Earth Wind and Fire: Seeking Out The Small Voice Today. (1 Kings 19)

““Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; ¹²and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. ¹³When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

The story of Elijah at Mt. Horeb is one of my favorite stories in the bible. Its just a beautiful image. It completely confounds everything we think we know about theophany (an appearance of God, theo + phanero lit. God manifest). We want flash and fire and booming James Earl Jones’ voice. Its what we want in calling as well. In direction. When we ask God for a sign or a signal we want that same flash. Smoke by day and Fire by night, parting seas, perhaps something tasteful in flashing neon, “Go here!”

But God doesn’t do that. God works in quiet whispers. A peasant child wailing in the Bethlehem night. A band of dust stained fishermen and rebels. A blinded pharisee. God chooses unlikely quiet things to speak into a noisy world.

In fact, this theophany warns us against the voices of volume. Before Elijah can hear God he must learn to tune out the other things. Earth, Wind and Fire are competing for his attention. And they are LOUD. They’ve got better presentation. Who wants to hear whispers when you’ve got the full panoply of lights, sound and motion?

But this is precisely the warning. Volume is never the measure of accuracy. Of love. Of truth. In fact, God over and over chooses the quiet things. The foolish things.

Confusion, Discord and outright misdirection come in the prettiest packages. They have twitter, and facebook and even blogs. Their books make best seller lists.

But God speaks through naked prophets. Through stubborn asses and unseen angels (Num 22:22-35). God’s voice does not always, or perhaps even often, reach out and knock us off our feet with clarity and volume.

And we do not often have the luxury to go off to find places of silence. We often miss that in discussing this passage. Elijah goes to the top of a flipping mountain. And even there he is bombarded with distraction and misdirection.

Therefore, our Discernment cannot simply be an act of passive waiting. We must learn to evaluate and discard the discordant and distracting voices which assault us. We have to find the inner and outer silence which allows God’s quiet voice to be heard.

Formulating a Christian Stance Regarding Homosexuality: Some Thoughts

I hesitate to write this post, as I imagine it will offend or scandalize many individuals whom I love and cherish deeply, but unfortunately it has become apparent that is a topic which cannot go unaddressed.

The question of the nature of Homosexuality in relation to the Christian churches is one which has been often addressed often with very little love or thought or both. However, over and over again I find the same singular issue recurring in the rhetoric and dialogue of individuals from all sides of the ideological spectrum. Namely, individuals on all sides of the debate continue to insist on their own particular position as the appropriate one for the Church as a whole without any attempt whatsoever to align or explicate their stance in light of Scripture and Doctrine.

While I affirm the right of each individual to formulate opinions and facets of individual belief for themselves based on no other mechanism than their own logic, anecdotes and experiences I am stringently opposed to the practice of translating these individually held conclusions to normative projections for the Church or for all Christians.

While, varying depending on your tradition, personal experience and individual wisdom indeed holds a place in determining Christian theology and praxis, what makes Christian theology and doctrine fundamentally Christian is its roots in the character, actions and words of the triune God as portrayed through the Scriptures.

This is not to say that the argument can’t be made for whatever perspective one holds personally (though of course some will be more or less amenable to the practice), but rather that, to be Christian, the effort must be made. The theological conclusions, the desired practices must be answerable to Scripture. Our personal perspectives must be distilled through our theology, through our scripture and through the God embodied in Christ. If we fail to do this our perspective cannot and will never be Christian.

Any argument meaningful to the Church, any argument intended to become normative, must be argued holistically in relation to scripture and in the vernacular of the Christian tradition.  Just because a verse or author disagrees with your perspective doesn’t mean there isn’t an explanatory framework within which your argument is sound in relation to Scripture and Tradition, however such a framework cannot be assumed but must be carefully constructed such that it can be.

Furthermore, despite the fervency of one’s individually held assertion that assertion can never be elevated above first loyalty to the triune God. Something is fundamentally wrong, not with your personhood but with your faith when you can conceive of maintaining a potentially completely antithetical belief while simultaneously holding to a Christian faith. Faith in Christ, in the God of Scripture, is not at home to Grecco-Roman pluralism. No matter how lovely or pleasing any notion laid beside the altar which is not Christian is ultimately theological idolatry.

So what is the sum? What is the imperative? If you believe that you truly have the correct stance regarding Homosexuality (or any issue for that matter) for Christianity and the Church submit it to Scripture, to theology, to tradition. Find the places of harmony and dissonance and learn to incorporate them into your ideological framework. When proponents of any stance adopt irrational and ungrounded theological assertions they become two sides of the same idolatrous coin.

Our assertions when presented aggressively, a-rationally, a-theologically and a-scripturally will always be lacking. They will antagonize and fail to produce meaningful dialogue, no matter how loving or well intentioned they are. If you truly believe your stance is the most Christian then prove it. Our love and our faith will not be found wanting by the God of love and faith, the only failure is to never try at all.

“Am I John or Peter?” or The Wesley Covenant Prayer and Suffering

The Beheading of John the Baptist - Pierre Puvis de Chavannes

In the Methodist tradition there is a beautiful and deeply troubling prayer called the Wesley Covenant Prayer. A prayer which, for obvious reasons, is frequently discussed here at the Divinity School. It is the double edged sword of God’s providence. It says that, for God’s glory, let what must happen happen. Not my will but yours.

But of course we all know that God’s glory is best served by us becoming rich and successful. By getting published, becoming pastors of huge congregations or starting successful and effective non-profits. By us going on to prestigious PhD programs and getting the best placements in our denominations. God’s glory is always served by our success.

Or at least we think so. We hope so. We might even be so bold as to pray so (I’m looking at you Joel.)  But this is not what our own scriptures teach us. Sometimes God is glorified more in our shame. In our weakness and our failures. For Hosea, God’s glory meant marrying an unfaithful prostitute. For Thomas, God’s glory meant doubt overpowering faith. Sometimes the mistake is not redeemed, sometimes glory comes because a bad thing which happens and stays happened.

In this vein, I would like to point us to two stories within the Lucan narratives of Luke and Acts, the story of John the Baptist (Luke 7:18-24, Matt 14:1-12 for more on his death) and the story of Peter in Acts 12 .  Here we have two very similar cases in Christian history. In each case we have an evangelical preacher who is jailed for their ministry. Even down to imprisonment by brothers within the same royal family.  And they are each imprisoned for a length of time because of their ministry.

But then the stories diverge. Peter is miraculously set free after only a day. A messenger from heaven erupts into his cell in a column of heavenly light and sets him free with a single touch. He is returned to his community and goes on to become one of its founding pillars of theology and practice. His rescue is one of the classic tales of God’s redemptive, freeing power.

But then we look at John. John languishes in prison. We don’t know exactly how long but his disciples had time to go find Jesus and theoretically return to him, which in the ancient world before foursquare and GPS would have been a lengthy trek. Months, in a pit of a prison, agonizing over whether all of his work and suffering were for nothing.

John never gets his miraculous angel. No earthquake. No daring Jack Bauer-esque apostolic prison break mission.

John is beheaded.

God doesn’t redeem John’s situation. Not for him. John is brought into trial and suffering. And he dies there. There is no restoration for John.

And sometimes that’s the point. John lived and died for a dream he never saw realized. He proclaimed and was killed for a kingdom he never entered in his life.

But the Kingdom advances. John dies and the kingdom advances. James dies and the kingdom advances. Paul, Peter, Andrew, Ignatius, Polycarp, Perpetua, Justin, Serapion. They die and the kingdom advances.

Despite all things the kingdom advances. And sometimes the kingdom advances and God is glorified by our failures, by our setting aside and even by our deaths. As painful as it is to contemplate, all of our plans, aspirations and hopes are held in light of this.

But all of this is not to depress. The point is that the kingdom advances. That God’s good advances on the shoulders of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. That while God’s purposes advance by promotion and success, by water and by tongues of fire, God’s purposes also advance by unemployment and failure, by shame and by crosses. The redemption of our suffering is not promised tomorrow. It is not promised on this side of resurrection. But it is promised.

The Wesley Covenant Prayer

I am no longer my own, but thine.

Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.

Put me to doing, put me to suffering.

Let me be employed for thee or laid aside for thee,

exalted for thee or brought low for thee.

Let me be full, let me be empty.

Let me have all things, let me have nothing.

I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal.

And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

thou art mine, and I am thine.

So be it.

And the covenant which I have made on earth,

let it be ratified in heaven.

Amen.

10 Things Every Christian Should Know (that aren’t already in your bible)

1) The Bible is written in two languages. Hebrew for the Old Testament (with a tiny smattering of Aramaic) and Koine Greek for the New Testament. All of our “versions” refer to the type of translation being done and what the translator’s emphasize.

-The NRSV emphasizes the most literal and accurate possible rendering of the Greek and Hebrew. They also include gender neutral pronouns when it doesn’t change the meaning of the text (i.e. “brothers and sisters” instead of “brothers”). The NASB is very similar with slightly less GI language in older versions.

-The Message is a paraphrase based on the original languages. The translator attempted to capture the essence or impression of the original phrases while paraphrasing them into much more readable modern English.

-Anything with “Living” in the title is a paraphrase and is more concerned with readability than strict translation.

-The NIV is an attempt to be an accurate translation with an emphasis on overarching meanings and individual literal phrases. However, in some cases it seems to diverge in favor of reconciling discrepancies between verses or otherwise smoothing out controversial literal phrases.

2) The Nicene Creed (http://carm.org/apostles-creed) /Apostle’s Creed (http://carm.org/apostles-creed). I apologize to the anti-creedalists and anti-dogmatics but they’re important. These two short texts are the historic markers by which essential and necessary elements of Christianity have been judged. Its the barest bones ecumenical agreement by which Christianity has been affirmed. And if you look at it you probably won’t find anything you disagree with or notice any particularly glaring lack.

3) And it follows: Baptists, your Catholic friends aren’t going to hell. Catholics, the Methodists aren’t damned apostates and Evangelicals lay off the Mennonites. You’re all Christians. With One Lord. And if you can affirm the aforementioned creeds you agree on the largest and most important things. We can get along with the rest.

4) And another one in the same vein: If you’re any kind of Christian today you have 2000 years of Church History. Your church lineage doesn’t go Jesus-Paul-Skip a few- 99-Missionary Apostolic Baptists. You own the first 1500 years of the history of the churches just as much as Catholics, for good and bad. Augustine and Aquinas are yours, so are Constantine and the Crusades. The persecutions and the persecuting. The sinners and the saints. That’s something you have to own. Know where you come from.

5) The Lord’s Prayer. Ok, it is in your bible, but we don’t seem to take it very seriously. This is the one word for word prayer given from Christ himself to the disciples for their use. Its been said by nearly every Christian who has ever lived and its still said every day by millions of Christians. Get on it, its worth knowing.

6) You need to understand the broad scope of Jewish history. Its in your bible but its an interpretation of what happened not so much the clear history.

Out of Egypt. Wilderness. Promised Land. Judges. Kings. Ruled by Assyrians. Ruled by Babylonians. Freed/Ruled by Persia/later Macedonia. Ruled by Greeks. Temporarily threw out Greeks, ruled by Jews for a tiny window. Ruled by Romans. New Testament Era.

Why is this important? Its the Assyrians who bring about the creation of Samaritan culture. The Babylonian exile and the return from exile is the primary topic for most of the most famous OT prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, Nehemiah). The Romans put Pontius and Herod into power and brought crucifixion into wide use in Israel. And also look at that list, Israel got its tail kicked a lot. They had suffered a lot of oppression prior to Jesus, it helps explain why they were looking so hard for a military leader (a la the Zealots and Sicarii).

7) The bible is written in a particular context at a particular time. The author meant a particular thing, the audience heard a particular thing and in between is a lot of history, idioms and relationship. The authors assume things about their audience, jargon and metaphors, inside jokes and current events. When Jesus says “41and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile.” (Matt 5), hes referring to a Roman practice by which soldiers could conscript civilians to carry their very heavy packs for them. Anyone who lived in his day would have understood that. But its not obvious to us today. Revelation is full of Hebrew and Roman imagery. And if you don’t understand Jewish ideas of cleanliness, holiness and purity before God you’re going to be very confused by most of the New Testament (esp. the gospels, Acts, Galatians and Romans).

8 ) A lot of how you read Scripture doesn’t actually come from scripture directly. Oh, you understand Father, Son and Holy Spirit in a trinitarian community? That’s not in the text. You understand Christ as fully human and fully divine? Also not explicitly in the text. Instead what we have our gleanings or hints at these doctrines which went through centuries of debate and formulation before they were finally declared Orthodoxy (or right doctrine) by the Councils of Nicaea, Constantinople and Chalcedon. If you’re going to accept these precepts (which you should, or, y’know, you’re a heretic) then you should probably be aware of where they came from and how that slots into your particular tradition.

9) The Hebrew Scriptures (AKA the Old Testament) are not just about predicting Christ. It is not a gigantic Jewish fortune cookie. The texts have meanings before we ever get to Christology. Is it viable to read the H.S. in light of Christ? Of course. Are some sections meant to be read as messianic prediction? Sure why not? But this is not the beginning or even necessarily the end of the text.

For example, Isaiah is 66 chapters long. In most churches we read about 3 chapters of that. God didn’t give the Jewish people a gigantic tome of prophetic words to carry around for centuries just so we could be sure Jesus was legitimate. The text has a story to tell and when we ignore that we’re losing out on a lot. God is showing His grace, mercy and redemption long before the birth of Christ and Christ Himself framed much of his message in light of the Prophets who had come before him. When we ignore anything in the Hebrew Scriptures that doesn’t look explicitly like Christ then we are letting go of a long, rich tradition of interpretation and insight that is still applicable today.

10) Finally, the books of the New Testament did not magically appear in a pre-bound authorized KJV edition. They were compiled over the first two centuries A.D. before they were brought together into an official canon. However, they were also not randomly drawn together. The books of the New Testament were evaluated by the disciples of the Apostles themselves for criteria such as orthodoxy, accuracy and the reliability of the author. The people who had the best knowledge of the person of Christ found the books of the New Testament to be representative of Christ and his apostles. In fact other “gospels” are nothing new, we have a series of 2^nd century letters from an early Christian leader, Serapion, to his congregation at Antioch discussing the docetic “Gospel of Peter”. Serapion begins excited about having more information about Christ but when he gets his hands on a copy and realizes just how bat-crap crazy a lot of it is (like Christ was a ghost with no body and a giant flying cross which speaks). He declared it a heretical book and gave a letter detailing his reasoning, making him one of our first canon scholars.

This list is by no means exhaustive but knowing these things will go a long way towards equipping you to understand Christianity in a more comprehensive way. None of these should ever be understood as replacing the Scriptures themselves but as a means of growth in addition to reading, studying and living in community with a good church. Do you have any suggestions? Gripes, Complaints, Critiques? What do you think needs to be here that isn’t and isn’t already detailed in Scripture?