Redeemer Devotions - 8 March, 2010

Adventures... in Hope - Redeemer Devotions  Today starts a new adventure in a new book.  A section of Walter Brueggemann's book "Texts that Linger, Words that Explode, called 'Always in the Shadow of Empire." The reasons why our time is now commonly judged to be a season of tension are not difficult to detect.  It seems evident that technological individualism coupled with unlimited and unbridled corporate power and corporate wealth that appear to be beyond the governance of nation-states has created a set of cultural values that are aggressively antihuman.  There are times when church and cultural context can live in some kind of mutuality; but this is not one of those times, for gospel rootage requires resistance to such aggressive antihumanism.  Such resistance in turn requires great intentionality, embodied in concrete disciplines of body, mind and heart.  For without such disciplines, it is evident that the church community will either be massaged and seduced until it is co-opted, or it will end in the powerlessness of despair.  For an opening thought at the beginning of a chapter, I've been sucked in.  There are not enough words being spoken or written about how a counter-cultural reality like the church is to live in, with, and under the culture of the day.  Even the movement that deal primarily with how we worship or the setting of worship or the setting of study do not address the character of the body of Christ in a culture that has written itself all over us.  Counter-cultural has become nothing more than putting another face - maybe a age appropriate or community appropriate face - on the same old antihuman practices of society as we have it.  I'm not a very disciplined person and yet I realize that if I do not have a way to remind me of what is the life of the Reign of God I will be a part of the whole system.  That is not to say that I am not a part of the whole system.  Geez, I'm so much a part of it - I must, absolutely must, be aware of how easy it is to slip into the subtle ways of culture that can eventually overwhelm me and turn me away from the way of Jesus.  What will stick with me - at least for today - will be these words "technological individualism coupled with unlimited and unbridled corporate power and corporate wealth.  They will stick because they need to stick - like a warning light so that I move in another direction or treat it all as an alien power.    Connection: How hard is it to re-view everything about the day?  The church is a people who re-view things together.  In that way, we do not lose ourselves or become too easily seduced.   Already, O God, you take us by the hand and tell us to hold on.  We need to hold on because there are so many other things that attempt to win our hearts and our lives.  By the power of your Spirit, inspire our vision and our actions. Amen.  Sunday, March 7, 2010 Test Adventures... in Hope - Redeemer Devotions  Today starts a new adventure in a new book.  A section of Walter Brueggemann's book "Texts that Linger, Words that Explode, called 'Always in the Shadow of Empire." The reasons why our time is now commonly judged to be a season of tension are not difficult to detect.  It seems evident that technological individualism coupled with unlimited and unbridled corporate power and corporate wealth that appear to be beyond the governance of nation-states has created a set of cultural values that are aggressively antihuman.  There are times when church and cultural context can live in some kind of mutuality; but this is not one of those times, for gospel rootage requires resistance to such aggressive antihumanism.  Such resistance in turn requires great intentionality, embodied in concrete disciplines of body, mind and heart.  For without such disciplines, it is evident that the church community will either be massaged and seduced until it is co-opted, or it will end in the powerlessness of despair.  For an opening thought at the beginning of a chapter, I've been sucked in.  There are not enough words being spoken or written about how a counter-cultural reality like the church is to live in, with, and under the culture of the day.  Even the movement that deal primarily with how we worship or the setting of worship or the setting of study do not address the character of the body of Christ in a culture that has written itself all over us.  Counter-cultural has become nothing more than putting another face - maybe a age appropriate or community appropriate face - on the same old antihuman practices of society as we have it.  I'm not a very disciplined person and yet I realize that if I do not have a way to remind me of what is the life of the Reign of God I will be a part of the whole system.  That is not to say that I am not a part of the whole system.  Geez, I'm so much a part of it - I must, absolutely must, be aware of how easy it is to slip into the subtle ways of culture that can eventually overwhelm me and turn me away from the way of Jesus.  What will stick with me - at least for today - will be these words "technological individualism coupled with unlimited and unbridled corporate power and corporate wealth.  They will stick because they need to stick - like a warning light so that I move in another direction or treat it all as an alien power.    Connection: How hard is it to re-view everything about the day?  The church is a people who re-view things together.  In that way, we do not lose ourselves or become too easily seduced.   Already, O God, you take us by the hand and tell us to hold on.  We need to hold on because there are so many other things that attempt to win our hearts and our lives.  By the power of your Spirit, inspire our vision and our actions. Amen.  Test Adventures... in Hope - Redeemer Devotions  Today starts a new adventure in a new book.  A section of Walter Brueggemann's book "Texts that Linger, Words that Explode, called 'Always in the Shadow of Empire." The reasons why our time is now commonly judged to be a season of tension are not difficult to detect.  It seems evident that technological individualism coupled with unlimited and unbridled corporate power and corporate wealth that appear to be beyond the governance of nation-states has created a set of cultural values that are aggressively antihuman.  There are times when church and cultural context can live in some kind of mutuality; but this is not one of those times, for gospel rootage requires resistance to such aggressive antihumanism.  Such resistance in turn requires great intentionality, embodied in concrete disciplines of body, mind and heart.  For without such disciplines, it is evident that the church community will either be massaged and seduced until it is co-opted, or it will end in the powerlessness of despair.  For an opening thought at the beginning of a chapter, I've been sucked in.  There are not enough words being spoken or written about how a counter-cultural reality like the church is to live in, with, and under the culture of the day.  Even the movement that deal primarily with how we worship or the setting of worship or the setting of study do not address the character of the body of Christ in a culture that has written itself all over us.  Counter-cultural has become nothing more than putting another face - maybe a age appropriate or community appropriate face - on the same old antihuman practices of society as we have it.  I'm not a very disciplined person and yet I realize that if I do not have a way to remind me of what is the life of the Reign of God I will be a part of the whole system.  That is not to say that I am not a part of the whole system.  Geez, I'm so much a part of it - I must, absolutely must, be aware of how easy it is to slip into the subtle ways of culture that can eventually overwhelm me and turn me away from the way of Jesus.  What will stick with me - at least for today - will be these words "technological individualism coupled with unlimited and unbridled corporate power and corporate wealth.  They will stick because they need to stick - like a warning light so that I move in another direction or treat it all as an alien power.    Connection: How hard is it to re-view everything about the day?  The church is a people who re-view things together.  In that way, we do not lose ourselves or become too easily seduced.   Already, O God, you take us by the hand and tell us to hold on.  We need to hold on because there are so many other things that attempt to win our hearts and our lives.  By the power of your Spirit, inspire our vision and our actions. Amen.  New Delivery Software in use... Redeemer is in the process of switching to a new software service to deliver group e-mails.  Please contact webmaster@redeemerluth.com if you have any issues, suggestions, or thoughts on this new service.  Thank you. 614-237-1263 Forward email This email was sent to mrcville.skdfdls237467asdasd7@blogger.com by webmaster@redeemerluth.com. Update Profile/Email Address | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe™ | Privacy Policy. Email Marketing by Redeemer Lutheran Church | 1555 S. James Road | Columbus | OH | 43227 Redeemer Devotions - 5 March, 2010 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Adventures... in Hope - Redeemer Devotions ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ================================================================================ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The week ends as we end a chapter from "Following Jesus in a Culture of Fear" by Scott Bader-Saye. "Paul Wadell makes the observation that "it is much easier to take the risk of loving someone when we know we are loved and cherished by another." In other words, the presence of a loving community makes it easier to take the risk of extending love to someone outside the community. Here we come back to the connection of hospitality and courage.... The brothers of Taize are able to take the risk of loving and welcoming the stranger, even the potentially dangerous stranger, because they share a common life in which their common love supports the extension of that love to others. And though such love can be risky, as Brother Roger's murder powerfully underscored, the risks of such actions are not borne by one individual alone. There can be no solution to the problem of fear without the existence of communities capable of bearing fear together. We need to remember the part about 'bearing fear together." The fear is there - in all of us. And yet, when it is shared, the community that shares a love for one another and the whole world is a community that helps us bear that fear. We can live with it present and we can begin face it without letting the fear reign. I find it especially important to bring together hospitality and courage. The whole image of opening up one's self or for a community to open wide its doors is a courageous act. And yet, that is where the community is able to demonstrate a new way to be in our fear-filled world. It is also the way the community brings in others who long to be wrapped up in a loving welcome when fear is pursuing them and attempting to own them. So, on Sunday morning and each day the doors of our church buildings are open and the church is there as the community of Christ-like hospitality, others are given the opportunity to come and see that strangers have a place as do all the regulars. We will gather together and shape a people who bear one another's fears. Connection: Like a stretch that can only go so far today and then goes a bit farther or maybe even goes a bit easier - we stretch ourselves whenever we welcome others in the face of what we fear. Sometimes - it takes time. That is when we need each other to guide us beyond the places in which we tend to get stuck. Lord God, you have a history of stretching your people in every age. You move us to go beyond the limits we so readily set for ourselves. And then, we are caught up in the miracle that is your Reign - a life that expands to see and hear and be a part of the holy. We give you thanks. Amen. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tuesday, February 16, 2010 Tuesday 16 February 2010 Well, on this Fat Tuesday, I'm taking a break from Michael Battle and Desmond Tutu but not from the spirit of their work. In a video course a few weeks ago, one of the presenters spoke briefly about that which is natural and unnatural and how we use those words to restrict full inclusion in the Church. This was particularly pertaining to GLBT saints...but it is most powerful in its original sense. When we talk about what is natural and what is unnatural we need only look at one very powerful image of the body of Christ. It is the image of branches grafted onto another tree or vine. The church becomes one body through an unnatural means. The original plant and the branch are bound together. It is not something that happens in nature. Rather, we are enriched by a "hybrid" plant because that which was not the same becomes the same - one body. There is no talk of rejection here. The graft takes...that is the storyline. All are grafted onto the vine...all. It is quite unnatural for any of us to be a part of the body of Christ. It is a complete gift that often brings about a wonderful display of new growth and production of fine fruit. Ha! And yet, many clang their pots and pans in utter disgust when we call for full inclusion. Such a movement is considered heresy by some in our church. Good grief, are we going to enter another Lent with many unwilling to trust that God makes of us what God makes of us. The waters of baptism determine our place within the body of Christ. I think it is quite unnatural that the church welcomes me and allows me to be a called and ordained pastor in our church. And yet, even me - knothead as I was and still can be - has been invited to share in the full ministry and mission of the church. The dividing lines have been and continue to be nothing more than a way to knock us all off course and limit the power of God's unnatural way of making a holy people at whom the world will look with wonder and - possibly even disgust. I add disgust because each time the church tries to include "those" of different stripes, we hear words of disgust that burn "like hell." For within our own natural ways of calling the shots, we too often cannot and will not accept anything but our own hell that we have created so well - even against the will of our God. Connection: Never stop welcoming and bring on board all of God's Beloved...all of us. In the midst of your people raise up a vision of your Reign that will not fall for the weak promises of special interests and unfounded fears. We need your Spirit, O God. amen. Monday, February 15, 2010 Monday 15 February 2010 Bishop Tutu writes of black theology and black consciousness. Black theology merely incarnates the Christian faith for blacks, just German, Scandinavian and other types of theology incarnate the Christian faith for their various peoples. Black theology is firmly biblical. I am ready to demonstrate this to anyone who is willing to listen. Black consciousness is of God. Our Lord said the two major laws are "Love God and thy neighbor as thyself." A proper self-love is an indispensable ingredient to love of others. Black consciousness seeks to awake in the black person an awareness of their worth as a child of God. Apartheid, oppression, and injustice are blasphemous and evil because they have made God's children doubt that they are God's children. It is this ending statement that is so powerful for me today. We have enough trouble accepting the outrageous and gracious love of God to have any voice...any voice - deny that there are any of God's beloved who are not children of God. One odd argument I hear about full-inclusion of glbt sisters and brother in the ELCA is that no one denies that they are children of God. The argument goes on to say that we must love them as brothers and sisters but we must stir them from their ways. Odd. How can one trust that they are God's children if they are limited as to how they can be within the household of God when the rest of us can be there under any condition. Odd. Some try to say that we must love our glbt brothers and sisters so much that we will prayerfully attempt to help them correct their "unnatural ways." Odd. In the name of the risen Christ, Jesus, our worth - the worth of all of us - is set in place and cannot be downgraded or limited. It is only through being a full child of God that the whole community begins to see the gift and marvel of each and every one of us. No limits. No controls. Freely liberated and freely loved - all. Some may call that odd. I call it the glory of God. Connection: It is always a bit amusing to me that the those in power or those who seem to want to control how the world turns and how the Reign of God is established among us are rarely called blasphemous. And yet, the limits...the rejection...the fear...the anxiety...the half-truths - all seem to develop a world of blasphemy instead of a sacred rule of grace. Be the God who is maker of all. We long for your presence daily and we long for you ways to become our ways. As the world turns, turn us around again and again until we are not quite sure where we are going. For then, we may just run into someone we have been trying to remove from among us and we will be handed the opportunity to see them with new eyes. Amen. Thursday, February 11, 2010 Friday 12 February 2010 Let's end the week with this sturdy piece. Tutu's model of Ubuntu seeks to be a conduit of this holiness in the midst of a society's unholy alliance with apartheid. In this context, Ubuntu is a vital concept by which Tutu aims to move his society toward reconciliation in which racial and cultural differences are no longer placed in hierarchical forms of power. Tutu's theological model exposes the fragility of human identity through the means of God's kenotic (uniting) entry into creation.... "As the image of God, as mirror, we must learn to know that our kenosis (think union with Christ/God) is our potency." Like God, and in God's image, human beings are to be persons who no longer claim power of hegemonic identities as they move toward being born anew into a society capable of containing difference without such difference destroying itself. We are not stuck with the way things have been and the way the powers have handed us life. We are the beloved of God who reveal that love by being just who we are - people in union with God. Don't be afraid of the language. Rather, be the words...made flesh...reconciliation alive...mercy on display. In the face of the brutalities of our world, we come with another face - that of our God who will not call others unholy or despised or dirty or less. This is the disarming aspect of the beloved community - it longs to love enemy as though enemy is beloved and therefore part of the unfolding of God's liberating power that is meant to be as real as our presence. Connection: We need not destroy that which is different. I may be in that difference we are handed a gift that turns our world upside down and offers life as we never anticipated it. In your image, O God, we move out into this day. We are not always sure of how your way will become our way because we are so pulled by the ways of this world. So pull us with you and show us - again - your life that is light for the world. Amen. Subscribe to: Posts (Atom) About Me The Right Reverend Rant Sometimes I simply need to put in print how I see and hear things. Sometimes it can be a rant. Sometimes the Reign of God shines through it all. 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