The voice of the great radio story teller is now silent.The obituary
Saturday, February 28, 2009
The Methodist Blogs Weekly Roundup 2009.7.186
Submit your post to umweeklyroundup@yahoo.com by noon EST on Saturday to guarantee that your post is included.The week in review in the Methoblogosphere:
An Ash Wednesday meditation from Andrew Thompson. Best of the Methoblogosphere!
Scott McKay urges us to get the date of Easter right.
Joseph Slife writes on the proposed amendments that would separate the UMC into "national entities."
Do churches know how to fail successfully? Read Bishop Robert Schnase.
Craig L. Adams posts on Psalm 57 and the intent to pray.
John Lomperis writes about liberal Anglicans' opening ordination to Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, and neo-pagans.
Will Deuel asks, "Why should the fire die?"
Lorna Koskela reflects on Ash Wednesday.
The blessing of winter according to Art Ruch.
David Perry is going into the wilderness with Jesus.
Theresa Coleman's Ash Wednesday sermon.
David Morris suggests that while we can lose much, we can gain much more.
A review of Adam Hamilton's Enough from Gavin Richardson.
Matthew Kelley ponders the ashes of Ash Wednesday.
Dave Warnock is flipping hopeful pancakes.
Mark Winter remarks on brutish beasts and attending angels.
What kind of youth work? That is the question from Will Grady.
Random thoughts from Gary Wake on Transfiguration.
Keith McIlwain cogitates on the church and the Oscars.
Joseph Yoo has a conversation with his Senior Pastor.
David Camphouse presents his vision.
A recommendation from Kevin Watson for Methodist history buffs.
Ken Carter is sitting in the balcony.
Controlled or unleashed-- Reflections on Mark's Gospel from Brian Russell.
Thoughts on Lent and life from Ken Hagler.
Shane Raynor says, "Say what you will about Pope Benedict XVI, the man has some serious guts."
Sally Coleman writes on behalf of liberation theology.
Joel Betow grades President Barack Obama's performance to date. Best of the Methoblogosphere!
Day 1 in Jerusalem from the traveling Greg Hazelrig.
"Repent!" yelled the TV evangelist posted by Gerry Charlotte Phelps.
Deb Spaulding on a case of mistaken identity.
Richard Heyduck is dealing with societal corruption.
What is Lent for you? A question from Steve Heyduck.
Andrew Stoddard posts reflections on Deuteronomy 7:6-11, Titus 1:1-16, and John 1:29-34.
Henry Neufeld ponders rewarding incompetence.
Ezekiel's grace according to Kim Matthews.
Dave Faulkner's Sabbatical, Day 27.
"Treading Water"-- A sermon by Tony Mitchell.
John Meunier is giving up blogging for Lent. John, we will look forward to hearing from you the other side of Easter.
After Pastor-- Some thoughts from Jim Parsons.
Olive Morgan writes on the Methodist church engaging young people.
Guy Williams is looking for stories of solidarity.
"Who Do You Say that I Am?"-- A sermon by Beth Quick.
Andy Bryan screams, "Stop the madness of Lent!"
Kathy James ponders grace from a new perspective.
Stephen Taylor gives a Lenten examination.
Ordination in the UMC according to Sky Lowe-McCracken.
Introductory remarks on Lent 2009 from John Montgomery.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Quote of the Day 2009.4: Catholics and the Public Square
"We need to be very forceful in clarifying what the words in our political vocabulary really mean. Words are important because they shape our thinking, and our thinking drives our actions. When we subvert the meaning of words like 'the common good' or 'conscience' or 'community' or 'family,' we undermine the language that sustains our thinking about the law. Dishonest language leads to dishonest debate and bad laws.""Here's an example. We need to remember that tolerance is not a Christian virtue. Charity, justice, mercy, prudence, honesty – these are Christian virtues. And obviously, in a diverse community, tolerance is an important working principle. But it's never an end itself. In fact, tolerating grave evil within a society is itself a form of serious evil. Likewise, democratic pluralism does not mean that Catholics should be quiet in public about serious moral issues because of some misguided sense of good manners. A healthy democracy requires vigorous moral debate to survive. Real pluralism demands that people of strong beliefs will advance their convictions in the public square – peacefully, legally and respectfully, but energetically and without embarrassment. Anything less is bad citizenship and a form of theft from the public conversation."
"The 'separation of Church and state' does not mean – and it can never mean – separating our Catholic faith from our public witness, our political choices and our political actions. That kind of separation would require Christians to deny who we are; to repudiate Jesus when he commands us to be 'leaven in the world' and to 'make disciples of all nations.' That kind of radical separation steals the moral content of a society. It's the equivalent of telling a married man that he can't act married in public. Of course, he can certainly do that, but he won't stay married for long."
"Anyone who hasn't noticed the despair in the world should probably go back to sleep. The word 'hope' on a campaign poster may give us a little thrill of righteousness, but the world will still be a wreck when the drug wears off. We can only attain hope through truth. And what that means is this: From the moment Jesus said, 'I am the way, the truth and the life,' the most important political statement anyone can make is 'Jesus Christ is Lord.'"
You can read Bishop Charles J. Chaput's entire address, "Rendering Unto Caesar: The Catholic Political Vocation," here.
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Cross-Posted at RedBlueChristian
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Senator Byrd Criticizes President Obama's Czardom
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
The Journey Into the Lenten Wilderness
And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him (Mark 1:12-13).In contrast to Matthew and Luke, Mark’s story of Jesus' temptation in the wilderness is very brief and gives little detail. We are not told the nature of the temptations Jesus resists nor how he responds to the wiles of the devil. But Mark tells us something that the other Gospel writers do not: Jesus was in the wilderness "with the wild beasts."
In Judaism the wilderness is symbolic for a time of testing; it also signifies the place of evil. In the desert, Jesus begins his battle with the "wild beasts," the principalities and powers that attempt to thwart God's plans for his creation. He not only deals with his own "beasts" as he prepares for his ministry, but he confronts the forces of hatred and injustice and oppression. Jesus will do so throughout his ministry.
Each year the journey of Lent is a microcosm of the macrocosm of life's journey. During Lent we remind ourselves of something that is true for us and our world all year round. We examine our own lives in an attempt to "tame the wild beasts" of our sinful nature. We also examine our place in this world and how our lives contribute to the work of love and justice in this world; and where we hinder and undermine such work.
Our personal journeys of discipleship are important for us, and they are important for others as well. How we live makes a difference in this world. God wants to use us to foster truth and justice in this world. In order to confront the "wild beasts" in the wilderness of this world, we must discipline ourselves to manage the personal temptations we confront every day. The season of Lent is training and preparation for the discipline of year-round and life-long discipleship. As followers of Jesus we are not excluded from the wilderness. We, like Jesus, are "driven" into it.
Just as Jesus faced the beasts and prevailed, so can we; for like Jesus the angels are waiting on us.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Well-Crafted, Authentic, and Substantive
Being involved in discussions on what makes for good worship is an interesting experience. What I find in the midst of the back and forth banter is that the dialogue most often is not about the content and craft of worship, but its style. I am not suggesting for a moment that the style of worship is unimportant, but what I find problematic is the notion that what makes for good worship is what people believe will attract others; and they usually define attractive worship according to what they like.Back in November, I was out of town at a conference. On Sunday morning I made my way to a historic Congregational Church. The sanctuary was old, but well-kept and attractive. There was no screen for PowerPoint. The church has two traditional services on Sunday morning and two times for worship on Sunday evening it refers to as Contemporary/Liturgical. Every service is filled to capacity. The congregation is multi-generational and ethnically diverse. College students make up thirty-eight percent of the congregation and forty-nine percent of the members are in their twenties. The pastor's sermon was excellent-- it was well-crafted, authentic, and substantive. Indeed, the entire worship experience could be described in this way. (I forgot to mention that the Sunday I was there, they were taking in approximately thirty to forty members at each of the four services.)
Well-crafted, authentic, and substantive-- these are the characteristics of vital worship. There are pastors and parishioners who think if they can just start a praise band and go contemporary, people will flock in on Sunday morning. And, yet others believe that it doesn't matter if we keep on singing the same old hymns in funeral dirge fashion. What counts is good preaching. If we get the right preacher, people will push their way in to get a seat.
I take issue with both views. I do not care if worship is traditional or contemporary (however those two words are defined). If worship is indeed Christologically centered and theologically competent; and if worship is well-crafted, authentic, and substantive, it is worship that will please God and it will reveal to visitors that what we do on Sunday morning is more than just perfunctory. Worship is what we desire to participate in more than anything. And when people get the sense that what is going on is significant, they will want to be a part of it.
More than a few churches in their desire to go contemporary, field a praise band whose lack of talent and commitment make it difficult for the congregation to get caught up with God and one another in worship. The worship degenerates from a people focused on God to the individual focused on... well... the individual. And while I believe good preaching is indispensable for vital worship, too many churches, in their traditional worship, undermine the profound theological affirmations of many our hymns by singing them in a slow, sleepy, and shallow rhythm guaranteed not to wake the dead. Moreover, ineffective preaching tends to gravitate to the two extremes of monological therapy on the one hand, or straightforward exposition devoid of analogy, illustration, and story on the other.
One significant rule for every church to follow in its worship-- if you can't do it in a well-crafted, authentic, and substantive way, don't do it at all. There is nothing wrong with churches developing a more contemporary form of worship, but it should not be implemented until it can be done at least moderately well. Traditional worship continues to have a significant place in Western culture. I reject the view of those who think otherwise. But traditional worship is not incompatible with lively and joyful praise. One does not have to jump up and down in the aisles with hands lifted up to worship God in spirit and in truth. But I dare say that if visitors are not sure the parishioners are worshiping in such an authentic way while they are singing the hymns, it is a safe bet that they aren't.
By the way, it is my experience that the church with well-crafted, authentic, and substantive worship applies the same three qualities to everything it does in its mission and ministry. This Congregational Church's evangelism and mission outreach is quite extensive.
"Well-crafted," "authentic," and "substantive" are not three words that describe just one more strategy for success; they reveal the competency, the character, and the commitment of those who know that only the vital worship of God in spirit and in truth is acceptable.
Monday, February 23, 2009
I Guess I Have More Than My Fair Share of Wisdom
So... I am having two impacted wisdom teeth removed this morning. I doubt that I will be blogging today since I will be "down in the mouth." I have to take it easy tomorrow as well, but I have already written a post to be automatically published.Sunday, February 22, 2009
A Prayer for Transfiguration Sunday
We open our eyes and we see Jesus, the months of ministry transfigured to a beam of light, the light of the world, your light. May your light shine upon us.We open our eyes and we see Moses and Elijah, your word restoring us, showing us the way, telling a story, your story, his story, our story. May your word speak to us.
We open our eyes and we see mist, the cloud of your presence which assures us of all we do not know and that we do not need to fear that. Teach us to trust.
We open our eyes and we see Peter's constructions, his best plans, our best plans, our missing the point, our missing the way. Forgive our foolishness and sin.
We open our eyes and we see Jesus, not casting us off, but leading us down, leading us out-- to ministry, to people. Your love endures forever.
We open our ears and we hear your voice, "This is my beloved Son, listen to him!" And we give you thanks.
Amen.
Prepared by William Loader
Saturday, February 21, 2009
The Methodist Blogs Weekly Roundup 2009.6.185
Submit your post to umweeklyroundup@yahoo.com by noon EST on Saturday to guarantee that your post is included.The week in review in the Methoblogosphere:
Dale Tedder writes on redeeming the time, part 3. Parts 1 and 2 are linked.
It has happened right before our eyes, says Andrew Thompson.
What do souls, congregations, and mission fields have in common with plowing, cultivating, and harvesting? Read Bishop Robert Schnase.
Scott McKay is contemplating less wireless for Lent.
Joseph Slife on John Ed Mathison on the future of the United Methodist Church.
Wii Fit/WIISpiritual Fit-- A post from Abi Carlisle-Wilke.
John Wesley and Andy Bryan want one hundred preachers. Best of the Methoblogosphere!
Beth Quick is returning to the North Central New York Annual Conference. Godspeed to you, Beth!
Kevin Baker reflects on how appointments are made in North Alabama Conference.
The mighty hand of Caesar according to Michael Daniel.
Guy Williams ponders remembering and forgetting.
Olive Morgan recounts the February meeting of the Methodist Council.
"Shine on Me"-- A sermon by Jim Parsons.
John Meunier asks, "Is there a coal cellar in Wesley's house of faith?"
Tony Mitchell preaches on "That Moment in Time."
Day 18 of Dave Faulkner's Sabbatical.
The continuing work from Questing Parson.
Kim Matthews reflects on evangelism without God.
Is the nature of grace shocking? Read Henry Neufeld.
Andrew Stoddard posts reflections on Isaiah 65:1-12, 1 Timothy 4:1-16, and Mark 12:13-27.
Steve Heyduck writes on ripples and the economy.
Is it good to tell the truth?-- A question from Richard Heyduck.
Deb Spaulding has some thoughts on running for your life.
Gerry Charlotte Phelps suggests that we are having a good, old-fashioned financial panic.
Greg Hazelrig offers a thank you and a prayer.
Concerns about biblical illiteracy from Richard Hall.
Sally Coleman ponders life, struggles, and hope.
Is The Wesley Report biased against the GBCS? Shane Raynor responds.
Ken Hagler tells the church planting fish tale.
Brian Russell makes sense of the difficulties of intermarriage and divorce in Ezra-Nehemiah. Best of the Methoblogosphere!
Ken Carter publishes the unofficial guide for candidates for UM ministry.
The trials of itineracy... 1800... from Kevin Watson.
David Camphouse contemplates the nature of the unforgiveable sin.
The UMC vs. Pro Athletes-- The play-by-play as given by Joseph Yoo.
Daniel Hixon writes on Evangelicals and Catholics together.
Keith McIlwain sees dead people.
Angel food, FBI, and IRS-- Reflections from Gary Wake.
What do you like about Methodism? Will Grady posts his thoughts here.
Mark Winter has questions for Lent.
Joy Perkett posts food for thought.
On why a Christian pastor conducts "secular" marriage enrichment events for soldiers-- Some cogitations from Mitch Lewis.
Dave Warnock contemplates why real men don't go to church.
Jeremy Smith publishes part 1 of "Progressive Church: Radical or Rational?
Some thoughts on Lincoln/Darwin Day from Matthew Kelley.
Gavin Richardson wonders what has happened to his blogging.
Denying Denying-- An affirmation from David Morris.
Rick Mang can't seem to get it out of his mind. So he wrote it down.
Theresa Coleman is musing about money.
A visual meditation for Lent from David Perry.
Pastor Cynthia is baking bread and casting bread upon the waters.
Art Ruch wants to make it quite clear-- he is no Libertarian.
Lorna Koskela could sing of His love forever.
The skandal-ous mission of the Board of Ordained Ministry according to Will Deuel.
Marty Schwartz contemplates the joy of healing prayer.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Truth is Stranger than Fiction 2009.6
Gospel singer's wife accused of arson attempt
From Associated Press
February 19, 2009 5:01 PM EST
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Investigators charged a traveling gospel singer's wife with attempting to set fire to a church where she got upset with the pastor after her husband had performed there, Chattanooga fire officials said. Court records show that the woman was charged Wednesday with attempted arson at the Harmony Baptist Church. There was no fire and no damage to the building after firefighters responded to an automated alarm at the church, authorities said.
Fire officials said the alarm went off after a church service Feb. 11 in which the woman's husband performed.
Fire Department spokesman Bruce Garner said in a statement that arriving firefighters smelled propane and discovered 10 burners on a commercial stove in the fellowship hall all turned up high and a roll of paper towels placed nearby.
Fire officials said the woman told them she is her husband's agent for performances at local churches and fast food restaurants that schedule gospel entertainment. She denied any wrongdoing and was freed on bond late Wednesday.
Fire officials said the woman got upset after the pastor, who had offered them overnight accommodations, noticed they were not wearing wedding bands and asked if they were married.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
The Quotable C.S. Lewis #13: Truth and Then Comfort
All I am doing is to ask people to face the facts-- to understand the questions which Christianity claims to answer. And they are very terrifying facts. I wish it were possible to say something more agreeable. But I must say what I think true. Of course, I quite agree that the Christian religion is, in the long run, a thing of unspeakable comfort. But it does not begin in comfort; it begins in the dismay I have been describing, and it is no use at all trying to go on to that comfort without first going through that dismay. In religion, as in war and everything else, comfort is the one thing you cannot get by looking for it. If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end: if you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or truth-- only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin with and, in the end, despair.--Mere Christianity
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Stories Known Only to God
I find people to be very interesting. Each individual is a story filled with joys and disappointments on a journey that takes unexpected twists and unanticipated turns. Each individual story could not be possible without the storied people around them-- family and friends-- who help make them who they are, and assist them as they make their way in life. People are interesting indeed.I am reminded of this in times of great loss of life. Last Thursday night as I watched the news of the crash of Continental Airlines Flight 3407 in Buffalo, NY that left 50 dead, I started thinking about all the stories that had so violently and abruptly ended. There was the pilot, Marvin Renslow, whose life, according to his wife, revolved around his family, his faith, and his passion for flying. There was the young co-pilot, Rebecca Shaw, who said that she couldn't believe that she was getting paid for something she loved to do. Alison Des Forges was the senior adviser of the New York-based Human Rights Watch's Africa Division. She spent four years in Rwanda documenting the genocide tragically taking place in that country. Beverly Eckert also perished in the crash. She was the widow of Sean Rooney who was killed in the World Trade Center on September 11th. She worked for more land to be devoted to the ground zero memorial in New York City and campaigned hard for a victims' families compensation fund.
There are others; people whose stories came to a conclusion last Thursday, many of them much too soon. Along with them, each and every day, other individuals close the pages on their storied lives on this earth. Most of them will not get any press coverage, though they will probably get an obituary that readers will only take note of if they are known to them. But most in our world will not even be so blessed to receive such a tribute after their deaths. I have been in some extremely remote places in the world where life stories will conclude with no one's awareness-- the small banana leaf hut in the steep valley in the isolated and remote mountains of Haiti-- where the one lone man lives all by himself day after day, and who may not even have anyone to bury him after he dies. His story is interesting and important as well. And even though mortals may not know his life's narrative, it is known to God; and God takes delight in this man and each and every page of his life's book he has written on each and every day that he has drawn breath.
No human story is ever forgotten because each page of every chapter of all the volumes of the library of storied lives are indeed known to God.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Echoes of the Exodus in the Book of Colossians #4 (Conclusion)
There is little doubt that Colossians 1:12-14 would have elicited in its readers thoughts of the Exodus. Thus Christ's work of reconciliation in the hymn (Colossians 1:15-20) and reflected in Torah (see Sirach 1:1-10; 24:3-12) has now made her home in Christ. As wisdom reflects the image of God's goodness (Wisdom 7:26), so Christ reflects the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15).In the Colossian Christ-hymn the Jewish notions of wisdom, Torah, and Israel are linked together in order to argue that Christ is all-sufficient for the Colossians. The major argument put forth in Colossians is that Christ is sufficient for Christian faith and practice. The Colossians need not look elsewhere.
The Christ-hymn of 1:15-20 is best understood in light of the Jewish background where Christ is presented in images that clearly would have made sense to Jews in the first century and would be in harmony with Jewish literature. These themes reappear in the main body of the letter. Indeed, it is the significance that would have been made of such themes as wisdom that is important. The use Paul and Timothy made of such Jewish notions already signals the Jewish nature of the dilemma. Several references in Colossians point out the Gentiles' place in the inheritance of the people of God through Christ and this is the mystery hidden that Paul and Timothy now proclaim.
Given the argument that Christ is sufficient, given the Jewish nature of what is contested by the authors, and given the argument that there is no longer any distinction between Jew and Gentile, circumcision and uncircumcision, there is enough evidence to suggest that the Colossians were tempted to observe, at the very least, some of the more important regulations of the Torah. Paul and Timothy resort to crucial Jewish ideas, and more importantly, ideals intrinsic to Jewish identity, in order to refute the arguments being levelled against the Gentile Christians in Colossae from the synagogue. Wisdom, Torah, and Exodus are themes intrinsic to Israel's self-understanding, and they are used to remind the Colossians that as they started their journey as God's people in Christ, they can and must continue their journey as God's people in Christ. As people in Christ they can "bear fruit (a Jewish notion) in every good work" (Colossians 1:10; cf. Jeremiah 1:9-10; 18:7-9; 24:6; 31:28; 42:10). Nothing else needs to be accomplished.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Are We Are All Socialists Now?
What do you think? In light of the stimulus (some would say "porkulus") bill that was just passed by Congress, are we now socialists? Should we have a national holiday celebrating the birth of Vladimir Lenin?Comments from all persons from all perspectives are welcome.
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Read the Newsweek article here.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
A Prayer for the Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany
Heavenly Father, You are the One from Whom every family derives its origin. Grant that, in keeping with Your glorious riches we may be strengthened with power through the Spirit for the development of our inner selves. Help us to develop our natural potentialities to the full while at the same time growing in Your likeness to Your Son Jesus Christ. Amen.Saturday, February 14, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
No MBWR This Weekend
There will be no Weekly Roundup this weekend. It's been one of those weeks where I needed eight days with each day being three hours longer. In addition, I am not feeling well.The MBWR will be posted next weekend.
Truth is Stranger than Fiction 2009.5
Injured deer stumbles into Ohio vet clinic
From Associated Press
February 10, 2009 4:17 PM EST
ROSSFORD, Ohio - Workers at an Ohio pet shop are used to worried pet owners bringing their animals in to be treated in the store's clinic. But an unaccompanied visit Saturday by a deer to the PetSmart in Rossfield was a first for the store.
Manager Trudi Urie says the wounded doe was hanging out behind the store and then ran through an open door into a stockroom.
Staff members made sure the animal couldn't enter the shop area and called police and a veterinarian.
Agustin Cuesta had the deer brought into the clinic and closed a wound on its hind leg with dissolvable stitches as assistants held it down.
He says he couldn't tell how the animal got hurt.
The door was reopened and the animal ran back into the wild.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Happy Bicentennial Birthdays!
Two hundred years ago today, Abraham Lincoln was born in a log cabin in Hardin County in southeastern Kentucky, and Charles Darwin was born in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England.
I think it is rather safe to say that both men have had quite an impact on history.
Why Do the Righteous Suffer?
UNC 101 - Duke 87"I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked" (Psalm 73:3).
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Echoes of the Exodus in the Book of Colossians #3 (My Beloved Son)
The Exodus theme in Colossians is intensified in 1:13 with the phrase, "into the Kingdom of his beloved Son, which is reminiscent of Israel as God's son called out of slavery in Egypt (Hosea 11:1). Such imagery in this prayer is entirely appropriate as Paul and Timothy then move into a hymn about the Lordship of Christ (1:15-20). It is in Christ that God's people are liberated and freed from the powers that enslaved them. They now share in the bounty brought by the new covenant.This language in 1:12-14 sets the stage for the Christ-hymn as it casts Jesus in these roles. The word "firstborn," for example, is used in the Septuagint (LXX) to denote a special relationship between a father and his son. In Exodus 4:22 Israel is referred to as "my firstborn son," signifying God's special relationship with the Hebrews (reminiscent of Jesus' baptism, cf. Matthew 2:15). In addition, the patriarchs, the Torah, and the messianic king are referred to in this way, denoting a special relationship to God. Psalm 88:27 (LXX) states about this messianic king: "I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth." Firstborn emphasizes uniqueness. The firstborn is to be distinguished from the rest of creation. The firstborn of all creation (1:15), Christ is unique and to be demarcated from creation. As the agent of creation Christ is superior. By virtue of his agency in creation (another theme found in Jewish literature, cf. Psalm 104:24), Christ has dominion over all things.
Significantly related to this is the phrase in 1:18-- "the firstborn from the dead." In the LXX, Genesis 49:3 uses the terms "beginning" (or "origin") and "head" to describe the firstborn as superior and as the founder of a specific people (see also Deuteronomy 21:17). Thus "beginning" and "head" in Colossians 1:18 refer to Christ, not only in a cosmological sense, but in an ecclesiological sense as well. To speak of Christ as wisdom is to speak of his role in creation and redemption, Christ not only helps bring creation into being but he sustains it as well. The head provides the body with direction that creates unity. The body (ecclesia) is dependent on the head for its very life. Christian cosmology finds its coherence, indeed its unity in Christian ecclesiology. The Lord of the entire universe has chosen the church as the unique domain of his redemptive grace. The church is to be the microcosm of the macrocosm of creation. Creation and redemption go together.
Christ is the "firstborn from the dead." He is the founder of his people on account of the resurrection. "In Colossians 1:15-20, the celebration of creation reaches its peak in the creation of a new people by means of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead" (Stephen Fowl, The Story of Christ, p. 114). Thus the resurrection of Jesus Christ (cosmology) becomes the foundation for the paraenesis of Colossians, addressed to that new people (ecclesiology). Indeed, it is in the paraenesis that the Israel motif is employed once again (3:12) in order to connect the Colossians' identity (who they are) to their daily walk.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Monday, February 09, 2009
The Quotable Rowan Williams
"Even when I was Archbishop of Wales and working with new bishops, I used to say, not realising quite how true it was, 'One of the things you will do as a bishop is disappoint people.'""I have to go on being a priest and bishop, that is, to celebrate God and what God has done in Jesus, and to offer in God's name whatever I can discern of God's perspective on the world around - something which involves both challenge and comfort."
"I value unity because I believe we learn truth from each other in this process."
"Quite a lot of our contemporary culture is actually shot through with a resentment of limits and the passage of time, anger at what we can't do, fear or even disgust at growing old."
"We are called to show utter commitment to the God who is revealed in Jesus and to all those to whom His invitation is addressed."
"We shall not find life by refusing to let go of our precious, protected selves."
"Whether something is old-fashioned or not doesn't resolve the question of whether it's true or not. I can see the temptation of simply thinking, 'Well, there's a cultural mainstream which flows neatly in one direction. You just align with it.' And that really won't do."
"What can we say about a marketing culture that so openly feeds and colludes with obsession? The Disney empire has developed this to an unprecedented degree of professionalism."
"We have to learn to be human along-side all sorts of others, the ones whose company we don't greatly like."
"I don't believe inclusion is a value in itself. Welcome is. We don't say 'Come in and we ask no questions.' I do believe conversion means conversion of habits, behaviours, ideas, emotions. The boundaries are determined by what it means to be loyal to Jesus Christ."
"If there is one thing I long for above all else, it is that the years to come may see Christianity in this country able again to capture the imagination of our culture, to draw the strongest energies of our thinking and feeling."
Sunday, February 08, 2009
A Prayer for the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany
God, our creator and redeemer, you never grow weary or faint but we have doubted your will or ability to care for us. We have said, "My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God"? We have let anxiety to consume us and we have let fear paralyze love for the poor and lonely. Forgive us for holding to our doubt. Free us to walk in faith and the strength of your mercy, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.Book of Worship UMC
Saturday, February 07, 2009
The Methodist Blogs Weekly Roundup 2009.5.184
Submit your post to umweeklyroundup@yahoo.com by noon EST on Saturday to guarantee that your post is included.Scott McKay writes on Psalm 147:1.
Dale Tedder offers fresh bread for today.
Shane Claiborne's Christianity according to Andrew Thompson.
Bishop Robert Schnase reflects on the church's ministry to those who do not yet know it.
John Lomperis is calling all Boston area seminary students and alumni.
Wesleyans! Study Bible!-- From Gary Wake!
Michelle Hargrave is curling up with a good book after her Board of Ordained Ministry interview retreat.
Thoughts from Keith McIlwain on postmodern love.
Daniel Hixon posts on what Americans really believe.
Joseph Yoo writes on Peter rebuking Jesus.
Does this sound familiar? Read David Camphouse.
Kurt Boemler deals with a serious question after church.
Kevin Watson on Richard Foster's spiritual formation agenda and Methodism.
Does the church have integrity? A question from Ken Carter.
Brian Russell reviews James K. Bruckner's commentary on Exodus.
Ken Hagler lists forty reasons why he is praying. Best of the Methoblogosphere!
Shane Raynor interviews Adam Hamilton.
Sally Coleman has experienced a fascinating meeting place for festivals.
Reflections on the price of vanity from Joel Betow.
Greg Hazelrig posts his thought for the day on Isaiah 41:10.
Are you thirsting for more? Read Deb Spaulding.
Richard Heyduck asks questions about the current stimulus package.
Steve Heyduck ponders quitting church.
Reflections on Isaiah 55:1-13, Galatians 5:1-15, and Mark 8:27-9:1 from Andrew Stoddard.
Henry Neufeld points out what happens when strategies change hands. Best of the Methoblogosphere!
Thoughts on the reality of grace from Kim Matthews.
Questing Parson reminds us that some days are really good.
Dave Faulkner on determining as disappointment.
An open letter to Boards of Education from Tony Mitchell.
John Meunier on Adam Hamilton and Bishop William Willimon on preaching from the Lectionary.
Jim Parsons ponders the UMC membership decline and the age of UM bishops.
Olive Morgan counsels us to put a little grace and hope in our pockets.
Reflections on mission-field appointment-making in the UMC from Guy Williams.
Who's in control? A question from Michael Daniel.
Jesus the Exorcist-- Sermon blogging from Kevin Baker.
Beth Quick is working on her family tree and giving God glory.
Comments from Andy Bryan on the Guatemala criminal complaints.
Kathy James offers quick reflections on Quadrennial training.
A kitchen table prayer from Betty Newman.
Abi Carlisle-Wilke reflects on Groundhog Day and Candlemas Day.
February in Christian history according to Joseph Slife.
Friday, February 06, 2009
Quote of the Day 2009.3: Make the Most of a Short Life
Time Passes So Quickly"I have been thinking this week about how short life really is. When I was in junior high school, some days would seem like weeks. In some ways, time passes so slowly when you are young. Now? Now time moves quickly. Oh, I don’t feel old or even refer to myself as being old. Yet, I remember passing a mirror not long ago almost startled by the man staring at me. Yes, it was me inside this man’s body. But inside? 'I’m still the boy.'"
"Today, I realize just how valuable time really is."
"1. I don’t have time to waste on things that don’t matter. I have plenty of time for the things that count."
"2. I don’t have time to get moody, self-centered, and irritable. I do have time to love my wife and children."
"3. I don’t have time to wallow in the past over what might have been. I do have time to focus on what God wants to do in my life today."
You can read Jim Martin's entire post, "Just Enough Time for What Matters," here.
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Look Who Is Hiring!
In the midst of all the hoopla in Washington in an effort to pass the so-called stimulus package that contains more pork than hog heaven, one business is now hiring.No, it is not all the banks and the automobile manufacturers that the federal government is "bailing out"; it is the one business that the government let fail-- Lehman Brothers.
To be sure, the company is a shell of its former self. Approximately a third of the company has been dissolved, another third of its assets have been sold to Barclays and Nomura Holdings, but since its bankruptcy, the remaining third of the company now has 7 billion dollars in cash and more than 1,400 investments estimated to be worth 12.3 billion dollars. And most significantly, Lehman Brothers is hiring with resumes flooding in from all over the place.
I am not suggesting that there is no place for a stimulus package from the government, but it would be helpful if Capitol Hill would actually put forward a real stimulus proposal instead of the fatbacked, pork bellied spending bill that passed the House and is currently making its way through the Senate. And even if Congress were to pass a real stimulus bill, it will not assist in helping the economy recover, but rather hold it above water until it does start to head in the right direction. That is the role government should play now, but the folks in Congress don't seem to understand that their job is limited to keeping disaster at bay, not coming in to save the day. The government is not the cavalry coming over the hill; it is the brigade holding off the onslaught until the cavalry arrives.
When the economy finally recovers, it will not be because the government fixed the problem, as if that were possible, but because the private sector is able to do what it has always done-- invest in the economy and hire more and more people to grow that investment.
Source: The Wall Street Journal
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Cross-Posted at RedBlueChristian
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Two Hands Open-- One to Give, the Other to Receive
I have spent many years taking short term mission trips. For the past four plus years I have been going regularly to Cuba. My move to a new church a year and a half ago put my work training pastors there on hold, but I am planning to return to Havana this coming October.The missionary who recruited me has a passion for the gospel of Jesus Christ and for mission. He also has a keen sense for how to go about mission work in other cultures. One of the things he most fears is recruiting someone who will go to Cuba with the "I am here to save and deliver you" attitude (a.k.a. "the ugly American").
Joel tells all the persons he recruits that we go into Cuba with two hands open-- one to give what we are able by God's grace, and the other to receive what the Christians in Cuba have to offer us by that very same grace. Every time I go to Cuba, I am told by the brothers and sisters there how much I bless them; but I am the one who returns home even more blessed in what I have received.
When willing and faithful service to God are combined with an attitude of humility, God can perform the miraculous and touch the lives of everyone involved. The work that God does in multiplying that work cannot be adequately measured nor humanly appraised in value. It transcends the brief time we are together in mission and it moves beyond the geography of the particular place where the gospel is presented and lived out. What we plant gets watered by others and God is the one who makes the work grow (1 Corinthians 3:5-7).
In the midst of such work we come to realize that "we" is the operative word when it comes to the human endeavor. No one individual is indispensable to the pursposes of God in this world, but we find that as we, the church, serve as one community of faith in the U.S. and in Cuba, God accomplishes more than we can possibly imagine as lone individuals. And in the end we must never forget that the work ultimately is God's and it is a privilege to be co-laborers with God in Jesus Christ in service to the Kingdom.
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Echoes of the Exodus in the Book of Colossians #2 (Sharing in the Inheritance)
The clearest reminder of the Exodus and the uniqueness of the people of God is to be found early in Colossians in 1:12-14. In 1:12 Paul and Timothy give thanks to God the Father "who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light." The authors addressing the Gentile Christians in this very Jewish way, reaffirm what the Colossians must have been told when the gospel was first preached to them: they have a share in the inheritance of God's people. The Greek words for "share" and "inheritance" in verse 12 are often found together in the Septuagint (see Deuteronomy 10:9; 12:12; 14:27, 29; 18:1; Joshua 19:9; Jeremiah 13:25). Because of their faith in Christ they "share in the inheritance of God's gracious gift of the land of Canaan to Israel" (E. Schweizer, Colossians, 50).The authors appropriate this image and use it in reference to the church, which includes both Jews and Gentiles. The Gentiles now share in the inheritance given to Israel by God's grace. They are to be numbered among those who are called "saints." Some commentators have suggested that the phrase "of the saints in the light" refers to angels, as the authors are arguing in opposition to a cult of angels in the Colossian church (e.g. R. Martin, Colossians, 54). But it is not necessary to believe that the Colossian Christians were involved in angel worship. Moreover, the Greek term for "holy" in Pauline literature normally refers to the followers of Jesus. This is certainly the meaning of the word in Colossian 1:1. Unless there is specific evidence that the authors are shifting the meaning of the same word, it is best to understand "saints" in 1:12 as a reference to Christians, who in worship share a foretaste of heaven.
The affirmation of 1:12 implies that the inheritance of the people of God given by grace is no longer the privilege of one race, but now has expanded to include those not of Jewish background. To quote N.T. Wright, "The promise of the land is widened into the promise of a whole new creation" (Colossians, 61.)
Monday, February 02, 2009
Sunday, February 01, 2009
"A Prayer for the Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany
It is indeed all about You, our King. Now we humbly ask You to bless all who pray this prayer with the touch of Your Holy Spirit gently speaking to them with whatever message You have to send. Help them to be open and receptive to Your "still small voice" and create in them a hunger to know You better and to serve in this newly emerging army of our Most Holy, High God. To You-- Our Lord of Hosts-- be all the honor and glory! Amen.Carolyn Baker (adapted)
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