The Loss of Decency

“The Loss of Decency”

                If I must be classified by political party, I guess I would be called a moderate Democrat.  My familial political lineage is filled with all sorts of Republican, Democrat, Populist, and even Socialist sympathizers.  To use the image of Tony Campolo, I am a “red letter Christian.”  Such a term transcends any political branding.  For those of you who are un-schooled in the theology of Eastern College, Evangelical Christian professor Campolo, let me explain. By “red letter Christian” he means that the words of Jesus (in red in many Bibles) are the foundational source of authority for people of faith.  Paul’s theological ruminations on Christology and ecclesiology, etc. are nice, but it is what Jesus is given credit for saying that is at the heart of Christian behavior.

                Where is all this leading?  A few days ago at the conservative political coalition, CPAC, there was a panel discussion on the Catholic church’s disagreement with the recent health care ruling concerning the inclusion of contraception care within health insurance coverage – even in Catholic employers such as colleges, hospitals, and social service agencies.  I believe there is room for debate on the church and state and rights of women components around the coverage issue.  But what happened at CPAC turned my stomach and again angered me toward strident fundamentalism of any kind but particularly the Christian right.  Fox media commentator, Cal Thomas, after watching a video clip of MSNBC Rachel Maddow supporting the rights of women for the inclusion of the contraception component in the plan – even for Roman Catholic related institutions – made the sarcastic remark  “I’m really glad, Genevieve, that you played the original Maddow clip, because I think she is the best argument in favor of her parents using contraception. I would be all for that. And all the rest of the crowd at MSNBC, too, for that matter.”  Many in the audience applauded.  I was appalled!

                The red letters that Jesus spoke talked about the divine worth of every human being.  They spoke of kindness and grace as the foundation of any words spoken or actions taken.  Mr. Thomas or any others who applauded such remarks surely cannot claim the mantel of Jesus Christ as their Savior.  Where has the decency of people of faith gone?  While I may not agree with the opinions of some who see the world differently from me, I pray that God will help me to always look for the divine within them.  

An Apologetic without Apology

A Good Word for the Local Church – An Apologetic but not an Apology

                I guess I have grown tired of the continual articles about faith is good – organized religion is bad journalistic efforts.  It seems that an increasing number of people who say they hold to a faith-based perspective on life are offering demonstrative critiques of organized religion as found in the institutional church.  Church bashing is increasingly in vogue. While in my lengthy journey as an ordained minister serving for over 35 years in local churches I have seen some of the “less-than-Christian” behavior that the faith-without-religion critics are using as their thesis for being “unaffiliated.” I feel I still need to offer a good word for organized religion’s basic unit of operation.  It has been my contention all along that the church doesn’t receive the immense credit it deserves for its role in society – in the past and in the present.  So I offer an apologetic for the church without apology.

                The local church is the place where unique and diverse community is encouraged and fostered.  While many churches lack racial-ethnic diversity as we define it today, it is still the place where young children, inquisitive teenagers, young and middle aged parents, singles and couples, and seasoned citizens meet and greet and share their life stories.  It is the place where seeking souls from across the economic spectrum sit side by side in the worship of the One who tears down the dividing walls.  It is increasingly the place where people of different racial, cultural, and sexual preference backgrounds study the Word together and work for the social welfare of the greatest in need together.  There are very few places in our society where people of different ages, economic circumstances, and racial and cultural backgrounds gather.  Very few other organizations and institutions bring such divergent people together in search of the meaning of life.  Not even the educational system – particularly around age diversity – can claim to be the place for building community.

                The local church is the place where preventative holistic healthcare is always available.  Whether it is the wisdom shared about living a fulfilling life from words spoken from a pulpit or a sharing of life’s trials with someone at a fellowship hour or in a pastor’s office or the community support in a time of illness or bereavement, the church is a primary healthcare provider.  I cannot imagine how many times I have seen a word spoken, an embrace offered, and a counseling insight shared where some form of emotional, spiritual, or relational healing has taken place.  Visiting the sick; communicating with the lonely; welcoming with equal love and care each person regardless of their status in the world’s eyes; offering a space and a place for organizations that bring wholeness to the addicted and conflicted, that is the essence of the local church I experienced.  Maybe the problem is that all of this is done through simple acts of goodness that bring no fanfare.

                The local church is a place that calls us to remember and to serve those in greatest need in the wider world.  While attending to the well being of its community, it also challenges those who dare to hear the Gospel call to think globally and to offer not just heart but hands in service to those in greatest need.  It offers hands on opportunities to experience the realities of the wider world and to work for changing the forces in the world that cause oppression and division in the global community.  It is a place that comforts our hurting souls and disquiets us from becoming too comfortable in a world where so many suffer.  The church (particularly my United Church of Christ) has historically been the catalyst for societal action in the areas of quality education, racial and ethnic discrimination, women’s and sexual preference equality and rights, quality healthcare delivery, and so much more in the area of human service providing.  Again the church goes about its outreach and justice ministries seeking little public recognition. 

                The local church is a place where eternal values are taught.  While some would be fair in their critique of the church occasionally becoming involved in theological trivia and strident judgmentalism on some issues that Jesus himself would concede as unimportant, the church does offer a constant reminder of the values that are important for the salvation of our souls and the world.  I once told a parishioner who asked about the many facets of my “job” on Sunday mornings that I have the role to remind all who will hear, including myself, of those things – compassion, grace, forgiveness, kindness, patience, humility – that make for a truly good and blessed life.  All of us need a refresher course in holy living on a regular basis and the church provides that values education.

                And maybe the complaint by many faith-without-church advocates “that the church is filled with hypocrites” is yet another reason why the church is so valuable and essential.  We need a place in the world that offers grace and calls for repentance.  In remembering the church in which I grew up I recalled the funeral of one older member who constantly complained about almost everything the church did and supported.  Yet, at his funeral the pastor while acknowledging some of the man’s shortcomings said that he had been a good man and a child of God.  Maybe the church’s major gift to the world is to welcome soiled and broken souls – probably in some way all of us – with a word of grace and, when necessary, a loving call for repentance.  In my ministry I have felt that it was my role to try to seek the God-ness and the good inside of the most cantankerous and mystifying souls who crossed my path.  The church is a place of grace and grace again.  Where else is such compassion offered?

                Maybe the faith without church advocates don’t want to have their opinions challenged or shallow holy moments tested.  Maybe it is the “other-centered-ness” of the church that keeps those seeking individual salvation from entering into Christian community.  I have a personal belief that in our attention deficit, “myself first” world that many critiques of the institutional church have not given participation in a community of faith a fair chance.  Yes, the church must always be seeking to be relevant in every age, but also those desiring the benefits that the local church offers must take the time to dig into the life-enhancing realities that being part of a true community of soiled-saints has to offer.  It is time that the “churched” speak out without apology about the blessings of being part of that community of seeking souls that is call the local church.

Harry's Theology 101

Have been working on some writing.  Looking at the "Soiled and Sacred Saints" from my Ministry Journey....Here's one of them.

²⁵“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?²⁶Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

                I first met Harry as I was leaving from a “homebound” visitation at the subsidized senior apartment complex in Danbury, CT.  “Have a joyous day young man!”  The words were spoken in a proper Boston accent.  Turning to see where this pleasant greeting came from my eyes landed upon a seasoned citizen sitting on a green wooden bench in front of the apartment complex.  Attired in a white opened collar shirt and brown pants held in place by cordovan-colored suspenders  Harry Green sat with a smile on his face.  His arm-clasped crutches leaning on the bench announced the fact of what I was to learn later that he had polio as a child.  “Come join me.  You look like you’re rushing and need some bench sitting time” was his invitation.  In spite of a full schedule I accepted his offer of a little bench time.  I learned that Harry was a Massachusetts’ Yankee to the core.  He spoke fondly, yet sorrowfully, of the love of his life, his wife, Martha who had died several years earlier.  His face lit up when he regaled me with his “work” history.  “I was a piano player and entertainer.  I spent much of my life in vaudeville.  My claim to fame is that I know over 2,500 songs by memory.”  “Never made much money, never had anything all that fancy…….. but Martha and I were happy being together and I loved my music and the interesting souls I met along the way.”  After finding out that I was clergy, he offered his basic theology 101 truth which he had learned from growing up in “his” New England Congregational Church.  “Bob, I have had everything I need – I am one of those birds of the air you talk about.”

                His theology lesson made me feel a little uneasy, because in spite of all the words that I spoke about God providing for my every need, I too often had bought the prevailing belief of most people “Don’t be satisfied!  You need MORE if you want to find a fulfilling life.”  While I felt blessed to have many of the creature comforts that the world offered, there was  still a yearning for wanting more.  Harry reminded me again that my “wants” exceeded my “needs.”  The love of his wife; the companionship of friends he made from all walks of life; the shelter of a small subsidized apartment; and, oh yes, his music….from the melodic to the bawdy – Harry had “all that he needed.”  This Congregationalist vaudeville entertainer entertained God with his thankful heart.  Today let us go and do likewise!  Even if we don’t have everything that we think we want, God has given us everything that we need.

God, Composer of the melodies of the Spirit, instill in us the wisdom to know what we really need and to sing our praises to you because we have been blest.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen. 

City Church Thoughts

Recently Cameron Trimble was the catalyst for a lively discussion on Facebook concerning the realities and vagaries of the urban church….particularly the United Church of Christ version. As is with most mainline denominations – those who say “Jesus” in two syllables, there have been few successes in developing a dynamic Christian presence in the city. Having been blessed to serve a parish in a midsize city, having been again blessed to serve in a large urban rim church which was open to making significant connections with churches in the city, and having been called to assist as a reflective resource with several urban churches in my conference and national roles, I have nurtured an increasing passion for the need for a progressive church presence in the city. Rather than abandoning the city – as I believe is being done by most mainline denominations, I am adamant in my belief that it is THE time to plant and renew some of the most import “mission outposts” that are essential for “well-being” – shalom – of the human race. I know what you are thinking – that sounds preposterous! The city is a microcosm of the global community and therefore provides insights on addressing the prickly realities of the world which seem beyond our grasp – ethnic, cultural, religious diversity, economic disparities / haves and have nots, quality educational and healthcare issues. The urban church needs to be the “sacred space” that ministers to the divergent populations of the city and offers an “insight place” where these global realities need to be openly and honestly discussed with grace abounding. It needs to be the safe space for dialogue on the issues of what it means to be human and to live in community with others.
At the same time that I was following Cameron’s Facebook thoughts a painful e-mail arrived. The first church that I had served was a struggling small city church. Over my ten year ministry there the congregation developed into a strong church with a commanding presence in the community. The e-mail from a former and current leader in the church announced the resignation of its pastor and the harsh suggestion that the church would die within the next half-decade. In close to 30 years membership had dwindled from over 1,000 members to a precious few and the pledge units had fallen from over 300 to under 50. What happened? If the truth be told with full candor, it was the choice of the wrong pastoral leadership at a critical time in the church’s ministry that led to a downward spiral. While I believe that a renewal could take place with some very strong pastoral leadership and significant risk taking on the part of the congregation, I am broken hearted about the state of decline that the church is experiencing.
Leadership – that is the key component for a vital church in an urban setting. My concern is that most mainline denominations (the UCC being my preference) do little in the identifying and training of clergy for urban churches. In large part most seminary education does not help candidates for the ordained ministry to discern whether she or he might have the gifts essential for ordained ministry in an urban setting……some of those gifts being – a passion for diversity; an optimistic openness to outlandish creativity; an uncanny ability to study the unique sociology of the urban scene; a gift for hearing the voices of others and often allowing the marginalized to bring their wisdom to the shaping of ministry; an ability in building alliances with other sacred and secular institutions – including government. While most of our seminaries do an excellent job in training those seeking ordained ministry in the “generic” local church – usually in a suburban, town, or rural setting, the nuances of ministry in the urban setting are given little visibility.
Alliances – this is the second key component to enriching the ministry of churches in urban settings. “We covenant together….” are foundational words on which the United Church of Christ is built. Yet too often “autonomy” is the operative practice by a majority of local churches. A covenantal, an alliance building ecclesiology is essential for the health and witness of the urban church. As I have alluded to, covenants with sacred and secular institutions who share the city-space are primary. Still I believe that alliances with churches on the sub-urban rim of the city are an often neglected opportunities for strengthening the ministry of churches in both settings. For the challenges of the city are real world challenges. The city church offers access to diversity training in a “micro” perspective. I remember well the relationships that allowed a large suburban church I was serving to gain a new perspective on living in a global world. A significant parabolic moment took place in a shared Bible study in a predominately African-American church. As we worked our way through the Beatitudes, one of the women from one of our partner churches said sternly without animosity in her voice: “This passage about blessed are the poor has little to do with you my friends who live in the suburbs – it ain’t about being poor in spirit – it’s about being poor. Jesus has a preference for the poor.” There was silence and then grace-filled, soul changing dialogue. The blessing of understanding from such alliance building took on a more humorous perspective among a group of five churches who were gathered together around racial tensions in the small city of my first church. Following a time of racial tension at the local high school, I challenged four other churches to join in a “Cross Connections” ministry. The connection partners were an African-American Baptist Church, an Orthodox Arabic Melkite Church, an Hispanic Baptist Church, and two “Anglo” (as we were called) churches. Along with establishing youth service programs together we covenanted together to have a series of Lenten meals with Bible Study. At one of these “heavenly banquet” feasts my dear friend and pastor of the Hispanic Church made a comment on the variety of foods on the serving table. “Bob the foods we bring might say a lot about the way we go about living out our faith. Notice that we Hispanics bring spicy foods. Our African-American friends bring some spicy and some earthy foods. Our Orthodox friends bring foods that are earthy and rich in flavor. And what do you Anglos bring – jellied salads and baked beans. Enough said? You folks might learn a little something about delicious food and rich and hot faith from the rest of us.” What touched my soul was the reality that amid the levity, there was an honesty he felt comfortable in sharing with me. And the reality that we had much to learned from our others brothers and sisters in Christ. An openness to listen was the only requirement. Alliances – covenant relationships lead to vitality and new understandings for all who are willing to risk setting aside their control needs and preconceptions in the pursuit of God’s justice and grace. Such alliances are particularly key for the strengthening of the ministries of the city church.
Let me offer a word of thanks for a Facebook posting that called me to remember the costs and JOYS of discipleship that I experienced in my times of ministry in the urban church. I hope this humble effort on ministry in the city – I feel like breaking out in the song by The Eagles – will foster further dialogue. And unlike The Eagles song, I hope the United Church of Christ will not seek to flee from providing its inclusive and justice based ministry in the city!

Christmas - The Extreme Season

The story was the same as it is every year. God has sent an angel to earth seeking a sign of Christmas hope and peace. The story always has the same happy ending when a father is reconciled and re-united with his run-away daughter. Yet the journey of getting from the beginning to the end of the Christmas tale is always a most joyous and outlandish ride. This year the story was told in The Veterans’ Memorial Coliseum in Jacksonville, Fla., by The Trans-Siberian Orchestra. The musicians’ affinity for classical music played in a heavy rock and roll style fills the entire 2 ½ hour performance. But what also pervades the performance during the playing of most of the classical and Christmas carol based music are strobe lights, lasers, flame throwing fire-pots, smoke machines, stage rigging that moves out over the audience, and, oh yes, a fifteen piece orchestra backing up the three guitarists, the two keyboard players, the one electronic violinist, and the sole drummer who has lasers flying out of his drums. The Christmas message is invoked in a sensory overloaded experience. One 84-year-old woman who was in the final stages of her battle with cancer who accompanied me to a performance two years ago stood clapping and dancing as the final selection – Beethoven’s Fifth - was being played. Then she said to me, “What joy I felt! That was really something! I feel like a child again!” That’s part of what Christmas is all about – innocence and freedom of spirit and child-like joy and wonder. There is a part of the heart of Christmas that should be outlandishly joyous. “Joy to the world the Lord has come!”
I move ahead twelve hours to a street in the old section of St. Augustine, Fla. As we walked down the narrow streets of the “oldest city in America” I noticed an unassuming sign hanging from the entrance to a small courtyard. It was the entrance to St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine. They called the shrine – where the first colony of Greeks arrived in America – their “Plymouth Rock.” We cautiously approached the narrow doorway. After being greeted warmly by two members of the shrine’s staff, we walked into the history filled and icon laden shrine. The altar evoked a meditative spirit and calming silence to our souls. The awe and wonder of the shepherds and magi enfolded us. Speechless, silence, iconic beauty – the Virgin and Child looked into our souls from their elevated place behind the altar. “How silently the wondrous gift is given!”
Child-like joy and innocence that believes that reconciliation among all peoples is possible; that lions and lambs can lie together – awe-filled silence that is birthed because of the mystery and majesty of this Holy Birth. “Let heaven and nature sing” – “Fall on your knees and hear the angel voices!” This is why I call Christmas the extreme season. It is no season for mediocrity when it comes to the state of our souls. May Christmas be the catalyst for our living an extremely Christ-filled life regardless of the date on the calendar.
Bob

P.S. Since I finished this article Congress voted a weak budget deal and extension of the payroll tax cuts. Our elected officials have become such boring, joyless, boxed up people. They have become the supreme example of “Bah! Humbug People!” Maybe they need to go to a TSO concert and to the shrine of St. Photios.

An Anecdote for Knowing It All
I woke up this a.m. and listened to my favorite political fix show Morning Joe. Naturally most of the news was about the Super Committee dealing with the budget, the Republican candidates for president expressing their viewpoints, and the lingering news about the Penn State fiasco surrounding the accusations of child abuse brought against a long time football coach. I then read a few e-mails from some of my friends who were expressing hard line positions about “certain” people and things political – most with which I strongly disagreed. At first I wanted to e-mail them back and tell them about their “lost” way and share the “truth” with them. As you can see I started my day hearing about people taking hard line positions – speaking as if they knew it all about the person or the issue which they were addressing. It was then that I turned to my morning meditative reading. The words I read were from the twentieth century monastic Thomas Merton.
We ought to have the humility to admit we do not know all about ourselves, that we are not experts at running our own lives. We ought to stop taking our conscious plans and decisions with such infinite seriousness. It may well be that we are not the martyrs or mystics or apostles or the leaders or lovers of God that we imagine ourselves to be. Our subconscious mind may be trying to tell us this in many ways and we have trained ourselves with the most egregious self-righteousness to turn a deaf ear.”
Was this a God thing? Those who have ears, hear! Maybe taking the time to come to know ourselves (our desires, our motives, our strengths, our weaknesses, our hopes and fears) before becoming a know it all about any person or issue might just be the way to building bridges over chasms of misunderstanding.

A Lesson from Penn State That Requires Our Attention

So Joe’s Gone – Stop Piling On – Sinners All
The forced exit of Joe Paterno as coach of the Penn State football team will not ease the pain of the victims and their families. The tragedy has happened and hopefully time and an undercurrent of God’s grace will help the abused to find some healing from scares inflicted upon their souls. Paterno’s exit, while necessary, will not solve the underlying problem that allows all forms of abuse to take place in the world of sport……games have become multi-million dollar businesses. And those teams and usually their coaches that succeed in the business of sport – whether amateur (I almost regret using the word – Are there any left?) or professional – have been elevated to a divine status. They are worshipped and adored and well-compensated for their elect status. O come let us adore them! Let us adore them with TV contracts and tee shirt sales and media commentator praise! Let us adore them with the excessive adulation of fanatical followers and free athletic equipment as long as the logo of the giver is visible for all to see. Come let us adore them by allowing substandard academic achievement and blind acceptance of all forms of less than acceptable behavior.
I am amazed at the number of sport’s commentators who make a living helping to elevate and praise these gods of sport who have suddenly become so self-righteous in their pointing their fingers at “those” sinners. I am repulsed at the “grandstand righteous” who know what Joe Pa and others should have done but in their daily lives either look the other way or do just “what is required” in the face of all kinds of injustices and marginally and blatantly immoral behaviors that occur around them. I have always been concerned about those who are rabidly fanatical about “their team” and in doing so lose all sense of rational thinking or behavior. We who have lost our way and our minds when it comes to our love of sport are guilty of allowing competitive sports to live by different moral standards.
And what is our penance? Let us in all possible ways begin to bring back into sports a spirit that affirms “it is not whether you win or lose but rather it is how you play the game.” May all parents and coaches of children and youth sports teams behave in ways that exemplify the highest in moral behavior. Let us help our children to build character not resumes for scholarships. Let all who love sports appreciate fair play and good behavior on the field of play more than the their team’s standing in the league or their rankings in the polls. Let us speak up not just about such heinous acts like those that has brought disgrace at Penn State but whenever we see less than character building behaviors in any sporting endeavor.
Personally from afar I have liked what I have seen in the character building work of Joe Paterno. He made one very tragic mistake which will not soon be forgotten. Yes, maybe all the adulation led to some hubris in dealing with his tenacious desire to coach until the end of the season. But there is at least one visual testimony to Paterno’s character building focus that is displayed every time the Nittany Lions take the field. There are no names on the players’ shirts. It is all about “we”, not “me.” It is WE who say we love sports who need to accept our share of the blame for where the world of sport has gone. And it is we who need to take the steps to bring individual and team sports back to earth. It is we who have done much in granting elevated, godlike status to those who excel in playing games. For the sake of all children we need to do the right and moral thing so others are not emotionally scarred through their participation in playing their games or through, God forbid, another very sick predator’s actions.
“Those who are without sin, let them cast the first stone.”
Prayerfully and Penitentially Yours, Bob