Progressive Faith & Emerging Culture

Back in the blogosphere... (sort of)

2009-03-01T03:08:00.004-05:00

Just getting back on after living a busy, fruitful but blog-less life since last summer...

I've been satiating my blogging/journaling pangs with occasional Facebook notes, along with keeping up with the news on my Bloglines newsfeed account.

Mostly, though, I have spent less time navel-gazing and more time reading, being with my family and friends...

I'd like to get back into blogging a bit here again, as time and energy permit.

The whole web 2.0/social media/facebook/twitter phenomena really fascinate me.

The trend, like any sociological development says just as much about us as it does about the medium.

Right now, I am looking for ways to:

-do better, more intentional self-care
-read and practice the guitar more regularly
-be more emotionally nurturing and available as a husband, father, family member, leader and friend

Reflection helps me to do this- it is a major part of how I make sense of the world around me, relationships, and also how I seek to lead a better, healthier, happier, more productive life.

Here's to that!

Check back again this month- I hope to have some thoughts and reflections on social media, theology, and relationships as well as what I'm reading now, etc...

Peace,

John

Altruism- does it really occur? If so, Why do we do it?

2008-06-02T21:07:00.002-04:00

Lately I have been reflecting a bit on the concept of altruism. Here is how Webster defines it:

altruism. 1 : unselfish regard for or devotion to the welfare of others
2 : behavior by an animal that is not beneficial to or may be harmful to itself but that benefits others of its species

Why do we do things to help others when there is little if anything for us to gain for ourselves??

Take the man who saves a child's life for instance, by pushing the child out of the way of a moving bus only to be killed by it himself; or acts of kindness done to help others with no apparent benefit other than knowing that one has done good...

Ah! Maybe THAT is what it is all about- knowing in one's own CONSCIENCE, that one has done right by one's fellow human beings- even if there is no benefit (or even personal harm) that occurs as a result.

That is a radical concept...

Although there are certainly a lot of charlatans and false prophets out there teaching that we should give to get- like the Joel Osteens and T.D. Jakes with their version of the 'prosperity gospel' of do unto others so God will do unto you...

Radical, unselfish, abundant, undeserved love is what I feel the Holy One has called me to give- and calls us each to give of ourselves sacrificially. I am going to be perfectly honest with you- I am a LONG, LONG way from any semblance of sacrificial giving or truly altruistic service...

I suppose that is one lifelong lesson that requires a committment of conscience and a daily walk that upholds justice for the least of these, and gives radically without thought or concern for self...

Perhaps a large part of this life lesson is not ACCUMULATING, like we are conditioned to do almost non-stop in our society, but rather radical GIVING AWAY and LETTING GO of everything but God ultimately...

Peace on the Journey,

John

Bill Moyers interview with Jeremiah Wright

2008-04-24T22:18:00.005-04:00

Rev. Jeremiah Wright, a gifted pastor, deeply committed to social justice and ministries of compassion to "the least of these" in our world, as many of us know, has become the target of right-wing (and even some left-of-center) sound-bite political flame wars. In the age of viral video, those couple of 15 second clips have been held up out of context, twisted and referred to ad nauseum by those trying to somehow pull Barrack Obama down through some sort of guilt-by-association scheme (if that is the standard to judge the next president, then McCain and Clinton are both in deep trouble, by the way). Anyway... enough of my commentary for now- The entire interview will air on PBS on Moyers show this week- (here in Philly it is Friday 4/25 at 9:30pm).

In the meantime, check out these insightful video interview segments of Bill Moyers' interview with Rev. Jeremiah Wright (or click HERE to view it at Moyers' PBS site):

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

On the Lighter side...

2008-04-19T07:24:00.003-04:00

Check out this funny/quirky video short from Current.tv:

"Norwegian band cooks"

Now those are some crazy Scandahoovians!

Enjoy!

;-)

This would be even funnier if it were not so close to the truth...

2008-04-14T11:39:00.003-04:00

Here is Saturday Night Live's latest spoof of the 2008 presidential campaign, and the posturing for the media that occurred recently in General David Petraeus' recent report to congress...

Oh my...

;-)

Also- my apologies about the commercial at the end- please disregard the advertising...

Lessons of Life

2008-04-09T21:21:00.005-04:00

Randy Pausch, distinguished scholar, professor and innovator of "virtual reality" technology recently learned that he has life-threatening pancreatic cancer, with likely 3-6 months to live. He is just 47 and has a wife and three very young children. Instead of feeling sorry for himself and sinking into self-pity, as many of us would, he is teaching us all how to live like every moment matters. Watch his "Last Lecture" and hear his powerfully moving story:

Randy Pausch's "Last Lecture"

Randy, as he mentions in his last lecture, did not do it for us, or to be courageous, or even for himself. Rather he did it (the last lecture) for his children, so they would better know and remember him and understand what he had learned in life and found to be meaningful and important.

The "Last Lecture" video has been out for a while, but there was a follow up story that appeared on ABC last night- here is a link:

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/LastLecture/

Peace,

John

Dr. King's Legacy of Social Justice: 40 Years later

2008-04-06T20:43:00.008-04:00

As many of us may know, Friday, April 4th, was the 40th anniversary of that fateful day when Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, jr., civil rights leader, preacher, activist and pacifist was shot dead at a hotel in Memphis, TN while in town to meet with striking garbage workers- the very next day after delivering his "I've Been to the Mountaintop" message.

Then there is that courageously prophetic sermon in which Dr. King denounces the Vietnam War and boldly calls for peace, which I reflected upon last February:

Can Love and War Co-exist?

I was not even born yet when this happened, but my parents have told me all about it- my father and his best friend drove from Philadelphia to attend Dr. King's viewing and funeral, and I have read many of his books and heard/watched a lot of his great speeches and sermons, as well as visiting his tomb, former church, Ebenezer Baptist, (where we worshiped that Sunday), and the national historic site in Atlanta, Georgia.

What are the books and/or speeches of Dr. King that have made the greatest impact on you?Here are a few of mine:

Why We Can't Wait
Stride toward Freedom
Strength to Love
Letter from the Birmingham Jail
The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, jr.

Several excellent books about Dr. King and his legacy that I have read are:

Pillar of Fire : America in the King Years 1963-65 (America in the King Years)
Parting the Waters : America in the King Years 1954-63 (America in the King Years)
At Canaan's Edge: America in the King Years, 1965-68 (America in the King Years)

all by acclaimed author Taylor Branch

Martin, Malcolm and America by James H. ConeAnd the Walls Came Tumbling Down by Ralph Abernathy- an autobiography with many references to Dr. King (not all glowing, but very human) I also have the following books on my wishlist:

I May Not Get there With You, by Michael Eric Dyson

The Race Beat, by Gene Roberts

And, of course, there is the U2 song "Pride: In the Name of Love," (featured above) that is dedicated to Dr. King

"One morning, April 4, shot rings out in the Memphis sky...these men that took your life, they could not take your pride. In the Name of Love- what more in the name of love?" (may not be exact words, but close- beside the point though)...What writings, speeches, or events from Dr. King impacted you, your life and your ministry most deeply??

Peace,

John

Back in the Blogosphere!

2008-03-13T12:40:00.002-04:00

I have not been doing much blogging lately, as you may have noticed, but I am hoping to get back at it again soon.

Topics which I am hoping to look at in the coming weeks and months are:

-mindfulness and meditiation
-labyrinths
-more book and movie reviews
-spiritual/theological reflections on the holidays
-spiritual reflections on grief and recovery

thanks for stopping by and please check back again soon!

Peace,

John

Breaking the Ice

2008-01-22T18:38:00.000-05:00

It has been pretty cold here recently- not as cold as it was in Green Bay on Sunday (-3 degrees minus wind chill from what I understand), but still cold enough. I used to boast that I have ice water running through my veins due to my "Scandahoovian" ancestry...

I do have a pretty high tolerance for physical cold.

Emotional cold is an entirely different thing...

Lately my family and I had been on rather chilly terms after a bit of a blowout/misunderstanding over the holidays about who was going where when over New Year's Eve, etc, etc...

We just left and went home after what had been an otherwise nice day with the family...

In the past I always seemed to rush to try and make peace and apologize (even if I did absolutely nothing wrong) in order to try to make things better. This time around, however, I realized that sometimes I just need to tell it like I see it, and let people hear (in a civil way) what is on my mind and how I feel about that relationship.

I quietly went home with my wife and daughter and we spent time on our own- which was just fine with me... It is great seeing and spending time with one's family of origin, but it can be quite a puzzling, even bizarre experience when a family member gets a chip on their shoulder and it comes out in a surprising way.

I say let bygones be bygones... In order to do that, though, we first need to deal with issue directly... I cannot control what the other person says or does, but I can seek to act and speak with personal integrity...

That is ultimately what matters most, I think- having peace within oneself and with God... I can extend forgiveness and an olive branch, but what the other person does with that is up to them...

I am reminded of the sage words of Reinhold Neibuhr (more familiarly known to many as the "Serenity Prayer" that has been co-opted by AA):

Lord grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.

Amen and Amen.

Peace be with you and yours,

John

That's How the Cookie Crumbles

2007-12-17T19:13:00.000-05:00

I finally figured out what the 'cookie crisis' was with accessing my blogs and took care of it. Apparently either Internet Explorer 7.0 or my internet security suite had google on a 'block cookies' list. Anyway... problem solved- for now anyway...

This whole thing was kind of interesting- I didn't think I would miss blogging all that much because I have never been one who blogs so frequently their laptop or PC is like an additional appendage- I blog here when inspiration, or ennui strike...

It also got me thinking more about this whole reality that is the world wide web and how it has evolved from a few geeks working at huge mainframes in a couple of isolated college computer labs with way too much time on their hands to the global information tsunami that has occurred over the last ten or so years.

Sites like blogs (including this one), as well as those networking sites including facebook and myspace have forever changed the world communicates. Who would've thunk it?, as I believe the great philosopher Yogi Berra once said.

One the one hand, having a wealth of information, resources, media, communication, shopping and entertainment at one's fingertips without even leaving home is amazing!

On the other hand, some of the terrible stories we hear about in the news from time to time of pedophiles and stalkers trolling for vulnerable youth is, at the very least, unsettling, and more than a bit creepy.

These phenomena have been satirized by late night comedians ad nauseum- most memorably, perhaps, in Saturday Night Live (SNL) skits- including ones like the "I googled your name" skit, or the "internet safety tips" class held at a school that was attended by a room full of creeps and pedophiles... Funny on the surface, but with a elementary school age child in my home, it has made me very observant about setting and maintaining boundaries and monitoring internet usage.

Also- isn't it interesting how the term 'cookie' was adapted to also refer to a sort of tracking file that tells certain websites where your browser has been and when?

Finally, I just read an excellent book on e-mail ettiquette called simply "SEND"- it is by one of the op-ed editors for the New Yorker, and another journalist. Very insightful book that I highly recommend.

Lately my boss has been on a bit of a kick about people in the office (myself included) giving her 'too much information' about projects too frequently. I was in the habit of sending off a quick e-mail update as new developments occurred- which I thought was appreciated. Lo and behold, though, these updates apparently were not always deemed as helpful and timely by my boss as I thought she would find them. I still got a spectacular annual review, but that also got me thinking about how e-mail has changed how we communicate- both at home and work.

I think the internet and e-mail lends the impression to many that there is somehow a convenience factor- i.e. just send quick messages to people as the ideas cross one's mind then they can choose when and if to read them. Is the flip side of this equation, though, both with e-mail and internet a blurring of healthy boundaries?

Just a thought...

Peace,

John

Life's What happens... part deux

2007-12-17T07:46:00.000-05:00

In addition to the busyness of the holiday season, I have been having some sort of a 'cookie' problem with my laptop that has prevented me from logging in to the blogs. In the coming weeks and months I am hoping to reflect more upon interfaith dialogue in the public square, as well as meditative practices and current events.

We're getting ready to take a family trip to Disneyworld over the holidays, so I am sure I will have some arcane theological reflections to share about that whole odyssey in the not-so-distant future as well.

Peace,

John

Life's What Happens While your busy trying to blog

2007-11-27T21:25:00.000-05:00

This is my first entry on this blog in a good while... Life is busy and intense. My wife just lost her mother a few weeks ago and is bereft in grief- but has a lot of support (family, counseling, social support); my 7 yr old daughter is in a different activity almost every day and we're short-staffed in my department at work right now, so I have extra responsibilities there as well... I am also very actively involved in several leadership roles at church...

I am still managing to find time to "Be still and know that the Lord is God," but that time is getting harder and harder to protect- so thus I have not been blogging or watching TV nearly as much- which is probably a good thing, although I do enjoy reflecting on faith and life when I can find the energy and time.

God is very good, though, and my life is full of blessings. When we face challenges, somehow, some way, God gives us the strength we need. Until next time may we "pray unceasingly" and walk boldly in faith.

Peace & prayers,

John

Is the "New atheism" really so new?

2007-10-13T22:00:00.000-04:00

Lately I have been reading a number of books by several newly best-selling authors and self-minted spokespersons for the "new atheist" movement. These unapologetic maverick figures include evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, neurology scholar Sam Harris, and libertarian-leaning pundit Christopher Hitchens.

All three of these guys have had one or more national best-selling books with a common theme of why God a) is cruel, sadistic and unjust b) reminds them of their absentee, abusive or deadbeat dad, and c) doesn't (or at least probably doesn't) exist.

Some interesting coincidences:

Richard Dawkins was sent to a strict, repressive boarding school run by mentally and physically abusive clergy in England. In chapter 9 of his book "The God Delusion" entitled "Childhood Abuse and the Escape from Religion," he goes into detail about this personal trauma and disillusionment with the religious leaders he encountered as a child.

Sam Harris' mother was Jewish and emotionally distant father was Quaker. Sam refused to be bar-mitzvahed. Instead he dabbled in eastern new age spirituality, and the designer drug ecstasy. Instead of finding enlightenment, apparently he has only become more jaded and angry. He insists that Reason is supreme, and anything that is to be believed must be able to be proven scientifically or it must be false. He also lumps religious believers generally into one of two categories- fundamentalists, or moderates who enable fundamentalists. His scathing, venomous attacks on any organized religion and religious people have been described as "anti-theist"- going beyond not believing in a divine creator or religion to being almost militantly and vociferously opposed to even the notion of there being a higher power.

Christopher Hitchens, libertarian columnist recently wrote a book entitled "God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything." The book has been a runaway bestseller- which apparently attests to the fact that this is a message that many people in the general public want to hear. Hitchens was also sent to a strict, authoritarian Brittish boarding school at an early age by his emotionally distant parents. As a young man he became a socialist activist in college, where he was a "third class honors" student leading a relatively undistinguished and short-lived academic career. He is widely regarded as coining the derogatory label "Islamofascism" in the weeks and months after 9/11/2001.

Bill Maher, a strongly left-leaning TV political satirist and comedian has also become a leading anti-religionist media voice. He was raised in his father's strict Irish Catholic religion, while his mother was Jewish, but not practicing. He rebelled against what he considered to be the hypocrisy of organized religion. His anti-religionist rants on his late-night program on HBO are a common theme of his. He apparently has a film coming out in which he travels around different parts of the world trying to show the worst aspects of religion. He does not seem to totally rule out the possibility of there being some sort of greater spiritual reality, but he rejects any notion of there being a benevolent, active or real deity or creator. Maher does have a social conscience, though, as well as a seeming concern for "the least of these"- at least in his public rhetoric.

Well, as it turns out, these are not original or compelling ideas. Buddhism, interestingly enough is a spiritual tradition that is atheistic- focusing on right living and enlightenment without believing in a God or higher spiritual power. Many figures throughout the course of history have expressed atheistic views- including Socrates and Epicurus in ancient times; Machiavelli in the mediaeval era; Hobbes in the pre-enlightenment era, whom all leaned toward atheistic perspectives. Thomas Jefferson, an American founding father, and deist (think divine clockmaker theory), systematically removed every reference to the miraculous or supernatural in the Bible, calling this tamed version of defaced scripture "The Jefferson Bible."

In the 19th century, post-enlightenment era, Ludwig Feuerbach considered God a human invention and religion nothing more than mere "wish fulfillment." Friederich Nietsche, Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud and Bertrand Russell would all pick up on this theme. Reason in the form of scientifically provable, quanitifiable fact was seen by these figures as the only source of real, believable claims of ultimate meaning.

Interestingly enough, each and every one of these above-mentioned figures had a negative experience either with their father figure or an abusive, authoritarian clergyman at a very early age.

I find this fascinating.

One of the primary fatal flaws with atheism and anti-theism is that they both seem to over-simplify religion and spirituality, and over-idealize human reason. In essence, the leading proponents of atheism essentially make reason itself a sort of idol that they then idealize and claim is the only way to any sort of meaningful life or discovery.

This narrow, reductive perspective, amounts to a sort of secular fundamentalism in many cases, I think. It fails to acknowledge that there are deeper truths that surpass and will always surpass human ability to measure and fathom. If we can't measure something at this time, does that mean it is not real or true?

What ever happened to the place of mystery and faith? The major stumbling block for many self-proclaimed "atheists" is that belief in a greater reality beyond human measurement or logic requires trust and what Soren Kirkegaard, the great Danish existential philosopher called a "leap of faith." Those persons who bear the emotional and mental scars of negative early experiences with parents and religious leaders find it next to impossible to even conceive of taking a "leap of faith" or exploring the mystery of the divine. Instead, people who have been hurt in this way often find themselves mired in fear, hurt, and anger- using rationalization as a means of assuaging their discomfort with the possibility of there being a reality or being greater than their human ability to comprehend.

This is a fascinating topic for me, because I believe that one's spiritual belief and faith must be rigorously questioned, tested, probed and explored. Shedding light only reveals what is real and true. The danger in this, I suppose is that we may be afraid of, or not like what we see when we shine that light on the deep inner recesses of the human spirit.

Peace on the journey,

John

Welcome, sweet baby James!

2007-09-08T21:20:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, Friday September 7th, 2007, my little sister, Rachel gave birth to her first child, James Buni! He weighed in @ 9 lbs, and was measured at 22 inches- a big boy!

Here he is with his proud papa, Bunyan. Praise God for the miracle of new life in our midst! Everyone is happy and healthy, in spite of understandably being more than a little tired and sore.

We love each and every one of you, and join in rejoicing for the birth of baby James!

Love, peace, prayers and miracles,

John

Plumbing the Depths of the Spirit- One Song at a Time...

2007-08-19T12:45:00.000-04:00

During the summer months, while my wife and daughter are frolicking down at the shore and I am home working, I have a lot of evenings to myself. One of my passions is playing jazz (and blues and folk and classical and rock) guitar.

When I first started piano lessons as a boy, I would love to "play by ear"- and developed quite a knack for it some would say. The scales, velocity exercises, classical studies and cadences drove me crazy, though. I was, and still am 'decent' at it, but not great. I continued lessons into college (where I was a vocal-choral major). But I stopped taking lessons, because, in part I had lost passion for the instrument.

Well now, I have been playing and studying the guitar for almost ten years and LOVE IT. It takes a lot of hard work to begin to journey toward mastery of the instrument and the expression of musical art through that instrument. I still have a long way to go on that journey, but I feel good about where I am with it right now.Lately (for the past few months) in addition to velocity exercises, chord inversions and progressions, I have been working on a great jazz tune called "Lament" by jazz trombone great J.J. Johnson.

A seemingly simple melody with a very straight forward chord progression. Yet, I am finding there are so many nuances of expression within those notes if one really truly "plumbs the depths" of each musical nook and cranny that the melody evokes. This is the essence of jazz- focused, collaborative, synergistic creative expression through music.

Contrary to what some may think too- despite that jazz is a freer, more creative medium that incorporates improvisation, it takes excellent mastery of the instrument, knowledge of the genre, and fluency with the lingua franca, or common language of jazz. The great jazz masters- like Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington, Miles Davis or Wes Montgomery, commanded such a mastery of the instrument and the art, that their performances and improvisations sound so effortless to the untrained ear.

This sense of "effortless," flowing musical expression, at its best, speaks to the deepest parts of the human Spirit.This does not happen by the artist just sitting down without having ever practiced or prepared and just starting to play. No- all the jazz greats first had to "pay their dues" in the woodshed practicing and practicing. Practice can seem tedious without a greater vision or sense of purpose in it. However, when the time is put in, and effort consistently made- the fruit of this labor can be amazing and almost ethereal.

After practicing "Lament" literally for several months on end- carefully learning all the chords, every last note in the melody, then playing the chords in all the possible inversions, and finally putting chords and melody together at the same time with embellishments and improvisations weaved in to fit with the chords- there was recently a moment of epiphany of sorts.

After practicing very methodically, note by note, chord by chord- playing the challenging spots over, and over, and over again until it went from labored stumbling to a smooth, beautiful effortless flow- I finally had an "a ha!" moment where I realized why I had been working so hard for all this time, and why my teacher had patiently guided and encouraged me through all that work and practice.I played (or 'comped') the chords into the digital "looper" I have in my basement hooked to an amp, then pressed the loop switch, and began my workout- I was finally ready to "plumb the depths" of this song- having put in the time, struggled through the practice leading up to this point. After a time or two through warming up, I began to feel a pull from my inner Spirit, guiding my fingers to the notes and chords that best expressed how this tremendously moving melody was speaking to my heart.

I started with a basic statement of the melody as written over the chords- then I built on it, and built on it. I played, and I played, and I played- polishing the spots I had struggled with, and seeking to explore new creative musical territory as I went. The music was drawing my deeper and deeper- and at the same time God was speaking and ministering to my heart through this music- perhaps something like David must have felt when he played his harp and sung the Psalms he had written.

When I finally concluded the session, my fingers ached a little bit and I had gained a new callous or two, but it felt good- I had completed (or God had completed in me) a labor of love! This brought me the greatest peace I had felt in a long time, and was cathartic for me in many ways. Playing and studying the guitar is one of the ways that I meditate and plumb the depths of my inner Spirit.

I borrowed the metaphor "plumbing the depths" from the vocation of river pilots, who are knowledgeable experts at navigating a particular stretch of a river or waterway. They explore, learn about, study and get to know that stretch of river better than almost anyone around. They know where the channels and shoals are; they know where the sandbars and hidden rocks lie; they know the idiosynchrasies of the currents and weather conditions, and most of all- they know the best way to pilot a ship through that stretch safely and efficiently.

In many ways, God's Holy Spirit guides us in a similar way on our journey- a river pilot or jazz guitar master- has an amazing, genius-like skill in one particular, focused area. God's Spirit, though is always with us, always goes before us and knows the way.

Peace on the journey,

John

What I am reading this week...

2007-08-14T12:40:00.001-04:00

A History of Religious Ideas, by Mircea Eliade

Process Theology: An Introductory Exposition by John Cobb, jr. & David Ray Griffin

Einstein: His Life & Universe, by Walter Isaacson

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, by Dee Brown

Finding the 'Thin Places'

2007-08-09T11:46:00.000-04:00

Both Barbara Brown Taylor, and Marcus Borg write about finding the "thin places" on one's spiritual journey. These are places along one's spiritual path where God's Spirit feels especially near. For some it is a moment or experience of transcendence, or a time when God reveals a vision of the future, or confirms a calling. At other times, these thin places can be moments of communion with God's wondrous creation.

In my personal journey, I have experienced these thin places most powerfully in my walks in nature. Eugene Peterson, in Living the Message, writes about how he and his wife take what he calls "Emmaus Walks"- walks in nature where they can restfully meditate on God's great love.

The photo shown above is from the Wissahickon Creek- which runs through Montgomery County, PA into Fairmount Park in Philadelphia. When I lived with my wife and daughter in Philadelphia, we were just a few minutes walk from this beautiful creek. I would go there often on long walks to be out in nature, get a little exercise, and meditate on God's presence in my life. For me, this was often a thin place.

In his wonderfully insightful book The Heart of Christianity, Borg writes of the ancient Celtic Christian concept of "thin places":

'Thin places' has its home in a particular way of thinking about God. Deeply rooted in the Bible and the Christian tradition, this way of thinking sees God, 'the More,' as the encompassing Spirit in which everything is. God is not somewhere else, but 'right here.'
. . .
A thin place is anywhere our hearts are opened. To use sacramental language, a thin place is a sacrament of the sacred, a mediator of the sacred, a means whereby the sacred becomes present to us. A thin place is a means of grace.

Worship can become a thin place, but so can a walk in a beautiful space in God's creation. It can be anywhere that we open our hearts to God and commune with the Holy Spirit.

Barbara Brown Taylor shares a bit about her struggle to find these places of spiritual renewal early in her ministry in her book Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith:

Sixty hour weeks were normal, hovering close to eighty during the holidays. Since my job involved visiting parishioners in hospitals and nursing homes on top of a heavy administrative load, the to-do list was never done. More often, I simply abandoned it when I felt my mind begin to coast like a car out of gas. Walking outside of whatever building I had been in, I was often surprised by how warm the night was or how cold. I was so immersed in indoor human dramas that I regularly lost track of the seasons.

After years of driving herself unrelentingly with long weeks, little rest, and even less time with her husband, she found herself feeling spiritually depleted and seeking a thin place. She and her husband discerned that God was leading them to make a move from the busy urban church in Atlanta. They went to north Georgia, and when they arrived, found a beautiful piece of land at the confluence of two large streams with the Chatahoochee River overlooking breathtaking mountains. They had found a place of rest, and reflection. They ended up buying a tract of land and building a home there.

In John's Gospel, there was another woman feeling depleted and empty- seeking living water:

Jesus answered, 'Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but hoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.' The woman said to him, 'Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.'

Where are the thin places in your life today? Do they seem few and far between? For so many of us they do all too often. Seek God's peace and you will be found.

Peace to you in and in-between the thin places,

John

Has sports reached a new low?

2007-08-05T00:30:00.000-04:00

Today, Barry Bonds tied (he broke it a few days after I originally wrote this). Hank Aaron's career home run record of 755. Apparently, the reaction from the capacity crowd at San Diego was a cacaphonous mixture of boos and cheers. There were also hundreds, if not more than a thousand fans who held up white pieces of paper with a huge asterisk printed on it.

Here is one sporswriter's take on this whole circus.

Bonds, of course, is still under investigation for lying about using performance enhancing drugs. His trainer Greg Anderson went to jail for refusing to testify and for obstructing justice, if I remember correctly. This whole sordid, disgraceful story was unpacked in the book Game of Shadows, written by two San Francisco sportswriters who thoroughly investigated Bonds' ties to the dubious San Francisco training supplement lab known as BALCO.

I am not sure what is more disturbing- that Bonds may well have done steroids and hormones then lied about it and been enabled by trainers, OR that owners, managers, and top league officials, including MLB commissioner Bud Selig seem to have all but turned a blind eye to the steroid and performance-enhancing drug problem.

In the first 12 years of Bonds' career, he had never hit more than 40 home runs. Then, all of a sudden, the year after Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa battled for the home run record, under suspicious circumstances (fast forward to McGuire's huge 'no comment' in his testimony before the congressional committee investigating performance-enhancing drugs). THEN, the following year, Bonds bulks up by more than 25 lbs, sets a new home run record, followed the next year by swatting a mammoth 73 homers! A few of them which may still be orbiting the earth...

Also, his stolen base total went down significantly while his power numbers skyrocketed- presumably from the significant weight and muscle mass he put on all of a sudden....

So, here we are about 6-8 years later, and Bonds just tied Hank Aaron- one of the most prolific and highly respected men to ever play the game. What does the league commissioner have to say about what under presumably honest circumstances would have been a momentous achievement?? Here is his quote:

"Everybody has to make their own judgments."

Hmm... not exactly a ringing endorsement.

Wait, wait, surely one of his own teammates would be able to put a more positive spin on this:

"My impression?" teammate Dave
Roberts said. "From the outside, I had a certain opinion. Now that I'm
closer to it, I think he's getting a raw deal, plain and simple. … He's taken
shots from everybody. After a while, you clam up. People take him as a bad guy
because of it.
"He's never tested positive. The people that know him best –
teammates or guys who play against him – those are the people I listen to. And I
love having him as a teammate. I don't know how he's dealt with it his whole
career. Some of it might be warranted, but it goes both ways."

"Some of it might be warranted, but it goes both ways." Basically he seems to be saying- look I am still on this guy's team, so I can't say much, but I wouldn't be surprised if I found out he did it (Even though he has not officially tested positive since MLB officially instituted steroids testing- about a decade after they instituted a policy against it).

And what is with this mickey mouse "investigation" (if you want to call it that) put on by George Mitchell. Does he really think he is going to get anywhere by trying to compel people to talk about this taboo issue voluntarily?? The only people that seem to be talking about steroids are washed-up mediocre players who juiced themselves, like Jose Canseco, who has all but become a pariah in the pro sports world for naming names.

It all stinks if you ask me.

I have to ask, though- What is the greater moral of this whole disgraceful saga??

Is it that somehow Bonds will be or has been proved to be a bad role model for kids?? That is not the real issue- sports figure bad boys have been around since it all began. Even Babe Ruth drank like a fish and apparently had several different venereal diseases that he acquired from his many affairs.

The number of players involved in shady business deals or illicit off-field/off-court escapades are a dime a dozen...

No- the clincher for me, is that this goes straight to the root of not only damaging that player's reputation, but it exposes the whole sport as a fraud for tolerating (probably knowingly) such grossly unethical- if not illegal and unfair practices.

Then again, what does that say about "us"- the American public, who fill the stadiums, buy the millions in team merchandise, and watch the games and support the advertisers??

Are we not all enabling this by allowing ourselves to become passive voyeurs with a lust for more and more sensational feats??

I am a pretty devoted baseball fan. I have followed the Philadelphia Phillies since my grandfather took me to see my first game when I was six years old.

At some point, I think enough of the fan base needs to send a strong, firm message to MLB owners and the commissioner that ENOUGH IS ENOUGH- CLEAN UP YOUR ACT!

Unfortunately, it appears the only way this will ever be accomplished is if enough people vote with their feet and spend their time and money elsewhere.

After all, there is a lot more to life than watching pro sports. Here's to living life more fully instead of putting bad role models up on phony pedestals then watching them fall...

Put your faith in the TRUE ROCK, Jesus Christ, and you will never fail.

Peace in the Lord,

John

What I'm Reading This Week...

2007-07-16T12:51:00.000-04:00

Living Water... and lack of Water

2007-07-13T19:59:00.000-04:00

H2O
agua
l'eau
wasser
acqua
水
ύδωρ
вода
근해

Water is one of the most essential and basic ingredients needed for life. Every life form known to humankind relies on it to live and grow. It is also one of the key elements scientists look for when determining whether a given planet may be conducive to life. As many of us heard in health class- about two-thirds of our body is water that needs to be continually replenished, along with vital nutrients.

Water is universally understood in every culture and language as vital. A human being can potentially go for weeks at a time without food if needed- it is not healthy, and the person will grow weak, but one can survive. People cannot survive for more than a few days, however, without water to drink.

Sadly, though, despite 3/4 of the earth's surface being comprised of water, the amount of potable drinking water is dangerously scarce- particularly in developing nations. As a result, disease is rampant, and lack of clean water for drinking and bathing leads to serious illness or death for millions of people each year.

Even sadder than that, however, is the fact that a small percentage of the annual profits from the multi-billion dollar bottled water industry could provide clean water and sanitation to the entire developing world. I recently saw a sobering article on the global water situation and the bottled water industry in the NY Times called aptly "Bad to the Last Drop."

Among other shocking facts, the writer points out that:

More than 2.6 billion people, or more than 40 percent of the world's population, lack basic sanitation, and more than one billion people lack reliable access to safe drinking water. The World Health Organization estimates that 80 percent of all illness in the world is due to water-borne diseases.
. . .
Clean water could be provided to everyone on earth for an outlay of $1.7 billion a year beyond current spending on water projects, according to the International Water Management Institute. Improving sanitation, which is just as important, would cost a further $9.3 billion per year. This is less than a quarter of global annual spending on bottled water.

I know, I know- everyone drinks bottled water- and hey it's better than say soft drinks or other less than healthy beverages. Up until I read that article, my family and I bought a case of bottled water per week. We recycle the bottles, but we still contribute to supporting this industry that is reaping outrageous profits while 40% of the world is without clean water.

"Living Water" is one of my favorite spiritual metaphors from scripture.

Zechariah refers to it as an image of life in the new Jerusalem.

John mentions living water as a metaphor of spiritual renewal and transformation in the life of the woman at the well.

In Revelation, living water is an image of eternal life under the care of the good shepherd.

As people of faith, or as spiritual seekers, we find great comfort and hope in this image and the promise of new life it brings.

How then can we tacitly support practices and industries that deny clean water, a basic necessity to life, to millions of people in the world today?

Not only has our government abolished vital clean water protections in recent years, but our consumption habits continue to have harmful consequences in the developing world far beyond what most people realize.

Will you join me in trying to help make a difference? Explore new ways to recycle, and support clean water for those who need it most- the least of these...

Here are a few organizations that are working to help bring clean water to more and more people please consider getting involved:

Clean Water Action

Global Water

Water Advocates

Sierra Club- Clean Water Center

Water for People

Global Water Challenge

Water Partners International

The Clean Water Network

Clean Water, Sanitation Goals for World's Poor

Peace and health, and Living Water to all,

John

What is the true meaning of Independence Day?

2007-07-04T13:55:00.000-04:00

For many, Independence Day is a time to gather with family and friends to watch fireworks, chow down on hamburgers & hotdogs, and celebrate American independence. I have tremendously deep and heartfelt gratitude for the many, many brave service people who have given themselves and made great personal sacrifices in service to the people of the United States in the name of freedom and democracy.

Here we are, though, Independence Day, 2007- four years and several months after George W. Bush cavalierly declared "Mission Accompished" and the supposed "end to major combat operations in Iraq," atop an aircraft carrier in his flight suit. Yet, the American troops killed since then are topping 3500 dead, 25,000 plus seriously wounded or dismembered, and sure to climb much higher before our brave men and women serving there in the armed forces are all brought home (which, with Gates, Petraeus, and others now pushing for a 'permanent presence' in Iraq is looking highly unlikely to happen anytime soon- if in our lifetime).

Why did we REALLY invade Iraq anyway?? Was it because Sadam really had Weapons of Mass Destruction? Obviously not. Was it to replace dictatorship with democracy? That apparently didn't work either- we have become occupiers and our respect and stature as a nation in the world community has continued to dwindle as Iraq descends further and further into civil war and lawless violence. Was it for humanitarian reasons? That has been debunked as well- thanks to Mr. Bush and his administration single-handedly seeking to demolish both the Geneva Conventions and writ of habeus corpus, as well as basic protections guaranteed in the Bill of Rights (like freedom from unreasonable searches and surveillance of U.S. citizens without a warrant or judicial oversight).

Mr. Bush has taken our nation backwards several huge steps, and we as the American people along with our other elected representatives have allowed him to do it. Our nation desperately needed a president who would be a uniter. Instead we got one who considers himself the sole "decider"- above accountability to any other branches of government, and apparently also beyond any accountability to the American people or even the American justice system- whose decisions he unilaterally invalidates at will.

To add insult to injury, in a desperate attempt to salvage his tarnished presidental legacy, Mr. Bush made a grand proclamation on July 4th trying to compare the war in Iraq to the American Revolutionary War for independence. The founders of our great nation and framers of the U.S. Constitution must be rolling over in their graves. The unilateral, unjustified war in Iraq and subsequent occupation has not and will not bring about 'freedom' it has led to greater anarchy and become a recruiting cry for radical Islamists.

Don't get me wrong- I give A LOT of credit to our brave service men and women who have put their lives on the line in service to our nation- or even more boldly made the ultimate sacrifice. What message do we send to the families of these brave soldiers when our president and his administration continues to feed us all a pack of lies and half-truths about why we invaded Iraq in the first place?? Does that sort of dishonesty and lack of accountability from our commander in chief not dishonor those who have served so bravely?

Yes, I know I know- Independence Day is a day to wave the American flag, put our hands over our hearts and bow for moments of silence in the hallowed national church of American civil religion- perhaps even including joining hands and singing a stirring rendition of "God Bless the USA." But what ever happened to the freedom to express dissent or speak out against perceived injustice- even if it is unpopular?

Does that only apply if one is of a certain background or ideological persuasion?

What happened to the American promise:

""Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

penned so eloquently by Emma Lazarus and inscribed on our own statue of liberty?

Has America become an elitist, exclusionary, hypocritical country- proclaiming freedom, then denying it to those who seek it unless they are privileged and well-connected? This is not the end of this story. The people will speak and be heard.

Beyond partisanship, beyond ideological differences we must all find the courage to stand boldly and speak truth to power- albeit peacefully- on important occasions, otherwise, I believe we lose our social conscience, little by little, until all that remains is apathy and indifference.

May we all find or reclaim that inner voice of justice and peace that speaks truthfully and faithfully even in the midst of pressured patriotism. In many ways, I believe that is one of the greatest sorts of courage.

May God help and guide us ALL- not just those of us within the borders of this nation.

Peace be with you,

John

Re-visiting the Labyrinth

2007-07-04T13:23:00.000-04:00

This week, while on vacation at the Delaware shore, I re-visited the beautiful labyrinth at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Lewes, Delaware. Here is an earlier reflection of mine on labyrinths; and here are a few photos from my most recent trip (click directly on the image to see a larger rendition of it):

A Couple of interesting surprises...

2007-06-30T10:14:00.000-04:00

Recently I saw a couple of interesting quizzes on another blog I frequent- they are from Mingle2...

One of them is this geeky cute thing called "Could You Pass 8th Grade Science"... (I got a B- back then):

That was surprise # 1 from that site- although I remember answering more than 26 questions back then... had to memorize all those factoids and formulas- heck even Einstein didn't memorize all his formulas- but anyway that was funny- especially since I have always seen myself as more of an artiste and definitely not a scientific kinda guy... Nice to know I could at least make it through the 8th grade if I found myself back there again, Tom Hanks style or something (although it was actually the reverse scenario in that movie)...

So What's the other interesting surprise?? From that Mingle2 site again- this blog's rating (in the very outside chance you have Victorian sensibilities or something and actually give a hoot- my blog's 'rating' according to their blog rating system based on frequency of certain apparently risque words):

Mingle² -

(Note: the above rating is for this blog "Progressive Faith & Emerging Culture," which desipte my occasional tackling of controversial subjects has received a questionable G rating (unlike BIG the above listed movie which received a PG rating- for the fart jokes or something I guess- go figure)...

Moving Beyond the Me-Mirror

2007-06-29T23:36:00.000-04:00

I am realizing more and more that to achieve meaningful growth I need to focus on one specific goal at a time and strive tirelessly each day toward that goal. No obstacle can prove too great, unless I allow it to be. I am not alone- G-d is guiding me. Though I am flawed and wonderfully imperfect I am precious and unique as are each of my fellow human beings on this earth with me. In order to grow, I must make regular, meaningful, deep sacrifices- not once or twice- not just when it is convenient or profitable in the short-term, but time after time after time.

I must challenge myself to step beyond the me-mirror deeper into the vision toward which the Holy One would have me strive.

Peace,

John

Sky's the Limit...

2007-06-29T01:50:00.000-04:00

Recently I have been reading "The Wild Trees," by Richard Preston... it is a fascinating book about pioneering adventurers who explore the mightiest trees in the world.

These trees are not the 6 or 8 foot variety whose young lives we cut short to decorate our living rooms for a week or two in December, or even the 40 or 50 footers we plant to shade our homes or beautify our front yards.

Many of these gentle giants rise 350 feet or more into the sky, are more than 25 feet in diameter at the base and are over 1000 years old! Yes, that's right- more than a millennium- some perhaps 2000-3000 years old.

Nestled in the alluvial plains near creek beds in coastal northern California, the mighty redwood forests- what remains of them stand proud- deeply rooted in the earth where they have lived for hundreds and hundreds of years. Once the land was filled with them, but now they are now scarce.

According to Preston, less than 4% of the mighty trees that stood when the westward expansion of the 1840s and 50s arrived around the time of the gold boon still stand today. The rest of them have been felled by logging companies and builders- cut down to clear the way for "progress." A precious few remain- some of which are just now beginning to be explored. It has been speculated by some that perhaps up to half of the world's undiscovered species live in the canopies of the great forests. There is a whole world up there that only a handful of humans have seen. The world of the mighty trees is a vast, robust new frontier that must be protected and sustained before it disappears.

I lived in Oregon for about six years during my adolescence. One of our favorite places to go was the beautiful Oregon coast- with its rugged rock formations, awe-inspiring surf and majestic vistas. There are few sights more breath-taking than seeing the sun set out across the ocean against the rugged silhouette of Haystack Rock. We made many trips there during our residence in Oregon.

It always broke my heart, though, to drive through the coastal mountains and see for miles around nothing but bare stumps on muddy hillsides where once great trees had stood. I know that we rely on the lumber industry for most of our furniture and paper goods, but seeing that unforgettable site caused me to ask time and again- 'Is it really worth it??' Is the damage our consumption habits and tastes as Americans is doing to the earth really worth it??

We are cutting the forests bare, fishing to the point of endangering many species of fish, polluting the seas and the earth and the air to an extent greater than anytime in the history of humankind. To use a bad mixed metaphor or note of irony- global warming is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the damage human industry and consumerism is doing to the earth.

The technology existed decades ago to complete convert our power generation and vehicles to renewable energy such as solar power and other fuels that are much less harmful to the environment. Who prevented this? The oil industry, the auto industry and all the other big energy special interest lobbies who have tens of billions of $$$ contingent on continuing to rape the earth with reckless abandon. They have the big money, they have the big lawyers, they have the media mouthpieces to propagandize- and so far big industry has had their way.

It doesn't have to be that way in the future though- we can each help make a difference. Support local and national efforts to protect the environment, clean up neighborhoods, reduce waste, recycle, promote renewable energy sources.

There is a saying from a cartoon that is pretty telling of the human condition that says "I've seen the enemy and it is us!" We are our own worst enemies when we allow ourselves to become blinded by short-term profit or hollow gains and lose our vision and soul.

Like the mighty redwoods, in order to grow, be healthy and flourish we need to be grounded and connected in mind body & spirit to that nourishment that sustains rather than feeding our limitless appetite for destruction. After all- we were created in God's image. Our faith is the fertile soil that nourishes our lives- for "...with God, all things are possible."

Peace in the Lord,

John

Whose Land is it anyway?

2007-06-19T22:27:00.000-04:00

The other day I saw a poignant and powerfully moving film "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" on HBO. It was deeply distubing to me in many ways, but it brought back to my awareness the reality that the United States of America was expanded through cultural oppression and, in some cases outright genocide.

The film begins with black and white footage reminiscent of those haunting still photos of the carnage left in the wake of the massacre of one of the last remaining native American tribes at Wounded Knee in 1876. Across the screen we read the sobering words:

"By 1876 most of the nation's American Indians had neen forcibly relocated to reservation land. In the Dakota Territory, Red Cloud had settled with his people on the Great Sioux Reservation, becoming wards of the government... but other Sioux leaders, Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, saw this as defeat and continued to live in the traditional way. Their resistance was legendary. Then an economic depression struck and gold was discovered in the Black Hills... on Sioux land."

By the time of the Battle of Little Bighorn- one of the few 'victories' of the Indians, the Union troops advanced westward to corral all the native Americans onto government controlled reservations and kill any who did not go willingly.

At Wounded Knee, hundreds of men women and children were gunned down

Many died. Many more resigned themselves to live under the oppressive rule of the white man. Whites seized what is now America from the indigenous Indians, killed them in large numbers, rounded them up like cattle and forced them to either resign themselves to living confined on a reservation, or die resisting.

All over ownership of land. Occupying colonists oppressing, removing, and as they saw fit, killing the natives of the land.

From the time of the "Trail of Tears," of the Cherokees exile and removal to near extinction to the massacre at Wounded Knee, tens of thousands of native Americans were displaced from their homelands, confined, and many died.

For many, their stories, their culture, and their presence on the earth that they held in such high regard began to fade. Thankfully there is now a renewed effort to get the truth out about this terrible chapter in our history. I remember when I took history class in middle and high school more than 15 years ago, even then there was a sense of glossing over the terrible tragedies suffered by the native Americans in history texts. Much more emphasis was given to the great "progress" of American westward expansion.

It was all built on a lie, however- the lie of equality. Of course that Great American 'lie' goes all the way back to the Declaration of Independence, drafted by American patriot, and slave-owner Thomas Jefferson:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

That equality was not equality at all though was it? It was only a guilt-assuaging mirage thinly cloaking the oppressive injustices perpetrated against black Americans through slavery and against Indians through the removal and reservation programs. Women have also been treated as an afterthought in Western democracy- not getting the legal right to vote until well into the 20th century.

Nowadays the 'debate' seems to be turning to immigration. We don't want "them" coming to live here (read poor non-whites). This is basically what this immigration reform movement boils down to anyway isn't it?

We don't want to have to share OUR piece of the pie with anyone else- especially not a poor person of color or humble means.

Excuse my disillusionment, but I can't help but wonder how far we have really come in advancing human rights even here in America. Here in America, the supposed "land of the free" two consenting adults who love one another and have made a lifelong commitment cannot have that commitment recognized in America unless they are of opposite genders.

It is all very troubling to me. When one sister or brother suffers an injustice, or lives in oppression, we all participate in that injustice- whether directly or indirectly.

When we buy merchandise at a store just because they have the cheapest prices, yet they do not pay their workers or suppliers a living wage, we support injustice. When we condemn people who are culturally different from us as "immoral" or "ungodly" just because we do not understand them, that supports injustice. When we stand idly by or even participate in stripping the basic human rights of immigrants, detainees, and the indigent, we support injustice.

May we each have the courage, vision and faith to stand up and cry out like the prophet Amos, echoed later by the great civil rights leader Dr. Maertin Luther King, jr:

"...let justice roll on like a river,

righteousness like a never-failing stream!"

Peace and courage be with you,

John

2007-06-05T22:51:00.000-04:00

Here are a few films I've watched @ home recently that I found interesting:

The Story of the Weeping Camel follows a nomadic family from Mongolia thru a season of travails in raising camels and living off of the land. Some very poignant moments there including the birth of a camel or two, as well as some great folk stories. All dialogue in Mongolian so be prepared for subtitles.

Freedom Writers is an awesome story of an incredible teacher from LA who reaches a group of high school kids caught in the middle of gang wars, drugs and dead end home lives and inspires them to learn and grow.

The Corporation is an insightful documentary that looks at the origins of the corporation and likens what they have become to a psychopathic personality. Haunting and informative.

What have you seen or read recently that has moved, informed or inspired you? Please feel free to chime in with comments.

Peace,

John

What I am reading now

2007-06-03T19:06:00.000-04:00

Here are some of the books I am reading or are in my stack now:

Literalism vs. Truth?

2007-05-26T01:42:00.000-04:00

There was a Gallup poll done recently on whether or not the Bible is literally true.

One third of all respondents "...believes the Bible is the actual word of God and is to be taken literally word for word."

All I can say is yikes- that is really scary. What ever happened to context, or the use of different literary genres or the rich metaphors of ancient literature- of which scripture is part?

What about literal, word-for-word interpretation when it comes to a book in scripture like, say, Leviticus for instance?

With the recent death of ultra-conservative Christian fundamentalist leader Jerry Falwell, I have been reminded again of the dangers of a rigid literalism in interpreting scripture- as well as how far it can lead people away, in some cases, from some of the most central values Jesus stood for- such as the Sermon on the Mount, and the Golden Rule.

Anyway, it just got me thinking about the importance of really digging deeper into the rich layers of meaning contained within the diverse canon of scripture in Judeo-Christian tradition. Personally, I believe we do a great disservice- both to ourselves, the people we serve, as well as G-d when we choose not to 'dig deeper' and instead opt for a literalistic, face value approach that neglects the literary complexity and authentic character of scripture- that of inspired human accounts of dynamic faith as attested to by an ancient community, and even more importantly the message of radical inclusion of marginalized people that was at the very heart of Jesus' life and ministry.

Let's dig deeper and see where G-d leads us...

This could be an exciting journey!

Peace,

John

Healthy vs. Unhealthy Growth

2007-04-29T12:47:00.000-04:00

Recently, as spring has begun to emerge in all its splendor and (ah-choo!), allergic wonder, I have been reflecting on this notion of healthy vs. unhealthy growth.

I consider myself blessed to have a relatively healthy family, a nice house to live in, a job I enjoy and believe I make a difference in, that also provides a good living for me and my family. I thank God for these blessings each and every day.

Yet, "little things" make me stop and think sometimes.

One of these "little things" is my rather feeble efforts to get some semblance of a healthy lawn growing again in my front and back yards. Ultimately, though I am humbly reminded that none oif it is ultimately "mine,"- it is all part of God's Creation which I have been entrusted with for a little while as a steward.

Anyway, last year we got a tree and stump taken out in the front, which left a conspicuous bare spot about ten feet in diameter right in the middle of the yard. I went to the local lawn and garden store, and asked one of their "expert" associates what they would recommend to get the lawn growing healthily once again. He suggested I thoroughly rake and turn over the soil in the dead spot, mix in some good topsoil, sow starter seed using a spreader, followed by watering twice a day, then followed by starter fertilizer about two weeks later once the grass seed started to take root and spring up. So that is what I did...

Sure enough- about 10-14 days later, nice green, virgin grass was beginning to sprout back up in the spot that had been left bare by the tree. I was both relieved and encouraged- my labors were paying off- or so I thought. Next I began the starter fertilizer as directed, while also continuing the watering twice daily for 1/2 hour each time in morning and right after work.

Much to my dismay, though, I noticed that an ugly sort of grayish-black mildew was beginning to emerge and was engulfing large patches of the grass I had planted and tended carefully (but apparently not carefully enough) . I later discovered that I had watered the grass too late in the day, and had not put down enough straw to absorb excess moisture resulting in the unfortunate demise of much of the new grass.

I am trying again this spring, but another challenge has reared its head in the form of an overwhelming dandy lion infestation. Dandy lions are pleasant and quite appealing to children because the yellow flower looks pretty to kids, but they are a headache to the average lawn and garden owner. Thinking I could root them out, I got out there last week and spent a couple of hours on my hands and knees digging down with my trowel and pulling them out one by one at the root.

Well, they came back- in even greater numbers three days later- pesky buggers! I have heard that the "weed and feed" spray works well- which is what I am going to try next- here's hoping for some "healthy growth"... ;-)

It all got me thinking again, though, about healthy and unhealthy growth.

There are a number of parables in the Christian gospels about healthy and unhealthy spiritual growth. Matthew chapter 13 contains several such parables:

the parable of the sower (13:1-23)
the parable of the weeds (13:24-30)
and the parable of the mustard seed & yeast (13:31-35)

In the parable of the sower- we hear of seed that fell on both good and bad soil under good and bad conditions and how each fared. The seed that grew and flourished in a healthy way needed good soil, the right amount of water and sun and nutrients in order to grow.

The seed that did not receive this nourishment was choked out by the weeds or otherwise kept from growing to its potential in a healthy way. In a very powerful way, this is also a wonderful metaphor for our spiritual lives. We need to nurture our spiritual selves by:

learning and seeking to live out God's Word in our lives
cultivating and seeking out Christian community where we can nurture and be nurtured among believers in the family of God
seek to replenish that well of "Living Water" spiritually in our lives by making time daily for prayer and meditation
by seeking to live a life of "Shalom" that not only talks about but follows the way of true Peace
reaching out to others all around us whom we encounter in life to share with them the spiritual nourishment that guides and sustains us in the midst of the challenges and stresses of daily life

In this way, by regularly seeking that spiritual nourishment and Living Water, we are renewed and can grow more fully into the person God created each of us to be.

Shalom on the journey of spiritual growth and discovery!

John

Why did Jesus die?

2007-04-25T16:20:00.000-04:00

I have been reflecting on this question again and again recently- having just celebrated Holy Week and Easter. The knee-jerk, Sunday school answer goes something like "Jesus died for our sins... human beings are sinful creatures who chose evil over good resulting in separation from God, and certain damnation without salvation."

That is what I was taught in Sunday school as a child. Very simplistic, uncritical, and I have found the more I read and study critically- a doctrine that did not emerge in Christian writings or tradition in any substantive form until much later.

I have come to believe Jesus life death and resurrection mean so much more than some sort of once-and-done transaction- that we assent to believe then go on with our lives with the promise of heaven secure.

No- I believe Jesus came proclaiming a Kingdom of God that was and is here NOW, and not just some ethereal promise or utopian wish-fulfillment that will come true in the hereafter. It is a radical and dynamic change in one's way of life, and a dynamic and radical change that shakes the core of our being and molds us into a new person. I have come to believe it is not just a matter of 'being saved' that one can trace back to a particular prayer that was said in a certain way or a moment- although there certainly are moments of great meaning along the journey.

Instead it is a life transformation that is continual and on-going. Jesus was willing to be put to death if that is what it took to proclaim liberation from the bondage of domination of the oppressed- which was the reality of most people in his day. Jesus radically challenged the status quo, spoke truth to power, proclaimed the coming of the kingdom of God, and preached the life-giving message that his father in heaven had sent him to proclaim.

Getting back to the 'Jesus died for our sins' claim, in fact, the notion of "substitutionary atonement" (i.e. that Jesus needed to suffer and die as 'payment' for human sin), was not a widely held or articulated doctrine until Anselm of Canterbury wrote about it in the 11th century- more than 1000 years after the time of Jesus and the gospel writers.

Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan explore this, and other theological themes in their excellent book about Jesus final week in Jerusalem entitled "The Last Week."

I highly recommend it for anyone who is a Christian or spiritual seeker who wants to dig deeper beyond the pat answers and simplistic Sunday school faith.

Warning: Prepare to be challenged to move beyond your spiritual comfort zone and explore new ways of understanding the person of Jesus.

Peace on the Journey,

John

Prayers for V.T.; peace in our communities

2007-04-17T13:26:00.000-04:00

This tragic story is still unfolding, but as of today, there are 32 confirmed killed, and a couple dozen more injured in the s that took place on the Virginia Tech campus yesterday morning.

May we all join together in praying for the families, friends, students, faculty, staff and administration of Virginia Tech as they mourn these tragic losses.

Prayer is the beginning of the journey to healing. These families and students will never fully heal from these emotional and psychological wounds, but my prayer is that they may find comfort in God and one another as they remember, struggle to cope, and hopefully seek to help others in need.

What can we do in our communities??

Already we hear the media machine ramping up its propagation of the culture of fear... Safety and improving rapid response is certainly one of the sad lessons that can be learned from this tragedy. For me, though, it is not the only lesson. Each time something tragic like this- or the situation at Columbine happens, I find myself asking questions like:

How did this person become so enraged and feel so desperate that he would plan such a horrible massacre and unleash such rage?? Had he struggled with mental illness for a long time? Was he abused? What were the warning signs if there were any? What were his 'cries for help'?

We can pray, of course- which is always a great place to start.

Then we can re-dedicate ourselves to working together to make our communities places of peace and healing.

Here in my home city of Philadelphia (I actually live in an adjoining suburb, but I consider Philly my home), there has been a rising problem of gun violence and of alarming proportions- More than 500 killed last year alone.

Some of my dearest friends in the city are out there on the frontlines, seeking to mentor troubled youth, help people struggling to find work and get back on their feet. We can all make a difference- and we don't even have to go into the cities, although there certainly are people in need of hope there too. All around us there are people who feel lost, discouraged, disenfranchised, dejected. We can help make a difference in their lives. We cannot rescue everyone, but making the difference even in the life of one person can make a positive difference exponentially in our world!

I conclude with a prayer for peace from Francis of Assisi- let's not just read and say these words, but also seek to live them more boldly:

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O, Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;to be loved as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

A Prayer for Peace

2007-04-17T07:33:00.000-04:00

All across the news, we read of the abuse
The violence fueled by rage by people of any age
Murders in the city-stray bullets shot in enmity
Strikes down a passerby-a child starts to cry

"Why O God? Why have you let something like this happen?"

A life poured out senselessly- another pointless tragedy
Tens of thousands each year in our cities
Felled by guns "how can it be?"

Yet the NRA does say- "guns don't kill, people do" anyway...
How many more deaths will it take for us to realize our mistakes?

33 shot dead today- in a class with learning underway
Voices cry out "Why?" again, what will it take to change, my friend?
Only time and prayer will tell, but I believe God is our Help!
Only God can bring Peace, to the lost and open up our hearts

But for now we join the mourners lament
to pray for peace and providence
The scars of grief and loss may ,
but we must join together with a vision
Stop the violence- pray for peace;
heal the hurt, help the least

The media would have us cower in fear
But there is no place for that here
We must be bolder than ever before
In striving for peace forevermore

Let us walk together in peace.

The Politics of Jesus

2007-04-15T10:55:00.000-04:00

Easter was a great time of celebration with family, friends and church. Now that the pace has slowed down a bit, I finally found some time to finish up a few books I have been working on. I just finished reading "The Politics of Jesus," by Obery Hendricks (I know, I know, the title has been used before). This is an excellent book! Hendricks, a thoughtful and accomplished scholar and gifted writer looks at many of Jesus parables in a fresh light that challenges the reader to see them in a new light.

Hendricks interweaves his own narrative along with the themes of social justice, civil rights, and reclaiming mainstream faith from the radical right.

In his chapter "Messiah and Tactician," Hendricks outlines "seven political strategies of Jesus":

1) Treat the People's Needs as Holy
2) Give a Voice to the Voiceless
3) Expose the Workings of Oppression
4) Call the Demon by Name
5) Save Your Anger for the Mistreatment of Others
6) Take Blows Without Returning Them
7) Don't Just Explain the Alternative, Show It

Here is a quote from the "Save Your Anger for the Mistreatment of Others" section that really resounded and hit home with me:

It is important to talk about peace and justice and fairness and equity, but we must also act against the systems that stand in their way. We must move beyond conference after pious conference, meeting after prolonged meeting, beyond flowery pronouncements and empty talk, so we may again enter into systematic struggle to achieve the justice of God for all. We who claim to have biblical faith must remember, with all passion and faith, that, as Paul put it. 'the kingdom of God does not consist in talk, but in power' (1 Corinthians 4:20). It is only through passionate action that we will manifest our authority to dismantle every oppressive and exclusionary principality and power that stands in the way of true community. (166)

So true! May we all find the courage to follow Jesus' example and stand for peace and justice in our world today!

Peace,

John

No more 'drive-by' prayers!

2007-04-07T11:12:00.000-04:00

Recently I had an encounter at the supermarket that still troubles me. I was doing errands and about to get in the checkout line with my lunchmeat and a few holiday grocery items I had stopped to pick up. As I approached the line, I saw someone who looked familiar but I could not immediately remember her name (and sadly I still don't which is pathetic of me).

She, whom I will call 'Christine,' was waiting near the in-store pharmacy with her elderly and infirm mother. Christine had been an acquaintence from a previous neighborhood- we had both since moved and lost contact.

Christine had many challenges as I recall from our periodic conversations when we would cross paths while walking down the block. She had some relational difficulties. Her previous partner was mentally abusive, and her parents had shunned her for a time.

The last conversation I recall was her sharing that she had forgiven her parents and her previous partner and was at peace about it all. That was about three years ago.
She had been searching- for peace, for acceptance for being who she is, and for a restored relationship with God and her family. Knowing that I am in the helping profession, she would share bits of her journey with me when we crossed paths on our walks.

Back to the present (or recent past)- I saw Christine at the supermarket, and I froze...

Sadly I found myself pre-occupied with keeping my place in the long check out line, and while trying to at least acknowledge and express concern for her and her family. But I just could not remember her name at that moment for the life of me! Plus I was taken back by the obviously poor condition of her mother's health- she could not walk, was quite frail and her ankles were swollen and almost purple. She also told me her father was in the hospital and that she was caring for both of them. My heart sank. I was speechless, and embarassed for not even remembering her name.

I gave a look of genuine concern, extended my hand and clasped her hand in both of mine for a moment, looked at her, and then her mother and said those words that flow so easily from my lips:

"I will be praying for you."

Just then, the cashier said "Next in line, please!" It was my turn... I had waited for ten minutes to check out, my wife and daughter were home waiting for items I had gone to the store to buy... what should I do??

I mustered a faint consolation smile, and said "It was good to see you. Take care."

Then I hurriedly placed my handful of food items on the conveyer and got out my debit card and club card to pay.

I glanced back and she and her mother were nowhere to be seen.

After getting checked out, taking the receipt and lifting up the bag, I began to walk out of the store. I got to my car, fumbled for my keys, and found myself turning and walking back toward the entrance to the store- I had to at least ask her name again- or her father's name so I could go visit him at the hospital or try to get her some help at home.

She and her mother were gone from sight, and nowhere to be found. I walked up and down the aisles retracing my steps only to realize that had already left.

My heart sank.

I thought immediately of the passage from Matthew 25 where Jesus is quoted as saying

"...as you have done to the least of these, so you have done to me."

So often I find myself throwing out the "I'll be praying for you" line (however genuinely well-intentioned it may be) without really making that extra step- going that extra mile as it were to back it up with compassion in action.

My heart has been convicted, and I hope God will help me to go beyond words to better live a life of compassionate care for the least of these.

Peace,

John

Walking the Labyrinth

2007-03-30T13:30:00.000-04:00

When I go to visit my family at Lewes Delaware several times a year, I stop by the Episcopal church there in the morning before going for coffee. They have a labyrinth in their church yard (not the one pictured here), which is basically a stone path that forms a circular maze.

The labyrinth was an early Greek symbol, that was later powerfully transformed into a meditative symbol widely utilized throughout the ancient Christian community.

Walking and meditating at labyrinths is an ancient spiritual tradition dating back thousands of years. The idea is to enter the labyrinth path with a question, prayer, or intention to meditate upon as one walks in concentric loops toward the center.

Once the center is reached, at least when I walk it, I pause for a moment of meditation and breath prayer. Then, gradually as I feel moved, I begin the unhurried journey back out from the center. As I walk out from the center, I meditate on what guidance or discernment the Holy One may be speaking to my heart.

This simple exercise has given me a deep sense of peace, renewal, and discernment each and every time I have embarked upon it.

Look in your area for a labyrinth:

http://wwll.veriditas.labyrinthsociety.org/

and give it a try. If you can't find one, you can always make a simple one in your backyard using one of the diagrams of classic labyrinths, or even print out a drawing of one, sit in a peaceful place, and meditate upon an intention in this way as you gently trace your finger along the path of the labyrinth outline.

May you breathe in and exhude God's perfect peace on the journey!

John

Can one be both 'progressive' and 'evangelical'?

2007-03-26T20:44:00.000-04:00

I say yes! I am a progressive evangelical. Recently I have been reflecting much on how best to describe who I am in my beliefs and traditions.

I consider myself quite progressive in my social views but definitely not a secularist.

I consider myself an evangelical Christian, but definitely not conservative or fundamentalist.

I am American Baptist, which is generally much more progressive and inclusive than, say the Southern or Conservative Baptist traditions, generally speaking...

American Baptists affirm the calling and ordination of women and people of diverse cultural backgrounds in ministry.

There is also a significant portion of American Baptists who strongly support equal rights for gay and lesbian couples.

Many from my denomination affirm a women's right to make choices about her own body, though some do not.

Like any denomination, the one of which I am a part includes members across a diverse spectrum of beliefs, backgrounds and cultures. Like the Episcopal Church, although not quite on the same scale, there have been some divise battles within the fold about stances on uality, and ethics. A diversity of opinions is good as long as the body of believers can come together on what Jesus himself identified as the most important of the commandments:

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and your neighbor as yourself."

Too often I think the temptation for people of faith is to forget this important commandment in the heat of discussion and instead follow our own spiritual pride and righteous indignation.

Still, far too often, when I speak to people in my daily travels and mention that I am a "Baptist," there is an uncomfortable silence, sometimes followed by a question like "Oh... You mean Baptist as in Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson Baptist??"

The radical religious right-wing's campaign to co-opt conservative politics (and vice versa), seems to have left most Americans (and even some 'progressive' theologians), with a sour impression of the word 'evangelical.'

Webster defines progressive as "making use of or interested in new ideas, findings, or opportunities," and evangelical as "of, relating to, or being in agreement with the Christian gospel especially as it is presented in the four Gospels." This does not have to be a literalist or fundamentalist 'agreement' with the Gospel (nor do I feel a need to conform to Webster's definitions literally)- rather I believe one can believe in the truth of the Christian message, and still recognize that the greatest truth is in the rich metaphors it conveys to us in its "more-than-literal" sense, as Marcus Borg would say.

When the radical right started to try to co-opt Christian evangelicalism in the 1970's and 80's, Falwell, Robertson, Dobson, Reed and others began to brazenly collude with the Republican party- to the point of even distributing partisian 'voter guides' in their churches, and opening their mailing lists, and pulpits to the RNC. I realize that faith leaders have also supported Democratic candidates, but not to the unprecedented and, I would say highly unethical extremes to which far-right conservatives have stooped.

For more on how low these depths go for conservatives read Tempting Faith by David Kuo, the former director of the so-called faith-based initiative, who delivers a scathing critique of both the Bush administration and the radical right for their gross failure to deliver on the promised funds and resources pledged to the faith-based initiatives.

It is beyond time for socially progressive and moderate Christians to 're-claim' evangelicalism!

Visionary leaders like Jim Wallis, Ron Sider and others are doing just that.

After all, the message of the Gospels is about liberating the captives, proclaiming justice to the poor, clothing the and binding up the wounded, is it not??

The message of the Gospel is about caring for Creation as faithful stewards of the environment (rather than making excuses for further pollution and waste in the name of financial prosperity in the short term), is it not??

Being an evangelical does not have to mean checking one's conscience (or one's brain) at the door.

Peace,

John

On borrowed time?

2007-03-09T15:58:00.000-05:00

This weekend we turn those clocks ahead an hour a few weeks earlier than usual... for many of us time-pressed, chronically over-committed busybodies, that elicits a collective groan...

Losing an hour... sort of...

The folks down in Washington, in all their infinite wisdom (snicker), decided to move the "spring forward" up a few weeks to try and save a bit more on energy costs, and for a few other reasons that are too arcane to get into here...

Anyway, while the earlier-than-usual time change has had IT depts scrambling to get their computers updated, it has gotten me thinking...

Why not use this "extra" three or so weeks of "spring ahead" to make a positive change or two in my life??

After all, what a better time than the season of lent to make some paradigm shifts in how I think and act. The real challenge is consistency though- can I make changes and stick to them??

Recently in one of his thoughtful essays, Malcolm Gladwell, author of The Tipping Point, and New Yorker columnist wrote that it takes 21 days straight of doing something consistently to create a new neural pathway in how our brain functions and the habits we follow.

So... here are a few things I hope to work on during these three weeks as I seek to find a better balance of kairos (God's time), and kronos (human busy time):

-being early in dropping my daughter off for daycare and getting to work a bit earlier each day (rather than just right on time)

-being more consistently emotionally and spiritually available to my family, co-workers, and patients

-practicing my guitar, reading and doing self-care on my own time consistently each day

-being a better friend and neighbor by proactively reaching out and giving of myself each day- not just when it is convenient for me

Those are a few that I am starting with anyway... 21 days of doing something every day!

Here is to new neural pathways... AND to new beginnings (on God's time)!

Peace that surpasses all human understanding to you,

John

Hearing the Good News in an Age of Fake News

2007-02-28T17:21:00.000-05:00

In this day and age, it is a sad commentary on American culture when the most pressing stories that the 24-7 tv news channels can give us is chatter about Anna Nicole's dead body, whether Al Sharpton is related to Jesse Helms, and an outrageous claim of a hollywood director who says he found Jesus' bones.

Then on other channels we have comedians hypocritically cracking jokes about the news channels and adding "fake news" stories of their own into the mix, further perpetuating the cycle of media mindlessness for a few cheap laughs...

It all seems to me sort of like a diet plan that advocates eating marshmallow sandwiches on Wonder bread for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks- it tastes sorta good going down (at least for a little while), but ultimately one is left with just a lot of fluff and unresolved issues to deal with later (if ever).

I get the sense that our culture conditions us to feed our hunger with interesting lies rather than timeless, and satisfying truth.

The beginning of the Gospel of John reminds us that Jesus is the incarnation of God's Word, and our key to abundant life:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it... The true light that gives light to every person was coming into the world...

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Let us seek to Live in God's Word- it is the only truly satisfying news around!

Peace in the Lord,

John

Happiness is Being Thankful

2007-02-11T13:50:00.000-05:00

This weekend, my wife and I took our 6 year old daughter to our parents, and we went for a much-needed get-away to a bed and breakfast for an overnight.

After dropping her off, we decided to see a movie before going to a romantic dinner, that my wife had planned for us at the inn.

We decided to see "The Pursuit of Happyness," the new film starring Will Smith, and his son Jaden.

Going into the theater, I must admit I was not optimistic of seeing anything powerful, moving or redemptive in this story (I kept having bad flashbacks of "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air," "Independence Day," and "Men in Black," which made me cringe a bit as I stood in line for popcorn).

I tell you what though- this is a powerfully moving, and poignant story!

In "The Pursuit of Happyness," Smith is a twenty-something lower middle class medical equipment salesman struggling to make ends meet and provide a home for his son and impatient wife. The scanners he is trying hard to sell, though aren't selling, and soon his wife gets fed up with not having money to pay the bills and leaves him and his son to move to New York.

Just when he thought things couldn't get worse, a couple of his medical scanners get stolen, parking tickets pile up, and the taxman seizes his bank account, and he and his son get evicted from their room for missing rent.

Then he finds the opportunity to train as a stock broker intern- WITHOUT PAY, in hopes that he would be the best of the class and get a job. So for those long months, he and his son trek across town on buses every day to and from work and daycare, and by night they wait in line at the shelters and soup kitchens.

Then, he gets a perfect score on the exam and is offered a position as a broker in the firm, which he accepts with a tear in his eye.

All the while, he never quit, he nurtured his son, and worked constantly to better himself, and build a career that could provide for him and his son.

As I watched this moving story with my wife, I was both humbled and sobered. Here I am grousing over running out of crackers and cheese in the middle of the week, as I sit in my comfortable four-bedroom single home, with two nice cars in the driveway, clothes in the closet, and food in the refrigerator, while folks like this man struggle to make enough to afford a place to live, clothes to wear, and food for them and their family to eat.

"Where is the justice??" I kept asking myself. Why do so many of those who "have" take it for granted and go through so much of their lives groaning over ultimately insignificant things, while so many who do not have, toil and labor each and every day just to survive??

Yet, so many of us "haves," (and yes, I do include myself in the "haves," because I have far more than I need or probably deserve) try to rationalize and assuage their guilt and discomfort with their own self-centeredness and greed by saying the poor and needy "just need to work harder," or "pull themselves up by their own bootstraps," or "stop taking so many handouts," etc, etc...

Let's face it- there may well be a good number of poor folks who could work and try harder to lift themselves up, but there are at least as many "haves" who have benefited from privilege and advantages from their family position, social status, or even skin color- yet we don't like to talk about that in the "haves" circles- too uncomfortable.

We're also often much more comfortable with giving a pittance of a few dollars from our ample income to send to some far away place to help buy a few crusts of bread, or to donate clothes or items that we would otherwise put out in the trash- just don't ask us "haves" to get involved in helping the needy in our own community- no- that is too close to home, and meet involve actually personalizing and putting actual names and faces on the poor. That would mean we may actually have to reexamine how we live, and feel the need to make some substantive changes in our own lives. That would be too much to ask...

I am being a bit facetious, of course, but there is also truth in these words, I believe. I point not only to "haves" in general, but to myself, and changes I need to make in my own life and how I relate to those in need.

Jesus said in the Gospels, "As you have done to the least of these, so you have done for me." It has also been said, give a person a fish- feed them for a day, TEACH a person how to fish, feed them for a lifetime.

Let's recommit ourselves to "teaching others how to fish," (i.e. helping people get back on their feet, and providing for themselves).

This week, explore opportunities for helping others help themselves in your community- it may be getting involved with a project like Habitat for Humanity, volunteering at your local church, or through the United Way, mentoring kids at an after school program, or a job-training center. We can ALL make a difference, IF we really want to and are willing to commit ourselves to helping others in a genuine, lasting, and substantive way.

Peace,

John

Can love and war co-exist?

2007-02-02T07:35:00.001-05:00

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King

As the war in Iraq continues to escalate, get uglier and uglier, more and more people die and are maimed, and congress debates, I have become more and more troubled. Of the American troops deployed to Iraq, a recent survey showed that nearly 40% of them do not believe the current tactics and strategy will be successful. If that is any indication of troop morale, I'd say it is quite low.

Approval of the war in Iraq and of President Bush's handling of it have also continued to plummet.

But, beyond all the opinion polls, is a basic moral issue- the American occupation of Iraq, with the civil strife and insurgency it has opened up is not a just war; it is a quagmire.

Recently I have been reflecting on the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, jr. in this poignant message "Why I am Opposed to the War in Vietnam," whose birthday our nation celebrated last month remind us of the perils of an unjust war, like the quagmire our nation was plunged into in Vietnam:

I assert that love and war cannot co-exist, particularly an unjust war, such as the one that has been forced upon our nation and the people of Iraq by this administration.

President Bush, or no one man for that matter, is "the sole decider." We live in a democracy, so "we the people" are ultimately the deciders. America, let's wake up and reclaim our country and press for accountability from all of our leaders. We owe this to our troops, to our fellow citizens, and to the civilians of Iraq and the middle east who are caught in the deadly and chaotic crossfire.

Let us all pray for peace, and heed the poignant words of Dr. King.

John

Bushwhacked again?

2007-01-24T08:02:00.000-05:00

I was trying hard not to tune in to Bush's State of the Union address, because it seemed, from all indications, he would be calling for "more of the same," and "Stay the course." I gave in to temptation, though and tuned in for the speech. Here are some of my impressions:

The Good (sort of):

-I was pleased that Bush is finally acknowledging that "climate change" is occurring, and that carbon emissions are at least partly to blame. I was also pleased to hear about his call to reduce gasoline consumption and increase alternative fuel and energy sources.

This is not enough though- he is still in favor of allowing big business to continue to pollute the environment, largely with impugnity since he rejects any limits on emissions or strengthened clean air and water standards.

Combatting AIDS and malaria in Africa- he is proposing another $ billion or so of relief funds to help fight disease. That is encouraging and I hope he and congress follow through on it.

No Child Left Behind- this is a good program with great promise, IF and only IF it is adequately funded at the federal, state and local levels- with a Democratic majority in congress, I feel this may be possible. I am concerned that public education funding not be diverted or undermined, though.

The Bad:

His rhetoric about "the war on terror" sounded much like fear-mongering and alarmist speech, designed to get support of Americans by scaring people out of their wits by raising up some terrorist bogey men. Terrorism is a real threat- no dispute there, the way Bush has exploited this issue to raise public fear, however is disgraceful.

"To win the war on terror we must take the fight to the enemy..." hmm... so how does the War in Iraq have anything remotely to do with 'taking the fight to the enemy??'

If he were really serious about this, he would have committed all our forces to root out bin laden and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan when he still had the chance in the weeks and months after 9/11...

The Ugly:

What about the people of New Orleans? Apparently the millions of people affected or displaced by Katrina have been forgotten by our commander in chief- not even a mention in the entire speech, unless I missed it somewhere...

Mr. Bush also went back to that tired theme of "they hate us for our freedom"

He is totally clueless about Iraq- Bush tries to present himself as some sort of deliverer who swooped into a chaotic Iraq to bring them freedom. He took out Sadam after falsely trumping up the bogus WMD claims, then pulling the plug on the weapons inspection process before they even had a chance to find anything.

The main thing Bush has brought to Iraq is more chaos, vicious civil war- that was not there before we invaded, and lots of casualties- 3300 American troops and counting, tens of thousands of brave American men and women seriously injured and some dismembered by the vicious improvised explosive devices (IEDs)... PLUS, by some reliable estimates (Lancet study, and U.N. estimates), hundreds of thousands of Iraqi casualties.

And what ever happened to the "rebuilding plan" and "democracy" in Iraq?? Non-existent. Instead, millions of people in Iraq are still without electricity and drinking water. Maliki is basically a puppet ruler with little or no real power or authority. The Iraqi military is another pathetic rag-tag bunch that we have cultivated a codependent relationship with, rather than empowering them to restore order, as this disturbing story from the New York Times illustrates.

How is sending tens of thousands of more American troops into such a zone help lead to any sort of tenable solution to the crisis in Iraq that Mr. Bush is, at least partly, responsible for creating?? I believe it will only further exacerbate the situation, encourage more co-dependence in the Iraqis and, sadly lead to more casualties and shattered lives.

On the whole, I am very troubled by this speech. And now, the proposed "solution" to "win in Iraq" is this "surge"?? By sending tens of thousands of more American troops into harm's way without any substantive changes in tactics, he thinks things are going to change for the better??

Let us all pray for discernment and guidance for our leaders, and also courage and boldness for those in a position to hold our leaders accountable. Ultimately, that is EACH ONE OF US... Call or write your congressional representative and even President Bush, and let them know what you most want them to work on to help make our nation and world a better place.

Here's hoping and praying for peace,

John

The Genius of Miles (Jazz as Spiritual Metaphor-II)

2007-01-22T15:10:00.000-05:00

I have been reflecting more and more recently on the art of jazz as a metaphor for spiritual life.

I've been listening to Kind of Blue- recorded by jazz trumpet legend Miles Davis in the early 1960s. Apparently, the album is the best-selling jazz recording of all-time- and with good reason- it is a true masterpiece of artistry. The pre-eminent ensemble of Miles, piano geniuses Bill Evans & Wynton Kelly, sax giants John Coltrane and Julian "Cannonball" Adderly, as well as Paul Chambers on double bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums.

These names may not mean much to you if you are not a huge jazz fan, but pick this CD up and give it a listen, and you will soon experience what I am talking about. There is an artistic synergy- full of creative permutations, intricate explorations of every melodic, harmonic and rhythmic nuance that leaves no stone unturned on this album.

An on-going dialogue and negotiation of sorts unfolds before one's ears. Truly amazing to behold- even listening to a recording of it after all this time.

Here is a snippet of some early footage of Miles, Coltrane and a larger ensemble playing for a live TV broadcast (shortly after Kind of Blue was recorded):

All I can say is "wow!" There is a creative flow and interplay there that is quite rare!

You may be asking "how is this spiritual??" Well, jazz is a unique, creative expression that has a basic, yet elegant structure, around which gifted musicians combine to make something wonderfully rich, and energizing, that often transcends words.

Authentic spiritual growth is like jazz in some key ways: it occurs in dialogue and/or relationship, it is the result of a creative synergy, and it inspires and uplifts us in ways we cannot fully express in words. More than that, while jazz is ethereal and fleeting, (even though we have these great masterpieces on recordings), our spiritual relationship with God transcends even space and time. Pretty amazing stuff! So, enjoy great jazz and be inspired; deepen your walk with God and experience the transcendent One, with whom we can also have an enriching personal relationship.

Peace on the journey,

John

"The Surge" as Bush's deus ex machina?

2007-01-18T10:46:00.000-05:00

In ancient Greek and Roman dramas, the clever playwrights sometimes "painted themselves (or at least their audience) into corners" with plot lines that seemed to have no clear resolution in sight...

Alas, enter the deus ex machina to save the day! Homer's The Odyssey is one classic example... the protagonist, drawing on unseen forces (or calling upon "the gods") to somehow pull a victory out of a hat and triumphantly save the day- presto > from zero to hero!

Another more contemporary example (somewhat loosely based on Homer according to some critics), is the Coen brothers film "O Brother, Where art Thou"

In which three country bumpkin con-men set out on a wild chase to find hidden treasure (and maybe even try and prove their innocence and redeem themselves)... It looks almost certain they are going to get caught, and end up right back on the chain gang making big rocks into small rocks... but lo and behold, enter their deliverer... metaphorically represented by the elderly blind man on the railroad push cart, to lead them to the promised land > a modern day deus ex machina (or god in the machine)!

Meanwhile, George Bush the younger, is realizing that he is a lame duck president, and wants desperately to do something- ANYTHING to try and salvage his reputation, plummeting approval numbers and quagmire of a war in Iraq. So his handlers dig deep into their playbook, searching hoping for some sort of "hail mary pass," a deus ex machina, if you will, to try and win the game in the waning seconds of the fourth quarter and victory from the jaws of defeat, and re-write Bush's developing legacy as one of the most incompetent foolishly stubborn, and ineffective presidents in American history. Bush, Cheney and Rove ain't the Soggy Bottom Boys, though... (or are they??)

So what do they come up with in their tactical brilliance (drumroll please)... "The Surge"... first it was "shock and awe" (in a war totally waged on lies- remember the WMD tall tale?)... now our illustrious president claims that sending tens of thousands MORE troops into harm's way, and throwing them into the middle of a raging civil war of rival factions, that were largely created by this ill-advised war, and somehow, MORE OF THE SAME, is going to win the day?!?

By the way, did anyone else find it more than a little unsettling to see the smug glee and hubris with which Mr. Bush seemed to exhibit when speaking about the war in Iraq on the recent 60 Minutes interview?

I want to be very clear that I strongly support our brave troops and their families, and pray for their success and safe return...

I do NOT support, however, this administration's gross mismanagement of and dishonesty about their motives for this conflict... Mr. Bush must be held accountable, otherwise can you say "national nightmare, part II"?

Here's hoping and praying for peace, and greater accountability from our leaders.

Some of my fav CDs from this past year

2007-01-17T21:49:00.000-05:00

Here are some my favorite CDs that I discovered, or re-discovered during this past year (some are recent and some have been around a while)... I am a huge jazz and classical guitar fan, but also enjoy many styles of music:

(Some of) the books I read in 2006

2007-01-16T13:40:00.000-05:00

These are some of the more memorable books I read in 2006- when I have a little more time and can think of something semi-intelligent to write about them, I will post a few mini-reviews... in the meantime, take a peek and check out any you haven't seen yet:

Books I am reading (or thinking about reading) now...

2007-01-16T13:09:00.000-05:00

Since Christmas I have been stocking up on books I saw on some of those end-of-the-year reading lists...

Along the way, I even found some others that weren't on the list, but captured my attention. (By the way, my apologies for the rather hodge-podge, somewhat disjointed appearance of this post- I am still learning how to embed images in my bloggings- any helpful hints for the technologically declined gladly accepted!)...

Here are the books I am reading now:

The Faith Club- Ranya Idliby, Suzanne Oliver & Priscilla Warner

At Canaan's Edge- Taylor Branch

The Politics of Jesus (no not the Yoder book- although that is definitely a classic!)- Obery Hendricks

Letter to a Christian Nation- Sam Harris

The God Delusion- by Richard Dawkins

(you may ask why read books by two the self-proclaimed "most prominent atheists"?? I guess I want to see how the other side lives and whether there is any sense to their claims and incredulity about religion).

As you have done to the least of these...

2007-01-14T13:01:00.000-05:00

One of the gifts my wife and I bought for our six year old daughter this Christmas was the re-release of "The Little Mermaid" on DVD. When I was cueing it up to watch it with her one Friday evening, we noticed a little gem of a short animated adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's poignant story The Little Matchgirl...

Here is a link to the recent animated rendition of it I found on Youtube, which runs a little over six minutes, and is set to music with the story being told completely through the animation:

I hope you will take a few minutes to watch it and reflect upon "the least of these," all over the world and all around us like this poor little one...

All I can say is "WOW!" That brought me to tears, and reminded me to open my eyes to people in need all around me.

I can honestly say for myself that often in life I get so wrapped up in my own self-centered routines that I often miss the opportunities to reach out and share a bit of hope and joy with "the least of these," that are truly all around us.

Shane Claiborne, partner-founder of The Simple Way Community, has dedicated his life to living among and serving the least and the lost. Check out his poignant and thoughtful book The Irresistible Revolution:

There are so many people in this world who feel broken, lost, without hope. We can help make a difference in their lives by opening our hearts and homes and sharing God's love with them- as God has done with us. Are we willing to take the bold risk of reaching out?

The Holy One says "behold I stand at the door and knock..." will we open the door or, like the rich young ruler, will we turn away and miss some of the greatest opportunties of our lives- those of experiencing the hidden Christ in our midst?? The decision is ours... What will our answer be?

Peace,

John

The Eagles have landed... (a bit too soon)... :-(

2007-01-14T08:20:00.000-05:00

My hometown Birds got their feathers 'plucked' by the Saints in a tough 27-24 loss yesterday... They battled hard and, I believe gave it their all, but the 1-2 punch of Deuce McAllister & Reggie Bush proved too tough to stop for the smaller defensive backs on the Iggles.

This photo shows one 'stomping' that McAllister dished out for a TD...

The bone-shattering, knock-the-bejeebers-out-of-ya hit that Sheldon Brown laid on Reggie Bush in the first quarter, was definitely pretty sweet, though:

Well, as the famous Philly mantra goes "there's always next year..." but they were perhaps one fourth down 'blink' away from winning this one... oh well, I guess it's a good thing that there is more to life than football...

Peace,

John

Are you fast-forwarding through your life??

2007-01-11T17:48:00.000-05:00

I recently saw Adam Sandler's latest junior high style laugh riot called "Click." I must admit that I did not rent this piece of sophomoric artistry primarily for my own viewing enjoyment (it looked like something my wife and I might enjoy watching "together"). Sort of a compromise between the thoughtful thriller genre I gravitate toward in movies vs. the (dare I say) "chick flick"/Lifetime move of the week fare that my wife seems to enjoy.

Anyway...

This little ditty of a movie, while chocked full of flatulence, occasional mild humor, and colorful words, is quite a thoughtful and creatively done piece. No joke!

Okay- "Click" is probably not going to win any Oscars, but it is a thoughtful concept movie, if you can look beyond all the potty and bedroom humor and see the greater message.

And what would that be?

Well, what I took away from it (along with a few new fart jokes), was a greater appreciation for the opportunities for deepening the important relationships in my life:

-my relationship with my daughter
-my wife
-my family
-my friends
-my neighbors

All too often the temptation is to "fast-forward" through parts of our daily lives that, at the time, we consider unpleasurable, tedious, or lacking immediate gratification.

The problem is that when we get in the habit of "fast-forwarding" through life, we miss precious opportunities to:

deepen our important relationships
strengthen our faith
to reach out to our neighbors
make our world a better place

Have you been fast-forwarding through life and missing out on precious opportunities?

Each day is precious and filled with opportunity and promise. We only get one life- let's make it count!

Peace,

John

I don't believe in that "god" either...

2007-01-11T11:32:00.000-05:00

I am now reading The God Delusion by eminent scientist and Oxford professor Dr. Richard Dawkins. The book is engaging, well-written, and, in many places, quite humorous and witty. Dawkins, described on the book's inside jacket, among other things, as "the world's most prominent atheist," has a clear agenda from the outset of the book to debunk any notion of God's existence.

In trying to disprove God, though, this incredibly bright and gifted scientist casts aside much of the scientifically rigorous inquiry that has afforded him the honors and acheivements he has earned. Instead, he engages in a rather anemic 300+ page OP-ED style infomercial for atheism.

In doing so, he seems to be "preaching to the choir" of already disenchanted atheists and perhaps a segment of barely-on-the-fence agnostics. He also sets up religion, and in particular Christian and Islamic religion as a sort of one-dimensional straw man that he then knocks over with the very sort of "blinding with science" arguments that he rails against in some scientists who happen to be believers.

I have also learned (or been reminded of) some important intellectual perspectives from reading Dr. Dawkins book. I can hardly begin to unpack my thoughts about this book in one post, so I shall most likely revisit it a few times here on the blog to try and unpack the salient points.

Rather interestingly to me, Dawkins himself does not even list himself as an absolute atheist. Instead, in chapter two, he posits a continuum with seven nodal points between absolute belief and absolute disbelief in God:

Spectrum of probabilities for the existence of God
Seven milestones along the way:
1- Strong theist. 100% probability of God
2- De facto theist. Strong but not 100%
3-agnostic leaning toward theism
4- completely impartial agnostic
5- agnostic leaning toward atheism
6- very low probability but short of zero
7- strong atheist

Dawkins places himself in the sixth of his categories, so he does not totally rule out the possible existence of God or gods. He adds, with great humor that "I am agnostic only to the extent that I am agnostic about fairies at the bottom of the garden." (51)

A very interesting and engaging read, but rather disappointingly lacking, in my humble opinion, a substantive engagement with questions of ultimate meaning and human origins. There is much more to say about this, but my lunchtime has concluded, so I shall revisit it in more depth again in the near future.

Ultimately, I am of the mind that our faith can only be strengthened by reading, and genuinely considering, a wide diversity of perspectives, including atheist, agnostic and other religious worldviews, because- after all, if one's faith is truly worth embracing, then it will withstand the most rigorous human questions we can throw at it.

Peace on the journey,

John

Jazz as Spiritual Metaphor

2007-01-10T07:30:00.000-05:00

I love all sorts of music, but I especially love jazz. The virtuosity of complex, rich melodies, harmonies and rhythms converging in a synthesis of musical creativity is truly awesome and inspiring to me. Several great jazz artists have put out works that were spiritually inspired. Here are a couple of my personal favorites:

The Sacred Concert- Duke Ellington

A Love Supreme- John Coltrane

Listen to some great jazz this week and meditate on God's creative purposes in your life!

Peace,

John

Looking Back, Looking Ahead...

2006-12-29T19:34:00.000-05:00

The year 2006 will soon be all but a memory. What kind of a year has this been? What will 2007 bring? A lot of that depends on me and you, yet it extends beyond each one of us to the Holy One.

Here are a few of my hopes and dreams for our world for this coming year:

-an end to the genocide in Darfur, Sudan
-withdrawal or at least a significant scaleback in American forces in Iraq
-More Christians, Muslims and Jews, Atheists and Agnostics talking to one another in peaceful, mutually respectful dialogue
-better healthcare for America's most needy children
-a lasting moratorium on the death penalty
-better end-of-life comfort care for the dying and their families
-real reform in Washington that helps the people not just corporate interests and lobbyists
- a real acknowledgement from President Bush that a) we are not winning the war and b) we need to get those Iraqis trained up and get our brave service people out of harm's way ASAP.
-a significant turnaround in caring for the environment to help stem the global warming crisis

This is a tall, ambitious list, I know, but true peace is a real and lasting hope that we can all contribute toward and work toward together.

I have never been one to make a lot of New Year's "resolutions" but I have also have some hopes and aspirations for myself for this coming year:

-to spend more quality time with my daughter and wife every day.
-to "go the extra mile" more often in my work in helping others.
-to take better care of the environment- use less, recycle more, and make choices that are better for the environment
-become more involved in volunteer service in my community
-actually get to know more of my neighbors
-take better care of my body as far as dietary choices, exercise, and sleep habits
-be more proactive in "putting first things first" in managing my time and energy
-deepen my spiritual journey through meditation, study, worship and small group participation
-read more books
-improve my musical skills (I have been playing and studying jazz guitar for several years now)

I lift these hopes and dreams up as an offering to God, and as hopes for the present and future.

Remembering the story of the birth of Jesus in that humble manger, we look ahead to the journey to the cross, and beyond to the promise of the Kingdom of God. But, as Jesus reminds us, the kingdom of God is within us and all around us. Will we recognize the Christ in our midst? In the eyes of the hungry and discouraged? In the longing of the weary and over-burdened? If we truly seek, we will find; if we truly knock, the door will be opened.

Jesus says "behold I stand at the door and knock."

Will we welcome him into our midst? The choice is ours- each one in our own time...

God's perfect Peace be with you now and in the new year,

John

Christmas is forgiving

2006-12-24T21:05:00.000-05:00

Christmas is again upon us. The shopping has been done, the cookies, and holiday treats have been prepared, the trees are decorated and adorned with ornaments and beautiful lights.

For many of us, this is also a time when we will gather with family and friends to celebrate, give and receive gifts and enjoy the season.

For all too many, though, this can be a painful time of year- some have lost a loved one recently, others feel broken, alone, or isolated. Yet others among us find ourselves again at odds with the people we love- maybe its a long-standing, painful feud over a deep emotional wound. Perhaps it is abusive talk or behavior. Perhaps it is even a senseless argument over how to decorate the tree, or whether or not to make cookies, or what to have for dinner.

Christmas is a great time of joy, but it can also turn into a stressful time if we let the busyness overtake us and miss out on the peace of the Christ child.

Jesus came to earth as a feeble infant to fulfill the world-changing promise of a saviour who would bring new hope, new life, and forgiveness for all who believe.

This year, when we are tempted to fight or quarrel over the decorations, or travel arrangements, or what to serve for Christmas dinner, may we pause to receive God's perfect peace as we accept and offer forgiveness in the name of Jesus.

God's perfect peace be with you now and always!

Blessings,

John

Living in the Moment

2006-12-16T12:06:00.000-05:00

As you can see from looking at the last time I posted to this blog, it has been a busy few months for me. Between my work as a hospital chaplain, parenting a very active 6 year old daughter, making time for my marriage, and being involved at church I have not found as much time for many other things.

But then again, that is a large part of what life is about, isn't it? Choosing how to spend our time, energy and resources. When we choose to do something, we are saying to ourselves and the world that that is the most important thing for us to be doing at that moment.

It can be tempting to just coast through life and become a sort of passive voyeur to our own lives, but where does that leave us? When I have found myself in a place like that, somehow, God reminds me that this moment is precious and filled with great promise and opportunity.

As the saying goes, "yesterday is gone, and tomorrow isn't here yet." So in reality, all we truly have is today.

Existential Christian theologian Paul Tillich described this as "the eternal now."

That certainly does not mean not to think about the future- quite to the contrary. It has reminded me to take better care of my body and spiritual-emotional health, as well as cherish the time I have with my daughter, wife, family and friends.

What spiritual opportunity is God beckoning you toward today? Pursue it with all your passion, energy and gifts...

Jesus was asked about what is the greatest commandment, and he replied

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and your neighbor as yourself."

That seems a lot easier said than done many times, but God leads us there one moment, one day, one decision, one step at a time.

As the Chinese proverb reminds us: The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.

Do you have the courage to take that first or next step in the right direction spiritually??

If you do, take it with joy and zeal, if you are unsure, pray for discernment, quiet your mind and Spirit, and await God's guidance- He will lead you and NEVER let you down as you follow and trust more and more fully in Him!

Blessings and peace of the Saviour to you,

John

Backing it Up...

2006-09-20T09:19:00.000-04:00

Just last week I came home after work, greeted my family and ate dinner. After dinner I went to start up the computer to check my e-mail and unwind for a few minutes. The computer began to start, when suddenly the screen went black and an error message appeared "missing or corrupted dll file." The computer would not start. Even tech support couldn't help me fix it- they informed me that the hard drive had gone bad.

Ugh!!!

I had lots and lots of family photos, documents, and much of my music collection, not to mention lots of software loaded on that hard drive...

Now they were all GONE... or in serious jeopardy of being GONE for good...

I did not back up my files on another drive...

I still don't know whether I will be able to recover any of them or not.

I did learn an important, but difficult lesson about backing up all that I do.

This whole debacle made me think more and more about my spiritual journey as well.

Do I "back up" my words with a lifestyle that is pleasing to God??

It made me think how we often go along putting our faith and trust in things that are ultimately transient- like houses, cars, fashion statements, etc. but ultimately they will all be GONE.

What will we be left with??

I am realizing more and more that ultimately all we are left with is our faith and how we have lived our lives.

Are we "backing it up"?

Peace,

John

One Year After Katrina... How much has changed??

2006-08-30T23:01:00.000-04:00

Today was the one year anniversary of the Hurricane Katrina disaster. How much has changed? The hurricane related casualties are approaching 1500 people, tens of thousands more have been permanently displaced and are still without permanent homes...

The hurricane was bad. The lack of an effective response (or proper preparation) by the federal government was worse... The levees were grossly inadequate and gave way to the torrent of flooding that swallowed the lower income sections of New Orleans.

There was a tremendous response of giving to organizations like the American Red Cross, but even as there was an out-pouring of generosity, there was also great greed from people who mis-appropriated funds and donated resources for their own gain, while thousands languished...

Jesus once said in the gospels "As you have done to the least of these so you have done to me..."

Justice!

Are we doing all we can to bring justice to those who most need it in our world?? Of course not! We must do better. I must do better...

Let's work together for greater justice for people who need it most...

Peace,

John

Riding the Spirit

2006-06-17T00:36:00.000-04:00

Last week, one of my friends from work gave me a nice kite to give to my 5 year old daughter. When I got home and showed it to her, a huge, gleeful smile spread across her face, and her eyes lit up.

"Let's go fly it right now, Daddy!" She begged me.

So her mother and I took her and the new kite to the park up the street. It was a bright and clear day, but hardly a breeze could be found. The air was still.

I tried to explain to my daughter that there was not much wind, and I could not promise that we could get the kite to fly on that day- "we might have to try again another day," I told her.

After unpacking the kite, I licked my index finger and searched for even the slightest breeze that could lift the kite even a few feet, to satisfy my daughter. None could be found. "I don't think this is going to work today, honey," I told her again. She persisted and insisted we keep trying though.

"Daddy, I know it will work. We have to keep trying! Run with the kite, Daddy, run!"

She urged me on with the confidence and certainty of a trusting child. So I began to run with the kite, while she held the spool of string. Sure enough, the kite gradually began to gather some lift, and before long a gentle breeze came along lifting the kite high in the air.

My daughter's face was beaming. "See, I told you it would fly, Daddy."

After Jesus had been crucified, the disciples were dejected, afraid, and ready to give up. Then something truly miraculous happened- He appeared to them, and gave them the Holy Spirit!

They were filled with new life, and could not help share this great news with the world!

When we find ourselves at a point in our lives where we feel hopeless, lost or without direction, God invites us to seek the wind of the Holy Spirit and find new life and renewed hope and meaning.

Peace,

John

Waiting in the Silence

2006-04-13T15:49:00.000-04:00

Cell phones, pagers, blackberries, I-pods, gameboys, satellite radio, HDTV, hi-speed internet... There are a lot of technological advances out there to fill our lives so we can always stay connected to the fast lanes of the global village or avoid the perils of boredom...

Are we, though, as Neil Postman wrote in his thoughtful book "amusing ourselves to death," as a culture??

Elijah was a prophet who always seemed to be on the run to or from something... that is until God showed him how to slow down and listen in the silence:

Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in
Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day's journey into
the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might
die. . . .

The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the
LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by."
Then a great and powerful wind tore the
mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in
the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the
earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the
fire. And after the fire came a still, small voice.

13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and
stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him,
"What are you doing here, Elijah?"

All too often we go through life filling up our days with distractions, busyness and escapes... then when we can't take it any more we cry out to God to "show us a sign" or "get us out of this jam just once," so we can go back to our hurried, distracted existence.

How often, though, in our prayers to we take time to listen in the quiet to the still, small voice of God?

Prayer is listening to God speak to our hearts. What is that still, small voice of God speaking to your heart today?

Beyond Redemption?

2006-03-15T15:10:00.000-05:00

I recently saw Walk The Line- the biographical film about the life and music of singer-songwriter Johnny Cash.

Johnny Cash's story is one of tragedy, loss, addiction, and ultimately returning to faith.

Cash was born the son of a poor sharecropper in Arkansas. His Daddy was a workaholic and a mean drunk who was seldom around except when he felt it was time to dish out punishment and abuse. His mother sang in the church choir and taught him all the old time hymns and gospel songs. Johnny lost his brother Jack to a tragic accident as a boy that his Daddy blamed on him.

Johnny left it all behind and went off to join the Air Force- strumming his guitar and writing songs whenever he could find the time. He was discovered by a small-time record producer, who helped him cut an album and build his reputation.

In the meantime he got married, and fathered several children who left him when he got mired in infidelity, addiction, and an unrelenting tour schedule. As he grew more and more famous, he sunk deeper and deeper into addiction- first booze, then eventually cocaine, and prescription drugs.

The one bright spot in his life during those times was his growing relationship with June Carter, whom had begun to tour with him and his band. June and her family eventually helped Johnny to get off the drugs after he had hit rock bottom.

In a poignant scene, he had his parents and June's family over for Thanksgiving dinner one year. John's father did nothing but belittle John and put him down, and John finally confronted him. After a huge argument they all left, except June who helped him up and nursed him back to health- he said to her "I have done so many bad things. You should have left me. How can you ever forgive me?"

They stayed together, ended up getting married and were together until June died in 2003. John died several months later- probably of a broken heart.

He had sought forgiveness from those whom he loved whom he had hurt, as well as from God.

As I reflect upon John Cash's powerful life story, I am reminded that God never gives up on us- even when we may have given up on ourselves. There is always hope for new life when we turn to God and ask him to guide us, walk with us, and carry our burdens for us.

Peace on the Journey,

John

Vision Walking

2006-02-24T16:35:00.000-05:00

About two weeks ago I bought a pedometer... you know- those little things you can clip on your belt that tell you how far you are walking? Well, I soon discovered, much to my surprise, that I walk an average of 5-6 miles per day visiting patients at the hospital where I work. "Wow!" I thought to myself- I really am walking a lot.

Then I discovered that the pedometer also has a feature that keeps track of the amount of "aerobic walking" that the wearer does throughout the day. They define aerobic as walking done at a brisk pace for a sustained period of at least 15 minutes. Much to my chagrin, despite walking nearly six miles a day I was not logging in any "aerobic walking."

I also realized that there are times in my life occasionally when I find I am busy but not especially effective, because I am constantly scurrying from appointment to appointment without taking time intentionally each day to get mentally, physically and spiritually prepared for the day.

I resolved to change this. I decided to come to work 30 minutes early, and walk completely around the hospital campus and through the main hallway, which takes 20-25 minutes if I walk briskly. I have been doing this every week day for a couple of weeks now and I love it!

On the second day that I set out for my morning "aerobic walk" I decided to use the 20 minutes to meditate and lift up my day and the hospital in my prayers and intentions. What I have found is that I feel much more energized and refreshed when I start my day, and I also feel spiritually recharged. I feel I am able to be more present and responsive to the needs of those whom I visit and seek to help, and also have a deeper sense of peace and confidence in God's greater purpose for my life.

Try making and taking time for a prayer or vision walk in the morning before you begin your work for the day. For me it has made all the difference!

Joy and peace on the Journey,

John

Righteous Rock

2006-02-06T18:05:00.000-05:00

This past weekend I went an excursion that was a lot of fun and also quite interesting. A buddy of mine who I recently met at the church I attend invited me to attend a heavy metal concert. My friend Jay, is a hard-core rocker. He plays a screaming electric guitar, and even has a tattoo.

Jesus found Jay a few years ago, and his life has not been the same since. He has gotten involved in helping out with the youth group at church, he has begun attending a small group, and also mentors a few of the young men who are new to the faith. One of these young men, a developmentally challenged teenager named Wes, joined us on the excursion.

Jay invited me, Wes, and another of his friends to go to a Christian heavy metal concert with him. He bought the tickets for us, and wouldn't let me pay him for it, so I said thanks and promised that the "next one is on me." He drove us deep into the countryside on some back roads until we finally came to a medium-sized rural church.

When we arrived and parked in the gravel parking lot, there was a steady stream of teens and twenty-somethings streaming into the church... Out back a large tour bus and trailer were parked- engine running.

When we went inside, it was a typical church foyer of a modern church structure. We were guided down the hall to the fellowship hall/gym/multi-purpose room... When we entered, we were greeted with the buzzing-amp, over-driven distortion of a teenage garage metal band warming up and doing a sound check. They were all in grungy clothes, and a couple of them had a number of tattoos and interesting hair styles...

Soon the hall filled up, and after the teen-band played their set of crunchy guitar pounding, and microphone screaming, another teen band followed- then finally, it was time for the featured group.

The band called themselves Disciple. I soon found out that they are a nationally-known Christian metal band with a big record contract and national tour... playing in a church gym to 150-200 teens and twenty-somethings...

I was thinking- these guys could go mainstream and sell out venues holding a few thousand people, but instead they feel called to play to a few hundred teens- that is awesome!

It was a kickin' concert, and let me tell you, the guitar player could really shred it, to use the hard rock guitar lingo... They did more than just rock out (although they definitely did that too!), they reached everyone in that church gym and showed them Jesus' love...

In the middle of the a scorching set of frenetic rock, jumping up and down, shredding and pogoing, they quieted things down for about 5 minutes, the lead singer reached out to the kids and young adults that were there, and showed them that Jesus is real to him...

That was incredible! The Holy Spirit was at work! Everyone joined hands, and said a prayer with him, and then it was right back to rockin' out! It was awesome! It was awesome because they had dedicated their amazing talents to reaching people and bringing Jesus to them...

God's Spirit works in some amazing and unexpected ways, breaks down cultural barriers, and boldly proclaims Christ's radical message of unconditional love, acceptance and new life!

Keep on rockin' for the Lord!

Peace on the journey,

John

Mending the Brokenness

2006-01-31T16:43:00.000-05:00

In late October, on Halloween as a matter of fact, I broke my ankle. People would ask me how I broke it, and although I was tempted to tell them some grand story, like that I broke it while sky-diving, I did it while crossing the street to my office.

I looked to see if the car coming down the street was stopping as I stepped into the crosswalk. As I turned to look, I rolled over my right ankle putting all my weight on it. While it twinged a bit, it was not initially all that painful. I thought "Eh- it's only a sprain, I can walk it off..."

After walking about 100 feet, though, I looked down, and my right ankle was already swollen up larger than a grapefruit. Fortunately, in one regard, I work at a hospital, so with the help of a friend, I hobbled down to the emergency room. After a long list of questions, and a bit of waiting, I was taken to the x-ray room, then to be seen by the orthopedist. It was broken and I would need to wear a cast, and use crutches for up to 5 weeks! I was bummed.

Even worse was the fact that I would not be allowed to drive the entire time because it was my right foot.

The whole experience, while kind of surreal at first, helped to sensitize me, in some small way, to the struggles that people face when confronted by injury or illness. I also realized that I could not do everything on my own. My dear wife was my personal chaufeur for those 6 weeks, and my parents and in-laws also helped by taking me to doctors appointments, visiting me, praying for me and offering encouragement.

That helped in my healing process- a lot!

I also had the privilege of working with a medical and rehabilitation staff that were amazingly encouraging and helpful. I went for physical therapy twice a week for two months, and the therapist and his staff worked patiently with me to help me first begin to regain my strength, then gradually begin to walk- step by step.

I have been amazed at how such seemingly small gestures meant to me- they helped to keep me on the path to recovery, and helped rebuild my confidence and mobility.

There are many times in life when we encounter others who are wounded- either physically, from illness, or injury, or from emotional trauma and loss. Some people, sadly, feel ashamed of their woundedness or do not seek help. Others seem to wear it as a badge from which to garner sympathy but do not take the steps needed to get better- even when they are within reach.

By journeying with friends, neighbors, loved ones, and even acquaintences, we can offer ourselves as an encouraging and nurturing presence. This gift, though intangible and seemingly insignificant, is one of the greatest gifts that one human being can offer another. May we offer our presence and friendship to others as a source of healing and hope.

Peace on the journey,

John

God Broke Through!

2005-12-26T13:34:00.000-05:00

Christmas, I have discovered, is not about holiday shopping madness, nor about traditions and feasts, although they can all be fun...

Christmas is about God breaking through into our lives in the person of Jesus.

He is standing at the door of our hearts knocking. Will we let him in?

Blessings and peace for a joyous holiday season and hope-filled New Year!

John

Seeking the Essential Life

2005-12-01T11:20:00.000-05:00

I have recently found myself longing for a way of life that is more grounded. I am realizing how driven and distracted I am by the desire to acquire and consume.

Some of my propensities toward these sort of tendencies include:

-my craving for caffeine and empty carbohydrates
-my easy distractability of vision
-my quest for comfort, even when momentary discomfort may help me acheive something greater and more important
-my tendency to try to avoid rather than confront and overcome situations in which I feel anxious
-my compulsive drive for sensory gratification including losing track of time while watching television or using the computer

I desire to break the power that I have given these things in my life, and move to a more centered, balanced, less cluttered, essential life.

The disciplines of meditation, exercise, music, study, reflection, and deep listening have helped me to take steps toward the essential life.

Distractions and temptations always confront us in this life, but hopefully as we continue further along the journey, their power over our lives is gradually broken.

This sort of centered, essential life is the journey that the Holy One invites to seek; leaving behind all of our pursuits that distract us from what is pure and true.

That is the essence, of holiness, I believe- not a sort of arrogant "holier-than-thou" false piety, but a humble, honest journey to the center- set apart from all else.

That is what it means to be holy- dedicated to seeking the One- within ourselves, within others, within Creation, within the eternal.

Peace in the name of the Holy One,

John

50 Reasons Why I am Giving Thanks on Thanksgiving

2005-11-23T06:37:00.000-05:00

Here are 50 Reasons why I am giving thanks this Thanksgiving- I have:

50. a place to live
49. clothes to wear
48. shoes on my feet
47. food to eat
46. the ability to walk
45. my sight to watch a beautiful sunset or the stars at night
44. my taste to enjoy a piece of homemade pumpkin pie
43. my smell to the aroma of fresh flowers or a favorite dish
42. a job or source of income
41. colleagues at work who care
40. an education
39. the ability to read and write
38. books to read and the freedom to read them without fear
37. the freedom to speak my conscience and even voice dissent
36. the freedom to gather with whomever I choose
35. musical gifts to share
34. daily opportunities to help others
33. health insurance
32. transportation
31. a sense of humor
30. a legacy of faith and care left by loved ones who have already gone home
29. pictures that speak better than words
28. teachers that have given their all to help me learn
27. counselors who have helped me through some 'dark nights of the soul'
26. seekers who have renewed my confidence in God's power to change lives
25. worshipers who have modeled for me a heartfelt faith
24. healers who have showed me how to care
23. antagonists who have taught me patience and how to deal graciously with challenges
22. vacations that have given me rest
21. clean water that refreshes me when I feel parched
20. students who remind me that we are always learning
19. ball games on sunny afternoons with friends
18. warm evenings by a fireplace with loved ones
17. comfort for those who are grieving
16. rest for those who are weary
15. people with the courage to speak their conscience even though it may cost them their life
14. walks on a familiar beach in summer
13. writers who challenge me to think and consider other points of view
12. pastors who seek to genuinely live what they preach
11. the words of children that give me a fresh perspective on life
10. a story of how God has changed my life for the better
9. a church home with people who care
8. joy and hope in my heart
7. my health
6. family and friends
5. a sister who is an encourager, patient listener, and friend
4. parents who gave me life, nurtured me, and pointed me in the right direction
3. a beautiful daughter who brightens my every day and is the joy of my life
2. a loving, devoted wife who is my soulmate, partner, and best friend
1. faith in God who provides for all my needs

Peace in the Lord,

John

Remembering the Fallen; Standing for Peace

2005-11-09T08:03:00.000-05:00

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." -Matthew 5:9

The number of American casualties from the latest war in Iraq has topped 2000 dead. This is striking, especially with Veteran's Day being commemorated on November 11th. I am unashamedly and unapolagetically a pacifist. However, I deeply respect the tremendous dedication and courage that the fine men and women of our armed forces have shown in answering the call to duty.

Still, sadly, military veterans and their families are seriously neglected, and marginalized, not only by much of our society, but also by our government. This must change. Veterans need to be guaranteed proper medical care and benefits for them and their families, as well as respect for their service.

At a larger level, though, I think we need to hold our nation's leaders accountable at the highest level for this ill-conceived war of choice. Was Sadam Hussein a despot? Of course. But this whole war was propagated on a series of lies coming straight from Mr. Bush's oval office. First it was alleged secret meetings Sadam had with Bin Laden- no evidence ever materialized to support that claim.

Second was the "weapons of mass destruction" claims- Colin Powell paraded a series of satellite images, elaborate charts, and supposed intelligence claiming Iraq had these weapons. The inspections were progressing, yet apparently not fast enough for Mr. Bush, who decided it was time to invade Iraq no matter what the inspections found (or didn't find).

Third we have the infamous 16 words in the 2003 State of the Union address. That Iraq had secretly tried to acquire yellow cake uranium from Niger. A claim that Ambassador Joe Wilson and others who made a trip to investigate the claims found no evidence to support. Beyond that, the Bush administration not only took our nation to war based on phony evidence and false claims, but his staff also lied about it. Repeatedly.

Mr. Cheney made allegations of secret meetings between Sadam and Bin Laden that he knew (or at the very least should have known) were false. Mr. Rove gave Mr. Libby classified information about Mr. Wilson's wife, a covert CIA operative, which they both then leaked to the press, conveniently before their Sunday propaganda sessions on the morning talk shows.

In his own simplistic, fundamentalist way, Mr. Bush considers himself a person of deep faith. He and his speech writers even quote (out of context unfortunately), key phrases from hymns and scripture verses. Perhaps Mr. Bush should read, or re-read the Sermon on the Mount. In it Jesus raises the bar for loving our neighbors, and pursuing peace:

-"blessed are the peacemakers"
-"love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you"
-"let your yes be yes and your no be no"

Instead he clings to his deceit of our nation, and even more sadly, deceit of himself.
I pray for Mr. Bush and all our leaders. I respect the offices they hold. I believe strongly, though, that much greater accountability and justice needs to be brought back to our nation's leadership.

How many more thousands of American troops, and tens of thousands of innocent Iraqis must die before Mr. Bush brings home the brave men and women putting their lives on the line for a nation that does not want them there in the first place?

Join me in praying for peace, and for honesty and truth from our leaders.

Peace be with you,

John

Injustice for One is Injustice for All

2005-11-02T08:40:00.000-05:00

"We are bound by an inescapable garment of mutuality, whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly." -Dr. Martin Luther King, jr.

- letter from the Birmingham Jail, 1962

This week, we are remembering the legacy of civil rights and equality that Rosa Parks, a tremendous woman of courage, left our nation and world. Yet, there are still tens if not hundreds of thousands of women and children who exist in slavery- today in 2005, nearly 150 years after the emancipation proclamation, and 75 years after women gained the right to vote.

This past Saturday, I watched a show on a television network that I have fastidiously avoided in the past- Lifetime. Yes, a man watching a show on Lifetime- Television for Women...so much for my thin macho veneer...

It was a powerfully moving program called "Human Trafficking." The program, which is based on the alarming trend of young women from Asia, Eastern Europe, and even (gasp), here from the United States, being abducted and sold into the sex slavery and pornography industries.

The docudrama begins with a handful of teenage girls responding either to ads promising modeling jobs or mail order marriages. Then once they respond and get on the plane to America, Mexico, Austria or another location, they meet a contact and are wisked away in a van, have their passports, money and belongings taken from them, and are held forcibly against their will. They are then subjected to physical and mental abuse, rape, and forced into prostitution.

In another case, young girls traveling with their families in Southeast Asia were abducted in crowded marketplaces and sold into sex slavery- many became victims of so-called "sex tourists"- sick men who travel from the U.S. and Europe to engage in disgusting sexual abuse of minors. It is shocking and absolutely abominable, but happens on a disturbingly wider and wider scale. Estimates are that this illegal sex slavery reaps billions in profits each year for the heartless evil individuals running crime organizations that propagate this trade in human flesh.

Even sadder, affluent American and European men are the primary supporters of this illicit and dehumanizing trade.

We must all take a united stand against this dehumanizing injustice! We must pressure our congressional representatives to strengthen enforcement, we must also support grassroots advocacy for supporting women and children who are trying to get out and make a fresh start. "Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly," as Martin Luther King, jr. said, very eloquently during the Civil Rights Movement, nearly 50 years ago.

Jesus, also said in the Gospel "As you have done to the least of these, you have also done to me."

Are we willing to step beyond our comfort zones of American apathy and stand for justice for all?

I hope so. Let's begin today- together we can make a difference.

Peace for all,

John

It's a New Day!

2005-10-26T07:19:00.000-04:00

I had an epiphany of sorts today. Lately I've been a little down about certain aspects of my life- struggling to gain a deeper sense of my purpose and true calling. I felt like I was sort of going through the motions, coasting, not being effective, lacking dynamic energy.

Then I realized that each day is a new day. Yesterday is gone, and tomorrow isn't here yet, so I asked God to help me be present now in this moment.

Each of us has a light within us that we can celebrate and show to the world what great things God is doing in our lives, or we can try to hide that light thinking somehow that it's not good enough or doesn't matter.

I am here to say to you today that your light does matter!

So let it shine- brightly, unashamedly, with no guilt, no regrets...

Put it out there, and risk living!!

That is my epiphany...

Now I can't wait to go back out there and let my spark shine- at work, in my home, in church, out in the community with my neighbors, and everywhere else in between.

Why don't you join me?

Seeking to be the light of the world,

John

Compassion Fatigue?

2005-10-20T07:17:00.000-04:00

In the past few months, there has been a devastating hurricane in the gulf region; and more recently a tragic earthquake that has claimed the lives of more than 40,000 people in Pakistan, with possibly millions left homeless.

Urgent appeals have gone out from relief organizations everywhere, including the American Red Cross, and whole host of faith-based charities.

Lately it's hard to turn on the TV without seeing commercials asking for donations and/or volunteers...

In the midst of this barrage of urgent requests, it is easy to feel overwhelmed.

Many Americans are experiencing a sort of compassion fatigue- a sense of feeling overwhelmed by requests for help, and wondering what is the best stewardship of the finite resources and gifts we have after paying bills and spending time at work and with family.

Americans have set new records with their monetary donations to relief efforts in the wake of hurricane Katrina.

The federal government has allocated around $60 billion and counting so far toward relief and redevelopment of the gulf region. Meanwhile, conservative congressional representatives continue to push for drastic cuts to vital services like medicare, help for needy children and food stamps, while at the same time defending unprecedented tax cuts approaching $100 billion for the wealthiest Americans.

Something is very wrong with our leaders priorities when vital services are targeted for cuts while the rich continue to get richer.

Enough Americans need to stand together and speak out for economic and social justice to bring about needed changes.

I believe this begins by working locally to address the needs of people less fortunate then us- not to give handouts, but to help people help themselves.

Together we can make a difference!

There once was a young man who was walking along the seashore, when he noticed literally hundreds of starfish had been beached when the tide receded. If they were not returned to the water soon, the sun would dry them out and kill them. One by one he began to pick them up and toss them into the water. A little while later a beachcomber happened upon the young man, asked him what he was doing saying

"How do you possibly think you are going to make a difference- there are so many of them?!?"

As he picked up one of the starfish and tossed it back into the water, he said to the other man "I made a difference to that one."

May we go and do likewise.

Peace,

John

2005-09-20T07:32:00.000-04:00

May we all pray for healing and restoration for all affected by Hurricane Katrina. If you wish to make a donation toward relief efforts, I urge you to contact:

The American Red Cross

or call 1-800-HELP NOW

"Together we can save a life."

Overwhelmed but not Forgotten

2005-09-20T07:17:00.000-04:00

The gulf region is still reeling from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Plans had called for nearly 200,000 residents displaced by the hurricane to be able to return home to salvage what they could and try to begin the long, arduous process of starting over again.

Then came Rita- the latest tropical storm with the possibility of slamming the gulf once again as a category 3 or 4 hurricane...

As I listened to reports on the news of this latest setback for the already dejected hurricane survivors, the words of Psalm 137 came to mind:

1 By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we
remembered Zion.
2 There on the poplars we hung our harps, 3
for there our captors asked us for songs,
our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they
said, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"
4 How can we sing the songs
of the LORD while in a foreign land?

For many of those displaced from their homes by the ravages of the hurricane and the flood waters, this whole strange, unwanted odyssey must seem like an exile of sorts. There was talk of re-opening the popular music establishments of the French Quarter as soon as possible, yet for the tens of thousands of low income residents of New Orleans and souther Mississippi there is little talk of re-building their homes.

Instead, Mr. Bush and other leaders are now talking about eliminating most of the low income housing and building more upscale properties in its place. While this may sound attractive, and desirable to business leaders and tourists who rely on the region as a cash cow, it would displace tens of thousands of people, and force them to relocate far away from what was formerly their home.

Economic redevelopment and renewal can be very positive and a great opportunity, as long as it is not at the expense of essentially evicting more than 100,000 people from their hometowns.

Economic development needs to be balanced with the housing needs of residents displaced by this natural disaster. Otherwise we Americans risk perpetuating- either actively or tacitly, our shameful history of displacing and discriminating against people of lower income and educational attainment. It would also perpetuate the poor example we have set for treating minorities in our nation unfairly.

Let's work to be part of the solution, instead of just letting business interests take over. Redevelopment that shuts middle and lower income residents out of the process is not renewal- it is a forced exile clothed as economic recovery.

Peace,

John

Searching for Hope in a river of Despair

2005-09-09T07:49:00.000-04:00

In recent weeks our entire nation has been focused on the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina. the hurricane violently swept in on the gulf regions of Louisiana and Missisippi leaving hundreds dead, and hundreds of thousands without a home or most of their belongings.

In the minds of many, though, the real tragedy has been the grossly inadequate preparation and pathetically slow response to this disaster. Tens of thousands of poor, indigent, and sick residents and patients in the region were either unable or chose not to evacuate in time. Then the hurricane ripped through, violently smashing homes, cars, boats and property in addition to claiming many lives.

For nearly five days, the victims huddled in the few gathering places they could find- the grossly overcrowded, now heavily damaged Superdome, the similarly ravaged Convention Center, and other places. All too many did not make it out of their homes, and were forced to swim or wade through polluted flood water filled with toxic chemicals, human and animal waste, and even an alarming number of dead bodies.

Even more troubling to many was the fact that media news crews converged on the scene to report and document the developing story within several hours after the storm hit, but the National Guard, most relief workers, and federal authorities did not arrive until more than 3 days later.

Many Americans were shocked and horrified to see thousands of people languishing for days on rooftops with no food or potable water. We are now hearing of hospitals and nursing care facilities that were unable or failed to evacuate patients and residents, only to have many of them go without needed treatments for days, and several dozen of them die.

This hurricane was devastating beyond human comprehension or expectation, so it is understandable that the demand for response would be overwhelming and difficult to effectively address. Still, this tragedy has also laid bare much tension and ineptitude. Tension from the feeling of many that the lethargic response was in part due to the fact that most of the people affected were of low income backgrounds, and also many if not most were people of color. Ineptitude, because many failures contributed to the abysmal response.

Some of these failures include significant cuts to federal disaster preparation funding in recent years; as well as repeated calls for strengthening the levees which went unheeded. State and local officials also clearly could have done more, however, the burden of preparing for responding effectively to a disaster of such magnitude must be shouldered largely by federal agencies, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The former director of FEMA had been appointed to the post by President Bush, despite having no professional experience in coordinating disaster management and response. Interestingly, the lionshare of the blame from the Bush administration has been shifted to Mr. Brown, with the president making speeches and grand pronouncements in between photo opportunities in a pathetic effort to somehow salvage his own rapidly tarnishing image.

Mr. Bush responded with an allocation of disaster relief funding of $52 billion, despite the fact that costs of the disaster are initially estimated at more than $200 billion at the very least. All the while, the president continues to quietly advance his agenda of eliminating the estate tax, a move that mainly benefits the wealthiest 5% of Americans, yet will cost our nation nearly $1 trillion over the next ten years, if approved as anticipated.

In contrast to this seeming incongruence, there has been a tremendously generous outpouring of support from relief organizations such as the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and other charities. In addition, many religious congregations have opened their doors and homes to the victims of Katrina, in a response of great compassion.

In one sense, this tragedy has revealed an ever-widening divide in America between the haves and have nots or have littles. Of course, when our president, in speeches to supporters paying $5000 a plate toward his political warchest, says that he considers "the haves and the have mores," his "base," that reveals a lot about the real agenda behind all the rhetoric.

With over 1000 references in scripture to caring for the poor, needy, and "least of these," politicians that claim to be people of faith, yet pass laws and promote policies that hurt most middle and low income Americans have a lot of seriousl soul searching to do.

Even the elder Mrs. Bush, added fuel to the fire in an unwitting series of statements to thousands of displaced hurricane victims in the Astrodome, where she suggested that these folks, having come from poverty, would somehow have it better now that they were homeless.

We need to return to the core beliefs of faith- of caring for our neighbors (meaning all people in need), and supporting justice for the least of these. Anything less is hypocrisy, and misses the mark that the great figures of our faiths have set for us.

Peace,

John

Thriving in the Midst of Adversity

2005-08-04T07:22:00.000-04:00

Just the other day I went to see the incredible documentary "March of the Penguins." As the opening credits roll viewers see a breathtaking, but desolate expanse of icebergs, snow, and frigid ocean. As the camera pans across the barren frozen wasteland the roar of the harsh wind (that we later learn is a chilling eighty degrees below zero!) it begins to hone in on a distant ice shelf.

Atop that ice ridge we see a long line of tiny black dots- figures that look like ants marching. Surely nothing could survive under these conditions!?! Then as the scene zooms in closer, we discover that it is a line of thousands of emperor penguins making their annual journey 70 miles inland to mate, guard their eggs, and huddle together without food for literally months at a time to protect their eggs until the baby penguins hatch.

Then something amazing and unexpected happens. The mother and father penguins do an awkward sort of dance and transfer the egg, so that the male penguins end up nestling the fragile egg between its feet and the fold of its abdominal skin.

Amazing stuff!

Not only that- but the males huddle together in the subzero temperatures with winds and snow of up to 100 MPH for weeks more while the females return to the sea to hunt for food for them and their baby. Some never make it back. Some chicks don't make it through the cold, harsh winter. Still these penguins journey on- undeterred.

These amazing birds are remarkably adaptable and resilient. They face the harshest conditions on earth and still thrive. Nature is filled with amazing creatures and plants that adapt to overcome the biggest challenges the environment can throw at them.

I gained a whole new perspective from this film. Suddenly the heat wave that our region has faced doesn't seem quite so bad.

In many ways, we humans are both some of the most innovative, and least adaptable creatures on the planet. Innovative with all the many discoveries, scientific advances and technologies we have developed. Least adaptable in that we are bothered and complain by even the slightest changes in our routines and environment.

As Jared Diamond also points out astutely in his recent book Collapse, humankind has an enormous responsibility to be good stewards of the earth and all that is in it.

Still, over the course of human history, society after society has collapsed due to abusing and/or depleting their environment. Abusing or neglecting through deforestation; overhunting or overfishing; pollution; and also by failing to adapt cultural practices to new environment.

That analogy applies to each of us on our own spiritual journey as well. The opportunities for growth and renewed spiritual vitality are always there if we take the reasonable risk of exploring, and discovering what gives us life spiritually.

Some ways we can cultivate this spiritual journey are through meditation, prayer, spending time in nature, reading and reflecting on scripture and spiritual/devotional writings. Take the risk of going on the spiritual journey. It is the only way to meaningful life. When we earnestly set out on that journey, we have nothing to lose but our anxieties and everything to gain...

Peace to you on the journey,

John

Faith and Politics- Having Important Conversations

2005-07-07T07:58:00.000-04:00

What are the two main topics that we hear so often are not appropriate for conversation with our guests, families, and friends?

Faith and politics.

Yet these are the very topics, that Jim Wallis, and other Christian progressives remind us are vitally important for us to talk about with the people we care about.

I just finished reading the recent book by Jim Wallis entitled "God's Politics: Why the Right Gets it Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get it"

In the book, Wallis, while a bit redundant at times, convincingly makes the case that faith and progressive politics can and should go together. Wallis takes the Bush administration to task for policies that overlook the poor and needy, as well as a war in Iraq and fear-mongering that are off-base and have done little but damage our reputation in the world community.

He also takes liberal politicians and pundits to task for clinging to a rigid secularism, thus alienating many progressive people of faith in the process. He asserts that progressives have failed to articulate a compelling vision that includes people of faith. Wallis also observes that the great social change movements of recent human history, such as the Civil Rights Movement, have been faith-based.

Jim Wallis warns of a new type of fundamentalism that has afflicted the Left:

“Today there are new fundamentalists in the land. These are the ‘secular
fundamentalists,’ many of whom attack all political figures who dare to speak
from their religious convictions.” (69)

“Secular fundamentalists make a fundamental mistake. They believe that the separation of church and state ought to mean the separation of faith from public life... Fortunately the Constitution protects the free speech of believing and unbelieving citizens.” (70)

Wallis portrays politicians as being fickle and changing with the winds of the polls and public opinion:

The great practitioners of real social change, like Martin Luther King, jr., and Mahatma Gandhi, understood something very important. They knew that you don’t change a society by merely replacing one wet-fingered politician with another. You change society by changing the wind. (22)

He calls on progressive people of faith to join together in a movement to "change the wind." Wallis goes on to say that “...to change the wind, you have to know which direction you want it to move in. And that is about vision. Today both religion and politics have a vision problem.” He condemns the privatization of religion and calls upon people of faith to bring faith back into the public square, alongside progressive social values like justice for the poor and promoting peace, and an end not only to terrorism, but also state-sponsored terrorism that has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians in the war in Iraq alone.

Wallis also reminds us all that protest and standing for what we believe in is good, but we also need to lift up viable alternatives to the injustice was stand against. He writes “To offer an alternative is always more challenging than just protest; it requires more work, creativity, and risk…The power of protest is not in its anger, but in its invitation.” (46).

He spells out the political dilemma for progressive people of faith with a social conscience when he writes:

“With the Republicans offering war overseas and corporate dominance at home, and
the Democrats failing to offer any real alternatives, who will raise a prophetic voice for social and economic justice and for peace?” (77)

I believe that is the question of the day for us. Who will speak up for the least and the lost? Who will stand for peace and justice?? I believe the answer is that every single one of us needs to unite around these common values and stand together as part of this movement.

Politicians on either side won't do it- too risky and dangerous...

We need to stand together for peace, for social justice for the poor, equitable healthcare and education, and inclusivity of all people rather than hiding behind the false comfort of fear-mongering and in-group, out-group behavior that some of the more conservative political factions would like to see.

In one of the chapters on social change as a movement, Wallis quotes Gandhi, who when referring to peace as a path or way of life rather than merely a position said: "You must be the change you wish to see in the world."

May we go and do likewise.

Peace,

John

Here's what I am reading this week:

2005-06-30T17:30:00.000-04:00

Heaven?

2005-06-14T07:26:00.000-04:00

I went to the store to pharmacy to pick up a prescription for my wife recently when I overheard a conversation. One employee asking another "What do you believe about heaven?" The other employee proceeded to launch into a very fundamentalist interpretation of heaven- about the importance of "being saved," and that once someone is saved everything is okay and the promise of heaven is sure.

This conversation troubled me in a number of ways. While I also believe in some form of an afterlife as a Christian, my belief certainly does not include a once-and-done concept of being "saved."

Yes I believe in heaven, but I believe when we fixate on it, we can get distracted from the opportunities all around us.

It got me asking a few questions: 1) Why so much focus on the afterlife, when God is present with us in the here and now? 2) Does not fixating on heaven and eternity in a "me and Jesus" kind of way call away from a proper focus on social justice and the importance of Christian community? 3) Is it not arrogance and spiritual pride to assume that what is the answer for me is or should be the answer for everyone? 4) There is so much talk about hell for people who do not believe in the same way as these fundamentalist Christians, yet Jesus' example was clearly one of inclusion rather than exclusion and elitism- is this not hypocrisy on the part of conservative fundamentalists?

I have been wrestling with these questions a bit recently. Especially with hearing the news of Billy Graham's recent "crusade" in New York, that may well be his last. Graham is one of the most widely recognized religious figures in the world next to the pope. Yet, Graham preaches a very fundamentalist-literalist interpretation of scripture. He has also been known to make anti-semetic remarks, some of them infamously captured on the Nixon tapes (which, in all fairness, Graham later apologized about very contritely).

Still, despite all his charisma, communicating skills and winsome personality, Rev. Graham preaches a gospel of literalism and exclusivism- ie. accept a very literalistic, narrow, fundamentalist interpretation of scripture and be "saved" according to very conservative guidelines, or be damned to eternal punishment in hell.

The reason I mentioned Billy Graham, because he is a leading proponent of Christian fundamentalism that fixates on instantaneous experiences of "being saved" and on heaven while, at the same time, neglecting to adequately address important matters of social justice, and life in the here and now.

I believe that as people of faith we are called to focus on loving our neighbors compassionately in the here and now, and accepting the gifts of the Spirit in our lives. The other-worldly focus of heaven and "being saved" distracts from ministering to others in fulfillment of the great commandment, and wrongly places the focus back on the "me and Jesus" approach that lacks authenticity and accountability in Christian community.

Heaven is a real hope- don't get me wrong. I have visited dying friends and loved ones and they find great comfort in the hope of heaven. When our work here on earth is done and we are transitioning, then looking forward to heaven is a great source of inspiration.

So while I believe this fixation on the afterlife distracts from our calling to discipleship here in this life, allow me to offer a perceptual alternative: Let us focus on living in the Holy Spirit here in this life- through serving others, sharing compassion, and living lives that bring social justice to others and live out the essence of Christian community.

Sure, individual faith experience and personal journey are both important. However, may we never allow our focus to turn away from our calling to share God's love and compassion with the least and the lost in this world. This can be done in an inclusive and inviting way that accepts each person for who they are, and affirms them on their spiritual journey, wherever they may be on that journey. The temptation in focusing on the eternal hereafter is that we allow ourselves to become blind or desensitized to the needs and opportunities for ministry that are all around us.

Peace,

John

Remembrance and Renewal

2005-06-06T07:20:00.000-04:00

Just this past weekend we commemorated Memorial Day, here in the United States. Memorial Day is traditionally the day that we remember those who have died either in military service or in other service of our nation. Remembering and honoring those who have given their lives serving our country is important, however soldiers are not the only people whom we should remember on such a day. This year I approached the holiday with a different perspective. I thought more about those whom have made great personal sacrifices pursuing peacemaking through nonviolence.

I realized that there are many, many people throughout human history who have given of themselves and made great personal sacrifices to help others through the ways of non-violence. A pastor friend of mine articulated this point very eloquently in a meditation at an evening service that I attended with my wife.

Many of the great leaders of social change movements in human history have made great personal sacrifices to advance the causes of nonviolence and social justice. Civil rights leaders Martin Luther King jr., Mahatma Gandhi, and social justice advocate Bishop Oscar Romero come to mind. All three of these men ultimately gave their lives seeking to be faithful to their calling to speak up for justice for the oppressed.

King envisioned an America freed from the oppressive influence of racism, discrimination and hatred. Beginning in the heart of the deep south of Alabama with all of its racial hatred and discrimination in the Jim Crow era, King eloquently articulated a vision of non-violent resistance and organized protest of racial injustice.

The Montgomery Bus Boycott, as well as the lunch counter sit-ins, peace marches- first on the Alabama Statehouse, then ultimately the 1963 March on Washington where he delivered one of the most powerfully moving speeches on social justice and nonviolence ever given- "I Have a Dream." The world was forever changed.

Mahatma Gandhi started from humble beginnings in a middle class family from a small town in India in the 19th century, where he lived with his family under the oppressive colonial rule of the Brittish. He saw firsthand the injustices discrimination, and even violence that was committed against the people of India. His parents made great sacrifices to make it possible for him to travel to England to study and get a first-rate education.

Gandhi went on to earn a degree in law. One of his first cases took him to South Africa. While there, he was deeply disturbed by the way in which people of color were treated. He stayed and fought for the rights of people of color there.

Then, after studying the Bhagavad Gita and Christian scripture, he gave up a promising law career to help liberate his people from colonial oppression and racial discrimination. He lived out his beliefs. One of my favorite quotes from Gandhi is:

"Be the change you want to see in the world."

This speaks powerfully to me even today. As Jim Wallis articulates the spirit of this statement so well in his book "God's Politics," where he writes: "Peacemaking is less a position than a path- the path Jesus has clearly instructed us to take."

Oscar Romero was a powerful voice for non-violence and social justice for the oppressed. During his several years as archbishop of San Salvador, in volatile Central America, he confronted injustice, and courageously spoke up against and faced the violent rebels who were viciously killing anyone who opposed their regime. He ultimately paid the price for his peacemaking by being struck by an assassin's bullet.

Romero, in many ways, exemplefied what peacemaking is all about- taking bold stands for justice for the oppressed, and being willing to make great personal sacrifices for these beliefs, even to the point of being ready to die for what one believes in.

The whole concept of remembrance calls us back to the metaphor of being part of a living body or organic movement. When we re-member, we call to mind that we are all members of this body working in concert with one another toward the goal of peace. May we each take bold stances for peace, social justice and non-violence- not just with our words, but with our whole selves- the way we live, the example we set, the goals we work toward.

May peace be more than just something we are "in favor of"- may it be a path we seek to walk and live.

Peace,

John

The Theology of Star Wars

2005-05-25T07:53:00.000-04:00

The final installment of the Star Wars prequel film series, entitled Revenge of the Sith, just hit the theaters last weekend, and I saw it yesterday- all 2 hours and 26 minutes of it.

The entire Star Wars series is packed full of theological metaphors- the force, the dark side, as well as the host of characters whom one could easily say parallel certain figures of faith. The Jedi masters and their paduans (or disciples), the morally conflicted Anakin Skywalker, who is seduced by the dark side to serve the evil Sith lord, who had cleverly disguised himself as a leader of the Republic; Padme, the mother figure who eloped with Anakin who would quietly give birth to the one who would restore balance to the force and bring peace to the galaxy.

Then you have the ancient order of the Jedi Knights, committed to the ways of peace and justice, but ready to give their lives for others or for the good of the force. The jedi, and members of what would become "the rebellion" movement, against the corrupt evil empire are thrust into a sort of diasporra after being betrayed by a certain leader of the senate with a dark personality.

In Episode III, Revenge of the Sith, we see the tide beginning to turn on the jedi, and momentum swinging to the dark side with all of its de-humanizing evil.

One of the most powerful scenes in the film was when Obi Wan Kenobi, the wise jedi master, and his former disciple, Anakin were engaged in a fierce lightsaber battle. All the while they are hovering over a river of lava, evoking the metaphorical imagery of Dante's Inferno.

Obi Wan and Anakin exchange blows with the lightsabers, while all the while engaging in a deep ontological argument. Obi Wan finally corners Anakin and shouts "You were the chosen one!" I will not say what happens next in case you have not seen the film yet, but it is a crucial turning point in the story, because it is one of the final steps in Anakin's slippery path down to the dark side.

One familiar with the Christian gospel narratives, cannot help but think of how Jesus was betrayed by one of his chosen disciples, then ultimately sent to die for what he believed, taught, and lived. His other disciples- even the most promising of them like Peter and John all abandoned Jesus at his crucial hour, but he still loved them and modeled the way of peace for them.

Also in the mix you have the wise, almost buddha-like figure of Yoda- the oldest and most advanced of the jedi knights. Yoda's diminuitive, frail appearance is deceiving because he is strong in the force (and pretty darn good with that light saber too!). Yoda's words are filled with existential pearls of wisdom like:

"Try not...Do or do not."

"Search your feelings...do not give in to hate and fear, for they lead to the dark side..."

"Trust the force...you do not succeed, because you do not believe..."

When I heard some of these words of wisdom I was reminded of Jesus teaching the disciples about faith- like when he walked on water and told Peter to come to him; or when he promised them the Holy Spirit, and said that they would have the power to do far more than ever imagined if they trusted the Holy Spirit to guide them.

Another favorite Star Wars moment for me is in The Empire Strikes Back, when Luke Skywalker is training with Yoda in the swampy jungles of Dagobah. After schooling young Luke in the ways of the jedi, Yoda brings him to a dark cave. He encourages Luke to venture into the cave. Yoda says to Luke "You will not need your weapon...you will only find what you bring in..." still Luke insists on bringing his lightsaber into the dark cave. Soon Luke encounters a vision of Darth Vader. Luke draws his lightsaber first and lashes out at Vader. His mask falls to the ground revealing Luke's own image behind the mask.

That scene reminded me of how we can be our own worst enemy when we allow fear and temptation to dominate our heart and mind.

The whole saga is filled with thelogical metaphors and deep characters struggling to make sense of good and evil in a conflicted and confusing universe. So even though the setting is in "a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..." its' story speaks to the human story today through parable-like stories and rich metaphorical symbolism.

May peace (and the force) be with you always,

John

The Heart of Christianity

2005-05-19T17:50:00.000-04:00

Marcus Borg, in his recent book The Heart of Christianity, thoughtfully discusses how many people have felt alienated or marginalized by religion that emphasizes literalism, intolerance, and exclusivity. He regards this previous approach as the earlier paradigm, and asserts that it is outmoded and must be replaced by a more inclusive, affirming, metaphorical, and diverse approach. He points to a new, or emerging vision of faith- "...a new way of seeing Christianity," as he puts it.

He writes that "... there is no single right way of understanding Christianity and no single right way of being Christian."

Borg outlines four meanings of faith that are different lenses through which people have interpreted the faith over the years- for better or worse:

assensus- or assent- a matter of the head- Borg believes the Protestant Reformation and Catholic Counterreformation adopted and informed this perspective; also he believes they were informed by Enlightenment ideals and quest for factual verification of Christian belief. He writes that

:…for many modern people, faith as assensus has become primary precisely because the central claims of Christianity have become questionable...faith as belief is relatively impotent, relatively powerless. (30)

fiducia- or “trust”- radical trust in God. Borg cites Kierkegaard’s metaphor of faith as trust being like “floating in an ocean.” (citing a passage from Kierkegaard’s Fear and Trembling) Faith as “trusting in the buoyancy of God.” In this perspective, the opposite of faith is anxiety or worry.

fidelitas- faithfulness to God in a covenant relationship- “radical centering in God.” Opposites of this meaning are covenant-breaking and idolatry. The ten commandments and the Great Commandment prime examples of faith as fidelitas.

visio- vision- “…seeing the whole; seeing what is.” Cites H. Richard Neibuhr’s The Responsible Self. The responding self more aptly describes this concept according to Borg. “...seeing reality as gracious.”

Faith as believing- Borg asserts that “the pre-modern meanings of English words believe and believing and Latin word credo very different from what believing has come to mean in our time.” Credo “does not mean ‘I hereby agree to the literal-factual truth of the following statements.’ Rather its Latin roots combine to mean ‘I give my heart to.” The word itself is possibly related to French term cri de couer (cry of my heart)- meaning "a passionate belief that comes from the heart...Given the pre-modern meaning of ‘believe,’ to believe in God is to belove God.” (39-41)

I read that and it really resonated with me. We often get so cerebral when talking about belief, that it is important to get back to experiencing faith as a matter of the heart.

I also appreciated what Borg writes about "thin places," where we encounter the divine in our lives at key times, and are encouraged on our spiritual journey by gaining a renewed sense of vision.

Marcus Borg outlines five key traits of Jesus, one of them being a "Jewish mystic," as well as several others acknowledging his spiritual awareness and leadership.

Missing from Borg's list of Jesus' roles are two prominent ones- "Son of God" and "Savior" or "Messiah." That would be one of my primary critiques of the book and of Borg's writings in general is that he seems to deliberately refrain from acknowledging Jesus by any of these terms. Instead, Borg refers to him as Jesus of Nazareth, or as a Jewish mystic.

Borg also has some pretty interesting views on Christian doctrines such as original sin, the atonement- which Borg rejects; Jesus' resurrection- which he -only acknowledges as happening or being important in a metaphorical sense, as well as alluding to questioning the divinity of Jesus.

Marcus Borg also articulates what I believe to be a pretty cynical view on prayer. He holds to the theological notion that God is "not an interventionist." I agree in part if by interventionist you mean God as a sort of divine Santa Claus doling out reward or punishment. I believe that God is active in in the lives of all humanity and not just as some sort of metaphorical divine placebo either- but in a very real, present way.

I was very skeptical of these claims, and of the Jesus Seminars in general, which he participated in along with Robert Funk, John Dominic Crossan, John Cobb, and other liberal theologians and scholars.

In the remainder of the book, Borg further unpacks this new vision, for a more progressive, inclusive faith. He speaks of the richness of metaphor in texts of faith, and how literalists have misinterpreted and misused scripture over the course of history to further their own agendas. All the while, certain aspects of scripture are conveniently overlooked by such literalists (such as the fullness of meaning in loving one's neighbor).

I have found renewed spiritual vitality through reading this excellent, timely, and thought-provoking book by Marcus Borg.

His emphasis on faith as a journey of questions rather than an arrival at false certitude, spoke powerfully to me on my journey, as I have struggled with these same questions and been mostly unsatisfied by the simplistic, prescriptive "answers" that are so often formulaicly put forth by literalist and fundamentalist Christians and many people who consider themselves religious.

I look forward to continuing the journey!

Peace in the Lord,

John

On being a progressive person of faith

2005-05-18T07:18:00.000-04:00

More and more, as I talk with friends, family members, and acquaintences I am hearing a similar theme about faith and spirituality:

-a deep sense of alienation and profound lack of authenticity in many churches and religious congregations today

-an increasing curiosity and hunger for a deeper sense of spiritual meaning and fulfillment

-exploration of alternative spiritual experiences, gatherings and practices

This trend has really fascinated me. The young adult generation of Americans consider themselves deeply spiritual, but often reject religion as "out-of-touch," "irrelevant," "too political," or somehow inauthentic.

Transformation, renewal and spiritual growth are what most people of faith strive for, but one of the major stumbling blocks of faith groups today is that all too often they have moved away from a sense being a community of people committed to a spiritual movement. Instead, all too many have turned back to a sort of survival mentality, of focusing on keeping a building open; only reaching out to people just like them; and not being willing to take bold risks to seek growth, renewal and new life. This phenomena is true across many denominations and faith groups over the past forty years in particular.

There are several unique types of congregations and spiritual gatherings that are growing rapidly and taking hold in many communities. The first is the surge of independent congregations- many of them ultra-Conservative, fundamentalist churches who have packaged themselves in culturally appealing wrapping, while all the while they force feed biblical literalism, intolerance of diversity, gender inequality, and sexual discrimination. This movement has sadly broadened the divide, in many ways, between progressive people with spiritual hunger, and those wanting easy, pat answers to deep existential questions of life.

A more promising movement is the Progressive Christian movement. Led by innovative minds such as Marcus Borg, Nancy Ammerman, John Shelby Spong, John Dominic Crossan and others, this movement embraces diversity, strongly emphasizes social justice, as well as living in the mystery and rich paradox of faith. It rejects easy answers, overly simplistic literalism and prescriptive approaches in favor of viewing faith as an organic movement of the divine rather than an institution.

The Center for Progressive Christianity is a grassroots organization committed to progressive faith from a Christian perspective that is inclusive of people of diverse backgrounds, lifestyles and faiths. Jim Adams, president and founder of the TCPC, helps promote what Marcus Borg describes as a new vision or new paradigm for the Christian faith. This perspective acknowledges the deep metaphors of the narratives of faith, while seeing faith as a journey of questions rather than one of false certitude or assurance.

Another movement, that, I believe, holds very promising possibilities for spiritual growth and vitality is the Emerging Church movement. This movement of progressive Christian evangelicals (yes one can be both progressive and a Christian evangelical), shares a new vision for experiencing the mystery of spirituality through the lens of the Christian faith.

There is a whole spectrum of belief within this movement, but there is a common vision for innovative approaches to spirituality as a movement of the Spirit, and a move away from prescriptive, literalist or reductionist approaches to Christian faith.

Some of the more innovative leaders in this movement are Brian McLaren of Cedar Ridge Community Church in Maryland, Dan Kimball of Vintage Faith Church in California, and Erwin Raphael McManus of Mosaic Community, also in California.

The common thread is an openness to innovation, creativity, and living in the experiential mystery of faith.

A third promising movement of faith is the progressive social justice movement of Jim Wallis, author of God's Politics, and founder of Sojourners. Wallis affirms that being a person of faith and being committed wholeheartedly to peace and social justice can go hand in hand.

As we continue the journey, let's keep the conversation going...

Peace in the name of all that is holy to you,

John