Ichthus

Music 2011

2011-12-14T20:31:00.000-06:00

Here’s a list of my favorite new and ‘new to me’ music for 2011. It’s pretty heavily weighted to the neo-folk rock side of things and borders on country I guess. What can I say, I love mandolin.

We were treated to the band Mount Moriah as the opening act for the Indigo Girls this summer. Their self-titled album features a couple of songs that I really find compelling, ‘Lament’ and ‘Reckoning’ are soulful and if you can’t feel the raw, unchecked emotion in the voice of lead singer Heather McEntire you should check your own pulse. I’d suggest watching and listening to their live cuts on www.HearYa.com. There is also a cut of ‘Lament’ on the Current’s website that’s worth a listen (http://thecurrent.org/).

I hate to be bandwagon jumper, but Mumford and Sons, The Decemberists, and The Civil Wars all put out excellent music this year. Mumford and Son’s deluxe edition of “Sigh no More” is excellent. Because of the rawness and the trueness that live recordings often present I like to listen live versions when available. This album not only includes studio versions of the recordings but a good number of their songs performed live as well. ‘Little Lion Man’ and ‘Roll Away Your Stone’ are particularly well done live.

From The Decemberists’ album “The King is Dead”, I particularly enjoy ‘Down by the Water’ (check out the Austin City Limits live version with Gillian Welch for a real treat) and ‘January Hymn’. ‘This is Why we Fight’ is also worthy of a long listen. Add the band’s “Long Live the King” EP to this album as a playlist and you’ve got over 80 minutes of good tunes. The folk influences combined with a hint of R.E.M. (Peter Buck appears on three tracks of the album) are intriguing.

I’m no longer a huge country fan, and I honestly shudder to think that I once was, however, The Civil Wars bring a really unique sound to the turntable, or the iPod. While the title track to “Barton Hollow” gets most of the attention ‘Poison and Wine’ is the song that grabbed my attention.

A few songs and artists that didn’t release new material this year and fall into the “new to me” category include the Avett Brothers which I might go as far as considering my new favorite band. These guys are kind of rough around the edges but their lyrics are full of grace and reflect the struggles of everyday life. Their lyrics often present a new, folk-like version of the Psalter. ‘Ill with Want’ is particularly compelling and reflects the struggle that many of us have with living our lives in a manner that isn’t corrupted by the all too frequent societal message that we need to be constantly ‘keeping up with the Joneses’. The song ‘Once and Future Carpenter’ challenges our sense of ‘call’ into a life well-lived, regardless of our given circumstances. ‘Once’ has yet to be released, but a wonderful CMT unplugged version can be found on YouTube. Also check out ‘I Thank God’ a song that appears on the compilation album “My Favorite Gifts – A Christmas Album”.

A few more "new to me" types: I’m really intrigued by the group Band of Horses, their folk influence is grand, but they have a very unique sound, full of reverb, that borders on techno; interesting to say the least.

Finally for something completely different, check out Matisyahu. Matisyahu is a Hasidic Jew whose genre falls somewhere into in somewhat of a combination of rap and reggae. His music is infused with a Jewish sense of spirituality and often times the lament is more than obvious. ‘One Day’ is a beautiful song that totally captures the lament of the psalms yet does so with a very uplifting sensibility of hopefulness.

Peace,Jeff

Lake Superior Sunday

2011-07-23T13:37:00.002-05:00

Last Sunday I gave the following at First UMC in Duluth in celebration of Lake Superior Sunday. It was a hot, humid day in Duluth, but the worship service was fun, filled with great energy, music, and prayers.

It might look a little like this: One of those rare calm mornings on Park Point. The sun’s been up for a little bit. It’s a little chilly, although it is mid-summer. A “hippie” looking kind of guy and a few friends are sitting on an old log. A crowd is growing as he speaks. He’s got long hair, wearing one of those army surplus jackets. The remnants of the groups breakfast, some fish and bread sit beside them, the gulls are circling over head waiting for them to move on. His friends listen intently as he describes “the one that is more powerful than I” that is expected at anytime. So powerful is this stranger that this guy is not worthy to wear his Tevas or Chacos.

The crowd begins to buzz as a stranger walks among them. They part as he approaches the man speaking. As he greets the man, he asks to be baptized. The man in the fatigue jacket objects, but is convinced by the stranger that it is the right thing to do. They walk to the shoreline, but just as they are to enter the water they notice a metal sign that reads “Beach Closed due to high levels of Coliform bacteria”. The man turns to the other and says “My Lord, I am sorry, but I can not baptize you today, it is not safe to enter the water”.

Now, this is admittedly a little melodramatic. But it also contains a great deal of truth. If Jesus were to come to Duluth today, would he be able to be baptized in the waters of Lake Superior? Would John the Baptizer have to worry about washing his flock of followers in water that contained high levels of mercury and PCB’s or any number of household chemicals that are thoughtlessly tossed away? Unfortunately the answer is all too often yes. Unfortunately Lake Superior is not the only body of water that we need to be concerned about. The Jordan River, the very same waters that Jesus was said to have been baptized in is so polluted that simply wading in it can produce sores and lesions. Here in Minnesota about 40% of the waters that are tested each year fail in the categories of being swimmable, drinkable, or producing a fishery that is free of a consumption advisory; 40% of the lakes tested are not suitable for either swimming, drinking water, or the fish that swim in them are not fit enough for consuming.

Can you imagine, the waters that are supposed to cleanse us, to incorporate us into the body of Christ so polluted that we could no longer practice the sacrament of baptism?

I don’t think John, or Jesus had to worry about finding water that is free from pollution so that baptisms could happen. I also don’t believe that we should have to worry about it, nor should future generations of Christians have to worry about it.

I also know that Jesus would not have had to be worried about the chemical levels in the fish that he fed to the 5,000. Yet today, most of us sitting here this morning are not supposed to eat more than one meal of fish from Lake Superior each week. Children, nursing mothers, and mothers to be should probably skip them entirely.

Now, I do not want to be a naysayer here. There are obvious environmental problems, but after all we are to be celebrating Lake Superior. So, with that in mind I would like to offer some ideas on why we, as Christians, should celebrate this enormous gift differently than our non-Christian brothers and sisters, and by celebrating this gift demonstrate that it is indeed important to us as people of faith and we intend to do better in the way that we treat it.

Water connects us to one another in many ways.
From the shores of the lake, we could visit and connect with people on the far side of the globe, people in Africa, Australia, and Europe, even Antarctica. I think it is rather amazing, even humbling, to think about that.

Water connects us to creation. All biological life as we know it requires water for survival; therefore water allows the web of life to exist. It is through this web that creation, humanity, and God are intimately linked to each other. That is something to celebrate, remember and be thankful for.

As Christians, water connects us to one another in a different manner. Through our baptisms we are brought into the body of Christ, connecting us not only to each other but also to Jesus as well as all those who have gone before us and those who will follow us. Again, something to celebrate, remember, and to be thankful for!

Let’s look at baptism a little more closely. When I put on my “theologian hat” I get to ask a lot of “what if” questions. So here goes. What if we looked at baptism, specifically Jesus’ baptism like the early church did? How might that affect the way we view the waters of our great lake?

Mar Jacob of Serugh, was a 4th century theologian writing from what is present-day Syria. His prose about the Baptism of the Lord is fascinating and reflects a very interesting understanding of what that event meant for Christians. According to Jacob Jesus’s baptism went something like this:

As he entered the waters of the Jordan River, the sky began to open. As Jesus was submerged into his symbolic death, the Holy Spirit descended like a dove snatching him from the grip of chaos and death. As he emerged he did so in a royal robe of glory that shone whiter than snow. By touching the waters in this manner, by conquering chaos and death for the first time, the waters were made divine, sanctifying them forever and ever. As the waters flowed from the Jordan to the seas all waters of the earth were thereby sanctified and those washed in these sacred waters would also be baptized into the death, resurrection of new life that is found in Christ. Even the waters of Lake Superior, the St. Louis, Lester and Baptism Rivers were made sacred by this one event.

If we consider Jacob’s theology of Jesus’ baptism, how might that change our views on how we treat our water resources? If all waters have been made sacred, and because the earth is largely a closed system, all the waters of the earth have been here since the beginning – which means that the waters we are about to renew our baptismal vows with could very well be the same waters that baptized Christ – does that not give us great pause to reflect on the way we treat what is truly sacred?

The other day the UMC website had a link to an article about a group of clergy in Pennsylvania that are concerned about the “fracking” process used to extract natural gas from deep wells. Their concern is that the chemicals that are injected into the earth affects the aquifers and their drinking water. It was an interesting article that demonstrated the delicate balance between wise use of our resources and long-term protection of those same resources; as well as the health and economic wellbeing of the people living in the area. What was really interesting were the comments from the article that followed. Most of which ran along the lines of, why are clergy involved with this, they should be saving souls and bringing people to Jesus.

This theology while not wrong per se, is in my estimation a very limited, view of what we are about as a church. If there is any doubt how we are to interact with creation we have to look no further than Paul’s letter to the Romans and the passage that David read for us earlier.

Creation and humanity in particular are reliant on each other for fulfillment. This portion of Paul’s letter to the Romans is meant to make it clear that ALL of creation suffers and groans - TOGETHER; we are not separate from God’s creation but are an integral part of it. Furthermore, Paul’s understanding of creation is that it comes from a loving God, creation is not static but is actively seeking fulfillment. We are not to be saved FROM creation but WITH it. There is no concept of a personal salvation, rather we, including creation, are all in this together. Limiting our view of salvation to only ourselves would be wrong in Paul’s view.

In this context, when we look at Paul’s letter and our call to be stewards of creation from Genesis, it is clear that we have a huge responsibility to care for all of creation.

In our busy, highly insular lives it is easy to loose sight of this; that we are part of creation and that we have a special place within it. There are a few images or points to ponder, that I would like to leave you with and to let you mull over as you celebrate being part of Lake Superior Sunday.

First, is related to baptism. It is said that each morning Martin Luther recalled his baptism as he rinsed and washed his face. Is it possible that our perception of our baptismal gift would change if we did that each morning? Can we remind ourselves each day that we have been given this gift of being incorporated into the body of Christ and that we are to be thankful for it?

The second image is of rock. Specifically those smooth rounded rocks and shorelines of this great lake. Last evening we made our way to Stoney Point and were watching the waves swirling in and out of the bowls that had been worn into the rock, continually forming them, and smoothing them. What if we viewed our baptisms similarly? What if we were to allow the baptismal waters, made sacred by Jesus’ own baptism to work on us in a similar manner? If those waters can smooth rock like that, imagine what it might to do you!

The final image is from the Rule of Saint Benedict. Coming from a Benedictine school, I would be remiss if I didn’t try to squeeze a little of St. Benedict in here this morning. The Rule states that we are to look for God in the ordinary events of each day, because “We believe that the divine is everywhere” (RB 19.1). Water, alder branches, beaches of basalt cobbles, a giant lake; things you see everyday, yet have the potential to hold something very, very special within them if we take the time to look for it. When we do find it, that extraordinary something, we tend to take much better care of it. From these gifts, we can look at our baptisms and truly be thankful. Amen.

What the World Needs Now

2011-04-25T10:51:00.001-05:00

The Holy Thursday service at Alexandria UMC has traditionally followed the “Maundy Thursday” rubric; focusing on some aspect of the gathered disciples and Jesus sharing their final meal together. This year that focus revolved around the question “what would you do if someone that you had a bad, perhaps very bad, past with sat down at this table with you? What would your response be?” We had an interesting discussion at our table about forgiveness. Being the youngest at the table by probably 20 years, I heard about how forgiving people or not even getting into situations that would require forgiving someone, gets easier with age. (I think they call that wisdom.) As interesting as that conversation was, there was something else that really stuck with me, and has continued to do so. It really kind of bothers me too.
We read the account of the Last Supper and in it of course, Jesus wraps a towel around his waist and commences to wash the feet of the disciples. They, particularly Peter, are troubled by this. It seems we generally are too. After the Gospel reading, we share communion. Each table has some bread that we break and share, and a carafe of juice that is passed amongst the table as well. One individual, let’s call him “Al”, who began the ritual by breaking bread proceeded to announce to everyone that he would break bread and pour the juice, but he certainly wasn’t going to wash any feet. It wasn’t enough that he said it once, but repeated it four or five times – just to make sure everyone knew where he stood on foot washing.
While it is certainly common in the Mennonite and Catholic traditions, foot washing is not really all the common in the mainline Protestant Churches. My guess is that “Al’s” response would be typical of most mainliners. People certainly aren’t comfortable with something new and radical as this and while I understand, I think that is very unfortunate.
So, let’s play a little “what if”.
What if, we all humbled ourselves to wash the feet of just one other person? What if, that person was the one that person from our past that we weren’t in the best of relations with? Last week the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams issued a challenge that every elected official in Great Britain be required to wash the feet of the poor whose lives are affected by the budget axe that is falling there. What if that happened here? What would happen if every clergy person, from the biggest mega-church to the smallest congregation, bent down and washed the feet of members of the congregation they were serving? (Yes, even the ones that email or call them about how horrible the sermon or worship was every week!)
In a world awash in hubris and the constant need to be right, perhaps, bending down in humble fashion and washing the feet of another, just like the one whom we supposedly model our lives after, might just be the start of something. At the very least it would literally give us all a very different perspective on those people we worship with or whose lives are affected by the decisions we make.
What the world needs now? Maybe some clean feet.

Peace,
Jeff

Whadda ya know? Apparently not much .....

2010-09-30T14:42:00.002-05:00

There's been a bunch of buzz this week about the study released by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life on religious knowledge in the U.S. I guess it isn't surprising that few Christians even scored above 50% on the 32 questions regarding world religions. And while this was a survey on world religions, I can attest to the Judeo-Christian slant to the questions that were posed to participants. In short, anyone that has attended a (Christian) church for more than a couple of years should have had a pretty decent handle on the majority of the questions that were being asked. But no. Many Christians couldn't name the 4 Gospels nor could they tell that the "Golden Rule" wasn't one of the Ten Commandments. With a lack of even a basic knowledge like this it is no wonder that people get upset when theologians and clergy start questioning the church's role in the experiment we call American or try to hold people accountable to their baptismal vows.
For example, Debra Dean Murphy writes one of the most thoughtful blogs around. Last week she was heavily criticized by a crowd that consisted mainly of United Methodists when she wrote about how Christians have allowed themselves to become Americans first and Christians second. The majority of those posting comments were totally missing the point of Debra's words. Many had a fundamental lack of knowledge of scripture not to mention the ability to be kind and loving as we've been taught by our Lord. I'd encourage you to read Debra's insightful column.
The other example that relates to the Pew survey is this week's posting by Dan Dick at UnitedMethodeviations. Dan has long been an advocate of accountable discipleship, i.e. being "church" is much more than just showing up for worship a couple of times a month. This week, Dan details an email he received from a young clergy person who had tried to raise the discipleship bar in his congregation and was told in no uncertain terms to back off, not only by his church leadership but by his District Superintendent. Just by asking people to consider living up to their baptismal vows he was taken to the wood shed! You can read the entire story here. I find it amazing that as soon as we start talking about expectations people get all nervous and suddenly don't have the time, don't want to be "Super Christians", and settle on mediocrity. Now, I must admit that since I've been studying theology, my expectations of others has been raised and as my loving wife kindly reminds me, "not everyone is in the same place spiritually as you are". This is true, but shouldn't we at the very least be providing people with the opportunity to grow in discipleship? Should we not be encouraging people to explore their relationship with God at a deeper level? Shouldn't we at the very least expect those who join us for worship on even a semi-regular basis to know the basics of our faith? I mean, remembering Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John isn't really all that difficult!
Peace,
Jeff

A Local Food Economy?

2010-08-09T10:44:00.006-05:00

Other than the heat, I really love this time of year. The prairie is transitioning into its suite of fall colors. Fish readily hit whatever you toss out into the water and the farmers markets are brimming with a variety of gorgeous produce. We've made it our practice to make our way to the local farmers market at least once a week (it's held three times a week here in Alexandria) to pick up whatever fresh veggies are ready for our table. We're also making it our practice to limit our meat consumption to that which has been grown and butchered locally. This can be somewhat of a challenge, but thanks to the growth in the local food movement, it is much easier than it was a year or two ago. We're fortunate to have two wonderful sources of such produce, one for beef and the other for chickens and other poultry. For beef, we've become huge fans of Stone Bridge Beef from Long Prairie. This is grass-fed beef and has a flavor that needs to experienced, I can't give it justice in writing. While we still aren't big steak eaters their burger is fantastic. We have found an excellent source of non-commercially grown chicken. Kadejan produces what are technically "free-range" chickens, but they aren't out roaming the prairie as the term implies. Rather they are given the option of venturing from the coop, something which few chicken do. However, they aren't force-fed, aren't manipulated with light, and are hand butchered and air-chilled. They are exceptional. Both of these growers produce a product that can be found in some of the best dining Establishments in the Twin Cities. For example, the other day we traveled to Minneapolis to celebrate a birthday with friends at the "The Sample Room", generally a highly rated establishment in Northeast Minneapolis. They featured beef from Stone Bridge, and I can attest that their meatloaf was exceptional! Kadejan chicken is featured on the menus of a number of equally well-known restaurants as well.
So, here's the irony. We had to travel to Minneapolis to dine on meat that had been grown and produced within 30 miles of our home. While there are a number of good dining establishments in and around Alexandria, not one of them offers its patrons locally grown grass-fed beef or "free-range" chickens. Not only are we not able to enjoy the occasional well prepared dinner of locally grown food, we're exporting our best products!
This is not unique to meat either. Our wonderful farmers market basically has 7 vendors that show up on a regular basis. For a city of this size, that's pretty small. Again, the irony is that we basically live in an area that produces food for the rest of the state, country, world but we're unable to readily obtain locally grown meats and vegetables whereas someone living in St. Paul or Minneapolis can. I think this just demonstrates how broken our food system really is right now. Farmers in this area are basically forced to grow corn and soy beans on an industrialized scale to make a living, albeit a highly subsidized living. Those who are willing to be environmentally and socially responsible by growing a variety of vegetables and meats are forced to sell their products in larger markets and to higher-end restaurants to make ends meet. These folks don't get the subsidies that their "bigger n better" neighbors do either. We need to rediscover our local economies, particularly when it comes to food. Not only does it make sense environmentally and socially, it just tastes better!
Peace,
Jeff

Early Morning Observations

2010-05-28T09:47:00.002-05:00

Over the last three weeks, I've been rising early and heading out to one of my two study lakes to locate the nests of largemouth bass. At the same time I've been scanning the depths to identify nests, I've noticed something strikingly different between areas of the lakes that are developed and those that are either lightly developed or not developed at all. Most obvious to even the most casual observor is the change in vegetation. Developed shorelines, i.e. those with residential-like houses and yards, feature mowed yards and large mature trees. Undeveloped shoreline, or that which is relatively undeveloped, has a number of large mature trees, a large number of smaller trees, a layer of shrubs and a wide variety of ground covers, many of which flower in the spring. But that's all pretty obvious. What is less obvious but perhaps even more disconcerting is the differences in the avian communities that I saw, and heard, over the last three weeks. Consider these two lists, first a listing of birds from yards, or developed shorelines: Grackle, American Robin, Canada Goose, Northern Oriole, Red-winged Blackbird, Chipping Sparrow, American Crow, and Eastern Wood-Pewee. The second from shoreline that hasn't been developed, or lightly so: Yellow-headed Blackbird, Common Loon, Indigo Bunting, Northern Oriole, Bald Eagle, Golden Crowned Kinglet, Ovenbird, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Scarlet Tanager, and Pileated Woodpecker. Most of the species seen in the developed areas where also seen at the less developed areas as well; meaning the diversity was substantially higher at the undeveloped areas. The point is birds that are normally what we consider "park species" or ones that anyone can see in their back yard are now common along our lakeshores. The dramatic habitat alterations that occur with development have altered the types of birds that frequent these areas. Yet this isn't new, more than 10 years ago biologists in Wisconsin were documenting these changes. You can read more about it here. The sad part is, the areas that I was seeing and hearing the greatest diversity of birds is currently being developed. By 7:30 a.m. each morning the sounds of grosbeaks, orioles, and yellow-headed blackbirds was replaced by the roar of bulldozers and chainsaws.

In this corner .... a theological throwdown

2010-04-06T11:38:00.002-05:00

One of the blogs that I read regularly is by Dan Dick (you can link to it at United Methodeviations on my link list). In the last couple of days, Dan posted what he is calling a Theological Smackdown, an attempt to classify the greatest theologians by their "weight class" as in boxing. I thought it would be interesting to see what you all might have to say on this, and well as challenging myself to come up with a listing. To that end, I'm using Dan's original criteria below, but adding a couple of conditions. First added condition, you are only allowed 12 theologians per category (i.e. 12 Heavyweights) and of those 12, half must be pre-modern and half modern or post-modern. Secondly each category and sub-category must include a woman. Dan's criteria include:

Heavyweight — those who do foundational theological reflection, characterized by originality, deep philosophical and practical reflection, and challenging the status quo and conventional wisdom of the day. Those who shape the thinking of others in significant ways. Identifying a heavyweight in no way implies that I agree with everything they say — only that their influence is unmistakable.

Light heavyweight — those who synthesize and adapt the deep theological reflections of the heavyweights. Not original thinkers, but incredibly adept at “connecting the dots” of others.

Middle weights — those who recycle important concepts into modern language and culture. Much of the thinking is derivative at best, but while there is little or no originality, there is a powerful ability to communicate and impact people’s thinking.

Light/welter/featherweights — those whose thinking is derivative and fairly simplistic. This is not to say that there is no value in the theology, just that it is basic and offers substance to newcomers and novices only. Those who have “trained, practiced, and conditioned” for more challenging matches will find little helpful or valuable here for their own continued development. I’m not going to name specific writers/thinkers/theologians in this category because I don’t want to sound like I am devaluing what they offer to the church. They primarily provide an entrance into the faith

So, with that in mind here's my list:
Heavyweights - PRE: Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, Hildegaard of Bingen, Origen
POST: Karl Barth, John Howard Yoder, Elizabeth Johnson, Karl Rahner, Rudolf Bultmann, Reinhold Neihbur
Light Heavyweights - PRE: St. Francis, Huldrych Zwingli, John Wesley, John Calvin, St. Benedict, Julian of Norwich; POST: Moltman, Walter Brueggemann, Stanley Hauerwas, Luke Timothy Johnson, Gustavo Guiterrez, Amy-Jill Levine
Middleweights - PRE: Irenaeus, Tertullian,Clement,St. John of the Cross, Meister Eckhart, Terea of Avila, POST: Rowan Williams, Joan Chittister, N.T. Wright, John Crossan, Jon Sobrino, Walter Rauschenbush

So, what do you think?
Easter Peace,
Jeff

Nerburn's Latest Book

2010-01-03T16:24:00.002-06:00

I started, and finished, Kent Nerburn's latest book "The Wolf at Twilight" one evening last week. It is a really wonderful story and it felt good to connect with the characters from "Neither Wolf nor Dog", even if I'm more skeptical now more than ever that a great deal of the books are in fact story. That isn't to say they aren't real, I think they probably are, but not in a linear manner that they are presented in the books. One line in the book has stuck with me over the last week. Towards the end of the book, as the story is coming to and end, "Dan", a Lakota Elder and the books main character, says to Nerburn "To us, the world was a mystery to be honored, not a puzzle to be solved."
There are a number of memorable lines in the book, further evidence of Nerburn's ability to tell a great story, but this one really stuck with me. First, I agree with Dan's account of the western view the world. I think we do try to deconstruct everything in a manner that makes it just a big old puzzle that we can tinker with and maybe find out how parts of it function. As a scientist, and a researcher in particular, that in fact is what I do. Which brings me to the second reason this particular quote stuck in my mind, I do that! I try to pull the ecological realm of our underwater world apart to see how hit all fits together. I realize that it is supposed to enable us to better take care of things, but do we? Would we be better off looking at the world in holistic manner, marveling at the mysteries it contains and going along our own little merry way? Or perhaps because we're "enlightened" we've gone too far already. Perhaps we need to look at things holistically and gain an understanding of how they function, an ecological "both/and" if you will. As we try to deconstruct creation into tidbits that our tiny minds can grasp, it then behooves us to ask, prior to doing so, why are we doing this? What will be gained, what will be lost in the process? Science is a great thing, but along with the inquiry associated with it, comes a high level of responsibility as well as a level of humility. Unfortunately, the later is much to often absent in the scientific world.
But back to the book, read it. It is a marvelous story and I promise you'll learn a thing or two or 12 while you're at it.
Peace,
Jeff

Looking Back, Going Forward

2009-12-31T14:50:00.004-06:00

I was really surprised the other day when someone mentioned that this was the end of the decade; it doesn't seem possible that it has been ten years since all the worries associated with "Y2K". As I thought about how much things have changed in the last 10 years, I was thinking about how I should be surprised at where I am in this journey of mine. Never, ever, would I have guessed I'd be where I am today, first, still working in Minnesota and second back in graduate school, at a Catholic/Benedictine University studying theology no less! What is curious as I look back is that I tend to be pretty goal oriented, I had planned on being in job X, in place Y, in year ABCD. I certainly have had the opportunity to do that, and I am grateful for that, but when that time came something told me to wait. Had I followed that goal, I certainly wouldn't be where I am on this journey, that's pretty obvious, we all make similar decisions in life. But this does represent a rather abrupt departure from my previous goals. Thinking about this, I've come to the conclusion that at some point I started paying attention. When one starts paying attention, when they are no longer thinking in terms of "self" is when things really start changing. When we pay attention we have to take into consideration all that surrounds us, the people, and places that have been given to us. We have to think in terms of what is good for all, not just our "self". In terms of Benedictine spirituality this is directly related to humility and obedience, we listen carefully, and prayerfully, to God in our own hearts. What I find fascinating is how well the Benedictines and John Wesley mesh in this regard. Consider John Wesley's Covenant Prayer:
I am no longer my own, but thine.
Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee,
exalted for thee or brought low for thee.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things
to thy pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
thou art mine, and I am thine. So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth,
let it be ratified in heaven. Amen.

So, with that I leave you with the hope that in the new year you'll take the time to pay attention to the people and the places that matter most in your life, that you'll listen for God's voice and seek an understanding of what God is saying.

Peace be with you,
Jeff

Laity Sunday

2009-11-11T11:01:00.003-06:00

A full schedule and two weekend courses have left me with little time to post on here. Here's a little tidbit - a short sermon that I preached at Alexandria UMC for Laity Sunday in October.

Today is Laity Sunday, the day we celebrate the fact that we, are church; the day we reflect on the fact that whoever sits in that chair or fills this pulpit can’t do it all.

“Making Disciples of Jesus Christ for Transformation of the World” that’s the mission of the United Methodist Church.
Let’s focus on the second part of that mission statement: Transformation of the World. That’s big, really big. So big that that I wonder if it isn’t so big that when we look at the world around us the thought of transforming it is just plain overwhelming and we toss up our hands and say what can I do, or what’s the use. After all Jesus even says we will always have the poor with us. Why bother.

Indeed, how do we do that?

I contend it is through story, our story.

Today is also the Feast of St Luke. It’s a bit unfortunate that we aren’t hearing from Luke’s Gospel this morning because Luke probably gives us the best story of Jesus and how that relates to transforming the world.
It is evident that the Holy Spirit plays a prominent in Luke’s Gospel and is undoubtedly central to The Book of Acts – it is generally agreed upon that whomever wrote Luke, be it Luke or someone else, also wrote Acts. From the beginning of Jesus’ ministry the Holy Spirit is present. For example, as really begins his ministry (Luke 4:14-21) preaching in the synagogue he reads from Isaiah:
Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.

When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

Upon hearing this, the Holy Spirit, through Luke’s Gospel, has made us part of the story.

But it gets even better. We are pulled deeper into the story at Baptism and renewed into the story every time we break bread and drink from the cup.

And it doesn’t end there either. It is interesting that Luke’s Gospel doesn’t end with a grandiose description of the ascension. It doesn’t end with the ascension as a focal point because the Spirit has more in mind for those listening to the story; work that is not only possible but necessary because of the ascension. That work is the church. And by telling the story of Jesus, our story, we become witnesses and constitutive to the story.

Ironically, there’s probably nothing that makes Methodists squirm more than the “E” word – evangelizing. Just mentioning it now probably has a few of you feeling a little uneasy already. But that's part of the Methodist story and if we’re bound to this and the larger story we need to continue telling it and we need to continue, or perhaps even start, living it.

What does this mean? It means we tell people about the community breakfast. Telling people that there is a place of refuge, a place of fellowship – even if for only a brief period of time.

It means telling people that we’re working to make a life or two better on Rosebud and in Sierra Leone.

It means telling people that we have a bunch of kids in the education wing every Sunday morning who are eager to learn about the story and in turn become part of it.
It means telling people that on a monthly basis the adults of this congregation come together for fellowship, share a meal, and to learn a thing or two.
It means being an active part of that story too, we can’t avoid it. The Spirit won’t allow that to happen. Imagine what would have happened if St. Luke would have shunned the Holy Spirit and thought, “ah, someone else can write this stuff down, I’m just too busy”.

Last week Jeff gave us his story about his call to ministry. I hope you were able to hear it and I hope that at least some of it resonated with you through this past week. I know it did for me. Having started the process towards ordination, I know how difficult it can be to articulate one’s call to ministry, particularly for a classic introvert like myself. Having said that, I’m convinced that as we take on the story the Spirit is there guiding us, all of us, to do the work of the church. We are all called to ministry whether it be making pancakes, teaching Sunday School, providing fellowship or comfort to someone that is sick, presiding over the sacraments, or just plain listening to someone’s problems. We are called because that’s our story.

Ours is a story of love, of a Holy Spirit that guides us and teaches us as theologian Eugene Rogers notes “how to love and be loved as the Father loves the Son and the Son loves the Father”. It is a love that creates us to be present to another. We are witnesses to a story that we have to share. It is a story that bears repeating over and over again so that the poor not only hear the good news but are part of it, that whatever it is that binds someone to captivity is broken, so that not only are the blind able to see but we are no longer blind to the injustices around us, that we work to free the oppressed and continue the story by proclaiming each year a year of the Lord’s favor.

By being fully part of the story we transform not only the world, but ourselves as well.

My Book List

2009-08-13T08:20:00.002-05:00

I thought I'd follow David Bard's lead and add a little something about each book that made my "top 15". It's an interesting exercise and for me fairly difficult when it came to thinking about books from my distant past that I had read. It hasn't really been until the last 10 years or so that I really read much of anything for the sake of reading. Prior to that I was more of a magazine reader and then when I entered my current profession I was reading articles in journals and books on ecology and aquatic biology (as you can see, not one of those made my list).

First on the list is "Neither Wolf nor Dog" by Minnesota author Kent Nerburn. It's the story of his travels and discussions with a Lakota elder. Although written through "white eyes" it gives one a glimpse of the crap we've dealt Native peoples over the course of our nation's history on a very personal level. It's one of a very few books that quite literally changed the way I think about things. Another book that fits that category is "A Sand County Almanac" by Aldo Leopold. I first read this book when I as in 6th grade and every March I read it again. Leopold's work is foundational in modern ecology and it is impossible to understand issues of land, sustainability, and land-human interactions without this book, particularly the essay on "The Land Ethic". Dan O'Brien's book "Buffalo for the Broken Heart" is a true-life story about his efforts to raise bison for food in a sustainable, humane manner. It's a great story and you learn about the foibles and failings of our nations agricultural policy and blatent disregard for the Great Plains as you read.

"The Politics of Jesus" by John Howard Yoder is challenging to say the least. Yoder uses Luke's Gospel to demonstrate the political nature of Jesus and makes a very strong case against "just war theory". It's about power, politics, and pacifism and love of neighbor. Personally, I think he's the leading theologian of the last 50 if not 100 years.

I love reading Louise Erdrich and "The Last Report on Miracle at Little No Horse" is by far my favorite. She's just a great story teller and writer. There are so many twists and turns in this book that you can't put it down. Joseph Marshall is a prolific writer and story teller. His book "The Lakota Way" focuses on stories that demonstrate the core values of Lakota society: bravery, fortitude, generosity, wisdom, respect, honor, perseverance, love, humility, sacrifice, love, and compassion. John Trudell's collection of poems "Lines from a Mined Mind" (they're actually song lyrics to his blues music), is often a difficult read. He's brutally honest and in your face with his feelings, yet there is a certain kinship there. Like he says, "I'm just a human being trying to make it in a world that is very rapidly losing its understanding of what it means to be human". There are days I certainly feel that way.

Pat Conroy has a way of taking me back to the south that's difficult to explain and his character development is incredible. Of all his books, Prince of Tides is my favorite (why did they wreck it with that stupid movie!!!). Ah, Lamb (subtitled "The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal"). Chris Moore's wacky and thought provoking christologic tale is one I've read a couple of times. Moore's research is impressive and the book is a "hoot".

I like reading Black Elk Speaks just to find the parallels between the Lakota and Christian worldviews. There's an endless sense of mysticism here.

Aldo Leopold's "The River of the Mother of God" is a collection of essay's that were foundational for Leopold's development of his "land ethic". There are a number of interesting essays related to theology as well, like discussions of forestry practices in the Old Testament. "Worship as Theology" by Don Saliers is a look at what it means when we say "Come, Lord Jesus" or ask God's will be done on earth "as in heaven" as well as what takes place when we gather as community.

"The Necessity of Empty Places" by Paul Gruchow is a series of essays about his travels to quiet places that are often overlooked by a society that is always "on the go". I particularly love his description of listening and watching the sandhill cranes migrating along the Platte River in Nebraska. I miss his writing. I cheated a bit with Cloister Walk and Dakota, both by Kathleen Norris but they are intertwined to some degree. Both deal with her developing love of the prairie, her struggle to find a spiritual component to life, and her life with the Benedictine monks. Of course the connection to St. John's Abbey is a bonus here as well.

Finally, Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey had to make the list. I think it was the first book I ever checked out from the school library. I've always loved ducks and I used to spend hours and hourse drawing and redrawing the duck illustrations in the book. I have no doubt that it influenced my career path as well.

So, there you have it; a number of books that will always be on my shelves and in some way, shape or form, shaped me into who I am.
Peace,
Jeff

A Lesson from the Prairie

2009-08-06T09:02:00.006-05:00

It is not a big secret that I love the prairie. I love the plants, the animals, the people, and the overall landscape of this incredible ecosystem. I often seek out what little remains of the prairie and do a little "walk about". This morning I did just that on a small, roughly 80 acre parcel owned by The Nature Conservancy. Now is the perfect time to observe the diversity of life that makes up a prairie ecosystem, the forbs are in bloom and the grasses are starting to set their seeds for the year. As I walked across the prairie this morning the air was heavy with corn pollen, very sweet. This particular parcel of prairies is surrouned on all four sides by industrial agriculture, corn and soybeans. From atop the small hill at the center of the parcel all one can see in the distance are fields of beans and corn. In fact it is rather amazing that this 80 piece of land still exists at all.

This morning I was struck by the thought of the prairie as a metaphor for society and quite possibly the church. The prairie is diverse (in this picture alone, there are at least 2 dozen species of grass and forbs). It is that diversity of plants and animals that allows this ecosystem function under some of the most extreme conditions on the planet, 100 degree days in the summer and -40 degree days in the winter have no affect on the prairie. Drought rarely punishes the prairie like it does our lawns or our corn fields. If we are to function as a society, as a church, we need that kind of diversity. However, it seems to me that we are going in quite the opposite direction, we want to look more like a corn field that is all neat and where every plant is identical to the one next to it. We want to be individuals, like corn stalks, but when it gets down to it, we're much more comfortable when we just blend in. Perhaps what is worse is that we expect others to do the same. We don't celebrate diversity in fact we disdain it. In western Minnesota just a gravel road separates a diverse, life-filled prairie from a monoculture. I think the same can be said for society and even the church. If we could suddenly transform the diversity of prairie into a church setting how uncomfortable would we be? My guess our comfort level is much greater when the church is more like the cornfield, when everyone acts, thinks, and looks like we do.

Creation is one of God's greatest gifts to us. Indigenous peoples the world over realize this and they learn from it. Perhaps we too can look to the prairie see the diversity it has to offer and model ourselves, our society, and even our churches after it. When I walk on the prairie and see the diversity that is part of God's creation I can't help but think that it is the way things should be, a diverse community functioning together to over come the harsh realities of life. When we make room for diversity we make room for God and God's Kingdom.

Peace,

Jeff

Jumping into the health care debate

2009-07-29T08:59:00.002-05:00

A couple of thoughts on a free-market health care system. Free-market health care advocates warn about rationed health care if we have a single payer or government option, yet we currently have rationed health care for people with pre-existing conditions or living just above the Medicare line. Free-market advocates say competition is the best way to manage escalating costs. Perhaps. Perhaps that works when you need to get your car fixed, but when is the last time you compared the cost of a strep throat culture? I know it costs me $14.95, $19.95, and $29.95 to get my oil changed at Fleet Farm, Jiffy Lube, and Mike's In and Out, respectively. I can make my choice of where I want to do my business based on that, and of course the quality of service I receive. It's a free market. That isn't the case for health care. Bottom line, if we're going to claim that competition is the best fix, then make it truly competitive.

Nearly 35 years ago, my younger sister Barbie died of leukemia. She was 8 at the time. Despite the number of years that have passed I can vividly recall the pain she experienced. Sometimes it was so great in her legs that she would crawl from place to place rather than walk. During the 4 years she struggled against the disease she was in the hospital probably more than she was out. There were complications, kidney stones, broken bones, all kinds of things. To this day, I'm not sure how my parents held things together. However, there was one thing that helped a great deal. Our family doctor refused to charge for any of his services related to Barb's treatment. Can you imagine that? Not a penny and he was at our house more than you can imagine.

The other day Mike Huckabee was ranting about how if he a member of his family had a brain tumor he'd want the best physician money could buy, that he wanted his doctor to make lots of money. The flaw in that rant is we assume that "the best" is always the most compensated. I'd argue that isn't often the case. There are thousands of doctors, lawyers, pastors, teachers, social workers, and nurses that labor in inner city and rural areas that don't make a lot of money. They work there because there is a need and because they recognize that their work is for the common good. The concept that a oncologist in Edina can make a million dollars a year is better than one working in Pierre making $200,000 is just plain B.S. And if it isn't B.S. then what we're saying is the lives of people in Edina are more valuable than those people living in Pierre.

Rather than working to maximize profits for a health care industry we need to be maximizing compassion for the common good. Rather than following a free-market model, I think we need to model our system after a small-town doctor from Winneconne, Wisconsin.

Peace,
Jeff

From First UMC in St Cloud

2009-07-28T08:48:00.001-05:00

If interested you can read my sermon notes from July 12th here.

2009-07-06T13:13:00.002-05:00

I was recently asked to serve as guest preacher at First UMC in St. Cloud. This will be the first time I've I'll be taking "the show on the road" so to speak and I guess I'm a bit more nervous than I normally am about preaching. Anyway, if you're in the greater St. Cloud area next Sunday (the 12th of July) check it out FUMC. I'm going to use the lectionary - Psalm 24 and Ephesians - with an emphasis on why we as Christians should embrace an eco-theological ethos. Wish me luck!
Peace,
Jeff

One of those days ....

2009-06-25T09:10:00.002-05:00

Even though it was a glorious morning, beautiful sunrise, chickadees, wrens and cardinals singing, a heavy dew covering the grass, I should have stayed in bed. Yesterday a citizen reported, and it was confirmed, that zebra mussels are present in the Alexandria Chain of Lakes. This is a chain of some 20 lakes that form the economic backbone of the area. While I'm not at all surprised at their presence, I am deeply disappointed. They will dramatically change the entire ecology of the system (although from a science standpoint it will be interesting to watch that change). The other big news that came across my desk is a report from the Union of Concerned Scientists regarding the impacts of climate change on Minnesota. They are now reporting that average summer temperatures in Minnesota will climb some 12 degrees and we will experience over 70 days/year of temperatures that exceed 90 degrees. This is by far a more dire prediction than anything I've seen before. We've been preparing for a 4 to 5 degree increase in temperature and this recent prognostication is two to three times greater than that. Our summers will be more like Arkansas and eastern Kansas while our winters are predicted to be more like central Illinois and northern Missouri. So, hotter, more humid and drier summers and humid winters with little snow and more frequent ice storms.
While we see "go green" all around us these days, we're still fighting a loosing battle. And to be honest it isn't so much a battle against the nay-sayer's as it is against apathy. Sure there are climate change skeptics and doubters, but in reality they are a very vocal minority. The real danger is a large-scale apathetic view towards the environment. When people lack concern for the environment it not only affects the natural world but it affects people as well. Climate change isn't going to affect those of us who can afford to live in air conditioned homes and drive air conditioned cars nearly as much as it will those who can't. It won't affect those of us with health care who can afford to be treated for heat-related conditions as much as it will those who can't afford such treatment. Environmental problems are not only ecological problems they are people problems.
Compounding these issues is a lack of foresight. In today's, "I want it and I want it now" world, we lack leadership (yes, even the current administration seems to be unable to look more than 4 years down the road) that will enable us to seek long-term solutions to long-term problems. People argue against energy taxes because they will hurt today's economic recovery or their bottom line, yet what they seemingly don't grasp (and I find it hard to believe that they are really that stupid) is that if we don't tax and/or reduce our consumption of energy there won't be any energy to use! Their bottom line will be meaningless! Politicians seem to want to make these issues more complex than they are. The real bottom line is this: we need to reduce our consumption of energy, particularly of fossil fuels. Period. It isn't a complex issue. Yet is one that at times makes me wish I would have just stayed in bed.
Peace,
Jeff

2009-06-15T13:29:00.002-05:00

I've been filling out applications for United Methodist schools of theology where I can take my "Basic Graduate Theological Studies" (BGTS) courses that are required for ordination. It is rather striking, even comical, that a program that claims to be fairly standardized (even the name BGTS implies this), is no where near standardized. Course credits are different (e.g. a 2 credit course at one school is 3 at another - for the same course), costs are considerably different as a time spent in class. For example, one school teaches a course in UM Polity that is 2 credits, at another it is three and yet another combines it into a Polity/Doctrine course that is 4 credits. Some are offered as semester courses and some are taught in two-week intensives. Costs are stunningly different, ranging from just over $400 to over $1,000/credit. So, as I work through this process there's much more than just signing up for a class involved here. Quite honestly it is beyond frustrating. First because the process is presented as being rather streamlined. It isn't. Furthermore, it is nearly impossible to get a consistent answer to a question from anyone. I've been told that I need to take all my courses at the same school, I've been told that I should just take the UM-specific courses (Polity/History/Doctrine etc.) and petition the acceptance of my St. John's credits, and I've been told that the UM courses need to be taught by a United Methodist - yet the one in MN isn't currently taught as such (but will be in the spring), I've even been told I should become Roman Catholic, get ordained as a Deacon and then switch back to United Methodism. Seriously! Second, I'm struggling with the idea of paying out a large amount of money that in the long run I won't ever see back. Regarding this second point, I know as well as anyone that a call to ministry isn't about money but rather service to others. However, one still has bills to pay. Ironically students taking BGTS courses aren't really recognized as students at the UM schools. As non-degree seeking students, they aren't eligible for institutional scholarships or financial aid (although the General Board of Higher Education does pay up to $200/credit for certified candidates) beyond your regular student loans. As a matter of fact as I add up the cost for tuition, living expenses and such, I'll be paying nearly three times more for these 24 (or 27 depending on the school) BGTS credits than I will for both my MA and MDIV degrees. That causes me concern, not just for me, but for the denomination in general. How do we expect to attract young people to ministry when we burden them with what certainly can be considered a mountain of debt? Combine that with the bureaucratic maze that has to be navigated and other service-oriented careers suddenly have a great deal more appeal than does ordained ministry! There is one consistency among the schools, not one of them make it particularly easy for someone coming from a somewhat (i.e. non-large metropolitan area) rural/remote location. Has anyone heard of weekend classes or web-based distance learning?
Peace,
Jeff

Don't Ever Take a Course in Wisdom Literature

2009-05-21T10:14:00.003-05:00

I haven't been writing much lately, basically because I'm kind of ornery and that tends to be reflected in what I write. Why ornery you may ask? I think a great deal of it has to do with the course in Wisdom Tradition that I had this past semester. Don't get me wrong, it was a fantastic class and Irene Nowell should write a book on how to conduct a web-based learning experience. I read texts that aren't even in the Protestant Bible (Shame on you Martin Luther.. shame on you!). No, I'm ornery, perhaps even angry, because much of what we're dealing with today - economic crises, lack of concern for the poor, the overall lack of concern for creation, and the lack of "fear of God" were the same issues that the writers of the Wisdom books wrote about some two to three thousand years ago. It's rather discouraging to think that during all this time when we've supposedly become more civilized, we truly have failed to learn the lessons and advice given to us by the Wisdom writers. I guess at some point it is just easier to ignore these lessons and go about our daily lives but isn't that being rather disingenuous to scripture?
So, my advice is this, don't take a course in Wisdom literature. Life is much easier that way.
Peace,
Jeff

Where's Jesus?

2009-05-04T10:41:00.002-05:00

So, I'm finished up with spring semester and had a little time to read through some blogs that I check on occasion. Well you know how that goes, one link leads to another link and to another and pretty soon I'm an hour into blogdom. I was trying to read up a little on the multitude of Constitutional Amendments that will be voted on by all the annual conferences of the United Methodist Church this year. I was rather ambivalent to most of them and had planned on actually listening to the floor debate at Minnesota's AC later this month. Then I came across a video featuring Maxie Dunham on why United Methodist's should vote against Amendment 1. To be honest, I wasn't so sure about Amendment 1 until I watched the video. Truth be told I wasn't aware of that huge block of gay Methodists that are threatening to take over the church and turn it into a big orgy. Nor was I aware of the multitudes of wife-beaters or the alcoholics or adulterers that are wanting to be members. It sure is a good thing that there aren't any of those kinds of people that attend MY church. I'm going to have to send Rev. Dunham a note thanking him for opening my eyes.
The other blog that I found interesting started off something like this .. "All we get is this Peace Corp ecclessiology garbage wanting us to help everyone. Where's Jesus? Where's talk about our salvation?" This was a rant against the missional attitude of the UMC. I actually had to read it a couple of times to make sure I wasn't missing anything. Turns out I wasn't missing anything, but this blogger certainly was. Help out others? Certainly we can't expect to see Jesus there. Seriously, how can someone read scripture - even literally - and not come to the conclusion that our goal as Christians is lend help and support to others?
When I see and read things like this .. it sure makes me wonder .. just where is Jesus?
Peace,
Jeff

Passover Flower

2009-04-13T08:43:00.006-05:00

They didn't show up in any numbers until yesterday. I looked on Thursday and Friday, but to no avail. I suppose it was the warmth and sun of Saturday that set them to blooming. They are by far my favorite flower and this year, they sprung forth on Easter, just as they should. The first, the bravest, perhaps the most fool hardy. Regardless, they represent the rebirth of the earth, a sure sign that there is life amongst the dead grass. In my mind, they are the perfect Easter flower.

They emerge amongst the death of the previous fall. In sand, rock ... marginal soil.

As if they are offering themselves up. Spring, new life, in the form of a chalice. Sacred.

Easter Blessings,

Jeff

Easter Blessings

2009-04-10T10:53:00.003-05:00

Wishing each of you a blessed Easter.

Peace,

Jeff

(Above is by Fra Anglico "Do Not Hold Me")

Pew Center Data

2009-03-27T08:53:00.003-05:00

There's been a great deal of discussion lately about the declining number of people who consider themselves to be Christian. I started looking at some Pew Center data the other day and decided to look at it first from a fisheries biologist perspective, i.e. if this was a population of fish what would the data tell us and as a result, how would we manage that population. First step is to examine the age data. There is what I would call a recruitment problem, particularly among the youngest demographic (18-29) for Mainline Protestant churches. While this age demographic makes up about 20% of the U.S. population, only 14% identify themselves as Mainliners. Looking through the rest of the age demographics for Mainline churches, it is evident that this is an aging population, more so than the U.S. population as a whole which is what is really concerning. As anyone who is associated with a church knows, this is nothing earth shattering. It just backs up with numbers what one can observe in most any Mainline church on any given Sunday morning. You don't want to know what I'd do with a lake that had a fish population that looked like this!
As I dug into the numbers a little bit more though I found some interesting trends, particularly in regard to church attendance and prayer. Not surprising, about 60% those who identified themselves as members of Evangelical and Historically Black churches thought church attendance was necessary AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK. On the other hand, Mainliners considerably lower than that at 34%, in fact it was 10 percentage points lower than any other Christian denomination. Mormons, Jehovah Witness, and Muslims also ranked this very high. The first thing that jumps out at me is that churches that expect their members to attend church on a regular basis have high attendance. If you are a member of a mainline church and stopped attending regularly would anyone call you? When my wife and I were dating she attended an evangelical, non-denominational church and I the UMC. When she started coming to church with me her absence was noted at her church and she was called asking her if there was something wrong, they showed a genuine concern about her and the kids. The follow-up calls weren't quite as caring and could have used some work, but nonetheless they were made. Do mainline churches do that? Have they taken for granted that people are going to always be there? Don't we as Christians have an obligation for discipleship and for holding others that claim to be Christians accountable to that discipleship? I know we're often concerned with stepping on toes, hurting feelings or even driving people away. Should we be worried about that?
The other surprising figure in the Pew data was the overall lack of prayer by mainliners. Just over 50% prayed on a regular basis (weekly or daily). Mainliners are obviously not doing a very good job at developing the spiritual lives of our members either. There are exceptions, and several of them can be linked to from here, just scroll through the UM links and you're going to find several folks who are doing beautiful, thoughtful things in their congregations.
My attempt at analyzing the data as I would a biologist was pretty much a failure. Still, I think it raised some interesting questions. Thoughts?
Peace,
Jeff

Just a little update

2009-03-26T14:10:00.004-05:00

Not much in the way of posting lately, I've been working on an academic paper that I'm presenting on Saturday at the American Academy of Religion. The paper is entitled "Beyond Ecocentrism: Aldo Leopold's Land Ethic Viewed Theologically". I generally enjoy giving papers like this, I've done some 15 or 20 in my career, but this one is different - different format, different audience, and different topic than I normally work with. I'm a bit nervous about it, but am fairly confident it will go well.

I just got word of my first publication in the theology field, it is based on a paper I did for my Pauline studies class last spring. I also just got a book chapter published on regulating fisheries and have a journal article coming out in early summer, so it's going well on the writing fronts!

I'm also working through the discernment process about UM schools of theology. I had a great visist to Candler and that would certainly be my first choice thus far. But I'm also looking at the cost and time away from family, so that's not a done deal yet by any stretch of the imagination.

One that is becoming apparent, is that I really enjoy the "academic" side of things. That's why I've stayed in my current position with DNR, I can do research on things that interest me. I'm finding out, and perhaps I shouldn't be surprised, that it is the same with my theological studies. Of course the problem with that is running the risk that one looses the spiritual side of faith to the theological side. The Theology Forum has some great discussions on this topic, and they're currently discussing a book by David deSilva entitled "Sacramental Life: Spiritual Formation through the Book of Common Prayer". By the looks of the reviews it's definitely one I need to read.

I've also added a link to United Methodeviations a blog by former GBOD staff member Dan Dick. He has some really interesting blogs on the sacraments and church growth. He also has one of the most honest reviews of "The Shack" that I've come across. (I'll admit that I started the book, but couldn't past the first chapter. Not a great literary work if you ask me.)

That's all from this corner of the world.
Lenten Peace,
Jeff

From the Beach

2009-03-11T11:20:00.006-05:00

We had a pretty good trip to the southeast, even the snow in Georgia and Alabama was kind of pretty (we didn't stop to take any pictures!). I had a good visit to Candler, the highlight being able to participate in the Friday Mid-day Eucharist. It would seem Candler might fit well with what I'm wanting to do with my studies. More on that at a later date though. Given the snow here, and the below zero temps, here are some beach pictures for you to enjoy.

Sand Fences help shape new dunes and hold the beach in place. They also make some interesting subjects for photography.

Bits and pieces of sand dollars are all over the beach. This one is eroding, becoming sand again.

The brown pelicans are "back" after being nearly wiped out from the hurricanes. You don't hear much about the effects of these massive storms on wildlife, but they suffer just as humans do.

This gull feather was being washed into the sand, becoming part of nature's big recycling program.

Peace,

Jeff

YES!

2009-02-26T14:56:00.002-06:00

This morning I got my United Methodist News Service feed via Twitter and was interested in one of the highlights that said United Methodist's begin dialogue with Catholics. Being United Methodist and attending a Catholic school of theology, naturally I was intrigued. Little did I know however that the dialogue that is taking place is centered on the environment and how our moral teachings (by the way our social principles and Catholic Social Teachings are incredibly similar) and worship can lead us to better stewardship of creation. Are you kidding me? I'm amazed. Thrilled. Almost speechless! I was really struck by a paragraph by Rev. James Massa, in which he states -

“liturgical enactment of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice on the cross requires the cultivation of soil – and by extension, a planet – that is healthy enough to yield the wheat that becomes the ‘one loaf’ consecrated at the Eucharist.”

This is so cool. This is where we need to be. You can read the entire news piece here.
Lenten Peace,
Jeff

Does God Have Favorites?

2009-02-24T08:23:00.004-06:00

I spent a fair amount of the past weekend working on a mid-term exam for my Pentateuch course. One of the major themes or lines of questioning was related to favoritism in Genesis. At the same time I was working on this exam, some 8,000 crazy nordic skiers were skiing 33 miles through the hills, valleys and forests of northwest Wisconsin. This annual event, America's largest ski marathon is known as the American Birkebeiner and it is really a tough ski race. The hills are numerous and large. The crowds are crazy. It's a huge event. While reading the results and race summaries something caught my attention. The women's race this year was very tight. Imagine skiing 32.9 miles and then having to sprint to the finish line! The result was a photo finish and the winner was determined to be Rebecca Dussault (she's in the black/yellow suit closest to the camera). She beat Holly Brooks by less than a second. Amazing. What stuck out however wasn't the fact that the race was exciting or that close, it was that as soon as she was able to catch her breath and talk with the announcer, Rebecca indicated that it was her faith that allowed her to win. Her deep convictions and strong faith in God and Jesus Christ made her win possible. Now, Rebecca and Holly both ski for the same ski company, both had their skis prepped by the same wax technicians, both are members of teams that feature top coaches, and both are incredible athletes. In short, all things were pretty much equal. So, does God like Rebecca more than Holly? Perhaps Holly doesn't pray enough? What if Rebecca had fallen in the last 10 meters? How would that be reconciled? If she'd been second would that have been God's fault?

I'm not asking these questions sarcastically either and by no means question Rebecca's sincerity. Rebecca is a woman of great faith and is an incredible role model. She's balanced raising a family, caring for a sick husband along with her Olympic dreams. But we see this attitude often in sports and in our greater culture. We see this in our nation's claim to be the greatest and by some that it was God's providence that we're even here to begin with. I think we see it because we don't often realize that when we makes these claims we automatically put the other person, team or country in a secondary position. I don't think that's Gods intentions.

Peace,

Jeff

Mississippi, Wesley, and Lent

2009-02-23T12:51:00.003-06:00

I was surfing the net this evening and a number of items listed on the United Methodist Reporter site struck me as somewhat odd. First was a report that Mississippi was the "most religious state" in the U.S. While not surprising, it's sad. It's sad because I fairly certain that I could come with with a index of tolerance that would likely find Mississippi among the least tolerant states in the U.S. When I mean tolerant, I'm referring to racism, sexism, homophobia, etc. The next logical step is to correlate the two indices and that certainly would show that the most religious states would also be the least tolerant. What exactly does that say about religion? Of course that correlation is a two-way street, the most tolerant societies are the least religious. Mississippi usually ranks among the bottom five in education, what does that say? (editorial note: when it comes to creationism I think it says a great deal!) I think there's some pretty interesting conclusions one could draw from such a study. Perhaps in another lifetime I'll take a look at this more closely.

The other alarming aspect of this study is that it relates church-going to religion. In short, you aren't considered religious if you don't attend or belong to a church. Details like this make it very important to take surveys and "best of" ratings with a large, very large, grain of salt. It reminds me of a book that came out a year or so ago (it was horrible so I'm not going to even give a mention here) that said conservatives gave more than their liberal counterparts. The book's premise was that if we didn't have to pay taxes we could give more to charities who are more capable of handing out money than the government. Of course giving to a church was included in their definition of charitable giving. I don't consider churches or clergy charity cases. The fact that most of a given church budget goes to salaries and building operations makes donating money to churches anything but charity. Now, giving to an organization like local missions, UMCOR or Catholic Charities, that's a different story. But the book didn't paint that picture. In fact if you eliminated church giving, conservatives gave less than 2/3 than liberals. Again, it's all in how you present and manipulate the data.

Back to the umportal. There's a great deal of discussion on the Wesley Study Bible going on in the "methosphere" these days. I chimed in a few weeks ago on this. I still like the bible and it has come in very useful lately. What interested me the most in these discussions are how people have interpreted John Wesley's theology and the ensuing debates over the results of those interpretations. There's a lot of "John Wesley meant this" and "No, John Wesley mean this" out there. It has strengthened my desire to take a class in Wesleyan theology, but at the same time it makes me think that perhaps we Weslyan's are a bit idolatrous.

Finally, as Lent approaches I've been toying with the idea of doing a daily posting as I did last year. Last year's postings were related to the events in the natural world that were unfolding as we moved towards spring. I also included a number of writings related to Aldo Leopold. I'm not sure I'll be able to do the daily posting this year, but we'll see. It will certainly take a different format than last year. Ideas?
Peace,
Jeff

Church of the Great Green Frog

2009-02-20T10:52:00.004-06:00

Wednesday during a class break some of the students were talking about purgatory, a discussion that arose from a comment made about the re-emergence of indulgences in the Roman Catholic Church. It's certainly something pretty unfamiliar to this Protestant. But nonetheless, it's something that I've not been concerned with since I got my "Get out of Purgatory Card Free" card back in 1990. Now, I wish I could get a good copy of this to post, but alas the card is worn thin and the scanner doesn't do it justice. The card, given to me by a representative - perhaps a Bishop - of The Church of The Great Green Frog, pretty much excuses me from anytime in purgatory which is really a great relief. (Considering I got the card during Mardi Gras in New Orleans on Fat Tuesday, it really is a relief!) You can read more about the Church here.

Hop A Lu Ya!
Jeff

First glance at the Wesley Study Bible

2009-02-04T08:55:00.004-06:00

Not that I need another Bible, but the idea of a Wesley-inspired Bible and the price (they're available from Cokesbury for 24.95 through the end of February) made this pretty hard to pass up. So, I ordered one last week and it arrived over the weekend. It's really one of the more attractive Bibles I've seen. (Mine is actually green with the leather and I think it looks better than the blue one shown here.) The Bible, as one would expect from a study Bible, is full of Wesleyan-related theology and often references John Wesley's sermons. There are also short insets within the commentaries themselves, "Wesleyan Core Term" which defines concepts like faith in Wesleyan context and "Life Application Topic" which attempt to give meaning to scripture in a current context. Both types of boxes are valuable and interesting to read. I've only skimmed through the WSB but did delve into the commentary on Mark since that's quickly becoming my area of interest, if not my area of semi-expertise. Situated within the commentary is a Wesleyan Core Term regarding Wesley's view on the Kingdom of God. Now, I'll be the first to admit that I'm not very familiar with Wesleyan theology, but I was pretty surprised and actually disappointed in reading that Wesley "opposes any attempt to substitute rituals for Christ-centered faith." and that "time-honored traditions and orthodoxy proved insufficient, however to bring for the kingdom of God". First of all, there is not Christ-centered faith without ritual. The ancients, early Christian communities by all accounts were highly ritualistic. Their theology and understanding of Christ was through ritual. So, if what's in the WSB is true, I think Wesley was dead wrong on that account. Secondly, it is through those rituals, "time-honored traditions" that we are exposed to the Kingdom of God. It is through the understanding of those rituals that everything else is possible, i.e. social justice, redeeming creation, etc. This all makes me very eager to dig into Wesley's theology and to further my understanding of the role the sacraments play in our theology.
But back to the WSB. It's well worth the $25. I would suggest reading it with another commentary to compare what's truly Weslyan with what other's have to say about a particular pericope or even larger portion of the scriptures.
Peace,
Jeff

Some Liturgical Humor for a Monday

2009-01-26T15:42:00.002-06:00

Click on the image to see it up close and personal. Probably won't be using it in our contemplative service anytime soon.

Peace,

Jeff

Just Some Random Thoughts

2009-01-21T08:26:00.002-06:00

Certainly yesterday was historic in many ways. My guess is that we won't know just how historic it was for a while, that it might just turn out bigger than anyone ever expected. I found the thread of responsibility that ran through President Obama's speech to be refreshing. It was also refreshing that he addressed global issues like poverty and climate change. I didn't agree with his statement that we won't apologize for our way of life, after all it is largely that way of life that has lead to global poverty and climate change.
It was unfortunate that at least on the stream I was listening in on (NPR) that the musical selection wasn't very audible. From the bits that I was able to hear, it sounded like a great arrangement. For all the discourse on having Rick Warren give the opening prayer I found it to be fairly banal. However, I did appreciate how he incorporated "The Lord's Prayer" into his, by doing so I think he invited prayer to God of all rather than to just a Christian God. I thought the Benediction was great, and loved seeing President Obama chuckling to himself as Rev. Lowery mentioned the old civil rights rhyme and petition "for that day when black will not be asked to get in back, when brown can stick around ... when yellow will be mellow ... when the red man can get ahead, man; and when white will embrace what is right."
Today begins Spring Semester at St. John's. If all goes right, this could be my final semester of classes. I'm looking forward to getting back into the swing of things.
Finally, on Monday U2 released the first single from their upcoming album "No Line on the Horizon", you can listen to the single, Get On Your Boots, here. I kinda like it and look forward rolling down the windows and playing it loud!
Peace,
Jeff

"I was just thinking how it sucks to be in my generation"

2009-01-12T14:35:00.002-06:00

Last night as we sat down to dinner, our twelve year old was abnormally quiet. I kidded him about not liking what Jeanne had prepared for dinner and he blurted out .. "I was just thinking how it sucks to be in my generation." He proceeded to talk about the talk about Yellowstone exploding - he has a keen interest in geology - and then on to global warming at which point he broke down crying. Will watches the news with great interest and I'd be willing to venture that having two science geeks as parents, he's more in tune with what's going on in the natural world than most 12 year olds. But there's still a very strong sense of a loss of innocence and as a parent it makes me angry. Why should a 12 year old have to be worrying about global climate change? For that matter why should a 12 year old have to be worrying about a tank roaring down his street shooting white phosphorus laden shells? Or worrying about rocket falling out of the sky onto his school building?
We talked about his fears this morning on the way to school. We talked about how we can't let fears like that dictate our lives and that when we feel compassionate about something that we need to speak out about it. We talked about what we wanted to do when we take our trip to Atlanta and he said rather than Coke World, he'd like to visit the King Center or the Carter Center. How 'bout them apples.
Peace,
Jeff

Solstice Time

2009-01-06T11:28:00.002-06:00

Generally this time of year is pretty slow for me at work. However, this year it's been fairly busy - which is a good thing. It isn't so good for blogging and other creative endeavors though and hence the lack of posting on my part.
I've been working the past couple of weeks trying to put together a proposal that will enable biologists to track zooplankton populations in a series of representative lakes so that we can monitor and eventually predict how changes in climate and land use will affect those populations. Since zooplankton can actually influence the quality of the water by grazing on phytoplankton and algae and have a direct bearing on fish population structure (i.e. all fish depend on zooplankton at some point in their development) we want to find out if they might be a good indicators of change. There is a great deal we don't know about them however, like are they evenly distributed across a lake? How do their populations fluctuate during the seasons? Are certain species more indicative of change than others? Those are the questions we hope to answer.
So, while it is normally a time of recharge and renewal here on the frozen shores of Lake Minnewaska, this year the solstice is a bit busier than normal.
Peace,
Jeff

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T11:44:00.002-06:00

I wish that each of you has a blessed Christmas, full of family, joy, peace, and love.
I offer up the words to a Shaker Carol from The Rose Ensemble's latest, and beautifully done, Christmas CD "And Glory Shone Around"

Give Good Gifts - Annonymous
Give good gifts one to another
Peace, joy and comfort gladly bestow;
Harbor no ill 'gainst sister or brother,
Smooth life's journey, as you onward go.
Broad as the sunshine, free as the showers,
So shed an influence, blessing to prove;
Give for the noblest of efforts your powers;
Blest and be blest, is the the law of love.

It's difficult to be more simple and honest than that. May God's grace and understanding shower down upon you this and every day. May your travels be safe.
Peace,
Jeff

Enculturation

2008-12-16T08:04:00.003-06:00

Enculturation has been a thread running through the Christology class I'm currently taking - and will finish this afternoon. I was getting things ready for our family Christmas cards and found the one we chose this year to be a fitting end to the semester. It's from Fr. Guiliani, a Conneticut-based priest who does some very interesting iconic-like work from a Native American perspective.

Advent Peace,

Jeff

(you can find more of this work at www.prairieedge.com)

Beginning to Take Shape

2008-12-13T16:14:00.002-06:00

On Thursday morning I was able to discuss my future plans with Don Saliers, a meeting I wish I would have had months ago. One of the distinct disadvantages of being at St. John's is that Don is probably the only faculty member with any knowledge of the UMC ordination process and requirements and he is only in Minnesota a few months of the years. We looked at some of my goals and interests, chatted about 45 minutes. He not only advised me on a variety of aspects of my studies, he also challenged me to truly define what it is that I want to do with my studies. The later is something I've been struggling a bit with lately. I had initially wanted to get my degree, work towards ordination as a deacon and then work in an area of ministry that dealt with environmental issues and creation care (a term that I'm really beginning to dislike, but that's a topic for another time). However, since I started school, I've learned to love exegetical work and scripture and I'm growing more interested in liturgy as well (sometimes I definitely feel like a kid in a candy store!). That's something that an MDIV or a PhD would be more appropriate for but would require more schooling. What came out of the meeting was certainly a series of more questions but also a game plan. I'm planning on visiting Candler School of Theology at Emory University in March to talk with some UM folks there and get a feel for the ethos of the place. This summer perhaps a trip to St. Paul Seminary in Kansas City for the same. I'm also going to work at developing a relationship with the BOM at the Annual Conference.
All in all a very good week here. It's an interesting journey and I'm glad you're along for the ride.
Peace,
Jeff

Top Ten

2008-12-10T09:54:00.004-06:00

I've mentioned before that the drive to and from campus, about an hour each way, generally gives me time to think. Lately I've been trying to figure out the next step in my theological studies, trying to figure out if I should continue (which would be required for ordination) or give them a little rest for a bit. I've been looking at some other schools and last night on the way home I was thinking about why I've come to really love St. John's. I mean, I've driven by the place hundreds of times prior to starting my studies there and never gave it much of a thought. So, here's my top ten list:
10. Tradition - Whether it's the liturgy, lectio, feast days or what have you, it's interesting to see and participate in such a rich tradition. Jeanne (my wife and former Catholic) refers to me as Catholic-light these days.
9. St. John's Bible - it took me a bit to get used to the iconic nature of this work, but having one of the artistic directors for an instructor really opened my eyes to the relationship between art, music, and scripture. The image of Creation (above) is among my favorites.
8. "Old Campus" - including Luke Hall, the masonry and the ivy covered walls are awesome.
7. Oratory at the Episcopal House of Prayer - One of the best places to pray ever!
6. St. Benedict - The Rule is fascinating and fits so wonderfully well with Wesleyan Theology.
5. The Legacy of Virgil Michel - the ground breaking work, that the liturgy and the Body of Christ are the basis for all forms of social justice is still strong today.
4. Bernie and Bobertz - All of the faculty are great, but I'm awestruck by these two gentlemen.
3. The Arboretum - The monks walk the walk with regard to sustainability. The forests surrounding campus are managed on a 100 year cutting rotation - that's long-term thinking! - and much of the prairie and oak savannah have been restored.
2. Morning Prayer - great way to start the day. There's something pretty cool about participating in a ritual that's been ongoing daily since the 6th century.
1. Community - based on the monastic tradition, we learn in community. We support each other. Unlike other academic settings I've been in, there's a true spirit of wanting everyone else to succeed.

Liminality

2008-12-05T13:46:00.004-06:00

Liminality. It's a term that tends to get tossed around a lot this time of year. I guess I remember hearing/talking about it in the past, but this year it seems to be particularly striking. Maybe it's the election, we certainly stand on a threshold of some potentially huge changes in our political being. Maybe it's the economy. I don't think anyone has a clue where we stand in respect to that ... which in itself is somewhat liminal. I'm certain that one reason it has been more prevalent this year is just the weather, it's been cold and gray, basically winter but here we're still waiting on any kind of significant snowfall. We're past fall but haven't fully found winter yet. I'm also getting some "liminal feelings" about my studies. I'm really on the cusp of finishing things up at St. John's, one more semester and my coursework is done. I've been exploring what to do next and that's lead to some anxiety, some ambiguity, some limbo. As I sat in the choir at morning prayer Thursday it dawned on me that I only have a few more opportunities to do what has become a fairly regular routine for me (next semester I have an afternoon and an evening class). In any case, there seems to be a great deal of uncertainty these days.

Advent is certainly liminal. We look for light to provide us with hope from the darkness that surrounds us. Of course that light comes in the birth of Christ, a monumental light-filled event. As the season progresses and we reach a crescendo on Christmas, I wonder if we too often expect the same kind of light event in our lives. It's as if we expect God to send angels, shepherds, and wisemen to let us know where we're supposed to be. I'm fairly certain God is more subtle than that. Maybe that's what Jesus is saying in Mark when he tells us to be prepared. Be patient. Being prepared requires being in synchrony with our surroundings and our own being. It takes being quiet enough and open enough to let the Spirit reach us in ways that we might not even imagine. How often do we look externally for a sign or message? The news of Advent reminds us that there is a light within each of us, that rises in our hearts and provides that illumination. It takes courage and hope to stand on a threshold, willing to take the step that moves us from our current state of being to one of fully participating in the Kingdom, regardless of the time of year.
Advent Peace,
Jeff

New Link

2008-12-01T08:30:00.001-06:00

I've added a new link to Jan Richardson's Advent Door, a series of reflection pieces for the season. Enjoy.
Peace,
Jeff

Approaching Thanksgiving

2008-11-25T21:03:00.002-06:00

A little over four years ago I picked up the book "Neither Wolf nor Dog" by Kent Nerburn. Since then, I've never looked at Thanksgiving the same. Since then I've spent almost two months on the Rosebud Indian Reservation. Since then I've come to call several Native Americans friend, good friends. Quite honestly, it's difficult for me to enjoy this holiday. The ironic thing is, that on Thursday, I'll get at least a few emails from my native friends wishing me a Happy Thanksgiving, and they'll mean it. For that I am most thankful.
Perhaps what irritates me the most about this holiday more than any other is that it has come to be a celebration of our excess. We eat too much and we eat too much of the wrong things. The following day we spend too much and we spend too much on the wrong things. In these times, when we face a huge climate crisis, an economic crisis that only our parents and grandparents can even begin to relate to, perhaps we need to revist our approach to Thanksgiving. Would it be un-American to be a little less extravagent one day a year?
The folks over at Wild Idea Buffalo have been blogging alot lately, about "gentle" living. There are so many little things each of us can do, and do today, that can change the world we live in for the better. It's worth a couple of mouse clicks to read what they're saying.
May your Thanksgiving be full of family, safe travels, and food that's good for you and the earth.
Peace,
Jeff

Just Enough to Get Me into Trouble

2008-11-20T12:35:00.003-06:00

I know just enough economic theory to get me into trouble. Economists hate that. Probably just like I tend to get a little annoyed when someone tries to tell me what is wrong with "their lake". But let me back up a bit. 20 years ago, I was just starting graduate school at Auburn University. I was lucky to be there and I knew it; my undergraduate days weren't exactly exemplary and I was fortunate to find an advisor who was willing to take a chance on me (only to find out later that he had trouble finding anyone dense enough to take on the research project I was assigned!). The project that I ended up working on was examining the role fluctuating populations of fish, in this case crappies, played on local economies. The task was three-fold, find out how predict when the fluctuations (termed recruitment) would "boom" and "bust", determine how these cycles affected fishing-related businesses and see if there was a way to dampen the "booms" and "busts" through regulations or other means. Due to the second task, my advisor wanted me to take some courses in economics. Because the School of Fisheries was in the College of Agriculture I ended up taking a few courses in Agricultural Economics. The instructor was a supply-sider, which was pretty interesting. We discussed a number of models and such and about half-way through the first course it dawned on me that not one of the models took into consideration a certain human behavior. Basically they were all predicated on everyone being honest. I recall asking how they took greed into consideration and was actually scolded in class for trying to put feelings into a deterministic model. I had no real feelings about this, I was just curious how I was going to account for human behavior in some of the surveys I was developing to assess the economic affects of a fishery. These last few months I've thought a great deal about that class and that particular day in class, wondering why in the course of 20 years apparently no one has figured out the importance of incorporating greed into our economic models and regulations. Perhaps this has been done and the results weren't what people in power wanted to hear. Who knows. It seems to me though, that until we can account for certain human behaviors it is going to be extremely difficult to move to the kind of sustainable economy that we, and the resources of this world, really need.
Peace,
Jeff

Follow up on "Swirling Thoughts"

2008-10-29T07:47:00.003-05:00

David Bard was kind enough to provide me some very interesting feedback on my post "Swirling Thoughts". They're well worth reading. I'm going to need to think on them for a bit before I post a follow-up. Thanks David!

Peace,
Jeff

And they all fall down ....

2008-10-29T07:39:00.003-05:00

The ginkgo leaves that is! Yesterday morning I was walking across campus and noticed that the ginkgo leaves were beginning to fall. I watched for a few minutes, and made my way to the bookstore. By the time I headed back to the School of Theology, less than a dozen leaves remained on each of the three trees. I recall reading in my undergraduate botany class that ginkgo's drop all their leaves at once, but was amazed that in less than an hour these three trees were nearly completely denuded of leaves. I grabbed a couple, figuring they'll make nice book marks for the books I purchased. They'll also remind me of a wonderful fall day on the St. John's campus.

Peace,

Jeff

Sermon Notes from 19 October

2008-10-27T08:24:00.003-05:00

I wasn't going to post this. But actually got a request to do so, so here it is.
(By the way, when you're looking at modifying your blogger layout with backgrounds and widgets from someplace other than blogger and they suggest that you back everything up .... back everything up.)

From Laity Sunday, October 19th, Alexandria United Methodist Church (these are notes, and as such aren't necessarily all grammatically correct, etc.)

A few weeks back I was sitting in the library at St. John’s reading through some commentaries on today’s lectionary readings. I had my Ipod on random play and while I was sitting there thinking about how I was going to approach today’s texts, this song came on and the lyrics stuck in my head:

You may be a state trooper, our you might be a young Turk,
You may be the head of some big TV network
You may be rich, you may be poor, you may be blind or lame,
You may be living in another country under another name

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed.
You’re gonna have to serve somebody.
Well it might be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody.

Anyone know the song? The artist?

The question then is – is Dylan right? Are we obligated to serve somebody? The devil? The Lord?

I believe today’s Epistle Lesson and the Gospel Lesson that (note liturgist) read sheds a little bit of light regarding the question. For the Thessalonians there was no need to even speak of faith or service. They lived it. They lived it with consistency and with authority. Paul lauded them for that.

The Gospel story is a little different. Jesus is back in the temple. The same place that just a day or so before he sort of went ballistic in, overturning the money changer’s tables and sending everyone scurrying. If you recall Jesus was furious that the moneychangers where in the Temple because they were doing transactions that included Roman coinage; coinage that carried the idolic image of Caesar. That’s a directly forbidden under the 1st of the Ten Commandments. So forbidden that Jesus’ actions are described such that he takes on the Mosaic image – overturning the tables is a metaphor for smashing the tablets on the ground.

While he’s been in Jerusalem, He’s been making enemies, directly challenging the authority of the Pharisee’s and Sadducees and high priests. In this passage, they are absolutely out to get him. The Pharisees and the Herodians, a group of Jews that were loyal to Rome, had cooked up a scheme to entrap Jesus in an impossible situation. It’s interesting that normally, these two groups would have had nothing to do with each other, which tells us that they’re pretty serious about their little scheme. They approach Jesus, flattering him. They speak the truth, he is sincere, he teaches the way of God in accordance with the truth and he does show deference to no one, and he does not regard people with partiality. But the truth from the mouths of liars is a lie and Jesus sees that they’re trying to flatter him.

They ask him, if it is lawful to pay taxes to Caesar. The tax they are referring to was one that was charged to each Jewish resident of the Roman Empire. It was highly resented by the people, people who were likely struggling to just get by on a day-to-day basis. It was a constant reminder of their situation – a people oppressed in bondage in their own homeland. But the question is the trap. If Jesus answers “no” as they suspect he will, his answer will be considered treason against Rome and he would be arrested on the spot. If he answers “yes”, the people to whom he’s leading will see him as a sell-out to the Romans and his status as a prophet will be ruined. There’s no doubt that he’s in a difficult situation. Caught between a rock and a hard place.

Jesus rebukes the Pharisees and the Herodians that pose the question to him, calling them hypocrites and He asks to see the money. Remember, this is a coin that has been minted specifically for this tax. As such it bears the image of Caesar on the coin. Possessing such a coin by any Jew would be considered idolatry – possessing such a coin in side the temple … beyond belief. But that doesn’t seem to bother the hypocrites who seek to teach Jesus a lesson about devotion to God actually carry an image of Caesar into the temple themselves.

Jesus refuses to answer their question directly, instead he asks whose head is on the coin. It’s rather curious that Jesus asks to see the coin – he just looks at it. Had he possessed the coin, he too would have been guilty of idolatry.

Just when Jesus is presented with A or B, he comes up with “C”

He looks it over and says “give to God the things that are God’s and the to emperor the things that are the emperors”.

I’m guessing you could about hear their jaws drop on the temple floor. Others were probably giving a good old first century Homer Simpsonesque “doh”. They scurried away “in amazement”. I’m guessing that “amazement” is a more user-friendly term that what actually happened!

Now, traditionally this text has been neatly packaged dividing our reality into two spheres – loyalty to God and loyalty to government. I'm not so certain. Jesus has never ever been about dividing our selves or our loyalties. He’s saying that by possessing those coins at all, the Herodians and Pharisees are idolaters. He’s not recommending that we learn to live with divided loyalties. He’s saying that all the idolatrous coinage be sent back to Caesar. The reality is that there can’t be such a distinction because everything, other than a bunch of coins stamped with the image of Caesar, is Gods!

To get a bit better look at this, I find it helpful to look where this story sits in Matthews Gospel. It’s mixed in amongst a bunch of parables in which Jesus is trying to explain what the Kingdom of God is all about. He’s compared it to a king hosting a wedding banquet, a landowner and his vineyard. In this story he is continuing that teaching, explaining that God’s Kingdom is free from the need to idolize an emperor or his coins. He’s talking about pledging an allegiance not to Caesar’s economy but to God’s. He’s giving us more clues about what it means to be a disciple and a citizen of God’s Kingdom.

So, other than a bunch of coins stamped with image of Caesar what are we supposed to give back to God? The things stamped with God of course! US! We are to give ourselves to God – our entire selves.

Giving our selves to God is a tough thing to think about. What does that really mean? How are we to live in a society like ours that is so nationalistic and materialistic and still give ourselves to God? For me, this is when I look to the monks at St. John’s for a bit of guidance. These are some holy men. They get up every morning at 5 a.m., pray, eat breakfast in silence, go to morning prayer, go about their work all day, stop at noon and 5 p.m. for prayer and Mass, and then end the day with evening prayer at 7 p.m. Every Day!!! But there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that these guys are really like you and I. They have their good days and their bad days. They have holy days and some not so holy days. Some days are just plain unholy. I think there are two really obvious traits we can take from the monks. First, being a disciple, being holy, is something that we need to constantly work towards, every day. It’s like John Wesley talked about going on to perfection. It’s an every day thing. Second, we need to realize that we can’t do that every single day. When you sit in the choir with the monks for Morning Prayer a number of times, you realize that the chants and prayers go way beyond any single person. It’s the sum of the parts that makes that community function. They know that if they’re having one of those less than holy days, there is someone there to pick up the slack. They also know that when they’re “on their game” they’re picking up the slack for someone else. That’s community. That’s church.

In the next couple of weeks we’ll all be asked to put in our pledges for the next year. This is going to be tough for many of us this year. We’re unsure of what the economy holds. We’re unsure of the future. Things are likely to get even rougher. It’s now more than ever that people are going to need church. They’re going to need a community that is there for them. They’re going to need a community, a church free of conditions and questions. Is this going to be that kind of community? Are we going to pledge our allegiance to God’s economy? Are we going to pick of the slack for people that are struggling economically, physically, emotionally, or spiritually?

This summer I was reading a book “New Monasticism: What it has to say to Today’s Church”. I think Jeanne was worried that I’d been spending a little too much time with the Monk’s at St. John’s when she saw the title, but I assured her it was OK, I wasn’t running off to the Abbey. In the book Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove tells a story about a medium-sized church in a small midwestern town. Their rural location really limed their growth. As Wilson-Hartgrove says, “if every soul within 5 miles had suddenly found Jesus, they could probably still fit into their building.” Still, some folks had heard about church growth and that if you wanted to grow you needed to expand your physical facilities. So they started planning a new education wing and multi-purpose space. I’m seriously NOT making this stuff up! They launched a building campaign. Hired a consultant. I’m not kidding. Here’s the book. But unlike us, they didn’t really do their homework, either that or they didn’t have a Carol Meyer or Bruce Pohlig on their steering committee. After a few years, they’d only reached about half of their goal. Resigned to the fact that the new building wasn’t going to happen the looked around to see what they could do with the money they’d raised. It turns out that during the campaign a family had joined the church that didn’t have much money. To make matters worse, the father had been in a car accident and was disabled. They struggled to make ends meet. But this church knew another economy. They knew the economy of God’s Kingdom that has generosity in its foundation. They took the money they’d raised and built a house for that family. That’s God’s Kingdom. That’s God’s economy.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I genuinely believe in this building project. Churches need space to do God’s work. Yet a church that shows God’s economy and the generosity of God’s Kingdom is NEVER, EVER going to have to worry about church growth.

We all get busy. We all live within financial constraints. And we often complain about how hard it is to balance church with everything else going on. We don’t want to sacrifice “alone time”, family or travel time for worship. We tend to give God our leftovers. But God deserves to be on more than equal footing with work, recreation, whatever else we have going on. It involves sacrifice.

Stan Hauerwas is a theological ethicist at Duke Divinity School. He says that in this story about Jesus we’re put in a very difficult position. It’s really unsolvable. How do we give God everything and still function in society? Hauerwas says that when you realize that struggle, the sacrifice involved, you’ve taken the first step to becoming a disciple.

Bob Dylan says you’re gonna have to serve somebody. I think Dylan is right, the question is, who’s it going to be?

Amen.

Sources:
Matthew by Stanley Hauerwas, Brazos Press
New Monasticism by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove
The Best of Bob Dylan
Sarah Laughed http://www.sarahlaughed.net

Hmmm ... really?

2008-10-26T20:38:00.002-05:00

I hope that "B" I got in Intro isn't going to be held against me!

In a matter of seconds

2008-10-20T08:03:00.005-05:00

Saturday afternoon Jeanne and I spent some time hiking the trails at Lake Carlos State Park. It was a nice afternoon to leave school work and sermon prep and just enjoy what has been a pretty nice fall.
Along the way I noticed some orangish aspen leaves that had become stuck on some maple trees. The orange of the leaves provided an interesting contrast to the dark, rough bark of the maple. I snapped a picture and then accidentally a second, just moments later. When we got home I was surprised at how different the two pictures were. Just one cloud, or shifting branch completely changed the picture. (Unfortunately, the photo quality on blogger doesn't really show the dramatic difference.)

An infinite God providing us infinite ways of looking at things.

Peace,
Jeff

Swirling Thoughts

2008-10-17T09:21:00.002-05:00

This week has been incredibly busy. Trying to get caught up on some reading, working on a mid-term, trying to get my paper work lined up for our church's charge conference, and preparing a service for this week's laity sunday. There's been a definite need to purposefully slow down and focus. Luckily I've been able to make it to morning prayer twice this week. In and amongst all the scholarship and church stuff, I count those 30 minutes as a blessing. The other time I count as a blessing is when I'm driving back and forth to St. John's. This week has been a little distracting since the fall colors have been phenomenal. Otherwise it's a wonderful hour of reflection time.

One of the thoughts I've been working through, or at least attempting to (this is a "draft thought" if you will), is how much ownership should protestants take in the current state of our economy and the overall materialism that shapes our culture. I see a direct correlation to the self-interest and greed the has gripped society and the existentialism and self-based salvation that the likes of Bultmann and others have thrust into Protestant Theology. Before I go any further, I should note that I don't think Catholics can be let off the hook either. They've become what Stanely Hauerwas calls Super Americans, basically kicking their faith to the curb so they'd fit into society as well. Admittedly, that somewhat weakens my arguement for a direct correlation, but my response is that Catholics were merely falling in step with Protestants to fit into the culture. That isn't cause and effect. I also think that this existentialism is one of the main causes of the decline in mainline Protestantism. People have been preached about developing an individual relationship with God so much that the next step is to find and develop that relationship on their own. Who needs a church for that? That's exactly why new age shamans like Eckhart Tolle are so successful. Obviously, one can argue that the mega-churches and some evangelical modes have been quite successful using the existentialist thought and the personal relationship with God and Jesus. However, I'd counter argue that success if based on poor theology and false promises that manifest themselves in things like the prosperity gospel and weak or non-existent ritual and liturgy. In essence the success if based largely on super-sized existentialism and a capitalized Christianity.
I see mainline Protestantism struggling to overcome something of their own doing. The push to individualism has cost them community. Now, I'm certain people are reading this (all 5 of you) saying "but wait, I've got a vibrant church community". I'm equally certain you do. But I think we need to ask why we consider 30 to 40 percent of church membership on any given Sunday a good week. Why is the number of "unchurched" in our community becoming larger than those that do belong to a church? Do we offer them that sense of community? Even more, do we expect them to actively participate in that community?
In answering my initial question, I believe we need to take at least partial ownership in what's going on on Wall Street and even more on "Main Street". We're at least partially do blame for setting people down the path of individualism that has led to greed and materialism. I also believe it is our responsibility to bring them back.
One a more individual plane (don't think I can't see the irony here) I'm struggling on where I fit into this landscape of Christianity right now. Just another swirling thought that comes into my mind traveling down I-94 I guess.
Peace,
Jeff

Anger

2008-10-13T09:46:00.002-05:00

Anger. That can pretty much sum up my Sunday afternoon. Oh, Sunday started off well, church as good and the Sunday School class involved a pretty lively discussion. But then in mid-afternoon, as is our custom, my mother called. We usually just chat a bit, about the kids, how everyone is feeling, school, the weather. We generally avoid politics, she's a single issue voter and I've told her enough times that I can't put all my electoral eggs in one basket, that the world is much too complicated for that to dominate my politics. We agree to disagree. She's a very sweet, intelligent lady - even after 35 years in an elementary classroom. Yesterday though, she blindsided me and what she said angered me and ruled my thought process all the rest of the day. I wasn't angry at her but at the Republican Party. I was, and still am, angry that all of the threats, distortions, and down right lies about Obama's ties to terrorism, Islam, and radicalism had made my mother scared. I'm angry that the person that taught me about racism and compassion, is now afraid of having a black man as President. I'm angry that despite living through the Great Depression and World War II in poverty, my mother says she's more afraid than ever. I'm angry that despite falling victim to this same type of smear in 2000 (when the Rovians killed his campaign in South Carolina by starting rumors of an illegitimate black child, an alcoholic wife, a homosexual lifestyle, and that he was some type of Manchurian Candidate) John McCain has adopted these same campaign tactics. He has tried to quell some of the more radical notions in recent campaign stops, in Wisconsin he did say Obama is "a decent person and a person you do not have to be scared of as President of the United States", a comment that was greeted by a chorus of boos. But I'm afraid that train has already left the station Senator. I'm angry at a campaign that allows this rhetoric to even enter the dialogue, that fear, hate, and racism are being used as a campaign tactic. I'm angry because all of the hate that has been cultivated in the last month is only going to generate more hate; hate that has the potential to consume each and every one of us.
Dr. Martin Luther King said "hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that". I pray he's right.

Peace,
Jeff

These Guys Know How to Throw a Party

2008-10-08T13:04:00.002-05:00

I apologize that I haven't really posted anything of "substance" here lately but I'm afraid that the election would permeate anything I write so I've been avoiding it altogether. I've also been trying, fairly successfully I might add, to keep up on my school work so this kind of gets shoved to the back burner. School has been going well and I am keeping on top of things. I've mentioned this a number of times, but one aspect that drew me to St. John's is the Benedictine community. With an 8 a.m. course on Tuesday and Thursday, I've taken that opportunity to leave home a little early so I can make morning prayer at 7. It's become one of the highlights of my week. I treasure the opportunity to learn from these men, both in a spiritual as well as an academic setting. (As a bonus, how incredible is it to learn about the Psalms from someone that reads them on a daily basis?) The members of the community are part of the University and the School of Theology and it is very apparent that they love having the students from the School of Theology around. Last night they held a reception for us, and it was awesome! The food, the drink (hey, Methodists - these guys know how to pair food and wine, imagine that!) and socializing were top notch. What I find most amazing is how interested the monks are about me, a Methodist fish squeezer. Imagine, a internationally-known poet or biblical scholar asking me about my studies, my work, and my interests. It's that sense of humbleness that I appreciate and which I hope resonates in me and from me.
Oh, and they know how to through a party too.
Peace,
Jeff

Who did you have lunch with today?

2008-09-30T20:23:00.002-05:00

This evening the School of Theology at Saint John's is awarding its annual Dignitas Humana Award. This years recipient is 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Environmentalist, Womens Rights and Social Activist, Dr. Wangari Maathi. Dr. Maathi stopped by the Emmaus Hall dinning hall during lunch and answered a few questions posed by some of the graduate students. She made it a point to mention the influence her Benedictine undergraduate studies had on her view of service. It was a great, albeit short, opportunity to interact with one of the leading environmentalists in the world. Dr. Maathi's big program, the Green Belt Movement, plants trees in Kenya to fight desertification that is a result from poor land use practices and more recently a result of global climate change. Although she answered our questions, she also posed a very pointed question to a bunch of theology students - instead of acting like a bunch of domineering power grabbers, when will Christians start acting like stewards of God's creation?

Great question. Great Lunch.

Peace,
Jeff

Social Sin

2008-09-29T15:32:00.002-05:00

Social sin is part of this weeks lesson from James that I'll be talking about in Sr. High Sunday School. One social sin that continues to be largely ignored is that of the genocide in Sudan and Darfur. In that regard, I've got to give a little bit of recognition to my wife's niece, Kristin, who is now a senior at Southern Methodist University. To say that Kristin surprised us with her activism might be an understatement. (We're the blacksheep of the family, so we were very pleasantly surprised!) Kristin has been very active in Amnesty International, and protesting the treatment of "enemy combatants" held at Guantanomo. She and another student most recently started "Art for Darfur", a program based in Dallas that raised money through art shows for humanitarian and relief programs in Darfur. From two events, they've raised over $12,000 that will be used to build and maintain water supplies via the group Thirst No More. They also support Tents of Hope which will have a large, national event in Washington D.C. in November.

The efforts of a few benefitting a great many. Nice job Krissy.

Peace,
Jeff

New look and a few changes

2008-09-29T13:50:00.002-05:00

Ever since trying out google chrome and then explorer v.8, blogger hasn't been working very well for me. It logs me out at in opportune times like when I'm uploading a blog (I write these blogs in Word, usually in the morning while I'm eating breakfast and then upload them when lunch rolls around). So, I've tried changing a few things and it seems to be working a bit better. I've also rearranged a few links and added a couple of new ones.

I'm kind of wishing the weather would get nasty .... too much nice weather and all I want to do is play! A few rainy, cloudy, fall-esque days would do wonders for my school work.

Peace,
Jeff

From the Clinton Global Initiative Forum

2008-09-25T15:26:00.005-05:00

From the Clinton Global Initiative forum:
"I am not qualified to comment on what has happened in the last week where this city has changed shape, certainly psychologically, and in terms of some people's wallets. And I'm not qualified to comment on the interventions that have been put forth. I presume these people know what they're doing. But it is extraordinary to me that you can find $700 billion to save Wall Street and the entire G8 can't find $25 billion to save 25,000 children who die every day of preventable, treatable disease and hunger."

You can see the entire forum here:

http://video.clintonglobalinitiative.org/health_cast/player_cgi2008_nointro.cfm?id=4551#

He's got more to say, and it's worth a listen. Also on the panel and worth listening to are President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia and Her Majesty Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan. If you're short of time, Bono's clip goes from 1:06:20 to 1:15:38.

Peace,
Jeff

My Debate, My Rules

2008-09-22T14:35:00.003-05:00

Evidently, the first of the presidential debates is coming up. I’ve been wrapped up in schoolwork and haven’t been able to pay much attention to the rhetoric as I would like, although perhaps I should count my blessings for that. I honestly don’t recall the last debate I watched or listened to, probably 1988 or so. I just find the entire made for TV debate thing worthless. They aren’t real debates – no candidate in their right mind would do that in today’s world. We couldn’t stand to hear what we really need to be told.

But this whole thing got me thinking, IF I could run the debates, what would I ask? What kind of format would I use? With that in mind, here’s the outline of Jeff’s First (and probably last) Presidential Debate – moderated by me, questions by me.

Ground Rules
Since this is really a forum, not a debate, here are some ground rules.
Three minutes per response. Period. Microphone goes dead at the three-minute mark.
(If you can’t summarize your thoughts in three minutes you’re not cut out for this job.)
This, like all elections, is about the future. Candidates are not allowed to discuss their past achievements, nor are they allowed to speak about the opponent or the opponent’s position. Because there is no need, no time will be given for rebuttal. Each candidate will be asked 12 questions, 11 of which are generic. Each candidate will also be asked a question that is specific to their candidacy. Questions 4,5,7,8,9,10,11, and Senator McCain's all require a yes or no answer. Once that is provided they can proceed with the rest of the question if so required.

Question 1. What are your specific plans to make a college education affordable for all Americans?
Question 2. Based on what you’ve seen in the housing market and most recently on Wall Street, what specific steps will you take to restore confidence in a free market?
Question 3. What are your specific plans to end the following crises in Africa:
Genocide in Sudan/Darfur; AIDS, Disease, and Poverty?
(I'll give them 5 minutes for this one.)
Question 4. Are you willing to make the U.S. a global leader in combating climate change? If so, what specific steps will you take? If not, please explain.
Question 5. Are you willing to end our nations addiction to oil, both foreign and domestic? If so, what specific steps will you take? If not, please explain.
Question 6. Please discuss your view of Just War.
Question 7. Are you willing to make sound science the foundation of your energy and environmental policies? If so what specific steps will you take, if not why not?
Question 8. Will you fully fund the Federal Government’s obligation of costs associated with special education for local schools?
Question 9. Will you be willing to offer a full and unconditional apology to the Native American people of this country for the genocidal actions taken by this government since its inception?
Question 10. Are you willing to make universal health care for all Americans an reality by the end of your first term? Are you willing to do that with a model that doesn’t use an outdated, free-market economy model as its base?
Question 11. Are you willing to implement meaningful immigration reform that maintains the dignity of the worker and the human being? If so, how?

Question Extra for Senator Obama
Given your pro-choice stance, what specific steps will you take to ensure that abortion is a rare occurrence in this country?

Question Extra for Senator McCain
Given that you are a Medal of Honor recipient, would you be willing to posthumously rescind the more than 20 Medals of Honor awarded to members of the 7th Cavalry for the massacre of over 125 Lakota men, women, and children at Wounded Knee, South Dakota in 1889?

Community Day

2008-09-17T09:09:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was Community Day at the School of Theology. This year's theme was ecotheology, a topic that is obviously of great interested to me. We started the morning off with a short worship/prayer service which was followed by a lecture on ecotheology by Dr. Dennis Patrick O'Hara from St. Michael's College in Toronto. Now, to be honest I get a little nervous when I hear that a theologian is going to be talking about ecology. Afterall, I spent the better part of 6 years just learning the basics of ecology and am still learning. So, when someone that has been a theologian claims to know ecology I'm a bit skeptical. Yesterday was certainly an exception to that vague rule of mine. Dr. O'Hara knows his science and he knows his theology. He does hang a lot of what he's talking about on work by Thomas Berry, some of which I just can't go with. There were two concepts of the talk that stuck with me and that I'm going to have to investigate much deeper. First, from Berry, is that God creates a universe that creates itself. This isn't a model of intelligent design since the universe isn't a deterministic entity. Neither is it random. God set this energy into motion and what it is ... is. The other concept is that of Christ the Redeemer and Creator. Dr. O'Hara pulled in a number of Patristic-era theologians, Ireneaus, Basil, Origen, and Augustine to demonstrate that we've lost this idea of Christ as a creator. It's fascinating and is shaping up to be the subject of my major grad paper or thesis.

Following the lectures, students and faculty headed out to the woods and St. John's Arboretum for a little Benedictine work. We spent the better part of two hours pulling European Buckthorn from the woods - putting out ecotheology into practice. Tom Kroll, Director of the Arboretum talked about St. John's being among the first actively managed forests in the state to be certified as "green" by the Forest Stewardship Council. While certification means good land stewardship is being practiced during cutting, it also means the forestry is sustainable and based on social justice as well.

Days like yesterday leave no doubt in my mind that I'm where I'm supposed to be.

Peace,

Jeff

Two Books that have had a Great Influence on Me

2008-09-15T09:52:00.004-05:00

This morning I was pleasantly reminded about two books that had a great influence on me. Today is the anniversary of the birthday of Robert McCloskey, author of Make Way for Ducklings and Blueberries for Sal. Two of my favorite childhood books. Make Way for Ducklings had a particularly big influence on me. I used to spend hours drawing and redrawing the ducks that were illustrated in the book. I can honestly say that book started what has been a life-long love affair with waterfowl. It is because of that book and the resulting infatuation with anything ducky that I choose to be a biologist. It is because of that book that I flirted with a career in art - I still do some drawings but haven't had the time paint for a number of years.

I still have flash backs to Blueberries for Sal everytime I hear something hit the bottom of an empty bucket and I'm always a bit on edge whenever I'm in the woods - wondering if momma bear is just around the corner.

Both of these books opened doors to a love of animals and the outdoors that were largely shut for me. My parents aren't outdoorsy people but they encouraged me explore things that were of interest to me. For that I am grateful.

Peace,

Jeff

I didn't quite work out the way we expected

2008-09-10T08:19:00.002-05:00

Here's what you get when you put five theology students - two of whom are scientists - together over a lunch break and the subject of the Large Hadron Collider comes up.
It was decided that once the LHC was fired up it would inevitably spit out a black hole from which Jesus would emerge. However, that wasn't the only surprise. Turns out that Jesus is actually John Cleese and "The Life of Brian" was actually sent as a revelation from God as a true 5th Gospel (apologies to Thomas, again). Only those that had watched the movies were raptured. Which lead to further discussion about our personal creeds that each of had to write for Christology - should we modify them to reflect this new revelation or not?
The personal Christological creed was really an interesting and useful exercise. It's pretty rare that any creed shows up in an UMC liturgy these days, when they do, we generally whip right through them and don't give what they're really saying much thought. Have you stopped and really read the Nicene Creed lately? How about any other creed?
One thing that really struck me was that how the Nicene Creed begins each belief statement with "We". Our personal creed statements (at least mine did) began with "I". That's a HUGE difference. I would have a difficult time reading parts of the Nicene Creed with "I" statements, but not with "We". With the "We" it falls on the community of believers; someone has me covered and I've got someone else covered kind of thing.
So, I got home last night, finished up some readings for Psalms and watched some "Life of Brian", just in case. Guess it didn't quite work out the way we'd thought.
Peace,
Jeff

More on "Country First"

2008-09-06T10:29:00.002-05:00

Evidentally, I'm not the only one that found the campaign slogan borderline offensive. Please check out Rory's blog for a link to what Sojourner's founder Jim Wallace has to say and also what Christian Scharen has blogged about. Both can be linked from the side bars on this site. I really sense the possibility of something big coming from this. So much so that I'm thinking about making a "God First" yard sign.
This must be a popular topic as I had over 400 hits on yesterday's blog!
Peace,
Jeff

Jottings

2008-09-05T13:02:00.003-05:00

A quick follow-up on the books I mentioned a couple of posts ago. I did finish American Buffalo by Steven Rinella. As I mentioned, I wasn't overly impressed with the book at first. I thought the writing lacked strength and failed to really get the reader interested in the subject. However, once the story turned to Rinella's actual hunt of the bison it got much, much better. Along the way he brings in more history about North America's bison and finally brings the reader along with him. I found two comments within the story rather interesting. First, after killing his buffalo, he talks about the feelings he has about taking the life of an animal that he sincerely loves. Having been in that situation a number of times, I thought he did a wonderful job of explaining his emotional state. I also appreciated is not so subtle jab at non-hunting meat eaters who will readily condemn hunting yet have no problem downing a hamburger or a t-bone. I also appreciated his discussion on Native Americans. He makes a great point about some of the misconceptions we have about how Plains people lived. He notes that while it was very true that Plains people did use nearly every part of the buffalo, they didn't use every part of every buffalo that they killed. However, I don't think he did a very good job of relating the spiritual component that bison play to Plains people to the reader. It's a decent book that I'd certainly recommend you pick up at the library.
The other book I've been reading is Acedia and Me by Kathleen Norris. I'm still working my way through that one and it will likely take me a while now that school has started up again.
Speaking of school, I've really enjoyed my first week back. I've been leaving home at 6:00 a.m. to get to the Abby Church for morning prayer, something that always sets a good tone for the day. Reading and chanting the Psalms at morning prayer is an interesting contrast to studying them in an academic, exegetical manner. I hope to be able to attend morning prayer throughout the semester.

One final thought. I've been purposely avoiding all the political rancor these past two weeks mainly because I get too worked up about these things. However, I can't let the McCain slogan slide. Certainly puts those biblical fundamentalists on the ropes .... doesn't scripture say that God is first? I guess that's one of those little things that can just be conveniently overlooked.
Peace,
Jeff

I Wonder

2008-09-05T08:19:00.001-05:00

I wonder what I've gotten myself into. They must have been desparate. Bottom of the barrel. How else would I have ended up teaching Sunday School? To high schoolers no less! Actually, this a good group of kids and we've all been on the Rosebud trip together over the course of the last three summers so we all know each other pretty well.

We're going to try something new with this. I've set up another blog (appropriately named "I Wonder") that each week I'll post some discussion items for the kids to think about during the week. They'll be able to post comments and such but they'll also be able to see how the discussion items might fit into their daily lives during the week. Then during class we'll dig through our thoughts. My hope is to expose them to a wide range of topics, experiences and maybe even some theology. I'll keep you posted.

Peace,
Jeff

Transitions

2008-08-26T15:09:00.002-05:00

This last week my office has been on Lake Carlos. Yes, for the last seven working days I've been on the lake completing a survey of the plants that lurk below the surface of the water. The survey is part of a state-wide effort to set bench marks that will enable us to better anticipate changes in aquatic systems from land use alterations, shoreline development and climate change. It was interesting and a lot of work. We sampled just under 650 points on the lake - which involves driving around to a set of predetermined points, tossing out a double-sided rake, and identifying the plants that are hanging from the tines as you drag it back into the boat. Who would have thought there would be more than 25 different types of aquatic plants in Lake Carlos? Of course this last week has been windy as well. I'm more exhausted from fighting the wind for 8 hours a day than from anything else. But it's a transition time and along with a transition of seasons in Minnesota comes the wind.
We're also transitioning at home as well. Tomorrow begins my third semester at St. Johns - I'm taking Christology, Mark, and Psalms and I'm really excited about each one of the courses! Thursday we'll be moving our son Anthony to Eau Claire, Wisconsin where he'll start the next phase of his life at UWEC. (In addition to moving, he's also auditioning for a spot in the music department's voice performance program - hopefully switching from violin. So that's a bit of added stress for him.) Our daughter Sarah is entering her senior year at UW and is looking to enter some type of medical related field (OT or PT), so she's already looking towards next year's transition. Next week Will begins junior high - which among all the transitions that are taking place this year is the toughest for me! Where did that little kid go? Next week Jeanne will also transition back from beach bum to great science teacher. It's fun to watch her get excited about each new school year.
Tomorrow night is our second contemplative service at Alex UMC and I'm grateful that I'll have that reflection time to deal with all of these transitions.
Peace,
Jeff

Advance Readers

2008-08-22T09:25:00.003-05:00

My wife works part-time at the local, independent bookstore during the summer. It gives her a chance to get away from the house and be around books, which in addition to yarn, are among her favorite things. One of the cool perks about working at a book store are the advance reader copies that publishers send out prior to full-scale publication; you get a sneak peek at what's coming out in the next three to six months. Every now and then she'll see one that she thinks would be of interest to me and brings it home. Last week she brought two, American Buffalo by Steven Rinella and Acedia and Me: A Marriage, Monks, and a Writers Life by Kathleen Norris. I'll write more about the first one when I finish it but as of now I'm not overly impressed with neither the writing nor the author's heavy reliance on frontier journalist accounts of life on the Great Plains during the 19th century. The second book is a fascinating read. I've always like Kathleen Norris's work and while this one might not be as interesting as Dakota and Cloister Walk, it is worth setting time aside to read. In the book, Norris examines the topic of acedia theologically, psychologically, and spiritually. As is her style, she relates the topic to her own life. And as is her style, she enables the reader to do the same. I'm only about half way through the book and there have been a number of comments that deeply resonated within me (see my last post). So far it has been interesting to read how early Christian monastics viewed "sin". Again, I'll write more about the entire book once I've finished it, just be on the look out for it when it hits the shelves of your favorite book seller next month. (As an added bonus the book features an appendix of collected quotes from theologians, psychologists, and spiritual leaders on acedia that give one a greater appreciation for what acedia truly is.)
Peace,
Jeff

This daily prayer thing is hard!

2008-08-16T09:52:00.003-05:00

I was just reading Michelle Hargrave's blog entry, it is a wonderful piece of writing. She concludes by talking about fitting prayer into her life, something that really resonated with me. One of the "requirements" of becoming an oblate is to read the daily office or liturgy of the hours at least once a day. I've been using "Benedictine Daily Prayer - A Short Breviary" by Max Johnson and the Monks of St. John's Abbey. The monks pray up to 8 times a day which is pretty impressive since I've been trying, and struggling, to get just that one each day. It is hard to believe, and admit, that my life is so busy, so convoluted that I can't set aside 5 or 10 minutes a day to pray. I've tried early morning, but the dog usually needs some attention. Evenings are pretty hectic around here and I do need to be present at work most of the day. So, my routine has gotten to be that I pray when I can, in the car on the way to work, as the computer is booting up, at lunch. It might not be the liturgy, but it is prayer and as Michelle says "it will have to do for now".
Peace,
Jeff

Eucharistic Beginnings

2008-08-14T07:56:00.002-05:00

We had barely unpacked our gear and unloaded the week's groceries. I was putting a few things away in our van when a young Lakota man stopped by the Tree of Life guest house and asked for something to eat. I went in and made him a ham sandwich, grabbed an apple, and a juice box. We sat on the tailgate of the van making small talk as he downed the sandwich and the juice. He put the apple in his pocket and said he was going to give that to a friend of his that needed to eat that day too. The entire incident tore me up inside. That was last summer. It wasn't until an evening this past March, when my instructor in Pauline Studies commented that "all we do in love, all we do in the name of God, goes through the table, the eucharist", that I realized what had happened that summer day was quite literally communion.

I really dislike missing communion and this year we were leaving on communion Sunday. So, I arranged to have bread and juice and a short service that evening. Some friends from Duluth joined our group which included people from Alexandria UMC, Jeffers UMC, and St. Paul's UMC in Mendota Heights. We sang and reflected on the lectionary (Mt. 14:19) I noted that I had just read a passage from Frederick Buechner that seemed to fit into the lectionary and what we hoped to do that week. He writes, "Greed is the mathematical truism that the more you get, the more you have. The opposite of greed - the selfless love of God and neighbor - is based on the truth that the more you give away in love, the more you are." We shared the gift of bread and the cup. It is this gift that allows us to focus on our work as church and to find God's love in a world where people are hungry, homeless, and oppressed in a world where there is what seems to be only a limited amout of fish and bread on hand. I think it got the week off to a grace-filled start.

Peace,
Jeff

The Great Spirit meets the great lie.

2008-08-07T20:58:00.002-05:00

The Great Spirit meets the great lie

That’s a line from the song “Hanging from the Cross” by John Trudell. John Trudell is an Indian activist/poet/blues singer/philosopher. His path through life is intriguing. To many Native people he’s seen as a prophet while others see him as a troublemaker. I like his music and am interested in what he has to say. I don’t agree with all of his stances, but some are spot on as they say. As those lyrics would indicate, Trudell’s poetry cuts right to the bone and is intense. This particular song is about “evangelizing” Native people and is honestly quite uncomfortable to listen to. I mention this because this year, more than in past years, I’ve seen more passenger vans touring the Rosebud Reservation emblazoned with various church logos. (Disclaimer, we’re traveling in one such vehicle.) The noteworthy aspect of these vans is that they are generally touting some “bible church” or other evangelical-leaning denomination. One group we ran into while getting gas this morning asked us about what we were doing, basically said “oh, that’s nice” and proceeded to tell us about all the children they were saving during the vacation bible school they were holding for them. In my humble opinion there are so many things wrong with this kind of evangelizing that it sickens me and makes me angry. (So, as you read this keep in mind, I’ve been fixing up a trailer home that 99% of Americans would have bulldozed. There is absolutely no excuse that people are living in these conditions in this country. Period.)
First, there can be no way these people have any idea of the damage that has been done to the Lakota people in the name of Christ. If they are clued into the history of the Lakota, then as Trudell says in the song, “they lie to us, then lie to themselves about lying to us”, and they just don’t care what’s really going on around them.
Secondly, I think this truly gives these kids a false sense of hope and believe me, hope around here is as rare as surplus, commodity brie. It’s pretty damn easy to live in an air-conditioned dorm, drive around in an air-conditioned van, get out, play some games and tell kids that if they just believe in Jesus, everything will be O.K. The saddest part of all that is then they’ll pack up the vans, head home thinking they’ve saved the world. Meanwhile, more than half of those native kids will be going without food until school starts in a couple of weeks.
Additionally, in my mind this shows a great deal of disrespect for the Lakota culture and spirituality. The opening line from “Hanging from the Cross” states, “we weren’t lost, and didn’t need any book”; the more I understand the spirituality (and I’m just scratching the surface) of the Lakota, the more I’m convinced of the truth within this statement. The more Meister Eckhart I read, the more St. Francis I read, the more Hildegard of Bingen I read, the more I’m convinced of the truth in that statement. Think about this, Vine DeLoria, a famous Lakota writer and cultural historian correctly notes in his book “God is Red” that no indigenous culture on earth has a messiah figure in their spirituality. His stance is that it was only the Christian, Hebrews and Muslims that really needed a savior figure! Lakota culture and spirituality are rich and beautiful and we need to respect that.
Finally, I can’t get past the remark “for them”. I honestly don’t see mission trips as something “for them”. Each time I come to Rosebud, I leave with much, much more than I came with and I honestly feel guilty about that. People who are among the poorest of the poor give me more than I can give in return. Sure, I can replace a few windows, put in an insulated door, offer a sandwich to a homeless guy walking down the street and all of that is slowly making a difference. But in each case, it pales in comparison to what I receive in return, and like I said, I struggle with that.
One reason Tree of Life is so successful here is that it follows what I feel are Benedictine values; that is, to see Christ in every person you meet and to offer the same hospitality to that person as you would if that person were Christ. There are no preconditions when homes are fixed, or when meals are served. There is no cramming Christ down people’s throats, evangelizing is done by living as Christ. All are treated as children of God because they are children of God.

Peace,
Jeff

Live from the Rez ...

2008-08-06T09:11:00.002-05:00

I meant to post this yesterday (Tuesday morning) but didn't find time to hook up to the net.

One of the wonderful things about a VIM trip to Tree of Life is the cultural events that are available each evening. This evening we were fortunate to hear a presentation by Chief Duane Hollow Horn Bear. Chief Hollow Horn Bear’s story is truly amazing. In some ways it is a mirror of the saga the Lakota people have endured for the last 150 years. In other ways it is almost triumphant, if not triumphant certainly filled with hope. Rather than go into all the details I would encourage you to schedule a VIM trip to Tree of Life and hear Chief Hollow Horn Bear yourself.

Part of the Lakota saga centers on the fate of the Black Hills. The famous tourist area full of cheesy amusement parks and the annual Sturgis motorcycle rally is also a central part of the Lakota creation story. Despite “promises” from the U.S. Government in a series of treaties, the Black Hills, or Paha Sapa, were illegally taken from the Lakota. The legal battle for the Black Hills remains the longest unresolved court case in U.S. history. With that little bit of background, this morning’s reading from the Benedictine Daily Prayer was Psalm 42(43). As I read it, it occurred to me that if one replaced God with Creator, this could be a Lakota prayer.

Defend me, O Creator, and plead my cause
against a godless nation.
From a deceitful and cunning people
rescue me, O Creator.

Since you, O Creator, are my stronghold,
why have you rejected me?
Why do I go on mourning,
oppressed by the foe?

O send forth your light and your truth;
let these be my guide.
Let them bring me to your holy mountain,
to the place where you dwell.

And I will come to your alter, Creator,
the Place of my joy.
My Creator, I will thank you on the flute,
Creator, My Creator.

It’s 5:30 a.m., it’s thundering, lightening, and raining which should add to what already promised to be an interesting day.

Peace,
Jeff

Happenings

2008-08-01T11:06:00.002-05:00

Sunday morning I leave with a group from Alex UMC on what has become our annual mission trip to the Rosebud Reservation. This will be my fifth trip to Mission and Tree of Life. It is something I certainly look forward to each year. The trip will probaby be my only chance this year to take in some really wide-open spaces and the awesome prairie vistas of western South Dakota. This is the first year I haven't organized the trip, it was time for someone else to take that responsibility. In a way it's a relief, and I'm looking forward to letting things just happen this year. Having been to Rosebud a number of times, I've made a few friends and I'm looking forward to seeing them again. I'm not sure if I'll be able to blog while we're out there, but I'll try to get online at least once during the trip.

In other happenings, I just put together another blog that we'll be posting the outline and notes for the contemplative/Taize-style service that we've started. Once we get that finalized I'll link that from here too.
Peace,
Jeff

WALL*E

2008-07-30T10:20:00.002-05:00

Last night Will and I went to see WALL*E. Now, to get a 12 year old to see a movie with his dad is one thing, to get him to go see a Pixar movie with his dad is quite another thing. I was pleasantly surprised when he actually jumped at the chance when I suggested it at dinner. Sunday, he and I spent the better part of the afternoon cleaning his room and boxing up a number of toys that he's outgrown. It's a bittersweet deal, knowing your youngest child is, well, really no longer a child. But I digress. I had read a number of really good reviews and comments about the movie. I was intrigued by the entire premise of the movie - that earth is no longer habitable and earthlings had become fat, lazy, drones of a corporation who no longer really lived but rather existed. Intermingled within this story is a love story about two robots, WALL*E and EVE, that I found less compelling than many critics have. Yet this is a really good movie, one that takes a not so subtle swipe at the choices we humans have made with respect to using our natural resources as well as the rampant hyper-consumerism that we now view as a standard way of life. Which leads me to the biggest problem I have with this movie. Well, not the movie itself, but rather the Disneyfication of the message. Despite ripping on the hyper-consumerism during the movie, Disney/Pixar are marketing this movie and all the associated trinkets that go along with it, i.e. toys, bed sheets, back packs, etc., just like every other movie that has come from their studios. How refreshing it would have been to not be able to link to a page full of WALL*E toys? Still, a movie worth seeing and discussing.
Peace,
Jeff

New Look and Some Updates

2008-07-29T11:08:00.002-05:00

I've added a few new links and changed a few things around. A couple of the links are UMC-related and have been added to the "People doing good things" section. Thanks to Pastor Rory for bringing the UMCOR link to my attention. I think we tend to overlook the good things that we Methodists do! I recall a trip to Tree of Life a few winters back and unloading a truck with supplies from Global Ministries. When you see something like that you get a greater appreciation for the importance of apportionments. I've also added a couple of links to some sites that offer up some religious-based humor. Finally, I added a link to Wild Idea Buffalo. WIB, is a sustainable bison operation run by author Dan O'Brien. He's a first-rate author, wildlife biologist, and advocate for sustainable agricultural practices. Be sure to check out his Cheyenne River Writings and if you haven't read "Buffalo for the Broken Heart", please do.
Peace,
Jeff

2008-07-24T10:39:00.009-05:00

We're heading into one of my favorite parts of summer. It's the time when the prairie's palette starts to really get full. Currently, among the common roadside plants, one can see the oranges from the butterfly weed, the purple flowers from the lead plant and the yellows from the grey-headed coneflowers. A little more searching and purple coneflowers, purple prairie clover, and one of my favorites, common spiderwort can be found. I like the spiderwort for a few reasons. First it produces a lovely, delicate bluish flower. However, the cool thing about the flower isn't just the color. It's the fact that each bloom lasts for only one day. Each day for a couple of weeks each plant produces a single flower that blooms just at dawn and by mid-morning has folded into a small gelatinous sack that will eventually form a seed. The gooey mass in the sack is a dark blue and was used by indigenous peoples of the prairie to make a form of paint.
One of the reasons I love the prairie is the vast diversity of life that lives there. The prairie is a harsh place to live. Drought, severe heat or cold, and excessive moisture are part of life on the prairie. However, the plants and animals that live there have adapted to these harsh conditions which means there will always be prairie. It is that diversity that shields the prairie from these harsh conditions. It is that diversity in nature that should remind us, as humans and part of creation, we need to embrace the diversity of humanity as well. Just as the prairie has evolved and flourished through diversity so too should humanity.
Before summer is over, I'd encourage you to do a prairie walk. Get out and experience some diversity. If you need some places to look, let me know.
Peace,
Jeff

Faith and Slime

2008-07-21T10:41:00.008-05:00

We had a nice break and a good visit with my parents over the last four days. Friday, Will, Jeanne and I took a little excursion up to Wisconsin's Door County. We did some tourist stuff, visiting some little shops, ate lunch along Green Bay, and then headed over to the Lake Michigan side of things. I've mentioned this before, I'm drawn to big landscapes like the Great Lakes and Lake Michigan is great. Granted, it doesn't have the awesome geological formations that can be found on Lake Superior, but it is still a great lake. We stopped at Cave Point Park and walked along the limestone formation that is part of the Niagra Escarpment; this is the same limestone formation that on the eastern most point forms Niagra Falls, on the western edge it can be seen as a ridge that forms the Door Peninsula then runs southward forming the eastern edge of Lake Winnebago and the famous Horicon Marsh (second only to the Everglades in the size of a freshwater marsh). It's rather easy to find fossils embedded in the limestone and we found some sea fans and sponges. We watched the waves crash into the caves and wished we had brought along the kayaks so we could have done some exploring as well. But this trip did provide us the opportunity to plan a longer future trip.

While I'm drawn to open spaces, I'm also always on the look out for examples of God's presence in nature and how those examples of the natural world can help shape our understanding of the natural world as well as our faith. (For example, this past spring I wrote about how we can learn about faith from Canada geese.) This particular day I found two examples of how creation can demonstrate faith for all of us. The first was the algae that was growing on the limestone just at the point where the force of the waves hitting shore was the greatest. Because the area is relatively shallow it has the greatest amount of solar energy, something that's pretty important if you're a plant. Nearshore areas like this also tend to have high concentrations of nutrients as they mix from running off the land and as the currents and waves keep them close to shore. That's the upside. The downside of course is that the area is constantly bombarded by waves. I sat and watched as the waves tossed the algae filaments back and forth, watched as the waves crashed on top of the colonies. This algae was lush, long, dark green, and thriving. It occurred to me that perhaps we need to be more like these algae. As life gets tough and beats down on us, we need to open ourselves up to God, show some faith that as we weather the waves we can still grow, still have lush, thriving lives. Algae are the basis for all life in an aquatic system. Similarly, faith is largely the basis for a full life and for developing a relationship with God.
I'll write a bit more about the other example later this week.
Peace,
Jeff

Thoughts from the road

2008-07-17T10:10:00.002-05:00

I've spent the last few days at the University of Minnesota Duluth's Natural Resources Research Institute with the other members of the DNR's Fisheries Research Unit. I enjoy getting together with my collegues from around the state. We talk about the new things we're doing and what we'd like to do in the future. We do a lot of "cutting edge" research on fish and aquatic resources and we push each other pretty hard. Despite that, it isn't as cut-throat as some academic settings I've been in. Overall, it's a group of very good and intelligent people and I'm glad that I'm part of it. However, I must admit that while being generally supportive of my theological studies, there is some obvious tension that has developed over the last year. Unfortunately, that has probably become expected between scientists and theologians.

This afternoon, we're heading to Wisconsin to visit my parents for a few days. It will be nice to unwind for a few days and see what's new in the old home town - although it is small enough that not much ever changes!

Peace,
Jeff

Candidacy Ceremony

2008-07-09T13:53:00.005-05:00

Monday evening I followed the thunderstorms down I94 to St. Johns. I arrived just before 7 p.m. just in time for evening prayer at the Abbey Church. Suprisingly, the choir was quite full which made for a rich, full sound as we all chanted the psalms. Following evening prayer I met with the Director of Oblates for the Abbey. I'd heard about oblates a while ago, but always just assumed that you needed to be R.C. to become one. I've since learned otherwise and as my interest in the Rule of St. Benedict has blossomed so did my interest in oblation. So, for the last month or so, I've been mulling over this path and last week decided that it was something I wanted to pursue. There are a number of reasons, including a continued bond with St. John's; no matter where I end up with my theological studies I'll be forever bound to the the St. John's community. I've also found the Rule fascinating and wish to delve into it at a much greater level which will require some assistance.

The ceremony was short, and simple. A couple of my instructors, who happen to be monks, stuck around as did some folks that are already Oblates (the Feast of St. Benedict is this week, as is the Annual Oblate Retreat). I received my St. Benedict's Medal, a guide to Benedictine study, and a series of questions about the Rule that I need to discern and write about. The entire candidacy period lasts at least a year, in which I'll need to write about 9 aspects of the Rule. I'll try to post those on here as I do.

The one part of the Rule that drew me into this path deals with hospitality. At its root, Benedictine hospitality requires one to treat everyone they encounter as though that person is Christ. I've found it valuable to frequently ask myself "Did I see Christ in that person and did that person see Christ in me?"

Peace,

Jeff

An interesting question ...

2008-07-03T09:50:00.004-05:00

Fellow blogger David Bard, recently posted an essay on the debate over whether or not clergy should endorse candidates. (You can read his entire essay here.) There are a couple of reasons that I'm uncomfortable with this possibility. First and foremost I see the responsibility of the church to work with and give guidance to government to solve social problems. There needs to be a partnership to solve problems of poverty, racism, and other social justice issues and the church needs to be able to work with whomever is sitting in the big leather chair in Washington D.C., St. Paul, or where ever power sits. If clergy are picking favorites and endorsing people, that relationship gets to be very tenuous should the other person win. I would go as far as to say that if that happens, the working relationship can suffer to the point that the big losers are those whom have no voice, the people and issues that need attention the most.

The second problem I have is this seems to be more about the ego than about really wanting to help people. The recent flap over a pastor from International Falls going on record that he will openly preach about and endorse John McCain for President wreaks of self interest and self promotion. Chances are pretty good that anyone that attends this church already knew the pastor's position, was it really necessary to grand stand about it? I feel for the person in that congregation that might have a slightly less favorable opinion of Sen. McCain and is now silenced through intimidation.

So, what is the role of clergy in our political system? It is my belief that their responsibility lies in telling people the truth about what it means to be a Christian, to preach the life of Christ. Though largely ignored, I believe if social doctrine based on Christ-centered teachings such as the UMC Social Principles or the Catholic Social Teachings (this would also include other religious traditions) were routinely included in sermons and liturgy there would be no need to for clergy to be endorsing candidates. Having written a few for course work, I can attest to the fact that these sermons are difficult to write; it is difficult not to step on toes or make people sitting the pews feel uncomfortable. Yet giving preference to the poor, being tolerant of all, and promoting peace are what Christianity is all about, no matter how uncomfortable that might be for WASP congregations.
With that in mind, here are a few books worth considering:
Lazarus at the Table: Catholics and Social Justice and Vote Catholic? Beyond the Political Din both by Bernard Evans. (Bernie is my co-advisor of sorts at St. John's and is one of the most thoughtful people I know.)
The Truth about God: The Ten Commandments in Christian Life by Stanley Hauerwas and William Willimon.

Peace,
Jeff

Sweet Grass

2008-07-01T08:11:00.004-05:00

Yesterday many of the roadsides in the area were being hayed. It is a bittersweet cutting in June, I miss the tall grasses along the roadsides but I get the occasional fragrance of sweet grass as I travel. That seems worth it; the grass will grow back.

Last night I cut my sweet grass, it never gets really tall anyway. I spent some time sorting it by length and got some braids done. My braids are never very fancy like the ones you can get on the rez. This morning the garage smelled like sweet grass, it was wonderful. One of those great things about summer.

Peace,

Jeff

More on the food crisis

2008-06-30T13:40:00.005-05:00

Yesterday, Jeanne and I spent the afternoon hiking at Glacial Lakes State Park with our black lab Sophie. We took advantage of the cool breeze to walk the prairie and get that sense of openness that I spoke of earlier in the week. We sat and ate lunch on the high point, watching the grasses seemingly crawl across the landscape as the wind moved them. The amount of rain we've received this year has made the prairie very green, it is really very lovely. Glacial Lakes is one of the few places left in Minnesota where one can walk for over an hour and still be on prairie. Over 99% of the prairie that once covered the state has either been plowed up or paved over. It is the most endangered ecosystem in North America and with the pressure to produce more food to meet global demand for food as well as to take advantage of the highest commodity prices few, if any, farmers have ever seen, the prairie is under even greater pressure today.

With that in mind, it is interesting to note that during the debate that centered on the recently enacted Farm Bill, conservation programs were very unpopular. Basically, they are an easy target; it is easy to pick on something without a large constituency, easy (albeit wrongly) to make the claim that they cost jobs, easy to make claims about needing land for more food production. (Again, I've noted before that nobody seems to ever talk about food conservation or reducing our waistlines to save some food.) However, one aspect of food production that few people realize is that in the last 25 years the United States has lost, on average, 2.2 MILLION acres of farmland. Total losses equal an area the size of Maine, New Hampshire, and a good portion of Vermont. Despite these losses we've maintained a food production system that until now had very few bumps in it. We've done that by genetically modifying plants, adding more chemicals and fertilizers to the land, and industrializing our meat production.

Where may you ask has all this farmland gone? Some has been lost to erosion and can now be found at the bottom of our lakes, rivers, and even the Gulf of Mexico. However, most of it is now paved. It is either a suburban yard, a school, a strip mall, a parking lot, or a church. At this rate, the most endangered ecosystem in the U.S. will not be prairie (that will be long gone), it will be farmland.

Instead of plowing up prairie, perhaps we need to take a closer, much closer, look at our zoning laws that allow us to pave anything for any purpose. Perhaps we need to declare farmland an threatened commodity. This is particularly needed in suburban areas where farmers, out of necessity, have to subdivide their land because taxes have increased to a level where they can no longer afford to farm their land.

Churches are as guilty of this transformation from farmland to pavement as anyone. In Alexandria alone three new churches have been built in the last 5 years that have consumed nearly 40 acres of crop land. In suburban areas surrounding the Twin Cities it is even worse. Churches need to be leaders in this area by redeveloping areas in down towns and main streets. Otherwise, they're taking food directly from the mouths of those who need it.

Peace,

Jeff

Random Thoughts on the Week's Events

2008-06-27T09:34:00.003-05:00

Not surprisingly, but still disappointing, the Supreme Court yesterday made a huge mess of the nation's gun laws. I'm still trying to figure out how Justice Antonin Scalia ever passed an english or grammar class, let alone law school, without a basic understanding of the difference between singular and plural. How does one get an individual's right from "peoples" and "militia" - both plural forms of their root. The bottom line, this is a bad decision. All the gun advocates will rejoice and tell you how safe we'll all be now that criminals will have to think twice about who they attack, however one fact remains, in 2005/06 there were 50 gun-related homicides in England and Wales while in the U.S. that number exceeded 30,000.

Also disappointing was the Obama campaign's response to James Dobson's attack. It was disappointing in that I see it as a missed opportunity, particularly from his religious advisors, to point out that everyone reads and interprets the bible through their worldview. Hence, for Dobson to claim Obama is changing or misinterpreting biblical text is of course, highly hypocritical. It's also disappointing that Jon Stewart did a better job responding to the hypocrisy on the Daily Show than did Obama's staff. Rabbi Rami wrote about this earlier in the week, it's an interesting read and a bit more critical than mine.

The good news is that the strawberries are ready to be picked, there is still some fresh asparagus at the farmers market, and last night's cold front has brought a refreshing breeze.

Peace,
Jeff

Thoughts from the North Shore

2008-06-23T08:52:00.010-05:00

When I as in graduate school (the first time) at Auburn, my advisor hired a young man from rural South Dakota to help us with field sampling. As many of us "Yankees" did, he had a very difficult time adjusting to life in Alabama. However, it wasn't the grits, fried chicken and football craziness that got to many of us. For Mike it was mainly because of the lack of horizon. Alabama is for the most part heavily wooded and unless you're on a reservoir it can be difficult to see the horizon. At the time I thought he was kind of odd, but as I've started to reflect where I feel most comfortable it is definitely in places where I can see for a long distance - the prairie, lakes, etc. Perhaps it is because I grew up in an area that wasn't heavily wooded and had lot's of lakes. I do know that the ability to see for what seems forever on the prairie is one thing that draws me there. I know of others who don't feel comfortable unless they're hemmed in amongst the trees or buildings, those elements seem to be their security blanket. I mention this because we recently spent a few days up on the north shore (Lake Superior for you non-Minnesotans), returning last evening. As a family, there is a definite draw to the Lake for us, just as there is to the praire for me. I get the same strange feeling standing on the shores of Lake Superior as I do standing in a sea of prairie grass. It is a paradoxical feeling of being aware of what is in front of you, behind you, and to each side yet knowing that you're so small, so insignificant on these powerful landscapes that you don't have any control of what is in front of you, behind you, or to each side. I'm sure there is some way to psychoanalyze that and it undoubtedly has some metaphoric value for my life. Who knows. I do know that I like "wide open spaces".

We generally do a good bit of hiking while we're along the shore, trying to find those out of the way places that most of the folks that head up there won't see because they are more than a few hundred feet off of Highway 61. This year was a hike into Judge C.R. Magney state park to see the falls on the Brule River. It was well worth the 3.5 mile hike and 178 steep steps down (and back up) to the valley floor.

Agate hunting is very popular among the tourists that visit the north shore and we're definitely part of that population. Over the years we've found a few places that are good spots and often spend the better part of a day picking through the mass of rocks that cover the beaches. Even our pre-teen finds this to be an acceptable way to spend some vacation time. This year the water is higher than it has been in a number of years which altered our picking to some degree. I like picking through the rocks and can really loose track of time while I'm doing it, it is almost meditative. I like to look at the individual rocks and think about its origins and "life story". This year, we stopped at Tettegouche State Park early on Sunday morning and walked down to the Baptism River beach. The beach at Tettegouche is usually pretty busy and finding agates, much less quiet is pretty rare. But for some reason this year we spent almost an hour there and had only one visitor, a loon who had apparently found some fish near the river's mouth. We also found some nice, thumb-nail sized agates.

Peace,

Jeff

Thoughts on the Food Crisis

2008-06-13T08:36:00.003-05:00

Last week the UN and World Bank issued some recommendations to help ease the global food crisis. The first was to boost production. When I heard this I was sorely disappointed and greatly concerned. Instead of boosting production where was the call to the fat nations of the world to curtail their overconsumption of the world's food resources? Where was the concern for the environment that yet again will be the really big looser in all of this?

Let's get this straight. There is no reason to boost production of corn or soybeans in this world feed the world's population. The real need is to properly prioritize our use of these products. We don't even need to pick on the ethanol industry (sorry, that's just way too easy) to make a difference. First, we need to somehow limit the amount of grains used to make high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). I challenge you to find an aisle in the grocery store that doesn't have a product containing HFCS. Furthermore, I challenge you to go a week without consuming products with HFCS - it is nearly impossible. HFCS was developed to use up surplus corn, now that we don't have a surplus, isn't it time to rethink the need for some of these items? Second, we need to eat less meat. A great deal of grain that is produced is used for animal feed. Grains, particularly corn is a food that isn't natural to many of the animals we consume, thus requiring meat producers to supplement their diets with hormones and other nasty chemicals and drugs. The amount of energy needed to produce the meat consumed in the U.S. alone is nearly equal to the annual fuel consumption of U.S. motorists. Problem with high fuel costs? Curtail your meat consumption! Finally, we just need to stop eating so much! Smaller portions equal less calories which leads to healthier people. Supersize and other mega proportions of food are a form of gluttony and have no place in a world where people are struggling for even a basic meal.

I see a significant role for the church in this crisis. Not just providing aid where it is needed but developing, or redeveloping, a spiritual role for food in our lives. What would a national campaign to spiritually fast one or two lunches a week do to our food situation? How about a meatless fast?

Peace,
Jeff

"Love Thy Neighbor" - A Red Pine Update

2008-06-06T08:01:00.002-05:00

We were able to talk with our neighbor lady yesterday afternoon. She definitely thought she was doing us a favor by removing the red pine. Evidently, 30+ years ago her late husband mistakenly planted the tree on what was to become our property, hence she felt she had the right to remove it. We explained to her trees are pretty important to us and pointed out the fact we have planted a number of them in our yard. (Side note: Our son Will did some Internet searching and calculated the amount of carbon a tree that size would have removed in its lifetime - it was substantial. I was very pleased that he took it upon himself to find that information and was able to put the loss of the tree in a more global perspective.) Our neighbor has offered to buy a tree at the nursery to replace the lost red pine which is nice. Still, it is disturbing that someone felt they had the right to kill a 30+ year old tree that wasn't on their property. Honestly, right now I'm struggling with the concept of "Love they Neighbor".

The other interesting angle to this has been the response of the tree service that did the removal. The owner is a colleague of sorts of my wife's in the local school district. When she told him what had happened - it was actually his sons that cut the tree down - he was mortified and very apologetic. He's also offered to do what he can to rectify the situation.

The most troubling aspect of this entire situation is that no matter what we do, we loose. We can plant a new tree to replace the lost one. We can take some money from the tree service. Regardless of what we do, we're not likely to every see a new tree mature to the level that the one we lost had. It bothers me that people continually fail to think about the repercussions their actions might have in the future.

Whatever we do, we also must take into consideration that we'll probably be living next to this woman for a number of years to come. We certainly don't want this to turn into a feud. So, we'll weigh our options and figure out what will hopefully be a resolution that is acceptable for everyone involved. That's probably the best we can do.

Peace,
Jeff

Unbelieveable

2008-06-05T09:49:00.002-05:00

If you're a plant that has ties to our family, watch out!

First our prairie plants and now this morning I received a somewhat frantic call from my wife. Our neighbor lady had some spruce trees removed from her property this morning which is fine. However, she also directed the tree service to cut down a large red pine in OUR FRONT yard because she didn't like it! Stay tuned, this should be interesting.

Peace,
Jeff

My Theology?

2008-06-02T13:26:00.002-05:00

OK, slow day at work. The weather hasn't cooperated for field work and believe it or not, I'm well ahead of the paper work game. So, during my lunch hour I stumbled upon and took this survey that is supposed to identify one's theology. Other than the fact that I am certainly not alienated from older forms of church - I've written substantially about my love for ancient forms of worship and my interest in the ancient mystics - the survey was probably a pretty close reflection on where I am theologically. In regard to older forms of church, I think in some ways we need to reconnect modern society back to those forms of church. One problem with these types of surveys is that they are "all or nothing". By that I mean they pigeon-hole you into one area, in this case theology, and don't allow for blends or blurring of lines. For example, my next two closest theological types were Neo-orthodoxy and Wesleyan, each just one point away from Emergent/Postmodern. Interestingly, Roman Catholic was just a few points behind them.

You scored as Emergent/Postmodern

You are Emergent/Postmodern in your theology. You feel alienated from older forms of church, you don't think they connect to modern culture very well. No one knows the whole truth about God, and we have much to learn from each other, and so learning takes place in dialogue. Evangelism should take place in relationships rather than through crusades and altar-calls. People are interested in spirituality and want to ask questions, so the church should help them to do this.

Back to work.
Peace,
Jeff

2008-06-02T13:24:00.002-05:00

Reflections on Annual Conference +

2008-05-30T10:26:00.009-05:00

I had to leave Annual Conference early this year to take care of a few work-related things. I left St. Cloud early, grabbed some coffee and headed up a fog shrouded I94 for home. As I approached the Avon Hills it started, a deep pull within and as I approached the exit, it was pretty obvious that I needed to stop at St. John's. I parked near the Abbey Church Bell Tower and started to wander around campus. The trees were heavy, dripping with the remnants of this mornings rain and the fog. I strolled past the monastic gardens, the red tulips were even more brilliant in the fog and they contrasted beautifully against the green of the lawn. Fog blanketed Lake Sag. It was still. It was beautiful. A bell tolled reminding me that morning prayer was soon to begin so I walked back to the Abbey Church and found a place in the choir in amongst the monks, several of whom I've had the privilege to have as instructors and classmates. I had thought about stopping for morning prayer but wasn't sure it would fit my schedule. As I sat, watching the monks file in, just has many of them have done for more than 75 years, just as their forbears have done for centuries, it dawned on me that I need to fit my schedule around morning prayer. I've been to morning prayer several times, but this was the first when the light really shone through the stained glass. It was truly a magical morning.

It is practice for the monks to read and chant the Psalms each morning. This simple approach to the Psalms is always fulfilling for me but this morning was even more so. I found myself deeply moved, tears streaming down my face, heart pounding, yet the chant was calming and I felt very at ease. I wish it could have lasted for a little longer. I've had some doubts about the path I'm taking. I realize that largely out of necessity I'm swimming upstream with the current path I'm taking. But after this morning I really have little doubt that I'm where I'm supposed to be in my life.

Back pedaling a bit to Annual Conference. Last evening was also a special time. I spent dinner at the home of friends, in the presence of friends, and then went to the ordination service. I've found that to usually be the highlight of Annual Conference - despite the fact that it has been moved to the Civic Center. This year was no exception, it was again the high point of the conference (although I must admit I'm not sure I'm comfortable with praise music during ordination). There were some other things from conference that I should mention as well. I did like Jim Winkler's talks and I plan to write more about that in the near future. As General Secretary of The General Board of Church in Society, I can't think of to many people with jobs tougher than his. I found it interesting that it took less than 5 minutes to pass the budget but I think we spent 45 minutes debating if fair trade coffee should be the only option served at Annual Conference. Honestly, I think that reflects well on United Methodists - we know that justice in the name of God and Christ is truly important. I was a bit disheartened when a few folks around me referred to it as "fluff". I'm not so sure they "get it".

Rather than giving a play by play here is my top ten list of highlights from Annual Conference 2008:

10. As a cheese head, the suggestion that we serve milk instead of coffee was awesome.

9. Books Revisited where I got some great deals on Wendell Berry books and picked up some commentaries on scripture.

8. Catching up with friends and former clergy.

7. Dinner and fellowship at Bill and Linda's

6. Meeting a couple of other bloggers that I regularly read.

5. As a table host, offering and serving communion to the guy running the camera behind me at the opening dinner.

4. Baptism at the Service of Ordination - that was just cool.

3. Having a child ask the questions of faith at the Service of Ordination - it got even cooler when I found out the young man was Zane, the son of fellow blogger Michelle Hargrave.

2. Watching the warm support that my friend David Bard got from the Conference for his bid to become a Bishop and his graceful and humorous response.

and the number one highlight from Annual Conference 2008:

1. The warm hug I got from Jim Gaughan when I told him about my studies at St. Johns and plans for ordination.

Thanks be to God.

Peace,

Jeff

Parental Failings

2008-05-27T11:00:00.003-05:00

It has been an interesting few weeks at our house. We're preparing for our middle child's graduation (thank goodness it is going to be a low-key affair), Jeanne and I are getting ready to teach a week-long course on aquatic biology to gifted and talented kids in the Alexandria area, and we're trying to figure out a little trip of some sort for the summer. Seems like the end of the school year is always a little hectic, but add graduation and Challenge Academy and it is even more so (oh, and I'm leaving for Annual Conference this afternoon for three nights).

But anyway, that's not what I wanted to blog on. No, I wanted to reflect on a major parenting failure on my part. No, none of the three kids are in trouble with the law, aren't doing drugs, or failing miserably at school. In fact we have three pretty awesome children, not perfect by any sort of the imagination (I mean with yours truly as a parent they are already disadvantaged!), but good kids. The two older kids have grown into their own "persons" pretty well. They may not take the exact path I or their mother would have picked, but the general direction is there. But Friday evening, a major parental blunder became evident during a phone conversation with our daughter. She was extremely excited that the farmer's market was opening in Madison this past weekend. I was pleased that she had perhaps listened over the years as we talked about eating as many things as we could that were grown locally, and any meat that we ate was humanely prepared for us. I thought it was great that she, a soon-to-be-senior at one of the biggest party schools in the country was looking forward to getting up early on a Saturday morning to shop at a farmers market. She had her Alexandria UMC canvas tote to haul things back on her bike all ready to go. Then the other shoe dropped. She excitedly explained that she couldn't wait to get fresh tomatoes, zucchini and was particularly excited about getting some apples. Silence.

Now, granted it has been warmer in southern Wisconsin than it has been here, but there's little chance that fresh produce has had the chance to grow to harvestable size. I had to explain to her that many of those crops were just being planted and that apples were probably not even blooming yet. So, despite our weekly trips to the local farmers market and a number of dinner conversations about food, the reality is that we raised a city kid insulated from the day to day production of her food. It certainly isn't her fault. When one can walk into any grocery store on any day of the year and find tomatoes, broccoli, zucchini and even asparagus they getting the message that here in the land of plenty these things are always available.

For us, in some ways this isn't a big deal, she obviously has figured out a "greener" way to live. In other ways though it is alarming. As parents, we've made an effort to teach our kids about food and stewardship for the earth. What is alarming is that most parents could care less or are basically unaware of these issues and are raising generations of kids that will care less as well. In fact that isn't just alarming, it is frightening.

So, Saturday morning, tote bag in hand, Sarah found fresh asparagus, rhubarb, and some hydroponic tomatoes. She learned about seasonality of foods and what it means to eat seasonally. Now I just have to work on the farm-raised salmon that she bought to have with asparagus and her homemade rhubarb cake. I guess a parent's work is never done.

Peace,
Jeff

Maintaining the peace ......

2008-05-19T19:38:00.002-05:00

Last spring, following the resurfacing of the parking lot at Alex UMC, parking islands were offered up for adoption. A group of us adopted one with the goal of establishing a small 12x24' chunk of prairie. We purchased the dirt, some mulch and about $200 worth of native prairie plants. They were on the small side so that we could get a fuller garden - as opposed to using up our budget on larger plants ready to bloom. Granted this would take a bit longer, but when you're doing a project like this, patience is important. Last summer was hot and dry here and we spent a number of nights weeding (the soil we got wasn't weed free!) and hauling water to keep the seedlings going. By the fall it was beginning to take shape and we even had some blooms during the course of the summer.

Fast forward to May 2008. In the course of a week, our island was nuked with Round Up by another church member and this past weekend during the trustee-sponsored cleanup day it was picked clean by some of the crew who had no idea the island had been adopted. Complete disaster. All that remains is some prairie sage and that's starting to sag from the chemical.

Now, as Lay Leader I'm in the predicament of trying to keep the peace between some of the island's sponsors (which if you recall included my family) and those that did the damage. I'm disturbed by the incident, particularly that someone thinks they can indiscriminately spray chemicals all over, but what can we really do?

Keepin' the Peace - I hope,
Jeff

Books I'm Reading

2008-05-14T09:23:00.003-05:00

One nice thing about not having classes right now is that I've got a bit of spare time to do some "recreational reading" for a few weeks. After that, I've got to get on with my supplemental reading list that will be part of my oral exams. Here's a list of what I've been reading:

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie. This is a National Book Award Winner and it is easy to see why. Alexie will have you wanting to laugh but second guessing yourself for doing so. You'll probably cry too. I've got a feeling that there are very few books that can capture the tension that young native people must feel trying to live in today's world while still trying to maintain a strong sense of their culture. Outstanding book.

Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott. A nice read but not nearly as compelling as Plan B which I think I read in a matter of a couple of days.

Blessed are the Peacemakers: Christ's Teachings about Love, Compassion, and Forgiveness by Wendell Berry. I picked this up at a used book story and immediately fell in love with it. This is a short, 68 pages, book in which Berry has gathered various gospel stories related to peace, love, compassion, and forgiveness and then offers an wonderfully insightful narrative on how they relate to today's times. I'm thinking this book would make a great graduation present.

One Step Closer: Why u2 Matters to Those Seeking God by Christian Scharen. This is a wonderful book that not only gives great insight into U2's message and theology but also serves as a super resource for understanding some theological concepts and church history. It would make a great book for a high school or young adult study - which I intend to to this summer. Scharen takes the reader through U2's background and does an excellent job describing how their message has been shaped by their faith. It's a great resource for peeling away the layers of their lyrics to reveal even deeper meaning. (You can link to more of Dr. Scharen's work from this blog as well.)

In Defense of Food: an Eater's Manifesto by Michael Pollan. I got this "free" with my MPR renewal. It's an interesting book but like Anne Lamott's latest it falls short of Pollan's other recent work "The Omnivore's Dilemma". In this book Pollan focuses largely on the manipulation of nutrition in our diets and how dietary science and politics have affected what we eat. Not as good as Omnivore, but it's still worth reading.

Performing the Faith: Bonhoeffer and the Practice of Nonviolence by Stanley Hauerwas. My "light" read for the summer. I'm fascinated by Hauerwas' work and found this at a used book store as well. I'm just wading into this one.

Day by Day with Saint Benedict by Terrence Kardong, O.S.B. This is my nightly devotional reading. I figured that since I'm attending a Benedictine university, I'd better get a little familiar with the Rule of St. Benedict. In this book Fr Kardong more or less randomly selects a rule and then offers an interpretation and/or a anecdote related to the day's rule. It's very insightful in that it provides an "insiders" look at monastic living and is full of spiritual advice. A perfect way to end the day.

Peace,
Jeff

Manicured Lawns and John Wesley

2008-05-12T18:36:00.002-05:00

Preface: We live in an area that by Alexandria standards is pretty hilly, well it's in fact one be slope down to the lake. It's also an area that at one point in time was a demolition landfill and sand quarrey.

With that frame of reference here's my little tale of woe and a bigger question to ponder. Several years ago we had a series of large rains that over the course of two days dumped nearly 16 inches of rain in the area; most of which found itself into a large egress window we have in our basement. As it filled and eventually broke the glass, it send a good amount of that rain pouring through our basement and out our garage; a mini river if you will, complete with a waterfall. Subsequently, we remodeled the basement and re-landscaped the yard to make sure the water from lots "upstream" flow away from the house. During the process of landscaping we've created some other steep hills that despite four years and countless bags of grass seed and mulch and landscape fabric have failed to grow grass. It's frustrating. But mostly because of the pressure to have a green, manicured lawn. I'd prefer to let things just grow and see what comes up. But that's not acceptable in town. This all leads me to the bigger question and point to ponder.

In the past I've been a trustee at Alex UMC. Last year, the last year I was a trustee, we took bids for lawn care that ranged in price from $3,200 to $5,500. All that was for was to cut the grass. Period. I'm certain that this summer's bill is going to be substantially more as lawn care services try to recoup their gas expenditures. Granted, we have a large parcel of land and I'm not denying that the services shouldn't be fairly compensated. But are there alternatives? Not mowing isn't an option because the neighbors are fearful that one of their children will get lost in the forest that is inevitably going to spring up for the lack of maintenance. Planting the area in native grasses is one alternative - they do need to be mowed once a year or so - but the initial outlay can be expensive and I'm sure some people would be upset with a prairie in town. I'm also fairly sure that other churches are in similar situations - as are schools, companies with large lawns, etc.

John Wesley bemoaned the fact that grain was made into alcohol while people starved in the streets. He also argued that the money people spent on alcohol was better spent serving the poor. I wonder what Wesley would think about $6000 for mowing the grass?

Peace,
Jeff

Field Work, Finished, Free time .....

2008-05-09T15:14:00.004-05:00

For the past three years, I haven't really had a formal "field project", i.e. one that I'm actually out collecting the data from a study that I've designed etc. In fact our "lab" here hasn't had one for about the same length of time; we've been coordinating two much larger studies and have assisted a bit with field work, but largely it's been a lot of coordinating schedules of stocking and population surveys all around the state, analyzing data, and writing up reports and articles. Wednesday was the first field day in three years.... and its showed! Got up to one of the lakes I'm working on only to find that the batteries on the boat that two days before had worked fine were now dead. Back to the office. Yesterday, our new motor wouldn't start and after a couple of hours of trouble shooting discovered that the priming bulb on the gasline was bad. We got that replaced and did manage to get out and catch some fish. We're using electrofishing for our methods - actually use a boat that is rigged up to pulse electrical current into the water that momentarilty stuns the fish (some species actually swim right to the boat - it's an awesome fishing machine). The water is still very cold - about 45 degrees, so we didn't expect to catch much and we only did get about 5. We stopped to implant some small micro tags in them only to find out that the tag reader battery had also decided to discharge itself overnight and was now dead. Awesome. Today went much better, we caught and tagged about 60 largemouth bass and most of the equipment worked splendidly. I'll post some fishy pictures next week, if I don't forget the camera again. Things are looking up for this project though.

I finished up all my course requirements on Tuesday. I'm going to continue my work on creation within the Pauline corpus and compare some eco and feminist theology with that of some of the modern bigwigs in theology, e.g. Bultmann, Bart, etc. It makes for some interesting reading ... really it does. So, that's what I'm going to try to get accomplished over the summer ... a longer grad paper (mini-thesis) on creation in Romans and how various theologians interpret Paul regarding that subject. Right now I'm wishing I had time to take classes this summer. I can really see how one could become a full-time student! (Although, regardless if you're in an academic setting or not, you should always be a student of something!)

So, I've got a little free time now. Last night a small group of Alex UMCer's headed down to Westminster Presbyterian Church for their spring Taize service. We had a great drive down and I think all of us were impressed with the service. We were scoping the whole Taize "thing" out and are very seriously considering a monthly Taize service at Alex UMC. We've been wanting to add a third alternative worship experience and that's always fallen in the "contemporary" worship category (i.e. with praise music, etc.). But a quick survey of the churches in Alexandria found that on any given weekend there are at least 7 such services. We're looking at this to fill a niche that no one has attempted here. I think it has a strong possibility of bringing people in that we'd never see in any other setting. It should be interesting.

Peace,
Jeff

Follow-up and Finishing up

2008-05-05T12:08:00.003-05:00

I had few more thoughts on my last post that have been rolling around in my head for a few days. Shortly after I posted that I was checking out Bishop Dyck's blog to see if there was anything new (for those of you non-MN Annual Conference folk, you can link to her blog off the side bar) only to find a comment about how scripture is to be our plumbline and if we make scripture into what we want, it's meaningless. Of course this was in reference to homosexuality. I really disdain this use of scripture for one reason. If one is to cite scripture to support one's stance on a particular issue they must be willing to cite scripture and live accordingly in every single aspect of their lives. From eating to raising children to worship. No exceptions. Most people aren't willing to do that. Yet in my little mind, if you're going to say homosexuality is wrong because Paul makes reference to that, fine. Then, follow the dietary restrictions that are also contained in Paul's epistles. And what about women and their role in the church, we certainly won't be listening to any women in the pulpit and if they do decided to worship I'd better see head scarves!!

Paul continually tells his readers to always defer your personal comfort and piety for the other person for the good of the community (don't eat the meat, wear a head scarf, don't make waves to draw attention to yourself). Paul saw salvation through Christ as a communal action that always goes through the table and in the sharing of the eucharist (I thank my Catholic education for that insight!). If we are to fully share in that meal, we need to start thinking about deferring our uneasiness about people who are different and welcome them fully to the table.

I can't believe that I'm about 8 pages of work away from finishing up my first year. It is conceiveable that at this time next year I could be totally finished with this aspect of my education. I've been trying to sort through what I'm going to end up doing with this degree (my father keeps asking me, and to this point I haven't been able to give him a concrete answer). My intentions were to become ordained as a deacon, but unless somethings change that is going to be pretty difficult - both from a monetary standpoint as well as a time standpoint. That's difficult to admit, because I feel strongly that I would like that to happen. But reality is with two kids in college, a wife who is an outstanding teacher and loves where she is in life (well, most days she does), as well as a pre-teen that needs lots of attention spending much more time away probably isn't in the cards. The discernment continues.

Anyway, as always, thanks for stopping by. I need to finish up a paper and find some good baseball sized rocks; the pre-teen is acting up and needs a good stoning. ;)

Peace,
Jeff

Stocking Walleyes, Homosexuality, Pauline Letters and the Church

2008-04-28T07:52:00.003-05:00

The walleye is Minnesota's state fish. It's also Minnesota's sacred cow.... um, well fish. Each year the Minnesota D.N.R. raises and stocks millions of walleye fry or larvae and nearly 200,000 lbs of various sized fingerlings and adults. All of this is to support a fishery that can't support itself naturally ......... or maybe not. For nearly 35 years, studies from all over North America have demonstrated that stocking walleye has little influence on populations. There are of course exceptions, but as a rule, dumping 500 walleye fingerlings into "Fish Lake" isn't going to do a darn thing to make walleye fishing better. Yet we continue to do it. In fact, in the face of growing scientific evidence that it doesn't work and may even suppress naturally produced populations in some instances, the Minnesota D.N.R., under great pressure from resort owners, guides, and the aquaculture industry, has actually increased the number of walleyes that are stocked in the state's waters over the last 10 years. They've used up unknown gallons of fuel, wasted man power that could be used to address declining water quality and habitat alterations, and degraded countless wetlands that at one time were fishless. At what point do we discontinue to do something in the name of tradition that may affecting natural populations, is wasting a lot of energy, and costing the average "Joe" about $2,000,000 a year? When does scholarship and science start to be taken seriously?

A couple of weeks ago during the class I'm taking on Paul and his writings we were discussing the various texts related to homosexuality. Again, a good number of scholars, particularly those who are concerned with the societal context in which Paul was writing, agree that he wasn't speaking about homosexuality in the way that modern eyes would see it. We are able to see it as two loving individuals that are willing to make a committed relationship to each other. Paul saw it as rape and what we would consider pedophilia. In Paul's world, men of lesser standing were raped to remind them of their status in society and young boys were often kept by men for "sexual release" (for further reference I would point you to any books or writings by Wayne Meeks or Dale Martin). The instructor for the class is solidly in this "camp". At one point during the conversation, someone asked why, despite the evidence to the contrary, does the magesterium of the church still insist on using Pauline writings to condemn homosexuality? Why are homosexuals not allowed to participate in the church? His response was basically, tradition. So, again I ask, when does scholarship begin to be taken seriously? When do we look at traditions that are outdated, and hurtful and say enough is enough?

At some point, perhaps not in my life time, the worm will turn ......... the question is, which tradition will hold?

Peace,
Jeff

Ice-out

2008-04-24T10:46:00.002-05:00

This is one of the latest ice-out dates I can recall. Lake Minnewaska, which sits across the road from my office (I'm mentioned this before - but I have a great office; roomy, my own closet, book shelves (full), and a great view of the lake!) is now pretty much ice-free. Once exception is the bay across the road. It is full of ice chunks and shards that have been blown in from the winds we've had today. I walked over there this morning and it sounds like a combination of glass bottles breaking, wind chimes and a thousand kids running around with little mallets pounding on xylophones. It's pretty cool and very relaxing in a meditative sort of way.

The Bonaparte's Gulls are here for their annual passage through the area. These petite gulls usually stick around for a day or two before heading north. I wish them well on their journey.

Peace,
Jeff

Earth Day Sermon

2008-04-21T13:09:00.005-05:00

The following is the text of a sermon I delivered at Alexandria UMC in honor of Earth Day.

Richard Louv, author of the book “Last Child in the Woods – Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder” tells of his four year old son Matthew asking “Dad, are God and Mother Nature married or are they just good friends?”

That’s a pretty interesting question.

What happens if we look at Paul’s Letter to the Romans in the context of Matthew’s question? Paul says that creation is “groaning with labour pains”. Yes, labour pains as in those felt by a mother about to give birth. I think that’s a pretty striking image; that of Creation in labor giving birth.

The question we must then ask is –
what exactly is Creation giving birth to?

Paul goes on to answer this question by assuring the Romans that through Christ’s death and resurrection ALL of Creation is given a new birth and has been reconciled with God. And make no mistake about it, Paul is saying ALL of Creation, not just humanity.

Paul, or more likely one of his followers well versed in Paul’s theology, also emphasizes the importance of Creation to and within Christ in the letter to the people of Colossae. This is what we know as Colossians. There is a hymn or a poem, contained within the text of the letter; I think it really becomes clear the role Creation plays in Paul’s theology, if read more like a poem than as liturgy …. From Colossians 1:15-20

“He is the image of the invisible God,
The first-born of all creation,
For in him were created all things
In heaven and on earth:
Everything visible and everything invisible,
Thrones, ruling forces, sovereignties, powers
All things were created through him and for him.
He exists before all things
And in him all things hold together,
And he is the Head of the Body,
That is, the Church

He is the Beginning,
The first-born from the dead,
So that he should be supreme in every way;
Because God wanted all fullness to be found in him
And through him to reconcile all things to him,
Everything in heaven and everything on earth,
By making peace through his death on the cross.”

As children of God we are given the task of continuing the reconciliation that Jesus Christ began. This means living in harmony with the natural world that we are part of and come from. This means living in harmony with Creation that nourishes us not only physically through its bounty but also spiritually through its beauty and tranquility.

The Psalms and early books of the Old Testament are full of vivid imagery on how God intends us to live in harmony with nature.
Think of Psalm 23 – we generally hear this at funerals as a form of reassurance, but it is also a wonderful dialogue about how God intends us to be in harmony with Creation.

I shall not want
God gives me everything through his creation

He makes me lie down in green pastures, beside
still waters, He restoreth my soul

Through his Creation He provides me sanctuary for renewal

Think about that. Where do you go to clear your mind? Where are the places that God gives you time to think? Chances are it isn’t at the mall or a parking lot. Creation is vital for out spiritual development and awareness. Studies show that people with direct access to some form of nature – a neighborhood park, even a small garden or green space are awakened to or strengthened in their spiritual journey.

God’s purpose in creation is to bring us closer to our Creator. Closer to God. We enjoy nature for its beauty but we’re also exposed to something larger and longer standing than our own existence. Creation shows us humility. One can’t sit out at night, gaze into the heavens and feel at least a little humbled – we, as individuals certainly aren’t the center of the universe! Interestingly, the word humility is derived from the Greek humus, which also means earth. Humility grounds us to earth, to Creation.

Fr. Terrance Kardong – a Benedictine Monk is one of the foremost experts on religion and ecology. He notes:

“If humility is to be given full expression, the human person must not only be humble before God but also before the merest living member of God’s Creation”

Now, I’m sure many of you are wondering about the Genesis story about having dominion over the earth. Let me say a few things about this; first, there has been little recognition that the term means primarily to watch over with love and care, to nurture, and to look after and protect. Secondly reading further into Genesis, particularly into the second chapter and the second creation story we gain a better sense of what God meant for Creation.

In Chapter 2, man is formed from the soil and given God’s breath and life. God also breathes life into all of creation; further strengthening our bond with all of Creation. Old Testament Scholar, Theodore Hiebert, offers up a few translations that also shed some different light on the Creation story. First he notes that the Hebrew Adama which is traditionally been translated as human and is of course from which Adam comes, is more appropriately translated as “farmer”. In the context of Chapter 2, this is important in that Adam was said to have been sent to the garden “to till and keep it”. Hiebert goes on to call into question the translation of abad as “to till”, asserting that a more appropriate translation is “to serve”. So, in that light, Adam – who represents all of mankind, is a farmer whose job it is to “to serve and keep” the garden. This understanding of the complete Creation story provides a completely different view of Creation and our role in protecting and nurturing it.

As members of the global population, and as Christians, we are faced with the reality of ecological crises that could forever change God’s creation. Many of these are own doing. From city and agricultural run-off, to the degradation of our lakes and oceans, to climate change, Creation has never been strained so greatly. Even beyond the intrinsic value of Creation, if look to Creation for its spiritual value, we have a scripturally-based duty to address these issues.

Perhaps more importantly, as Disciples of Christ, we have an obligation to address issues that affect the poor and marginalized. Environmental crises not only affect the land, animals and plants – they affect people. Environmental crises are people crises. Even if half of the predictions about climate change happen, hundreds of millions of people will face forced relocation and starvation. Hundreds of millions is a best-case scenario.

Jesus calls and invites us to discipleship. He warns us that it won’t be easy, Luke’s gospel is full of such references (e.g. LK 14:25-35). This is one of those cases that discipleship isn’t easy; the environmental crises we face offer no easy answers or solutions. There is no way to look at the future of Creation and not feel a little anxious about its fate. But as Paul says in Romans, we are the children of God who are to be revealed to Creation, to care for it, to show it mercy and compassion.

I can’t think of a more relevant body than the Christian Church to offer care to Creation. As many of the solutions to environmental problem are truly counter-cultural, there is no better community of people than Christians to lead this counter-cultural revolution. After all, when comes to countering the prevailing popular and political culture we had a pretty good leader.

God’s Creation nourishes us physically and spiritually. It gives us pause to center ourselves with our Creator. It gives 4 year-old boys like Matthew Louv the opportunity to ask wonderful questions.

The band U2 sings in their song “Beautiful Day” –

It’s a beautiful day,
Don’t let it get away.

So, with that in mind, I’m going to offer up a challenge to each of you today; spend 10 or even 15 minutes outside today. Not doing work, but just relaxing, reconnecting, marveling at Creation, rediscovering your connection to Creation and consequently our Creator.

It IS a beautiful day - don’t let this one or any other one get away.

Amen.

Like a Kid in a Cany Store ... the Dangers of a Theological Education

2008-04-18T13:28:00.002-05:00

There's been a lot of dialogue on blogs lately about the PEW Research Center's recent poll on religion in the U.S. A great deal of that has centered on how people are now more than ever switching denominations. A substantial number of people are no longer members of the denomination within which they were raised. I think there are a number of reasons for this (and obviously if you're really interested in this sort of thing shop around for more insight than I can give!) My feeling though is that people today are armed, or can be at the stroke of a key, with much more information about religion and what various faiths profess than ever before. I grew up Presbyterian and all I ever knew about Lutheranism is that they couldn't join our Cub Scout troop. Catholics? Well, they went to church on Saturday and you couldn't play on the school playground at that time because you made too much noise. I knew nothing about Baptists or Methodism or Anglican religions because they didn't exist in my home town. I would never have thought about checking out the Catholic church, lest someone find out. Today, I can surf around find out what Methodist believe, what Lutherans profess, and what it means to be an Episcopalian. What's more intriguing is that I can do this from the privacy of my own home. I can even check out Islam, Judiasm, and Budhism. People are now more than ever able to find a faith that fits their belief system - down to being able to read sermons to get a feel for what theological background a specific pastor might hold. I'm still undecided if that's all good, all bad, or somewhere in the middle.

During the course of my studies at St. John's, I've certainly been exposed to many more theological topics than your average person that fills a portion of a pew on Sunday. Sometimes I feel like that kid in the candy store ... wow, that sounds interesting .. how did they ever come up with that idea? .... where and why did we loose that tradition? It's been particularly interesting when we get to comparing things - from a decidedly Catholic perspective - with thoughts from the reformers or modern Protestant theologians. There are times when I can't imagine what in the world some of the reformers were thinking. At other times I'd like to stand up and cheer. Overall I feel the discussions we have as theology students are incredible - even as I'm often the only non-Catholic in the discussion. In fact, I hate to say it, but I think the discussions are much more balanced than if the roles were to be reversed. One reason I say this because in general the other students often have more questions for me about Methodism (often times ones I need to check on - which in itself has been invaluable for me) than I do about their faith.

I feel fortunate to be able to explore all these naunces of religion and form and reform my faith. It's been really good, albeit at times stressful, to be in an academic setting once again. To be able to respectfully debate and toss around ideas is incredibly stimulating. I'm blessed for the opportunity and for a family and faith community that has been insanely supportive.

Peace,
Jeff

April 4th

2008-04-06T17:46:00.001-05:00

For some reason, this didn't post correctly on Friday. (Still haven't figured out how to get the video directly on here.)

If you've been paying attention today, it's the 4oth Anniversary of the assasination of Martin Luther King Jr. I was struck by this video, a cover of U2's Pride.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWBaZ4CF_7g

Easter Peace,
Jeff

Another Trip Around the Sun

2008-04-06T16:05:00.002-05:00

Yep. 44 of them to be exact. Pretty lazy day ... perhaps the weather has something to do with that. Spits of snow, stuff that looks like miniature packing foam, rain. Not exactly a nice day outside. We're going to have some friends over for supper and enjoy a little wine and call it good.

I haven't been in the writing mood much lately, mainly due to a finishing up two manuscripts at work as well as a couple of longer papers for school. Hopefully the work related ones are on their way to publication; one in particular has been a real struggle to get published. The other paper is for a book that will come out this summer on reservior management. That'll be the first time I've published a book chapter, so that's pretty exciting. For school I'm working on a summary of how our Christian-Judaic views on creation stewardship have been influenced by biblical stories. It's been interesting how the topic abrubtly intersected my Pauline Letters course during a class discussion on Paul's Letter to the Romans.

Last week I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with work and school and was truly questioning if I could keep up the pace I've set for myself. I had review of Dale Martin's book "The Corinthian Body" due and was struggling with getting it done. I got it back last week and it was really just what I needed. My instructor was almost gushing with praise! It was a boost that came just when I needed. Funny how things work out that way isn't it?

Pasque flower update. Didn't find any yesterday. Might need a few more days of sunshine!
Peace,
Jeff

U23D

2008-03-30T15:55:00.005-05:00

Yesterday we drove down to the Twin Cities. With the price of gas as it is, it's been a long time since we've been there. We ran around to a few of our favorite spots and put in supplies of yarn, a few books (from Birchbark), tea candles from Ikea, and then met up with some of Jeanne's family for dinner and a show - U23D at the Minnesota Zoo IMAX.

I've always liked U2 and recently had been reading a bit more about them and their, well, theology. They have always been a group that sings about social justice issues and of course Bono has been an outspoken critic of the developed world's treatment of Africa. As I've read more and looked at the lyrics of their songs, I've become more and more of a fan. Not to mention cranking them up loud on a friday is kind of fun too! Well, having read Michelle Hargrave's blog (you have to scroll down a bit to read her experience) about seeing the 3D movie, I figured if we could see it we should. I wasn't really expecting too much from the 3D part. Anything "3D" I've seen in the past has been less than stellar. I was amazed. I was amazed at the 3D aspect, amazed at the crowd (it was filmed in a soccer stadium in Buenos Aires and there were easily 150,000 people), amazed at the stage presence of the entire band, amazed at the music and absolutely blown away by the message. The movie was a 90 minute (seemed like 10) lesson in human rights and social justice. I only wish I had seen it earlier (it leaves Minnesota this week), as I would have gone again, and probably again.

Peace,
Jeff

Follow-up on Food/CRP

2008-03-30T12:13:00.003-05:00

I'm linking to a blog I posted last fall about corn. It is related to Rory Swenson's posting (which you can link to from here as well) and mine from last week about CRP and food.

Ducks and Sara Lee

2008-03-26T09:50:00.009-05:00

The headline should maybe be "ducks vs. sara lee" or "water quality vs. sara lee". One could also substitute any major food producer, i.e. General Mills, Cargill, etc. into the role of Sara Lee. Right now in the halls of congress, the farm bill is being debated. The farm bill is the single most important piece of legislation that congress works on. It literally affects the lives of every American and a great deal of the other inhabitants of this world. From food stamps, conservation programs, price supports/subsidies to school lunch programs, they're all included in the farm bill. As you can image, with all of these interests, this is a very complex piece of legislation.

One of the single most successful conservation programs in the history of this country has been the conservation reserve program. It has saved millions of acres of topsoil from erosion, improved water quality, reduced pesticide and nutrient run-off, and created a mecca for wildlife. Much of the CRP land is situated in the upper great plains or the prairie pothole region. CRP pays farmers to idle their land that is highly erodable. Preference is given to land that is on steep slopes and near water. While there is certainly room for improvement, it's been a good system.

Not everyone would agree with that last statement. Some folks don't think government should be paying people NOT to do something. A large number of corporations (see the list above) don't like it because if inflates the price of grains which then cuts into their profit margin; something stockholders don't seem to like very much. This is particularly true these days as grain prices are at near all-time highs. As more and more corn has been syphoned off for ethanol production, corn prices have increased dramatically. Drought and higher energy costs have also lead to higher prices. Higher prices for grain mean we pay more for meat (it costs more to feed cows grain). I won't even get into a discussion that cows weren't meant to be eating grain ........ at least for now.

So, what does all of this have to do with ducks? Or water quality? Well, some pretty educated folks are mapping out the minimal losses of grasslands as more and more farmers opt out of the CRP program. The results are shocking and if you're a duck, downright scary. The red areas of the map show the greatest loss of CRP-based habitat. They just happen to be in the area that hosts some of the highest nesting densities of waterfowl on the continent.

As the farm bill gets debated it's important to ask what do we value? Is it a cheap pack of ball park franks? A Sara Lee cake for $2.50? Farmers getting a fair price for their crop? Corporations like Cargill making higher profits? A pair of pintails sitting on a pothole in North Dakota? A vibrant, living Gulf of Mexico?

Lot's to think about.

Peace,
Jeff

Quick Update and a few thoughts.......

2008-03-25T12:30:00.003-05:00

A little snaffu and I'm not going to be presenting at the AAR meeting this weekend. It's kind of a messed up deal but I'll try to get the presentation finished up and give it somewhere else or wait until next year.

I spent a little time early this morning revamping my link listings. They are by no means complete and I'll likely update them as more things come to mind. The pages listed do represent places I tend to visit, blogs I like to read, and so forth.

One of my regular visits is to David Bard's Faith and Feathers blog. This week his mentioned a situation that paralleled some thoughts and discussions I've had in the last few months. It basically boils down to what should the church be talking about. Is it wrong to question torture in a sermon? Or how about relating our use of bottled water to the millions of people around the world without potable water? Is that fair game for a sermon? Global climate change? Is it OK to preach the gospel of prosperity? Lot's of people would say that we shouldn't be talking about torture, or nationalism in church. I've run into a good number that don't feel we have a place in a discussion on environmentalism.

I agree with David that clergy, and the church (which includes laity), need to discuss these issues with sensitivity and intelligence. I also believe that we have a strong biblical basis for doing so - particularly with regard to environmental stewardship, nationalism, and issues of social justice. I also believe that people will go where they hear what they want to hear. People don't want to feel uncomfortable, particularly in church. Unfortunately, that often means they go to feel good about themselves and reinforce that level of comfort. So, when a denomination (insert UMC, PCUSA, ELCA) shows a declining membership, does that mean we need to skip talking about difficult subjects? On the contrary, I believe we need to get the message out that we need to discuss these issues in a manner that is sensitive, intelligent and balanced with the teachings of Christ. We need to let people know that they are free to discuss these issues, debate them. That it is OK to disagree. As David noted in his other blog (Bard's Brushstrokes) in reference to Paul's letter to the Galatians "If pleasing people was what most motivated Paul, he would never have become a Christian missionary, a servant of Christ." In that respect, I think we need to put a little "Paul" in our service to Christ.

Being a disciple of Jesus isn't easy. He warns us of that numerous times in the Gospels. In fact, it means there are going to be some uncomfortable times.

Those are just some lunch-hour thoughts.
Peace,
Jeff