Letter to a Dying church?...

Sojourners Magazine is running a series called "Letters to a Dying Church." The primary assumption seems to be that there is little to no hope for the institutional church. "Hopeful" letters speak of resurrection and some purpose in dying. One letter accurately reminds us that what is happening in the "west" is not true of the rest of the world. Of course, I have an opinion. So IMHO…a letter.

To the Church of Jesus Christ,

Many have pronounced you dying; some have pronounced you dead. Most see no hope. Many have deserted you in the name of seeking "life." And some are still a part of you, participants in the "institution" who are dismissed by many as foolish or deluded…or simply crazy because they continue to participate in a lost cause, to beat a dead horse, to cling to hope when all hope is gone.

Dear Church…here's the thing. Your fate is not ours to determine. You belong to the Triune God, the Alpha and Omega. Jesus Christ is your head. The Spirit courses through your veins. Creation is and always will be yours until the Lord God dwells among his people and there is no more need for you. 

I wonder, often, what the criteria is for pronouncing you dead or dying. Is is numbers? Is it wealth? Power in our political system? Respect by the "secular" rulers or powers? Profit? Relevance? How do we judge that you are dying?

Yes, here's the thing. Your fate is not ours to determine. Ours is an invitation to participate with God as God creates, redeems, rules, reconciles and transforms all things and all people. It's a magnificent invitation. It is not a promise for particular outcomes. The invitation is just that. We are not planning the event, nor are we to determine what is "successful" at a particular place and time. We are called to be part of the Body, called to be active in a congregation. We are called to prayer and discernment, not judgment and determination of how things "should be." 

I've been in some churches in which I struggle to see the Spirit at work. I've been in others that seem full to overflowing with Spirit. I've learned to be skeptical of my opinions. Often the "Spirit" I see is a reflection of my preferences and comfort. Often the struggle is my lack of imagination and connection. Do we, as your hands and feet, toes and fingers, have work to do to be more faithful to you, more open to the work of the Spirit in our midst, more able to witness to the steadfast love and grace given to us? You bet we do. But does our work determine your health. I don't think so. 

Dear Church…here's the thing. Your fate is not ours to determine. Individual congregations come and go. We are, after all, human. No congregation is immortal. No congregation immune to the human frailty that moves us through life to death. But our hope is not in our ability to be the oldest living congregation. Our hope is not in our ability or our definition of your success. Our hope is in the God who established you, who sustains you, and who will inspire and guide you in good times and bad, in health and in struggle, in life and in death.

I am grateful, Dear Church, that you are not mine to control. I am grateful that your fate is not mine to determine. I am grateful that I can trust that the sovereign God who created you and gave you as a gift to our people is working even now to bring about good, to work good when we manage to create chaos, to bring new life and health and wholeness to us and all creation. And I am so grateful to be invited to participate.

You have been pronounced dead and dying before, you will be again. In the meantime, I give thanks for the witness you provide, for the nurture that is promised, for the guidance that is gifted. I am grateful for your saints that have gone before, for my time to work for the Kingdom, and for those who will continue the Kingdom's work long after we are gone. 

A humble servant of God... 

(If you enjoy this blog and would like to know when a new post occurs, you can put an e-mail in the box at the top right-hand side of the page and you will receive the posting via e-mail.)

The Myth by Which We Die...

Confession. Instead of reading great literature in the evening, or painting great works or art, or even vacuuming the floor, I've been watching this pretty ridiculous "drama" about women who work a ranch in Australia. It gives me a good fix of the farm life. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't last a day, but the fantasy is that I would. At the very least, I would love chickens in my back yard. I also like the idea of working outside all day and then being able to eat real food with no guilt. Sitting in my office chair really doesn't open that door.

I know it's not all real, though the beautiful women who star in this show actually get filthy dirty. They don't manage to do the farm work and stay clean and well-coiffed as many shows portray. They do, however, manage to do hard labor all day, then cook themselves dinner and sit and enjoy it like they didn't wish with their whole beings for a bed and some sleep. The house also cleans itself now. They did have a woman whose role was house upkeep, but she left to become a scholar and now the house magically cares for itself. I would pay good money for a house like that.

I know I've written on this before, but this show (made between 2001 and 2008) is again this "don't help me"… "don't share what's going on in my life with anyone"… "don't tell the truth"… "I have to do it myself or it's not valid."

PEOPLE!  We need each other. We don't do anything on our own. Our relationships are healthier if we communicate with each other. We cannot succeed at anything if we try and do everything alone. 

Yes. That's what I yell at the TV. Really. I talk to them because they are so stupid. It's a bit scary.

Does anyone else think this way of life is crazy? Does everyone else in the world think it is normal and right to work so hard to isolate from all those around us unless we are perfect and perfectly competent and perfectly in control. Because if that is normal, you'll never see me again.

OK. Periodically on an episode we "realize" that our friends have our backs and it's good to ask for help and there are tears all around and we celebrate. But they never learn. The craziness starts again the very next episode.

So, I'm not sure what the moral of the story is…probably don't watch soap opera drama. But I do know this, living without relationships is not living at all. It's death. Being independent is not a cause to celebrate, it's the cause of loneliness and fear. "Doing it myself," "making my own decisions," "handling it alone,"…it's not the successful measure by which we live.

It's the myth by which we die.

Guvment Meetin' Prayuh...

A meeting of the Chicago City Council
from the Chicago Tribune.

Today the Supreme Court ruled that prayer before government
meetings was to be continued…even if
the prayers were predominantly Christian. They lend a sense of "gravitas" says one justice. My colleague, Joe, says basically they made prayer the jewelry of Lady Justice. I believe it is faux jewelry at that.

I think the world of faith, regardless of the religion or denomination should refuse to ever pray at a guvment meeting' EVER…period! 

The reduction of the practice of prayer to "lending gravitas" is a frightening emasculation of a profound practice. In the name of preserving faith, the court has, in fact, removed all semblance of real faith and practice. A prayer is not a decoration or a means to quiet the crowd so they don't miss any of the politician's rhetoric.

A prayer is a powerful, subversive force to bring us closer to the Kingdom of God (at least for those of us who practice the Christian and Jewish faith traditions).

Let the prayers continue. Let Lady Justice find her own cheap jewelry.