Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Hope in Hard Times
Today, I was contacted by the local ABC news program in Baltimore seeking comment on what churches are doing to offer help to persons in light of the recent economic crisis. The crisis has brought on significant stress for many persons and families, and this week there were two murder-homicides in Maryland where two families were found dead (a total of nine people). Several other incidents of violence related to the economic crisis and stress have occurred around the country in the past few weeks. My response to the inquiry is that most churches open their doors to members and non-members offering food and clothing to those in need. Many serve hot meals several times a week, and some offer financial support for persons having difficulty paying energy bills or facing eviction. Many churches also offer counseling and host support groups for persons dealing with various stress-related issues. Most pastors are familiar with community resources that may be available when churches are unable to help. In Baltimore, the United Methodist Church has developed Hope Counseling, a program designed to work with persons and families affected by violence in the city. These are days when helping institutions like churches and community service agencies are more needed than ever. I concluded by sharing that we are all encouraged to reach out for help when times seem hopeless. No person should ever feel that their situation is hopeless or that they are totally alone.
The Earth is the Lord's
In Psalm 24:1 David shared that “The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it.” This is a wonderful affirmation of the creative gift of God of the earth as the dwelling place of all living things. David reminds us that God is the creator of all that is and is to be – and that all that God has created belongs to God. We who dwell on the earth are to be stewards of that which belongs to God. On this past Sunday, United Methodists and other persons of faith shared in a Green Festival at the New Life United Church in northeast Baltimore. The event brought together various non-profit, community-based and religious organizations to raise awareness as to our shared responsibility to care for God’s creation. Not coincidentally, the Green Festival was held during the same week as Earth Day which we celebrate today. It is also not coincidental that the Green Festival was held in the city. God is concerned for the care of the city. Concerns for environmental and ecological justice are intricately related to social justice and should expand to both the cities and the fields. Mr. James Winkler, General Secretary of the United Methodist Church’s General Board of Church and Society, joined us at the Green Festival and reminded us of our shared responsibility to care for all that God has created. We are reminded of the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who shared that “true peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.” And so on this Earth Day, we offer thanks to God for all persons and institutions that labor daily to create a just and peaceful world, both in the cities and in the fields.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
It Takes a Village
In 1988, Bruce Main started a ministry called Urban Promise in Camden, New Jersey. For over a year and a half, more than one hundred inner-city children, many of them African-American, found safe haven after school and in Sunday worship in the predominantly white church. While the program was paying its own way, it was also taking a toll on the church. Carpets and walls became soiled, bathroom walls became covered in graffiti, and restless children disrupted Sunday morning services.
The deacons of the church asked for a meeting with the pastor. They wanted to know if the program was making a difference, and the proof they required was baptisms.
To their surprise, Bruce shared that a number of the children had professed their faith and were prepared for baptism. The deacons tried to stop the program, and some of them eventually left the church. But the Holy Spirit was at work in Camden, and the program received full support from the congregation. Today in its 21st year, Urban Promise is a thriving ministry with the following mission: “To equip Camden’s children and young adults with the skills necessary for academic achievement, life management, spiritual growth and Christian leadership.” The ministry has expanded into several other cities in the U.S. and internationally.
Read more of the Urban Promise story at http://www.urbanpromiseusa.org/ and in Revolution and Renewal, by Tony Compolo. (This excerpt is taken from The Abingdon Preaching Annual 2009, p. 140).
The deacons of the church asked for a meeting with the pastor. They wanted to know if the program was making a difference, and the proof they required was baptisms.
To their surprise, Bruce shared that a number of the children had professed their faith and were prepared for baptism. The deacons tried to stop the program, and some of them eventually left the church. But the Holy Spirit was at work in Camden, and the program received full support from the congregation. Today in its 21st year, Urban Promise is a thriving ministry with the following mission: “To equip Camden’s children and young adults with the skills necessary for academic achievement, life management, spiritual growth and Christian leadership.” The ministry has expanded into several other cities in the U.S. and internationally.
Read more of the Urban Promise story at http://www.urbanpromiseusa.org/ and in Revolution and Renewal, by Tony Compolo. (This excerpt is taken from The Abingdon Preaching Annual 2009, p. 140).
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Growing Deeper - Rising Higher
“The person who looks for quick results in the seed planting of well-doing will be disappointed. If I want potatoes for dinner tomorrow, it will do me little good to go out and plant potatoes in my garden tonight. There are long stretches of darkness and invisibility and silence that separate planting and reaping. During the stretches of waiting, there is cultivating and weeding and nurturing and planting still other seeds.” (Eugene Peterson, Traveling Light)
The season of Lent affords us the opportunity to engage in the work of growing deeper. The words of Eugene Peterson speak of the possibility of such spiritual growth, and the work that we are to do – often in silence and separation - as we prepare for Easter. We seek to grow deeper so that we will rise higher in the days ahead.
The season of Lent affords us the opportunity to engage in the work of growing deeper. The words of Eugene Peterson speak of the possibility of such spiritual growth, and the work that we are to do – often in silence and separation - as we prepare for Easter. We seek to grow deeper so that we will rise higher in the days ahead.
Turn on Your Lights
In the course of my ministry, I have the occasion to drive through various parts of Baltimore several times a week. One of the things that I have come to realize is how many lights there are in the city at night. Driving through, I often look out in the distance, and can see lights several miles away. Such panoramic views of the city serve as a reminder to me of the words of Jesus to his followers in the Gospel of Matthew, “You are the light of the world…A city built on a hill cannot be hid.”
It is my sense that we can forget the words of Jesus amidst the darkness that floods so much of existence. We experience the darkness of political unrest, social disintegration, and economic uncertainty - not to mention spiritual demise. Terror and war has permeated our global conscience, and crime and violence continues to pervade many of the communities and streets of Baltimore. Vivid reminders of this darkness are the blue lights that flash on many of the city’s corners – reminding us that such violence in very real.
Darkness has a way of dimming our view of reality, and making it difficult to see the possibility – even the reality - of light. As I drive through Baltimore, I also have the occasion of traveling through the tunnels of the city several times a week. On entering the tunnels, most of what is experienced is dimness and darkness – the end of the tunnel cannot be seen, and thus there is not much evidence of light. It is at the point of approaching the end of the tunnel, when there is a glimpse of light, that I always experience a sense of hope – a sense that the darkness is about to be over.
One of the things that the Lenten season does for us is gives us the occasion to encounter our personal darkness and to seek the light that is in Christ. These encounters are what John of the Cross was alluding to when he talked about the “dark night of the soul.” David talked about these in terms of walking through the “valley of the shadow of death.”
Amidst these encounters, we have the assurance in the words of Jesus that we are “the light of the world”… and that “a city built on a hill cannot be hid.” And as "lights of the world," we are encouraged to turn on our lights.
One of the most important things that we know about light is that light always overcomes darkness. If light is placed in the proximity of darkness – light always shines through. If we to walk in the light that is Christ – this light will overcome darkness.
It is my sense that we can forget the words of Jesus amidst the darkness that floods so much of existence. We experience the darkness of political unrest, social disintegration, and economic uncertainty - not to mention spiritual demise. Terror and war has permeated our global conscience, and crime and violence continues to pervade many of the communities and streets of Baltimore. Vivid reminders of this darkness are the blue lights that flash on many of the city’s corners – reminding us that such violence in very real.
Darkness has a way of dimming our view of reality, and making it difficult to see the possibility – even the reality - of light. As I drive through Baltimore, I also have the occasion of traveling through the tunnels of the city several times a week. On entering the tunnels, most of what is experienced is dimness and darkness – the end of the tunnel cannot be seen, and thus there is not much evidence of light. It is at the point of approaching the end of the tunnel, when there is a glimpse of light, that I always experience a sense of hope – a sense that the darkness is about to be over.
One of the things that the Lenten season does for us is gives us the occasion to encounter our personal darkness and to seek the light that is in Christ. These encounters are what John of the Cross was alluding to when he talked about the “dark night of the soul.” David talked about these in terms of walking through the “valley of the shadow of death.”
Amidst these encounters, we have the assurance in the words of Jesus that we are “the light of the world”… and that “a city built on a hill cannot be hid.” And as "lights of the world," we are encouraged to turn on our lights.
One of the most important things that we know about light is that light always overcomes darkness. If light is placed in the proximity of darkness – light always shines through. If we to walk in the light that is Christ – this light will overcome darkness.
Thus, the words of the traditional hymn encourage us:
Walk in the light
Beautiful light
Shine where the dew drops of mercy shine bright
Shine all around us by day and by night
Jesus, the light of the world.
Beautiful light
Shine where the dew drops of mercy shine bright
Shine all around us by day and by night
Jesus, the light of the world.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Changing Directions
A few weeks ago, I had the occasion to preach a sermon based on the familiar text from the book of Jonah (Jon. 3:1-10). Perhaps it was not ironic that this was one of the lectionary texts for that week. I have preached several different sermons from the Jonah text over the years, but this time it seemed to relate to the experiences of the church and society in ways that it hadn’t before. Perhaps this is because of the change that is all around us. Maybe it is because the change that we experience today is unprecedented in many ways – as tumult and turmoil seem to characterize where we are collectively, and (for many) individually. The times in which we live have been described by writer Tom Peters as being "topsy-turvy" times.
As, this week, we have entered into the Lenten season, the Jonah text has stayed with me. For some reason it has resonated with my conscience – pricked the nerve center of my being. I – like many Christians – seek to experience the 40 days of Lent as days of self-reflection, forgiveness, and repentance. Repentance denotes renewed connection and commitment in our lives - our efforts to change directions – to go on a different pathway from that which we have travelled.
These are days of repentance for our nation as well. The economic stimulus package championed by our new president seeks to redirect our economy away from economic demise, exploitation of big business and unsound lending practices - and toward stability. A few days ago, President Barack Obama shared a renewed commitment that by 2020, America would again rank as the leader in the percentage of college graduates in the world. And today, President Obama shared his intention to end America’s military involvement in Iraq by the end of 2011. Indeed, these are days of repentance - changing directions - for our nation.
One of the interesting things about the Jonah story is that embedded in it are two call stories. God calls Jonah twice. Chapter 1 of the Book of Jonah begins with God's first call for Jonah to go to Nineveh and proclaim judgment and to call the city to repentance. But when that first word came, Jonah did not answer as God had intended. Instead of going to Nineveh, Jonah decided to go in another direction - toward Tarshish.
To understand Jonah’s decision not to go to Nineveh and to head toward Tarshish, perhaps it helps to know something about Nineveh. In the seventh century BCE, Nineveh was the largest city, the capital of Assyria, the most powerful nation in the world. God told Jonah – this unknown prophet - to go to Nineveh, the big city, to preach judgment to the people.
And given this tremendous task that God had placed before Jonah, he decided instead to go to Tarshish. And so Jonah ran to the sea, boarded a ship and headed toward Tarshish. During a violent storm, the sailors realized that God was angry with Jonah and was causing the storm. So Jonah was thrown into the sea, where he ended up in the belly of a giant fish.
Eventually, the big fish spat Jonah out onto dry land. God saved his life, and obviously had something more for him to do.
In chapter 3 we find that God called Jonah a second time. This time, when God called, Jonah changed directions and went to Nineveh as God had commanded. He went, proclaiming God’s judgment and calling the Ninevites to repent of their sins and return to God.
One of the prevalent changes in our society today is the emergence of the GPS – the global positioning system. Many of us today have GPS systems in our car as a replacement to maps and atlases (and Map quests) which used to suffice in helping us get from one place to another. One feature of the GPS comes into play when the driver has taken a wrong turn, gets off track, and is about to get lost. A voice emerges in the vehicle and indicates that “you have made a wrong turn, and the system will now need to re-calculate your route.”
Could it be that during this Lenten season, God seeks to re-calculate our route, and beckons us to enter into a renewed relationship with the divine? Could it be that it is God’s ultimate desire that we, like Jonah, point our lives in the direction in which God seeks for us to go – to re-calculate and go where God is leading us?
As, this week, we have entered into the Lenten season, the Jonah text has stayed with me. For some reason it has resonated with my conscience – pricked the nerve center of my being. I – like many Christians – seek to experience the 40 days of Lent as days of self-reflection, forgiveness, and repentance. Repentance denotes renewed connection and commitment in our lives - our efforts to change directions – to go on a different pathway from that which we have travelled.
These are days of repentance for our nation as well. The economic stimulus package championed by our new president seeks to redirect our economy away from economic demise, exploitation of big business and unsound lending practices - and toward stability. A few days ago, President Barack Obama shared a renewed commitment that by 2020, America would again rank as the leader in the percentage of college graduates in the world. And today, President Obama shared his intention to end America’s military involvement in Iraq by the end of 2011. Indeed, these are days of repentance - changing directions - for our nation.
One of the interesting things about the Jonah story is that embedded in it are two call stories. God calls Jonah twice. Chapter 1 of the Book of Jonah begins with God's first call for Jonah to go to Nineveh and proclaim judgment and to call the city to repentance. But when that first word came, Jonah did not answer as God had intended. Instead of going to Nineveh, Jonah decided to go in another direction - toward Tarshish.
To understand Jonah’s decision not to go to Nineveh and to head toward Tarshish, perhaps it helps to know something about Nineveh. In the seventh century BCE, Nineveh was the largest city, the capital of Assyria, the most powerful nation in the world. God told Jonah – this unknown prophet - to go to Nineveh, the big city, to preach judgment to the people.
And given this tremendous task that God had placed before Jonah, he decided instead to go to Tarshish. And so Jonah ran to the sea, boarded a ship and headed toward Tarshish. During a violent storm, the sailors realized that God was angry with Jonah and was causing the storm. So Jonah was thrown into the sea, where he ended up in the belly of a giant fish.
Eventually, the big fish spat Jonah out onto dry land. God saved his life, and obviously had something more for him to do.
In chapter 3 we find that God called Jonah a second time. This time, when God called, Jonah changed directions and went to Nineveh as God had commanded. He went, proclaiming God’s judgment and calling the Ninevites to repent of their sins and return to God.
One of the prevalent changes in our society today is the emergence of the GPS – the global positioning system. Many of us today have GPS systems in our car as a replacement to maps and atlases (and Map quests) which used to suffice in helping us get from one place to another. One feature of the GPS comes into play when the driver has taken a wrong turn, gets off track, and is about to get lost. A voice emerges in the vehicle and indicates that “you have made a wrong turn, and the system will now need to re-calculate your route.”
Could it be that during this Lenten season, God seeks to re-calculate our route, and beckons us to enter into a renewed relationship with the divine? Could it be that it is God’s ultimate desire that we, like Jonah, point our lives in the direction in which God seeks for us to go – to re-calculate and go where God is leading us?
Friday, February 13, 2009
The Welcome Table
(This article was published on January 21, 2009 in Leading Ideas, a publication of the Lewis Center for Church Leadership, http://www.churchleadership.com/ at Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington, DC.)
In the summer of 2006, I led a study group from Wesley Theological Seminary in a doctoral course that retraced many of the steps of the Civil Rights Movement in Alabama. Our group reflected much of the diversity of the church and society. We prayed, sang, and shared our thoughts together as we traveled. Dr. Eileen Guenther, who teaches church music at Wesley Seminary and was part of our group, said that a spiritual, “I’m Gonna Sit at the Welcome Table,” played in her head throughout the experience. She recalled the variety of tables that we encountered as we traveled through Alabama:
- lunch counters where all had not always been welcome,
- the dining room table in the parsonage of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery where the Southern Christian Leadership Conference was formed,
-the kitchen table of the same parsonage where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., searched his soul and felt God telling him to press on with his work,
-the tables at which the people at 16th Street Baptist Church served us lunch, tables placed adjacent to the site of the tragic bombing in September 1963 that killed four young girls, and
-the tables around which members of our group gathered to share stories as victims of discrimination, of their courageous work for justice, and their lament over a lack of awareness by many of what was going on at the time.
I sense that our experiences in Alabama are emblematic of the blessings and burdens facing the churches today. In the midst of growing divergence among churches in terms of theology, styles of worship, and ways that churches engage their mission in the world, it is more essential than ever that a faith built around the Lord’s Table ensures that there is a welcoming table set for a changing world.
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