This is a shot of our shuttle bus ride from the "outlying area" at the Washington, DC airport where we had our connecting flight. As I hear from friends around the world flying, driving and riding buses from all over the country (and beyond), I am reminded that "Gathering" is not just a noun, it is a verb.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Planes, Trains, Automobiles
This is a shot of our shuttle bus ride from the "outlying area" at the Washington, DC airport where we had our connecting flight. As I hear from friends around the world flying, driving and riding buses from all over the country (and beyond), I am reminded that "Gathering" is not just a noun, it is a verb.
Light
This was one of those "lucky" shots. Better: one given by grace. The light bursting forth from the stage beneath the large cross gives me pause as I reflect on Christ, the uncreated Light who is in our midst, even as we gather in his name.
Being Present
This is going to be the most blogged about, Twittered about, techno-fiddled Gathering in history. Heck, I'm even joining the fray. But as I look around and see the youth texting and plugged into iPods and the adults quick to draw their cell phone as soon as they have a free moment, I wonder: What is all this technology doing to us?
Shane Hipps has recently convinced me, in his book Flickering Pixels, that no technology is neutral; all of these things deeply form and shape us. The key is understanding what is happening and then embrace or reject (or both!) each form of technology.
As I look around and ponder these things, here is what I observe: These new technologies are...
1. connecting us, though I imagine in ways that are not entirely neutral (nor always positive). On the positive side, many of those who could not make the trip can be a part of it virtually in a variety of ways. Perhaps all this technology helps to connect us more deeply as local congregations.
However, there is a strange twist to this. Because we are so electronically connected, instead of immersing ourselves in this new place away from home we are connected virtually to a dozen other communities back home. This is related to my next concern...
2. making us less present... to the moment, to those surrounding us. Instead of being right here, right now we are engaged with someone else, often somewhere else.
3. potentially undermining a strong belief in the incarnation. A central confession of the Christian Faith is that the Lord Jesus, fully God and begotten eternally from the Father, is also fully human, born of Mary. Flesh matters. Bodies matter.
And so AT & T was ironically wrong many years ago when the company invited us to "reach out and touch someone." An embrace is not possible virtually. Wiping a tear is not possible virtually.
It's not as if I'm immune from these pressures. But during this I'm going to try to keep my cell phone in my pocket as much as possible [except when I'm Twittering--see how difficult these waters are to navigate?], so I don't miss the God (who is everywhere present and fills all things) right in front of my face. Wait, is that my cell phone?
Shane Hipps has recently convinced me, in his book Flickering Pixels, that no technology is neutral; all of these things deeply form and shape us. The key is understanding what is happening and then embrace or reject (or both!) each form of technology.
As I look around and ponder these things, here is what I observe: These new technologies are...
1. connecting us, though I imagine in ways that are not entirely neutral (nor always positive). On the positive side, many of those who could not make the trip can be a part of it virtually in a variety of ways. Perhaps all this technology helps to connect us more deeply as local congregations.
However, there is a strange twist to this. Because we are so electronically connected, instead of immersing ourselves in this new place away from home we are connected virtually to a dozen other communities back home. This is related to my next concern...
2. making us less present... to the moment, to those surrounding us. Instead of being right here, right now we are engaged with someone else, often somewhere else.
3. potentially undermining a strong belief in the incarnation. A central confession of the Christian Faith is that the Lord Jesus, fully God and begotten eternally from the Father, is also fully human, born of Mary. Flesh matters. Bodies matter.
And so AT & T was ironically wrong many years ago when the company invited us to "reach out and touch someone." An embrace is not possible virtually. Wiping a tear is not possible virtually.
It's not as if I'm immune from these pressures. But during this I'm going to try to keep my cell phone in my pocket as much as possible [except when I'm Twittering--see how difficult these waters are to navigate?], so I don't miss the God (who is everywhere present and fills all things) right in front of my face. Wait, is that my cell phone?
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Philippians 2
The Gathering theme this year is drawn from Philippians, chapter 2. Verse 5 invites us: "Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus..." and then describes Christ's self-emptying (kenosis) for us and for our salvation. I wonder what it will look like for us to empty ourselves, in the Way of Jesus, during this Gathering.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Jesus, Justice, Jazz UNofficial Blog
I have set up the UNofficial blog for the New Orleans youth gathering and have invited several "on the ground" authors as contributors. While this page will feature some of our group's adventures, the other blog (http://jjj09.blogspot.com/) will hopefully give a variety of perspectives from authors from around the country.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Blog, Tweet, Pray: New Orleans Youth Gathering
Our contingent from Bethlehem will be joining about 37,000 other youth and adults from around the nation in New Orleans for the National Lutheran Youth Gathering. The theme this year is Jesus, Justice, Jazz.
You can follow along (virtually) in a couple of different ways:
1. I hope to post at least a few blog posts here on this site (http://7daydevos.blogspot.com/).
2. You can also follow the Twitter stream on Twitter (username: houseofbread) or in the right hand sidebar of the same site (http://7daydevos.blogspot.com/).
3. The Facebook Page (search for Bethlehem Lutheran Church) should also capture these feeds as status updates.
4. No promises, but I might be able to upload pictures or audio.
5. This should really be #1: Please pray for all attending this Gathering, that we all might grow in what it means to walk in the way of Jesus.
You can follow along (virtually) in a couple of different ways:
1. I hope to post at least a few blog posts here on this site (http://7daydevos.blogspot.com/).
2. You can also follow the Twitter stream on Twitter (username: houseofbread) or in the right hand sidebar of the same site (http://7daydevos.blogspot.com/).
3. The Facebook Page (search for Bethlehem Lutheran Church) should also capture these feeds as status updates.
4. No promises, but I might be able to upload pictures or audio.
5. This should really be #1: Please pray for all attending this Gathering, that we all might grow in what it means to walk in the way of Jesus.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Levitcus 25 and Matthew 18: Jubilee and Forgiveness
In my morning prayers this past week I was reading through the last chapters of Leviticus. Chapter 25 has always been one of my favorites, with its detailed description of the Year of Jubilee. This was a "sabbath of sabbaths," the great 50th year following the sabbath of sabbath years (7 x 7). The emphasis of this Jubilee seems to be the return of everything back to how God intended it. Land is returned, relationships are restored, etc. It is a literal enactment, though perhaps only a taste, of the final Day of the Lord where God will be all in all.
The Jubilee Year got me to thinking about forgiveness. In Matthew 18:21-22 Saint Peter asks our Lord Jesus how often he should do this forgiveness thing. Some translations give Jesus' answer as: "77 times." I once heard someone say: "Anyone who has been married for more than a year has already hit that number!" A better translation is the more difficult 70 times 7, pointing us not just to 490 times (still keeping track!) but to an impossibly perfect number. If seven is the number of perfection, then 70 times 7 points us to perfection squared... and then some. In other words, something like the Year of Jubilee. Perhaps even a Jubilee of Jubilees.
The emphasis seems to be not just on "keep forgiving" (although that is certainly the point too), but on forgiveness as the main thing, the central thing, forgiveness as a way of life, forgiveness as God's intentions for the whole creation. In choosing to forgive, we choose not just a set number of times (How many times as a parent have I begun my threats with "Next time..."?), but to enter into a pattern, a way of life, a Jubilee year that points us toward God and to God's final plan for the fullness of time.
In other words, when we forgive like God forgives, we walk on holy ground, we glimpse and taste the Divine.
Want to read more? See the verses that follow: Matthew 18:23-35.
The Jubilee Year got me to thinking about forgiveness. In Matthew 18:21-22 Saint Peter asks our Lord Jesus how often he should do this forgiveness thing. Some translations give Jesus' answer as: "77 times." I once heard someone say: "Anyone who has been married for more than a year has already hit that number!" A better translation is the more difficult 70 times 7, pointing us not just to 490 times (still keeping track!) but to an impossibly perfect number. If seven is the number of perfection, then 70 times 7 points us to perfection squared... and then some. In other words, something like the Year of Jubilee. Perhaps even a Jubilee of Jubilees.
The emphasis seems to be not just on "keep forgiving" (although that is certainly the point too), but on forgiveness as the main thing, the central thing, forgiveness as a way of life, forgiveness as God's intentions for the whole creation. In choosing to forgive, we choose not just a set number of times (How many times as a parent have I begun my threats with "Next time..."?), but to enter into a pattern, a way of life, a Jubilee year that points us toward God and to God's final plan for the fullness of time.
In other words, when we forgive like God forgives, we walk on holy ground, we glimpse and taste the Divine.
Want to read more? See the verses that follow: Matthew 18:23-35.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Forgiveness
Preaching Conference
The preaching conference (Poets, Prophets, Preachers) I attended early this week was outstanding. The only downside, I suspect, is that expectations are automatically raised when you go to one of these events. :) Perhaps by the grace of the Holy Spirit I'll be able to deliver.
Church at Cherry's
Join us for "Church at Cherry's," a series of theology discussions at Cherry's pub in town, hosted by Pastor Jim Miller and me. We begin this Tuesday with a discussion of the End Times. We'll continue on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of July and August (all at 7 pm).
Forgiveness
This week I'd like us to begin to think about and practice forgiveness.
Sometimes the best thing I can do as a pastor is direct you to someone who teaches/preaches better than I do on a given subject. So... rather than give you a long series of written reflections on the topic, I suggest you listen to Pastor Rob Bell's June series on the subject of forgiveness. I think he does an outstanding job. Simply go to the the Mars Hill Teaching Page and click on each of the titles (also listed below) to listen to the audio. You can also subscribe to the podcast via iTunes if you are into that kind of thing.
06.28.09: It Stops Here! - Rob Bell
06.21.09: Tortured By Books - Rob Bell
06.14.09: Drop the Jawbone - Rob Bell
May the Forgiving God who loves you and restores you in Jesus Christ begin to work that forgiving love in you.
The preaching conference (Poets, Prophets, Preachers) I attended early this week was outstanding. The only downside, I suspect, is that expectations are automatically raised when you go to one of these events. :) Perhaps by the grace of the Holy Spirit I'll be able to deliver.
Church at Cherry's
Join us for "Church at Cherry's," a series of theology discussions at Cherry's pub in town, hosted by Pastor Jim Miller and me. We begin this Tuesday with a discussion of the End Times. We'll continue on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of July and August (all at 7 pm).
Forgiveness
This week I'd like us to begin to think about and practice forgiveness.
Sometimes the best thing I can do as a pastor is direct you to someone who teaches/preaches better than I do on a given subject. So... rather than give you a long series of written reflections on the topic, I suggest you listen to Pastor Rob Bell's June series on the subject of forgiveness. I think he does an outstanding job. Simply go to the the Mars Hill Teaching Page and click on each of the titles (also listed below) to listen to the audio. You can also subscribe to the podcast via iTunes if you are into that kind of thing.
06.28.09: It Stops Here! - Rob Bell
06.21.09: Tortured By Books - Rob Bell
06.14.09: Drop the Jawbone - Rob Bell
May the Forgiving God who loves you and restores you in Jesus Christ begin to work that forgiving love in you.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Haiku for Herod's Banquet
This coming weekend we will hear the gruesome telling of the story of the beheading of John the Baptist in Mark 6:14-29. It is a tough text to wrestle with. I think it is best understood in its juxtaposition with the Feeding of the 5,000 in the verses that follow it (Which we will hear about for the next six weeks in Mark 6 and John 6). The implicit question seems to be: Do you want to go to this (Herod's) meal that ends in death, beheading and love of self... or do you want to feast with Jesus, at his banquet, that ends in life, where there is food for all?
I offer this Haiku as a meditation on the text.
Herod's Birthday Feast
Quickly descends: gruesome death
Contrast Jesus' Meal
[Image (c) 2009, used with permission, Augsburg Fortress Liturgies, annual license #20800]
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