joy triumphs over despair

I had a Calvary member ask me recently how one is able to balance the muck and mire in the world with the glimpses of God's love and transformation. Her work has her constantly responding to crises that affect people in fundamental ways. All that sadness and tragedy and sin threatens to overwhelm her and cloud out the Light of Christ's work.

Much of my week is spent reacting to difficulty or crises; not all of it to be sure but much of it. I shaerd with her, and share with you now some thoughts of others that have helped me come to grips with the muck and mire.

The late 18th century theologian and pastor Friedrich Schleiermacher put the issue very clearly in his seminal work The Christian Faith. He argued against the existence of Hell on the grounds that it would cause sadness in Heaven. How could saints rejoice in Heaven knowing that friends or kin or even strangers were simultaneously suffering in Hell? While I've never been a fan of Schleiermacher, I found this to be a very good question. I do believe that Hell exists (call me old-fashioned if you must) but his point gave me pause to consider this.

Sometime later I ran across C.S. Lewis's response to this point. I do not recall which work it was in but Lewis essentially argues that evil cannot conquer or overcome or dilute joy. Joy wins out and breaks through the muck and mire. If we allow sadness about the state of the world, others, Hell, to leash and encumber our lives, then we suffer from a misunderstanding or poor experience of joy. In doing this, we also limit the glory and bounty of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Evil does not have the power to limit joy inherently; only when we succumb to the so that sadness eclipses rejoicing do we bestow that power upon evil.

I know that the muck and mire is temporary. I take is seriously, of course, but it lacks the permanence and substance of joy and light and grace. Knowing that allows me to experience the depths while clinging to the heights.

churches default

Interesting piece in the WSJ. Calvary is in good shape through prudence, patience and Providence.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704115404576096151214141820.html

math and mentoring

I mentor a young lad at West Ave. Elementary. Last week, during our hour together, he had to solve a math problem. I found it pretty tough too. For your edification, I provide the problem. Let me know if you solve it, there are only 5 correct answers.

You have a 1 bag of 45 m&m's. You use this bag to bake 12 cookies. Each cookie has at least 3 m&m's and no more than 5 m&m's. Determine the m&m distribution for the dozen cookies.

My favorite MLK quotes

Martin Luther King, Jr., quotes from Testament of Hope:

God is on the side of truth and justice. Good Friday may occupy the throne for a day, but ultimately it must give way to the triumph of Easter. Evil may so shape events that Caesar will occupy a palace and Christ a cross, but that same Christ arose and split history into AD and BC so that even the life of Caesar must be dated by His Name.

It is still true that the Church is the most segregated major institution in America. As a minister of the Gospel, I am ashamed to have to affirm that 11 o’clock on Sunday morning, when we stand and sing, “In Christ there is no East or West,” is the most segregated hour of America and the Sunday School the most segregated school of the week.

We have come to the day when a piece of freedom is not enough for us as human beings nor for the nation of which we are part. We have been given pieces, but unlike bread, a slice of which does diminish hunger, a piece of liberty no longer suffices…Freedom is one thing—you have it all or you are not free.

Jesus Christ wrote no books; owned no property to endow him with influence. He had no friends in the courts of the powerful. But he changed the course of mankind with only the poor and the despised.

Non cooperation with evil is as much a moral obligation as is cooperation with good. The oppressed must never allow the conscience of the oppressor to slumber. Religion reminds every man that he is his brother’s keeper. To accept injustice or segregation passively is to say to the oppressor that his actions are morally right.

Martin Luther King, Jr., quotes as attributed in Taylor Branch, At Canaan’s Edge:

If you say that I am not good enough to live next door to you…b/c of the color of my skin or my ethnic origins, then you are saying in substance that I do not deserve to exist. And this is what we see when we see that [form of] racism still hovering over our nation.

Violence may murder the liar, but it doesn’t murder the lie. It doesn’t establish truth…Violence may go to the point of murdering the hater, but it doesn’t murder hate. It may increase hate.

What I am trying to get you to see this morning is that man may be self-centered in his self-denial and self-righteous in his self-sacrifice. His generosity may feed his ego and his piety may feed his pride. So, without love, benevolence becomes egotism and martyrdom becomes spiritual pride.

In summary, nothing will be done ‘til people of good will put their hearts and souls in motion.

The American people are infected with racism—that is the peril. Paradoxically, they are also infected with democratic ideals—that is the hope.

worship

I had the chance to talk with a friend and Calvary member on Sunday night. She noted that worship earlier that day was exceptional. I asked how so. She couldn't answer but later provided this email (reprinted here with permission).

I just spent the past couple of hours hanging out with [another Calvary member] and we started talking about church. He mentioned that he especially enjoyed the service on Sunday, and I told him I agreed. On Sunday night you asked what made Sunday a particularly good day, and at the time I couldn't quite voice what I had felt. But after much reflection, I think I've come up with what it was, and since you asked I figured you deserve to know!:)

On Sunday, I felt for the first time that Calvary was truly my church. I joined Calvary right in the middle of the turmoil, and thus, felt like my presence often went unnoticed. People were hurting, and were hurting because of others in the church. They didn't seem to have much reason to trust, and so there wasn't much reason to know or be known. For that first year Calvary was the church I attended, but it wasn't my church.

This Sunday- things were different. I walked into a Sunday School class with smiling faces and genuine words of excitement that we were all together again. In class, we laughed together, shared stories together, and really prayed together. The class is unlike it has ever been in my time at Calvary- it's growing, it's challenging, it's life giving. Those who were visiting for the first time mentioned how much they liked it- a very untypical response for first time visitors to the 20 somethings. I was relieved- I realized this had become my class.

Then, as we entered the sanctuary people were slow to find their seats because there were hugs and conversations going on all over. Individuals who would soon find their seat on the other side of the sanctuary were being known by those all around. I felt like I was no longer restricted to the back half of the left side of the sanctuary. I felt as though my presence would have been accepted in any of these circles. I felt like it may have even been wanted! I belonged in that place.

During the service, unity seemed to fill the place. [The Calvary member] worded it well. He said as he looked around, he felt like for the first time it really seemed like everyone actually believed what was being sung, what was being prayed, and what was being preached. When Dr. Arterbury prayed, the words he spoke were genuine and intentional. As he said "amen" I heard an audible sigh all the way down my row. The words of that prayer were truly being prayed by everyone around me. We all found ourselves before the throne of God right there in that place- individually and corporately. The prayer that was for me was also the prayer that was for them. We belonged in that place.

Then, in your sermon I truly sensed that you deeply believed every word you said. You were vulnerable in sharing the frustration and weariness that often follows our frustrations with knowing where the Messiah is. As you shared the pain of the struggle, I connected with my own pain and struggle. Then, as you offered hope and claimed that you really believed the Messiah was right there among us- still giving us something to hope for as a church, still promising healing to a hurting congregation, still guaranteeing fruit from a barren people, still believing that life is going to happen all around in that place, I believed it too. If you could see it in us- you the one who has seen the most broken side of Calvary- then surely we can see it too. I believe the Messiah is alive and well in our church, because you believe it. And as you gave this message you weren't reciting a speech or simply following the points on an outline. Rather, you were looking at us, your people, eye to eye, over and over again. I knew you wanted us to get this- and we got it. You let me know by your words and delivery that this message was given with me in mind. We all knew it was prepared with us in mind. I knew I belonged in that place.

Then, during Communion there was something powerful about breaking bread together in one common place, and laying our sacrifices on one common altar. The lady who gave me the bread knew my name, and she proclaimed that the bread was broken for me specifically. I don't know her name, but she knows mine. She is a long time member at Calvary, and she knows my name. I didn't realize how powerful a thing it is to call out someone's name, when they assumed they were unnoticed before. I want to learn her name this week. I want to learn the names of lots of folks at Calvary, because they are my family and for the first time I sense we are all ready to be family. When she said my name, I knew the people of Calvary were beginning to trust again. If they were willing to trust me, I too am willing to trust them. In fact, I'm willing to trust first- because I know I belong.

I could go on to talk about how hardly anyone rushed out when the benediction was over and how the fellowship continued downstairs, but basically I think church was good Sunday- and that church has been good for the past Sundays because you have been teaching us to love, hope, forgive, and trust once again. You have showed us what it is to persevere in service and obedience, even when the pessimism is deafening and the complaints are flourishing. You've shown us that the hope of the church is worth being vulnerable over- it's worth loving one another over. You've made Calvary home for those of us who are willing to believe what you seem to believe- that this place really can kind of do this church thing right once again. There's no where else I'd rather belong.

And that's why Sunday was especially good:)

faith and friendship

Here's a link to an article from the our friends to the North (Canada, not Oklahoma) about friendship and faith. Thanks to Michael Godfrey for sending it over.

http://www.canada.com/health/take+faith+friendship+religion+secret+ingredient+happiness/3938980/story.html

science, faith and Calvary's own Jerry Cleaver

Calvary's Jerry Cleaver will be one of the presenters for the event announced below:

ANNOUNCEMENT

Seminar title: Science and Faith: Breaking Down the Wall

Sponsored by: First Baptist Church of Waco, Texas, and the Center for Ministry Effectiveness and Educational Leadership at Baylor University

Location: First Baptist Church, Fellowship Hall, Waco, Texas

Date and time: Saturday, February 5, 2011. 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Lunch served.

Registration: Contact Carol Huckeby at 254-752-3000 or e-mail chuckeby@fbcwaco.org. $25 registration fee payable to First Baptist Church, Waco; $5 for students.

What is this seminar designed to do?

One of the great challenges deep in American culture today is reconciling tenets of the Christian faith with those of modern science. Many noted scientists and mathematicians often think they cannot become Christians due to the common misconceptions of conflicts between faith and science. High school and college students often lose their faith because of this same misunderstanding. Many Christians see science as a threat to their faith rather than a means to enriching it.

The goal of this seminar is to educate people of the church (as well as those outside the church) regarding the engagement of faith and science. The intent is to help clergy and laity alike understand how, in their pursuit of truth as Christian people, their faith will be strengthened and their Christian effectiveness increased when they take both biblical theology and science seriously. The sponsors of this seminar believe that as Christians better understand the relationship between the Christian faith and the scientific investigation of the natural world, many who may currently see these as antagonistic, or at best as disconnected, will begin to view them as complementary, while also mutually informing and edifying. Christians—indeed, congregations—will become more aware of the positive relationship between faith and science that is possible when each is properly understood, with God seen as the author of both.

The speakers for the seminar are Gerald Cleaver, Associate Professor of Physics, Barry Harvey, Professor of Theology, and Phyllis Tippit, Lecturer in Geology and Interdisciplinary Science, all from Baylor University. If you wish to receive additional information about this seminar, contact Julie Covington at Baylor (tel.: 254-710-4677 or email Julie_Covington@baylor.edu ).

January 6--Epiphany

January 6 is the date on the Church calendar when we celebrate the Magi encountering the Messiah child Jesus. I provide this portrait from Joseph Leyendecker via CGFA (circa 1900) for your edification.

community attachment

The link below presents a Gallup/Knight study of what attaches folks to a given community. Very interesting; thanks to Chad Klawetter for passing it along.

http://issuu.com/knightfoundation/docs/2010-knight-soul-of-the-community-report---overall?mode=embed&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Flight%2Flayout.xml&showFlipBtn=true

Book Review

The Donahue/Robinson book I recently finished comes out of Willow Creek (most small group literature comes out of Willow). Willow began in the late '80's and really grew in the '90's as a seeker church--meaning it focus was almost entirely on growing and leading new folks to Christ. Small groups were a big part of that as each group was its own evangelistic engine feeding the larger church. As a particular small group invited new folks and grew, it would split and then both those groups would grow and then they would split--yielding geometric growth.



Church growth has its place. We are called to present the Gospel so that others would come to Christ; small groups can make this presentation easier. However, Willow itself recognized some years ago that their focus was so outward driven that they didn't provide enough spiritual food to folks within the church.



This touches upon my criticism of Building a Church of Small Groups. The authors seem to only recognize community in small groups. Aren't Sunday School classes [something Willow never seemed interested in] also community? They are Calvary. Aren't ministry teams also community? I can think of a few that include this as a function. Aren't choirs and ensembles and praise bands community? Certainly they can be.



There's an emphasis these days on intentional community--building community to build community. Isn't there value in unintentional community--having community built through normal occurrences, almost as a byproduct? The authors don't seem to recognize the community cookie unless it is shaped as their cookie cutter. I would argue that community can be found in many places; it's in those unlikely places and instances that we can find God's presence providing for us. I'm not advocating for an either/or approach but a both/and goal.