Mercy Not Sacrifice
It was really good to take a break for Lent. I did a lot of reading, and I even read some fiction (!) by Reynolds Price and Joyce Carroll Oates. I wanted to share some ideas I have for series that I might run on the blog in the next few months and get your feedback on what you want me to write about. I’d like to be a little bit less haphazard with my topics. I’m also going to try to keep my posts shorter (ideally <1000 words) for the sake of my sanity. So please help me decide which of the following series to pursue.
I. Most Abused/Ignored Verses in the BibleWe live in an age of proof-texting when people read the Bible in order to arm themselves for ideological battles rather than discipleship. This happens on all sides of the various debates that take place. “God is love” does not mean that God’s love is a banal benevolence that approves everything I do. “All scripture is God-breathed” does not mean that God is not allowed to breathe through legends and allegories that teach His truth. There are also some verses that have been ignored or dismissed. I may do them all in one series or do two series back to back.
II. The Real Straw Men of Evangelical Christendom
Dissident evangelicals like me are often accused of straw man arguments in which we invent opposing positions that are easy to critique. I always protest that if what I’m critiquing is a straw man, then there’s at least a few million straw men walking around in America today. At the same time, it’s easy to demonize fundamentalist megachurch pastors rather than recognizing that at least some or perhaps even a lot of what they say is solid gospel truth. So I figured I would read Mark Driscoll’s Doctrine to see where we agree and where we part ways. I may listen to some sermons by John Hagee or John MacArthur or John Piper.
III. Sex and Rescue
Just before Lent, I got involved in some drama regarding a book by Yvonne Zimmerman that critiqued the evangelical anti-trafficking movement from a feminist perspective. Dr. Zimmerman sent me a copy of her book and a book by Laura Agustin called Sex on the Margins which is an anthropological study of sex workers. Though I have points of disagreement with both Agustin and Zimmerman, I also think they make a lot of good points. The anti-trafficking movement is very trendy right now in the evangelical church. In what ways has the movement been tailored to appeal to the emotional needs of the activists at the expense of the needs of the victims? What about the majority of trafficking victims who are not female and have nothing to do with sex? Is it okay to admit that there’s a gray area and not every “victim” is a slave and not every “trafficker” is a pimp?
IV. Mondays with MertonOver Lent, I started reading Thomas Merton’s New Seeds of Contemplation and I’ve wanted to underline just about every sentence. It struck me how much I’ve been shaped by what I’ve read from Thomas Merton over the years. He and Henri Nouwen have both been tremendous in helping me discover some beautiful mysteries in the gospel. So I figured I would spend a few Mondays contemplating quotes from Thomas Merton.
V. What the Zizek!
Slavoj Zizek is probably the trendiest philosopher living today among the hipster set. He’s probably too postmodern to accept the label of postmodern. Some of his insights are very useful for understanding the idolatry that gets created by capitalism. He also says a lot of things that are ridiculous and frustrating. He also says a lot of things that I simply don’t understand. Many of the emergent Christians have drawn from Zizek in their theology. I believe that all truth belongs to God, so it doesn’t bother me for Zizek to have some things right even though he’s an atheist. His most recent book Less Than Nothing is over a thousand pages long. I have been struggling through it and writing smart-alecky retorts in the margins when he says something stupid about Christianity. So if I’ve got any readers that are as nerdy as I am, speak up. I don’t want to do this unless somebody out there will appreciate it.
VI. Primitive ChurchMethodism’s founder John Wesley used the phrase “primitive church” to describe the purer form of Christianity which he imagined the church to have in the first several centuries. He was profoundly influenced by a set of homilies he read from an ancient monk named Macarius. I would like to dig into Macarius and some other ancient Christian writers like Basil, Gregory of Nyssa, John Cassian, John Chrysostom, and others.
These are all the possible series I can think of right now. Please speak up if one of these interests you more than the others, or if there’s another topic you would like me to write about. Thanks and God bless!
04/01/2013 – The day after Easter. I cannot help but to think about all that I have reflected on this Easter. First, let me start by telling you what an awesome message I received during the Easter church service this year. Pastor Larry spoke about Jesus giving us the opportunity to re-write our lives; and this doesn’t mean just once. Through the love of God, we can re-write our lives as many times as we need to ensure that we are spreading the message that Jesus started. Now this doesn’t mean that we have the right to completely dis-own His word, and then the next Sunday, Monday, or anyday “re-write” our lives. The theory behind the re-write is to notice when God, through the mercy of His son’s death, has given you the vision to see that it’s not over until He wins. No matter the struggle, no matter the hardship, no matter the downfalls we all have, the love of Jesus grants us the ability to “re-write” our lives. Because we are no longer blind to the mercy of God, we can take that symbolic pen, and re-write our lives to serve Him. During the service, Larry told the story of a lady known around the NoVa area who drives a car with a licence plate that reads BLESD 2 (with a handicap symbol) because it was a handicap plate obviously. Larry then continues to explain how the lady isn’t saying that she is just blessed also, but that she is blessed twice. Who knows what happened in her life that made her feel blessed the first or second time. The real matter to the story is that she seen her blessings. She was able to take the pen and re-write her life after the first blessing.
Isn’t that all we want in life; to be able to re-write our life when things are the worst? Since we cannot rewind time, we should all strive to live like Jesus. This is the only way we can truly re-write anything. If you have not seen the series titled “The Bible” on the History channel, it is a must!! It comes out on dvd, April 2, go buy it. Watch it, learn the message and tell the world. Towards the end of the last episode, Peter is called to come see Cornelius (a roman guy.) Cornelius said an angel said to find him (Peter) in order to save him. Peter’s reply was priceless: “I am a man just like you, it is only through Jesus that you can be saved.” We are all just humans, just like the next guy or gal, but we can help those around us re-write their lives. When the last episode ended all I could think about was being a disciple. I’m not talking about being a regular person that goes about life and only talks about Jesus when it is normal or “appropriate,” but all the time. I can’t help but to feel bad for those disciples who also died, just like Jesus, for spreading the truth of God’s message. In fact, Peter was hung upside down and John was beheaded.
To dedicate your life to Jesus is one thing, to be a disciple is another. I vow to be a disciple! Will you join me? This means no more excuses, no more being ashamed, or scared of society’s view on Jesus, no more saying or thinking one thing, but acting in a different way, no more asking for forgiveness for something just to do it again the next day and not feeling remorse for it, and lastly, let’s be like the original disciples, teach the word of God until it kills. This may be a bit extreme for you, but after reading and watching what Jesus went through so that I can sin and be forgiven, was extreme. Serve those who are looked down upon. Be the light of Jesus for those who are blind and cannot see. There isn’t anything in the Bible that says Jesus could only have 12 disciples. “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
(Prayer for all of us)
Lord,
Thank you so much for your everlasting love for us. As we reflect on what Easter is really for, we thank you for rising from the dead, so that we may do the same one day. Lord, help show us how we can have that immesurable love for those around us. We need your help in seeing how we can re-write our lives, when we see those blessings you provide. Lord, forgive us, for we are all sinners. Help us understand our sins, in a way that we can learn from them. To be able to teach others how to do the same. God, you gave us the ability to love, but we need to love the way your word teaches us. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends, just like our life will never end, if we believe in you. Give us all the courage to teach your word, be a light to those who are blind, and to stand storng even when we are persecuted for doing just this. Jesus, you are so almighty. I ask that you bless my brothers and sisters in receiving this message, your message!
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
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