You Say Who You Are

What is the pressing word in your heart?

As you live each day, what spontaneously bubbles up, sort of on its own? What word or phrase just forms on your lips with minimal effort or intentionality?

• do you say "thank you" as you live the different moments. Are your eyes focused on the gift?

• are you a "Why?" person, tossing and turning life's questions about, constantly scrutinizing what takes place and demanding an explanation, be it from the Creator or your next door neighbor?
• ":what about me?" some find themselves consumed with, greedy for more, envious of others, or maybe feeling on the short end of things, cheated and mistreated.
• "o my!" some exclaim, overcome by the beauty of  the sky, a child's face, a delicate butterfly or the miracle of each breath.
• "#!&$@% You!", perhaps, summarizes your thoughts and feelings, as others seem always to be at odds, out to ruin our day, in the way.
• "I am sorry," riddled with grief for things done and left undone, too conscious of our own darkness and longing for absolution.
• "I hunger/thirst/want" an endless desire unfulfilled, always looking for the next thing or person to consume to fill the aching hole.
• "Jesus" or "God", perhaps as a prayer, perhaps as a curse, perhaps without reverence and void of content

My goodness, I find myself thinking of dozens such questions. And I think of the different types of characters who ask them, and I am aware that in different times and places all of us ask one or another. We are not singular homogenous creatures after all.

But perhaps in our prayer and quiet time we can consider which type of word springs forth spontaneously. What word we would want printed on "our personal" tee shirt to be read by anyone, known or unknown. What word would be chiseled on our tomb stone to be read one hundred years hence by wandering children, the last communication we make.

I was thinking about the words that I say, and I wonder if, when held accountable at the Judgement Day for each one spoken, I will wish I had worked harder to say better words...

Have I Got a JOB for You?

The last two days we started reading Job in church at Morning Prayer. I was asked "the" question, so might as well address it first. "Do you think Job was a real person?" I said, "No." But I want to reconsider that answer, "Yes. Job is a real person, because Job is you and I (at least in our innocent suffering). It is about human suffering, and that suffering is very,very real."

There are lots of theories about the book of Job, but it seems fair to say that it reads like Wisdom literature. The ancient Jews, like most peoples, probably had folk tales and fables as part of their oral collections. The tale seems to be a convenient way to introduce in depth argumentation known as Theodicy (explaining God and evil). The historical issue really does not matter [I think lots of contemporary Christians would give Jesus a hard time about His parables ("Who exactly was the farmer, Jesus, and where did he live?"). Personally, while a real live human Jesus seems pretty important, I cannot say the same for Job.] So, as we start, let's say that whether or not this is thoroughly factual, it remains a  TRUE story which reflects upon the question, "Why do bad things happen to good people" or "What the heck is God up to?"

Job is portrayed as Mr. Perfect living the "Good life." He is blameless and pious, and his children (7 boys, 3 girls) are in harmonious relationships with one another. Job has extensive holding and is very rich. He also makes constant sacrifices 'just in case' there have been hidden sins.

God is portrayed anthropomorphically. He is a king who asks questions of His angels. "Where have you come from?" He asks The Accuser (literally ha satan in Hebrew). Like an overly enthusiastic DA, the 'satan' is quick to question God's positive assessment of His servant Job. To paraphrase, "Well he is rich so of course he is pious, but let his fortunes turn and he will turn on You as well." So God let's the satan/accuser test Job. All his holdings are stolen, his servants killed and his children die in a collapsed house.

Job's response to the annihilation is a well known verse: "Naked I came from the womb and naked I return, the Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord."

This is called worship. It is faith. It is indifference to the benefits of living a righteous life.
It is the starting point for reflecting on our own response to misfortune, not so much looking at the actual losses from a psycho-emotional perspective, but rather in terms of God in Himself, versus God in all that He does for me.

When the accuser unleashes round two on him, festering sores and affliction, Job still maintains that holy indifference. "We take good from God, why not bad?" It is that second question each of us must ask in the face of life's cruelty and personal loss; the question after "Why me, Lord?"

Why NOT me?
Why should I not endure what others have suffered? Why should I be spared?

Asking questions about justice and fairness, or the nature of God, will follow in the chapters ahead.
I think, however, we must pause first to ponder our own response, irrespective of our circumstance.

Why do I believe in God?
How do I love God?
and is it solely a function of the accidents of my circumstances?

One Man's Efforts to Save At-risk Kids

"Ya got trouble, right here in River City...
Trouble with a capital "T" and that rhymes with "P" and that stands for pool..."

Would that such lyrics summed up the depth of the trouble our River City (Memphis) had to deal with. We are long past pool hall problems, and the ones who know that best are frequently helpless to do anything about it.

St. Andrews has had a long standing and ever deepening relationship with inner city youth and families thanks to our friendship with Norman Redwing. I have known his family since the late 1980's and my work at Holy Names Catholic. I have known Ron a long time, but did not meet Norman until working downtown Memphis at St. Mary's Cathedral. He served at the local middle school (Humes, where Elvis himself attended in the day!). Norman was an energetic worker who sought ways to reinforce the kids making an effort to better themselves and I was able to connect him with some generous donors who supplied his kids with funding for materials and activities. Schools in poor neighborhoods are doubly burdened because there is a lack of local resources available and the surrounding neighborhoods are sometimes dangerous and rarely supportive to academic success. The efforts of people like Norman are literally a life saving work. I ended up serving with a teacher group in attempting to make improvements. One was struck by the overwhelming challenges faced.

Sadly, what appears to have been an inside burglary cleaned out the audiovisual materials, television and other things. To this day I cannot understand how someone could have stolen from those needy kids. Soon after, hired by St. Andrews, I bid farewell to St. Mary's Cathedral and drove thirty miles east to (the once rural small town, now a growing, thriving suburban jewel) of Collierville and its 110 year old church. One thing I carried to this parish was a commitment to do something for folks in need. My relationship with Norman continued.

In recent years we have not only given them significant sums of money, but more importantly time and relationships. People here and there have made connections to their mutual benefit. A yearly shared meal is a time of deep blessing and joy. VBS, picnics, prayer meetings and other shared activities have been relatively easy to pull off. The remarkable difference that small things make is a reminder that we can make a bigger impact than we realize.

Norman and I speak at least weekly. I hear his joy with every success. I get reports on what happened for kids who went on a trip we sponsored, or the benefits to families at a dinner we provided. He is always focused on what redemptive works God is doing on the micro level. I hear the joy and gratitude and it is wonderful. Here lately, however, it has not all been upbeat. Two children have been shot and killed recently. He told me that there were five shootings in Memphis last night. One young man was a bystander, but he had been dabbling in gang related activities. The other child, aged 11, had the back of his head blown off. Norman repeated those words a couple times, a poignant indication of how deeply it had affected him. This was not a news story for my friend, it was his life and someone whom he knew and loved. He spoke about the shootings in Chicago and several other cities, repeating over and over "we cannot figure out what is going on and why." For some time the violence had seemed to be abating. "They are doing drive bys again," he said. He has theories. Perhaps it is a way to grab media attention. Gangs, now called "organizations" may be expanding. "Crazy initiations" may be part of the problem. He isn't sure that in some cases they are trying to kill folks, just shoot them. He wonders if police are undermanned and overworked. He and others like him are involved with information gathering and solution creation.

Yet he is always upbeat. He believes in God and loves the Lord. His own challenges (a young son with a medical condition, a job downsizing which cost him his insurance and income) are always minimized; "God is good, God is good!" That is why the folks at St. Andrews are so generous to his requests. We know Norman is doing God's work. He is the front line and we are his support team. His laughter and smile, and openness and honesty are a great gift to inner city kids and folks in the suburbs.

He was enthusiastic about me writing this blog today. He wants you to know and search your own heart for how you can help. We ask for your prayers for his work and for the children and families he serves. At core, that is what this is all about: our shared human condition.The need is so great. Please spend some time today asking the Father to bless this work. And maybe find your own angel to support in such godly work, or send Norman a bit to help him and his. There are a million stories in River City, some of them are "Trouble", it is our decision to be part of the solution.

Guiding Narrative

I am asking you to chose a novel to read. You are given four options:
1. A love story about a young woman in a forced marriage with an older man, who falls for another man. The triangle is intensified because the two men are the closest of companions.
2. A story of warriors engaged in heroic battles, culminating in a brutal war where most of them die.
3. A story of a leader who is attempting to create a utopian society. The political principles for each stage of progress are all identified.
4. Two young boys, each the illegitimate son of a national hero, come to grips with their questionable birth and their lives are tied to the future of their nation.

"None of the four sounds interesting," you say, "I would prefer something with fantasy and magic and talking animals." No problem. You can read the same book as the other four. The same book, in this case, is The Once and Future King       http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Once_and_Future_King

The story of King Arthur and Camelot (choice 3) and the exploits of his mighty knights (choice 2) begins with a fantastic tale of the education of Art ("Wart") in numerous adventures with animals (the fifth preference). At the heart of the story is Lancelot and Guinevere, who betray Arthur and are the excuse for Arthur's illegitimate son, Mordred, to lead the rebellion which destroys Camelot, but not before Lancelot's illegitimate son (Galahad) arrives to almost save the day (choice 4). One's take on the story is going to shape one's "hearing" of the story.

Most great stories are big and complex enough to contain numerous "sub" stories, lots of narrative themes. I think we all know that. So the little boy wanting action skips over the "yucky" parts (the love story). We also know that the book experience is influenced by our own experience. If your wife left you for a close friend, perhaps Lancelot would be less tragic to you and more despicable. Or if you feel your father did not love you, maybe Mordred is more justified in your mind.

Real life is not a novel. But real life experience is guided by narratives. Narratives are the summaries which we carry around in our head which are interpretive. They lead us to focus on this or that. They lead us to overlook some details and hone in on others.

Last week in a Memphis magazine I got at Kroger, there was a touching interview with our Police Chief, Toney Armstrong. He had promised his momma to return home after his stint in the military, which he did, and he went to college and became a police officer. He describes policemen as the people who, hearing about a man with a gun endangering others, rush to the danger to protect and serve. Toney Armstrong is a Black man. He is also a "Blue" man.He lives in both worlds.

The narrative of his article was police man as protector and friend. It is the narrative I learned as a child. My grandma and mom told me, "if you are ever in trouble find a policeman." I grew up waving to police as they drove by, something I continue to do this day. This does not mean that I haven't had negative experiences. It does not mean that data about police corruption, police abuse and other problems are not part of my mental model. It means that I tend to assume cops are good guys, even if some do bad things. It means that my assumption is innocent until proven guilty. Now all cops are not good guys, some cops are actually bad guys and even the best cops do bad things. In other words, there is lots of evidence which negates my thesis that the police are heroes. It is the problem with summary statements and generalities.

There is a cop in my parish. He has told me stories about his experiences. What they deal with on  a daily basis (for what is hardly a lot of money) is pretty awful. I love the guy for his faith and courage and treasure his friendship. I also know that relationship reinforces my assumptions.

There are other narratives. Each is the narrative of people with different assumptions based on different experiences. These narratives are also valid. Some children are taught "the police want to shoot you, so do not give them an excuse." We need to hear those from the perspective of another.

Politics and beliefs enters in as well. One's view of social authority and personal rights are part of the discussion. What is the cost of safety? And there is also the problem of thinking things are much easier than they really are (why didn't they just "XYZ" instead of what they did?).

It is why we hear some complain, "another racist cop executes an unarmed Black child" on the one side, while another is "huge thug robs store, assaults small employee, disrupts traffic, assaults cop before being shot and killed." It is why some make up their mind when they heard about what happened, before getting any information. They question the reliability of the witnesses whose stories do not support their preferred narrative. And race is a factor but it is not determinative. I listened to two Black men on a Black radio talk show who said things I very much agreed with. Ironically, when I write those things a white man says it is because I am afraid of black people and a racist. So where is the truth? The truth is our narratives are helpful but reality does not fit our story lines. The truth is there is blame to go around for the WHOLE mess of racial conflict.(as for the particular event, let me make clear, I do not know exactly what happened and I am not on the grand jury) The truth is that it is there are things each of us can do differently to prevent tragedies.At least most of the time. The truth is the truth is hard to come by, in part, because it messes up the clarity of our own narratives.   

So perhaps we need to ask "what are my narratives?" What are the stories which guide my hearing and inerpretting?

I think praying for peace and justice is a better use of time than arguing.
I think nurturing loving relationships with "the other" (of all different classifications) humanizes the debates.
I think knowing what our narrative is helps us to see our assumptions/prejudices.
I think listening empathetically to the narratives of others can broaden our perspectives.
I think some problems are bigger than us, and we need saving.

On Resisting God's Spirit

Got to discuss my homily with my oldest son yesterday after church. He had, ironically, talked to me last week about the issue of God "controlling everything" because of a conversation he had had a few days earlier. Basically, some one who was DUI had hit and killed an elderly man. Apparently, that man had been talking about wishing his life was over, so the statement was made that God caused the wreck so the man could die. The logic of this left my son unimpressed. I told him I was preaching on that topic in a few days; so after I had, I followed up to get his view. He is a smart and thoughtful kid and it is interesting to me to hear his insights.

He said that what I said was what he thought as well. Then he said, "When people tell me 'but God has a plan" I say, 'I believe He has a plan, but I do not think we follow the plan.'" I think that is a good summary of a very complex reality. Obviously, much more can be and needs to be said, but it is facing the right direction, as I see it.

There seems to be constant confusion about the difference between "God's plan" and "God micro-manages every detail of everything that happens." An analogy (all talk of God is analogical...) might illustrate what I am pointing towards. As a father, I have plans for my kids. I plan for them to be faithful Christians, decent human beings, hard working and successful. To that end, I have raised them in a particular environment, prayed constantly, and set down expectations (torah). Part of the plan is go to college. I do not follow them around all day and tell them what to do, although there is periodic feedback with consequences for behaviors (good and bad). God, at least in many books of the Bible (let's take Genesis) seems to be similar. He has given us freedom to choose, given us dominion, and given us space (i.e., He is not "around" all the time). Of course, He has not orphaned us and He has communicated with us (Torah, Prophets and in these last days, His Son). He works among us, He is "with us" as the Hebrew Bible says over and over; yet that presence is Spirit.

So God's plan for us includes this element of choice, a choice we can and do exercise. In MP today I read Acts again, a continuation of Stephen's last sermon. In it I read You stiff necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit... That resistance is at the core of our problem. God's "control" seems to be less than complete (because God wants us to be free to choose). The reason why seems obvious, God made us out of love and for love; love requires freedom of choice. So God chose to give us the option, Outside of time with an eternal knowledge we cannot fathom, one assumes that He knew the cost of that choice. Those who believe in the incarnation and crucifixion have an idea as well.

Yes God does punish and discipline us, yes some things are His hand at work--discernment is needed. Yet, our freedom is real because He does not control everything all the time. Tthere are times when He goes to plan B because of choices we made and things that happen (and plan C, D, X,Y,Z!) How it all works, I do not know. I just know that if God is for us we have every reason for trust and hope. We should try to obey Him and follow His plan, but we can be grateful for  Redemptive Love whenever we fail.

Joseph and God’s Control

(My homily on Genesis 45)

Last week in Sunday School I said that “all talk of God is metaphorical.” In other words, the perfection of our God is beyond human understanding. So even the most erudite theological declaration needs to be introduced with the words “God is sort of like…”

There are few places where this is more obvious than when we discuss predestination. Last week, I said that God did not make all the bad things happen to Joseph to save Israel. I also said it would have made more sense to just not cause the famine in the first place.

Today, it seems, the Word of God would contradict me…

“Do not be upset,” Joseph, “for what you did to me. God did it to preserve life… It was not you who did it to me but God did it.”

Pretty clear and straight forward, so I need to admit I am wrong and move on, right?

Well, let's read what is there; one thing to note is the source of this declaration. It is not the author of the Genesis account. Nor is it ascribed to God as a verbal revelation or the work of the Holy Spirit. It is Joseph who says it. What we have here is Joseph talking. That is important. Joseph is not speaking as a prophet saying, “Thus says the Lord.” Hence, it is fair to say that Joseph's words might just be his opinion, no different from you or I. [like when people explain why gave someone cancer, or took a loved one, etc.
]

Clearly a major point in the narrative is the brothers' concern about revenge. Joseph is trying to convince his brothers that he has no ill will against them for their treachery and evil. What he is trying to  communicate is his experience; that he has 'seen' God at work in his life, again and again. Joseph is a man of his age. He is not a contemporary theologian weighing the repercussion of his words and struggling to nuance each statement so as to factor in the complexities of Divine activity. Everything we say about God is METAPHORICAL and Joseph is declaring God’s salvation to his brothers in a simplified way. It is true that God did find a way to save His promise people through the twists and turns of Joseph's life. If the ancients used (overly) simple declarative sentences on causation (i.e., that “God did it”) that does not mean that we are freed from pondering the other things the Bible says about human choice and activity. In other words, we have to respect the way they talk (its inherent 'grammar' if you will) without a wooden literalism which oversimplifies what that must mean.

Fundamentally, the question we are confronted with is what kind of world do we live in and what kind of God is our creator? (Remember we can only “kinda” answer the question, it always falls short)

I believe that the heart of the Gospel is “our God saves.” That is literally what Jesus’ name means. If God controls every event, micromanaging each thought and choice of each person, creating every event that occurs, He cannot save. There is no need for salvation or redemption or Divine aid of any sort. IF God is already doing it then things are already fine. How can God help if He is already totally running things?

[In fact, humanly speaking, a God who creates a crisis so that He can then come in and rescue people sounds, metaphorically speaking, something like a mother suffering from Munchausen by proxy. In other words, getting treatment for the problems which He has caused. Now granted, the mystery of God’s activity may in fact make this apparent contradiction possible, but if so, then we best sit back and just do whatever we want to---because God is doing it all anyhow.]

I prefer to start with Romans 8. “if God is for us, who can be against us” gives a starting place. The efforts of others to “do us in” pale in comparison to what God is able to do for us. With that in mind, Paul can say we know that all things work together for good for those who love God. All things does not mean we want bad things,  but all things means that if bad things happen God can redeem them and use them for our good and the good of others!

You have suffered a tragic loss of some kind (probably lots of tragic losses, as I preached this word today I was overwhelmed reflecting on the large percent of divorced and widowed faces--and that is just one issue). By the redemptive power of God that loss can become the basis of an effective ministry. Does God cause a tragedy so someone can be supportive of another experiencing a similar tragedy? Perhaps, but I think not. I believe He redeems us from tragedy, brokenness and pain and by His light and love at work in us, and our own conversion and repentance and faith, we become angels of that light, messengers of hope, full of compassion and love to serve others.

In conclusion, let me share what I read in Morning Prayer Thursday which confirmed for me the idea of salvation/redemption being at the heart of the Joseph story (and not Divine puppetry). I had been working on my homily all week, I came in here to pray and reflect. The reading from Acts, a speech of Stephen, was one of the lections. In his discourse, Stephen outlined the history of salvation, looking at key figures from the Bible. First he spoke of Abraham, next Joseph. He said (Acts 7:9):

The patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into slavery, but God was with him, and rescued  him from all his afflictions and enabled him to win favor and wisdom before Pharaoh.”

That word, rescue, will occur again (7:34) in reference to Moses and the Exodus, (the Lord said) “I have surely seen the mistreatment of My people who are in Egypt and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to rescue them” (Exodus is the paradigm of salvation!)

Three other times in Acts it refers to God rescuing Peter from Herod (12:11) and Paul (23:27, 26:17) twice from the Jews. More to the point, it also occurs in Galatians 1:4 (The Lord Jesus Christ, Who rescued us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father). God redeeming, not controlling, God rescuing His people...

So what is the take away?

I believe in a God Who sees, Who hears, Who loves and cares.

I believe in a God Who saves, redeems, rescues, renews, and is with His people. He redeems our family life, our work life, our religious life, our recreation--He redeems every aspect of our lives, constantly.

I do not think that everything single thing that happens, especially human sin and evil or natural disasters is “caused by God” but they are used by God.(So rather than ask "Why did God does this to me?" we should often say, instead, "Lord have mercy, save me, redeem this bad thing and use it to transform me and glorify You!"

Like Joseph, we can say, “Whatever harm you did me, look and see what God has done, I can forgive you…” Our God rescues us and because we trust Him we can forgive others and we can face the struggles and challenges of life with hope.

soteriodos

The Christian life was originally called "The Way." They were a movement within Judaism during the Second Temple Period (which ended around 70AD when the second Temple was razed by Rome). With the expansion from Hellenist Jews to actual Gentiles, the movement took on the identity of a separate sect and the moniker, Christian, was applied to them (per Acts this happened for the first time in Antioch).

I have written before about the Didache, which is arguably a very early document, perhaps predating some of the Gospels. At any rate, attributed to "The Twelve Apostles" it is the instruction, or training, in the way. And the Greek word for way is odos. Salvation (soterio) is the central theme of the Gospel, so I have  coined a word in my title to address the general idea of the way of salvation.

Reflecting on the "two ways" (a popular Jewish and early Christian idea) in our recent Thursday class (as we slowly read this ancient text) we saw that much of what it says can be found in two sources: The Jewish Bible and Jesus. Parallels in the language to Matthew are especially noteworthy. However, for us, the key is seeing what the authors describe as The Way of Life (and the antithesis, The Way of Death).

God and humans do not currently enjoy unity. We are incarnate in a world which 'is not God' and we have sinned which has intensified the division. In my belief, God allows the world to unfold according to the laws by which He governs it. He is active in the world by sustaining its existence and by interventions to "rescue, deliver, save, redeem" from time to time. He has a plan, and in response to our choices, He 'finds a way' to achieve His ends. Sometimes we make it easy for Him, other times not so much. God's choice to save is a grace.God's love is a grace. God's call to fellowship is a grace. It is not and cannot be merited or earned. It comes to us before we do anything.

Having encountered God's graceful offer, we are left to decide. (And the state of the world makes that offer less obvious than it would have been had sin not ruled us) We can reason that there is a God. We cannot, however, have 100% certitude. And the god of our philosophical reflection may be very different from the YHWH revealed to Israel, later revealed as the Father of Jesus, and later still discerned to be the Holy Trinity. Salvation is experienced rather than postulated.

The cross and resurrection of Jesus are central to the Christian belief in salvation. Our life, in response to that salvation, is therefore shaped by the scriptures which Jesus embraced and the words of Jesus Himself.

Our faith response consists of love and obedience. It has an ethical dimension.It also has some core principles. We are all debtors (there is enough blame to go around) and should forgive the debts of others (self sacrificial mercy) are a recurring theme in Jesus teaching on prayer and in parables. He was offended by Pharisees (more a metaphor than the actual people)  who wanted to divide the world up into "the guilty" and "the innocent." In Jesus' view, everyone was to blame (even if there were degrees of blame in general, and in particular circumstances). "All have sinned" is a harsh concept. It strikes at the root of human pride. It is also the basis for the need of salvation.

In a world without sin, Jesus is a wasted breath. In a world without sin, God need not show up, we can take care of it ourselves. In a world without sin, things are fine.

But the world is definitely NOT fine, not fine at all.
so there is need.
but first we must face the truth, we are all guilty. all. and there is enough blame to go  around. and we need to look in the mirror and repent of our own sin, rather than look out the window to cast blame... As Jesus said, why look at the speck in your brothers eye when there is a log in your own.

In the soteriodos, the way of salvation:it is grace, faith, repentance, conversion, love, self sacrifice, mercy received and mercy given. Not to earn salvation, but to actualize and live it.And it looks like dying on a cross.