It is Thursday, the day after Ash Wednesday. Yesterday is the busiest day of the year for me in my ministry. Nothing compares to it. We start at 6:30 am and end after 8:00 pm. In between we celebrate eucharist and distribute ashes at three services, prayer Morning and Evening Prayer, conduct two Bible studies. In addition I had two counseling sessions and a staff meeting. In the open hour in my schedule I went to the Y to exercise and wake up. This is not a complaint. It is, in fact, one of my favorite days as a priest. It is focused on calling people to repentance and redirecting their lives. It is the beginning of a journey to Easter, a time of renewal leading to a joyful celebration of God's mercy and grace.
One of my Lenten commitments is to reflect on conversion during this holy season. My model for that is our parish mission statement. We are a worship (eucharistic) community committed to pray, study and work to the glory of God. Yesterday I shared insights from a friend. He drew me to a realization that the work of holiness is God's work, received as a gift. That reception seems to be my own work, certainly great effort is required to die to self, but the deception is a failure to recognize that all my efforts are in vain without His grace and mercy. We give glory to God because it is all about the Triune Deity.
Yesterday in Bible study we looked at Mark 1:35-38//Lk 4:42-43. At first sight it does not seem to be a particularly rich section of scripture. Jesus gets up early in the morning, goes off to pray, people find Him and He says let's move on because that is why I am here. Turns out it is very rich. We spent the better part of an hour on this....
Our parish is committed to prayer. In theory, that means that corporately we establish a regular prayer routine (daily Morning Prayer, Wednesday evening prayer, prayer groups, eucharist twice on week days). However, most members have never ever come to any of that. So, it is important that they have their own discipline of prayer. At the begining of every day we should pause to give thanks and to consecrate ourselves to the Lord. Many prayer books are available, most of the good ones date back hundreds of years. The psalms are also ideal. Perhaps, this Lent, you are inspired to write your own morning prayer of consecration. During the day we are better able to pause to talk, listen and commune with God if we begin with a time set aside.
Much of our reflection on Jesus' prayer centered on the mystery, why does Jesus pray? So often people tell me that they do not pray because God already knows what they have to say. Certainly, there is some truth to that. Yet the conclusion is not accurate. God's knowledge does not preclude spending time with God. Perhaps what needs to change is our attitude about prayer. Did Jesus give the Father a "to-do" list that day? Probably not. My guess is Jesus is more concerned with living into deeper union with the Father. He no doubt expressed His love and worship of the Father. He no doubt enjoyed the love and glorification from His Father. It is a deeper prayer. It is a model for us. Even if at times it seems illogical and pointless.
Jesus prays. Jesus prays early in the morning, way early. In fact, He prays during the fourth watch. This is 3 am to 6 am. The day before He had been in the synagogue. He was preaching when a demon upset the morning service. Jesus exorcised the demon. Then He went to Peter's house and healed Peter's mother-in-law. That evening all the sick and demon possessed in the village were outside His door. Imagine the ruckus. Imagine the need, the despair, the hope. How long did Jesus heal? What was each interaction like? What mercy and gentleness, what strength and power and authority were manifest? How exhausted was the Lord when He finally went back into the house, falling asleep, the deep sleep of One Who had poured out Himself for love of others.
As we reflected on Jesus' day, Rick made a comment, "sort of like your day today." We all laughed. Yes, it was a long day and Jesus' day was similar. Through the Holy Spirit there was some healing yesterday, most of it spiritual and emotional. Through the Holy Spirit some folks were shaking off Satan's grasp a bit, I assume some territory was recaptured for The Kingdom of God in the hearts and souls of those who spent the day here. Certainly there was teaching and proclamation. So, yes, Jesus' day was much like our day yesterday. Long, draining, yet a blessing.
I told them, yesterday, that the difference was I would sleep while Jesus got up to pray. I fully expected to do just that.... Instead, at 3:30 am I woke. I lay in bed reciting the Jesus Prayer waiting for sleep to recapture me. It did not. At 4:30 I got up. As I sat doing my meditations on the daily office readings (from Deuteronomy, Titus, and John) I suddenly realized that I was awake and praying in The Fourth Watch. It was not a discipline, it was a gift. It was not my choice, it was just what happened. It is a sign. Jesus is at work here, in me, in you. There are opportunities to be grabbed and taken advantage of. Perhaps we are aware, perhaps not. What I know is I said to the folks, I won't be up tomorrow in the Fourth Watch. And I did not expect to be. But God changed that. And so I prayed, I read, I reflected, and I witness, to you, dear reader, that God is active in our world. Calling you to consecrate yourself to Him. Calling you to pray, study and work in His service. Calling you to proclaim the Kingdom, teach, heal and exorcise. Calling you. Calling again and again.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
And So It Begins
In the movie "Lord of the Rings" there is a moment right as the invading army arrives that Gandalf says, "And so it begins, the battle for middle earth." It is a stunning moment both for its simplicity and brevity, on the one hand, and the monumental import and meaning of the words, on the other. Great and sublime moments have a beginning. The birth of a child. The opening of a new business. A marriage. The first day of school. Each beginning contains a mystery, what will happen?
Today is Ash Wednesday. It is the Christian day of repentance above all others. Some find such a concept offensive. Times and seasons, to them, are an empty practice. For others it is a way to focus more intensely. We are not able to do everything all of the time. Multi-tasking is limited. Seasons provide a support system for our overwhelmed mind and heart. A time of focus on one or another aspect of the Christian life with greater intensity allows us to go deeper.
Ash Wednesday, a day of repentance, begins the season of Lent. Lent literally means Spring. This is the Springtime of the church. A time of new growth. Lent began at midnight, 00:00 on the clock. I spent the first five hours of Lent asleep! (Sort of a symbol of my spiritual life?). At 6:30 we had eucharist with the distribution of ashes. Some 25 of us gathered. The first day of Lent was 1/4th over before our liturgical kick-off event. There are many themes from the Scripture readings assigned today and many themes in the prayers and exhortations in the Prayer Book. It is not always easy to combine the different themes and balance them. One task of a leader is to do that for the group.
Our parish focus will officially be our mission statement. It is something much influenced by the Rule of St. Benedict. It is also a description of piety (or godliness), understood as "the spiritual life" or "the spiritual disciplines." Our parish is a eucharistic worship community, committed to pray, work and study. The purpose of this is to glorify God. The major work of the church is two fold (inreach to disciples, outreach as apostles) and is modeled after the ministry of Jesus. Jesus proclaimed the Kingdom, He taught, healed and exorcised. Our lenten practices (self denial and discipline) need to be conformed to a Gospel inspired mission statement. If you do not have a mission statement maybe this Ash Wednesday is a perfect day to construct one.
In light of our limitations, it is best to focus on smaller areas and do them well. I was reminded this morning by a dear and holy friend, that we live in a culture of "self-improvement." We see the world from a stand point of self perfection. Even the church is busy with programs, exercises and processes which will make us more efficient and more effective. While not bad, this is not the Gospel. He reminded me that our goal is not self-actualization but self-gift and self-denial (the Cross). He reminded me that our goal is not perfection (like we ever reach that!) but redemption and sanctification. It is not about what we do as much as it is what God does with us.
Outcomes are certainly not bad. Any reading of Scripture includes a multitude of stark reminders that we are to be judged, that what we say and do matters, and that God wants us to be our best self. It is, however, vital that we are clear on what "best" means.
I intend in the days ahead to reflect on the Lenten journey with a focus on the things above (in bold). It is not the only way to envision the life of faith, but it is a good way. Today's theme is God focused. In the end, glorifying the God Who made us and loves us needs to drive all we do. It is in His hands. We are never able to completely become who and what we should be. Yet, our failures acknowledged and repented from, we have hope and joy because the Triune God will transform us. A little bit at a time, but eventually wholly (&holy) and completely. What better thought on this "first day of church Spring" and what better source of peace and joy as we begin the journey of Lent?
Today is Ash Wednesday. It is the Christian day of repentance above all others. Some find such a concept offensive. Times and seasons, to them, are an empty practice. For others it is a way to focus more intensely. We are not able to do everything all of the time. Multi-tasking is limited. Seasons provide a support system for our overwhelmed mind and heart. A time of focus on one or another aspect of the Christian life with greater intensity allows us to go deeper.
Ash Wednesday, a day of repentance, begins the season of Lent. Lent literally means Spring. This is the Springtime of the church. A time of new growth. Lent began at midnight, 00:00 on the clock. I spent the first five hours of Lent asleep! (Sort of a symbol of my spiritual life?). At 6:30 we had eucharist with the distribution of ashes. Some 25 of us gathered. The first day of Lent was 1/4th over before our liturgical kick-off event. There are many themes from the Scripture readings assigned today and many themes in the prayers and exhortations in the Prayer Book. It is not always easy to combine the different themes and balance them. One task of a leader is to do that for the group.
Our parish focus will officially be our mission statement. It is something much influenced by the Rule of St. Benedict. It is also a description of piety (or godliness), understood as "the spiritual life" or "the spiritual disciplines." Our parish is a eucharistic worship community, committed to pray, work and study. The purpose of this is to glorify God. The major work of the church is two fold (inreach to disciples, outreach as apostles) and is modeled after the ministry of Jesus. Jesus proclaimed the Kingdom, He taught, healed and exorcised. Our lenten practices (self denial and discipline) need to be conformed to a Gospel inspired mission statement. If you do not have a mission statement maybe this Ash Wednesday is a perfect day to construct one.
In light of our limitations, it is best to focus on smaller areas and do them well. I was reminded this morning by a dear and holy friend, that we live in a culture of "self-improvement." We see the world from a stand point of self perfection. Even the church is busy with programs, exercises and processes which will make us more efficient and more effective. While not bad, this is not the Gospel. He reminded me that our goal is not self-actualization but self-gift and self-denial (the Cross). He reminded me that our goal is not perfection (like we ever reach that!) but redemption and sanctification. It is not about what we do as much as it is what God does with us.
Outcomes are certainly not bad. Any reading of Scripture includes a multitude of stark reminders that we are to be judged, that what we say and do matters, and that God wants us to be our best self. It is, however, vital that we are clear on what "best" means.
I intend in the days ahead to reflect on the Lenten journey with a focus on the things above (in bold). It is not the only way to envision the life of faith, but it is a good way. Today's theme is God focused. In the end, glorifying the God Who made us and loves us needs to drive all we do. It is in His hands. We are never able to completely become who and what we should be. Yet, our failures acknowledged and repented from, we have hope and joy because the Triune God will transform us. A little bit at a time, but eventually wholly (&holy) and completely. What better thought on this "first day of church Spring" and what better source of peace and joy as we begin the journey of Lent?
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Transfiguration
From time to time in Jesus' life there were moments of transcendent glory. It is hard to know, today, what is historical 'fact' and what is 'based on historical events' and what is 'theological history.' Trying to convey all that Jesus did in a few short words is, as John's Gospel makes clear (twice! 20:30 and 21:25) impossible. The Gospels are, therefore, a compilation of the basic story.
What is the Transfiguration? When we read about Jesus on the Mountain top become a bright shining light, manifesting God's glory (shekinah) we are encountering an event of magnitude. This is not a regular day in the life of Jesus. It is an apocalypse, an unveiling (and in the Revised Common Lectionary that very phrase is found in the reading from 2 Corinthians). In and through the human flesh of Jesus God's Divine Light is manifest (which is Epiphany). That revelation of His identity is the central focus of our text from Luke 9:28ff. Some speculate that the three Gospels are transfering a resurrection appearance to this moment, emphasizing that when Jesus predicts His passion, death and resurrection the resurrection is an unveiling of Divine glory (this is not unthinkable; and having an event out of sequence may be theological history but it is certainly still true). Others (including me) think it more likely that it was an actual occurence in the human ministry of the Lord. I believe this because I know such manifestations do in fact occur, rarely, but with some regularity. It is like people running a sub-four minute mile. Billions of people cannot do it. Billions of people could never do it even if they trained hard. Heck, only a few people can run a quarter of a mile in under a minute (much less keep that pace up four times as long). The rarity of such an event and the unlikelihood of seeing such an event (I never have seen it in person) only means that it is rare and unlikely. It does not mean it is impossible, though.
Why does the transfiguration matter? Well, as I said, because it MANIFESTS (epiphany) Jesus. It shows Him to be "THE Son, the ONLY, the ONE to Whom we should listen." Throughout the ages others have manifest the divine light. While I limit myself to Christian history, such phenomena are reported widely across religious expressions in other faiths. [I will not discuss that here.] What I know is Christian art (from an earlier time) has often employed "the halo" (often a ring of light or an illuminating light around the head). I knew a woman (in 1976) at the church of my youth who said she saw such light. The lights were different colors, based on the type person she was looking at. Was she nuts? No, she was a school teacher. Ordinary in the way kind, loving and good people are ordinary. She did not say or do things which led one to question her sanity. She did not talk much about it, in fact, and only spoke to me about it once. Is it possible that she was able to "see" something others could not. (Q. Are there some people who have unique abilities? A. Yes) Whatever the case, countless numbers have spoken of a Being of Light (named as Jesus by many) who came to them during the time that they were clincally dead (the NDE or Near Death Experience). The story resonates with the experience of many others.
The Light of Jesus is also a symbol. We call Him the Light of the World. It is a literal and also figurative truth. The problem, and this was a major focus of my preaching today, is our vocation is to be THAT light today. We are the Body of Christ. We are the one who (manifested in glory or not) incarnate the Lord Jesus in the world. And in Luke 9 that means we proclaim, we heal and we exorcise. This is the function of the church. If asked, "Do you go to a good church?" I do not know how you can answer "yes" unless those three things are manifest. Proclaiming (sometimes translated "preach") is a herald's work. It is announcing to the world that in this present darkness, in this time of God's apparent absence (i.e. under the rule of satan), a brighter future is promised. And it is already at work among us in and through the ministry of Jesus (today in and through the church). I have often complained that the current state of my church is a heresy riddled joke. What I also want to make clear is that the more "orthodox" expressions of faith found in more "faithful" churches are equally inept at the work of proclamation (and MIA in healing and running the other direction in exorcism). Face it, our churches are empty because the power and authority over demons is not obvious. Churches are not a place where most broken people feel welcome and they are not places where most broken people experience healing.
I am not transposing my homily to the blog, just picking up a theme or two. I close with a heartfelt confession. The failure of the church to herald the kingdom effectively has led to all manner of confusion (especially in the political realm). Mistaking politics (whether right or left) for God's Kingdom is not a good thing. In addition, our neglect of the healing ministry and works of exorcism has given Satan and the demonic freer reign in the world around us. Make no mistake. Like the father and his son who met Jesus at the bottom of the mountain, their suffering is unbearable to them. The pain of being under delusion, suffering illness of body, mind or soul, the horror of brokenness and dissolution are never a minor deal. We are authorized and empowered to make an impact. It is Jesus' plan. One might say His dying request of us. And every failure of ministry leaves in its wake another shattered life and broken heart. And we can do so much better! Some day the church will get it right. We will be like the 12 and the 72 in Luke's Gospel. And when we are we will know that Jesus lives among us, rules among and is continuing His work with signs and wonders. And that will be a better day!
What is the Transfiguration? When we read about Jesus on the Mountain top become a bright shining light, manifesting God's glory (shekinah) we are encountering an event of magnitude. This is not a regular day in the life of Jesus. It is an apocalypse, an unveiling (and in the Revised Common Lectionary that very phrase is found in the reading from 2 Corinthians). In and through the human flesh of Jesus God's Divine Light is manifest (which is Epiphany). That revelation of His identity is the central focus of our text from Luke 9:28ff. Some speculate that the three Gospels are transfering a resurrection appearance to this moment, emphasizing that when Jesus predicts His passion, death and resurrection the resurrection is an unveiling of Divine glory (this is not unthinkable; and having an event out of sequence may be theological history but it is certainly still true). Others (including me) think it more likely that it was an actual occurence in the human ministry of the Lord. I believe this because I know such manifestations do in fact occur, rarely, but with some regularity. It is like people running a sub-four minute mile. Billions of people cannot do it. Billions of people could never do it even if they trained hard. Heck, only a few people can run a quarter of a mile in under a minute (much less keep that pace up four times as long). The rarity of such an event and the unlikelihood of seeing such an event (I never have seen it in person) only means that it is rare and unlikely. It does not mean it is impossible, though.
Why does the transfiguration matter? Well, as I said, because it MANIFESTS (epiphany) Jesus. It shows Him to be "THE Son, the ONLY, the ONE to Whom we should listen." Throughout the ages others have manifest the divine light. While I limit myself to Christian history, such phenomena are reported widely across religious expressions in other faiths. [I will not discuss that here.] What I know is Christian art (from an earlier time) has often employed "the halo" (often a ring of light or an illuminating light around the head). I knew a woman (in 1976) at the church of my youth who said she saw such light. The lights were different colors, based on the type person she was looking at. Was she nuts? No, she was a school teacher. Ordinary in the way kind, loving and good people are ordinary. She did not say or do things which led one to question her sanity. She did not talk much about it, in fact, and only spoke to me about it once. Is it possible that she was able to "see" something others could not. (Q. Are there some people who have unique abilities? A. Yes) Whatever the case, countless numbers have spoken of a Being of Light (named as Jesus by many) who came to them during the time that they were clincally dead (the NDE or Near Death Experience). The story resonates with the experience of many others.
The Light of Jesus is also a symbol. We call Him the Light of the World. It is a literal and also figurative truth. The problem, and this was a major focus of my preaching today, is our vocation is to be THAT light today. We are the Body of Christ. We are the one who (manifested in glory or not) incarnate the Lord Jesus in the world. And in Luke 9 that means we proclaim, we heal and we exorcise. This is the function of the church. If asked, "Do you go to a good church?" I do not know how you can answer "yes" unless those three things are manifest. Proclaiming (sometimes translated "preach") is a herald's work. It is announcing to the world that in this present darkness, in this time of God's apparent absence (i.e. under the rule of satan), a brighter future is promised. And it is already at work among us in and through the ministry of Jesus (today in and through the church). I have often complained that the current state of my church is a heresy riddled joke. What I also want to make clear is that the more "orthodox" expressions of faith found in more "faithful" churches are equally inept at the work of proclamation (and MIA in healing and running the other direction in exorcism). Face it, our churches are empty because the power and authority over demons is not obvious. Churches are not a place where most broken people feel welcome and they are not places where most broken people experience healing.
I am not transposing my homily to the blog, just picking up a theme or two. I close with a heartfelt confession. The failure of the church to herald the kingdom effectively has led to all manner of confusion (especially in the political realm). Mistaking politics (whether right or left) for God's Kingdom is not a good thing. In addition, our neglect of the healing ministry and works of exorcism has given Satan and the demonic freer reign in the world around us. Make no mistake. Like the father and his son who met Jesus at the bottom of the mountain, their suffering is unbearable to them. The pain of being under delusion, suffering illness of body, mind or soul, the horror of brokenness and dissolution are never a minor deal. We are authorized and empowered to make an impact. It is Jesus' plan. One might say His dying request of us. And every failure of ministry leaves in its wake another shattered life and broken heart. And we can do so much better! Some day the church will get it right. We will be like the 12 and the 72 in Luke's Gospel. And when we are we will know that Jesus lives among us, rules among and is continuing His work with signs and wonders. And that will be a better day!
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Homeless Christian Shelter
One of the great challenges facing contemporary Christians (at least in the West) is our comfort level with being alive on planet earth. Now, reading the Ancient Covenant text (OT) one senses that this terrrestial life was "all there was" in the hopes and dreams of Israel. So, I am hesitant to make too big a deal about the settledness of Western life. Yet, we are also readers of a New Covenant text and are called to read the more ancient writings in and through the Jesus story. Jesus, Jewish to His human-divine core, was pretty consistently against the idea of loving wealth too much, family too much, earthly existence too much.
It is said that people who are destitute generate more "other worldly" hope as an escape mechanism. Worldly wise scholars knowingly wink as the deconstruct the childish hopes of the poor as mere projection. I admit, on a logical level, this makes sense. I can see how their point makes sense. But, ironically, by the same logic the inverse is also true. It is also the case the full and wealthy are so stuffed and distracted that they ignore the "far horizon" and do not ponder its meaning. If poor people pro-ject and rich people re-ject as a function of economic (in)security then we are left with the question unanswered. What is the right relation to this world and what is a legitimate hope about the world to come?
I fall into the category of the well-to-do. The resources available to me and mine are unimaginable to most people who have ever lived or are currently living on planet earth. For example, each day people from Germany, Russia and a dozen other nations read my blog. What King had such an instant reach in any age before 1920? we eat fresh produce from various countries, even in the dead of winter. I have food in abundance, a wonderful community and educational resources to rival the greatest libraries in history at the tip of my fingers. So many blessings...
I am also a middle class American, which means the one resource I do not have is time. Between work and home commitments I rarely relax. Most weeks I have several days when I sleep less then 5 hours and when I do it is frequently broken up. I would feel sorry for myself but everyone I know seems to be in a similar situation. Blessed and busy, my mind rarely drifts into contemplation of eternity. Not because I do not believe, but because I cannot find time.
Such a situation is not helpful for forming a proper and well ordered attitude toward the world in which we live.
IF we are sojourners on earth, then we are foreigners here as well.
IF our home is the Kingdom of God, then we are exiles in this present condition.
IF all things are not fully reconciled, healed and restored, then we are living in an environment hostile to our true nature.
IF we are homeless, then we need a homeless shelter...
I would offer the church is, among other things, called to serve that function. A group of displaced people, regardless of socio economic condition, we need a place to gather for the essentials of life. A place to eat (eucharist), interact (community), learn how to live into the new life (Scripture and study and living together), find support (care and counseling) and order our lives under a banner that is worthwhile (piety and worship).
Calling my parish a homeless shelter would not resonate for many of my folks here, they do not feel like they are homeless. Yet, toward the end of life many catch on. The body (even of the rich and famous) breaks down. The thrill is gone from the distractions which occuppy so much time. We don't find the same excitment getting up each day and doing the things we do (even if there is still fun and laughter). And our eyes are open to see a better place. And if we do church right, we will awaken that hunger earlier and more intensely. And our churches will be places of great generousity and kindness. Because who wants to hoard their stuff when they are living on the road? Especially a road to the Kingdom of God!
It is said that people who are destitute generate more "other worldly" hope as an escape mechanism. Worldly wise scholars knowingly wink as the deconstruct the childish hopes of the poor as mere projection. I admit, on a logical level, this makes sense. I can see how their point makes sense. But, ironically, by the same logic the inverse is also true. It is also the case the full and wealthy are so stuffed and distracted that they ignore the "far horizon" and do not ponder its meaning. If poor people pro-ject and rich people re-ject as a function of economic (in)security then we are left with the question unanswered. What is the right relation to this world and what is a legitimate hope about the world to come?
I fall into the category of the well-to-do. The resources available to me and mine are unimaginable to most people who have ever lived or are currently living on planet earth. For example, each day people from Germany, Russia and a dozen other nations read my blog. What King had such an instant reach in any age before 1920? we eat fresh produce from various countries, even in the dead of winter. I have food in abundance, a wonderful community and educational resources to rival the greatest libraries in history at the tip of my fingers. So many blessings...
I am also a middle class American, which means the one resource I do not have is time. Between work and home commitments I rarely relax. Most weeks I have several days when I sleep less then 5 hours and when I do it is frequently broken up. I would feel sorry for myself but everyone I know seems to be in a similar situation. Blessed and busy, my mind rarely drifts into contemplation of eternity. Not because I do not believe, but because I cannot find time.
Such a situation is not helpful for forming a proper and well ordered attitude toward the world in which we live.
IF we are sojourners on earth, then we are foreigners here as well.
IF our home is the Kingdom of God, then we are exiles in this present condition.
IF all things are not fully reconciled, healed and restored, then we are living in an environment hostile to our true nature.
IF we are homeless, then we need a homeless shelter...
I would offer the church is, among other things, called to serve that function. A group of displaced people, regardless of socio economic condition, we need a place to gather for the essentials of life. A place to eat (eucharist), interact (community), learn how to live into the new life (Scripture and study and living together), find support (care and counseling) and order our lives under a banner that is worthwhile (piety and worship).
Calling my parish a homeless shelter would not resonate for many of my folks here, they do not feel like they are homeless. Yet, toward the end of life many catch on. The body (even of the rich and famous) breaks down. The thrill is gone from the distractions which occuppy so much time. We don't find the same excitment getting up each day and doing the things we do (even if there is still fun and laughter). And our eyes are open to see a better place. And if we do church right, we will awaken that hunger earlier and more intensely. And our churches will be places of great generousity and kindness. Because who wants to hoard their stuff when they are living on the road? Especially a road to the Kingdom of God!
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Butterfly Circus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p98KAEif3bI
We had our annual clergy pre-Lent retreat on Monday night-Tuesday morning. One of our shared promises with each other was confidentiality. I want to honor that and will not post any of what transpired among us, beyond saying it was a good time together and I am greatful to the Bishop and the two presenters.
We watched a short movie, The Butterfly Circus, and it was the basis of our meditation. The film takes about 20 minutes and I have provided the link above. I can say it is worth seeing. If you want to see it without knowing what will happen, I suggest you click and watch right now and do not continue reading.
[Spoiler alert: really.... watch it....]
The movie is set in the Depression. It begins in a car with a child and two men. It is interesting to me the reaction I had at the beginning. I felt some foreboding and wondered exactly what was going on. I think my reaction was fueled, in part, by previous movies that the driver had been in. I googled him and found out that he is frequently in science fiction and horror movies. As you saw in the film, he is a contortionist. This leads to my first point, the power of assumptions.
Years ago E.T. was a huge box office hit. My dad commented afterward that the early scene when the young boy is looking around in his back yard (the first encounter of the boy and the ET) would actually have been terrifying in most movies. However, we knew it was a kids' movie and so it was played for laughs. In any number of other films similar scenes have been percieved very differently. This insight was the genious behind several faux movie commercials which were generated 5-7 years ago. They took popular movies (e.g. Sleepless in Seattle) and recast them as a different genre (from Romantic Comedy to Drama-Horror). Then the over voice provided a new scenario and the exerpts from the movie took on a different twist. It was all wonderfully creative and wildly entertaining to watch. And it perfectly illustrated the power of context for seeing and interpretting.
Watching this beginning, my mind was a flutter. I knew a retreat would not have a slasher movie! Yet I found myself half expecting something bad to happen. When the car heads to a carnival the glances between characters made me wonder if they planned to rob the place. It wasn't long before a character I recongnized appeared. He is a Christian evangelist, a man with no arms or legs. I have heard him speak and he is a powerful speaker. Once again, the context matters. A man with no arms and legs evokes all manner of feeling in his hearers. Seeing him, my expectations shifted. I knew this was headed in a more traditional retreat-setting direction.
The film-parable unfolded with an actual caterpillar in a jar enterring a cocoon, even as various characters were presented as human caterpillars. As is the case in film, the story was neat and clean. In a 20 minute film it has to be. But the story was very powerful and the message resonates. "You are magnificent," the leader had proclaimed to the limbless man (whose shocking reaction served to demonstrate his unbelief that it was true). The word God occurs three times, but each time in the sentence "A man whom God Himself has turned His back upon." The limbless man, called "a man, if you could even call him a man" reminded me of the Elephant Man, a much longer movie but similar in its stunning portrayal of the humanity of those whom we would call freaks. In the end, the leader of the butterfly circus challenges the limbless man by saying, "you believe it." And then the freak becomes "every man" and the story unveils the lies for which each and everyone of us have fallen. Sometimes unbelief is not the problem, sometimes it is wrong belief.
The demonic world, the present darkness under the dominion of the Prince of this Age (satan) has provided us with distorted and perverted understanding. We do not see clearly. We see dimly, through a darkened mirror (recall ancient mirrors do not have the clarity of modern ones). So we fall victim to half truths, lies and deceptions. We use the wrong scales to measure our worth and the worth of others. We see from below and lose sight of what is seen from above. The movie's central image, the butterfly, was the dominant symbol of Jesus in the 1970's and 80's of my church life. It was a time when banner making was all the rage and most Catholic churches of my memory included at least one huge butterfly banner. The connection to resurrection was foremost. The Lord Jesus' body in the cocoon (tomb) of death gives way to the glorifed new state of his resurrection body. I never saw the butterfly as a symbol of my own journey. Yet, in truth, that is also a central message of the Gospel. We too shall be raised into a new state of being.
While not limbless, I and you gaze into a world where we each feel, from time to time, that we are a freak on display. We are beaten down by faults and failures which raise the taunt, "if you can call me human." Like John Merrick's Elephant Man, we have to clutch our God-given dignity and cry out "I am not an animal" (even if pop-science and pop-culture would say that is all we are, though more highly evolved). Like Will, the limbless man in The Butterfly Circus, we must believe the (ring) Master's declaration, "You are Magnificent!" (and with greatful hearts thank God, in Whose face we have spit, over and over again...what else is sin?) Our duty as Christians is to proclaim the Kingdom. To tell an unbelieving world that God IS and God loves His creatures. That duty is a burden for those who do not believe it and perhaps our uncertainty is why teh church does such a poor job proclaiming it.
Believing sets us free. Believing lets us see. Believing makes it possible for even the limbless one to soar and swim and become a sign of hope; light in the present darkness. I am keenly aware that many of us have not had the clarifying moment where all doubt of God's good favor and love embrace are ours. [Part of the reason is because there are numerous more ominous streams of revelation which have themes of expectation and harsher judgment.] I do not know how to balance it all out. My critics have yet to convinve me that God's love is blind to all we do. After all, much of the time we are the gaping, mocking crowd, enjoying the misfortune of others who serve as the butt of our jokes (or "better him than me" sighs of relief).
Even so, the God who demands and punishes is the same God who rescues and saves. In the end, it is His whispered "You are magnificent" (or, in Genesis, "God saw it was good", or, in Isaiah "I will never forget you, I have carved your name in the palm of my hand, or from Jesus "I have chosen you...I have loved you"). We are challenged to look beyond our flaws and errors and to embrace the promise of a fuller life. If this little movie makes it a bit easier today to do that, then it was worth watching. If you do not have time, then I hope reading this provides the same relief...
I hope you enjoy the film!
We had our annual clergy pre-Lent retreat on Monday night-Tuesday morning. One of our shared promises with each other was confidentiality. I want to honor that and will not post any of what transpired among us, beyond saying it was a good time together and I am greatful to the Bishop and the two presenters.
We watched a short movie, The Butterfly Circus, and it was the basis of our meditation. The film takes about 20 minutes and I have provided the link above. I can say it is worth seeing. If you want to see it without knowing what will happen, I suggest you click and watch right now and do not continue reading.
[Spoiler alert: really.... watch it....]
The movie is set in the Depression. It begins in a car with a child and two men. It is interesting to me the reaction I had at the beginning. I felt some foreboding and wondered exactly what was going on. I think my reaction was fueled, in part, by previous movies that the driver had been in. I googled him and found out that he is frequently in science fiction and horror movies. As you saw in the film, he is a contortionist. This leads to my first point, the power of assumptions.
Years ago E.T. was a huge box office hit. My dad commented afterward that the early scene when the young boy is looking around in his back yard (the first encounter of the boy and the ET) would actually have been terrifying in most movies. However, we knew it was a kids' movie and so it was played for laughs. In any number of other films similar scenes have been percieved very differently. This insight was the genious behind several faux movie commercials which were generated 5-7 years ago. They took popular movies (e.g. Sleepless in Seattle) and recast them as a different genre (from Romantic Comedy to Drama-Horror). Then the over voice provided a new scenario and the exerpts from the movie took on a different twist. It was all wonderfully creative and wildly entertaining to watch. And it perfectly illustrated the power of context for seeing and interpretting.
Watching this beginning, my mind was a flutter. I knew a retreat would not have a slasher movie! Yet I found myself half expecting something bad to happen. When the car heads to a carnival the glances between characters made me wonder if they planned to rob the place. It wasn't long before a character I recongnized appeared. He is a Christian evangelist, a man with no arms or legs. I have heard him speak and he is a powerful speaker. Once again, the context matters. A man with no arms and legs evokes all manner of feeling in his hearers. Seeing him, my expectations shifted. I knew this was headed in a more traditional retreat-setting direction.
The film-parable unfolded with an actual caterpillar in a jar enterring a cocoon, even as various characters were presented as human caterpillars. As is the case in film, the story was neat and clean. In a 20 minute film it has to be. But the story was very powerful and the message resonates. "You are magnificent," the leader had proclaimed to the limbless man (whose shocking reaction served to demonstrate his unbelief that it was true). The word God occurs three times, but each time in the sentence "A man whom God Himself has turned His back upon." The limbless man, called "a man, if you could even call him a man" reminded me of the Elephant Man, a much longer movie but similar in its stunning portrayal of the humanity of those whom we would call freaks. In the end, the leader of the butterfly circus challenges the limbless man by saying, "you believe it." And then the freak becomes "every man" and the story unveils the lies for which each and everyone of us have fallen. Sometimes unbelief is not the problem, sometimes it is wrong belief.
The demonic world, the present darkness under the dominion of the Prince of this Age (satan) has provided us with distorted and perverted understanding. We do not see clearly. We see dimly, through a darkened mirror (recall ancient mirrors do not have the clarity of modern ones). So we fall victim to half truths, lies and deceptions. We use the wrong scales to measure our worth and the worth of others. We see from below and lose sight of what is seen from above. The movie's central image, the butterfly, was the dominant symbol of Jesus in the 1970's and 80's of my church life. It was a time when banner making was all the rage and most Catholic churches of my memory included at least one huge butterfly banner. The connection to resurrection was foremost. The Lord Jesus' body in the cocoon (tomb) of death gives way to the glorifed new state of his resurrection body. I never saw the butterfly as a symbol of my own journey. Yet, in truth, that is also a central message of the Gospel. We too shall be raised into a new state of being.
While not limbless, I and you gaze into a world where we each feel, from time to time, that we are a freak on display. We are beaten down by faults and failures which raise the taunt, "if you can call me human." Like John Merrick's Elephant Man, we have to clutch our God-given dignity and cry out "I am not an animal" (even if pop-science and pop-culture would say that is all we are, though more highly evolved). Like Will, the limbless man in The Butterfly Circus, we must believe the (ring) Master's declaration, "You are Magnificent!" (and with greatful hearts thank God, in Whose face we have spit, over and over again...what else is sin?) Our duty as Christians is to proclaim the Kingdom. To tell an unbelieving world that God IS and God loves His creatures. That duty is a burden for those who do not believe it and perhaps our uncertainty is why teh church does such a poor job proclaiming it.
Believing sets us free. Believing lets us see. Believing makes it possible for even the limbless one to soar and swim and become a sign of hope; light in the present darkness. I am keenly aware that many of us have not had the clarifying moment where all doubt of God's good favor and love embrace are ours. [Part of the reason is because there are numerous more ominous streams of revelation which have themes of expectation and harsher judgment.] I do not know how to balance it all out. My critics have yet to convinve me that God's love is blind to all we do. After all, much of the time we are the gaping, mocking crowd, enjoying the misfortune of others who serve as the butt of our jokes (or "better him than me" sighs of relief).
Even so, the God who demands and punishes is the same God who rescues and saves. In the end, it is His whispered "You are magnificent" (or, in Genesis, "God saw it was good", or, in Isaiah "I will never forget you, I have carved your name in the palm of my hand, or from Jesus "I have chosen you...I have loved you"). We are challenged to look beyond our flaws and errors and to embrace the promise of a fuller life. If this little movie makes it a bit easier today to do that, then it was worth watching. If you do not have time, then I hope reading this provides the same relief...
I hope you enjoy the film!
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Bible Reflections
Today in the Revised Common Lectionary we have a section of Jeremiah (1:4-10) where we hear of Jeremiah's calling to be a prophet. Jeremiah is unique among the prophetic literature in that it contains so much biographical information about the man himself. Perhaps no other figure mirrors Jesus as well from the Ancient Covenant (OldTestament) texts. While Jesus' miracles have echoes in Elijah and Elisha stories and there are clear "fulfillment" allusions to Moses (see Matthew especially), it is Jeremiah whose life experiences most obviously look like Jesus. Both preach to a people under threat of annihilation. Both uttered warnings which went unheeded. Both were found guilty of offenses against the ruler of the land. While Jeremiah is rescued from death, of course, Jesus is not. Jeremiah lived to see the fall of the city and the leveling of the Temple. Jesus was forty years before that event in 70AD at the hand of Rome. Even so, knowledge of Jeremiah gives insight into Jesus.
Jeremiah's response to being called was negative. "I am only a boy" he said refusing the divine invitation. Such excuses are not uncommon in any age. It is most helpful to know that the greatest heroes of the Bible share our struggles and reluctance. Jeremiah reveals his despair on a regular basis in his writings. God gives him a rough time for it, too. The God of Jeremiah reminds me of the Father-Buck in Bambi, who stands over the wounded young deer (in a blazing fire) and bellows, "Get up, Bambi!" [Side note, Bambi, while an awesome name for a baby deer seems too cute for a full grown male...] That harder edge is not a big part of the world I grew up in (though it very much was for my dad; and his father seemed to know nothing of gentleness at all). The God revealed to (and by) Jeremiah is hard. His message is hard. There is strength and power there ("to pluck up and pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant") and a stern reminder "Do not be afraid of them." Not being afraid is a central theme of the entire Bible.
Lest the combativeness be seen as the central message, Paul's contribution from 1 Corinthians 13 (among The Bible's most famous sections) is a laser focused song of praise to love. I recently read a book which I have been asked to review on a date certain. It is about the experiences of people who have died and come back. One common feature of those experiences has been the judgment by the criteria of Love. In Paul's reflection today, one hears the words of Jesus as well. When Jesus forgives a woman in sin, He says that she has many sins which are forgiven because she has loved much. This is a stunning claim by Jesus. ttp://bible.cc/luke/7-47.htm And Paul seems to use this insight as he declares the relative uselessness of tongues, prophecy, wisdom, knowledge, understanding, faith, generosity, even martyrdom---without love they are empty and meaningless.
Paul makes it clear, right now things are not clear! we do not see yet, not the way things are. Sitting with the mystery is no excuse for fuzzy thinking (adults put aside childish ways), but it is a reminder that under the current set of circumstances, we can never fully grasp the mystery. I think the best evangelism includes great humility. We see in a mirror dimly now, it is not helpful to act like we know more than we do or see better than we do. I recall the former Archbishop of Canterbury preaching once and he said, "We know precious little about God, but what we know is precious." I love that. Pauls' focus on love as THE central act (for it is an act, and much more than a feeling) of the faithful life is actually a summary of the entire letter. I led my first Bible study at St. Andrew's on this letter in 2001. I did so because it addressed many of the issues which tear the church apart today. I recall then that the themes of this chapter recapitulate the previous chapters and reinforce what he had said. [side note, this is not about married love nor is it intended as a marriage reflection, even if it is the most popular marriage text.]
Today our church will collect money for "Souper Bowl," a clever pun on the football event which has so many folks astir. The thought is if everyone included some percent of their "game snacks" budget to donate to the hungry, we could make a huge hit on the problem. So we will toss some cash into the soup buckets and at the end of the day there will be hundreds of dollars to send to our local food pantry. Probably enough to feed several families for several days. Love in action. And hopefully that awareness will make us kinder and more loving to those around us, especially the ones we see face to face.
Courage from Jeremiah. Love from Paul.
And a reminder to worship the God Who reveals Himself in these words.
Jeremiah's response to being called was negative. "I am only a boy" he said refusing the divine invitation. Such excuses are not uncommon in any age. It is most helpful to know that the greatest heroes of the Bible share our struggles and reluctance. Jeremiah reveals his despair on a regular basis in his writings. God gives him a rough time for it, too. The God of Jeremiah reminds me of the Father-Buck in Bambi, who stands over the wounded young deer (in a blazing fire) and bellows, "Get up, Bambi!" [Side note, Bambi, while an awesome name for a baby deer seems too cute for a full grown male...] That harder edge is not a big part of the world I grew up in (though it very much was for my dad; and his father seemed to know nothing of gentleness at all). The God revealed to (and by) Jeremiah is hard. His message is hard. There is strength and power there ("to pluck up and pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant") and a stern reminder "Do not be afraid of them." Not being afraid is a central theme of the entire Bible.
Lest the combativeness be seen as the central message, Paul's contribution from 1 Corinthians 13 (among The Bible's most famous sections) is a laser focused song of praise to love. I recently read a book which I have been asked to review on a date certain. It is about the experiences of people who have died and come back. One common feature of those experiences has been the judgment by the criteria of Love. In Paul's reflection today, one hears the words of Jesus as well. When Jesus forgives a woman in sin, He says that she has many sins which are forgiven because she has loved much. This is a stunning claim by Jesus. ttp://bible.cc/luke/7-47.htm And Paul seems to use this insight as he declares the relative uselessness of tongues, prophecy, wisdom, knowledge, understanding, faith, generosity, even martyrdom---without love they are empty and meaningless.
Paul makes it clear, right now things are not clear! we do not see yet, not the way things are. Sitting with the mystery is no excuse for fuzzy thinking (adults put aside childish ways), but it is a reminder that under the current set of circumstances, we can never fully grasp the mystery. I think the best evangelism includes great humility. We see in a mirror dimly now, it is not helpful to act like we know more than we do or see better than we do. I recall the former Archbishop of Canterbury preaching once and he said, "We know precious little about God, but what we know is precious." I love that. Pauls' focus on love as THE central act (for it is an act, and much more than a feeling) of the faithful life is actually a summary of the entire letter. I led my first Bible study at St. Andrew's on this letter in 2001. I did so because it addressed many of the issues which tear the church apart today. I recall then that the themes of this chapter recapitulate the previous chapters and reinforce what he had said. [side note, this is not about married love nor is it intended as a marriage reflection, even if it is the most popular marriage text.]
Today our church will collect money for "Souper Bowl," a clever pun on the football event which has so many folks astir. The thought is if everyone included some percent of their "game snacks" budget to donate to the hungry, we could make a huge hit on the problem. So we will toss some cash into the soup buckets and at the end of the day there will be hundreds of dollars to send to our local food pantry. Probably enough to feed several families for several days. Love in action. And hopefully that awareness will make us kinder and more loving to those around us, especially the ones we see face to face.
Courage from Jeremiah. Love from Paul.
And a reminder to worship the God Who reveals Himself in these words.
Friday, February 1, 2013
If God Wrote the Bible and Competition
My last two entrees, it seems to me, have come together in my mind, so I would like to tie them together.
So without any delay (an inside pun for a friend) let's take a look.
Competition is something we are born into. The act of survival is based on effective competition. Watching pups go at the mother's milk supply, we quickly learn that those who cannot fight their way to the meal are soon pushed aside. The proverbial 'runt' of the litter is always at risk of being slowly starved to death. Human culture is similar.
All competition is not life-or-death, but some people treat it that way any how. All of us have our competitive juices flow in different settings. I admitted to being pretty worked up (and surprised by how much) at our recent Trivia Night here at the parish. The drive to succeed and the desire to win overlap. And in the heat of battle we often lose sight of our values as we make every effort to emerge victorious. I was reading once about the effectiveness of sexual morality teaching. The findings were pretty convincing that when a person is stimulated the brain begins to lose its capacity to function. Young people were much more likely to engage in "at risk" behavior when they were aroused. In other words, context changes behavior. This makes sense (hence the admonition to "avoid the near occassion of sin"). I assume that, similarly, our behaviors are impacted by psychological factors in other areas. I did a google search and found numerous studies to confirm this assumption.
[The Psychology of Rivalry http://haas.berkeley.edu/faculty/papers/stawrivalry.pdf ]
The existence of "rivalry" lends an emotional element to conflict. The relationship we have with a competitor impacts how we respond (and react). In sports it is the desire to figuratively "kill" the despised rival. We want to beat them 100 to nothing! Some rivalries are so fierce that we hear people say that they would be fine losing all their games as long as we beat them, or conversely, the near perfect record meant nothing because they beat us. Subjectivity and emotions can muddy up our cognitive function.
So what does this have to do with Divine Authorship of Sacred Scipture?
Well, the two sides of this debate have a long history or rivalry. It is full of harsh condemnation and bitter animosity. When you get sucked into the debates they quickly become personal, and the emotions clouding our thinking make it increasingly hostile. Sadly, the quest for truth is waylaid by the desire to smite the (evil) opponent. Winning becomes all we care about and crushing the opposition becomes our sole goal. We misrepresent and overstate weakness in their beliefs and ignore weaknesses or inconsistencies in our beliefs
The Fundamentalist-Modernist Wars have been raging for over one hundred years. The demonization is incredible. The Modernist disdain for "Fundies" is as vicious as the Fundamentalist condemnation of the "unbelievers." In truth, I think much of it is a function of personality styles as well. Liberal/Modernist Christianity, for all its lip service to love and tolerance, has treated the more traditional expression of the faith horribly. And no one is meaner than a traditional evangelical Christian tearing into someone who "does not believe in the Bible." And it seems that some people are predisposed to their beliefs based on their personality and temperment.
While I have a high view of revelation, I am not a Literalist. Unfortunately, those two (high view and Literal) are wedded together in the "competition" so it is assumed that if you are one you must be the other. And like all competitions it easily becomes a simplistic choice between two options. And because of the relationship history we tend to let our 'competition' and 'rivalry' influence our thinking. Many of my friends are deeply troubled by my reading of the Bible because it doesn't sound like I believe in "inerrancy." Others, being more "progressive" call me a "hater" or a "Fundamentalist" because I use too much Scripture.
Perhaps being both an Idealist (which means I approach words more sumbolically than significantly) and a Traditionalist (which means I conserve older values) and a Catholic (which means I have high regard for God's revelation in and through the church, reason and sacrament) and am influenced by evangelical Protestant thought (because I live in Memphis and it is in the air) and because I tend to want to get along (so I try to integrate different approaches even if it makes me crazy because I want closure and consistency) my approach to Scripture is broader? At any rate, I am still aware that I am driven by the culture wars and that has led me to "have to" make certain mental steps because "they" are doing what "they do" so I need to do what "we" do. As I try to engage the actual text (like yesterday with the word "immediately") and not do so as "A Defender of the Faith" or "A Champion of a New Reading for The Cause" but simply as a fallible human struggling to see the light of the face of God in this present darkness I find it is more life giving.
I wish my own experiences of the battle inside the church had not misshapen me. They have. Too late. But my readership may well reflect the reality that others want to engage the text as DIVINE REVELATION, but do so outside the paradigm of the concrete/utilitarian thinkers who demand that "IF God wrote the Bible then it must be understood in the literal way which we are espousing." I see much reason to believe that more and more folks are actually reading what the Bible says, not what it "needs" to say because that makes it fit into my preconceived ideas about divine authorship. There maybe two sides in the Modernist-Fundamentalist debate, but that debate does not need to concern us. I prefer the Ancient Church and the ancient Jewish approach. I guess that means I am in the Ancient vs. Contemporary Wars now, but those battles seem less charged. And in the end, engaging the ancient reading of the texts is so time consuming it is hard to pay much attention to the disdain and negative comments. And it seems to lead to prayer, worship and service, which are the best antidote for healing the "wounds of war."
May God be praised and blessed and may His servants serve faithfully!
So without any delay (an inside pun for a friend) let's take a look.
Competition is something we are born into. The act of survival is based on effective competition. Watching pups go at the mother's milk supply, we quickly learn that those who cannot fight their way to the meal are soon pushed aside. The proverbial 'runt' of the litter is always at risk of being slowly starved to death. Human culture is similar.
All competition is not life-or-death, but some people treat it that way any how. All of us have our competitive juices flow in different settings. I admitted to being pretty worked up (and surprised by how much) at our recent Trivia Night here at the parish. The drive to succeed and the desire to win overlap. And in the heat of battle we often lose sight of our values as we make every effort to emerge victorious. I was reading once about the effectiveness of sexual morality teaching. The findings were pretty convincing that when a person is stimulated the brain begins to lose its capacity to function. Young people were much more likely to engage in "at risk" behavior when they were aroused. In other words, context changes behavior. This makes sense (hence the admonition to "avoid the near occassion of sin"). I assume that, similarly, our behaviors are impacted by psychological factors in other areas. I did a google search and found numerous studies to confirm this assumption.
[The Psychology of Rivalry http://haas.berkeley.edu/faculty/papers/stawrivalry.pdf ]
The existence of "rivalry" lends an emotional element to conflict. The relationship we have with a competitor impacts how we respond (and react). In sports it is the desire to figuratively "kill" the despised rival. We want to beat them 100 to nothing! Some rivalries are so fierce that we hear people say that they would be fine losing all their games as long as we beat them, or conversely, the near perfect record meant nothing because they beat us. Subjectivity and emotions can muddy up our cognitive function.
So what does this have to do with Divine Authorship of Sacred Scipture?
Well, the two sides of this debate have a long history or rivalry. It is full of harsh condemnation and bitter animosity. When you get sucked into the debates they quickly become personal, and the emotions clouding our thinking make it increasingly hostile. Sadly, the quest for truth is waylaid by the desire to smite the (evil) opponent. Winning becomes all we care about and crushing the opposition becomes our sole goal. We misrepresent and overstate weakness in their beliefs and ignore weaknesses or inconsistencies in our beliefs
The Fundamentalist-Modernist Wars have been raging for over one hundred years. The demonization is incredible. The Modernist disdain for "Fundies" is as vicious as the Fundamentalist condemnation of the "unbelievers." In truth, I think much of it is a function of personality styles as well. Liberal/Modernist Christianity, for all its lip service to love and tolerance, has treated the more traditional expression of the faith horribly. And no one is meaner than a traditional evangelical Christian tearing into someone who "does not believe in the Bible." And it seems that some people are predisposed to their beliefs based on their personality and temperment.
While I have a high view of revelation, I am not a Literalist. Unfortunately, those two (high view and Literal) are wedded together in the "competition" so it is assumed that if you are one you must be the other. And like all competitions it easily becomes a simplistic choice between two options. And because of the relationship history we tend to let our 'competition' and 'rivalry' influence our thinking. Many of my friends are deeply troubled by my reading of the Bible because it doesn't sound like I believe in "inerrancy." Others, being more "progressive" call me a "hater" or a "Fundamentalist" because I use too much Scripture.
Perhaps being both an Idealist (which means I approach words more sumbolically than significantly) and a Traditionalist (which means I conserve older values) and a Catholic (which means I have high regard for God's revelation in and through the church, reason and sacrament) and am influenced by evangelical Protestant thought (because I live in Memphis and it is in the air) and because I tend to want to get along (so I try to integrate different approaches even if it makes me crazy because I want closure and consistency) my approach to Scripture is broader? At any rate, I am still aware that I am driven by the culture wars and that has led me to "have to" make certain mental steps because "they" are doing what "they do" so I need to do what "we" do. As I try to engage the actual text (like yesterday with the word "immediately") and not do so as "A Defender of the Faith" or "A Champion of a New Reading for The Cause" but simply as a fallible human struggling to see the light of the face of God in this present darkness I find it is more life giving.
I wish my own experiences of the battle inside the church had not misshapen me. They have. Too late. But my readership may well reflect the reality that others want to engage the text as DIVINE REVELATION, but do so outside the paradigm of the concrete/utilitarian thinkers who demand that "IF God wrote the Bible then it must be understood in the literal way which we are espousing." I see much reason to believe that more and more folks are actually reading what the Bible says, not what it "needs" to say because that makes it fit into my preconceived ideas about divine authorship. There maybe two sides in the Modernist-Fundamentalist debate, but that debate does not need to concern us. I prefer the Ancient Church and the ancient Jewish approach. I guess that means I am in the Ancient vs. Contemporary Wars now, but those battles seem less charged. And in the end, engaging the ancient reading of the texts is so time consuming it is hard to pay much attention to the disdain and negative comments. And it seems to lead to prayer, worship and service, which are the best antidote for healing the "wounds of war."
May God be praised and blessed and may His servants serve faithfully!
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