The Meaning of Christmas: Jesus the Bringer of Hope

The “holiday season” is here. We all engage in the preparation and celebration of Christmas in different ways. The important factor is to get in touch with these questions: For what purpose did Jesus come into our world? What’s all the hoopla about? What’s the good news?

Recently I learned about the work of the English poet and performance artist Jude Simpson. Her work is sharp, wide ranging and engaging. One of her poems, “Broken Open” has really helped me focus on those questions and at least for me, answer them. It has become a regular part of my own preparation for Christmas, and maybe it will add to yours as well.

Blessings to you this Advent and may your Christmas preparations and celebrations be rich indeed!

Jeff Fishwick

Some of My Favorite "Sleeper Christmas Movies"

"The Bishop’s Wife" (1947)

One of my all time favorites. A warm, lighthearted, and -- OK-- sentimental movie that manages to include all the ingredients that you are looking for at Christmas: ice skaters, snowball fights, boy choirs, snowflakes falling on city shoppers - oh those 1940’s hats! Even Cary Grant as an angel.

The plot revolves around an harried Episcopal Bishop’s obsession with building a cathedral what what happens after he prays for guidance! The message is how easy it is to get so wrapped up in “current projects” or for that matter “life itself” that we miss the “big picture.” Can you spot some Biblical revisionism? With David Niven as the Bishop, and Loretta Young, as Julia, his wife. A remake, A Preacher’s Wife, was made in 1996 with Denzel Washington and Whitney Houston.

"The Children of Men" (2006)

This is an adult, R-rated movie. Not what you think of as a Christmas story! But it really is! No child has been born on earth for 18 years. Science is at loss to explain the reason and humankind is facing likelihood of extinction. Set in and around a dystopian London in 2027, the movie follows the discovery of a lone pregnant woman and the desperate journey to deliver her to safety and restore faith in a future.

Echoes of the Gospel both subtle and obvious, occur throughout the movie, reminding us that God gave us hope for the future by providing a vulnerable miraculous child to a dying, violent world. Children of Men is based on a story penned by famous mystery writer and professing Christian P.D. James. Wonderful cast including: Clive Owen, Julienne Moore, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Michael Caine

**Two “Christmas” movies not named “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “White Christmas.”

"You send forth your Spirit...."

In the last half of the nineteenth century, John Muir was our most intrepid and worshipful explorer of the Western extremities of our North American continent. For decades he tramped up and down through our God-created wonders, from the California Sierras to the Alaskan glaciers, observing, reporting, praising, and experiencing -- entering into whatever he found with childlike delight and mature reverence.

At one period during this time, in 1874, Muir visited a friend who had a cabin, snug in a valley of one of the tributaries of the Yuba River in the Sierra Mountains -- a place from which to venture into the wilderness and then return for a comforting cup of tea.

One December day a storm moved in from the Pacific -- a fierce storm that bent the junipers and pines, the fir trees as if they were so many blades of grass. It was for just such times this cabin had been built: cozy protection from the harsh elements. We easily imagine Muir and his host safe and secure in his tightly caulked cabin, a fire blazing against the cruel assault of the elements, wrapped in sheepskins, Muir meditatively rendering the wildness into his elegant prose. But our imaginations, not trained to cope with Muir, betray us. For Muir, instead of retreating into the coziness of the cabin, pulling the door tight, and throwing another stick of wood into the fire, strode out of the cabin into the storm, climbed a high ridge, picked a giant Douglas fir as the best perch for experiencing the kaleidoscope of color and sound, scent and motion, scrambled his way to the top, and rode out into the storm, lashed by the wind, holding on for dear life.

To me this episode is a metaphor of the Christian life both personal and as the Church. It is at the heart of Christian spirituality which is always and exclusively derived from God’s Holy Spirit. And “spirit” in the biblical languages of Hebrew and Greek, is the word “wind,” or “breath” -- an invisibility that has visible effects. This is the Wind/Spirit that created all the life we both see and can’t see; that created the life of Jesus; that created a church of worshipping men and woman; that creates each Christian. It is this Spirit that has created Christ Church. There is no accounting for life, any life, except by means of this Wind/Spirit:

“You send forth your Spirit, and they are created and so you renew the face of the earth.” Psalm 104: 31.

My hope and prayer for Christ Church as you enter the next phase of your common life and are lead by the Spirit/Wind of God, you will want to be out in the weather and not retreat to the cozy confines of the cabin! Breaking new ground is in the DNA of Christ Church and I hope it will continue!

In Christ, Jeffrey

All the Light We Cannot See

I’m usually not a fan of fiction bestsellers, but this summer I read a book of this genre that really knocked my socks off. Written by Anthony Doerr, All the Light We Cannot See interweaves the lives of a blind French girl, Marie-Laure, and Werner Pfenning, a German. These separate lives collide in occupied France as both Marie-Laure and Warner try to survive the devastation of World War II.

Doerr writes brilliantly and tells an amazing masterfully tale, whose goal is to illuminate the ways, against all odds, people try to do the right thing, and try to be good to one another. Highly recommended. I’m fairly sure that there is no overt Christian theology in this novel, but one of the things that intrigued me right away was the title. 

Christianity believes very strongly in the assertion that our world is bathed in light we often do not see. Jesus is the light of the world. The earth is filled with the Glory of God on the most dreary of days. Just because we can’t see it, recognize it or even believe it, doesn’t mean that it isn’t there or doesn’t exist.

Scripture is replete with references to God’s eternal light; for instance, 

“If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will cover me, and the light around me turn to night,’ “darkness is not dark to you, O Lord; the night is as bright as the day; darkness and light to you are both alike.” Psalm 129:10-11

 
There are wonderful prayers from our wonderful Book of Common Prayer that speak of the subject; many of these come from the service of Evening Prayer:

“Almighty God, we give you thanks for surrounding us, as daylight fades, with the brightness of the vesper light; and we implore you of your great mercy, as you enfold us with the radiance of this light, so you would shine into our hearts the brightness of your Holy Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen."

 
And of course there is music which often helps us like “I want to walk as a child of the light, I want to follow Jesus.” Or two of my favorites, “Shine Jesus Shine" and "We are Walking in the Light of the Lord.” (The lyrics are great in all these hymns-look them up!)
As we prepare to enter what I call the “dark season” of the year, a time of the year in which people can begin to feel blue, discouraged or even depressed, please remember the you are and I are bathed eternally, in All the Light We Cannot See.
 
Blessings,
Jeff

Self-Denial

Self-denial is not very greatly recognized or practiced as a virtue in our society. Of course we hear all the time that certain habits or the consumption of certain foods may impair health, but the reason for self-denial in those cases, is plainly self-interest and relates to material wellbeing.

We exhort our children be careful about too much spending and not to become victims of the conspicuous consumption of our society but here, once again, the intention is not really moral or spiritual formation: it is to spare them the pain of subsequent debt -- the motive is practical.

The lives of many of us are passed in a gentle self-indulgence which would have shocked our predecessors, and which stands, incidentally, in dreadful contrast to the massive privations of existence in large parts of our world. Our culture now contains little or nothing which suggests that self-denial may be virtuous for its own sake, and the religious teaching which once considered it an important aspect of the spiritual life has largely been abandoned even in Christian circles. The gospel of prosperity reigns.

Many today regard themselves as entitled (the word of our decade!) to the good life. Rights, have a lot to do with it: the moral culture of rights, with with the catalogue of human rights at its center, is hardly likely to honor our personal privation, even when voluntarily entered into. Life today seems more and more arranged by social or economic or political need; it seems to be about not having what we want or deserve. Most of us would say that we want to be happy: freedom from illness, stable and secure relationships, personal comfort, and emotional satisfaction, for example. But what do they mean? What are the limits? I recently listened to an interview on NPR in which a woman argued that 10-year-olds should have the right to read books that showed different positions of the sex act!

It seems to me we live in a world in which expectations of our happiness are forever extending and where satisfaction is more and more illusory. On the other hand, to seek self-discipline in the small aspects of personal living is to cultivate moral and spiritual awareness of the need for the same quality in larger matters; self-denial becomes a precursor of wisdom, of learning how to live wisely, a life not based on wants or rights, but on appreciation and gratitude; doing without helps one appreciate what one has. What we need is not more but less. However, it is almost impossible to declare this in a culture which denies itself nothing. 

Christianity has always recognized the truth of self-denial. Jesus told his followers to take up their cross; truth was achieved by arranging individual lives so that the manner in which a person lives assists spiritual understanding. The world is a place where lessons are to be learned; it is not an interlude of hedonism before everlasting bliss. What we become through the accumulation of spiritual discipline here is what endures for eternity.
 
Blessings,
Jeff

The Shawshank Redemption, Part II: REDEMPTION

After a less than stellar first-run, The Shawshank Redemption has become a cult movie, certainly one of the most popular and beloved movies of the 1990’s. Yet many viewers have remained perplexed about the title, especially the reference to “redemption.” First of all, many people today don’t understand what the word means especially in a theological context; and secondly, who or what needs to be redeemed? And where does it show up in the film? Clearly, Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) is the main character but he seems to be the one person in Shawshank Prison who needs redemption the least. In a harsh, hellish environment Andy remains, polite, calm, hopeful; he stands apart, almost above the fray, detached and enigmatic, a slight smile always on his face.

But something else is going on underneath Andy’s calm exterior; in the decades of imprisonment, in his own dark nights of the soul, comes a realization that he is guilty. He realizes that his own coldness, his aloofness -- insulated in his own self-contained world -- drove his young wife into the arms of another. While very much in love with his wife, he barely understood her, especially her emotional needs. So self-contained, content, and sealed-off was he that he had difficulty understanding need in others. And it is only then, after this pivotal recognition of his own culpability, his own very real guilt that Andy moves to escape.

And when he emerges from the sewer amid flashing light and pouring rain he raises his arms. He is exultant, clean and free. The success of the escape and the righting of wrong signifies absolution, a telling forgiveness from above (which is the Christian definition of redemption). Only after all of that is Andy suited for freedom, physically and spiritually.

But the process of “redemption” doesn’t end with his escape. There is more and it is beautiful. Putting what he has learned about himself, and life in general, Andy invites Red to come join him in Mexico when Red is released from Shawshank. This gesture constitutes the fullness of Andy’s redemption. He is ready to begin a mature relationship with another human being, which the picture makes clear is not confined to romance and marriage. In the remarkable closing sequence of the movie, as Red joins Andy on the Mexican beach, it suggests a mutual trust and delight in another -- which after all constitutes the very end for which people were created by God in the first place. The best thing to happen to Andy(and Red) is that one very thing that redemption is for.

The Shawshank Redemption, Part I: HOPE

The Shawshank Redemption, a movie that was released in 1994, is my wife’s all-time favorite movie -- and its way up there for me, as well. Interestingly enough, when it first came out the reviews were not good and the box office was worse. Then oddly, the video release became the top rental of the year. Due partly to my word of mouth, and perhaps partly because it was nominated for seven Academy Awards, it has remained a favorite of movie-watchers ever since.

Besides strong performances from Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman and yes, even Bob Gunton as the evil warden, what makes this movie so compelling is its universal themes of hope and redemption.

Let’s look at hope first. Andy Dufresne, a successful banker, is condemned to Shawshank prison for the murder of his wife and her lover. Shawshank is a terrible place, but worse than the corrupt warden and sadistic guards, its real power is the power to dehumanize.  Andy’s cynical friend, Red, describes it this way:

“Spend enough time in prison and it no longer matters why you’re there. Guilty or innocent, there comes a time when you no longer have an identity except as an inmate. You lose your autonomy, and by then, even release leaves nothing but the broken shell of a man. They send you here for life, and that’s exactly what they take.”

 Now there is a description of hopelessness.

There is only one thing that can keep an inmate in Shawshank alive -- hope. But what is hope? Is it just wishful thinking, a pipe dream, a refusal to accept reality? That’s what Red thinks; he’s stopped hoping. But Andy knows better. He knows that that whatever prison and its evil intent can do to beat down the body, they can never kill the soul. Referring specifically to music (one of the ways people throughout the centuries have nourished the soul and kept hope alive) he says, “there’s something inside that they can’t get to, they can’t touch.” Yet hope for Andy is not just an internal thing that one retreats into and ignores the situation one faces. Twice, he risks terrible punishment and his favored position as the Warden’s assistant to show his friends what hope means in real terms. For example, he accepts two weeks of solitary confinement for broadcasting Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro over the prison loudspeakers. When he came out, he told his fellow inmates, “easiest time I ever did.”

What Andy realizes and where the movie excels, is showing us that real hope is not about closing your eyes to the inhumanity around us or stopping up our ears (hear no evil) and dreaming. No, real hope is about embodying in one’s life a belief that life is worth living, no matter how bleak the external circumstances -- even at the risk of one’s own safety. “Get busy living or get busy dying,” Andy tells Red. From a Christian perspective, hope means a strong and confident expectation based on the promises of God. Through the prophet Jeremiah, God tells the people of Israel in the midst of their darkest moment, “I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” In the Bible, hope is dynamic, active, and life-sustaining. It does not leave us drifting or rocking on the porch. It puts us in gear. That’s the kind of hope that Andy Dufresne exemplifies in Shawshank Redemption and why I think the movie connects with so many people.

Next time I will write about who and what is being redeemed in this wonderful movie. Stay tuned...
Jeff

Random Musings about Youth Formation....

While serving as an interim priest in a Church in Massachusetts a few years ago, the parish engaged in a year long study of how to deepen its youth ministries. We read an interesting book: Engaging The Soul of Youth Culture by Walt Mueller. In the book the author sites a series of studies comparing the changing influences on the values and behaviors of thirteen to nineteen year olds.

What stands out to me about these studies is: the decreased influence of the family unit on our teens, the rising influence of media, and the fact that the church is off the radar. Certainly it is easy to make “media” the bad guy -- especially with issues of bullying, texting and driving, addiction to games, etc.  But media (i.e. internet, email, texting, Tweeting, television, iPhones, computer games) aren’t bad in and of themselves. Technology is inanimate and therefore not capable of good or evil. It is how we use the media available to us that makes a difference. Having a cell phone at the scene of a bad accident can save a life. Modern communication devices can help parents keep tabs on the whereabouts of their children.

Anyway, the influence of the media on our students is not going to go away. Therefore I vote for the proper integration of more media, especially visual media in Sunday school curricula and youth ministry. Visual learning is in! It is used extensively in our schools today; used creatively, visual media can help expose our children to the Christian worldview. This probably means moving away from boring denominational-produced programs to more “locally generated” ministries to our students (which means more work for staff!)

I really don’t know what to say about the decline of families as an influence on our children and teens. Clearly the family is meant to be the most important, first-line influence. However, I also don’t think it does any good to point fingers in a negative way. Clearly, contemporary life is more complicated than “Leave-it-to-Beaver-land.” Today, it is often the case that both parents must work outside the home; and many children today are growing up in a one-parent or divided household. Organized sports and cultural activities are much more pervasive than they used to be.

In that regard, somewhere along the line the spiritual formation and nurture of our children came to be seen as the Church’s responsibility, and thus, another activity in an already busy, if not frenetic, schedule for our youth.

A positive step for families and the church would be for the Church to equip parents to be able to “tell the story” and be able inculcate Christian faith and life into the home, starting at an early age. Here is why I think Adult Formation ministries are the key to the church of tomorrow. That can mean learning more about the Bible, or sharing a book study; it can mean parents of similar-aged children gathering together to learn from each other, supporting and praying together. The sky is the limit really in this regard. Personally, I think our adults at CCE need to take steps to make Adult Christian Formation more of a priority here. I encourage you all to come to the Fall Kickoff on September 7 to learn about all the Christian Formation opportunities we’re offering this fall for children, youth and adults.

Norms and patterns of the 20th century are clearly changing; new paradigms need to emerge if we want our children to grow up in the Christian faith and life, and can engage that faith and life confidently and responsibly in today’s culture.

How exciting if CCE were to be on the cutting edge of strengthening the abilities of our families to be primary loci of Christian formation.
 
Jeff

Laughing at Ourselves

"A cheerful heart is good medicine but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."
- Proverbs 17:22

The ability to be able to laugh at yourself is a strong trait in a spiritually healthy person. Take the case of one of my all time favorite baseball characters, “Vinegar Bend” Mizell, nicknamed for the Alabama town he grew up in. Describing living conditions in his home growing up, Mizell once said, “One day a fire started in the bathroom, but we were able to put it out before it reached the house.”

A left-hander with a blazing fast ball, Mizell was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals after graduating from high school. After spending time in the minors, notably at the ace of the 1951 Houston Buffs Texas League championship team, he was called up to the big league team. He spent seven years with the Cardinals before being traded to the Pirates in the middle of the 1960 season and went 13-5 down the stretch for a team that defeated the Yankees in one of the most dramatic World Series ever. Mizell finished up his career with the New York Mets in 1962 (one of the worst teams in the history of baseball by the way). Later Mizell was elected to the House of Representatives, serving three terms. A dedicated Christian on and off the field, he championed the cause of Christ, and had a special heart for high school and college students.

Mizell once humorously spoke of his effort as the doomed starter in game three of the 1960 World Series. In front of 70,000 fans at Yankee Stadium, he retired only one batter and gave up 5 runs. “If people tuned into the game late on the radio or TV, they missed me completely!” he once said self-deprecatingly. But he still wore his World Series ring with pride, having pitched well during the regular season for Pittsburg.

His delivery was definitely old school. With a slow, arching windup,“Vinegar Bend” would rear back with his leg kicked high and his pitching hand close to the mound. Then he would bring the ball over the top and blow it by a hitter. When asked about his delivery, Mizell would reply with a twinkle in his eye, “Not only did I occasionally touch the mound with my pitching hand, sometimes I would actually knock the ball out of my hand before I could deliver it to the plate!”

One might think a Christian, a Congressman, and a competitive person would be very serious minded and have little reason to laugh, but that’s not the case. Vinegar Bend (his real name, by the way, was Wilmer), realized what many others fail to grasp. A cheerful heart is good medicine. Christians can really laugh with a security -- we know the end of history’s story! We know how it all turns out. Jesus wins in the end. Our enemy is defeated once and for all. Our sins are forgiven, our tears are wiped dry and our future is glorious.

So go ahead and laugh. Snicker at yourself when you drop the ball. Smile when you trip over a crack in the sidewalk. Guffaw with glee when you get the date wrong or forget something. Tell a joke on yourself in a crowd. Those around you will appreciate that you don’t take yourself too seriously. Your ability to laugh might just also help raise someone’s spirits who needs it, and may give them a right perspective the next time they knock the ball out of their own hand.
 
Your number #1 fan,
Jeff

Going Home Justified

The 1962 film Ride the High Country is a study in Christian character.  Click here to read a great review of this film, and I encourage you to see the movie if you can.

-- Jeff

Hurry Sickness

Do you find yourself “busy” all the time? Even in down times are you harried and trying to multi-task? The place and time in which we live make us very susceptible to what author and Presbyterian minister John Ortberg calls “hurry sickness.”

He identifies the following symptoms of this rampant condition.

1. Speeding Up

You are haunted by the fear that you don’t have enough time to do what needs to be done. When listening, you nod more often to encourage the other person to get on with it. You chafe whenever you have to wait. At a stoplight, if there are two lanes and each contains one car, you read the year, make and model of each car to guess which will pull away most quickly.

2. Multi-tasking

You find yourself doing or thinking more than one thing at a time. Psychologists call this polyphasic activity. The car is a favorite place for this. Hurry-sick people may eat, drink coffee, listen to a podcast for ideas, direct business on the cell phone, and drive all at the same time.

3. Clutter

One researcher noted that the average desk-worker has 36 hours worth of work on the desk and spends three hours a week just sorting through it. The hurry-sick lack simplicity. They often carry around a time organizer the size of Montana.

4. Sunset Fatigue

We come home after work, and those who need our love the most, those to whom we are most committed, end up getting the leftovers. Some of the symptoms of “sunset fatigue” are:

a. you rush around at home even when there’s no reason to.

b. you speak sharp words to your spouse and children, even when they’ve done nothing to deserve them.

c. you tell your family that everything will be okay “in just a week or two.” So many of us look forward to the day when things will lighten up, at least for a few days. Alas the day never seems to come.

d. you indulge in self-destructive escapes: such as, watching too much TV, scanning the internet too much, looking forward to the cocktail hour.

e. you flop into bed with no sense of gratitude and wonder for the day, just fatigue.

5. Love impaired

The most serious sign of hurry sickness is a diminished capacity to love, for love and hurry are fundamentally incompatible. Love always takes time and time is the one thing hurried people don’t have. Though it doesn’t readily occur to us in the midst of our hurried lives, it is clear that hurry sickness and its symptoms are a huge SPIRITUAL CHALLENGE for us. We need to address it as such. The remedy is not just a matter of slowing down and finding relaxation, but deep rest – it’s not a matter of getting “peace of mind” but of “the peace of God which passes all understanding.” It’s not relieved by entertainment, but by delight. This summer, as the rhythms of suburban life slow down, each of us have an opportunity to reflect on the quality of our lives, to let go of so called pressing priorities, to “vacate” and create some place in our harried lives, for time to rest with God and our families.

We can lay our deadly “doing” down and take time just to be, to listen, be aware, appreciate, pray. May this summer be for each of us a “spiritual time” that restores us to the peace, joy, intimacy and productivity God intends for us.

Peace to all,

Jeff

The Anglican Communion

Did you know that Christ Church Episcopal is a part of a worldwide communion of affiliated churches stretching around the world with over 50 million members? Did you know that the Anglican/Episcopal tradition is the 3rd largest Christian denomination in the world? Did you know that 3 out of 4 members of this communion is a person of color?

From July 12-August 9 at our 5:00 PM Saturday Eucharist, we will be highlighting various parts and traditions of our Anglican Communion. We are calling this series Hope of the Nations: How God is Moving in the World.

On the following dates will focus on:

Saturday, July 12 - The Celtic Tradition
Saturday, July 19 - Haiti
Saturday, July 26 - Southeast Asia
Saturday, August 2 - India
Saturday, August 9 - Liberia

We hope you will join us for this special series in which we will invite guest speakers. In the meanwhile, here are several links to help you learn more about our wide, diverse, and growing communion:

Anglican Communion
Anglican Communion News Service
 

- Jeff

List-o-Mania!

David Letterman’s legacy--what is it? Why lists, of course! His Top Ten List on almost any subject under heaven is now thoroughly engrained in American Culture. Daily, one sees magazines, newspapers, and internet sites listing The 5 Worst of this or The 7 Best of that. In that vein I recently came across two such lists that I feel are worthy of passing on.

The first is from a blog hosted by Addie Zierman who blogs about Millennials (basically anyone 30 and under) and the Church. Here is her list of 5 “churchy phrases” that are scaring-off Millennials and each one is followed by her synopsis.

1)  The Bible clearly says…

“We’re aware of the Bible’s intricacies. We know the Bible is clear about some things but also that much is not clear and open to interpretation.”

2)  God will never give you more than you can handle.

“Inherent in this phrase is the undertone that if life has become more than you can handle, then your faith must not be strong enough. Too much! We understand that we need help.”

3)Love on ____.

“A kind of creepy phrase with troubling implications...being ‘loved-on’ feels different than simply being loved. The former feels like contrived kindness; the latter is simpler and deeper.”

4)  Black and white quantifiers of faith: like believer, unbeliever, backsliding.

“Millennials are sick of rhetoric that centers around who’s in and who’s out. We know our own doubtful hearts to know that belief and unbelief so often coexist.”

5)  God is in control...has a plan... works in mysterious ways.

“Chances are we believe this is true. But it’s the last thing we want to hear when something goes horribly wrong in our life. We are drawn to the Jesus who cries when Lazarus is found dead... even though he is in control and has a plan to bring Lazarus back to life.”

The second list comes from the ever popular magazine, Real Simple. Its June 2014 issue contains a list of 5 phrases that should be banned from the English language. A brief explanation of the reasoning is included: 

1) It is what it is. Critic John McWhorter says, “It means basically nothing. You’re saying there is nothing to be done about it. When someone is sharing her problems, you can’t have perfect answers, but you should show a little feeling and genuine empathy.”

2) To your point... Nancy Gibbs comments, “This is the worst kind of faux flattery...it pretends to be agreeing while actually contradicting. How about some honesty?”

3) Don’t take this personally. Peggy Newfield: “of course most of us do take it personally. You’re the only one who knows what you think and feel, and you don’t really know what anyone else thinks and feels.”

4) When are you going to ____? “There are so many assumptions baked into this question. It implies that what the other person is doing now isn’t what she should be doing. In regard to life choices this phrase tends to put people on the defensive, and for that reason I would get rid of it,” says Emily Yoffe.

5) No problem. Liv Tyler says, “The phrase is problematic because it is considered negative. It is both impolite and annoying to say, “thank you” and to receive “no problem” in reply. How could a “thank you” be even remotely construed as a problem?

Reporting in,

Jeff

Coexist?

No doubt you have seen this around; the ubiquitous bumper sticker incorporates symbols of Islam, pacifism, male and female, Judaism, Wicca, Taoism and Christianity. On the face of it, “COEXIST” seems to be a plea for tolerance, let’s “get along.” Who can argue with that?

Well I hadn’t really thought about it until we read these words from John 14 last Sunday, “I am the way the truth and the life and no one can come to the father except through me.”(v.6). Since then as I’ve seen those stickers I’ve had second thoughts about whether I’d put one on the back of my car.

Of course we all need to be more tolerant; we live in a world that bears the scars of intolerance, discrimination, and hate; furthermore Classic Christianity has always asserted that there is truth in other religions, although it has not always acted as though it believed it. The Hebrew Scriptures were incorporated into the Christian Bible; who doubts that Mahatma Gandhi was a man of God or that the present Dali Lama is a very fine ambassador for the Spiritual life?

Christianity believes that all human beings are created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26). We can observe the wonders of creation and achieve some knowledge about God the creator (in philosophy this is called Natural Law). We can recognize a shared humanity and the desire of all people to seek something greater than ourselves.

However, being tolerant and recognizing there is truth in other belief-systems does not mean that Christianity accepts the notion that all faiths are equal. Our doctrine of the incarnation posits that in the history of the world, Jesus Christ represents the fullest expression of God we have ever seen and known. If that is not true then there is no reason for his crucifixion. We believe that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.

Of course we need tolerance, respect and peace with everyone -- especially now. But we cannot reduce this desire to the glib assertion all faiths are the same and that all paths lead to God. They aren’t and they don’t. The idea that there is no exclusive Truth is itself a doctrine, one that excludes everyone except the universalist.

I fear that we are living in a world that is trading the old triumphalism (I’m right and you’re wrong and I’m going to make you pay) for a fuzzy relativism (truth is whatever works for you, dude). Personally I’m hoping there is some middle ground between these ways of thinking, a worldview that is tolerant and respectful of others but doesn’t shy away from proclaiming the Truth.

I hope that is what COEXIST is aiming for, but I’m not sure. Which is why the bumper sticker on the back of my car reads: 2013 World Champions, Boston Red Sox. That is TRUE!

As ever,

Jeff

Appreciation for What IS

Is the glass half empty or half full? Certainly an age old question. How do you see it? For most of my life I’ve been a glass-half-empty person; a born pessimist; with any issue, I would think: that’s less than it used to be; or what’s wrong?; this is the worst possible scenario; how are we going to fix this?; and so on. It got so bad that my staff at Christ Church Charlottesville, called me Mr. Glass-Half-Empty.

However I’m glad to report that in the last few years I’ve begun to see the glass differently. Age has helped, as have some areas of personal reflection and growth. These have lead to a growing appreciation for what is rather than what isn’t; being more positive about situations rather than only focusing on what’s wrong.

When I began my Transitional Ministry Training in 2007 I was introduced to Appreciative Inquiry Theory. The idea is that one always approaches one’s ministry as an Interim Rector with a lens of appreciation for what one sees in the life of the congregation. From my viewpoint there is certainly much to appreciate across the board at Christ Church; this is a very strong, vibrant, energetic, cutting-edge congregation. I have been especially impressed by music and worship in general; children and youth; pastoral care; missions and outreach. The facilities and the parking are top of the line. Even financial stewardship -- which is seen as an area of improvement here -- is stronger than most Episcopal Churches with which I have been associated. And I might add that I have experienced, as have so many others, the warm and friendly welcome from you as I have entered this
new role.

Yet the fact remains it is easy for a parish to get down on itself during a transition. Some can’t get over the loss of a Rector or a beloved Associate; some hold up a period in the past when things seemed to be better; in some parishes during a time of transition, parts of the system which had been held together fall apart and become conflicted. Yes, it is easy to see the glass getting emptier. The truth, of course, is that the glass is both half-empty and half-full; sure there are some losses but there is much to build on that remains here that are foundational. The positives here are far more prevalent. Please don’t fall prey to negative thinking.

The operative fact is God continues to move among and through the people of God here. Jesus Christ is the Church’s one foundation. The number one strategy moving forward should be prayer, prayer, prayer! In our personal lives (and corporately, as well) we need to bathe this church in prayer. The Spirit of God continues to move here, to inspire, challenge and comfort. Now is a moment to shift the parish’s focus to discerning what new life the Spirit of God wants to bring forth in our midst -- the new water that God is already pouring into your hearts and corporate life here at Christ Church. How will the glass be pouring over in abundance here? Yes, it will be different, but it will be full.

Yours in Christ Jesus,
Jeff

Charles Addams

At the end of one of my times serving as Interim Rector, a close friend gave me the following cartoon by the famous New Yorker cartoonist, Charles Adams. My friend said he believed the cartoon was the closest pictorial representation possible of the Gospel.

 

What do you think?

What caption would YOU give this cartoon?

As always, I look forward to hearing your thoughts,

Jeffrey

Unthawing the World: "Frozen" the movie

Thanks to Keith Tan who told me about this Disney movie from last year; I highly recommend it as a way to show our children, grandchildren the meaning of Christ’s act of love for the world and the consequences it has brought. An Easter message to be sure!

After the kingdom of Arendelle is cast into eternal winter by the lovely yet cursed Queen Elsa, her spunky sister Anna teams up with a rough hewn country boy, Kristoff and his trusty reindeer, Sven to break the icy spell. They travel to the far reaches of the kingdom to the icy palace Elsa has isolated herself in. Anna pleads with her sister to come back but Elsa, who is so conflicted by what she has done, accidentally unleashes her icy powers, a portion of which strikes Anna in her heart; and she slowly starts to die. She is told that the only remedy is an act of true love, otherwise she will become frozen forever.

At the end of the movie the turncoat Prince Hans is about to kill Elsa, but Anna throws herself between them, saving Elsa’s life, but in the process she freezes.

As Elsa grieves for her sister, Anna begins to thaw since her decision to sacrifice herself in order to save her sister constitutes an “act of true love.” Not only is Elsa saved, but her curse is broken and the kingdom of Arendale starts unthawing, changing from winter into spring. And this is what we proclaim on Easter Day, isn’t it? Because of an act of true love, sacrificial love on the cross, Jesus the Christ has broken Adam’s curse, and defeated the powers of sin and death; his resurrection signals a new creation, an unthawing of our world so to speak; can you believe after this winter that God is unthawing the world Richmond?

Anna's Act of True Love

Seven Stanzas at Easter

I’m a huge John Updike fan; I’ve read all his novels, and love his insightful book reviews, art reviews and essays; my son tells me he is “so out now, Dad," but you know what? I don’t care!

One of the reasons I find Updike intriguing is that he was a man of faith who didn’t shy away from integrating that faith into his work. He had a German Lutheran background; and as a student of Harvard was introduced to the writings of Soren Kierkegaard, the 19th century Danish
theologian, and Karl Barth, probably the greatest Protestant theologian of the 20th century. All these influences shaped a Christian worldview.

Later in life, Updike became a devout Episcopalian; a clergy friend of mine was his Rector and told me that Updike was a stern critic of my friend's sermons, loved the liturgy of the 1928 Prayer Book, and was a regular at the 8:00 AM Eucharist. John Updike also wrote some poetry which, once again, the critics don’t give high marks to.  But one of his poems, “7 Stanzas At Easter” is one of my all- time favorite poems. In true Updikean style he doesn’t mince words. Since Easter is right around the corner I send it along for your consideration:

Seven Stanzas at Easter

- Jeffrey

This is Water

In 2005 David Foster Wallace, at a commencement address, delivered one of the most provocative and I believe influential talks of our time. His words have made a profound impression on me and have even changed the way I look at myself and more importantly how I look at other people. It's irreverent, rambling, complex, but WOW! Especially helpful for those of us who have trouble in traffic jams and in the supermarket check out lane.

You Tube calls it “This is Water” from his opening story, but I would call it Living a Compassionate Life with the subtitle, Learning how to be a little less arrogant (it's not all about me).

Part 1:

And here is the full speech if you are interested in listening. These 25 minutes will fascinate you and I hope convict you.

As always would like to hear your observations and questions.
- Jeffrey

Resource Church

In 1985 Arlin Rothauge published Sizing up a Congregation, which produced a brand new perspective on how parishes operated and need to be organized. The four categories are based on Average Sunday Attendance (ASA).

They are:

• Patriarchal/Matriarchal, under 50 ASA;
• Pastoral, 50-150 ASA (most Episcopal Churches are in this Category);
• Program 150-350 ASA; and
• the largest size, Resource or Corporate...

These larger Episcopal Churches average more than 350 on a weekend; Christ Church fits into this category; last year our average weekend attendance was 583.

The illustration below shows the primary characteristics of a Resource-size parish. Sometimes people who have grown up in a smaller church or remember a time when their present parish was a lot smaller, have a difficult time understanding why the congregation doesn’t operate the way it used to. The reality is that it can’t. Excellence in programs and ministry initiatives cannot be sustained or maintained given the number of people the parish is serving unless there is proper staff support. I invite your response and observations.

- Jeff