SCHISM PROFILED
(Wednesday) UPI religious affairs editor Dr. Uwe Siemon-Netto is doing a series of articles on the newest schism of the church. The first article is on postmodern thought. The second focuses on the influence of Gnosticism. The third, I understand, will be about the north-south divide.
Wednesday, March 31
Tuesday, March 30
CAL CHECKS IN
(Tuesday) There is excitement at our house tonight because Kent found out that he has been accepted by Cal -- his first choice in the university competition -- and his mother's alma mater. However (and there is always a "however" when it comes to this kind of thing), they offered him spring 2005 admission -- and we don't yet know about the financial package, yet -- and it is unclear whether housing is guaranteed for even a year.
In contrast UC Irvine (his last choice school) offered him a $7,000/year scholarship and guaranteed housing for two years.
Personally, I'd choose UCI -- not just because of the money but because I think anteaters are cool (and I've lived in Berkeley). But he has to decide what he wants to do. He's got a good head on his shoulders, and his feet on the ground, and he'll figure out what's best for him. And I'll be excited either way.
(Tuesday) There is excitement at our house tonight because Kent found out that he has been accepted by Cal -- his first choice in the university competition -- and his mother's alma mater. However (and there is always a "however" when it comes to this kind of thing), they offered him spring 2005 admission -- and we don't yet know about the financial package, yet -- and it is unclear whether housing is guaranteed for even a year.
In contrast UC Irvine (his last choice school) offered him a $7,000/year scholarship and guaranteed housing for two years.
Personally, I'd choose UCI -- not just because of the money but because I think anteaters are cool (and I've lived in Berkeley). But he has to decide what he wants to do. He's got a good head on his shoulders, and his feet on the ground, and he'll figure out what's best for him. And I'll be excited either way.
PASSION-LESS
(Tuesday) Stop the presses! Frank Schaeffer says that he has not and will not see the Passion. He has his reasons. Link
(Tuesday) Stop the presses! Frank Schaeffer says that he has not and will not see the Passion. He has his reasons. Link
Monday, March 29
IRISH SMOKE
(Monday) They've banned smoking in public buildings throughout all Ireland. Pub owners are worried that it will hurt business. Don't fret guys, that's what the restaurant and bar owners worried about when California went smoke-free. It hasn't hurt business a bit and it sure makes life more comfortable for non-smokers. Link
(Monday) They've banned smoking in public buildings throughout all Ireland. Pub owners are worried that it will hurt business. Don't fret guys, that's what the restaurant and bar owners worried about when California went smoke-free. It hasn't hurt business a bit and it sure makes life more comfortable for non-smokers. Link
SCORE!
(Monday) Yesterday I mentioned the fact that I had purchased the set of Laurel & Hardy DVDs for $5.50 at Wal-Mart and that Stan Laurel reminds me a lot of Peter Sellers. And I added "I'm only lacking the 'Return of the Pink Panther' and I'll have the entire Peter Sellers Panther set."
This morning I went to the same Wal-Mart -- walked by the same DVD bin where I picked up Laurel & Hardy -- and there sitting on the top of the pile was the "Return of the Pink Panther" -- for $5.50.
(Monday) Yesterday I mentioned the fact that I had purchased the set of Laurel & Hardy DVDs for $5.50 at Wal-Mart and that Stan Laurel reminds me a lot of Peter Sellers. And I added "I'm only lacking the 'Return of the Pink Panther' and I'll have the entire Peter Sellers Panther set."
This morning I went to the same Wal-Mart -- walked by the same DVD bin where I picked up Laurel & Hardy -- and there sitting on the top of the pile was the "Return of the Pink Panther" -- for $5.50.
Sunday, March 28
LAUREL & HARDY
(Sunday) Last year I looked into a buying a set of Laurel & Hardy DVDs but it was $35 -- so I didn't. Then two weeks ago I was walking through Wal-Mart and there it was on top of the pile of discounted DVDs -- $5.50. I've already watched four or five of the 14 episodes included. They were comic geniuses -- with incredible timing. Stan Laurel reminds me a lot of Peter Sellers. Or perhaps I should say that Sellers reminds me a lot of Laurel (I'm only lacking the "Return of the Pink Panther" and I'll have the entire Peter Sellers Panther set).
(Sunday) Last year I looked into a buying a set of Laurel & Hardy DVDs but it was $35 -- so I didn't. Then two weeks ago I was walking through Wal-Mart and there it was on top of the pile of discounted DVDs -- $5.50. I've already watched four or five of the 14 episodes included. They were comic geniuses -- with incredible timing. Stan Laurel reminds me a lot of Peter Sellers. Or perhaps I should say that Sellers reminds me a lot of Laurel (I'm only lacking the "Return of the Pink Panther" and I'll have the entire Peter Sellers Panther set).
Saturday, March 27
"THERE WAS NO JESUS"
(Saturday) Yet another Anglican priest has come up with an outrageous book. Tom Harpur, a theology professor, believes that "Jesus never existed, but was rather a composite of older god-characters, primarily the Egyptian god Horus." In case you want to roll your eyes here's a link.
(Saturday) Yet another Anglican priest has come up with an outrageous book. Tom Harpur, a theology professor, believes that "Jesus never existed, but was rather a composite of older god-characters, primarily the Egyptian god Horus." In case you want to roll your eyes here's a link.
CREDO
(Saturday) I read the Jaroslav Pelikan interview on BeliefNet and decided to order his book Credo. I was amazed by his ecumenical openness. I'll let you know what I think after I get to it.
(Saturday) I read the Jaroslav Pelikan interview on BeliefNet and decided to order his book Credo. I was amazed by his ecumenical openness. I'll let you know what I think after I get to it.
Friday, March 26
INLAND EMPIRE
(Friday) All Things Considered is doing a series of stories on the Inland Empire -- the desert area in Southern California east of LA where many people are taking refuge from the high prices of the LA Basin. I find those areas attractive because they are warmer and don't have the coastal fog that tends to chill to the bones. Link
(Friday) All Things Considered is doing a series of stories on the Inland Empire -- the desert area in Southern California east of LA where many people are taking refuge from the high prices of the LA Basin. I find those areas attractive because they are warmer and don't have the coastal fog that tends to chill to the bones. Link
Wednesday, March 24
RELIGION & YOUTH
(Wednesday) Adolescents who are active in religion are healthier all around. It sounds like a no brainer to me but this Washington Post story making that point is still pretty interesting -- even worth the free registration needed to get in.
(Wednesday) Adolescents who are active in religion are healthier all around. It sounds like a no brainer to me but this Washington Post story making that point is still pretty interesting -- even worth the free registration needed to get in.
MED STUDENT SHAFTED
(Wednesday) A Canadian medical student has been told he can't graduate because of his refusal to participate in abortion services. Link
(Wednesday) A Canadian medical student has been told he can't graduate because of his refusal to participate in abortion services. Link
Tuesday, March 23
BURTON NELSON
(Tuesday) Burton Nelson, friend, professor, and Bonhoeffer scholar, graduated yesterday. Link
(Tuesday) Burton Nelson, friend, professor, and Bonhoeffer scholar, graduated yesterday. Link
Monday, March 22
THE DANCE IS OVER
(Monday) The death of "Lord of the Dance" composer Sydney Bertram Carter has prompted several of Douglas LeBlanc's readers to offer their contributions to a list of "hymns, whether classic or contemporary" which they would "prefer never to sing again in this life?" There are a lot of unhappy campers out there. Frankly, though, I think some of them are just looking for something to be unhappy about. Link
(Monday) The death of "Lord of the Dance" composer Sydney Bertram Carter has prompted several of Douglas LeBlanc's readers to offer their contributions to a list of "hymns, whether classic or contemporary" which they would "prefer never to sing again in this life?" There are a lot of unhappy campers out there. Frankly, though, I think some of them are just looking for something to be unhappy about. Link
Sunday, March 21
WE'RE BACK!
(Sunday) On Friday we drove down to the University of California Irvine so that Kent could check things out. Then we drove to San Diego, picked up Kirk, and drove to my parents house in Tempe. On Saturday we celebrated their 50th anniversary. Yes, my father actually owns a tie (but no one can prove that I do). Following the party we drove Cheryl's father home to Green Valley, south of Tucson. Then today after worship we left and drove home -- arriving a little after 8 p.m. In other words, if you missed me it's because my hands have been glued to a steering wheel for most of the last three days.
(Sunday) On Friday we drove down to the University of California Irvine so that Kent could check things out. Then we drove to San Diego, picked up Kirk, and drove to my parents house in Tempe. On Saturday we celebrated their 50th anniversary. Yes, my father actually owns a tie (but no one can prove that I do). Following the party we drove Cheryl's father home to Green Valley, south of Tucson. Then today after worship we left and drove home -- arriving a little after 8 p.m. In other words, if you missed me it's because my hands have been glued to a steering wheel for most of the last three days.
Thursday, March 18
EMAIL USAGE DOWN
(Thursday) "'Spam is ruining the greatest communication tool of the 21st century,' said Jason Catlett, president of Junkbusters Corp..." and a survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project seems to confirm his observations. Link
I hate spam, too, but I'd have to say that things are getting better. I've been running everything through the filtering system on my yahoo mail page. I do have to go through and empty the bulk folder daily (I've been getting about 500 spams a day) but I don't have to deal with the mail directly. Then I run it through the spam filter in Eudora. By the time it gets to me it has become a trickle of what it was -- maybe 4 or 5 a day that get through. So, in spite of the frustration out there, things are improving slightly from where I'm sitting.
(Thursday) "'Spam is ruining the greatest communication tool of the 21st century,' said Jason Catlett, president of Junkbusters Corp..." and a survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project seems to confirm his observations. Link
I hate spam, too, but I'd have to say that things are getting better. I've been running everything through the filtering system on my yahoo mail page. I do have to go through and empty the bulk folder daily (I've been getting about 500 spams a day) but I don't have to deal with the mail directly. Then I run it through the spam filter in Eudora. By the time it gets to me it has become a trickle of what it was -- maybe 4 or 5 a day that get through. So, in spite of the frustration out there, things are improving slightly from where I'm sitting.
Wednesday, March 17
OCCIDENTALISM
(Wednesday) I briefly caught some comments by Ian Buruma on Talk of the Nation today. He describes the current conflicts as "a war against a particular idea of the West, which is neither new nor unique to Islamist extremism. The current jihadis see the West as something less than human, to be destroyed, as though it were a cancer. This idea has historical roots that long precede any form of 'U.S. imperialism.' Similar hostility, though not always as lethal, has been directed in the past against Britain and France as much as against America." This he explains is Occidentalism, a movement fed by the humiliation of the East by Western modernity and the dogmatic rationalism of the Enlightenment.
Fascinating notion. I did a Google search on him and came up with a good article summarizing the thesis of his book Occidentalism: The West in the Eyes of Its Enemies, which he wrote with Avishai Margalit. I'm adding the book to my reading list. It is due out next month.
(Wednesday) I briefly caught some comments by Ian Buruma on Talk of the Nation today. He describes the current conflicts as "a war against a particular idea of the West, which is neither new nor unique to Islamist extremism. The current jihadis see the West as something less than human, to be destroyed, as though it were a cancer. This idea has historical roots that long precede any form of 'U.S. imperialism.' Similar hostility, though not always as lethal, has been directed in the past against Britain and France as much as against America." This he explains is Occidentalism, a movement fed by the humiliation of the East by Western modernity and the dogmatic rationalism of the Enlightenment.
Fascinating notion. I did a Google search on him and came up with a good article summarizing the thesis of his book Occidentalism: The West in the Eyes of Its Enemies, which he wrote with Avishai Margalit. I'm adding the book to my reading list. It is due out next month.
Tuesday, March 16
CHURCH ADVERTISING
(Tuesday) The declining oldline liberal churches are increasingly looking to the higher power of television advertising for their salvation. Link
(Tuesday) The declining oldline liberal churches are increasingly looking to the higher power of television advertising for their salvation. Link
Sunday, March 14
"GOD GOES WHERE HE IS WANTED"
(Sunday) And that currently appears to be in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Link
(Sunday) And that currently appears to be in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Link
Saturday, March 13
WHAT SPRING FEELS LIKE
(Saturday) Yes, you can believe the weather button on the side of this page. We've been in the 80's. Many trees are done blooming and are starting to leaf. I spent the morning cutting the lawns at home and then the bulk of the afternoon riding the Cornerstone tractor to cut the back 40 there. Very relaxing.
(Saturday) Yes, you can believe the weather button on the side of this page. We've been in the 80's. Many trees are done blooming and are starting to leaf. I spent the morning cutting the lawns at home and then the bulk of the afternoon riding the Cornerstone tractor to cut the back 40 there. Very relaxing.
Friday, March 12
EASTERN ORTHODOXY THROUGH WESTERN EYES
(Friday) Eastern Orthodoxy Through Western Eyes
by Donald Fairbairn
Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2002, 209 pages
Review by Brad Boydston
This is one of the very best books on Eastern Orthodox Christianity written by a non-Orthodox author. Daniel B. Clendenin's now classic Eastern Orthodox Christianity: A Western Perspective, and the accompanying reader, is outstanding. But Donald Fairbairn, professor of theology and missions at Erskine Theological Seminary, takes things just a little bit deeper.
Fairbairn, who taught in the Ukraine and served as a missionary in other places around the former-Soviet Union, jumps right in and identifies tradition as the apex of Orthodox thought and life. This is a difficult concept for Westerners who emphasize the individual over the group. But tradition as a concept assumes a higher role in a group orientation.
Orthodox tradition, though, is not easily pinned down. There is a level of fluidity that will make analytically oriented Westerners cringe -- at least a little. Tradition can be found in the consensus of the church councils, in the scriptures, in the icons, in the church fathers, in the liturgy -- in short, in the church itself -- the group.
Orthodoxy sees the scriptures as authoritative witnesses only as seen within the context of the church's tradition. "Orthodox theologians have two basic approaches to the issue of relating Scripture and church life. The majority of writers believe that no qualitative distinction exists between the books of the Bible and other facets of Orthodox tradition. However, a few theologians argue for the supremacy of Scripture but point out that only the Church can interpret Scripture properly." (p. 15)
In contrast Evangelicals see the scriptures as being over the church.
Fairbairn points to other theological distinctives which Westerners need to understand if they are going to relate well to their Eastern siblings. For example, and much to the surprise of many Westerners who see the Orthodox Church as fixated on the past, Orthodoxy is primarily a forward looking movement. That is, theologically everything in the present and the past is viewed through the lenses of life in the future age. "In Orthodoxy, tradition is not primarily a deposit of writings given in the past that must be faithfully preserved and proclaimed. Tradition is rather a future life, a future union and fellowship with God, on the basis of which the Church judges present teaching and experience now... The source of theology is the entire community's experience of the life of the future kingdom, an experience that goes by the name of tradition." (p. 20)
The church itself is the mystical entity which is the recipient of God's direct activity. It is the manifestation of God's unity (sobornost) -- a reflection of the unity within the Holy Trinity. In the Evangelical West we see this unity as being a collection of individuals who have had the common experience of new life in Christ. But in the Eastern understanding the source of unity is the sacraments -- the mysteries through which each local parish enters into the whole of the church's sobornost. And it is through the sacraments that Christ is present in the church.
The unity of the church is preserved by the presidency of the bishops over the sacraments. Without bishops a church cannot really even be a church (at least in the fullest sense) in Eastern thinking. For the bishop represents Christ and the catholicity of the church. Again, all of this makes the most sense in the context of the Eastern corporate mindset -- but is a stretch to those of us who are steeped in the individualism of the West.
Fairbairn covers well the other two theological basics in Orthodoxy -- aphophatic mysticism and theosis.
Aphophaticism speaks of the negative priority in theological method. In the West we start with what we know about God and then draw analytical conclusions based on that information. In the Eastern mystical approach the starting point is what is unknown about God. God is not limited. God is not temporal. "Through such concentration on what is not true of God, people eventually reach the point at which they can no longer make negations. In the face of God's mysteriousness, they cannot declare whether some quality is true of him or not." (p. 52) This means that God cannot be reduced to any kind of philosophical description.
Fairbairn explains how this affects the church's understanding of the Holy Trinity and the Person of Christ.
Theosis is the idea of salvation as mystical union with God -- a sharing in the divine energies that radiate from him. (Not to be confused with the mysticism of Buddhism or Hinduism where one empties and loses self.) Originally, the first human beings were created imperfect and with the freedom to pursue perfection or maturity in their relationship with God. However, through the fall the freedom to pursue theosis was damaged and people abandoned their vocation of pursuing life with God.
In the West original sin is often seen as an inherited guilt. In the East it is a matter of being born into a world where it is difficult to pursue union with God but easy to do evil.
It is the arrival of Christ -- the incarnation -- which restores freedom to truly pursue our vocation of unity with God. The death of Christ is the means by which the atoning work of Christ came to a head. It was how Christ broke into the realm of death so that we might be broken out. Thus it is not the suffering of Christ on the cross that is emphasized, as in the judicial models popular in the Western church, but the resurrection is the focal point -- the great climax of the atonement.
This, Fairbairn explains, restores the possibility of theosis. "...the role of the atonement is clearly to make possible our being united to God. Christ did not complete the human vocation for us; he completed it in himself so as to guide and accompany us as we walk the pathway to eternity. Therefore, the purpose of Christ's incarnation and work was to enable people who had lost the capacity for theosis to embark once again on the road to union with God." (p. 85)
Theosis is thus a process by which we become united with God -- not in the sense that we lose ourselves or that we become God but more in the sense that we get to share in the energy that radiates from him. It's a combination of what Protestants have traditionally seen as sanctification and glorification.
The journey to theosis isn't something which one undertakes on his or her own. The saints (especially Mary) are cheerleading intercessors. The sacraments feed us and icons ("depictions of people restored to their proper image of God" -- p. 107) inspire us.
The last third of the book is a discussion of the relationship between Eastern and Western Christians -- an attempt to bring some of the theological summaries of the first two-thirds of the book to bear on the relationship between the East and the West. This is where Fairbairn calls us in the West to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of Orthodoxy -- particularly Orthodoxy as it is practiced on a popular level and the propensity toward nationalism in the Orthodox world.
There are four appendixes -- a bibliography for additional reading, suggestions for Christian workers in the East, the structure of the Orthodox church, and an outline of the Orthodox liturgical calendar.
As I said, this is one of the best introductions to Orthodox thinking that I have come across. It goes deep without becoming overly technical. As such it is a great place to start your education on Eastern Orthodoxy.
(Friday) Eastern Orthodoxy Through Western Eyes
by Donald Fairbairn
Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2002, 209 pages
Review by Brad Boydston
This is one of the very best books on Eastern Orthodox Christianity written by a non-Orthodox author. Daniel B. Clendenin's now classic Eastern Orthodox Christianity: A Western Perspective, and the accompanying reader, is outstanding. But Donald Fairbairn, professor of theology and missions at Erskine Theological Seminary, takes things just a little bit deeper.
Fairbairn, who taught in the Ukraine and served as a missionary in other places around the former-Soviet Union, jumps right in and identifies tradition as the apex of Orthodox thought and life. This is a difficult concept for Westerners who emphasize the individual over the group. But tradition as a concept assumes a higher role in a group orientation.
Orthodox tradition, though, is not easily pinned down. There is a level of fluidity that will make analytically oriented Westerners cringe -- at least a little. Tradition can be found in the consensus of the church councils, in the scriptures, in the icons, in the church fathers, in the liturgy -- in short, in the church itself -- the group.
Orthodoxy sees the scriptures as authoritative witnesses only as seen within the context of the church's tradition. "Orthodox theologians have two basic approaches to the issue of relating Scripture and church life. The majority of writers believe that no qualitative distinction exists between the books of the Bible and other facets of Orthodox tradition. However, a few theologians argue for the supremacy of Scripture but point out that only the Church can interpret Scripture properly." (p. 15)
In contrast Evangelicals see the scriptures as being over the church.
Fairbairn points to other theological distinctives which Westerners need to understand if they are going to relate well to their Eastern siblings. For example, and much to the surprise of many Westerners who see the Orthodox Church as fixated on the past, Orthodoxy is primarily a forward looking movement. That is, theologically everything in the present and the past is viewed through the lenses of life in the future age. "In Orthodoxy, tradition is not primarily a deposit of writings given in the past that must be faithfully preserved and proclaimed. Tradition is rather a future life, a future union and fellowship with God, on the basis of which the Church judges present teaching and experience now... The source of theology is the entire community's experience of the life of the future kingdom, an experience that goes by the name of tradition." (p. 20)
The church itself is the mystical entity which is the recipient of God's direct activity. It is the manifestation of God's unity (sobornost) -- a reflection of the unity within the Holy Trinity. In the Evangelical West we see this unity as being a collection of individuals who have had the common experience of new life in Christ. But in the Eastern understanding the source of unity is the sacraments -- the mysteries through which each local parish enters into the whole of the church's sobornost. And it is through the sacraments that Christ is present in the church.
The unity of the church is preserved by the presidency of the bishops over the sacraments. Without bishops a church cannot really even be a church (at least in the fullest sense) in Eastern thinking. For the bishop represents Christ and the catholicity of the church. Again, all of this makes the most sense in the context of the Eastern corporate mindset -- but is a stretch to those of us who are steeped in the individualism of the West.
Fairbairn covers well the other two theological basics in Orthodoxy -- aphophatic mysticism and theosis.
Aphophaticism speaks of the negative priority in theological method. In the West we start with what we know about God and then draw analytical conclusions based on that information. In the Eastern mystical approach the starting point is what is unknown about God. God is not limited. God is not temporal. "Through such concentration on what is not true of God, people eventually reach the point at which they can no longer make negations. In the face of God's mysteriousness, they cannot declare whether some quality is true of him or not." (p. 52) This means that God cannot be reduced to any kind of philosophical description.
Fairbairn explains how this affects the church's understanding of the Holy Trinity and the Person of Christ.
Theosis is the idea of salvation as mystical union with God -- a sharing in the divine energies that radiate from him. (Not to be confused with the mysticism of Buddhism or Hinduism where one empties and loses self.) Originally, the first human beings were created imperfect and with the freedom to pursue perfection or maturity in their relationship with God. However, through the fall the freedom to pursue theosis was damaged and people abandoned their vocation of pursuing life with God.
In the West original sin is often seen as an inherited guilt. In the East it is a matter of being born into a world where it is difficult to pursue union with God but easy to do evil.
It is the arrival of Christ -- the incarnation -- which restores freedom to truly pursue our vocation of unity with God. The death of Christ is the means by which the atoning work of Christ came to a head. It was how Christ broke into the realm of death so that we might be broken out. Thus it is not the suffering of Christ on the cross that is emphasized, as in the judicial models popular in the Western church, but the resurrection is the focal point -- the great climax of the atonement.
This, Fairbairn explains, restores the possibility of theosis. "...the role of the atonement is clearly to make possible our being united to God. Christ did not complete the human vocation for us; he completed it in himself so as to guide and accompany us as we walk the pathway to eternity. Therefore, the purpose of Christ's incarnation and work was to enable people who had lost the capacity for theosis to embark once again on the road to union with God." (p. 85)
Theosis is thus a process by which we become united with God -- not in the sense that we lose ourselves or that we become God but more in the sense that we get to share in the energy that radiates from him. It's a combination of what Protestants have traditionally seen as sanctification and glorification.
The journey to theosis isn't something which one undertakes on his or her own. The saints (especially Mary) are cheerleading intercessors. The sacraments feed us and icons ("depictions of people restored to their proper image of God" -- p. 107) inspire us.
The last third of the book is a discussion of the relationship between Eastern and Western Christians -- an attempt to bring some of the theological summaries of the first two-thirds of the book to bear on the relationship between the East and the West. This is where Fairbairn calls us in the West to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of Orthodoxy -- particularly Orthodoxy as it is practiced on a popular level and the propensity toward nationalism in the Orthodox world.
There are four appendixes -- a bibliography for additional reading, suggestions for Christian workers in the East, the structure of the Orthodox church, and an outline of the Orthodox liturgical calendar.
As I said, this is one of the best introductions to Orthodox thinking that I have come across. It goes deep without becoming overly technical. As such it is a great place to start your education on Eastern Orthodoxy.
Thursday, March 11
Wednesday, March 10
MASONIC WEIRDNESS
(Wednesday) The Masonic thing has always struck me as more than little bit strange. But since when did initiation involve pointing a gun at someone's head while someone else pounds on a garbage can lid? It sounds more like a gang initiation.
One man is dead and another was arrested. Link
(Wednesday) The Masonic thing has always struck me as more than little bit strange. But since when did initiation involve pointing a gun at someone's head while someone else pounds on a garbage can lid? It sounds more like a gang initiation.
One man is dead and another was arrested. Link
THE MILLION DOLLAR BILL
(Wednesday) A Georgia woman was arrested when she tried to use a $1 million bill to pay for her purchases. Link
I wonder if she was expecting her change in $20 bills. And I wonder how she expected to get all of her change home? It seems more likely that she was just playing with the clerk. But then again it was a Wal-Mart store and not everyone who shops there is a Rhodes Scholar (I'm not!).
(Wednesday) A Georgia woman was arrested when she tried to use a $1 million bill to pay for her purchases. Link
I wonder if she was expecting her change in $20 bills. And I wonder how she expected to get all of her change home? It seems more likely that she was just playing with the clerk. But then again it was a Wal-Mart store and not everyone who shops there is a Rhodes Scholar (I'm not!).
Monday, March 8
MT ATHOS FIRE
(Monday) The ancient monastery on Mount Athos in north-eastern Greece has been badly damaged by an electrical fire. Apparently, most of the treasures were saved -- but not all... I haven't seen anything about this tragedy in the American news, yet.Link
(Monday) The ancient monastery on Mount Athos in north-eastern Greece has been badly damaged by an electrical fire. Apparently, most of the treasures were saved -- but not all... I haven't seen anything about this tragedy in the American news, yet.Link
Sunday, March 7
THE PASSION IS A HARD ACT TO FOLLOW...
(Sunday) but I can't imagine that it will a problem for the new Starsky & Hutch movie. Finally, film that we can believe in.
(Sunday) but I can't imagine that it will a problem for the new Starsky & Hutch movie. Finally, film that we can believe in.
Saturday, March 6
IT'S NOT CULTURAL WARS...
(Saturday) Joe Klein in Time says that the real problem is that Americans are addicted to shock. "In fact, the Culture War isn't really a war; it's more a public entertainment, a Culture Circus. Wars require combatants. The general public is not up in arms but plastered in armchairs, occasionally roused to flaccid pique by a handful of show-biz gladiators -- Rosie O'Donnell, Rush Limbaugh, Al Franken, Jerry Falwell -- who fight carefully selected papier-mache lions."
(Saturday) Joe Klein in Time says that the real problem is that Americans are addicted to shock. "In fact, the Culture War isn't really a war; it's more a public entertainment, a Culture Circus. Wars require combatants. The general public is not up in arms but plastered in armchairs, occasionally roused to flaccid pique by a handful of show-biz gladiators -- Rosie O'Donnell, Rush Limbaugh, Al Franken, Jerry Falwell -- who fight carefully selected papier-mache lions."
THE CRACKED DA VINCI CODE
(Saturday) Jonathan Wilson has put together a fine series of articles debunking the notion that the Da Vinci Code is more than good fiction. Link
(Saturday) Jonathan Wilson has put together a fine series of articles debunking the notion that the Da Vinci Code is more than good fiction. Link
GROWTH IN ETHNIC MINISTRIES
(Friday) Ethnic ministries in the Evangelical Covenant Church have grown over 150% during the last decade, making us one of the few historically Caucasian denominations to actually have a stab at becoming truly multi-ethnic (During the same period the denomination itself grew about 45%). Currently about 20% of all our congregations are ethnic or multi-ethnic in make-up. We've got a ways to go, though -- especially when we consider that in places like California Caucasians are in the minority. These are great days to be a part of the church! Link
(Friday) Ethnic ministries in the Evangelical Covenant Church have grown over 150% during the last decade, making us one of the few historically Caucasian denominations to actually have a stab at becoming truly multi-ethnic (During the same period the denomination itself grew about 45%). Currently about 20% of all our congregations are ethnic or multi-ethnic in make-up. We've got a ways to go, though -- especially when we consider that in places like California Caucasians are in the minority. These are great days to be a part of the church! Link
Friday, March 5
ONLINE PARISH
(Friday) The Church of England is setting up not just another cyber-ministry but an actual online web-based parish, with membership, etc. Link to BBC article
They are in a pastoral search mode.
(Friday) The Church of England is setting up not just another cyber-ministry but an actual online web-based parish, with membership, etc. Link to BBC article
They are in a pastoral search mode.
MARTHA IS GUILTY...
(Friday) but no one wins if we stick her in prison. I'm no fan but it seems that a hefty fine and a few years of community service would serve us all well. Perhaps they could put her to work redecorating the post offices or the Pentagon. Link
(Friday) but no one wins if we stick her in prison. I'm no fan but it seems that a hefty fine and a few years of community service would serve us all well. Perhaps they could put her to work redecorating the post offices or the Pentagon. Link
DISNEY & NARNIA
(Friday) Disney has signed a deal to do a The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe film. I doubt they'll make it into a series, though. Their mouse would be upstaged by Reepicheep.
(Friday) Disney has signed a deal to do a The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe film. I doubt they'll make it into a series, though. Their mouse would be upstaged by Reepicheep.
Wednesday, March 3
ELECTION DISAPPOINTMENT
(Wednesday) Our man Brad Bates came in third in the race for the county supervisor seat. That means that he's out because the run-off will be between the top two. For me this is a great disappointment -- not just that Brad didn't make it but more so that a candidate who was slinging mud at him did. I mentioned Ted Howze a few days ago, astonished that anyone would say the kinds of things he did and still expect to get votes. The lack of civility and the circus atmosphere he created would seem to keep people from taking him seriously. But I shouldn't be surprised, I suppose. This is, after all, the state that likes to put people into public office because of their acting ability.
"How long, O Lord? How long will the wicked be allowed to gloat?" -- Psalm 94:3 (NLT)
(Wednesday) Our man Brad Bates came in third in the race for the county supervisor seat. That means that he's out because the run-off will be between the top two. For me this is a great disappointment -- not just that Brad didn't make it but more so that a candidate who was slinging mud at him did. I mentioned Ted Howze a few days ago, astonished that anyone would say the kinds of things he did and still expect to get votes. The lack of civility and the circus atmosphere he created would seem to keep people from taking him seriously. But I shouldn't be surprised, I suppose. This is, after all, the state that likes to put people into public office because of their acting ability.
"How long, O Lord? How long will the wicked be allowed to gloat?" -- Psalm 94:3 (NLT)
THE EMERGING CAMP
(Wednesday) Rudy has a pointed out a blog on "re-imagining camp ministries." There is an interesting tongue-in-cheek post on what a camp experience would look like if the emerging church was designing it.
* If we normally start on Sunday afternoon, we probably wouldn't begin until Sunday night or when the spirit started to move or we just kind of finished drinking our coffees.
* Craft time would be mostly candle making, since we use lots of candles.
* No preaching, just stories
* We would change the name from FREE TIME to LIBERATION
* We would change the craft shack into a Nike sweat shop so each camper could experience the plight of the poor
* No Max Lucado only Dostoyevsky
* No Snickers only FairTrade sugar cane and PuraVida coffee
* We would change the name of SUMMER STAFF to THE COMMUNITY
* We wouldn't have staff shirts but yet we would all end up wearing the same thing anyway
* Cabin time would become Cabo devina
(Wednesday) Rudy has a pointed out a blog on "re-imagining camp ministries." There is an interesting tongue-in-cheek post on what a camp experience would look like if the emerging church was designing it.
* If we normally start on Sunday afternoon, we probably wouldn't begin until Sunday night or when the spirit started to move or we just kind of finished drinking our coffees.
* Craft time would be mostly candle making, since we use lots of candles.
* No preaching, just stories
* We would change the name from FREE TIME to LIBERATION
* We would change the craft shack into a Nike sweat shop so each camper could experience the plight of the poor
* No Max Lucado only Dostoyevsky
* No Snickers only FairTrade sugar cane and PuraVida coffee
* We would change the name of SUMMER STAFF to THE COMMUNITY
* We wouldn't have staff shirts but yet we would all end up wearing the same thing anyway
* Cabin time would become Cabo devina
ARNOLD CHANGES HIS MIND...
(Wednesday) He's now in favor of same-sex marriages. Link He also got his economic recovery bond in yesterday's election (now our children will get to pay for the fiscal mess). Considering the nature of his ascension I suppose that I shouldn't be surprised at his ongoing power. It seems like the honeymoon goes on and on for the Govinator.
(Wednesday) He's now in favor of same-sex marriages. Link He also got his economic recovery bond in yesterday's election (now our children will get to pay for the fiscal mess). Considering the nature of his ascension I suppose that I shouldn't be surprised at his ongoing power. It seems like the honeymoon goes on and on for the Govinator.
BYE-BYE SUPER-SIZE
(Wednesday) McDonald's is slimming down eliminating their "super-size" options by the end of the year. They are also adding more fruit, vegetables, and yogurt to the menu. What's going on here? Are they trying to change their reputation, or what? Link
(Wednesday) McDonald's is slimming down eliminating their "super-size" options by the end of the year. They are also adding more fruit, vegetables, and yogurt to the menu. What's going on here? Are they trying to change their reputation, or what? Link
GRODA THE FROG
(Wednesday) Three years ago today my children gave me for my birthday an African frog, an "AquaBaby" in a mini aquarium. That two-inch frog eats two small food pellets a day, likes to hide under his rock, or sometimes he just floats in the tank with all his legs spread (I call it the zen position). He's not very accurate when he's aiming at those food pellets that float on the water. Sometimes it takes him four or five attempts to actually get one. The instructions that came with Groda say that these frogs "may live 2-3 years (or longer)." We're obviously now in the "or longer" zone.
(Wednesday) Three years ago today my children gave me for my birthday an African frog, an "AquaBaby" in a mini aquarium. That two-inch frog eats two small food pellets a day, likes to hide under his rock, or sometimes he just floats in the tank with all his legs spread (I call it the zen position). He's not very accurate when he's aiming at those food pellets that float on the water. Sometimes it takes him four or five attempts to actually get one. The instructions that came with Groda say that these frogs "may live 2-3 years (or longer)." We're obviously now in the "or longer" zone.
Monday, March 1
FREDERICA ON
ATONEMENT AND SUFFERING
(Monday) She has a good article in the issue of Books and Culture which arrived in my mailbox today.
ATONEMENT AND SUFFERING
(Monday) She has a good article in the issue of Books and Culture which arrived in my mailbox today.
ORDINATION OF WOMEN
AND RELATED ISSUES
(Monday) Karl Naslund left a comment on my ordination of women post yesterday. It's a significant concern and I think it is worth responding to at this level. He wrote:
Whenever I read EO or largely Catholic websites (like Mere Comments, for example), I'm always struck by how easily they draw a connection between ordaining women and permissive attitudes towards perverse sexuality. It usually goes something like "First the Protestants ordained women, and now they're ordaining Gene Robinson...etc.."
Sadly, when I look at other denominations, the connection does appear to be true. Can the Covenant buck this trend?
A few observations:
1. Not all groups which ordain women have gone down the slippery slope -- contrary to what people say on Mere Comments. This is especially evident in the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition. The Salvation Army has ordained women from the outset. More examples: The Church of the Nazarene, Free Methodist Church, Wesleyan Church, Church of God (Anderson) have all ordained women for years and remain conservative voices. The problem is that these groups are just not on the parochial radar screens of the Anglican, Roman Catholic, and Orthodox pundits.
2. The churches which see this as a stewardship issue are healthier than those which frame it as a gender equality issue and try to read it in terms of justice, and ultimately entitlement. The fact is that no one is entitled to serve in the church and there will be some contexts where it is just not feasible for some people to serve. There are more churches where I cannot serve than where I can serve. This has nothing to do with fairness.
However, if the issue is framed in terms of stewardship you end up in a better spot. There are women with great pastoral gifts. These gifts have been given to the church. We need to figure out how to use them -- for the sake of the church.
3. We do ordain women in the Evangelical Covenant Church and have done so since the early part of the 20th century (although all those early ordained women served in world missions). In 1976 the annual meeting voted to not object to the ordination of women for ministry in local churches. There had not been any rule against such happening earlier so in a sense the 1976 action was a resolution affirming the status quo.
4. We do not ordain active homosexuals or allow our clergy to "bless" same-sex unions. Neither of these issues is really up for consideration. This isn't to say that there aren't a small number of people who would like them to be -- but it's just not going to happen.
Last week I saw a church bulletin from a United Church of Christ congregation. Above the order of worship was the statement -- "We are an open and affirming church" -- code words for the fact that they accept homosexuality. In the Covenant we are "an open and unaffirming church." Homosexuals, like other sinners, are welcome (We won't single you out for your sin). But don't expect us to affirm your sin -- whether it be gluttony, hatred, racism, adultery, or homosexuality. We're not going to beat you up but we'll gently encourage you to consider embracing Christ's gift of freedom -- that which comes from being "in him."
Our big concern at this point is figuring out how we can say this with grace, and without turning homosexual activity into the #1 problem on someone's top-ten list of sins.
A few helpful links:
A short summary of the biblical arguments for women in ministry
Ethical Principles for Covenant Ministers -- includes statements on sexuality
Annual Meeting Resolution on Human Sexuality
AND RELATED ISSUES
(Monday) Karl Naslund left a comment on my ordination of women post yesterday. It's a significant concern and I think it is worth responding to at this level. He wrote:
Whenever I read EO or largely Catholic websites (like Mere Comments, for example), I'm always struck by how easily they draw a connection between ordaining women and permissive attitudes towards perverse sexuality. It usually goes something like "First the Protestants ordained women, and now they're ordaining Gene Robinson...etc.."
Sadly, when I look at other denominations, the connection does appear to be true. Can the Covenant buck this trend?
A few observations:
1. Not all groups which ordain women have gone down the slippery slope -- contrary to what people say on Mere Comments. This is especially evident in the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition. The Salvation Army has ordained women from the outset. More examples: The Church of the Nazarene, Free Methodist Church, Wesleyan Church, Church of God (Anderson) have all ordained women for years and remain conservative voices. The problem is that these groups are just not on the parochial radar screens of the Anglican, Roman Catholic, and Orthodox pundits.
2. The churches which see this as a stewardship issue are healthier than those which frame it as a gender equality issue and try to read it in terms of justice, and ultimately entitlement. The fact is that no one is entitled to serve in the church and there will be some contexts where it is just not feasible for some people to serve. There are more churches where I cannot serve than where I can serve. This has nothing to do with fairness.
However, if the issue is framed in terms of stewardship you end up in a better spot. There are women with great pastoral gifts. These gifts have been given to the church. We need to figure out how to use them -- for the sake of the church.
3. We do ordain women in the Evangelical Covenant Church and have done so since the early part of the 20th century (although all those early ordained women served in world missions). In 1976 the annual meeting voted to not object to the ordination of women for ministry in local churches. There had not been any rule against such happening earlier so in a sense the 1976 action was a resolution affirming the status quo.
4. We do not ordain active homosexuals or allow our clergy to "bless" same-sex unions. Neither of these issues is really up for consideration. This isn't to say that there aren't a small number of people who would like them to be -- but it's just not going to happen.
Last week I saw a church bulletin from a United Church of Christ congregation. Above the order of worship was the statement -- "We are an open and affirming church" -- code words for the fact that they accept homosexuality. In the Covenant we are "an open and unaffirming church." Homosexuals, like other sinners, are welcome (We won't single you out for your sin). But don't expect us to affirm your sin -- whether it be gluttony, hatred, racism, adultery, or homosexuality. We're not going to beat you up but we'll gently encourage you to consider embracing Christ's gift of freedom -- that which comes from being "in him."
Our big concern at this point is figuring out how we can say this with grace, and without turning homosexual activity into the #1 problem on someone's top-ten list of sins.
A few helpful links:
A short summary of the biblical arguments for women in ministry
Ethical Principles for Covenant Ministers -- includes statements on sexuality
Annual Meeting Resolution on Human Sexuality
MARCH MADNESS
(Monday) A glance at my calendar suggests that this is going to be a crazy month. There are two trips to Chicago. And we're going to Arizona once for my parent's 50th anniversary. I have an extra preaching assignment this week and then a Covenant Village of Turlock management advisory committee meeting next week (I'm hoping they'll let me "retire" off that committee this spring). None of these things in and of themselves is too stressful. But there will be a lot of coming and going.
The month has started off well, though. Kent got up this morning and checked his University of California pathways account and discovered that he has been accepted for admission to UC Irvine. This doesn't really come as a major surprise since they sent him an unsolicited letter last fall telling him that if he applied he would be accepted. Still, it's nice to have at least one acceptance in hand. He has applied to three other UC campuses but they don't post their admissions until later this month. He has worked hard to get to this point.
(Monday) A glance at my calendar suggests that this is going to be a crazy month. There are two trips to Chicago. And we're going to Arizona once for my parent's 50th anniversary. I have an extra preaching assignment this week and then a Covenant Village of Turlock management advisory committee meeting next week (I'm hoping they'll let me "retire" off that committee this spring). None of these things in and of themselves is too stressful. But there will be a lot of coming and going.
The month has started off well, though. Kent got up this morning and checked his University of California pathways account and discovered that he has been accepted for admission to UC Irvine. This doesn't really come as a major surprise since they sent him an unsolicited letter last fall telling him that if he applied he would be accepted. Still, it's nice to have at least one acceptance in hand. He has applied to three other UC campuses but they don't post their admissions until later this month. He has worked hard to get to this point.
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