Have you ever felt that life was passing you by? Too old, you think, to be of any real good. Too old to be used. Two stories come to mind, one from the new testament and one from the old.
"In the days of Herod, King of Judea, there was a certain priest named Zachariah, of the course of Abijah, and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord, blameless. And they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in their days" (Luke 1:5-7).
It was to Zachariah and Elizabeth, advanced in years, that a child would be born. "It is he who will go before him (the Messiah) in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the prudence of the righteous, to prepare for the Lord a people made ready" (Luke 1:17). Of course, it was the angel Gabriel speaking words of hope to a hopeless old man and his barren wife, the parents of John the Baptist.
"Then Abraham fell upon his face and laughed and said in his heart, Will a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a son?" (Gen. 17:17)
"Now Abraham and Sarah were old and advanced in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah according to the manner of women. And Sarah laughed within herself, saying, after I have become old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? " (Gen. 18:11-12)
Both Abraham and Sarah laughed. It was a silly thought. We are too old to bear children; and of course, Isaac, the promised son, is born. Don't you get it? You are never too old. It is never too late. God is not done with you yet.
God is in the house, and great things will yet come of his promise. Laugh if you will, God is not finished the work that he has started, "The Lord cared for Sarah as he had said and did for her what he had promised. Sarah become pregnant and gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. Everything happened at the time God said it would. Abraham named his son Isaac, the son Sarah gave birth to. He circumcised Isaac when he was eight days old as God had commanded. Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born. And Sarah said, God has made me laugh. Everyone who hears this will laugh with me; no one thought that I would be able to have Abraham's child, but even though Abraham is old I have given him a son" (Gen. 21:1-7).
"And when it was time for Elizabeth to give birth, she had a boy. Her neighbours and relatives heard how good the lord was to her, and they rejoiced with her. When the baby was eight days old they came to circumcise him. They wanted to name him Zachariah because this was his father's name, but his mother said, NO! He will be named John" (Luke 1:57-60).
Can you hear the laughter ringing through the annuls of the ages? Rejoice, laugh with the barren, nothing is impossible with God. Age nor infirmity stand in God's way. When God is in the house, GOD IS IN THE HOUSE! What will come from you is a story yet to be told.
Shortly after I turned fifty-four I had an audible experience with God. I had just returned from the 75th anniversary of the little church in Rocanville, Saskatchewan, where I first came to faith some 45 years previously. I was sitting at the computer, writing; and I said to God that it would be really cool if he would give me enough years to attend the 100th anniversary of the little church. It was then that I heard an audible voice. "I will give you till you are 81."
Quickly doing the figures I realized that if God would give me till I was eight-one, if he would give me till I was eighty-four, not only would I celebrate 100 years with the little church, but I would, as well, cellebrate fifty years of married life with Gina. And again, I heard an audible voice, "I will give you till your eighty-one. DO THE MATH!"
Now, what kind of thing is that for God to say, "DO THE MATH."
Then, it suddenly struck me, Although I had first come to faith as a nine year old child, my journey had not always been on the way with Christ. It was not until my 27th year that I came to a radical decision to follow Jesus whole-heartedly; and here I was 27 years later discussing time with God. I began to do the math. 27 plus 27 equal 54. Now guess how many years between 54 and 81. You don't have to guess, I'll tell you-27. I was entering my third trimester of life. If I was to do as much new stuff in my third trimester as I did in my second, life was about to become, for you racing fans, super charged.
That conversation occurred just four years ago. So much has happened it would sound like a fairy tale to tell it all, and it has only just begun. I don't know what is in store over the next 23 years, but I know that it is not too late. I am not too old. How will it end? It will end in glory. You see, at the end of the third trimester, a new birth happens. Zachariah and Elizabeth gave birth to John. Abraham and Sarah gave birth to Isaac. I will be born into the kingdom. 81 years will not end the story, it is really just beginning, and oh, what a journey is it sizing up to be. God is in the house.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Friday, September 28, 2007
Who is Like Unto You
"Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity, and passing over the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, for he delights in loving-kindness. He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. And you will cast into the depths of the sea all their sins. You will perform truth for Jacob, and loving-kindness to Abraham, which you have sworn to our fathers from the days of old" (Micah 7:18-20).
The past days have simply been unreal. In the midst of my failures, sins, iniquities, and transgressions, God has delighted in showering us with loving-kindness. I am working full time, and that is the least of it all. In the past four days God has given us a four bedroom house in the community for less monthly rent than the owner's morgage payment. And the thoughts of God are manifold. The house has a two car-car port. We don't have a car! The house is off the market until next summer, and I have already said to the realitor, that perhaps God, in all his mercy, will provide us with the down payment that we might purchase the house we will live in for the next 8 months. Is it possible? Nothing is impossible with God!
In the original text, Luke uses the word RHEMA when he says to Mary that "no word will be impossible with God" (Luke 1:37). God is in the house, and nothing is impossible.
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! - 1 John 3:1a
"I have an important business meeting in the morning. Would you please set the alarm for 5:30 a.m.?" I said to my wife."Oh, that won't be necessary. Just tell the Lord what time you want to wake up. He does it for me all the time," my wife said.I rolled my eyes in disbelief. "Well, I'd feel more comfortable if we set the alarm.""Okay, ye of little faith. But just to prove my point I am going to ask the Lord to wake us up just before 5:30."The next morning I awoke before the alarm went off. I looked at the clock. It read 5:15. I looked at my wife, who had just awakened at the same time with an I-told-you-so smile.Sometimes we wrongfully view God as someone we go to for only the "big things." The idea of "bothering God" for such a trivial matter seems foolish and presumptuous. However, when you were a child and had to get up in the morning for school, didn't your mom or dad come wake you up? They were your parents, and you could come to them with the most trivial concerns or requests. Why would our heavenly Father be any less approachable? Perhaps our problem is that we simply have not developed a level of intimacy with God so that we feel the freedom to approach Him at these daily, routine levels. We often operate with an unwritten code that says our needs must have a certain degree of importance or crisis before we come to God with them. This is not God's character towards us.Does the Lord desire this level of intimacy with you and me? The apostle Paul exhorted us to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thess. 5:17 KJV). There is never a caution to pray only about matters of greater importance.Today, go to God with matters that you might view as trivial and would normally avoid bringing to God. Ask God to increase your level of intimacy with Him. You may even be able to get rid of your alarm clock (Os Hillman-Today God is First)
The past days have simply been unreal. In the midst of my failures, sins, iniquities, and transgressions, God has delighted in showering us with loving-kindness. I am working full time, and that is the least of it all. In the past four days God has given us a four bedroom house in the community for less monthly rent than the owner's morgage payment. And the thoughts of God are manifold. The house has a two car-car port. We don't have a car! The house is off the market until next summer, and I have already said to the realitor, that perhaps God, in all his mercy, will provide us with the down payment that we might purchase the house we will live in for the next 8 months. Is it possible? Nothing is impossible with God!
In the original text, Luke uses the word RHEMA when he says to Mary that "no word will be impossible with God" (Luke 1:37). God is in the house, and nothing is impossible.
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! - 1 John 3:1a
"I have an important business meeting in the morning. Would you please set the alarm for 5:30 a.m.?" I said to my wife."Oh, that won't be necessary. Just tell the Lord what time you want to wake up. He does it for me all the time," my wife said.I rolled my eyes in disbelief. "Well, I'd feel more comfortable if we set the alarm.""Okay, ye of little faith. But just to prove my point I am going to ask the Lord to wake us up just before 5:30."The next morning I awoke before the alarm went off. I looked at the clock. It read 5:15. I looked at my wife, who had just awakened at the same time with an I-told-you-so smile.Sometimes we wrongfully view God as someone we go to for only the "big things." The idea of "bothering God" for such a trivial matter seems foolish and presumptuous. However, when you were a child and had to get up in the morning for school, didn't your mom or dad come wake you up? They were your parents, and you could come to them with the most trivial concerns or requests. Why would our heavenly Father be any less approachable? Perhaps our problem is that we simply have not developed a level of intimacy with God so that we feel the freedom to approach Him at these daily, routine levels. We often operate with an unwritten code that says our needs must have a certain degree of importance or crisis before we come to God with them. This is not God's character towards us.Does the Lord desire this level of intimacy with you and me? The apostle Paul exhorted us to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thess. 5:17 KJV). There is never a caution to pray only about matters of greater importance.Today, go to God with matters that you might view as trivial and would normally avoid bringing to God. Ask God to increase your level of intimacy with Him. You may even be able to get rid of your alarm clock (Os Hillman-Today God is First)
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
A High Calling
Learn from your mistakes! While I was in Alert Bay, we had a new believer's Bible Study. One of those who attended said an incredibly important thing during the discussion period. He reminded us of a past premier of British Columbia. He said, "It was the right place; it was the right job; it was the right time; and he was the right man." He then looked right at me and said, "Arnet, are you the right man." His question has stayed with me this past four years.
As I look back on the Alert Bay experience, I think that it was perhaps the right place (Alert Bay is a wonderful community); I think perhaps it was the right time (the church was failing and would soon close its doors); but, was it the right job, or was I the right man? I pretty much forced myself on the congregation. They could hardly refuse my offer of service, but I was not the right man, nor was it the right job.
The question arises, what is the right job? Jesus, in his discourse, on the return of the Son of Man, said a most reveiling thing: "Be careful! Always be ready, because you don't know when that time will be. It is like a man who goes on a trip. He leaves his house and lets his servants take care of it, giving each one a special job to do" (Mark 13:33-34a).
How do you know what is that special job he has given to you? Jesus' answer is more criptic: we are "Always to be watchful. So always be ready, because you don't know when the owner of the house will come back. It might be in the evening, or at midnight, or in the morning, while it is still dark, or when the sun rises. Always be ready. Otherwise he might come back suddenly and find you sleeping. I tell you this, and I say this to everyone, BE READY!" (Mark 13:34b-37).
I take from this that we must always be alert to the possibility that the job in which we find ourselves is the right job. This is the right place (Heaven belongs to the Lord, but he gave the earth to people-Psm 115:16); it is the right time (You don't know when the owner of the house will come back-Mark 13:35); we can be assured that if we are fully and wholly consecrated unto him we are his servants (He leaves his home and lets his servants take care of it-Mark 13:34b). The question now is not whether it is the right job, but are we watchful enough to recognize the truth? Are we ready?
The high calling of working in the market place demands that we must first be watchful, lest we be found sleeping on the job. Each one of us has been given a special job to do. We must keep our eyes open and be ready to leap at his call and to move at his command. Keep your eyes wide open. Be aware and be ready to move. This could be the day.
Are the failures of our past, simply that-failures, or are they stepping stones on the journey? I like to think that Jesus will not catch me sleeping, but will find me with eyes wide open; my mind tight, and my back straight, ready to do his will. Will I make mistakes? To be sure! But sooner to have taken the risk and lost, than not to have taken the risk at all.
Thomas Edison was once asked how many tries before the light he was working on stayed lit. When he responded 1000 efforts before the last one worked and the light stayed lit, the questioner said, "How discouraging to have failed 999 times." To which Edison replied, "Not one failure, but 999 different ways not to do it again."
It is easier to change direction in a boat in the wind, than a boat stalled in the doldrums. We must be in motion to be steered. So, sail on. Catch the wind. Let Jesus change your directions as you go, sails tight and full.
As I look back on the Alert Bay experience, I think that it was perhaps the right place (Alert Bay is a wonderful community); I think perhaps it was the right time (the church was failing and would soon close its doors); but, was it the right job, or was I the right man? I pretty much forced myself on the congregation. They could hardly refuse my offer of service, but I was not the right man, nor was it the right job.
The question arises, what is the right job? Jesus, in his discourse, on the return of the Son of Man, said a most reveiling thing: "Be careful! Always be ready, because you don't know when that time will be. It is like a man who goes on a trip. He leaves his house and lets his servants take care of it, giving each one a special job to do" (Mark 13:33-34a).
How do you know what is that special job he has given to you? Jesus' answer is more criptic: we are "Always to be watchful. So always be ready, because you don't know when the owner of the house will come back. It might be in the evening, or at midnight, or in the morning, while it is still dark, or when the sun rises. Always be ready. Otherwise he might come back suddenly and find you sleeping. I tell you this, and I say this to everyone, BE READY!" (Mark 13:34b-37).
I take from this that we must always be alert to the possibility that the job in which we find ourselves is the right job. This is the right place (Heaven belongs to the Lord, but he gave the earth to people-Psm 115:16); it is the right time (You don't know when the owner of the house will come back-Mark 13:35); we can be assured that if we are fully and wholly consecrated unto him we are his servants (He leaves his home and lets his servants take care of it-Mark 13:34b). The question now is not whether it is the right job, but are we watchful enough to recognize the truth? Are we ready?
The high calling of working in the market place demands that we must first be watchful, lest we be found sleeping on the job. Each one of us has been given a special job to do. We must keep our eyes open and be ready to leap at his call and to move at his command. Keep your eyes wide open. Be aware and be ready to move. This could be the day.
Are the failures of our past, simply that-failures, or are they stepping stones on the journey? I like to think that Jesus will not catch me sleeping, but will find me with eyes wide open; my mind tight, and my back straight, ready to do his will. Will I make mistakes? To be sure! But sooner to have taken the risk and lost, than not to have taken the risk at all.
Thomas Edison was once asked how many tries before the light he was working on stayed lit. When he responded 1000 efforts before the last one worked and the light stayed lit, the questioner said, "How discouraging to have failed 999 times." To which Edison replied, "Not one failure, but 999 different ways not to do it again."
It is easier to change direction in a boat in the wind, than a boat stalled in the doldrums. We must be in motion to be steered. So, sail on. Catch the wind. Let Jesus change your directions as you go, sails tight and full.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Contemplate
"If people want to follow me, they must give up the things they want..." Mark 8:34b.
"What do you want me to do for you? And the blind man said to him, Rabonni, that I might receive my sight. And Jesus said, to him, Go; your faith has healed you" (Mark 10:52).
The mind must not form an opinion about whether this seeming contradiction is good or bad, useful or useless. The mind must actually open and consider, what does Jesus really mean? The mental state is really important. It is not the mind which has fixed views and prejudicies, thinking that it knows it all, or which just takes what other people say as being the truth. it is the mind that is open and can reflect upon something that we can see within our own valley of vision, "for there is a day of turmoil and trampling down and confusion with the Lord Yahweh of Hosts in the valley of vision, a breaking down of walls and crying to the mountains (Isaiah 22:5)."
It takes special kind of willingness to ponder and investigate, getting beyond the gross and obvious. It takes a willingness to actually look at one's own reactions to be able to see the attachments and to contemplate...
Jesus asked "Bartimaeus , what do you want.
Bartimaeus replies,"I want to see."
Jesus says, "Go, you are healed because you believed."
At once the man could see, and he followed Jesus on the road-Mark 10:52.
In order to best understand the seeming contradiction between Jesus' statement in Mark 8:34 and 10:52, we must consider what is it that only blind Bartimaeus saw.
"At once the man could see." His discourse began with the cry for mercy, "Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me," and ended in an enlightenment. "The man at once could see;" And what he saw was that he was in need of mercy, undeserved favour, unmeritted grace, to be all that God created him to be, and to do all that he was called to do.
Mercy:
those who want to follow Jesus, but find themselves unable to give up the things that they want, they need it;
The rich young ruler, he needed it;
James and John (the sons of thunder) needed it;
Peter , James, and John needed it on the mountain;
The tormented father needed it;
the possessed child needed it;
the disciples all need it;
the intolerant need it;
the divorced need it;
the adulterous need it;
little children need it;
slave owners need it;
slaves need it;
the people on the road all need it;
You need it;
and I need it.
Bartimaeus knew that he needed it.
Then like a flash of lightning, Bartimaeus, understood everything; and, as he thought upon it, in his mind's eye he saw. He saw the mercy of God, undeserved favour, unmeritted grace, and in that moment he understood, and he cried out for mercy.
So it is with you and I. Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on us.
"What do you want me to do for you? And the blind man said to him, Rabonni, that I might receive my sight. And Jesus said, to him, Go; your faith has healed you" (Mark 10:52).
The mind must not form an opinion about whether this seeming contradiction is good or bad, useful or useless. The mind must actually open and consider, what does Jesus really mean? The mental state is really important. It is not the mind which has fixed views and prejudicies, thinking that it knows it all, or which just takes what other people say as being the truth. it is the mind that is open and can reflect upon something that we can see within our own valley of vision, "for there is a day of turmoil and trampling down and confusion with the Lord Yahweh of Hosts in the valley of vision, a breaking down of walls and crying to the mountains (Isaiah 22:5)."
It takes special kind of willingness to ponder and investigate, getting beyond the gross and obvious. It takes a willingness to actually look at one's own reactions to be able to see the attachments and to contemplate...
Jesus asked "Bartimaeus , what do you want.
Bartimaeus replies,"I want to see."
Jesus says, "Go, you are healed because you believed."
At once the man could see, and he followed Jesus on the road-Mark 10:52.
In order to best understand the seeming contradiction between Jesus' statement in Mark 8:34 and 10:52, we must consider what is it that only blind Bartimaeus saw.
"At once the man could see." His discourse began with the cry for mercy, "Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me," and ended in an enlightenment. "The man at once could see;" And what he saw was that he was in need of mercy, undeserved favour, unmeritted grace, to be all that God created him to be, and to do all that he was called to do.
Mercy:
those who want to follow Jesus, but find themselves unable to give up the things that they want, they need it;
The rich young ruler, he needed it;
James and John (the sons of thunder) needed it;
Peter , James, and John needed it on the mountain;
The tormented father needed it;
the possessed child needed it;
the disciples all need it;
the intolerant need it;
the divorced need it;
the adulterous need it;
little children need it;
slave owners need it;
slaves need it;
the people on the road all need it;
You need it;
and I need it.
Bartimaeus knew that he needed it.
Then like a flash of lightning, Bartimaeus, understood everything; and, as he thought upon it, in his mind's eye he saw. He saw the mercy of God, undeserved favour, unmeritted grace, and in that moment he understood, and he cried out for mercy.
So it is with you and I. Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on us.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
On the Road Again...
It's a great day! Here's a highway tune to speed you hopefully on your way. I think of this tune when I get a little lost; On The Road Again
On the road again,
Just can't wait to get on the road again.
The life I love is makin' music with my friends,
And I can't wait to get on the road again.
On the road again, Goin' places that I've never been,
Seein' things that I may never see again,
And I can't wait to get on the road again.
On the road again,
Like a band of gypsies we go down the highway.
We're the best of friends, Insisting that the world be turnin' our way,
And our way Is on the road again.
Just can't wait to get on the road again.
The life I love is makin' music with my friends,
And I can't wait to get on the road again.
On the road again,
Just can't wait to get on the road again.
The life I love is makin' music with my friends,
And I can't wait to get on the road again.
On the road again, Goin' places that I've never been,
Seein' things that I may never see again,
And I can't wait to get on the road again.
On the road again,
Like a band of gypsies we go down the highway.
We're the best of friends, Insisting that the world be turnin' our way,
And our way Is on the road again.
Just can't wait to get on the road again.
The life I love is makin' music with my friends,
And I can't wait to get on the road again.
Discipleship-On the Road Again
Today read Mark 8:27-10:53, which begins and ends in the words "on the road." As you read, read the son of man passages not as references solely to Jesus, but as references to the discipled community in which we live. These are my thoughs on the passage.
The discipled community will suffer for their beliefs. And here is the rub: in order to truly receive what they desperately want, they must give it up. Our reaching into the world of dreams, our desire to fulfill that which cannot be fulfilled is what brings about our suffering.
The discipled community must believe, and believing they must pray. In praying, they must know the vast separation between themselves and the one to whom they pray. they must recognize their poverty and embrace it. "You will drink the same cup that I will drink; and you will be baptized with the same baptism that I must go through" (Mark 10:39).
"The son of man did not come to be served. He came to serve others" (Mark 10:45).
I just love the way this discourse ends with the story of blind Bartimaeus, sitting by the road. He is the arch-type of the disciple of whom Jesus has been speaking. He has been abandoned, yet, he believes. He cries out in prayer to the one so far beyond him. "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me." He knows his poverty, and hoping against all hope, he abandons himself to God. "I want to see." Then that dream of fulfilling that which is impossible becomes reality. He sees and he follows, "on the road."
The marks of discipleship are these: abandonment, belief, prayer, belonging, oneness, voluntary poverty, service, and following. On the road you will find suffering. You must give up your heart's desire, abandon yourself to God, serve others, believe in the unbelievable, and follow.
"Follow, follow, I will follow Jesus. anywhere he leads me I sull surely go..." What a great connumdrum; let go of all that your heart desires, and receive from Jesus that which you truly want, and follow.
Discipleship begins and ends in following.
At least, that's my opinion!
The discipled community will suffer for their beliefs. And here is the rub: in order to truly receive what they desperately want, they must give it up. Our reaching into the world of dreams, our desire to fulfill that which cannot be fulfilled is what brings about our suffering.
The discipled community must believe, and believing they must pray. In praying, they must know the vast separation between themselves and the one to whom they pray. they must recognize their poverty and embrace it. "You will drink the same cup that I will drink; and you will be baptized with the same baptism that I must go through" (Mark 10:39).
"The son of man did not come to be served. He came to serve others" (Mark 10:45).
I just love the way this discourse ends with the story of blind Bartimaeus, sitting by the road. He is the arch-type of the disciple of whom Jesus has been speaking. He has been abandoned, yet, he believes. He cries out in prayer to the one so far beyond him. "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me." He knows his poverty, and hoping against all hope, he abandons himself to God. "I want to see." Then that dream of fulfilling that which is impossible becomes reality. He sees and he follows, "on the road."
The marks of discipleship are these: abandonment, belief, prayer, belonging, oneness, voluntary poverty, service, and following. On the road you will find suffering. You must give up your heart's desire, abandon yourself to God, serve others, believe in the unbelievable, and follow.
"Follow, follow, I will follow Jesus. anywhere he leads me I sull surely go..." What a great connumdrum; let go of all that your heart desires, and receive from Jesus that which you truly want, and follow.
Discipleship begins and ends in following.
At least, that's my opinion!
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Higher Ground
Coach Tony Dungy reached the very brink of success—and then was fired: fired for not reaching the Super Bowl. What happened afterward? Sportswriter Joe Posnanski wrote, "Dungy had overcome. He stayed true to himself, to his faith, to his loyalty. He told his players: 'Men, you are going to be disappointed in life. You are not going to win every game. You are not going to win every day. The real test of a man-of a champion-is this: Will you fight when things are not going your way? And if you are willing to fight, you will win.'" (Howard Butt-Faith in the Workplace)
MIAMI For a long time, they thought this man with a heart as big as the Everglades was too nice to be a Super Bowl coach. They thought he was too conservative. Some even thought him too dark-skinned. And the thing was, Tony Dungy did not hold that against people. He expected that in time, he would change people's minds.
And there he was Sunday evening in a cool Florida rain. He sat on the shoulders of his coaches and players. He felt sticky from the Gatorade shower. He took the regular Colts hat with the blue horseshoe off his head and replaced it with a Super Bowl hat. He threw his arms in the air. Indianapolis had beaten Chicago 29-17. Yes, Tony Dungy was a Super Bowl champion.
So what was he thinking?
This is the ultimate question in all sports, the 'What were you thinking when it happened' question, and usually it does not produce a particularly interesting answer. What were you thinking when you hit the home run? Well, I was thinking he would throw a fastball. What were you thinking when you made the game-winning shot? I was hoping it would go in. What were you thinking when you were standing over the putt? I was thinking it would break a little left.
But this was different. Tony Dungy is different. There was nothing typical about his route to Super Bowl champion coach, and there was nothing easy about it. He was a star high school quarterback at a time when black kids did not play quarterback. There seemed no point. It's like the comedian Chris Rock said: 'When I was young, I knew the name of every starting black quarterback in the NFL.' That's because there was only one, Doug Williams. And Dungy came before Williams.
Dungy went to the University of Minnesota and astounded coaches there with his poise and astuteness. He learned so quickly. Dungy is the son of a teacher. He started at quarterback as a freshman. He set all the school records. He was not drafted by any NFL team. Dungy signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers as a free agent, and they immediately moved him to safety. 'Believe me, Tony wanted to keep playing quarterback,' Dungy's close friend Herm Edwards said once. 'But it just wasn't the right time for a thinking man's black quarterback. So he moved to safety. He wanted to play.'
He played three years in the NFL -- he had six interceptions and was a key player for the 1978 Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers. And Chuck Noll, the Hall of Fame Pittsburgh coach, was utterly taken by Dungy. Noll would say he had never been around a player who so thoroughly seemed to understand. Everyone who met Dungy felt that way. Noll hired a 26-year-old Tony Dungy to be a defensive coach, and he promoted Dungy to defensive coordinator at 29. It looked like Dungy was on a fast track
And then there were some dry years, disappointing years. Dungy was considered by people inside the game to be one of the brightest coordinators in football. But he could not get a job. He was too nice, they said. He was too soft-spoken. Though no one would say it out loud, there had been no African-American coaches in the NFL in almost 70 years.
In time, Art Shell would break that sad streak when he was named coach of the Oakland Raiders. But Shell was a name, a Hall of Fame player. Dungy was neither of those things. He came to Kansas City to be defensive backs coach, and then he went to Minnesota and coordinated the best defense in the NFL. He still could not get a head coaching job. Most years, he could not even get an interview. Later, when he was asked if he ever lost faith, he said quietly: 'I never lost faith in myself. But I must admit, I began to wonder if I would ever get a chance.'
Tampa Bay finally gave him that chance in 1996. The Buccaneers were so far down, it looked like a dead-end job. Dungy rammed into that job with a force of will that his assistant coaches Herm Edwards and Lovie Smith have never forgotten. 'He knew exactly what he was going to do,' Lovie Smith said. In Dungy's second year, the Bucs won 10 games for only the second time in their 21-year history. In his fourth year, he coached Tampa Bay to the NFC championship. After his sixth year and fourth playoff appearance, he was fired because he did not win enough playoff games.
That cut through him. Dungy admits that. He thought about getting out of coaching. He considered becoming a prison minister. But Jim Irsay of the Colts called -- Indianapolis was coming off a bad season, but the team had a lot of talent -- and Dungy wanted another chance. He took the Colts to the playoffs right away -- and lost 41-0 to his friend Herm Edwards. The next three years, the Colts won 12 games, 14 games, and 12 games. They lost in heartbreaking ways in the playoffs all three years. Then again, is there any other way to lose in the playoffs? Once again, people said Dungy was too nice, too conservative -- too something -- to win the big game.
'Tony kept telling us that these losses would make us better people,' Colts quarterback Peyton Manning would say. 'It's hard to believe a man when he says that after a loss. But there was always something about Tony Dungy -- you believed him. You believed in him.'
Then came this crazy season. The Colts won 12 games, but they had a terrible run defense. Terrible. They lost three of their last five regular-season games. They seemed to lack that something yet again. Few talked about them as a real Super Bowl contender. But their first playoff game, against the Chiefs, they stuffed the run. Their second game, against Baltimore, they played with guts. And the third, they came back from way down and beat the unbeatable playoff pairing of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady.
All along, Dungy coached exactly the way he had always coached. He trusted his players. He believed in keeping it simple. And in Sunday's Super Bowl, he coached nice. He settled for field goals. He punted on fourth and short to gain field position. He challenged his defense to be dominant. It wasn't much of a game to watch because Chicago's Rex Grossman flopped around and because the Colts couldn't punch the ball in the end zone and end the Bears' misery. But Super Bowls are rarely beautiful. You don't play in the Super Bowl to look good. You play to win.
Dungy had overcome. He had stayed true to himself, to his faith, to his loyalty. He had told his players, time after time after time: 'Men, you are going to be disappointed in life. You are not going to win every game. You are not going to win every day. The real test of a man, the real test of a champion is this: Will you fight when things are not going your way? And if you are willing to fight, you will win.'
He had won. So what was he thinking about in that moment? He was the first African-American coach to win a Super Bowl. He was, surely, the nicest man to win. He had proven to everyone that he had that something inside. He had a whole lot of it.
'You don't know what you're going to feel in that moment,' he said. He stuttered for a moment as he tried to come up with the right word for how he felt.
'Love,' he said.
Copyright © 2007 Kansas City Star, All Rights Reserved.
"Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize" (1 Cor. 9:24-27).
MIAMI For a long time, they thought this man with a heart as big as the Everglades was too nice to be a Super Bowl coach. They thought he was too conservative. Some even thought him too dark-skinned. And the thing was, Tony Dungy did not hold that against people. He expected that in time, he would change people's minds.
And there he was Sunday evening in a cool Florida rain. He sat on the shoulders of his coaches and players. He felt sticky from the Gatorade shower. He took the regular Colts hat with the blue horseshoe off his head and replaced it with a Super Bowl hat. He threw his arms in the air. Indianapolis had beaten Chicago 29-17. Yes, Tony Dungy was a Super Bowl champion.
So what was he thinking?
This is the ultimate question in all sports, the 'What were you thinking when it happened' question, and usually it does not produce a particularly interesting answer. What were you thinking when you hit the home run? Well, I was thinking he would throw a fastball. What were you thinking when you made the game-winning shot? I was hoping it would go in. What were you thinking when you were standing over the putt? I was thinking it would break a little left.
But this was different. Tony Dungy is different. There was nothing typical about his route to Super Bowl champion coach, and there was nothing easy about it. He was a star high school quarterback at a time when black kids did not play quarterback. There seemed no point. It's like the comedian Chris Rock said: 'When I was young, I knew the name of every starting black quarterback in the NFL.' That's because there was only one, Doug Williams. And Dungy came before Williams.
Dungy went to the University of Minnesota and astounded coaches there with his poise and astuteness. He learned so quickly. Dungy is the son of a teacher. He started at quarterback as a freshman. He set all the school records. He was not drafted by any NFL team. Dungy signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers as a free agent, and they immediately moved him to safety. 'Believe me, Tony wanted to keep playing quarterback,' Dungy's close friend Herm Edwards said once. 'But it just wasn't the right time for a thinking man's black quarterback. So he moved to safety. He wanted to play.'
He played three years in the NFL -- he had six interceptions and was a key player for the 1978 Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers. And Chuck Noll, the Hall of Fame Pittsburgh coach, was utterly taken by Dungy. Noll would say he had never been around a player who so thoroughly seemed to understand. Everyone who met Dungy felt that way. Noll hired a 26-year-old Tony Dungy to be a defensive coach, and he promoted Dungy to defensive coordinator at 29. It looked like Dungy was on a fast track
And then there were some dry years, disappointing years. Dungy was considered by people inside the game to be one of the brightest coordinators in football. But he could not get a job. He was too nice, they said. He was too soft-spoken. Though no one would say it out loud, there had been no African-American coaches in the NFL in almost 70 years.
In time, Art Shell would break that sad streak when he was named coach of the Oakland Raiders. But Shell was a name, a Hall of Fame player. Dungy was neither of those things. He came to Kansas City to be defensive backs coach, and then he went to Minnesota and coordinated the best defense in the NFL. He still could not get a head coaching job. Most years, he could not even get an interview. Later, when he was asked if he ever lost faith, he said quietly: 'I never lost faith in myself. But I must admit, I began to wonder if I would ever get a chance.'
Tampa Bay finally gave him that chance in 1996. The Buccaneers were so far down, it looked like a dead-end job. Dungy rammed into that job with a force of will that his assistant coaches Herm Edwards and Lovie Smith have never forgotten. 'He knew exactly what he was going to do,' Lovie Smith said. In Dungy's second year, the Bucs won 10 games for only the second time in their 21-year history. In his fourth year, he coached Tampa Bay to the NFC championship. After his sixth year and fourth playoff appearance, he was fired because he did not win enough playoff games.
That cut through him. Dungy admits that. He thought about getting out of coaching. He considered becoming a prison minister. But Jim Irsay of the Colts called -- Indianapolis was coming off a bad season, but the team had a lot of talent -- and Dungy wanted another chance. He took the Colts to the playoffs right away -- and lost 41-0 to his friend Herm Edwards. The next three years, the Colts won 12 games, 14 games, and 12 games. They lost in heartbreaking ways in the playoffs all three years. Then again, is there any other way to lose in the playoffs? Once again, people said Dungy was too nice, too conservative -- too something -- to win the big game.
'Tony kept telling us that these losses would make us better people,' Colts quarterback Peyton Manning would say. 'It's hard to believe a man when he says that after a loss. But there was always something about Tony Dungy -- you believed him. You believed in him.'
Then came this crazy season. The Colts won 12 games, but they had a terrible run defense. Terrible. They lost three of their last five regular-season games. They seemed to lack that something yet again. Few talked about them as a real Super Bowl contender. But their first playoff game, against the Chiefs, they stuffed the run. Their second game, against Baltimore, they played with guts. And the third, they came back from way down and beat the unbeatable playoff pairing of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady.
All along, Dungy coached exactly the way he had always coached. He trusted his players. He believed in keeping it simple. And in Sunday's Super Bowl, he coached nice. He settled for field goals. He punted on fourth and short to gain field position. He challenged his defense to be dominant. It wasn't much of a game to watch because Chicago's Rex Grossman flopped around and because the Colts couldn't punch the ball in the end zone and end the Bears' misery. But Super Bowls are rarely beautiful. You don't play in the Super Bowl to look good. You play to win.
Dungy had overcome. He had stayed true to himself, to his faith, to his loyalty. He had told his players, time after time after time: 'Men, you are going to be disappointed in life. You are not going to win every game. You are not going to win every day. The real test of a man, the real test of a champion is this: Will you fight when things are not going your way? And if you are willing to fight, you will win.'
He had won. So what was he thinking about in that moment? He was the first African-American coach to win a Super Bowl. He was, surely, the nicest man to win. He had proven to everyone that he had that something inside. He had a whole lot of it.
'You don't know what you're going to feel in that moment,' he said. He stuttered for a moment as he tried to come up with the right word for how he felt.
'Love,' he said.
Copyright © 2007 Kansas City Star, All Rights Reserved.
"Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize" (1 Cor. 9:24-27).
Thursday, September 20, 2007
A Good Thing or a God Thing
There are many good things we can do, but, Mother Thersa once said that "We must be careful not to make good things, God things." Those activities not born out of the Spirit will result in wood, hay, and stubble. What may seem good in our eyes may not be so in God's eyes. For instance, if you decide to build an orphanage but God has never directed you to do so, then God will not see that work as good; it was born out of your own strength, even though it was a "good work."
It was a good thing for me to pastor the little church in Alert Bay. The church was even growing. I was beginning to have an impact on the community. It was a good thing. But as I look back, it was "my" thing. I made it almost impossible for the church board not to accept my offer of service. They were so needy, and I was so gifted. And, it would be easy to see my failure as a work of the enemy, but the truth of the matter is, that I was doing more harm than good. It was not a God thing. The work that I saw as so good did not stand under the pressure. New believers floundered and when I was no longer there to hold them up, returned to their old ways. It was really all about me. It was not a God thing.
"We do not dare compare ourselves with those who think they are very important. They use themselves to measure themselves, and they judge themselves by what they themselves are. This shows that they know nothing. But we will not brag about things outside the work that was given to us to do. We will limit our bragging to the work that God gave us..." (2 Cor. 10:12-13).
We must truly be careful that we do not take good things and make them God things
It was a good thing for me to pastor the little church in Alert Bay. The church was even growing. I was beginning to have an impact on the community. It was a good thing. But as I look back, it was "my" thing. I made it almost impossible for the church board not to accept my offer of service. They were so needy, and I was so gifted. And, it would be easy to see my failure as a work of the enemy, but the truth of the matter is, that I was doing more harm than good. It was not a God thing. The work that I saw as so good did not stand under the pressure. New believers floundered and when I was no longer there to hold them up, returned to their old ways. It was really all about me. It was not a God thing.
"We do not dare compare ourselves with those who think they are very important. They use themselves to measure themselves, and they judge themselves by what they themselves are. This shows that they know nothing. But we will not brag about things outside the work that was given to us to do. We will limit our bragging to the work that God gave us..." (2 Cor. 10:12-13).
We must truly be careful that we do not take good things and make them God things
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Prayer and Labour
Then the Lord said to Moses, "See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts-to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of craftsmanship. - Exodus 31:1-5
Bezalel was called by God to perform a most important work for Him. I am sure that Bezalel believed that he was naturally gifted with his hands to make fine crafts with gold, silver, and bronze. He probably did not associate it with God's work. But the Scripture tells us that God chose him and filled him with his Spirit to enable him.
Does God call men and women into their vocations to fulfill His purposes - to fulfill that which needs to be accomplished throughout the world? Have you ever thought about how many occupations there are in the world? How did that balance of interest among each human throughout the world happen? Did it just happen? Was it by chance that we have only so many doctors, only so many accountants, only so many geologists? Your interest in your vocation is not born of your own making. So many workplace believers and even pastors have made the mistake of encouraging us who have a deep desire to walk with Christ in the workplace to pursue Christian ministry. To remove us from the workplace where the greatest harvest is yet to occur would be to remove us from where God called us. Do not take this bait. Serve the Lord in the workplace where He has gifted you and called you. (Os Hillman-TGIF Today God is First)
I almost made this same mistake when God drew me to Himself when I was 26 years old. I concluded that I must be called to be a pastor. I took steps to fulfill this by entering Northwest Baptist College and Seminary for training. Eventually I obtained a Master's degree from Regent College and I was now more sure than ever that God had called me to the pastorate. I engineered a part time pastorate in a First Nations Church in Alert Bay, BC; and served there for almost two years. But I was not happy. Separated from Gina and the boys four days out of seven, I faced a struggle every day. I wanted to be home, and I wanted to serve in the Church. My marriage was slipping. Yet, I went so far as to tell God that if he wanted me to leave the community, he would have to drive me out. In the process I came close to wrecking my marriage and losing my family. But God's mercy allowed me to be removed from that position. Indeed, he drove me out of the community. "My" ministry was a failure. I was "forced back into the world." It was a great lesson. I was never cut out to be a pastor in a church. I was called to pastor in the world of work.
"This is what the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says to all those people I sent away from Jerusalem as captives to Babylon. Build houses and settle in the land. Plant gardens and eat the food they grow. Get married and have sons and daughters. Find wives for your sons, and let your daughters be married so that they may have sons and daughters. Have many children in Babylon; don't become fewer in number. Also do good things (work) for the city where I have sent you as captives. Pray to the Lord for the city where you are living, because if good things happen in the city, good things will happen to you also" (Jer. 29:4-7).
God has shown me mercy. He has restored my marriage and he is blessing my family. Today, I wash dishes, prep cook, and cook the line for a living. Stress in gone, and I am once again a happy man. Do you know why? It is because I am in the centre of God's will. Not forcing myself on God or upon his people, but serving the community where he has placed me.
"I know what I am planning for you, says the Lord. I have good plans for you not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future. Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you. And when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me! " (Jer. 29:11-13).
God is good. He accepts all of my mistakes and failures, reminding me that, "Man proposes, but God disposes" (Prov. 16:9). Sometimes the JOURNEY is the DESTINATION; and I am "on the Way." My calling, my vocation is in the workplace.
Bezalel was called by God to perform a most important work for Him. I am sure that Bezalel believed that he was naturally gifted with his hands to make fine crafts with gold, silver, and bronze. He probably did not associate it with God's work. But the Scripture tells us that God chose him and filled him with his Spirit to enable him.
Does God call men and women into their vocations to fulfill His purposes - to fulfill that which needs to be accomplished throughout the world? Have you ever thought about how many occupations there are in the world? How did that balance of interest among each human throughout the world happen? Did it just happen? Was it by chance that we have only so many doctors, only so many accountants, only so many geologists? Your interest in your vocation is not born of your own making. So many workplace believers and even pastors have made the mistake of encouraging us who have a deep desire to walk with Christ in the workplace to pursue Christian ministry. To remove us from the workplace where the greatest harvest is yet to occur would be to remove us from where God called us. Do not take this bait. Serve the Lord in the workplace where He has gifted you and called you. (Os Hillman-TGIF Today God is First)
I almost made this same mistake when God drew me to Himself when I was 26 years old. I concluded that I must be called to be a pastor. I took steps to fulfill this by entering Northwest Baptist College and Seminary for training. Eventually I obtained a Master's degree from Regent College and I was now more sure than ever that God had called me to the pastorate. I engineered a part time pastorate in a First Nations Church in Alert Bay, BC; and served there for almost two years. But I was not happy. Separated from Gina and the boys four days out of seven, I faced a struggle every day. I wanted to be home, and I wanted to serve in the Church. My marriage was slipping. Yet, I went so far as to tell God that if he wanted me to leave the community, he would have to drive me out. In the process I came close to wrecking my marriage and losing my family. But God's mercy allowed me to be removed from that position. Indeed, he drove me out of the community. "My" ministry was a failure. I was "forced back into the world." It was a great lesson. I was never cut out to be a pastor in a church. I was called to pastor in the world of work.
"This is what the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says to all those people I sent away from Jerusalem as captives to Babylon. Build houses and settle in the land. Plant gardens and eat the food they grow. Get married and have sons and daughters. Find wives for your sons, and let your daughters be married so that they may have sons and daughters. Have many children in Babylon; don't become fewer in number. Also do good things (work) for the city where I have sent you as captives. Pray to the Lord for the city where you are living, because if good things happen in the city, good things will happen to you also" (Jer. 29:4-7).
God has shown me mercy. He has restored my marriage and he is blessing my family. Today, I wash dishes, prep cook, and cook the line for a living. Stress in gone, and I am once again a happy man. Do you know why? It is because I am in the centre of God's will. Not forcing myself on God or upon his people, but serving the community where he has placed me.
"I know what I am planning for you, says the Lord. I have good plans for you not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future. Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you. And when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me! " (Jer. 29:11-13).
God is good. He accepts all of my mistakes and failures, reminding me that, "Man proposes, but God disposes" (Prov. 16:9). Sometimes the JOURNEY is the DESTINATION; and I am "on the Way." My calling, my vocation is in the workplace.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
I believe
For seventeen days this month I have been writing about the aims and the means of the catholic worker. I believe that the needed personal and social transformation of which I have been writing should be pursued by the means Jesus revealed in his sacrificial love. With Christ as my exemplar, by prayer and communion with his body and blood, I will strive for practices of:
non-violence. Blessed are the "peacemakers," for they will be called the children of God. I so like the Kwak'wala translation of Matthew 5:9. "Blessed wista da Kyama Kula masak naukya." It translates "Blessed are those whose spirits are made still like the ocean at those times when it is still beyond measure." Only through non-violent action can a personalist revolution come about, one in which one evil will not simply be replaced by another. Thus I oppose the taking of a human like for any reason, and see every opposition as blasphemy. Jesus taught us to take suffering upon ourselves rather than inflict it upon others "This is what you were called to do, because Christ suffered for you and gave you an example to follow. So you should do as he did" (1 Peter 2:21). And he calls us to fight against violence with the spiritual weapons of prayer, fasting, and noncooperation with evil.
works of mercy as found in Matthew 25:31-46, are at the heart of the gospel and they are clear mandates for our response to the "least of our brothers and sisters." In 1539 Menno Simons wrote, "True evangelical faith cannot lie dormant, it clothes the naked, it feeds the hungry, it comforts the sorrowful, it shelters the destitute, it serves those that harm it, it binds up that which is wounded, it has become all things to all people." Houses of hositality are centres for learning to do the acts of love, so that the poor can receive what is, in justice, theirs; the second coat in our closet, the spare room in our home, a place at our table. Anything beyond what we immediately need belongs to those who do without. "The group of believers were united in their hearts and spirit. All those in the group acted as though their private property belonged to everyone in the group. In fact, they shared everything. With great power the apostles where telling people that the Lord Jesus was truly raised from the dead. And God blessed all the believers very much. There were no needy people among them. From time to time, those who owned fields or houses, sold them, brought the money and gave it to the apostles. Then the money was given to anyone who needed it" (Acts 4:32-35). I pray that my house would be a house of hospitality, recognizing that if I have two of anything while another has not, I have too much.
manual labour, in a society that rejects it as undignified and inferiour, "Besides inducing cooperation, besides overcoming barriers and establishing a spirit of sister and brotherhood (besides just getting things done), manual labour enables us to use our bodies as well as our hands, our minds" (Dorothy Day). The Benedictine motto ora et labora - pray and work reminds us that the work of human hands is a gift for the edification of the world and the glory of God.
voluntary poverty. "The mystery of poverty is that by sharing in it, making ourselves poor in giving to others, we increase our knowledge and belief in love" (Dorothy Day). By embracing voluntary poverty, that is, by casting our lot freely with those whose impoverishment is not a choice, we would ask for the grace to abandon ourselves to the love of God. It would put us on the path to incarnate God's preferential option for the poor.
And I must be prepared to accept seeming failure with these aims, for sacrifice and suffering are part of the Christian life. success, as the world determines it, is not the final criteria for judgement. "Surely the justice due is with Yahweh, and recompense is with God" (Isaiah 49:4b). The most important thing is the love of Jesus Christ and how to live his truth.
For seventeen days I have been exploring the aims and means of the catholic worker, and I find myself, sitting in the midst. for this reason, I too am a catholic worker. I too am an Anabaptist. I too am a follower of Jesus Christ. And I will "remember my leaders, who have taught God's message to me. I will remember how they lived and died, and I will copy their faith; for Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Heb. 13:7-8).
Stay tuned to the blog for my ongoing journey "on the way." In the coming days I will be exploring the vocation of work, the call to pastor in the marketplace.
non-violence. Blessed are the "peacemakers," for they will be called the children of God. I so like the Kwak'wala translation of Matthew 5:9. "Blessed wista da Kyama Kula masak naukya." It translates "Blessed are those whose spirits are made still like the ocean at those times when it is still beyond measure." Only through non-violent action can a personalist revolution come about, one in which one evil will not simply be replaced by another. Thus I oppose the taking of a human like for any reason, and see every opposition as blasphemy. Jesus taught us to take suffering upon ourselves rather than inflict it upon others "This is what you were called to do, because Christ suffered for you and gave you an example to follow. So you should do as he did" (1 Peter 2:21). And he calls us to fight against violence with the spiritual weapons of prayer, fasting, and noncooperation with evil.
works of mercy as found in Matthew 25:31-46, are at the heart of the gospel and they are clear mandates for our response to the "least of our brothers and sisters." In 1539 Menno Simons wrote, "True evangelical faith cannot lie dormant, it clothes the naked, it feeds the hungry, it comforts the sorrowful, it shelters the destitute, it serves those that harm it, it binds up that which is wounded, it has become all things to all people." Houses of hositality are centres for learning to do the acts of love, so that the poor can receive what is, in justice, theirs; the second coat in our closet, the spare room in our home, a place at our table. Anything beyond what we immediately need belongs to those who do without. "The group of believers were united in their hearts and spirit. All those in the group acted as though their private property belonged to everyone in the group. In fact, they shared everything. With great power the apostles where telling people that the Lord Jesus was truly raised from the dead. And God blessed all the believers very much. There were no needy people among them. From time to time, those who owned fields or houses, sold them, brought the money and gave it to the apostles. Then the money was given to anyone who needed it" (Acts 4:32-35). I pray that my house would be a house of hospitality, recognizing that if I have two of anything while another has not, I have too much.
manual labour, in a society that rejects it as undignified and inferiour, "Besides inducing cooperation, besides overcoming barriers and establishing a spirit of sister and brotherhood (besides just getting things done), manual labour enables us to use our bodies as well as our hands, our minds" (Dorothy Day). The Benedictine motto ora et labora - pray and work reminds us that the work of human hands is a gift for the edification of the world and the glory of God.
voluntary poverty. "The mystery of poverty is that by sharing in it, making ourselves poor in giving to others, we increase our knowledge and belief in love" (Dorothy Day). By embracing voluntary poverty, that is, by casting our lot freely with those whose impoverishment is not a choice, we would ask for the grace to abandon ourselves to the love of God. It would put us on the path to incarnate God's preferential option for the poor.
And I must be prepared to accept seeming failure with these aims, for sacrifice and suffering are part of the Christian life. success, as the world determines it, is not the final criteria for judgement. "Surely the justice due is with Yahweh, and recompense is with God" (Isaiah 49:4b). The most important thing is the love of Jesus Christ and how to live his truth.
For seventeen days I have been exploring the aims and means of the catholic worker, and I find myself, sitting in the midst. for this reason, I too am a catholic worker. I too am an Anabaptist. I too am a follower of Jesus Christ. And I will "remember my leaders, who have taught God's message to me. I will remember how they lived and died, and I will copy their faith; for Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Heb. 13:7-8).
Stay tuned to the blog for my ongoing journey "on the way." In the coming days I will be exploring the vocation of work, the call to pastor in the marketplace.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Non-sectarian
While traveling back to the Winnipeg, MB area in 1985 to be with my wife as she reconciled with her astranged mother, I took the opportunity to do a little geneological work in the Morden/Winkler area. While driving through Mordon, on a nondiscript street, sat a nondiscript house, with a tiny little nondescript sign that read "Heritage Library." I thought that this might be a good place to start looking for remnants of my grandmother's family. When we entered, we were greeted by an elderly gentleman and his wife. He showed us, with some pride, his enormous collection of Dutch Anabaptist originals. I was overwhelmed.
After tea, and a timely visit discussing my own heritage in the Hutterite Church. I asked him if the library was Mennonite. At once, he quite sternly replied, "Yes, but we are non-sectarian." I had never even heard the word before, and here it was being used to speak of the different branches of the Mennonite world. The elderly gentleman obviously disliked the thought of being lumped into one or another group.
Sectarian: 1. Of or concerning a sect. 2. Bigotted or narrow-minded in following the doctrine of one's sect. 3. A member of a sect. 4. A bigot. (The illustrated Oxford Dictionary-Oxford Universtiy Press, Oxford1993, 2003)
To be non-sectarian then, is to be sectless, open-minded, antiracist.
This kind elderly gentleman added that day, a new word to my vocabulary. While my early history is Hutterite and my present-day history is Old Colony Mennonite, I stand to be non-sectarian. I am Anabaptist, neither catholic nor protestant, but simply a radical follower of Jesus Christ, holding firm to the traditions of the peace church, believing in the ministry of reconciliation, living in intentional community according to Acts 2 and 4, redemption through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the inner work of the Spirit of God, sometimes called baptism in the Spirit, sometimes called sanctification, always about living a Christ-centred life, always non-sectarian.
After tea, and a timely visit discussing my own heritage in the Hutterite Church. I asked him if the library was Mennonite. At once, he quite sternly replied, "Yes, but we are non-sectarian." I had never even heard the word before, and here it was being used to speak of the different branches of the Mennonite world. The elderly gentleman obviously disliked the thought of being lumped into one or another group.
Sectarian: 1. Of or concerning a sect. 2. Bigotted or narrow-minded in following the doctrine of one's sect. 3. A member of a sect. 4. A bigot. (The illustrated Oxford Dictionary-Oxford Universtiy Press, Oxford1993, 2003)
To be non-sectarian then, is to be sectless, open-minded, antiracist.
This kind elderly gentleman added that day, a new word to my vocabulary. While my early history is Hutterite and my present-day history is Old Colony Mennonite, I stand to be non-sectarian. I am Anabaptist, neither catholic nor protestant, but simply a radical follower of Jesus Christ, holding firm to the traditions of the peace church, believing in the ministry of reconciliation, living in intentional community according to Acts 2 and 4, redemption through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the inner work of the Spirit of God, sometimes called baptism in the Spirit, sometimes called sanctification, always about living a Christ-centred life, always non-sectarian.
The Green Revolution
In contrast to what we see around us, as well as within ourselves, stands St. Thomas Aquinas' doctrine of the Common Good, a vision of a society where the good of each member is bound to the good of the whole in the service of God. To this end, we advocate:
A "Green" Revolution, so that it is possible to discover the proper meaning of our labour and our true bonds with the land; a distributist communitarianism, self sufficient through farming, sustainable practices in logging, fishing, mining and the land, crafting and appropriate technology, a radical new society where people will rely on the fruits of their own toil, labour and prayers, relying on God for the outcome, an association of mutuality and a sense of fairness.
ora et labora - pray and work
A "Green" Revolution, so that it is possible to discover the proper meaning of our labour and our true bonds with the land; a distributist communitarianism, self sufficient through farming, sustainable practices in logging, fishing, mining and the land, crafting and appropriate technology, a radical new society where people will rely on the fruits of their own toil, labour and prayers, relying on God for the outcome, an association of mutuality and a sense of fairness.
ora et labora - pray and work
Sunday, September 16, 2007
A Decentralized Society
In contrast to what we see around us, as well as within ourselves, stands St. Thomas Aquinas' doctrine of the Common Good, a vision of a society where the good of each member is bound to the good of the whole in the service of God. To this end, we advocate:
A Decentralized Society, in contrast to the present bigness of government, industry, education, health care, and agriculture. We encourage efforts such as family farms, rural and urban land trusts, worker ownership and management of small factories, homesteading projects, food, housing, co-ops, and intentional communities-any effort in which money can once more become merely a medium of exchange, and human beings are no longer simply commodities.
Reba Place Church is such a place. Reba Place Church is a congregation centered on Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God, rooted in an Anabaptist tradition, catholic in spirit, evangelical in conviction, charismatic in practice, and antiracist and non-sectarian in calling.
What does it all mean?
Reba Place Church is a congregation rooted in an Anabaptist tradition. We affirm the 1995 Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective: Summary Statement as an expression of our faith for teaching and nurture in the life of the church. The Anabaptist traditions began in sixteenth century Europe as Christians attempted to realize the fullness and vitality of the church envisioned in the New Testament. By confessing that we are an Anabaptist church we are declaring our continuity with a Christian tradition focused on the church as a deliberate community of disciples practicing love, peace, and justice in the world.
We are catholic in spirit. The word catholic refers to the universal church. To be catholic is to recognize our membership in a worldwide church that is not bound by language, ethnicity, nationality, denomination, or citizenship. By confessing that we are an Anabaptist church that is also catholic in spirit we are declaring our commitment to listen for God's word to us through other Christian traditions. We acknowledge the importance and integrity of our inherited faith traditions and ethnic cultures, yet we seek to learn from others in order to further clarify our mission and extend our witness in the world.
We are evangelical in conviction. The word evangelical refers to the good news, or gospel, that is revealed in Jesus Christ. To be evangelical is to respond to this good news in faith and obedience, and to commit ourselves to communicating this message throughout the world. By confessing that we are an Anabaptist church that is also evangelical in conviction we are declaring our identity as followers of Jesus, saved by his life, death, and resurrection, and led by his Spirit to form a community of believers dedicated to demonstrating and proclaiming the reality of God's saving grace.
We are charismatic in practice. The word charismatic refers to the gifts of grace that come through the power of God the Holy Spirit. To be charismatic is to be baptized, filled, and gifted by God for engaged worship, empowered community, and energetic witness. By confessing that we are an Anabaptist church that is charismatic in practice we are declaring our dependence upon God for our identity, guidance, and effectiveness. The intimacy of God's presence in our individual and corporate lives is our greatest need and desire.
We are antiracist and anti-sectarian in calling. The words antiracist and non-sectarian refer to the necessity to oppose and stand against the demonic power of racial, class, and denominational division that is such a "stronghold" in US and Canadian society. By confessing our calling to be antiracist and anti-sectarian we acknowledge that a specific word to us in the 1990s focused our attention on the basic, timeless biblical message that evangelism and justice are inseparable. While we acknowledge that all oppression is against God's desire for humanity to be one loving family, we believe that this specific calling is God's path for our particular congregation to become a more visible expression of kingdom justice and unity in this time and place.
"A Planting of the Lord": Reba Place's Jubilee Year, 1957-2007
First, a word about our name. Reba Place is a street in Evanston, Illinois distinctive for its brevity (a mere three blocks), and for being named in 1837 after the daughter of a prominent Evanstonian whose last name was Poor!
How it all began. On a hot August afternoon in 1957 a small group of Mennonite Voluntary Service workers moved into a three-story blue house at 727 Reba Place. Their mission was to live and minister in the "city". Months of prayer, discussion, and research had gone into this "planting of the Lord" (Isaiah 61:3). Within a few months Reba Place Fellowship was born: an intentional Christian community, inspired by the vision of the early Christian church in Acts 2. Those early days were marked by gatherings in the living room at 727 for singing and sharing, for the enacting of biblical dramas, and the lifting up of the example of Jesus.
Reba Place Fellowship went through a time of dramatic growth in the 1970s, and soon the community was spread out around the neighborhood, gathered for the most part in large communal households. There was much outreach, spiritual growth, and healing. There was also brokenness and pain.
Reba Place Church is born. In the early 1980s Reba Place Church became a separate entity from Reba Place Fellowship, creating space for congregational membership for the first time (alongside the communal members of Reba Place Fellowship.) Growth in numbers continued, even as the household structures largely disbanded and small groups and clusters of small groups took their place. Sunday morning worship included more central leadership and more openness to neighborhood visitors and friends. Reba Place Church weathered several storms in the 1990s including transitions in leadership, decision-making philosophies, and mission. We tried to be more intentional about evangelism and racial reconciliation, and we successfully planted a new congregation (now known as Living Water Community Church) in a nearby Chicago neighborhood, Rogers Park.
Here and Now. Today Reba Place is solidly committed to the mission of God, the politics of Jesus, and the empowering of the Holy Spirit. Today Reba Place is moving into its Jubilee Year, solidly committed to the mission of God, the politics of Jesus, and the empowering of the Holy Spirit. We are transitioning to a new generation of leadership, and new configurations of the vision that God has given us. Reba Place Church and Reba Place Fellowship continue to be partners in mission in our neighborhood and the world. It is an exciting time to look back and celebrate and to look forward in anticipation of what God is continuing to do among us.
And to such a church I would chose to belong; neither catholic nor protestant, but Anabaptist, recognized as the third wave that holds as its principles the value of intentional living, lay witness, war and peace, economics, and the relationship of Christians and the state, all found in the person of Jesus the Messiah.
Copyright © 2007 Reba Place Church. Editing and additions found in bold italics are those of the blog author. They are not found in the original Reba Place Church documents, and while I believe they fit with the overall intent of the originals, they are not intended to show a lack in those originals, but are this one reader's understanding. Thank you Pastor Ric, Reba Place Church.
A Decentralized Society, in contrast to the present bigness of government, industry, education, health care, and agriculture. We encourage efforts such as family farms, rural and urban land trusts, worker ownership and management of small factories, homesteading projects, food, housing, co-ops, and intentional communities-any effort in which money can once more become merely a medium of exchange, and human beings are no longer simply commodities.
Reba Place Church is such a place. Reba Place Church is a congregation centered on Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God, rooted in an Anabaptist tradition, catholic in spirit, evangelical in conviction, charismatic in practice, and antiracist and non-sectarian in calling.
What does it all mean?
Reba Place Church is a congregation rooted in an Anabaptist tradition. We affirm the 1995 Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective: Summary Statement as an expression of our faith for teaching and nurture in the life of the church. The Anabaptist traditions began in sixteenth century Europe as Christians attempted to realize the fullness and vitality of the church envisioned in the New Testament. By confessing that we are an Anabaptist church we are declaring our continuity with a Christian tradition focused on the church as a deliberate community of disciples practicing love, peace, and justice in the world.
We are catholic in spirit. The word catholic refers to the universal church. To be catholic is to recognize our membership in a worldwide church that is not bound by language, ethnicity, nationality, denomination, or citizenship. By confessing that we are an Anabaptist church that is also catholic in spirit we are declaring our commitment to listen for God's word to us through other Christian traditions. We acknowledge the importance and integrity of our inherited faith traditions and ethnic cultures, yet we seek to learn from others in order to further clarify our mission and extend our witness in the world.
We are evangelical in conviction. The word evangelical refers to the good news, or gospel, that is revealed in Jesus Christ. To be evangelical is to respond to this good news in faith and obedience, and to commit ourselves to communicating this message throughout the world. By confessing that we are an Anabaptist church that is also evangelical in conviction we are declaring our identity as followers of Jesus, saved by his life, death, and resurrection, and led by his Spirit to form a community of believers dedicated to demonstrating and proclaiming the reality of God's saving grace.
We are charismatic in practice. The word charismatic refers to the gifts of grace that come through the power of God the Holy Spirit. To be charismatic is to be baptized, filled, and gifted by God for engaged worship, empowered community, and energetic witness. By confessing that we are an Anabaptist church that is charismatic in practice we are declaring our dependence upon God for our identity, guidance, and effectiveness. The intimacy of God's presence in our individual and corporate lives is our greatest need and desire.
We are antiracist and anti-sectarian in calling. The words antiracist and non-sectarian refer to the necessity to oppose and stand against the demonic power of racial, class, and denominational division that is such a "stronghold" in US and Canadian society. By confessing our calling to be antiracist and anti-sectarian we acknowledge that a specific word to us in the 1990s focused our attention on the basic, timeless biblical message that evangelism and justice are inseparable. While we acknowledge that all oppression is against God's desire for humanity to be one loving family, we believe that this specific calling is God's path for our particular congregation to become a more visible expression of kingdom justice and unity in this time and place.
"A Planting of the Lord": Reba Place's Jubilee Year, 1957-2007
First, a word about our name. Reba Place is a street in Evanston, Illinois distinctive for its brevity (a mere three blocks), and for being named in 1837 after the daughter of a prominent Evanstonian whose last name was Poor!
How it all began. On a hot August afternoon in 1957 a small group of Mennonite Voluntary Service workers moved into a three-story blue house at 727 Reba Place. Their mission was to live and minister in the "city". Months of prayer, discussion, and research had gone into this "planting of the Lord" (Isaiah 61:3). Within a few months Reba Place Fellowship was born: an intentional Christian community, inspired by the vision of the early Christian church in Acts 2. Those early days were marked by gatherings in the living room at 727 for singing and sharing, for the enacting of biblical dramas, and the lifting up of the example of Jesus.
Reba Place Fellowship went through a time of dramatic growth in the 1970s, and soon the community was spread out around the neighborhood, gathered for the most part in large communal households. There was much outreach, spiritual growth, and healing. There was also brokenness and pain.
Reba Place Church is born. In the early 1980s Reba Place Church became a separate entity from Reba Place Fellowship, creating space for congregational membership for the first time (alongside the communal members of Reba Place Fellowship.) Growth in numbers continued, even as the household structures largely disbanded and small groups and clusters of small groups took their place. Sunday morning worship included more central leadership and more openness to neighborhood visitors and friends. Reba Place Church weathered several storms in the 1990s including transitions in leadership, decision-making philosophies, and mission. We tried to be more intentional about evangelism and racial reconciliation, and we successfully planted a new congregation (now known as Living Water Community Church) in a nearby Chicago neighborhood, Rogers Park.
Here and Now. Today Reba Place is solidly committed to the mission of God, the politics of Jesus, and the empowering of the Holy Spirit. Today Reba Place is moving into its Jubilee Year, solidly committed to the mission of God, the politics of Jesus, and the empowering of the Holy Spirit. We are transitioning to a new generation of leadership, and new configurations of the vision that God has given us. Reba Place Church and Reba Place Fellowship continue to be partners in mission in our neighborhood and the world. It is an exciting time to look back and celebrate and to look forward in anticipation of what God is continuing to do among us.
And to such a church I would chose to belong; neither catholic nor protestant, but Anabaptist, recognized as the third wave that holds as its principles the value of intentional living, lay witness, war and peace, economics, and the relationship of Christians and the state, all found in the person of Jesus the Messiah.
Copyright © 2007 Reba Place Church. Editing and additions found in bold italics are those of the blog author. They are not found in the original Reba Place Church documents, and while I believe they fit with the overall intent of the originals, they are not intended to show a lack in those originals, but are this one reader's understanding. Thank you Pastor Ric, Reba Place Church.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Personalism
In contrast to what we see around us, as well as within ourselves, stands St. Thomas Aquinas' doctrine of the Common Good, a vision of a society where the good of each member is bound to the good of the whole in the service of God. To this end, we advocate:
Personalism, A philosophy which regards the freedom and dignity of each person as the basis, focus, and goal of all metaphysics and morals. In following such wisdom, we move away from a self-centered individualism toward the good of the other. This is to be done by taking personal responsibility for changing conditions, rather than looking to the state or other institutions to provide impersonal "charity." We pray for a church renewed by this philosphy and for a time when all those who feel excluded from participation are welcomed with love, drawn by the gentle personalism that Jesus taught.
50 years ago, Steve Truscot was found guilty of the murder of Lynn Harper. He was sentenced to death. A peom was written by a young journalist. The result of which was not only the commuting of his death sentence, but that of the death sentence in Canada as a whole. It is included here as I ask whether indeed, having been acquited, Steve Truscot was guilty as all. The Supreme Court of Ontario, in a recent decision, declared that the original sentencing was a "gross miscarriage of justice." I wonder, if the refusal to offer Steven a new trial, in which he might be found "not guilty" is simply the state "providing an impersonal charity." I pray for a church wherein those who feel excluded from participation are welcomed in, in love; drawn in by the gentle shepherd himself.
REQUIEM FOR A FOURTEEN-YEAR-OLD
byPierre Berton
In Goderich townThe Sun abates. December is coming And everyone waits:In a small, dark room On a small, hard bed Lies a small, pale boyWho is not quite dead.
The cell is lonely. The cell is cold. October is young, But the boy is old; Too old to cringe. And too old to cry, Though young --But never too young to die.
It's true enoughThat we cannot brag Of a national anthem Or a national flag And though our VisionIs still in doubt At last we've something to boast about:We've a national lawIn the name of the QueenTo hang a childWho is just fourteen.
The law is clear:It says we must And in this countryThe law is just Sing heigh! Sing ho! For justice blind Makes no distinction Of any kind;Makes no allowances for sex or years, A judge's feelings, a mother's tears; Makes no allowances for age or youth Just eye for eye and tooth for tooth, Tooth for tooth and eye for eye:A child does murder; A child must die.
Don't fret ... don't worry ...No need to cry We'll only pretend he's going to die; We're going to reprieve him Bye and bye.
We're going to reprieve him(We always do),But it wouldn't be fairIf we told him, too So we'll keep the secret As long as we can And hope that he'll take it Like a man.
And when we've told him It's just "pretend"And he won't be strung At a noose's end,We'll send him away And, like as not Put him in prison And let him rot.
The jury said "mercy"And we agree --O, merciful jury: You and me.
Oh death can come And death can go Some deaths are sudden And some are slow;In a small cold cell In October mild Death comes each day To a frightened child.
So muffle the drums and beat them slow,Mute the strings and play them low, Sing a lament and sing it well,But not for the boy in the cold, dark cell,Not for the parents, trembling-lipped,Not for the judge who followed the script;Save your prayers for the righteous ghoulsIn that Higher Court who write the rules For judge and jury and hangman too: The Court composed of me and you.
In Goderich townThe trees turn redThe limbs go bare As their leave are bled And the days tick by As the sky turns lead For the small, scared boy On the small, stark bed A fourteen-year-old Who is not quite dead.
Personalism, A philosophy which regards the freedom and dignity of each person as the basis, focus, and goal of all metaphysics and morals. In following such wisdom, we move away from a self-centered individualism toward the good of the other. This is to be done by taking personal responsibility for changing conditions, rather than looking to the state or other institutions to provide impersonal "charity." We pray for a church renewed by this philosphy and for a time when all those who feel excluded from participation are welcomed with love, drawn by the gentle personalism that Jesus taught.
50 years ago, Steve Truscot was found guilty of the murder of Lynn Harper. He was sentenced to death. A peom was written by a young journalist. The result of which was not only the commuting of his death sentence, but that of the death sentence in Canada as a whole. It is included here as I ask whether indeed, having been acquited, Steve Truscot was guilty as all. The Supreme Court of Ontario, in a recent decision, declared that the original sentencing was a "gross miscarriage of justice." I wonder, if the refusal to offer Steven a new trial, in which he might be found "not guilty" is simply the state "providing an impersonal charity." I pray for a church wherein those who feel excluded from participation are welcomed in, in love; drawn in by the gentle shepherd himself.
REQUIEM FOR A FOURTEEN-YEAR-OLD
byPierre Berton
In Goderich townThe Sun abates. December is coming And everyone waits:In a small, dark room On a small, hard bed Lies a small, pale boyWho is not quite dead.
The cell is lonely. The cell is cold. October is young, But the boy is old; Too old to cringe. And too old to cry, Though young --But never too young to die.
It's true enoughThat we cannot brag Of a national anthem Or a national flag And though our VisionIs still in doubt At last we've something to boast about:We've a national lawIn the name of the QueenTo hang a childWho is just fourteen.
The law is clear:It says we must And in this countryThe law is just Sing heigh! Sing ho! For justice blind Makes no distinction Of any kind;Makes no allowances for sex or years, A judge's feelings, a mother's tears; Makes no allowances for age or youth Just eye for eye and tooth for tooth, Tooth for tooth and eye for eye:A child does murder; A child must die.
Don't fret ... don't worry ...No need to cry We'll only pretend he's going to die; We're going to reprieve him Bye and bye.
We're going to reprieve him(We always do),But it wouldn't be fairIf we told him, too So we'll keep the secret As long as we can And hope that he'll take it Like a man.
And when we've told him It's just "pretend"And he won't be strung At a noose's end,We'll send him away And, like as not Put him in prison And let him rot.
The jury said "mercy"And we agree --O, merciful jury: You and me.
Oh death can come And death can go Some deaths are sudden And some are slow;In a small cold cell In October mild Death comes each day To a frightened child.
So muffle the drums and beat them slow,Mute the strings and play them low, Sing a lament and sing it well,But not for the boy in the cold, dark cell,Not for the parents, trembling-lipped,Not for the judge who followed the script;Save your prayers for the righteous ghoulsIn that Higher Court who write the rules For judge and jury and hangman too: The Court composed of me and you.
In Goderich townThe trees turn redThe limbs go bare As their leave are bled And the days tick by As the sky turns lead For the small, scared boy On the small, stark bed A fourteen-year-old Who is not quite dead.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Common Good
In contrast to what we see around us, as well as within ourselves, stands St. Thomas Aquinas' doctrine of the Common Good, a vision of a society where the good of each member is bound to the good of the whole in the service of God. During the coming days Sometimes the Journey is the Destination will explore: Personalism, A Decentralized Society, and A Green Revolution
Ground Zero
When we examine our society, which is generally called capitalist (because of its methods of producing and controling wealth) and is bourgeois (because of prevailing concern for acquisition and material interests, and its emphasis on respectability and mediocrity), we find it far from God's justice:
in the arms race, which stands as a clear sign of the direction and spirit of our age. The arms race has extended the domain of destruction and the fear of annihilation, and denies the basic right to life. There is a direct connection between the arms race and destitution. "The arms race is an utterly treacherous trap, and one which injures the poor to an intolerable degree" (Vatican II).
in the arms race, which stands as a clear sign of the direction and spirit of our age. The arms race has extended the domain of destruction and the fear of annihilation, and denies the basic right to life. There is a direct connection between the arms race and destitution. "The arms race is an utterly treacherous trap, and one which injures the poor to an intolerable degree" (Vatican II).
Monday, September 10, 2007
Relations Between People
When we examine our society, which is generally called capitalist (because of its methods of producing and controling wealth) and is bourgeois (because of prevailing concern for acquisition and material interests, and its emphasis on respectability and mediocrity), we find it far from God's justice:
in Morals, relations between people are corrupted by distorted images of the human person. Class, race, and sex often determine personal worth and position within society, leading to structures that foster oppression. Capitalism further divides society by pitting owners against workers in perpetural conflict over wealth and its control. Those who do not "produce" are abandoned, and left, at best, to be "processed" through institutions. Spiritual destitution is rampant, manifest in isolation, madness, promiscuity, and violence.
Recently, McLean's Magazine put the cause directly on the shoulders of parents: "Why Do We Raise Our Daughters to be Skanks." The early, over-sexualization of our children has lead to violence and murder. Jean Boniot is a prime example. Raised to look like a adult model, this child was exposed to a preditor who took her life, and more recently the case of Maddie McCann, a four year old child abuducted in Portugal, whose kidnapping points to the prediophile network in Europe. The shame of sexualization of children lies directly at the feet of the church, you and I.
The sex trade is not the fault of women and children, but of the "Johns" who procure their sevices for their own perverse pleasures. Refugees, legal and illegal, struggle against addictions and starvation, finding the safe injection site the only place of safety. Having worked as a Reconnect Worker on Granville Street in the late 80's, I was brought face to face with a young woman whose story still breaks my heart. Working the sex trade at age 13, J. was selling what her father and his brother, upstanding members of their church, had been stealing from her since the age of 11. J. said to me one day, "Better to sell it to az stranger, than to have it taken away by those you trust." The shame, the shame; I watched long lines of Cadillacs crusing Homer Street where the little boys gathered to sell their bodies to eagar preditors. "How long, O God, will you let this go one?" When will we rise up to protect, the refugees, the orphans, the fatherless, and the widows of our society. The Prophet is clear, speaking of the Lord's people, he writes: "Anyone is cursed who is unfair to foreigners, orphans , and widows" (Deut. 27:19). Throughout the Book of Deuteronomy the welfare of the refuge, the fatherless, orphans , and widows falls in the lap of God's people. "How long, O God, before your people listen and obey?"
in Morals, relations between people are corrupted by distorted images of the human person. Class, race, and sex often determine personal worth and position within society, leading to structures that foster oppression. Capitalism further divides society by pitting owners against workers in perpetural conflict over wealth and its control. Those who do not "produce" are abandoned, and left, at best, to be "processed" through institutions. Spiritual destitution is rampant, manifest in isolation, madness, promiscuity, and violence.
Recently, McLean's Magazine put the cause directly on the shoulders of parents: "Why Do We Raise Our Daughters to be Skanks." The early, over-sexualization of our children has lead to violence and murder. Jean Boniot is a prime example. Raised to look like a adult model, this child was exposed to a preditor who took her life, and more recently the case of Maddie McCann, a four year old child abuducted in Portugal, whose kidnapping points to the prediophile network in Europe. The shame of sexualization of children lies directly at the feet of the church, you and I.
The sex trade is not the fault of women and children, but of the "Johns" who procure their sevices for their own perverse pleasures. Refugees, legal and illegal, struggle against addictions and starvation, finding the safe injection site the only place of safety. Having worked as a Reconnect Worker on Granville Street in the late 80's, I was brought face to face with a young woman whose story still breaks my heart. Working the sex trade at age 13, J. was selling what her father and his brother, upstanding members of their church, had been stealing from her since the age of 11. J. said to me one day, "Better to sell it to az stranger, than to have it taken away by those you trust." The shame, the shame; I watched long lines of Cadillacs crusing Homer Street where the little boys gathered to sell their bodies to eagar preditors. "How long, O God, will you let this go one?" When will we rise up to protect, the refugees, the orphans, the fatherless, and the widows of our society. The Prophet is clear, speaking of the Lord's people, he writes: "Anyone is cursed who is unfair to foreigners, orphans , and widows" (Deut. 27:19). Throughout the Book of Deuteronomy the welfare of the refuge, the fatherless, orphans , and widows falls in the lap of God's people. "How long, O God, before your people listen and obey?"
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Keeping Your Bearings
We either live by a clock or a compass. The clock represents our obligations and plans-the things that drive our behaviour and condition our responses toward success. The compass represents our beliefs and motives-what we feel should lead our lives towards significance. To keep on course, we must be constantly mindful of the influences on the direction of our lives. If we are arrivng at destinations we didn't expect or desire, perhaps our bearings are off. Our compass needs calibration.
Over time, the hull of a ship builds up magnatism that interfers with the ship's compass. To remove this interference, a ship passes over special coils in the ocean floor. Similarly, our internal compass must be periodically demagnetized if we are to continue our journey along accurate bearings. these coils, in this analogy, are the bible, and those men and women that God has placed in our lives to direct us. We must allow God's word to bring us into allignment with Christ, and we must "remember the ones leading us, who have spoken to us the word of God, and considering the issue of their manner of life, imitate their faith" (Heb. 13:7), living valued centred lives with godliness at the core.
I am not much for watching a movie twice. However, we recently brought home a movie to watch, and I have watched it three times over the last three days. It is a wonderful story of an eleven year old girl, Akeelah Anderson, who enters the Scripps National Spelling Bee. I won't tell you the ourcome of the story. Watch it and see if you are as taken as I.
There is a moment in the movie that changes everything for Akeelah. It is a quote from Marianne Williamson:
"Our Deepest Fear...
is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, "Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?" Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us. It is not just in some of us, it is in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear,our presence automatically liberates others."
Let this mind be in you, that was in Christ Jesus, who existing in the form of God, did not consider being equal with God a treasure to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, becoming in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient, even unto death, and that the death of a cross. Therefore also God highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name" (Phil. 2:5-9).
"If you want to win," her coach tells Akeelah, "You can not be a shrinking violet." If we are to win, we must not be afraid. "Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord which he will accomplish for you today" (Exo. 14:13). If we are to travel hopefully, winning every step of the way, we must recognize that we are made in the image of God, born to manifest the glory of God within us. Not in just some of us, but in all of us.
"There is that of God in every man" (William Penn). Let us celebrate, and travel hopefully along the journey. Rent or buy the movie Akeelah and the Bee, and just for sheer joy, watch it with me again and again, and, watch with this in mind, listening closely to the final words.
From the Aims and Means of the Catholic Worker,
When we examine our society, which is generally called capitalist (because of its methods of producing and controling wealth) and is bourgeois (because of prevailing concern for acquisition and material interests, and its emphasis on respectability and mediocrity), we find it far from God's justice:
In politics, the state functions to control and regulate life. Its power has burgeoned hand-in-hand with growth in technology, so that military, scientific, and corporate interests get the highest priority when concrete political policies are formulated. Because of the sheer size of institutions, we tend towards government by bureaucracy-that is, government by nobody. Bureaucracy, in all areas of life, is not only impersonal, but also makes accountability, and therefore, an effective political forum for redressing grievances, next to impossible.
Over time, the hull of a ship builds up magnatism that interfers with the ship's compass. To remove this interference, a ship passes over special coils in the ocean floor. Similarly, our internal compass must be periodically demagnetized if we are to continue our journey along accurate bearings. these coils, in this analogy, are the bible, and those men and women that God has placed in our lives to direct us. We must allow God's word to bring us into allignment with Christ, and we must "remember the ones leading us, who have spoken to us the word of God, and considering the issue of their manner of life, imitate their faith" (Heb. 13:7), living valued centred lives with godliness at the core.
I am not much for watching a movie twice. However, we recently brought home a movie to watch, and I have watched it three times over the last three days. It is a wonderful story of an eleven year old girl, Akeelah Anderson, who enters the Scripps National Spelling Bee. I won't tell you the ourcome of the story. Watch it and see if you are as taken as I.
There is a moment in the movie that changes everything for Akeelah. It is a quote from Marianne Williamson:
"Our Deepest Fear...
is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, "Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?" Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us. It is not just in some of us, it is in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear,our presence automatically liberates others."
Let this mind be in you, that was in Christ Jesus, who existing in the form of God, did not consider being equal with God a treasure to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, becoming in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient, even unto death, and that the death of a cross. Therefore also God highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name" (Phil. 2:5-9).
"If you want to win," her coach tells Akeelah, "You can not be a shrinking violet." If we are to win, we must not be afraid. "Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord which he will accomplish for you today" (Exo. 14:13). If we are to travel hopefully, winning every step of the way, we must recognize that we are made in the image of God, born to manifest the glory of God within us. Not in just some of us, but in all of us.
"There is that of God in every man" (William Penn). Let us celebrate, and travel hopefully along the journey. Rent or buy the movie Akeelah and the Bee, and just for sheer joy, watch it with me again and again, and, watch with this in mind, listening closely to the final words.
From the Aims and Means of the Catholic Worker,
When we examine our society, which is generally called capitalist (because of its methods of producing and controling wealth) and is bourgeois (because of prevailing concern for acquisition and material interests, and its emphasis on respectability and mediocrity), we find it far from God's justice:
In politics, the state functions to control and regulate life. Its power has burgeoned hand-in-hand with growth in technology, so that military, scientific, and corporate interests get the highest priority when concrete political policies are formulated. Because of the sheer size of institutions, we tend towards government by bureaucracy-that is, government by nobody. Bureaucracy, in all areas of life, is not only impersonal, but also makes accountability, and therefore, an effective political forum for redressing grievances, next to impossible.
Friday, September 7, 2007
He Took A Towel
I want to close this week of thoughts on labour with Jesus' example as a foot washer.
"If I your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash each other's feet. I did this as an example so that you should do as I have done to you. I tell you the truth, a servant is not greater than his master. A messenger is not greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them" (John 13:14-17).
Jesus' example, as a foot-washer, has a special power. The point isn't when or where you work, but how you work. It was life changing to note that during the foot-washing Judas was still present. As believers we must serve all. In God's family there is to be one great body of people: servants.
Peter, that great example of a failure made right reminds us all: "For the Lord's sake, yield to the people who have authority in this world: the king, who has the highest authority, and the leaders who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right. It is God's desire that by doing good you should stop foolish people from saying stupid things about you. Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. Live as servants of God" (1 Peter 2:13-16).
"Employees, with all humility be loyal to your bosses, not only to the kind and considerate but even to the ornery ones. When someone with a God-touched conscience endures the pain of undeserved injury, this indeed is commendable. Now if you take it when you get cussed out for doing something wrong, what’s so great about that? But if you’re doing your job and then put up with abuse, this wins God’s approval. That’s why God chose you. For Christ too suffered for you and set an example for you so you might walk in his tracks. He never did a mean thing, and nobody ever caught him in a lie. When folks cussed him out, he never cussed back; when beat up, he shouted no threats; instead, he put it all in the hands of Him who sets things right. In order that we might shuck off our sins and live a good life, he bore our wrongs on his own shoulders as he hung from the tree. At his flogging you were cured. For you all were wandering aimlessly like sheep, but now you have been corralled by the shepherd and overseer of your hearts" (I Rock 2:18-25, The Cotton Patch Version).
"If I your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash each other's feet. I did this as an example so that you should do as I have done to you. I tell you the truth, a servant is not greater than his master. A messenger is not greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them" (John 13:14-17).
Jesus' example, as a foot-washer, has a special power. The point isn't when or where you work, but how you work. It was life changing to note that during the foot-washing Judas was still present. As believers we must serve all. In God's family there is to be one great body of people: servants.
Peter, that great example of a failure made right reminds us all: "For the Lord's sake, yield to the people who have authority in this world: the king, who has the highest authority, and the leaders who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right. It is God's desire that by doing good you should stop foolish people from saying stupid things about you. Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. Live as servants of God" (1 Peter 2:13-16).
"Employees, with all humility be loyal to your bosses, not only to the kind and considerate but even to the ornery ones. When someone with a God-touched conscience endures the pain of undeserved injury, this indeed is commendable. Now if you take it when you get cussed out for doing something wrong, what’s so great about that? But if you’re doing your job and then put up with abuse, this wins God’s approval. That’s why God chose you. For Christ too suffered for you and set an example for you so you might walk in his tracks. He never did a mean thing, and nobody ever caught him in a lie. When folks cussed him out, he never cussed back; when beat up, he shouted no threats; instead, he put it all in the hands of Him who sets things right. In order that we might shuck off our sins and live a good life, he bore our wrongs on his own shoulders as he hung from the tree. At his flogging you were cured. For you all were wandering aimlessly like sheep, but now you have been corralled by the shepherd and overseer of your hearts" (I Rock 2:18-25, The Cotton Patch Version).
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Work With Enthusiasm
"Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people" (Eph. 6:7)
Broadcaster Roy Firestone once interviewed a seven foot tall, 260 pound specimen of pure muscle and atheletic ability. During the interview Roy asked a question "Your team mates tell me that every time you hit the hardwood you give a 110 percent. They say that you will go out and practice hook shots for hours and hours. They tell me that you will run wind sprints until you can not walk. They say that during the scrimmage you go for the loose balls like its the NBA finals. Why?"
"Roy," he answered, "you need to know something. When I go out into the hardwood, I'm not going to work, I am going to worship. How can I dare not give back to God what he's given to me with joy and thanksgiving? No, I don't go to work, I go to worship."
One of the best players in the NBA, one of the best big men in the history of the National Basketball Association. His name Hakeem Olajuwon. He is a Muslim, and he has much to teach this, and every other Christian about what work is meant to be.
"Every calling is great when greatly pursued"- Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.
Broadcaster Roy Firestone once interviewed a seven foot tall, 260 pound specimen of pure muscle and atheletic ability. During the interview Roy asked a question "Your team mates tell me that every time you hit the hardwood you give a 110 percent. They say that you will go out and practice hook shots for hours and hours. They tell me that you will run wind sprints until you can not walk. They say that during the scrimmage you go for the loose balls like its the NBA finals. Why?"
"Roy," he answered, "you need to know something. When I go out into the hardwood, I'm not going to work, I am going to worship. How can I dare not give back to God what he's given to me with joy and thanksgiving? No, I don't go to work, I go to worship."
One of the best players in the NBA, one of the best big men in the history of the National Basketball Association. His name Hakeem Olajuwon. He is a Muslim, and he has much to teach this, and every other Christian about what work is meant to be.
"Every calling is great when greatly pursued"- Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Whatever You Do or Say...
Too many Christians separate the faith part of life from work. they check at the office door the very thing that could make the greatest difference in their co-worker's lives, giving them the strength and courage to make life changing decisions.
"This seemed like a very good idea to the king, and all his officers agreed. And the king asked them, Can we find a better man than Joseph to take this job? God's Spirit is truly in him. So the king said to Joseph, God has shown you all this. There is no one as wise and understanding as you are. So, I will put you in charge of my palace. All the people will obey your orders, and only I will be greater than you. Then the king said to Joseph, Look, I have put you in charge of all the land of Egypt. then the king took off from his own finger his signat ring with the royal seal on it, and he put it on Joseph's finger. He gave Joseph fine linen clothes to wear, and he put a gold chain around Joseph's neck" (Gen. 41:37-42).
"I will take you...my servant, says the Lord, and I will make you important like my signat ring, because I have chosen you, says the Lord All-Powerful" (Haggai 2:23).
Whatever you do or say, let it be as a representitive of the Lord Jesus - Col. 3:17
There can be no higher calling than to be what God has created you to be; and to do what God has called you to do.
Here is the word God spoke to me this morning as I shared with him my fears and frustrations:
"Mark, Shelby, Kelsy, Pauline, Karen, Lou, and all of the other staff at the resturant and in the hotel, they all need Jesus. Few of them, if any will ever darken the door of any church. I have prepared a sacrifice. I have made holy my invited guests. I will give them, all of them, pure speech. You are bringing the temple to them. They will come."
"This seemed like a very good idea to the king, and all his officers agreed. And the king asked them, Can we find a better man than Joseph to take this job? God's Spirit is truly in him. So the king said to Joseph, God has shown you all this. There is no one as wise and understanding as you are. So, I will put you in charge of my palace. All the people will obey your orders, and only I will be greater than you. Then the king said to Joseph, Look, I have put you in charge of all the land of Egypt. then the king took off from his own finger his signat ring with the royal seal on it, and he put it on Joseph's finger. He gave Joseph fine linen clothes to wear, and he put a gold chain around Joseph's neck" (Gen. 41:37-42).
"I will take you...my servant, says the Lord, and I will make you important like my signat ring, because I have chosen you, says the Lord All-Powerful" (Haggai 2:23).
Whatever you do or say, let it be as a representitive of the Lord Jesus - Col. 3:17
There can be no higher calling than to be what God has created you to be; and to do what God has called you to do.
Here is the word God spoke to me this morning as I shared with him my fears and frustrations:
"Mark, Shelby, Kelsy, Pauline, Karen, Lou, and all of the other staff at the resturant and in the hotel, they all need Jesus. Few of them, if any will ever darken the door of any church. I have prepared a sacrifice. I have made holy my invited guests. I will give them, all of them, pure speech. You are bringing the temple to them. They will come."
Monday, September 3, 2007
Labour Day
Celebrated the first Monday in September in honour of such work considered as supplying the human needs of a community.
Not Just A Job
Why should God care where you work? Because this may be exactly where he has called you to do ministry. Not all ministry takes place within the four walls of a church. Sometimes the church must be taken out into the world. Twice Paul says, "Don't you know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?" (1Cor. 3:16; 6:19). It must be important.
Repeating the words of the prophet, Jesus says, "My temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations" (Mark 11:17). What does it look like to be the temple of God in the place where you work? By remaining in the place that God has called you, and by living out the transformation of meeting Jesus in your own life, you may demonstrate the irresistable influence of the good news.
Repeating the words of the prophet, Jesus says, "My temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations" (Mark 11:17). What does it look like to be the temple of God in the place where you work? By remaining in the place that God has called you, and by living out the transformation of meeting Jesus in your own life, you may demonstrate the irresistable influence of the good news.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Power, Prestige, and Position
When we examine our society, which is generally called capitalist (because of its methods of producing and controlling wealth) and is bourgeois (because of prevailing concern for acquisition and material interests, and its emphasis on respectability and mediocrity), we find it far from God's justice,
In labour, human need is no longer the reason for human work. Instead, the unbridled expansion of technology, necessary to capitalism and viewed as "progress," holds sway. Jobs are concentrated in productivity and administration for a "high tech," war-related, consumer society of disposable goods, so that labourers are trapped in work that does not contribute to human welfare. furthermore, as jobs become more specialized, many people are excluded from meaningful work or are alienated from the products of their labour. Even in farming, agribusiness has replaced agriculture, and in all areas moral restraints are run over roughshod, and a disregard for the laws of nature now threatens the very planet.
Many of the blog readers will know that I have been on the search for meaningful employment for a while. Resumes were sent out earlier to colleges and universities around the country, and the negative responses were more encouraging than one might at first think. "Your CV is awesome and you would be a valuable asset to any college or university, and while we have nothing that meets with your qualifications and experience we will keep your CV on file for the future." I have saved many of the rejection notices and have said to Gina, "That if I am ever feeling down in the dumps, I will pull them out and re-read them for the encouragement that they contain."
However, Solomon says that "Man proposes; God disposes" (Prov. 16:9); and it was not God's plan to have me return to the hallowed, but sometimes meaningless, halls of education. He rather has given me more meaningful labours that might more readily contribute to human welfare, at least to my own. As of Monday last, I became the most highly educated dish washer on the North Island, and as humbling as this might seen, it is hard to express the joy I feel in serving the public. Now, I am not solely committed to working the dish washer. I have opportunities to prep the food for others, and the responsibility to work the line for breakfast and lunch.
If you are a regular reader of the blog you will already know of my journey, and the joy that has come my way through meaningful labour. My encouragement for your journey is not to take yourself too seriously, revel in the joy of the labours to which God has brought you. John Becket, chairman of the R.W. Becket Corporation in Elyria. Ohio, writes, "After much soul searching I released my future to God. "This business can't be mine and yours at the same time. If you are asking me to forego my education, training, and experience to do something else, I'm willing." An overwhelming sense of his affirmation and peace resulted.
"John," the Father seemed to say, "I needed to know that you were willing to follow me, whatever, wherever, and whenever. But you are where I wanted you to be."
There is great joy in being at the center of God's will.
In labour, human need is no longer the reason for human work. Instead, the unbridled expansion of technology, necessary to capitalism and viewed as "progress," holds sway. Jobs are concentrated in productivity and administration for a "high tech," war-related, consumer society of disposable goods, so that labourers are trapped in work that does not contribute to human welfare. furthermore, as jobs become more specialized, many people are excluded from meaningful work or are alienated from the products of their labour. Even in farming, agribusiness has replaced agriculture, and in all areas moral restraints are run over roughshod, and a disregard for the laws of nature now threatens the very planet.
Many of the blog readers will know that I have been on the search for meaningful employment for a while. Resumes were sent out earlier to colleges and universities around the country, and the negative responses were more encouraging than one might at first think. "Your CV is awesome and you would be a valuable asset to any college or university, and while we have nothing that meets with your qualifications and experience we will keep your CV on file for the future." I have saved many of the rejection notices and have said to Gina, "That if I am ever feeling down in the dumps, I will pull them out and re-read them for the encouragement that they contain."
However, Solomon says that "Man proposes; God disposes" (Prov. 16:9); and it was not God's plan to have me return to the hallowed, but sometimes meaningless, halls of education. He rather has given me more meaningful labours that might more readily contribute to human welfare, at least to my own. As of Monday last, I became the most highly educated dish washer on the North Island, and as humbling as this might seen, it is hard to express the joy I feel in serving the public. Now, I am not solely committed to working the dish washer. I have opportunities to prep the food for others, and the responsibility to work the line for breakfast and lunch.
If you are a regular reader of the blog you will already know of my journey, and the joy that has come my way through meaningful labour. My encouragement for your journey is not to take yourself too seriously, revel in the joy of the labours to which God has brought you. John Becket, chairman of the R.W. Becket Corporation in Elyria. Ohio, writes, "After much soul searching I released my future to God. "This business can't be mine and yours at the same time. If you are asking me to forego my education, training, and experience to do something else, I'm willing." An overwhelming sense of his affirmation and peace resulted.
"John," the Father seemed to say, "I needed to know that you were willing to follow me, whatever, wherever, and whenever. But you are where I wanted you to be."
There is great joy in being at the center of God's will.
Saturday, September 1, 2007
All the Way to Heaven is Heaven-St. Catherine of Siena
When we examine our society, which is generally called capitalist (because of its methods of producing and controlling wealth) and is bourgeois (because of prevailing concern for acquisition and material interests, and its emphasis on respectabliity and mediocricy), we find it far from God's justice,
in economics, private and state capitalism bring about an unjust distribution of wealth, for the profit motivates decisions. Those in power live off the sweat of others' brows, while those without power are robbed of just return for their work. Usury (the charging of interest above administrative costs) is a major contributor to the wrongdoing intrinsic to this system. We note, especially, how the world debt crisis leads poor countries into greater deprivation and a dependency from which there is no foreseeable escape. Here at home, the number of homeless and hungry and unemployed people rises in the midst of increasing affluence.
As I read these words I find myself thinking about the words of those who are called by the Roman Church, separated brethren, in particular, Ron Sider-Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger; Donald Kraybill-The UpsideDown Kingdom; Dave Jackson-Living together in a World Falling Apart; and Clarence Jordan-The Cotton Patch Gospels, all of whom resound the words of Peter Maurin, "Our Lord taught us in his great sermon, the Sermon on the Mount, in his instructions to his missionary apostles, in his parables. His kingdom was not of this world. He spoke of humility and charity, and of the necessity to put on Christ, to partake of his divinity, to partake of his body and blood, and many went away sorrowing. He did not force them to believe. He wanted the freely given love of his creatures."
Having spent fourteen years living in community I have come to see that living together, having all things in common, is the answer offered to us by Jesus and his early assembly of followers. "And the heart and the soul of the multitude of those who had believed was one; and not even one said that any of his possessions was his own, but all things were common to them. And with great power the apostles gave testimony of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all" (Acts 4:32-33). O, for the wonder, of finding that society once again, where God makes things to be much easier than we have made them (Dorothy Day); and where it is easier for people to be good (Peter Maurin).
in economics, private and state capitalism bring about an unjust distribution of wealth, for the profit motivates decisions. Those in power live off the sweat of others' brows, while those without power are robbed of just return for their work. Usury (the charging of interest above administrative costs) is a major contributor to the wrongdoing intrinsic to this system. We note, especially, how the world debt crisis leads poor countries into greater deprivation and a dependency from which there is no foreseeable escape. Here at home, the number of homeless and hungry and unemployed people rises in the midst of increasing affluence.
As I read these words I find myself thinking about the words of those who are called by the Roman Church, separated brethren, in particular, Ron Sider-Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger; Donald Kraybill-The UpsideDown Kingdom; Dave Jackson-Living together in a World Falling Apart; and Clarence Jordan-The Cotton Patch Gospels, all of whom resound the words of Peter Maurin, "Our Lord taught us in his great sermon, the Sermon on the Mount, in his instructions to his missionary apostles, in his parables. His kingdom was not of this world. He spoke of humility and charity, and of the necessity to put on Christ, to partake of his divinity, to partake of his body and blood, and many went away sorrowing. He did not force them to believe. He wanted the freely given love of his creatures."
Having spent fourteen years living in community I have come to see that living together, having all things in common, is the answer offered to us by Jesus and his early assembly of followers. "And the heart and the soul of the multitude of those who had believed was one; and not even one said that any of his possessions was his own, but all things were common to them. And with great power the apostles gave testimony of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all" (Acts 4:32-33). O, for the wonder, of finding that society once again, where God makes things to be much easier than we have made them (Dorothy Day); and where it is easier for people to be good (Peter Maurin).
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