I’m pretty sure that the best gift in the world is gift cards to bookstores. I recently received a few of these and bought a variety of books. I bought Glittering Images, by Susan Howatch, Jesus the Jewish Theologian, by Brad Young, The Cross-Shattered Christ, by Stanley Hauerwas, and Jesus for President: Politics for Ordinary Radicals, by Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw. I decided to read the latter text first. Joy and I are going to listen to Claiborne next Monday at Mars Hill. I thought it would be a good place to start. (I’m actually most excited about reading the book by Brad Young).
Let me start by saying that my first impression of Claiborne’s book is that it is a conglomeration of several theology books but with a lot more stories. It is very clear that Shane and Chris draw heavily from Yoder, Brueggeman, Hauerwas, Walter Wink, and a number of other authors who write substantially about God and Empire. It is also clear that he reads his Bible a lot more than I do.
This isn’t going to be a book review. I’m not in that mindset at the moment. Instead, I just want write about some of things that I thought about after reading this book. First, I like the language. Calling Moses an ‘orphaned refugee’ is a term I never thought of. Though, I’m not quite sure he was orphaned in the same way as a child from Uganda. Moses’ parents weren’t killed (enslaved yes, not killed). Or, the way the quotes are juxtaposed:
“Ever-faithful God, in death we are reminded of the precious birthrights of life and liberty you endowed in your American people. You have shown once again that these gifts must never be taken for granted….We seek your special blessing today for those who stand as sword and shield, protecting the many from the tyranny of the few.” – Donald Rumsfeld, Sept. 14, 2001
“We ourselves were well conversant with war, murder and everything evil, but all of us throughout the whole wide earth have traded in our weapons of war. We have exchanged our swords for plowshares, our spears for farm tools… now we cultivate the fear of God, justice, kindness, faith, and the expectation of the future given us through the crucified one.” - Justin (martyred in 165 AD).
Shane clearly reminds his readers that Jesus must be understood within his Jewish context, that Israel was not to be blessed more than others, but they were to be a blessing to the world. In fact, when Israel decided to be like others nations and begged for a King, God cried, “They have rejected me.” They were to be the ‘called out ones’, to embody God’s hope for the world.
Jesus then comes while the Jews are looking to be freed from the oppression of Rome. They want a liberator, one carrying a sword, for how else can one be freed from oppression than by violence? Except, their liberator, the one who strikes such fear in the king that he kills thousands of baby boys, starts preaching a peculiar message of loving your enemy and praying for those who persecute you. Then, when being arrested, not only does he not fight back, but he rebukes his disciple Peter for pulling out a sword, and answers Pilot, the governing official, that if he wanted to fight he could call on his disciples. BUT his Kingdom is not like the kingdoms of this world. His Kingdom is different. It is one where we say to those that hate and curse us, ‘you are our brothers.’
Shane is often times funny. In the last chapter and a half he uses our own American empirical context to the show the idolatry in our system. Through many stories, and quotes from our early church fathers and Christians throughout history, Claiborne analyzes the struggle of ‘serving two masters.’ He even writes, “If it appears as though we are encouraging folks to leave the military, that’s because we are.” I love it. He reminds us that while America, and all other nations, put their trust in the bomb as our security and strength, we are admonished by the prophets to not put our trust in military might but in God alone. Shame on the church for making the military out to be an honorable profession. War is never respectable. War feeds on our fear, but love casts out all fear.
I’m pretty sure that God has a better dream for the world than what America is doing in Iraq. Shane draws on many saints who have gone before us. This is what some have to say:
“During times of war, hatred becomes quite respectable, even though it has to masquerade under the guise of patriotism.” - Howard Thurman
“I am a soldier of Christ and it is not permissible for me to fight.” - St. Martin of Tours
“On my knees I beg you to turn away from the paths of violence and to return to the ways of peace.” – Pope John Paul II
“Pray for them, and resist them.” – Fr. Daniel Berrigan
Friday, June 20, 2008
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
One Year ago...yesterday
Yesterday, my wife and I celebrated our one year anniversary. And by celebrate, I mean, I played nine holes of golf and watched Euro 2008 futbol while my wife worked all day. (Our vacation Bible School was aptly scheduled to be on our anniversary-thus the working all day). Our last day in Bourbonnais is on Sunday. We decided that we would take some time next week to appropriately celebrate. We will be spending three days on the sand dunes in Michigan. I can't wait to spend time with my wife.
I also can't believe that I have been married for a full year. We were always told that the first year is the hardest. I hope everyone is right. It certainly has been an adjustment, and if someone tells me that easing into marriage was easy, I don't really believe them. Responsibilities change virtually over night. Except, it takes the husband a really long time to realize it. I have moments in which I don't even think about my wife. The other day I was making coffee. I drink coffee almost every morning. Joy occasionally drinks coffee but has recently been enjoying a good glass of sweet tea instead. At any rate, I'm making coffee and am about two scoops short of enough for both Joy and I. I made the executive decision to make coffee just for myself. Well, that little mistake apparently gave my wife the idea that she could give herself another nickname: AT (After-thought). That was a fun day.
I say this because I'm still learning what it is to fully devote myself to someone else. And it's hard. Joy and I have a lot of fun and we love our time together and each other. But we are both still learning what it is like to truly love the way that Christ loves his church. (I see this learning continuing through the next 75 years of marriage). I am so thankful for my wife. She truly is teaching me how to live within the Kingdom of God. Below are the vows that we said to one another one year ago. I thought it appropriate to remind myself and others about the importance of our commitments to one another.
I, Eric, take you, Joy, to be my wife. With the deepest joy and a humbled spirit, today we embark on a new life as one. As Christ is to His Church, so shall I be to you a loving and faithful husband. Together we will hope and dream. When we stumble, we will restore each other, offering grace as Christ has done on our behalf. We shall serve one another as we strive to serve others. I promise to cherish and respect you, comfort and encourage you whatever the circumstance. I will be yours in the good and the bad, whether well fed or hungry, living in plenty or in want, freed and yet still bound by the love of Christ so that we may grow into Him who is our Hope. This I commit to you until death separates us.
I also can't believe that I have been married for a full year. We were always told that the first year is the hardest. I hope everyone is right. It certainly has been an adjustment, and if someone tells me that easing into marriage was easy, I don't really believe them. Responsibilities change virtually over night. Except, it takes the husband a really long time to realize it. I have moments in which I don't even think about my wife. The other day I was making coffee. I drink coffee almost every morning. Joy occasionally drinks coffee but has recently been enjoying a good glass of sweet tea instead. At any rate, I'm making coffee and am about two scoops short of enough for both Joy and I. I made the executive decision to make coffee just for myself. Well, that little mistake apparently gave my wife the idea that she could give herself another nickname: AT (After-thought). That was a fun day.
I say this because I'm still learning what it is to fully devote myself to someone else. And it's hard. Joy and I have a lot of fun and we love our time together and each other. But we are both still learning what it is like to truly love the way that Christ loves his church. (I see this learning continuing through the next 75 years of marriage). I am so thankful for my wife. She truly is teaching me how to live within the Kingdom of God. Below are the vows that we said to one another one year ago. I thought it appropriate to remind myself and others about the importance of our commitments to one another.
I, Eric, take you, Joy, to be my wife. With the deepest joy and a humbled spirit, today we embark on a new life as one. As Christ is to His Church, so shall I be to you a loving and faithful husband. Together we will hope and dream. When we stumble, we will restore each other, offering grace as Christ has done on our behalf. We shall serve one another as we strive to serve others. I promise to cherish and respect you, comfort and encourage you whatever the circumstance. I will be yours in the good and the bad, whether well fed or hungry, living in plenty or in want, freed and yet still bound by the love of Christ so that we may grow into Him who is our Hope. This I commit to you until death separates us.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Nazarene Compassionate Ministries
I picked up a magazine from church the other day. It is the publication of Nazarene Compassionate Ministries. It tells the stories of those who have dedicated themselves to the cause of the poor, to combat injustice, and love mercy. This particular issue traced the history of compassion within the Church of the Nazarene. From the very beginning, the Nazarene Church was at the forefront of what we call ‘social justice’ issues. Our founder, Phineas Bresee, preached on the first Sunday of the first Nazarene church in Pasadena in 1885. He alluded that the only new occurrence of this particular movement was “its determination to preach the gospel to those in need, and give the poor a church where they could feel at home.”
A friend of mine was telling me why she particularly liked this magazine. It gives her hope. It gives her hope that there are people whose lives are so in tuned with the heart of God that they can’t help but help those in need. We don’t see much of this anymore. I work at a food pantry every Tuesday. It has been truly a blessing to be able to serve in this way. Recently, I have been more cognizant of Jesus’ words, “What you have done to the least of these, you have done to me.” Despite some smelling of alcohol, some who are angry, and others who are ashamed, I am beginning to see the face of God. There is an unexplainable love at this place. It is not easy, but it is love being worked out.
I mention this only to quote one of our earliest General Superintendents: “Pure religion always has and always will have two faces, purity and service. To neglect service in the welfare of others is to demonstrate a lack of purity. Holiness people should be pre-eminent in social service. This is what chiefly characterized the Early Church- their uniting service to bless their fellow men and care for their widows and fatherless children.”
I am thankful for this magazine. I am glad that it is being published by my church denomination, but I feel as if its very existence points toward our lack of understanding. The Nazarene church’s major publication is a magazine entitled “Holiness Today.” It deals primarily with issues of ‘purity,’ and by purity I am talking of issues of the heart. So we have created a separate magazine to deal with issues of service and social justice. At some point in our past, we have gradually gone from the recognition that holiness works itself out into compassion to the separation of purity from service. We now echo the dualism so prevalent in today’s culture. This magazine isn’t the only indicator. The Nazarene church began and flourished in the inner-city. We are now a church of middle-class suburbanites. One of the goals of the Chicago-Central district was to establish a Nazarene church within the Chicago city. So, there was not one Nazarene church among 4 million people. Astonishing.
I say this both as an indictment and a hope. I hope that we can once again recognize Jesus’ face in the face of others. Let us recognize that there is but one gospel that encompasses the social and the spiritual, and they are inherently related.
A friend of mine was telling me why she particularly liked this magazine. It gives her hope. It gives her hope that there are people whose lives are so in tuned with the heart of God that they can’t help but help those in need. We don’t see much of this anymore. I work at a food pantry every Tuesday. It has been truly a blessing to be able to serve in this way. Recently, I have been more cognizant of Jesus’ words, “What you have done to the least of these, you have done to me.” Despite some smelling of alcohol, some who are angry, and others who are ashamed, I am beginning to see the face of God. There is an unexplainable love at this place. It is not easy, but it is love being worked out.
I mention this only to quote one of our earliest General Superintendents: “Pure religion always has and always will have two faces, purity and service. To neglect service in the welfare of others is to demonstrate a lack of purity. Holiness people should be pre-eminent in social service. This is what chiefly characterized the Early Church- their uniting service to bless their fellow men and care for their widows and fatherless children.”
I am thankful for this magazine. I am glad that it is being published by my church denomination, but I feel as if its very existence points toward our lack of understanding. The Nazarene church’s major publication is a magazine entitled “Holiness Today.” It deals primarily with issues of ‘purity,’ and by purity I am talking of issues of the heart. So we have created a separate magazine to deal with issues of service and social justice. At some point in our past, we have gradually gone from the recognition that holiness works itself out into compassion to the separation of purity from service. We now echo the dualism so prevalent in today’s culture. This magazine isn’t the only indicator. The Nazarene church began and flourished in the inner-city. We are now a church of middle-class suburbanites. One of the goals of the Chicago-Central district was to establish a Nazarene church within the Chicago city. So, there was not one Nazarene church among 4 million people. Astonishing.
I say this both as an indictment and a hope. I hope that we can once again recognize Jesus’ face in the face of others. Let us recognize that there is but one gospel that encompasses the social and the spiritual, and they are inherently related.
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