Grace...the Real Power of God

A couple of days ago during my morning time with Yahweh, I read from Acts. In chapter  4, I read the following:

            v. 33b – And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them All

            34 – that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who     

                    owned land or houses sold them brought the money from the sales

            35 – and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.

I found this interesting. The writer, presumably Luke, starts by writing that God’s power was evident among the community of Christ followers. When I think of God’s power I think of healing and deliverance and other acts of power. But, he described the activities of the people as evidence of God’s powerful actions. It seems as though God’s grace and power were revealed through the love and generosity of the people. Lives were changed, i.e., transformed, in such a way that it was visible through these gestures of love a care.

As I reflected on God’s work as we read in the entire Bible, I see most of it deals with this kind of caring for one another. We spend so much time in so-called ‘deep’ theology that the simple acts of devotion go by and are missed. Our church leaders spend so much time trying to build fences to keep the sheep penned up that they give us neither time nor opportunity to simply live and love. But, these couple of verses in Acts shows that the leaders were distributors of God’s grace. Grace that enables people, all people, to detach from the cares and worries and false security offered by this world’s systems. Grace that causes people to develop empathy for others. Grace that is reflected back to the Giver through acts of service and kindness.

Nothing deep. No creeds. No doctrine. No magic beams. Just simple love. Jesus did leave that to us as a command. He never said to go and believe orthodoxy. He said, ‘Love one another as I have loved you.’

Selling God

A couple days ago I drove past a local church. It is a fairly large Assembly of God church. On the sign outside were the words 'Healing Service.' Now, I've seen hundreds of these signs over the years. Sometimes the type of service changes. It may read 'Deliverance Service,' or 'Revival Service,' or any number of other kinds of service. I have attended these services in the past. Shoot, I've been part of the administration of them as a worship leader! So, why was I offended when I saw this particular sign? After all, aren't we supposed to encourage everyone to come to the 'house of the Lord'?
I think that part of my reticence has to do with the apparent arrogance of the sign. It implies that only at such and such a time, God will have office hours. If you come to our church during this time you may experience some kind of super-natural intervention that may alleviate your present, less than satisfactory condition.
This opens an incredibly large can of night crawlers. (If your intent is to go fishing, maybe this is ok.)
First, there is the overt arrogance of a small group of people, (re. white males), who have an inside track to understanding the movement of the Holy Spirit. They think that if they can schedule a spiritual event, then Ruach Elohim, the Breath of God, is compelled to show up and do their bidding. As I read the scriptures I see the Spirit hovering over the deep, coming and going like the wind, doing anything other than what is predictable. So, to think that this Spirit can be harnessed into our understanding of time and space is wrong-headed at the very least.
Another thing that stands out is the advertisement of the event. To place a sign outside of a building implies that this particular place is the only place where God will be on whatever particular evening. I don't want to be crass, but the only words that come to mind right now are "bullshit." (Sorry to offend folks who are sensitive to language.) God is God. God does what God wants to do when God wants to do it. We CANNOT be so arrogant as to say that God will be available at whatever time and place we deem proper and in line with our human agenda.
But, the most offensive thing in all of this is that God is commodified. God is marketed on signs outside of churches like a pot-blessing dinner. (How I hate that Christianese term!) God is revealed to people in a way that shows humans as the ultimate arbiters and administrators of Spiritual truth. I don't see God in a box as I read the Scriptures. Perhaps, we should be taking a more human like approach realize that God is God and we are not. No one can control what and where the Spirit moves. Absolutely not on a sign outside of a building.

Two plus Two equals Five

I have finished Orwell's 1984. Having grown up in the 60's, I can see a lot of what he wrote reflected in the mentality of that era. We were neck deep in a cold war with the USSR. Vietnam was exploding on our televisions and rock-n-roll was my language of choice. We saw in the so-called 'establishment' an attempt to control our thought and way of life. Ok, so maybe we were a tad paranoid about that. But, that era prepared me, and countless others, to accept the new orthodoxy of Christianity. I was a Jesus Freak. I grabbed onto the tenets of that movement with both hands. Over the years I became convinced that we were right and everyone else had missed the mark. The biggest proof that we had was communicated in our own language. We had 'chosen' to be 'born again' through 'faith' in the 'gospel,' whatever that was. We had our own music and culture. If something wasn't "Christian" it was suspect. That leads me to this quote from Orwell's work.
The character O'Brien speaking to Winston:

You are here because you have failed in humility, in self-discipline. You would not make the act of submission which is the price of sanity. You preferred to be a lunatic, a minority of one. Only the disciplined mind can see reality, Winston. You believer that reality is something objective, external, existing in its own right. you also believe that the nature of reality is self-evident. When you delude yourself into thinking that you see something, you assume that everyone else sees the same thing as you. Bit I tell you, Winston, that reality is not external. Reality exists in the human mind, and nowhere else. Not in the individual mind, which can make mistakes, and  in any case soon perishes; only in the mind of the Church, which is collective and immortal. Whatever the Church holds to be truth is truth. It is impossible to see reality except by looking thought the eyes of the Church. That is the fact that you have got to relearn, Winston. It needs an act of self-destruction, an effort of the will. You must humble yourself before you can become sane."

Ok, I took some liberty with that quote. I substituted "Church" for "Party." In the evangelical, neo-reformed church there is an understood command to not question the party line. We are told what to believe and how to express that belief. When someone, (me for instance), begins to question things, we are told to hold to the 'orthodox' faith or face some kind of retribution. Mostly, this involves being 'shamed.'
I'm sorry if anyone is offended. But, I simply DO NOT adhere to any teaching that is exclusivist or patriarchal. I don't buy into the fundagelical literal belief that requires anyone to believe exactly as the 'party' does. I must live in a world where questions are welcome and faith is allowed to grow in 'real time'...for real people.

Be Still and Know that I Am God

Be still and know that I am God.
I get up in the morning and rush to eat and get my coffee
Be still and know that I am God.
Hurriedly, I take 1 hour, no more, no less for prayer and meditation
Be still and know that I am God.
Throw food in a bag a run off to the salt mine
Be still and know that I am God.
Put out imaginary fires and ping-ping like a Balley ball
Be still and know that I am God.
70 MPH home to workout, feed Bill, eat, crash...crash...crash
Be still and know that I am God.
Sleep, dream, toss, awaken................
I get up in the morning and rush to eat and get my coffee
Be still and know that I am God.

International Women's Day

I was going to wait until tomorrow to get into this topic. But, I found out that today is International Women's Day. So, I thought better of it and am going to share this now. One of the things that I've been trying work through for the past few years is the idea of egalitarianism. It's more than abundantly clear that the Biblical witness testifies to the equality of gender. There is no longer any male or female in the body of Christ. We are all Yahweh's children. As such, we are compelled to love and respect one another as equal beneficiaries of God's grace and mercy. That's why it breaks my heart to read reports such as this:
http://news.yahoo.com/half-girls-south-sudan-forced-marry-140334618.html
We talk about equality in this country. Yet, we are mostly ignorant of what happens in other parts of the world. It seems inconceivable, (yes, I like The Princess Bride), that this kind of activity can still happen in the 21st century. It should be! Yet, in many parts of the world women and girls are considered property for the benefit of the male population, bought and sold like cattle. As Christ followers, we are under a mandate to express God's love to ALL creation. Hey, folks...that includes women. Yet, we in the West tend to gravitate to hot button issues like abortion and education and 2nd amendment crap, while real, human, flesh and blood females are being treated worse than many of us would treat our pets. I don't know about y'all, but I cannot sit idly by and do/say nothing. This must end!

1st Nations and White Privilege

Over the years I've had numerous occasions to reflect on what the colonial mindset has done to the American continent's indigenous people. Yeah, I grew up with cowboys and Indians, the Lone Ranger and Tonto, and all of the other evidences of white privilege in this country. But, something never quite sat right in my heart. The First Nations people were human beings. Their world was invaded by outsiders. How were we right? So, like a good little White guy, I started looking at some of the humanitarian and philanthropic ways to "help the poor Red Man." Little did I know that I would one day run head long into Randy Woodley. Nor, did I anticipate the effects of Dr. William Myer on my worldview. These men, along with Rev. Jennifer Crumpton, Caryn D. Riswold, and the bloggers at Womanist Musings have stretched me to the point of breaking. In fact, I have broken. I've broken with the white patristic ideal of America. I've broken with the idea that White makes Right. I've broken with the idea that God has ordained males for the divine work on Earth. These things make me wish that I was NOT a White Male.
But, I am. I can't change that. And, for whatever reason, Creator saw fit to make me this way.
However, back to my original thoughts.
Some folks think that humans came to this continent some 10,000 years ago. From these original travelers came the indigenous people that Columbus and the Mayflower, and perhaps the Norse met. I've read some blogs and other sources written by Native Americans that indicate that they KNOW that Creator gave them the land. This land. The land that we call ours. In fact, from Columbus to Cortez to the Jamestown community to every White European to set foot on this continent, we have said that God gave US this land. It was God who led the explorers west. It was God who allowed the Conquistadors to triumph. In our arrogance we have interpreted the seeming military successes of our forebears to mean that we were/are right. Everything that we have done in this hemisphere has been god-ordained. This country is God's country.
Bull.
What if......
The First Nations people are right. Creator gave them this land to live on. To live with. What if those roots were allowed to grow deep and produce much good fruit because Creator Yahweh ordained it so? And, what if God did, in fact, lead the Europeans here? We have been taught that God sent the Europeans to this continent to bring the Gospel. To bring civilization. But, what if Creator brought them here to learn? The indigenes knew the land. They knew Creator. They knew the true reality of life here. What if that's just what the Europeans needed to learn?

Walt Whitman and...the Bible?

This morning I was reading through the book of Hebrews in the Second Testament. Chapter 11 in that book contains some enlightening stories of faithful people in First Testament history. At the end of the chapter the following was recorded, "These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect." This was written to show that we are interconnected with those who have gone before us. In a real way, we are people who share in the lives and faiths of all of humanity. Walt Whitman, a poet that I have only recently come to admire and appreciate, wrote the following:

On the beach at night alone,
As the old mother sways her to and fro singing her husky song,
As I watch the bright stars shining, I think a thought of the clef of the universes and of the future,
A vast similitude interlocks all,
All spheres, grown, ungrown, small, large, suns, moons, planets,
All distances of place however wide,
All distances of time, all inanimate forms,
All souls, all living bodies thought they be ever so different, or in different worlds,
All gaseous, watery, vegetable, mineral processed, the fishes, the brutes,
All nations, colors, barbarisms, civilizations, languages,
All identities that have existed or may exist on this globe, or any globe,
All lives and deaths, all of the past, present, future,
This vast similitude spans them, and always has spann'd,
And shall forever span them and compactly hold and  enclose them.

"A vast similitude interlocks all..." How true. We are all interrelated by virtue of a common heritage. Whether one believes in a single creative act of Yahweh Elohim, or the natural progression of evolution, we all share a common Source. Perhaps, it would do all of creation a great service if we humans started to live like parts,  siblings, of the Whole rather than the masters.

God's gift of Creative Reflection

Most of my opinions and thoughts on things are most likely incorrect. Or, at least 'half baked.' I know this, so I try not to cling too tightly to them. In fact, it takes very little effort for someone to question me and send me off to reconsider my positions. Many times this reflection forces me to make modifications. I find that the added input from these other folks is good and deserves a place in my thoughts. Other times, my position is vindicated and I am content to hang on to my position. At least until someone else comes along to question it again. I think that this is a fairly good way to develop opinions and beliefs. It allows me to use the brain that Yahweh has given me. A creative mind that has the ability to reflect and learn. This, I think, leads to growth.
There are many folks, however, maybe even most, who do cling tightly to their positions. Some of these positions may be untenable in the face of prevailing data. But, they call if 'faith.' Their position has been verified by God, or some other source that is outside of, or higher than they are. It's not 'their' idea, but God's. This necessarily relieves them of the responsibility to think and reflect for themselves. How sad this is.
I think that part of the issue with this is the human need to be accepted as part of a group. We desire to be a part of something larger and more significant than we are by ourselves. Many times this leads to a phenomena called 'Groupthink.' In order to belong, we give up our right to think reflectively and creatively and we adopt the thoughts and positions of the group. This is done willingly and without reflection.
There are many dangers inherent in this process. One, as I've already stated, is that people simply don't think. They don't reflect on beliefs and practices that seriously impact their lives. It is more important to belong to the group, and perhaps safer, than to venture into the unknown realm of real faith and trust. The group defines the identities of its members. Who they are before God, self and others is given up for the sake of the group.
Another problem with adopting the group's positions on things is that boundaries of exclusion are defined and raised. When we appropriate the group's thought as our own we immediately define who we are, as well as who they are. We need only to take a cursory look at history to see the damage that has caused. Ask those who have been colonized how it feels to be 'other.' Look at the Holocaust in Nazi Germany to see how 'we' care the 'them.'
There is another group, a larger group, that we may be able to be a part of that wouldn't have these kinds of consequences. That group is the Community of Creation. I first heard this term used in a book by Dr. Randy Woodley. This group includes all of creation; all things and all people. The Community is the result of Yahweh's good, creative work. It might be said that it is the result of God's Creative Reflection. There has been too little use made of this great gift of God. We can think and reflect creatively. Perhaps it's time to start.

The Pot calling the Kettle Pot

This morning as I was praying and meditating I began to reflect on how God uses people and events for God's own good purposes. I have been praying for many months that God would use me. I have been trained and am gifted in certain things that just don't seem to be evident in my life. My life, in fact, is supremely ordinary and routine. I get up, get dressed, get breakfast, sit in my office to orient myself through devotion, go to work, come home, etc. "But, Yahweh," I ask,"when are You going to start to use me? When can I see the evidence of those things that I have been gifted for? When will You allow me to use my training?"
Then, today, I read an excerpt by Karl Rahner. In it he voiced my same frustrations about being caught in the ordinary and routine. How this seemed to take him far from God's presence. Then he wrote that it was in the ordinary stuff of daily life that God's life is present. This got me thinking about the various places where the writers of scripture refer to God as the potter. Is the pot cognizant of being a pot? Does the pot know when, or with what, God fills it? Yet, we cry out to God, "Fill me with this or that!" Our voices raised, we shout, "Don't feed that person or cause with what You have filled me with!" In our ignorance and arrogance we tell God that we must know all of the what, when, where, why and who before we will allow the Divine prerogative to be used.
We don't even know that we are pots. So, I guess all of that to say, if the ordinary seems, well ordinary, perhaps that is what God has chosen to fill me with today. I just need to chill and be a pot.

St. Francis' Prayer

I've been reading quite a lot from blogs and news sources. Listened to people talk. And I find the polarization sometimes disconcerting. Especially, among those who follow Yeshua. I understand that people hold differing positions and opinions on myriad topics. These range from marriage to gun control, to politics, to faith itself. I don't for a minute think that these differences are bad or wrong-headed. But, what I find more and more distasteful is the vitriol that is being thrown about without any concern for the recipients nor those who are witness to it. When someone on social media writes about hate and destruction, it's not only those to whom the flames are directed, but all of the others who have access to the heat who inevitably get burned also. The words, paradoxically, then become fuel for more flames and hate to feed upon. There are ways to express opposition and displeasure without becoming hateful and destructive. For those of us who claim allegiance to Yeshua the Messiah, the God who walked among us, there is no choice.
There are few people in history who have grasped this concept better than St. Francis of Assisi. Anyone can search online for details about this son of God's life. I want to share just one thing that has been attributed to him. It has become simply known as The Prayer of St. Francis.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love.

Where there is injury, pardon.

Where there is doubt, faith.

Where there is despair, hope.

Where there is darkness, light.

Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,

grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;

to be understood, as to understand;

to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive.

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

Perhaps, if we can let these words sink into the deep recesses of spirit and mind we can actually become instruments of God's peace; salt and light within a decaying and dark world. The choice belongs to us.

Counter-culture or counter human nature

     In the early/mid 1970's I was a part of what has become known as the Jesus Movement. We were a bunch of young people who, having been brought up in the 60's, had the silly idea that we could change the world. And, we had the zeal to match. For our part, we decided that the best way to reveal the grace and life that we shared in our new-found faith was to build a counter-cultural movement. Some folks got together and moved into a large house in our very middle-class, very white community. Others of us moved in with them and we had our lighthouse. It was a beacon of hope and faith right smack-dab in suburbia. We were convinced that if people saw the hope and joy that we had they would come flocking in to join with us. We had a common purse and one bathroom. Imagine! Married couples, children, young men and women all living under one roof in peace and mutual respect. It was just like the early church that Luke wrote about in the book of Acts. (Or, at least we thought it did.) We believed that be providing a model of love and peace in a world that was dominated by war and hatred we were living as Yahweh desired all of humanity to live. Well, the world did not beat a path to our front door. We found ourselves marginalized by the very people we sought to influence. It seems that hope, faith and love were not commodities that were in high demand.
     Over the ensuing years many of the members of that community and our friends have moved on to buy into the very systems that we tried to contrast ourselves with. Money, power, greed, and self-service have taken up residence where selflessness, poverty, and humility once lived. Others have maintained a living faith in Christ by aligning with others who are like-minded. Evangelize and care for each other. Seems good on paper. But, even this has proven a tool that can be used to hold the "other" at arms' length. Instead of a house with 15 or so people living in it, they are part of a larger 'community' that is still trying to be counter-cultural. By standing against what they see as dangerous and immoral practices they hope to show other people how wrong they have been. They hope that these outsiders will see and taste and find that the faith they have is good. And, still others of us have continued to search and dig and cry and try to find out why the counter-cultural approach that held such hope failed so miserably.
     Over the past year I've spent a great deal of time reading and reflecting on the gospel accounts in the Bible. This has led me to look at the antecedents to the gospels, including the prophetic writings and some intertestamental material. I have also had to take a closer look at those who followed Jesus of Nazareth. Most recently, the pastorals, Peter, and James. I've come to realize that contrary to what many think and believe about Jesus and the early church being a counter-cultural movement, they actually seem to be a counter human nature movement. Counter-cultural movements seek to change existing systems. Power systems, economic systems, political systems, etc. These don't change because, while they have humans actuating them, working within them, they are actually outside of human control. Now, I know that opens up a metaphysical discussion that I'm not going to address here. But, these systems survive regardless of who is at the helm. Communism, socialism, capitalism, in fact any kind of 'ism' that is out there still has these various systems that take on a life of their own. In many cases devouring everyone in their paths. But, that's a story for another time.
     The biblical text reveals folks who are encouraged to prefer others' interests over their own. Who are to "rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ." The Master said to turn the other cheek when struck and to seek to love those who hate you. In many places Paul wrote that those who follow the Yeshua-do, the Way of Yeshua, must work to not feed the appetites of our human nature, but must allow Yahweh's Spirit to be our Guide. II Peter records that through/by the promises that have been made to humanity we "may participate in the divine nature." Ah-ha! The divine nature! So, it's not about changing things that are outside of ourselves. It's by our own nature, the human nature that we all come into this life with, being set aside in favor of Yahweh's divine nature. I'm still ruminating on this whole idea. But, it seems to me that what God desires for all of humanity, what all of humanity really needs, is a shot of this nature so that our internal systems can be transformed. Then, with all of the creative genius that Yahweh has gifted humanity with, maybe we can, in concert with Yahweh, begin to see the external systems transformed.

What's the use?

A couple evenings back I met with my spiritual director. We meet about once a month. I tell him what I'm experiencing and thinking. He gives a different perspective on that which usually challenges me. This week I shared how I am moving toward a more unified view of humans. We in the West have inherited a Platonic dualism that affects pretty much everything we do, including relate to Yahweh. We perform mental and theological gymnastics that allow us to separate ourselves into various compartments. I guess that helps some people organize their lives. But, as I read scripture, I see a more in a more Semitic way. God formed humans and breathed the Ruach Elohim into them. They became living souls. Not living dust and breath. Anyway, I digress. As we were talking I told him that I was finding it increasingly easy to see Yahweh's love as it is directed toward me. I don't see God keeping a running tally of my many shortcomings and mistakes. For anyone out there who knows me, that would be a very long list. Rather, I am coming to realize that God knows what I'm made of. I'm dust. God is not surprised when I act like dust. I see God smiling at me as I try to come alongside the Spirit and cooperate. My feeble attempts amuse the Almighty. So, my director's response to this was to ask if there was any way that I could see God writing, not a list of sin and mistakes, but a love letter to me. I had to stop a moment, but I said 'yes.' He then challenged me to take this to God in prayer.
I did that. And, I felt God's smile. I confessed to Yahweh that I could not understand why I had been chosen out of the billions of souls on this planet. God's response? "So that you can enjoy Me."
Not so that my sins would be forgiven, even though that's true. Not so that I can preach and teach. Not so that I can live a godly life. But, so that I can enjoy God. I can experience God's love and acceptance. I can, in a word, be free to love God and God's very good creation.
Thank you, Yahweh!

Away for a bit

It's been a couple weeks since I've been here. There's simply been too much on my plate to spend time with this blog. My dad was back in hospital again. It really sux getting old. He's a tough old codger, though. And, I started at a new position at work last week. New stuff to learn and not a lot of time to learn it. Ah, yes! I love it when they move the cheese.
Anyway, I've spent the better share of the last month ruminating on how the Euro-American worldview is simply NOT the best way to live a full and abundant life. I've read a couple books from a Zen point of view. One of them by a Jesuit priest who uses Zen practices to deepen his spiritual life with Yahweh. Interesting stuff that I will comment on later. I've also been studying material written from a First Inhabitant point of view. I have been encouraged to look at this by Randy Woodley. He is an American Cherokee with a Ph.D from Asbury Seminary. Having been following his online works and blogs, as well as working through his newest tome, Shalom and the Community of Creation: An Indigenous Vision, has given me much to meditate on. This, too, I'll comment on later. All of this to say, I am in the process of trying to reconcile the Euro-American culture with the Very Good Creation that Yahweh has provided for all living things to dwell in. It's difficult. Actually, it's impossible. We who are of European descent have much to bring to the discussion, but we are not the answer or telos of that discussion.

Reconciled life

Today I was reading in Romans 5. Paul wrote that because of Yahweh's great love we have been reconciled to God. Whereas we were enemies, (by our own doing), we are now friends who are saved from wrath. I began to wonder what a reconciled life might look like. If we are no longer subjected to wrath, how should we live? Honestly, I can't give a good or comprehensive answer to this. What might be evidenced in my life would be wholly inappropriate for someone else. But, I think there are some things that warrant mention.
If we live our lives with an eye to what others may think, even if it is to be a so-called "witness"; that is wrong. Jesus made it clear that any good that we do should be done for the Father alone. Yet, I've heard many good intentioned people state that we must watch ourselves and maintain some kind of piety so that others will see and desire to live in a similar fashion. So far, I've not seen the masses storming the gates to get in.
I think that a reconciled life may allow people to maintain a kind of aloofness, or detachment, from the concerns of the world system and culture. I'm amused at some people who take the markets and politics and other things so seriously. It is the end of the world as we know it now that the Supreme Court has upheld the health care act. Yet, these same people will make profit hand over fist at the expense of this act. We are not affected by this. Ours is not the way of culture and politics.  Ours is the way of reconciliation. Ours is the way of the cross.
I think that reconciled people are reattached to the very good creation. Where we were once cut off, especially in the West, we are put into a right relation with the earth and all that it contains. We experience God's shalom, or as one writer put it, the Harmony Way. According to Genesis, humans were put in here to serve and protect the earth as God's eikons. We are stewards who must answer to the Lord of the Manor. Unreconciled people view the earth as humanity's servant. Something to be used and abused to fulfill our own appetites and greed. Not so, says the scripture. We, being reconciled to God, are also reconciled to the very good creation.
I think that this is a good topic for reflection. What do reconciled people look like?  How does this affect our relationships with Yahweh; others; the cosmos? I don't know for sure, but God does. I trust that we will be led to greater clarity and understanding because of Yahweh's great love.

Zen and the Teachings of Jesus

A friend of mine gave me a book to read this week entitled, The Zen Teachings of Jesus by Kenneth S. Leong. Those who know me know that I'm not afraid to chase the rabbit, even if it means having tea with some unusual characters. This book qualifies. The first two sentences in the Prelude states, "I left Jesus to search for the Tao when I was sixteen. Now I am forty, and I realize that I could have found the Tao in Jesus." From this point on the author attempts to paint a picture of Jesus as a Zen Master. He uses the sayings of Jesus as well as those of well-known Christian writers like C. S. Lewis to draw parallels to the sayings of the Buddha and other Taoist teachers and writers. Although I am only about half way through the book, I must say that for those who are looking for dialog with practitioners of other religions, this does supply fodder for that. He has, so far, provided some compelling observations. I have been told by many people that it is difficult for one to see one's own short comes and liabilities. Having someone on the outside who can offer a different view of one's character can be helpful in bringing about positive change and growth. This book offers a bit of that. One such observation that most Christians miss regards the supernatural events and healings that Jesus performed. We tend to emphasize the act itself and the supernatural character of it. Leong asks, rather, not did these things happen, but "what specific impact" did these deeds have on those who were present? Were they simply a sensation? Or, rather, "did they transform the lives of those who saw them?" That's an excellent question to consider and meditate on.
Now, before my Evangelical friends start to get nervous and think that I've gone quite of the pitch, let me add a few thoughts.
1. The opening statement of the prelude mentioned earlier tells me some things. Leong wrote that he left Jesus to find the Tao. I would ask how could he leave someone that he was actually never with? If he had actually had a living and real relationship with this Messiah Jesus, he would not have left it for anything. I don't want to sound superior about this, but Jesus is as far superior to the Buddha and the Tao as the Creator should be above that which is created.
2. Leong tries to make the argument that Jesus was a Zen master. I don't think that can stand. Jesus was a Jewish prophet and sage in the period of second temple Palestine. He was Semitic through and through. As such, he could not have been 'enlightened' in the way that Sidhartha Gotama, (the Buddha), was. Everything that Jesus thought and did was consistent with Jewish religious thought and practice. Now, there may have been some underlying cultural overlap. Much of second temple Judaism was influenced by their captivity in Babylon in the early to mid 1st millenium B.C.E. Who knows what kind of influence may have also flowed to the east of Babylon toward India? Also, who know what kind of common heritage was shared by some Indo-European influence? These are questions that some young Ph. D candidate can investigate. For me, it's plausible that there may have been something shared that Leong picked up on from the Eastern side of things. This is, of course, a stretch that cannot be verified.
3. Leong makes a point of the fact that Zen has no object of worship. It is a way to find Truth through experience. Jesus, and the communities of faith that surround him, i.e., Judaism and Christianity, have an object of faith. Yahweh is the Creator God who walked among us, and who transcends all other objects. Period. Yahweh is the source and sustainer of all things. This includes the Tao and Chi and any other mediary that humans can find.
There is much in this book that sounds like Leong is attempting to justify his decision to abandon Christianity. By searching for connections that would allow him to say, "See, I'm not so different from you," he can save face and put balm on any wounds that may have been opened through his journey away from the faith of kith and kin. This is only speculation on my part.
I must, however, applaud the attempt. Too many people use differences to mark the divisions between people. We use them to name "them" and to insulate "us." This is antithetical to both Christ and Zen. We should look for points for dialog. We can learn much from one another. If any of us thinks for a nano second that we have the whole take on what's true, we are deceived. Whether it's the Buddha or the Tao or the Great Spirit or nothing at all, we are a creature that inquires and searches for meaning in the Good Creation that Yahweh has provided. We can share these insights and search together as fellow travelers. Does that mean we must become universalists and give up our particularities? No. But, it does mean that we must give up our parochial and sectarian attitudes and embrace our place among the many under the reign of Yahweh.

Vigilance-The Word of the Day

This A.M. as I prayed, I spent time in confession/reflection. The importance of remaining vigilant began to develop in my head. Now, it seems that most folks think of avoiding sin and the lusts of the flesh when this word is spoken. "We must remain vigilant against...you fill in the blank." But, I don't think that's the best way to be vigilant. Paul wrote to the church at Galatia, "But I say, walk in/by the Spirit and you will most certainly not fulfill the lusts/desires of the flesh" (5:16 my translation). The focus is the walking in the Spirit, not the avoidance of lusts or desires of the flesh. Paul did not say 'don't do this stuff.' He said 'do walk in the Spirit.'
Jesus said to seek first the kingdom of God and all of the needs we have will be taken care of. He also told people to come and follow him. He did not tell them not to follow something or someone else.
We tend to focus on all of the behaviors and processes that we think should not be done. 'Don't do this. Don't do that.' That breeds legalism...and the letter of the law kills. But, Yahweh desires that we embrace the Spirit. If we are vigilant in our following and seeking, then the rest will look after itself.

St. Patrick's Lorica

One of my favorite heroes of old is St. Patrick. Very little is actually known about him. And, there is even less writing or other artifact that can be confidently ascribed to him. There is a prayer that has become known as St. Patrick's Lorica, or Breastplate that is around in various incarnations. I have chosen the one below to give a glimpse into a distant, pre-modern past. It's unlikely that Patrick actually wrote this prayer, but one source stated that it is 'Patrician to the core.' What I notice is how all-encompassing the prayer is. Whoever wrote it was, as one person said, 'a Christian Druid.' This person understood clearly the interrelationship between humanity, the good creation of God, and the unseen world in which angels, demons, and Yahweh dwell. While much of the language is archaic, the prayer can help us to reflect on our relationship with these elements. Are they relevant to a post-modern, post-Christian culture? Could we, perhaps, get a better handle on our place as God's eikons? Enjoy!

I arise today through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
through belief in the Threeness, through confession of the Oneness of the Creator of creation.

I arise today through the strength of Christ with His Baptism,
through the strength of His Crucifixion with His Burial,
through the strength of His Resurrection with His Ascension,
through the strength of His descent for the Judgment of Doom.

I arise today through the strength of the love of Cherubim
in obedience of Angels, in the service of the Archangels,
in hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
in prayers of Patriarchs, in predictions of Prophets,
in preachings of Apostles, in faiths of Confessors,
in innocence of Holy Virgins, in deeds of righteous men.

I arise today, through the strength of Heaven:
light of Sun, brilliance of Moon, splendour of Fire,
speed of Lightning, swiftness of Wind, depth of Sea,
stability of Earth, firmness of Rock.

I arise today, through God's strength to pilot me:
God's might to uphold me, God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me, God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me, God's hand to guard me,
God's way to lie before me, God's shield to protect me,
God's host to secure me:
against snares of devils, against temptations of vices,
against inclinations of nature, against everyone who
shall wish me ill, afar and anear, alone and in a crowd.

I summon today all these powers between me (and these evils):
against every cruel and merciless power that may oppose my body and my soul, against incantations of false prophets,
against black laws of heathenry,
against false laws of heretics, against craft of idolatry,
against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
against every knowledge that endangers man's body and soul.

Christ to protect me today
against poison, against burning,
against drowning, against wounding,
so that there may come abundance of reward.

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ in breadth, Christ in length, Christ in height,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, through belief in the Threeness, through confession of the Oneness of the Creator of creation.
Salvation is of the Lord. Salvation is of the Lord. Salvation is of Christ. May Thy Salvation, O Lord, be ever with us.

The Obedience of God

As I was driving to work today I was struck with something that I should have known, and is most likely known by folks a tad quicker on the uptake than I. This AM I read John 17. This has become known as Jesus' High Priestly prayer. What came to my mind and hung around for awhile was that Jesus used phrases like, "the words that You gave me" and "You sent me into the world." Jesus, who as the eternal Word of God, who has been with the Father and the Spirit always, who enjoyed glory as God the Son was 'sent' and 'received.' In the first he humbled himself to become obedient to the Father. In the second he was not completely self-sufficient, but was required to receive from the Father as a humble person must. Now, I've read the kenotic hymn in Philippians many times. And, I've heard how Jesus was obedient and faithful in his life and death. But, as I reflected on the Son's love for the Father and the very good creation, I had my breath taken away as I began to see this played out in the incarnation. How good is God?! How great is Yahweh's love and compassion for the world? I cannot come up with words to describe this wonderful gift that God has lavished on us. Why? Because of Agape. How can we not respond to one another, to those who we may consider "other," and to the very good creation with the same agape and with gratitude?

Believing the Unbelievable

I enjoy reading blogs. There are several that I follow regularly. And, from these, I chase down others. I love finding out what other people are thinking, and how they are thinking. I learn from them what is important outside of my little corner of the cosmos. (I also learn how much I don't know about, well, most things.)
On one of these little excursions, I found the following: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/faithforward/2012/04/how-to-live-as-a-christian-without-having-to-believe-the-unbelievable/#comments.It was posted by a person named Jim Burklo. You can check out his cv @ http://www.jimburklo.com/.
Anyway, in this post Burklo presented much of what can be described as progressive theology. Much of this thought is also found in the emergent church. I'm not going to review the post. But, I do want to think about it for a minute.
He wrote that what is important about following Christ is, well, the actual 'following' part. We should be more concerned about living the love of Christ over against believing all of the doctrine, dogma, (and I might add 'drama'), that has grown up with the the Church over 2,000 years. He wrote,

"It really isn’t important whether or not you take the Bible literally, or whether or not you believe all the creeds word-for-word.  If they don’t make sense to you, don’t worry about them.  Don’t let dogma and doctrine get in the way of practicing Love, who is God ... But repeating creeds is not the price of admission into Christianity.  Instead of caring whether the story of Jesus’ resurrection was a fact or a myth, let’s concern ourselves with things that matter.  Let’s care about our neighbors without jobs or health insurance, face the resentment in our hearts that needs to be released, struggle with how vote and be activist citizens, and learn how to bring our careers in alignment with our highest values.  Let’s gather in churches, soup kitchens, work-places, living rooms, and cafés to support each other in doing things that matter, and let go of old doctrines that don’t."

I agree with him. There's an old saying that states Christians are one of the few groups on this planet that regularly shoot their own wounded. We are, by and large, argumentative and spiteful. We stand on a plank and call it truth while the whole platform goes up in flames around us. And all the while, people die of starvation and thirst. They lose their homes, if they ever had one to begin with. They are raped, murdered, sold into slavery, oppressed and forgotten. Hey, folks...these are the ones Jesus came to save. Where are we?

But, there are some inconsistencies in Burklo's presentation. He suggested that it is important to find a community of like-minded with whom to serve. It is important to practice spiritual disciplines and Bible study. Don't these require some small seed of belief in something? Is not prayer a miracle of God's grace?
By simply stating that we must work with the "spark of the divine that is in every one of us," faith in what cannot be seen seems to be left out of the equation. If Jesus is not God, (part of orthodox doctrine), then why bother with the poor? They can fend for themselves in this survival of the fittest universe. If the invisible Ruach Elohim, the Spirit of God, is not brooding over and in the creation, then what ignites that spark of the divine within us? Why should we care for our neighbor? What difference does it make if Palestinians and Israelis blow each other up? Why should the rich not get richer?
I'm sorry, but I don't put much faith in the human heart to do what's good and just. I can, however, put my trust, and life, in the hands of the God of gods who alone is able to transform my heart of stone into one of flesh.

Preserve us, O God

This is the final part of the discussion on the "Our Father." This has not been an attempt to present any kind of comprehensive understanding, much less, an exegesis of the prayer. It is simply food for thought and reflection. As a paradigm, the prayer allows us to contemplate our place before a loving and compassionate Father. Yahweh, who has allowed us to be adopted children of God, who has allowed us to be the sisters and brothers of Jesus, has given us this simple prayer on which to build our faith. My hope in these 4 short posts is that any who happen to read them will be encouraged to model their own prayers on it. To use their God given imagination to see into the depths of the Father's love, compassion and concern for all of God's children.

And do not lead us into a time of trial, but, deliver us from the evil one.          

Testing is something that we all experience. James wrote that testing proves our mettle. It builds and perfects our faith. The psalmist called on to “Try me and know my anxious thoughts.” Why, then, should we not embrace trials and testing? Why not expect that God, in all of the divine Wisdom, to try us and test us? After all, Jesus was tested in the wilderness and triumphed. This testing that Jesus instructed his disciples to pray that they might be spared is that from external powers. We may better understand it, “Father, do not take your protecting hand from us! Keep us from temptations from ungodly powers.”

We do not forsake the wilderness. It is the place where we are tried and tested, just as Jesus. The desert Fathers wrote about the aridity of the interior environment where the perfect faith was forged. We join with them in this. We agree with James and the psalmist in this. But, we must pray that Yahweh, the God who is near, will keep us and preserve us from the fiery darts and weapons of the enemy of our soul.

There is also a part of this plea that is eschatological. We pray the God’s hand will keep us from harm in the trials and tribulations that accompany the end of the age. Jesus saw this as immanent. The Kingdom of God was breaking into time and space, the end of the age was at hand. “Father, keep us from the persecutions and oppression that is to come. Through the righteous and just testing and proving of our faith, let us stand in Your strength and faithfulness when the time comes.”