Thinking Out Loud: A Christian's Reflections

Mosques and Anonymous Letters

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 14:00:00 GMT

An anonymous letter arrived in today's mail, mailed by a person in our town who clearly believes the Muslim community in our city ought not be allowed to build a new mosque. The writer feared the mosque was part of what he or she called "a long range plan to destroy Western Civilization as we know it." The letter ended with a postscript asking me to share its content with the congregation.

I've never had much use for anonymous letters, but this one got under my skin. To tell the truth, the letter saddened me. It's not every day I find so much fear and miscomprehension packed into one page of type!

Since I have no idea who wrote or mailed the letter, I think it best to respond in the public forum of my blog. The following opinions represent only my own views (which is normal in Baptist life, where no one speaks for anyone else).

First, our Muslim neighbors are fellow citizens of the United States. Among other things, they are entitled to the full protection of the law and the full exercise of the rights of any citizen. The First Amendment to the Constitution guarantees all of us, including Muslims, freedom of religion. Inherent in such freedom is the right to buy property and build houses of worship. Each time we attempt to deny such rights to any person or group, we in effect deny a core value of America.

Second, our nation is at war with terrorists, wherever they may be found. We are not at war with a religion. Christianity is not at war with any other religion. Instead, we are called to minister to others through prayer, worship, teaching and good works. We should trust God with the world and seek only to be faithful in the tasks God has given us.

Third, Christians should treat all persons, including those in other faith traditions, with respect. In fact, Jesus commanded us to "do unto others as we would have them do to us," and to "love your neighbor as youself." Who among us yearns to be excluded, labeled, libeled, or denied opportunity to practice our faith? I suspect the answer is, "No one." All of us, instead, wish others would include us, get to know us personally, speak carefully of us and respect our religious freedom.

Think of such things as we live through the sound and fury associated with the building of a new mosque in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

One Christian's Take on Health Care

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Let's start with a truth. Much of what passes for debate about health care amounts to nothing more than pundits and people shouting slogans at each other. Their talking points could not pass muster in a high school debate class, where one is required to build a case based on research, genuine engagement with the other person's position, and careful argument.

Amercans in general ought to expect and demand somethng better. If our republic is to thrive, we need serious elected and unelected leaders to undertake the hard work of genuine debate.

Of course, we can't lay all the blame on politicians, pundits, and others. Frankly, we bear heavy responsibility. Our unwillingness to read or listen to lengthy presentations on weighty subjects hamstrings debate and consideration. A long term acquaintance of mine sums up the tendency with one of his favorite truisms: "I don't read anything longer than a one page document, or listen to anyone talk about anything for more than five minutes."

The health care challenge involves all economic classes, all races, the insurance industry, the health care industry, medical professionals, national finances, and classic questions about the role of the federal government. No page long summary, one minute sound bite, or even gut level reaction to a poll question is sufficient to the task at hand. If we want to find our way to a workable answer, we must dig in and do our homework.

Being a Christian complicates the matter. Christians in the United States fall into various camps with regard to economics, political affiliations and philosophies, and experience with the current health care system. Yet we share a common commitment to Jesus, in whom we seek to center our lives. At our best, we hope our center informs and shapes our attitudes and actions. Obviously, we fail to make the connection quite often. Even a cursory glance at Christian history is enough to keep us humble!

Still we must try. When I attempt to allow my Jesus-Center to influence my take on health care reform in the United States, I find myself drawn to a few core conclusions.

First, I am to pray and act for the well-being of all others. Among other things, this suggests I am not to seek to protect only myself or those like me but instead to be willing to run some risk, make some sacrifices, for the sake of other women and men. To put it another way, I am my brother and sister's keeper, and if I understand Jesus rightly, all persons are my brothers and sisters. When I translate the sentiment into policy, I become more comfortable with the idea that some challenges require the wisdom and resources of the entire nation. While I may not yet discern the particulars, I accept that any solution must work for all of us.

Second, I am to seek and speak the truth. We Americans have become far too tolerant of lies told to advance an agenda. I'm afraid we've also become far too willing to accept and use lies ourselves, especially if we think a lie will help us "win." I cannot imagine Jesus condoning the use of a lie for any purpose. Can you? If Christians are to play their proper role in the current debate, we must once again become people who seek and speak truth.

Third, I must lay aside all hatred. A while ago, a Christian woman said to me, "I don't want any of my money going to help those people." Whoever "those people" might have been to her, she dispised them. Take a little self-test. Use her phrase ("I don't want any of my money going to help those people") and try inserting a specific term in place of "those." Try inserting terms like "poor," "black," "Hispanic," "unemployed," "liberal," "conservative," "pregnant out of wedlock," and the like. Keep doing so until you find a term that makes your blood boil. That's when you will have identified the group of people Jesus calls you to stop hating. Jesus forbids his followers to hate or to allow hatred to govern their life in the world.

Pray and act for the well-being of all others, seek and speak the truth, lay aside all hatred. If we Christians follow such Jesus-centered guidelines, we may yet make a positive contribution to the national debate on health care.

Resurrection Means...

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 14:00:00 GMT

The prospect of Easter 2009 prompts me to think about what resurrection means.

Resurrection means Jesus lives. Christians know and walk with a risen Lord. We encounter Jesus not only as a figure of history but as a present living reality. Frankly, we're often startled by his presence, even as were the first Christians. Sometimes we find it hard to believe, much like Thomas. Still, when all is said and done, we find we cannot deny his presence. He is not a passive companion. His presence prods us to change the course of our lives, so that we walk with him along ways of his choice.

Resurrection means God's way prevails. When Jesus died, most thought his teachings died with him, overpowered and silenced by the might of "the system." The power of entrenched interests seemed triumphant. We understand. Experience teaches us large systems and even long established patterns of personal thought and behavior usually stifle whatever threatens them. The way of God looks awfully naive and frail. Jesus resurrection changes the equation. Because Jesus lives, we dare to follow God's way in hope.

Resurrection means the life we know is not all there is to life. God may introduce surprises to all unfolding stories. Face it. We often feel bound by history, both corporate and personal. Most of us seldom use the term "fate," but we act as if our lives are already determined. What is shall be. What we are we shall remain. We live as if God is powerless to intervene in unexpected ways. The resurrection calls us to our senses. God reserves the right to introduce a new, salvific theme into the world's story (or our individual stories) at any time.

A friend of mine once challenged me to describe the essence of Christianity in a single word. After a little thought, I replied: "Resurrection." Many years have passed since that day, and still I find it true.

What Matters Most?

Fri, 06 Feb 2009 14:00:00 GMT

What matters most?

Recently, I endured a bit of "down time" as I recovered from surgery. My normal routine seldom provides much in the way of down time. I can't say I enjoyed the experience, but it did have an up side: With time on my hands, I began to reflect on what matters most to me.

Like many of us, I've lived in interesting times. For much of my life, the United States has been at war, either directly or through proxies. We've experienced assasinations, recessions, economic booms, the communications revolution, scientific advances, a resurgance of various superstitions, the arrival of the multi-cultural society, massive changes in religious life, cultural/political divisions, and a slowly growing sense of our limitations.

The challenge of change never lets up. The pressure, I think, drives us too often to lose sight of what matters most. Instead, we get caught up in a whirlwind of reaction to change.

For example, many in my generation responded to changes in Baptist life by becoming denominational politicians, campaign managers, and culture warriors. This happened to people on both sides of the Baptist debates. When the dust settled, "victors" and "losers" found themselves at a loss. Without an active theological/organizational war to fight, many felt disoriented.

Why? No doubt there were many reasons, but primary among them was that we had given our lives to something that turned out to be merely important. At the end of the day, we discovered we did not know what mattered most. Many of us have spent the subsequent years recapturing a personal sense of what matters most.

All of which brings me back to where I began. Down times provide an opportunity to discover or rediscover what matters most. In the past few days, I've rediscovered what matters most to me: a sense of resting in the sure love of God, my wife and family, a few deep friendships, knowing others pray for me, trusting others with the work of God and the church, and nurturing a sense of thankfulness for the gifts and opportunities God actually gives me.

My personal down time turned into a kind of spiritual retreat, and I emerged knowing better what matters most to me. May the same be true for all of us today and in the days to come.

Looking Back and Looking Forward

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 14:00:00 GMT

A bit of retrospection and anticipation seems in order on the last day of 2008.

Looking back, 2008 brought blessings, challenges, the expected and the unexpected. The church launched new ministries to special needs children and their families, women interested in missions and ministries, and through various Bible study opportunities. We drastically restructered our approach to youth Sunday School, small groups and speciality interests. School age children shifted from traditional Sunday School to a rotation model. With church approval, we purchased two properties to help meet future needs. We welcomed Phil Potratz to our ministry staff and began to enjoy the fruits of his work. With the help of many people, "Connections Worship" took shape and began to touch the lives of a variety of people. All in all, 2008 proved to be a year of meaningful change.

The church faced challenges as well. We lost a number of good friends to death, and I could sense the weight of the grief many of us felt. The national economy's woes affected our members. Many of us became more than a little fearful as we watched savings and investments plummet in value. The church's ministry budget suffered as a direct result, and we had to begin to think seriously about how best to continue our work on a reduced budget. Many of us experienced family or other personal crises of various kinds. Truthfulness compels me to say that 2008 was cruel year.

Now I sit before the computer monitor and look ahead to 2009. I am surprised (I think) to find that I feel hopeful. Perhaps the economic crisis will prove to be a time in which we learn or relearn to focus on what matters most. When we can't afford to do everything, we may learn to do the most needful things well. The groundwork we've laid in the past year with children, youth, systematic outreach, women's ministries, and the like may well bear fruit in 2009. Most of all, our trust in God and in one another may deepen because of the challenges we have faced together.

May 2009 prove to be the year in which the people of First Baptist Church, Murfreesboro act in faith and with wisdom to share the gospel and be a good neighbor to all.

Racism is a Sin

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:00:00 GMT

Try saying this sentence out loud: "Racism is a sin."

Twenty five years ago I led worship for a local group of pastors in the Nashville area. In my sermon, I described the blatant and subtle ways in which pastors exhibit racism: jokes, stories, standing silent when church members exhibit racism, condoning or supporting racist policies in housing or education or employment. Drawing on the teachings of Jesus, I urged us to admit our racism, repent of it, and begin to school our words and deeds accordingly.

Afterwards, three older pastors took me aside to offer some well-intentioned advice. In summary, they told me I wouldn't get far in ministry if I challenged racism. They defended their racist humor, insisting they meant no harm, declaring it was simply part of culture. One of them said, "Mike, lighten up. Don't take this matter so seriously." Another, paraphrasing advice often given young politicians in that era, said, "Remember. Go along to get along."

They were wrong. Well-intentioned, hard-working, God-loving, interested in my future--but wrong.

Racism sets us in opposition to God. When we indulge in racism, we deny that God is the Creator of all men and women, regardless of their skin color. Racist attitudes, speech and actions lead us to disobey Jesus, who taught that all of us are neighbors to one another and are to treat one another as we would wish to be treated. Racism is a form of hatred, which Jesus forbade to his followers.

Racism is a sin. Let's confess this is so, turn from our racist ways, and begin to learn how to treat one another as creations of God.

Such resolve must find concrete expression. Consider adopting the following personal statement.

"With God's help, I confess the sin of racism. Racism has infected my heart and mind, found its way into my speech and actions, led me to suppress the Christ in me for the sake of fitting in to the culture surrounding me. I ask God's forgiveness.

May God help me change my ways. With God's support, I will never again pass along racist statements of any kind by the words of my mouth, email, text messages, or any other medium. I will not listen to or support those who seek to inflame racism in my school, workplace, family, society or church. I will undertake to develop friendships with people of a race other than my own. I will defend equality before the law for all people. By the time I die, I will learn to love and treat all people as my God-created brothers and sisters.

This is my duty and opportunity as a follower of Jesus. May God grant me courage for the living of such a life."

A New Experience While Early Voting

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 13:00:00 GMT

A strange thing happened while I was standing in line on the first day of "early voting:" civility broke out among us.

I took my place in line. An older white man, a young black woman and an elderly white woman stood just in front of me. Behind me, a middle aged black woman and a twenty-something white man took up station. Before I knew what had happened, conversation broke out.

In my experience, most election line conversations steer away from the election itself. We tend to talk about our families, jobs, the length of the line, sports, anything at all but politics. Something else happened this time. All of my neighbors talked about the election.

In front of me, the white man and black woman exchanged views on the role of government. "Just remember," he said, "A government big enough to take care of all your needs is also big enough to take all you have." He spoke in a quiet voice. She replied, "I suppose so. But I believe government is also the only tool we own that's big enough to look out for our interests against big business."

They went back and forth, even sharing who they intended to support for president. If each followed through on their plans, they would cancel each other's vote.Their conversation was content-filled. They even laughed a bit. From time to time the older white woman entered the conversation, agreeing first with one then the other of her temporary companions.

Behind me, the middle-aged black woman told the young white man why she was going to vote a certain way. She said, "I work hard, I try to save, I take care of people as a nurse. I've got children of my own. I just want to have someone in the White House who understands what it's like to try to make ends meet." The young white man replied, "I'm single. To tell the truth, I've always had everything I need. I'm mostly worried about the war and my future." They went on talking. I don't know if either changed the mind of the other, but I was struck by how carefully they listened to one another.

On cable television and talk radio shows, conversation rarely rises above the level of sound bites and shouting one another down. It's enough to make one weep. Here, though, on the town square of my small city, everyday American citizens modeled civil discourse, the kind of discourse the founders of our nation had in mind. May their tribe increase!

A Call to a Serious Life

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Once upon a time (say as late as 1948), the terms "liberal" and "conservative" actually held clearly defined meaning. Conservatives generally regarded change or experimentation via government to be dangerous. They, therefore, sought to slow the pace and scope of change. Liberals for the most part believed the challenges of the time required enormous shifts in the role of government and so pushed for bold action. Nearly all political debates were fueled by this enormous difference in perspective.

Ah, it's enough to make one long for the good old days! Nowadays, it seems both so-called conservatives and liberals favor substantial governmental involvement in private and business life. They often differ over what government should do, but both assume government should work to cast American society in their preferred image. The terms "liberal" and "conservative" have been reduced to adjectives attached to particular issues.

That being the case, I propose we abandon both terms when describing ourselves to one another. Rather than "liberal" versus "conservative," I propose we use the following self-descriptors.

Research versus Soundbite--There is a great divide between those who dig in and do their homework on matters of law, constitutional history, war, peace, public health, and the rest of the great issues of our day and those who tend to make decisions on the basis of sound bites.

Open versus Reflexive--Some of us thrive on options. Others of us prefer to preclude some options from consideration before a discussion begins. Are you intrigued by challenges and ideas, or do you tend to react negatively?

Integrated versus Tribal--We live in a society composed of many ethnic, racial and language groups. Many of us take a tribal approach to the matter, insisting that all other groups either recognize the primacy of our tribe or become members of our tribe. A few even suggest that all other tribes should leave the country! Others seek to integrate the tribes, hoping to enrich the lives of all of us.

My own bias, of course, is clear. I believe we would be better Christians and citizens if we committed ourselves to research, openness and integration. Such an approach would not lead us to the same conclusions on any given issue. It would, however, tend to transform us into serious persons, capable of thinking clearly for ourselves rather than being pushed to and fro by every headline.

The challenges of the 21st century are too great for "liberals" and "conservatives." Serious women and men, provided there are enough of them, may fashion a future worth having for our children, grandchildren and generations yet to come.

Church As Family

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 14:00:00 GMT

What do you think of when you hear the term church?

As a child, I thought of a specific building, a small sanctuary at the intersection of two roads in the heart of my boyhood village. The building even had it's name written on it in large, black letters. No doubt about it--the building was the church. As such, the very building was considered holy space. Everything within it commanded reverence. If you forgot this, someone would remind you!

Later I learned to think of the church as ecclesia, the called out community of Christ. The Apostle Paul provided the concept. I saw the church not as building or an organization but as people God called to himself, both now and in all of history. The church was God's creation. He made, sustained and guided it for his own purposes. When I spoke of the church as "holy," I meant it had been set apart by God, both as the haven of his people and a missionary outpost in the world.

I've known persons with other concepts of church. For example, I remember being suprised by the candor of an older woman. She said to me, "You preachers get plain silly when you talk about church. The rest of us know church is the place you go to make friends and have fun." The church and her bridge club were much the same thing in her mind, only one met in a larger building.

Over the past few decades, I've known quite a few people who like to think of church as God's army. Sometimes they think the army's mission is to capture America for God. Others talk as if the mission is to man the cultural borders against rival ideological armies.

The medieval church often portayed church as the ark, a great ship that would carry it's passengers safely through life and deliver them to heaven.

Obviously, we can create many, even conflicting, images of church. For my money, family may prove the most enduring. The parable of the loving father informs my take on church. God, the father in the story, owns the farm and the house and has all rightful authority. Yet he consistently treats both sons gently, refusing to override their humanity even as he calls them to acknowledge and embrace their kinship and turn the house into a family home.

That's how church feels to me. In church, we come together in the presence of God. We know church belongs to God, and we know God is the parent of us all. To tell the truth, most of us know God's heartfelt desire is that we accept and treat one another as beloved family members. Yet in each local church I know, we often treat one another as rivals. On a bad day, church resembles nothing so much as a children's playground, complete with clashes over toys, sand kicked in someone's eyes, and evolving coalitions squaring off against one another. On such days, the church family acts like the dysfunctional family in the parable.

But that's not the entire story! Each day in the life of the church family, some of us forge new relationships, pray for someone else, go out of our way to minister to another, or celebrate the gifts and work of a fellow Christian. People shell out hard earned money to provide food and shelter to someone down on their luck. Someone kills a fattened calf and throws a party for the rest of us, even those of us who might be considered prodigal.

Church is most nearly like a family, with all the liabilities and benefits, joys and stresses, tragedy and wonder that comes with the territory. We are at our best when we embrace and strengthen the special family we call church.

My "Take" on Jesus

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Not too long ago, a friend from another relgious tradition asked me to summarize my "take on Jesus." This is the reply I shared.

Jesus, ideally, is the center of my life. Traditionally, Christians speak of Jesus as "Lord," "Master," "Teacher," "Saviour," and the like. The simplest way I know to capture the essence of all such terms is to picture Jesus as the one around whom I orient myself.

You'll probably ask, "Which Jesus?" My response is the Jesus we find in the canonical gospels (in all his complexity and simplicity), the Jesus of Christian reflection, and the living Jesus I know through the Spirit of God. For me, this is what it means to be a disciple or follower of Jesus.

Of course, while doing so I try to take care not to fall into the trap of thinking I've got Jesus pegged. As Carlyle Marney put it, "I try to follow the light I've been given, and I hope for more light."

God and humanity intersect and become one in Jesus. How? I don't know. But I accept the Incarnation and Resurrection, and when I combine them with the life and teachings and manner of Jesus, I find I stand in the presence of someone far greater than myself (or any other). He knows me, and indeed knows the human condition, not in the abstract but as a full participant. Yet, he knows God in much the same way, as a full participant in the life of God. I, therefore, use language such as "Son of God," "Son of Man," "God-Man," and the like--though, I try to be careful in doing so, since such terms are open to any number of interpretations.

I know Jesus as the one in whom we see what life is supposed to be like, both now and in the new creation. He is the one who knows what it means to love God, others and self as God intends. Self-giving love (agape) finds full expression in his life and death, and through his resurrections is validated as the ultimately unconquerable way of life.

Strangely enough, if I am to engage Jesus with integrity, I must take seriously that he was a first century Jewish man. That's the aggravating aspect to Incarnation--it refuses to allow me to divorce discourse about the divine from the nitty-gritty of human life and history. The first century matters. I believe there is considerable continuity between Jesus the first century person and Jesus the Risen One. In fact, I best trust interpretations of Jesus' intent when they are tied strongly to hs historical context.

Finally, I find I must treat Jesus as a living entity. Resurrection matters, too. This involves more than memories and influence. For me, it is an objective reality. Not that I claim to understand all that means; in fact, such a thing is quite beyond my grasp. But I try to operate as if Jesus is alive, well, at "the right of God," and taking a healthy interest in the world at large and even in me. This is why I may speak of a "living Lord," and Jesus as our "friend."

That's the "take" on Jesus which informs my preaching, teaching, leading and living--that is, on my better days!