Friday, June 30, 2006

religion and politics...where is faith in all this!

Barak Obama who is a member of Trinity UCC in Chicago and a US Senator from Illinois has given what I think is a pivotal speech in US history on the convoluted situation we find ourselves in today on religion and politics.  He is very honest and vulnerable, and clear about what he sees and what he has experienced.  AND how God has changed him through this experience.  Take a look speech

Friday, June 23, 2006

canoeing on the Buffalo River

Our canoe trip this year is the week of June 25th on the Buffalo River in northwest Arkansas.
National Park site
Planning visit site

I canoed this river the last time in 1976. It is one of the earliest rivers in the National Scenic Riverway system and one of the most beautiful in the country.

This is our sixth year as a canoe group from the church. Previous years have been on the Current River in southern Missouri - the first river in the scenic system, the Allegheny River, and the Big South Fork of the Cumberland River.

Dixie Chicks prophets


Here's a link to see the video or hear the new Dixie Chicks "Not Ready to Make Nice". Amen, sisters! They are prophets of our time. Truth to power. An interview on the song.

Thursday, June 22, 2006

where joy leads

Joy is a wonderful gift. It is something which usually comes when we are not expecting it or are uncertain of the exact time of its arrival.

The closing I use after each service includes the line “rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit.” Of any line in that commissioning, that is the one I find myself lingering over the most each Sunday.
As children we learned to recite a Bible verse that would say something like “joy comes from God.” But our teachers were not around as we got older to help us to unpack what that joy is. And so, without the continuous teaching of that nature, we have assumed that the joy we will get is like something we already have in this world.

But the joy that comes from God which leads to rejoicing is not of this world. It comes by a power that we do not see...like the wind...yet we can see what it does...like the wind.

Notice, though, that we have joy not because of what the Holy Spirit has done, but simply in that it can do it. We rejoice in its power. There is no sense of accomplishment. We are still living in the “not yet” time that comes from God. However, we have joy because we already know what it will do.
The power of the Holy Spirit is the only power I rejoice in. All the other powers that be are human and have wound up leaving a sour taste in my mouth. I have followed a lot of “powers” in my life, but all have left me wanting for something more. Like an addict, we keep going back to human power, hoping, almost believing, that they can do something to make us joyful. Every time they fall flat and leave me empty and resentful because they didn’t accomplish what they promised. (But the, only God can do that.)

I see that again and again in the political realm. I see that shaping up big time here in the state of Ohio. I am deeply concerned about the role some ministers are playing in the upcoming gubernatorial campaign and the language and judgments that are already a part of this campaign. I see it in the way some folks attempt to turn the beautiful Genesis narratives of creation and the psalms story, poetry and theology into science. I see it in the way the Christian faith has been reduced down to “religion” and ideology.

The journey with Jesus Christ is a relationship full of joy. We rejoice because of what the Holy Spirit of the three in One God has the capability to do. God is the ONLY ONE who deserves our loyalty and passion of life.

We humans love to get into debates about who is right and wrong. When you share a loving relationship, you look not for right and wrong, but for depth and forgiveness all the way around. That is pure joy!

I think we need to take a leave of absence from using the term “Christian” for the next few years. It has been reduced down to political views and marketing slogans. You notice I will more often refer to disciples or followers of Jesus Christ. That always defines us in a relationship with Jesus. The term Christian today usually makes us stand alone as though it is all about us.

If people want to debate about abortion, gay marriage, euthanasia, war, taxes and so on…that’s the nature of our nation. But PLEASE, don’t claim to be The Christian Voice on any of these. Rather, be a servant of Jesus Christ and see where that leads you. I think we wind up at a very different place than where much of the rhetoric today winds up.

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

what kind of UCCer am I?

I been thinking about what piece of the UCC I could be considered to "officially" be a part of today. We have all kinds of groups that are used for "further identification" purposes within the UCC, but purported to help those outside the UCC to understand better who we are. If I were an outsider, I just would like to know what a plain ole UCC church was. Maybe more truly, just what it means to be a church as the body of Christ whether UCC or not. But as I try to sort out the UCC today to communicate to folks interested in becoming "partners in ministry" (rather than "members") at our place or to confirmands, it gets a bit confusing.

So I thought maybe I could start the NACLUCC (National Association of Continuing Liberals of the UCC) or the POUCC (Plain Ole UCCers). Or the UCCWDKWTRAY (UCCers who don't know who they really are...yet).

According to the national UCC Fairlawn-West United Church of Christ is a God Is Still Speaking UCC church. But we don't really know what that means. I just signed us up so we would get the emails about the GISS campaign. And I stopped getting those some time ago. We aren't an official Open & Affirming church, but we have gay and lesbian folks who are active in the life of our church and we are clearly inviting to ALL people who are seeking to know God more deeply through Jesus Christ. We also have a lot of people in 12 step recovery who are part of our church. But there isn't any official category for that (but if you do a Google search for "recovery church" you come up with our place...which may be THE way these days to help identify who we are in the wider culture...its a lot cheaper too than tv and print media advertising! You may have heard in Dec about the Leheigh Univ student who was arrested for robbing a bank to pay his online gambling debts. His father is an American Baptist minister here in the Akron area. The NY Times Sun Magazine on June 11 did its centerfold article on this family and the young man's addiction, the serious legal problems he is facing and the steps he and his family are doing to recover. Well, his dad did a Google search trying to find any where in the country there was a church that was shaping ministry around 12 step recovery...and guess which church popped up first! That's right, this plain ole UCC Fairlawn-West. I am now meeting regularly with the dad and helping him to begin 12 recovery programs at his church and ministry in a recovery context as well as looking at recovery from an insitutional perspective using authors like Anne Wilson Schaef and Tom Bandy.)

Well, anyway, I don't know if it matters that we are listed as even a POUCC. I hope God identifies us as faithful disciples who are not ashamed of the Gospel and who are faithful servants of our Lord and Master Jesus Christ.

David Loar

Friday, June 09, 2006

Brian McLaren on where we go from here...

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Emergent/C )

Emergent Village Reflections: Spring 2006
From Brian McLaren
Part 1
Just over a year ago Doug Pagitt predicted that 2005 would be a year of criticism for the emergent community, and looking back, it?s clear that he predicted pretty accurately. Some of that criticism has been constructive and helpful, although a lot of it has been, sadly, less so. But even non-constructive criticism has its benefits: it gives its targets the opportunity to be gracious, forgiving, non-retaliatory, courageous, and persistent. It also can encourage humility and prayer. I trust that all of us who have felt the sting of criticism can feel ourselves, by the grace of God, benefiting from the experience.
It?s always wise to listen and learn from criticism, but it?s even more important to proactively examine ourselves. As Paul said, if we judged ourselves, we wouldn?t be judged (1 Cor. 11:31), and Jesus told us to examine our own eyes for lumber before worrying about the splinters in others? eyes. So, in that spirit, here?s an exercise in self-examination for the growing global generative friendship that is associated with the name ?emergent? in the U.S. and in many places around the world. It?s based on my own observations, and includes proposals for how we respond to the issues I try to describe. (This exercise has already benefited from insightful input from James Mills, and I?m sure many others will be able to add insight as well.)
All of these proposals can be put in terms of finding ?above the line? solutions to reactions that tend to polarize people into binary positions ?on the line.? (Many people will be familiar with this ?above the line? concept from my book A New Kind of Christian.) Instead of mapping out a position at either end of us/them or either/or conflicts, or even choosing some moderate point in between poles, I propose that we seek higher ground in several specific areas.
All this is based on a general observation: in my travels, I frequently see a number of people in various places getting ?anti-? about one thing or another. In every case, they?ve identified something worth being against. But I?ve also noticed that whenever a group reacts and becomes anti-something, two things happen. First, they limit their options. There may be some percentage of good in what they?re rejecting, and by their rejection they cut themselves off from it. (This is a mistake a number of our critics seem to be making too.) Second, when people strongly react against something, they?re in danger of swinging to the other extreme. Evoking (crikey!) Steve Irwin, they back away from the crocodile on one side of the trail and step on a cobra on the other side. Dangers seldom come in ones, and the line between good and evil or wisdom and foolishness usually runs through, not between, alternatives. Seeking above-the-line solutions is an attempt to affirm the good on both extremes while seeking to avoid at least some of the problems. I hope these proposals will be of use to all of us who are seeking to faithfully serve God in the many and diverse churches that are emerging. Please be assured that nothing here is intended as a criticism of anyone ? but simply as an attempt to offer helpful reflection on what I?m seeing and hearing, for what it?s worth.
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David Loar
http://discipledavid.blogspot.com ...my blog
http://www.fairlawnwest.org ...church web site   http://www.loar.org ...family web site

 

local columnist writes on spiritual life & humility

Terry Pluto who is both a sports and religion columnist for the Akron Beacon Journal wrote this column on humility. (at first glance I am sure this is causing some raised eyebrows...but check out some of Terry's columns). He also has a few books out. I would guess that Terry is the most read religious material of people in the Akron metro area.

Here is the column:

Humility, fear of God are linked

By Terry Pluto
I never like to hear God called ``the man upstairs.''
I know that most people don't mean it as disrespect, but it sounds as if God has been reduced to a quirky uncle stuck in the attic looking at his old baseball cards from the 1966 season.
I don't know everything -- or even most things -- about God. But I do know that God is more than an old, drooling man with a sweet smile.
In fact, I fear God.
Not as a heavenly power who will zap me with lightning bolts or curse me with boils, burns and 1,000 frogs living in my bedroom.
I fear God because, as the Rev. Norm Douglas said, ``He's God and we're not. He's the Creator, we're the creature.''
Douglas is the head of Heart-to-Heart Ministries, and he knows the Bible has much to say about fearing God. He also knows that many people grew up in churches where all they heard was to fear God in hellfire sermons.
Turn-or-burn preaching, as some call it.
``It's not meant as fearing God, who is just waiting for a reason to harm me,'' said Douglas. ``It's respecting God, standing in awe of God. It's knowing that if I walk away from his commands, there will be consequences.''
Some people don't like to hear that, but it's common sense.
Consider the commandments that deal with not killing, not lying, not committing adultery, and not having a heart that covets and is envious. When we kill, have affairs, have a heart that is angry and resentful -- it makes our life worse.
``I know God deepest in humility,'' said David Loar, pastor of Fairlawn-West United Church of Christ. ``That runs counter to our culture that wants us to find ourselves and build up ourselves. That's how faith has become more about me than about God.''
It comes down to this question: Who really is in charge?
Most of us like to think: ``No one tells me what to do.''
``For me, it's living on my knees,'' said Loar. ``Which is a higher value for a Christian: humility or freedom? I believe it's humility. Yes, we want to be better people. But our purpose is to be devoted, humble servants of God.''
Loar then mentioned Proverbs 15:33: ``The fear of the Lord teaches wisdom, and humility comes before honor.''
Being humble is not being a doormat. It's not doing everything you are asked. It's not being used, or turning yourself into a martyr.
It is finding out how God would have us live, and praying and learning from our mistakes. I went through a serious addiction to pornography. God delivered me, and I have been clean for more than eight years.
When I travel, the temptation is there. I always will battle it, but with God's power and grace, I have been winning. I have experienced God's forgiveness and hope. I have been given a tremendous marriage, a ministry, a better ability to cope with the mess that is everyday life.
I know that if I walk off the path of purity that God has set in front of me, all of that will disappear. God will not have done it to me. It will be the product of my own decisions.
The fear of that fall (and of God) helps me to live clean.
``We should live our life in the view of God,'' said Bill Mitchell, pastor of Abundant Grace Church in Hartville. ``The activity of faith... makes the fear of the Lord real to the soul.''
It comes down to having enough faith in God to trust my life to following what he says. It's not always clear. But in many big issues, I can usually figure it out.
Cutting a corner in business cuts out a piece of my heart, because I know it's wrong. Doing anything to jeopardize my marriage does the same.
It's being humble enough to say, ``Guys, I just can't go to that movie, I can't look at that stuff on the Internet.''

I'm not telling them what to do, I'm just saying I can't handle it. God and life have made that much clear to me. I've found that fear of the Lord means I can't live by my own rules, and it's being humble enough to admit it.

Terry Pluto can be reached at terrypluto2003@yahoo.com. Sign up for Terry's free, weekly e-mail newsletter ``Direct from Pluto'' at http://www.ohio.com/



congregational spiritual discernment

Congregational Spiritual Discernment
 
There were around 20 of us who spent Friday evening and Saturday June 2 & 3 with Don Zimmer from Worshipful Work to help us look at corporate spiritiual discernment.
 
Don has his own personal history having been an office in the Air Force, then doing well as a high placed manager for a defense contractor.  However, he said, at a point in his life, he realized he needed and wanted more in his life.  That led him in a very different direction, yet in the same context.  He began to look both at his spiritual journey and the ways he led and helped to make decisions both in his business life and his church life.  He found both to be out of line with his primary values and faith.
 
Don raised for us the bottom line question of "what is our real purpose in any decision we desire to make."  Is it to get the task done OR to honor God and one another as brothers and sisters in Christ?  He said that churches spend too much time in doing the business of the church...because the work is never done.  So churches need to decide how much time to spend on the management/business so that they can focus on the primary mission of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the world around us. 
 
He introduced us to a corporate discernment process for making the vital decisions of our church life.  He pointed out that patience is foundational...maybe more than a year...for the decisions that are at the center of our life.  Listening is also essential.  Not listening so "I can get my 2 cents back at them", but just listening to hear and understand who the other person is.  The final goal of any church decision is to serve Christ and honor God.  AND all we do, say and decide is truly spiritual.  The Christian spiritual life is not one piece of the world or our lives.  It is the central connection we all have with our Creator in all we are.
 
The new Cabinet will be looking at ways to function itself with a corporate spiritual discernment attitude as well as helping us as a church to use it.  It became clear in the time with Don that we are at a crossroads as a church who finding out who we are NOW.  For the past 7 years we have been seeking to "open up the windows" and "clear out the cobwebs" so we could be more responseive to God's call in our life.  Now that that has happened, we need as a congregation to discern what we will do and who we will be in this open and airy setting of Fairlawn-West Church.


David Loar
http://discipledavid.blogspot.com ...my blog
http://www.fairlawnwest.org ...church web site   http://www.loar.org ...family web site