When I would consult with congregations, I would ask them about their public profile. This is what non-members who live in their community think about their church. This has to do with image, namely what is the image the community has of us. This public profile is not only true of a local church, it is true of denominations. Think Southern Baptist, and what comes to mind?
When I am in a public place such as an airport, and I identify myself to a stranger that I am an Episcopal Priest, I am interested in their response. I can assure you that our public profile is not what we think of ourselves. Recently, a fellow passenger nodded and said, “Episcopal? Y’all are going through some sort of fight aren’t you?” I thought to myself, wow, what a great public image. This will line un-churched folks up to get into one of our congregations. I mean, who in their right minds would want to join a church that is having a fight?
There is, however, also a public profile of Christianity out there too. In a recent book, “Unchristian,” the authors surveyed numerous young people under the age of 30 to find out what they thought of us. The answers are unsettling to say the least. For example, 91% said that Christians dislike or hate homosexual persons. No matter how you feel about the issue of same-sex blessings, you have to realize what a terribly negative attitude this is toward those of us who represent Jesus and his Church.
In Dallas recently, we have had this attitude reinforced in a very public way. The pastor of one of our most public churches decided to do a series on homosexuality. The title of his first sermon that was placed on their front sign was “Gay is not OK.” This generated a number of protesters who gathered on that Sunday morning to voice their dissent from such a position. In the interviews that followed in the public press, the protesters sounded much more loving and compassionate than the pastor who claimed he was “speaking the truth in love.”
The next week, the issue of sex was raised in a very different way by the pastor of a newly formed and large mega-church who announced a series on marriage and sex. He delivered part of these sitting on a bed while suggesting married couples engage in sex every day over the next week. He promised it would be a “bonding experience.”
After my wife and I stopped laughing, I could not help but wonder if the pastor was in another way reinforcing the image among un-churched and non-Christian people that we Christians, and especially our clergy, are pre-occupied and even obsessed with sexual behavior. Neither example, I would content, helps our public profile. It probably is reinforced and even made worse here in North Texas with the action of the Diocese of Ft. Worth to remove itself from the Episcopal Church because of our increasingly liberal national church policies, specifically related to the election of a Bishop who is a gay man living in a same-sex relationship.
Put all this public profile in perspective of Christ the King Sunday. On this day, we hear the parable of the separation of the sheep and goats. This is a parable about judgment, so we might ask ourselves what criteria Jesus uses to separate the good from the bad? Surprise, it has nothing to do with sexual behavior. Even more, it has almost nothing to do with any personal habit or behavior such as smoking, drinking or with whom we have sex. It all has to do with how we treat the poor, the hungry and those imprisoned!
Now, we as the Christian Community need to ask ourselves why the profile of our Lord and of the Church is so far off our Lord’s values. Why are we not known for our concerned with the poor, and not with sexual behavior? The answer, of course, is that we are reaping what we sow. Talk about sex and people think we are primarily concerned with it.
The challenge for us today, and this very much includes the Episcopal Church, is to start talking publicly about what is really of deepest concern to us. In doing so, we should remember that Jesus commenced the beginning of his ministry with, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.” Further, we should ask ourselves if the presence of a church in any community is primarily good news to the widow, orphan, and stranger in our midst. As our Gospel for this Sunday assures us, this will be our King’s greatest concern when he measures us according to what we have done.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Thursday, November 6, 2008
The Day After
Since I had voted early, I spend Tuesday in Austin visiting my 7 month old granddaughter, Ana Miranda, arguably the most beautiful granddaughter in the world. I left early Wednesday morning to return to Dallas. Dressed in very casual attire and unshaven, I stopped for coffee at a local fast food store in South Dallas. I found myself standing next to an African-American gentleman about my age as we poured cream. “Great morning isn’t it?” I said.
“Yes, it is. The temperature is almost perfect,” he replied.
“I meant the day after the election,” I offered with a smile.
“Indeed it is,” he said back, “it IS a great morning.”
Before I could say more, he added, “I am a Viet Nam vet and I have lots of respect for John McCain. He is a great man. But, this was our day!”
“You and I are old enough to remember hearing Dr. King’s ‘I have a dream’ speech live, as he gave it,” I added. He nodded assent. “I bet that, like me, you never thought that you would see this day in our life-time,” He nodded thoughtfully and with a slight tear said, “Never in my life time.”
“Yes,” I agreed. Then I added, “I guess you could say it was every American’s day.”
“That’s true,” he said as he offered me his warm, firm handshake.
John McCain is a great man, and I pray that our President elect will become a great President. This morning at sunrise, we awoke to the possibility of being an even greater nation.
“Yes, it is. The temperature is almost perfect,” he replied.
“I meant the day after the election,” I offered with a smile.
“Indeed it is,” he said back, “it IS a great morning.”
Before I could say more, he added, “I am a Viet Nam vet and I have lots of respect for John McCain. He is a great man. But, this was our day!”
“You and I are old enough to remember hearing Dr. King’s ‘I have a dream’ speech live, as he gave it,” I added. He nodded assent. “I bet that, like me, you never thought that you would see this day in our life-time,” He nodded thoughtfully and with a slight tear said, “Never in my life time.”
“Yes,” I agreed. Then I added, “I guess you could say it was every American’s day.”
“That’s true,” he said as he offered me his warm, firm handshake.
John McCain is a great man, and I pray that our President elect will become a great President. This morning at sunrise, we awoke to the possibility of being an even greater nation.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
The Approaching Election
Reflections on the upcoming Election, Politics and the Church
Here are some thoughts and opinions of mine as we approach the November election. I thought some of this might help Cathedral members and friends understand me a bit better.
During Seminary I became very involved in what today would be called justice and rights issues. This continued for a few years after seminary, but in 1977 I experienced a conversion experience. In brief, Christ became more clearly my Lord and Savior. Naturally, this touched most aspects of my life. One of these had to do with my involvement in political activism. It isn’t that I suddenly came to see these issues as wrong or unimportant. It was more personal for me. I came to see that my involvement in them was motivated by anger and at times hatred. I knew that love and especially the love of Christ were not my motives. Further, I realized that I tended to see those who differed from me as bad or evil. I needed to step back from all this.
In addition, as I have aged and hopefully matured, I have become a lot more circumspect about politics. I am more inclined to look for the truth on both sides of issues. I have grown too in my conviction that pastors would do well to maintain a more independent and non-partisan position regarding candidates and political parties. We need to be able to minister to all our people and there are always Christians of good conscience on all sides of political divides and all parties. None of this means that I lack political convictions or even passion, I just am very concerned about maintaining the Church’s ability and mine to speak to power no matter which party or person happens to hold it.
I call myself an independent and have many times split my ballot voting for folks from different parties. Since 1980, for those interested, I have voted for the person elected President all but twice. I will leave this for you to guess where I may have gone wrong.
Here is one matter about which I have plenty of conviction. After the 2004 election, the IRS threatened to take away the not-for-profit status of All Saints Parish, Pasadena based on a sermon preached just before the election. Like many in the religious community, I reacted immediately to this interference and threat to the Church’s, or any religious communities, right to free speech and the ability to comment on political matters. Then, I listened to the actual sermon.
After that, I found myself on the IRS’s side of the issue. In his sermon, the retired Rector of the parish, not only took sides in the election, but essentially explained how Jesus would vote. Telling Christians how Jesus would vote is presumptuous and manipulative. This is the worse kind of blurring of the boundaries of Church and State. For me, for a pastor to try to tell folks for whom to vote is an abuse of our power.
Having said all this, here are a couple of observations about this election. Both candidates for president are right, we need a change in direction as a nation. Either will bring change. The most important change IMHO needed is how we carry ourselves in our relationship to the other nations of the world.
As Reporter Brian Williams has stated, I believe that both Senator Obama and Senator McCain are outstanding leaders and persons of character, and either would serve our nation well. I think that demonization and character assassinations do not serve us well. Such attacks undermine the basic truth that for the health and well-being of our nation, after the election, we will need to come back together. After the election, the person who is president will be added to our prayers of the people. He will be President of all the people. We can only pray that the person holding this office will always remember this.
I believe it is the duty of all Christians, as well as all citizens, to vote and to fully participate in our political process. So, don’t forget to vote November 4th!
Here are some thoughts and opinions of mine as we approach the November election. I thought some of this might help Cathedral members and friends understand me a bit better.
During Seminary I became very involved in what today would be called justice and rights issues. This continued for a few years after seminary, but in 1977 I experienced a conversion experience. In brief, Christ became more clearly my Lord and Savior. Naturally, this touched most aspects of my life. One of these had to do with my involvement in political activism. It isn’t that I suddenly came to see these issues as wrong or unimportant. It was more personal for me. I came to see that my involvement in them was motivated by anger and at times hatred. I knew that love and especially the love of Christ were not my motives. Further, I realized that I tended to see those who differed from me as bad or evil. I needed to step back from all this.
In addition, as I have aged and hopefully matured, I have become a lot more circumspect about politics. I am more inclined to look for the truth on both sides of issues. I have grown too in my conviction that pastors would do well to maintain a more independent and non-partisan position regarding candidates and political parties. We need to be able to minister to all our people and there are always Christians of good conscience on all sides of political divides and all parties. None of this means that I lack political convictions or even passion, I just am very concerned about maintaining the Church’s ability and mine to speak to power no matter which party or person happens to hold it.
I call myself an independent and have many times split my ballot voting for folks from different parties. Since 1980, for those interested, I have voted for the person elected President all but twice. I will leave this for you to guess where I may have gone wrong.
Here is one matter about which I have plenty of conviction. After the 2004 election, the IRS threatened to take away the not-for-profit status of All Saints Parish, Pasadena based on a sermon preached just before the election. Like many in the religious community, I reacted immediately to this interference and threat to the Church’s, or any religious communities, right to free speech and the ability to comment on political matters. Then, I listened to the actual sermon.
After that, I found myself on the IRS’s side of the issue. In his sermon, the retired Rector of the parish, not only took sides in the election, but essentially explained how Jesus would vote. Telling Christians how Jesus would vote is presumptuous and manipulative. This is the worse kind of blurring of the boundaries of Church and State. For me, for a pastor to try to tell folks for whom to vote is an abuse of our power.
Having said all this, here are a couple of observations about this election. Both candidates for president are right, we need a change in direction as a nation. Either will bring change. The most important change IMHO needed is how we carry ourselves in our relationship to the other nations of the world.
As Reporter Brian Williams has stated, I believe that both Senator Obama and Senator McCain are outstanding leaders and persons of character, and either would serve our nation well. I think that demonization and character assassinations do not serve us well. Such attacks undermine the basic truth that for the health and well-being of our nation, after the election, we will need to come back together. After the election, the person who is president will be added to our prayers of the people. He will be President of all the people. We can only pray that the person holding this office will always remember this.
I believe it is the duty of all Christians, as well as all citizens, to vote and to fully participate in our political process. So, don’t forget to vote November 4th!
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Sermon on September 28th - Family Sunday
(I don’t usually preach from a manuscript, but last Sunday, I did.)
LOVE, ACCEPTANCE, AND FORGIVENESS
Outside of Jerusalem rests the tomb of a young man. For centuries now Jews, Christians and Muslims have come to the tomb to throw stones and offer prayers of bitterness. Who could generate such universal reaction?
His name was Absalom. He was the favored son of David who created upheaval in his father’s household, tried to subvert his father’s rule, and finally led a rebellion and civil war that almost cost David his life.
The people who gather for such prayers demonstrate the universal pain of families that come apart. The bible is full of such stories and most of the families portrayed in Scripture qualify for the term dysfunctional!
Perhaps this is one reason that the story of the prodigal son remains so universally loved. The prodigal returns and receives the love of the father. Meanwhile, however, his older brother fumes in resentment.
This morning’s gospel reading gives us another view of family behavior. Jesus used it to show how people who once were outcasts could find their way back to the Father’s love. At the same time he showed that some who say the right things have the wrong motives in their hearts.
I had a friend who used to like to twist the familiar phrase “home is where the heart is” into home is where the HURT is. Each time he would say it, the rest of us would both smile in recognition and grimace in the plan truth.
I once say a cartoon that showed a large auditorium. Over the stage hung a large banner with “The National Organization of People from Functional Families.” The auditorium had about five people scattered around in it.
Families, of course, can be places of love and sources of strength to their members, but we all know from these examples that families are often the source of our greatest pain. Knowing this, I’ve often asked myself as a pastor, what the church can do about this.
Why do families and family members need the church?
The Church is called in Scripture the “Family of God.” At the core of this description are three cardinal values to comprise our family. Simply said they are
Love
Acceptance
Forgiveness
Most human families start out with the value of love. But love itself can become twisted. Love can become conditional – I love you only if you live up to my expectations. Love can become manipulative – If you love me, you will do what I want. Love can go sour when a family member goes in a different way. The message is clear, we love you but not if you choose to act that way.
This is where the church as the family of God has something significant to add to all of us. We are after all a community not only of love, but also of acceptance. When we are truly the church, we accept people as they are; who they are, unique. It doesn’t matter if this uniqueness is the result of different talents or strange quirks. If folks are baptized they are part of our family.
And further, we are a community of forgiveness. We start with the assumption that everyone is a sinner in need of forgiveness. And as Alina reminded us two weeks ago, we are to forgive others as we have been forgiven.
Jerry Cook was the pastor of a very large Four Gospel Church in Portland, Oregon. He had a large church with lots of programs, bible studies, and a terrific youth ministry. Then one day he began to think about the behavior of his members. He became uncomfortable with the typical church chatter. He became convicted that as good as his church was, it wasn’t really the family of God, but a group of people with similar values.
Finally, he decided to do something about it. For one full year, he preached sermons with only three themes: Love, Acceptance and Forgiveness. He said strait out that biblical knowledge and theological true are important, but it was more important to God that his family lived out love, acceptance and forgiveness. It took a while, but a church that had been largely suburban and white began to change.
Some members where surprised when street kids started attending.
Others were shocked when the church became integrated.
Some even left when lots of single people started attending including Gay and Lesbians.
What was once a nice church became a dynamic community that transformed its neighborhood and became a remarkable witness to forgiveness and reconciliation.
Love, acceptance and Forgiveness are the core values of the family of God.
LOVE, ACCEPTANCE, AND FORGIVENESS
Outside of Jerusalem rests the tomb of a young man. For centuries now Jews, Christians and Muslims have come to the tomb to throw stones and offer prayers of bitterness. Who could generate such universal reaction?
His name was Absalom. He was the favored son of David who created upheaval in his father’s household, tried to subvert his father’s rule, and finally led a rebellion and civil war that almost cost David his life.
The people who gather for such prayers demonstrate the universal pain of families that come apart. The bible is full of such stories and most of the families portrayed in Scripture qualify for the term dysfunctional!
Perhaps this is one reason that the story of the prodigal son remains so universally loved. The prodigal returns and receives the love of the father. Meanwhile, however, his older brother fumes in resentment.
This morning’s gospel reading gives us another view of family behavior. Jesus used it to show how people who once were outcasts could find their way back to the Father’s love. At the same time he showed that some who say the right things have the wrong motives in their hearts.
I had a friend who used to like to twist the familiar phrase “home is where the heart is” into home is where the HURT is. Each time he would say it, the rest of us would both smile in recognition and grimace in the plan truth.
I once say a cartoon that showed a large auditorium. Over the stage hung a large banner with “The National Organization of People from Functional Families.” The auditorium had about five people scattered around in it.
Families, of course, can be places of love and sources of strength to their members, but we all know from these examples that families are often the source of our greatest pain. Knowing this, I’ve often asked myself as a pastor, what the church can do about this.
Why do families and family members need the church?
The Church is called in Scripture the “Family of God.” At the core of this description are three cardinal values to comprise our family. Simply said they are
Love
Acceptance
Forgiveness
Most human families start out with the value of love. But love itself can become twisted. Love can become conditional – I love you only if you live up to my expectations. Love can become manipulative – If you love me, you will do what I want. Love can go sour when a family member goes in a different way. The message is clear, we love you but not if you choose to act that way.
This is where the church as the family of God has something significant to add to all of us. We are after all a community not only of love, but also of acceptance. When we are truly the church, we accept people as they are; who they are, unique. It doesn’t matter if this uniqueness is the result of different talents or strange quirks. If folks are baptized they are part of our family.
And further, we are a community of forgiveness. We start with the assumption that everyone is a sinner in need of forgiveness. And as Alina reminded us two weeks ago, we are to forgive others as we have been forgiven.
Jerry Cook was the pastor of a very large Four Gospel Church in Portland, Oregon. He had a large church with lots of programs, bible studies, and a terrific youth ministry. Then one day he began to think about the behavior of his members. He became uncomfortable with the typical church chatter. He became convicted that as good as his church was, it wasn’t really the family of God, but a group of people with similar values.
Finally, he decided to do something about it. For one full year, he preached sermons with only three themes: Love, Acceptance and Forgiveness. He said strait out that biblical knowledge and theological true are important, but it was more important to God that his family lived out love, acceptance and forgiveness. It took a while, but a church that had been largely suburban and white began to change.
Some members where surprised when street kids started attending.
Others were shocked when the church became integrated.
Some even left when lots of single people started attending including Gay and Lesbians.
What was once a nice church became a dynamic community that transformed its neighborhood and became a remarkable witness to forgiveness and reconciliation.
Love, acceptance and Forgiveness are the core values of the family of God.
Golf in the Kingdom
Thursday afternoon the weather looked ideal. I had been spending too much time in the office and I had not been able to play golf for over two weeks. So, I took off and headed north to Ridgeview Ranch.
They had an opening for a single person. I was matched up with two nice business men who were making up a round for their golf league. We headed out just after 4pm and we knew that we wouldn’t be able to play a full round. I played extremely well and headed to the back nine just two over par.
Mostly I was putting very well thanks to an off hand comment by Johnny Miller during the Ryder Cup about judging break. I put in three putts for par that were over 15 feet. We finished the tenth hole and my playing companions who were having a tough day decided to head to the club house for a beer.
I went along alone paring the 11th after holing with another long putt for a par. Then I approached the 12th hole which is a medium par three. I stood in the twilight looking at the pin that was near the front of the green. I took out my Sky Caddie (given to me by two friends who understand) and calculated my distance. I was just at 140 yards from the pin. I took out a nine iron. For me, a nine iron hit well will go 145 yards. I figured it was late in the round and given a front trap, better to be long than short.
I hit the shot well and it flew directly at the pin. In the gathering dark I could not see how close I was. For a fleeting moment, I thought it might have gone in. I suddenly realized that I didn’t have any witnesses to vouch for me if it did. I drove the cart path around the green and realized that I had hit it pretty much my full length and was five paces above the hole with a down hill putt. No problem, I thought to myself, because I had already holed several of these.
Then to my alarm I realized that it had gotten just too dark to be able to read the putt. I was thinking to myself that the best strategy would be to just hit it firm right at the hole. Then, I paused and looked around me. The setting sun made a golden sunset and the surrounding houses added a luminescent to the scene. It must have been just perfectly 70 degrees. A small gentle breeze was blowing. I stood there taking in this absolutely perfect North Texas night. I remembered that I had just shot one of my best front nines ever.
I took a deep breath and offered a short prayer. “Thank you Lord for the gift of this day, the beauty that surrounds me, the joy and pleasure in a round played well, and most of all for good friends, who not only share a love for the game, but also are kind enough to help me enjoy it more.“
With that I picked up my ball. The birdie putt had by now been transcended by the beauty of the moment and a heart that was full of thanksgiving. I drove my cart slowly to the cart barn. I knew that there would be many more chances for birdie putts, but few moments in which everything comes together. In golf, just as in the rest of life, sometimes it does.
They had an opening for a single person. I was matched up with two nice business men who were making up a round for their golf league. We headed out just after 4pm and we knew that we wouldn’t be able to play a full round. I played extremely well and headed to the back nine just two over par.
Mostly I was putting very well thanks to an off hand comment by Johnny Miller during the Ryder Cup about judging break. I put in three putts for par that were over 15 feet. We finished the tenth hole and my playing companions who were having a tough day decided to head to the club house for a beer.
I went along alone paring the 11th after holing with another long putt for a par. Then I approached the 12th hole which is a medium par three. I stood in the twilight looking at the pin that was near the front of the green. I took out my Sky Caddie (given to me by two friends who understand) and calculated my distance. I was just at 140 yards from the pin. I took out a nine iron. For me, a nine iron hit well will go 145 yards. I figured it was late in the round and given a front trap, better to be long than short.
I hit the shot well and it flew directly at the pin. In the gathering dark I could not see how close I was. For a fleeting moment, I thought it might have gone in. I suddenly realized that I didn’t have any witnesses to vouch for me if it did. I drove the cart path around the green and realized that I had hit it pretty much my full length and was five paces above the hole with a down hill putt. No problem, I thought to myself, because I had already holed several of these.
Then to my alarm I realized that it had gotten just too dark to be able to read the putt. I was thinking to myself that the best strategy would be to just hit it firm right at the hole. Then, I paused and looked around me. The setting sun made a golden sunset and the surrounding houses added a luminescent to the scene. It must have been just perfectly 70 degrees. A small gentle breeze was blowing. I stood there taking in this absolutely perfect North Texas night. I remembered that I had just shot one of my best front nines ever.
I took a deep breath and offered a short prayer. “Thank you Lord for the gift of this day, the beauty that surrounds me, the joy and pleasure in a round played well, and most of all for good friends, who not only share a love for the game, but also are kind enough to help me enjoy it more.“
With that I picked up my ball. The birdie putt had by now been transcended by the beauty of the moment and a heart that was full of thanksgiving. I drove my cart slowly to the cart barn. I knew that there would be many more chances for birdie putts, but few moments in which everything comes together. In golf, just as in the rest of life, sometimes it does.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Two Critical Dynamics of Leadership
August 7th, John Mason Neale
Today is the feast day honoring John Mason Neale in “Lesser Feasts and Fasts.” A prominent scholar and writer of the Oxford movement, he was born in London in 1818 and attended Cambridge University where he came under the influence of the then emerging “high church” movement. He was a talented writer, but his greatest contribution to the church was his extraordinary ability to translate Greek and Latin texts into meaningful modern hymns.
I want to use his place in this movement to write about two particular dynamics of leadership, the ability to stand apart, and the ability to draw together. As I have looked at many movements in the history of Christianity, I noticed that the leader, or early leaders, of each movement show the particular ability to stand apart from the mainstream of the culture of the Church in their time. They persist on their vision and change often at the cost of great criticism, even personal criticism. Since criticism is not something that an intuitive feeling person like me, an NF in Meyers-Briggs terminology, can tolerate well, I know that starting something new and different is hard. That is why many of these leaders have been Intuitive thinking folks (NT’s). I would put people like St. Paul, Martin Luther, John Wesley, and John Henry Newman is this category. The combination of intuition and thinking – “can’t you see the truth?” – gives them the ability to weather criticism and break from the flock (the current mindset) in a way that we feeling folks can only long for. Sometimes it seems that intuitive thinkers even thrive on criticism. This gives them the ability to persist in leading a movement that others simply cannot bear.
Having said this, however, it is important to realize that most effective movements in the Church have another component of success that is often overlooked, especially by the NT’s of our world. In the second layer of leadership, there is often a good “feeler” individual who can put to words and music the theology and philosophy of the movement in such a way that it can penetrate people’s hearts and then convert their minds. This is the other dynamic of being able to draw together. I believe John Mason Neale was one of these leaders in the Oxford Movement. It was his ability to use language to give voice and emotion to the vision that helped cement it into the culture.
I would also point to Charles Wesley as one of the major leaders who did the same thing for John Wesley and the Wesleyan Movement. While few Episcopalians identify with the theology of Wesley, yet, many still love to sing Charles’ hymns. These give voice to belief in Christ, longing for fellowship, and the desire for holiness that remains the great contribution of John and his followers. By the way, I have found that the same can be said of many Methodist; they reject the theology, but love the hymns.
This brings me to an important observation. When we look at the current movements in Christianity, and there are lots of them, we might ask how long lasting these will be? The answer may not rest in the current NT leaders, but in those who are able to give voice to the movement. This is one of the reasons that I believe much of the “Progressive Movement or Movements” of modern mainline Christianity will not endure for long. As one scholar has said, progressivism makes for a great criticism of the current status quo, put a poor substitute for it.
In summary, movements may be generated by intuitive thinking people, but unless the movement finds poets and songwriters along the way, there contributions may not last. When we remember John Mason Neale, we are reminded of this truth.
Today is the feast day honoring John Mason Neale in “Lesser Feasts and Fasts.” A prominent scholar and writer of the Oxford movement, he was born in London in 1818 and attended Cambridge University where he came under the influence of the then emerging “high church” movement. He was a talented writer, but his greatest contribution to the church was his extraordinary ability to translate Greek and Latin texts into meaningful modern hymns.
I want to use his place in this movement to write about two particular dynamics of leadership, the ability to stand apart, and the ability to draw together. As I have looked at many movements in the history of Christianity, I noticed that the leader, or early leaders, of each movement show the particular ability to stand apart from the mainstream of the culture of the Church in their time. They persist on their vision and change often at the cost of great criticism, even personal criticism. Since criticism is not something that an intuitive feeling person like me, an NF in Meyers-Briggs terminology, can tolerate well, I know that starting something new and different is hard. That is why many of these leaders have been Intuitive thinking folks (NT’s). I would put people like St. Paul, Martin Luther, John Wesley, and John Henry Newman is this category. The combination of intuition and thinking – “can’t you see the truth?” – gives them the ability to weather criticism and break from the flock (the current mindset) in a way that we feeling folks can only long for. Sometimes it seems that intuitive thinkers even thrive on criticism. This gives them the ability to persist in leading a movement that others simply cannot bear.
Having said this, however, it is important to realize that most effective movements in the Church have another component of success that is often overlooked, especially by the NT’s of our world. In the second layer of leadership, there is often a good “feeler” individual who can put to words and music the theology and philosophy of the movement in such a way that it can penetrate people’s hearts and then convert their minds. This is the other dynamic of being able to draw together. I believe John Mason Neale was one of these leaders in the Oxford Movement. It was his ability to use language to give voice and emotion to the vision that helped cement it into the culture.
I would also point to Charles Wesley as one of the major leaders who did the same thing for John Wesley and the Wesleyan Movement. While few Episcopalians identify with the theology of Wesley, yet, many still love to sing Charles’ hymns. These give voice to belief in Christ, longing for fellowship, and the desire for holiness that remains the great contribution of John and his followers. By the way, I have found that the same can be said of many Methodist; they reject the theology, but love the hymns.
This brings me to an important observation. When we look at the current movements in Christianity, and there are lots of them, we might ask how long lasting these will be? The answer may not rest in the current NT leaders, but in those who are able to give voice to the movement. This is one of the reasons that I believe much of the “Progressive Movement or Movements” of modern mainline Christianity will not endure for long. As one scholar has said, progressivism makes for a great criticism of the current status quo, put a poor substitute for it.
In summary, movements may be generated by intuitive thinking people, but unless the movement finds poets and songwriters along the way, there contributions may not last. When we remember John Mason Neale, we are reminded of this truth.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Wall-e
Wall-e: What Does a Story Mean?
My wife and I are long-time animated film fans. We particularly like the recent work done by Pixar, and were eager to see their new one, “Wall-e.” I enjoyed it immensely. However, there is some controversy swirling around this movie and particularly around interpretations of what the story really means.
In case you missed this so far, there are some saying that the movie is a powerful allegory on the dangers of rampant consumerism and environmental destruction. Others are writing that this is a subversive movie intended, by a group of tree-huggers, to undermine the benefits of science, technology, and progress. My point in writing on this move is not to take sides, as you will read shortly; I don’t see the movie from either of these points of view. I do want to use the story to talk about stories and their meanings, and yes, this has important implications for Christians who hold dearly a book that is full of stories, namely, the Bible.
Last week, I had the benefit of hearing the Wall-e’s creator tell about the genesis of the story that became the movie. He set out with the simple idea of the last robot on earth. He then worked backwards to create a world where such a being existed. “Being is an important word, because even thought Wall-e is a robot, he has evolved into a remarkable self-aware being. Wall-e’s creator seems a bit perplexed by the interpretations of the story and the controversy that surrounds this. He said several times that, “it is a very simple story.” This comment by the author, however, leads us directly into the issue of what a story means, and more importantly for those of us who preach Christian stories, does a story only mean what the author intended it to mean?
The direct answer to this question is “no.” I would content what makes for a good story is that it captures our imagination, and allows us to read into the story. In this task, we become almost co-creators with the original author. Let me be clear, I am not in the camp of radical deconstructionist who ignores the author’s intent. I believe “what” the author intended is important. I am just saying that finding the author’s original intent is not discovering the total meaning of the story. What makes for a good story is this ability to engage the listener, just as what makes Jesus’ parables so good and long-lasting is their ability to continue to engage us in their meaning.
I think the power of the story of Wall-e the robot is not in found in the environmental wasteland of earth, or the distorted human beings who have lost connection with their true home and their true selves as they take their perpetual cruise in space. For me, Wall-e is most essentially a love story. However, it is not simply a story about two different robots who manage to find one another and fall in love. It is a story about how love, especially the love between a man and a woman, redeems us to our true selves.
This starts with Eve, the smooth, white, pure, and powerfully destructive robot who is sent on a mission to discover if there is life on earth. In Wall-e’s eyes, Eve becomes Ev-a. Wall-e calls her out of her own program and beyond it to become the mate he has longed for in his lonely existence. He even risks his life to save her from the evil “auto-pilot” who seeks only to preserve the status quo of his reason for existing. Tragically, in saving her, Wall-e is damaged and returns to his meaningless pre-existence as a mindless trash collector. Ev-a now returns to rescue him, and looking deeply into his eyes, she calls him back to himself.
This is what romantic love is really about. In our love and longing for another, sometimes born out of acute loneliness, we help our beloved see him or her self in a deeper way. They see themselves more fully as the beloved of another. At the same time, this beloved is able to look into our eyes and take us beyond our simple ways of seeing ourselves. Eve, the biological probe becomes the beloved Ev-a. Wall-e, the trash collecting robot, becomes the white knight whose quest for his beloved also happens to be the redeemer of all of humanity.
Where have we heard this story before? It is the heart of “The Man of La Mancha.” Wall-e is the crazy old man who becomes the valiant knight whose mad quest awakens the dull maiden into the beautiful Dulcinea. At the end of the story, as the evil agent convinces Don Quixote that he is nothing, it is the lovely Dulcinea who looks into his eyes and calls him back to his true self. In this, the true story of humanity unfolds.
But, look even deeper for a moment. What is a good story? It is a story in which we find meaning. This meaning is found in who we are. Yet, at the same time, the story is more than what we interpret it to mean, because the story is also able to call out of ourselves a deeper meaning of who were are. A good story is, after all, the Ev-a for all of us. Perhaps this is why most of Jesus’ teachings were stories. These stories were intended, not just to instruct us, but to awaken us and remind us of our true nature.
My wife and I are long-time animated film fans. We particularly like the recent work done by Pixar, and were eager to see their new one, “Wall-e.” I enjoyed it immensely. However, there is some controversy swirling around this movie and particularly around interpretations of what the story really means.
In case you missed this so far, there are some saying that the movie is a powerful allegory on the dangers of rampant consumerism and environmental destruction. Others are writing that this is a subversive movie intended, by a group of tree-huggers, to undermine the benefits of science, technology, and progress. My point in writing on this move is not to take sides, as you will read shortly; I don’t see the movie from either of these points of view. I do want to use the story to talk about stories and their meanings, and yes, this has important implications for Christians who hold dearly a book that is full of stories, namely, the Bible.
Last week, I had the benefit of hearing the Wall-e’s creator tell about the genesis of the story that became the movie. He set out with the simple idea of the last robot on earth. He then worked backwards to create a world where such a being existed. “Being is an important word, because even thought Wall-e is a robot, he has evolved into a remarkable self-aware being. Wall-e’s creator seems a bit perplexed by the interpretations of the story and the controversy that surrounds this. He said several times that, “it is a very simple story.” This comment by the author, however, leads us directly into the issue of what a story means, and more importantly for those of us who preach Christian stories, does a story only mean what the author intended it to mean?
The direct answer to this question is “no.” I would content what makes for a good story is that it captures our imagination, and allows us to read into the story. In this task, we become almost co-creators with the original author. Let me be clear, I am not in the camp of radical deconstructionist who ignores the author’s intent. I believe “what” the author intended is important. I am just saying that finding the author’s original intent is not discovering the total meaning of the story. What makes for a good story is this ability to engage the listener, just as what makes Jesus’ parables so good and long-lasting is their ability to continue to engage us in their meaning.
I think the power of the story of Wall-e the robot is not in found in the environmental wasteland of earth, or the distorted human beings who have lost connection with their true home and their true selves as they take their perpetual cruise in space. For me, Wall-e is most essentially a love story. However, it is not simply a story about two different robots who manage to find one another and fall in love. It is a story about how love, especially the love between a man and a woman, redeems us to our true selves.
This starts with Eve, the smooth, white, pure, and powerfully destructive robot who is sent on a mission to discover if there is life on earth. In Wall-e’s eyes, Eve becomes Ev-a. Wall-e calls her out of her own program and beyond it to become the mate he has longed for in his lonely existence. He even risks his life to save her from the evil “auto-pilot” who seeks only to preserve the status quo of his reason for existing. Tragically, in saving her, Wall-e is damaged and returns to his meaningless pre-existence as a mindless trash collector. Ev-a now returns to rescue him, and looking deeply into his eyes, she calls him back to himself.
This is what romantic love is really about. In our love and longing for another, sometimes born out of acute loneliness, we help our beloved see him or her self in a deeper way. They see themselves more fully as the beloved of another. At the same time, this beloved is able to look into our eyes and take us beyond our simple ways of seeing ourselves. Eve, the biological probe becomes the beloved Ev-a. Wall-e, the trash collecting robot, becomes the white knight whose quest for his beloved also happens to be the redeemer of all of humanity.
Where have we heard this story before? It is the heart of “The Man of La Mancha.” Wall-e is the crazy old man who becomes the valiant knight whose mad quest awakens the dull maiden into the beautiful Dulcinea. At the end of the story, as the evil agent convinces Don Quixote that he is nothing, it is the lovely Dulcinea who looks into his eyes and calls him back to his true self. In this, the true story of humanity unfolds.
But, look even deeper for a moment. What is a good story? It is a story in which we find meaning. This meaning is found in who we are. Yet, at the same time, the story is more than what we interpret it to mean, because the story is also able to call out of ourselves a deeper meaning of who were are. A good story is, after all, the Ev-a for all of us. Perhaps this is why most of Jesus’ teachings were stories. These stories were intended, not just to instruct us, but to awaken us and remind us of our true nature.
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