Archive for January, 2009

Ever wonder why you just can’t focus at church? Maybe you need worship music with zing and pep? Maybe you need some worship music with even more zing and even more pep? Ever say, “If I were to create a ‘worship space,’ I would do such and such”? Then…

Thomas from EverydayLiturgy.com can hook you up! His post is entitled

Four Ways to Create Focused Worship Environments

I really enjoyed it, and I thought it was worth mentioning.

• Highlight(s) of the week:

1. The inauguration of President Obama was exciting, as expected. I look forward to the next four years with great anticipation.
2. I had a few job interviews lined up so it’s nice to know someone is interested in me.
3. I had a good conversation with someone about the emerging church. Basically explained that it’s not perfect, but much of what’s going on within it are good things.
4. Had a snow day yesterday, which allowed me to catch-up on some much needed sleep (which I’m losing some more of tonight).

• Disappointed by: (1) the reason I am up at 4 AM this morning typing this is because Giselle won’t sleep so…yeah. I think (I hope!) she’s teething. (2) Amanda and I are sick. Amanda more than me. (3) All the “hate” I’ve been hearing from people about Obama, the emerging church, and differing theological views. It’s just wearing on me.

• Books I’m reading:

1. The New Christians: Dispatches from the Emergent Frontier by Tony Jones - on hold for…
   
2. Coffeehouse Theology: Reflecting on God in Everyday Life by Ed Cyzewski

• Job update: had/have a few interviews. I hope to get a job full time, but two part-time is acceptable right now.

• Seminary update: finished the class on preaching. I have to hand-in a short essay, and then it will be complete. Next class is with Peter Enns, who I’ve quoted numerous times on this site, so I look forward to it.

• Looking forward to: (1) the next 4 years. Just interested more than thinking “Obama’s the messiah” type of thing. (2) Giselle to fall asleep. Is it bad to set up a pack-and-play in the basement and let your child “cry it out” there? I just may do it. Haha! but seriously. (3) Getting better. (4) Finding a job. I feel like it’s right around the corner.

I meant to add these awhile ago

• On the OT Law:

“…there seems to be a situational dimension to law, just as we saw with wisdom literature…Few Christians would have any argument against the sixth commandment, but believing it in principle is very different from action upon it. Is capital punishment murder? What about abortion? What about war? When we put flesh on the bare bones of the Ten Commandments, we see that there is a ‘wisdom dimension’ to any attempt to keep the law. To say this is not to dismiss the law but to recognize the inevitable, that keeping the law is not a mechanical, legalistic process” (p. 88).

• On diversity of the OT:

“…the Old Testament is not a flat book where all parts agree on a superficial level” (p. 96).

• On the incarnation in light of the first two Commandments:

“…it should cause no difficulty for us if we remember that God always speaks in ways that the people understand, not simply to leave them there but to bring them along to deeper knowledge of himself. And that process does not come to completion until God reveals himself in a very material way–not in an idol made of stone and wood, but in flesh and blood. There is no image by which God is to be worshiped other than the image he himself fashioned–his own incarnation” (p. 102).

• On incarnation in light of God “changing his mind”:

“In keeping with the incarnational analogy, we can appreciate that the entire Bible, through and through, has that human dimension. So, for the Old Testament to speak of God as changing his mind means that this is his choice for how he wants us to know him. He speaks about himself in ways that reflect our ability to understand. I might add at this juncture that Christian prayer, which is often expressed as pleading before God, operates on the assumption that our words will have some effect on God. But do they really? That is for God to know, not us. But many of us have seen enough examples of answers to prayer in the face of a life-threatening illness and dire financial problems to admit that there is a ring of truth to this” (pp. 106-7).

• Misc.:

“‘All scripture is…profitable’ (2 Tim. 3:16 RSV)–even parts that don’t fit easily into our molds” (p. 107).

Enns, P. (2005). Inspiration and incarnation: evangelicals and the problem of the Old Testament. Baker: Grand Rapids.

One other thought about homosexuality, and its place in the emerging church. If the emerging church continues to promote homosexuality to the top of its list of revisions to be (or not be) made, we run the risk of making it the issue. Thus, we fall into the same trap as our evangelical, conservative brothers and sisters, and we are right back to where we started.

Conservatives have made homosexuality (so to speak) the “number one sin.” In order to counteract conservatives, liberals have done the “pendulum swing” and promoted it as acceptable (or perhaps the former was to counteract latter). Emergent circles must be careful of being part of any “extreme” and must, rather, in order to promote discussion, remain more down-the-middle on homosexuality and the church. This is not to say one cannot hold one of the extremes as his or her viewpoint, but he or she must always allow the discussion to come to the middle for sake of unity.

Remember as a kid when your mom would tell you not to touch something because it was hot? Or, better yet, remember the last time you sipped your coffee too quickly, your synapses fired-the coffee’s too hot!!!-and you had to do that gag-thing to get it down (or you spat it out)? Many Christians have felt the same way about homosexuality. “It’s hot! Don’t touch it! Don’t get near it! Sit down! Don’t move!” Or we’ve engaged in a conversation about homosexuality in the church, sipped a little of it, realized that it was too hot (because your friend is angry like that), and gagged on the conversation just to get past it? Yeah, I’ve been there.

The issue of homosexuality in the church has been somewhat of a “hot topic” (understated) in

recent years. We, evangelicals, are partially to blame for this. Not only have we often condemned it over every other “sin,” we’ve actually have had a few of our main opponents of the issue take part in homosexual relationships (and, hence, their hypocrisy was exposed). However, I have to say that a fair amount of this condemnation has come as a counterattack to mainline churches and denominations that have accepted homosexual men and women and their lifestyles.

Much of this has ended in angry debates, harsh words, and hurt feelings. Mainliners have felt ostracized by evangelicals, and, equally so, evangelicals have felt so by mainliners.

Enter the emerging church.

Often, the emerging church been condemned for not taking a stance on homosexuality. This has come from people from the outside looking into the emerging church. Anyone in the emerging conversation will tell you, there is no “emerging church stance” on homosexuality. There are multiple opinions, and, unlike a denomination (which the emerging church is not one), it does not have a “set leadership” (per se), and so there is no possible way for emergents to have a “doctrinal statement” that includes the topic (and likely never will be). Thus, if you are looking for the emerging church’s stance on the issue, you’ll never find it because if you talk to me I’d say one thing, and, if you talk to someone else, they’d say another. It’s not as simple as a doctrinal statement.

However, many emergents within evangelical circles have attempted to remove the idea that homosexuality is the issue (along with abortion, of course). During the election, such people were reminding their fellow evangelicals, “Don’t be two-issue voters.” The reason is that the Bible has a few (somewhat obscure) passages about homosexuality, but it has many, many passages about helping the oppressed so, just by that fact alone, we should reevaluate how we vote (plus, Jesus didn’t really mention “homosexuality,” but he sure hangs with the poor folk).

My issue is this, as emergents, we must be sure to have open dialog about homosexuality. We must be continued to be known for this. We do not need a doctrinal statement. We are not a denomination. But we do need to have open discussion. We must belittle those who disagree with us. We must not say, “Well, you would agree with homosexuality if you just had a homosexual friend.” This is simply not true [and I think such a response is (how do you say?) a "cop-out"].

Here’s what I propose to all Christians, not just emergents — let us have an open discussion about the issue. But let us remember, we will not all agree on the matter.

It is not as simple as, “The Bible says it. I believe it. That settles it!” If that were the case, we wouldn’t have so many denominations or disagreements. Also, it’s not as simple as, “The culture of the Bible was different than ours.” Such an argument neglects global Christianity and the views of millions (billions?) of Christians across the world.

For me, when I want to talk with someone, we grab coffee. So…let’s grab coffee together (we’ll make sure it’s not too hot). Or some fish and chips. Or some lo mein. Or something they eat in Africa. But let’s talk. Let love be on our lips. Our positions will undoubtedly hurt someone, but let’s talk. It’s OK to disagree. It’s OK to walk away without a settling the matter. It’s OK to get ask for a refill, even though it costs $.53. Let’s do it.

But, if we neglect to talk and neglect to do it lovingly and open to disagreement, we may just create our own cliques, or worse, more denominations.

So, would you like to grab a cup of coffee with me?

Rick Warren is a mega-church pastor from Southern California. He was asked by Obama to give the invocation at his inauguration (this stirred some controversy). Overall, I thought Warren did a nice job in his prayer. It was well thought-out, articulate, and loving. I’m sure some were upset that he actually mentioned “Jesus,” but I think most Americans can get past that. Below is the text and video of his prayer.

Let us pray.

Almighty God, our Father, everything we see and everything we can’t see exists because of you alone. It all comes from you. It all belongs to you. It all exists for your glory.

History is your story. The Scripture tells us, “Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God. The Lord is One.” And you are the compassionate and merciful one. And you are loving to everyone you have made.

Now, today, we rejoice not only in America’s peaceful transfer of power for the 44th time. We celebrate a hingepoint of history with the inauguration of our first African American president of the United States. We are so grateful to live in this land, a land of unequaled possibility, where the son of an African immigrant can rise to the highest level of our leadership. And we know today that Dr. King and a great cloud of witnesses are shouting in heaven.

Give to our new President, Barack Obama, the wisdom to lead us with humility, the courage to lead us with integrity, the compassion to lead us with generosity. Bless and protect him, his family, Vice President Biden, the cabinet, and every one of our freely elected leaders.

Help us, O God, to remember that we are Americans, united not by race, or religion, or blood, but to our commitment to freedom and justice for all. When we focus on ourselves, when we fight each other, when we forget you, forgive us. When we presume that our greatness and our prosperity is ours alone, forgive us. When we fail to treat our fellow human beings and all the earth with the respect that they deserve, forgive us. And as we face these difficult days ahead, may we have a new birth of clarity in our aims, responsibility in our actions, humility in our approaches, and civility in our attitudes, even when we differ.

Help us to share, to serve and to seek the common good of all. May all people of goodwill today join together to work for a more just, a more healthy and a more prosperous nation and a peaceful planet. And may we never forget that one day all nations and all people will stand accountable before you. We now commit our new president and his wife, Michelle and his daughters, Malia and Sasha, into your loving care.

I humbly ask this in the name of the one who changed my life, Yeshua, Isa, Jesus [Spanish pronunciation], Jesus, who taught us to pray:

“Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”

[copied and pasted from Christianity Today here]

Gene Robinson is an openly gay bishop within the Episcopal Church. Although many have disagreed with his lifestyle, I believe the bishop’s prayer was noteworthy. I specifically found his prayer against oppression, discrimination, for Obama’s role as a father, and that Obama is not “a messiah” very moving. I have placed the video at the bottom of the post.

Welcome to Washington! The fun is about to begin, but first, please join me in pausing for a moment, to ask God’s blessing upon our nation and our next president.

O God of our many understandings, we pray that you will…

Bless us with tears – for a world in which over a billion people exist on less than a dollar a day, where young women from many lands are beaten and raped for wanting an education, and thousands die daily from malnutrition, malaria, and AIDS.

Bless us with anger – at discrimination, at home and abroad, against refugees and immigrants, women, people of color, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.

Bless us with discomfort – at the easy, simplistic “answers” we’ve preferred to hear from our politicians, instead of the truth, about ourselves and the world, which we need to face if we are going to rise to the challenges of the future.

Bless us with patience – and the knowledge that none of what ails us will be “fixed” anytime soon, and the understanding that our new president is a human being, not a messiah.

Bless us with humility – open to understanding that our own needs must always be balanced with those of the world.

Bless us with freedom from mere tolerance – replacing it with a genuine respect and warm embrace of our differences, and an understanding that in our diversity, we are stronger.

Bless us with compassion and generosity – remembering that every religion’s God judges us by the way we care for the most vulnerable in the human community, whether across town or across the world.

And God, we give you thanks for your child Barack, as he assumes the office of President of the United States.

Give him wisdom beyond his years, and inspire him with Lincoln’s reconciling leadership style, President Kennedy’s ability to enlist our best efforts, and Dr. King’s dream of a nation for ALL the people.

Give him a quiet heart, for our Ship of State needs a steady, calm captain in these times.

Give him stirring words, for we will need to be inspired and motivated to make the personal and common sacrifices necessary to facing the challenges ahead.

Make him color-blind, reminding him of his own words that under his leadership, there will be neither red nor blue states, but the United States.

Help him remember his own oppression as a minority, drawing on that experience of discrimination, that he might seek to change the lives of those who are still its victims.

Give him the strength to find family time and privacy, and help him remember that even though he is president, a father only gets one shot at his daughters’ childhoods.

And please, God, keep him safe. We know we ask too much of our presidents, and we’re asking FAR too much of this one. We know the risk he and his wife are taking for all of us, and we implore you, O good and great God, to keep him safe. Hold him in the palm of your hand – that he might do the work we have called him to do, that he might find joy in this impossible calling, and that in the end, he might lead us as a nation to a place of integrity, prosperity and peace.

AMEN.

[The prayer was copied and pasted from here.]

[[Also, read Christianity Today's article on the prayer can be read here.]]

Highlights of the week:

1. Anniversary celebration (01.07) took place Saturday night away with Amanda. Mom and Dad took Giselle, and we headed for “Old City” Philadelphia. We stayed in the Penns View Hotel, which was very nice. We had lunch at Continental Restaurant and Martini Bar, and dinner at Old Original Book Binder’s. At Book Binder’s, I ordered lobster, and they brought out a live lobster and asked me if it was “good.” I hesitantly replied, “Yes.” It was “good.” Sunday morning, we had breakfast at the Hotel, and we went to the 11 AM service at the historic Christ’s Church. The message was about God working in us to allow us to see ourselves as he sees us. That sounds “self-help-ish,” but it wasn’t. It was very nice. I never had wine with the Eucharist so that was different, and the style is slightly more traditional than The Well, but beautiful, nonetheless. We followed that up with a little lunch at City Tavern (which is where George Washington and many of the patriots dined) before we headed home.
2. We signed up for Netflix and are streaming it through the Xbox 360. It’s pretty cool. We’ve only watched old episodes of The Office so far, but we intend to spend more time in front of the TV, don’t you worry.
3. Gave a sermon on Job 28 for a seminary class, and I got an A. So, A’s are always nice.

Books I’m reading:

1. The New Christians: Dispatches from the Emergent Frontier by Tony Jones
2. The Art & Craft of Biblical Preaching: A Comprehensive Resource for Today’s Communicators edited by Haddon Robinson and Craig Brian Larson
3. A few pages into Coffeehouse Theology: Reflecting on God in Everyday Life by Ed Cyzewski, and I will be blogging about it as part of my agreement with Ed and NavPress.

Job update: I’m interview this week at McCafferty Hyundai so please pray for me.

Disappointed by: (a) The Eagles… (b) After Proposition 8’s passing (an amendment to the CA Constitution to ban gay-marriage) in California, a Google-map was put out to show who donated to the amendment and how much they donated. I suppose we have a “right” to know, but I don’t think it is proper to do so. These people/organizations could now be victims to hate/anger/frustration on the part of those who disagree. I didn’t sit well with me to add a link here since I felt that it could spread more exposure on the privacy of others.

Let’s celebrate about something: Let’s celebrate the heroic pilot who landed the a jet place on the Hudson River

Watch CBS Videos Online

Seminary update: like I said, gave a sermon on Job 28, and it was a success. So, I’m pretty much done what I need to do for this class. This is a benefit of being on the first to go.

Looking forward to:

1. Flyers’ game with Aaron on Wednesday.
2. Spring training to start…Go Phillies! (See what you’ve done to me, Eagles!)

My post Why I’m Not Emergent has received much acclaim (at least, when your average number of comments is 0).

Twitterfeeds:

1. Emergent Village (via Steve Knight) was the first to put it up
2. Baptimergent
3. ExistentialPunk also placed it on Emergent Village’s but also on her own

Websites/Blogs: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

• Please take time to read some of the comments on the original post.
• Please support these bloggers and tweeps in the future since they supported me

I’m a little late at getting to this. Sorry, but here you go -

Highlights of the week:

1. my birthday was this past weekend. Likely, the best birthday I’ve had yet. Amanda really went out of her way to make me feel special, and I appreciated that. If you’re married, have you ever had a moment where you said, “Now, I know why I love him/her so much”? It was that type of moment. We had friends over on Saturday, and we had a family dinner at Pizzeria Uno’s on Sunday.
2. Eagles are going to the NFC Championship gaming after laying the “smack down” on the Giants.
3. my post Why I’m Not Emergent received much acclaim. Emergent Village’s Twitter-feed was the first to mention it, followed by Baptimergent’s Twitter-feed. I hope to compile all of this later.

Book(s) I’m reading

1. The New Christians: Dispatches from the Emergent Frontier by Tony Jones
2. The Art & Craft of Biblical Preaching: A Comprehensive Resource for Today’s Communicators edited by Haddon Robinson and Craig Brian Larson

Couch-potato:

1. Been playing a lot of Rock Band and Rock Band 2. Amanda enjoys it so it’s kinda like we are bonding. I guess, we are.
2. NFL Playoffs have been holding my attention, especially since the Eagles are still in it.

Had a good laugh at: Donovan McNabb’s mid-game “phone call” on the Giants’ sideline. I thought it was pretty funny.

Like I said, I thought it was funny. But Troy Aikman didn’t. I find it slightly hypocritical because I seem to remember a certain Dallas Cowboys team that the before-mentioned QB was on where the players danced after every good play. Talk about wondering what “goes through guys’ heads.”

Job update: likely having an interview for an automotive salesperson position. Not sure when, but my aunt is trying to hook me up. Probably, this week or next.

Seminary update: I was chosen to speak first for my homiletics class this Saturday. I will be speaking on Job 28. I guess if you go first, they don’t have anyone to compare you to so that should work out.

Looking forward to:

1. Eagles vs. Cardinals in the NFC Championship Game. Go Eagles!
2. Eagles the Super Bowl. Yes, book it.
3. Paula Abdul to be phased-out from American Idol. Yes, book it. Why do you think there is all-of-a-sudden another female judge? Can American Idol keep 4 judges?
4. Spending a night this weekend in downtown Philadelphia with Amanda.