I spent this past weekend with a great group of people who had come together for a spiritual retreat outside of Chattanooga, Tenn. It was definitely an amazing time and I was honored to be part of it. A very close friend of mine led the weekend, and she gave me such a wonderful gift by asking me to take a leadership role with her for the event. Some very important, truly transformational things happened for me during this weekend, things that involved new beginnings, taking important next steps in on-going processes, as well as bringing an end to something that had finally reached its expiration date. I'll write more about some of this in the coming days, but it just seemed important to note how important both this weekend and the months of preparation leading up to it were and are to me.
All of that makes coming home last night that much sweeter. The lights on my front porch, the quiet of our house, being greeted by Zach the cat and Maggie the Labrador, feeling the warmth of your own bed, made all the better by the warmth of your wife next to you...these things are also gifts from this weekend, made that much sweeter by having been away from them.
Home.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Out the door
I'm out for a few days speaking at a retreat that begins tonight. Prayers are appreciated, as I'll be speaking several times over the course of the weekend. Hope your weekend goes well.
Peace,
Jerry
Peace,
Jerry
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Big Change
In 2005 I sat in an American mega-church, listening to one of it's founding pastors kick off a two-day conference they were hosting. His talk that evening was, "Are you ready to make the big change." He talked about how most church "leaders" avoided making big, sweeping changes, as this was usually the stuff that got people upset, and God knows we can't have the righteous assemblage getting upset...especially since that tends to lead to that pastor needing to find a new group to "lead." The pastor I listened to that evening, however, referred to what most pastors call change as anything but. "Slow, incremental change will kill you," he said. "It drains resources, passion and vision, plus it will frustrate the people who are actually depending on you to step up and lead."
As I sat there, I realized that the guy on stage was talking to me, and I've never forgotten what he said that night. He inspired me to both seek and create that which is truly change, as well as to begin to speak out against the small, cosmetic adjustments that most American pastors celebrate as change.
I've been surprised in the almost 4 years since that night how many times I've heard somebody refer to the "Big Change" they're making at their church. All this talk of change would be funny if it weren't so pathetic and self-congratulatory. So, I'd like to offer a few things that are definitely NOT "Big Change," as well as a few ideas about what it might actually be.
Big Change is NOT your brand new video screens in your worship space.
Big Change is NOT the fact your worship band plays a song from U2, Coldplay, Snow Patrol, The Killers, or whoever else it is you think will raise your cool factor. Playing songs from these bands means you're playing much better music than most churches do, but it does not qualify you for Big Change status.
Big Change is NOT the fact your entire staff wears jeans...it just means you're being smarter with your clothing purchases.
Big Change is NOT your coffee bar...although Bad Change would be removing the coffee.
Big Change is NOT devoting 90-95% of your financial and human resources to 2% of the week, be it Saturday night or Sunday morning.
Big Change is NOT bragging about how much money you send half-way around the world, while the neighborhood surrounding your church campus has no idea who you are or if you even remotely care that they live daily on the edge of hopelessness.
Big Change is NOT celebrating how much you do for the poor when that amount doesn't even equal 5% of your overall annual receipts.
Big Change is NOT adopting phrases like "post-modern," especially since post-moderns aren't even talking about post-modernism anymore. Showing up 10 years too late to the party is worse than not even showing up at all.
There are many other things I could list that are NOT Big Change, but I'm sure you get the point. Now, for a few ideas on those things that might actually be Big Change:
Calling our faith communities to begin to actually live out Jesus' words about bringing good news to the poor might be Big Change.
Being known for caring about more than just 2 political/social issues might be Big Change.
Abandoning the patriarchal, top-heavy leadership structures based on 1950's corporate America that almost all churches utilize might be Big Change.
Caring for the baby after it's born, as well as the mother who decided to take our advice and not abort him/her, might be Big Change.
Stopping our excuses as to why we can't do the previous things I've listed here and instead begin living like people who actually follow the teachings of Jesus might be Big Change.
I'm sure you could list many other things that would fit in either list, but I'm far more interested in what "might be" than that which is definitely NOT. I'm especially interested in how "might be" can then move to "should be" and then "will be," which finally simply becomes Big Change. I'm interested in doing this now and I'm interested in doing it with you.
If we agree on even a little bit of this, that in itself just might be Big Change.
As I sat there, I realized that the guy on stage was talking to me, and I've never forgotten what he said that night. He inspired me to both seek and create that which is truly change, as well as to begin to speak out against the small, cosmetic adjustments that most American pastors celebrate as change.
I've been surprised in the almost 4 years since that night how many times I've heard somebody refer to the "Big Change" they're making at their church. All this talk of change would be funny if it weren't so pathetic and self-congratulatory. So, I'd like to offer a few things that are definitely NOT "Big Change," as well as a few ideas about what it might actually be.
Big Change is NOT your brand new video screens in your worship space.
Big Change is NOT the fact your worship band plays a song from U2, Coldplay, Snow Patrol, The Killers, or whoever else it is you think will raise your cool factor. Playing songs from these bands means you're playing much better music than most churches do, but it does not qualify you for Big Change status.
Big Change is NOT the fact your entire staff wears jeans...it just means you're being smarter with your clothing purchases.
Big Change is NOT your coffee bar...although Bad Change would be removing the coffee.
Big Change is NOT devoting 90-95% of your financial and human resources to 2% of the week, be it Saturday night or Sunday morning.
Big Change is NOT bragging about how much money you send half-way around the world, while the neighborhood surrounding your church campus has no idea who you are or if you even remotely care that they live daily on the edge of hopelessness.
Big Change is NOT celebrating how much you do for the poor when that amount doesn't even equal 5% of your overall annual receipts.
Big Change is NOT adopting phrases like "post-modern," especially since post-moderns aren't even talking about post-modernism anymore. Showing up 10 years too late to the party is worse than not even showing up at all.
There are many other things I could list that are NOT Big Change, but I'm sure you get the point. Now, for a few ideas on those things that might actually be Big Change:
Calling our faith communities to begin to actually live out Jesus' words about bringing good news to the poor might be Big Change.
Being known for caring about more than just 2 political/social issues might be Big Change.
Abandoning the patriarchal, top-heavy leadership structures based on 1950's corporate America that almost all churches utilize might be Big Change.
Caring for the baby after it's born, as well as the mother who decided to take our advice and not abort him/her, might be Big Change.
Stopping our excuses as to why we can't do the previous things I've listed here and instead begin living like people who actually follow the teachings of Jesus might be Big Change.
I'm sure you could list many other things that would fit in either list, but I'm far more interested in what "might be" than that which is definitely NOT. I'm especially interested in how "might be" can then move to "should be" and then "will be," which finally simply becomes Big Change. I'm interested in doing this now and I'm interested in doing it with you.
If we agree on even a little bit of this, that in itself just might be Big Change.
Monday, February 16, 2009
The Fire Pit
Last night I sat around a fire pit with five young college students, as well as a good friend who has been out of college for over a decade now. My two-plus decades of post-college life definitely made me the oldest one in the circle. These young men asked both my friend and me to spend some time hanging out with them and discussing what the Church is and isn't, how to escape the institutional fraud masquerading as the Church, as well as what the future ministry implications are for each of them if they become part of the institution in hopes of bringing real life and change to it. Just small stuff like that.
We let them know quickly that we were not the guys with the answers, looking every bit as much to them as they might be to us for insight, wisdom, and hope. These guys got to the heart of the matter immediately, letting us know their hopes and their fears right off the bat. We talked about what it means to re-frame our internal struggles, about the need to use our own language to describe mission, rather than using the very problematic and polarizing language handed down to us. We talked about the fact that the Spirit is moving in some pretty unexpected places, places that might very well make those working to prop up the institution pretty nervous.
All of us in the circle share the same faith-tribe connection, if not life-long, at least currently, and we all admitted that particular stream is contributing little to nothing to this type of discussion. Maybe it's not even supposed to. At least a couple of these young men talked about how they would not be satisfied with identifying the problems with which we are faced; they want to be part of the solution. They NEED to be part of the solution. Calling was referred to quite often, and the last thing I remember saying to them had to do with crisis and the opportunities it presents.
What we probably spoke about most, though, and this is what made the evening so energizing for me as I drove away, was community. I almost hesitate to use the word, as it's been so over-used, misused, co-opted for less than honorable purposes, as well as having been attached to ministry initiatives that aren't even in the same universe as true community. But, last night we seemed to keep coming back to it, being reminded of how vital it is for things like the working out of one's salvation, the understanding and living out of calling, as well as simply making sure we live for something more and better than just ourselves. We talked so much about community because we were doing community, we were living out community in those couple of hours. Five twenty-somethings, one thirty-something and one forty-something, all of us sharing the same fire's warmth, all of us sharing much of the same hopes and dreams.
We were the Church covered in smoke, the Church becoming. We promised each other we will be doing this again and I believe we will. I look forward to being back with them at their fire pit soon. They have much to teach me.
We let them know quickly that we were not the guys with the answers, looking every bit as much to them as they might be to us for insight, wisdom, and hope. These guys got to the heart of the matter immediately, letting us know their hopes and their fears right off the bat. We talked about what it means to re-frame our internal struggles, about the need to use our own language to describe mission, rather than using the very problematic and polarizing language handed down to us. We talked about the fact that the Spirit is moving in some pretty unexpected places, places that might very well make those working to prop up the institution pretty nervous.
All of us in the circle share the same faith-tribe connection, if not life-long, at least currently, and we all admitted that particular stream is contributing little to nothing to this type of discussion. Maybe it's not even supposed to. At least a couple of these young men talked about how they would not be satisfied with identifying the problems with which we are faced; they want to be part of the solution. They NEED to be part of the solution. Calling was referred to quite often, and the last thing I remember saying to them had to do with crisis and the opportunities it presents.
What we probably spoke about most, though, and this is what made the evening so energizing for me as I drove away, was community. I almost hesitate to use the word, as it's been so over-used, misused, co-opted for less than honorable purposes, as well as having been attached to ministry initiatives that aren't even in the same universe as true community. But, last night we seemed to keep coming back to it, being reminded of how vital it is for things like the working out of one's salvation, the understanding and living out of calling, as well as simply making sure we live for something more and better than just ourselves. We talked so much about community because we were doing community, we were living out community in those couple of hours. Five twenty-somethings, one thirty-something and one forty-something, all of us sharing the same fire's warmth, all of us sharing much of the same hopes and dreams.
We were the Church covered in smoke, the Church becoming. We promised each other we will be doing this again and I believe we will. I look forward to being back with them at their fire pit soon. They have much to teach me.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Freedom
Friedrich Nietzsche wrote, "Do you call yourself free? I want to hear your ruling idea, and not that you have escaped from a yoke." In thinking about this statement, I understand what it's like to have escaped from a yoke, and how that escape can at least initially feel like freedom. I also understand the longing for freedom that a "ruling idea" can create. But, with apologies to Nietzsche, the presence of this ruling idea is not only insufficient proof of freedom, it in itself can become another yoke entirely, moving us from the tyranny of one type of domination to another.
The religious system in which I grew up and today now serve as a minister, is part of the Christian faith (the Church of God, based in Cleveland, Tennessee). Somehow, probably not intentionally, that system managed to turn a ruling idea into a yoke. Even worse than that, this ruling idea/yoke over time became this system's primary reason for being, having replaced the God to which it claimed allegiance with a single attribute of how He operates, or at least their opinion of how He operates, and even then, probably managing to be off-base about that very attribute. After over a century of existence, this system continues to hold to this ruling idea so tightly that it is willing to do whatever it thinks necessary to either keep its members in line (or in yoke) where the ruling idea is concerned, or to remove those members who are willing to either question or suggest that there needs to be a re-thinking of the ruling idea.
This is currently happening to a man with whom I have been acquainted for most of my life, and with whom I worked a few years ago. He's been a pastor in this particular faith system for quite a long time now, and has spent almost the last 33 years at the same church in Chattanooga, Tennessee, which in itself is a pretty uncommon thing, especially in our tribe. He's a bit different than many pastors in our tribe in that he is influenced by thinking beyond our tribe's rather narrow, provincial approach to the faith. This has caused him to be celebrated by some, scorned by others. But, he has always made it clear that the tribe to which he belongs is the tribe to which he wants to belong. It's his tribe, and he's glad to be part of it. You would think this would count for something, but evidently not. He's currently being accused of "doctrinal infidelity" (I think they mean heresy) over the fact he has dared question whether the ruling idea is something we should re-think, or at least allow room for some additional thinking on the subject. It's embarrassing to even admit what all this fuss is about, but here goes: it's all about speaking in tongues.
There you go. This man's entire life's work, as well as his standing in his denomination, not to mention his livelihood, is being put at risk over a disagreement about tongues. This might even be funny if it weren't so completely pathetic and terrifying. And the craziest thing about it is that the pastor to whom I'm referring believes in speaking in tongues! He just happens to have a different take on it than the ones who consider themselves the keepers of the yoke/ruling idea have. We're way past theology or doctrine here kids. We're way past dogma. We are now in the land of the cultish and the dangerous. Very dangerous.
It's important to point out that although I've known this pastor for some time, and even though we used to work together, the passion of my post doesn't stem from the fact I have a deep friendship with him. The time that I worked with him was difficult at best, and the aftermath of having worked with him has been equally difficult. The last time we spoke was well over a year ago, and that was strained and uncomfortable. I'm not speaking out because a friend is being targeted. I'm speaking out because this is wrong...this is ridiculous...this is not the way of Christ! Furthermore, if they can gut him over this, they can certainly do it to someone like myself who refuses to be identified by the labels and the doctrinal stances so many keepers of the yoke insist on. I told a friend who's in the same faith tribe just this week that the time to stand up and speak up about things like this has come. So, I guess I'm following my own advice.
In a recent conversation with another friend about this issue, I told him, "how ironic would it be if after all these decades of our denomination elevating speaking in tongues, the thing that brought about its end was a fight over speaking in tongues?" How ironic. How sad. If these keepers of the ruling idea do in fact take this particular Chattanooga pastor down, I am fully confident that he will find a way to overcome what they've done to him and he will do his best to move forward. For those who will have done this to him, it is my sincere hope that the weight of the very yoke they insist the members of the tribe live under will crush them and their idolatrous ways. They know nothing of freedom and seem to want no one else to either. But, freedom is neither a yoke or an idea.
And where the Spirit is, there is freedom.
The religious system in which I grew up and today now serve as a minister, is part of the Christian faith (the Church of God, based in Cleveland, Tennessee). Somehow, probably not intentionally, that system managed to turn a ruling idea into a yoke. Even worse than that, this ruling idea/yoke over time became this system's primary reason for being, having replaced the God to which it claimed allegiance with a single attribute of how He operates, or at least their opinion of how He operates, and even then, probably managing to be off-base about that very attribute. After over a century of existence, this system continues to hold to this ruling idea so tightly that it is willing to do whatever it thinks necessary to either keep its members in line (or in yoke) where the ruling idea is concerned, or to remove those members who are willing to either question or suggest that there needs to be a re-thinking of the ruling idea.
This is currently happening to a man with whom I have been acquainted for most of my life, and with whom I worked a few years ago. He's been a pastor in this particular faith system for quite a long time now, and has spent almost the last 33 years at the same church in Chattanooga, Tennessee, which in itself is a pretty uncommon thing, especially in our tribe. He's a bit different than many pastors in our tribe in that he is influenced by thinking beyond our tribe's rather narrow, provincial approach to the faith. This has caused him to be celebrated by some, scorned by others. But, he has always made it clear that the tribe to which he belongs is the tribe to which he wants to belong. It's his tribe, and he's glad to be part of it. You would think this would count for something, but evidently not. He's currently being accused of "doctrinal infidelity" (I think they mean heresy) over the fact he has dared question whether the ruling idea is something we should re-think, or at least allow room for some additional thinking on the subject. It's embarrassing to even admit what all this fuss is about, but here goes: it's all about speaking in tongues.
There you go. This man's entire life's work, as well as his standing in his denomination, not to mention his livelihood, is being put at risk over a disagreement about tongues. This might even be funny if it weren't so completely pathetic and terrifying. And the craziest thing about it is that the pastor to whom I'm referring believes in speaking in tongues! He just happens to have a different take on it than the ones who consider themselves the keepers of the yoke/ruling idea have. We're way past theology or doctrine here kids. We're way past dogma. We are now in the land of the cultish and the dangerous. Very dangerous.
It's important to point out that although I've known this pastor for some time, and even though we used to work together, the passion of my post doesn't stem from the fact I have a deep friendship with him. The time that I worked with him was difficult at best, and the aftermath of having worked with him has been equally difficult. The last time we spoke was well over a year ago, and that was strained and uncomfortable. I'm not speaking out because a friend is being targeted. I'm speaking out because this is wrong...this is ridiculous...this is not the way of Christ! Furthermore, if they can gut him over this, they can certainly do it to someone like myself who refuses to be identified by the labels and the doctrinal stances so many keepers of the yoke insist on. I told a friend who's in the same faith tribe just this week that the time to stand up and speak up about things like this has come. So, I guess I'm following my own advice.
In a recent conversation with another friend about this issue, I told him, "how ironic would it be if after all these decades of our denomination elevating speaking in tongues, the thing that brought about its end was a fight over speaking in tongues?" How ironic. How sad. If these keepers of the ruling idea do in fact take this particular Chattanooga pastor down, I am fully confident that he will find a way to overcome what they've done to him and he will do his best to move forward. For those who will have done this to him, it is my sincere hope that the weight of the very yoke they insist the members of the tribe live under will crush them and their idolatrous ways. They know nothing of freedom and seem to want no one else to either. But, freedom is neither a yoke or an idea.
And where the Spirit is, there is freedom.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Finished
It's finished. I wish I could tell you what "it" is, but I can't just yet. That's another month away. For now though, let it suffice that it has been in the works for quite a long time, long before I actually began working on it, before I even knew what it was. It had been working on and in me for years, just waiting for me to finally get to the place where I could recognize it for what it is, as well as understand that it's time had come. Or maybe my time had come. Either way, it was time for it.
These past few years have heavily influenced the beginning and completion of it, but I realize now that my whole life has been helping to form this time and this project. You know how you have that small, hidden space down inside that says maybe, just maybe I could someday do this thing or that thing, but there's also that other space in you, maybe not as hidden or small that keeps wanting to tell you all you will never do. This time, the small space won.
Here's to hoping yours does too.
These past few years have heavily influenced the beginning and completion of it, but I realize now that my whole life has been helping to form this time and this project. You know how you have that small, hidden space down inside that says maybe, just maybe I could someday do this thing or that thing, but there's also that other space in you, maybe not as hidden or small that keeps wanting to tell you all you will never do. This time, the small space won.
Here's to hoping yours does too.
Monday, January 19, 2009
The Prophet
He was someone who was on television a lot, but a person who so many people in my world seemed to dislike, maybe even hate. He didn't seem like a guy who needed to be hated, but hatred was one of the things that followed him around. He was a black preacher from Atlanta who spent a lot of time talking about freedom and rights, about justice and equality. The preachers of my culture just talked about sin, how angry God was with most of us, and how we all couldn't wait to get out of this world and into the next one...where we could have one long, never-ending church service. Welcome to Heaven.
But this black preacher from Atlanta seemed to have an idea that God might just be a bit more interested in the here and now than my preachers thought He was. All the preachers from my world were white, however, so that made the black preacher wrong, maybe even not a true follower of God. The South in the 60's. What a wasteland. Tons of religion, little to no righteousness.
Someone (or a group of them, depending on which conspiracy school you belong to) finally shut the black preacher from Atlanta down on a Memphis motel balcony in '68, but not before he had stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on a sweltering August day in '63 and told the audience, the nation, and the world that he had a dream. It was a dream that was meant for "all God's children," and it sounded kind of like some of the words Jesus used, but those words were typically overlooked by the preachers of my world. Freedom for the captive....good news for the poor, stuff like that. He stood there that day in '63 and called a nation, the world really, to return to true humanity, where we each are valued and each of us matter because all of us matter.
His words that day inspired millions, both that day and the days that immediately followed, as well as in the years to follow. The inspired ones included the man from Texas who occupied the White House at the time, later a young rock band from the north side of Dublin who sang about all that he did in the name of love, as well as a young preacher's son who grew up in the unrighteous South of the 60's...me.
Today we remember that black Atlanta preacher, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and all that he meant and means to us. And tomorrow in Washington, D.C., we will remember that his dream continues, as a man becomes president who would have never had a chance at it had Dr. King never dared to dream and then dare to share that dream with the rest of us. Tomorrow will be a great day, and I have to believe that on that hot August day in '63, the black preacher from Atlanta saw it. Had he shared with us then what he saw waiting for us tommorrow, I'm sure we would have all said he was crazy, but then we tend to respond that way to most prophets.
But this black preacher from Atlanta seemed to have an idea that God might just be a bit more interested in the here and now than my preachers thought He was. All the preachers from my world were white, however, so that made the black preacher wrong, maybe even not a true follower of God. The South in the 60's. What a wasteland. Tons of religion, little to no righteousness.
Someone (or a group of them, depending on which conspiracy school you belong to) finally shut the black preacher from Atlanta down on a Memphis motel balcony in '68, but not before he had stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on a sweltering August day in '63 and told the audience, the nation, and the world that he had a dream. It was a dream that was meant for "all God's children," and it sounded kind of like some of the words Jesus used, but those words were typically overlooked by the preachers of my world. Freedom for the captive....good news for the poor, stuff like that. He stood there that day in '63 and called a nation, the world really, to return to true humanity, where we each are valued and each of us matter because all of us matter.
His words that day inspired millions, both that day and the days that immediately followed, as well as in the years to follow. The inspired ones included the man from Texas who occupied the White House at the time, later a young rock band from the north side of Dublin who sang about all that he did in the name of love, as well as a young preacher's son who grew up in the unrighteous South of the 60's...me.
Today we remember that black Atlanta preacher, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and all that he meant and means to us. And tomorrow in Washington, D.C., we will remember that his dream continues, as a man becomes president who would have never had a chance at it had Dr. King never dared to dream and then dare to share that dream with the rest of us. Tomorrow will be a great day, and I have to believe that on that hot August day in '63, the black preacher from Atlanta saw it. Had he shared with us then what he saw waiting for us tommorrow, I'm sure we would have all said he was crazy, but then we tend to respond that way to most prophets.
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