I know this is a little late at night, but its time to think this through. Today I had two people remark that there was "something different" about the way I have been leading in worship, and in a good way.
Today's worship in particular had a few changes: I did not wear a tie, instead I wore a wooden cross that has a story of its own, instead of a cardigan or a suit jacket I wore a more contemporary type of jacket and in the end I had a sizable proportion of my aging congregation participating in singing and dancing "Father Abraham" with the four children of the congregation. Just a few changes, and it seemed totally out of step with a challenging message asking the congregation what we have to let go of to follow Christ more fully.
But was it? If I am going to proclaim the challenging message of Christ, how can this be done from a life of half-measures? If the lack of a tie makes the gospel unable to be heard through me, how deaf will we be to the word of God coming through anyone who doesn't fit our narrow definitions? This is not to say that I do not treat my calling with respect, or am unwilling to give the congregation a chance to participate in the shaping of my ministry (and indeed, thus large segments of my identity.) However the leap of faith has to be made, I do this through the call of Christ. If Christ found me worthy to proclaim the gospel to the youth I was comfortable with and to the congregations I used to call home, why did I convince myself that changing my status and receiving training to enhance my ministry would need to make me go back to relearning everything from the beginning again?
Perhaps instead of learning how to be the minister that I envision when I think of the word, I need to start learning how to be the minister that my Lord envisions when he thinks of me.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Friday, August 10, 2007
Am I a radical fundamentalist?
Yesterday I was having coffee with one of my friends who is an atheist playwright. He says that he is always willing to discuss the big issues about God and life, but all he generally hears from the church is the side issues: homosexuality, ordination of women and the list goes on and on... He stated that he can't get to the basic truths of the faith without working his way through centuries of overlaid tradition.
I cannot say that I have sorted out all of the side issues in my mind, but then again I thankfully have not been in the situations where I have needed to. Yet one things stands out far and above over all others. If fundamental is seen as being that which is at the very basis of something and radical is taking something to its logical extreme, I probably have to plead guilty. For me, the basis of Christianity comes back to something quite simple. If you were able to travel back approximately 2000 years and witness the crucifixion of Jesus, the carpenter from Nazareth and convicted blasphemer, what would you see? Do you see the death of a criminal whose claims were treasonous and could be interpreted as being delusional? Or do you see the Son of God dying for humanity on the cross, and interpret the resurrection as the validation of those claims? If your answer is "yes" to the second question, how does this inform your view of God and of humanity, how does it affect the way in which you live your life?
I am aware that this could be seen by some as a diminishment of the role of scripture to merely carrying one little section. Scripture is important for me as it carries that we know about Christ that I may hold most certain and the reflections of a community over centuries about what it means to be in relationship with God. As such, scripture stands at the centre of my meditative, contemplative and proclamatory life. However, I am not willing to stake my faith in Christ on a line-by-line street battle against the tools of modernity. Perhaps I'm making my faith a small target, but this is the rock on which I may stand.
I cannot say that I have sorted out all of the side issues in my mind, but then again I thankfully have not been in the situations where I have needed to. Yet one things stands out far and above over all others. If fundamental is seen as being that which is at the very basis of something and radical is taking something to its logical extreme, I probably have to plead guilty. For me, the basis of Christianity comes back to something quite simple. If you were able to travel back approximately 2000 years and witness the crucifixion of Jesus, the carpenter from Nazareth and convicted blasphemer, what would you see? Do you see the death of a criminal whose claims were treasonous and could be interpreted as being delusional? Or do you see the Son of God dying for humanity on the cross, and interpret the resurrection as the validation of those claims? If your answer is "yes" to the second question, how does this inform your view of God and of humanity, how does it affect the way in which you live your life?
I am aware that this could be seen by some as a diminishment of the role of scripture to merely carrying one little section. Scripture is important for me as it carries that we know about Christ that I may hold most certain and the reflections of a community over centuries about what it means to be in relationship with God. As such, scripture stands at the centre of my meditative, contemplative and proclamatory life. However, I am not willing to stake my faith in Christ on a line-by-line street battle against the tools of modernity. Perhaps I'm making my faith a small target, but this is the rock on which I may stand.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
An amazing few days
This may not be my most coherent post, but this one is as much for me as anything. I've just been lying in bed with thoughts rushing through my head, so lets see how we go.
I am amazed by the places that ministry takes us, the privileged, private places that we are allowed into by the people around us.
The first place I visited was that of a desert, speaking with a lady who has worshipped at the same congregation for 17 years, but still does not feel like she belongs. I can only pray at the moment, there is not only a great need for her to forgive, but also a lot needs to be forgiven.
The other place was that of great celebration. Two of my friends needed to get married in January for visa reasons, but also wished a ceremony for their friends and family. As they did not wish a specifically church wedding, I was able to help them when they asked. In the planning progress, I still was able to keep God as a small part of the service and they graciously allowed me a Bible reading, some short words of advice, and a prayer at the end.
What really surprised me was the lack of pressure. I was not marrying these people (even in a hypothetical where I was acting as a legal celebrant), they were marrying each other, in addition I believe that any gifts given by me are given through Christ. Thus I was merely a facilitator, a friend not only offering to help their day smoothly but also helping them in crafting and giving vows to each other. This was easy, I've sorta got used to going in front of people and saying words of faith. What is not so easy is now realising that I hold a special place in these people's lives by my connection with such a special event. The gifts I have been given have been used and thus passed on, but the glory needs to go to the giver rather than the vessel.
How can we do this better? Perhaps I need to stop thinking of witness in instantaneous terms and think in terms of the opportunity for witness long-term that this has drawn me into.
I am amazed by the places that ministry takes us, the privileged, private places that we are allowed into by the people around us.
The first place I visited was that of a desert, speaking with a lady who has worshipped at the same congregation for 17 years, but still does not feel like she belongs. I can only pray at the moment, there is not only a great need for her to forgive, but also a lot needs to be forgiven.
The other place was that of great celebration. Two of my friends needed to get married in January for visa reasons, but also wished a ceremony for their friends and family. As they did not wish a specifically church wedding, I was able to help them when they asked. In the planning progress, I still was able to keep God as a small part of the service and they graciously allowed me a Bible reading, some short words of advice, and a prayer at the end.
What really surprised me was the lack of pressure. I was not marrying these people (even in a hypothetical where I was acting as a legal celebrant), they were marrying each other, in addition I believe that any gifts given by me are given through Christ. Thus I was merely a facilitator, a friend not only offering to help their day smoothly but also helping them in crafting and giving vows to each other. This was easy, I've sorta got used to going in front of people and saying words of faith. What is not so easy is now realising that I hold a special place in these people's lives by my connection with such a special event. The gifts I have been given have been used and thus passed on, but the glory needs to go to the giver rather than the vessel.
How can we do this better? Perhaps I need to stop thinking of witness in instantaneous terms and think in terms of the opportunity for witness long-term that this has drawn me into.
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