Thoughts On Recent Events, Tragedies, And Living

Over the past week or so, since the Boston Marathon Bombing and the West, Texas explosion, I have heard people respond and seek to put into perspective their pain, shock, anger, and a host of other emotions. Many are looking for words to explain and finding that words are lacking in their ability to scratch the surface of deep emotion. The two most common responses involve some form of reacting in anger or withdrawing from a world that can be so painful.

The great author and Christian, C. S. Lewis of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe fame, writes in The Four Loves, “In words which can still bring tears to the eyes, St. Augustine describes the desolation in which the death of his friend Nebridius plunged him (Confessions, IV, 10). Then he draws a moral. This is what comes, he says, of giving one’s heart to anything but God. All human beings pass away. Do not let your happiness depend on something you may lose. If love is to be a blessing, not a misery, it must be for the only Beloved who will never pass away.

Of course this is excellent sense. . . Of all arguments against love none makes so strong an appeal to my nature as ‘Careful! This might lead you to suffering!’

To my nature, my temperament, yes. Not to my conscience. When I respond to that appeal I seem to myself to be a thousand miles away from Christ. . .

There is no escape along the lines St. Augustine suggests. Nor along any other lines. There is no safe investment. To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket – safe, dark, motionless, airless – it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. The alternative to tragedy, or at least the risk of tragedy, is damnation. The only place outside of Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all dangers and perturbations of love is Hell.”

In John 15:13-15, we read, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends . . . I do not call you servants any longer . . . but I have called you friends. . .” Here we learn one of the timeless truths so often rediscovered in Scripture. If you want to have a friend, you must be a friend. Being a friend means taking a risk, being vulnerable. One of the greatest hopes for our world (where so few know their neighbors, seldom talk to family, spend all their free time in personal endeavors, and seldom reach out to those in need) is relearning that your life, your involvement really can make a difference!

If you want to see the power and joy of vulnerability, of friendship do something different. Volunteer at your church, assist a civic organization, or spend time with an organization that helps the homeless or the needy. Will the effort be uncomfortable or a little difficult? Hopefully! But the effort will open our “casket of selfishness,” sent our hearts free, and let us experience the power of love. Giving yourself to another, there is no greater expression or experience of love. As we face the difficulties we have recently experienced as a nation, to withdraw or lash out, will destroy us. Our only hope for justice, for building new life, for recreating our society, is found in practicing powerful, practical love. Such love overcomes and, by God's grace, lifts us above. Those who have lost, those closest to the pain of the events deserve such a response.

A Word In Need of a Better Way

Part of being a pastor is that I am often asked about my views on current issues, events, etc. The list of subjects is long and greatly varied. Topics included range from the state of affairs in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the Newtown shootings, the Boston Marathon bombings, politics, zombies, cable news, Facebook, the latest reality show and so much more. On occasion, there is actually a question about God or the Bible tossed in.

In our tense, ever changing, high speed world, questions whiz by like beat-up trucks on I-81! Many of our questions flow from a sense that life is as out of control as many of those interstate vehicles appear to be. As a Christian, when I prayerfully ponder such questions, when I allow my heart and mind to wander to those difficult and painful places, I am reminded of the words of Baker Stevenson Smith, Sr. He was a Presbyterian elder and the father of Dudley-Brian Smith, a great Presbyterian, internationally known Celtic musician, and one of the founders of Smithfield Fair, which can be heard on programs such as The Thistle and the Shamrock. In the book “A Walk in Wisdom,” Mr. Smith writes the follow concerning wisdom and Colossians 4:5-6. His words, at least to me, are the words we need to hear in our deeply troubled time.

“Walk is a rather wonderful word in Scripture, as applied to believers. It has to do with the characteristics of the new person in Christ, with faith, with spirituality, with consistency, love, light, truth, wisdom, and more. The way of life of the Christian must not be the way of the world. Our walk in this life as children of God has to be noticeably different from unbelievers…

The Psalmist prays…‘so teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.’ So, we are to walk in the wisdom of God, showing to the world His righteousness. We are to redeem time, buy up the time as it was, using every opportunity to serve the Lord and be a witness to our God and King.

We also need to be very careful of our speech, reflecting wisdom and grace. No ‘holier than thou’ speaking, but softly and gently, speaking the truth in love…So let us be concerned with our walk before [others], and be consistent about it, that we make a proper witness of Him who has called us. You might be surprised at the impact it will make…”

Ours is a broken world, filled with damaged people, many of whom are looking for a different, better way than what this world has to offer. There are many important issues in this world that Christians, pastors, denominations, and others must address. In a world crying for answers to solutions no one has the time or energy to truly resolve, where noise, and violence, and heartbreak, and joy, and love, and the other noises of our world easily crowd out everything else. Eventually, it all sounds the same and is easily ignored. I am convinced that the greater issue for us, as those who claim to follow Jesus, is, “What does the content of our lives proclaim about the faith and way of life we hold so dear?” In the end, our “proper witness of Him” might become the only thing that dampens the noise long enough for the world to experience and learn the better way of the Savior.

Politics, The Stress of Daily Living, and Thanksgiving

Soon our latest political season will be over and the next one will begin.  The after effects of the latest natural catastrophe will still be a nightmare for most those affected.  Daily living will continue to be too expensive, too void of free time, too consumed with the tyranny of the immediate, and multiple big holidays with multiple commitments loom right around the corner.  How dare one of those so-called holidays go by the name “Thanksgiving!”  It is at times such as these that Charles Dickens’ character Scrooge, with his “Bah Humbug” becomes a rational alternative.

It is at times such as these that I am drawn to two stunningly beautiful sentences that have sustained me for years.  Two sentences from a sermon preached at St. Paul’s on Christmas Day in 1624 by John Donne.  “God made Sun and Moon to distinguish seasons, and day and night, and we cannot have the fruits of the earth but in their season:  But God hath made no decree to distinguish the seasons of his mercies; In paradise, the fruits were ripe, the first minute, and in heaven it is alwaies Autumne, his mercies are ever in their maturity.  We ask panem quotidianam, our daily bread, and God never sayes you should have come yesterday, he never sayes you must come againe tomorrow, but to day if you will heare his voice, to day he will heare you.”

It is at times such as these we need not bury our heads in the sand, hide from the truth, or shy away from the challenges before us in life and faith.  At times such as these we need remember the fullness of God’s blessings and love which surround us now.  We need to hear the words of Lamentations 3:22-23, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”  This is not a simplistic panacea which ignores the realities of our world.  This is an acceptance of the realities of the nature of God.  In God this is our new day.  May you live this day knowing of God’s never ending blessings and love.  May you share the newness of God’s blessings and love with those around you.  For when you do, there just may be a few less “times such as these.”

And Most Anything Organized (a follow up to the last post)

Studies, surveys, and polls, they are a dime a dozen.  They are often contradictory, and usually reflect the perspective of the organization that contracted to have them done.  After all, as I tell people, if you want compliments, pay cash!  Much of the study/survey/polling world functions that way.  They discover what they are paid to discover.  In the midst of the cynicism brought about through human reality, over time there are trends that the polling world slowly reveals.  For me, one of the most disturbing and most understandable trends is the rise of the “nones.”

The “nones” refer to the number of Americans who say they have no religious affiliation, no religious preference, or no religion at all.  According to an October 9 Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life study, the “nones” now total more than 46 million Americans with one-in-three U.S. adults under 30 as “nones.”  With the numbers of U.S. Protestant and non-denominational churches in decline and Catholics flat-lined, “nones” are growing faster than any Christian group in the U.S.  Here is my issue, I get it.

Over the past thirty to forty years people have watched the excitement and controversy of the birth of the early 1980s Christian Evangelical Revivalism as it morph into the political extremism of the Religious Right.  We’ve seen the Scriptural faithfulness of Classical Liberal Theology move against the injustices of racism; follow God’s Biblical call to address poverty; and, overtime steadily join their more conservative brothers and sisters as they are co-opted into larger political issues that draw them away from the teachings of Scripture.  The world has witnessed the moral failings, public scandals, outrageous statements and teachings, and controversies of very public religious leaders such as Jim Baker, Ted Haggard, Gene Robinson, Jerry Falwell, numerous mainline denominations, and any number of television evangelists selling everything from books, to cds, to dvds, to miracle spring water and prayer cloths.  Add to this the global effects of 9/11, international religious terrorism, the wackos of the Westboro Baptist Church and I understand why people increasingly no longer take religion, any religion, especially Christianity, seriously.

We purportedly follow one we call Savior, Messiah, Redeemer, Chosen One, Lord, the Way, who, when he was asked a question by a religious leader of his day that essentially meant something along the lines of “How does one really follow God?  What does it really mean to follow God?  Is it the right theology?  Is it the right style of worship?  Is there a correct political party?  What does it mean to follow God?”  Jesus said, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’  This is the greatest and first commandment.  And a second is like it:  ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:37-40).

There it is.  That is why the “nones” are growing.  It is because of who we have become when Jesus calls us to be so much more.  My heart aches when I look at the Church universal, when I look at churches individually, when I look at what we have become, isolated little camps of unrelated followers of individuals, causes, theologies, politics, and policies, when Jesus called us to love God and those around us.  Want to help the “nones” find God.  Love God enough that you love your family.  Love God enough that you are involved in helping others.  Love God enough that you give to a food pantry, teach your kid’s Sunday School class, go on a mission trip, show up for worship more than at weddings and funerals.  Love God enough that you are willing to love others even though it is not always easy or convenient.  It just might change someone’s life.  It might just change someone’s mind and heart about God.  I guarantee it will change yours.

(Thanks for the photo Cindy!)

Organized Religion (and most anything organized) Is Toxic

A greatphotographer and outstanding poet that I had the privilege to cross paths with many years ago and, through the magic of Facebook, have been able to keep up with uses the phrase “Organized Religion is Toxic.”  This may sound really odd coming from a pastor, but I completely agree.  Indeed, most things we humans organize have the tendency of becoming toxic, destructive, and deadly.

Take an honest look at this thing we Christians call faith in Jesus.  Jesus stood opposed to most of the elements of the organized religion of his day.  He referred to religious leaders as a “brood of vipers.”  He took long standing and accepted religious activities of his day, such as exchanging money for offerings and sacrifices in the Temple, and tried to end these practices using brute force.  He was open and welcoming to groups alienated from his faith such as lepers, Gentiles, and others.  However, we have to remember that Jesus regularly gathered in the Temple and in local Synagogues for worship and Biblical study.  He taught the inherit value of God’s Word and the importance of living for God not only as individuals but also as a collective.

Much of what we witness today that makes organized religion and many other institutions and practices arranged by humans so toxic is us.  The toxic nature of organized religion, politics, or whatever, is found in the extremes.  The extremes of the churches and denominations that are quick to condemn those who do not agree with them.  The extremes of organized faiths that are willing to shed blood over differences of opinions and interpretations even among people who actually share the same faith.  Whether it is religion, politics, or most any topic these days, we are so convinced that we are right and everyone else is wrong, that we condemn, spew the venom of gossip and falsehoods, and deeply mangle the love we claim to proclaim beyond any recognizable form. 

Our problem, we begin to replace our faith with our personal opinion and practice.  And when that happens, “The moment God is figured out with nice neat lines and definitions, we are no longer dealing with God” (Rob Bell, Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith).  We are dealing only with our own preferences and prejudices and we forget we just might be wrong.  As one who tries to follow Jesus, I long to be a little less organized, a little less convinced I have all the answers, a little more willing to serve and not be served, and to “work out [my] own salvation with fear and trembling.”  Maybe with such an effort, the small area of religion I occupy will start to become a little less toxic.

I've received several emails asking about the name of the blog.  They have been along the lines of, "Why would someone who grew up in West Texas and now lives in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia have a blog called 'Leaving the Lifeboat?'"  An excellent question for which I have an answer.

My favorite television show is "Deadliest Catch."  I guess I enjoy it because the life of an Alaskan crab fisherman is about as far removed from my life as I can imagine.  One episode featured interviews with survivors of a boat that sank during a storm.  A survivor was asked, "What was the most frightening part of the ordeal?"  I will never forget the gist of his answer.

He spoke about the confusion surrounding the order to abandon ship.  He recalled the horror of having to jump into the freezing water in the middle of the night.  You could see the emotional pain in his face when he spoke about the physical pain associated with the extremely cold water and the difficulty in swimming to the life boat.  Then, he told the most terrifying part of the experience.

The most terrifying part of the experience for him came at the point that I thought would be the place of greatest joy.  In a very slow monotone he said the most terrifying moment came when the Coast Guard located them and sent a diver into the water.  The diver said something to the survivors to the effect, "The hardest part is over.  All you have to do is get in the basket and everything will be okay."  With the words of the diver the crewman froze, became motionless, due to uncontrollable fear.

He looked at the camera with tears in his eyes and spoke about his refuge, the life boat that had saved him from the water, protected him from the cold, and gave him hope.  Now, he was being asked to leave the life boat.  At the core of his being, something screamed at him, "Leave the life boat and you will die."  When his turn came to be lifted to the safety of the helicopter waiting above, he did not want to leave the life boat.  Rationally he knew that survival necessitated his leaving the life boat.  He was terrified.  He summoned all his courage, got out of the life boat and lived!

For me, this story symbolizes the essence of life, faith, and hope.  It is so simple to get locked into our way of life.  We are safe and warm in our comfort zone.  We believe that the key to life is staying where we are.  What we fail to realize is that often our since of security, our comfort, is killing us.  We have become so conditioned to our life boat that we fail to step out of the familiar, we are terrified to step out of the boat to new life.  So, stuck in our own problems, issues, patterns, habits, routines, we slowly but surely emotionally, spiritually, and (sometimes) physically die.  It is time we left the life boat.  My prayer for myself, my prayer for you, "May you leave your life boat and save your life."

Mark 8:35-36, Jesus said, "For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it.  For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life?"

It's Been A While

It's been a while.  Almost two or three years ago I stopped blogging.  I did so for many reasons.  The reasons we all use in life.  Not enough time, mental block, burned out, interested in other things, and so many more.  But, now I am back.  For all those who followed my strange ramblings in the past, I hope you enjoy, are confused, angered, blessed, find peace, and all those other reasons why you read before.  I love the interaction and the opportunity to share.  And, I loved the questions about life, faith, and more that came from all over the world!

Before I wrote from the white sandy beaches of the Gulf of Mexico.  Now I write from the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.  It seems that wherever God has called me, the beauty of God's creation has been obvious.  A little over a year ago, I could walk out on the pier at St. Andrews State Park on Panama City Beach and gaze into the crystal clear aquamarine water.  The rays would guide by.  Bait fish would dart around trying to avoid the dolphins looking for a quick meal.

Now, no matter where I turn the mountains are near by.  To my east are the Blue Ridge and to my west are the Alleghenies.  The Blue Ridge are closer.  I love seeing the mist work its way through the trees and over the ridges.  From the deer, to the groundhogs, and the wild turkey, the wildlife is abundant and impressive.  Now, as the Fall settles in, the leaves are beginning to turn and God's natural canvas is starting to blaze with yellow, gold, red, and orange.

I am in a new place in life, complete with a brand new set of ups and downs.  In it all God is the constant.  God is the good.  God provides the blessing.  I look forward to our renewed interaction.

For those who lamented the loss of my sermons, now you may hear them again, this time with video!  Go to the church website, www.tinklingspring.com or become a friend of Tinkling Spring Presbyterian Church on Facebook or you can skip the church website and go straight to http://vimeo.com/tspc/videos for all the videos the church has ever posted.  The good news is the most recent is posted first.

It's been a while, but it is nice to be back.  1 Corinthians 8:2-3, "Anyone who claims to know something does not yet have the necessary knowledge; but anyone who loves God is known by him."