Dear Friend,
In these letters, I’m addressing common reasons people give for not participating in a local church. Here’s one I often hear from married people: “I can’t get my spouse interested in church. With no support at home, it’s hard for me to motivate myself to even find a church home.”
Statements like these have, in the past, usually been made by wives about their husbands. I personally believe that the reason for this is that historically, in every culture, men have been taught that they don’t need others, not even God. For men who believe this, the idea that we need to admit our sins and surrender to a Savior is radical. I believe it even frightens them. Our bluster about not needing a church or our claim that we can just as effectively worship God on the fairway of Hole 13 often masks our fear. (I know. I’m a recovering control freak who used to like to keeping my life God-free.)
The New Testament portion of the Bible, both in its accounts of Jesus’ earthly ministry and in the letters written by some of His earliest followers, shows us that women have always been more open than men to Christ’s call to repentance and new life through faith in Him. This may partly be because in the cultures in which Christian faith first took hold, women occupied an inferior status. They didn’t suffer from the control freak hangups that so often prevent men from pursuing a life of faith.
But more importantly, through Christ, women saw that in God’s eyes, men and women, both made in God’s image, are equal.
In recent years though, I’ve met a number of married couples in which the traditional pattern has been reversed: the man has wanted a connection to Christ and the church, while the woman resists it. Whichever spouse disdains church involvement, it’s hard for the other spouse.
This is what I tell married people who want to be part of the church, yet are married to folks for whom that isn’t important:
1. Don’t let the objecting spouse keep you from being involved in a church. If you believe that the church is important for your spiritual well-being and growth--and I obviously believe that’s true, you should forge ahead with church involvement. Make it clear that weekly worship and pursuing your own personal area of Christian service are priorities in your life.
2. Don’t criticize your spouse when she or he refuses to go to worship or church functions with you. No one has ever been successfully harried or insulted into faith in Christ or church involvement.
3. Pray for your spouse. Ask God to open their will and heart to the possibility of church involvement.
4. Enlist the prayer support of Christian friends. Ask them to ask God to help you to maintain a strong connection with the church and to pray for that openness in your spouse I mentioned above.
5. Love your spouse.
I can’t guarantee that resistant spouses will join you in worship if you follow these steps. But I can guarantee that if you don’t follow them, they won’t be involved and it’s possible that you’ll lose your motivation, too. Don’t let anything keep you from being connected to Christ and His church!
Sincerely,
Mark
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Monday, March 26, 2007
Now What?: In the Face of a Terrible Tragedy
[Today, a memorial celebration of the life of Eileen Murphy, the principal of Summerside Elementary School in our community was held. More than one-thousand people were in attendance, filling the Performing Arts Center of Glen Este High School. She was a beloved figure and the 600-children and staff of Summerside were just some of the people wrestling with the suicide of a beloved educator. Many more who are part of our West Clermont Local School District have been affected by this loss.
[The memorial was wonderful, including a moving and funny eulogy by our friend, Barb Dardy; a solo presentation of Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus by our district superintendent, Gary Brooks; and a parent eloquently speaking of his appreciation of Miss Murphy, among other things. Below is a message I shared during the memorial.]
There are things that happen in this life that are so big and so sad and so horrible that we can’t explain them. As you think about the tragic death of a beloved family member, principal, and colleague, it’s natural to ask, “Why has this happened?”
I’m not sure there is an answer to that question.
More than that, I’m not sure that having an answer would help us very much.
I think that the far more important question for all who mourn Eileen Murphy to ask is this: “Now what?”
How do you--how do we all--proceed with the living of our lives knowing that there are things that happen in this life that are so big and so sad and so horrible that we can’t explain them? How do we live knowing that life is good, but life isn’t fair and life doesn't always make sense? Just a few thoughts.
First, and this is especially for the boys and girls: Listen to each other. Be kind to each other. Treat each other with respect. When we know that even this beautiful world full of wonders and laughter can be infected by sad things, we should all make it our goal to treat others with the same kindness and love with which we want them to treat us.
Second, boys and girls, when you have feelings of sadness or anger inside of you, tell a trusted grown-up like a parent, a teacher, a counselor, a pastor, or, for some of you, a Boys and Girls Club adult. When I was a little boy and I got frightened or sad, those bad feelings always got worse if I kept them to myself. But when I told my parents, grandparents, or some other grown-up I trusted, those feelings got smaller or went away. A trusted grown-up can help that happen for you too. And grown-ups, we never grow too old for this advice!
Third: The sixty-something year old woman who, when I was in my early twenties, helped me move from being an atheist to a believer in God used to tell me whenever something was bothering me, “You know, Mark, it’s not something you can’t pray about.” You can talk with God about anything! You can even tell Him when you’re angry with Him. The Bible tells us to cast all our cares on God because He cares for us. He cares for you. So, talk to God. Pray.
Fourth: Live in the assurance that your life matters to God. Every single second of it!
In the New Testament portion of the Bible, you can read the letters of a man named Paul. Once a hardboiled enemy of Christian faith, he became a follower of Christ and suffered beatings, imprisonment, shipwrecks, and all sorts of abuse because of his faith. He had every reason to ask, “Why?” But Paul kept following Christ.
He did this because he remembered, as many of us will do in just a few days, that Christ gave up His life on Good Friday and then rose to give new life to all who believe in Him on Easter Sunday.
Paul knew that no matter what happened, he was still loved. You should know that too. Toward the end of his life, Paul wrote some words to the band of Christians living in Rome that comfort me whenever I face the uncertainties and pain of life. I hope they will help you today too:
[The memorial was wonderful, including a moving and funny eulogy by our friend, Barb Dardy; a solo presentation of Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus by our district superintendent, Gary Brooks; and a parent eloquently speaking of his appreciation of Miss Murphy, among other things. Below is a message I shared during the memorial.]
There are things that happen in this life that are so big and so sad and so horrible that we can’t explain them. As you think about the tragic death of a beloved family member, principal, and colleague, it’s natural to ask, “Why has this happened?”
I’m not sure there is an answer to that question.
More than that, I’m not sure that having an answer would help us very much.
I think that the far more important question for all who mourn Eileen Murphy to ask is this: “Now what?”
How do you--how do we all--proceed with the living of our lives knowing that there are things that happen in this life that are so big and so sad and so horrible that we can’t explain them? How do we live knowing that life is good, but life isn’t fair and life doesn't always make sense? Just a few thoughts.
First, and this is especially for the boys and girls: Listen to each other. Be kind to each other. Treat each other with respect. When we know that even this beautiful world full of wonders and laughter can be infected by sad things, we should all make it our goal to treat others with the same kindness and love with which we want them to treat us.
Second, boys and girls, when you have feelings of sadness or anger inside of you, tell a trusted grown-up like a parent, a teacher, a counselor, a pastor, or, for some of you, a Boys and Girls Club adult. When I was a little boy and I got frightened or sad, those bad feelings always got worse if I kept them to myself. But when I told my parents, grandparents, or some other grown-up I trusted, those feelings got smaller or went away. A trusted grown-up can help that happen for you too. And grown-ups, we never grow too old for this advice!
Third: The sixty-something year old woman who, when I was in my early twenties, helped me move from being an atheist to a believer in God used to tell me whenever something was bothering me, “You know, Mark, it’s not something you can’t pray about.” You can talk with God about anything! You can even tell Him when you’re angry with Him. The Bible tells us to cast all our cares on God because He cares for us. He cares for you. So, talk to God. Pray.
Fourth: Live in the assurance that your life matters to God. Every single second of it!
In the New Testament portion of the Bible, you can read the letters of a man named Paul. Once a hardboiled enemy of Christian faith, he became a follower of Christ and suffered beatings, imprisonment, shipwrecks, and all sorts of abuse because of his faith. He had every reason to ask, “Why?” But Paul kept following Christ.
He did this because he remembered, as many of us will do in just a few days, that Christ gave up His life on Good Friday and then rose to give new life to all who believe in Him on Easter Sunday.
Paul knew that no matter what happened, he was still loved. You should know that too. Toward the end of his life, Paul wrote some words to the band of Christians living in Rome that comfort me whenever I face the uncertainties and pain of life. I hope they will help you today too:
What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?...No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.As you face a loss so big and so sad and so horrible that you can’t explain it, I hope you’ll remember that God is bigger than all our hurts and that today and every day, His arms are opened wide to you.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Faith v. Religion
[This message was shared during worship celebrations at Friendship Lutheran Church, Amelia, Ohio, on March 24 and 25, 2007.]John 12:1-8
Less than a week before He will be crucified, Jesus is at dinner in the Bethany home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Just a short time before, Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead. It was this incident, proving Jesus’ dominion over death, that caused His enemies to hatch their conspiracy to kill Him. They couldn’t stand the thought of losing control of Israel’s religious life to this Savior of wildly unpredictable love and grace.
During the dinner, Mary of Bethany does something strange and extravagant. She breaks open an ointment imported from India, the cost of which is the equivalent of a year’s worth of wages. She pours the ointment on Jesus’ feet. In one way, the gesture is like that of a servant, similar to what Jesus Himself would do on the night of His arrest when He washed the feet of His disciples. In yet another way, Mary’s action is like that of a family member anointing a body for burial, the only other time it was deemed appropriate to touch another person’s feet. Mary seems to sense that in heading for Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover, Jesus is also heading toward certain death.John says the aroma filled the place. What a contrast it would have been to the stench of death that had, just a short time before, filled the tomb in which the body of her brother, Lazarus, had been lain days before Jesus called him back to life.
Mary’s gesture is wildly inappropriate. In those days, in that culture, no woman spoke with a man in public. No woman let her hair down for others to see. And no one but a slave washed the feet of travelers. Judas is appalled! “What a waste!” he says. “This nard could have been sold and the proceeds could have gone to the poor.”
Of course, within days, Judas will betray Jesus for one-tenth of the value of Mary’s nard! Like many religious traditionalists, Judas has a dark core of sin he tries to hide by pointing to the faults, real and imagined, of others. He wants to make everybody as miserable as he is by demanding that they conform to his ideas of religious propriety. When his darkness is bared for the world to see a few days later, Judas' religiosity keeps him from having faith in a gracious God Who forgives and so, embarrassed, he takes his own life. At the dinner in Bethany, Jesus tells Judas to back off: Mary, He says, is only honoring Him and preparing His body for burial when she could.
David Stark, director of a ministry at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Burnsville, Minnesota, identifies four ways in which faith, represented by Mary of Bethany, is contrasted with religion, represented by Judas, in this incident. I think that Stark is absolutely on the money here and I want to share these four contrasts between faith and religion with you.
First, Stark says, we see that “religion focuses on outward deeds for appearance sake...”; but faith focuses on our internal relationship with Christ. He tells about a time when actor Hal Holbrook did a workshop for pastors and laypeople on reading the Bible in compelling ways during public worship. One participant asked Holbrook to show them what he meant. So, the actor read Psalm 23. When he finished, the place erupted in applause. The man who’d requested the example then asked if he could try. Holbrook handed the man the Bible and he too, read the Psalm. People were now moved to tears by the same 23rd. Psalm. “I’m confused,” someone said to Holbrook. "Why did you get a standing ovation, but this man from the audience without the same skills you have as an actor moved us to weep?” “It’s very simple,” Holbrook replied. “I used my talent and skill as an actor. This gentleman obviously knows the Shepherd the Psalm talks about in a first-hand way.”
This congregation isn’t everybody’s cup of tea. I believe that one reason for that is that some people walk through our doors looking for religion, a set of rituals and time-worn habits. But other people come here looking for Jesus, looking for a faith relationship with the Savior-God Who died and rose for us. People see Jesus through our imperfections and our surrender to Him in ways they never could if we were a smells-and-bells outfit.
There's nothing wrong with a smells-and-bells approach to worship, as long as it's done out of a genuine faith in Jesus Christ. But such an approach is a hollow show if it's just a weekly religious exercise!
More than a year ago, a Roman Catholic priest was here with me for a time of Bible study. He’d never been in our building before and I wondered how he would react to our sanctuary. He stood in the back of this unadorned place, looking around. First, he saw the piano, guitars, and speakers. He looked at the screen. Then, the cross. Then, the altar on wheels and the chairs. At last, his eyes moved up to the arches and decking. He remained quiet for an excruciatingly long time. Then, softly but enthusiastically, he told me, “What an inviting space! A person could really worship God in here.”
I later told a member of Friendship about his comments and she said, “I think he’s right. You can feel Jesus in here because the people who worship here really love Jesus.”
Of all the compliments I’ve ever received about Friendship, the one I cherish most came from our dear friend Chris, who said, “When I worship at Friendship, I see Jesus!”
If we were into religion, our building and worship practices would be to Judas’ liking; since we’re into a living faith relationship with Christ, I think that we’re more like Mary of Bethany!
David Stark also says that in our lesson, we see that religion never breaks out of old boundaries and rules, but faith does extravagant things because of its love for Jesus. Mary did what Judas could never imagine doing. Faith gives away more love and devotion than it can really afford!
A few weeks ago, I told you about a man I know who periodically slips some money into the locker of a co-worker going through a tough time. He can’t afford to do that. But he would say, “I’ll give up a few soda pops. Bottom line: I can’t afford not to help my friend.” Faith says, “I can’t afford to not be extravagant in sharing Christ’s love for others. After all, He spent His life on a cross to save me from sin and death!”
Shortly after Easter, we’ll be convening a four-session class called ‘Witnesses for Christ.’ This is the most important thing we have ever done at Friendship. The Church Council hopes that every adult and junior and senior high member of Friendship will participate. “I don’t have the time,” you might say. Especially when there will also be some outside reading and assignments. Maybe you don’t have the time. Spend it anyway. Be extravagant. Spend time you don’t have and effort you can’t afford in order to become a more joyful, confident witness for the Savior Who died and rose for you!
Our Bible lesson also shows us that religion loves ruts of standards and habits; but faith jumps at the unexpected chances to live for Christ that everyday life brings. When Mary awoke on the day on which our lesson takes place, she may have had no idea that Jesus would show up. After all, there were no telephones, no email. She probably had no intention of breaking open the container of expensive ointment. Once she broke the glass of the sealed bottle, she would have to use every drop of the ointment; there was no way to re-seal it. Yet, she did break it open. She did so because Jesus was there in her home at a particular moment, a moment that would pass and then be gone. His death seemed imminent to her. She did for Him what she could while she could!
Faith is always on the lookout for ways to demonstrate the love of Christ when it can. I’ve told the story before of what happened when evangelist and social activist Tony Campolo went to Hawaii for a seminar. One evening before a presentation, he and a colleague walked into a diner that turned out to be the gathering place of prostitutes before and after they went out onto the streets. Campolo began to engage these women in conversation. When it was clear that he wasn’t interested in buying what they were selling, they asked questions about him and his work. He explained that he was a Christian and a pastor.
As they talked, Campolo learned that it was the birthday of one of the prostitutes. No one would send her a card or give her a cake and she would spend the evening in her humiliating trade. Campolo found out that this woman and the other prostitutes all would return to the diner at 3:00 in the morning. So, he and his friend went to a bakery to buy a cake. They bought streamers and hung them in the diner. When the prostitutes returned, they were stunned, especially the one whose birthday it was. "What kind of Christians are you?" she asked. Campolo answered: “The kind of God Who throws birthday parties for prostitutes at 3:00 in the morning.” What extravagant expression of Christ’s love will you allow your faith to manifest this week?
The fourth thing our lesson shows us is that religion always looks to others with criticism and judgment; faith moves toward others with love. Mary responded to Jesus’ love with an act of outrageous devotion. Judas condemned her for not looking and acting like all the other good folks down at Jerusalem Lutheran Church.
As some of your know, our daughter Sarah called me from Florida the other night. She was excited. "I was witnessing for Christ with a co-worker," she told me. This co-worker, who’s coarse and difficult and sometimes whiny, had turned a lot of people off. Sarah decided to try to befriend her.
Doing that has been tough. But the other evening, the young woman began to ask Sarah about why she was so friendly to her. Sarah was given the chance to speak with her about how Jesus died and rose for all people. This girl asked Sarah all sorts of questions. “It was so exciting, Dad!” she told me. “I was able to really witness for Christ!”
Here, Sarah’s story dovetails a bit with that of Tony Campolo. She learned that her co-worker’s birthday was the next day. So, before heading for work, Sarah went to the closest grocery story and bought a big birthday cake, along with some candles. It was an unnecessary thing for her to do, extravagant given the small income she and her husband are now bringing in. But it made Sarah feel good. It always feels good to follow faith’s call to move to others with love.
Mary had faith. Judas had religion.
- Mary turned her heart toward Christ; Judas was worried whether others thought he looked religious.
- Mary moved outside the boundaries of propriety to love Christ; Judas kept his religion within rigid lines.
- Mary jumped at unexpected chances to live her faith; Judas wanted everything to be done according to some traditional form.
- Mary moved out in love; Judas lashed out in judgment.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
I Am Such a Dork!
I was unable to watch any of today's Ohio State-Memphis Elite Eight tournament game. But on my way home from our Saturday worship, I heard the final minutes, which my beloved Buckeyes won 92 to 76, I heard OSU's play-by-play announcer Paul Kiels say, "Watch out, Atlanta. The Buckeyes are on their way!"
To prove what a dork I am, those words brought tears to my eyes.
I was born and raised in Columbus. During my growing-up years, contrary to form, Ohio State basketball was more important to me than Ohio State football. I loved Jerry Lucas, John Havlicek, Jim Bowman, and all the other great players from the early-60s who vied for national championships and won one back then. I've had the fever ever since.
OSU basketball has always been a bond between my father and me, too. In fact, just a few moments ago, the first person I called to celebrate Ohio State's entry into the Final Four was dad.
Readers here know how strong my ties to The Ohio State University are. I talk about the university all the time!
Ohio State was the only college to which I applied. It was unthinkable to me to attend any other institution. And I loved my time there! One of my early instructors, Lance Schreffler, teaching the port-of-entry class offered to all incoming freshman, UVC100, urged us to "do the university," finding ways to use the extraordinary resources of the world's largest campus--today there are more than 51,800-students on the Columbus site--to grow intellectually, socially, and in other ways. My grades were so-so. But my hours in the William Oxley Thompson stacks, involvement with the Off-Campus Students' Association, and lengthy conversations with faculty members who gave so generously of their time--people like Stan Swart, Jim Kweder, and Don Van Meter, among others--gave me a first-class education! (Stan and his wife, Jan, attended my wedding and reception.)
My wife also graduated from OSU and our son was born there. Most of my closest friends graduated from State, too.
When our son, Philip, now twenty-five, was growing up, I took a week of vacation in order to take him to OSU Basketball Camp every year. We relished our time on campus and time spent in my favorite city on the planet, Columbus.
I'm so happy to be involved these days in my county OSU Alumni Association, a group of people who not only want football tickets, but also want to serve our community and to provide area young people with the same benefit we enjoy, an Ohio State education!
All of these things probably combined to create my dorky--and I must add in my defense, momentary--response to the announcement that the Buckeyes will be going to the Final Four, the first time since 1999.
Kentucky, Kansas, and UCLA fans, among others, may regard it as an entitlement for their teams to make it into the Final Four. But as an OSU fan, in spite of having had many fine teams to cheer in the past four-plus decades, I can't see things that way. I see it as a special privilege...and a special privilege too, to have such a fine team and a fine coach to represent me and the rest of Buckeye Nation!
To prove what a dork I am, those words brought tears to my eyes.
I was born and raised in Columbus. During my growing-up years, contrary to form, Ohio State basketball was more important to me than Ohio State football. I loved Jerry Lucas, John Havlicek, Jim Bowman, and all the other great players from the early-60s who vied for national championships and won one back then. I've had the fever ever since.
OSU basketball has always been a bond between my father and me, too. In fact, just a few moments ago, the first person I called to celebrate Ohio State's entry into the Final Four was dad.
Readers here know how strong my ties to The Ohio State University are. I talk about the university all the time!
Ohio State was the only college to which I applied. It was unthinkable to me to attend any other institution. And I loved my time there! One of my early instructors, Lance Schreffler, teaching the port-of-entry class offered to all incoming freshman, UVC100, urged us to "do the university," finding ways to use the extraordinary resources of the world's largest campus--today there are more than 51,800-students on the Columbus site--to grow intellectually, socially, and in other ways. My grades were so-so. But my hours in the William Oxley Thompson stacks, involvement with the Off-Campus Students' Association, and lengthy conversations with faculty members who gave so generously of their time--people like Stan Swart, Jim Kweder, and Don Van Meter, among others--gave me a first-class education! (Stan and his wife, Jan, attended my wedding and reception.)
My wife also graduated from OSU and our son was born there. Most of my closest friends graduated from State, too.
When our son, Philip, now twenty-five, was growing up, I took a week of vacation in order to take him to OSU Basketball Camp every year. We relished our time on campus and time spent in my favorite city on the planet, Columbus.
I'm so happy to be involved these days in my county OSU Alumni Association, a group of people who not only want football tickets, but also want to serve our community and to provide area young people with the same benefit we enjoy, an Ohio State education!
All of these things probably combined to create my dorky--and I must add in my defense, momentary--response to the announcement that the Buckeyes will be going to the Final Four, the first time since 1999.
Kentucky, Kansas, and UCLA fans, among others, may regard it as an entitlement for their teams to make it into the Final Four. But as an OSU fan, in spite of having had many fine teams to cheer in the past four-plus decades, I can't see things that way. I see it as a special privilege...and a special privilege too, to have such a fine team and a fine coach to represent me and the rest of Buckeye Nation!
Go, Buckeyes!
Prayer for Habitat for Humanity Wall-Raising
Today, Habitat volunteers, including several from the church I serve as pastor, participated in a special ceremony preceding the wall-raising for a new Habitat for Humanity. Our congregation, along with All Saints Lutheran Church in Mount Carmel and Saint Mark Lutheran Church in Milford, secured the funding from Thrivent Financial Services for Lutherans, constituting 65% of the costs. Volunteers from churches throughout the county are involved in additional fundraising and of course, construction of the home.
Ours is a relatively small congregation; but our experience demonstrates that God can do great things even with a small group of people. It's exciting!
Here's the prayer I did for today's ceremony:
Ours is a relatively small congregation; but our experience demonstrates that God can do great things even with a small group of people. It's exciting!
Here's the prayer I did for today's ceremony:
Lord:
Today, we remember that Your Word tells us, “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builder builds in vain.”
This seems appropriate for us today in several ways.
First: Because we know that whether as it relates to funding, drafting, or construction, we can only do those things for which You have equipped us with the resources that You have given to us.
It also seems appropriate because we know that no couple can truly be a couple, no family can be a family, and no home is really home without Your empowerment.
As Habitat volunteers put up the walls on the Higginses new home, we pray for the safety of all who participate in the construction process. We pray too for Your wisdom and Your help so that everything gets accomplished in a timely way.
But more than that, we pray that You will help everyone involved to build their lives on the strong foundation of Your love and goodness, lavished on us all so freely and so tenaciously in the Person of Jesus Christ.
Bless the work of all who labor here and grant that we will treat this work for what it is: An opportunity to demonstrate to all the world the greatness of our awesome God of love.
May You alone be glorified!
In Jesus’ Name we pray.
Amen!
Friday, March 23, 2007
There in Good Times and Bad
Tomorrow morning, I'll be offering the prayer for a special ceremony. Our congregation will be working with other area churches in the erection of the walls for a new Habitat for Humanity home. It's one of those fun experiences you enjoy as a pastor, watching God's people provide a new home for a family in need of one.
But early this morning, my wife received word that a former boss of hers, the principal of one of our area elementary schools, tragically took her own life. This afternoon, I was asked to lead a community memorial service that will happen at one of our local high schools. This is one of those experiences you dread as a pastor.
And yet, in all sorts of experiences I've learned that the God Who through Jesus Christ has experienced the best and the worst of life, is truly present. Jesus promises to be with us always. The good and the bad times often present me with circumstances I have no idea how to handle. Fortunately, Jesus Christ does. I lean on Him...and He has never failed to help.
But early this morning, my wife received word that a former boss of hers, the principal of one of our area elementary schools, tragically took her own life. This afternoon, I was asked to lead a community memorial service that will happen at one of our local high schools. This is one of those experiences you dread as a pastor.
And yet, in all sorts of experiences I've learned that the God Who through Jesus Christ has experienced the best and the worst of life, is truly present. Jesus promises to be with us always. The good and the bad times often present me with circumstances I have no idea how to handle. Fortunately, Jesus Christ does. I lean on Him...and He has never failed to help.
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Thursday, March 22, 2007
I'm Praying for Elizabeth and John Edwards...and Asking You for Prayers
I've laughed at John Edwards' primping, defended his capacity to empathize with the poor, and decried Ann Coulter's assault on him. But who could help but be impressed with the Edwardses today as they talked about the recurrence of Elizabeth Edwards' cancer? And who could resist the thought, irrespective of one's politics, that if Elizabeth thinks this highly of John Edwards, maybe all of us should consider his substance as well?
We sometimes forget that these public figures are real human beings. The reappearance of cancer in this vital, intelligent, and funny woman's life reminds us all of our common humanity.
I'm praying for the Edwardses!
And speaking of praying, could I ask readers of this blog to add a young man named Ian to your prayers? He's a seventeen year old member of our congregation who is recovering from a major mishap, sustained while he was trying to earn extra credit for an assignment at school. Please ask God to give him complete healing. Thanks!
We sometimes forget that these public figures are real human beings. The reappearance of cancer in this vital, intelligent, and funny woman's life reminds us all of our common humanity.
I'm praying for the Edwardses!
And speaking of praying, could I ask readers of this blog to add a young man named Ian to your prayers? He's a seventeen year old member of our congregation who is recovering from a major mishap, sustained while he was trying to earn extra credit for an assignment at school. Please ask God to give him complete healing. Thanks!
Third Pass at This Weekend's Bible Lesson: John 12:1-8
[To see the first two passes at this lesson, go here and here. The first link explains what these passes are about.]
[Verse-by-Verse Comments, continued]
4But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, 5“Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?”
(1) John always mentions that Judas will betray Jesus. If Mary of Bethany exemplifies authentic discipleship, Judas is its antitype.
(2) Of course, the Scriptures indicate that followers of Christ should make giving to the poor a priority, as it was in Old Testament thought as well. But we see how far Judas is from authentic discipleship in that he will use religious tradition and rhetoric to condemn an act of true devotion to Christ.
(3) A denarius was the usual pay for a laborer's day of work. The perfume used by Mary would thus have cost a year's pay. This is an extravagant act of devotion. (Denarii is the plural form of denarius.)
(4) Brian Stoffregen points out that the 300 denarii "wasted" by Mary is ten times what Judas would take to betray Jesus. All week long, I've been thinking of that old AC/DC song to describe Judas' act: "Dirty deeds done dirt cheap."
6(He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.)
(1) The Greek word translated here as thief is kleptes, from which we get the word kleptomaniac. It's also the same word used by Jesus to describe the thief who threatens the flock in John 10:1, 8, 10. In both cases--that of the thief and of Judas--the aim is to destroy the life, hope, and devotion of the followers of the Good Shepherd. Of course, Judas' act is, in its way, vastly more evil. He is the supposedly pious, but faithless person on the inside tearing down the faith and the unity of the church by insisting that things should be done in a proscribed way.
7Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. 8You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”
(1) Jesus does not mean for the Church to prefer extravagance on things like buildings over against doing for the poor. We should always give the poor priority, along with those with no knowledge of Jesus Christ. But Jesus is commending Mary for taking advantage of honoring Him while she could. Do we take advantage of the fleeting opportunities we have to honor Christ when we can?
[Verse-by-Verse Comments, continued]
4But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, 5“Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?”
(1) John always mentions that Judas will betray Jesus. If Mary of Bethany exemplifies authentic discipleship, Judas is its antitype.
(2) Of course, the Scriptures indicate that followers of Christ should make giving to the poor a priority, as it was in Old Testament thought as well. But we see how far Judas is from authentic discipleship in that he will use religious tradition and rhetoric to condemn an act of true devotion to Christ.
(3) A denarius was the usual pay for a laborer's day of work. The perfume used by Mary would thus have cost a year's pay. This is an extravagant act of devotion. (Denarii is the plural form of denarius.)
(4) Brian Stoffregen points out that the 300 denarii "wasted" by Mary is ten times what Judas would take to betray Jesus. All week long, I've been thinking of that old AC/DC song to describe Judas' act: "Dirty deeds done dirt cheap."
6(He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.)
(1) The Greek word translated here as thief is kleptes, from which we get the word kleptomaniac. It's also the same word used by Jesus to describe the thief who threatens the flock in John 10:1, 8, 10. In both cases--that of the thief and of Judas--the aim is to destroy the life, hope, and devotion of the followers of the Good Shepherd. Of course, Judas' act is, in its way, vastly more evil. He is the supposedly pious, but faithless person on the inside tearing down the faith and the unity of the church by insisting that things should be done in a proscribed way.
7Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. 8You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”
(1) Jesus does not mean for the Church to prefer extravagance on things like buildings over against doing for the poor. We should always give the poor priority, along with those with no knowledge of Jesus Christ. But Jesus is commending Mary for taking advantage of honoring Him while she could. Do we take advantage of the fleeting opportunities we have to honor Christ when we can?
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Second Pass at This Weekend's Bible Lesson: John 12:1-8
[The first pass, containing an explanation of what these passes are about, can be found here.]
Verse-by-Verse Comments
1Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.
(1) We are within one week of the final of three Passovers narrated by John in his gospel. As readers, we know that this will be the Passover week when Jesus will be executed on a cross. Even the disciples themselves, mindful of the mounting opposition to Jesus, would have been aware of the danger that surrounded Jesus, especially if He went to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover, which as a practicing Jew He wanted to do. Death looms over this scene.
(2) The Passover, of course, is the Jewish holiday which remembers Israel's deliverance from slavery in Egypt. Just before their departure, the angel of death was sent to Egypt. It passed over the homes of the Jewish (Hebrew) slaves who put the blood of a lamb on their doorposts. Otherwise, the angel brought death to the firstborn in every Egyptian household. This culminating sign from God--there had been ten--convinced the oppressive Pharaoh to accede to the demands of the leader of the Israelites, Moses. (For more information on Passover, go here and here.)
It was during the week of Passover that God chose the sacrifice of the perfect Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world to take place. By the power of His blood to atone for our sin, we pass over from death to life.
(3) Given the unique timeline of John as it relates to Jesus' crucifixion, this gathering would have taken place on Saturday night, after the conclusion of the Sabbath. (The Sabbath runs from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday.) This would have allowed Martha to serve, as we will soon learn she does.
(4) Bethany, of course, is the hometown of the siblings Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. It was here that in John 11, Jesus brought Lazarus back to life, though he had been dead for four days. It was because of that act that the conspiracy to kill Jesus was hatched.
Bethany is one of the touchstone locales of the Gospels. Ed Markquart points out that it "was two miles from Jerusalem and a stone’s throw to the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane." (For more on Bethany, see here.)
2There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him.
(1) The word translated from the Greek as dinner here, deipnon, is only used elsewhere in the Gospels to describe the Last Supper. John does tell about the Last Supper--without the institution of Holy Communion--this dinner has a lot in common with the Last Supper.
(2) Does There refer to Bethany or to the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus? I've always assumed that it meant the latter. But several commentators point out that if this were the case, there would have been no reason to mention Lazarus' presence at the meal.
Still, the fact that Martha, in typical Martha fashion, is the one who serves the dinner, would seem to indicate where it took place.
It also shows us that, in spite of the extravagant gesture about to be made by Mary, the three siblings were far from wealthy.
(3) The mention of Lazarus might also underscore the brewing plot against Jesus, precipitated by His raising Lazarus from the dead.
3Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
(1) This ointment is a myrrh, familiar to us from the Christmas story, where it also foreshadows Jesus' death. Markquart, citing Raymond Brown's commentary tells us that:
(2) Why did Mary do this? Some suggest that she is anointing Jesus as King before what John understands as His enthronement, His death and resurrection.
That may very well be at play here. But I think that something else is going on. Generally speaking, people were expected to wash their own feet. But if it were ever done for them , it would have been the work of a servant. In the coming chapter of John's gospel, in the upper room, Jesus will wash the feet of His disciples, an action for which John will use the same Greek verb translated as wiped here. Initially horrified at His act of submissiveness and servanthood, the disciples will be told by Jesus that such actions are the signs of Christian discipleship. Mary demonstrates that she "gets it," understanding what it means to follow Christ.
(3) The feet of the dead were also anointed.
[More verse-by-verse comments tomorrow, I hope.]
Verse-by-Verse Comments
1Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.
(1) We are within one week of the final of three Passovers narrated by John in his gospel. As readers, we know that this will be the Passover week when Jesus will be executed on a cross. Even the disciples themselves, mindful of the mounting opposition to Jesus, would have been aware of the danger that surrounded Jesus, especially if He went to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover, which as a practicing Jew He wanted to do. Death looms over this scene.
(2) The Passover, of course, is the Jewish holiday which remembers Israel's deliverance from slavery in Egypt. Just before their departure, the angel of death was sent to Egypt. It passed over the homes of the Jewish (Hebrew) slaves who put the blood of a lamb on their doorposts. Otherwise, the angel brought death to the firstborn in every Egyptian household. This culminating sign from God--there had been ten--convinced the oppressive Pharaoh to accede to the demands of the leader of the Israelites, Moses. (For more information on Passover, go here and here.)
It was during the week of Passover that God chose the sacrifice of the perfect Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world to take place. By the power of His blood to atone for our sin, we pass over from death to life.
(3) Given the unique timeline of John as it relates to Jesus' crucifixion, this gathering would have taken place on Saturday night, after the conclusion of the Sabbath. (The Sabbath runs from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday.) This would have allowed Martha to serve, as we will soon learn she does.
(4) Bethany, of course, is the hometown of the siblings Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. It was here that in John 11, Jesus brought Lazarus back to life, though he had been dead for four days. It was because of that act that the conspiracy to kill Jesus was hatched.
Bethany is one of the touchstone locales of the Gospels. Ed Markquart points out that it "was two miles from Jerusalem and a stone’s throw to the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane." (For more on Bethany, see here.)
2There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him.
(1) The word translated from the Greek as dinner here, deipnon, is only used elsewhere in the Gospels to describe the Last Supper. John does tell about the Last Supper--without the institution of Holy Communion--this dinner has a lot in common with the Last Supper.
(2) Does There refer to Bethany or to the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus? I've always assumed that it meant the latter. But several commentators point out that if this were the case, there would have been no reason to mention Lazarus' presence at the meal.
Still, the fact that Martha, in typical Martha fashion, is the one who serves the dinner, would seem to indicate where it took place.
It also shows us that, in spite of the extravagant gesture about to be made by Mary, the three siblings were far from wealthy.
(3) The mention of Lazarus might also underscore the brewing plot against Jesus, precipitated by His raising Lazarus from the dead.
3Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
(1) This ointment is a myrrh, familiar to us from the Christmas story, where it also foreshadows Jesus' death. Markquart, citing Raymond Brown's commentary tells us that:
It was used in “incense, cosmetics, perfume, medicines and in burial preparations.”Of nard, Brown writes:
[It is] fragrant oil from the root of a nard plant which grows in the mountains of northern India.Chances are that Mary had been saving this ointment for a long time. I wonder why she hadn't used it to anoint Lazarus' body which?
(2) Why did Mary do this? Some suggest that she is anointing Jesus as King before what John understands as His enthronement, His death and resurrection.
That may very well be at play here. But I think that something else is going on. Generally speaking, people were expected to wash their own feet. But if it were ever done for them , it would have been the work of a servant. In the coming chapter of John's gospel, in the upper room, Jesus will wash the feet of His disciples, an action for which John will use the same Greek verb translated as wiped here. Initially horrified at His act of submissiveness and servanthood, the disciples will be told by Jesus that such actions are the signs of Christian discipleship. Mary demonstrates that she "gets it," understanding what it means to follow Christ.
(3) The feet of the dead were also anointed.
[More verse-by-verse comments tomorrow, I hope.]
Tiny Homes, Texas-Style
That's the new series of photo essays Richard Lawrence Cohen has started on his blog. I love the whole idea! Maybe it will motivate me to downsize sooner than later. That would be a good thing.
Checked Out of the Library Today...
The Holy Vote: The Politics of Faith in America. I've long admired Ray Suarez and so I'm looking forward to reading this book. In addition to being a gifted reporter, he's also a committed Christian.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
First Pass at This Weekend's Bible Lesson: John 12:1-8
[Most weeks, I present as many updates on my reflections and study of the Biblical texts on which our weekend worship celebrations will be built as I can. The purpose is to help the people of the congregation I serve as pastor, Friendship Lutheran Church of Amelia, Ohio, get ready for worship. Hopefully, it's helpful to others as well, since our Bible lesson is usually one from the weekly lectionary, variations of which are used in most of the churches of the world.]
The Bible Lesson: John 12:1-8
1Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 2There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. 3Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, 5“Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” 6(He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) 7Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. 8You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”
General Comments
1. Most commentators point out that this passage is the third of three different versions of what is apparently the same incident. The others are in Mark 14:3-9 (essentially duplicated in Matthew 26:1-13) and in Luke 7:36-49. As in this lesson, the anointing of Jesus is associated with His burial. Luke makes no such link, instead focusing on the woman's devotion to Jesus and His scandalous proclamation of forgiveness. In the Lucan story, the woman is a notorious sinner.
2. The immediate context of the passage is framed first by the end of chapter 11 in which the "chief priests and Pharisess" have decided to find a way to arrest Jesus during the upcoming Passover. This decision is reached in John 11:53, because of Jesus bringing His friend Lazarus back from the dead. This is too definitive a sign, in this Gospel of miraculous signs, of Jesus' dominion over life and death for them to allow. (This has always struck me as bizarrely funny. If the raising of Lazarus confirmed who Jesus was, why did the religious leadership think that they could successfully kill Him off? It just shows how strangely we think when we become consumed with our own power and priorities.)
3. After our passage, we come to the conspiracy to also kill Lazarus, evidence of Jesus' Lordship, and the movement to the cross with Palm Sunday. (The latter passage ends in John 12:19, with the Pharisees' acknowledgement of the futility of standing against Jesus. But they press to kill Him anyway.)
4. We are moving toward the crucifixion at a time appointed by God, irrespective of the machinations of Jesus' enemies. This becomes clearer as we move through John's account of Jesus' execution. Everything about our lesson foreshadows what is to come and in some ways, this is John's version of the Last Supper, although He will talk about that event in ways that vary from the narratives in Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
[I hope to present verse-by-verse comments on the passage tomorrow.]
The Bible Lesson: John 12:1-8
1Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 2There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. 3Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, 5“Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” 6(He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) 7Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. 8You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”
General Comments
1. Most commentators point out that this passage is the third of three different versions of what is apparently the same incident. The others are in Mark 14:3-9 (essentially duplicated in Matthew 26:1-13) and in Luke 7:36-49. As in this lesson, the anointing of Jesus is associated with His burial. Luke makes no such link, instead focusing on the woman's devotion to Jesus and His scandalous proclamation of forgiveness. In the Lucan story, the woman is a notorious sinner.
2. The immediate context of the passage is framed first by the end of chapter 11 in which the "chief priests and Pharisess" have decided to find a way to arrest Jesus during the upcoming Passover. This decision is reached in John 11:53, because of Jesus bringing His friend Lazarus back from the dead. This is too definitive a sign, in this Gospel of miraculous signs, of Jesus' dominion over life and death for them to allow. (This has always struck me as bizarrely funny. If the raising of Lazarus confirmed who Jesus was, why did the religious leadership think that they could successfully kill Him off? It just shows how strangely we think when we become consumed with our own power and priorities.)
3. After our passage, we come to the conspiracy to also kill Lazarus, evidence of Jesus' Lordship, and the movement to the cross with Palm Sunday. (The latter passage ends in John 12:19, with the Pharisees' acknowledgement of the futility of standing against Jesus. But they press to kill Him anyway.)
4. We are moving toward the crucifixion at a time appointed by God, irrespective of the machinations of Jesus' enemies. This becomes clearer as we move through John's account of Jesus' execution. Everything about our lesson foreshadows what is to come and in some ways, this is John's version of the Last Supper, although He will talk about that event in ways that vary from the narratives in Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
[I hope to present verse-by-verse comments on the passage tomorrow.]
Letters to My Non-Churchgoing Friends (#8: Disappointed with the Church?)
[I'm writing a series of columns for the Community Press newspapers dealing with common reasons people give for not being part of the church. This is the eighth such letter.]
Dear Friend:
I've been talking about common reasons people offer for not being part of the church. Today, I want to deal with a reason often given by those who leave churches and don't come back. "I was disappointed by the church," they say.
Whether their disappointment in a previous congregation stems from unethical practices, feelings of being ignored or marginalized, or from being hurt by someone in congregational leadership, I feel badly when people are disappointed. I listen to them sympathetically. No one wants to be hurt, especially by the church. All churches should be fellowships of safety and welcome.
Having been disappointed by the church myself, I try to remind these hurting people of two things: (1) No church is perfect. Because, as I've pointed out before, the church is a fellowship of recovering sinners, there will be times when we disappoint one another. (2) Not all churches are the same. For every congregation in which the penchant for hurting others is endemic, you can find dozens whose members strive to live in Christian attitudes of love for God and neighbor.
But it should also be said that some people become disappointed with a church not because of a church's sins, but because of their own. They want the church to bend to their wills on matters of personal preference.
For example, I know of a church that lost several member families in a dispute over the color of new carpeting in the sanctuary. They wanted red and the building committee voted for salmon. "I was very hurt," said one of the departing members, which was really her way of saying, "I was ticked off that we didn't get our way!"
In recent years, homosexuality and other sexual expressions outside of marriage have become more accepted in our culture. I'm frankly glad that longstanding forms of homophobia are dying. Any time we think of people in dehumanizing terms, God isn't glorified.
But with this trend toward acceptance of more and diverse sexual expression, many profess disappointment that most Christian churches continue to say that the practice of homosexuality is contrary to God's will. Most churches welcome all people to wrestle with their sin and hear the Good News of forgiveness offered through Jesus Christ. That includes people who profess an orientation to homosexuality.
But churches aren't free to change God's mind on this subject. God has said that sexual intimacy is to happen within the bounds of heterosexual marriage. The Church--my own "liberal" Evangelical Lutheran Church in America included--has refused to alter what God has revealed in the Bible.
Jesus says that sin isn't just about what we do or say, but also about what we think. And the Bible tells us that all have sinned. From this, we can extrapolate that no one is guiltless in sexual matters. But if your disappointment with a church stems from its unwillingness to label right what God has called wrong, chances are you'll be disappointed for a long time.
Whatever the source of your disappointment with a church of which you may have been a part in the past, I hope that you won't let it keep you from finding a church home. There's no such thing as the perfect church. But when you find a church disappointing you, I hope you'll ask yourself this question: "Am I disappointed because God's will has been violated or is it because my will has been denied?"
And, even if you find the church guilty, ask yet another question of yourself: "Should I leave this church or can I stay, keep loving these imperfect people, and pray that they will keep loving me in spite of my own imperfections?"
Sincerely,
Mark
[To see all eight letters thus far written, go here. There will be more installments in this series.]
Dear Friend:
I've been talking about common reasons people offer for not being part of the church. Today, I want to deal with a reason often given by those who leave churches and don't come back. "I was disappointed by the church," they say.
Whether their disappointment in a previous congregation stems from unethical practices, feelings of being ignored or marginalized, or from being hurt by someone in congregational leadership, I feel badly when people are disappointed. I listen to them sympathetically. No one wants to be hurt, especially by the church. All churches should be fellowships of safety and welcome.
Having been disappointed by the church myself, I try to remind these hurting people of two things: (1) No church is perfect. Because, as I've pointed out before, the church is a fellowship of recovering sinners, there will be times when we disappoint one another. (2) Not all churches are the same. For every congregation in which the penchant for hurting others is endemic, you can find dozens whose members strive to live in Christian attitudes of love for God and neighbor.
But it should also be said that some people become disappointed with a church not because of a church's sins, but because of their own. They want the church to bend to their wills on matters of personal preference.
For example, I know of a church that lost several member families in a dispute over the color of new carpeting in the sanctuary. They wanted red and the building committee voted for salmon. "I was very hurt," said one of the departing members, which was really her way of saying, "I was ticked off that we didn't get our way!"
In recent years, homosexuality and other sexual expressions outside of marriage have become more accepted in our culture. I'm frankly glad that longstanding forms of homophobia are dying. Any time we think of people in dehumanizing terms, God isn't glorified.
But with this trend toward acceptance of more and diverse sexual expression, many profess disappointment that most Christian churches continue to say that the practice of homosexuality is contrary to God's will. Most churches welcome all people to wrestle with their sin and hear the Good News of forgiveness offered through Jesus Christ. That includes people who profess an orientation to homosexuality.
But churches aren't free to change God's mind on this subject. God has said that sexual intimacy is to happen within the bounds of heterosexual marriage. The Church--my own "liberal" Evangelical Lutheran Church in America included--has refused to alter what God has revealed in the Bible.
Jesus says that sin isn't just about what we do or say, but also about what we think. And the Bible tells us that all have sinned. From this, we can extrapolate that no one is guiltless in sexual matters. But if your disappointment with a church stems from its unwillingness to label right what God has called wrong, chances are you'll be disappointed for a long time.
Whatever the source of your disappointment with a church of which you may have been a part in the past, I hope that you won't let it keep you from finding a church home. There's no such thing as the perfect church. But when you find a church disappointing you, I hope you'll ask yourself this question: "Am I disappointed because God's will has been violated or is it because my will has been denied?"
And, even if you find the church guilty, ask yet another question of yourself: "Should I leave this church or can I stay, keep loving these imperfect people, and pray that they will keep loving me in spite of my own imperfections?"
Sincerely,
Mark
[To see all eight letters thus far written, go here. There will be more installments in this series.]
Monday, March 19, 2007
'Tiny Houses' Take Off in Japan
Fed by younger people disgusted with extended commutes to and from suburban neighborhoods and with expensive housing, the tiny houses movement I wrote about here, seems to have a significantly larger counterpart in Japan. (TY: Andrew Sullivan)
Bill Puts It on Spin Cycle
Former President Bill Clinton will speak on health issues to a spinning exercise class in Manhattan on Thursday night. It's a fundraiser for his wife's presidential campaign and each participant will pay $2300 for an evening that will include Clinton's presentation, a forty-five minute workout, and "cocktails and appetizers."
It's certainly creative as campaign fundraising schemes go. And it's all part of the Hillary Clinton campaign's aim of raising between $20 and $30-million in the first three months of this year!
Not only have campaigns gotten too long, there's entirely too much money thrown around in the whole process. The Clintons probably raise so much money, in fact, that they're be less susceptible to the pressures for favors brought to bear by their contributors...though perhaps more so to those who run and sponsor their massive fundraising events. But, generally speaking, big givers, whether to Republican or Democratic candidates, aren't donating to candidates' coffers because of deeply-held principles. They're buying access.
But who's going to give access to all the millions of Americans who can't afford to ante up as candidates for both parties' nominations rev up their respective fundraising machines?
Interestingly, most politicians I know hate the campaign fundraising rat race. "I think of all the charities that could be helped with all the dollars I have to raise just to stay competitive and it makes me sick," one told me several years ago.
What's the cure for this wretched excess? I don't know. But I'm sure that the current campaign influence-peddling (pedaling?) system won't improve until all of us are sufficiently sickened by it!
[This has been cross-posted at RedBlueChristian.com.]
It's certainly creative as campaign fundraising schemes go. And it's all part of the Hillary Clinton campaign's aim of raising between $20 and $30-million in the first three months of this year!
Not only have campaigns gotten too long, there's entirely too much money thrown around in the whole process. The Clintons probably raise so much money, in fact, that they're be less susceptible to the pressures for favors brought to bear by their contributors...though perhaps more so to those who run and sponsor their massive fundraising events. But, generally speaking, big givers, whether to Republican or Democratic candidates, aren't donating to candidates' coffers because of deeply-held principles. They're buying access.
But who's going to give access to all the millions of Americans who can't afford to ante up as candidates for both parties' nominations rev up their respective fundraising machines?
Interestingly, most politicians I know hate the campaign fundraising rat race. "I think of all the charities that could be helped with all the dollars I have to raise just to stay competitive and it makes me sick," one told me several years ago.
What's the cure for this wretched excess? I don't know. But I'm sure that the current campaign influence-peddling (pedaling?) system won't improve until all of us are sufficiently sickened by it!
[This has been cross-posted at RedBlueChristian.com.]
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