Richard Dahlstrom

Whose name is on the cup?

Richard Dahlstrom — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 09:24:52 -0800

There are times when people who are in vocational ministry get weary of Jesus. Maybe I'm the only one, but I doubt it. He seems, at times, so hard to pin down, as everything from libertarianism to communism is carried out in His name. He seems to be the source of divisions in the world as people carrying His name have often carried a sword as well, leaving carnage in their wake. And He's a bit mystical, speaking in parables, paradox, and even contradiction, as tells his disciples to carry no sword here, and here to arm themselves. What's up?

It's tempting at times to skip Jesus altogether and simply focus on being about the things Jesus was about. He loved enemeis - let's love enemies. He hugged lepers - let's hug lepers. He feed hungry people - let's feed hungry people. If we go this route, not only will we have more tangible goals (after all, how do you measure, "being filled with all the fullness of God"?). Yes, let's be His hands and feet and skip all the doctrinal ambiguity, division, pondering and messiness that comes from talking about the life of Jesus and what it means to be filled with Him.

But then, along comes an article like this one, where a confirmed atheist declares that Africa needs Christianity. Here's part of what he says:

Now a confirmed atheist, I've become convinced of the enormous contribution that Christian evangelism makes in Africa: sharply distinct from the work of secular NGOs, government projects and international aid efforts. These alone will not do. Education and training alone will not do. In Africa Christianity changes people's hearts. It brings a spiritual transformation. The rebirth is real. The change is good.

I used to avoid this truth by applauding - as you can - the practical work of mission churches in Africa. It's a pity, I would say, that salvation is part of the package, but Christians black and white, working in Africa, do heal the sick, do teach people to read and write; and only the severest kind of secularist could see a mission hospital or school and say the world would be better without it. I would allow that if faith was needed to motivate missionaries to help, then, fine: but what counted was the help, not the faith.

But In the city (where we lived) we had working for us Africans who had converted and were strong believers. The Christians were always different. Far from having cowed or confined its converts, their faith appeared to have liberated and relaxed them. There was a liveliness, a curiosity, an engagement with the world - a directness in their dealings with others - that seemed to be missing in traditional African life. They stood tall.

There you have it. We can tell ourselves that we don't need all the messiness of Christ, or even begin to believe that if we simply feed the hungry and clothe the naked, we're doing the work of God. But Jesus tells us that ministry is more than just giving a cup of cold water; it's giving a cup of cold water in Jesus name. The article has two profound implications:

1 - The author speaks of how spacious, engaging, and enlivening followers of Christ are in Africa. I often ponder why I meet so many Christians in these North American parts for whom the opposite is true - they've become anxious, guilt-ridden, closed minded - so much so that I know people who are walking away from the faith because of neuroses of the faithful, afraid that it's contagious.

I can only conclude that a gospel (good news) that fails to change our persona, fails to open us up to the world, fails to impart joy, is not the gospel of Christ. We who lead had better make sure we're not inviting people to rituals, clubs, and systems, because the real deal entails an invitation to transformation by virtue of a person indwelling a person. I know it sounds mystical, but it's true - and it works, as evidenced by the article above. Put simply, if our lives are filled with fear, hate, and whining, we're probably following a different Jesus.

2 - I know many people who are open, spacious, and enlivening, but who are afraid to mention the name of Jesus. They're mantra is a destructive mutation of St. Francis' words: "Preach always - use words when necessary." This is tragically interpreted to mean that words aren't necessary at all, that the cup of cold water needn't have a name attached to it, or that the name doesn't matter - Humanitarian NGO is just as good is Risen Christ.

Kudos to Matthew Perry for having the courage to say what too many faithful are afraid to say: Christ makes all the difference. His words remind me of Rahab in the Old Testament, the Gentile who believed more in the power God than God's people. Do we believe that Jesus makes a difference? Let's begin living it then, and making sure the name is on the next cup of cold water.

tidings of comfort and joy...

Richard Dahlstrom — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 09:51:33 -0800

It's always heartening to see little hints of grace, the more so at this time of year as we ponder the "unspeakable gift" of Christ. I'm planning to write more about the unspeakable gift tomorrow, but for now, note with me that hints of grace and good things can be seen in more than hearth and home, if we'll but look. Consider ING direct, whose employees skipped their holiday parties so that they could forgive a month of mortgage payments for 500 families who offered the most compelling essays of need. Let the cynics rant. When they're finished, it's still true that Christine Feterowski, who has bladder cancer and is thus not working, will be able to receive care from husband during her impending surgery without needing to worry about the mortgage, at least for a month.

In Seattle, the snowstorm has so severely curtailed travel, that last minute shoppers in the city are skipping trips to the mall on icy roads, choosing instead to buy from (gasp)local merchants! Instead of mall favorites like wii, people have Legos, board games, and wooden trains the purchases of choice (or perhaps necessity). Local bookshops are even seeing a spike in sales because our streets are so snow clogged that even mail delivery is sketchy. Bill McKibben and Wendell Barry, both advocates of more localized economies, would be proud because this kind of living has countless advantages for families, economies, and the environment. Luke 4:19 says that the presence of Jesus will result in the "favorable year of the Lord" being proclaimed which, of course, has its roots in the Old Testament forgiveness of debts as seen in God's jubilee year.

That's why I love the ING story. Our hearts sing when we hear about forgiveness of debts because we're born in need of forgiveness and called to live in such way that forgiveness and mercy flow through us, being poured out onto a parched world.

The story of localized shopping reminds me that people find a way. Can't travel? The stuff you want can't travel either? Maybe we'll learn to want different stuff, shop at Farmer's Markets, interact with our neighbors, and in the process pollute less, exercise more, lower your stress levels, give work to craftsmen and craftswomen, and find beauty in creation.

It can happen, because this week it has happened in our city, paralyzed by snow, yet finding a way to get on, and perhaps finding the alternative is better than the original. These are hints of grace, tidings of comfort and joy, reminders that we have eternity in our hearts. Maybe you've seen some hints too. Feel free to share them.

Horticulture for soul soil

Richard Dahlstrom — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 10:19:36 -0800

"Behold the sower went out to sow..." Thus began Jesus ministry of teaching in parables, using the common things of the earth to teach the profound mysteries of eternity. Many of us read this parable lightly, having heard it since we were little children, and perhaps having planted a seed or two in soil, in little paper cups in Sunday school. But as I'm pondering the possibility of tearing a big tree out of my front yard and creating a living and thriving garden space instead, I've been thinking a lot about soil over the past weeks, and these thoughts have brought important light to the parable, light that I'd not considered previously. Before I can understand what this parable is really about, I find it helpful to name what it's not about:

1. It's not about the sower - There's no problem with the sower of the seeds. Of course, this simply means the good news of Christ's invitation to embrace and know life is doing just fine, going out into all the world. While some might care to debate this, the argument is quickly over as we see that absolutely every event in history has the potential of declaring the reality of God's love. Beauty and blessing are intended to point us to Christ. Suffering and ugliness show us our need for a savior. The aching and longing for eternity that CS Lewis describes in "Surprised by Joy" invites us to life. The Bible explicitly invites. Creation declares God's glory and character. Shoot, even movies and music of every stripe can have the effect of calling us to something higher if we'll let them. As the Psalmist says, "His voice has gone out into all the earth." People who argue that God needs to show the world more revelation are, according to this parable, missing the point.

2. It's not about the seed - Maybe you've planted a garden at some point in your life and you did everything right but the reality was that, sadly, nothing came of it. There's always a chance it was the seed that was the problem, because when the seed is bad, all the preparation and receptivity in the world simply won't bring life where there's no potential for life. But Jesus is telling us, in this story, that the problem isn't with the seed. The seed carries within it the potential for an abundance of life, so much so that beauty displaces ugliness, love displaces hate, and strength castes out weakness, wherever the seed takes root and grows. This, of course, has proven to be true down through the centuries, as the preponderance of hospitals, schools, clinics, reconciliation ministries, housing projects, prison ministries, justice ministries related to slavery, and so many more declare: the seed will bring life!

3. It's about the soil - If there's no problem with the seed, and no problem with the sower, it's clear that the problem is in the soil. That would be you and me friends - we're the soil. This would be depressing news indeed if we believed that there was nothing we could do to prepare the soil of our heart to better receive God's seed. I know strict Calvinists who believe precisely that, believe that we have no power whatsoever to prepare the soil of our hearts to receive what God has to offer, because our hearts are incapable of ever choosing wisely. The problem with this line of thinking is that, if it were true, all the exhortations in the Bible about caring for our hearts, guarding our hearts, choosing life, seeking God, and loving God would be pointless noise, like telling a man with no hands that the key to really living is to play Beethoven Piano Sonatas. But of course, Jesus does tell us to follow. He does invite anyone who is thirsty to come and drink. He does invite us to choose life. Unless all these invitations are entirely bogus, it appears that we do have some role to play in preparing the soil of our hearts. There are choices we can make that lead to life.

This is what the book O2: Breathing New Life into Faith is all about. If our heart is soil, we're invited to be horticulturists, caring for this soil that the seed which will be sown will be fruitful. We do this by developing intentional habits of silence, prayer, Bible reading, solitude, sabbath rest, generosity, and more. After all, the sower will sow; we know that. The seed will be good; we know that too. All that remains is for the seed to find good soil. It's the state our heart soil that determines whether, during this Advent season, we'll be Herod (hating Jesus), the Shepherds (seeking, seeing, declaring) or the materialist masses (ignoring Jesus as the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth take over the show).

There's no shortage of seed, or capable sowing. The issue is the soil. It's your soil. Get it ready.

advent and the politics of the cross

Richard Dahlstrom — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 04:11:36 -0800

"And Simeon blessed them and said, '...the child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed, and a sword will pierce your own soul...'" (Luke 2:34,35) Thus did Simeon foretell something of the cost that would be paid for the light to come into the world.

Every year I'm privileged to teach in Europe for two weeks right at the beginning of the Advent season, and I've made it a bit of a hobby to learn some history of the culture where I'm teaching. Southern Bavaria has a hero of faith and politics named Sophie Scholl, who was made famous in America as well because of the movie about her life that was released a short time ago. Having seen the movie, I'd purchased a book about her life, and have been reading it on trains as I travel between schools for teaching.

Sophie and her White Rose group distributed leaflets during WWII calling for the defeat of Hitler and inciting the German people to resistance. Their writings resulted in their execution, Sophie being beheaded at the age of 21. She was from Ulm, and I'm in the Ulm train station, reading about this calling that came upon she and her brother, this sense that silence was impossible in times such as theirs. Young people who loved the life of the mind, the arts, and poetry, they insisted that their faith move out of their private interior world and into the arena. They chose to use the gifts of means and intellect God had given them to stand up for the oppressed and marginalized. The leaflets Sophie and her friends wrote and distributed eventually found their way to America, where they were printed and dropped by allied aircraft as a means of exposing the darkness, calling Germans to courage, and imparting hope. A few German students speak truth, pay for it with their blood, and it results in hope spilling onto one of darkest pages of history.

You can learn most of that by just watching the movie, but if you read the book, you'll find that Sophie and her young friends weren't alone. Behind the curtain there were several other characters, people like Carl Muth, editor of a theological journal that had been banned from publication by the Nazis. Muth lived alone in a tiny house, flooded with banned books. He'd work his garden and write articles that would never be published, and somehow the Scholl children, Sophis and Hans found their way to this man's house. He became a mentor to both of them, and was instrumental (along with their parents) in shaping their thoughts and giving them the courage to live out their convictions. We read of him, "Muth's magic was no only his philosophical sweep of knowledge or his deep hatred for National Socialism, but his youthful, almost playful sense of ethical and metaphysical exploration. He not only listened to young people, he wanted to live and share their experiences...

" What does all this have to do with advent? It's tempting at this time of year to simply think of the great gift we've received in Christ, the light of the world, the hope of history. If advent means the arrival of something important, there is no greater advent in all time than Jesus. But we do ourselves a disservice if we don't take then next step and realize that we're called to be the advent of Jesus today, in this time, this place. That's why I like reading about Sophie as I train through Bavaria. These hills, and the beautiful, hospitable culture that resides here now, are shaped by thousands who became the presence of Christ at a critical time and place in history. Muth was a Gandalf figure for Hans and Sophie, light for their world. (and as I get older, I pray that's what I'll become too). Sophie and Hans then become light for others; for university students, families, artists, intellectuals, and eventually many thousands throughout Germany. After their death, their thoughts are dropped from the air by allied troops who discovered and printed the leaflets by the ton, and hope rains down on Germany. But it cost Sophie, even as it cost Mary, Joseph, Paul, Peter... and surely you and I, should we follow Christ.

People lulled to sleep by the endless pursuit of pleasure, or people whose lives are stuck in the quicksand of trivialities will never attain to this. We need to get in the arena of faith and commit to living fully, wholly, "doers of the word" is how I believe someone stated it. These were courageous, outdoor loving, pipe smoking, beer drinking, intellectually honest Christians. They lived well, and the main square in the University of Munich is now named after their movement.

I'm glad they 'showed up' when the hour demanded their best advent. I pray we will as well. Happy Advent.

A beautiful photo collage of Sophie is available here.

Still more is available here about her life, an excellent summary, here.

Finally, if you're really bored, there are pictures from my teaching trip here.

FOCA - not just a four letter word

Richard Dahlstrom — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 13:00:08 -0800

Yes: this is a long post. Yes: it requires careful reading. Yes: it's one of the more important posts... please read, pray, and consider responding

Now that the election is over, it might be easy to slip into a state of either passive bliss, or passive despair, depending on your point of view. Both would be wrong because, as I've stated often, the calling of the church is to vote prayerfully, and work hard for the good of the culture where we live.

Towards that end, I urge you to consider the potential impending train wreck that might occur, should the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA), actually become law in the coming year. Our President elect has already declared that he will sign this bill into law if it passes.

Perhaps you know me will enough to know that I'm hesitant to point you to the petition site where you can sign on and urge Obama to reject this legislation. My hesitancy comes from the fact that sites like these are nearly always propagandized in a way that preaches to their choir of believers but offers nothing substantively persuasive that would speak to the unconvinced.

I'll point you there anyway, but first ask that you carefully read this article from left leaning "Slate", written by staunchly pro-Obama, Melinda Henniberger. She points out the very real threat to the future of Catholic Hospitals in America that awaits, should this legislation pass. Remember, this isn't Dobsonesque fear strategy- this is SLATE magazine.

If you don't have time to read the whole article, I'll simply offer this quote from it (but please, take the time to read the whole thing at some point... it's important to remain informed on this, and many other issues). Ms. Henneberger writes:

"as I think I have made clear——I have high hopes for President Obama, I was so looking forward to dancing at this party. Yet, although abortion was not a major issue in the race, the pro-life argument that he was the candidate most likely to decrease the need for—and number of—abortions did make it easier for many Catholics to cast their votes for him. I think we should hold him to that commitment now.

At the very moment when Obama and his party have won the trust of so many Catholics who favor at least some limits on abortion, I hope he does not prove them wrong. I hope he does not make a fool out of that nice Doug Kmiec, who led the pro-life charge on his behalf. I hope he does not spit on the rest of us—though I don't take him for the spitting sort—on his way in the door. I hope that his appointment of Ellen Moran, formerly of EMILY's List, as his communications director is followed by the appointment of some equally good Democrats who hold pro-life views. By supporting and signing the current version of FOCA, Obama would reignite the culture war he so deftly sidestepped throughout this campaign. This is a fight he just doesn't need at a moment when there is no shortage of other crises to manage."

The petition? As I said, I don't like these sites because they can be, often justifiably, charged with sensationalism. Still, if you believe the protection of life in the womb is as at least as important as the protection of Iraqi civilians, or granting the poor and marginalized access to health services, then signing here ought to be seriously considered. Do you agree?

Thanksgiving...or Festivus?

Richard Dahlstrom — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:48:22 -0800

"...there was famine in all the lands..." (Genesis 41:54) I know all the talk about the cup being half full or half empty, depending on one's perspective. I know that we've much for which to be thankful if we'll but open our eyes and see. "There's still plenty of turkey and all", and "look at the starving children on the other side of the world". These are the things we tell ourselves this year as we gather around tables laden with feast to celebrate and express gratitude for God's provision.

But this year, more than many, is a year when "giving thanks" might feel a little strained, a little forced, as if we hope that by saying it often enough, or loud enough, we'll actually begin to feel grateful. After all, thousands have lost their homes in fires just in the past week. Before that their were floods in the south. Draped across the entire country there's been an epidemic of foreclosures so that tens of thousands who sat around their own table last year are somewhere else this year; jobless, homeless, and afraid. Let's throw in the impending implosion of the auto industry, the realization that two wars and mountains of debt will make it difficult for any incoming president to fulfill promises made in the heady days of campaign speeches, and one might begin to wonder if this might be a good to skip thanksgiving, or at least downgrade it from "turkey" and "thanksgiving" to "tofu" and "airing of grievances" - more like Festivus than anything else.

Ah, but this is precisely where we go wrong. We thank that gratitude is all about remembering the good things God has done for us and giving thanks. Surely this is a piece of gratitude and thanksgiving. But if we limit our thanksgiving to recalling the visible gifts, the stuff we wanted either materially or emotionally, we will miss most of the story, because most of the story is about how God transforms us right in the midst of challenges in this fallen world.

"And there was a famine..." is what Genesis says, and only then are the wheels set in motion for God's chosen family to begin their process of profound transformation. Up to this point, the family chosen to represent God's heart had instead been a tragic display of pride, jealousy, hatred, lust, greed, fear, deceit, self-righteousness, rape, polygamy, and murder. But when the famine came, a whole story began to unfold that would eventuate in the confessing of sins, the forgiveness of wrongs committed, the healing of a family, and the establishment of a nation from which would eventually come the Light of the World. It all began, not with a campfire moment, but with a famine. Without it, the brothers might have died in the tragic prisons of selfishness which had held them for so long.

The famine's begun for many in our own land; right here; right now. The reality is that we only come to know Jesus as the bread of life because we've known hunger. Whether we hunger for meaning, freedom, intimacy, freedom from fear, or our next meal, when we find the one who can satisfy the hunger, our gratitude becomes a natural wellspring of praise. The same thing is true again and again. We know Christ as light because we've walked in darkness; know Him as life because we've been in the realm of death; know Him as father because we've stood by the grave of our own dad.

However it works for you, I hope you can see that real thanksgiving is always born out of the transformation which comes from crisis. So perhaps this is the year when we'll give thanks, less for what's happening in this present moment (though God knows that there's still plenty of reasons for gratitude if we take even a cursory look around us), and more for what God will do as we collectively walk through these 'very interesting days', as I recently heard them described. I hope and pray that on the far side of these crises, we who claim to follow Christ will be shaped, liberated, and transformed, so that our lives will overflow with the purity, generosity and joy that is the heart of Jesus. Happy Thanksgiving! God is at work! May you have the eyes to see His hand in this glorious, beautiful, fallen world.

Mr. Potato-god

Richard Dahlstrom — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 13:05:17 -0800

When I finished seminary, I was working as a carpet cleaner in Los Angeles, traveling throughout the city in a van and pumping steamed water into stained fabric. This trade allowed me conversation with a large cross section of humanity, and the many conversations I had about God during those days were, in retrospect, a profoundly valuable part of my theological education. It was because of these rug cleaning gigs that I got the chance to learn what people really thought about God.

It turns out that most people had lots of respect for "God". It also became quickly clear that for most, the god they respected was of their own making. Picking and choosing from the gamut of values and character qualities, they built their own unique notions of deity, resulting in endless 'designer gods', created in the same way I used to turn a potato into a character using my "Mr. Potato head" toy box, choosing this nose, those eyes, that mouth until...Presto! I've made a creature unlike any other.

The history of religion shows us that the biggest danger of all isn't walking away from the truth entirely; that would be blatant, obvious, bringing our desire for autonomy into the open. Much worse is to keep fiddling with all the genuine character qualities of God, pasting some on our designer god, while being careful to leave others in the box. When I do this I build a god that's just like me, a god that reinforces my basest natures, while providing enough idealism to convince me that I've the coolest, truest god on the block. Church history is rife with these distortions, but rather than breaking open textbooks, we can simply go to the Bible, where Jesus told the religious experts that the searched the scriptures because they thought it was there life could be found. The scriptures pointed to Christ, but those same experts were unwilling to come to Him that they might have life, preferring their designer idol to the real God. You can read about it here.

I'm of the opinion that it's not the real God that's been fought over and defended in the enormously destructive culture wars and denominational divisions during these past decades. Instead we've been busy hurting each other because of our defense of "Mr Potato-gods" - and mine is better, stronger, truer, than yours. The greatest tragedy of all is that every little group, it seems, has only a few pieces in their box, and could never find the true God without coming together with the other boys and girls to see what parts there have to offer.

I'm hoping there's a place where we can come together and throw all our pieces on the floor so that we can work together to build a testimony of the real Jesus. The right has some things to offer; some of their pieces are forgeries, and other pieces have gone missing from their box, so much so that the poor children don't even miss them. The left faces the same problem. Established and emergent churches face the same dilemma. Pray with me that we'll have the courage and humility to do this - each of us in our own circles, so that Jesus can have His way with us, and His real character can be seen.

O Lord Christ -

You've watched us try to scare each other into voting for God's man, as if one party had all the pieces in place and was committed to using them. You've graciously stuck with us, and we watched history this week, and pray that your mighty and merciful hand would be upon our new leader. You've faithfully brought us closer to your heart by breaking down walls of racism, even while we remain far from you in so many ways. I pray that we, your church, would have the humility and courage to come together in prayer, dialogue, prayer, and service, trusting that as we do so, we'll all become exposed to the missing pieces that might better represent your heart. To do this will require grace and love that none of us, on our own have. So we ask for your indwelling and the stirring of your spirit, to take us down this path. We'll thank you for it, and give you the glory, even as we pray that your glory would find expression through our lives, homes, and communities of faith in these amazing days. In your great name I pray...

Amen.

Yes we must...

Richard Dahlstrom — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 07:19:35 -0800

The votes have been cast. Two stirring speeches were given, both striking in their humility and call for unity. American democracy was on a world stage last night and we collectively demonstrated that the ideals of giving everyone a voice are still alive and well, perhaps more visibly demonstrated this year than any other.

But now that it's over, millions of believers are waking up either elated or exasperated, overjoyed or angry, delighted or despairing. I know this because this is a time of seismic political shifts among people of faith, with fractures growing along geographical, generational, theological, and economic lines, depending on your particular situation. I know this because in this first election since the rise of the blogosphere, infammatory pixels have been hurled, believer at believer, with such intensity that outsiders would think the left and right worship different Gods.

Millions of Christians are feeling that the country is headed, more than ever, in the wrong direction, while the rest are conviced that better days are finally ahead and the right man won. Many are angry at the other side, incredulous that Christians could vote as they did. But behind the sound bytes, blog attacks, and flashes of apocalyptic rhetoric, if one listens carefully, there's a humble Jewish man saying, "by this all men will know that your are my disciples, in that you have love for one another." This love has largely gone missing during the recent political season. Continuing to wallow in bitterness or gloat in triumphal pride are not acceptable options for people who follow Jesus. We must find a way to move towards the healing of relationships and unity of heart and purpose that is foundational to our calling. Yes, we must.

Recovery begins by realizing that the winner is neither Messiah nor Anti-Christ. Believing that any party is God's party leads to heights of elation or depths of despair unbecoming to those who claim that Christ is our true king, His reign our true hope, and embodying that reign our true ambition. The reality that Jesus stands outside the confines of our political structures was demonstrated during His short stay on earth, when He was no party's poster child, no ideology's champion. He came offering a different kingdom, whose ethics and calling stand apart from the warring systems of this world. This is where we must place our hope.

We must realize that our calling is to live, right now in the present, in accordance with the priorities and ethics of our eternal King, and His coming kingdom. This will mean offering bold critique and resistance at some moments, and enthusiastic support at others, for various positions and reforms offered by both the left and the right. As we seek to embody this Kingdom, the walls that have divided us will fall down, because we will care about life in the womb, and life on the streets; we'll care about justice and mercy; we'll care about loving our enemies and standing up for those who are unprotetcted. We'll become artisans of genuine hope, spilling the colors of beauty, reconciliation, celebration, serivice, justice, peace, and compassion on the canfass of our communities. This, I'm convinced, is not only our calling in Christ, it's what our world desperately needs in these immensely challenging days. We must lay our weapons down and commit to being the presence of Jesus in the world. Yes. We must.

further revelation needed...

Richard Dahlstrom — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 14:16:26 -0700

I drove 400 miles yesterday and ended up back where I started. The whole event was a comical series of miscommunications. Scheduled to teach for a week long intensive at a Bible School in Canada, I'd made my way north and was waiting at the float plane dock on the Frasier river, pondering why the airline had no reservation for me. I'd checked my e-mail before leaving, and confirmed the dates, but also had heard from the school that they'd reserved my flight. I decided, just before boarding the plane to call the school and confirm that I was supposed to be there this week. "Nope" came back the reply. "You're scheduled for next week."

"But my e-mail says it's this week"

"Here's the one I sent you" she said, and proceeded to read a note confirming that I was to begin teaching, not tonight, but one week from tonight.

Thankful that I didn't get on the plane, I turned around and drove home to Seattle in time to watch one inning of the world series before it was called due to rain. Then I checked my e-mail and sure enough, the one I read, said that I was to be in Canada THIS week. Sadly, another e-mail had been sent subsequent to that, changing the dates. I'd only saved the original though, and my rejection of further revelation cost me four hundred miles. I'm glad gas is cheaper now than in July!

REJECTION OF FURTHER REVELATION... maybe you're busy reading NT Wright's book about Hope, and you come across some teachings that challenge what you once thought regarding the rapture and 2nd coming of Christ. What do you do with that? Maybe someone challenges your view on divorce and remarriage, or economics. Problems will come our way if we toss any challenges to our existing views too quickly, or embrace new views too readily. What's a pastor to do?

Read everything - I think I tossed the e-mail that had changed the date without ever reading it, and it cost me. Sometimes we're quick to categorize someone we're listening to and put them in a box, and when we do this we end up tossing them in some bin, liberal, conservative, fundamentalist, post-modern, presuming that we know what they're going to say before they say it. We do this to our own loss my friends. In the blogging world, in the church, in the neighborhood, and in the classroom, I've continually been amazed at how people defy categorization, and even more amazed at how much I can learn from those with whom I disagree.

Consider the source - Had an e-mail come from a total stranger, indicating that I was teach a different week than the scheduled one, I'd have tossed it. Had it come from a friend who was unrelated to the school, I'd have considered it a joke. We're not invited to put people into box, but we are invited to consider the source. When I read NT Wright, I'm convinced that this is not a man who's trying to lead me to the doors of hell, and so I listen. I still might not agree with everything he says, but his command of the Bible and church history mean that I'll trust his propositions more readily that some other people's.

Double Check - I should have called before I left the house. If some new discovery or revelation (new for you anyway) is going to require that you live differently, it would be wise to consider if there are others who are living on the terrain you're heading. Are you moving towards a position of non-violence? Read Bonhoeffer, and perhaps CS Lewis piece, "Why I am not a Pacifist" before going there. Are you changing your position on divorce and remarriage? Read from some who think like you do now, and some who espouse the new position you're considering. This is how we grow.

400 miles between Seattle and Vancouver on a crisp fall day is really not that big a deal. But the lessons learned, if applied to how I live out my faith in all areas of life, could be priceless.

seeing...

Richard Dahlstrom — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 12:45:38 -0700

"But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear..." Matthew 13:16

I woke up in the middle of the night once to turn off the heat and walked into the corner of a wall. I wasn't drunk or angry, just presumptuous, thinking that I knew the lay of the land in our apartment better than I really did. Embarrassed, I crawled back into bed letting my wife know that the thud wasn't an earthquake; it was just my head. She asked how serious it was and I said I felt fine. It wasn't until she turned the light on that we discovered blood was soaking the pillow and the sheets, and that I needed to get to the emergency room. The only thing worse than not seeing is not seeing while presuming to know the way.

This, of course, is the danger that comes from being religious, from being 'churched'. The people who thought they could see because they knew their Bibles so well, were the ones who accused Jesus of being demon possesed, and who were careful, after arresting the Messiah, to stay out of the Gentile's courtyard so that they could be ceremonially clean for the ensuing Passover meal. The wonderful paradox of life with Jesus though, seems to be that the ones who ultimately see are the ones are understand that they're in the dark. The disciples, who Jesus commends for their capacity to see, need Jesus' help to interpret the parables He speaks, and they're not afraid to ask for it. The blind man in John 9 ultimately sees, not only trees and flowers, but the identity of the long awaited Messiah, while Jesus tells the Bible scholars that because they presume that they can see, their sin remains. And of course, the rock-star of 1st century Christianity, the great Paul, begin his life in Christ by being plunged into literal blindness, thus creating a receptivity of heart and mind that would lead to his transformation.

I'm old enough now to have seen lots of fads dance across the stage of Christian history. The world was going to end back in the 70's, and then again in the 80's, not to mention Y2K and the fans of stocking up on canned goods and weapons in Jesus name. There have been manias about spiritual gifts, and reactionary phobias; spiritual warfare and rumors of spiritual warfare a plenty; prosperity promises; liberation revolutions; and more recenlty emergent/post-modern/anceint-modern/foundationalist, post-foundationalist..blah blah blah. These days I just roll my eyes and yawn.

It's not that we don't need new perspective. We do. Seeing is supremely important, so I want to hear and learn from every corner of the theological globe. The irony, though, is that as soon as I believe that I know with great clarity ('with all caps, like, K-N-O-W), I begin to defend doctrinal turf, or promote it, or both. Such postures and attitudes carry an undertone of arrogance rather than humility, and it's the arrogance of the one who presumes to know who will, in the end, find himself walking into walls. This isn't a calling to live in a some sort of 'conviction free zone' where I declare that since I can't know anything with certainly I'll just not believe anything at all. Rather, it's a call to hold my convictions and live them out with courage, but also with humility, open to reordering when further conviction and enlightenment comes, when I see more clearly. After all, Paul said that we don't get it perfectly yet, so let's continue to enjoy the journey, calling each other to Christ, looking for answers, living out our convictions with an openness to ongoing repentance and transformation. Such a posture of heart and mind is eye-opening, and God knows that in these days of heightened fear and rhetoric, seers are in short supply.

O Lord Jesus;

We thank you that you call us to shine as light in the midst of these amazing days, and we are quick to acknowledge that, apart from your light shining into our lives, our hearts remain darkened. Create in us both an awareness of our own darkness, so that we might have a holy desire kindled for your light to shine, granting us the capacity to grow in wisdom, and mature in our capacity to live as people of joy, hope, and generosity in this fallen world. In your great name we pray. Amen.