faithasawayoflife

faith as a way of life working group

this week, thursday and friday, our 'reflection pool' comes to new haven again. they are a group of 24 senior pastors, youth pastors, lay people and theologians who are meeting together over three years to make some sense of how to better foster living of faith daily and in all spheres of life. or how to rediscover, live, and teach "christianity as an eastern religion" as i put it a few days ago.

we're outlining conversation along the spheres of life (bonhoeffer called them 'divine mandates' -- see his ethics, pp. 286 ff) and we're focused on what arguable are core: family, work, citizenship, and what we're calling 'arts and culture.' bonhoeffer offers a really interesting aside from a letter from prison included as a footnote in ethics and dated 23 january 1944 on the place of liberty in relation to the spheres:

"it almost seems today, and is perhaps in fact the case, that the concept of the Church can alone make it possible once again to understand the free expanse of liberty, the field which includes art, culture, friendship, and play. Perhaps, then, what Kierkegaard calls the 'aesthetic existence' far from being excluded from the domain of the church, should be given a new foundation within the church. i really think so; who, for example, in our time can still with an easy mind cultivate music or friendship, play games and enjoy himself? Certainly not the 'ethical' person, but only the Christian."

this time our gathering will think about faith and family, and we are discussing among other things our practice of hospitality since at the heart of our understanding of family is that Christ made a home with us, and calls us to therefore make of our homes a place of openness to the stranger. as David mccarthy, our guest theologian whose book the good life we've all been reading, says: "it is the guests who are the measure of the home."

anon, and +peace

$4 for dignity and hope

i was deeply moved and challenged by the article in the new york times sunday about the move to free primary education in (sub-saharan) africa. the story is remarkable simply because of the absolute starkness of the disparity. One school highlighted is the age of my son's class--6 and 7 year olds, and there are 250 in the class. Isaiah, my son, has 21. These students often can't focus they are so hungry. Isaiah has a paunch and eats what he wants. These students, some of them, are made fun of relentlessly because they cannot afford the meager sum of $4 for a school uniform. Isaiah has clothes stuffed into his two dressers. his dinner costs more than $4 most days. how can things be so profoundly unequal?

yet the story is full of little hopes, full of glimpses of what the world loses and might gain from the gifts of these millions of poor african children who long to escape poverty through education. i know the same sorts of things exist in new haven. i don't have my head in the sand. but the image of millions of african children going to school for the first time as the countries drop the fee structure for primary schools and struggle to implement free education. i'm going to find ways to help organize money to support this historic moment for so many. help me if you find a way, preferably through reliable church-related aid agencies.

anon, and +peace

rediscovering Christianity as an eastern religion

i picked up a very compelling quote on faith as a way of life in a new christianity today article on the emerging church. written by andy crouch, the article begins with andys' visit to talk with rob bell, pastor of mars hill bible church in grand rapids michigan. in defending their way of doing church, bell has this to say, and i think it is right on:

"This is not just the same old message with new methods," Rob says. "We're rediscovering Christianity as an Eastern religion, as a way of life. Legal metaphors for faith don't deliver a way of life."

this has been and is today a problem for training of pastors and empowering lay christians. if we focus on cognitive and propositional beliefs, we've taught something. but i find rob bell's insight much more interesting. christianity was very early on called "the way." hmm.

one more quote from crouch's article, this time reflecting on the work of brian mclaren, another innovative pastor helping to lead the emerging church conversation:

"If critics overlook the evangelistic energy of the emerging church, they also often lump together two very different kinds of postmodern thought. The most notorious postmodern thinkers have been the "deconstructionists"—French intellectuals like Jacques Derrida and Michel Foucault who seek to show that the cherished ideals of Western society (and Christian faith) are fatally compromised by internal contradictions.

But another stream, less well-known outside universities and seminaries, has taken dissatisfaction with modernity in a more constructive direction. It is these thinkers—the late philosopher Michael Polanyi and Notre Dame professor Alasdair MacIntyre, along with theologians like Newbigin—who are gaining the attention of the emerging church's more theologically inclined leaders.

From Newbigin, McLaren has drawn the idea of the church as "missional"—oriented toward the needs of the world rather than oriented towards its own preservation. From Polanyi and MacIntyre, he concludes that the emerging church must be "monastic"—centered on training disciples who practice, rather than just believe, the faith."

cap'n hook

my daughter, grace, was born on halloween 2000. so, we always have a dress-up party and last year the theme was peter pan. that explains my cap'n hook get up.

faith and the soxs

people in new england are true believers in their beloved red sox. check out this prof reflecting on the calvinist heritage of new england and faith in the sox.

"The failures of the Red Sox are a product of struggle, not concession, and to some, they are best seen as the reflection of the region's doctrinal traditions. "There's something about the Puritan legacy," says Isaac Kramnick, the vice president of undergraduate education at Cornell University and a Red Sox fan. "There's something about the inherent nature of New Englanders" that believes that bad can triumph over good." more from this article titled "bittersweet theology of red sox faithful here.

and this season's run for the american league pennant in a absolutely stunning series against the yankees has some fans even reflecting on the meaning of faith.

“Faith is believing in something when common sense tells you not to. Who is going to pull when your team is down 3-0 except for Red Sox fans,” said Erin Mason, a sophomore from outside of Boston.

and last night's miracle game was largely the responsiblity of curt shilling, ace pitcher for the sox, who pitched one of his most memorable games ever and gave the glory to god. shilling said:

"Seven years ago, I became a Christian, and I asked God to do something for me tonight," Schilling said after Boston's 4-2 victory over New York in American League Championship Series Game 6 at Yankee Stadium. "In Game 1, I tried to do it alone, and it didn't work out too well."

hmm. can one take these yearnings and pull them into preaching, into thinking about a deeper meaning under this baseball faith? and how does one honor the desire to give god thanks when one does well without somehow claiming that god 'fixed' the game in order to answer the prayer of one of the players?

someone should write a book on baseball and faith. maybe someone already did. go sox!

anon, and +peace

certainty, faith, politics

on the issue of political leadership, faith, and certainty in god's will, see the really stunning article in the new york times magazine, and cf. my post on presidents and faith as a public way of life. here, i've had my say. you think about it yourself.

+peace

U2 living faith as a way of rock and roll life

i am a big U2 fan. i first came across them at seattle pacific, a christian college, and they were introduced to me as a christian band. this was early, before they had become the global phenomenon they are now. it is interesting that one never finds them in the 'christian' section of a record store or find their tours advertised as 'christian rock'? so that begs the question of what categories we use. does culture have to be 'christianized' somehow to be acceptable? or does it matter that the one making it is christian? well, U2 might not be called a 'christian band' but they capture my faith's imagination as in their latest work's songs "peace on earth" and "grace". here is some smart theological analysis of this band of christians (who are not too often thought of any more as a 'christian band').

presidents and faith as a way of public life

i found it very interesting how in their third presidential candidate's debate, both john kerry and george bush gave testimonies about the role of faith in their lives, each in response to questions.

Towards the beginning of the debate, Senator Kerry had this to say (in response to a question regarding Catholic archbishops telling church members it would be a sin to vote for a candidate like John Kerry who supports a woman's right to choose and stem-cell research)

"Now with respect to religion, you know, as I said I grew up a Catholic. I was an altar boy. I know that throughout my life this has made a difference to me. And as President Kennedy said when he ran for president, he said, I'm not running to be a Catholic president. I'm running to be a president who happens to be Catholic. Now my faith affects everything that I do and choose. There's a great passage of the Bible that says What does it mean my brother to say you have faith if there are no deeds? Faith without works is dead. And I think that everything you do in public life has to be guided by your faith, affected by your faith, but without transferring it in any official way to other people. That's why I fight against poverty. That's why I fight to clean up the environment and protect this earth. That's why I fight for equality and justice. All of those things come out of that fundamental teaching and belief of faith. But I know this: that President Kennedy in his inaugural address told of us that here on earth God's work must truly be our own. And that's what we have to - I think that's the test of public service."

Then, towards the end of the debate, President Bush had this to say (in response to a question about his statement that he'd not consulted his father before invading Iraq, but a higher father, and what that means about the role of his faith in policy decisions)

"First, my faith plays a big part in my life. And when I was answering that question what I was really saying to the person was that I pray a lot. And I do. And my faith is a very, it's very personal. I pray for strength. I pray for wisdom. I pray for our troops in harm's way. I pray for my family. I pray for my little girls.

But I'm mindful in a free society that people can worship if they want to or not. You're equally an American if you choose to worship an Almighty and if you choose not to. If you're a Christian, Jew or Muslim you're equally an American. That's the great thing about America is the right to worship the way you see fit. Prayer and religion sustain me. I receive calmness in the storms of the presidency. I love the fact that people pray for me and my family all around the country. Somebody asked me one time, how do you know? I said I just feel it.

Religion is an important part. I never want to impose my religion on anybody else. But when I make decisions I stand on principle. And the principles are derived from who I am. I believe we ought to love our neighbor like we love ourself. That's manifested in public policy through the faith-based initiative where we've unleashed the armies of compassion to help heal people who hurt. I believe that God wants everybody to be free. That's what I believe. And that's one part of my foreign policy. In Afghanistan I believe that the freedom there is a gift from the Almighty. And I can't tell you how encouraged how I am to see freedom on the march. And so my principles that I make decisions on are a part of me. And religion is a part of me.

In his follow-up to what President Bush said, Senator Kerry elaborated a bit more on his own perspective on faith, making this the single most detailed discussion of his faith I've seen yet.

"Well, I respect everything that the president has said and certainly respect his faith. I think it's important and I share it. I think that he just said that freedom is a gift from the Almighty. Everything is a gift from the Almighty. And as I measure the words of the Bible, and we all do, different people measure different things: the Koran, the Torah or, you know, Native Americans who gave me a blessing the other day had their own special sense of connectedness to a higher being. And people all find their ways to express it. I was taught - I went to a church school, and I was taught that the two greatest commandments are: love the Lord your God with all your mind, your body and your soul; and love your neighbor as yourself. And frankly, I think we have a lot more loving of our neighbor to do in this country and on this planet. We have a separate and unequal school system in the United States of America. There's one for the people who have and there's one for the people who don't have. And we're struggling with that today. The president and I have a difference of opinion about how we live out our sense of our faith. I talked about it earlier when I talked about the works and faith without works being dead. I think we've got a lot more work to do. And as president I will always respect everybody's right to practice religion as they choose or not to practice, because that's part of America."

Two responses, with perhaps more to come.

First, I was impressed by Senator Kerry's ability to articulate a social vision rooted in his faith, one that has concern for the poor, for care for the earth, and for justice in the mist of many inequalities, the school system being only one example.

Second, I worry about the way that President Bush feels so sure that God's desire that everybody be free can be accomplished through the military might of the United States of America. I've blogged before about my desire for more humility in public leadership, and more fear and trembling at times of war. Somehow, 'bring it on' spoken by the commander in chief too easily fits with certain combat soldiers who pipe the bloodhound gang's song 'fire, water, burn' into their helmets as they blast away.

So, in short, I came away thinking slightly better about Senator Kerry's vision of religion and public life, and not reassured by President Bush's vision of religion and public life.

our faith as a way of life project is taking on the question of faith and citizenship next fall. probably good timing, so that we all get some breathing space from the intensity of this fall.

comments welcome.

anon, and +peace

gold in my mouth

while this might seem weird, i just got a gold cap at the dentist yesterday. it was for a broken molar on the back bottom left. it feels soooooo good. not cause it is gold, but because it is so smooth. and for the first time in a long time my mouth feels normal.

having a little thing like that bug me reminds me of martin luther arguing for care of neighbor by chiding his congregation about how attentive they are when they have a cut on their hand or foot, how they protect it, bandage it, relieve it from labor that may damage it, and so on, while not being concerned with one's neighbor.

and brother martin's very effective preaching reminds me of a note i recently found from my campus pastor, martin wells, now a bishop in eastern washington and idaho. when i left for seminary, he (and susan briehl, his wife, partner in ministry, and another of my campus pastors) gave me a copy of helmut thielicke's book a little exercise for young theologians. although rereading the book offers its own rewards, rereading the letters from susan and martin were really rich. because of what they said, yes, but even more because of what it means to look back and see the power of those whom one has depended on for growing up in the faith.

reflecting his efforts to preach well, he said "it is not enough to move from law to gospel. i continue to struggle with their interrelationship and the reality that they must be held together for authentic gospel proclamation. the gospel is only real good news faced with the real reality of sin. how to preach sin creatively--so gospel is not lost in the shouting--is my challenge."

luther knew how to do this; he started with the obvious in how we take care of as best we can our own aches and pains, broken teeth and cut fingers. then, as if by a simple turn of the question, luther shows how such care of ourselves can be both the sin of selfishness and a practical model of how to love the neighbor.

i used to think of this primarily as a preaching challenge, but now sitting most sundays in the pews with my kids, i realize that it is also and importantly a work of hearing the whole word of god, law and gospel, so that my living of the faith is a living of really good news--news that has faced the terror of sin and evil, and walked through it to hope and new life. gold in my mouth may feel good, but its very attractiveness can distract from putting gold to work in god's world, for the sake of its suffering ones. that kind of faith is at the heart of living faith as a way of life.

anon, and +peace

ways of life, death

reading david mccarthy's book the good life again. page 70-71 he discusses how attracted his students were to the story of chris mccandless, the young man famous by jon krakauer's book about him, into the wild. mccandless left his well-to-do east coast family, his college education (he was at emory, where i did doctoral work, at the same time i was there), and his possessions. his family had no idea what happened to him till his decomposed body was found in the wilderness of alaska. he had, it turned out, gone a quest for truth in living. he was an admirer of leo tolstoy and followed tolstoy's renunciation of his family's wealth and privilege. by any account, it is a compelling story.

mccarthy, however, points out how this story, despite its noble elements, embodies the modern quest for the 'true self' shorn from the weight of social identity. in fact, says mccarthy, it takes such a 'seeker' quest to its ultimate conclusion: death. this talented young man went in search of himself and died anonymously and alone. i remember so clearly listening to robert bellah one day in sociology of religion in berkeley. what is the true self? strip away that i am a husband, father, citizen, christian, professor, and pretty soon you lose any way to say who i am at all--those things are me! i am not somehow a 'true' self underneath all those labels. his long body and arms stretching towards the ceiling for effect.

here, it is key to see how mccarthy thinks. the modern utopia seen as a place where the self is free, unencumbered by the burdens of social identity, is just about the opposite of our confession as christians. when jesus says foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests; but the son of man has nowhere to lay his head, he makes clear that his place is to dwell with us and in us, god with us, so that our self becomes turned towards unity and community with god. such a self need not find itself, but finds itself found, blessed, broken, and poured out for the sake of the world. the ancient christian practice of 'otherworldliness' and asceticism press us not to seek our true self, but to seek god. and such a quest is in the end a running towards life that lives in us. our being found as god's own beloved makes clear god's making a home with and in us, and that our offering of hospitality to the world comes out of our living god's indwelling in and through us. mccarthy's book, it seems to me, makes plain some of the implications of what we dont' think (christian life as living within god, or god's indwelling in us) because of how deeply we are shaped by our assumptions (the free self seeking its true identity in radical freedom). but this makes the point exactly that miroslav argues in our work on faith as a way of life: the content of belief matters deeply, and we too often cover other ideologies with a veneer of faith, rather than doing the hard work of thinking deeply into a christian way of thinking about our living.

ah, pretzel thinking, as my friend leann stubbs would say.

anon, and +peace