years rebuilding their lives through the hard work of emotional and physical healing . They have met together, worked together, and even fallen in love with one another. They are "average" people with inspiring and exceptional stories—stories about coping with heart-wrenching loss, giving selflessly of themselves to build safer communities and finding a way back to hopefulness.
(After writing this, I realized that it is extremely LONG! I would suggest reading it in several sessions.)
On May 14, 1988, a school bus full of children, teens, and chaperons was traveling down interstate 71 en route to Radcliff, Kentucky. They were on the way home from a church outing at a Cincinnati amusement park.
As the bus was nearing Carrollton, Kentucky, a drunk driver in a pickup truck was heading the wrong way down the highway and slammed into the bus head on. The bus burst into flames, killing 24 young people and three adults. Thirty other people were injured in the crash. The pickup driver, Larry Mahoney, was a repeat drunk driving offender. He survived, sustaining only minor injuries. His blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was 0.024), substantially higher than the legal limit in Kentucky.
In just a few terrible moments more than 57 families were shattered and an entire community was in shock. Some lost sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, parents and others lost friends friends. Many had to help surviving loved ones recover from injuries and trauma.
Many of the survivors and families of victims traumatized by this senseless crash have spent the last 22 years rebuilding their lives through the hard work of emotional and physical healing . They have met together, worked together, and even fallen in love with one another. They are "average" people with inspiring and exceptional stories—stories about coping with heart-wrenching loss, giving selflessly of themselves to build safer communities and finding a way back to hopefulness.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
The work of spiritual recovery
The act of spiritual recovery can be a daunting challenge at times. Some time ago, I realized that my perceptions of God and religion had become nothing more than clinical exercises that left me feeling lost and spiritually destitute. It was not a pleasant admission to say the least. Personal introspection and honestly appraising one's catalog of ideas and the beliefs that direct your spiritual journey can be a most unpleasant task.
I would like to say that the solution to this problem is to simply return to the place where we last felt right. Of course, as with most spiritual problems, it is not always that easy. Our spiritual journey can not be measured in snapshots. The balance of experience, circumstances, education, acculturation, etc, all work together to make us who we are and who we are becoming. The narrative of our spiritual lives must stand as written, no matter how tempting it is to discard certain chapters and rewrite the story in a way that makes it more palatable to us in retrospect.
I would like to say that the solution to this problem is to simply return to the place where we last felt right. Of course, as with most spiritual problems, it is not always that easy. Our spiritual journey can not be measured in snapshots. The balance of experience, circumstances, education, acculturation, etc, all work together to make us who we are and who we are becoming. The narrative of our spiritual lives must stand as written, no matter how tempting it is to discard certain chapters and rewrite the story in a way that makes it more palatable to us in retrospect.
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