summer backpacking

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I’m worried about the church in America.  A short cruise through the blogosphere reveals that there’s a gigantic tent, under which all kinds of divergent and opposing views are carrying the name of Christ.  We’re fundamentalist, evangelical, eco-friendly, anti-environmentalist, emergent, post-modern, modern, rational, anti-emergent, post-emergent, liberal, ecumenical, separatist, and…I could go on, but perhaps you get the picture.  Under this big tent there’s a war going on.  Like barkers at a carnival, we’re all trying hard to get people to come to our booths, and many are finding the most effective strategy to be pointing out the deficiencies and dangers of the wares hawked by the other barkers.  We do this by labeling them. 

 

For a minute, can we all step outside of our booths, and even outside the tent, to ponder how this appears to those passing by?  It looks like this:  George Barna has recently explained North Americans are overwhelmingly pro-Jesus, but much less keen on the church.  Mike Regan wrote a book about a decade ago entitled the death of the church, where he effectively showed the trajectory lines of Christianity in North America are driving us to oblivion.  So effective has our barking been that a popular bumper sticker in Seattle, where I live, says  “Jesus, deliver me…from your followers.”  “Which Jesus?” is a question I’m asked sometimes, because to the uninitiated, these internal wars look absurd, and tacitly confirm the deepest suspicions of post-modernity; that truth is unknowable.  After all, if we were arguing about aerodynamics, this conversation would have ended within months.  Instead, we’re still arguing about Jesus 2000 years after His life on earth.  What does that tell you about certitude? 

 

I’m intending to write a book about this subject, so please don’t steal my ET title.  But books take a long a time, and the conversation needs to happen now, so I thought I’d sketch a few important points here, in hopes of getting a conversation started about why the church is so divided, and what we can do differently to move us towards the unity of which Jesus spoke in John 17.  Here are some foundational observations: 

 

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Getting our ducks lined up

I’m sitting here on the shores of a river in Maryland.  It’s 7AM and all is quiet as I’m reading my Bible.  Out of the corner of my eye, I notice a flock of Canadian geese walking along the road that runs parallel to the riverbank, some distance away from where I’m sitting.  Soon I hear their voices and I put down my book and simply watch.  There they are, walking along with one out front, 3 abreast, sometimes 4, stretching out for about 50 yards worth of geese.  The scene fascinates me because, like sheep, everyone appears to be following the lead goose.  I ponder what would happen if some goose tried to take a different path?  Would that one be cut off from the flock?  Would they even be allowed to leave?  Perhaps none of the geese would care, trusting that the stray goose, in its authenticity and individualism would surely arrive at the same place as the rest of the geese.  

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I’m intrigued in II Kings 9 and 10 by the zeal with which Jehu went after Baal worship, destroying every last vestige of it. He went a long way towards restoring righteousness in Israel. But, we’re told, “Jehu was not careful to walk in the law of the Lord…with all his heart; he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam.” Here’s a king who went after the sin of Baal worship with unmatched zeal and intensity, but who continued to erect golden calves, allowing their worship.

God’s response to this mixture was, predictably, blessing and cursing. He was blessed with God’s promise that his sons would be heir to the throne for four generations. He was cursed because, “in those days God began to cut off portions from Israel…” Blessing for obedience – cursing for disobedience; this was life for Jehu. This is life for us.

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I'm happy to recommend that you spend some time this summer reading the book I've written that just came out, called "o2 - Breathing New Life into Faith". Summer is traditionally known as that time of year when we all get a chance to catch our breath, but often we so fill our summers with surfing, mountains, hiking, fishing, tanning, and whatever else we do to refresh ourselves, that we find ourselves worn out by fall, dreading the full schedules and in danger of repeating patterns that we've lived previously which are less than life giving. Might I suggest that you invest a little time this summer considering how to develop the critical lifestyle habits that we all need if our faith is to be sustainable for decades to come. I've offered a survey of classic spiritual disciplines in this book, but they're offered in a narrative style that shares both my own story and that of many friends, so that you can consider the inhaling and exhaling habits that are needed to vitalize and sustain us. Balancing the inhaling and exhaling habits, and being intentional about building them into our lives is just what this book is all about.

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This is a posting about the need for the church (that’s me – and many of you) to catch God’s vision for us: We’re called to be reconcilers, peacemakers, celebrators, justice seekers, and being about these things means learning crossing over to the proverbial ‘other side of the tracks’ by entering into relationships with those who are different than us.

We need to begin though, not with the scriptures posted above, but with a consideration of the progressive nature of salvation, because in spite of the fact that most of us reading this blog already know the above scriptures, having read and heard them many times, the fact remains that the church in America is often terribly weak at testifying, (by virtue of it’s non-diverse character in particular local churches), of God’s power to break down dividing walls that separate people. “The most segregated hour in America” as we’ve often been told, is the worship hour on Sundays. So, saved though we may be, God's vision for us in not yet fulfilled. We need to learn how to cross over the barriers that divide us and create reconciled relationships. How do we do this?

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"Lars and the Real Girl" is a great movie. Dysfunctional guy buys sex-doll and relates to her as if she's real, but over time finds himself longing for something more alive than latex can provide; it might not sound very compelling, but it somehow is. Casting, acting, script, and direction all combine to create a film so well executed that I was completely drawn in.

"Lars", though, isn't really about Lars very much at all, and certainly not about latex lady. The main theme seems to be centered around the question, "How do we support, help, and empower those with mental illness to move towards healing?" That, of course, is a big question, answered by both the "Lars" film, and another recent film ("Reign Over Me"), in the same way: friendship and acceptance.

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If you were to look at my profile on facebook, you'd see that I have only three TV shows that I watch: The Simpsons, The Office, and Meet the Press. For the past 10 years, I'd developed a Sunday morning routine which consisted of waking up, brewing a French Press carafe of good coffee, and watching "Meet the Press" at 6AM. But yesterday Tim Russert, the show's moderator, died of a sudden coronary failure at the young age of 58. I'll surely watch the show tomorrow morning, but it will be like going to a funeral, as journalists and politicians remember Tim's life.

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I saw "The Visitor" last night in one of my favorite Seattle theaters. Well crafted and understated, the film climaxed at the very end with the screen going dark and when it did, n obody moved. The space within the walls was enveloped in complete silence as we collective paused to allow the weight of what we'd just seen settle in. Only slowly, when the credit music began, did people rise from their seats and leave. If you'd like to see a film that will touch both your heart and your mind, "The Visitor" will take you there.

The simple plot appears like a prism; held up against the light of our own experiences, it invites us to consider themes of aging, grief, intergenerational relationships, hospitality, racism, pluralism, overwork, and some of the forces that create that good disease I call "good Samaritanism".

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