More Cause for Community

I recently read Donald Miller’s Searching for God Knows What. I had been told that this book was not on the same level as Blue Like Jazz, though I didn’t find this to be true at all. There are some aspects of the book which I felt were lacking, but we must remember that books, like movies, songs, and even people, communicate to us in context. In many ways, our interaction with what we read is a form of relationship, and relationships do not happen in a vacuum. For my context right now, I can think of very few books outside of the Bible that communicate more clearly the power of being in relationship with God.

One metaphor that pops up throughout the book is that of the lifeboat. Miller comments on the state of mankind being like individuals in a lifeboat that has limited supplies. Eventually someone is going overboard so we had better do a good job of convincing the others of our worth! The metaphor addresses a mentality that is so undeniably prevalent in all of our social interactions.

Personally, this struggle to receive affirmation of my worth has been the driving force behind many of my actions in life – both good and bad. We usually address this by telling people that their self-image shouldn’t come from external factors, that we must become self-actualized and look for the value that is within. But Miller points out that God created us to receive our identity rather than to create, build or find it on our own – he gave man a name and Adam was tasked with giving names to the wildlife. We are not created to exist in isolation. Our relationships help to shape us and define us, though this is only possible after we have received the core of our identity from God.

We see in creation that God's design included an interactive exchange in naming and giving identity. God created humanity in his image, Adam named the wildlife and even Eve. This was a part of holy creation, and it was designed to take place in the presence of God. But then sin entered the picture.

We are still very much consumed with giving and receiving identity. Sadly we are now consumed with a giving and receiving that is meant to elevate our own standing in the community; to give validity to our own existence often by denying the validity of someone else’s.

I met with a woman today who is one of countless people down here trying to put life back together after Katrina. Since the storm her family has been through countless hurricanes. Family members have died only to have the remaining family scramble to fight over inheritance. Children and grandchildren have been sick and have needed surgery, she has developed and had surgery for skin cancer, she and her husband both lost their jobs and they’ve been working non-stop just to keep the family afloat. Of course all of this has put a strain on their marriage and has been difficult for their 5 children (ranging in age from 5 to 24 years old…the 24 year-old with 3 kids of her own).

We listened for a couple hours to her story and what struck me most were the things that seemed the most difficult. With all of the financial and logistical frustrations going on, most often it was the relational stresses that seemed to bring the tears. People taking advantage of other people seemed more devastating than the 6 pine trees that were removed from her house. And the story that really struck me was the pain she felt recently when her father told her she was worthless because she didn’t call him one evening. It was obvious that she knew this accusation was not only unfounded, but that her father must be damaged to say or think such a thing. She told me how ridiculous this was, but her eyes were telling a different story.

I knew the story in her eyes, and so do you. I know the pain of being made to feel worthless. It doesn’t have to be debated logically or convincingly, a simple sentence or even a look can communicate it straight to our core. I don’t even have to know who is reading these words to know that you’ve experienced this. Maybe it was in junior high and the popular kids made sure you knew you were not one of them. Maybe it was late at night in the “safety” of your house. Maybe it was in a college classroom or the office break room. Maybe it was in the cutting comment of a parent or the thoughtless comment of someone you hardly knew. But we’ve all felt that feeling. We’ve all feared for our position in the lifeboat.

Enter Jesus.

Jesus had a way of speaking worth into people’s lives. Think about what it would have meant to the woman in John 8 who was caught in the act of adultery to have Jesus speak to her the way he did. Imagine how it would’ve felt to be drug naked through the streets. I wonder if she knew that she meant nothing to the men who had caught her. I wonder if she could tell that they didn’t even really care so much about God’s law but rather that she was simply a pawn to trap Jesus. Did she know how little she mattered to these men?

So how did it feel when Jesus looked up and spoke words of forgiveness and mercy? How did it feel that he spoke directly to her?

Or what about the woman in Mark 5 who had wrestled with the humiliation and social stigma of bleeding for over a decade? After risking everything, coming into the city and touching the hem of Jesus’ garment, it says she was afraid. Of course she was, for 12 years she’d been taught that she was worthless as long as she was unclean. “But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.’”

The Bible is filled with story after story of God communicating to his children that they are valuable. These stories need to be repeated. In the wake of a hurricane or the wake of junior high, we need to be reminded that we are valuable. You are valuable. It doesn’t matter what you do or how much you have. You have great worth. No tribal counsel; no lifeboat popularity contest will ever be able to cast you out. Jesus came to teach us that we should get out of the lifeboat anyway. Listen to him. His message isn’t about systematic theology, it isn’t about politics. The story that Jesus is telling is the majesty of God and value of His children.

Just Me and Jesus

I remember as a young Christian hearing people say things such as, “Me and God make a majority,” or “you don’t have to go to church to be a Christian.” There were always plenty of references to a “personal relationship with Jesus.” (And then there’s “God said it, I believe it, that settles it.” But that is a whole other blog post.) I learned pretty quickly that Christianity was about me and my relationship with God – everything else was simply a tool to help me grow closer to Him. The purpose of camp was to achieve a “mountain-top experience” and we commonly discussed whether or not we “got anything” out of the worship service.

In fairness, the emotional aspect of relationship with God is not a bad thing. It is a gift from God, an aspect of our creation that reminds us that we were made to want closeness with God and other people. I don’t believe that these things, in and of themselves, are a development of selfish materialism. There are sub-cultures of Christianity which have lost contact with the truth that God did come near. There are those who have forgotten the truth spoken by Paul in Acts 17, that He is the God “in whom we live and move and have our being.” Some of these people have fallen into traps of seeing God as a distant, non-personal being who lacks interest in His creation, other than to smite folks from time to time.

However, I do believe that the greedy materialistic culture that we’re surrounded by has had maintained some level of creative control. When Christianity is seen as only a personal relationship with Jesus; when the community of believers is an afterthought, an elective, a tool for personal gain or a hindrance to my personal monopoly on God’s time then we’ve messed something up terribly.

I don’t have to go to Church to be a Christian

There was a time when I believed this statement. Eventually it began to seem “off” somehow. I began to nuance it by saying that you can be a Christian without going to church, but why would you want to? But this logic had holes in it as well.

Soon I became convinced that you don’t have to go to Church to be a Christian, but it’s hard to be healthy that way. Then I decided that perhaps it was better to say that you don’t have to go to Church to be a Christian, but something will be missing from your life. And the more I’ve wrestled and tried to allow that statement to make sense, the more ridiculous it has become.

Christianity is not meant to be lived in isolation. It is communal because God is a community. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are a community – and we are created in God’s image. 1 Corinthians 3:16 says, “don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?” Notice that the plural “you yourselves” are the singular “God’s temple.”

This does not take away from the truth that God is a personal God, interested in you specifically – later in 1 Corinthians, Paul will refer to our individual bodies as “a temple of the Holy Spirit” (6:19). We rejoice in knowing that God knows our names and we should also rejoice that God has called us and given us access to a community which is larger than ourselves and designed to bring glory to God. It goes against everything in our American upbringing to admit that there is value in community which goes beyond the individual. I do not want to admit that there is a body of which I am a part and don’t really have the right to separate myself from. How ridiculous would it be for my left leg to decide that it could just leave and be a leg without the rest of me? Or, to use an analogy that Nate applied to another issue recently, what about a laptop which is not plugged in to an outlet? For a while it will operate with little to no difficulty. My laptop automatically begins functioning at a less intense level when I unplug it. The software designers realized that operating on “all cylinders” drains the battery life too quickly – so when I unplug my computer slows down and its light dims slightly. This allows it to function autonomously for a little while longer, but sooner or later I have to either turn it off or plug it in.

We were created for times of aloneness with God – Jesus set a strong example of that – but this was never intended to be long term. Even if the church seems dysfunctional we are called by God to return. Consider the absolute lack of “get it” exhibited by the disciples of Jesus, yet he kept returning to them.

So perhaps you feel that you’ve exhausted your resources looking for a “good church.” No doubt you have! It has been said that if you do find a perfect Church you better not join because you’ll mess it up!

But that does not mean that you should give up and stay home on Sunday. Maybe you live in an area where there is not a church where you can belong – I’m sorry to hear that. Find someone who feels the same way, find a few others who are longing for community, and meet together with them at Denny’s, or McDonald’s, or the Lake, or their house. Pray together, encourage one another, break bread and remember the Lord Jesus who conquered death. Ask about each other’s children; weep over the years of inability to have children or the recent loss of a beloved son and laugh about the 2 year-old grandkid’s most recent one-liner. Find people with whom you can rejoice in job promotions or degrees completed. Look for people who ask you what you’ve been looking at on the internet. Meet with people who want to look and think and act like Jesus…even if they have no idea how to do it.

Can’t find anyone like this? Then ask yourself why that is. Have you shared with your friends the joy of looking and thinking and acting like Jesus? Have you ever asked them about their relationship with God? Have you considered the state of your own?

I once complained to a good friend about a lack of adult leadership and support for youth ministry. He looked me in the eye and said, “This is not a congregation problem, this is a Bret problem.” It was time for me to stop waiting for these individuals to reveal themselves and to instead go find them or raise them up.

If you’ve been using the excuse of not needing a church because you're just fine with your personal relationship with Jesus, I challenge you to spend time in prayer asking God if you were really created to do this alone. There aren’t many things that I really know the answer to, but I’m confident that the answer to this is one is “No, you weren’t.” If you discern that such is the case, I challenge you to pray that God will open your eyes to the community that he has been preparing for you.

The Unseen Destruction: A Shawshankian Culture of Victims

I heard recently that at least one poll lists The Shawshank Redemption as the second best movie of all times – behind (of course) The Godfather. I’m not sure whether I agree with that or not, though I will say that I didn’t immediately reject the notion.

I’ve seen some crazy things in Southern Louisiana. Doing insurance claims in Chalmette and the Lower 9th revealed the ridiculously destructive power of water. I’ve seen things that are indescribable – no special effects could do it justice. The cars on top of houses were not nearly as wild as seeing the house on top of a car in the middle of a street.

One of my roles here at Tammany Oaks is to help the volunteers process through what they’ve experienced. Even now, 10 months later, the destruction can be quite overwhelming. One person who was in New Orleans last week on a mission trip said, “Speaking as a follower of Christ, I found the whole thing nauseating and completely preventable. When I say nauseating, I mean it. Many people cry and weep when they see the destruction of the city. I got nauseous and pissed off.”

The truth is, and this is going to sound very strange, the destruction we are physically cleaning up is one of the easier types of disasters to address. Katrina ensured that no one in the Gulf Coast area would be able to deny that they had experienced a hurricane. That does not mean that it is easy to actually get the job done, if for no other reason than the sheer magnitude of destruction. Again, 10 months down the road does not really look like 10 months down the road here. However, people come from all over the country to help people reclaim their lives. There are the hippies who’ve set up the “Hippie Kitchen” in order to feed relief workers and residents. There are countless churches and volunteer groups giving up weekends and taking off work to come down and gut houses, clean parks, and listen to the stories of Katrina…stories which must be told and retold in order for healing to be a possibility. Still, I remind the volunteers that people in their hometowns are often hit with hurricanes which don’t leave such obvious destruction. These hurricanes do not attract national headlines nor do they bring in volunteers, funds or assistance of any kind. They just rot.

One reason it is important to help gut houses, even the ones that are going to be bulldozed, is that we have what is being called “bayou muck”, which as you can imagine is mixture of mud, water, mold and 100% Grade A, decaying nastiness. I’ve heard that we may have even bred a whole new strand of toxic mold here in New Orleans! The destruction is more than just debris, because this wreckage happens to be poisonous. But at least we can see where the wreckage is.

So many people live in homes infested with a bayou muck that is not visible. Anger, alcoholism, greed, divorce, abuse – these things may or may not sweep away all of your earthly possessions overnight. But there is real danger found in the decay. These toxic environments are made even more dangerous because they can often be hidden for months, years or even generations. All the while the inhabitants are being consistently poisoned.

While this is true wherever you may live – Thousand Oaks California, Dallas Texas or Omaha Nebraska – the high levels of “unseen” destruction here along the Gulf Coast are of epic proportions. I’m sure that I am not the first person to point this out, but the events of the last year have created a culture of victims, many of whom have little expectation, hope or intention of reclaiming “control” of their lives.

Red, Morgan Freeman’s character in The Shawshank Redemption, referred to this as becoming “institutionalized.” The walls of the Shawshank prison were initially despised, and then familiar and finally depended upon for the stability to survive. According the this theory of life, after years and years of oppression and bondage, a person loses the ability to live free.

I remember learning about something very similar in college. It seems that, as babies, circus elephants are shackled to a stake buried deep in the ground. The young elephant fights against its restraints but eventually realizes that there is no hope and gives up. Later, the full grown elephant is able to be restrained by a simple shackle attached to pretty much any stake – though it could drag a car down the road, it doesn’t even attempt to escape because it is convinced that there is no chance of freedom.

In Exodus we read of a people in a similar situation. Generations of Israelites had known nothing but slavery in Egypt. When delivered into freedom they immediately began longing for their former bondage. The Lord allowed an entire generation to die in the wilderness before the nation entered the Promised Land. Perhaps this was because the Victim Culture was simply too hardwired into their nature for these individuals to ever be able to function as members of a free society.

Fast forward to New Orleans in the year 2006. It seems that there are more and more people convinced that Katrina has destroyed all hope of freedom from bondage and oppression. It seems that many people are resigned to a new way of living. In Dallas we used to complain together that the plumber would tell you that he’d be there between 10 and 4 and he’d show up around 7. Yet here, people will make excuses for the plumber if he says he’ll be there between Monday and Friday and doesn’t show up until September. Don’t get me wrong, patience and understanding are good, but this is something else. It is the crippling belief that nothing good can happen anymore because of Katrina. You can see it in people’s eyes.

And then there are the Andy Dufresne’s of the world. There are people who don’t necessarily say much as they go about rebuilding – but if you talk to them you find out that hope is not something to avoid as dangerous. You find out that they are willing to take a beating or two in order to bring a glimpse of normal to their “co-workers”. You find out that there is, in fact, life after Shawshank.

The Victim Culture is growing like bayou mold, and I fear that it will prove to be much more difficult to get rid of. It has the ability to hide beneath the surface of a cleaned out residence. Accepting the role of victim is often a last ditch attempt at survival, and ironically it can be a death sentence in itself. If you are wondering what needs to be done for New Orleans as we approach the 1 year anniversary, it is this: pray against the Victim Culture, pray that the residents of the Gulf Coast region will not become institutionalized. Pray that hope will not be a word which is either scoffed at as a fairy tale or warned against as a danger.

Completing the Circle

Many of you know that in August I was blessed to be in just the right position to help start, from the ground up, a non-profit ministry serving the families staying at Reunion Arena who had been forced to leave their homes in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. We thought we understood how amazing an experience that was at the time.

Only a few days after the Reunion shelter closed its doors I received a call from my dad to go to New Orleans and work as an insurance adjuster. I know that many people think that the term "insurance" is inherently vile in those parts...and maybe now it is. However, because I had the benefit of working for an independent firm which paid me depending on what the insureds received, I was actually encouraged to find every single penny I could. When people learned that we were on the same side, walls and defenses came crashing down. This time was indescribable. I was able to minister in ways I'd never before experienced. The homeowners would often ask just the right questions which revealed that I was a "minister in disguise" (obviously proselytizing was discouraged by the adjusting firm who hired me!) and we would end up praying in their front yard...I saw unbelievable faith in the faces of these people who had nothing else left. We thought we understood how amazing an experience that was at the time.

And now I'm returning. I've accepted a job with the Tammany Oaks Church of Christ in Mandeville, LA - just north of New Orleans. God has used this small congregation to create a life-giving disaster relief ministry. (I recommend checking out the disaster relief blog, here and there is one article in particular that really gives a great synopsis, found here.

I've been asked by this congregation to work with the pastoral and relational aspects of the relief efforts as the Outreach Minister. Looking back over the last 8 months, I believe that God has not only been using me for his kingdom, he has been preparing me for this role...I'm not sure that I would have been ready to accept this position otherwise.

To those who have been praying for us during this wilderness experience, we thank you. We have truly discovered the blessing of community and hopefully will never again take this gift for granted. And to my friends in ministry, I think I know about some potential mission trip/service weekend experiences!

I look forward to seeing many of you as you make mission/service trips to southern Louisiana. Please keep praying for our family as we have no idea what this position will lead to for the long term.

Shalom

Postmodernism and Spiritual FormationPart 3: On Relativism, Anxiety and Doubt

Though there have been a couple people refer to them as such, I don't really consider these writings as an apologetic for postmodernism per se. Rather, I hope that it is always true that my cause for apology is the Gospel of Christ. However, my intentions in these three short posts (they may not be short by blog standards, but given all that is at stake in this conversation, a total of 4500 words can not be considered comprehensive) have been to show that postmodernism is not the natural enemy of the Gospel. I would argue that someone could simultaneously consider themselves a postmodern Christian and an orthodox Christian without having to appeal to a relativistic worldview that says something can be and not-be at the same time. In other words, postmodern Christianity and orthodox Christianity are not inherently mutually exclusive terms. So then does that mean that Relativism is a correct, orthodox teaching? Well, maybe it is for you, but not for me…(for those who are not well versed in sarcasm and humor, that was a joke).

In truth, relativism applied as a universal philosophy is a logical absurdity. If someone holds that everything is relative, then for them, at least one thing is not relative – relativity, therefore everything is not relative for them. Relativism is, I believe, a reaction to the harsh, arrogant, self-absorbed, rigid control of truth wielded without compassion by previous generations. Practically speaking, relativists are often just as harsh, arrogant, self-absorbed and rigid in their control of “truth”. Again, the statement that there is no absolute truth is itself an absolute statement and therefore self defeating.

Moreover, the hallmark of postmodern relativism is tolerance. Art Lindsley, in his book True Truth* has been very helpful to me in dealing with the issue of tolerance. It is the Church, not Relativists, that has the philosophical grounds for tolerance. For without a transcendent Truth, who is to say that being tolerant is good and intolerant bad? On what basis should I be tolerant of you if there is no ultimate truth that says that it is better for me not to ignore, oppress or even kill you? Would a relativist defend the rape of women? The enslavement of African Americans? The Holocaust? Ethnic cleansing in Africa? Widespread arrests and execution of Relativists in America? I think not. Who says that we have the right to believe what is true for us? Who says we have rights at all? If everything is relative then every thing is relative…except this statement.

Christians on the other hand should exhibit more tolerance than we are typically known for. With humility we should consider others better than ourselves. We should look to the interests of even those with whom we disagree. We who believe that God made man in His Image should be actively looking for the fingerprints of the Creator everywhere we fix our eyes. We should never operate from a position of arrogance. But that does not mean that we elevate all worldviews to equal status.

Again, Lindsley points out that it is not arrogant to say that Jesus is Truth if we accept him as Lord and he claimed to be Truth. In fact, if we accept Jesus as Lord and deny that he is truth, we are acting from an extremely arrogant standpoint of claiming to know more than the one we call Lord.

I hold to view that the created universe is noncontradictory. A tree cannot be present and not-present in one place simultaneously. If that is true then God cannot exist and not-exist simultaneously; therefore we cannot say that all religions are equally valid.

In our rush to defend against the danger of Relativism, I think we often make two major mistakes. 1)Relativism as a universal philosophy is unacceptable, but that doesn’t mean that no truth is relative. To say we believe in absolute truth should not have to mean that all aspects and instances of truth are absolute. We shouldn’t have any problem accepting that aesthetics are (at least) somewhat subjective and relative. Food taste is incredibly relative – it can be true for me that seafood is good, while it is definitely not true for my wife. This truth is not absolute, though it seems that there is an absolute at work: we all have preferences when it comes to food, music, art, etc. In our defense against relativism lets not make the mistake of becoming legalists who put burdens on the backs of people without so much as lifting a finger to help them.

The second problem we must be careful of: equating relativism with postmodernism. The two are not synonymous terms. The Relativist philosophy is undeniably one of the negative offshoots of secular postmodernism that has found its way into religious conversations. But there are many people who are sympathetic to postmodern thought who would not consider themselves relativists. We also need to recognize the validity of and deal honestly with the postmodern critique on Truth – humans don’t seem to be very good at discerning that which is absolutely true and that which is shaped by culture and preference.

My son believes that the things he thinks taste yucky are absolutely yucky whether I believe they’re yucky or not. He has not learned to distinguish this belief as something other than an absolute. Could it be that we super-smart grown-ups may have our own list of issues that we cannot separate and understand absolutely? I think so. However when we start to peel away our confidence in human ability what are we left with? Many critics of postmodernism have noted how this cynical, negative view of our (in)ability to understand and know leads to debilitating doubt and terrible anxiety. While I disagree that the negative attitude is inherently a part of postmodern thought (I think it is a definite characteristic of Generation X postmoderns, but the following generation, the Millennials seems to be much more optimistic in general, even in relation to ambiguity) I don’t deny that the doubt and anxiety issue must be addressed.

Why are we anxious? Deconstructionism, which (like relativism) is sometimes mistakenly assumed to be synonymous with postmodernism, creates the terribly anxious situation of chaos. Philosophers whose agenda is the destruction of all metanarratives or coherent worldviews create a situation where there is no firm footing left. However, if there are no controlling metanarratives, then by what standard do they assert their deconstruction philosophy? Again we are dealing with a self-defeating theory that cannot stand up to its own logic.

Yet, if we decide together that there are absolutes but that we, as finite beings are not fully capable of grasping something finite, many people will still be gripped with the same anxiety. If we cannot know the absolutes then there might as well not be any absolutes right? If we can’t predict and control all the variables then how can we sleep? The answer lies in our understanding of the nature of doubt (and conversely, faith).

Doubt is the enemy of the Enlightenment. The goal to master our universe is thwarted by the admission that we cannot know fully. But doubt is not the enemy of Christianity, rather it is an integral part of our life in Christ. Doubt is present when complete knowledge of all variable is absent – only in a situation where there is room for doubt is there room for faith. Remember, faith is being sure of things hoped for, and certain of things unseen (Hebrews 11:1).

In a system that is defined by human ability, doubt and faith seem to be death sentences. Postmodernity seeks to provide, in some ways, a rejection of this system. However secular postmodernism is woefully inadequate to replace the equally inadequate assertions of modernity. Orthodox Christians can claim solidarity with the postmodern community in embracing doubt because we offer the companion experience of faith.

Deconstruction is only a logical fallacy if it is viewed as an end rather than a tool. We engage in the practice of deconstruction all the time. Any time we try to convince another person (or ourselves) of anything, we are engaging in deconstruction. However, if we are not willing to do the hard work of reconstructing we are being irresponsible and perhaps something more sinister. Deconstructionists say that there is no reconstruction to do because there isn’t any overarching metanarrative to reconstruct…but this is a controlling system, a metanarrative is created by omission. By not rebuilding the pile of rubble into some kind of dwelling, then the pile of rubble becomes the dwelling – either way, we have a dwelling. If the rubble is going to operate as a dwelling anyway, then on what grounds do we justify not rebuilding an adequate dwelling? On the basis that there isn’t an adequate dwelling to be built? Then what makes the inadequate dwelling of rubble more appropriate than the inadequate dwelling we tore down?

So we deconstruct the previous assertion that there is no room for doubt, that humans are destined to master our universe, and we rebuild a more appropriate worldview that accepts doubt as part of being human. Yet the very word “doubt” is more than many Christians can bear. Just the word itself seems to conjure a lack of faith rather than its presence. Perhaps it is easier to swallow if we use another word to describe this doubt: mystery. There are things about this universe and certainly regarding God, that are beyond our ability to grasp: they are mysterious in their very nature. These things have always been an important part of our relationship to God. This mystery reminds us that while we are created “in the image” of God, we are not gods.

I’ve said this before, a wholesale acceptance of postmodern thought – even that being offered from Christian thinkers – would be ill-advised, just as would a complete dismissal. There are aspects of secular postmodernity, such as relativism and deconstruction as a universal philosophy that simply do not hold water. But relativism and deconstruction are not the same as postmodernity, they are a couple unhealthy products. The renewed interest (notice I do not describe this as “new”) in mystery and spirituality in the Christian life; the willingness to accept that our perspective affects what we see and that there are limits to our knowledge; a focus on authentic living as of at least equal importance to mastery of presenting propositional truths; all of these are of great value to the Christian community.

While this serves as the final installment (for now) in my current thread of postmodern related posts, I do hope to address that last statement, regarding authentic living, in my next post: "The Stone that Builders Rejected."

*Lindsley, Art. True Truth: Defending Absolute Truth in a Relativistic World. Downers Grove, Illinois: IVP, 2004. Lindsley's book does a great job of pointing out the dangers which have grown out of postmodernism without resorting to pointless name calling and blind fear. This book does an especially good job dealing with issues pertaining to absolute truth and relativism. Much of my defense against relativism in this post was formed by the presentation style found in this work.

Postmodernism and Spiritual Formation Part 2 – Implications for Sp Form Ministry

If we take the view that postmodernism is neither the savior of our times nor evil incarnate, that it isn’t even truly a finished product, I believe we can find helpful implications for spiritual formation ministry in our congregations.

Like it or not we are living in a culture which is becoming increasingly comfortable with ambiguity. Roles that used to be rigidly defined are loosening (some for the better and some not) and definitions that used to be ironclad are becoming more elusive. Throughout all of this transition the language of journey has become in many ways a dominant theme for postmoderns. This seems to signify a shift from thinking of the world as a set of propositions to master to an adventure to be experienced.

The quest or pilgrimage has long contained a spiritual overtone. Pilgrims set out even though they were often unsure of how long their journey would take, what perils they would have to face, or what necessarily would await them at the end of their quest. A quest is different than a trip to the store. Today when we set off to find something, our streamlined process ensures that the product we seek is the focus of the journey, and time is of the essence. However a quest is a different kind of journey. The trip itself (which is not necessarily very streamlined or efficient) is intended to be formative. Obtaining wisdom and growth through the experience is often as important as the final goal (or may be the only actual goal).

Many postmoderns, especially those in the “Emergent Church” circles are ceasing to refer to non-Christians as the “seekers.” The dropping of such language is often seen as a threat to the distinctive message of Christianity. In some cases this may be a valid concern. However, without denying that “once we were not a people, but now we are the people of God” (1 Peter 2:10); without denying that we were lost and now we are found, I acknowledge that I am in so many ways still a “seeker.” I may not be seeking assurance for my eternal dwelling, but there are a lot of things in my spiritual growth that I have yet to attain. For one:

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Phil 3:10-14(emphasis mine)

And this is where the rubber meets the road for Christians. As Paul goes on to say, we need to live up to what we have already attained. Or as Paul phrased it in Ephesians 4, we need to "walk worthily of the calling we have received." The language of journey is so very appropriate. We are indeed on a journey; a lifelong journey of being conformed to the image of Christ. This is a quest that begins in the cradle and does not end this side of the grave. We are in the process of learning to see more clearly. Though we are found, we are still wandering toward home – sometimes making a straight path and sometimes completely turned around.

The spiritual formation ministry in our congregations should be very intentional about this: that we are journeying with Christ. There is much to learn while on this earth. God is the author of truth: Paul found pieces of wisdom in the pagan poets and we too should claim truth wherever we find it. Our journey may bless us with opportunities to learn countless lessons from numerous cultures - if we are humble enough to admit we still have things to learn. But that does not mean that our story – the story of God’s interaction with humanity, found in the Bible – is just one of many equal voices.

There is a popular way of thinking which says that all spiritual realizations in humanity emanate from God and point us to God. This philosophy claims that the human experience of the spiritual can be found in many places and many theologies, all of which serve to bridge the gap between our physical existence and another metaphysical one. Interspersed throughout this claim are truths which we should not deny. All of these religious experiences are attempts to bridge this gap that we naturally feel between ourselves and something bigger than ourselves. And this urge emanates, I believe, directly from God. These urges find their source in the one God of the universe.

In this way it may be said that all of these narratives can find their place within the larger metanarrative of Jehovah God. That does not make them equal participants in dispensing grace or truth. Rather, like Paul in Athens we find ourselves able to say to our brothers and sisters that we can see how religious they are; we applaud their quest for exploring their spiritual existence; and we would love to tell them about the UNKNOWN GOD. For space reasons, I will not include the text here, but go back and read Acts 17:24-31 again (you can read it for free online at biblegateway.com).

Notice that in the scripture, Paul’s words did not convince many and it does not say that he proceeded to tell them how evil they were or foolish or anything. It just says that he left the council.

In No Man is an Island, Thomas Merton said that the truth does not need us to defend it, just to proclaim it clearly. As for defense, truth can handle its own. (my paraphrased version)

While I think there are situations where we are called to defend the truth, I also believe that many of us could benefit from a little humility where truth is concerned. Perhaps it is our own ego we are defending, I don’t know. But it could be that the postmodern aversion to absolute truth, misguided though it may be, is at least at some level a reaction to the self-centered, self-serving, arrogant and often deadly defenses of truth in our past. As a member of the Stone-Campbell Restoration movement I’ve been shaped both directly and indirectly by generations of staunch “defenders of the faith” who were sometimes as quick to disfellowship an “erring” brother as they were to condemn the pagans in “the denominations.” While I believe that we have learned a bit of grace (for the most part) the damage of our hurtful actions is being felt still.

One of the things that is most often maligned regarding openly postmodern churches is their decision to set aside the language of truth in favor of the language of authenticity. Before we are too quick to bring out the tar and feathers, let’s admit that the sons of Sceva could have benefited greatly from just such reconsideration. These guys were claiming a truth that was not authentic to the way they were living. Claiming authority such as Jesus or Paul (or scripture?) may not have the desired results if our lives are not being formed continually by those authorities we claim.

While I am opposed to dismissing truth altogether, I'm willing to entertain the notion that from time to time my obsession with truth may be blinding me to the real struggle I am having with authenticity. This does not mean that I ignore truth, deny truth or reject the validity of truth, but simply that I admit that my obsession does not make me the final arbiter of truth. I surrender myself to the author of truth and focus my energy on living in authentic relationship with Him rather than functioning solely as a hall-monitor, policing the comings-and-goings of my classmates...you know, specks, planks, irritated eyes, that whole deal.

The final issue that I have space to deal with at this time is the proliferation of single generation churches. These churches, often referred to as “young adult” or “emergent” have taken to heart the advice of many baby-boomer age church growth specialists…much to the chagrin of the baby boomers! The concept of finding a niche and focusing a congregation’s attention in that area is not new. Yet the Emergent church movement has taken this to a new level. Now this is where I’m going to get in trouble…

On the one hand the development of these churches frightens me in countless ways. The answer to our current dilemma in the Church is not more isolation and compartmentalizing. Just as I don’t believe adolescents can adequately learn to be adults by only spending time with other teens, I don’t think that young adults, middle-age adults or senior adults can hope to continue to mature in Christ if they only surround themselves with their peers.

If, in reading this, you have joyfully picked up your torches and hay forks, you may want to hold on a second. Before we are too harsh, I think we need to admit that this has been an approved practice for quite some time. We compartmentalize our ministries so that youth, childrens, women, men, senior adults, singles, young marrieds, those recovering from divorce or chemical dependency, and those who disapprove of all of the above groups each function as their own little fiefdoms. In addition to the compartmentalization of ministries the tyranny of the majority/minority can also create similar effects.

I recently referred to this as a twist on a familiar saying: “You take your toys and go home.” This is happening even now. Groups opposed to anything postmodern or emergent are circling the wagons, so to speak. Those who have a differing view are not tolerated and so in effect these churches have also created their own myopic communities. This statement can not in fairness be applied to all congregations which are hesitant or even opposed to postmodernism. However it may well be fair to say that it is as accurate a generalization as those leveled at the Emergents.

Again postmodern thought is neither our savior nor the Evil One's emissary. There are indeed both struggles to overcome and strengths on which to be capitalized, some of which I've hinted at in this post. At the end of the day, if we are not able to admit in all humility that we "see but a poor reflection as in a mirror" and that we only "know in part" then perhaps we have yet to put our childish ways behind us.

Postmodernism and Spiritual Formation part 1

Anyone who has spent anytime around me or reading this blog will know that I do not fall into the camp of those who despise everything postmodern. In fact, I believe that our culture’s shift of thinking (which we can call “postmodern,” “post-postmodern,” or whatever) has provided the Church with a great opportunity. The world is shaking its collective head clear of the Enlightenment’s refusal to acknowledge the spiritual component to reality – and we have an opportunity as a people indwelled by the Holy SPIRIT to provide reconstruction for their deconstructed paradigms.

And in one way or another it seems that many people are trying to do just that. Here in the blogosphere there is no shortage of forums, blogs and websites dedicated to postmodernism in one way or another. For many in the conservative camp, POMOPHOBIA rules the day. Anything deemed unorthodox is labeled “postmodern” or “emergent.” If a condemned postmodern does say something useful is often either ignored or heralded as remnants of “modern” virtues.

These pomophobics can themselves vary greatly on their response. Many are honestly seeking to engage in dialogue bent on discerning truth and expect the other side to respond in kind. Others have reacted so violently and responded in such an extreme way that they are now posting articles highlighting how God killed Kyle Lake at University Baptist in Waco as a message to the Emergent Church. (I don’t despise people who condemn postmodernism, but that little article was vile and completely devoid of anything useful or holy…well this is a whole other post) Still others, it seems, are simply distrustful of a group who appear to be filling the category where “New Agers” and “hippies” have previously dwelled.

However, critique is healthy during the formation of any philosophical viewpoint. In this case, there is indeed much need for a critical assessment rather than a wholesale endorsement of all things pomo.

POMOPHILIA seems to be another popular mindset these days. Some people, also in reactionary mode, are ready to accept anything labeled postmodern or emergent in a desperate attempt to escape the Church of the Enlightenment. A friend of mine is fond of warning us not to throw out the baby of reason with the bathwater of the Enlightenment. He is absolutely right. Pomophiliacs that quickly discard reason and logic are going to find themselves without a leg to stand on…if they aren’t already feeling it. For Christians, the use of narrative has long been an important approach to sharing the Gospel. That narrative, however, ceases to function as the Gospel when it is disconnected from Jehovah’s interaction with mankind through the Judeo-Christian metanarrative. This does not imply that there is nothing to be gained from conversation with other metanarratives; in truth, we have much to learn from the ways that God has been moving in the communities of all humanity. But when we place all metanarratives, explanations of the human condition, and understandings of the Divine on the same level; when we deny the distinctive character of Christ – even if our motive is to heal the damage done by previous generations of pain inflicted in Jesus’ name – then we have made a mistake equal to or in excess of those from whom we are trying to distance ourselves. Putting candles in a room and practicing Lectio Divina are themselves neither proof for or against the authenticity of a community’s worship or faith.

There is at least one way in which both extremes (phobia and philia) are making what I feel is the same mistake. POMEOSTASIS is defined by Bretster’s Dictionary as the fallacious assertion that the phenomenon currently hailed as postmodernism is a finished, static or stable product. In truth this term is fluid.

For some (usually adolescents and those who oppose pomo) it is defined almost exclusively as a rejection of absolute truth and defense of relativism. For others it has to do with the acceptance of the spiritual realm as one which is at least equal to the physical world in its relevance to the human condition. In addition to its varying use across communities, postmodernism is also being formed and reformed across time. Before we label it as something void of substance, let’s be honest and acknowledge that modern and pre-modern thought also had to go through formation…they did not fall from heaven, no matter how much some of us would like to think they did.

While I don’t claim to be able to see into the future, I predict that absolute relativism will phase itself out eventually. It will become a paragraph in the chapter of the history books referring to this age. First of all, relativism is a self-defeating ideology…it is itself an absolute statement. If you punch a relativist they will deny that you have the right to claim that as appropriate action. Life is directed by absolute truths. This is evidenced by the similarity of communal life across time and geography. Sure all cultures have differences, but there are also so many similarities to human interaction that we must admit that there are things going on below the surface. I believe that the rejection of Absolute Truth often stems more from a suspicion of human ability to comprehend Absolute Truth. If we are again willing to be honest with ourselves it becomes necessary to admit that most groups, Christians very much included, have used a convenient understanding of Truth to justify their abuse of other groups. Were the Crusades a display of Truth at work? The problem with absolute truth is that it can be used as a trump card by who have power and want to keep it or don’t have power and want to take it.

Is this a reason to reject the existence of absolute truth? No, absolutely not. Is it a good reason to be suspicious of claims regarding absolute truth? Maybe. One thing is surely true, if those who defend truth do so with anger and malice the wedge of suspicion will only be driven deeper. I realize that for many, speaking with compassion and humility has become equated with spinelessness…that too is a post for another time.

One of my friends – who doesn’t really seem to be for or against postmodern “stuff” – has told me on several occasions that he thinks this whole deal is simply the usual rejection and rebellion that one generation displays for the previous. In some ways I think he is right. The problem is that we look at everything that is going on and try to place it neatly in one category or another. Sure, there are normal rebellions going on…many people claiming postmodern thought are, after all, young adults. There also seem to be some legitimate paradigmatic shifts occurring simultaneously which make this whole debacle something that will be much more easily sorted out in a couple hundred years. Until then we should argue against relativism without resorting to hyperbole and bashing all things postmodern. In truth there are some great things happening. Great stories of life are being told, people are realizing that they should no longer compartmentalize their faith, and whole groups of previously disinterested persons are willing to hear the Gospel.

And yet we may have a typical American tragedy in the making. My final thought on this issue is our penchant for marketing and consumerism. I have told my friends that when I write a book I’m not going to put a catchy title on it. If I do, and people read it, they may use my title in conversation. This title may become a buzzword. This buzzword may become a fad. And then everyone will hate me.

I realize that this is my own little hyperbolic statement following my admonition against such things. But we are a culture of locusts (another hyperbole…well not really, I think this one’s pretty accurate!). We consume and consume and consume until we have gorged ourselves and begin vomiting out the very thing we couldn’t get enough of moments before. We are already experiencing this “death by marketing”.

I’m not sure how we stop this juggernaut; I don’t know that we can. I do know that both sides of this debate are guilty of blanket demonizations that are not only unhelpful and inaccurate, they often provide the very fuel that the other side needs for its next barrage. In this way we ensure perpetual fighting and insure ourselves against any hope for healthy dialogue.

To be continued…

Marrying our Gomer: further adventures in developing my theology of ministry

DISCLAIMER: Rachel is not my “Gomer.” If you try to tell her that I said she was a prostitute from Biblical times, I will retaliate with Old Testament force!

…I remember my frustration during the period of time when I was trying to convince Rachel that she needed to go out with me. We had become very good friends and she would come over to our house at night and complain about guys…she was clueless.

When I finally broke down and told her how I felt, she wasn’t convinced (surprise, surprise! Many of you are still wondering how I pulled that one off…I’ll never tell!). But interestingly Rachel’s hesitation had less to do with the fact that she was out of my league and more to do with her fear of getting in another relationship. Though it had been quite some time, she still had not recovered from a bad break-up which was making it hard to trust the idea of once again making herself vulnerable. Luckily for me, my persistence paid off and now she’s stuck with me…happily ever after.

I have recently experienced a similar feeling of fear myself. I felt this reticence as I thought about the next church where I would serve. Those who are not in ministry sometimes think that losing your job is losing your job, no matter what you do. While I would never take away from the difficulty of anyone being told that their “services are no longer required”, ministers have the added difficulty of loosing their church family…their support system which should be there to help people through these times.

A wise man in ministry advised me not to see the congregations where I serve as my support system or even my spiritual family but rather to cultivate that community outside with other ministers. This counsel is based on recognizing the very real possibility that any church can let you go at any time. As much as we would like to say that we are working for God, we are being paid by man.

6 months ago…actually as recently as 2 months ago, I was convinced that the only advisable course of action was to resist putting “roots down” anywhere. It made sense that I was going to have to be somewhat of an outsider because I couldn’t risk allowing myself to become vulnerable again. Over the last few years I have developed a network of good friends, which was a definite blessing during these months.

But then a couple things began running through my head. The first was the story at the beginning of this post. There came a point where Rachel had to decide that she would risk another relationship. If she hadn’t, the world would have been deprived of Conner Allan Wells and his famous vanishing finger trick!

And also I thought of Hosea.

We know the story of the prophet Hosea. He was called by God to marry an adulterous woman named Gomer. God knew that she would not be faithful to Hosea, just as he had known that Israel would not remain faithful to him. Hosea was called on to demonstrate God’s love – a love which makes itself vulnerable even in the face of certain betrayal. Hosea would have been so blessed to have witnessed the love of Christ which surpassed even his commitment to Gomer. Christ’s was a love which not only made itself vulnerable, but was willing to forfeit life for the love of an adulterous people.

As a minister, God has called me to demonstrate this kind of love as well. Thankfully in his mercy God allowed me to marry a faithful, loving wife. He has surrounded me with compassionate, loyal friends. And the small thing that I have been asked to do is to make myself vulnerable to a group of people who could possibly (as opposed to “will definitely”) end our relationship in a painful way.

I will take the advice and continue to appreciate God’s blessing of holy friends, but I will also be faithful and marry my Gomer. I must be willing to invest in a community because this is how God calls us to love his children – not with reservation but wholeheartedly, accepting risk as the Lord did by first loving us.