The Evening Newslines

I’ll be posting the second part to my meditation post in a day or two. http://faithworshiplife.wordpress.com/2008/07/31/meditation-is-my-delight/

However, I’d like to share some headlines that drew my interest for various reasons today.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gVKofKbtJ2gCh_9py0AYsipjglpAD92922K05

California, a state without a budget is facing a $15 billion deficit crisis. The Governator terminated up to 200,000 employees salaries … at least down to the federal minimum wage. Ah, the joys of living with Nanny.

http://www.foxnews.com/bloghealth/?bbPostId=Cz5g6fmXvn3r0Cz8KOJ5PAvkw8CzBLrnav91pA5BDX0Zmkn8onx&bbParentWidgetId=B7vTq211WR1v6GHdP9Zdm1e

Hate to exercise? No sweat! Your game is on with this new pill that purports to give you all the benefits of exercise with no burdens of actually just doing it. I wonder what this pill will do for the internal muscle known as “self-discipline?”

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,394925,00.html

An evangelist preaching on forgiveness during a service, last Monday night … was arrested for having a woman in a freezer in his house. The possibility this woman was his wife is good.

http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?no_d2=1&sid=08/07/31/1954225

Scrabulous has been resurrected on Facebook.com as Wordscraper. I’m excited at the possibility.

Meditation Is My Delight

Recently, both of my churches studied Psalm 1 (with an eye to studying Psalms 1 & 2 together). At any rate a major stream of thought is fed from the spring of verse 2 “but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night” (ESV).

Please don’t make the common evangelical mistake in regarding “law of the LORD” in the same light as the U.S. legal system.

NOT THE SAME.

Certainly there are dos and don’ts within the law of the LORD. However, it is so much more than that, which is why David can sing, “The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul” (Psalm 19:7; ESV). No, think of the law of the LORD as God’s teaching/instruction/way/direction. Think of the law of the LORD as God’s self-revelation.

“On his law he meditates day and night.” In meditating, I’m NOT thinking of what men do in the bathroom “to take care of paper work,” nor I am thinking of sitting in strange positions and mindlessly humming, “OMMMM.” Rather the best way to speak of meditating … is well … speaking … thinking-speaking. It is verbally rehearsing something. Do you remember the last time someone really made you mad? Do you remember the conversation you had with yourself in the privacy of your car or shower? Normally that is called ruminating. I call it meditating. What about the phone conversations discussing in detail the dirt of the person who made you mad? Normally that is called gossip. I call it meditating … corporate meditation.

Meditating on the law of the LORD is the mentally-engaged, verbal rehearsing of the teaching of God, as found in his written Word … privately and corporately.

Now the cool thing about all this is that when we meditate, when we actively … with mental engagement, verbally rehearse the teaching of God as found in his word … we are met by the Holy Spirit. In much the same way as the Holy Spirit can meet us in Holy Communion for transformation, the Holy Spirit can meet us in meditation. The Holy Spirit can take the teaching of God, with which we are brain-washing ourselves, and wash our souls.

By the way … we all get brain-washed. The real question is who do we allow to do the washing and with what. In my next post I’ll share what my regular daily meditations actually are. Thanks for reading. Thanks for meditating.

Accused Shooter’s Reading List Is a Shoddy Shot Against the Right

My heart and prayers go out to the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church for the horrible tragedy they have encountered. Though I have serious theological, social, and political disagreements with the Unitarian Universalists, my heart breaks for the tragedy they have experienced. May the grace of Jesus Christ be with them through this horrible, horrible time.

————————————————————————————

Knoxnews.com recently ran a story that was more Op-Ed than reporting yesterday. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/jul/28/church-shooting-police-find-manifesto-suspects-car/

The title reads, “Bill O’Reilly, Michael Savage, Sean Hannity on accused shooter’s reading list.” The gist of the story is that the shooter … no terrorist … attempted to shoot up everyone in the church because of their liberal leanings. Apparently he may have originally wanted to target some of the big-wigs in the Leftist movement, but being unable to do so he chose those who were likely to have voted the liberals into office.

Knoxnews’s supposedly “gotcha” moment in the article is the not-so-subtle linking of some books found in his house with his vile intentions.

The fourth paragraph in the article reads, “Adkisson targeted the church, Still wrote in the document obtained by WBIR-TV, Channel 10, ‘because of its liberal teachings and his belief that all liberals should be killed because they were ruining the country, and that he felt that the Democrats had tied his country’s hands in the war on terror and they had ruined every institution in America with the aid of media outlets.’”

Three paragraphs down the article reads, “Inside the house, officers found ‘Liberalism is a Mental Health Disorder’ by radio talk show host Michael Savage, ‘Let Freedom Ring’ by talk show host Sean Hannity, and ‘The O’Reilly Factor,’ by television talk show host Bill O’Reilly” (sic).

The article malfunctioned and misfired.

The problem, as I see it, is not in reporting material that might be damaging to those on the right. The problem is the article’s not-so-subtle innuendo is a highly inaccurate character assassination attempt against high profile leaders who are thought to be very Conservative. While I cannot speak for Michael Savage, I can certainly speak for both O’Reilly and Hannity. Neither of these two men would even joke about shooting someone up in this manner … let alone purposefully inspire the terroristic rampage against those on the Left. In fact both men have said on numerous occasions that more voices are better for the country. In fact O’Reilly on some issues is personally center-left, such as in gun control (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/09/23/60minutes/main645202.shtml).

The problem, as I see it, is not the reporting of influences and associations. The problem is in accuracy and fairness. It is interesting that many on the left decry the many associations of Barack Obama with some nefarious men and groups, such as the Weather Underground … while this article not so subtly attempts to do the same thing with this case at hand.

The problem is that Bill Ayers is unrepentant in his former terror activities, while Sean Hannity and Bill O’Reilly openly deplore terroristic activities against anyone … right or left. I hope this verbal assault rifle is still under warranty because it has seriously misfired and quite possibly damaged the verbal shooters themselves.

Rituals Can Be Rich…uals

Among many concerns plaguing we evangelicals is summed up in the catch-phrase, “Not Religion, Relationship.” We evangelicals, it is usually boasted, don’t have a religion, we have a relationship. These people are to be admired for their authentic desires for real, authentic experiences of Jesus-Christianity. Religion and rituals are merely crutches, they say, preventing real experiences of the heart.

I can certainly be sympathetic to my well-meaning friends. I have sat besides many people in Church, wondering if their Christianity extended past the last drop from their Communion glass. However, I am afraid their proposition actually grows more stale than the unused wafers in grandma’s old church.

Rituals and traditions are not something that can be as easily discarded as we may like to believe. While specific rituals might well be tossed on the old dusty shelf with those ragged hymnals Great-granddad sang from, rituals and traditions in general cannot.

Even though we move from pews to chairs in building that new sanctuary, we usually lay claim to a certain row of chairs … in much the same way our family laid claim to “our pew” in the old building. In moving from traditional “worship” to contemporary “worship,” do we not mindlessly clap through the up-beat music … in much the same way we mindlessly held our hymnals and mouthed the lyrics we did not understand?

Do we not in some sense make a tradition out of breaking with tradition … thereby undermining our own mines? Should we break with the time honored traditions simply because it is easy to simply go through the motions? How many of consciously thought of the mystery of toothpaste this morning, when we brushed our teeth? (If you did not brush your teeth I don’t want to know.)

Yes, traditions and rituals can become “sacred cows” we worship quite blindly and mindlessly … until they are threatened or missing. One church bulletin designed for an annual 4th of July Worship service listed “America the Beautiful” for the closing altar hymn. Certainly we should be in the constant practice of bringing our traditions and rituals under close scrutiny of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.

Even still, rituals and traditions can be powerful, giving channel to living water flowing in our hearts … that we otherwise have no words for. Consider POWs, whose well worn path of singing certain hymns led them through the dense jungle of doubt, anger, and despair. Consider Katherine Greene-Mccreight. The Liturgy of the Episcopal Church anchored and deepened her faith during the ravages of psychosis in her Bipolar Disorder. (http://www.amazon.com/Darkness-My-Only-Companion-Christian/dp/1587431750/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217272136&sr=8-1)

In short traditions and rituals provide a certain amount of discipline to living faith. What happens to children who are not trained in any form of discipline and order? Do they not become somewhat spoiled and emotionally frail? Rituals and traditions, when used appropriately, provide voice to the un-nameable happenings in my heart. Traditions and rituals anchor my soul during upon life’s stormy seas. Rituals can actually be rich–ual.

Jesus in Communion

Some people believe the Communion bread and wine actually become the physical body and blood of Jesus … and thereby receive the saving life of Jesus. Some people believe the Communion bread and wine are merely a symbol, representing what Jesus did for us. Some of us are somewhere in between.

Regardless of what position we hold, when we partake of Holy Communion, we are choosing to take up our crosses and follow Jesus in the fellowship of his sufferings for the world … in the world. We are also choosing to invest our whole lives the worldwide fellowship of Jesus-followers … both in our local fellowship and beyond.

I think all of us would admit that when we come together His Holy Spirit is present to transform us and equip us for these purposes.

So, yes, when we eat and drink the bread and wine, we are eating and drinking Jesus.

True Relational Connectedness Trains Us to Connect with Future Success

We value many skills in our society, as we do in our churches. Yet, there is one skill that I believe goes unrecognized … until it could be utilized but lies dormant. That is the skill of relational connectedness.

Now it is relatively easy to be “connected” to someone no matter what they say and do to us. After all a good many well-meaning, but internally weak people live in co-dependent relationaships every day, propping up their significant other … when the best thing for that much needed person is a good rendezvous with the brick wall of reality.

No, the connectedness I am writing about is not the “ability” to emotionally need the other. Such an “ability” is actually a disability to be a healthy self. Rather the connectedness I speak of is the ability to remain in relationship because I choose to … not because I need to do so. I choose to love this person … or this church … though at times they drive me absolutely crazy.

You see, it’s really easy to say I love you because you make me feel good (and because I can’t exist without you). Yet, it takes the love our our Triune-God: Father, Son & Spirit, to transform us and empower us to love one another and be relationally connected though at this particular time I receive no personal benefit from this relationship.

In actuality such a person does in the long run receive benefits. Character development may not feel good now, but it certainly empowers people to navigate all manner of situations later in life. That is one benefit that is priceless.

Another Memorable Quote

“The righteous person is the one whose “fear” (or reverence) of God affects his daily living; he avoids evil and learns how to live from God’s Torah, and therein lies his wisdom”

–Peter C. Craigie, Commentary on Psalm 1 in Volume One of Word Biblical Commentary (Psalms 1-50).

Memorable Quote

“This then is baptismal sprituality–a process that marks our identification with Jesus’ (sic) death and resurrection and a continuous never-ending life lived out of our baptism–a life of perpetual existential death to sin and a life of continuous resurrection into the life of the Spirit.”

–Robert E. Webber, “Baptism Spirituality” in Authentic Worship: Hearing Scripture’s Voice,

Applying Its Truths

Sunday’s Sermon Outline

The following is the outline for the sermon I’ll preach at both of my churches. You should be able to find the written sermon posted later this week in the link, “My Sermons.” 

Under Construction

 

Part VI–“Our Share of the Load or MY Share of MY Entitlement?”

“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (I Timothy 6:10).

 

Adam & Eve

What created desire in Adam and Eve to partake of the forbidden?

Genesis 3:1-7

 

The Rich Young Ruler

What created desire in this man to deny Jesus’s offer, especially when he first desired eternal life? (Notice how the man words his question.)

Luke 18:18-25

 

Question:      Are we that different?

What is the believer’s entitlement?

           

Romans 12:1-21

            Ephesians 4:1-16

            James 1

 

One More Question:

 

Why do you suppose that the Ten Commandments begin and end with the two particular commandments in which they do?

Welcome!

I would like to thank my faithful readers for their continued support, as I hope to be able to better provide quality thought-provoking material for faith, worship, and life edification.

God Bless,

William