The Church as Praxis

Praxis means practical, real life action. Praxis is about making a concrete difference. I believe this is also at the center of the Church's mission. Christ came to make a difference in people's lives, so the people would make a difference in each others' lives. This happens through the Church. The people are the Church. The Church is about praxis.

Martina McBride sings song which begins: "In this time in which we live....". I ask: What can the Church offer to life? How can the Church be "God's praxis"? What good is the Church? Recently, a TV piece focused on thriving construction projects: building churches! In some instances, building churches was keeping construction companies afloat. Not houses but churches! This must mean something.

In the words of a Ray Makeever song: "What Have We to Offer?", I build upon the FIVE PROMISES within the Affirmation of Baptism of the ELCA. The Church makes FIVE PROMISES to the world, thereby calling all the faithful to fulfill these promises.

COMMUNITY. The Church provides a people, a place, and opportunities for people to come together for fellowship and learning. Bring on the pot lucks, the Bible studies, the small groups, the opportunities to connect. No money required, no racial or gender or economic qualifications required. Just come. Come off the streets, from apartments, condos, single family homes, from all nations, just come on in. All are welcome! We are all part of the same family of God. "How sweet it is for people to dwell together in unity." (Psalm 133:1) Community is the Church's praxis.

WORSHIP: Come and worship God in Christ. Discover your purpose by yielding to Christ. Let Jesus be the central focus of life. Worship says life is not simply about "me", but instead about life discovered and re-energized through adoration of the Christ. As Bonhoeffer says: "Christ is the center" around which and through which life is lived. Call Christ the Sun in the swirling galaxy of life. Without the Sun there is no gravity holding us together. Living in Christ frees us to live for each other. Living in Christ revives the heart. Worship opens us to hear of God's grace, grace that loves us where and as we are, without qualification. Grace speaks forgiveness, reconciliation, and transformation. "Behold, I make all things new!" Worship, coupled with Word and Sacrament, ensures this renewal. Worship is the Church's praxis.

TELLING: We are graced to tell others about Jesus. Telling is sharing the Good News of God in Christ. Telling feeds the soul. Telling gives purpose to life. Verbalizing our faith gives spirit to ourselves and to others. Words matter. Words ignited the Holocaust. Words hurt each other. Words express our affections. Words enable friendship. Words in the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence reflect who we are as a nation. The creeds of the Church reflect our identity as disciples of Christ. Words spark action. God's grace gives us words of God to inspire, to comfort, to give hope. Telling makes God's grace real. These words are God's promises to us. Telling is the Church's praxis.

SERVE: The Church calls and teaches us to care for each other and for the earth. We are created to serve, to be co-creators for life. We are called to give Christ to the world through giving ourselves away for the sake of others. I recall Sydney Carton in A TALE OF TWO CITIES, as he stands before the guillotine, preparing to give his life for another, saying: "It is a far, far better thing to do that I have ever done. It is a far, far better place I go than I have ever been". The faithful life is about serving others and the earth. In this time in which we live, it is easy to turn in upon ourselves in despair and hopelessness. Tolstoy writes: "The sole meaning of life is to serve humanity". The Church teaches us that in Christ we are graced to serve: to show compassion, to listen, to connect, to support, to welcome, to weep with each other, to be the hands of Jesus for each other. People all over are giving desks purchased for the children of Malawi. (See MSNBC.com Look for K.I.N.D.) Serving is the Church's praxis.

WORK FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE: Another song: "Who Will Answer?" I recall the words of Rev. Allan Boesak of South Africa: "We will go before God to be judged, and God will ask us, 'Where are your wounds?' And we will say, 'We have no wounds.' And God will ask, 'Was nothing worth fighting for?'" Someone once said: "If you give a person a fish they can eat for a day. If you teach them to fish they can eat forever. But you must also ask the question 'Who owns the lake?'" And a quote from Jean Donovan, lay missioner murdered in El Salvador: "The Peace Corps left today and my heart sank low. The danger is extreme and they are right to leave.... Now I must assess my own position, because I am not up for suicide. Several times I have decided to leave. I almost could except for the children, the poor abused victims of adult lunacy. Who would care for them? Whose heart would be so hard as to favor the reasonable thing in a sea of their tears and helplessness? Not mine, dear friend, not mine." Working for justice and peace is the Church's praxis.

In this time in which we live, when a sense of purpose is often dimmed or snuffed out, it is good to know the Christ and the Church give us the grace of purpose, the grace of knowing that God has not abandoned us, because God lives for us and we are graced to live for each other.

Peace!

Ron

A Timely Christmas

Christmas hope is particularly timely in 2010. The Light of Christ is a beacon for the future as well as shining its Light on the truth of who we are and what we have become.

I have often been intrigued by the question: Why was Jesus Christ necessary? My answer has always been: Because God wants to remind us what it means to be a human being. Or, because we forgot what it means to be created in the Image of God. So, God said: OK, I'll remind you what it means. I will become a total human being while also being God incarnate.

What is this Image of God in which we were ALL created? Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, generosity, faithfulness, self control. Justice is implied.

Now, juxtapose what we have become, or been all along. Take the recently passed bipartisan tax bill. The middle and lower classes got some hamburgers while the upper 2% got filets with lobster. I am reminded of the parable of the man who wanted to build more barns for his surplus grain and Jesus responded: "Fool, this night your soul is required". Also, Jesus spoke these prophetic words: "Where your treasure is, there is your heart". What have we become? "More" has become God. "I worked for it. I invested it. What is mine is mine." Forget about the common good. What have we become? The Light of Christ shines light upon the truth. Christmas is timely.

Something is wrong when trying to give support for the truly needy, one feels compelled to make a "Faustian bargain", a deal with the devil, in the spirit of bi-partisanship. We can argue the politics of the deal, that serious conversation should have been engaged months ago to work out a more equatable deal. I would agree. This is a case of poor leadership. Yet, the result was a small win for most, coupled with a big win for the few. The nation on the whole is the loser. What have we become? The Light of Christ shines light upon the truth. Christmas is timely.

The "Dream Act" was defeated. Youth who were brought into the country through no fault of their own by parents willing to work for a new future for their family, willing to make a contribution to America's future, were denied a path to citizenship. Somehow it is OK for a young person to fight and perhaps die or lose a limb for the USA, but that sacrifice is not enough for a nation to express its gratitude by opening the door to citizenship. These youth have become victims. The arrogant, powerful fat cats say thanks but no thanks, and then go home to a Christmas party feeling justified that they have once again protected America. What have we become? The Light of Christ shines light upon the truth. Christmas is timely.

Yet, thankfully, the Light of Christ also shines as a beacon for the future! The apparent passage of DADT is an act of justice. Commentators referred to the axiom: "Justice delayed is justice denied". True. Now, justice is no longer delayed or denied. A wrong is righted. We celebrate and give thanks to God and to our leaders who "saw the Light". Christmas is timely.

Now let us hope for this Light of Christ to shine in our hearts through our actions, so the START Treaty will be renewed, that Social Security and Medicare not be cut but enhanced, that our national debt be addressed with fairness and compassion, that the Dream Act be reintroduced, that immigration be addressed with justice, that our military adventurism be stopped, that energy and environmental issues be seriously engaged, that education be transformed and empowered, that infrastructure be renewed. The Light of Christ this Christmas shines to remind us who God created us to be: creators, reconcilers, peacemakers, purveyors of justice, kinder and gentler. The vision is alive! For us! For God's world! Christmas is timely.

For God so loved the world.... Merry Christmas!

Peace!

Ron

Light in the New Dark Age

The Dark Ages (500-1000 C.E.) were not a Disneyland Time. Religious oppression, torture in the name of God, stultified learning, overwhelming poverty, plagues, military conquests, great separation between rich (the few) and the poor (the many), and more.

We are in a New Dark Age. The rich are getting richer and the middle class and poor are getting poorer. A proposed tax policy which is good for the middle class, fantastic for the rich, but adds hundreds of billions to our national debt is being debated. Then there is a proposed altering of the estate tax rate giving mega-bucks to the wealthy and eliminating billions or trillions from national common good usage. Now let's talk about three wars, slipping education opportunities, failing schools, recession, unemployment, ever increasing debt, foreclosures, pension theft, banks unwillingness to loan at decent rates, unconscionable CEO salaries, deteriorating infrastructure, no bi-partisanship, inadequate White House leadership, and.... How about the European debt crisis, Iran trying to build a bomb, North Korea rattling its missiles and starving its people, Al Qaeda still planning for the "big one", inequitable international trade agreements, and .... The New Dark Age is upon us.

There are echoes of Psalm 146:3-4: "Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help. When their breath departs, they return to earth; on that very day their plans perish." Whom can we trust? Does anybody know the truly right thing to do? Does anyone feel a passion for justice and peace and not simply profit?

I am weary, sad, and angry. Where is there light?

Again, I turn to Psalm 146: "Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob....God sets the prisoners free; God opens the eyes of the blind. God lifts up those who are bowed down; God loves the righteous. God watches over the strangers; God upholds the orphan and the widow, but the way of the wicked God brings to ruin." I take heart that God's promises are alive and well. God's Word is still the Final Word.

Yet, it is we who are called to make God's Word and promises real for today. The Psalmist presages JFK's remark: "The crises of the world were created by [humankind], and can therefore be solved by [humankind] (paraphrase)". In the movie, The Devil's Arithmetic, based on Jane Yolen's book of the same name, the people within the concentration camp could still worship and celebrate Passover. They could still show compassion for each other. They could still speak up. They could still encourage one another. They could still share the little food they had. They could still imagine another, better life.

And so can we. We can pray for each other and for the stranger. Moses prayed, the People of Israel prayed, Jesus and his disciples prayed, Paul prayed: Augustine, Assisi, Luther, Aquinas, King, Wallis, Berrigan, Ann Hutchinson, Mother Teresa, Dorothy Day....

We can act.

We can hope. This is Advent, the time of hoping for deliverance, liberation, in the Christ of Freedom! In the words of Paul in Romans: "Suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us." (Romans 5)

Christ is Light! Christ is hope! There is Light in the New Dark Age!

Peace!

Ron

A Matter of Balance

How we vote this November is A MATTER OF BALANCE. I am serving a congregation in a rural community that is also the county seat. In the middle of town square is the county courthouse. Atop the courthouse is a statue of "Lady Justice": blindfolded, holding a sword in one hand and a scale in the other. The points are that the state must at times wield a hard judgment for justice' sake, yet the judgment must be arrived at impartially, weighing all sides. Justice is sought in the weighing process. Justice is about BALANCE.

How we vote is a similar process. I voted for President Obama and other Democrat candidates. I am disappointed in some of his actions. I think he should have been more publicly supportive of a public option in the health care bill. I think he should have moved diligently to get us out of Afghanistan and Pakistan. I think the financial reform bill could have been stronger in preventing unbridled hedge fund and derivative action. I think Gitmo should have been shut down. I think DADT should have been put to rest. I think there should have been an immediate commitment to "jobs, jobs, jobs", with a major focus on infrastructure and clean energy projects. I think there should have been a strong push for environmental and clean energy action. I think there should have been a moratorium on foreclosures. I think there should have been a stronger movement towards immigration reform. I think President Obama should have been more like LBJ in arm twisting and political hard balling.

Likewise, I am disappointed in the few Democrat "blue dogs" who stood in the way of a more aggressive progressive agenda. Given the control of both houses of Congress and the Executive Branch, the Dems could have done better. An opportunity was shorted. Justice was too much denied.

Yet, ON BALANCE, much good was done to move the justice ball down the track. Consider the alternative! Yet, it is wrong to paint with too broad of a brush. The basic Democrat and Republican values are a good balance, WHEN THEY ARE IN BALANCE. However, when a side is so arbitrarily one sided in saying "No!" to nearly every legislative effort, one questions their concern for the country's well-being. The result is watered down results. How can one party be in such a blind lock step, finding little if any worth in programs of the other side? It is ideology run crazy! Individualism and the quest for profits for the able and powerful rule the day.

ON BALANCE, if the Republicans had been in control would we be drawing down in Iraq? Would there be financial reform? Would there be a vastly improved health care bill? Would GM have been bailed out? Would we have a progressive environmental and clean energy bill? Would DADT be moving towards legislative action? Would there have been a significant stimulus bill beyond the AIG and bank bailouts? Would there have been movement towards improving education? If the Supreme Court had not had a conservative majority would there have been a Citizens United decision? Would there have been positive movement towards immigration reform? Maybe, maybe not. But on BALANCE, I doubt it.

And now the Tea Party and the Rightward drift. What is the sense in proposing "Second Amendment" solutions and violent revolt against the government? What is the sense of continuing the flow of wealth to the highest 2% at the expense of the other 98%? What is the sense of unleashing anonymous corporate billions into an election system at the expense of "one person, one vote", all as the result of a most tragic Supreme Court decision? What is the sense of a seriously unregulated market? What is the sense of allowing corporations to outsource jobs for tax advantage and profit? What is the sense of unbridled individualism at the expense of the common good? What is the sense of a government when as a result of its actions is the rapid growth of armed militia movements?

ON BALANCE, the Tea Party and Republican Party actions have been unfriendly to "Lady Justice". ON BALANCE, the Democrat Party has been more friendly to "Lady Justice". Perfection is in the BALANCE. The BALANCE is seeing the big picture of who can lead us towards justice and peace? In my mind, the BALANCE tilts towards the Dems. Consider the future. Is it every person for themselves? Or, do we take care of each other?

This election is a MATTER OF BALANCE.

Peace!

Ron

FAITH AT THE FORK

Our nation is at a fork in the road of its history. Go left and there is hope. Turn right and you go to crazy land. The Tea Party Right wants to shrink and abolish Social Security, cut back on Medicare and Medicaid, cut taxes for all people, shrink government, and turn the people loose to fend for themselves with this new found freedom. Basically it is human anarchy where everybody will do their thing and care little about anyone else other than how they can serve their needs. Abortion will be outlawed, gays denied civil rights, and sexual expression morally legislated. Global warming is only a blip. Energy needs? No problem! Drill, baby, drill! Rip off the mountains and mine that coal! Send more men into the earth, into the maw of unsafe mines, to get black lung disease, all to heat our homes and provide energy for our plasma televisions. Be sure to build a stronger military so we can continue being the "cops of the world" and control the oil flow. There will need to be some control over this crazy zoo, and the wealthy along with the military will be the arbiters of truth, justice, and the American Way. Fascism will reign. We are re-living Germany in the late 1920's and early 1930's. And all this will happen in the name of liberty and the Constitution. It is survival of the fittest. Charles Darwin would be proud.

Yet there is hope if we take the left road. We will bumble along, nip at each others' feet, and accuse each other of selling out our ideals. But we will stand for things that will be responsive to the needs of the common good. The Left will stand for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Global warming will be real and the need for energy independence affirmed. Education will be better, more students will be able to attend college. Consumers will be more fully protected. Small businesses will be able to get loans. More homes will be saved from foreclosure. Taxes will be higher, but that is the price to maintain the common good. We share the burdens and the joys.

All right, there is exaggeration on both roads. But on balance the roads are true. America is at a fork in the road.

What is a faith response? Christians are to act out of faith. Out of faith we are called to transform the world. We are the hands of Christ. The echoes of Bonhoeffer sound true: "We must take our share of responsibility for the shaping of the future". How can faith do the job? In Luke, Jesus says faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains. True. So does the prophet Habakkuk in about 600 B.C.E. Habakkuk reveals facets of faith that address today's reality.

First, Habakkuk says faith COMPLAINS. "O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not listen? Or cry to you 'Violence' and you will not save? Why do you make me see wrongdoing and look at trouble?" Faith frees us to see reality, to see the truth. Faith is honest about life. Faith casts out fear because our trust is in the gracious God and not in the culture wars and ideologies of the moment. The faith of complaint dares to hold God accountable, and expects God to respond with might, mercy, and justice. Faith cries out for peace and justice, not profit and retribution. Faith speaks on behalf of the poor and vulnerable.

Second, Habakkuk says faith STANDS ON THE RAMPART. A rampart is a type of barricade used for battle, for offense and defense, for protection. Habakkuk says he will stand on the rampart to speak and act on behalf of the poor, the oppressed, the victims. In the book Les Miserables, it was a matter of pride to say that you stood on the rampart, on the barricade. He will fight for the right, for justice, to bring peace. Habakkuk will not be silent, but will engage the wrongs with the power of God the Just. Habakkuk will also watch for the coming of God, the judge, the deliverer. He knows God will arrive.

Third, Habakkuk says faith is WRITING THE VISION. God told Habakkuk to write the vision. The vision is twofold: First of all, it is judgment against those who treat people only as pawns for profit and make themselves lords of all. And secondly, it is a vision of God the Just engaging the situation with the promise of deliverance. Habakkuk lifts up the vision of God for the people of God. God is in charge, and therefore peace, justice, and mercy are the rights and goals of life. God's vision puts the preciousness of life first, and calls all of us to treat each other as a brother and sister, for the good of all so all can have enough.

How is our complaining? Certainly there is more than enough to go around. Are we sitting down rather than standing up? Do we stand on the rampart and fight for the poor, fight for the earth, fight for justice, fight for peace? Do we hold up the vision of God in Christ that life is about LOVE for Jesus, for all people, and for ourselves?

Habakkuk demonstrates a FAITH AT THE FORK. Like Jerusalem, America is crumbling. Yet, it is a fuller expression of FAITH in CHRIST that will lead us home.

Peace!
Ron

Quiet Peace-Godly Dignity

Talk about money and ears perk up! Remember the movie Jerry Maguire, when the star football player shouts at his agent, "Show me the money!". How about Gordon Gekko in Wall Street as he utters the classic line at a stockholders' meeting: "Greed is good." There is a large sign east of Lake Crystal, Minnesota, which has a 30ish male, hard hat, white T-shirt, arms crossed, saying: "I go to work so I can fund the bribes, bail-outs, corruption, and illegals. (Signed) Angry American Voter". What is the purpose of money? It seems if we understand money's purpose we would know better how to treat it, use it, and therefore how to make it our servant rather than our master.

I think it boils down to JUSTICE. God's justice wills EVERYONE to have enough money. When everyone has enough, there will be a quiet peace and godly dignity.

Revolutions nearly always begin with the poor and oppressed. They can't take it anymore. They are the living examples of INJUSTICE. The wealthy have something to "conserve" so they do not cater to a revolution or pose a challenge to the middle class. Furthermore, democracies do not attack each other. In both of these situations, money plays a pivotal role: In the first there is not enough for everyone. In the second scenario there is no need for a revolution because those in power are wealthy and do not want to disturb the status quo. So, when everyone has enough, there will be less violence and democracies can continue living in peace! "Enough" is the operative word.

The prophet Amos writes about those who " trample on the needy" and "bring the poor to ruin". Amos clearly sees these situations as gross "injustices". It is the wealthy or at least those who have "enough" who do the trampling and create the ruin. Those who do not have "enough" get trampled and ruined. Again, "enough" is the operative word. Further on, it is the wealthy who cheat the poor and needy. In the end, Amos tells them that "God will remember their ways", giving the wealthy a glimpse into the future judgment of God.

It is no accident that the United States is in economic trouble since 1:7 people are now living beneath the poverty line, that unemployment is near 10%, and that people are losing their homes. Economic trouble exists because there are a significant number of people who do not have enough money to live on. Hence, anger and fear, and the growing "Tea Party" movement.

How can we create a money environment where everyone has enough? My suggestions are: 1) Significantly cut the defense budget and expect other nations to foot their fair share of defense needs; 2) Get rid of all off-shore tax havens for corporations; 3) Go full-bore on a national energy policy to design and build alternative energy sources; 4) Invest fully in education on all levels, plus making college education more affordable; 5) Make banks lend money for start-up businesses; 6) Majorly tax CEO bonuses; 7) Institute "workfare" programs for the hard core unemployed and pay a fair wage; 8) Increase the minimum wage to at least $10 an hour; 9) Increase taxes on the wealthy; 10) Incentivize corporations to stay in the United States; 11) Cut down on credit card use; 12) Increase the limit on which you pay Social Security taxes and stop taking money out of the SS Trust Fund; 13) Urge people to live more simply with less stuff, to enjoy friends and family more, to find greater joy in volunteering; 14) Commit ourselves to enhancing the quality of life for all people; 15) Design programs to rebuild America's infrastructure.

When people have "enough" money, they will lead more quiet and peaceful lives with much more godly dignity. Wealth must be created. Wealth must be shared. Everyone must have enough.
Everyone is our brother and sister.

Peace!
Ron

September 11-Then to Now

It is time to connect more dots. These past weeks have been filled with conversations about a planned Muslim cultural center a few blocks from Ground Zero and the planned burning of copies of the Koran by a fundamentalist pastor in Florida. In between, two wars are raging, our economy is struggling with millions unemployed or underemployed, numerous CEOs receiving millions in bonuses, a Congress that does not have the grace to think of the country first, the fall elections trending strongly Republican, and the president struggling to find his way. So many dots.

Last evening, Linda and I watched a CNN special on the Enron debacle. This morning we watched a historical piece on 9/11. My blood pressure soared to heights I never see, a literal truth, and this was nine years hence. Are there common threads?

May I suggest FEAR, and its partner, DEFENSIVENESS. Fearful people are defensive. Fearful people build walls. Fearful people find enemies, like immigrants. Fearful people turn violent and christen war as the ultimate answer to our paranoia. Fearful people use God to justify hatred against other religions. Fearful people forget about the higher values of our Constitution and make exceptions, to their advantage. Fearful people forget about the common good and focus on personal survival. Fearful people lack generosity. Fearful people react rather than respond.

Fearful people turn to leadership models like Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, Rand Paul, the Arizona governor and prejudiced networks. Fearful people are blindly ideological, refusing to act as adults, but only as whining children who will only say "No!" if they do not get their way.

May I also suggest GREED. There is a reason why this is one of the "Seven Deadly Sins". Greed is about ME. Concern for the common good happens only when it means ME doing well for MYSELF. Remember the fallacy of the "trickle down theory"? The evidence is in and the results are as follows: more millionaires and billionaires, and many more less well off, with a shrinking middle class and growing lower class. Oh, and we might as well toss in a multitude of politicians on all sides who have sold their souls to corporate lobbyists. After all, it is all about getting re-elected and "showing me the money".

And "we the people" may as well stand in the docket of the guilty. We sometimes spend too much (when we have it to spend). We support leaders who have the power to "go big" in reaction to events. We often do not take the time to think of the big picture or of those beyond our own struggles. We are another of the many dots.

What is the way through? For me, the Church, the Body of Christ, give some hints. Yes, certainly the followers of Jesus have done their share to create havoc, and many of those who are the main "havoc makers" worship regularly and feel close to Jesus. We can all be deceived and deceive ourselves. Guilty as charged.

I belong to the ELCA, the church that voted to allow gay pastors living together in a committed monogamous relationship to pastor a congregation. It took faith, courage, a strong sense of justice and compassion, Biblical thoughtfulness, to pass this resolution. I support it. The ELCA has a strong statement on economic justice lifting up the common good as the central feature. Its position on peace is inclusive and not reckless, supporting the principles of just war and pacifism and nonviolence. We are a big tent. And I could go on. Not perfect, but faithful, thoughtful, justice focused, peace centered, inclusive and respectful.

I read the gospels and see a Christ who heals, teaches, and preaches, and does not advocate violence. Christ is an active pacifist, advocating justice and peace, welcoming all to the Table of the Lord. Jesus is one who speaks truth to power and sacrifices himself instead of others. Jesus is one who is humble to the God of Abraham and lives today through the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self control. Jesus is the one who casts out fear and greed and replaces them with love and generosity.

Social change begins in the heart. I can think of no better place to have "heart surgery" than with Christ, and being part of a church, a congregation, that practices the Spirit of Christ. Frankly, some churches do it better than others. Just look around. When you worship and hear the call to hate, to advocate intolerance, to blindly support capitalism without constraints, to speak of justice only in limited, ideological terms, then move on, as evil is at work.

In this time of fear, defensiveness, and greed, I know of no better place to begin restoration, to nurture hope, to plant the seeds of justice and to fly the dove of peace, to connect the dots, than with the Christ, and in a church where the Spirit of Christ blooms amidst the community of the faithful.

Peace!

Ron

Keep On Traveling!

Linda and I just returned from an 18 day European adventure. We traveled to: Iceland, England, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Montenegro, Italy, and France. We like to mix our journeys between beauty and local, cultural, conversational, historical inter-actions. We are believers in the axiom: "Don't tell me how much education you have. Tell me where you have traveled", (or something like that). Why is travel important?

WE ARE NOT THE ONLY PEA IN THE POD. Instead of dealing in dollars you deal with the euro, the kroner, kuna and the pound. You deal with driving on the left side instead of the right. The music is different. The language is different. The politics are different. religious practices are different. The traveler must always deal with new systems and make adjustments. The world is a metaphor for the Body of Christ. Yet, we are all in the same pod even though we are different peas!

WE DISCOVER OUR COMMON HUMANITY. People work, have families, have fun, do holidays, buy things, go grocery shopping, depend on transportation, worship, rely on political structures, sit in parks and picnic, eat and drink together at sidewalk cafes, play chess and backgammon in public. In Komarovsky's classic phrase from "Dr. Zhivago": "We're all made of the same clay, you know!"

WE SHARE OUR STORIES: Story-telling is not lecture time. Stories are life's connecting links. Stories are the coffee, beer, and tea times in the Munich Hofbrauhaus, the Cafe' Maggots in Paris, the seaside restaurant in Vernazza, and lunch over looking the bridge at Mostar. We listen, we share, we connect. The owner of a Croatian B&B tells of his multi-year effort to build his own establishment, not taking out a loan, but building when he had the money, and then explaining how he fishes and sells the produce to a local eatery. The English engineer tells how he works with our science and pentagon people to prevent or respond to a nuclear terrorist attack. The University of Texas political science professor who tells us that Barbara Jordan is one of her heroes who opened the door for her as an African-American female to teach at the university, and the joy she felt when telling us that the U of T has commissioned a statue of Barbara Jordan on campus, the first ever statue of anybody on the campus. Stories are the great human connectors of life.

WE EXPERIENCE DEATH AND RESURRECTION. Linda and I have visited eight concentration camps. We have walked the beaches of Normany and been silenced by the Allied and German cemetaries. We have seen the destroyed buildings in Mostar. We have seen buildings riddled with bullet holes and a museum dedicated to the "200 Defenders of Dubrovnik". We have traveled the filthy waters of the Venice canals. Yet we have also seen a rebuilt Dubrovnik, a rebuilt bridge at Mostar, a rebuilt London. We have heard the stories of how Muslims, Orthodox, and Romans Catholic folks are living together peacefully in Bosnia-Hercegovina after Serbian aggression divided their living patterns. All nations struggle. All nations can rebuild.

WE EXPERIENCE A COMMON EARTH. The lush fields of France and England hold no second fiddle to our American farm lands. The Plitvice National Park in Croatia is a true gem of God's creation. The Dalmatian Coast is stunning with its clear water and convenient harbors. Lake Bled in Slovenia is an intimate Eden. Clear, clean water.

WE EXPERIENCE GREAT ART AND SCULPTURE. There are the Michaelangelos, the Rembrandts, the Monets, the Hals, and countless more creations. One is struck by the patience, the skill, the sensitivity it takes to create a work of art. It is also revealing that artists are not actively killing people or maiming the earth, even though their expressions may inspire such actions. Art expresses our inner passions, our hiddenness yearning to break free. We can realize that each of us has art within, passions within, yearnings within.

WE REALIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF POLITICS. I am bullish on democracy! I think there is a reason why the Western nations are generally more progressive and concerned about human rights than oppressive systems. Yes, we realize that all systems have their "warts", but there are more creative systems in place within a democracy to deal effectively with needed changes. I also think European style socialism with a good mix of capitalism is a more humane governing system. National Socialism, Fascism, Communism are not the dominant political forms within Europe today. The Balkan War of the 1990s put an end to regional dictatorship and the Balkan nations are emerging with democratic governments. Do we have the humility to learn from each other? Politics is meant to be a force for good. Power to the people!

WE REALIZE THAT GOD LOVES THE WORLD. For me, John 3:16 comes alive through travel. God's grace connects us as brothers and sisters. This means we need to work together to take care of each other and our precious earth. No one is superior. No one has a lock on wisdom. We are all one family.

Rick Steves, a good ELCA guy and the best travel man in the world, says travel changed his politics to one that is more humane, more committed to a social contract, more justice for all people, rather than supporting a system where everyone can do anything to succeed as long as it is good for them. He is a staunch supporter of PBS, NPR, and Bread for the World, and has done historical pieces on Luther and Paul for the ELCA. He concludes his travel pieces by saying: "Keep on traveling"! I think it is a great idea!

Peace!
Ron

Come to the Table

Let's hear it for tables! I have been intrigued by the idea that the table should be the symbol for the Christian church instead of the cross. After all, if you were to bring the cross symbol up to date, why not show a gurney, or rifle, or electric chair, or gallows, or.... Would not a table be more relational, conversational, collegial, friendly, family centered?

Consider the Lord's Supper. We speak of coming to the "Table of the Lord". The altar is a "table" upon which the communion elements are placed, the liturgical book is opened, the sacramental candles shine. Communion, forgiveness of sins, community. Top that! And ALL are welcome! How's that for new concept? Eating and drinking together are church staples. Who would deny the tastiness of a pot luck? There are receptions for funerals, weddings, anniversaries, and groups. Then there is the work of the secretaries, financial stewards, teachers, students young and old, volunteers, and pastors. Remove the tables and life would be less, church would be less.

And there is more. Let's look at table as metaphor. Table is about "we". Remember during the Vietnam War when peace talks were trying to get underway? There was considerable discussion about the shape of the table. Eventually the table shape was decided to everyone's satisfaction, and eventually a peace deal was signed. How about the United Nations? Yes, I know, talk but no action. Too often true. Yet we cannot forget the successful work to stop the genocide in Bosnia, nor the humanitarian work throughout the world, nor the peacekeeping efforts in many countries, nor the always possible action by the member countries, nor that it is the one place in the world where all countries can dialogue, peacefully. There is a common table for all. There is always hope when people gather to talk. Talking is always preferable to shooting.

In the recent CHRISTIAN CENTURY, Miroslav Volf wrote an article entitled "Body Counts". He reviewed some of history's bloody Christian-caused history. You know, "In the name of Jesus Christ we go to war to save civilization". He writes: "...the scale of violence committed by Christians throughout history is mind-numbing". True. My response is that the message of Jesus Christ was prostituted, betrayed by a brew of ego, nationalism, and ideology. Don't blame Jesus for our actions.

But there is more. Volf tells the story of Ottoman armies led by sultan Mehmed II in 1453, brutally sacking Constantinople, the center of Eastern Christendom. Rome was next. The Europeans and the Western church had a choice: organize a crusade or engage in a dialogue. Pope Pius II pressed for the first option, and cardinal Nicolas of Cusa, the pope's friend and a Cardinal, pressed for the dialogue option. Why did Nicolas choose dialogue? According to Volf, Nicolas had a friend, John of Segovia, who knew Islam and Muslims. John said "...war could never solve the issue between Christendom and Islam". Nicolas' view won the day. Volf concludes: "What explains Western ascendency over the past six centuries is not the power of guns, but the power of ideas forged in vigorous dialogue". Table talk.

I dare say that families are held together more by what happens around the supper table and the Lord's Table than any other place. It is there that conversation happens and relationships are nurtured. Indeed, in our fast-paced world, eating and drinking together around a table is the best time for respite and reconciliation. I think of the times Linda and I have sat at a sidewalk cafe in Paris, the family gatherings at home, and the tables at church, to realize the power of table talk.

I suggest we sit and drink a latte' while munching a salad! And talk. Cry. Laugh. I think we'd have a better, more peaceful world. Come to the table.

Peace!
Ron

The Price of Powerlessness

There is a price for powerlessness. The price is anger and hatred. Such is the state of America. Unemployment, foreclosures, high interest rates, depleted savings, a government that seems insensitive, a huge state and national indebtedness, personal debt, CEOs walking away with huge bonuses for driving their companies into the red or causing the financial meltdown, and.... People feel powerless.

So they start buying guns and clearing out ammunition shelves. Walking through the sporting goods section of a Fleet Farm store a while back, I checked the gun section and saw something I had never seen before: empty ammunition shelves. Then I read that gun sales are going out of sight! The SPLC reports that Nativist Anti-Immigration groups have increased 80% this past year, and patriot groups increased by 300% in the same time period since the Age of Obama.

Then there are the Tea Party folks. They are overwhelmingly White, evangelical Christians, and less educated than the average joe six-pack. And we must not forget Sarah Palin. Yes, here she is again. She shouts "We are the party of 'Hell no'!. She posts vulnerable candidates on a map of the Unite States and uses gun sights to indicate the states, and shouts "Reload"!

This is the 1960s redux. The significant difference is that it is the White population doing the marching. It is they who are feeling marginalized. The White power brokers have now taken to eating their own and people are realizing they have been had. It is not simply a question of Black vs. White, or Hispanic vs. White, but White on White. It is not supposed to be this way! So, let's revolt. Toss the tea into the bay! Don't tread on me!

It doesn't matter that 32 million more people will be able to have better access to health care, or that an insurance company cannot cast us off because of pre-conditions or because we get sick while on a policy, or that the "doughnut hole" has been significantly filled, or.... What matters is the old White power guard has been shaken and they are scared.

In this atmosphere of fear, violence erupts. The blame game is played. Blame the politicians who try to include the excluded, blame the other race, blame the illegal immigrant, blame the CEO, blame the liberal church. Lash out, curse, spit upon, throw bricks through windows, make threatening phone calls, cheer on the Glenn Becks of the world, salivate while listening to Sarah, lock and load.

The church needs faithful courage. We have a message of love and peace and justice. We have an opportunity to bring people together, to value points of view, to preach and teach nonviolence and common rights for all. We have a Christ who proclaimed liberty and justice for all. The Christ who came to do a new thing for all. The Christ who lived and died and rose to reconcile us to God and to each other. Jesus is riding into Jerusalem to confront the twin powers of the established religion and oppressive imperial power, not with violence, but with love.

Perhaps the hidden grace within powerlessness is the transforming grace of the power of love. Indeed, powerlessness may open us to practicing the true power that changes the world: the love of God, the Christ.

Peace!

Ron

Sarah Palin for President!

Shocking isn't it! Yet, if the political landscape doesn't significantly change, she will be our next president. Why? Several reasons.

1) She is beautiful. Her jaw is strong, her lips are full, her figure slender and fit, her hair full and stylish, her smile broad, her fashion chic, her glasses stylish. We are a visual culture. We are addicted to a Hollywood presence, to surface qualities. Studies reinforce the power of the visual, the influence of the pleasingly beautiful. All things being equal outside of physical attractiveness, who gets the job? Who gets paid more? Yes, there are exceptions, thankfully, but in this political climate we are not necessarily seeking brainpower, but gut power, native power, power that pleases. She plays to the superficial with her physical presence. Hence, beauty power. Palin has it in spades. Palin for President 2012!

2) Media savvy. She knows how to play to the camera. She seems to sense when she is "on". She doesn't overexpose herself. Her public moves are carefully controlled. She has learned to talk only in a restricted, crowd friendly environment, speaking only when she commands attention by the audience. No more Katie Couric interviews. Do you think she will appear with Chris Matthews? Rachel Maddow? Keith Olberman? Big Ed? No, her fare is the soft audience, the book tour, the tight world of the tea partiers. And be sure to restrict the liberal press. Palin for President 2012.

3) Palin is folksy. Her grasp of English is "diner friendly". She will not talk above the average folk. She can tell moose hunting stories with the best of them. Shooting moose from an airplane? Ya, I've done that! Catching fish with a huge net? Been there! Supporting the local turkey farmer who is wringing their necks in the background as she expounds her wisdom. Sure, I've done that! Hockey mom? You betcha'! Mother of a mentally challenged child? I love my baby, and I didn't abort either. I respect all human life! And I can see Russia from my window! Palin for President 2012!

4) Her angry, populist message. Her message is "I'm one of you. We need freedom! We need to take control our lives and not let Washington take away our country. We know what is best for America! Leave us alone! Don't take our money in taxes! Just let us have what we have earned and we'll be alright. We will keep our guns, thank you! Don't tread on me! Terrorists? Give them to us and we'll give them as much justice as they gave our God-fearing men and women on 9-11. Human rights? We have them and don't even think of taking them away. We give everyone their rights as long as they agree with us! Drill, baby, drill! Burn that coal because we have enough of it here in the good ol' USA! Jobs? We'll just stop corporations from going overseas and paying cheaper wages. We need to take care of ourselves first. Foreign aid? We need to take care of ourselves because we are in deep do-do. International cooperation and the United Nations? Only on our terms because we are America, the land of the free, the home of the brave, the Christian light to the world. And so on, and on, and on.... Palin for President 2012!

Do not underestimate Palin Power. Underestimate her at our peril. She taps into the visceral anger within our nation. Indeed, her power is anarchic and fascist. Democracy is at stake. The Constitution is on the edge. And now she has the Supreme Court behind her with the passage of a destructive campaign finance law giving more power to the corporations and less to the people.

The clock is ticking for President Obama, the Democrats, and all Constitution-loving Americans. We are at a crossroads. The Wasilla Tiger prowls!

Peace!
Ron

Engaging the Growing Edges

The Transition Team met last evening. The team consists of nine diverse members of the congregation where I am the lead interim pastor. The final outcome of this interim time is the calling of a new pastor. However, there is more, just as important work that needs to be done.

The "biggie" surfaced last evening. Analyzing the data from the latest survey, it was clear that working for peace and justice, entering the political realm, engaging crucial, edgy social justice issues as a natural part of congregational life, was the weakest "commitment" area of eight possible commitments. This was a definite "growing edge".

The congregation's story is familiar. We have never done this before. Lutherans don't do this. It is too controversial. It is too divisive.

Yet, we kept talking. I spoke of the major and minor prophets, how they addressed issues of injustice and called the People of God to account. I spoke of Jesus and the last judgment verses in Matthew 25. I spoke of Germany in the Nazi Era, and how the church, for the most part, went belly up. Interestingly, a member of the team spoke of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

We talked about ways to engage issues so that an "Us vs. Them" dynamic is lessened. We agreed there are healthy and unhealthy ways to have a justice conversation. We talked about making sure all points of view are part of the conversation, that there is a fairness doctrine where all points of view are respected. In all of this conversation, I began to notice a "thaw" in resistance. We were talking and listening, honoring each others' perspectives, accepting our fears.

This conversation was part of a larger conversation labeled "Beyond the Walls". BTW is a piece of the interim process where community leaders are invited in to address the issues their organizations face. These issues may become areas where the members of the congregation may be challenged to respond out of Christian concern. The message is: congregations are called to be intentional about addressing commuity issues.

Sunday evening, a group gathered in the parsonage for what we call "Fireside". People bring something to eat and drink, we sing, we pray, we chat, we engage issues of the time, we talk about what it means to be the church in this time and place. What ensued was a long, honest conversation about sexuality, homosexuality, calling a gay pastor, calling two gay pastors living in a committed relationship, you catch the drift. We talked Bible, the prophets, Lutheran theology. We talked and listened. We took the time to be together and risk being honest. Again, there was a softening.

Our congregation is helping lead a major food sharing effort called "Feed My Starving Children". The community will come together to pack 100,000 bags of food, much of which will go to Haiti. It will take $17,000 and 500 volunteers. No problem. The volunteers will show up and the money will arrive. Charity and generosity are alive and well! The church and community are partners in love.

But now there is the next step: asking the question "Why are people hungry?" This is perhaps the most difficult, yet it is the other side of the coin. The test of the church is to ask the question, answer it, and respond. It is like a comment I read a while back. "You can give the hungry a fish and they will live for a day. You can teach the people how to fish and they can support themselves. But you must also ask the question, 'Who owns the pond?'".

Now to risk engaging the growing edges.

Peace!
Ron

A Committed Life-A Report Card

Towards the end of his life, Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "I just want to leave a committed life behind". A young woman told me about her boyfriend, plaintively, pleadingly, and somewhat impatiently: "I'm looking for a ring"! She had been going with the young man for over three years. It seems she was looking for a high level of commitment! Then the song with the line: "What am I living for, if not for you"?

What are my commitments? What are focused commitments for the Christian? What commitments are worth the ultimate price? A man in our Tuesday morning Bible study put it this way: "There is a price to pay when you set your jaw".

In my work as interim pastor, through research and experience, I have formulated "The Fine Nine" characteristics of a committed life for personal and congregational renewal. Each person in the congregation is asked to take the inventory. I share it with you. For each category, give yourself a number: 1 is low, 5 is high.

CONNECTION: I socialize with others, friends, and neighbors: 1 2 3 4 5
FAMILY: I spend time beyond quality time, contributing to the nurturing of our
family: 1 2 3 4 5
WORSHIP: I worship as part of a congregation: 1 2 3 4 5
LEARNING: I read, study, educate myself: 1 2 3 4 5
WITNESSING: I bear public witness of my faith, inviting others to worship, to be part
of a faithful community: 1 2 3 4 5
VOLUNTEERING: I share my time to serve others: 1 2 3 4 5
CHARITY: I give money and goods to help the poor: 1 2 3 4 5
PEACE AND JUSTICE: I address the structures creating injustice and stirring violence,
by marching, writing letters, joining social change groups, being
part of a movement: 1 2 3 4 5
PHYSICAL EXERCISE: I regularly exercise, work out: 1 2 3 4 5

The character of our commitments reveal the quality of our lives. To all of us who are trying to live a Christian life, a bit of inventory and introspection may be helpful. I recall Paul in his letter to the Philippians: "Work out your salvation with fear and trembling"! Uffda! Sounds like commitment and reflection.

By the way, I am still working on my numbers!

Peace!
Ron