"Moralistic Therapeutic Deism"

In her book Almost Christian, Kenda Creasey Dean, Associate Professor of Youth, Church and Culture at Princeton Theological Seminary, presents her belief that, "American young people are, theoretically, fine with religious faith - but it does not concern them very much, and it is not durable enough to survive long after they graduate from high school." (p. 3)  And...she puts the responsibility on us, the adults, parents, "big people" because we have been feeding them a half-hearted, weak, watered down, passionless, and anything goes faith.  We have not taken our own spiritual development seriously and it shows in the spiritual life, or should I say lack of spiritual life of young people. 

We have turned Christianity into what Dean calls, "Moralistic Therapeutic Deism" (that's a mouth full...but it's not the Christian faith and it's not a faith that will sustain us.)

Guiding Beliefs of Moralistic Therapeutic Deism:

1) A god exists who created and orders the world and watches over life on earth.

2) God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the bible and by most world religions.

3) The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself.

4) God is not involved in my life except when I need God to resolve a problem.

5) Good people go to heaven when they die.

These are "nice" things, but not the transformational life giving power of the Gospel.  Our kids want something with substance not a faith of anything goes.  Dean writes, "youth are unlikely to take hold of a "god" who is too limp to take hold of them." (p.36) 

This holds true for all of us - young and old alike.  Maybe our faith and our God simply have become "too limp."  Why invest our time, our lives, our souls, our energy in a limp faith and limp God? 

Fitness folks often speak of developing a strong core.  If you have a strong core it will increase your overall strength and vitality - so too with our life of faith.  We need to work on developing a strong core.  A core built around faith in the Risen Lord.  A core shaped by our baptismal covenant.  A core sustained by scripture, prayer, service and the sacraments. 

Moralistic Therapeutic Deism is "nice", but nice will not sustain us, nice will not save us.

In Christ,

Paul+

Scared Sacred

We’ve all heard stories of a young person who was headed down the wrong path and then due to some blessed horrific encounter, they were “scared straight.”  Something broke into their lives, opened their eyes, changed their souls and they were dramatically transformed, and began to journey down a new and life giving path. 

A couple of times recently when writing to parishioners, I’ve had most curious and related typos.  Once when I meant to ask if someone was “scared” I asked if they were “sacred,” and in the other incident I spoke of “scared and holy time” rather than “sacred and holy time.”  I could just chalk these up to more of Paul’s typos, but I think there is insight to be found.  (I’m now convinced, by the way, that they are the Spirit’s clever way of teaching me something…that’s my story and I’m sticking with it!!) 

After my most recent “typo,” my wise friend, with whom I was texting, wrote back and said, “Did you notice your typo?  You asked the person if they were ‘scared’ but you typed ‘Are you sacred?’” She went further to say that perhaps we forget that at times when we are most scared are also times that can be most sacred. For in these times we are vulnerable, open and calling upon the Lord.  Sometimes, we need to be “scared sacred.” 

I don’t like being afraid.  I don’t like being scared and vulnerable, but there are certainly times when that is the only way Spirit can break through the sin of my pride and ego. My fear can be transformed into courage and confidence through the indwelling of the power of our Creator!  My trembling heart and soul can find a place of blessed peace and stillness in grace filled arms of the Lord!  My confusion and disorientation can be formed into clarity and certainty by the gentle guiding of the Holy Spirit.

O that in our times of fear and trembling, we may not find ourselves in a place of holy abandonment, but rather sacred assurance in the one true and living God who will never leave us nor forsake us.  May we find ourselves blessedly “scared sacred.”

Peace,

Paul+

Psalm 121

 ¹ I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
   where does my help come from?
² My help comes from the LORD,
   the Maker of heaven and earth.
 ³ He will not let your foot slip—
   he who watches over you will not slumber;
⁴ indeed, he who watches over Israel
   will neither slumber nor sleep.
 ⁵ The LORD watches over you—
   the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
⁶ the sun will not harm you by day,
   nor the moon by night.

 ⁷ The LORD will keep you from all harm—
   he will watch over your life;
⁸ the LORD will watch over your coming and going
   both now and forevermore.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, the comfort me. (Psalm 23:4)

For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, do not fear; I will help you. (Isaiah 41:13)

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31:6)

The Lord is my light and my salvation--whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life--of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1)

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27)

God is our refuge and strength an ever-present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1)

"Good! We got the bastard!"

Since waking up Monday morning to the news of a US Navy Seal covert operation that invaded a compound in Pakistan and killed one of the most wanted criminals in the world, who for most Americans is THE personification of evil, Osama bin Laden,  I have been filled with conflicting thoughts and emotions.

Upon hearing the news, I must confess that my immediate thought was, "Good! We got the bastard!"  I made my hand into a fist with a gesture of victory.  It's true!  But...that didn't last for long.  The joy of revenge and retaliation is always fleeting, even if justified.  The dead are still dead.  The towers are still down.  The nation and the world have been changed forever and that will not change even though bin Laden is dead.

My momentary joy was overtaken with the shame of my sinful reaction, truth of the broken state of the world in which we live and our desperate need for a Savior.   We live in a world where hatred, prejudice, and violence are very real.  We live in a world where at times there can be the palpable presence of clear and present dangers.

But, we are a people who profess faith in Jesus Christ, whose name is "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, PRINCE OF PEACE."  (Isaiah 9:6) This is the one to whom we give praise and glory.  Let us remember the words we heard on Maundy Thursday, "I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.  Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34-35) 

I am not advocating that we bury our heads in the sand and allow ourselves to be threatened or terrorized. We are to be "wise as serpents and innocent as doves," indeed.  (Matthew 10:16)  To be a Christian does not mean that we allow ourselves to be bullied or abused, nor do we allow it for others.  And while unfortunately there are times when violence becomes the means by which, in our broken way, we bring something to an "end" - though it really is not an end - we cannot celebrate and applaud it. 

I was troubled to see our citizens rejoicing in the streets, cheering, and waving our flag.  As Christians, we do not rejoice in death.  We do not applaud murder.  We do not celebrate violence and killing.  When our human condition finds no other way forward except through violence and death, even if "justified," we should not celebrate in the streets.  Rather, we should fall to our knees and pray for God's mercy upon our souls and the souls of our enemies. 

I am reminded of the Jewish midrash that after the Egyptians had been drowned in the Red Sea and the children of Israel were safe, the angels were rejoicing in heaven, but God stopped them and would not allow it, "The works of my hands are drowning in the sea, and you wish to sing praises?" (Talmud Tractate Megillah 10b)   Though you and I may have enemies and hold hatred in our hearts, though they may have committed great evil against us - we shall not rejoice in their death! 

Am I glad we got him?  Yes.  Am I proud of our President?  Yes.  Am I proud of our soldiers, who day in and day out risk their lives for our freedom and for the freedom of others?  Yes.  But, I do so always praying that the words of the prophet Isaiah would come to pass sooner rather than later.  Our world has experienced enough hate and bloodshed.  We've buried enough soldiers and innocent victims.  We've made enough guns and built enough bombs.  O that we may, "beat [our] swords into plowshares, and [our] spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore."  (Isaiah 2:4b)

God have mercy on our souls and upon the souls of our enemies that one day we shall be united one to another in your merciful and reconciling arms.

In Christ,

Paul+

   

For Peace

Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the strength of love: So mightily spread abroad your Spirit, that all peoples may be gathered under the banner of the Prince of Peace, as children of one Father; to whom be dominion and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

 

For Peace Among the Nations

Almighty God our heavenly Father, guide the nations of the world into the way of justice and truth, and establish among them that peace which is the fruit of righteousness, that they may become the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

For our Enemies

 O God, the Father of all, whose Son commanded us to love our enemies: Lead them and us from prejudice to truth: deliver them and us from hatred, cruelty, and revenge; and in your good time enable us all to stand reconciled before you, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For the President of the United States and all in Civil Authority

O Lord our Governor, whose glory is in all the world: We commend this nation to thy merciful care, that, being guided by thy Providence, we may dwell secure in thy peace. Grant to the President of the United States, the Governor of this State, and to all in authority, wisdom and strength to know and to do thy will. Fill them with the love of truth and righteousness, and make them ever mindful of their calling to serve this people in thy fear; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

For those in the Armed Forces of our Country

Almighty God, we commend to your gracious care and keeping all the men and women of our armed forces at home and abroad. Defend them day by day with your heavenly grace; strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give them courage to face the perils which beset them; and grant them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Days that change our lives forever

For the majority of us most days are relatively "normal," and by that I mean without great drama or trial.  We go about our daily lives working, meeting a friend for a cup of coffee, a little exercise, read a good book - not too bad.  There are times of laughter and of course tears, as well.  But, thank goodness, there are seldom days that change our lives forever, days when the earth trembles and darkness covers the sky.   Days which begin innocently enough, but when evening comes we find ourselves curled up on the floor in the fetal position gasping breath and our eyes burning with tears.  From that day forward our lives are changed forever.

We live today, Good Friday, with two thousand years of history and with the inside knowledge on how the story ends.  (By the way, just in case you don't know...it's a GREAT ending! Go to church on Sunday!)  But, on that first Good Friday no one knew what to expect.  No one knew how the story was going to end.  No one knew the true meaning or salvific significance of the events that were painfully and brutally unfolding before them. 

Today, things are going to take a tragic turn for the worse.  It's going to be filled with lies and accusations, filled with spit and venom, filled with hatred and revenge, filled with bloodshed and death.  By the time the sun sets, people will be at the foot of the cross staring in disbelief at the lifeless body of Christ.  They'll return to their homes and fall asleep on the floor curled up in the fetal position in a pool of tears. 

I pray that today, we will live Good Friday only through the liturgy.  I pray that we will hear the story, but not have to live it.  The truth is, however, for some this day will truly be Good Friday.  For some this day will take a tragic turn.  For some this day the earth will tremble and darkness will cover the sky.  For some when the sun sets on this day, they will find themselves on the floor curled up in the fetal position in a pool of tears gasping for breath.   

For this day is 9/11, Hiroshima, the earthquake in Haiti, the tsunami in Japan, the day Kennedy was shot, the day King was assassinated, the day your spouse tells you they're leaving, the day the test results show that death is inevitable, the day a confused and distraught teenager goes into their high school and opens fire, the day they chain a young gay man to the back of a truck and drag him until he dies, the day the police knock on the door and say, "There's been an accident," the day a suicide bomber walks into a crowded market, the day the Klan put a noose around the neck of yet another black man and let him swing from a tree, the day the Nazi's made the Jews pile into cattle cars for Auschwitz.  For some, this day their cry will echo throughout all of heaven, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me!!!"  And God's tears will drench the earth. 

Lord, have mercy upon us.

Christ, have mercy upon us.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

Protect us from this day.

May Sunday come!

Dear God, may Sunday come!

Save us!

Paul+

The Invisible Man

This past week I got an email which simply said, "This is awesome!"  I had the time so I thought I would take a look. At first, it seemed like a nice momentary diversion, another internet visual novelty, but upon reflection the theological significance hit me, and even more so the human significance.  Liu Bolin is a Chinese artist who paints himself into scenes with such amazing ability he virtually disappears.  You really have to look to see him. Awesome! (For more images: Liu Bolin ~ The Invisible Man)

Our world is full of “invisible people.”  They, however, don't paint themselves so as to become invisible, we just don't see them.  They're the wrong color, the wrong socioeconomic class, the wrong sexual orientation, the wrong ethnic group. They're not pretty or they're poor. They're dirty or just different. Whatever they are...they're not us.  They're not something we really want to see, and if we don't see them we can convince ourselves that they don't exist.  But, if we do see them, then we must admit they exist.  And, if we admit they exist, then what?  Ah…there’s the rub! What will this mean for me?

It means that I may have to do something.  If I admit that I see the "invisible person" and admit they exist -- then what?  What is my responsibility for my newly discovered, sister or brother?  If I really see the poor, what does that mean?  If I really see the hungry, what does that mean? If I really see the immigrant, what does that mean?  

If I really see the “other,” my neighbor, what does that mean?

Invisible people are everywhere!  But, do we see them?  Do we want to see them?  For if we see them, we acknowledge they exist.  And, if we acknowledge they exist we cannot ignore them.  As people of faith, we believe that ALL people are created in image of God.  We are ALL children of God and though we may deem some in our society as invisible, no one is invisible to God.

As Episcopalians in our Baptismal Covenant we profess that we are to seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as ourselves, and we are to strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being.  These are not uniquely Christian values. They are, however, essential human values at the heart of a humane and just world. 

Keep your eyes open, my sisters and brothers.  Invisible people are everywhere, children of the living God --- God’s sees them, do we?  God loves them, do we?  God is willing to give everything for them, are we?

Peace,

Paul+

Matthew 25:35-40

³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

   ³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’     

⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

So long "Frozen Chosen" Hello "Enthusiastic Episcopalians"

On Wednesday evening, Douglas Forrester was our Lenten lecture speaker. He spoke on the Doctrine of the Trinity in a wonderfully fresh way.  During the course of his lecture, he spoke of "enthusiasm" and mentioned that the origin of the word comes from the Greek "entheos" to be "in God."   I love that!  So at first chance, like most of us when we have a burning question, I turned on the computer and googled it.

enthusiasm

c.1600, from M.Fr. enthousiasme (16c.) and directly from L.L. enthusiasmus, from Gk. enthousiasmos "divine inspiration," from enthousiazein "be inspired or possessed by a god, be rapt, be in ecstasy," from entheos "divinely inspired, possessed by a god," from en "in" (see en- (2)) + theosThea). Acquired a derogatory sense of "excessive religious emotion" (1650s) under the Puritans; generalized sense of "fervor, zeal" (the main modern sense) is first recorded 1716. "god" (see

Etymology Online

I don't know how I missed that one, but I love this new understanding that to be truly enthusiastic is to be "in God" to be inspired by God, to rapt and in ecstasy!!!! How wonderful!!! How freeing!!! 

Somewhere along the way, however, to have ecstasy in God got a bum rap.  No, we need to keep things in control.  We need to maintain proper decorum at all times.  We can't show positive emotion in connection with God.  No, we mustn't show too much joy or excitement.  No, we mustn't want to dance or sing or shout for joy! No, no, no...we mustn't.  Serious, stoic...that's better.  If you have to pass the peace do it quickly, and please, don't enjoy it. 

I completely understand that everyone has different comfort levels when it comes to feeling and expressing "enthusiasm."  And this is not a plea for us to become Pentecostal, but...I invite us to open up, just a wee bit, to a new way experiencing our lives and our relationship with God.

God is an "enthusiastic" God.  A God of joy and life.  A God of laughter and love.  A God who, as Mr. Forrester reminded us, invites us to dance.  Invites us into a wonderful, life giving, inspired, divine and holy dance.  A dance of prayer and worship.  A dance of service and sacrifice.  A dance of hope and joy.  A dance of tears and laughter.  A dance of death and life.  The dance of the Triune God, the sacred dance of life.

God longs for us to live life to the fullest.  I believe God longs for us to be inspired, possessed, rapt, and in ecstasy to be truly "entheos."  So full of the Spirit we can't help but be ENTHUSIASTIC!!

So my friends, "So long Frozen Chosen! Hello Enthusiastic Episcopalians!"

Let us Praise the Lord!

Every day in every way, let us Praise the Lord!

Paul+

Psalm 150 (A psalm for "Enthusiastic Episcopalians")

¹Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary;

praise him in his mighty firmament!

²Praise him for his mighty deeds;

praise him according to his surpassing greatness!

³Praise him with trumpet sound;

         praise him with lute and harp!

⁴Praise him with tambourine and dance;

praise him with strings and pipe!

⁵Praise him with clanging cymbals;

praise him with loud clashing cymbals!

⁶Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord!

Jesus is stripped before the crowd

Earlier today I was in an email exchange with a dear friend.  We were having an e-discussion about the Tenth Station.  For what it’s worth…this was my contribution to the discussion.

THE TENTH STATION

JESUS IS STRIPPED BEFORE THE CROWD

All: We adore you O Christ, and we praise you, because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world.

Leader: Physical humiliation isn’t enough. Spitting isn’t enough. Whipping isn’t enough. Crucifixion isn’t enough. We need to shame you. We need to strip away from you any shred of human dignity. We are blind to the dignity in which your Father clothes you. Unable to see your deeper dignity, we revel in the shame we pour out on you.

How many times have we branded someone with a scarlet letter? Drunk, convict, weakling? How many times have we labeled our brother or sister, so as to set them apart, reduced them to nothing by using shame?

Silence.

All: Dearest Jesus, as you stand there, stripped before the crowd, you are more dignified than any of us present. In our blindness, we still believe that shame reduces you. By the power of your Holy Spirit, help us to see the dignity that you have, that every child of God has, a dignity that neither we nor anyone else can take away.

By the crowd you’re stripped and broken,
Jesus, naked as the token
Of our hatred and our pain. Amen.
(www.preachingpeace.org by Jeff Krantz)

Our Lord stripped naked standing before the people.  What a powerful image!  Standing naked with OUR truth revealed.  Standing before the world with the naked reality of Our selves, Our souls and Our lives "hanging out there" for all to see.  Yet, He stood naked.

At times I feel as if I am a voyeur, looking at others and terrified that someone will see the naked truth of my own life.  It's like when you drive past a horrible accident. You see the lights of the emergency vehicles.  You see the twisted wreckage.  You see the blood and shattered glass.  You may see tears and even evidence of death.  You don't really want to look, but you can't help it.  You stare.  You know that you should give privacy and respect to those involved, yet drawn in some kind of sadistic way we turn and gawk to see whatever we can see.  We sit in darkened rooms watching "reality" TV and news stories from around the world, "you tube" and hidden cameras. My God...what if the hidden camera is on me.

For if we stand naked in our world and the truth of the wreckage of our lives and souls is revealed, others (and ME too!!!) in pious "self-righteousness" are all too willing to pick up stones of guilt and judgment, stones of shame and rejection, stones of alienation and disdain and to throw them at the naked and broken one before them.  (“He who is without sin may cast the first stone.” We tend to ignore Christ’s admonition.)  

Yet, our Lord stood naked before those who betrayed him, those who spit upon him, those who said they loved him and yet turned their backs, those who mocked him, those who nailed him to the cross...and without saying a word took our shame, our guilt, our brokenness, our condemnation that we might stand without shame and without guilt that we may have our brokenness healed and be freed from the chains of condemnation. 

For through the grace filled and merciful love of our Lord, Jesus Christ, we can stand naked, the truth can be told, all can be revealed and we need not fall to our knees and hide our face in shame, but we can stand with dignity and look directly into the eyes of the one who gave himself for us and see in Him – Love: all consuming love, love which we have never known before, love which heals all, love which forgives all, love which drives away all fear and shame. 

O Lord, Lamb of God, stripped naked standing before the people,

have mercy upon us.

O Lord, Lamb of God, stripped naked standing before the people,

have mercy upon us.

O Lord, Lamb of God, stripped naked standing before the people,

Grant us thy peace.

In Christ,
Paul+