The church's destiny?

"If we do not attend to God's presence in our midst and bring all our best gifts to serving that presence in the world, we may find ourselves selling tickets to a museum." - Barbara Brown Taylor from The Preaching Life

Amen.

We've got to carry each other!

Who says, the church has nothing left to say?...

Violating My Expectations

The second week of my second year at Luther Seminary has just begun. I'm just now settling back into the rhythm of a life dominated by reading and writing. I'd like to use this blog more effectively this year in processing what I am learning. We'll see if that happens.

One of my most anticipated classes this semester is "Foundations of Biblical Preaching" with one of my preaching idols David Lose. The course is co-taught with Karoline Lewis and both have recently become internet sensations with their commentaries on WorkingPreacher.org.

Over the past few years, I've come to love being in the pulpit. That's not completely true. What I think I really love is the preparation for being in the pulpit. Yes, delivering a good sermon is enjoyable but the real pleasure happens in the preparation.

One of the assigned texts for my preaching class is The Witness of Preaching by Thomas G. Long, professor of preaching at the Candler School of Theology at Emory University. In the discussing the biblical witness of preaching, Long encourages us to wrestle with the challenges of our life and then bring those challenges to the texts.

"The text must be allowed to surprise us, even violate our expectations." - Thomas G. Long

I appreciate the reminder that the Gospel is, to it's core, a radical, catalytic story. We need to let the story do the work, not the other way around. If we're faithful to the process, we might just be surprised by what we find.

Needing an ambiguous life.

“The dark ring of ambiguity around life is a crucial ingredient in its richness; it is not something to be dispersed so that we can lead unambiguous lives.” -John D. Caputo

I am not discouraged by the intricacies of a world occupied both by philosophy and theology. It appears that I am, in fact, drawn to these complexities. I struggle to imagine a life of complete knowledge and certainty. Where possibly would be the fun in that? Caputo’s take on the post-modern context for co-habitation of philosophy and theology is indeed hopeful for someone like me. I want to struggle with God’s plan for me every day of my life. The alternative would be much too boring to endure.

Things that make you go "hmmm."

“The theology of liberation means establishing the relationship that exists between human emancipation – in the social, political, and economic orders – and the kingdom of God.” -Gustavo Gutiérrez

I believe that “social, political and economic orders” are created by humanity, certainly by and with what God has given us. So it seems that all we have stands in the way of the freeing act of salvation and yet these are the very same elements that make up our ability to live into the “kingdom of God” here and now. How do we reconcile the tensions of “social, political and economic orders” that both hinder and yet must aid in this endeavor?

My Ancestral Saga?

Is it possible to claim the Exodus story as an “ancestral saga” of my own? If I think about it honestly, I’d have to say that I’ve thought of the Exodus narrative as somehow removed from my own history. This is not to say that I didn’t accept the relevance of the story but it just seemed like someone else’s story. Exploring the wealth of commentary on the Exodus story has reminded me of a history that I do claim as my own. Just three and four generations ago, my own ancestors left behind trials, crossed the waters and settled in a hoped-for Promised Land. Subsequent generations have struggled to validate the heroic efforts of those who came before with a steadfast determination to make a better life for each coming generation. Never absent, at least has it seemed to me, was an unfailing faith in God. Surely, my ancestors were conscious of the Exodus story and perhaps they felt a kindred link to the wandering Israel. If I believe in the same God that delivered my own ancestors, then perhaps I can also claim the same freedom given to Israel.

A New Foothold

The scriptures that purport to be central to our understanding of God are peppered with inconsistencies and seeming contradictions. This is especially true when confronted with an expression of law that seems to convict more than it sets free. Yet, Paul Hanson argues in Canon & Authority, these contradictions are “clues to the restless nature of a divine word” (p.127). Nestled within this restlessness I see an ember of hope. My frustration with biblical interpretation that expresses the will of God only in absolutes has become an ever-increasing source of tension in my life. Perhaps by exploring the evolving nature of scripture, I can breathe onto that ember and allow the Word to re-envision some much sought-after relevance. At the very least, I see gaining a foothold in arguments that I’ve grown weary of debating on ground heretofore claimed solely by the absolutists.